GoT E8 starts off with Lady Crane, playing Cersei still, mourning her dead son Joffrey. There’s more emotion in the way she portrays Cersei and she receives a sound applause for her efforts. Her portrayal is similar to how Arya suggested it as the grieving mother. Thereafter she returns to her chamber to find Arya hiding and bleeding. Similar to how Arya had aided her, Lady Crane succors Arya and provides some background as to how she became good at sewing people up. Seeing Arya’s talents, Lady Crane mentions for her to accompany their troop to Pentos but Arya has her eyes set on home. Still, Arya is aware of her own danger and possibly Lady Crane’s as The Wait still is after Arya.
Interestingly, when Lady Crane asks Arya where she intends to go, Arya responds what’s beyond Westeros and Essos? The edge of the world? They point out that it’s where all the maps stop. It feels as though that aspect is a major question that might be answered in a future episode. However, the question for now is if Arya will be the one traveling in that direction.
Nonetheless, Arya remains unconvinced and receives milk of the poppy to abate the wounds and allow her to sleep. Lady Crane remarks that “if her soup didn’t kill her (Arya), then nothing will.” This statement reinforces both the plot armor around Arya as well as some potentially unnatural toughness. Does the gods favor her? Or perhaps a particular god like the god of death?
Back in the Riverlands, The Hound comes across some people who helped slaughter his companions at the Sept. He shows them no mercy and searches for the others that helped kill his companions, particularly the one in the yellow cloak.
In Meereen, Tyrion enjoys with Varys what seems like the fruit of success in stymying the city from further falling apart, witnessing one Red Priestess proclaim Daenerys’ importance to the realm. However, Varys departs while Tyrion sadly watches him off to the ships. It seems that Varys will return to King’s Landing to help prepare for Daenerys’ eventually appearance as well as getting back on track with his book storyline (my guess is killing Pycelle and Kevan Lannister like at the end of A Dance with Dragons).
Just before he leaves he has a funny quote about having his heart broken too many times with regards to Daenerys potentially not returning. Like Melisandre, Varys’ true age has not been revealed but it makes you wonder how many lords he served. Also, it does seem suspicious that as he leaves Daenerys makes her return. Regardless, Varys’ TV plot at this point seems more as a support character for Tyrion (and to give the actor something to do rather than wait until his book plot can finish up).
Back at the Red Keep, the Faith Militant (including Lancel Lannister) demand Cersei to visit the High Septon. Cersei refuses to meet up with the High Septon and tells Lancel to fuck off essentially and have the High Septon meet her at the Red Keep instead. Neither side are willing to compromise leading Cersei to (finally) choose violence, where Ser Robert Strong twists off some hapless Faith Militant guy’s head after a futile confrontation. The others do not press further and are abhorred at the raw power of The Mountain.
The thing is that while Cersei is in the Red Keep protected by The Mountain, she is invulnerable in a way. But she’s only strong (pun partly intended) when there’s few men involved. She even admitted earlier that Ser Gregor cannot take on an army, which is why she remains at the Red Keep.
Over in the Riverlands at Riverrun, Brienne approaches the Lannister and Frey encampment to speak with Jamie. She attempts to convince Jamie to give her a chance in getting the Blackfish to surrender. Just before that point, Podrick and Bronn have a nice reunion where Podrick reveals how he’s gained experience with Brienne as her mentor. However, Bronn points out that Podrick’s methods suck since an old fuck like him could easily still sneak up behind him. He does bemuse Podrick into desiring to learn how to fight in learning with him, which Podrick accepts.
Nonetheless, the scene really is about Brienne reminding Jamie about what he is and to recall his desire as a knight for his lost honor. The scene shows a slightly conflicted Jamie in how he wavers between his love for Cersei and his admiration for what Brienne managed to accomplish. Brienne suggests though that Jamie accomplishes his mission without bloodshed. Her plan is to convince the Blackfish to give up the castle then repurpose the troops for the war at Winterfell.
But the biggest scene is Brienne handing back Oathkeeper. However, Jamie insists on allowing her to keep it. This is important on several levels. It’s a gesture that he will keep his oath on giving her the safe passage and achieving the conquest without blood shed but it also is meant for Brienne to continue being an Oathkeeper, even though she fails in her mission. Jamie too loses a bit of his gruff arrogance when Brienne charges that if Jamie assaults the castle, she would be compelled to fight him. In turn, he tells her he does not wish that scenario.
The meeting between Brienne and the Blackfish does not go well. But Brienne does manage to gain some respect from the Blackfish in showing her earnestness about her loyalty towards the Starks. As a result, the Blackfish reads the letter from Sansa but it’s not enough to persuade him. He even respectfully compares Sansa to Catelyn. At the end, Brienne has Podrick send a raven for Sansa to inform them that their mission ended in failure.
Back at the Red Keep, Cersei learns that her son, Tommen, has outlawed the tradition of trial by combat due to its barbarism. This essentially kills Cersei’s Ace in the Hole as she planned on using Ser Robert Strong to act as her representative. It’s clear that the High Sparrow convinced Tommen of this as he probably is well aware considering that Cersei brings her personal bodyguard everywhere. On top of that, the Faith do not have a champion (yet) of their own to combat the undead aberration.
On the side, Kevan Lannister does not permit Cersei to go near her son and has her fall in line with the other ladies of the court. The other women are fearful and disgusted by Cersei and give her room. It’s clear that Cersei is overall ostracized by everyone, even people in her house who isn’t Jamie. But it looks like her cards are very limited at this point as Tommen decrees that both Cersei and Ser Loras will face their trials before the gods on the Sept of Balor, which leaves Cersei in this situation quite helpless it seems.
The big question coming out of that scene though is the conversation between Qyburn and Cersei. Qyburn mentions he discovered a large rumor from his Little Birds. Yet what could that rumor be if it’s for Cersei’s sake? More than likely it’s the Tyrell conspiracy for Joffrey’s assassination. There really isn’t any useful information they have over the High Sparrow. And Ser Loras’ “crimes” for being gay are already well documented. That only leaves the last remaining truth that holds any importance to Cersei, which is the mystery of how her son died.
Back in Meereen, Tyrion attempts character development with Missendei and Greyworm. There’s a little laughter from both as he tries to get the two stiffs (well, one stiff to be precise) to indulge a little in their victory. Naturally, when all seems well, everything goes to shit as the Masters return with ships to invade and reclaim the city. Tyrion essentially fucks up big time in his misestimation and Greyworm in particular is upset because the situation pretty much is Tyrion’s fault (well at least it seems that way).
Over in Riverrun again, Jamie meets up with the imprisoned Edmure Tully. He attempts to comfort Edmure who is very downtrodden compared to when we first met with him. Edmure deeply wishes to understand how Jamie handles himself at night with all his past dark deeds. Jamie tells a few anecdotal stories about his encounters with Catelyn and how he admired her and how he loves his sister, both women who love their children fiercely. That makes Edmure impatient as he fails to see the point, to which Jamie replies that he has no qualms about launching Edmure’s son from a catapult if he doesn’t aid them in taking down Riverrun with them.
Jamie repeats the comment he initially made in the first episode “the things we do for love.” He tells Edmure just how badly he loves Cersei, going to war and making sacrifices just to be with her, which means doing immoral things like what he threatens to do to Edmure’s child. That seems to turn the light bulb on in Edmure’s head (for once).
The other important comment Jamie mentions is “burning cities to the ground.” With Cersei losing what little political power she has in King’s Landing, there’s little question that at some point she’ll use the remaining Wildfire to lay waste to the city to avenge all those who wronged her.
Edmure returns to the castle, which is a risk that Jamie takes, and gets the castle to surrender. There’s resistance from the Blackfish but the other soldiers are loyal to Edmure and lower the drawbridge. But it’s without bloodshed except for (supposedly) the Blackfish who does not go down without a fight. However, his death is offscreen so we do not get a confirmation.
Before that the Blackfish escorts Brienne and Podrick to a boat in a secret passage. Brienne attempts to appeal for them to return with them but the Blackfish has other ideas in mind and goes to fight. Just as their boat travels down the river, they see Jamie who waves back at them right after he’s informed of the Blackfish’s demise. It’s a slightly awkward wave but it shows that both managed to mostly get what they wanted, which was a conflict with little or no bloodshed.
Over in Meereen, the Masters have sent a full scale assault against the temple. As Greyworm details a battle plan, the group hears a sharp noise from above. One of the Unsullied guards investigates outside as they prepare for a possible breach. It turns out the Daenerys is back with Drogon in the background flying about. She does not appear pleased at all and Tyrion looks guilty in his failures to bring about peace.
In the Riverlands, the Hound catches up with the Brotherhood without Banners who are about to hang the remaining men who assaulted the Hound’s group. The Hound wants his own vengeance and is granted two of the three. Rather than exacting a bloody death, he gives them some mercy by merely pushing them off their boxes and hanging them. He takes the yellow cloaked man’s shoes then requests for food from Beric and Thoros.
We get some fan service with the Hound talking about preferring chickens (world laughs in unison). But the important part is discussing the Hound’s purpose in life. Beric suggests joining up with them as Sandor Clegane still is a good fighter. Beric tells Sandor “it’s still not too late for you.” You can see there’s a major conflict going on with Sandor where he wants out but he stays in the game. It’s obvious that he wants to choose his own destiny but he can’t avoid the path he walks.
Finally, we get back to Braavos and Arya. She’s still under the effects of the milk of the poppy as Lady Crane goes to check on her. However, Lady Crane is coldly executed by The Waif who disguised herself. Arya spots the murdered woman and soon The Waif, leaping out of the building (and amazingly not shattering her legs). The Waif does her best T-1000 impression in pursuing Arya throughout the city. Another massive leap from Arya leaves her wounds freshly bleeding and she hobbles off towards her safe house where The Waif follows. Just as The Waif is about to close in her, Arya reveals Needle, closing her eyes and chopping the candle off into darkness.
We return to the House of Black and White where Jaqen spots the trail of blood leading to the Hall of Many Faces. There he sees The Waif’s bloody face against the wall just as Arya points her Needle into Jaqen. Jaqen proclaims Arya’s success in transitioning into No One, but Arya proudly announces herself as her true identity as a Stark and tells him she’s going home to Winterfell.
It’s important to note Jaqen’s very subtle approval. You can see a glimmer of a smile towards Arya as Arya resumes her identity. But you have to wonder what the point of her entire storyline up until that moment was in Braavos? From the narrative point of view, it’s simply her training to become an assassin. What about character development-wise?
I touched upon the subject before but my impression about the Arya storyline is how she has come to understand death better. Not just in handing it out, but recognizing her own mortality. Thus far, she has been fearless in everything she has done and her actions have been quite foolish, even though she’s had an immense amount of luck on her side. As a child growing up in a harsh landscape, she had no true mentor except perhaps the Hound and then Jaqen. Still the lessons she learns is more about her learning to draw conclusions on her own by observation rather than irrational impulse that has lead her on her course.
Another thing is how she learns what’s important to her. At first, she goes to Braavos without any true reason outside of having no purpose. Perhaps, she admired Jaqen and wanted to learn his ways back but couldn’t due to having Hot Pie and Gendry as companions. When they were lost along with the Hound as her companion, she went to Braavos with the only thing she had left as a connection, believing that her family was mostly dead or far off.
At this point though, she has grown to the point where she has a little more self-realization. To fully embrace this cult’s beliefs, she would have to forfeit everything about her. Yet she is incapable of doing these things as she still has feelings, a sense of justice and commitment to her family. Now though, she probably realizes what’s most important to her, which harkens back to the words her dead father mentioned about the pack needing each other to sustain one another. Up until this point, she was literally a lone wolf similar to what’s gone on with Nymeria. So now that she has decided to return, she can help improve the Stark’s strength.
Overall, this episode had a few key developments. I really enjoyed the parts with Jamie Lannister. It returned back to his storybook plot and shows that he’s still capable of being redeemed. However, the last strand remaining is him still not knowing about Cersei and Lancel’s secret affair while he was gone, which is the ultimate turning point for him in the books.
The parts with Arya felt more like a hot car chase in a police drama but without the climatic battle of a Star Wars. Arya might’ve defeated her opponent but it still makes me look at her like a lame Luke Skywalker in Empire Strikes Back, where he loses his hand do his impulsive (albeit good hearted) disposition. Arya still is a hot head and she has learned a bit more cunning but it’s hard to say just how impulsive she still is.
I thought the whole “give Peter Dinklage, etc.” humorless comedy club was wasted and that the time could’ve been spent on Arya fighting The Wait in what everyone had been dubbing “No One Bowl.” It’s more like dark closet bowl because we got to see nothing instead of no one. You would have thought with all the training sequences Arya was given that the directors could’ve given her some ample time showing what she learned instead of a disappointing slit of a candle.
Lastly, there’s the whole Cersei incident. This probably is one of those slow burns for me that’ll end up in a huge explosion. But Cersei seems to be at her best when she’s pushed into a corner. Still, the disappointing aspect of her storyline is that there has been zero redemption after the walk of atonement. There’s only been one direction for her and it’s not slowing down. It’s sad because she has one of the most compelling stories around that over time makes less and less sense (to me at least). I get the whole “mother loving her children” thing but at this point why risk everything just because of a prophecy? Why not just find a nice beach on an island as opposed to being self-absorbed in a failing rulership? What does she really gain out of any of her moves outside of humiliation and heart aches? She has to be somewhat aware that things are failing around her to the point where her honest to goodness real option ought to be fleeing from this nonsense.