Game of Thrones, Season 5, Episode 7: response and predictions

So I didn't review last week. The episode was hard and I felt like I spent a lot of energy arguing on OTHER people's public forums as to how things DID go, COULD have gone and SHOULD have gone. So yeah... sorry about that.

5.6 in 30 seconds 

 I WILL say I loved the Hall of Faces in the Arya scenes, thought Iain Glen's facial acting when Jorah learned of his father's death was incredible. I thought they thoroughly botched the Sand Snakes Scene and while I hated the Grey Wedding Night (though the wedding itself was gorgeous and true to the north), I can't see another way a wedding night with Ramsey might have gone. So there.


Now, onto this week.

Oh, Maester Aemon I sobbed through all of this. Seriously more touching to book readers who understand that not only was Aemon the OLDER brother of King Aegon the Unlikely (which means it was offered to Aegon first), he took the black so nobody would threaten his younger brother (with the alternate and older Aemon available as fallback). He was truly selfless.

This death is the only death of old age we've seen on this show. Even old Nan was apparently killed when Ramsey's men sacked the castle from Theon. But we also lose history with him—someone who knew more than anyone alive. He'd had more than one hundred years to accumulate knowledge and had dedicated his life to exactly that. He understood cooperation and respect for the realmS of men. We shall never see his like again.

And how ominous, telling “Gilly-flower” to get her son south, before it's too late.

PREDICTION: A merger with the Stannis story below Sam and Gilly!!!

I have felt these two AT THE WALL strained it all a bit. In the books they aren't under everybody's nose (Sam is sent to take a few people to safety and Gilly and “her” babe are part of it) so it feels more natural. That said, I like the sweetness between them and Sam and his “Oh my”--perfect Sam response... It was sweet sex, rather than graphic sex, which for these two was perfect.

A Sand Snake Scene I can get behind!

 I can forgive the gratuitous boobage. I liked the interaction between Tyene and Bronn. And I liked that they made us fear for Bronn's life, then saved him... or DID they?

 Erm... but they seem to have...

Probably had Bronn been a total ass over there, she would have just let him die, but we all know Bronn is charming...

My problem this whole time (other than bad choreography) is the sand snakes collectively come across cartoonish. One at a time they are much more compelling. I liked this peek at Tyene. Sacrifice your Daughter! No freaking way. Stannis asks Melissandre if she's out of her mind. GO STANNIS!

Want my prediciton here?

 PREDICTION: I think Selyse will make a move to help Melissandre sacrifice Shirene and Stannis will send Davos off to save her. Davos will take her to the wall as Sam realizes he has sapped the wall's resources on how to fight white walkers and he will get sent to Old Town to read more. He will take Shirene, Gilly and Little Sam for their safety.

Echos of Joffrey: "I have something to show you".

Winterfell—OI!

I so wanted a turn around this week, but Theon fell through. The peek of hope was Sansa picking up some small sharp thing from the walkway. CRACKDICTION:  Maybe she will put out Ramsey's eye. That would be good. Want a crackpot rendition? This will happen, then Ramsey will try to hunt her, but on the hunt, Nymeria and her superpack will appear and wipe out Ramsey and his dogs and then carry Sansa off toward the wall. On the plus side, Sansa rubbing the bastard thing in is setting Ramsey up to kill fat Walda.

HOPEDICTION (can't really call it a prediction just yet) THEN she will follow with “there can be another wife and another son” so Ramsey will kill Roose... Or I hope...


King's Landing

Lady Olenna ROCKS. She always rocks, but man, the High Sparrow sure is inscrutible. Hard to deal with someone who has no price. And then we get Littlefinger admitting he gave Cersie Oliver, but to pay it back, he gives Olenna a handsome boy (Lancel). And MAN, did THAT pay off. Oh, Cersei... How could you NOT see this coming? Everybody else did. You were warned, even. Littlefinger himself said, “do you think it's wise?”

 Not giving my prediciton here as I've read and am pretty sure I know how this goes... With the church in Croatia protesting that nudity can't be done in a church... what? The episode overall felt a little heavy on set up ad light on payoff, but that final payoff made up for much of it and I am very excited for the final three episodes.

What did you guys think?