Monday, May 25, 2015

Game of Thrones, Season 5, Episode 7 The Gift


Okay, I  admit, I’m one of those annoying book people.  I started taking notes the moment I saw tonight’s title, thinking I knew exactly what the episode would be about.  I was completely wrong and know no more about what’s going to happen then those who didn’t slog through ten thousand meandering pages! Yeah!

The episode opens at Castle Black as Tormund Giants Bane is officially released to go with Jon Snow to Hard Stone.  Grumpy Ser Alliser will become the acting Lord Commander in Jon’s absence.  He has to disrespect Jon as he’s leaving, saying how this mission is an insult to all the Night’s Watch who’ve been killed at the hand of Wildings. (Yada, yada, yada…) Despite the criticism, Jon presses on with his difficult decisions that put his own life at risk first.  Jon and Sam hug goodbye and Sam slips him a choice piece of dragon glass (obsidian) should he need to slay any White Walkers.

Maester Aemon is dying.  Gilly shows him her baby, now known as “Young Sam.” Aemon recalls his baby brother Aegon, who went on to become the “Mad King.”  He tells her,  “Get the him South.”

Theon attends to a bruised and brutalized Sansa.  However, in her misery she seems to have found her resolve.   She implores him to “Help me, Theon!”  She instructs him to signal Stark loyalists by placing  a candle in the broken tower.  Theon denies his true name and says he can’t help her.  Sansa is flustered,  but Reek is simply scared to lose more body parts. (I still doubt he would have survived his penile amputation!) Reluctantly, he sets out with candle in his hand.  At the top of the broken tower, Ramsay is waiting.

Maester Aemon calls out for his long dead baby brother “Egg.”  He mutters, “Egg, I had a dream I was old!”  Sam and Gilly attend to him, but it’s a sad vigil.  In the morning, the oldest member of the Night’s Watch is dead. (And their sole Maester.)
Maester Aemon’s body is laid out for burning in front of an audience of Crows.  Sam says the solemn words, “And now his Watch is ended.”   Ser Alliser mutters unkindly, “You’re losing all your friends, Tarley.”

Sansa meets Ramsay outside in a blinding blizzard. He kisses her and says how beautiful she is, much better then he envisioned. He tells her Stannis is marching to Winterfell but the great storm will be to the Northerners advantage. Sansa questions their position at Winterfell given the pregnancy of Walda Frey.  Ramsay states he’s been made a legitimate heir, by King Tommen’s royal decree.  Sansa notes Tommen is a bastard too. (Is this widely known in the North?)  Ramsay states that bastard’s sometimes do very well, like her stepbrother Jon, now Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch.  Sansa probably didn’t know that yet.  Ramsay shows her the flayed and now frozen body of the servant who suggested the “candle in the window” signal.  He clearly enjoys killing her hope.  The scene is reminiscent of Joffery forcing Sansa to look upon the decaying head of her father.  (She is one unlucky girl!)

Ser Davos rides in the blinding blizzard to speak to Stannis.  He tells his King, forty horses have died overnight and there are sell-swords who are deserting.  As usual, Stannis is unmoved. “Winter is coming, it may last years.  We march to victory or defeat, but FORWARD.”  Davos departs as Melisandre enters Stannis’s tent.  Stannis raises his concerns over the foreseen prophesies.  Melisandre assures him she has seen Stannis as the only one who can defeat the Darkness but more sacrifices are needed in the form of royal blood.  She wants him to sacrifice his only daughter. Stannis is a hard ass but that’s where he draws the line.  He yells for her to get out!

At Castle Black, two men of the Night’s Watch harass Gilly.  They corner her and try to force themselves upon her.  Just as things are about to become violent, Sam appears and draws his sword.  The soldiers easily overtake him and he’s soon on the ground getting the snot kicked out of him.  The men resume to assault Gilly as Sam tries to stand up.  Suddenly, Ghost appears and the men flee the massive dire wolf.  Later, Gilly chastises Sam for trying to save her, “Don’t be stupid, you’re not a fighter.”  She attends to his wounds as Sam tries to convince her he “almost had them.” She turns to leave and Sam asks her to stay. Gilly kisses him then straddles our concussed hero. Sam lets out an “Oh my!” as she helps him break his celibacy vow!

Ser Mormont is on the auction block. (Ironically, as he was banished from Westeros for trading slaves.)  The auctioneer touts Jorah’s merits as a pit fighter until he is sold. Tyrion, panicked at the thought of being separated from the last man he knows speaks up as Jorah is bought. “We’re a team!”  Tyrion shouts to the slaver’s laughter. Tyrion quickly demonstrates his fighting moves on the slaves around him and he goes off with the man who bought Jorah.  He implores his owner, “Can we go to Myreen, please!”

In Myreen, Dario and Danny are making the beast with two backs and having some political pillow talk.  She hopes her upcoming nuptials with Hizdar will eliminate the Sons of the Harpy uprising.  Dario asks her to marry him instead but Khalesi says she can’t.  “Then you are the only one in Myreen who isn’t free.” Dario observes. (Ouch!)  He proposes when the fighting pits are reopened to take the opportunity to slaughter all the aristocrats.  Danny balks at this, “I’m a Queen, not a butcher.”  Dario says, “All rulers are either butchers or meat!” (Good luck trying to stay vegan Khalesi!)

Lady Olenna comes to speak to the High Sparrow.  She challenges him as a fraud and puppet for Cersei.  The High Sparrow holds his position that her grandchildren require punishment for their respective crimes against the faith. (Buggary and treachery no less.)  Lady Olenna tries to use her financial powers to bribe him. The High Sparrow retorts, “The Gods demand justice for breaking sacred laws.”  Lady Olenna threatens to deprive King’s Landing of food.  The High Sparrow observes her life of power and privilege has made her blind.  He observes, “We are the many, you are the few!” (Tyrell’s definitely are the 1 percent.)

Cersei meets with her distraught son. Tommen is furious he can’t free Margery. Cersei continues with her “wasn’t me” defense. Tommen’s blood is lite by pubescent lust as he vows to “Kill them all and start a war!” to free her.  Cersei reasons that will just put Margery’s life in more danger.  Cersei assures Tommen she’ll talk to the High Sparrow.  She proceeds to give a sickly sweet speech about how much she loves him stating, “You’re all I care about.”  Maybe the only true thing she said in this conversation.

Prince Doran lets Jaime see his “niece” Myrcella.  She is upset with him for trying to take her back to King’s Landing. Myrcella sees Dorne as her home now and she’s in love with Prince Tyrstane Martell.  She has a full blow teenage hissy fit, crying, “You don’t know me!” Jaime is speechless.

Bronn continues to sing his bawdy songs even in captivity.  The Sand Snakes are in an adjoining cell.  Tyene taunts him, undressing before him and having him swear she’s the most beautiful woman in the world.  As she does this, she asks about the wound to his arm she inflicted with her dagger.  Bronn is dizzy.  She confesses the dagger was poisoned and he will die a slow death.  After he declares she is the most beautiful woman in the world, she tosses him the antidote.

Littlefinger has summoned Lady Olenna for a private conversation.  She scoffs at the meeting space, which is his ruined brothel. Lady Olenna observes how impressed Littlefinger is with himself. (No doubt.) She reminds him of their collaboration to murder Joffery and how she could use this information against him.  Littlefinger explains he had to return to Cersei in order to not arouse more suspicion. Littlefinger promises her he has a “gift” in the form of a handsome young man with information. (Lancel?!)

Jorah readies himself for the fighting pits affixing a metal contraption on his right hand.  The slave broker reports the winner of the fight will get to meet the Queen. The battle begins and Khalesi and Hizdar are there to honor the ritual of visiting the smaller arenas.  The fighters begin to shout up to the Queen and Jorah hears them and rushes out into the melee.  Khalesi is bored and disgusted with the fights until a masked Jorah rushes out to fight.  Jorah kills several men as Tryion attempts to free himself from his chains.  At the end of the fight, Jorah removes his masks and begs Khalesi to listen. “I have a gift!” Tryion shows himself and states, “I am the gift! My name is Tyrion Lannister!” Khalesi looks intrigued, I don’t believe she’s ever met a Lannister before.

Cersei visits Margery in her dingy cell. She offers her some of her leftover venison stew.  Cersei coos that she’s done everything in her power to release her. Margery is in no mood for stew or bullshit. “Lies! Leave bitch!” She yells, throwing the stew at the door. Cersei leaves this exchange with a reptilian smile on her face.

On her way out, she meets the High Sparrow. Cersei asks for details about the next phase of punishment for Margery and Loras. He tells her they will have a trial for the violations of faith presided over by seven judges, including himself. Cersei asks what would happen if they confess prior to the trial. “Then they are subject to mercy,” reports the High Sparrow mysteriously. He proceeds to lecture Cersei about the altar room they are in and they history of the faith. He then speaks of a man who has unburdened himself by making a series of confessions to him. Lancel enters. Cersei begins to exit but is seized by several nuns. She commands them to unhand her but they take her away and throw her in a cell! Cersei is locked up and it’s unclear how much the faith knows about her treachery.

The “gifts” in the episode are Lancel’s information on Cersei, and Tryion Lannister’s possible loyalty to the Targaryeon Queen.  Littlefinger has certainly stirred the pot in King’s Landing.  Does he really want power or does he simply enjoy burning those in power?  If they know Tommen is a bastard, everything is likely lost for the Lannisters and perhaps Jamie should consider a permanent vacation in Dorne! Will Bronn live or has he just been bamboozled by the Snakes as he’s dying? The season is already more than half over and we have yet to see a White Walker. I’m looking forward to episode eight.




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