Sam, you fool, the annulment! I sure hope Gilly packed that book for some light reading on the road.
It wound up in the kid's lap, so very likely, although I'm hoping he doesn't drool all over the spot where it talks about the simultaneous annulment and remarriage.
Another great episode, even if the timescale continues to be compressed. I don't mind the speed of ravens, but damn Davos went from Dragonstone to King's Landing and back to Dragonstone (close to each other, fine) and then all the way to Eastwatch (not even remotely) in a single episode. Plus, Jorah sure got up to Dragonstone fast. I swear, if Sam gets to the Wall by the end of the next episode by wagon...
Yeah, I'm kind of torn over this "speed of plot" business. It's really starting to push the boundaries of credibility to the point of making it difficult to suspend disbelief. I'm normally the kind of person who overlooks such things and concentrates on the actual story of what's going on, but even this episode was jarring to me. Interesting how Euron's magic ships now are nowhere to be seen, when they were traveling thousands of miles around the southern parts of Westeros and back again within the same episode. Maybe the Unsullied actually have him mired down at Casterly Rock? The Iron Born were always sailors first. Not quite the soldiers that they like to think they are, certainly not as well-trained and motivated as the Unsullied. I suspect any engagement between the two on land would be quite one-sided, honestly.
Jon sure is putting his duty as "Protector of the Realm" in high regard because he didn't even consider going back to Winterfell to see Arya and Bran. And he was quick to belief Bran's current abilities without a second thought (likewise everyone else in that meeting). The far traveling and quick acceptances of strange things are probably going to play out better in the books, but it sure is rough here in the show.
When one has fought directly against various elements of the Army of the Dead multiple times, large and small, witnessed the Knight King in person and crossed swords with one of his generals, and seen giants, all of which were supposed to be the stuff of legend for millennia, I suspect that one would be more predisposed to being open-minded about such things in the future. It might be the difference between life and un-death.
I'm glad Tyrion had his reunion with Jaime, although just not in the way I expected. I find it rather hard to believe Jaime and Bronn were able to swim so far away underwater with that armor and undetected, moments after Jaime tried to kill Daenerys. It was also a little odd that Tyrion didn't even acknowledge that moment. I'm a little sad that Tyrion didn't really have a reunion with Bronn, but I guess there wasn't enough time.
This, along with the rapid character movements around the map are direct victims of the shorter final two seasons, unfortunately. Whoever is responsible for this, either HBO, the show runners or both, I feel have done the series and the audience a great disservice to the series to sacrifice solid little character moments like that - moments that used to be woven into the show's fabric that gave it an extra strata of believability that, sadly, no longer really exists. I do prefer getting more into the meat of the plot rather than viewing the meandering travelogues that permeated the episodes a few seasons back (parallel to the books that were similarly meandering), but I really feel like the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction in favor of "wrapping things up".
Not surprised Cersei knew that Bronn was contacted by Tyrion and set up the meeting, but I was surprised she allowed it to happen. I guess she's learning how to control her rage and focus on the bigger picture of maintaining her power in the long run, even if she is a fool about mercenaries over her own loyal army. But at the same time, she has grown even colder as seen with her threat against Jaime about betrayal. I wonder if her pregnancy is real or just a scheme on her brother lover. I also wonder if this cold threat will finally push Jaime to come to his senses about her.
Remember that, in the original books, her greatest obsession (aside from the prophesy) was trying to prove to her dead father's spirit how much like him she had become, if not better. She fancied herself a master chess (cyvasse?) player which got her into trouble with the Sparrows and Faith Militant. She learned from that mistake and became arguably as ruthless, cunning and brutal as Tywin, if not more so. You can almost see the fear on Jaime's face sometimes when he hears some of the things coming out of her mouth, but almost every episode that has focused on her this season (and last), there's always some off-hand, yet significant, reference from her about "what Father would have done", or "Father would be proud", etc. Now that all her children are (currently) all dead, that and the prophesy are her two primary driving motivations.
And, as for the prophesy, she
thinks it's been taken care of with the complete destruction of the Tyrell family and Margery. Now I'm wondering if the other "prettier Queen" was Dany all along.
I figured Littlefinger was manipulating Arya from the get go. I worry that Arya is going to do something foolish and hurts not only Sansa's position at Winterfell, but also her relationship with her sister. The sooner she realizes she's being fooled by that silver tongue and finally puts an end to his machinations, the better. Bran, step up already!
I have faith in Arya's abilities. She's not the little girl in the beginning. She will outsmart him at some point. What he's doing now is out of pure fear of her skills. When people do things out of fear, they make mistakes. His time will come.
The mighty band of Jon, Jorah, Tormund, Thoros, Gendry (complete with War hammer!), Beric, adn the Hound (we're never going to get Clegane Bowl at this rate) is going on a daring trip. I will be shocked if any less than two of them die (and for good in Beric's case). Jorah's wishful glance at Daenerys before leaving feels rather telling in particular.
That definitely had the feel of "Dirty Dozen", "Ice Station Zebra", "Magnificent Seven" and all those other similar kinds of ensemble war movies of the 60's, setting out against the unknown (or semi-known). Well done episode overall!
