*Contains spoilers*
The second episode of Game Of Thrones titled ‘Stormborn’, begins with Daenerys and her homecoming to Dragonstone. Except, like she says, it doesn’t feel like much of a homecoming. Varys and Tyrion talk about the day she was born. “There was a storm. The dogs howled into the night,” Varys recollects. Daenerys, however, has something else in mind.
She isn’t convinced of Varys. With good reason, of course. Given that he’s jumped ship quite a few times, Varys’s credibility doesn’t convince the Mother of Dragons. She confronts him about his loyalty, even with Tyrion backing him.
“What kind of a servant are you?” she asks.
“I’m the kind the realm needs,” he retorts. There is conviction in his words.
Varys talks of serving the people, and the one true leader who wants to serve the people.
“I choose you,” he says, with a face that is as always impossible to read.
In the meantime, Melisandre pays a visit, imploring Dany to take up the Lord of the Light as her saviour.
But Dany listens when Melisandre tells her to summon Jon Snow, the current King in the North. She needs allies. So does he.
A word is sent, and a plot is devised with Olenna Tyrell, Ellaria Sand, and Yara Greyjoy. The master plan is to not attack, says Tyrion. But to actually surround the kingdom with their army, while Grey Worm and his Unsullied seize Casterly Rock – the place that holds real power.
*****
In the North, Jon Snow receives word from Tyrion about meeting the Mother of Dragons. Snow believes he’s seen the worst, hence Tyrion couldn’t be too bad. Tyrion is a good man, he declares to a visibly worried Sansa.
For fans who believe in the theory of Snow and Daenerys being related, their meeting had to happen. At some point, hopefully, they would learn of their actual background and there’d be a more powerful team to overthrow the Lannisters at King’s Landing.
So, off Snow goes along with Ser Davos, to meet the Breaker of Chains. And leaves Sansa to hold the fort. Baelish, meanwhile skulks along Winterfell, and exudes positively creepy vibes.
*****
Arya meets Hot Pie, her friend from the third season. True to his name, he bakes pies and is good at it. While munching on one of those pies, Arya learns about the North.
“Jon Snow was your brother right? He’s there, holding the North,” Hot Pie says casually, unaware of the fact that he’s just dropped the news of the decade on Arya.
And just like that, even after a rather defining moment with a pack of wolves led by Nymeria, or what looks like Nymeria, Arya heads to Winterfell.
*****
At the Citadel, Samwell Tarly is hell-bent on finding a cure for Ser Jorah’s greyscale. He reads up on cures by a deceased maester called Pylos. The cure, however, includes removing the grey skin and dabbing an ointment.
Biting down on something hard to stifle his screams, Jorah undergoes an excruciating process. So do the viewers, who are treated to a match-cut of the oozy yellow-ish pus from the greyscale to a hot pie made by, well, Hot Pie.
Recommended
The editors treated us to a fascinating jump-cut montage last week filled with shit pans and shit-like food, but this week’s show perhaps wins the ‘Edit of The Year’ award, with this disgusting-yet-genius transition.
*****
There’s some focus on Cersei, who worries incessantly about Daenerys.
Somehow, the entire episode is not able to let go of the past. Of Mad King Aerys, and how he burnt people to death. Of the Lannisters, and their unfaithfulness.
Bearing this in mind, the plan to overthrow Cersei begins. Yara and the Snakes travel to gather up their army. But there’s a war at sea. Fire, mayhem, and a huge body count. A maniac laughs in close quarters, slaughtering his own kin.
Cersei might be getting her gift soon, after all
*****