Last Nox ’s Game of Thrones featured a lot of characters pausing at the edge of the whirlpool — before sailing over the boundary , into iniquity . Several of our favorite lineament faced one last chance to stop and reconsider their choices , before it was too belated . And almost all of them stay attached to their terrible decisions — because when you ’ve tie yourself to the wheel and committed yourself to a demented course , it can palpate like your fate .
Spoilers in advance …
We hear a fairish amount of talk about circumstances in last dark ’s episode — most notably from Melisandre the Red Priestess , in her post - strangulation pep verbalize to King Stannis . Theon Greyjoy also tries to win over his tiny band of followers at Winterfell that they have a heroic fate to get mow down and chopped into modest art object , so their names can go down in account . In both face , the factual destiny being described seems quite horrifying — Melisandre severalise Stannis that he ’ll betray everybody and lose himself , but it will all be worth it . Theon describes give way of a hundred lesion . Not that alluring .
And meanwhile , Daenerys Stormborn visits what is likely some kind of dreamland or nexus of realness , where she sees things that could come to die , or which might have been — including a ruined Iron Throneroom and Khal Drogo with their son .
The other big motif in last dark ’s episode , though — people being offered a chance to escape , and not take it . In particular , Tyrion and Sansa are both severalize to take flight King ’s Landing , and Theon Greyjoy is offered a agency out of Winterfell . Robb Stark is beg not to go through with his anserine wedding party , and Brienne has a chance to get out of having to see Jaime Lannister .
Most of all , though , “ Valar Morghulis ” packed a Brobdingnagian worked up puncher , from beginning to end . This was the most powerful episode of the show yet , for my money , and it testify that all that work on developing the minor characters really paid off .
There were so many great little here and now that it ’s almost impossible to tell them all , too . And the direction by Alan Taylor was fantastic . The open closeup of Tyrion ’s eye as he shift from post - battle injury - visual modality to reality , gets mirror by the closeup of Stannis ’ centre as he sees the flaming of Melisandre ’s prophecy . And the tight scene of Tywin ’s horse pooping on the floor of the toilet elbow room was amazingly great , similar to the affair Taylor did in the time of year opener with the dead body falling onto the courtyard with a plop . Also , Daenerys ’ journey through the Land Beyond the Wall look suitably artificial and sort of 2001 - y.
This show go forward to outstrip my already high expectations .
So let ’s take the billion subplots one by one …
Stannis Baratheon establishes the topic of luck as well as choosing your course — Stannis hears a pretty horrendous prophecy about all the horrific thing he ’s extend to do , on the room to becoming King , and he only seems concerned in the part where he take to be King . First , though , Stannis seems to be on the verge of rejecting Melisandre instantly , after his huge defeat in the Battle of the Blackwater . He ’s consorted with a alien apostate and murdered his own brother for nothing — plus he had to take in thousands of his own men die a atrocious pulp - melt decease .
Stannis , the relentlessly fair - given stickler , has a debt he ca n’t pass over out — and it drives him to hamper his priestess , cod her to show him where her god is now . Her reception : “ in you . ”
Something about her fervor when she aver her god is in him ( and thus , I think , it ’s actually her god that ’s throttle her ) stops Stannis in his caterpillar tread , allowing her to assure ( and show ) him the full divination of his bloody role . hear that he ’s going to be the reason of years of warfare and unnumberable suffering , Stannis does n’t attempt to deviate from that path — if anything , he seems more sure of his role than ever .
Theon Greyjoy … As we remark , he begin a last chance to flee and does n’t take it . Maester Luwin seems to have immense pathos for the self - styled Lord of Winterfell , who ’s puzzle himself into an indefensible situation . Luwin has this great import where he says Theon ’s not the military man he ’s affect to be — not yet , anyway . And Theon says he ’s gone too far to pretend to be anybody else , at this stop . He ca n’t go back to being one of Robb Stark ’s fast acolytes , he ca n’t melt down away and join the Night ’s Watch . He ’s ensnare by the pick he ’s already made .
This leads to a bizarrely awesome scene that ’s basically a charade of last calendar week ’s Tyrion Lannister “ there are brave human race knocking at our door . rent ’s go kill them ” language , in which Theon tries to get his tiny bunch excited about die gloriously in one last heroic conflict . It ’s a rousing , thrilling speech — but it ’s clearly not reliable , because nobody in Pyke will give two shits about a handful of dudes who become flat make a castle with no strategic value , miles from the sea . And Theon still does n’t empathize the Ironborn — they ’re sea rover , not knights . They want plunder , not glory .
And of course , Robb Stark has rather cunningly spread out the word that all of Theon ’s men are devoid to result — but not Theon himself . So Dagmer Cleftjaw clocks Theon in the back of the header , and drop back him out of there to hand him over . The saddest part of all this is that Maester Luwin is polish off , for trying one last time to preserve the worthless Theon . Maester Luwin perplex a tearjerking farewell to Bran and Rickon Stark , the last survivor of Winterfell , whom he say to head North towards the Wall , to find Jon Snow .
And when Bran and Rickon get out of their concealing shoes , they find that Winterfell has been determine on fire , destroying everything . Who did this ? presumptively not Dagmer Cleftjaw , who just wanted to get out of there in one bit . No , it seems more probable that the rescuers who fall to wipe out Theon decide to sack the place , and then burn down it to cover up their treachery . ( All we eff about these rescuers is that they were led by Lord Bolton ’s “ Bastard , ” whom we have n’t met yet . Maybe he ’s like Jon Snow , another honourable but illegitimate son who longs to do the correct thing . We ’ll see next year , I guess . )
Robb Stark also has an authority number telling him that it ’s not too late to change the dazed course he ’s set himself on . The King in the North has determine that it ’s not enough to fool around with Lady Talisa for a bit , before going off to marry one of Lord Frey ’s girl as he promised — he has to marry Talisa , because nothing else makes sense in this half-baked earth . Robb ’s mom try her adept to talk him out of this foolishness , but she ’s lost a lot of her height since she let Jaime Lannister go . So in the end , Robb goes off to the woods with Talisa , to have a pagan handfasting ceremony where they recite the gens of the seven new gods .
Sansa Stark , meanwhile , gets to see Good King Joffrey struggle with a similar quandary to the one Robb is interfering run roughshod over . Joffrey is promised in marriage to Sansa , the same manner Robb is promised in marriage ceremony to the anonymous Lady Frey . But or else of just quietly marry someone else , Joffrey stages a huge mime in which Loras Tyrell asks him to marry his sister , Margaery Tyrell . And Joffrey assign on a huge fake show of consternation , because he could n’t mayhap discover his sacred oath to marry Sansa . At last , the question is resolved , because Sansa is the girl of traitors , and for the goodness of the land , the espousal must be dissolved .
This leaves Sansa Stark gratis and percipient — except that Littlefinger , the novel Lord of Harrenhal , tells her that Joffrey will still savor brutalizing her and probably raping her too . He does n’t have to tie her to keep mistreat her , and he ’ll never let go of his toys . Littlefinger offers to slip Sansa away and return her to her family , but Sansa declines — plausibly wisely , weigh what we know about Littlefinger . Sansa is still trying to act that she ’s a good firm admirer of Joffrey , a insurance that ’s kept her active thus far . But Littlefinger tells her that everyone in King ’s landing place is a liar — and they ’re all much right at it than she is .
( Which raise another inquiry : What if Sansa ’s tactics is actually more successful than a right misrepresentation would be ? What if , by allow multitude see glimpse of her true wretchedness and hatred for Joffrey , she ’s helping to sell the conjuration that her spirit is better ? Nobody would believe that Sansa really does still jazz Joffrey , or that she ’s thrilled to be his prisoner . In any sheath , the present moment where Sansa rejoices at the end of her troth , only to fall away the sad mask into property again when she ’s mouth to , is pretty amazing . )
Ros the Spy Littlefinger ’s good sex worker , too , gets offered a way out of her situation by an older , impertinent figure . give thanks good Ros ’ storyline this season does n’t just terminate with her being the punching bagful of the creation — we get a trace that she ’s about to take on a whole new thrilling function . Ro is trying her good to cover up the bruises she stand at the hand of Cersei Lannister , when she catch a visitor , whom she does her darndest to score — except that it ’s Lord Varys , the eunuch , and she ’s rather wasting her time . Varys has a very challenging proposition for Ros — work for him , instead of for Littlefinger . Ros is already pretty great at bring herself into the middle of everything that ’s conk on , and Varys offer her the chance to turn it to just use , as a spy . The braggart perquisite : unlike Littlefinger , Varys protect his asset . ( And is this the first time we ’ve experience any reading that Varys ’ spies are n’t all footling boys ? I guess Jorah Mormont was one of Varys ’ spy at one point . )
Brienne of Tarth also gets a chance to back out of the dangerous course of instruction she ’s coiffure herself , when she and Jaime Lannister are caught by three Stark men . She ’s already realizing what a handful Jaime Lannister is — constantly challenging her to fight him , taunting her about her virginity , being a major dickface — and meanwhile , she ’s in constant risk of being caught by her own side , which might not treat her too gently for helping a prisoner escape . So when she fetch almost caught , she has the choice to give up her captive and maybe get aside . Instead , she first examine to facilitate Jaime pretend to be some nobody who got get stealing a copper — in a pretty hilarious sequence — and then she murders three man to keep her captive .
Of course , these are n’t just three random hero — these are the men responsible for for stringing up three innocent women who allegedly gave quilt to the Lannister troops in some style . The Stark men gave two out of these three woman a straightaway death — so Brienne does the same for two out of three of them .
Tyrion Lannister wakes up to find out that he ’s an unknown hero . While everybody else who defended King ’s Landing is bugger off decoration and promotion and espousal , Tyrion is stuck in layer with a nasty scar going diagonally across his case — so , as he lay it , he ’s a devil as well as a dwarf now . His power base has been dismantled , too : Bronn is no longer Commander of the City Watch , and the Hill Tribes have been sent home . But forged of all , even though many masses sleep together that the city would have fallen if it had n’t been for Tyrion admit off Stannis ’ force , he will never get any prescribed quotation .
bad of all , he wakes up to find Grand Maester Pycelle stand over him — the man whom Tyrion sent to one of the Black Cells for betraying him . Pycelle does n’t bother to put on his “ gaga old fool ” act at all , sneer at Tyrion and pitch him a coin for his trouble , the way Tyrion did to Pycelle ’s bed companion .
Lord Varys , the person who built up Tyrion as the only one who can save the city , is more or less abandoning him now , although he still consider himself Tyrion ’s Quaker . He betray Tyrion a huge heroic destiny , and Tyrion meet it — and now , he ’s being spue aside , like a broken relic .
Varys does do one last favor for Tyrion , though — he sneaks Tyrion ’s girlfriend Shae in to see him , for one of the episode ’s two tippy , heartbreaking moments . Shae genuinely seems to worry about Tyrion now , and is no longer just being paid luxuriously to pretend , as he set it . In fact , Shae puts her digit on the dark side of Tyrion ’s grapheme — “ I ’m a poor little rich man and nobody enjoy me , so I make trick all the prison term and bear people to express mirth . ”
Tyrion gets offered a chance to get out of King ’s Landing before things get any worse for him — Shae involve him to run away with her , to Pentos , where they can eat , drink and fuck without ever having to concern about Starks or Baratheons again . Tyrion says no , because he has bring out he really loves outmaneuver everybody else in this horrible town , and he wants to keep doing it . He ’s found the thing he was made for . “ These bad people are what I ’m undecomposed at . Out - talking them , out thinking them , it ’s what I am . And I like it . I like it more than anything I ’ve ever done . ” But instead of leaving Tyrion to his grievous game , Shae predict to detain with him , because she is his , and he is hers .
Jon Snow also faces a central conclusion , after which there will be no turn back . His fellow prisoner , Qhorin Halfhand , want Jon to kill him — so that Jon can prove that he ’s no longer loyal to the Night ’s Watch , and thus infiltrate the Wildling army take by former Night ’s Watchman Mance Rayder . Qhorin save trying to bait Jon into a fight , so Jon can have an exculpation to bump off him , and Jon is understandably waffle . But last , the two homo do get to have a brutal swordfight in the snow , with their hands still tied , and Jon skewer Qhorin through the breastbone .
And astonishingly enough , the ruse work . Jon is untied and accepted as the homo who kill Qhorin Halfhand . He ’s led to the Wildling encampment , where there are hundreds ( if not thousands ) of house , where he ’ll be introduced to his raw leader , Mance Rayder .
Arya Stark also gets offered a hazard to get aside from Westeros , and to get the thing she ’s been call out for all time of year : retaliation . Now that Jaqen H’ghar has helped her to escape from Harrenhal , he ’s apparently been impressed with her cleverness in give him his own name to defeat . He offers to take her to his social club , the Faceless Men , where she can learn to be a super - bravo , just like he is . She would have to leave Westeros and travel to Braavos , where her “ dancing instructor ” was from . But afterwards , she would have the skill to kill Cersei , Joffrey , the Hound and everybody else she hate — and they ’d never even see her come .
But Arya decides not to go off with Jaqen , because she needs to bump her female parent and siblings — even Sansa , whom Arya grudgingly go for she require to be with as well . So rather , Jaqen gives her a coin which will serve as her item of admission to assassin schoolhouse . All she has to do is give it to any Isle of Man from Braavos and say the words “ Valar Morghulis ” ( which readers of the Word of God bed means “ All men must die ” ) and they will take her to Jaqen .
Oh , and Jaqen randomly shift his face at a moment ’s notice . He ’s a freaking shapeshifter !
Daenerys Targaryen . In an episode that ’s all about hoi polloi making major selection , Daenerys ’ experience stand out — she seems to get into a dreamland where she ’s seeing dissimilar possible reality . Or maybe the sorcerers in the House of the Undying are just showing her what she wants to see — the Iron Throne , Drogo alive . But in that causa , why does she chaffer the nation beyond the Wall ? And why is the Iron can deserted and snow in ? ( It appear as though the throneroom ’s ceiling has been destroyed — melt by dragonfire . ) Is this a possible hereafter , or just a happy dream ?
In any case , in the midst of her travels through this netherworld of what might be and what could have been , Daenerys get to be with Drogo again — and it ’s another devilishly act conniption that it just about breaks you to view . Drogo has their son , the Stallion that Mounts the World , and he says that possibly he refused to go to the hereafter without Daenerys , or possibly one of them is dreaming . If it ’s Drogo who ’s stargaze , he ’ll kill the man who attempt to wake up him up . But , at last , Daenerys has to pass on her mate and journey onward , coming to where her dragons are held prisoner .
And , at last , we find out what all this has been about . Sort of . The sorcerers find that their magic powers were reawakening at around the same time that Daenerys ’ dragons were born , because the dragons are a reservoir of magic . And the closer they are to the dragons , the stronger their powers get . But the dragons , in turn , ask Daenerys nearby , or they subvert . So the necromancer desire to keep both Daenerys and her flying dragon imprisoned forever , in their tugboat — but they misestimate , bringing the tartar too unaired to their force author . Daenerys gives the flying dragon a bidding , and they let loose their fire , glow the sorcerer Pyat Pree and liberate Daenerys and themselves .
Afterwards , Daenerys hunt down down Xaro Xoan Daxos , who ’s in seam with Doreah . Which pisses Daenerys off , for some reason — did n’t she tell Doreah to go sleep around and see what she could find out ? Doreah is just obeying orders . But in any type , Daenerys slip the paint to Xaro Xoan Daxos ’ vault — which twist out to be empty . Yet another deception in the manor hall of mirrors that was Qarth . Daenerys interlock the protesting Xaro and Doreah in the vault , and then steals everything that is n’t nailed down , to buy herself a ship .
( And yes , it must be said — the only plot line that did n’t really gel this year was Qarth . It all felt a mo too race , and it was never altogether clear what was going on with Xaro and the other members of the Thirteen . This whole news report roil down to : Daenerys have perfidy , sees some trippy visions , and buy a gravy boat . There could have been better ways to get there , even if you follow some of the paths from the script . )
Samwell Tarly : And in the end , the other member of the Night ’s Watch that we ’re following is still in the Fist of the First Men , where he ’s just obtain that cryptical cache of obsidian weapons . And then he and his companions hear a horn fire — at first they believe it ’s one blast for Rangers returning . Then they think it ’s two blast for Wildlings attacking . But no … it ’s three blasts , the never - used sign for snow zombies . Grenn and Dolorous Edd run away , bequeath Samwell behind because he ’s too slow . And Samwell hides behind a rock , only to get a front - row keister at the procession of the entire freaking zombi USA . And he witness some kind of leader of the zombies , with glowy gamy eyes , star straight at him .
In an sequence with a lot of talk about people ’s Destiny and people make up one’s mind whether to play out the roles they ’ve taken on , there ’s one huge fact that nobody can run aside from . There are snow zombies out there , and when it gets frigid enough , they ’re come South .
Screenshots viaWinter is Coming Tumblr .
Game of ThronesGeorge R.R. MartinTelevision
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