Jon Snow has arrived at Dragonstone with Ser Davos in tow. That was fast. Very fast. He's greeted on the beach by a familiar face. That of Tyrion Lannister. His old buddy. A fellow black sheep of the family.
It's been a long time since they last saw each other. Life's been tough to them. They've both scars of war. They've both lost their families and the women they loved. They're both survivors.
Things have changed on Dragonstone since Davos was last there with Stannis Baratheon. Jon and Tyrion catch up. Tyrion is now Jon's brother in law since his arranged marriage to Sansa. Both of them have much admiration for her. Then Jon and Davos get their first glimpse of a dragon. Both are awestruck. The mythical beasts are real.
Above them Melisandre hides out. They both threatened her with death the last thing they saw her. Varys enquires as to her shyness. She tells him they parted on bad terms and that she plans to leave soon. He asks her to stay. She tells him both of them will die in Westeros, a prediction that troubles Varys.
Jon Snow is granted an audience with Daenerys. Fire and Ice finally meet. Him from the North. Her backed by dragons. What a cool moment. He's introduced to her as King Of The North but she won't accept that title. She sees herself as queen of Westeros. Including the North. She assumes he's there to bend the knee to her. Jon will not do that. Uh-oh.
Jon reminds her that her father, the Mad King, kills his ancestors. It's true and she apologises adding she's nothing like her father. She claims to be the last Targaryen but we now know Jon is one too. She will ally with him if he bows before her and accepts her as Queen.
He tells her he needs her help and she needs him. This amuses her. She could take King's Landing in a second with her dragons and they all know it. But Jon and Davos know something she doesn't. Winter is bearing down on them fast and with it is coming the army of the dead. Tyrion and Daenerys are incredulous. An army of the dead?? Nonsense.
Listening to Jon enrages her. She rants about how shitty life has been for her. It's all true in fairness. She's been sold, raped, almost murdered a dozen time. She's brought back dragons. She's gotten the Dothraki to cross water for the first time. She wants what's rightfully hers. The Iron Throne. And that will come first before anything else.
Davos debates her right back. Jon brought together wildlings and settled folk. He became Lord Commander of the Night's Watch and the King of the north under his own steam. A bastard never had power and respect like his before. The only thing Jon stops Davos talking about is his resurrection. That would unsettle most people.
They rant at each other until Varys interrupts them with news. The Ironborn and Dornish allies of hers were attacked by Euron Greyjoy. Her fleet of ships has been decimated along with 1000's loyal to her cause.
A nearly dead Theon is fished out of the wreckage of the battle. Theon's bravery is questioned by his rescuers. In King's Landing his captured sister is paraded through the streets by Euron alongside Ellaria Sand and her daughter Tyene, the remaining Sand Snake. Euron is loving the attention of it all.
Ellaria is gifted to Cersei. The woman who killed her daughter is now in her hands. For this gift Cersei promises Euron her hand in marriage when all the trouble is over. This promised marriage troubles Jaime, even more when Euron asks him what she's like in the sack.
In the dungeons Cersei gets revenge for her Myrcella. She poisons Ellaria's daughter Tyene in the same way Ellaria did. Both Ellaria and Tyene are chained up and Tyene will be left to die and rot before her mother's eyes. Sweet jesus that's dark, even for Cersei. She leaves Ellaria screaming.
Later that night Cersei seduces her brother (i know, i know) and doesn't care who knows about it. Servants see them together to Jaime's horror but she doesn't give a shit who knows anymore. She's the queen, who can harm her now?
A visitor from Braavos arrives. It's Tycho Nestoris, the main man in the Iron Bank. They want their debts paid and the fact that the Lannister's may be destroyed soon means they wants the debts paid now. Cersei brushes off their concerns and tells them not to invest in Daenerys. She gets a fortnight to pay what she owes.
At Dragonstone Jon and Tyrion talk in private, away from Daenerys. Because they gave up their weapons on arrival Jon and Davos are prisoners on the island in all but name. He realises this and his naivety is bothering him. The King Of The North doesn't know all.
Tyrion believes Jon and Davos about the threat in the North. Jon's willingness to come to this place makes Tyrion believe him about it all. The Dead, the White Walkers and Night King. All of it. Tyrion also persuades Jon to look deeper at Daenerys, telling him there's more to her than meets the eye. Plus all her people love her.
Tyrion tells him Daenerys won't go north for a man see doesn't know but if he asks something reasonable of her he might have more success. Jon has just the thing she can do for him actually.
The dragon glass beneath the Island. Can he mine it? Tyrion explains to her that it's the only thing that can beat the dead. It's a simple enough request. Tyrion tells her he believes the army of the dead is real. If her right hand man believes it there must be something to it.
Jon and Daenerys meet privately on the cliffs later. Jon is still in awe of the dragons. They bond over the fact that both of them have lost 2 brothers. Rhaegar and Aegon & Rickon and Robb. Daenerys tells Jon she'll let him have the dragon glass but she's still going to deal with Cersei before all else. Good woman, you know it makes sense.
In Winterfell the place is coming together nicely. Sansa is overseeing the rebuilding and there are concerns about supplies with winter coming. Littlefinger (ugh) is by her side at all times. He's licking her arse and trying his best to worn his way into her affections. But then it's interrupted by some huge news.
Bran Stark is home. Sansa is overjoyed. She thought he was dead. But Bran is a lot different to the young boy she knew. He's an emotionless oddball who speaks of things she doesn't know. He tells her he's the three eyed Raven. She has no idea what it means and is troubled that he knows of her suffering at the hands of Ramsay.
In the Citadel in Oldtown it seems Sam's treatment of Jorah worked. He's cured of the grey scale. But he broke the rules to do it. Ebrose is happy it worked but displeased with Sam. Jorah plans to return to Daenerys. He has a new lease of life and doesn't plan to waste it.
Sam's punishment is hilariously mild but he's a hero once again. Plus Ebrose begins to see in him the makings of a great medical maester some day. Plus Jorah owes him his life. I've a feeling their paths will cross again some day.
On Dragonstone Daenerys wants revenge for her destroyed fleet. She wants to ride her dragons out to see and destroy Euron and his ships. Tyrion and Varys talk her out of it. Saps. Let her off ta fuck. Meanwhile they wonder how the Unsullied are doing at Casterly Rock, the Lannister home they've set out to take.
Surprisingly they've taken it with ease. Too much ease. This our first glimpse of the Lannister ancestral home. It's an impressive place. The Unsullied take it using tunnels made known to them by Tyrion. Some Lannister soldier's defend the place but not all of them. Where could they be?
Cersei and Jaime are snakey bastards. They've given up on their home castle and used their forces to attack High Garden instead, the ancestral home of the Tyrell's. Very smart. While doing this Euron Greyjoy's ships attack and destroy the Unsullied ships. The Unsullied army is now stuck in Casterly Rock.
High Garden is taken with ease. Jaime has led the victory backed by his new allies, the Tarley's. That was their easiest victory so far. Inside the castle there's only one survivor, the last of the Tyrell's and the best of them, Lady Olenna.
Jaime goes to meet her. She's not a bit afraid of him. She's too old for such nonsense. She professes her admiration for his plan to let go of Casterly Rock. She's buttering him up and she talks Jaime into letting her commit suicide. He's a prick but he's not going to decapitate an old woman.
She drinks a glass of poisoned wine down in one go and then admits to Jaime that she was the one behind Joffrey's death. She did it all to protect her grand-daughter from him. A shocked and stunned Jaime leaves her behind to die painlessly. Life has given him another kick in the bollix.
A very talky episode but an excellent one. The long awaited meeting of Jon and Daenerys did not disappoint. Cersei shows how truly monstrous she can be and her plans for neutralising the Targaryen threat are falling into place perfectly. Sadly the show loses one of it's treasures too. Bye bye Lady Olenna. At least you got a fantastically cutting final scene. Brilliant.
Next up - The Spoils Of War
Series 1 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Series 2 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Series 3 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Series 4 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Series 5 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Series 6 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Series 7 - 1 2
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