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Spoiler note: The discussion in this post is primarily for non-book readers (book fans can discuss the show-only here). We ask that all Sullied book-readers refrain from posting spoilers in the comments here, veiled or otherwise. No spoilers, at all! This show is best viewed without knowing all the surprises beforehand or afterwards, so please be respectful of your fellow fans. Thank you!
Greetings again from the great Wall of the web, and welcome back for an epic recap of this season’s version of the epic 9.
A man’s name is Oz, and while “The Dance of Dragons” had it’s small share of epicness that arguably kept the tradition alive, this episode will undeniably be overshadowed by what happened to one of the most beloved and innocent characters left.
Due to this occurence, I am now tasked with convincing Ozzette into not quitting the show. How many times can this happen in one season?…
Jesus.
Typically, these Unsullied recaps are an attempt to include details and facts of the ep and where it may be leading us in terms of the endgame or the more immediate future.
Swish in a little wit and some poor attempts at humor, and you’ve got a true Unsullied viewpoint of how the show may be perceived by at least a small percentage of the non-book reader army.
Forgive a man if this recap is not as “upbeat” as you have grown to expect… I am finding it hard to overcome the lengths that some are willing to go to achieve their destiny.
Let’s do the worst first.
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Fire Power
Velvet hasn’t always got what she wanted, and Red has reminded Stannis of his mistakes surrounding Blackwater on multiple occasions.
If this episode showed us anything, it showed that Stannis was faced with desperation. If the faces of his army weren’t enough, then the burning of the food and supplies compliments of arsonist Ramsay and his crew of 20 likely put the decision over the edge.
Stannis has made it clear that he believes that this is his time and that there will not be another opportunity, and I think the writers have done an excellent job in conveying how desperate times call for desperate measures.
It doesn’t make it any easier to digest.
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“At least let me take Shireen.”
The writing was on the wall: The men coughing and hungry and suffering; the burning of the food and supplies; Velvet and Selyse waiting on Stannis when he told Davos to butcher the horses for meat; the final scene between Davos and Shireen when he gives her a gift and tells her he will see her in a few days; and ultimately Stannis sending Davos to the Wall on an errand for a scroll boy.
And then there were the parallels drawn between the current read of Shireen and the current situation of Stannis. He asks whom she would choose. He asks for her help. He asks for forgiveness.
**Ozzette leaves the room**
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I guess we should appreciate the fact that they chose not to actually show the child burning. But the screams will last forever, as will the scene of Selyse crying in the snow and how evil yet disturbed Stannis appeared as he watched his own child being torched.
Stannis has gone from being one of the most loathed characters to one of the most popular characters to now becoming one of the most hated characters. And once again, the show has gone where most would not.
The “Not So Warm” Welcome
Jon and the weary Wildlings make it back to the Wall. Surprisingly, Alliser allows them to pass and fails to give two shits about why they are all beat to hell.
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The inclusion of the entrance scene was obviously a set up for another event to take place at the Wall during the finale. And of course, that look from Olly with Jon’s reaction doesn’t bode well.
The show has a history of drawing parallels, and Olly shot Ygritte.
Drinks in Dorne
We’ve endured nine episodes and various schematic miscues from the southern tip of Westeros to finally arrive at this:
Doran agrees to let Myrcella return to KL so long as Trystane accompanies the party and his engagement to Myrcella stands. Trystane is also to be appointed to the small council in the place of Oberyn. That’s about it.
The Dorne storyline and the significance of continues to be somewhat of a mystery (or a swing and a miss). Other than Areo getting even for Trystane with the elbow on Bronn, this long awaited meeting between Doran and Jaime seemed incredibly uneventful.
Even as cute as Tyene (Rosabell) continues to be, the patty cake session between the Sand Snakes still left me scratching my head.
Ellaria remained defiant during the cocktail party right up until she was given the choice to follow Doran or die, and at least we got a glimpse of the man Doran is and how he commands respect.
But there simply has to be something more to this story. The problem is that there is only one episode left in Season 5 and unless something dramatic turns out in Dorne in that hour or so of television next week, I fear that this entire Season will be judged by what was or was not accomplished in its inclusion.
Trant is Trash
On her way to give the Thin Man his “gift,” Lanna Del Arya spots a man (in a chance meeting we could see coming a mile away) whose name still headlines her list… Meryn Fucking Trant.
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After accompanying Maestro Mace to meet with the President and CEO of the Bank of Braavos (Tycho), Meryn and the boys make a beeline for the nearest Braavosi brothel. Lanna follows close behind, offering up a fresh buffet of aphrodisiacs to the consumers.
In an apparent attempt to overly convince and pronouncedly remind viewers that Meryn is an excellent candidate for a deservingly horrific death, trashy Trant can’t be satisfied unless his brothel pick of the night is young enough to enjoy the current tween episodes of Dora the Explorer.
For a brief moment, he seems to recognize her. But his attention span (which is similar to that of a duck) is quickly interrupted by the intro of the poor girl who was chosen to satisfy his pedophiliac tendencies.
Ian Beattie, you are an excellent actor, but your character defines disgust.
The obvious speculation (in my distorted mind) is that Arya may have her first opportunity to actually look like someone else and will murder Trant in the bed. And as satisfying as that would be, the idea is still disturbing.
Note: No Jaqen slap when Arya lied about the thin man not being hungry. But he seemed to know…
Dragon Mounting
As Gladiator-esque as it was, the Pit offered great battle scenes, although it seemed Jorah luckily managed to escape multiple instances when he could have been finished off.
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Hizdahr so Boring showed up fashionably late fueling even more speculation that the Hiz was up to no good.
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And to be honest, I found the conversation after the games began to be as distracting as that infuriating couple that sits behind you and won’t stop talking during a movie. The small man; the big man; the eloquent men; who your money is on; your favorite color; etc.
But my biggest complaint with the great games was that the preseason trailers gave a lot of the intrigue away and damn near spoiled it.
If you watched them, you were aware that at some point Dany and company were going to be surrounded by the Harpy. It did not take a well-educated person to surmise that potentially the only way out was for the crew to be saved by a dragon, especially with the title of the ep. and the fact that the Unsullied Event Security Company were apparently in contract negotiations and unable to provide services.
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Of course, Hiz gets the biz in somewhat boring Hiz fashion, and Jorah seems to have persistently worked his way back into the friend zone.
But overall, the Pit was solid. Daario, Tyrion, Missandei, and Jorah survive, but are left to watch Dany ride off into the sunset via Uber dragon.
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Episode 509 Personal Awards
Favorite Action Sequence: The Pit
Favorite Quotes: “You have a good heart Jon Snow. It will get us all killed.” -Alliser
“No wonder you can’t stand. You have no spine.”- Ellaria
“Am I gonna be happy at the end of this walk?” –Bronn
“I’ll see you in a few days.” – Davos (also the last phrase you want to hear as it relates to any character you care for in Game of Thrones).
“If a man knows what he is and remains true to himself, the choice is no choice at all. He must fulfill his destiny and become who he is meant to be. However much he may hate it.” -Stannis
“Forgive me.”
Ow, That Shit Hurts Award: The Flaming Horse in the snow, the abrupt beheading of the first casualty in the pit, and Drogon suffering from spear wounds. Is it normal to hold sympathy for a dragon?
Jackass Award: Stannis, forever.
Overall Thoughts: Great episode, although not on the level of epic 9’s we have grown to expect. But forgiveable due to the epic 8 we got at Hardhome.
Out of all of the worthless speculation I have thrown out over the years that has ranged from partially correct to absolute crap, the deal with Shireen was right.
And I have never wanted to be more wrong.
RIP, Princess.
What say you, oh great Unsullied? Speak up and let us commence with the chat, for there is but one episode to go before the long winter.
Until next week, hang out and stay awhile. Invite an Unsullied to join us. And may there always be peace in your realm. –Oz
Find Oz on Twitter.
**SPOILER NOTE: The Management of this fine site would like to remind you that spoilers (book or leak) are not allowed in Unsullied posts. This includes spoilers that may be covered by code or otherwise. Personally, I appreciate feedback from Sullied and Unsullied alike, so long as they do not include any type of hinting or conversation related to the written verse. However, spoiler coded comments do tend to lead to further Sullied conversation and for that reason, we ask that you please refrain from posting any SPOILERY content whatsoever in Unsullied posts. Thank you for the coop. -Oz
“But my biggest complaint with the great games was that the preseason trailers gave a lot of the intrigue away and damn near spoiled it.”
QFT. I’m not looking at trailers anymore if they’re gonna spoil like this. A spoiler for ep9 even :/
I don’t know how Davos continues with Stannis. Perhaps he takes the Black, or betrays Stannis to Brienne, who knows, but since the previews seem to show an unnatural thaw, what will Davos think when the sun suddenly shines and the snow and ice freakily start to melt…
That one scene made feel me sick to the stomach, and that’s a TV first for me. I think that once should be enough, mkay. I felt pretty apathetic about the show until it Jorah’s life was on line, then my focus finally managed to shift.
I agree it was kind of lame to put the encirclement in the season trailer (they could have just replaced it with the cheering crowd, or whatever). Since S4, I haven’t watched episode promos, I think they give too much away – both directly and indirectly. However, the ending really did it for me; it had me on edge (even though I had managed to spoil Dany’s survival by accidentally reading the episode 10 synopsis..). The CGI did not look all that good at the earliest stages of dragon flight (i.e. with Dany on top); but other than that, no big complaints from me about the ending (I’ve already read the complaints of others, and I don’t think the complaints are as solid as these people seem to think they are; I can see solid counterarguments).
Davos has always been the moral compass in the Stannis arc, can’t wait to see what he does now to reconcile this or not – and we are all unsullied now in this!
Great recap as always Oz!
Congratulations to Stannis for earning the Jackass for Life Achievement Award. Never thought you’d be the one. Very curious how Davos will react to this and if that will come into play in the inevitable battle for Winterfell.
Loved the scene in the Pit. Watching Dany ride Drogon was awesome!
“The obvious speculation (in my distorted mind) is that Arya may have her first opportunity to actually look like someone else and will murder Trant in the bed. And as satisfying as that would be, the idea is still disturbing.”
Hope to the Old Gods you are wrong about that. There must be another way!
Stannis, you were my favorite character. Why?
I stopped watching trailers and episode promos after season one. they give too much away. I even had to stop reading the westeros forums because they consider the sample chapters from TWOW on GRM’s website canon and not spoilers, but I have no intention to read anything from it until I have the complete book in my hand.
Great recap, as always OZ.
I am glad you mentioned Olly. I think that is the big problem here. WAKE UP PEOPLE. Shit is gonna hit the fan at the wall, and it scares me so much. Jon is gonna be alone somewhere at some point in episode ten and Olly is gonna sneak up on him. I FEAR THAT.
I. Am. Scared.
I think the dragging Dorne story (which didn’t bother me as much as it bothered others) is setting up for next season. I am not sure where they are going to end the Dorne story this year. If Jamie goes back KL, wont he go to the dungeons also? Unless Mountainstein saves Cersei and kills the Sparrows. ????
Lanna del Arya (LOL love it), my girl, go get him! I hope Jaquen isn’t mad at her for veering off her mission! Maybe she can do both!!!!!!!!!!
I actually cried a lot during the sacrifice scene. The actress did such a wonderful job and truly sold it and broke my heart. What made it even harder was that her stupid mother changed her mind during the last minute (I wonder why??) I cannot believe that he killed his one and only heir. It makes me sick. But I can believe it is in character with who he is. He is a cold ruler, one that will do anything and everything to take the throne: Burning innocents since season 2, killing his brother, Killing Mance raider for no reason, almost killing the good man Davos who would kill for him.
I am not at the least surprised. Only a tiny bit because he loved her a lot and did everything to save her from the grey scale. I thought her having had the grey scale would be more significant than this. Or, Did she survive the burn? They didn’t show us the aftermath to be honest. Its not like we hadn’t seen burnt children on the show before (Theon at winterfell). Wishful thinking? Nevertheless, lets be real. I am hoping Stannis’ sacrifice did not work, Brienne kills him, Mel runs away. She goes to the wall and saves who ever needs to be saved from dying using the powers that Thoros of Myr used on Berric Dondarion. and then she can die too by a stab in the back courtesy of Davos.
Anyway I am getting off track right now.
DROGON IS THE BEST. That scene was so touching and I cried as well as Dany rode of on the dragon as her ancestors used to (ride their dragons I think). That scene was epic. Jorah throwing the spear was just epic. I loved it. I cant wait to watch it again, cause I was still disturbed from the scene before that it was hard to focus. But just wow. I LOVED IT. This show is just too effing good. (most of the time). I really though Daario was bad. The looks on tyrions face were priceless. And was I the only one who felt sorry for Hizzy when he was killed? LOL
I cant wait for next week. But I also can. ugh.
Team Stannis for life….or until he burns us all at the stake…
The trailer really ruined the surprise of the pit for some of my unsullied friends. They still loved the sequence but were expecting it to happen.
I liked the episode… but if we are comparing it to all other episode 9s in the series, I thought it was only better than Blackwater (which I didn’t think was all that great even before I read the books).
I posted this on the sullied thread but it’s no spoiler and just a mad bit of wild speculation on my part. I want to believe!.
Given the resemblence of Stannis & Shireen to Agamemnon & Iphigenia, in one version of the latter story Artemis transformed Iphigenia into the goddess Hecate.
Maybe we can hope that Shireen’s story is not over ( yes, foolish and strawclutching, but…)
What’s the deal with Jorah’s greyscale? I’m curious if he will reveal it to daenyres.
It’s been a long and restless week for the fans of Game of Thrones as they have been waiting for episode 9 with bated breath. The makers of the show brought David Nutter to direct the 9th Hour of the season, who was the man behind directing “The Rains of Castamere” that featured “The Red Wedding”. Did the episode managed to meet the huge expectations of the audience? Here are the 5 WTF moments that shook us all:
http://www.quirkybyte.com/2015/06/5-wtf-moments-from-game-of-thrones-season-5-episode-9/
Arya Havin’ a Larf?,
Hmmm, maybe she wasn’t burnt after all?
So while I get all of the Stannis loathing (and Im right there with you), I have to say after watching the scene, I felt so so so much more loathing for Mel. I know, Shireen was his daughter and it was his choice, but I had an urge to throw something at the tv when her face popped on like I have never had before – not even with Stannis.
While Im obviously not rooting for the White Walkers, it WOULD be a bit gratifying to see one give her a big ol’ smack with one of their pointy icy weapons and just see how much fire she has in her ….
Maybe it has more in common with the Biblical story of Jephthah, who offered his only daughter as a burnt offering because God allowed him to defeat his enemies the Ammonites: “Oh no, my daughter! You have brought me down and I am devastated. I have made a vow to the Lord that I cannot break.” So, that didn’t end well for his daughter at all, but pacts with God n’ all…
It is a very good recap, Oz.
It doesn’t need to be upbeat to be good and it expresses exactly the sadness one feels at losing one of the few genuinely decent, innocent, kind, generous and all around best kid a parent could have. Stannis and Selyes did not deserve her. She was too good for either of them and they were too blind to see it. I think she had the right of it “I would not choose either side” she said. And Stannis is incapable of acknowledge the most simple truth behind that. That Iron Throne will not be worth it. “How can I help? I want to help father,” she said. My heart broke.
This was mine too.
Roocat,
I agree, and should have mentioned her more. But it is Stannis’ decision to invest in the Lord of Light… Mel is simply the catalyst. It doesn’t make her any less guilty, and he could have said no.
But this most likely would have been the end of the road as it pertains to his quest had he done so.
I’m with Ozette.
I love the show and I understand it and will continue to watch it, but between Sansa’s rape and Shireen’s burning, I have no innocent to pin my hopes for. Sam and l’il Sam? Who cares if Cersie gets rehabbed by the 7 God Adventists. And Dorne was, what exactly happened there? Taylor Swift gets it on with the One Direction guy? I’d be happy if Ellaria defies Doran for a 3rd strike. That would be an honorable death. The Sand Snakes sucked. And Dany’s arc has been the least interesting for me in the series. Okay, Drogon almost trampled her advisers on her way to, oh, I don’t know to a Valyrian spa that he’s dying for mum to see.
I’m not that excited about the next episode. I suppose the only characters I’m invested in seeing at this point in the season is Arya and Sansa. It goes without saying that Arya will go back to said brothel and try to kill Trant. Maybe after he rapes her. And Sansa, she’ll probably do more blah blah with Theon before she gets rescued.
Next season, I’ll probably just let it happen and binge watch it when it’s all done.
Or another Greek one, Ideomenus, which didn’t work out well either!
On another thread recently I said I was worried it was going to turn into Jairus and his Daughter (my “bad” as they say nowadays – I should have said Jepthah) meets “The Wicker Man”. I’m Sullied now so won’t say anything about plotlines but I will certainly miss sweet Shireen.
Arya Havin’ a Larf?,
At least those gods saw fit to be outraged. Good ole Yahweh demands blood! I mean, when the Greek Pantheon start to look more upstanding than you… 😛
GeekFurious,
My Ep 9 list:
1. Rains of Castamere
2. Blackwater
3. Dance of Dragons
4. Baelor
5. Watchers On The Wall
Frankly, I think the show is past making E9 the season highlight. Two years now they’ve gone hard on 8-10. I think that’s the new standard.
Liam Cunningham’s interview with Vulture teases that Ep 10 is going to be equally emotional: “But certainly, the climax to this season is astonishing. It’s absolutely remarkable. I remember reading the last two episodes, and I forgot to close my mouth when reading both of them.”
Do I love the irony of saying “Jesus” when someone brutally binds and kills someone innocent for religious reasons…
Sorry, gotta joke, rough episode. But no nightmares last night,that was good!
I’m looking forward to next weekend, when the show devotes 5 minutes to the Sand Snakes playing beer pong.
I don’t know if this was on purpose or not, but I’m beginning to think that these episode 9 spoilers played as a smoke screen for episode 8, which was epic not only for its awsonmnes, but because most of us did not expect its scale.
Daenerys riding a dragon may have been a surprise to many unsullied, but book readers knew it was coming, and given nowadays’s ill blood between some book purists and some show advocates, this information was susceptible of being used as a “spoiler weapon”. So it may have been a tactic to distract our attention and disarm the trolls. If that was the purpose, it was successful, plus the final parts of the pit scene were great.
Ravyn,
Wow! If Watchers on the Wall is the “poorest” episode 9 in the series, your list attests to the excellence of this show.
seeing Drogon was beyond epic. Gave me chills when he made his fireball entrance! And I even knew that was going to happen.
I too was outraged with Stannis after doing what he did but after thinking about it, it’s not that surprising. He helped to have that shadow baby born to take Renly out, almost gave Gendry to the fires if not for Davos, and has burned many others. It’s obvious he did it out of desperation after Ramsay and his 20 men set more supplies to fire. Stannis felt he needed a hail mary for his siege of Wintefell to work. Still does not take away the fact that he will forever be a dickhead now and I hope Brienne runs Oathkeeper right through his heart.
Oman,
Sansa is still innocent, and there is still hope for her. Based on the trailer I’d say she might steal the show next episode.
I wonder if instead they would play Dornish Wine pong
No, you weren’t! Unlike Oz, I thought his character added a lot to the show and felt quite bad for him when he got stabbed in the middle of trying to lead Daenerys out of there. I feel like his almost total lack of influence on Dany showed that even a really cooperative, diplomatically-minded noble would be bound to culture-clash with her. There’s a fundamental, long-term incompatibility between Dany and Slavers’ Bay.
Regarding Shireen, I saw this perfect post from stillshimpy, one of the Unsullied on Previously.tv (they were on Television Without Pity before that). I can’t comment in their thread, because Sullied aren’t allowed to post, but I had to share it here. It encapsulates perfectly why I can never be on Team Stannis from this episode forth:
Stannis became forever unworthy. The price of putting one’s own trusting, loving child to a painful death was too high – will always be too high. Willingness to pay that price disqualifies one from any rightful claim forever. I’m not sure that I’ve ever experienced such a swift, profound turnaround in my attitude to a single character.
Estelindis,
agreed
no true father would have allowed his child to suffer this way…
Davos will not return to Stannis after this; he knows too well the role of a good father
I see Dany’s Harpies are flaring up again
Busmans,
That’s what I’m hoping, with Sansa!
That was Stannis’ true colors as a character – I get it. A coward really, and not deserving of the Iron Throne. The man sires a shadow baby and murders his own brother. I knew Shireen was going to burn; it was one of the most difficult thing I have ever watched in the show. I couldn’t get the betrayed screaming of a dying child out of my head (kudos to Ms. Ingram; terrific actress).
I wouldn’t have much respect for Davos if he sticks around after this. “A king who kills those most devoted to him is not worthy of devotion” as it were. Would love to see Selyse off herself in guilt.
Arya was faced with a choice; 1. Follow orders of the faceless men or 2. Follow her own personal revenge goals. Could Jaqen have known that M. F. Trant was going to be there and this was a test to see where her loyalties lie?
A-Train,
I believe it has to be a test, whether he knew Trant was going to show up or not. But, is she passing or failing?
Oman,
THIS
Estelindis,
I agree with you. He doesn’t deserve to sit on the Iron Throne after this.
A-Train,
Interesting thought. I also think it might be a test. Looking forward to see what her choice will be.
And what will happen if she fails?
The revengeful fantasies of the impotent.
Stannis has no idea what’s going on the capitol, does he? He’s only seeing the short game. Why would the people want a king who would kill his own child?
Seriously, If Stannis ever gets near Iron Throne, I doubt the people would accept him and he would’ve lost his child for nothing. Considering that the Faith Militant of the 7 (IIRC) is gaining footing in KL and are “of the many,” do you think they will accept a king who puts faith in the red god above the 7? And he sacrificed his daughter for a foreign god? They’re locking up nobles and queens all over the place for lying on the stand and alleged sexual activity, imagine what they’ll do for filicide.
Meli needs to be fired (literally and figuratively) as an advisor. RIP Shireen
It’s not the first story of a father sacrificing his own child to a god who demands it. And that father was rewarded, yet he didn’t have to go through with it. I guess the Lord of Light is even more bloodthirsty than that other Lord.
After the awesomeness of Hardhome, I was sure episode 9 was going to be equally as great, if not better, and imagined seeing them on the big screen. I don’t know now if I could stand seeing the scene with Shireen on the big screen.
Up until the last horrible scream, I was sure Stannis would stop it. I’m so glad I was never a big Stannis fan. For such sweetness, such innocent love to be betrayed in such a way for such a reason, is unthinkable. Kill your daughter for better weather?
When Mel smiled that smug, self-satisfied little smile afterwards, I was reminded of Cersei’s smugness as she left Margaery’s cell. I am hoping for a big smack-down for Mel. Who whacks her doesn’t much matter, as long as it happens. Davos seems most likely candidate, but Brienne or Selyse will do.
Cock Merchant,
Even that one isn’t the first such story, and whether the father goes through with it, as well as the reaction of the god/gods in question, tends to be a bit of a mixed bag.
Since it dangerous to have only one GOT’s boyfriend, I had 2. Stannis and Tormund. SO it looks, Tormund, like its now just you and me. Jaime is out of my league, Jon is too young, jorah has greyscale….
Maybe Davos?
Now that you mention it, I’m reminded of Dan Simmons’ Hyperion and of Sol Weintraub “sacrificing” his daughter Rachel to monster/god/entity Shrike. A hell of a novel.
Shaggywoof,
You don’t need a logical fallacy to say Stannis has recently become a bad father but I feel ya.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_true_Scotsman
also, was anyone else a LITTLE disappointed that the “Unsullied” aren’t that good?
After sleeping on it, I think that the past two episodes represented ice and fire.
In Hardhome, we saw what “winter is coming” really means. It’s not just a catchphrase. It means terrifying and intelligent otherworldly creatures who bring deathly cold mists and a relentless undead army.
If this is the adversary, fire must be key to victory, right?
Maybe. But at what cost? In the north we have a Lord of Light demanding the sacrifice of an innocent child. In Meereen we have a fire a scene that seems cool and uplifting. A necessary good thing to counter the horror of Shireen’s death. But that’s the case only on the surface.
The conversation Dany and co. had before Jorah entered the pits wasn’t there for shits and giggles. What Hizdahr said about cruelty being necessary to achieve great things is very much true. At least in this story. The dragons are a powerful weapon. Dany can’t take Westeros without them. But they can’t be fully controlled and their fire won’t just be burning people who are trying to kill Dany. We saw at Harrenhal that the first time around, the Targ conquest of Westeros involved a whole lot of burning.
The last two episodes were a stark (no pun intended) reminder that this isn’t really a good vs. evil story. Both beating back the White Walkers and restoring order and peace to Westeros are going to require more than just throwing a ring in a volcano or throwing a pail of water on a witch. It’s going to get ugly.
I think the religions of Westeros have some similarities with some ancient religions in the sense that the things they abominate the most are kinslaying and breaking guest right. So I think Stannis (like Walder Frey and Tyrion, maybe Dany, kinslayer for omission) are doomed.
In those religions it doesn’t matter if it’s justified or even if it’s an accident. You are accused for those things.
Deesensfan,
I see this all the time and it kind of annoys me, although I get where everyone is coming from.
1. She got thousands of Unsullied who weren’t “bled” yet. Which means they werent ready for battle.
2. Daario has already pointed this out, they aren’t good in close quarters/guerrilla warfare. What they excel at is in the field of battle or a siege, things like that during a war. The Sons of the Harpy are digging guerrilla warfare, hence why they have the upper hand on the Unsullied. Give the Unsullied to Stannis and I bet he rolls over Westeros because that’s the kind of fighting their made for.
3. When people say things in this show we tend to be skeptical because everyone has a motive so they could be lying or telling half truths . I don’t understand why everyone takes the word of people who have never seen them fight as complete fact in this show. Jorah, Barriston and Daario said they are good but have any of them seen them fight? And have they seen the lot Dany got fight? Doubtful. The guy who sold them to Dany said they were the best in the world but that’s his job. So you gotta take it with a grain of salt.
4. Fighting with a spear in close quarters just doesn’t seem like it works that well.
5. Who says a bunch of the Harpies aren’t former soldiers for Meeren? I’m sure they all are not just old rich guys behind those masks.
It would have been one of my favorite episodes ever if not for the overshadowing of them killing Shireen.
What makes it even worse, if that’s possible, is that they let Gendry live, they did the leech thing, so WHY couldn’t they have done that to Shireen instead?? Why was that not the solution?? Or at least Tried. …
I will admit that as mad as I was about that, I Was moved by the Dany scenes. Her taking Jorahs hand made me teary, Drogon coming to her rescue and giving her the puppy dog eyes … seriously How do they do that?? The CGI guys are Awesome … and flying away on his back. All cheer-worthy.
But the second that was over I was back to being mad that they felt the need to kill Shireen. :/
I’m scared about the Arya scene next week too. If that’s how she has to do it please Gods let her kill him instantly. If he touches her at all …. I might just vomit for real …
All that being said, I am looking forward to the finale. And after that I will be unsullied no more. I held out on reading because I love the shocking moments, but it’s become impossible to not get spoiled now, so my summer reading will be ASoIaF.
Allie,
Don’t worry. After this we are all unsullied.
The book material is almost completely over.
Ryan,
I don’t like when people say that either. It annoyed me when the sons attacked the first time.
Great points that make a lot of sense. I was hoping that they would be better that’s all. They are probably still really good and will be really good when its time for a planned battle.
people saying it makes no sense that Stannis would murder his own daughter “just for better weather” etc. are missing a point that has been spoon-fed to us for like 4 seasons now.
the last people in the world still willing to follow him are starving and freezing to death. like for serious, they are ALL going to die, and SOON, unless he can do something about it. and if that happens, he won’t take Winterfell, which means he will never sit the Iron Throne, which means he will never be in position to lead the kingdoms of men against the White Walker invasion, which means he will be forsaking millions of men, women, and children he believes he is destined to save. this alleged destiny as savior of Westeros is in serious and immediate jeopardy, and, because of his religion and his cold sense of justice, we’re left with a dude who believes he has no choice but to realize this destiny, whether he personally wants it or not. this isn’t me putting pieces together to come up with a theory; Stannis and Mel explicitly say this kind of stuff pretty much all the time.
his belief in this destiny, his belief in the inexorable nature of this destiny, and his conviction as to the price of fulfilling that destiny… its all so strong, so completely a part of who he is, that this man thinks he has no choice but to do this thing regardless of the fact that he does love his daughter… THAT’S why it is so disturbing… not because he’s some zany cartoon psycho who goes around burning kids willy-nilly for a couple hours of sunshine and some laughs.
By the way, Jorah really betrayed Dany again, taking her hand like that.. That dude is a poor decisionmaker, it’s probably best to keep him at a distance..
(unless he knows something we don’t)
I think the general consensus on that is that there has to be a loop hole there. Either she’s immune because she’s a Targaryen, or she would have to touch the grayscale spot, Or it’s only contagious after it fully develops.
I was one of those who said, “I will quit this show if they kill Shireen.”
I was wrong.
It took me a little while, but I remember reading many many things that were as, or even more, horrible than Shireen’s death. Hell, the daily news tells us despicable things every day. But, the news stations sanitize the reports so they won’t shock us so much that we have become numb to most things.
Her death was brutal. But, it is part of the story. It jolted us and reminded us that humans are illogical and chaotic. They make up whatever reasons they need to convince themselves that they are justified in committing heinous acts upon other humans. Our own real life list of atrocities far surpasses that of a work of fiction.
We need that reminder every now and then.
The correct list is: Episode 9 of season 3 > 1 > 4 > 5 > 2.
We may speculate on such things, but what does he know? He should have come out about this earlier, really. Thus far, he hasn’t said a word. This makes me distrust him – not because he is a bad guy, but because he seems willing to expose people he supposedly cares about to great dangers just to satisfy his…aspirations.
The desperation in his eyes makes me think he is making a huge gamble that is going to backfire on him at some point, just like when he was spying on Dany.
I actually think this scene is the most significant of everything that happened in Dorne this episode. Ellaria seemed pretty sincere with Jaime in the end, and as such seems like less of a threat. But Tyene showed us in that competition with her sister that she is patient and cunning, her revenge is brutal (the punishment far outweighed the crime), and she will not take any hint of slight without looking to emerge in a dominant position. She watched Ellaria (her mother, right?) give up her revenge in humiliating fashion. I’m fairly sure she will not let all of Jaime, Bronn and Myrcella leave Dorne alive and poison free.
Jojen’s greed,
I had the same exact thoughts
They focus on the daughters looking at their mother give in. It’s not over for them yet.
The fighting has been bad the whole season, including the last episode and this one, although the events last episode have been spectacular enough to conceal that fact pretty well in that instance. I decided not to care that much anymore since it seems no one in the production team seems to care. Assuming they have the resources, manpower and knowledge to stage realistic and interesting fights lack of interest by the people in charge seems to be the only good explanation.
It’s a bit sad that producers of a fantasy show with swords&sorcery don’t seem that interested in the swords part, but you can’t always get everything you want. That reminds me of another great show, Battlestar Galactica, which is obviously SciFi. The producer of that show explicitly and repeatedly said that he didn’t care about explaining technology, because that’s “technobabble” and all that matters is the drama. And that attitude showed, the drama was great the SciFi was lacking.
I can only imagine that D&D might think that way about fights. It’s something the audience demands and expects, like maybe the nudity, but it’s only there for a little thrill and to spice up the “real” drama. Authors often like to think about drama as people talking and making decisions, everything else is just a means to get them there.
My Dorne Theory:
Thats the way i see this happening.
harma dogememe,
Exactly. This man is willing to sacrifice anything to achieve his goal, but his goal isn’t simply to sit on the Iron Throne. That is certainly part of it, yes, but his role- as Melisandre insists- is to lead the living in the war against the White Walkers in the time of the Long Night.
He feels incredibly responsible for his daughter, as the show has proved time and time again, but this episode proved that his responsibility for the entire world is more important to him. The way he sees it, Shireen dies no matter what: Boltons, White Walkers, or the fire will get to her, but if he doesn’t sacrifice her a whole lot more people will die as well.
Not that that makes burning your only child as she pleeds for your help any better… but the choice itself wasn’t entirely black and white
Could see the season finale going down like such.
Arya will return to the brothel and kill Trant.
Cersei finally breaks and confesses, don’t know what the consequences will be though.
A civil war breaks out among the Night’s Watch.
Stannis attacks Winterfell, kills the Boltons but is in turn killed by Brienne.
Sansa as the only one left standing takes charge of Winterfell.
All Hail the Queen in the North!!!
well I think it was a legit dilemma for Stannis.
He obviously believed everything Mel said: that there is a One True God whose prophecy says that the world will end unless Stannis is King. And that sacrificing Shireen is the Thing To Do in this situation. you may need a lot of blind faith for this, but Stannis had it, so you can understand his decision, that it was a horrible price to save the world, but the world is bigger than his daughter. I do think that many of us would make the same choice under pressure.
on the other hand, I tend to agree with Geralt of Rivia:
“If that’s what it takes to save the world, it’s better to let that world die.”
Cock Merchant,
Apparently they got a new stunt co-ordinator this season, so that might be related.
I’m disappointed by this ‘Epic 9’ more than I was with last year’s.
It’s possible that Shireen’s burning spoiled the episode for me. On the other hand, that storyline actually made sense to me (and I was right that the promo pic of Selyse crying in the snow would actually be for Shireen, as Selyse finally – and too late – understands it’s her only child). I never rooted for Stannis, he killed his own brother, he continued on burning his family relatives. I’m with Varys on this one: Stannis on the Throne controlled by Melisandre and her magic would be a catastrophy, even bigger than the Sparrows at the moment (they are still at the stage where they actually have ‘hearings’ and ‘trials’).
The Braavos storyline wasn’t bad. It might yet be very interesting. I just hope they didn’t try to make Meryn Trant disgusting just for the sake of viewers hating him, however. That would be really cheap if he does end up dead.
Dorne… *sight*
As well as Doran is acted (among others), I fear all of Dorne has steered itself in the corner. Unless there’s some point for all those lousy plans and weird lines in the one and only remaining episode, it simply will have been a failure.
And Meereen: Well, most anyone knew Daenerys would be facing the Harpies there in the pit. Anyone who would think a moment how she could avoid dying (and frankly, who actually though Daenerys would die?) would end up remembering her dragons.
I’m both of those ‘anyones’. So sadly, that whole scene wasn’t a surprise to me. And unfortunately, the CGI didn’t seem as good as last episode, which hampered my excitement from the dragon ride at the end. Also unfortunately, all of the fighting in the pit didn’t seem to be all that well choreographed, either.
And where are the Unsullied? Were so many slaughtered already that only dozens remain to protect their Queen? And why didn’t the Harpies kill Jorah, Daario, Tyrion and Missandei after the only worthy opponent left with Daenerys on his back? There were still many present in the pit, but they all chose to flee. Weird, after their perseverance in the fight with Barristan and Grey Worm (still bedridden, apparently).
What would have made the episode great for me would be one thing that almost seemed to be happening at one point: Drogon dying. He’s afterall the bad dragon incinerating innocent kids and not listening to momma.
Well, sorry for the rant. I hope it’s better upon rewatch. But let’s just say my expectations were once more cause for disappointment (No more trailers, I wonder?).
Whitedagger,
If the greyscale isn’t contagious until it completely spreads, then I think we can also assume Jorah knows that. He knew not to touch the greyscale dudes, Tyrion didn’t seem to know that.
Oh, and I’m sad Hizdahr is gone. That was a character I hoped we’d see more of. Also he wasn’t bad debating with Tyrion.
harma dogememe,
Yah – until things don’t work out the way Mel predicts. This is the problem with blind faith – it is blind to reality
I’m beginning to wonder if Shireen’s death was a price paid for the viewers to turn en masse against Stannis, in preparation for HIS imminent death. There are too many clashing forces gathering at Winterfell; Sansa and Theon and the Boltons and Brienne and Stannis can’t all survive, and more than one of them is going to have to go when things come to a head. I’ve never been able to see him logically winning and keeping the Iron Throne, anyway.
The Wolves of Winter,
I’ve honestly been worried about Arya’s relationship with him and the House of B+W all season, considering if she DOES stay there and complete her training/initiation, it will more or less be the death of her character. On the other hand, would she be able to take off on her own without a powerful death cult going after her head?
…I think I’m the only one who somehow forgot the trailer and didn’t see the arena ambush coming.
Magiese,
Nah, I totally forgot about it too.
Was it just me or did it seem like the girl they got for Trant was just some young girl the madam walked outside and grabbed off the street?
I thought there was a poignant contrast between the ‘wildlings’ (AKA subhuman savages) tenderness and protectiveness towards their children as they wearily walked through Castle Black (Tormund gently touching the head of the boy walking next to him in a paternal gesture) and the coldness of Stannis as he murdered his daughter for his own ambition.
I feel like the Old Gods may have something to say about this going down on their turf.
Greyscale plague perhaps?
God I hate Stannis now, who does this kind of thing and to think we were all supporting him till few backs back and complimenting him for his grammar. I do hope they show the battle of Stannis and boltons and it’s result and not leave us hanging. Davos should be the one kill Stannis, it would be appropriate. On the other hand, this was definitely a different type of episode 9 which was good, considering the ending. I really thought that someone important was going to die, like jorah or dany but it ended on a kind of happy note :). I really really hope there is something more to the dorne angle(It could have been such a great poliical angle) and the Iron Bank negotiations go on a little longer
Allie,
Even if he did know such a thing, he would have to have a lot of faith in the accuracy of this knowledge. It’s simply an unnecessary risk to take.
This made me laugh so hard! ‘Jorah has greyscale’, such an offhand dismissal, like he had acne.
My GoT boyfriend is Jaqen, but he’s disappeared into the barely lit scenes in the House of B&W. Plus I sorta cheated on him with the Hound, but he’s MIA or dead.
Davos is a great character. I don’t think I’m good enough for the likes of Davos. So I think it’ll be Tormund for my new #2.
Agreed.
Stannis’ decision really threw me. It certainly appeared that he had been growing more and more skeptical of both Mel and the Lord of Light. Remember the scene where he tells her he doesn’t even know for sure what he saw in the fire? Then, when she suggests using Shireen , he sends Mel away. There’s always been a tug of war for Stannis’ conscience between Mel and Davos, and it appeared to me that Davos was winning.
I’m probably over-analyzing and getting paranoid with this next idea, but does Stannis realize that Davos can read? Because if not, there might be something in that scroll that says to detain Davos at Castle Black. I mean, does Stannis really want Davos to return at this time, knowing how he feels about Shireen and the Red Lady?
The show has a history of drawing parallels, and Olly shot Ygritte.
Yes, and Olly did not seem in the least pacified by Sam’s explanation, and Sam didn’t appear to notice.
I feel incredibly stupid for asking this but…where are Stannis’ arms in the top picture? His sleeves are empty.
Magiese,
It seems very likely to me that Stannis burning Shireen was meant to clearly show to anyone he’s not the good guy in this story – or too far gone under the influence of Melisandre. And despite the soldiers watching the burning and not stopping it (which I thought might have happened at one point), I’d be very surprised if burning a girl helps with morale. Not to mention I’m very curious as to where Selyse goes from here. Will she continue her awakening and possibly join forces with Davos, or return to slumber, deeper than ever, under Melisandre’s spell? (The latter being more likely, though perhaps Selyse might lash out at Melisandre unexpectedly at some point.)
Either way, I believe Stannis just doomed himself.
Good point about Arya. I’ve long seen it incompatible for her to both become no one and keep a list of people she wants to kill. It’s Arya’s list, same as Needle is Arya’s. Thus it is unlikely Arya will ever become a faceless (wo)man. Of course leaving after she learns to lie and kill might just work out for her.
TorbofThrones,
Good eye! But I believe he’s got his hands behind his back at that moment. Those are just edges of his large sleeves we see.
With regard to Arya, where we are moving towards everyone is unsullied territory, I think the aim of the Braavos story for her character is as a staging point to move her past the point where she thinks simple revenge for its own sake is enough as a raison d’être. It’s not that interesting if she is just a nemesis to remove certain pieces from the board, and most of them pretty minor, for the rest of the series.
TorbofThrones,
😀 Click
TOIVA,
I suppose! Medieval clothes and their gigantic sleeves…
Abyss,
xD Pretty much my thoughts when I saw that
One thing I will agree on with Shireens death is there is obvious story line advances that could be made from it. As people said, reminding us that Stannis is Not the good guy, making us hate him again etc, as well as potentially turning his army against him, and giving the people a huge reason not to follow him, etc.
Unlike Sansa’s rape which was not needed to advance that storyline, and was seemingly nothing but gratuitous violence against an innocent female lead.
So as sad as I am about Shireens death, I am not pissed off about it because it does have huge storyline implications.
Nice spot! I like Shireen so much watching that scene would have killed me, so bailed before it even started, but that has really made me giggle. I will add it to my mental list of things to think when people I really don’t like are doing the things I really don’t like them for on screen. I’m now imaging Stannis has plastic arms and hands with joints that clip together loosely (which I had on a doll as a kid) and that any dramatic or energetic move would cause them to ping off. 😀 😀 Don’t read the next para if you haven’t seen the trailer for ep 10.
“But my biggest complaint with the great games was that the preseason trailers gave a lot of the intrigue away and damn near spoiled it.”
See, this is the exact reason why I stopped watching trailers after season 3. I mean seriously, they give away half of the surprises. For example the season 3 trailer already showed us that Dany will acquire an army, which is something that doesn’t happen until the fourth episode of that season.
I’ve got an idea: Oz, how about for season 6, you’ll watch the show as a real unsullied – without watching any trailers, that is. For me personally, not watching the trailers greatly enhanced my viewing experience.
What did Dany whisper to Drogon when he flew away? It sounded like “Vleya” like a Valyrian word for “Fly”, but as soon as she said it and he flew, it clicked on me that the Season 3 finale “Mhysa”, she said something like “Suveiteez” which meant “Fly”.
Have I become fluent in Valyrian?!?!
Valyrio muño ēngos ñuhys issa
BUT IN TERMS OF THE EP, RIP PRI SHIREEN, RIP S5 BUDGET LOVED THIS EP THO AND IM LOVING UR NAME FOR HIZDAHR SO BORING
Wishes & Observations:
Daavos should have left w/Shireen. Why didn’t he smuggle her out just as he did Gendry? Lets hope Red is captured & flayed! And Stannis becomes the 2nd-Mad King….literally losing his mind!
I love it…Jamie falls right into daddy-mode when he sees Myrcella again: “what a lovely dress, you must be cold?” LOL!
Ellaria is the truth – I think she will assassinate Doran & rule Dorne then attack KL w/her daughters in tow. BTW: Doran says Ellaria is the mother of his 4 nieces but where’s the 4th daughter?
The duo of Bronn & Tyene is a better relationship choice than any lady of the court Jamiee has promised to hook him up with.
I think the Thin Man was never really Arya’s mark. Arya was suppose to see Trant-Trash. She was to practice blending into a crowd as no-one & lying until it’s automatic. Jaqen is watching for kinks in her armour, but can’t find any… good Sensei.
Does Trant-Trash recognize Arya or does the young innocent girl spark a disgusting interest in him… You’ll get a fresh one tomorrow alright… a Needle straight to the eye!
What’s up w/the Unsullied, they can’t adapt??? They lost their last fight because of the long sphere & then you don’t make a wardrobe adjustment to maybe hang a short knife belt around your waist??? Come on…
Girl Code gone wrong….you never leave your girlfriend behind… You came together, you leave together. But Dany hopped on her ride, said “Fla!” & was out; not even a circle-back to spit-mo-fire on any remaining Harpy’s.
I didn’t see any previews for this ep so was in awe of the final scene!! And was screaming for her dragon right before he showed up!!! Love, love love GoT!!
Cathair,
Interesting. You do speak fluent valariyan.
I don’t think that Trant’s presence was necessarily foreseen, but giving Arya an assignment would be the only way to put her in a position to spot him, thereby moving her story forward before the season ends. It looked to me as if Jaqen knew she was lying, but either sensed there was more to it than disobedience, or “not being ready”, or, he was blown away by how skilled a liar she has become, and is waiting to see the outcome. I’m guessing she will take the face of another young girl in order to get at Trant, and however it plays out will be very ugly.
If she is successful in her mission, she may then be considered “ready” for the next level of training. If not…………….
I must say I was too harsh on the episode earlier. It wasn’t an epic episode for me like ‘Hardhome’ of ‘the Mountain and the Viper’, but it was still good GoT. On rewatch even the fights in the pit looked better and even Drogon seemed better rendered than it appeared at first (still his flight with Daenerys wasn’t too great).
I guess the reasons for my initial disappointment were, among other things: Season 5 trailers; predictability of many story elements; Spartacus: Blood and Sand (and later seasons, to a lesser degree) spectacular arena fights.
The Plot Thickens…,
Davos: The way I see it, he never actually heard of the idea of burning Shireen. He was afraid the whole campaign for Shireen, that’s why tried at numerous occasions to get her away from Melisandre. But at last, he had to decide whether to act against Stannis quite directly. I think he believed that by letting Shireen there, something bad would probably happen (hence the parting words), but he’d be back and help her recover from whatever magic Melisandre would use on her. He’d never have thought Stannis would allow this to happen and thus he didn’t ‘pull the Gendry’ on Shireen.
Doran’s nieces: Oberyn said to Cersei last year he had 7 (or was it 8) daughters. Afaik Obara and Nymeria aren’t Ellaria’s. Tyene would presumably be the eldest of the 4 Doran mentions in this episode.
Unsullied: They definitely underwhelm as of late. Though on rewatch, I noticed they didn’t fare as badly as it actually looked on first viewing.
Let’s watch Game of Thrones Season 5 Episode 9 “The Dance of Dragons” HD
Lady Mormont,
Glad I’m not the only one. 🙂
I figured she was from the laundry rooms or something. I wonder after he asked for a “fresh one” next time, if he intends to kill her as well. Arya’s lucky she didn’t get pulled for the “job” right away.
It will be really satisfying if she gets her revenge as he tries to rape her, especially after Sansa.
Whitedagger,
… Well, he has ALWAYS been The Lord of Bad Decision Making Skills.
Magiese,
Well we have seen Arya “disappear” and changed her identity before. Becoming no-one was probably always her destiny. And maybe the “death” of her character will be a good thing after all she’s been through.
Although even Jaqen said she could offer the people on her list to the Red God(or was it the Many-Faced God?)
But I would like for her to kill MFT.
Not foolish. I’m with you. Let them laugh and scoff. Shireen needs to rise like the phoenix from the ashes.
3. Bide her time. She’s young. Westeros isn’t that big. Become faceless and then whirl through her kill list like a hot knife thru butter. But I guess teens are the same all over, can’t think past the here and now.
Question: Why does Ellaria go on and on about the people that caused her lover’s death. Oleryn died in an honest fight against the mountain. Is she crazy or am I missing something?
And speaking of: I thought the daughters were from different mothers. Only one of the sandsnakes is daughter of Ellaria. Where’re and who’re the other three of the four Doran mentioned?
This is a bit off-topic – but not that much. Any chance in these days of emails and skype type of contact between continents is there any chance of getting an interview with Kerry Ingram? We did get the Kate Dickie (Lysa Tully) one when she had some spare time in her schedule.
BostonDave,
See previous comment:
We definitely didn’t see all of the Sands.
???why were my comments deleted??? Did I break a rule???