Ladies and Gents, we are here, the very last episode of Game of Thrones looms in the horizon as the penultimate episode of the series came to an end - for better or worse. Episode four had failed to reach the stellar heights of the season’s earlier episodes, even as it returned to the now fickle relationships that had made those episodes all the better. We witnessed Daenerys turn on a darker spectrum and started to get a sense of where things might be headed, but in a war, which seemed to be delicately balanced on a knife’s edge, there was just no telling how it would all play out, that is until episode five arrived, sparking conversation and controversy. Let’s see what the fuss was all about, shall we?
WARNING: THIS ARTICLE IS DARK AND FULL OF SPOILERS
THE TANGLED SPIDER
As predicted, Varys betrayed Daenerys and has now set up a chain of events that will significantly determine how the series will conclude. Betrayed by Tyrion, the former Master of Whisperers was executed by Daenerys for treason (as was foreboded last season), after trying to subvert the Dragon Monarch. From a poison assassination attempt to broadcasting the truth of Jon’s true parentage, Varys’ efforts to depose the queen were quite foolhardy, and in truth, uncharacteristic and a huge departure from his much more calculated persona. It’s a shame to have seen the Spider get tangled up in his own webs, but for a man without balls, he sure had loads of it.
THE MAD QUEEN
While Daenerys’ instinctive knack for repaying her enemies with ‘Blood and Fire’ has been apparent all through the show, it’s always been tampered by the counsel of her advisors. Little surprise that when the showrunners decided to kill her two babies, deplete her army, and cut her support system down to size (no pun intended), it would only be a matter of when the young monarch would snap, and snap she did. In absolving herself of Varys’ death and manipulatively blaming Jon for her own actions, we were revealed to a person who had got halfway past the point of no return. So, when Tyrion pleaded for the lives of innocents in King’s Landing, you had a feeling it had only fallen on deaf ears.
FOR OLD TIME’S SAKE
Last time we saw Jamie Lannister, he had just broken Brienne’s heart and was riding south to reunite with his beloved Cersei. However, we find out that his reunion plans hit a little snag when Daenerys informs Tyrion of his brother’s capture while trying to cross into enemy lines. In a desperate attempt to save Jamie and the thousands of innocents in King’s Landing, Tyrion frees his brother, asking him to convince Cersei to relinquish the throne in hopes of saving her life and many others. In a scene that was surprisingly one of the most emotionally rewarding of the series so far, the brothers bid themselves a heartfelt goodbye, probably for the last time, with Tyrion stating that ‘He never thought he would be able to repay the favour’ (did your eyes get sweaty too?).
THE GIFT
Disguised as commoners, the Hound and Arya arrived in King’s Landing and find their way into the Red Keep. As Drogon attacks the castle and it begins to fall apart, the Hound urges Arya to abandon her quest for revenge and turn back. Arya acquiesces, and as they parted ways for the last time, she thanks him in a moment which conveyed more than just her gratitude, but also affection for a man she once had on her list. Sandor Clegane has come a long way since running down the butcher’s boy all those seasons’ back, with Arya playing a huge role in his transformation: from bodyguard of a vicious King to a defender of the downtrodden and a fan favourite. Ultimately, their time together brought out the Hound’s better nature and put him on a path of redemption, it was only right that he’d do the same.
THE SACK OF KING’S LANDING
The Battle of King’s Landing probably turned out very different than many had imagined (sure did for me). The final battle between Daenerys and Cersei’s forces was something of an anti-climax, turning out to be more of a slaughter than a battle. Every milestone made by Cersei towards the battle counted for nothing - not the fact that Daenerys only had one Dragon, not Qyburn’s Scorpions not even the damn Golden Company. While Drogon was always going to be a game changer, Daenerys’ destruction of the Iron fleet and the scorpions in the city were just way too easy, considering he even comes out unscathed (not one bloody shot, not one!). While it can be argued that both Viserion and Rheagal meet their deaths because Daenerys wasn’t expecting those attacks, it’s quite unsatisfying to imagine that not one scorpion bolt hit a Dragon that size. While I also had no illusions about the Golden Company putting up much of a fight against a Dragon, I would have loved to see them go head to head against the Unsullied and the rest of the northern coalition. If anything, to see the lauded mercenary army deliver their deadly stock-in-trade. But alas, they were consequentially useless to the plot.
FIRE AND BLOOD
Hearing the city bells ring, the Dragon Queen pauses, before ignoring the chimes of surrender. She flies Drogon to the Red keep – The structural symbol of power in King’s Landing built by her ancestors, with one aim; to destroy it, along with everything and anyone in her path. The Northern coalition on the ground, led by Greyworm are incited by their Queen’s wanton destruction and attack the surrendered Lannister armies, slaughtering unarmed soldiers in a free for all. Amidst the chaos and anarchy, Jon Snow struggles to restrain his men, but their bloodlust is far gone. While Daenerys’ fiery rage upon her enemies is certainly not unprecedented, her murder of thousands of innocents is. Yes, she has lost friends, yes, she has lost her children, but throughout the course of the series, Daenerys has never been one to kill the defenseless. Being a pure Targaryen, her propensity to madness might be a little higher than others, but despite that, it just felt like a total character somersault and a forced move on the part of the showrunners.
THE LION VERSUS THE KRAKEN
Personally, I felt this was one of the lesser developed arcs of the season so far, I could totally understand Euron and Jaime duking it out, but the circumstances on which their fight (Euron’s ego) was based, left very little to reason. Yes, we know Euron doesn’t do things just because they make sense, and yes, we get that everything had gone to hell, but perhaps a better option might have been a fight over the parentage of Cersei’s unborn child. With the importance that both men (seemingly) held the child, it’s quite disappointing that it wasn’t even used as a sub-plot device. Oh well, I’ll just have to live with it.
CLEGANEBOWL – A WIN FOR THE FANS
In the main event of the evening (yes, this was it), the brodown we’ve all been waiting for, the fight that fans had been clamoring for ever since the tourney of the Hand finally happened, as both Sandor (The Hound) and Gregor Clegane (The Mountain) finally had it out in a no-holds barred, one on one battle to the death! While in truth the Mountain had died a long time ago, and has since been more zombie than man (a creature of Qyburn's making), it was fun watching both brothers go at it. Ser Gregor kills his creator Qyburn, before engaging his brother in mortal combat. As the Red Keep crumbled around them against a backdrop of fiery skies and a soaring Drogon (it was beautiful!) the brothers fight to the death. The Hound stabs his brother a couple of times, but devoid of pain the Mountain does not fall. The Mountain tries to pull an ‘Oberyn’ on his brother (not today) but gets stabbed through the eye (how is this bastard still standing?). With little fight left in him, Sandor tackles his brother through the already weakened walls, plunging them into a fiery chasm and their deaths. Simply poetic.
AN UN-BEFITTING END
Jamie finds a shaken Cersei in the Map room (ironically, it wasn’t so long ago she was sipping on some wine, plotting destruction all over that map) and leads his sister-lover through the collapsing castle, they head underground only to find out that the exits have been blocked by collapsing rubble. A teary Cersei laments that she doesn’t want to die (Oh is that right?). Jamie comforts her, clutching the woman he loves in his arms as the world collapses around them and they succumb to their deaths. Was that as unsatisfying for you as it was for me? Damn you D & D, where is the creativity when you need it?
THE QUEEN OF ASHES
Smoke and ash are already covering the skies as Arya attempts to make her way out of the city. She’s thrust into complete mayhem as Drogon continues to rain fire on streets full of innocents citizens, witnessing the murder of scores of innocent people, and almost losing her own life as she's almost trampled to death by fleeing crowds. She’s saved by a woman and her child but is unable to repay the debt when Drogon comes around again. Arya eventually escapes the city on horseback, her mistrust of the Dragon Queen now cast in stone.
EPISODE ROUND UP: WELL, THAT ESCALATED QUICKLY
So as expected, Varys betrayed Daenerys, setting her on an irredeemable path of murder, mayhem and destruction. Admittedly, I loved to see Cersei and her army get some comeuppance, but Daenerys’ massacre of innocents was a bit too much. With King’s landing in ashes and Drogon at her side, no revolt from the Lords of Westeros is imminent and It only remains to see, how far her newfound tyranny will go. I’m particularly interested in what happens to Sansa after her attempt to subvert Daenerys power inadvertently set her on her current path. How will Daenerys repay her treason and what part will Jon play if his Queen demands his sister’s head?
Since their arrival in Westeros, Tyrion had been very adamant about Daenerys taking King’s Landing under less crude circumstances, a sentiment he echoed again and again throughout the episode. Now that she’s become the ‘Queen of the ashes’ and with Jamie dead, where will the Hand of the Queen go from here, and what pivotal role will he play in the coming finale? I’m not a fan of the Mad Queen arc, it’s certainly not the end that Daenerys deserves, but at this point she’s so far gone that death will be her only redemption. The only question is who is going to do it? While the popular opinion is Arya, I’ll pitch my tent with Jon delivering the fatal blow probably at the cost of his own life.
Reject Rating: 6/10
Comments
Post a Comment