Game of Thrones - Episode by Episode #61
There are only 13 episodes of Game of Thrones left and the fate of Westeros is more chaotic than ever, but first we need a recap, and this episode serves as the starting point for the final Act.
Episode 61: "Dragonstone"
There's a longer than usual "Previously on Game of Thrones" this time, and it's necessary because this episode is pulling from things three and four seasons ago as well as from last season. If there had been no recap, I would have genuinely not understood the significance of certain scenes. Because of this I consider Season 7 so far even separate from Season 6 in terms of story arcs.
This episode opens up with Walter Frey holding a second feast for all his sons. This apparently is a flashback, between scenes in the last season finale. He leads everyone in a toast, but does not drink, and soon reveals himself to be Arya Stark in disguise. The wine was poisoned and all the men die. She leaves a girl alive, telling her to tell others that "The North Remembers."
So then there's an opening and we get a new location, OldTown. This is important because I thought OldTown was where the whores who serviced the Wall people live. Maybe it's because I'm confusing the two because of Sin City.
Speaking of that wall, there's another vision of snow, cold, and an undead army marching south. Of course, this is Bran's vision, and he sounds even older than he did in the last episode. However, he's at the Wall and the Survey Corps reluctantly let him and Sister Act in after he says who he is.
Meanwhile, down south, Jon Snow is taking this King of the North thing seriously, saying that he needs the Wildlings to defend the wall, and that he intends to let the younger members of the houses. Lady Mormont says she's getting her people ready. He also says they they have to train women to fight the undead. Sansa disagrees with his proposal about the traitorous houses, but he overrules her.
Later Jon says that Sansa can't contradict him, because he's king. She reminds him that while he's so focused on the north, Incest Queen is in the south. As the audience knows she's worse than Old Blue Eyes by far. And of course, Incest Queen sends a "Surrender Dorothy" raven to Jon Snow.
But down south, Incest Queen is burying her grief in visions of conquest, while Incest Charming is starting to wake up and realize his sister is delusional, cruel, and unsalvageable. She has a map of Westeros pained on the floor and proclaims herself the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. Incest Charming points out Daenerys is coming, the Dornish are coming, the Tyrells are no longer allies, winter is here, Walter Frey is dead, and Jon Snow holds the north. She says she'll just form an alliance, and she hears a guest from the Iron Islands...Uncle Captain. Uncle Captain has ships, but wants her hand in marriage and disparages Incest Charming as he speaks. She refuses, so Uncle Captain says he'll give her a gift. You know doesn't "gift" mean "poison" in German? I can only hope.
But in OldTown, where Maester University is, Sam is changing chamber pots, scrubbing pots, feeding people, carrying books, and doing all sorts of grunt work. He notices the Maesters have a section of the library which is locked off. While assisting Maester with an autopsy, he asks if he can see the books in that section. The Maester says no. The Maester also proclaims faith in the wall and that it would stand. Sam, though, doesn't have that much faith and steals a Maester Key.
And in the Riverlands, Arya meets up with a bunch of soldiers in the Lannister army. They offer her rabbit. She says she's going to kill the queen. They laugh. They don't even ask her name. Which means they're likely dead.
But the best part of the episode involves the Men without Borders and Scarface. They go to the hut where Scarface stole silver from an inhabitant. They encounter the bodies of that man and his daughter. Scarface tries to brush off being affected, but he clearly is and Patch and his pal tell him to look into the fire. At first he sees nothing, but then he says he does have a vision of a wall and the undead marching to it. Apparently now a believer, he buried the father and daughter whose deaths he feels responsible for.
Back to OldTown, Sam is with Mamacita and Little Sam who has finally grown a little. Seriously, he should be about four or five now, but at least he's not a little baby any more. Anyways, Sam finds out there's a deposit of dragon glass underneath Dragonstone, and decides to alert Jon Snow.
After this Sam serves some people locked behind doors. A bloodied hand reaches out and Sam recoils. The man behind the door asks about Daenerys, which is the segue we need to show Daenerys and her crew entering Dragonstone. It's so weird seeing this place without Stannis and crew, but then again, I thought this was where she was supposed to be headed in Season 2 due to not understanding the story. Better late than never.
Notes:
Episode 61: "Dragonstone"
There's a longer than usual "Previously on Game of Thrones" this time, and it's necessary because this episode is pulling from things three and four seasons ago as well as from last season. If there had been no recap, I would have genuinely not understood the significance of certain scenes. Because of this I consider Season 7 so far even separate from Season 6 in terms of story arcs.
This episode opens up with Walter Frey holding a second feast for all his sons. This apparently is a flashback, between scenes in the last season finale. He leads everyone in a toast, but does not drink, and soon reveals himself to be Arya Stark in disguise. The wine was poisoned and all the men die. She leaves a girl alive, telling her to tell others that "The North Remembers."
So then there's an opening and we get a new location, OldTown. This is important because I thought OldTown was where the whores who serviced the Wall people live. Maybe it's because I'm confusing the two because of Sin City.
Speaking of that wall, there's another vision of snow, cold, and an undead army marching south. Of course, this is Bran's vision, and he sounds even older than he did in the last episode. However, he's at the Wall and the Survey Corps reluctantly let him and Sister Act in after he says who he is.
Meanwhile, down south, Jon Snow is taking this King of the North thing seriously, saying that he needs the Wildlings to defend the wall, and that he intends to let the younger members of the houses. Lady Mormont says she's getting her people ready. He also says they they have to train women to fight the undead. Sansa disagrees with his proposal about the traitorous houses, but he overrules her.
Later Jon says that Sansa can't contradict him, because he's king. She reminds him that while he's so focused on the north, Incest Queen is in the south. As the audience knows she's worse than Old Blue Eyes by far. And of course, Incest Queen sends a "Surrender Dorothy" raven to Jon Snow.
But down south, Incest Queen is burying her grief in visions of conquest, while Incest Charming is starting to wake up and realize his sister is delusional, cruel, and unsalvageable. She has a map of Westeros pained on the floor and proclaims herself the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. Incest Charming points out Daenerys is coming, the Dornish are coming, the Tyrells are no longer allies, winter is here, Walter Frey is dead, and Jon Snow holds the north. She says she'll just form an alliance, and she hears a guest from the Iron Islands...Uncle Captain. Uncle Captain has ships, but wants her hand in marriage and disparages Incest Charming as he speaks. She refuses, so Uncle Captain says he'll give her a gift. You know doesn't "gift" mean "poison" in German? I can only hope.
But in OldTown, where Maester University is, Sam is changing chamber pots, scrubbing pots, feeding people, carrying books, and doing all sorts of grunt work. He notices the Maesters have a section of the library which is locked off. While assisting Maester with an autopsy, he asks if he can see the books in that section. The Maester says no. The Maester also proclaims faith in the wall and that it would stand. Sam, though, doesn't have that much faith and steals a Maester Key.
And in the Riverlands, Arya meets up with a bunch of soldiers in the Lannister army. They offer her rabbit. She says she's going to kill the queen. They laugh. They don't even ask her name. Which means they're likely dead.
But the best part of the episode involves the Men without Borders and Scarface. They go to the hut where Scarface stole silver from an inhabitant. They encounter the bodies of that man and his daughter. Scarface tries to brush off being affected, but he clearly is and Patch and his pal tell him to look into the fire. At first he sees nothing, but then he says he does have a vision of a wall and the undead marching to it. Apparently now a believer, he buried the father and daughter whose deaths he feels responsible for.
Back to OldTown, Sam is with Mamacita and Little Sam who has finally grown a little. Seriously, he should be about four or five now, but at least he's not a little baby any more. Anyways, Sam finds out there's a deposit of dragon glass underneath Dragonstone, and decides to alert Jon Snow.
After this Sam serves some people locked behind doors. A bloodied hand reaches out and Sam recoils. The man behind the door asks about Daenerys, which is the segue we need to show Daenerys and her crew entering Dragonstone. It's so weird seeing this place without Stannis and crew, but then again, I thought this was where she was supposed to be headed in Season 2 due to not understanding the story. Better late than never.
Notes:
- Okay, Arya is headed south to the capital instead of north to Winterfell. Uncle Captain says he's going to give Incest Queen a gift. I see where this is going.
- Just like it's obvious that's Mormont in OldTown. I was hoping he'd have killed himself off screen, but at least we'll now know how much of a dragon zombie he turned into.
- I wish there had been an alternate universe where Jon Snow had joined Stannis and they had successfully taken over Winterfell. I'm still mad about Shireen!
- Alternately, I think of the universe where Tywin Lannister had been severely wounded but not killed immediately. No High Sparrow, Incest Queen would have disposed of Faline in a different way. But Madame Red would help Stannis and everyone take over the north, with Stannis dying, Tywin pulling Tom Thumb out of the capital as his dying request, Daenerys, Incest Queen, and all the factions. Shireen becoming queen. Then Tom Thumb is presented to her as a husband, his dim, but compassionate nature balancing her severe intelligence. Oh, and NieceDaughter and Tristan still live, too. And new King that is born is Eddard Baretheon, named after the man who set the wheels in motion for her to be queen.