Original synopsis:
| Daenerys has a surprise visitor; Jon faces a revolt; Tyrion draws up plans to conquer Westeros. |
Revised synopsis:
| Daenerys receives an unexpected visitor. Jon faces a revolt. Sam risks his career and life. Tyrion plans the conquest of Westeros. |
Quickly unpacking the official plot summary:
1)
Daenerys has a surprise visitor.
Previews have made it pretty clear that the surprise visitor is Melisandre.
2)
Jon faces a revolt.
Not much mystery here either. Yohn Royce objects to Jon treating with Dany, no matter how badly the North needs dragonglass (not to mention dragons). So Jon faces yet another mutiny, which serves as a backdrop for Baelish's ongoing efforts to manipulate Sansa.
3)
Sam risks his career and life.
Sam takes a short break from saving the world to cure Jorah's greyscale. Alternate theory:
Professor Slughorn Archmaester Ebrose catches him in the restricted stacks of the
Hogwarts Citadel library.
4)
Tyrion plans the conquest of Westeros
That's quite a team around the Painted Table, as the Greyjoys and Sands join Team Dany. But what is Tyrion's strategy? He knows better than anyone the dangers of a frontal assault down Blackwater Bay. Will he strike first in the West, as some keen-eyed observers have suggested?
Any other predictions? Does Euron bring Cersei her engagement gift yet? Does a reunion with Nymeria change Arya's path?
One additional thought on #3: The Sam/Jorah plot is either a bit of serendipity for the showrunners or an impressive piece of advance plotting by Martin - maybe a bit of both. Unlike the stupidly improbable chance meeting between Jorah and Tyrion, the groundwork for this hookup has been inthe works for years. Traly and Mormont both have excellent reasons for being at the Citadel, on "missions" from their respective commanders. There is already much to bind them: Sam knew Jorah's father well, he has experience with curable greyscale (Shireen), and they are both disgraced scions of noble houses - albeit from opposite ends of Westeros's west coast. They have also both seen wonders that most men would dismiss as myth, and are among the most faithful followers of two rulers destined to join forces.
Great thread start
Would still prefer to have book context and theories based on whatever few details are left from the books left out for non-readers but I know this is a losing battle at this point.
Couldn't be more excited!
I think Jorah is sacrificed in some way, not cured something they need to do with the wights or white walkers and he's half a stone man by then and decides to pursue the strategy "for the greater good". In an attempt to redeem himself (which is kind of his theme)
Quote:
does Sam have with curing greyscale? Wasn't Shireen cured way before Sam had met her?
Obviously, he didn't cure it; but unlike most people, he knows the disease can be stopped. And even if Stannis/Shireen/Davos never shared the full story of Shireen's infection and remission with their hosts at Castle Black, it doesn't take much to figure out the most likely repository of the relevant medical science.
I guess I don't see the point of curing or stopping the progression for Jorah, despite Daenerys orders to him. The Shireen to Samwell to Jorah connection makes sense, but I think it's a red herring.
He's a much more sympathetic character as a sacrifice.
And if the cure is at the Citadel, why wouldn't they share it? From what I remember a handful of kids had survived (disfigured like Shireen, but no adults that people no about). And I assumed it was Melisandre who cured Shireen not some Maester.
That's how Stannis told the story to Shireen, and it seems legit. I don't see why he would have airbrushed Melisandre out of it. Shireen was an infant. I don't think Stannis had even cast his lot with R'hllor at that point.
Quote:
...Every healer. Every apothecary. They stopped the disease and saved your life. Because you did not belong across the world with the bloody Stone Men. You are the Princess Shireen, of House Baratheon, and you are my daughter.
That's how Stannis told the story to Shireen, and it seems legit. I don't see why he would have airbrushed Melisandre out of it. Shireen was an infant. I don't think Stannis had even cast his lot with R'hllor at that point.
I assumed that was how they met, and pushed Stannis to believe in the lord of the light. They've never talked about it much in the books or the shows from what I recall, have they? (the relationship between Melisandre and Stannis and how is started) - so I assumed it was Shireen and greyscale.
yeah, that's what I mean when I say "sacrifice" He has a role, I just think having his greyscale cured while it may or may not happen, I think his story is better if he still has greyscale, is sentenced to death, but still is valiant in a way to help redeem himself and sure make it a hero's death - like maybe touching a wight dragon and transferring greyscale to it (or something like that).
Again, I assumed it was because of the greyscale with Selyse or Stannis who invited her, irrelevant, but my assumption was melisandre used fire or some magic to stop it's progression.
He looked like he was in a cell/quarantine at the Citadel. So maybe you're right, he won't get cleared until Samwell cures him otherwise how does he get back in the game.
I still think though he should be stuck with greyscale
Taking that will squeeze the dwindling Lannister resources even further plus huge PR move to serve as warning to other houses. Also drawing out the Lannister army from the Capital so that combo of the Dothraki horde and Dragons destroy it.
So, rather than having Daenerys find the castle abandoned (as she did in EP1) or meet resistance (as the site's strategic importance might suggest), she probably should have been welcomed as an ally - ideally by the Queen of Thorns herself. It seems that Olenna makes her way to D'stone anyway; so this is a case where the showrunners might have been wise to draw on the books. I guess they preferred the stark visuals of an empty castle.
It's the right move strategically and dramatically. Daenerys had her emotional homecoming last week. Now maybe it's Tyrion's turn. Tywin once vowed:
"There" being Dragonstone obviously.
Cure for greyscale is Dragonglass. Whew. Too many coronas.
So far, the Arya-Nymeria reunion is nothing but a little gift to book readers, and could heve been omitted. Hot Pie already took care of rerouting Arya, so we didn't need Nymeria to steer her north. Are the showrunners setting up a bigger role for Nym later?
Eunuch sex was sort of awkward, though they do make a cute couple.
Odd to see Sansa call Jon out in front of the Northern lords again, right after they seemed to agreed that wasn't a good idea. Well, she's in charge now. We'll see how it goes.
2 episodes in a row where the Citdel is the most interesting thing in westeros.
They were on the way to Dorne, right? So the Dornish army is still waiting at home, largely intact? Otherwise, that was some shitty exposition.
Personally, I wish they would rein it in a bit.
The chess pieces are the most interesting aspect of the show and I do like how we got more of that this episode. Foreshadowing the death of atleast 1 dragon was interesting, as was Jamie's chat with Tarly. I wonder if Sam and is father willl cross paths again...
So far, the Arya-Nymeria reunion is nothing but a little gift to book readers, and could heve been omitted. Hot Pie already took care of rerouting Arya, so we didn't need Nymeria to steer her north. Are the showrunners setting up a bigger role for Nym later?
Eunuch sex was sort of awkward, though they do make a cute couple.
Odd to see Sansa call Jon out in front of the Northern lords again, right after they seemed to agreed that wasn't a good idea. Well, she's in charge now. We'll see how it goes.
The naval battle was rushed in service of moving the plot along, IMO. Inevitable some things like that will be happening, with only 5 episodes left this season and 11 overall.
The sand snakes get wiped out (sadly, I loved those dirty girls. Poor Bronn will have to mourn his lost love). Tough night for the naughty lesbos of Westeros.
Theon survives to tell the tale due to his cowardice - remains an interesting character with a part to play.
Im happy Grey Worm got to spend the night with one of the hottest girls in the land.
And Arya's scene with Hot Pie was the highlight, IMO. You've baked some pies? One or two...lol
Jon meeting Daenerys will be fun to see...but was kinda hoping Bran would arrive at Winterfell to reveal a little more about Jons lineage first.
As some have shared previously, enjoying the show from here on requires lowering expectations with respect to time frame and story telling. We're in the home stretch now.
Yup he said as much when he pointed out he knows what Cersei does to those that oppose her. He's too smart not to play along for now, but he's definitely not committing to Team Lannister that easily
BTW, in the books Hot Pie moved on from there to a permanent gig at the Inn of the Kneeling Man, on the River Road. That's why some of us thought Arya might be detouring to Riverrun. Such are the hazards of overthinking a TV show.
She may be in his face ( largely around the idea that other people are treacherous and he needs to play the same game the same way) but there is respect and love and a deep family connection going both ways in that relationship.
She is not going to betray him because Littlefinger talks her into seeking personal advantage
Are we really going to act surprised now when he shows up and acts all "villainy"?
I thought the episode was solid if not a bit slow once again. I liked that Euron was a bit wild at the end and kind of backed up some of his claims of being the "greatest captain of the world". If it were even close to true he would have to be a badass fighter and he seemed to be.
There's going to be a bunch of battles coming up. They weren't that far apart in terms of the map obviously. It's really not that unrealistic within the context of the show IMO that he would take Yara and Theon and their feeble fleet compared to his.
Kudos to those who got Nymeria right as the "gift".
Perhaps word hasn't reached the Twins yet, or perhaps in Arya's timeline, Jon hasn't even taken Winterfell yet? (After all, Walder and Jaime don't mention it at the banquet.) But then, how does Hot Pie know - not only that Jon has defeated Ramsay, but also that he's already King in the North? The Crossroads is far south of the Twins. It doesn't make much sense that she catches up on news from the North by riding south.
The answer, I think, is basically narrative license.
She may be in his face ( largely around the idea that other people are treacherous and he needs to play the same game the same way) but there is respect and love and a deep family connection going both ways in that relationship.
She is not going to betray him because Littlefinger talks her into seeking personal advantage
Not sure about that. My guess is Bran and Arya arrive in Winterfell while Jon is south. If Bran tells Jon's story to Sansa coupled with Littlefinger's usual bullshit that could be enough to change the dynamic.
Quote:
For a 7 episode season I expect better. Euron got slashed and stabbed in the dick but he's fine? Just weird.
We suspended disbelief for invincible super-villain Ramsay Bolton. Maybe the showrunners are getting cocky and seeing how far they can push that crap. Or maybe they think we like it.
Personally, I wish they would rein it in a bit.
Yeah, the super villain archetype tends to annoy the shit out of me in shows such as 24, where a terrorist is aware of precisely when, where and how the police will escort Bauer's daughter and kidnap her. But with 24, at least you can explain it as the work of a hacker or something. How on earth did Euron know when and where to attack the ship, and precisely which ship to board? How'd he know of what's-her-face's value to Cersei in the first place?
I hope the show avoids going much further down the super villain rabbit hole.
Why would Yara be a gift for Cersei? She doesn't have a personal connection to her. The gift is almost certainly the woman that killed Cersei's daughter.
Hopefully we see the Hound in the next episode.