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.
1. Euron is ridiculous. Great, now GoT has a campy mustache twirling victim like Negan of their own. Let me guess, he planted a tracking device on Yara's car? I hate convenient plot points. And he beats all the Sand Sisters and Yara? Stop. And Theon is mowing guys down all over until Euron calls him little Theon and he reverts to Reek?
2. Cersei making her pitch to the southern lords. Does anyone remember, oh, Cersei blowing up the Sept of Baelor and a large section of the city while murdering hundreds of citizens including two of the three most important members of House Tyrell? Tarly makes a passing reference, but c'mon. There is nothing that Cersei could offer.
3. Maester Frankenstein's solution is a giant crossbow? Eye roll.
B. Because of her time in Bravos at the House of Black and White "losing herself" can Arya no longer connect with the wolf
C. Similar to B, did Nymeria just not recognize Arya because of her changes
A is the one that makes the most sense, only I thought Dire Wolves were nearly extinct and the wolf got close to Arya then left and it's pack followed. So clearly there was some connection.
B and C don't make sense to me since Arya from my recollection denounced the many faced gods and rejected "becoming no one" and said "I'm Arya Stark from Winterfell" and while she was blind I thought I remember her seeing through Nymeria but might be confusing show and book.
but as Nymeria turned left and wasn't interested in going to Winterfell I thought I heard Arya say "oh, it wasn't you"
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Arya was just recognizing that Nymeria was not going to just follow her. She recognized Arya (obviously as Arya was not the wolves' dinner) but Nymeria is a wild wolf, not a companion. I am sure the wolves will help her when she needs it most.
but as Nymeria turned left and wasn't interested in going to Winterfell I thought I heard Arya say "oh, it wasn't you"
She said "That's not you."
In other words, Arya and Nymeria recognized each other, but Arya realized Nymeria has her own pack to lead and isn't going to be Arya's pet anymore
B. Because of her time in Bravos at the House of Black and White "losing herself" can Arya no longer connect with the wolf
C. Similar to B, did Nymeria just not recognize Arya because of her changes
A is the one that makes the most sense, only I thought Dire Wolves were nearly extinct and the wolf got close to Arya then left and it's pack followed. So clearly there was some connection.
B and C don't make sense to me since Arya from my recollection denounced the many faced gods and rejected "becoming no one" and said "I'm Arya Stark from Winterfell" and while she was blind I thought I remember her seeing through Nymeria but might be confusing show and book.
What if Arya is not really Arya?
Either way, it may be symbolic foreshadowing, that Arya is no longer part of the "wolf pack" or a true Stark. She chose her Lone-wolf/assassin path seasons ago, and now her own Direwolf has turned its back on her.
Arya decided to turn to Winterfell after meeting with Hotpie, but after this Nymeria encounter, I wonder if the next time we see her she will be back in Kingslanding instead.
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A. Was that dire wolf actually not Nymeria
B. Because of her time in Bravos at the House of Black and White "losing herself" can Arya no longer connect with the wolf
C. Similar to B, did Nymeria just not recognize Arya because of her changes
A is the one that makes the most sense, only I thought Dire Wolves were nearly extinct and the wolf got close to Arya then left and it's pack followed. So clearly there was some connection.
B and C don't make sense to me since Arya from my recollection denounced the many faced gods and rejected "becoming no one" and said "I'm Arya Stark from Winterfell" and while she was blind I thought I remember her seeing through Nymeria but might be confusing show and book.
What if Arya is not really Arya?
Either way, it may be symbolic foreshadowing, that Arya is no longer part of the "wolf pack" or a true Stark. She chose her Lone-wolf/assassin path seasons ago, and now her own Direwolf has turned its back on her.
Arya decided to turn to Winterfell after meeting with Hotpie, but after this Nymeria encounter, I wonder if the next time we see her she will be back in Kingslanding instead.
Why? She literally just told the wolf that she was "finally" going home.
Now I wonder if Bron comes back into the picture somehow to rescue his crush Tyene Sand.
An does that pit a future battle between him and the Lannister army , specifically Jamie Lannister.
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In comment 13537205 pjcas18 said:
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A. Was that dire wolf actually not Nymeria
B. Because of her time in Bravos at the House of Black and White "losing herself" can Arya no longer connect with the wolf
C. Similar to B, did Nymeria just not recognize Arya because of her changes
A is the one that makes the most sense, only I thought Dire Wolves were nearly extinct and the wolf got close to Arya then left and it's pack followed. So clearly there was some connection.
B and C don't make sense to me since Arya from my recollection denounced the many faced gods and rejected "becoming no one" and said "I'm Arya Stark from Winterfell" and while she was blind I thought I remember her seeing through Nymeria but might be confusing show and book.
What if Arya is not really Arya?
Either way, it may be symbolic foreshadowing, that Arya is no longer part of the "wolf pack" or a true Stark. She chose her Lone-wolf/assassin path seasons ago, and now her own Direwolf has turned its back on her.
Arya decided to turn to Winterfell after meeting with Hotpie, but after this Nymeria encounter, I wonder if the next time we see her she will be back in Kingslanding instead.
Why? She literally just told the wolf that she was "finally" going home.
Something tells me we haven't seen the last of Nymeria the dire wolf. I could see Arya (who travels alone) being caught in a tough situation and her protector comes to save the day.
Also Nymeria looks to be 3 times the size of Ghost
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"You touch my sister, and I'll kill you, man!"
As already mentioned, the anti-dragon crossbow and Hot Pie being way ahead of Arya on events in the north.
And if Nymeria's reappearance doesn't go anywhere, that was a pretty meaningless scene.
And the R-rated Pirates of the Caribbean Part 6 ending. Euron's "entrance" was ridiculous.
Dinklage's acting seemed mechanical in the Dragonstone war room. He seemed bored to me.
B. Because of her time in Bravos at the House of Black and White "losing herself" can Arya no longer connect with the wolf
C. Similar to B, did Nymeria just not recognize Arya because of her changes
A is the one that makes the most sense, only I thought Dire Wolves were nearly extinct and the wolf got close to Arya then left and it's pack followed. So clearly there was some connection.
B and C don't make sense to me since Arya from my recollection denounced the many faced gods and rejected "becoming no one" and said "I'm Arya Stark from Winterfell" and while she was blind I thought I remember her seeing through Nymeria but might be confusing show and book.
I didn't get that she didn't recognize her at all. It was definitely Nymeria and the only reason she didn't rip her to shreds is because of their one time connection. I just took at as she had her own life now. She couldn't go with her and Arya respected it.
Please don't link an IGN article to make a point. They praise everything, good and bad. I stopped taking them seriously years ago when they just give every AAA title a 9 or higher.
I'm sure plenty of people enjoyed the episode but it was nothing more than solid for me and the more I think about it the more I realized how many times I rolled my eyes.
B. Because of her time in Bravos at the House of Black and White "losing herself" can Arya no longer connect with the wolf
C. Similar to B, did Nymeria just not recognize Arya because of her changes
I thought, yes its her wolf - else she would have gotten ripped to shreds. I took it to mean she has changed and the wolf realized it. The wolf can see Ayra no longer needs her, so she wanders off with her pack.
A is the one that makes the most sense, only I thought Dire Wolves were nearly extinct and the wolf got close to Arya then left and it's pack followed. So clearly there was some connection.
B and C don't make sense to me since Arya from my recollection denounced the many faced gods and rejected "becoming no one" and said "I'm Arya Stark from Winterfell" and while she was blind I thought I remember her seeing through Nymeria but might be confusing show and book.
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Universally praised across the internet by every major review outlet. Looks like the consensus is that it's a stronger episode than episode 1 as well. Link - ( New Window )
Please don't link an IGN article to make a point. They praise everything, good and bad. I stopped taking them seriously years ago when they just give every AAA title a 9 or higher.
I'm sure plenty of people enjoyed the episode but it was nothing more than solid for me and the more I think about it the more I realized how many times I rolled my eyes.
I linked it because it's more detailed than some I've read and it brought some good points up. They absolutely do not praise everything. They rarely will give a perfect score. Ive read 10 other reviews that echo the same sentiments. I'd be happy to post those for you instead.
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Aside from the the time and news improbability between Arya and Hotpie, I don't really believe that an invading queen plotting lots of strategy, trying to figure out who would support and who would oppose, would only just find out who the King of the North was. Especially, since her close advisors already knew.
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A. Was that dire wolf actually not Nymeria
B. Because of her time in Bravos at the House of Black and White "losing herself" can Arya no longer connect with the wolf
C. Similar to B, did Nymeria just not recognize Arya because of her changes
A is the one that makes the most sense, only I thought Dire Wolves were nearly extinct and the wolf got close to Arya then left and it's pack followed. So clearly there was some connection.
B and C don't make sense to me since Arya from my recollection denounced the many faced gods and rejected "becoming no one" and said "I'm Arya Stark from Winterfell" and while she was blind I thought I remember her seeing through Nymeria but might be confusing show and book.
I didn't get that she didn't recognize her at all. It was definitely Nymeria and the only reason she didn't rip her to shreds is because of their one time connection. I just took at as she had her own life now. She couldn't go with her and Arya respected it.
It's not A, B, or C. Arya recognizes her, and the wolf recognizes Arya. Arya's comment on 'that's not you' was definitely intended to show that Arya recognizes that Nymeria does her own thing now. The show runners said as much if you watch the 'behind the episode' bit (it followed the show on the HBO Go viewing).
Also, the reveal that dragons are flesh and blood -- and therefore can be injured -- seemed rather lame. Um, no kidding. I was hoping it would be a reveal of some mythical horn that could control the dragons, and instead it's a stupid crossbow.
Euron finding Yara would have been a bit more believable if they had included a small scene where he had some scouts that were looking for her ships, and reported that back to him.
And is it just me or does Euron seem like he's doing an impression of Michael Shannon from Man of Steel?
When the wolves initially surrounded Arya and the horse I thought they were regular wolves, wasn't even sure it was Nymeria or a dire wolf at all until they zoomed in on her and she was obviously larger than the other wolves, but I thought still smaller than ghost and Summer (in my head at least).
and not to be a book spoiler person because I get confused now sometimes between the book and shows, but in the books we knew Nymeria was running with a pack of wolves (regular wolves)
and like others (maybe), I've always tried to see some pattern or connection between the Starks, their wolves, and life/death of the wolf and owner. None is obvious to me.
Same here. Makes sense. I don't watch any of the after show stuff or read any blogs, I probably should.
When I saw Nymeria, I literally was in awe at how big she had gotten.
I really think Arya meeting Nymeria was a nice little Easter egg and tied off a loose end...I'm not sure if we should be reading too much more into it, and I'm doubtful Nymeria returns
I really think Arya meeting Nymeria was a nice little Easter egg and tied off a loose end...I'm not sure if we should be reading too much more into it, and I'm doubtful Nymeria returns
That's how I felt. It would have been annoying if the show ended without her ever seeing her again. This kind of brought closure to that although who knows? Maybe Nymeria does play a part later? I doubt it.
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I'm being somewhat facetious, but IGN's quality has gone completely downhill. They summarize an episode well enough but also leave out a ton just to prove a specific point. Reading their Walking Dead reviews is painful.
Loved Arya's scenes in this episode. The change on her face once Hot Pie tells her that the Starks control Winterfell again was just wonderful. Before that I was worried she was too far gone. The Nymeria reunion was great, I'm sure we'll see her again.
Jon putting Littlefinger in his place was nice. But you just know he's got something else up his sleeve.
Solid episode.
I'd actually say many on BBI are more knowledgeable about GoT than many of these writers. A lot of that is because they were book readers and some of the reviewers weren't, but also because many here re-watch episodes as well. Writers also can have an agenda, either good or bad.
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So "every AAA title gets a 9.0 or better" is clearly false.
I'm being somewhat facetious, but IGN's quality has gone completely downhill. They summarize an episode well enough but also leave out a ton just to prove a specific point. Reading their Walking Dead reviews is painful.
IGN kills walking dead. It will rarely get more than a 7ish score. Also, each show has its own reviewer so they are all different. Most people like the GOT writer. Like I said, most outlets will just recap but IGN places an actual score to it which is nice which is why I linked it. Score or not, he brought up a lot of details which could add to the discussion here.
Loved Arya's scenes in this episode. The change on her face once Hot Pie tells her that the Starks control Winterfell again was just wonderful. Before that I was worried she was too far gone. The Nymeria reunion was great, I'm sure we'll see her again.
Jon putting Littlefinger in his place was nice. But you just know he's got something else up his sleeve.
Solid episode.
+1. Also, loved Theon turning back into Reek. That was very realistic to me. What he went through doesn't just "go away". I think it's setting him up to be a hero later and I can't wait personally.
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Honestly, I think it's good to read recaps from people that do it for a living. Why? They are looking for every detail, likely watch the episode multiple times, and are even taking notes. They'll often see things the casual viewer might miss. Link - ( New Window )
I'd actually say many on BBI are more knowledgeable about GoT than many of these writers. A lot of that is because they were book readers and some of the reviewers weren't, but also because many here re-watch episodes as well. Writers also can have an agenda, either good or bad.
Most of the writers I've come across are also book readers...
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I think your comment was meant for PJ. I agree with you though.
Same here. Makes sense. I don't watch any of the after show stuff or read any blogs, I probably should.
It was, I should have replied to PJ's post.
+1,000. Highlight of the episode.
I could do without the entire Greyworm personal life storyline. I thought the Jon taking crap scene was way too long and unnecessary especially after last week.
Was that not Yara hanging from the ship at the end? I was a bit unclear on that. What value does she have a hostage?
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I think there may have been more to that sequence there than him just being a coward/Reek. Realizing he'd have little chance to get to Yara in time and also defeat Euron, jumping overboard likely saves his life and gives him time to mobilize more forces against Euron to save Yara.
Was that not Yara hanging from the ship at the end? I was a bit unclear on that. What value does she have a hostage?
No that was the sister that he was choking around the neck with the whip.
I could do without the entire Greyworm personal life storyline. I thought the Jon taking crap scene was way too long and unnecessary especially after last week.
Yeah I agree about Greyworm. Just way too much time spent there. Those two have always been a drag. Good for him getting Missandei, but just have her take her clothes off and we can assume the rest. Didn't need the full details for 5 minutes after that.
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I think that was the two dead sand snakes.
I think there may have been more to that sequence there than him just being a coward/Reek. Realizing he'd have little chance to get to Yara in time and also defeat Euron, jumping overboard likely saves his life and gives him time to mobilize more forces against Euron to save Yara.
Was that not Yara hanging from the ship at the end? I was a bit unclear on that. What value does she have a hostage?