S06.E06: Blood Of My Blood

[MrWhyt]

1 hour ago, dramachick said:

Littlefinger is a lying liar who lies.  I knew the Blackfish wasn't in any condition to send an army to help Sansa.

The Blackfish = Brynden, Cat's Uncle

The Frey's prisoner = Edmure, Cat's brother

[dramachick]

Just now, MrWhyt said:

The Blackfish = Brynden, Cat's Uncle

The Frey's prisoner = Edmure, Cat's brother

I don't understand what you're trying to say to me.  I know who the characters are. The Blackfish is Edmure's uncle and Sansa's great-uncle.  What does that have to do with him being under seige and being unable to help anybody right now?

[TaraS1]

I have this dumb friend* who realizes that Benjen is Ned's brother, but literally cannot remember a single other thing about him or why he's significant or, frankly, even having seen him on the show before. 

*me

[dangwoodchucks]

6 minutes ago, GrailKing said:

How would you have felt if during the shoot the horse bucked or slipped and NCW was injured or worst killed ?

It was such a blip, safety first, that's why they have stunt people and true horse handlers.

I am aware of why they have experts to take care of these things. I'm not faulting NCW for not doing the stunt, and I wouldn't want to see NCW or a stuntman injured. But if they can do the CGI of the dragons so well that it actually looks like Dany is sitting on one, surely they can superimpose an actors head on a stuntman more seamlessly. That was my point.

[Haiti D]

Not a great episode.

 

On the surface, Arya's refusal to kill an innocent is to be celebrated.  However, as a character building device, having her complete the assignment would have added an additional depth to her character.  It will be interesting to see how she escapes from Bravvos though.

 

Danaerys knows the Usurper is dead right?  I understand that she has her legal rights, but to whom should she point the brunt of her rage?  Her little speeches are fine (I'll take what is mine, etc) but the guy you really want is dead and the kid on the throne now ain't even his son.  Plus you Targaryeans weren't that great in the latter years either.

[Artsda]

A Stark is back! Yay!

[Captain Stable]

22 minutes ago, dramachick said:

I don't understand what you're trying to say to me.  I know who the characters are. The Blackfish is Edmure's uncle and Sansa's great-uncle.  What does that have to do with him being under seige and being unable to help anybody right now?

Blackfish has an army, because he retook Riverrun FROM the Frays.

So Littlefinger didn't lie about Blackfish having an army.

As for him not rescuing Edmure - we saw in Season 3 that he doesn't hold much regard for his nephew, why should he try and rescue him?

[Daisy]

37 minutes ago, TaraS1 said:

I have this dumb friend* who realizes that Benjen is Ned's brother, but literally cannot remember a single other thing about him or why he's significant or, frankly, even having seen him on the show before. 

*me

Ooh! OOH! something  I know. 

Okay, so Benjen was part of the first few episodes (at least season 1, episode 1), and he's a ranger for the Night Watch. Jon was feeling all not important and everything, and he was like - when you go back to the Wall - take me with you, I want to be a ranger. Benjen is like really? do you know what you'll be giving up, and Jon's all like "meh, I'm a Snow anyway, at least as a ranger at the wall, I'll be doing something useful." then they get there, and poof. Benjen like disappeared until now with quasi-Night Walker face, and he's back. 

I can't believe I know something. I think this calls for a cookie. 

As for the show - I am really wanting (maybe this just speaks to the gruesome nature of my being, thanks Show), the Stark execution and what triggered the Robert's Rebellion + Mad King going insane. I am wondering when Bran was getting his TER download and we saw clips etc, if we're getting it. to me  - it just seems very important. Also: Tower. Of. Joy. go back! show us! (well at least me!)

I clapped happily when Arya didn't kill that woman, and she went to go get Needle. Awesome. She's a Stark. though I know a lot of people including I last week thought that Jaqen was all teaching her how to kill but not be an assassin, but no, he's just gonna let the Waif kill her. (or at least try. because all the training is in Arya's brain anyway so she can do it). What I don't get is that eww - they actually do Star Trek Voyager stuff with the face... how do they put the "face" on? like Arya technically knows how to o that too, even though she got blinded the one time. can't she just hide from the Waif? 

Margery is up to something, Tomnen is as dumb as his mother. Brienne + Jamie reuniting... i hope she slams the truth into him, and hard. (I also squigged out when Jamie + Cersi started making out. there's that brief moment in time when you forget they are siblings, and then it his you hard. Here is a dumb question - how did that start? Like - did the show ever address it - I wont lie I tend to miss the subtle stuff on the show, I am in dire need of a rewatch - like did this start when they were kids? Is this some kind of Flowers in the Attic nonsense? or are they just channeling their inner Targaryen..Targar..Dany's family?)

Speaking of which. Go. Dany. (but I think unleashing a craptonne of Dothraki in Westeros = no buneo) and it's Drogon! Hi Drogon (he's huugeeeee). 

Samwell. You are awesome. and you do you. 

Edited May 30, 2016 by Daisy
Because I meant Jaqen not Jorgen. Whoever that is.

[MsChipper]

20 minutes ago, TaraS1 said:

I have this dumb friend* who realizes that Benjen is Ned's brother, but literally cannot remember a single other thing about him or why he's significant or, frankly, even having seen him on the show before. 

*me

You need to go back to the first few epis of S01. He brought Jon to the Wall and then he left with a few others to find out how bad this White Walker business was.

[rozen]

I think I'm more disappointed in Arya misreading who hired her, than her failing to carry out the assignment. The writer hates the lead actress, hates that she elevates the material, hates that she's who the crowd adores and praises. I'd bet a whole dollar he wants her dead so he can elevate the ingenue who will read her lines passably and do whatever he wants wherever he wants it.

If Arya can't kill A Girl, then she has no business running back to Westeros to finish her murder list. She chose to graduate early, what can A Man do but hope she's ready?

What was the point of Dany's speech again, other than to look badass? And where exactly is she going to park these Dothraki once she takes the Iron Throne? Ugh, it's like there's no character progression or evolution of her political process at all. Burn everything until they do what I say. Ok, good luck, whatever.

Margaery looked super hopeful when her family showed up to take her back. She's still wheeling & dealing behind that humble facade. Save her brother, remain queen, and become the symbol of the Faith Militant to the people. Go girl.

Put Black Jack back in those dungeons! Put him back!

Edited May 30, 2016 by rozen

[AlliMo]

The second he appeared swinging at the undead, I yelled "BENJEN! BENJEN STARK!" so loudly that I scared the dog so badly he fell off the sofa.

I don't know that Jaquen necessarily ever wanted Arya to become a Faceless Man as much as he wanted to help her figure out who and what she was. He's given her all the training her can, and I'm sure he thinks that if Arya has the stones to defy her orders, she probably has it in her to take on Faceless Waif.

Margery has always played the long con, and I don't expect this to be any different. The gypsy woman did tell Cersei she'd see all her children die before her, so I'm not holding out a ton of hope for poor clueless Tommen.

Thrilled that Jamie is being sent away so he can do something other than be Cersei's lap dog.

[thuganomics85]

Man, the long gone characters just keep coming back!  They really are reuniting everyone this season.  Maybe we'll see how Hot Pie is faring.  Or whatever the hell happened to Gendry.

Until then, Benjen!  I totally thought it was him, because he was the only character who was north of the Wall, and I could vaguely recognize Joseph Mawle's voice.  So, he was saved by the Children of the Forest, and basically works for the Three-Eye Raven, who is now Bran.  Looking forward to seeing more of him.  I do hope this means he knows about everything, because it's going to suck if Bran has to be "Yeah, about our family..." to him.

And then there is Fucking Walder Fucking Frey!  The guy who besides Ramsay, I want to see suffer the worst death possible.  And yet, I have to admit he cracks me up.  David Bradley is just such a blast in the role.  Loved him berating his sons and basically being the Grade-A jackass that he is.  Glad that he confirms what Littlefinger says, in that The Blackfish is still alive and did take back Riverrun.  But it looks like Walder's plan is to use poor Edmure as a bargaining chip.  Granted, Blackfish wasn't a big fan of old Edmure, but he probably still wouldn't be happy about that.  At least Edmure is still in one piece.  After just seeing him on The Night Manager (and hearing some of the stuff his character did on Outlander), it's weird having sympathy for a Tobias Menzies character. 

I was so hoping Jaime, Mace in his ridiculous armor, and the Tyrells would save the day, but I knew something was up.  Honestly, a lot of it was because the High Sparrow didn't make Margaery cut her hair like Cersei did, so I automatically thought that meant he had no plans to make her do the Walk of Shame.  Nope, he basically got Tommen under his spell.  Actually, I totally think this was Margaery.  I'm thinking/hoping she isn't drinking the Kool-Aid, and this is all part of a plan.  But I totally think Tommen bought what she was selling, because she clearly is the most important person to him, which is sweet, but well....

Loved Mace being baffled over what was happening and Olenna just had to tell him "We just got played, you idiot!"  She truly is the brains of the Tyrell household, although no one really came out looking good in this one.

Meanwhile, Jaime is getting demoted into trying to take Riverrun back from The Blackfish.  Even though Cersei talked him out of the "Hire Bronn to kill all the Sparrows" plan, I do hope he convinces Bronn to join him, because I miss that snarky merc.

Nice to see that Randal Tarly believes in the Tywin and Roose method of "Be the worst father ever!" style of parenting.  He certainly lived up to his image.  Glad Sam is taking Gilly and running, but I'm still not all that wild about their journey.

Speaking of not so wild, what is the point with Arya, now?  All of this build-up, only for her to fail again?  The only thing I can think of is that she'll kill the girl who clearly wants to kill her, and then Jaquen will reveal that was the test all along.  Because if not, this all really feels like a waste.

Dany shows up at the very end to give an epic speech on Drogon, which is pretty cool.  Then again, how can you not give an awesome speech on top of a Dragon?

This was probably my least favorite episode this season, and yet I still liked it, which is a massive improvement from last year.  Only the Arya and Sam stuff is not quite working for me.  Everything else has gotten me intrigued.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Felt like a recap episode to me.

 

Sam's dadlooks like the actor that played Lady Rose's father-in-law on Downton Abbey.

[dramachick]

1 minute ago, Captain Stable said:

Blackfish has an army, because he retook Riverrun FROM the Frays.

So Littlefinger didn't lie about Blackfish having an army.

As for him not rescuing Edmure - we saw in Season 3 that he doesn't hold much regard for his nephew, why should he try and rescue him?

I don't know why people are trying to dispute the fact that Littlefinger is a lying liar who lies. 

Littlefinger knows that the Blackfish is under seige and unable to leave his castle.  Therefore, he lied to Sansa about the Blackfish being able to bring an army to help her.  If the Blackfish leaves, he loses his castle again.  Why would he leave?  He can only do that when his nephew is free from the dungeon next door and regains his place as Lord of Riverrun, which Blackfish has much more invested in than helping Sansa and Jon regain Winterfell.

[islandgal140]

Between Cersei and Jamie? I wish one of them would raise their standards. Glad he will be away from her. Did enjoy his line about Walder being 100 years old. 

Wow!! Didn't think that Sam would come from such a wealthy family. I was expecting something dark and small.

That was entirely too big a dose of Samwell and Ginny. One good thing to come out of it is that he got a Valerian Steel sword. I also liked that his mom and his sister were so welcoming and nice to Ginny. 

Benjen was a bit deus ex machine but I'll allow it. 

So tired of Dany's speechifying.  I suppose I should give her some points for being able to back it up, but.... she's starting to get a bit Jim Jones for me.

I actually do find the Arya story interesting. Sure it stalled for a moment or two but I've enjoyed it overall. I've only found myself disappointed that this Many Faced God group seems to be a murder for hire outfit. I was expecting it to serve a higher purpose. 

Ugh, Walder 'frigging' Frey.  Hate that his ass is winning after the Red Wedding and he hasn't seemed to suffer any consequences. 

[Ambrosefolly]

15 minutes ago, Captain Stable said:

As for him not rescuing Edmure - we saw in Season 3 that he doesn't hold much regard for his nephew, why should he try and rescue him?

He loves him, as he said at Edmure's wedding,even if he is a fool? Because he is his blood? Because despite all of Edmure's faults, he is a good person that did eventually agree to marry a woman sight unseen to make right with Robb? Because it gives the Frey's another victory? The only reason he shouldn't rescue Edmure is because at this point it is a suicide mission.

[La Dee Da]

Some intriguing set up for interesting questions but it seemed like a lot of filler.  I like Sam and Gilly, but I don't think we needed three scenes to get to Sam stealing a white walker-killing sword.  

I don't think Margery is playing a long con ... yet.  She's motivated by the short term goal of saving Loras. The expression on her face when the army arrived at the sept said "aw dammit, all I had to do was wait another day?!?" That said, she is one of the best at adapting to her circumstances - she'll make this alliance work for her family's interest.  Tommen, on the other hand, could be in thrall to a sunbeam - who lets a child that impressionable out of their sight? They keep mentioning Cersei's upcoming trial by combat - I wonder who might be the church's champion? Prophecies must be fulfilled after all....

I'm curious about Bran's visions and his "I found it". The new part of the visions was about the dragon fire was season two-ish and the mad King that Jamie killed during the last war.  Maybe the "it" is the Night King's lair where the babies are turned and, in absence of Dany and the dragons, the next best thing for taking it out is the dragon fire?

2 hours ago, Popples said:

Sam's asshole father (who was Lady Rose's asshole father-in-law on Downton Abbey) will be enraged when he sees his sword gone. 

i disliked him on sight but couldn't remember why! Thanks! 

[GrailKing]

1 hour ago, dangwoodchucks said:

I am aware of why they have experts to take care of these things. I'm not faulting NCW for not doing the stunt, and I wouldn't want to see NCW or a stuntman injured. But if they can do the CGI of the dragons so well that it actually looks like Dany is sitting on one, surely they can superimpose an actors head on a stuntman more seamlessly. That was my point.

unfortunately, that's not what was said,it came off as you being upset that they used a stunt double.

I just rewatched the episode and went over that section like 4 times.

To me if it was a stunt double he was real close looking to NCW, I couldn't tell the difference at least for the last 3 or 4 steps.

[MdMaxx]

2 hours ago, mojoween said:

Not going to lie...until tonight I did not know that horses could climb stairs.

 

I've played Skyrim, not only can they climb stairs they can climb mountains too!

This episode was just ok. I am happy to see Benjen. It kind of sounded like Arya said, "Maisie" as her name instead of "Mercie." 

[Daisy]

54 minutes ago, GrailKing said:

unfortunately, that's not what was said,it came off as you being upset that they used a stunt double.

I just rewatched the episode and went over that section like 4 times.

To me if it was a stunt double he was real close looking to NCW, I couldn't tell the difference at least for the last 3 or 4 steps.

i watched it three times, it very much looked like NCW to me. 
also. horses can climb steps. who knew. 

[KaleyFirefly]

4 hours ago, maydaymayday said:

Also, I must say I'm tired of Jamie's undying devotion to Cercei.  He's better than that.

Plus, when they kissed it gave me the heebie-jeebies as if they really were siblings.

I know, right? I actually cringed.

[Duke Silver]

--Tommen's voice....bugs the ever-living shit out of me.  Kill him soon, so I don't have to listen to him any more.  Plus he's stupid & worthless anyway.  I don't see the point of him any more.

--Like many others, I don't care for the Sam/Gilly stuff, at all.  Still, it was cool to see him take the family sword.

--I need to see the High Sparrow & his followers killed soon. 

--Arya finally doing something beyond allowing herself to be abused is nice.  Her SL used to be one of my favorites, but the whole Bravos/Jaquen thing has kinda underwhelmed me.  I want to see her back in Westeros, taking her vengeance.

--Is Dany displaying her inheritance of the family crazy gene?  Is she just totally losing her shit?  That smile she had when she was shit-talking (again, :yawn:) to her horde...it was a bit off-putting.

[Cynna]

4 hours ago, SimoneS said:

It just occurred to me that Brienne is going to going to Riverrun and so is Jaime. I hope that they meet there and she reads him the riot act for being Cersei's lackey. Come on, Jaime find a real purpose in your life.

I suspect they'll meet up, and the Tormond/Brienne issue will become complicated. I hope one won't need to die out of it, but am waiting for it. :(

4 hours ago, peggy06 said:

Gilly didn't just get new clothes and a new 'do. Her eyebrows seemed much fuller. I barely recognized her at first.

I could swear I saw David Rintoul aka BBC Mr. Darcy from the 70s in the cast list. Yet, I couldn't place him in the episode, and he's not in the cast list on the IMDB page. Can anyone help? Maybe he was one of the actors?

Re: Gilly - I'm sure the women use makeup, and likely it would be normal to do her brows.
Re: Rintoul, he's credited on IMDB as Aerys Targaryen - aka The Mad King - would have been in Bran's vision.

3 hours ago, Luckylyn said:

Arya's time with the faceless wasn't a waste.  She's learned how to fight will a lot more skill and most importantly she's learned how to control her temper.  Now she is deadly and less likely to be impulsive.  If she can be coldly calculating her chances of getting revenge improve.  Still ,I'm disappointed.  I thought A Man was intentionally trying to teach Arya to find herself, but it turns out he did just want her to be a nameless assassin killing anyone for a price.

I agree - Arya's really matured, and now instead of just furiously wanting to kill everyone and being totally lost, she realizes she's a Stark and has new purpose. Just wish it hadn't taken so long to get there.
 

[Daisy]

I am curious - Bran disappeared for an entire season before we got back to him this season. I really wonder if Maisie Williams wasn't so popular, if that would have been better for her. to just.. not show a good chunk of Braavos and Arya learning and we just cut into a good chunk of "almost graduated Arya. (to where we got to right now).i'm thinking in my mind if i would have liked it better that way or how it ended up being. 

[KaleyFirefly]

3 hours ago, Luckylyn said:

Arya's time with the faceless wasn't a waste.  She's learned how to fight will a lot more skill and most importantly she's learned how to control her temper.  Now she is deadly and less likely to be impulsive.  If she can be coldly calculating her chances of getting revenge improve.  Still ,I'm disappointed.  I thought A Man was intentionally trying to teach Arya to find herself, but it turns out he did just want her to be a nameless assassin killing anyone for a price.

Well, I'm not sure she really learned much in the way of fighting skills. She mostly got hit in the face a lot with a stick. I think she got more training out of her brief time with Syrio (her sword teacher) than in all this time with the Faceless Men. That whole storyline was a bit disappointing IMO. But, I am glad that she didn't kill the actress, and that she will finally move on. Now she just has to kill the assassin girl.

[Muffyn]

2 hours ago, Haiti D said:

On the surface, Arya's refusal to kill an innocent is to be celebrated.  However, as a character building device, having her complete the assignment would have added an additional depth to her character.  It will be interesting to see how she escapes from Bravvos though.

I took it that watching the play and seeing the reenactment of her father's death brought back to her that she would rather be a Stark than a faceless girl.  Arya has some shit to do and she's going to do it.  So, buh-bye, stick-wielding faceless waif. You're in Arya's way. 

[KaleyFirefly]

3 hours ago, dangwoodchucks said:

More talking from Dany. Yawn. Don't talk, do. As I see it, she has no more right to the throne than anyone else who would defeat the current ruler. The fact that her family used to rule doesn't mean anything anymore.

That's pretty much how I feel about Danerys and her great plan. But I think there was some foreshadowing there (pure speculation) when Daario told her, "You aren't meant to sit in a palace. You are a conqueror." I think this means that in time she see that her purpose is to defeat the White Walkers.

[MsChipper]

13 minutes ago, KaleyFirefly said:

Well, I'm not sure she really learned much in the way of fighting skills. She mostly got hit in the face a lot with a stick. I think she got more training out of her brief time with Syrio (her sword teacher) than in all this time with the Faceless Men. That whole storyline was a bit disappointing IMO. But, I am glad that she didn't kill the actress, and that she will finally move on. Now she just has to kill the assassin girl.

Syrio taught her the basics of sword fighting, but Jacqen taught her to kill without emotion and this may be unintentional, but also to fight in blindness and use her other senses to her advantage.

[KaleyFirefly]

2 hours ago, rozen said:

If Arya can't kill A Girl, then she has no business running back to Westeros to finish her murder list. She chose to graduate early, what can A Man do but hope she's ready?

What if this is still Jaquen testing her? He sent her to watch a play that he knew would remind her of her family and her desire for revenge. He gave her an assignment that he knew she wouldn't carry out. He is sending the other girl to kill Arya. If Arya kills her instead, she passes the test and Jaquen will train her to be the kind of assassin who can get revenge on everyone on her list.

I'm just theorizing this because I'm still hoping this entire Arya sub-plot has not been a waste of time.

[CouchPotatoNoLife]

3 hours ago, beeble said:

I'm not sure I buy Arya's exit from the assassin club. She sailed there, went hungry, abandoned her possessions, begged to be let in, cleaned corpses, went blind, suffered, got beaten, resisted temptation, and then decided with her first assignment that it just wasn't for her. I thought she had more sticktoitiveness.

I think it was meant to show that she still has a humanity. She wants to kill the people that wronged her and her family, but she doesnt want to just become a random uncaring human weapon.

I used to think Jaqen was a good person, but now I realize that he is totally amoral, not immoral, but amoral. He has no morals at all. He kills because someone pays his organization to kill someone else. If it is for a justified reason it will be a justified kill, if it is a unjustified reason, it will be an injustice.

Arya saw Jaqen's abilities and wanted to learn from him in order to become strong enough to take revenge on her enemies. She realized the cost was too high, and that if she was going to progress further she was going to have to kill good people.

Other thoughts:

I now think Dany will be the final bad guy in the story. Basing this off nothing but a wild guess, but the story telling would be weak if someone as powerful as she is becoming did not become the big baddie. The old saying "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" might apply here. She is now becoming god like to her followers, has 3 dragons, is immune to fire, has an army of rapist/warriors, also she is allied with Rhollor now. The truth is her father was a crazy person that deserved to lose his throne. I think Bran ends up taking out the white walkers and Jon ends up fighting Dany.

Jaime is blinded by his lust for cersei. 

Sam's family is far richer than I had imagined. Isnt Valyrian steel supposed to be rare? Eg. even the lannisters were happy to be able to steal Ned's sword.

If the tyrells have that much military forces, why not take actions months earlier to save loras and margaery from imprisonment and loras from (I think) physical torture?

[Save Yourself]

3 hours ago, dramachick said:

I don't know why people are trying to dispute the fact that Littlefinger is a lying liar who lies. 

Littlefinger knows that the Blackfish is under seige and unable to leave his castle.  Therefore, he lied to Sansa about the Blackfish being able to bring an army to help her.  If the Blackfish leaves, he loses his castle again.  Why would he leave?  He can only do that when his nephew is free from the dungeon next door and regains his place as Lord of Riverrun, which Blackfish has much more invested in than helping Sansa and Jon regain Winterfell.

He's definitely a lying liar - and my favourite Machiavellian schemer (he's a dreadful human being but a wonderful chess player) but I don't think Riverrun is under siege at the moment is it? The Frey sons said Riverrun can withstand a siege for a year, not that they currently are, I thought as they are back and telling Walden about the loss that they had withdrawn their army. Especially since no other Houses are supporting them (they don't know about the Lannister army yet). Jaime said 'sent me with an army to the Riverlands in a siege that could last months' which could mean that the Lannisters are going to start the invasion. Even if Riverrun is already surrounded, I think it's possible Baelish doesn't know, IMO it's in his best interests to have the Starks onboard and he always does what's in his best interest. If he's not planning to unite with the Starks I don't see the point in him going to Sansa to beg forgiveness, there are much easier ways to get her killed than sending her to Riverrun.

[Taget]

5 hours ago, Lillith said:

 Ok eff Dany, she's becoming the Mad Queen.  She's going to bring a raping, raiding horde to conquer the lands she wants to rule, and thinks that is a good idea?  Yea ok.

That's the common problem of war. What do you do with your army when you're done using them to massacre people.  Crime rates in the middle ages skyrocketed when wars ended because killing, raping, and stealing was what a long of those men only knew how to do for long periods on end.  It is no surprise that after the Spanish won their war against the Muslims they shipped over all the killers and psychopaths running around to the New World as soon as they could to get them out of their hair.

With the Dothraki it remains to be seen how much they are going to like Westeros.  How much of their culture they are going to retain being integrated into a larger fighting force.  And in the absence of Dany how able they are going to be to reconstitute themselves into their old horde.  It may end up being like what happened when the Mongols conquered China.  They soon found eating good food and living in a castle was not so bad.

I will admit however I was kinda hoping Drogon would show a little impetuousness and fry himself some tasty Dothraki treats.

As for other matters.  A few opinions I am sure won't be popular.

1) I am not joining in on the High Sparrow hate yet.  He stepped in to prevent the Lannisters and the Tyrells from killing each other.  He just outplayed them as one side (the Lannisters) attempted to use the faith militant against another side (the Tyrells).  Essentially his faith militants are not all that different from the better regarded Brotherhood without Banners.  They are a rebellion of the small folks who are annoyed at what has essentially been a genocidal war over which lordling gets to sit on a chair.  By chaining the nobles and making them more afraid of the people than each other they have brought relative peace.  And in general the lives of most people have gotten better under their rule.  Though certainly not Loras'.  But we have no idea whether they are pursuing Loras for homosexuality as a showcase against a particular noble or if it is a shift in how it is treated in the general population.

Of course politics and religion are a bad mix and they corrupt each other in awful ways.  I just don't see life improving for most citizens of King's Landing with either Cersei or Mace back in charge.  So I didn't mind seeing the two of them outplayed.  And as I said before I know they are destined to get smashed but I don't want the Faith Militant to fall before I get to see them clash with the fanatics from the Lord of Light.  They both have so much in common and yet we all know they'll hate each other.  I want to see the fireworks.

2) Tommen seems genuinely brainwashed.  Though it's possible that is on advice from his mother.  To play dumb and until the time is right to strike.  Though that seems far too subtle for someone like Cersei so used to getting her way through overwhelming use of money and power.  And dismissing Jaime from the King's Guard and away from King's Landing is certainly something she would not want.

My assumption is Margaery is not.  And perhaps there is another reason for her to play along besides getting out of jail.  Loras seems like he's going to break.  So better to get out in front and take the penance then have Loras start talking about that one time he had that threesome with his sister and Renly.  And any support she may show towards such an alliance is dependent on the treatment of Loras.  I have a feeling he may like her end up being pardoned and perhaps given Jaime's spot on the King's Guard.

I also wonder assuming Tommen is brainwashed and if he is willing to have Cersei put on trial would she be willing to off her own son to save her own neck?  She might.

3) I don't trust back from the dead Benjen yet.  Perhaps rather than being an ally he was sent by the White Walkers to help the army of the undead past The Wall.  But it's not like Bran and Meera exactly have any other options at this point!

4) Arya is in extreme danger.  I also don't think there is necessarily any separation from Jaqen H'ghar and the Waif.  We have seen the waif die.  We have seen the waif turn into Jaqen.  We have seen a strong emphasis on members of the Faceless men having no identities or cares beyond feeding death to their God.  And a doctrine that if you save someone you owe it to that God to go murder some people to make it up to him.  So I don't see Jaquen being "more" sympathetic to Arya than the Waif because I don't think there is a Jaquen.  Arya might get lucky and kill the first "waif" who comes for her but there will be another and another.

As for where she might go.  I'd recommend finding the "dancing" order Syrio Forel belonged to and complete her training there.  After all Syrio Forel offered some good advise in Season one on how to deal with the death God the Faceless Men worship. "There is only one god, and His name is Death. And there is only one thing we say to Death: 'not today'."

And to bring back a quote from season 2 I mentioned last week, Jaquen said, "A girl has many names on her lips. Joffrey. Cersei. Tywin Lannister. Ilyn Payne. The Hound. Names to offer up to the Red God. She could offer them all. One by one."  Looks like he only meant offing the actors playing them!

5) Sam's father is terrible and can't blame Sam for being angry.  And given his father threatened to kill his own son who says he'd treat his bastard grandson any better?  But stealing the sword might not have been wise.  Once Sam shows up to Maester school he may find that his dad has given orders for them not to admit him until he returns it.  Or asks them not to admit him and ship him right back up to the wall.  Or even orders them to turn him over to the civil authorities to have him executed as a deserter for the Night's Watch in league with a wildling criminal who he sired a bastard with.

Sam unfortunately has a dad who makes Tywin look like father of the year.

6) There are currently three powers in the Riverlands.  You have Brynden who took Riverrun over a less than competent Frey son.  You have Frey who controls a bridge you need to get through to go up North.  And beyond that you have an army from the Vale controlling a choke point north of there.  While it was a bad arrangement in terms of Jon and Sansa receiving help from anyone to the South.  Given how unlikely it was for them to receive any help it actually seems to work to their advantage since it tried everyone up.  Jaime leading an army northward might shift that balance of power and he'd have the competence to retake Riverrun.  If that should happen it would be up to Littlefingers whether he'd let Jaime's army potentially go on further north to stop the Starks from reclaiming the North.  That is the type of leverage that someone like Littlefingers would love.  It would also be funny if Jaime ended up having to take a Frey wife to even get up there in the first place.

7) If GRR Martin was still calling the shots on where the show is going I would have Dany on my deathwatch about now.  Too powerful and too popular and looking too much like a savior on a show all about crushing hope and anyone with ambitions to do anything good.   But after the season finale of last season with the resolutions of this season that saw the old tv cliche of every character being in trouble and/or presumed (permanently) dead for ratings filled sweeps week finale and then being neatly brought back to life in the first few episodes I am expecting the show to be more conventional and less willing to off it's stars cavalierly.

Role players of course are open season.  Watch your back Tommen, Mace, Brienne, High Sparrow and Frey!

[Save Yourself]

I was frustrated with this ep, there was a lot of set-up but not much follow through, I think something needed to pay off, particularly since we only have 3 to go. 

Things I did like:

• So excited to see the Valerian sword and relieved Sam took it. 
• The other sword retrieval was awesome too, hello Needle! Arya should have raised it above her head Grayskull-style, 'By the power of Needle, I am Arya Stark!'
• Arya's talk with 'Cersei' and giving her insight as to how the Queen would feel about Joffrey dying. I'm so glad she knocked the poison out of her hand, I'm all for her killing those who deserve it but I don't want her to be a mindless assassin. I hate Jaqun H'ghar for all he has put her through, it doesn't matter if it's all been for some greater purpose about teaching her about herself, he is cruel. I hope she runs him through.
• Arya laughing at Joffrey's death.
• Gilly standing up to Sam's prick of a father. I'm one of the few who has been happy to see them back again, I've been wondering what they were up to, I think Sam is going to play an important part in the end game and I want him back with Jon.
• Margaery playing the long game.
• Jamie galloping up the stairs was beyond cool. And thank god he'll be away from KL, as others have said, he is much more interesting away from Cersei.

Not fussed about:

• Bloody Dany, she's so annoying, this constant refrain of 'taking what's mine!'. Why is it hers, she's never even lived in Westeros and her father was killed because he went mad and was doing evil things, he wasn't overthrown to satisfy Robert Baratheon's ambition but to save the kingdom. Really don't get why she (or anyone) wants the Throne anyway, it's a very precarious role. Thank goodness Emilia Clarke is so beautiful or else Dany scenes would be near unwatchable. 
• Lord Tarly belittling Sam. Run him through!
• Tommen being predictable.
• No Jon.
• No dead Ramsey or Sparrow.
• No 'fake-out' death for Summer ?

Random questions:

• Why are people surprised the Faceless Men are paid assassins? Didn't Tyrion say that in the first season? And Jaqun said to Arya the price has been paid when she questioned why 'Cersei' needed to be killed. I don't understand why this has come across as a reveal.
• The playwright knew way too much about what happened in KL! I don't see how they could possibly know that Tyrion sailed across the Narrow Sea?
• I don't know why some people think the other dragons will come to her aid? They should eat her after the way she's abused the poor things.

Edited May 30, 2016 by Save Yourself

[Lady S.]

Why is no one talking about the fact that Sam's brother is named Dickon? 

[wayne67]

This episode featured my least favorite characters getting absurd amounts of screen time. The cripple Bran who just lays there flashbacking... Sam and Gilly and boring baby in tow having a family squabble. Arya, being her usual self ignoring actual instructions in order to do whatever she felt like in that particularly moment. What the hell did she expect training under the people who worship DEATH. I mean really. It's not like Jaqen ever said he was a nice person. He works for the Death God. He's essentially a shinigami, he kills for his God, sometimes he helps the underclasses with some well deserved death for the corrupt as pro bono work but mostly he kills to buy all those expensive sticks...

I'm kind of over Dany and her speeches about conquering Westeros. Get on with it already. You've been talking about it for like 6 seasons. You're almost as slow and cumbersome as the White Walkers and thankfully they're not big on the speechifying.

Tommen is a simple minded fool. 

This episode felt like treading water. 

On the upside the Tyrells aren't dead in a staged ambush and there's been no sightings of the Sand Snakes so at least that's something... 

[AnnaMayWong]

A Man and A Soon-to-be-Shish Kebab need to know when A Deal is 'well-done'.                    

                         Most Sincerely, Lady Arya Stark AND Ser Needle

Edited May 30, 2016 by BookElitist

[RedHawk]

Remind me again why Jaime and Cersei want Riverrun? Can't they just let the Freys and the Tullys wear themselves out fighting over it?

[RedHawk]

7 hours ago, dramachick said:

Like Tywin and Roose, it's time for Walder Frey to be done in by one of his sons.

Even better, by ALL of them.

[RedHawk]

7 hours ago, beeble said:

I'm not sure I buy Arya's exit from the assassin club. She sailed there, went hungry, abandoned her possessions, begged to be let in, cleaned corpses, went blind, suffered, got beaten, resisted temptation, and then decided with her first assignment that it just wasn't for her. I thought she had more sticktoitiveness.

It's just that she has more stickittoTHEMness.

[candall]

7 hours ago, La Dee Da said:

They keep mentioning Cersei's upcoming trial by combat - I wonder who might be the church's champion? Prophecies must be fulfilled after all....

Gasp!  Now that would be brilliant.

*********************

I think the writers were a little too enamored with the parody of their own creation.  Three episodes left--I did not need to waste more precious minutes watching Arya watch a bawdy version of past events.

On the plus side, I'm happy to see Walder Frey--we can always use more unmitigated eeeevil--and I'm happy to see Benjen because now he can fling magic fireballs.  Magic, always a bonus.

It's lucky Daeneyrs has dragons and all that silvery fireproof beauty, because amassing her legions would be such a bore they could have just trimmed her whole section away. ("Motivational speaker" made me laugh.  Forget the Iron Throne; give her a Ted Talk and call it a day.)

Edited May 30, 2016 by candall

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I'm so glad Arya finally realized that she will always be a Stark and went to retrieve Needle. When she was feeling around in the hole for it, i was afraid it would be gone and that she would turn around to find Jaquen holding it. Kill that waif and then get the hell out of there, Arya! I wish she would have been looking for Syrio's family or whoever trained him while she was in Braavos though.

HAAAAATED that Cersei and Jamie got so hot and bothered talking about revenge that they started making out. Blech.

Sam's mother and sister are awesome so it sucks that he was forced away from them just because his dad is a dick. Heh, speaking of dicks, Sam's brother seemed nice too but I was a little more neutral about him.

Edited May 30, 2016 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Save Yourself]

1 hour ago, Lady S. said:

Why is no one talking about the fact that Sam's brother is named Dickon? 

I missed that!!! I'm disappointed in myself, my juvenile mind loves a 'rude' name. 

[arjumand]

5 hours ago, KaleyFirefly said:

That's pretty much how I feel about Danerys and her great plan. But I think there was some foreshadowing there (pure speculation) when Daario told her, "You aren't meant to sit in a palace. You are a conqueror." I think this means that in time she see that her purpose is to defeat the White Walkers.

I dearly hope so - here I was, putting all my hopes and Daenerys and her dragons (in my mind, she's at the rear getting rid of the ice zombies and cutting off the White Walkers' retreat while Jon Snow and other people with Valyrian steel swords + dragonglass everythings are fighting the White Walkers at the front. Ending in a boss fight between Jon and the Night's King), and now it turns out she might be just another crazy Targaryen? Sigh.

And the Dothraki are not the solution to anything. She has to have people to rule - see how many smallfolk stay with her once she unleashes the Dothraki on them. She can't burn everyone. Can she? Sigh.

[Primetimer]

But the Starks are really starting to get the band back together!

View the full article

[mojoween]

To my ear Joseph Mawles sounds like if Kit were trying to disguise his voice so I seriously thought Jon had arrived to help Bran.  Of course, I could not reconcile how he would have gotten all of those weapons (perhaps Sansa has more talents than rapid-fire sewing?) and then realized it was probably the lost Benjen.

Who is part of the reason Jon was skewered in the first place, heh.

That plaintive "Hodor" they played after the previouslies and before the credits when the screen went black killed me.

Edited May 30, 2016 by mojoween

[Bad Example]

8 hours ago, Daisy said:

Ooh! OOH! something  I know. 

Okay, so Benjen was part of the first few episodes (at least season 1, episode 1), and he's a ranger for the Night Watch. Jon was feeling all not important and everything, and he was like - when you go back to the Wall - take me with you, I want to be a ranger. Benjen is like really? do you know what you'll be giving up, and Jon's all like "meh, I'm a Snow anyway, at least as a ranger at the wall, I'll be doing something useful." then they get there, and poof. Benjen like disappeared until now with quasi-Night Walker face, and he's back. 

I can't believe I know something. I think this calls for a cookie. 

 

Take TWO!  I found that very helpful.

 

8 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

 

Dany shows up at the very end to give an epic speech on Drogon, which is pretty cool.  Then again, how can you not give an awesome speech on top of a Dragon?

 

 

Right?  Nothing like being on the back of a huuuuuge dragon to give your words more weight.  
 

I was hoping before the season started that we'd never see Sam and Gilly again... not because I don't like them, but because then I could imagine they were just living happily ever after, the end.  In any case, Baby Sam is so adorable and S&G couldn't have done better if they'd trained him, the way he was reaching for Mama Tarly.  Who is lovely, Sam's sister is lovely, and I don't know why I was surprised, since Sam clearly didn't get his personality from dear old dad.  Their dresses, however.... especially the one that Gilly wore... looked straight out of the Simplicity historical pattern selection, available at a Jo-Ann fabrics near you.

[Cyranetta]

For some reason I was reminded of the folk song “True Thomas”:

Oh, don't you see yon narrow road beset with thorns and briars.

That is the road of righteousness though after it you'll inquire.

Don't you see yon broad, broad road across the lonely leven.

That is the read to hell, she said, beside it the road to heaven

And don't you see yon bonny road across the ferny brae.

That is the road to fair Elfland where you and I must go.

 

Some characters are seeking the road of righteousness; others are forced onto it; and others are dealing with the consequences of departing from it. What do they all use to navigate the roads the must run? How do you get from here to there, and how do you determine where “there” should be?

Meera and Bran have maybe the hardest road of all, not just because it's wintry, but because both are mired from fatigue. The surprise return of Benjen literally “lights the way”.

Sam and Gilly's way needs to be navigated by telling lies, according to Sam, but the harshness of Sam's father, like a pothole, forces them into a detour into the unknown.

Margery's road is predicted to be the same quite literal hard road walked by Cersei, the direction dictated by religious politics, but either she or the High Sparrow (or possibly both?) manage to change to direction to the unknown to the confoundment of the Lannisters and Tyrells.

The road to Riverrun is likely to be a complete mess for all concerned. I just wish there were a way to drop Walder Frey off a cliff on the way.

Arya seems to be switching roads (and how ironic that her guise is “Mercy”) by reclaiming Needle (and I'm somewhat ashamed to say how eager I am to see her use “Needle's Mercy” on The Waif.

The play is a method of navigating history – who establishes the “brand”? Who gets to “show the way” in how events are perceived and recorded?

Tommen on the Iron Throne automatically establishes his own brand – what is proclaimed from the the Iron Throne has more force.

Daenerys at least has a “there” in mind now for the end of her road, and a hell of a good navigator in Drogon.

[myname2use4now]

I agree with the idea that the Waif is the one who failed the test. She still gets too hot and bothered by her hate for Arya when the FM are supposed to be a tad bit more detached from emotion. I think he sent her to die at the hands of Arya and not the other way around. It's been pretty obvious that Arya will never be anyone other than herself. But now, she's a much better fighter. I can't help but think that fighting while blinded (or in the dark) will end up saving her in the future. I think that was the whole point of her boring story line.

Meera's trying to protect Bran til the very end really got me in the feels. Poor kid could use a break.

[maydaymayday]

10 hours ago, dangwoodchucks said:

Not much more to say about  meeting the Tarleys except, why? 

So sam could get the sword of Valerian Steel

[LuciaMia]

I almost cheered when Sam came back for Gilly and the babe. And when Arya decided to quit the Faceless Men. Both characters going against what they've been expected to do and striking off on their own again. Arya joined them i hopes of revenge against all those on her lengthy list, didn't she. And then it seemed to her she was just a paid assassin for anyones petty jealousies.

Oh yeah, Margerys definitely got a few cards up her sleeve. I very much doubt she's swallowed the Faith Militants guff.

Danys final scene was, as always exciting, and great for motivating/inspiring the troops. But a dragon isn't gonna be much help in building those 1000 war ships shell need.