Game of Thrones: Hardhome
After seeing Tyrion and Jorah finally make it to Daenerys last week, I was on the edge of my seat to see what would happen this week and whether or not it would correlate to the books. I honestly had no idea what to expect going into this week.
The episode opens inside one of the Meereen pyramids with Daenerys questioning Tyrion. He tells her about how he got there and how what he knows of her. He makes his case as to why she should listen to him and what he could do for her if they end up working well together. As his first task, he must decide what to do with Jorah Mormont. Immediately he points out how devoted he is and how he’s in love with her, but ultimately he has Ser Jorah banished. Jorah leaves the city, and we see that his Gray Scale is spreading.
Back in King’s Landing we see that Cersei is not being treated well in her own sell at the Sept, and she’s not doing well.
In Braavos, Arya has taken on a new identity, though she still has her own face. We see her reciting the story to Jaqen Hagahr. He tells her what to do, and where she must go, telling her that she will be there to see, but not what she should be looking for. Quickly when she arrives, she sees a man selling insurance and reports it back. Jaqen Hagahr explains the concept of life insurance, and why the man is cheating people. Her new task is to learn all she can about the man before giving him the Gift of the Many Faced God. Once again, she sets out.
Qyburn is allowed to see Cersei, and he comes to inform her about the trial. She’s being tried for fornication, incest, treason and the murder of Robert Baratheon. She also learns that her Uncle Kevan is back in town, serving as Hand of the King. She also hasn’t seen Tommen, who is taking all the news badly, and won’t see anyone. Qyburn tells her that the only way out is for her to confess.
Theon comes in to give Sansa her food and finds her fully dressed and waiting for him. She questions him, wanting to know why he told Ramsay about her escape plan instead of helping her. When he tells her what Ramsay has done, she tells him he deserves it and the two have a heated conversation where he lets it slip that the two boys he burned weren’t actually Bran and Rickon.
Roose Bolton is going over their war plans. He thinks they can wait out a seige from Stannis, but Ramsay wants to take the offensive.
Daenerys and Tyrion are talking about their future possibly working together. Tyrion is giving her some good council, and the two are learning a lot about each other. They also talk about Varys and the part he played in sending Tyrion to her and keeping her alive. She officially accepts him as her adviser, and it’s then that she confides her plan to eliminate the most powerful families in Westeros.
Jorah in the mean time returns to the man who bought him, because he wants to fight in the great pit in front of Daenerys.
The High Septa comes to offer a very thirsty Cersei Lannister water, if only she’ll confess. She’s still too proud to do that, but as soon as the Septa is gone she drinks the water from the floor.
At The Wall, Gilly is taking care of Sam’s wounds while the two of them talk. Ollie comes in with some food for him and asks if he has any time to talk. He wants to ask why Jon would want to save wildlings that are killing people South of the Wall. Same once again defends Jon Snow, explaining that they need all the people they can when the armies of the dead attack.
Jon and the wildlings he left with are arriving on boat to Hardhome where the rest of the wildlings are supposed to be. Tormund goes to discuss with Rattleshirt and the other wildlings, and it doesn’t get off to the best start. He brutally beats (and potentially kills) Rattleshirt, before giving the command for the elders to be summoned so they can talk.
Jon Snow explains his plan to save the wildlings and fight the White Walkers. He offers obsidian daggers to those who join them, and says that he’ll give them all lands if they’ll agree to fight with them against the dead. Tormund does his best to defend Jon, and Jon does his best to convince the wildlings and eventually he rallies some of them. Unfortunately, not all of the wildlings feel the same, declaring war on the Night’s Watch and anyone who joins them.
They get around 5,000 wildlings to come back with them, but the rest remain stubborn. Jon doesn’t like it, he feels like they’re leaving too many people behind. All the dogs at the camp start barking and something starts coming, though at first it’s unclear what. They shut the gates closing in many of the wildlings who are screaming and trying to get out. There’s a rush of snow from under the gate and suddenly everything gets very quiet. Zombies and skeletons start coming over the fence, and the dead are seeping through everywhere.
The remaining wildlings all rush the boats. Jon Snow tells everyone to get on the boats and then come back for him, but he is determined to make sure that the dead don’t make it past the wall surrounding Hardhome, even though they’re incredibly outnumbered. The battle that follows is intense, perhaps one of the most intense battle scenes in the show, including the episode from last season that was nothing but the battle of the wall. One of the giants finally joins the fighting, crushing zombies left and right.
One of the White Walkers engages in single combat with Jon Snow, who is obviously outmatches, shattering his sword and cutting him. He trips and falls, leading to a scene that had me convinced he would not be making it to the next episode, but he grabs up another sword (the one made of Valyrian Steel) and is able to shatter the White Walker he’s fighting with.
Thousands more dead come rushing over the walls, forcing everyone to abandon any hope of fighting this out, and the remaining survivors continue their retreat to the water, finally making it to the last boat. They unfortunately aren’t able to save everyone, the dead were advancing far too quickly, but at least Jon didn’t die. One of the White Walkers, someone who appears to be a leader of some sort, makes some very concerning eye contact with Jon and raises his arms, causing all the fallen wildlings to rise once again on his side, increasing their numbers even further and causing the episode to end on a very disturbing note.
With every episode this season, I’ve gotten more and more concerned with the direction that this show is taking, and this one has been no exception. Things look pretty gloomy for Westeros, and I doubt it’s going to get better in episode 9.
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Posted by Cat Voleur
on Sunday, May 31st, 2015. Filed under Dark TV, Headline, Images.
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Tags: daenerys targaryen, game of thrones, game of thrones recap, game of thrones season 5, recap, tyrion lannister, white walkers
