The third episode of the seventh season of Game of Thrones was fairly overwhelming. A lot of things happened – things that no one saw coming. Not even the main players.
Cersei gets her gift, and her justice. Daenerys reinforces faith upon herself. And the Lannisters pay their debts, even if it isn’t in gold.
*Contains spoilers*
The episode opens in the scenic beach of Dragonstone, with Jon Snow and Ser Davos Seaworth finally arriving. If last season was anything to go by – Snow and Daenerys are related. Their reunion, however, is more focused on joining forces.
Sharp dialogues and witty retorts, with Tyrion piping in at times, Dany and Snow clearly have different priorities. One wants to fight the White Walkers, the other is hell-bent on reclaiming the throne and overthrowing Cersei. Tyrion points something out when talks almost fail between the two.
“General rule of thumb – Stark men don’t fare well when they travel South,” he says.
Squabbling over which war is more important – Snow and Dany almost arrive at a consensus whens she agrees to let him take all the obsidian (dragon glass) from Dragonstone. We know who the mature one is, even if one of them doesn’t bend the knee to the other.
And when they talk about family, Dany ensures that Snow hears her well and clear.
“I had faith. Not in myths and legends. In myself – Daenerys Targaryen.”
*****
Meanwhile Cersei, unlike Dany, resembles Mad King Aerys day-by-day. From spending sleepless nights thinking of ways to exact her revenge, and more schemes to punish those who stepped all over her – Cersei visibly gets more powerful. And there’s Jaime, blind in love, still pledging his allegiance to his lover.
Euron Greyjoy returns with something precious. Turns out, Ellaria Sand and her Snakes are the prize. And how euphoric Cersei is. It’s almost too brutal to watch even though there is no violence involved.
But even as Cersei celebrates, she’s also heavily in debt. The Iron Bank’s manager pays her a visit, and implies that the Iron Bank may have to begin supporting Dany instead. “Her dragons are not that invulnerable,” Cersei says, looking him straight in the eye. Fifteen days is she what she wants, and she promises to fix things.
*****
Recommended
Dany and the other women – Ellaria, Yara Greyjoy, and Olenna Tyrell – had concocted a plan of claiming Casterly Rock – the Lannister’s most powerful possession – in the previous episode. While things go awry with Euron destroying their ships and using them as the prize he promised, the twins, it turns out, have been making their own plans: that of willfully sacrificing Casterly Rock to Dany’s men.
Jaime and Cersei have their eyes on a flower that would potentially pay off all their debts.
So as Olenna looks out the window, watching Lannister men kill all of hers, there’s Rains of Castamere playing in the background.
Nothing good comes out of that song.
Jaime enters, and that’s the end of the Tyrells in the world of Game of Thrones.
“I want her to know that I was behind Joffrey’s death,” she says, before swiftly drinking the chalice of wine offered to her.
*****
If there’s something good about this episode, it’s Ser Jorah Mormont. He’s beaten grey scale! Now, all he has to do is go back to his Queen and fight by her side. He looks well and has found reasons to live, thanks to Samwell Tarly.
whats up khaleesi im finally cured lmao pic.twitter.com/qRIV4e57J4
— sirop d’arabe (@Nadialohomora) July 26, 2017
*****
Another reunion happens. That of Sansa and Bran. Happy that Snow isn’t the only other brother alive, Sansa is overjoyed to see Bran again. He, on the other hand, has no expressions on his face.
“I’m the three-eyed crow. You wouldn’t understand,” he says, blank-faced. “Then make me understand!” she responds. “You won’t understand,” he repeats, and goes back to staring into nothing. He also reminds Sansa of her fairly traumatic wedding with Ramsay Bolton.
“You looked so beautiful, in that white dress,” he says, as she has a panic attack thinking of that dreadful time.
Thanks, Bran.
*****