GAME OF THRONES: Time To Reshuffle The Deck

Episode 65  “Eastwatch”
Written by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss
Directed by Matt Shakman 

Not too shabby of an episode this week. I like to call it a “let’s move the characters around into their new scene” show. Basically, they have something important to say and then move on, setting up for the next batch of major events. But it doesn’t mean that it was any less important. It’s these types of shows that you have to pay attention to some of the little details.

First off, Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) is alive thanks to Bronn (Jerome Flynn) flying through the air and knocking his silly butt off his horse before becoming a bar-b-que dinner for Drogon. Yeah, I’m calling him a silly butt, which he is and Brom even tells him that before pointing out that the only being that is allowed to kill Jaime is him. Not that Jaime is grateful to Brom for saving him. I do love that when Jaime points out that this battle was only with one dragon, that they can’t win against them, and Cersi (Lena Headey) needs to know, Brom is like, dude, that’s totally you, good luck. He tends to have some great moments.

Now that Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) has won her first battle in Westeros, it’s time to flex her muscles a bit with her captives. She gives the mixed army of Lannister and Highgarden men the option of bending the knee or die. Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) tries to have her soften her punishment but she won’t have anything to do with it. Only two decide they’d rather die than bend the knee: Sam Tarly’s (John Bradley) father and brother. So she kills them….well actually Drogon burns them to a crisp. And the rest of the army? They bend the knee.

When Jaime returns to King’s Landing he not only has the fun task of telling Cersi about the battle with Dany, that they can’t win this, but also Olenna Tyrell’s (Diana Rigg) dirty little secret about Joffrey (which we are still applauding. He was annoying.) She doesn’t believe him. Love how Jaime was like, uh, if you were Olenna, who would you have your granddaughter marry Joffrey or Tommen? Who would Margaery better control and make Olenna the true ruler of the seven kingdoms? Oooh, yes, smart one you are Jaime. Nice way to really kick Cersi when down.

Back on Dragonstone, Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) greets Dany as she returns. I really like this scene, Drogon lands and crawls up to Jon like a shy kitten, head down, slow, and cautious. Jon carefully removes his glove and pets the dragon on the nose, almost to Dany’s surprise. Now in my own mind, where these two become a thing, it’s that, “meet the kid” moment. But this is short lived as Ser Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen) is presented to the Queen. So let’s start the odd little crush triangle here. Jorah has always had eyes for Dany. And Dany is not stupid about this. I know I’m maybe wishing too much with Jon and her, but this does present a fun little story line to be played out.

And killing my mood is a little scene with Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) as the three-eyed crow flying over the White Walker army. Ravens away, in which the maesters at the Citadel question the legitimacy of the raven from Winterfell.  Sam tries to convince them that the White Walkers do exist. But they will have nothing to do with Sam.

On Dragonstone, Jon learns that his siblings are still alive and he needs to head back and fight. But how can they leave Cersi in the South? Well, let’s prove the White Walkers are real, let’s drop one in the middle of Kings Landing and prove they exisit. Now Jorah offers to go but why would the men of the North follow him? Well, they won’t according to Jon.

Wait, what?!?!!

That is exactly the look Dany gives Jon (you slowly watch her mouth drop, like whispering No.). And behind her, Sir Jorah, realizing that he just lost her attention. Nice. I’m sure that he truly wants to be the best servant to the Queen (in many ways) and he did get brownie points with her, but I think Jon won this little battle. He is doing this for his men, his North. Plus that intense stare between the two royals? I’m curious how her beaus will play once they are on the other side of the wall.

Speaking of the wall, how is Sansa (Sophie Turner) handling her temporary ruler position? Not too well according to Arya (Maisie Williams), but she gets that Sansa is playing the game. Play nice with the other families while Jon is away…and if he doesn’t return, Sansa will have them in her pocket still.

Tyrion and Davos (Liam Cunningham) land on a beach outside King’s Landing. Davos heads to the smithy in Fleabottom and finds Gendry (Joe Dempsie), one of King Robert’s bastard boys. He is thrilled that Davos has returned to take him away. Gendry is ready to fight.

Meanwhile, Tyrion heads to the Red Keep where Brom leads Jaime to a secret meeting with him. And Jaime is not too pleased. Remember, last time these two were together, Jaime was helping the dwarf escape…after killing their father on his chamber pot. He had no choice; their father was going to kill him for being a small pain in his back end. Tyrion tells Jaime, as a military man, he knows that Dany will win. However, Tyrion’s Queen wants to meet with Jaime’s Queen. I wish that they had not cut the scene when Tyrion was going to explain the plan to bring a White Walker to this side of the wall. One, the “are you crazy, these are just myths” look and lecture and two, the “are you crazy bringing a monster (if they exist) here?” look and lecture. As Tyrion has pointed out, Jaime’s smart, so you know his red flags (with lions) are waving like crazy.

Jaime returns to Cersi to confess of his meeting with their brother and tell her about Daenerys’ grand plan. However, Cersi already knows of the meeting since nothing gets past her in King’s Landing. She believes that partnering with the Dragon Queen would be good. Keep your friends close and keep your enemies closer. And why this change of heart? She’s is expecting Jaime’s fourth child…wait, didn’t the fortune teller tell the teenage Cersi she would have three children who would die? We can count, right? She also did say that someone younger and more beautiful would come and take away everything that was important to her. Yes, Dany’s younger and prettier (and has a better wig) but could the prophecy be wrong? We will find out. Jaime seems pretty happy; his sheepish look when he found out was pretty good, and cute, even if they are siblings who are expecting. Though he seems more genuinely happy than her but maybe she doesn’t know more than her resting “plotting against the world” face.

So Davos brings Gendry to meet Jon. Now Davos wants him to keep his parentage to himself, but like most kids, Jon doesn’t listen. He introduces himself to the King and announces he’s Robert’s bastard. It’s cute how Davos just stands there with his “I told you not to say anything” face through the whole conversation between the two bastards. But it leads to a fun back and forth, I remember your father was fat, I remember your father was tall. But who cares, they were buddies who fought and won together. I’ll play with you guys. And so he joins in the group heading to the other side of the wall to bring back a White Walker.

The Queen joins them on the beach as they get ready to head out.  She tells Sir Jorah they should be better at saying farewell. I have an odd feeling about the way this plays out. Sir Jorah may meet his end. He healed up fast enough to allow him to serve his Queen one last time. The looks they gave each other, him turning back for that one last glance at her. It’s almost as if they know this will be the last time they are together. Sure we can hope not. I have always liked Jorah, but he is in the way of Jon-arys (does that work?)

Up north, Arya is up to her sneaky ways around Winterfell. She doesn’t quite trust Petyr Baelish (Aidan Gillen), and do you blame her? She sees him paying off a maid, chatting a few men, receiving a scroll, clarifying that “this is the only one?” What does Little Finger have up his sleeve? Arya decides to find out and searches his room. She finds the note that Sansa had sent to her family while in King’s Landing, the one stating her father was a traitor and that Robb should bend the knee. So why is this of importance for Petyr? And more curiously, why did he set up Arya to find it? Yup, that’s right. We all saw him watching her leave his room. One could say he’s trying to protect Sansa, but let’s be real, the only skin Petyr Baelish is out to save is his own. And Arya has fallen right into his trap.

Speaking of traps, a quick glance at Sam back at the Citidel. Why do you say trap? Well the one that is on top of his shoulders. Sam decides to pack up and leave. He has become frustrated with his place there. No one listens, he keeps become distracted from trying to find a way to defeat the Night King, but even worse? Fails to listen to Gilly (Hannah Murray). When she asked him what annulment was, she continued reading that Rhaegar Targaryen had his marriage to Elia Martell annulled and soon after was married to another in a secret ceremony in Dorne…Could that be Lyanna Stark? Jon’s mother? (oh come on folks, you know it’s true) So in reality, he’s more King of the Seven Kingdoms than Daenerys….half Targaryen…half Stark….is this why Drogon didn’t tear him limb from limb?….

So now Jon has returned to the North. He meets up with Tormund (Kristofer Hivju) at Eastwatch to explain what they are going to do. He’s a little confused at first with the royal players at hand (the one with the dragons or the one that f—s her brother?) but gets on board. He takes Jon’s party to the cells below and introduces them to his prisoners, The Hound (Roy McCann), Beric Dondarrion (Richard Dormer), and Thoros (Paul Kaye). They join in with the party to round up a White Walker.

And off they go.

So now what? How will this play out? Can these seven men play nice just long enough to convince the rest of Westeros the North is not nuts? There are only two more episodes left in this season, and you know that they will get the audience so wound up and leave us hanging till the final end of the show.