Game of Thrones Season 5 Episode 5 Review (ialmopia english version)

Episode 5 of season 5 of the super popular series, Game of Thrones, needed to pick up the pieces from where we were left at the end of episode 4. The show begins right where we left off
and continues to advance the storylines of a few areas but not all. Dorne, Braavos and King’s landing are left out completely so director Jeremy Podeswa could concentrate on a select few situations. The episode was written by Bryan Cogman.

WARNING: SPOILERS for Episode 5.05

Meereen

The audience is not left wondering for long about last week’s cliffhanger. An injured but very much alive Grey Worm is comforted by his heart’s desire the queen’s translator, Missandei. The warrior admits that he was scared, not of death, but at the possibility of never seeing her again. Much to our heartbreak the next scene confirms that Ser Barristan Selmy is indeed dead. Queen Daenerys’ list of friends and allies is shrinking and her options on how to deal with her problems finally become clear following the death of the man who advised her to show mercy. She promptly gathers the leaders of the great houses of Meereen and has them brought to the catacombs where her children, the dragons Viserion and Rhaegal, are kept. She shows them she means business by feeding one poor soul, BBQ style, to the hungry monsters. The others presumably get the message but are imprisoned so that they can think carefully before their next moves. Before long Dany enters the cell of Hizdahr Zo Loraq and informs him that the fighting pits will indeed be opened in an attempt to appease the citizens and as an added bonus a wedding is planned involving the queen and the now frightened Meereenese leader. I wonder how her boy toy, Daario, will take the news?

Winterfell

Ramsey Bolton continues to be the creepy and sadistic creature we have come to know. After his current lowborn girlfriend, Myranda, shows her jealousy of his current wedding arrangement with Sansa Stark, Ramsey exerts his control over her in dominant fashion. Myranda concedes but not without showing how twisted she is as well. These two go together in a scary way. Something Myranda proves as she plays a bit of Ramsey’s game the next day by pretending to be polite and friendly with Sansa in the castle below. She escorts Sansa to the dog kennels to show her something she thinks Sansa will like. She ends up revealing to Sansa that Theon Greyjoy, the supposed killer of her brothers Brandon and Rickon, is alive and now the pet of Ramsey. It is unclear if this was her idea or Ramsey’s, but nevertheless, Sansa has found herself in the clutches of yet another psychopath. With a list that includes such evil characters as Joffery and LIttlefinger, Lady Sansa just can’t seem to catch a break. Or has she? 

Brienne is seen observing the castle from a town close to Winterfell. Biding her time she inquires about the loyalty of one local man and possible catspaw. Brienne seems to be looking for northerners that still harbor love for the Starks and disregard for the Boltons so that she can follow through with her plan of protecting Sansa and thus fulfilling her sworn oath. This is the part that I wish I could tell you that things take a turn for the better with Lady Stark but unfortunately I can’t. A dinner scene including Sansa, Ramsay, his father Roose and step mother Walda increases the exploitation of poor Sansa as Ramsay flaunts his control over Theon/Reek in front of his bride to be. He makes “his” Reek apologize to her for killing her brothers and then informs her that Theon will be part of her wedding party, a detail that surely disgusts Sansa as much as marrying Ramsey in the first place. Roose looks on as Ramsay boasts but then lets everyone know that lady Walda also has news, she is expecting a baby. What is left hanging in the room is that this child would be a trueborn replacement of Ramsay in the Bolton hierarchy. A fact that probably now puts Lady Walda in more danger from Ramsay than anyone else. It is just a sicker real life version of big fish eats little fish as Roose Bolton once again proves to his son that he is in charge and that despite his legitimized status it is Roose that calls the shots. As it turns out, Littlefinger has only managed to leave Sansa alone in a nest of vipers at Winterfell. 

The Wall

Samwell Tarly is busy reading the news to blind old Maester Aemon. News that this time includes his great grandniece Daenerys in Essos. They are interrupted by Jon Snow as the new Lord Commander seeks advice from the oldest member of the Night’s Watch. Jon explains that he has a tough decision to make, one that will test the loyalty of his brothers. The old Targaryen Maester delivers a firm response with his famous line from the books “Kill the boy and let the man be born”. Simple, straightforward advice that Jon understands in that he must do what he feels is right now that he is in charge. He must leave his adolescent naivety behind and be the leader and man the Night’s Watch needs. Boyish indecision must be replaced by stoic leadership. Jon then meets with the prisoner Tormund Giantsbane to discuss a mission that would attempt to gather the remaining wildlings and allow them past the wall and into the lands further south. Jon knows what fate waits for each man, woman and child north of the wall when the white walkers and their undead army descend from the frozen lands. Tormund is not easy to convince and Jon must promise him ships from King Stannis as transportation and the participation of the Lord Commander himself. His next step is the toughest as he now seeks the support of the members of the Night’s Watch to approve of his new plan. His argument is solid, allow the wildlings through the wall or face them en masse as part of the undead army commanded by the “Others”. Ser Alester, his friend Edd Tollett, the boy Olly and many others disagree. Caught between the mistrust of the wildlings, wavering loyalty of his brothers and the threat of the White Walkers, Maester Aemon’s advice doesn’t sound so simple to follow after all.

On the Smoking Sea near Old Valyria

The ever traveling Tyrion Lannister has awoken from his blunt force trauma induced nap to once again discuss his situation with the grumpy and unyielding Jorah Mormont. This odd couple finds themselves located near old Valyria. A place famous for being the former home of the dragon riders, including the Targaryen family but also for being wiped off the map by a volcanic eruption known as “The Doom”. The ruins are all that is left to remind the world of the once great civilization. As the two quote lines from an old history book they are astonished by the appearance of the mighty dragon, Drogon who flies above them. This proves to distract them long enough to be taken by surprise in an ambush by a group of Stone Men. The ruins happen to be an area that people who contract the disease grey scale are sent. As we have been told throughout the show’s previous episodes, the victim’s body is turned to stone inside out and are driven to madness. The hideous and scarred men drop into the boat and begin attacking the knight and handcuffed dwarf. Ser Jorah fights with boat oar and eventually sword but Tyrion is left to squirm and wiggle as he helplessly retreats. Running out of room and options, the Imp throws himself into the water. Unable to swim properly he is dragged down to the depths by one of the furious Stone men. Next, he is awakened by a soaking wet Mormont on a riverbed. The two are alive and a safe distance from danger as they take stock of their brush with death. Jorah claims not to have been touched by one of the contagious attackers but we are shown that it is a lie as he hides a sign of the spreading disease on his wrist from Tyrion in the episode’s conclusion. 

This episode was all about power and how to wield it. In previous episodes Dany followed little advice from her councillors before the death of Ser Barristan, but tonight she seemed to follow each previous suggestion as she in some way carried out the wishes of Daario’s bloodlust, Hizdahr’s traditions and standard Westrosi marriage diplomacy. Jon found that power has it’s pitfalls and that it is difficult to make a decision that pleases everyone. Other times you please absolutely no one. The Bolton’s continue to use fear, control, torture and dominance over their subjects….. and each other…. in a power struggle that must surely end in bloodshed. Whether Sansa will end up the victim or the benefactor of their family feud remains to be the question in Winterfell.

Check out Episode 6 preview below

By Theofilos Papadopoulos

ialmopia.gr