Lip Service Is The Best Form Of Revenge On GAME OF THRONES

Episode 63  “The Queen’s Justice”
Written by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss
Directed by Mark Mylod

After the last episode, ravens and battles, where do we begin? Well how about Dragonstone?

Now Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) has decided to ignore his sister and men’s concerns and travel north with the Onion Knight, Davos (Liam Cunningham), at the invite of Daenerys (Emilia Clarke). They are greeted on the beach by Tyrion (Peter Dinklage), Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel), and team of the Queen Dothraki. Now, I don’t know about you, but I was a little excited to see Jon and Tyrion back together again. I enjoyed their time together on the Wall. Anyway, they fondly remember too, the last time they were together they were “pissing off the side of the wall”. On their journey up the million mile long stair case to the castle, they catch up. Tyrion asks about his wife, Sansa (Sophie Turner), while pointing out that the marriage was a sham and unconsummated (not that Jon asked). During this conversation, the men of the North get their first encounter of the dragons, scaring them yet putting them in complete awe over the sight. And here we get on of Tyrion’s great one-liners: “I’d say you get use to them, but you don’t.”

Watching from a cliff above is Melisandre (Carice van Houten) who is joined by Varys (Conleth Hill). He is surprised that she was not down greeting the guests. She confessed she did not leave the North on good terms because of mistakes she made, and it would be best to stay away and leave. Vary’s believes she is not finish whispering in the ears of men and agrees she should not return to Westeros. However, she states she will, she must die in this strange country, as does he, and walks away. I’m thinking from the look on his face, he was not too pleased with this.

So finally we get to see Jon and Dany…I mean Her Grace. Now after the looooong introduction from Missandei, I had a good laugh at Davos’ introduction of Jon, “This is Jon Snow. (Pause) He is King of the North.” Er, awkward? Anyway, so the two would-be monarchs (since we do not know who should be the rightful keeper of the throne) banter back and forth (your ancestor bent the knee to my ancestor…well your ancestor burnt my grandfather….don’t judge a daughter by her father’s actions….sure, don’t hold me to an oath of my ancestor? I wasn’t there). So, Dany asks, if Jon’s not here to bend the knee, then what? Jon then explains that they have a bigger issue than Cersi (Lena Headey) and the rest of the Lannister clan: the dead aka White Walkers. Yes, Dany can focus on taking the Iron Throne but she would be ruling over a graveyard. Their lovely conversation was cut short when Varys enters and speaks briefly to her Grace. Dany offers the Northern men food and lodging, stating they are not prisoners…..yet. After they leave, she is informed by the Spider that their Dornish allies’ fleet has been attacked and that the fate of the Snakes and Greyjoys are unknown.

Well, not to us, as we see Theon (Alfie Allen) pulled out of the water…and Euron (Pilou Asbæk) leading Yara (Gemma Whelan), Ellaria (Indira Varma), and Tyene (Rosabell Laurenti Sellers) through the angry street of Kings Landing, similar to Cersi’s last season….yet with clothing. Proud and cocky Euron arrives in the throne room, presenting his gifts to the “Queen.” She agrees to give him what his heart desired, after the war is won (with complete disgust on her face). Feeling pretty good about himself, then asks Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) is he has any advice on the best way to please the queen…in bed. I mean, we saw that low blow coming, right?

Now Cersi has her daughter’s killer in her claws. Talking woman to woman, mother to mother about the love she had for Myrcella (Nell Tiger Free), the pain of losing her daughter. But how best to pay back the mother Snake? Well, you’ve heard of the term, an eye for an eye? How about a kiss for a kiss? Yup, Cersi plants one on the lips of Tyene, poisoning her with the same poison that killed Myrcella. Well, the best that Qyburn (Anton Lesser) could make…..however may not work as quickly as the Sand Snakes’. So to really get revenge, Ellaria gets to watch Tyene slowly suffer and die…from opposite sides of their cell. We knew Cersi was a cruel woman but to do this? Okay, who are we kidding. I know that I can be a pretty vindictive person, but Cersi is definitely the taker of the cake, which is entertaining. Does that make me a bad person?

Now after serving up a nice dish of revenge, what more could Cersi want but a nice relaxing evening with her brother. She returns to Jamie’s bed for a passionate night (which he does not refuse) and allows herself to be seen in the morning by a servant, dressed only in her robe and Jamie in bed, slightly embarrassed like a teenage boy just caught by his parents. He does not approve of Cersi’s morning antics while she states, “I am Queen so basically I don’t give a [enter your choice of an explicit word] if people know I’m sleeping with my brother.” Okay, well she didn’t say that exactly but that is her new opinion now. By the look on the servants’ faces (a bit shocked), I do wonder how quickly the rumor mill will start turning and if Cersi’s “in your face” behavior will bite her later on. People can only love the Lannisters for so long, or at least tolerate them.

Meanwhile, up in Winterfell, Petyr Baelish (Aidan Gillen) is overeagerly following Sansa like a desperate puppy as she manages in Jon’s absence, when she is informed someone has come to the gate. It’s that OMG moment of the happy reunion between Arya (Maisie Williams) and her sister….but not. It’s Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) and Meera (Ellie Kendrick). I mean, do not get me wrong, it is good to see all the Starks coming back together (assuming Arya makes it back without a detour), but Bran is my least favorite one. I tend to find his story line annoying. But he is back and I’m sure that his Three-Eyed Raven skills will be of some use later this season but not as the ruler of the North. Sansa offers it to him, since he is the sole (legitimate) male heir of the Stark family, but he refuses. He is the Three-Eyed Raven, and, sadly no longer the little brother that Sansa once knew. Through the series, we have watched each of the children grow and change, however of all of them, Bran has the most, the burden (if you want to consider his ability that, the knowledge that he is weighed down with) basically aging and killing off the innocent child he was before he had to flee Winterfell. When he notices her sadness, and tries to show some “normal” compassion, he upsets her, causing her to bolt, when he commented on how beautiful she was in her white wedding dress….to Ramsay.

But on a happier note, Ser Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen) is cured!! Thanks to Sam Tarly’s (John Bradley) stubbornness and deciding to ignore ArchMaester Ebrose (Jim Broadbent), Jorah is no longer a scaly man but now he is free to seek out his love…I mean his Queen, Daenerys. Happily Sam gets to stay at the Citidel, since the ArchMaester is pleased….but he also has some hard cleaning duties ahead. But he should be proud of himself. Sam did not get sick with the Greyscale an endured the fun of chiseling it off of Ser Jorah, which could not have been a fun job or view.

Back at Dragonstone, what is it you really want, Jon Snow? He explains to Tyrion the need for the dragonglass to help his men fight the White Walkers. The hand of the Queen explains to her, let him have it, if anything, you will show some good faith and maybe make an a valuable ally. So she does. Will this make a friend? Er…hard to say. Dany doesn’t always rub people the right way…

Now with all the excitement happening around Westeros, what about Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson) and the Unsullied and their attack of Casterly Rock? Well, as Tyrion described to Dany and Missandeiere, they were successful in getting into the fortress….but to what? Those crafty Lannisters left the place with a small army to “tease” them while positioning themselves in Highgarden Euron’s fleet destroyed Dany’s ships, leaving Grey Worm stranded in a dead city with no provisions. Helpless.

And why Highgarden? Well, they are wealthy and this could allow Cersi to pay off their debt to the Iron Bank. Plus, they can kill off one of my favorite characters. Who doesn’t love Olenna Tyrell (Diana Rigg)? Now Jaime doesn’t seem too thrilled to do his next job, but for the rest of us (and even Olenna) well worth it. We all know she is going to die, but how will he do it? And what does this sharp tongue woman have to say for her final scene?

Plenty.

Oh we know Cersi is a monster, but will Jaime ever realize this before its too late to save himself? Oh, and by the way, I enjoyed killing your son. “Tell Cersi. I want her to know it was me.”

Boom!

So now Jaime knows that Tyrion is innocent…on this murder (yes still loving Tywin Lannister’s (Charles Dance) death on the his own wooden throne….) but will Olenna’s speech effect Jaime where it counts, maybe his head and not his pants? His sister is no good, and we have seen a kinder side of Jaime in the past with the Starks and Brienne (Gwendoline Christie). Hopefully something sticks.

But for now, we must wait…

[ftb username=’SciFi4Me’]