So itās Tuesday, and another episode of Thrones has been assimilated into the olā noggin. A good episode, which concentrates itself on the aftermath of last weekās events at Castle Black. Jon Snow is up and about and remembers everything up until the point of his death. The early part of the episode is spent bringing him up to speed.
Melisandre wastes no time in proclaiming that the newly resurrected Jon Snow must be the prince that was promised, having put her chips on Stannis the last time around. Perhaps sheās finally betting on the right horse. In another Bran flashback, weāre transported back to Ned Starkās teens, to an important battle seen as the lynchpin of the R+L=J, the long propagated fan theory that Jon Snow isnāt Nedās kid at all, and is instead the offspring of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lianna Stark. Thereās precedent for Targaryens having multiple wives, so Jon Snow might not even be a bastard. Could be the legitmate gods damned heir to the throne.
Speaking of gods, we were back in the Sept for another confrontation between Jonathan Priceās High Sparrow and King Tommen the impotent. The dispute is over whether Cersei gets to visit her daughterās grave, located on religious grounds. The High Sparrow is having none of it, saying she needs to atone fully for her sins. Tommen thinks she had atoned enough, but itās clear from the conversation that the religious types are attempting to share power at least, or take it. No-one in the Red Keep is going to be too happy with that. I would expect some murder involving another recent resurrectee, Ser Gregor, as he was referred to in this episode. Actually, I hate the sparrows. I demand some murder.
The creator of the zombie mountain, struck off maester Qyburn, assumes control of Varisā junior network of spies, known as the little birds. Cersei instructs him to widen the network to cover all of the seven kingdoms, mostly because she wants to kill people that speak ill of her.
Over in Meereen, the O.V. (Original Varis, yo) is conducting schemes of his own, aiming to consolidate Daenerysā rule by chopping the head off the Sons of the Harpy, the secretive guerilla organisation causing all of the instability in the city. Itās a beautiful illustration of the way Varis employs his power - civilised, logical and menacing - but with a way out. Good to see the Spider weaving webs again.
Daenerys herself is presented to the widows of dead Khals, where she is supposed to have been since the death of Khal Drogo. This is a complication. She faces a life locked up with the widows or a fate even worse, assuming some solution doesnāt swoop in from the sky and arrange a giant Dothraki cookout.
We see Arya become more proficient as a blind fighter, and delve into her past, before finally being given an antidote which cures her blindness. A girls story needs to move the fuck on right now. A boy is getting bored.
Up in Winterfell, the Bastard takes delivery of two interesting hostages, Rickon Stark, one of the remaining and legitimate Stark heirs. I really donāt fancy his chances in the doghouse. Also back is wildling Osha, who remains as eminently fanciable as she always has been.
Finally, we end up back at the Wall. The perpetrators of Jonās murder are on the gallows, each given a chance for last words. The really controversial thing about this episode is that one of the condemned is a kid. Not only do they hang him, but they show his suffocated corpse dangling on the rope afterward. The slightly sick thing about that is that most GoT fans will think that he had it coming.
With business wrapped up, Jon Snow takes off his coat and hands it to Dolores Edd, anointing him the new Lord Commander of the watch, marching out of Castle Black saying āMy watch has endedā.
Technically, heās right.
