The effects work and the sheer commitment to the personal cost of the battle made it truly effective. And poor Theon, who discovered that the scars of his past are not so easily forgotten: when faced with real peril again, he leapt overboard. Euron's fighting style is berserker-level fury and while the Sand Snakes put up a good fight, they were no match for a man who proves he's more than just a good talker. Though the battle at sea may not quite have been the scale equal of Blackwater Bay back in Season 2, it more than made up for it with brutal intensity. While there was a lot of talk this week, when the show truly got back into action mode, it was devastating and deadly. Clearly someone has watched The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies.
The scene later of Sam trying to scrape the infected skin from Jorah's body was a cringe for the ages, and not for the faint of heart.Īnd how do you solve a problem like Daenerys? Or, more specifically, her dragons? Qyburn (Anton Lesser) thinks he's found a way: a big giant crossbow. If he ends up somehow befriending Lyanna, then we'll cry foul.
A shade convenient, that, but we'll allow it.
Without poop duty this week, he's focusing on somehow curing Jorah Mormont whose father – surprise! - he knew at Castle Black. Talking of Tarly Jr., he's got his own problem to solve. Including Sam's dad! Makes you wonder whether he'll ever meet his father on the field of battle. She's experienced it directly herself and here Cersei uses it to her own ends, attempting to bring those who previously swore loyalty to House Tyrell to her side. That said, there's an interesting angle to be found here, that the Mother Of Dragons' seemingly heroic actions can be spun any number of ways. And she's got not only the Dragonfire, but, as Snow has now learned, copious supplies of Dragonglass.Īs for Cersei, she's attempting to marshal her own forces, spreading fake news about Dany's plans. Jon doesn't seem to be the most likely ally, but as we see later, Dany's certainly going to need him. Melisandre? Really? REALLY? Smoke demon birthing lady? The woman who encouraged someone to set their daughter on fire? While it's good to see Carice van Houten back, her character has been trouble before and will be trouble again.Īt Winterfell, Liam Cunningham got the usual assortment of good lines as Davos as Jon and Sansa read Dany's communication about a meeting. Quite why she would trust him, even with Tyrion's blessing, is a tad suspect, but when you have dragons backing you up (who we assume were sheltering from the driving rain), you can afford to extend a little trust. Little Birds coming home to roost, people. One of the more pleasing aspects is the fact that at least one of the war councils is almost entirely made up of women.ĭany's scene with Varys is also fascinating, since we know the man's history with betrayal. – are having the discussions, it's actually compelling. It could have turned into a dry discussion of forces and castles, but given how the stakes have been raised and who – Tyrion, Jon etc. In fact, there are a lot of scenes of people discussing who and what they need to win this conflict.
But let's kick off at the beginning, where Dany and Tyrion are discussing tactics and allies.
While we must admit we're not thrilled to see the return of Ellaria Sand and the Dorne gang, they're part of the most visually rich part of the episode at the end.