# Game of Thrones 5.10 "Mother's Mercy" 6/14/15 \[Show Discussion\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 14, 2015, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-5-10-mothers-mercy-6-14-15-show-discussion/722526 "2015-06-14T19:32:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-5-10-mothers-mercy-6-14-15-show-discussion/722526/181 "2015-06-15T16:58:34Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Well, she did mention that there was no food and asked Drogon to find them some dinner. It might be as simple as she was hoping to find something to eat. Maybe. But she’s no outdoorsman, she doesn’t even have a knife. She knows nothing about the local edible plants. Again, this shows that she has good intentions but is cripplingly foolish. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-5-10-mothers-mercy-6-14-15-show-discussion/722526/182 "2015-06-15T17:05:39Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Maybe. But she’s no outdoorsman, she doesn’t even have a knife. She knows nothing about the local edible plants. Again, this shows that she has good intentions but is cripplingly foolish. So anyone who is not a fool is just going to sit around and starve? If nothing else, she would be able to recognize fresh water, which she can’t wait very long for. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-5-10-mothers-mercy-6-14-15-show-discussion/722526/183 "2015-06-15T17:14:10Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > So anyone who is not a fool is just going to sit around and starve? If nothing else, she would be able to recognize fresh water, which she can’t wait very long for. Well that, and it’s doesn’t exactly take Daniel Boone to find some berries in a mountain meadow environment or maybe even catch a fish, freshwater clams/mussels, etc. ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-5-10-mothers-mercy-6-14-15-show-discussion/722526/184 "2015-06-15T17:14:12Z")
I guess even in Westeros burning your daughter alive is frowned upon. The shocked look on Stannis’ and Melisandre’s faces was priceless. Even though I hope Stannis is dead, I can see Brienne sparing him for reason. Maybe to aid her in freeing Sansa. Theon is dog food, probably literally, given Ramsey’s proclivities. Sansa is probably 50/50. One of the things I love about GoT I also hate. The characters can be all to human. As a viewer I want/expect the people on the show to mostly put aside their petty differences once the greater threat is acknowledged, but even real people don’t always do that. Now Jon is a pin-cushion, Stannis is broken and Winter is Coming. I’m almost rooting for the White Walkers at this point. And who’s to say the WWs don’t have a legitimate grievance? So far we’ve only seen the humans POV. 🙂 ETA: I loved Drogon’s act. “I love you, mom and I saved you, but I’m still mad. I’m taking a nap!” So like a rebellious child. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-5-10-mothers-mercy-6-14-15-show-discussion/722526/185 "2015-06-15T17:22:11Z")
> [@G0sp3l](#): > > Arya Stark, the most lovable psychopath ever. You know, I used to think that Arya might turn out to be the Stark who knits it all together for the Starks after the Red Wedding, but lately her plans seem to consist entirely of killing everyone on her list. So, yes, lovable psychopath. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-5-10-mothers-mercy-6-14-15-show-discussion/722526/186 "2015-06-15T17:24:04Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Maybe. But she’s no outdoorsman, she doesn’t even have a knife. She knows nothing about the local edible plants. Again, this shows that she has good intentions but is cripplingly foolish. What? Daario identified all kinds of plants for her, remember? ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-5-10-mothers-mercy-6-14-15-show-discussion/722526/187 "2015-06-15T17:24:39Z")
Ok, I didn’t read the comments. I’m unhappy with this episode. Even if they intended to turn everything around and let us on a dozen of cliffhangers, they shouldn’t have packed everything in only one episode. All these scenes (except the part about Cersei, I think, possibly Mereen) needed more time. They should have produced an extra long episode if they really were bent on showing all this in the last one. What I’ve the biggest issue with : Stannis. _If_ he’s dead, then his whole storyline, spread over 4 episodes, was completely pointless. So, I hope he isn’t. But at the same time it would make full sense that he is. Also : Brienne is worthless. She has to be born under a bad star. Never accept an oath from her. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-5-10-mothers-mercy-6-14-15-show-discussion/722526/188 "2015-06-15T17:25:08Z")
> [@lriemann](#): > > Though glad to see uncle Benjen back, I found his performance rather wooden. Jon: “Are we done stabbing me? Can we question that board now?” ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-5-10-mothers-mercy-6-14-15-show-discussion/722526/189 "2015-06-15T17:28:20Z")
> [@Emiliana](#): > > I’m assuming that Cersei will have the option of trial by combat, as is the custom in Westeros. ZombieGregor won’t need to take all of Westeros out, just whoever the Sparrows put up against him. It’s going to be the Hound. Clegane Bowl 2016. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-5-10-mothers-mercy-6-14-15-show-discussion/722526/190 "2015-06-15T17:43:58Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > You know, I used to think that Arya might turn out to be the Stark who knits it all together for the Starks after the Red Wedding, but lately her plans seem to consist entirely of killing everyone on her list. So, yes, lovable psychopath. Her list is down to just Cersei isn’t it? oh, Walder Frey too, he might die of old age before she gets around to it though. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Prize](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d2c977/32.png) [@Sir\_Prize](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Prize)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-5-10-mothers-mercy-6-14-15-show-discussion/722526/191 "2015-06-15T17:49:31Z")
Bran’s warging skills got amped after he was crippled. Will the same happen for Arya. I can Sansa and Theon on the run with Ramsey bearing down when suddenly Arya’s wolf saves the day, either because Arya was warging or because Arya’s wolf remembers Sansa. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-5-10-mothers-mercy-6-14-15-show-discussion/722526/192 "2015-06-15T17:55:22Z")
In some ways I could get behind this being the “Last Days of Westeros” and is the story the people in Essos tell. “Do you know there’s a land in the west, across the sea? It used to be like Essos. It had kingdoms and knights and heroes. Now it belongs to the dead…and that’s why we built dragon stone walls around our cities.” ---
**Author:** ![twhitt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@twhitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twhitt)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-5-10-mothers-mercy-6-14-15-show-discussion/722526/193 "2015-06-15T18:04:44Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > Ok, I didn’t read the comments. > I’m unhappy with this episode. Even if they intended to turn everything around and let us on a dozen of cliffhangers, they shouldn’t have packed everything in only one episode. All these scenes (except the part about Cersei, I think, possibly Mereen) needed more time. They should have produced an extra long episode if they really were bent on showing all this in the last one. > > What I’ve the biggest issue with : Stannis. _If_ he’s dead, then his whole storyline, spread over 4 episodes, was completely pointless. So, I hope he isn’t. But at the same time it would make full sense that he is. I had less issue with this than with other deaths, like Rob’s. Stannis’s plot line set him against legitimate opponents who had motivation to see him undone, and large part of his failure was his own responsibility, shown unfolding over the course of those four episodes. His story led him to this point, which is rare for this show. > [@](#): > > Also : Brienne is worthless. She has to be born under a bad star. Never accept an oath from her. I laughed out loud a couple times this season when Brienne missed her goal by yards or seconds based on some pretty reasonable confounding factors - like when she passed right by Sansa in her carriage, or in this episode with the candle. It’s comedy at this point. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-5-10-mothers-mercy-6-14-15-show-discussion/722526/194 "2015-06-15T18:15:45Z")
> [@twhitt](#): > > I had less issue with this than with other deaths, like Rob’s. Stannis’s plot line set him against legitimate opponents who had motivation to see him undone, and large part of his failure was his own responsibility, shown unfolding over the course of those four episodes. His story led him to this point, which is rare for this show. Robb didn’t have legitimate opponents with motivation to see him undone? Of course he did. He was playing the game of thrones. And his death was also his own undoing since he decided to forsake his arranged marriage in favor of some other, prettier girl he fell in love with. That, plus Lord Tywin offering Frey his support for doing what he did was plenty enough reason to kill him. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-5-10-mothers-mercy-6-14-15-show-discussion/722526/195 "2015-06-15T18:20:45Z")
> [@Sam\_Lowry](#): > > But what exactly happened with her turning blind? Is it a supernatural thing where she pissed off the Many-Faced God and he blinded her? Or that one of the others drugged her somehow? Just before Arya goes blind, Jaqen (or the person we last see wearing the face we know as Jaqen 🙂 ) says to her, “The faces are for no one. You are still someone. And to someone, the faces are as good as poison.” So while it definitely appears that there is something supernatural going on with Jaqen and the faces, it may also be that Arya’s (and therefore our) perception of what exactly was happening as she pulled the faces off the body on the floor was affected by the “poison” working on her. ---
**Author:** ![twhitt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@twhitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twhitt)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-5-10-mothers-mercy-6-14-15-show-discussion/722526/196 "2015-06-15T18:37:37Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Robb didn’t have legitimate opponents with motivation to see him undone? Of course he did. He was playing the game of thrones. And his death was also his own undoing since he decided to forsake his arranged marriage in favor of some other, prettier girl he fell in love with. That, plus Lord Tywin offering Frey his support for doing what he did was plenty enough reason to kill him. I mostly agree, but the show did a terrible job of portraying this in real time. The people who killed him were new characters, presented as mostly allies - people who in principle respected his claim to power and who had long sided with the Starks and Tullys. Robb’s opponents were real but elsewhere, and in the show, to my recollection, they were not established to be working with the Freys. This trivialized the plot Robb was following that preceded his death, in a way that Stannis’s plot was not similarly diminished. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-5-10-mothers-mercy-6-14-15-show-discussion/722526/197 "2015-06-15T18:51:25Z")
> [@Mr\_Shine](#): > > Can someone remind me just what happened to all the Dothraki that Dany used to be Khaleesi of? When Drogo was poisoned by the Witch and his wound got infected, he was too weak to be Khal. In the middle of the night, most of their clan left under a different leader. The only ones that stayed were the ones loyal to her which was a handful. Re watched Season one a few weeks ago so it was fresh in my mind 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-5-10-mothers-mercy-6-14-15-show-discussion/722526/198 "2015-06-15T18:55:15Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > Her list is down to just Cersei isn’t it? oh, Walder Frey too, he might die of old age before she gets around to it though. Not sure who’s on it. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-5-10-mothers-mercy-6-14-15-show-discussion/722526/199 "2015-06-15T19:08:35Z")
By all rights, the Night’s Watch should just completely fall apart now. It’s mostly just a bunch of upstarts and cutthroats anyway. Why stay? I doubt the Boltons give a shit, so it’s not like you have to worry about getting caught by them, like you would the Starks. They just assassinated the Lord Commander. So much for honor. Eff Alliser and eff the Wall is what I’d say. Alliser should just send messages saying how he’s “dissolved the Watch, there are thousands of Wildlings south of the Wall, winter is coming and along with them the Walkers. \*\*\*\* all of you who didn’t send help and may the Gods have mercy on your souls. I’ll be in the Summer Isles-Alliser Throne” ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-5-10-mothers-mercy-6-14-15-show-discussion/722526/200 "2015-06-15T19:09:15Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > Her list is down to just Cersei isn’t it? oh, Walder Frey too, he might die of old age before she gets around to it though. > [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > Not sure who’s on it. [Here’s a fun infographic of it](http://time.com/3920558/arya-stark-game-of-thrones-meryn-trant/). Still alive in the show: Cersei, Walder Frey, Melisandre, Ser Beric, Thoros of Myr, Ser Ilyn Payne, the Mountain (for certain definitions of alive), and possibly the Hound. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-5-10-mothers-mercy-6-14-15-show-discussion/722526.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-5-10-mothers-mercy-6-14-15-show-discussion/722526.md?page=11)