Spoiler note: The discussion in this post is primarily for non-book readers as well as viewers who have NOT been spoiled by leaks (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!
Unsurprisingly, the world of ice and fire has simultaneously gone to shit. We bear the burden of trying to sort it all out, and a man has mixed feelings regarding all of it.
Once again, thank you for joining us at the Wall and in joining your fellow Watchers as the end of the Season draws to a close.
Would No One deliver the goods? The jury is still out, because as it relates to Game of Thrones, the only fair way to judge is taking into consideration the entirety of the Season and we’ve got two more to go. Let’s make the best of it…
![20160609_ep608_add_Publicity_still_04.00157132[1]](https://watchersonthewall.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/20160609_ep608_add_Publicity_still_04.001571321.jpg)
Arya really Arya?
Apparently, all of the speculation as to whether or not Arya was really Arya when she got stabbed were as accurate as my most of my recent conjecture.
We open up with the “Thrones on Broadway” troupe performing in the longest running Braavosian play ever.
Lady Crane goes back to her dressing room to find a bleeding Arya and takes her in to nurse her back to health. The injury wasn’t as deep as it seems, apparently. Maybe the Waif didn’t twist the blade at all. Maybe it was all an illusion. Tell you what… let’s come back to this.
The Axechucking Hound
The Hound catches up with four “bunghole” members of the Brotherhood Without Banners and makes quick work of the jokesters, as well as earning a nomination for the coveted “Ouch, That Shit Hurts Award” for the “axe to the nuts” shot. But yellow cloak is nowhere to be found, and the Hound seems to be back to his old form. The search would continue, so let’s come back to this as well.
Meereen
Varys and Tyrion tour the grounds to find a much-improved disposition among the inhabitants of Meereen. Varys has decided to sail off to Westeros to rally support and perhaps find some ships. If only Yara and company had not stopped off at the Volantis whore store, this parting of ways could have been avoided.
Tyrion once again prompts Worm and Missandei to bond over wine and jokes, while someone somewhere starts photoshopping “Imp’s Delight” on a bottle of red Moscato. But just as they are getting into the Tyrion mood, ships of the Masters are shown arriving.
Later, in one of the few truly epic scenes of the season, Meereen is under attack by the Masters’ ships and Tyrion and Worm are left scrambling as to their next move. But just as the walls start to crumble, Dany reappears and takes charge.
Varys either knew things were about to go awry or continues to have impeccable timing. I can’t decide which. Could he be headed for Dorne? Somehow, the show has to be planning on including that story line at some point, right? Or, did he really leave at all? And if so, wouldn’t he have seen the passed the Master’s ships on the way out?
Apologies… I seriously overthink sometimes.
With the city under attack, this seems like it would be an opportune time for Yara and the Greyjoys to show up as well. Or to let the dragons free. Or both. But why would Drogon fly off with Meereen under attack leaving Dany in danger?
![GOT608_110215_HS__DSC9278[1]](https://watchersonthewall.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/GOT608_110215_HS__DSC92781.jpg)
Choosing Violence
Finally, we get some action in KL with the quote that many of have been waiting for since the preseason trailer.
Cersei is confronted by seven members of the faith militant (including former lover, Lancel Sandwich). When Cersei delivers the quote, one of the members puts a dent in the hood of the Mountain’s car and in turn has his head removed.
Cersei, Qyburn and the Mountain would attend an announcement from Tommen regarding the trial date for her and Loras. Tommen would then announce that the realm would no longer accept “trial by combat” as an option, putting Cersei in a very precarious situation.
This at least gives us a little bit of a twist in what has been a season with very few of them, even if it was somewhat predictable given the game the High Sparrow is playing.
The confusing aspect was the mention of the rumor at the end of the scene between Cersei and Qyburn. After strolling back through my memory, I don’t recall a rumor being discussed. But I’ve got a decent guess of what it may involve.
Desperate times indeed.
Riverrunning to Jaime
Brienne and Pod make it to Riverrun to see the castle under siege. Brienne meets with Jaime to discuss a possible solution for each of their issues, but only if the Blackfish accepts. And of course, he doesn’t.
![GOT608_102115_HS__DSC7155[1]](https://watchersonthewall.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/GOT608_102115_HS__DSC71551.jpg)
I found it interesting that many of the historical events that have transpired in past seasons came to a discussion between Brienne and Jaime in a tent outside of Riverrun. If Jaime has forgotten exactly how the situation came to this point, he is reminded by someone for whom he cares for. Perhaps, this leads Jaime to change his way of thinking?
Nope. But it truly was one of the best scenes in the episode and captured the emotion behind the predicament the two are currently embroiled in.
![GOT608_113015_HS__DSC2303[1]](https://watchersonthewall.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/GOT608_113015_HS__DSC23031.jpg)
Jaime would later confront Edmure and would make it clear that all he really cares about is getting back to Cersei. While Edmure seems strong-willed and makes Jaime reflect on the decisions he has made, he eventually reveals his weakness and orders the Tully army to lay down their arms and surrender.
Let’s be honest… the Riverrun scenes were some of the best from this episode. And this is my conflict: the whole storyline makes it feel as if it was set up as a simple way of getting Jaime out of King’s Landing so that the faith militant can further their control of Tommen and the continued torment of Cersei. Perhaps it is justified.
Then, we bring back a great character that has somehow survived since the red wedding just to kill him off, which has been a common trend all season. And even then, the death of the Blackfish was not depicted on-screen. Granted, an on-screen death is not all that important, but ambiguous death numbers have become commonplace on a show that is known for demonstrating violence. Maybe the gratuitous violence grumblers have made an impact on the show runners.
Something to Cheer About
As the Hound continues his hunt for little yellow riding cloak, he comes upon three men about to be hanged. And I’ll be damned if it’s not Richard Dormer and Paul Kaye.
![GOT608_102815_HS__DSC8311[1]](https://watchersonthewall.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/GOT608_102815_HS__DSC83111.jpg)
I won’t even ask about Anguy, because two out of three ain’t bad. Beric and Thoros invite the Hound to join them while echoing the sentiments of Septon Ray that it’s not too late to change.
I’m incredibly happy to see the BWB back after their lengthy hiatus. It’s also good to learn that they are still the good ol’ Robin Hood types we knew from Season 3. For me, this was easily the highlight of the episode.
![GOT_MP_090515_EP608-0550[1]](https://watchersonthewall.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/GOT_MP_090515_EP608-05501.jpg)
Arya Kidding Me?
So, just go ahead and tell me what I missed.
Again, in a particularly predictable scene, the Lady Crane is murdered by the Waif in order to finish the job on Arya. However, Arya seems almost entirely healed thanks to the healing powers of milk of the poppy and is able to jump from tall buildings, slide under a cart, break her leg, roll a mile down a stretch of stone steps, squeeze some oranges, make it back to her apartment, collect Needle, extinguish a candle, and kill the Waif in the dark (a nod to her skills learned while being blind acknowledged).
![GOT_MP_090515_EP608-0574[1]](https://watchersonthewall.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/GOT_MP_090515_EP608-05741.jpg)
Then, after all of that, she cuts off the Waif’s face and takes it back to the Hall of Faces to confront a man who could presumably kill her at will. And, seems completely healthy.
![GOT608_082115_HS_DSC_3153[1]](https://watchersonthewall.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/GOT608_082115_HS_DSC_31531.jpg)
Jaqen tells Arya that she is No One, but Arya states that she is Arya Stark, and that she is most definitely going home.
At this point, it’s probably best for her (and the show).
Episode 608 Personal Awards
Favorite Quotes:
“Those are your last words, fuck you? Come on, you can do better.” -The Hound
“You’re shit at dying, you know that?” – The Hound
“I choose violence.” –Cersei (awesome… just needed more of it).
“Move aside, Ser.” –Lancel Sandwich
“Everyone wants to hit a fucking squire.” -Bronn
“Anyone not drinking is disrespecting our Queen.” –the guy at every party who guilts everyone to get as drunk as he is
“How do you tell yourself you’re decent after everything you’ve done?” -Edmure
“Drop the arrow, you bloody girl.” -The Hound
![GOT608_102915_HS__DSC8664[1]](https://watchersonthewall.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/GOT608_102915_HS__DSC86641.jpg)
Best Return Character (and highlight of the night): Thoros of Myr and Beric Dondarrion!
Gratuitous Penis Shot Award: The Hound
Ow, That Shit Hurts Award: Tie between the Mountain head removal and the axe to nuts courtesy of the Hound
Jackass Award: Whoever made the decision to kill off the Blackfish (although I completely understand his honor and fighting for his home until death, I still don’t have to like it).
Season 6 Penis Count: 2
Overall Thoughts: Look, they can’t all be fantastic.
No One had some spectacular moments including the Riverrun scenes (although I wasn’t amused with the overall outcome), the return of the BWB, and that one shot of Meereen being attacked.
And I’ll admit, my expectations for this episode were abnormally high. And maybe that was because I was looking for an escape after the weekend’s events that make me question whether or not we should even be allowed to exist.
But again, as has been the case with GoT from the beginning, judging an episode on its own merits is not necessarily fair to the entirety of the story being told. This one definitely had issues with flow. Regardless, I am pumped about next week.
We are most certainly in need of an Epic 9.
The hell with me… what did you guys think? Holla!
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
No-dor
As most people seem to suggest, this one was a disappointment but to be fair, in large part because this show has such a high standard.
And you have to love the Hound’s fondness for chicken.
But superhero Arya was just not handled well. There were so many possibilities there and it just fell flat.
No WOTW poll yet for this episode, probably fearing the results. Otherwise the episode is good soup, (subtracting the flies)
Sandor!
I really liked the episode. I think the off screen deaths were amazing, because we wouldn’t be able to see the Waif and Arya fighting in total darkness and the Blackfish’s death made us focus on Jaime’s reaction, his sadness at the fate he brought to the man who was once a hero to him. I do have some problems with Arya storyline, I think her wounds shouldn’t have been that serious for it all to be believable and the Waif shouldn’t have walked like the Terminator, that was annoying.
Last year I had high hoped that Tyrion in Mereen would make the storyline more interesting, but instead it made him boring. Mereen is a fucking disease and it infected him.
Jaime was for me the best part of the episode, specially his talk with Edmure. “The things I do for love”.
I loved the Brotherhood and the Hound.
I thought it was a pretty good episode, I don’t understand why few people seem to have liked it.
In my watching, during Arya’s chase scene, I don’t think she actually was bleeding, but used the blood oranges (which there was a lingering shot on) to bait The Waif. Arya might not be a strategist, but she’s an excellent at improve.
My wife loved the episode. I thought the Arya stuff was a bit disappointing, but overall, it wasn’t as bad as people made it out to be. Just a symptom of how high the bar has be set.
So…. Where did Varys go?
womp
Why would we fear the results? We do the polls for our own fun, this isn’t an HBO website. Plus I already reviewed the episode as weak.
I remember someone actually writing it the comments how he got stabbed, lost tons of blood and walked a long while until he found help. Forgot your name mate, sorry!!
So I’m not bothered by that scene at all.
Fancy word for a sellsword,
Getting allies for Dany, now who in the seven kingdoms would join Dany?
My guess is Dorne.
Stargaryen,
Agree with you on almost everything. And agree that Meereen is just boring, not only show or books, my problem is that Meereen exists, and what it means to the story.
That said…… I liked Tyrions scene with Missandei and GW. Tyrions jokes weren’t that good but seeing Missandei drinking wine and laughing was really sweet and touching.
Then GW tries to make a joke, I admit I laughed, and the way Missandei laughs and GW smiles was really touching and great.
As much as this wasn’t the awesome episode I hoped it’d be, it brought at least one more awesome scene I’ll be watching again and again – the conversation between Jaime and Edmure. Great acting and great dialogue. And it wasn’t that bad episode really, just a bit of a disappointment considering it’s episode 8.
Excellent recap Oz! Loved the Hound. As always, he has the best lines. I’m hoping he joins the BWB. Beric brought up the fight in the north, and they’re going to need all the help they can get against the White Walkers.
Arya’s healing did seem a little quick, given her injuries (yay for Lady Crane finding her and helping her!). However, I chose to believe some time had passed since Lady Crane took her in. Wish they would have shown the actual fight between her and the waif, but oh well. Jaqen’s smile when she said she was Arya Stark and she was going home – I took that as that being exactly what he had been training her for. For all we know the FM know about the threat in the north.
The Jaime and Brienne scenes were good. Bronn of course had me laughing. His lines are right up there with the Hounds. Jaime seemed torn between doing what was right and getting back to Cersei. Here’s hoping he pulls his head out of his sister’s bum and takes his army to Winterfell to help Sansa. The Blackfish did ask him about his oath to Catelyn, so hoping that will happen.
Mama Dany is home and she doesn’t seem happy. Hopefully Drogon wasn’t just taking off and is going to go torch some Masters’ Ships.
Really wish Varys didn’t leave. Love him and Tyrion together. Tyrion seems desperate for friends, going as far to attempt to get Grey and Missi drunk. Poor guy. I’m with you on the Dorne thing. Only allies I can think of.
Buh bye Blackfish. Wish they hadn’t killed him.
I’m curious to what Qyburn was talking about also. Now that Frankenmountain is out of the pic Cersie has got to do something to get her son back.
To me the whole episode was tying up a few loose ends. Only 2 eps left this season and a lot was going on.
One more little note, hoping Arya visits Mereen on her way to Westeros. Tyrion and Arya together would be epic!
Thanks again for your wonderful recap Oz, and sorry about my wordiness!
I thought maybe Drogon was flying off to burn the incoming ships. Things will be probably clearer in two weeks (I’m guessing next week is all BastardBowl) though. I’m guessing, again, that they had so much CGI in BastardBowl that they didn’t have the budget to show a realistic ship-burning/dragon sequence and, like the Blackfish’s death, it will remain off-screen. I’m guessing, a third time, part of the reason they didn’t show the Blackfish dying had to do with Clive Russell’s age, but even still they could have showed the lead-up to the fight and one bit of him being badass. It does feel weird the way they did it, like he’s going to pop back up again having fooled everybody.
Is it bad that Meereen has bored me to the point where I’m cheering for the slavers to burn it to the ground?
I thought maybe the guy sitting on the tree branch was Anguy, being played by a different actor, but yeah sad we didn’t see him, he was awesome.
Moscato comes in red?!?!
Yeah that Edmure-Jaime scene was by far the best scene of the ep. Really solid acting and the dialogue was pretty good.
Overall the ep did fall flat but I dunno if I’ll call it bad. Mereen sucked shit and Arya’s plotline went balls up.
King’s Landing let me down with the Mountain scene but otherwise it was fairly decent.
The hound was good, great to see Beric again. 🙂
Riverlands was really good, aside from Blackfish dying offscreen… why the fuck wouldn’t he go?? Dying in his own home? What? He could have a chance to reclaim it if he went with them…
EP 9 looks brilliant although I’m gutted we’ll be seeing Mereen there. I just want it all to be Northern focus. 🙁
Also PLEASE BRING TYRION BACK TO WESTEROS OH GOD!!!!!
It definitely wasn’t a bad episode. It was a good one and would be great if
1. BF’s death was handed differently.
2. Had Arya’s plan (if she had one) explained or had Lady Crane comment on Arya’s non-deadly wound, to make the chase more believable and realistic.
The problem was that the majority was really hyped and felt underwhelmed. If we didn’t have only 2 episodes left, I doubt anyone would call it ‘the worst episode ever blah blah blah’. It’s a 7,5/10 from me. Episode 9 looks like it will have one of the best sequences in cinematic and tv history. Can’t wait.
My basic problem with Braavos resolution was that everyone’s motivation was just confusing. Why did Arya act like she was in jeopardy and hiding in the dark with Needle in Ep 6, then strolling around blithely in Ep 7? If we’re to believe Maisie, then she was told that Arya didn’t realize they would come after her (possibly, but that wasn’t my impression of the FM, so that’s also a motivation problem). Her line to Jaqen at the end of anger and disappointment was nice, but it just wasn’t set up well, at all. And when you’re confusing your audience about a character’s motivation, then that’s a sign of either sloppy, or first draft, writing. And I say this as someone who’s loved S6, and like a lot of things in this episode. I’ve even liked Arya’s story up until now, frankly.
Love the favorite quotes. But my favorite one didn’t make the list:
Brienne (in response to Pod saying there appeared to be a siege of River Run):
“You have a keen military mind”
I think that’s the first joke she’s ever made. Must have been the excitement and anticipation of meeting up with Jamie.
Apparently, Mereen is where good characters go to die.
Drogon dropping Dany off in a warzone and then flying away is absolutely bizarre. Why would she come back into the pyramid while it’s being attacked and have Drogon leave?
Mihnea,
I think the biggest problem with the Arya scenes is the fact that she got stabbed so easily to begin with (walking around out in the open and unarmed when she knew the faceless men would be after her after she didn’t go through with her job) and that she is running around and jumping out of buildings while recovering from serious stab wounds. It just felt like the end of her whole story line was very sloppily done. That said I did greatly enjoy the rest of the episode, just wish they cut down the Tyrion scene a little more and gave that time for a proper blackfish death.
Who said Mereen will be in episode 9?
Jack Bauer 24,
I think he is joining the battle. He isn’t going to leave back to Vaes Dothrak or anything.
I think they just wanted to show Drogon flying in the background.
I fully expect to see him there next time.
There’s one thing I’m certain of though. S6’s been mostly great but I still feel like S7-S8 are going to be the best seasons, because we’ll be back to a solid focus of around 3-4 storylines, like in S1. We’ll have no time for filler, D&D won’t struggle to write up conclusions to so many fucking storylines (Love you George but damn it man) in a short period and can just relax and focus on some really strong material again. I feel like they are rushing Braavos and Mereen and it shows, they won’t have to anymore after this season because all the major characters will be mainly lumped into 2 or 3 big groups.
This episode and I hate to say, but the season finale too are likely going to be the last eps where we have rushed conclusions with little time for proper characterization or logic.
Why do I think the finale’s going to be a mess? We have to take a trip to pretty much every single arc in one ep and give a conclusion to alot of em. Even with 69 mins it isn’t going to be pretty. Prepare yourselves for some messy stuff.
Anyway, EP 9 should be glorious.
Jack Bauer 24,
You actually think drogon dropped her off an went to have dinner ?
Lol come on
He’s gonna burn them all!
Sue the Fury,
As one who loves the series, I can’t wait to give 5 “good hodor” stars when appropriate. It just seems like the weekly poll (since it shows on the page) should start soon after the show airs (while the viewing reaction is still warm).
If not, when should one expect a weekly poll to become active?
Jack Bauer 24,
I saw someone else asking this too, but I never really got the impression that Drogon is abandoning them. I mean, what if he just flew to burn the ships of the masters?
A season without twists?
Oz I fear you are now only pretending to be Unsullied.
WildlingKing,
Or he just gives a round near the pyramid…..so we can have a cool shot of him flying in the background.
Dolorous Methuselah,
Brienne is almost as good at jokes as Missandei.
That behind the scenes in Spain video months ago confirmed Mereen would be in EP 9.
Bearded Onion,
Balls, I just want a nice northern episode. What is the deal with the shitty Tyrion writing this season? Him, Miss, and Grey Worm…..what a waste of 1 great and 2 good characters…
Bearded Onion,
OMG
They didn’t show that in the preview
I thought we would only see one story line … Weird no?
Excellent recap Oz! And I pretty much agree with everything! I thought the episode was good ( never not liked an episode), not every episode has to be great! Wish we had more of the Mereen attack, but also know with the huge battle to come and Riverrun siege was probably not in the budget! And speaking of the huge battle next episode…….holy shit!!! It looks epic and we only saw seconds!! So excited….can it be Sunday already! “Battle of the Bastards” will make everyone forget any weak points of “No One”!! I am still holding out hope for *** to return too! Too much talk about this subject in last night’s episode!
I think the North will get the lion’s share this week with Mereen getting around 15-20 mins. It looks like it’ll still be heavily North centric.
Great recap Oz!
I simply agree with everything you said. I liked the episode, but some things were off.
I don’t mind how Arya’s storyline was resolved in Braavos, I’m fine with that. But I do blame the show for making everyone trying to come up with all these theories to explain that weird scene when Arya gets stabbed. If that scene was done right nobody would have the felt need to do that and wouldn’t be disappointed as a result.
Riverrun was definitely the highlight of the episode. Tobias Menzies is great!
Oh well, on to the EPIC 9!!
Bearded Onion,
I think we will get at most 15 minutes of other locations, this will be in the beginning of the episode.
Then pure North.
A few minutes set up in the North, probably. Maybe Rickon will get a line, or two. Then a few minutes in Mereen to show what happened after Dany returns. My guess is the final 30 minutes will be the battle, which seems like an appropriate amount of time, especially for TV scale budget. It looks bananas from the trailer and the shot of Davos’s blood caked face is just a gut punch. Odd that HBO won’t be releasing any even vague episode descriptions for 9 and 10 this time.
Are people aware that Jaime was purposely threatening Edmure so that he would surrender the castle? Are people aware that Jaime meant almost nothing that he said? Or am I the only one? Yeah, I think I’m the only one.
clouddragon,
No you aren’t.
This episodes had some high points: First. The Hound fight scene, chuckle worthy. Second the Thoros and Beric neck tie party, love those two, Lastly, The Brother Hood without Banners Boy Scout campfire, (minus the Hounds junk).
I love Arya, but that indestructible Wolverine Super Hero fight scene was too much, Cheesy! I’m not sure why D & D felt it necessary to have her jump off 20 ‘ ledge onto stone steps and roll down the stairs for an eternity. They could have topped it off with her jumping up dusting off her trousers and saying “I’m ok it’s only a scratch”. I’m not sure what’s in “milk of the poppy” but I’ll take a case or tow!
A man likes Jaqen H’gar’s smirk! Finding the Waif added to a man’s collection, priceless!
The rest of the episode not so much.
I can’t help thinking that some content within those scenes was cut for time or other reasons. You wouldn’t need to add a lot for it to make more sense, although not easy to show with time constraints and not by themselves interesting.
e.g.
After “Blood of My Blood” Arya has been holed up for days, furtively venturing out for essentials and has now reached the point where she thinks there’s no danger and no-one (!) is looking for her.
Would be easy in narrative but not to shoot. That would at least go some way to explain Arya’s carefree attitude – but we are just left to surmise instead.
clouddragon,
I secretly hope he really wanted to launch Edmure’s kid into the castle. Love that line.
Bearded Onion,
i dont mind having the first 15 mins for other stuff since its a 60 min show. we have so much left to close out and everything else being resolved in episode 10 will be too much to handle!
Oz, when all is said and done and you’ve had a chance to read all the books, I would love for you to do a comparison between those and the show. Which plot lines you prefer and why, etc. I know that’s a big wish to fill, but you could always break it down by seasons of the show versus the (relatively) same in the books, for clarity and continuity. Or whichever format you’d choose. I just really enjoy your wit and writing style. (and all the inside jokes and comparisons you make that only people over a “certain age” would probably get) Even though I’ve always been a Sullied, it is your posts I look forward to the most. Cheers, dude!
Do you think the clip from the trailer with the Harpies attacking and the Dothraki charging will be in the next episode or the finale?
I really enjoyed this episode and thought a lot of it was strong. Tommen’s betrayal of his mother and the way he walked away trying so hard not to look at her. All of the Riverrun stuff, except Blackfish’s decision to die pointlessly. Jaime’s torn allegiances, Edmure’s painful betrayal of his uncle & men. I loved the return of the Brotherhood, and was relieved to see they were not involved directly with that massacre. Beric and Thoros and the Hound! Arya vs. The Waif was pretty scary, in spite of the issues that concerned a lot of viewers, myself included. I’ve often wondered if Jaqen never really expected (or wanted) Arya to become “No one”.
I really loved the Jaime and Brienne conundrum. It was so beautifully done. I don’t see Jaime as having reverted to his former crappy self, but being torn by complex allegiances. I wouldn’t be surprised if we find later that he has released the Tully army to go North, though that may just be me being a Pollyanna.
As for the previews for next week: heart stopping!
Bearded Onion,
Agreed. Won’t talk about this as it’s book stuff.
But Lena’s acting really helps in this matter. She just makes you believe he has a reason to love her.
But if Cersei will do what I think she’ll do, I think there will be plenty of chance for conflict.
The North will need a lot of time. I’m not sure how long the actual battle will be, but we know there will be scenes of Davos at Shireens pyre, Jon/Mel, and we still need a Ramsay/Rickon scene unless Art was trolling in his interviews.
Stargaryen,
OMG Yes the Waif terminator walk was So annoying!! Suspension of disbelief aside, Arya’s super healing powers were way too unrealistic.
Bex,
LOL… technically, pink. But it looks red. Have you already left for the store?
Arya was baiting the waif since she saved lady Cranes life. She found an intentionally pitch black spot to hold up knowing that her only chance to beat the waif was in total darkness. She learned THAT in her training. She brazenly walks out in public WITHOUT needle, to lull the waif into a false sense of security. But Arya isn’t Tywin Lannister. She slipped up, letting her guard down just long enough for the waif to get a few stabs in. She can’t complete her plan with blood pouring out of her, so she needs to get stitched up before she can confront the waif.
She resists the milk of the poppy because she knows it will dull her senses. She might even have gone to lady crane on purpose, knowing that the waif would eventually come for lady crane, and would assume that’s where Arya would be. This is all made abundantly clear as the sequence draws to a close.
So that’s my justification, Aryas plan goes to shit, then scrambling and scraping, she pulls it off anyway.
The Jaime – Brienne scenes have always been highlights for me. They understand one another very well.
I love the suggestion that Jaime may, at some point, send the Tully army to the North. Eventually, all of the military strength will need to be there.
Also, the various Valyrian steel swords need to go North as ell.
Do you think Arya will be in the finale?
Did they say he was going to Westeros? I just assumed that he went to meet with Yara/Theon since they are somewhere in Slaver’s Bay.
Won’t that be the cavalry on the sea in e10? The Dany/Greyjoy navy and air force vs. the Masters navy.
Jack Bauer 24,
I think everyone, perhaps besides Sam, will be in the finale.
Fienix,
Seven blessings to you, Fienix. Many thanks for the compliments. Coming from a Sullied, it means a lot.
I would be happy to do that. After the show has concluded, it may only be you and I reading it. But I’m good with that.
Boston Snow,
He said ”our queen needs allies in Westeros” So I think it’s preaty safe to say he goes there. Might be wrong, sure but that’s what I got from the scenes.
Boston Snow,
Yes he definitely said he was going to Westeros.
Halfman,
No spoiler things on the unsullied post. Not even covered, that’s the rule I believe.
Neither did I. I’ve rewatched the scene and I have no idea where people are coming from when they say it shows him reverting to his former self. Quite the opposite I felt.
Mihnea,
Oh right. I can never keep up with what’s allowed and what isn’t. No one need click to read it after all.
And it isn’t really a spoiler, just something from a past thread on here anyway.
Corbyn Stark,
3 or 4.
clouddragon,
While he’s definitely playing “bad cop.” I think Jaime would totally kill Edmure’s baby. He has a love and respect for Brienne and admires her the way he admired Cat. But I think deep inside he knows what he is. Just like the Hound, who was drawn to the idea of a peaceful life and forced back into violence, Jaime’s devotion will always to be Cersei. “The things we do for love”
Jack Bauer 24,
Hopefully she gets back to Westeros before that scene in the trailer of the Freys celebrating. Red Wedding Part Deux, Arya’s Retribution.
Maybe there will be a nice little bit of magic and Nymeria will greet her at the dock.
I hope they will wait with that till episode 10!the pyramid needs to have some sort of explosion still too right?I think that would be rather overlooked if they do this in episode 9.
Are we still missing other footage from any trailer?
Well, exactly. He didn’t say he was GOING to Westeros, just that they needed allies in Westeros. Aren’t Yara & Theon from Westeros? They were also very nearby with their entire fleet.
I mean, I get it, Dorne might make sense too. I think they just like to write like that – misdirection writing – sets people up for surprises, like when the GJ fleet comes to save the day.
Moondoor,
At a minimum, we’re still missing Bran saying “They have no idea what’s going to happen.”
Too much stupidity and bad storytelling for one episode.
Arya’s entire arc in Braavos has been a bust for me, and the cheap shock of having her stabbed one episode and magically healed the next was just the icing on a pathetic cake.
And, oh look, it really didn’t matter if she became “no-one” at all, just as we all suspected all along. That was really worth nearly two seasons being spent on it.
Meereen is similar. Uh-oh, the Masters have decided to attack Meereen for no apparent reason. But don’t worry, here comes Dany riding in on her dragon. And, ooh, could that be a Greyjoy fleet I can practically see on the horizon? How convenient for everything to come together like this? Shame they didn’t bother advancing this storyline in any meaningful way before episode 8.
The Riverrun siege lost me the moment the soldiers who stood on the battlements while Black Walder put a knife to Edmure’s throat and said and did nothing about it, suddenly decided that they had to obey Edmure’s every word ahead of the man that they had rallied behind, captured the castle with and under whose command they had apparently been prepared to die until that moment.
It was just rubbish.
And the Hound catches up with the men who killed his new best friend and it turns out they were just a few naughty members of the Brotherhood who are already getting the spanking they deserve.
Well, that doesn’t render the death of Brother Ray and the Hound’s righteous revenge mission a complete damp squib at all.
Sorry. I love this show, and I’ve defended it from accusations of poor writing and cheap plot devices before. But this episode was littered with poor writing and inconsistencies.
The fact that it also marked the culmination of Arya’s tedious exploits in Braavos and (hopefully) the beginning of the culmination of the tedious Meereen plotline is no coincidence.
OwentheOaf,
True.
And he made it abundantly clear that he didn’t want to leave Cersei in the capital in the first place. He may have been manipulating Edmure, but he can’t wait to get back either.
Ser Not Appearing in this Series,
I agree she seemed surprised that Jaqen sent the waif to kill her. I didn’t find it too far fetched that she thought she was safe to go out. A man said a girl would not get a 3rd chance. After she decided to not kill Lady Crane it just meant she could never be no-one. The chase scene was epic to me. I cheered like the Saints made a stop on 3rd down (which is rare) when she said “a girl is Arya Stark from Winterfell and I’m going home”
Jon don’t need more men he needs his BADASS little sister to come kick some ramseybastard ASS!
Moondoor,
Pure speculation, but I don’t think he has anything ”big” to end the season with.
He might be in, just because they might not want to have him in EP9, when the battle is.
I agree he would have done it. What’s the point in making a threat you are not prepared to carry out?
I need you book-readers and filming-spoiler-post-frequenters to skip speculating in this post. This is NOT the post for you.
One of the reasons why there is an Unsullied post is because people don’t want to hear book-readers’ nitpicking and complaints, so please keep your posts in the main recap post, not this one. Thanks.
gnarlytarly,
I disagree. He very clearly told her, when he gave her the lady crane mission, that “either way, a face will be added to the hall”.
nice of the Slavers to bring all those lovely ships to Meeren. It would be a waste to have the dragon burn them. The Greyjoys are coming.
Can’t wait for a heavy Jon snow episode
Imsoooooooo ready
I agree with everything you said. This season has actually the potential to be the best season yet for me. Cinematography and the dialogue has been outstanding. The pacing of some story arcs have been erratic.
I agree with the mixed feelings about this episode. And for me that’s mainly because of the Arya plot. Everything else was great as usual.
Riverrun was exciting and tragic, and the only thing that bothered me about the Blackfish’s death is what Oz said. You get the creeping feeling that they wan’t to wrap up all lose character plots GoT style and everyone just has to die. It’s still fitting that the Blackfish basically chooses suicide, because he lost everything he fought for. But i just want to see someone live on, even if they have no purpose for the story, just to prove that it’s possible. I didn’t mind that the death was off screen though, it was more dramatic than witnessing the losing struggle the Blackfish himself anticipated. That would have taken away from the impression the character left.
The Hound and the BWB is fantastic (and better comedy than awkward Tyrion), and this is the story I am most interested in seeing where it goes from here. Also a highlight is of course “I chose violence!”. We got just enough not to be disappointed. And after the no-trial-by-combat twist many saw coming, I want to see Zombie-Mountain do something that justifies his resurrection from a story perspective.
Mereen is something I don’t know quite how to feel about. I like every character in those scenes yet I feel what we see is a little stretched thin. The (not) comedy doesn’t always land, although I did want to know about the honeycomb and the jackass.
Now for Arya: I could have been worse. I guess I have to be thankful that we saw no Arya scheme to lure the Waif, which would have been dumb, or bloodbags, which would have been even dumber. The Tyler Durden theory was funny but way to out there to make any sense.
They once again went with the most straightforward resolution, were many twists were possible. One thing is that it wasn’t that plausible, although I am sure some of it might be possible. Just have her be stabbed one time and not as deep. And I guess we also didn’t get until the end that Arya wasn’t aware that the Faceless Men would actually try to kill her.
All of this isn’t even what I mind the most. I begin to wonder whether we are just to spoiled with twists or whether the show lacks attention to detail and shys away from complexity in some recognizable ways. I was convinced that the Arya left-handed thing meant something, because it seemed they had payed attention to this all along. I rewatched the last couple of scenes with Arya, for example backstage at the theater, and there she always uses her left hand for almost everything, yet at the docks it’s only the right one.
Once we accept that it was really Arya that got stabbed and that she won’t die, then everything else followed exactly as we would expect in that case. The scenes were all great and some of the most fun Bravos scenes this season, but it wasn’t surprising and it really didn’t tell us that much about Arya or what her whole journey to the Faceless Men really meant for her. Maybe we will get that later, but I begin to doubt that.
Where do you see the Greyjoy fleet on the horizon?
Boston Snow,
I doubt it, but it wouldn’t surprise me if another group of travelers showed up to spoiler Lord Walder’s evening.
Regarding Drogon, who says he’s “leaving”? We only see him flying a short distance away! We don’t actually see him leave the Meereen area at all, and why the hell would he?! It’s under attack, obviously! He’s just dropped Dany off, now he’s taking to the skies for a bird’s-eye view. I can’t believe people even questioned that, haha.
As for the rest of the episode… well, I don’t know why they even bothered with the Riverrun plot to be honest, they could’ve replaced it with almost anything else. But there were some good scenes in there, it’s too bad the plot just felt rushed and kinda awkward.
The scenes with Arya were great, though the chase scene was fairly “pedestrian” (haha) and also a bit overlong. I also don’t understand the comparisons between the Waif and the Terminator.. uh, she’s an assassin who has incredible observational skills and is a dead serious person to boot – of course that’s what she’s going to look like, that’s how people look when they’re actually trying to pursue someone!
They shouldn’t “hype” scenes in the trailers pointlessly, only for those scenes to amount to very little, as it’s clear most people were disappointed with the lack of violence in the “I choose violence” scene. Personally I loved the KL plot as always.
Tyrion’s scenes were charming but they could’ve cut them even just a little to show say, Bran, Meera and Benjen getting shit together, or some more scenes at Riverrun.
An uneven episode… but a pretty good one nonetheless…
We haven’t heard Bran say “they have no idea what’s coming”. We haven’t head ramsey say “do you like games little man?” We haven’t seen the dothraki charging,
Jack Bauer 24,
I don’t mean literally. But they’re pretty much bound to make an appearance in the finale. Even more so now that Meereen is being assaulted from the sea.
I agree with many of the criticims here. That said, the episode still had good bits.
Entirely agree with Oz on Arya’s storyline. No idea what that was.
She (momentarily) saves Lady Crane, gets needle and goes into hiding. Then she books a passage to Westeros in the most obvious and visible way and goes walking around town (overall behaving like someone else, with different clothes and haircut). Then she gets very gravely injured, almost bleeds out. Gets a night being patched up by Lady Crane. -> Becomes Super-Arya.
Look, I could believe she runs from the Waif for a while, milk of the poppy numbing the pain etc. But then she should be pretty much dying again, not keep running, jumping and winning over the Waif. And then showing up in the House of Black and White looking peachy…
And let’s not even get into how the Waif wasn’t behaving very “no-oney” in the first place.
The Hound scenes were the highlight of the episode. All good. I don’t mind him not being blind with rage. After last episode, he looked almost annoyed when he grabbed the axe. Sure he wants to avenge Ray and co., but he’s also sad he’s back in the hacking business. And great to see Thoros and Beric, both suitably worn down.
The Riverrun scenes weren’t bad in themselves, but they feel like an afterthought. Only as a means for A) Jaime being out of King’s Landing; B) Jaime reminiscing and finding out he’s not a hero (and showing it to the audience, again) and C) Brienne not getting the help Sansa would need.
And given all that, I’m only the more sad that we lost Blackfish in all that as well.
I also had a little of a tough time believing the Tully soldiers would so easily seal their fates knowing what they must have lived through already. The fact they were still alive at that point in the story must mean they’re clever and have adapted at some point, not that they’ll blindly follow anyone who’s their leader in title only.
The Edmure scene was obviously strong though.
I actually liked the Meereen scenes this week. I was surprised to find I enjoyed the joke scene. And I definitely enjoyed the Slaver’s attack, though it was far too short of a sequence (happened kinda out of nowhere and we were transported out soon afterwards). Daenerys’ arrival didn’t work at all though. That could have been done way better. And the fact Drogon seemed to leave peacefully in the distance didn’t help.
Ideally, this would end with a shot of Drogon charging for an attack and/or Daenerys shouting she’s taking charge of the mess now.
King’s Landing was fine, though I’m as puzzled as Oz by that rumor being mentioned. All I recall is Cercei asking Qyburn to send his new birds spying everywhere.
Funny that Tommen (from the mind of the Sparrow) just pretty much axed the possibility of a certain widely known theory.
So overall: Braavos = (very) bad, Meereen = rather fine, Riverrun = rather bad, King’s Landing = rather fine, Wherever with Sandor = fine.
Jack Bauer 24,
I’m pretty sure he’s going off to wreck some shit. They needed to emphasize how Dany got to the top of the pyramid, how big Drogon is, and that (this is an assumption) that he is under her control & she just sent him off to wreak some firey havoc.
IMHO, this is one of the worst episodes of Game of Thrones.
– The scenes with Arya were VERY disappointing. It seemed as if the writers did not bother too much ending of Aryá’s business with The Faceless Men, which is just too bad for I actually enjoyed it until now. All that stabbing and a bit of milk and poppy and some soup and she can jump, run and kill. I understand very well the importance of the suspension of disbelief, but it was way too much for me to accept. And that ending with Jaqen? Anticlimatic to say the least… Very disappointed in all of this.
– The surrender of Riverrun was so und so. I had hoped to see more of the Blackwish, but I was denied – I suppose he is dead, though I can’t know for sure. If this is the end of the legendary Blackfish, then it’s another fail.
+ Brienne and Jaime
+ Jaime and Edmure
+ The Hound
+ Beric Dondarrion and Thoros of Myr
+ Cersei and the Mountain (Tommen is such an idiot)
I have to speak for the amazing continuity between seasons in GOT. I’m just watching, casually, Kissed by Fire, because it’s rerun by the channel transmitting the series where I live. I know this episode usually features high on the fan favourite episode lists, and although I’m not someone who does list on series episodes, I have to say this is overall flawless television to me. What’s amazing, to me, is how themes in this episodes pick up 3 years later, in a what’s considered a flawed episode. Kissed by fire is, beyond Jon loosing his cherry, and Dany getting The Unsullied, the episode where we have The Hound fight Berick Dondarrion, Queburn amputating Jaime’s arm and Brienne bathing with Jaime. Overall, a big Jaime episode, as the latest one was (and I truly loved Riverlands part of No One, I can see how Jaime is drawn back to Cersei and essentially doing whatever needs to be done, because of her).
So, there were some closures and returns to storylines here which were highly satisfying. This isn’t something easily achievable in screenwriting, even for material that’s draws from existing sources. We are now in what’s considered the beginning of the third act in drama, and have had some great material. We’re going forward and getting to the essentials of the story before The Grand Finale. And, while I’m sad the series will end, I’m certain I’ll rewatch things like Kissed by fire by equal wonderment every time.
Well do let’s get into that, because I find that one of the redeeming qualities of the FM story. The fact that literally no one at the Faceless Man takes the no-one talk seriously is exactly what I would expect from a clever story. People with strange believes are still people even fanatics. This also feeds into the theme of all religions being bullshit at some level, which especially the believers have to deal with somehow.
Jaqen obviously has some rather non-religious goals for the FM be it making money, training Arya or whatever he is planning, the Waif obviously enjoys being a killer. Arya is Arya, but still they can all claim to try to be no one and to serve the many faced god to some degree, whether they do that for show or to feel good or honestly or a mixture of those.
Just because it’s fantasy doesn’t mean we have to accepts any crazy belief or proposition in that world as absolute fact. Just because Faceless Men say these things doesn’t mean they mean more than anything the High Sparrow says. Of course we don’t believe the HS because he is too close to religious figures we now in real life, but the FM seem like genuine fantasy assassins so they have to be legit.
Oz, I loves you, but…what???
Season 6 twists I can think of off the top of my head:
Near-instant season death of Doran Martell (and the whole Dorne storyline)
Ramsay kills Roose in a close second
Melisandre had a cameo climbing out of a bathtub in The Shining
The introduction of Lyanna Stark and Hodor pre-Hodoring
Balon Greyjoy murdered by Euron Greyjoy
JON SNOW COMES BACK FROM THE DEAD
TOWER OF $%^#&ing JOY!!!
Ser Arthur “Pleeeeeeez Storm My Castle” Dayne
The return of Rickon, Osha, and, well, byebye Shaggydog
Sansa and Jon reunite
Tormund meets Brienne–one of the best things this show has ever done
Death of Osha
Dany burns all the khals
A Kingsmoot! A Kingsmoot!
The Children of the Forest created the White Walkers! Holy Shit!
The mark of the Night’s King can nullify magic used to keep them out! Holy Shit!
Summer!
Hodor! Hold the door!
The mad king! and Jamie stabbing the mad king! And lots of other single-framed WTFs!
Benjen freakin’ Stark!
Gilly in a fancy dress and Sam’s cunt of a dad and Sam stealing Heartsbane!
Tommen makes an alliance with Faith
Walder Frey is back!
THE FUCKING HOUND IS BACK!
A cold open!
A scene where people seem productive and happy!
Exclamation points!!!
Olenna’s smackdown of Cercei that is even better than the Walk
Bronn is back!
THE BLACKFISH
Lyanna. Fuckin. Mormont.
No One becomes Arya
Cercei is actually, finally, totally fucked. Well, hopefully…
Brienne and Jamie reunite
And say farewell, in more ways than one
Return of Beric and Thoros! Extending Brotherhood to the Hound. Say what?
I know not all of these are twists or dramatic moments to everyone, and I know I left some out, but it’s plenty more than “very few of them,” no? There haven’t been very many in the last couple of eps, but emotional trauma needs room to breathe, just like fine wine.
Cock Merchant,
Great point. I always took the “no one” talk as a sales pitch, as in “our assassins are so good, you won’t know who killed you!” (Well, maybe not those exact words.) I can’t speak for too many other fantasy assassins guilds, but the others I have come across, like the Claws and Talons from the Malazan series, operate the same way. Beneath the exulted reputations and flowery phrases, they’re just a bunch of people earning a living.
Cock Merchant,
What would make it realistic would be for the FM to not all behave exactly as no-one, to have some quirks to them. Same as I would accept that not all dornish had as liberal views as Oberyn. But when it’s revealed that one of two FM we see is completely removed from that (Waif) and the other surely has a very specific personality too (Jaqen), it’s stretching it a lot. Same as when we end up seeing there were exactly 4 people in Dorne that shared Oberyn’s ideas of what Dorne represents (including Oberyn and a guard who may not even have the same opinion, but only is loyal), with everybody else we see (including plenty soldiers/guards) acting in stark contrast to it.
And you guessed it, I don’t like either one of those cases. Not (to continue) to beat a dead horse, let’s get back to Braavos. What is even the point of having the Waif to hold such a grudge against Arya? The Waif would still kill Arya if she didn’t carry out the poisoning of Lady Crane, no need for her to want to do it. At least it would save us the nonsense we got with the stabbing of Arya (the Waif would try a clean kill instead, would need to be outsmarted by Arya).
OZ! Awesome as usual.
Lumivaara,
Agreed. I think that this episode is a sleeper. There were so many returns to earlier seasons (“The things we do for love.”; the Hound’s “I prefer chicken.”; the similarity of the Worm/Missy scene to the Bronn/Shae scene; etc.), that I think that this may end up being the beginning of the thematic conclusion of the entire series. The cyclical nature of time, history, decisions, wants, needs–everything (remember the spirals made by the WWs?). Everyone should make a note to revisit this ep after the series ends. I think that they may see it differently.
A good question, but I reckon he’s nipped off to do some flame throwing at the master’s fleet… Hopefully assisted with Dany’s other two dragons which Tyrion released. Just have to wait and see if that happens 😉
I thought that comment from Bran was simply made for the original S6 trailer – which of course has turned out to be true? I could be wrong of course 🙂
clouddragon,
r
Yes, of course I did. If you know anything about Jaime, you know anything he offers to Edmure is false and E falls for it (tho to be honest, the guy’s been in a dungeon for three years, his uncle doesn’t care if the Frey hang him, and he has just found out that he has a son that he has not seen. So I’ll cut him some slack)
The Wolves of Winter,
And I could believe she didn’t realize that Waif was sent to kill her; that would explain her openess in the area without having any way of defending herself. I totally agree that it would have played much better if Waif wasn’t able to injure her that bad. And that chase scene was just over the top – if she was that injured theres no way even adrenalon could have let her go that far. I didn’t mind the Lady Crane scene, and her running to her hidey hole. I actually didn’t mind her blowing out the candle and fighting Waif – how are they going to show that in the dark, without lighting? So it made sense that the scene would jump to HOBW. But then what they should have done is drank some of the water to be cured; remember thats what she did when she was blind Then she goes to FM. Im glad she is back to Arya, and is going home. And when she gets there she has a ton of new skills she will be able to use. But man that could have been so much better
Hated Mereen, but really loved everything else. Wish BF went with Brienne, but understood he wanted to die in his home (that I guess isn’t his; that confused me for a bit, I thought he was the lord of Riverrun until Edmure reappears) Probably my least fav episode of the season so far, but its not horrible.
OwentheOaf,
.
Yes, thats what I got out of that whole seqeunce. Except then she says to FM ‘you sent her to kill me?’ like she didn’t really know….
That works, if she actually knew Waif was coming. I would think she would, so I was surprised when she acted like she didn’t know. Confusing….
So, is a girl truly Arya Stark of Winterfell, or is a girl no-one, who took Arya Stark’s face, having mastered the name game which never ends?
Stavross,
Haha!!!
I am not one to hate anything or anyone that being said I am not a member of the “every episode does not have to be great,” club either for myself I get disappointed in d&d because of what they have to work with amazing storylines, great actors, epic characters and a huge budget and to simply churn out things like they did last night makes no sense to me, I do love the show and when they get it right it is amazing, sorry d&d you set the bar really high, and I think you will do something amazing but you need to do this really quick
Characterizing the FM with quirks would mean working from a cliche and then extending the character. That’s acceptable storytelling. But it’s even better if the cliche is just a front and everyone is just a person with real motives.
Also I believe the member of the group that takes all the rules and ideologies to heart and embodies them should be the exception not the rule. The actually pious priest and the actually honorable knight are the standouts that have to be really weird unusual people to even exist. Just look at Brienne or Barristan, they are such rare people who actually embody knightly ideals, that everyone notices them as exceptional in good and in bad ways.
As for the Waifs grudge against Arya, I find that easy to understand and believe. She was the girl prodigy of the FM and was Aryas senior, but she immediately got that Arya might take her spotlight, so she was jealous and she didn’t believe in Arya. That rivalry was probably Jaqen’s intention all along, and it really was also a test of the Waif.
Arya storyline – I’ve been trying to figure out where this is going from a bigger picture. There has to be some reason she’s been studying with the FM all this time. It’s not like she’s going to return and join Jon’s army and fight the Boltons, she is still a girl and she only just bested another girl. But by now she probably has learned all the tricks of the trade, and presumably she could use them to be useful back in Westeros. I can’t remember if she knows that Starks aren’t at Winterfell anymore, so what does she think she’s returning home to? The passage of time is always mushy on this show (teleporting LF comes to mind), but can she return to WF in time to do some FM tricks on Ramsey and kill him behind enemy lines? I just don’t see how she’s going to be useful after the Battle for Winterfell and everything shifts to the White Walkers. She’s a badass, but yeah I dunno if she’s that awesome.
Riverrun – I think there is a point to the pointlessness of this whole interlude. Jamie needed a reason to be out of KL so Cersei gets pushed to the edge. But I also think there might be a reason that Brienne was pulled away from the North too. I dunno what it is, but she served no real purpose in Riverrun other than not being with Sansa, Jon, et al. I think that may prove to be significant at some point.
I think the rumor Cersei and Quburn are talking about, might be the fact that Gendry is still alive and the rightful are to the throne. Which would allow here Tommen back for herself and maybe reverses all decisions made by him as king, including trial by combat. Ok that might be a bit far fetched maybe, but I do believe that is the rumor.
I am thinking the “rumor” that Cersei was running down was what she probably heard from her brother — that the Mad King had wildfire stashed throughout KL.
From the scene in the bath with Brienne…
Jaime: Before long, half the country was against him. Aerys saw traitors everywhere. So he had his pyromancer place caches of Wildfire all over the city. Beneath the Sept of Baelor and the slums of Fleabottom… Under houses, stables, taverns… Even beneath the Red Keep itself.
The only thing that would have made Arya’s Incredible Recovery watchable would have been if it ended like this…
Waif: On your knees, or on your feet?
Arya: Not today.
Cock Merchant,
You certainly have good arguments, but having everybody be the same and hiding behind fronts is kinda boring to me. There has to be at least some substance behind those fronts in my mind.
I think we’ll have to agree to disagree.
Houndsman,
Gendry still wouldn’t have been the rightful heir. But he could be pointing obviously to the fact Tommen (same as Joffrey) isn’t a rightful heir either.
The problem is, I don’t see anybody that would be a rightful heir now that Stannis and Renly are dead. Heck even Shireen is dead if they went with a Queen.
Note: I’d love to see Gendry again. He’s basically the only missing character at this point.
House Stork,
I don’t see how that’d be a rumour. Cersei was the one that made the Pyromancers produce Wildfire prior to Blackwater. Unless somehow they never told her about the emplacement of stashes all over King’s Landing. Or unless they never knew.
Still that looks farfetched.
TOIVA,
Show only knowledge: But the pyromancer that was working for the Mad King and stashing all the wildfire beneath KL was killed by Jaime, just before Jaime stabbed the MK.
I think pots of wildfire beneath the city will probably be the rumor, but we will see…
Stavross,
I get that sentiment. After Jon Snow got stabbed to death I was definintely rooting for the White Walkers to destroy everything/everyone.
All I said was shown in the show when Tyrion discovers the Wildfire prior to Blackwater.
(If you were implying I was talking about something book related – never read the books.)
I think the Pyromancers were some kind of an ‘order’ or something. While Jaime killed one (I guess their leader), at least a couple others would know about the stashes. And so should also Cersei from way back when she worked with them.
Then again past ‘rumours’ didn’t make sense to me either (Littlefinger ‘giving Olenna a young man’ last season).