Well, it’s taken me a couple of weeks to process that GOT is actually over for the season. *Sigh* I also read that next season will be pushed back until May or possibly even later, which is almost as devastating as the Red Wedding. Almost.
Anyhoo, I proceed on to my final GOT recap of 2016, before I move on to other topics and television shows for the remainder of the year. As usual, a bit of spoiler space for anyone who hasn’t seen the episode yet (but let’s be honest, everyone has):
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Firstly, our Stark direwolf is back on Winterfell in the opening credits. FINALLY.
The show opens in King’s Landing, in one of the most amazing montages I think the show has ever had. You can really feel the weight of the situation at hand — it’s time for trial, and it’s truly a matter of life and death for both Cersei and Margaery.
I also want to point out that the music for this montage is particularly awesome. Major, major props to Ramin Dijawadi for this piece. I’ve listened to it twice since the episode, and still get goosebumps when I listen to it. Enjoy:
Check out that outfit Cersei’s wearing. Some shit’s going down today — no question about it.
And so, we move to Loras in the Sept; confessing his crimes. It seems as though he’s being encouraged by Margaery, so I assume it all fell in to her plan. When he was pushed to his knees and the Sparrows got out their knife, Damon and I immediately assumed they were going to kill him. Oh. Duh. Not so — he’s just getting initiated into the carved forehead brothers club. Still, ouch.
This is like when frat bros get tats, except without all the drinking and chest-bumping beforehand. Initiation’d.
Pycelle gets summoned by a little bird, drawn into Qyburn’s lair, and stabbed a zillion times. In the book, this happens to Kevan in his own room, and is perpetrated by Varys. So, a little odd. I can see why they’d want to include the scene, as it is shocking to watch a bunch of children murder someone, but it didn’t really feel completely necessary here. Neither did the entirety of one of those little birds suspiciously getting Lancel to follow him down into a deep underground tunnel where he gets literally stabbed in the back and left for dead. Other than, of course, to let us see a glint of green in the nearby barrels. (Wildfire! I win!) Lancel clearly can’t stop what’s about to happen, so…this whole thing was for suspense, I guess.
Margaery has clearly figured out that shit’s about to go down, and she hasn’t even seen Cersei in her black armor dress today. But the High Sparrow apparently knows best.
I really did think she was going to get out. I’m thoroughly disappointed that she didn’t. Fuck the Sparrows, I couldn’t care less about them getting blown to green smithereens. But Marg? She had a plan, man. And we never got to see it. (This kind of makes me feel like the show Lost — I wonder if there ever really was a plan, or if the showrunners just did whatever they wanted with her knowing they didn’t need to have any true end game. Hmph.)
But anyway. BOOM. The candles go out and the wildfire blows up, taking the entirety of Baelor’s Sept with it.
I’ma be straight up, I got no sympathy for this guy.
And…Cersei and her wine. Victory sip. Also, she’s got Septa Shame? I’d like to know how she ended up with her, but I guess it shouldn’t come as a surprise that with the undead Mountain around Cersei can have pretty much anything she wants at this point. When she told Shame gal that she wouldn’t die today I thought, “whoa, okay girl…you do you.” YUCK. The feeling of victory is short lived, though. She’s left Tommen alone, and, well…that doesn’t go over particularly well.
This is the first time that Tommen ever makes a decision solely based on himself and his own feelings — and he immediately follows through. The scene where he sort of “falls” out of the window was shot particularly well and I loved the direction in it. The silence and the solitude really gave you a sense of where Tommen’s head was at the time.
Prophecy fulfilled: Gold will be their crowns and gold their shrouds. All of Cersei and Jaime’s children are now deceased.
And then before we know it we’re back to the Riverlands and The Twins, where we see Jaime and Bronn having a grand ol’ time. (Didja eat that bread and salt? Because it don’t mean shit around here, brah.) A gal that Bronn’s interested in keeps making eyes at Jaime (though later we discover it’s not for the reason we think), and they have a fun little conversation with some ladies. Jaime and Walder Frey end up having a really pointed conversation about being “Kingslayers”, and I’d wager Jaime has never felt worse. Though his show character doesn’t really portray it very much, Jaime does have honor. So screw off, Walder Frey.
Then we bounce over to Old Town for a quick visit with Gilly and Sam. We see the white ravens being released signaling the start of winter (duh). Sam gets to see the most amazing library in the world, and finally has everything he ever wanted — a million books, a Gilly, and Heartsbane. He may be the only character in all of Planetos that’s actually happy right now. Everything’s coming up Samwell.
A long, trudging jaunt North takes us back to Winterfell, where we see Davos confront Melly about her and Shireen’s campfire, from which Shireen did not return. Liam Cunningham has an amazing scene here. And now, Jon is ready to decree his judgment and — Mel will be banished? That whole thing seems very odd to me. That ain’t the justice of the North.
It’s head chopping or it’s nothing around here. Clearly my Azor Ahai/burning sword theory was incorrect, but I can deal if — as Mel foretold — she and Arya are able to meet up next season. Littlefinger has his throne dreams; Sansa does not swipe right. Sansa promises to be honest with Jon from now on.
And now alllllll the way South to Dorne — Olenna Tyrell saying what we’ve all been thinking since the episode where Oberyn was killed. Enough with the Sand Snakes already. Also, like, how far in the future is this? She’s in all black mourning the loss of her entire family less than half an hour after it happened. Book wise, this should be entirely different; there are more members of House Tyrell that are not currently in King’s Landing. In addition, I think it’s relatively clear that they will ally with Aegon, who does not exist in the show-verse. Also, hey Varys. Nice of you to take your water-jetpack over.
I mean, he literally got here in like 5 seconds. What gives?
And back to Meereen, where Dany is breaking up with Daario. It was time. Bye, Felicia; this Queen gotta find a real hubby (pls Jon Snow pls). She and Tyrion get a great scene where he can really ask how she feels about the fact that she’s headed home to Westeros. But I think this question was posed more to the viewers than anyone else. How do we feel about the fact that she’s finally headed over? Like, FINALLY. We’ve waited forever. She names Tyrion the Hand of the Queen and it’s an emotional moment — he’s finally earned it with his own merits. Not because of his family name. Rad. He deserves it after a season spent piddling around making jokes with Missandei and Grey Worm.
Back to the Twins. Oh yes, yes, here we go — time for Frey Pies! (This does happen in the book, too, albeit quite a bit differently — but I’ll take it, because he deserves it!) I do wish he’d have gotten a good bite down before she told him what was in the pie but…holy shit, that’s Arya. This was so completely unexpected. No wonder she was eyeballing Jaime before — he’s on the list! Wondering how exactly the faceless faces work, but I guess she knows the technology behind it now. Also, she seems to be enjoying this death a little…too much? If that can even be said for Walder Frey? We’ll see how this affects her going forward. Hopefully she runs in to her family and changes her murderous ways.
And now, the final roundup. Bran gets us in to the Tower of Joy, finally. It is CONFIRMED. Jon Snow is the daughter of Lyanna Stark and some whispered name they won’t tell us until next season (spoiler alert, it’s Rhaegar Targaryen).
Back in Winterfell, it’s clear that baby is Baby Jon. Lyanna Mormont gives another rousing speech (seriously, Lady Mormont for Season 10 MVP). She’s cool as hell, but she’s also wrong. Ned Stark’s blood doesn’t run through Jon’s veins, and now we all know it. This KINGINDANORF scene is eerie and feels unsafe. Littlefinger is giving Jon an evil eye — he had planned to have Sansa leading the North, but she’s giving it up in favor of Jon. Although this is clearly meaningful to Jon, it channels Robb’s coronation. And we all know how that ended.
This time, on the narrow sea, but not across — Daenerys is ACTUALLY ON A SHIP, SAILING TO WESTEROS. Yes, you heard that right. And Varys has shared his teleportation skills with Highgarden and Dorne. They are on the way. Ominous.
And that’s it. 10 episodes are over, and now we wait. I’m excited for the next season and have high hopes it will be action-packed.
See you in 12ish months! (*Sob*)
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