For me that's the best episode since probably Hardhome.
It's a packed episode like episode 9 and 10 of season 5, a lot is happening but at least it doesn't feel as rushed as these two. The show lingers in some places which allows this episode to breathe, we even visit Castle Black and Vaes Dothrak twice in this episode which is quite rare, it's usually one location that get this privilege.
Episode 4 of each season are always great and end on exciting cliffhangers scenes, so I was really looking for this one.
▧▧ - In season 1, Lady Catelyn and her entourage make a citizens arrest of Tyrion for what she mistakenly believes is his role in Bran's attempted murder.
- In season 2, Davos watches in horror as Melisandre gives birth to a shadow demon.
- In season 3, Dany burns the slavers of Astapor and seizes control of the Unsullied army.
- In season 4, Craster's infant son is taken by the White Walkers and turned into one of them.
- In season 5, Dany's advisor Barristan Selmy dies battling a few dozen of Sons of the Harpy, that we meet for the first time.
● I literally teared up when Jon and Sansa hugged it out. I FINALLY get my Stark reunion.
I love that they seem to be rushing through plot now. They need to move their ass to make the endgame satisfying, and that's exactly what they're doing. Sansa and Jon seeing eachother again was wonderful. I also love the growth in their characters.
Sansa is speaking like a mother****in queen. She is definitely wearing the pants in that brother-sister relationship, I was stunned.
Here's one thing i appreciate in retrospect- Sansa is not being portrayed as traumatized or damaged: she's on top of things, you know? Retake Winterfell, kill Ramsay, raise the bannermen, apologise to Jon for a lifetime of being such a insufferable princess to him, she's even being joyous and easy and light-hearted, somehow. I really appreciate that strength and resilience; it makes me realise how rare it is to see that on tv. So much wide-eyed trauma, or unsmiling vengeance.
I really wanted to see what happened right after the hug and not jump a few hours later to find Sansa cleaned up.
Lemme imagine my own fanfic:
Sansa: "So, how u been? Lord Commander now. Isn't that fancy?"
Jon: "My men stabbed me to death."
Sansa: "To death?"
Jon: "I got better."
Sansa: "Are you doing a bit?"
Jon: "Want some soup?"
Sansa: "I got raped by Ramsay Bolton in front of Theon."
Jon: "Awkward."
Sansa: "Rob and Pa got beheaded. Ramsay cut off Theon's pecker."
Jon: "I got stabbed."
Sansa: "You said that."
Jon: "A lot."
Sansa: "What kind of soup?"
● As predictable as that Daenerys scene was...I WAS LIVING FOR IT!
That was so badass that it didn't matter.
As soon as Dany started smiling knowingly, during Khal Moro insulting her, I realized that none of them were leaving the ****ing room alive. I do admit that her burning the Khals all by herself was a great twist, when she started smiling, I really thought that maybe she sensed that Drogon was near but nope, she had something else in mind.
● "Who's this weird kid trying to shoot th- Oh god, that's Robin?", that's my reaction when we dropped by the Vale. Puberty is really running right over this cast.
I love how they had to make him stoop so he wasn't OBVIOUSLY six inches taller than Littlefinger.
And he's still a crazy little ****er. Yes, let's throw the nice man who has been taking care of me and tutoring me in archery out the Moon Door! Oh wait, you think we shouldn't? Ugh, fine.
● Brienne stepping to Melisandre and Davos to give her two cents was so good.
Brienne interrupts:
"I was Kingsguard to Renly Baratheon, before he was assassinated with blood magic…" “That’s in the past now,” Davos tells her.
"In the past, yes, but it doesn’t mean I forget or forgive …" "Stannis admitted as much. Just before I executed him."
You forget how ****ing complicated the allegiances on this show are. Brienne is sworn to Sansa via Catelyn (who hated Jon) but part of her vow is that she's allowed to **** up those who killed Renly in the process. Well now Sansa wants to work with Jon, who's aligned with ... You guessed it, the people who killed Renly: Davos and Melisandre. A ****ing mess.
Thank god none of these are staying in the same place very long. The spreading of all this people is starting again in the next episode.
And Melisandre owes Brienne a big THANK YOU, after interrupting Ser Davos's inquiries into what happened to Shireen.
to Melisandre, this isn't going to end well for her.
● RIP Osha
I knew it was too much to hope for. I loved her so much in season 2 and 3, this broke my heart a little but I'm low-key happy it happened before I got attached to her again. It's a sign of how tedious Ramsey has become that a quick knife to the throat was basically a relief. It could've been worse.
●
"You don't like Margaery, do you?"
I see Tommen's time ruling the Seven Kingdoms hasn't done anything to hinder his remarkable abilities of perception.
● Tormund eating that meat seductively while looking at Brienne was funny as hell. It's crazy to think that this Tormund/Brienne shipping is going as viral on the net right now than the Stark reunion and Dany barbecuing again.
● But wait, there's even more funny. Jorah getting stomped like a little worm by that dothraki and then trying to distract him by throwing sand in his face and missing miserably. Pathetic
●
"My dear, you have been stripped of your dignity and authority, publicly shamed and confined to the red keep. What's left to work with?"
Lady Olenna is savage.
● How about Grey Worm finally fleshing out into something like a real character? His bit with Tyrion was great I thought. Same for Missandei.
● The thing I loved the most about this episode is the sisters taking charge of their brothers.
I honestly don't know as to what purpose the Sand Snakes will have in the end when everything plays out