I will start every one of these posts off with this warning about spoilers. There will be plenty of spoilers. Seriously, if you have not watched the episode, do not read this post. I will also be mentioning stuff from the books. These are not straight up recaps of episodes, nor are they reviews. I will just mention the stuff I liked/disliked and probably give some opinions about what could happen next.
Another setup episode, but this one had a bit more of an edge to it. You could feel the strain on every character. Instead of happy reunions, it felt like we were saying goodbye.
-I thought Tormund’s story about his name “Giantsbane” and the ensuing story of how he got so big was probably one of the funniest things on this show ever. I seriously almost pissed myself laughing.
-Daenerys is making it very hard for anyone to like her. The quickness to anger is not a good look. First with Tyrion (fortunately Jorah was able to talk her down) and then with Sansa. Even her reaction to Jon was not a good look.
-Talk about going into battle with a major cliffhanger. “Oh hey, by the way I am actually Aegon VI, true king of Westeros.” Daenerys is like “whoa, whoa, whoa, we need to talk about this!” And then the alarm sounds and they rush off to fight the undead. There has never been a more timely invasion!
-Jaime Lannister is still so great. When Sansa is naming the things he has done against her family, he does not say sorry, or beg forgiveness. Instead he owns it and says he would do it again. He says that their houses were at war, but now he fights for the living. I think that alone almost had him spared, but then Brienne stepped in to save him.
-The best part of the episode was Jaime making Brienne a knight. If you watched that scene and did not have chills or maybe a few tears then there is something wrong with you. Allow me to give a little book history and why that scene was even more meaningful. There was a knight named Ser Duncan the Tall. He had a squire named Egg (who was actually Aegon V, who would become king when Aemon turned it down). Dunk & Egg had a bunch of adventures and their stories are collected in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. I think Duncan is mentioned during the show (Joffrey says how Jaime is not nearly as great as Lord Commander Duncan or something like that). In the books, Brienne retrieves a shield and has them repaint it, she remembers a shield from her father’s armory and has them paint that…it is the shield of Duncan. The implication being that they are related.
He was known as one of the greatest knights of all time. However, he had a secret. He was not actually a knight. He was a squire to a knight who died on their way to a tournament. Dunk wanted to enter, so he lied and said that he was knighted by the old knight before he died. One of the things that people say is the line that Jaime said “any knight can make knight.” So one of the greatest knights of all time and a relative of Brienne was not actually a knight, whereas Brienne is not a knight, but she lives by their ideals more than any actual knight in all of Westeros. It was a fitting moment.
-I also thought the Gendry & Arya scene was done well (minus how fast Maisie Williams age became a Google trending search, haha). We have watched Arya grow up, it was only fitting that she experience this part of life before facing off against death itself.
-Beric and Tormund know the Night King has a dragon, right? It seemed weird when everyone was discussing the plan, no one mentioned that fact or how they planned to counter his undead dragon.
-Also, I wish they had given Jaime a bigger role in the planning. I was really hoping he would interrupt and use his loss to Robb as a plan for what they should do to the Night King. Or maybe he cuts Tyrion off at some point and says that while Tyrion knows books: history, philosophy, justice…Jaime knows war. Remember his story about watching Selmy? How it was like watching an artist?
While I am wishing for Jaime, I hope that we get to see him redeem himself in battle with one hand. It would be great if he has a moment where he takes down a bunch of wights and Bronn is impressed with what Jaime learned during their sparring sessions…and then he decides not to kill him & Tyrion. At least that is what I hope…
-Pod is becoming a good sword fighter, a better man, a decent drinker, and apparently he is amazing at sex. Oh, and he can sing. Ugh. I hate Pod.
I am not going to post any theories about next week. I am trying not to think too much about it. I just want to enjoy what should be an intense episode. I think there will be a few deaths, which coupled with Endgame should leave me emotionally wrecked for a few days.
