S05.E10: Mother's Mercy

[Meredith Quill]

Episode Synopsis:
 
Dany is surrounded by strangers. Cersei seeks forgiveness. Jon is challenged.


Reminder: There is open air book talk here. If you are just watching the TV show and you don't want to stumble into a potential spoiler you should leave now. Book Talk assumes you have read all the books to date. Any information from unpublished books, such as preview chapters should be in spoiler tags.

[TexasChic]

Hmmm.... Up until now I've been okay with the deviation from the book, but now... I just don't know.

[Rhodri]

"I'm glad the end of the world is working out for someone."  HA!  Didn't see that end for Jon (never like him anyway) but at least he got a good line.

I could see Cersei plotting her revenge the whole time but that walk was rough!  As much as I wanted Cersei to get this comeuppance, I want that nun to get it just as much now.  It will be fun to see what Cersei has planned for her.

Edited June 15, 2015 by Rhodri

[loki567]

Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal, Olly. I don't know how they took out all of the drama and suspense out of Jon's stabbing but they did.

 

These writers blow. I think this show is going to go down in flames the longer they're off the books and are left to their own devices. And once again, had to engage their weird sadism streak with the girls being beaten. That's probably the closest I've been to walking away from this show for good. Everything with Arya was cringe-worthy. 

 

Poor Stephen Dillane. Nobody did more with less on this show. I called his death at the beginning of the season and I'm guessing this does mean the pink letter was the truth and Stannis will die in the battle of Winterfell. Hopefully GRRM does right by him and gives him the death scene he deserves. I'm still willing to bet Shireen's death isn't on him. 

Edited June 15, 2015 by loki567

[InsertWordHere]

They hyped me up with the Benjen in the previously on segment only to use his name to get Jon stabbed. I feel as betrayed as Jon. Only, you know, not stabbed and dying in the snow.

[WearyTraveler]

That was rough.  The profile shot of Jon looking up at Olly was beautiful, though.

Edited June 15, 2015 by WearyTraveler

[LiveenLetLive]

I've read all the books, but frankly, I never was wed to them--I thought that this episode was mind blowing--I'm sure that a lot of it was confusing to non book readers (like do they know that it is a faction of the Dothraki surrounding Dany?)  We didn't see Stannis die did we?  What will book readers make of Jon Snow's "death" I wonder?

[prospazzinator]

Too many loose threads. The only thing that is certain is that Cersei needs a bath.

[Spartan Girl]

Oh Jesus, Jon Snow is really dead?! It's not just an open ended cliffhanger like GRRM left it in the book?!

And Myrcella?

NEVER LOVE ANY CHARACTER ON THIS DAMN SHOW!

Edited June 15, 2015 by Spartan Girl

[scarynikki12]

Ah, the sound of millions of heads exploding.  It's a rare show that can pull that off. 
 

Enjoyed the episode though.

[Straycat80]

Well, this season was depressing! I lost track of the body count.

[Avaleigh]

Wow, so we got a literal kiss of death. Myrcella didn't deserve that. I hope Trystane guts Ellaria one day. Or I hope that Doran has her executed. 

 

"He's the toughtest man with no balls I've ever met." Thank you for that, Daario. 

 

And speaking of eunuchs, when Varys showed up in Meereen my heart sank. 

 

Fucking hell! Davos doesn't know what Melisandre did to Shireen? How did Mel get to the Wall so fast?

[WearyTraveler]

So far they think he's dead.  One person said that they hope Mel revives him next season

[lovetowrite73]

My thing is how far are Sansa and Theon going to get before Ramsay find them? Will they run into Brienne? And where was Pod?

I was waiting for Melisandre to show up for Jon. And where was Ghost?

I called Arya turning blind last week (not like it didn't happen in the books).

Welcome to the show, Frankengregor. I really hope he doesn't survive for long.

[MarquisDeCarabas]

Look at it this way it's now less than a year before we find out how Melisandre saves Jon.    (Speculation of course, but if nothing else sending Melisandre back to Castle Black pretty much confirms it for me.)

[magdalene]

Well, that was cheering. 

Cersei is a despicable person but those who inflicted this walk on her are filth. Those who spat on her and flung obsenities on her are filth. Those who enjoyed her degradation are also filth. 

Poor Myrcella. Drogon is dying? Crap. 

 

Jon. I sure hope those predicting his resurrection are right. Because otherwise why bother watching any more. 

 

Stannis is dead. That's good.  Cockroaches Mel and Ramsay of course thrive.

 

I am depressed.

Edited June 15, 2015 by magdalene

[sunflower]

 

I don't know how they took out all of the drama and suspense out of Jon's stabbing but they did.

 

Totally, maybe wasting 15 minutes on Cersei's section and the ever long walk was a wast of time.  Cersei is dark gray at best, villain at worst.  Who cares about her pain?  5 minutes at the end on FTW?  And Thorne as the first stab?  I don't buy it.  They only had it be him because he's recognizable.  And last words, "Olly", instead of "Ghost"?  Ick.  And am I supposed to feel sorry fore Mel the Burner Bitch?  Talk about a waste of time Killing Shireen.  And Stannis, like that?  

 

This show is sadly sucking, and I didn't even mention Dorne.  I think Sansa and Arya's stories were the best and they weren't even that great, but I felt for them.  Did Jon talk to no one about Hardhome details except Sam?  Terrible.  

[Skeeter22]

Dorne is officially a failure for me. I'm not sure why they bothered to recast Myrcella, she wasn't doing any more than the original actress. They really hyped both Dorne and Arya this season, but both were flat and slow.

The battle of Winterfell was pretty anticlimactic. So was Theon and Sansa's escape. All he had to do was shove Myranda. The corkscrew and the candle had very little payoff. I'm glad they didn't have Sansa kill someone with it, but I do wonder where she got her lock-picking skills.

Edited June 15, 2015 by Skeeter22

[Matt K]

I think I'm out. This episode was super boring and seemingly most of the characters I care about are out.  Besides Sam and Tyrion and Spy guy there's not really anyone left I care about and I'm not watching the show just for those three.

[WearyTraveler]

Oh Jesus, Jon Snow is really dead?! It's not just an open ended cliffhanger like GRRM left it in the book?!

And Mycella?

NEVER LOVE ANY CHARACTER ON THIS DAMN SHOW!

 

For the record, I think it's telling they had Mel return to the Wall. I wouldn't count Jon out just yet.  Now, it's off to check the filming spoilers.  That will tell us book walkers the answer to Jon's fate before TWOW is released (finally!).

Edited June 15, 2015 by WearyTraveler

[Avaleigh]

At least Myranda died.

[Happy Harpy]

Unholy Fuck. That's a finale.

 

All the action: Hell, yeah! All the cliffhangers...NOOOOOOOOOOO!

 

Edit: The Enterprise landed somewhere in Asshai, and Mel has a transporter.

Edited June 15, 2015 by Happy Harpy

[TexasChic]

I've read all the books, but frankly, I never was wed to them--I thought that this episode was mind blowing--I'm sure that a lot of it was confusing to non book readers (like do they know that it is a faction of the Dothraki surrounding Dany?)  We didn't see Stannis die did we?  What will book readers make of Jon Snow's "death" I wonder?

I wasn't wed to them, but I was at least engaged.

[Tippi]

Where was Ghost?  Although hopefully he didn't/won't meet the same fate as Grey Wind.

 

I was hoping we really would get some news of Benjen.

 

Nice time to look away from the tower, Brienne!

 

Stannis needed a scene reflecting on the massive mistake he made.

[LiveenLetLive]

"Ah, the sound of millions of heads exploding."

 

Exactly. Damn I fucking hate the thought of Mel reviving Jon can't they come up with something else? Kudos to Lena H. she made "the walk of shame" so cringe-worthy despite having a beautiful body that under normal circumstances any woman would be proud to show.

[scarynikki12]

Drogon is dying? Crap

 

I think Drogon was just wiped out and more interested in nursing his wounds and generally healing before taking Dany anywhere.  I expect next season's premiere will include a scene where he again senses she's in trouble and flies in to stand as her protector, at which point the Dothraki will stand down and maybe even agree to follow her since none of them can top being a dragonrider.

[Mya Stone]

Sigh. This was so depressing.

Lena absolutely SLAYED the walk. SLAYED it. When she looked up at the Red Keep, I saw the literal thought bubble above her head "Just a bit more" "one step at a time" etc.

Stannis. I actually felt for him. He truly lost everything.

I can't wait to hear the rage of Theon saving Sansa. They saved each other, dammit. And it was beautiful.

And Jon. Sigh. That scene. They trolled the CRAP out of me with Benjen. At least Mel is there. And Davos.

[sunflower]

 

Fucking hell! Davos doesn't know what Melisandre did to Shireen? How did Mel get to the Wall so fast?

 

How convenient, that anyone who knows the truth is dead or not around. Cannot stand her character, and I don't know want her to be responsible for reviving Jon after her weird religion bullshit resulting in the burning murder of a child.  What a load of suck.

[benteen]

What a tough nut to crack.  Some of it was really good.  Some of it not so much.  Some of the changes...ugh.

 

I sure hope the Battle of Winterfell and Stannis's fate is a hell of a lot better in the book than that.  Book Stannis was put to sleep in a manner fitting the way this show has treated him.  Poorly.  I agree Dillane did more with less.

 

Give Lena an Emmy.  Her work was fantastic tonight and I liked the Robert Strong reveal.

 

Theon with Sansa was nice but they really screwed up the Northern storyline.

 

Didn't like Sam coming up with the idea for Oldtown but whatever.  Weiss apparently said he think Jon Snow is dead.  We'll see.

Edited June 15, 2015 by benteen

[that one guy]

I just want to say, how great was Stephen Dillane in this? I knew what was going to happen to him from the first few moments he was on screen, and I knew it from his eyes. "Do your duty" were perfect, if obvious, last words for the character. Although "a ruler who kills those who are devoted to him does not inspire devotion" would have been appropos as well. There was a lot of good stuff in this episode, but Dillane absolutely killed it.

Boy, they sure went to a lot of trouble to get Mel back to Castle Black. That seems to confirm a bit of book fan speculation...

[AuntTora]

Did Jon talk to no one about Hardhome details except Sam?  Terrible.  

 

It kind of bothered me we didn't see it, but I think it's reasonable to assume it's been discussed and is widely known. It wasn't just Jon that saw it, hundreds if not thousands returned from Hardhome.

[Chairman Meow]

I've read all the books, but frankly, I never was wed to them--I thought that this episode was mind blowing--I'm sure that a lot of it was confusing to non book readers (like do they know that it is a faction of the Dothraki surrounding Dany?)  We didn't see Stannis die did we?  What will book readers make of Jon Snow's "death" I wonder?

My husband is a non-book reader and when the riders showed up he said "Dothraki?"  He also called Jon's death... when Jon went after Olly, he was yelling 'it's a trap' at the tv. 

Edited June 15, 2015 by Chairman Meow

[Spartan Girl]

According to an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Kit Harrington said he isn't coming back. So unless he and the writers are duping us....

[elzin]

I wasn't expecting to love it going in but somehow I was still disappointed.

 

Olly is a horrible, horrible actor. I try not to disparage child actors but my god, he sucked. Had the ruse not been so dumb (and a way to mess with book readers' minds, I'm sure) I might have thought FTW done well, but Olly ruined it.

 

Cersei's walk of shame was the only thing done well. I mean, it was horrible to watch, but it was effective and not exploitative and much better than Dany climbing all over Drogon like she's a toddler on a jungle gym

[ihartcoffee]

Mycella is dead? That is a low down sneaky dirty way to kill someone.

[Happy Harpy]

My Gendry is the only Baratheon standing. Seemingly. If it still means something in the grand scheme of things, and I'm not sure at all it does.

But hey, I'm Team Good Bastards, I'm taking solace where I can.

 

As for my other boy, I'd bettter get word of Kit Harrington sighting on set next year, otherwise I'll, er...sulk? Until he's back.

Edited June 15, 2015 by Happy Harpy

[Skeeter22]

Mellisandre being conveniently already back at the Wall convinces me that she will burn Shireen to resurrect Jon in the books.

They really shouldn't have Kit Harrington make the rounds peddling that "I've been told I won't come back!" nonsense. It's insulting.

[CofCinci]

Lena's head was CGI'd onto her body double's nude body.

[Pogojoco]

According to an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Kit Harrington said he isn't coming back. So unless he and the writers are duping us....

There are pics of him skulking around Belfast, where they film the Wall stuff from earlier this week. He's so not dead. Shut up, show. 

Edited June 15, 2015 by Pogojoco

[midge]

Lena's head was CGI'd onto her body double's nude body.

What?  Oh, that's disappointing.   Lena still did a good job, but not as impactful...

[LilWharveyGal]

My unsullied friend with whom I watch carried on more after Jon's Orient Express-ing than anybody on any of the Red Wedding reaction videos.  Frankly, watching her was the highlight of the hour for me.  

[Matt K]

That said, I could watch Tyrion and Varys spar all day but serious more Mereen crap and now Danny's in Dothraki land.  Jon's dead and honestly I think resurrecting him is a bad idea (anyone really it poor writing in almost all circumstances). 

 

So really not looking forward to a single thing next season so I;m probably out.  May come back for the last season (but that'll be a first for me).  Probably won't miss much either. 

[LiveenLetLive]

According to an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Kit Harrington said he isn't coming back. So unless he and the writers are duping us....

I understand that GRRM is deconstructing the epic genre and showing how brutal it really was --but fuck it all, there should be someone to root for...I think that if Jon Snow is truly killed off the series will lose a lot of viewers and readers, I mean what in the hell is the point?

[AuntTora]

Lena's head was CGI'd onto her body double's nude body.

It did look a little uncanny valley at times.

[Spartan Girl]

My unsullied friend with whom I watch carried on more after Jon's Orient Express-ing than anybody on any of the Red Wedding reaction videos.  Frankly, watching her was the highlight of the hour for me.

Ooh I hope there will be videos of people reacting on YouTube!

[AuxArx]

What did Dany drop on the ground as she was being surrounded by the riders? 

[benteen]

Lena's head was CGI'd onto her body double's nude body.

 

That's what I figured.  I don't blame her for doing that and the scene was still effective.

 

Welcome back, Dothraki!  We missed you!  Er...no, we didn't.  At least it was an impressively shot and CGI'd scene.

[oliverwendell]

Here's the link to the EW article:

 

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/06/14/game-thrones-jon-dies-interview

 

It sounds like Jon is well and truly dead.  I'm actually pretty damned surprised.  GRRM is one brutal fucker.

[Mya Stone]

What did Dany drop on the ground as she was being surrounded by the riders?

A ring. I don't know the significance.

[sunflower]

 

They really shouldn't have Kit Harrington make the rounds peddling that "I've been told I won't come back!" nonsense. It's insulting.

 

Really, because that would be the worst spoiler ever for book readers if Jon is really dead. Every book reader assumes Jon is alive and is just going to warg into Ghost or be revived by the Shitty Mel.  Why play this game unless it's the truth?  Which is scary. The show as a whole this year blew dog.  Some excellent moments, characters (mostly Stannis, Sansa, Jon, Hardhome set piece), but as a whole terrible.  Opening with Cersei's flashback, ending with the walk, well done scene, but meaningless to me considering what kind of person Cersei is.  And, for 999th time, they fucked up Jaime's character royally.