Daenrys watches a fight during last night's episode of Game of Thrones. Photo/HBO
Daenrys watches a fight during last night's episode of Game of Thrones. Photo/HBO
Four Game of Thrones fans - Russell Baillie, Chris Schulz, Robert Smith and Karl Puschmann - share their thoughts on season five's seventh episode, The Gift.
* THIS STORY CONTAINS SPOILERS.
Lady Olenna vs the High Sparrow
After last week's unfortunate wedding night scene, it appears the Sansa and Ramsay honeymoon has carried on like it started. And there's no sign of Ramsay getting any sort of comeuppance any time soon, what with him having twigged to Sansa asking Reek/Theon for help and flaying another servant alive for good measure.
Though Sansa has grabbed something - hopefully a really really sharp something - on a rare excursion outside her chambers.
During her wander around the walls she was also able to verbally needle her husband-tormentor about his dubious status as the future Lord of Winterfell due to the impending arrival of a half-brother.
Meanwhile, warrior woman and Sansa's supposed protector Brienne waits - cue shot of her fretful face and cut! - outside Winterfell.
Sansa wasn't the only woman of Westeros having a bad time of it in this episode, one of many memorable scenes, increasingly bad weather, plenty of dungeons but no dragons.
Cersei went visiting disgraced daughter-in-law Margaery, who didn't appreciate the gesture, in her cell. But it wasn't long before Cersei too was incarcerated, her cousin-turned-monk having told of her past sins.
It seems Cersei's plan to use the zealots of the Faith Militant to put King's Landing back under her thumb has backfired severely. And the mighty have much more falling to do yet.
All that came with a great prelude - the riveting scene between Lady Olenna (Dame Diana Rigg) and the High Sparrow (Jonathan Pryce, this season's MVP).
She attempted to threaten the priest with her economic influence on King's Landing's food supply, he threw it back in her face with political reality about what happens the many stop fearing the few.
A scene from last night's episode of Game of Thrones. Photo/HBO
The exchange was an acting high-point for this season so far, really. You could set aside the usual suspension of disbelief and just enjoy the characters made real by two terrific veteran actors. Yes, watching a couple of old folk bicker was the odd highlight of this episode.
In other developments, Tyrion finally got to meet Daenerys after Jorah finally got him to Mereen after being sold into gladiatorial slavery and sent to the city's re-opened fighting pits.
Meanwhile, up at Castle Black, Sam almost got himself killed trying to protect Gilly from two of his supposed comrades. The situation only saved when Jon Snow's direwolf, Ghost, turned up looking like his owner had forgotten to make feeding arrangements while he was off north of The Wall, gathering up the Wildings.
Anyway, Gilly tended Sam's wounds then showed her appreciation by gently deflowering the lad. A scene involving consensual non-incestual non-financial sex between anyone who isn't Daenerys is a rare thing.
But his episode had something rarer: At Castle Black, wise and ancient Master Aemon Targaryen, died of old age.
That doesn't happen a lot in Westeros. Wouldn't want to start a trend.
- Russell Baillie (latter day convert to the show, hasn't read the books)
He dreamed he was old
All of the main players in the Game Of Thrones know all about the only two rules - you win or you die - so much so, they can't even comprehend that there is a third way. You can choose not to play it at all, and when the crown is offered, you can turn it down.
Maester Aemon Targaryen did just that: when offered the Iron Throne, he turned it down. In a world where megalomaniacs slaughter thousands to get close to that throne room, he said no, stuck to his vows, and gave the kingdom to his younger brother.
He would have been a fantastic king, wise and kind and honourable, and it's entirely possible that all the horror and death and destruction seen in this story would never have happened at all if he had taken the crown, and that was just part of his deep regret and pain.
A scene from last night's episode of Game of Thrones. Photo/HBO
He lost everybody he loved, but he still did his duty. Even when his line was wiped out, he did his duty. His last regret was that he could do nothing to help Danearys, his last blood relative, as far as he knew.
There aren't many characters like Maester Aemon in Game Of Thrones, and with his passing, we're unlikely to see his kind again. His lessons have been gratefully learned by Sam, (who proves that after facing a white walker, he really isn't scared of a couple of bullies), but his wise advice is already being ignored by his other brothers in black.
Even with the blood of the dragon, Aemon wouldn't be angry about that, but he would be very, very disappointed.
- Robert Smith (has read every book, watched every episode, owns several T-shirts, but is still trying to get his head around the whole Blackfyre thing)
It's good to be the King. Well, it's supposed to be anyway. You've got all the glory, all the money, all the power. You got a cool pad, a dope throne, nice duds and a sweet crown ... You got it going on is what I'm saying.
So what the hell is King Tommen playing at? Dude does not have it going on. I'd say he's going off but that doesn't work as the connotations are far too positive.
A scene from last night's episode of Game of Thrones. Photo/HBO
As a leader he's not. Torn between the love for his mother and the sweet lovin' of his wife he flip-flops through their respective power-plays like a suffocating fish. Instead of acting like a King he allows himself be pushed around by whoever happens to be presenting an agenda at the time.
Yes, he's young but come on... when a bunch of crazies lock up your wife in their filthy prison cell what you do is gather up the troops and go and get her. You rain down great vengeance and furious anger and you don't stop doing so until your Queen is once again sitting comfortably by your side and her jailer's heads are sitting uncomfortably on turnpikes out in the main square.
Tommen's rescue attempt last week was pathetic. Gathering only half a dozen soldiers he didn't even make it to the door of the Sparrow's base, instead getting staunched out by a bunch of barefooted schmoes in robes at the entrance way and looking like a royal wally rather than a heroic rescuer. It was an ignoble retreat.
His magnificent display of majestic impotence no doubt paved the way for this week's incarceration of his dear mother Cersei. The Sparrows sensed weakness and, in a pretty damned bold coup, struck, seizing Cersei and throwing her in the slammer as well.
Yes, she had it coming. Arming the Sparrows in the first place and granting them free reign to hassle the King's Landing's vast sinning citizenry with immunity did not show much forward thinking. She's been above the law for so long it's no surprise she forgot her, er, lifestyle choices are well below the acceptable limits laid down by pretty much everyone, let alone the strict guidelines of the Gods.
Sadly Cersei did such a good job convincing Tommen not to take up arms against the Sparrows when he wanted too that she now faces the very real prospect that he will leave her there to rot.
Her grave (and, at the time, self-serving) warning that sending the Royal army to storm the Sparrows would incite a religious war that would tear the city apart was reluctantly taken on board.
"But I am the King!" he whined, following her advice not to take action.
Yes, Tommen, you are. And now it's time to start acting like it. Your wife and your mother are both behind bars. Time to man up, son, and go get them back.
Because if you don't, you're going to have an extremely bad time as King.
- Karl Puschmann (Still foolishly believes that one day he will actually sit down and read the books)
Smirky smirk smirk
If there's one thing that Thrones actress Lena Headey has nailed, it's the knowing smile that lights up Cersei Lannister's face whenever she's scored a win. The way the corners of her mouth turn up slightly and her evil eyes glint, kind of like a cat that not only got the cream, it just inherited an entire dairy factory and spends its time bathing in a spa full of the good stuff from Lewis Road Creamery.
A scene from last night's episode of Game of Thrones. Photo/HBO
It's been a while since we've seen Westeros' most conniving woman get any comeuppance, probably around the time Joffrey was poisoned at the world's second worst wedding near the beginning of season four. Holy wow, was that only one season ago? Seems like a long time.
But this episode saw Cersei get dealt her very own dish of cold revenge veal. Seeing the smirk being wiped off her face as she was thrown into jail by the High Sparrow had me smirking from the couch - and clapping and cheering as well. Hell, let's throw in a Wendy Petrie fist pump too.
He started off boring the hell out of me, but the High Sparrow had some of this episode's best lines, especially during his war of words with Lady Olenna. It would take a great wordsmith to knock that wise old firecracker back a peg or two, but the High Sparrow did it - all while cleaning some dirty steps.
As long as there are more scenes like this, I can handle Brienne sitting on the sidelines for a little while longer. But I hope the giant battle babe gets something better to do than stare sadly at a brick turret waiting for Sansa to light a candle. That's gotta get boring after a while.
- Chris Schulz (only watches Game of Thrones for scenes involving the amazing Gwendoline Christie, aka Brienne of Tarth, aka the greatest woman on Earth)
