My Insight Into Game Of Thrones S7E3

July 31, 2017 ~ BlogHollyBlog ~ 11 Comments

WARNING

The below post will contain spoilers of Season 7 Episode 3 of Game of Thrones. If you have not seen the episode yet and do not want spoilers please DO NOT read on. For everyone else, let’s begin.

Let me start out by saying when I see the four words flash across my screen on Sunday nights I get giddy and don’t pay attention to any social media. Those four lovely words are, “Quiet In The Realm.”

Now just a quick overview of what I will be doing on posts like this. I will not be recapping a full episodes of Game of Thrones (GOT). I will be breaking down plotlines from time to time, going over character dynamics and just pointing out things I was thinking as I watched the show.

Game of Thrones Season 7, Episode 3

Game of Thrones is not letting us down this season! So many momentous and jaw dropping (As if we can still be shocked by this show), moments were dropped on us tonight. It was a wild ride so hold tight.

The introduction to Jon Snow landing on the shores of Dragonstone were very, “Mother of Dragons.” Having a dragon fly over your head and make you drop in terror isn’t the best way to stand your ground, good thing it wasn’t infront of Khaleesi. As we know, Khaleesi, has many titles bestowed upon her from “Mother of Dragons” to “Breaker of chains”. Her introduction to Jon Snow was very long winded and Jon’s was very brief but important, “The King of the North”.

A quick rundown of their interaction is Khaleesi wanted Jon to bow to her and pledge his loyalty, as well as the North, to her but he told her no. Which was kind of disheartening for me because I just want them to become allies already! I do understand why it wouldn’t be so easy for either of them to become best friends forever that quickly. Khaleesi’s father, “The Mad King”, killed both Brandon and Rickard Stark. Rickard was roasted alive in his own body armor and Brandon had a cord put around his neck and sword placed out of his reach. Brandon was struggled to death by his attempts to get to the sword and save his father. All because, “The Mad King”, abducted Lyanna Stark and hide her away in Dorne. So, of course this all makes Jon hesitant in trusting Khaleesi, and not to mention his pledge to the families of the North who appointed him King.

Now- Khaleesi on the other hand, she didn’t trust Jon because he is the ‘Bastard’ son of Ned Stark. She points out that many people have hired assassins throughout her life to kill her, one of those people being Robert Baratheon, who was close friends with Ned and became after her father was killed. (Varys really needs to tell her about how Ned was the ONLY person who tried to talk Robert out of killing her on multiple occasions.) She points out that she shouldn’t trust Jon because of his father’s connection to Robert and putting a “Hit out”, on a baby. Along with the fact that Jon isn’t revoking his title as King of the North when Khaleesi believe she should rule all seven kingdoms, not share the north with Jon Snow. She also seems to not buy that Jon telling her about the White Walkers, that it is a distraction point and refuses to believe him. She also took note of Davos mentioning that he was stabbed in the heart, to which he said it was for his people. Which Tyrion dismissed as a flight of fancy, but it was enough for her to take pause.

So she then takes his boat and strands him on Dragonstone, not holding him imprisoned however, he is free to move about the grounds and the castle. This isn’t completely bad because it gives Tyrion time to convince Khaleesi to allow Jon to mine for the Dragonglass which he seeks to make weapons from. She agrees to this and gives him the men and supplies he needs to accomplish his goals for the Dragonglass. This also gives her an opportunity for a future ally, since she just found out that the Greyjoys and the Dornish women were all captured by Euron and taken to King’s Landing to face Cersei Lannister. On the plus side, we do get two quick scenes at the Citadel. Samwell’s treatment of Jorah Mormont’s Grayscale appears to have been a success! Just in time too, Daenerys needs him now more than ever.

We then get to see Theon rescued from the freezing water and ship wreckage by a ship sent for survivors of the Euron attack. When he’s hauled onto the ship he’s bright blue from spending some time floating around in the cold waves. Theon tries to tell the ship captain and crew that he attempted to save his sister but he lost to his uncle Euron. The captain calls him out on this lie and tells him that they would be dragging a dead body on board the ship if he had attempted to save his sister’s life, then walks away leaving a defeated Theon to shiver on the deck of the ship.

Next, moving to Euron leading the prisoners of his conquest, Yara Greyjoy, Ellaria Sand and her daughter Tyene, through the streets of King’s Landing. It’s funny to me, that the same people that threw rotten food and yelled at Cersei for her walk of shame are now doing the same to these women for a Queen they detested. No matter though, Euron hands over Ellaria and Tyene to Cersei in the throne room in front of all the nobles. He keeps his niece, Yara, which still gives me some hope she can be saved. Cersei takes both the Dornish women and has them gagged and shackled to a wall in a dungeon. As Cersei is talking to both women, mainly Ellaria, I notice that she has this beautiful lipstick on and I’m thinking, “Wow, her lips are popping tonight!”

There is a reason for this, as she tells the women how she has been thinking about killing them she brings up the death of her only daughter, Myrcella. She then proceeds to ask Ellaria why she killed her only daughter, who was her favorite. She then pulls the gag down from Tyene’s face, kisses her, wipes off the lipstick and takes an antidote. Cersei makes sure both women know that Tyene is poisoned and will die and that she plans to make Ellaria watch her daughter die, and then to watch her corpse rot, and that she will keep Ellaria alive for this by any means necessary.

We now see the Unsullied army going to Casterly Rock, where they plan to take over the Lannister castle there. We see the Unsullied fight their way up ladders to the top of the wall, seeing them fall injured and dead, not sure which solider is Grey Worm. We then see a hole in the wall, on a waterway, Tyrion explains he had this put in the wall to sneak in his whores and that was the only reasonable way inside. Grey Worm leads the handful of Unsullied in this way and proceeds to take Casterly Rock by opening the front gates and letting the rest of the Unsullied in. Here’s what we didn’t expect, the Lannister army wasn’t even half of the normal one stationed at their castle. Leaving us asking where did they go?

Of course, this leads to Jamie Lannister leading the bigger part of the army to attack the castle of Olenna Tyrell. Her troops quickly fall to the Lannister army and she herself admits that the Tyrell army aren’t the best fighters. Jamie approaches Olenna, who is sitting aware of her fate. She warns him that Cersei is a curse on him and it will lead to his own death. He then puts poison in her wine and tells her that Cersei wanted a much more horrific death for her, but he talked her into letting him end it this way. Olenna being the badass she has been since day one, grabs the wine, chugs it, then tells Jamie that she killed his son King Joffrey with poison and that she wanted Jamie to tell Cersei. Which I don’t think he will, since Cersei told Euron she would marry him after the war was over and that he pleaded with Cersei for an easier death for Olenna.

I hate to say this but I believe Jamie’s fate is sealed, with everything Olenna pointed out to him before she died, I think he will die because of Cersei. Even though Khaleesi is now without The Greyjoys, Dorne and Tyrell armies. None of this matters though, if no one heeds Jon Snow’s warning of the disaster still to come, the White Walkers.

My Insight Into Game Of Thrones S7E2

July 27, 2017 ~ BlogHollyBlog ~ 3 Comments

WARNING

The below post will contain spoilers of Season 7 Episode 2 of Game of Thrones. If you have not seen the episode yet and do not want spoilers please DO NOT read on. For everyone else, let’s begin.

Game of Thrones Season 7, Episode 2

Even though some people say this was a slow episode, I believe that it had a steady pace. It’s the start of the season so the writers are having to set up the characters and situations they are currently are in. What road they will choose to walk?

Arya had a few scenes in this week’s episode that will lead to a big choice for her character. Sitting in a tavern she is met by a familiar face, Hot Pie. For those who don’t remember him, he is her from we haven’t seen since Season 4- Episode 7. Meeting again unexpectedly, he feeds her and drops the news that Jon Snow is now, Jon Snow “King of the North”. This news causes Arya to give up going to King’s Landing and instead turns back towards home, back to Winterfell.

On her way there, she is making camp with and suddenly finds herself surrounded by a pack of wolves. Arya, at this point, is outnumbered here. Only having her sword and her horse versus about five wolves, which means the odds aren’t looking in her favor. From behind her emerges the leader of the wolf pack, a fully-grown direwolf! That’s right folks, Arya is now face to face with her pet direwolf, Nymeria! The one that she was forced to release into the wild, to save back her life back in Season 1.

Happy to see Nymeria, and for a chance to be saved from her life-threatening situation, Arya puts down her sword and begins talking to the direwolf. She proceeds to tell Nymeria that is she heading home, to Winterfell, and wants the direwolf by her side. Nymeria turns her back on Arya, leaving her. Arya accepts this by stating out loud, “That’s not you.” I believe this makes Arya torn in her decision to continue her journey to Winterfell. When she was younger I believe she would never hesitate to go her home, especially knowing her family is there. But she is not the girl she once was, so I believe she is going to head back towards King’s Landing instead.

Now it’s on to Samwell Tarly (Sam), who is currently at the Citadel. In his brief two-episode journey, Sam has already seen his fair share of human body fluid horrors. Having to clean the bedpans, the full bed pans, of the elderly members of the Citadel to meeting Jorah Mormont, who’s upper body is almost entirely covered with the greyscale disease. This disease is passed just through skin to skin contact with a person that has been infected. The Citadel has marked this disease as too dangerous to treat in the late stages of infection. Since there has only been two people known to be cured and the chance of infection is too high, they send anyone infected to a remote island to live out their days until they go mad from the disease and the greyscale finally consumes their body.

Sam has snuck into Jorah’s room and is now removing the greyscale off his skin, piece by piece. This scene just led to a painful, infected skin looking mess. Even though Sam is getting hit with all the grunt work, he was still able to help Jon Snow. Sam stole the keys to the locked library at the Citadel and took a book that told him that there is a ‘mountain of Dragon Glass’ at Dragonstone, he then quickly sent a raven to Jon to let him know.

Instead of leaving you with a gross video of all the things poor Samwell has had to endure at the Citadel so far, I am going to show you the letter Jorah was writing to Khaleesi when he thought there was no hope left.

This leads to the Greyjoys and the mess they are currently in. Khaleesi sent her nautical fleet lead by Yara Greyjoy to accompany Ellaria Sand and her three daughters Obara, Nymeria and Tyene (the Sand Snakes) back to Dorne. Yara and Ellaria have sworn allegiance to Khaleesi, who then ordered Yara to ferry Ellaria and the Sand Snakes to Drone for more troops. Alas, they weren’t going to make it as Yara’s uncle and now king of the Iron Islands, Euron Greyjoy, ambushes the few ships Yara has. The scene and effects are well done by the effects artists on of Game of Thrones, it was shot beautifully. I’d have to say this was my favorite fight scene visually, but the outcome left me heart broken. Yara’s ships and crew are beaten down, almost too easily, by Euron’s band of merciless pirates. Not only are Yara’s men lost, but the two if the Sand Snake Sisters perish (Obara and Nymeria).

Ellaria and the last remaining Sand Snake Sister, Tyene are captured alive by Euron’s men and taken to their ship. Yara is still fighting even though she sees the defeat of her men all around her by Euron’s men cutting their tongues out, which is a creepy and stomach churning ritual done by the people of the Iron Islands. Yara in her bravery went face to face with her uncle ready to fight for her men, her ships and her life. Euron was the victor of that fight, keeping Yara alive and her tongue intact, for now. The only hope for her rescue now is Theon Greyjoy, his uncle taunts him to come save his sister, who has saved Theon at least two times that we know of. What does Theon do? He stares at the two for a few minutes then cowardly jumps over board grabbing a floating plank of broken ship once in the water. Theon thought he was ready to regain who he was before Ramsay Bolton’s torture of him but when faced with that fear again, flight won over fight. Leaving Ellaria, Tyene and his sister in Euron’s clutches. I believe Euron is going to deliver all three of the woman to Cersei as he promised her a gift in the last episode. While Theon floats helplessly near burning, sinking ships and death, Euron is going to King’s Landing to try and persuade Queen Cersei to be his bride. What a pair those two crazy assholes would make as King and Queen. Jamie Lannister had better watch his back.

My Insight into Game of Thrones S7E1

July 18, 2017 ~ BlogHollyBlog ~ Leave a comment

WARNING

The below post will contain spoilers of Season 7 Episode 1 of Game of Thrones. If you have not seen the episode yet and do not want spoilers please DO NOT read on. For everyone else, let’s begin.

Game of Thrones Season 7, Episode 1

I’m going to start by saying this, I didn’t mind Ed Sheeran’s cameo in this episode. Basically, he had a small role as a Lannister solider. His acting was fine, his singing was fine and the whole situation with Arya was fine. It makes me sad that the internet backlashed on his so much he had to shut down his Twitter account, I mean come on people. My reaction to seeing him on screen was, “Hahaha. Omg it’s Ed Sheeran.” Then I proceeded to watch the show, not focus on who he is outside of GOT.

Onto the actual scene which started like this, he was singing a song amongst other Lannister bannermen, when Arya comes across them on horseback. They invite her for a sit, food and drink. This got me worried, I know Arya can take care of herself, but she was out numbered 6 to 1. With the reputation of any Lannister men they tend to be complete assholes, but this time it was different. I believe Arya’s interaction with these men were to show not everyone who fought for the Lannister army is a die hard, Lannister type. They were kind to her, told her stories of themselves and didn’t make a move to harm her. This also gives Arya a brief moment to be less guarded than she normally would, not that she isn’t paying attention to every move these guys make, she’s not dumb. So, as of now no bloodshed has happened. That said, this GOT, so at any second that could change.

Next, we move to Winterfell, where Jon Snow and Sansa Stark are still in the great hall, addressing the noble families of the north. Jon decides to allow the Umber and Karstark families to align with him again even though both these families sided with Ramsey Bolton last season. Jon is doing this because he knows the ‘Army of the Dead’, White Walkers, are coming and he will need every person available to fight them. Sansa takes immediate issue with this, which makes me think she’s taken some notes from Cersei Lannister. She disagrees with Jon in front of everyone causing a moment of tension between the two. If you pay attention, the camera pans to LittleFinger, who is more than happy to see this happen. Jon Snow who is not just “Ned Stark’s Bastard” anymore. The King of the North speaks his peace and the two, young heads of the Umber and Karstark families pledge loyalty to House Stark. Sansa later tells Jon he will be a good king which is a nice make up.

However, I believe these two need to have a serious talk. They both have different understandings of the enemies that surround them. Sansa knows the Lannisters, especially Cersei, all too well and she needs to warn Jon not to trust Littlefinger. She has grown up a lot since season one and the people she had to survive through has taught her a thing or two that can help Jon out. Now on the other hand, Jon was on the Wall with the Crows. He was killed, brought back to life by the Red Witch, and saw the White Walkers first hand. Basically, they need to lay it all out to each other and have trust in each other. I’m hoping that jealously, and Littlefinger, don’t get in the way of their alliance.

Who could forget about my favorite, hopefully soon to be a couple, Brienne of Tarth and Tormund Giantsbane a renowned leader of the Wildlings. I believe the sparks are there and Tormund has no issue with hiding his attraction to Brienne. This makes her uncomfortable for a few reasons; she still is leery of him because of him being a wildling. In her sworn oath to protect Sansa this would be an issue because he could become a threat to her, which means Brienne would step up and have to fight Tormund. There’s also the fact that Brienne has been mocked her whole life for being too, “Manly” and wanting to fight as, “Men do”. She’s not used to people showing attraction to her especially so bluntly which makes her feel awkward and unsure how to handle the attention. Then there is the lingering feelings she has for Jamie Lannister, he did allow her to escape after all, which saved her life. Will ‘Briemund’ be a thing? I and the rest of the kingdom hope so!

Now, we get to Jamie Lannister. Oh Jamie, how much I want to like you, but you make it so hard. At the end of last season, I thought he had enough of Cersei’s self-serving bullshit. When he found out that King Tommen, his son secretly, committed suicide because of his mother Cersei’s actions, I thought that was the straw that would topple the castle. Then I realize a few things, outside of my wanting him to win me over completely. He still loves her, even after all the shit she has done and all their kids she has intentionally or unintentionally killed. They are the last of the house of Lannister, besides Tyrion Lannister, who Cersei wanted killed but Jamie saved; only to have him join up with Khaleesi and become her top advisor. Also, if Jamie were to leave he would have nowhere to go. The other houses would not be accepting of him, everyone would be out to put his head on a pike, especially without the protection of the crown. He is stuck now trying to keep his head above water while trying to save a drowning kingdom. He needs to be careful though, because Cersei will shove his head underwater if it means keeping her newly obtained crown. Is there a chance that Jamie will be redeemed from all he has done for Cersei? Only time will tell.