Speaking of Bran, are we going to find out the former mad king was Hodored or not into repeating “burn them all” over and over?
What if she is killed early in the episode by the kitchen girl Varys gave the bravery pep talk to? (Maybe she was going to do it in time to prevent the massacre, but Dany thwarted the plan by not eating.) And then the rest of the episode is the Northerners fighting the Unsullied, Dothraki, and a pissed off Drogon.
I know that some people have advanced this theory, but I see zero reason to assume that such a thing happened. It’s just a random idea backed by nothing.
On top of it, if it had happened, it would mean that the mad kind wasn’t, in fact, mad, and then why would Danaerys be?
Also, that theory is often advanced in reference to defeating the White Walkers. They have been defeated without wildfire or “burning them all” in other ways. No need for it now.
Gregor’s hatred for his brother was stronger than his zombie-infused loyalty. That’s a standard zombie/controlled-human trope (although usually it is love that overcomes the control).
A couple of people have commented on the Hound not stabbing Cersei as she went past. Has he ever expressed any particular hatred for Cersei? That was Arya’s schtick, he doesn’t care who is on the throne. Hell, she had Gregor saved so that he could kill him himself, so at some level he owes her.
I thought, whatever his gruff, vulgar exterior, he had become “good” through the influence of Arya, Beric, and the religious leader. Plus, it would be a favor for Arya, and besides: Cersei had JUST tried to kill him via her other Kingsguard. Furthermore, his hated brother had spent years faithfully defending the queen; killing her makes him a failure as a bonus.
But of course he cannot do it because the script has other exigencies.
Cleganebowl was crap but I did enjoy The Hound getting his Inigo Montoya moment on the stairs.
Indeed, it was probably the most realistic thing Game of Thrones has ever shown.
There is no good in this show. There are some lighter shades of grey, and then it ranges to full-on dark side.
And the more I think about it, that whole “In the game of thrones, you win or you die” is a misdirection. No one wins the game. And lots of people die. Were I a Westerosi peasant, one shit, let alone two, is more than I would give regarding who’s on that throne. If it is even around.
In retrospect, Daenerys was always a bit “off”. So I’m not sure why anyone is saying burning King’s Landing is “out of character”. Off the top of my head:
- Standing by and allowing Kahl Droggo to “crown” her brother
- Burning the which in Season 1
- Burning the warlock in the House of the Undying in Qarth with her dragon
- Locking Xaro Xhoan Daxos and Doreah in the vault
- Killing and burning the Masters after purchasing the Unsullied
- Executing the Masters in Meereen
- Burning the Dothraki temple with all the Kahls inside
- Burning Lord Tarly and son with her dragon
I mean…is there ever a problem she doesn’t solve with “dracarys”?
And that would have made sense if she started doing that from the beginning and then they showed her struggling to stop after the bells started ringing, but going crazy after achieving complete victory makes a lot less sense.
But that’s the point… up until now she “solved” problems. There was reason behind her acts, good intent, even.
If you want to make her into the sort of villain that just kills random people for fun, you have to show that change taking place, because, while she had been going a bit nutters in the last episodes, this is a couple or more of whole new levels of crazy.
Or, you know, you don’t have enough talent, so you just go “she just does, screw it.”
Speaking of that, why didn’t Dany give Big Sam the Tully lands and title for his loyalty?
Because there are still Tully’s and they are Stark allies?
?
The lands and title was forfeit when Dad & Big Bro Tully refused to bend the knee.
Oh, you mean Tarly. Tully’s are Catelyn’s family. Shrug, why would she need to give him his own lands?
This ‘ring the bells’ chant arising spontaneously in King’s Landing. Is there an established history (in show Westeros OR even in Real World) that ringing bells means “We surrender”?
I’m more familiar with bells being rung to warn of danger/call out defense OR in celebration after a victory.
Well he took the black, so it’s not really his anymore.
Considering that Tyrion had to go around telling everyone that “the bells mean surrender!”, I guess it’s not a super established custom.
Either that or he already was foreseeing that most of them really were on a no-quarter frame of mind, so he wanted to drive it home. Which of course meant everyone in the audience suspected the surrender signal would not be honored.
But then one has to wonder what kept Danaerys from simply calling no-quarter explicitly from the start. She already wanted to and it does not seem at that point she should have remained interested in even pretending to humor Jon and Tyrion’s opinions any more.