This weeks episode of Game of Thrones saw some almighty twists and turns in the story of who will claim the Iron Throne, the most shocking of which did not involve Jon and Daenerys, despite the fact that this week saw them meet each other for the very first time. Ice and Fire finally came together, but it was the Lannisters and the Tyrells that stole the show.
Ice and Fire
Finally, after six seasons, Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen have met each other to discuss their very different views on the future of the Seven Kingdoms. Despite waiting for this to happen for so long, their meeting fell fairly flat and just involved a lot of back and forth dancing around conversation between the two powers. Daenerys wants Jon to bend the knee and help her become Queen of the Seven Kingdoms but Jon wants her to stop messing around with thrones and help him defeat the White Walkers. Its a tall order and after a brooding conversation on a clifftop with Tyrion, he sees that getting her to change her plans to help fight so called mythical creatures was a tad unreasonable. Instead, they reach something of an accord and Daenerys allows Jon to mine the dragon glass under Dragonstone. He’s going to have to repay her though. I was expecting this meeting to have a bit more pizzazz and a little less frowning, it wasn’t the coming together of fire and ice that I was hoping for, but maybe this is just the beginning of something very useful indeed. If Daenerys can secure Jon as an ally, which I’m certain she can, then she will be in a powerful position, especially considering Euron just destroyed Yara Greyjoy’s fleet of ships.
We must not forget, however that Jon and Daenerys are likely related. Last season we saw proof that Lyanna Stark is Jon’s mother from Bran’s vision at the Tower of Joy, and we also know that Lyanna had a love affair with Rhaegar Targaryen, Daenerys’ brother, which hints at the possibility that Daenerys is Jon’s aunt. If Jon is a Targaryen, despite not having the physical traits of one, that places him in an interesting position for Daenerys who, as far as she is aware, she is the last Targaryen. Now that Bran has returned to Winterfell, he will be able to tell Jon what he saw. Is the truth just around the corner?
Speaking of Bran, is it me, or did he just do a really terrible job of explaining to Sansa what he is and where he has been? There Sansa is, over the moon that her brother is alive and has returned to her and he is being very strange, very reserved and very cryptic. Out of all the things that has happened to Sansa since Bran last saw her, why bring up the night she was raped by Ramsay? Jeez Bran, have some damn class.
Cersei’s Poison
Its really frustrating watching from afar as a ruler of a country make repeatedly bad decisions at the expense of their people and the rest of the world…but Cersei Lannister continues to act with only her best interests at heart. Euron Greyjoy returns to Kings Landing with his niece, Yara as his captive along with Ellaria and her daughter Tyene. Euron has pretty clear intentions with Cersei and promised her a gift in return for her hand in marriage. Cersei, clearly put off by his terrible beard and pirate-esque swagger, manages to keep him at bay. Later, Cersei, with a prize in her possession takes it to her cellars to taunt and torture. I hadn’t exactly forgotten how much of a horrible human being Cersei is, but she’s been a bit on the back burner since the wildfire ‘accident’. In case you’ve forgotten, Ellaria’s lover had his head crushed by the Mountain (how could we ever forget) and in retaliation, Ellaria poisoned Cersei’s daughter Myrcella. Now Cersei has her right where she wants her and in a moment of pure, sickening revenge, she kisses Tyene on the lips, poisoning her and tells Ellaria that she has to watch her daughter slowly die and decay in the cell with her. She will keep her alive just so she gets to watch her body decompose. Grim.
Casterly Rock and Highgarden
Tyrion hatches a plan to storm and attack Casterly Rock. He built the underground sewer system and created himself a little whore hole where he could sneak women into the castle without anyone seeing him. Divulging this to the Unsullied, they use it as an entry point to kill the Lannister army. However, half the army is not there and once they have killed everyone they can they realize that something is afoot. Looking out to sea they notice their boats being destroyed. Jaime has taken the army to Highgarden to rob Lady Olenna of her gold so that Cersei can pay her debts. IN taking Highgarden, the army have escaped the wrath of the unsullied and the Unsullied have lost their fleet. Thats two fleets now that Danerys has lost. Two. However, this is not the most shocking thing to happen this week. I know, crazy right? We don’t even see the battle for Highgarden because, presumably, it wasn’t very interesting and a pretty quick fight. We do see Jaime entering Lady Olenna’s chambers to kill her. In what begins as pleasant exchange, we learn that the poison Jamie gives to her will ensure she won’t suffer in her death. Olenna, who has proven herself to be quite a sharp tongued old woman in the past gets the last word as she gulps down her poisoned wine and confesses to Jaime that it was she who poisoned Joffrey. Now, I have to admit, Joffrey’s death was so long ago I had completely forgotten how that had all been resolved and I couldn’t remember if I already knew that Olenna was the one who killed him so this reveal didn’t exactly have the impact it should have. Either way, cerise will be pretty pissed off that Jamie took mercy on her and gave her a peaceful death. He probably won’t tell her.
Predictions
Jon will return to Winterfell and be reunited with Bran who will tell him of his heritage and he will learn that he is part Targaryen. Wanting to please his people, he will want to remain as King in the North, despite Daenerys’ epic put down of his status and he and her will rule the seven kingdoms together.
Daenerys will set her dragons on Euron and he will have a painful and fiery death.
Jaime will not tell Cersei what Olenna told him, there is no point in him doing so, instead they will continue to have disgusting sex and she will continue to believe that she is in control, until Gendry returns to severely rock the boat and revive the Baratheon name.
If you’ve managed to resist reading leaked scripts for next weeks episode, take a look at this preview. It doesn’t give much away, but looks like Daenerys has had enough.
