a blog by Iron Horse Jon Targaryen.... THE KING IN THE NORTH! And the reign of the mad queen begins... Prior to this season being released everyone was all worried about Jon Snow and if Sansa and Theon would make it out alive and well. Now we sit back in the aftermath completely shell shocked by what has gone on. Before the season started Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister) was quoted in many interviews as saying that this would be the darkest season yet. Now I don't know about everyone else but I seriously had my doubts. In prior seasons we had the killing of Ned Stark, the Red Wedding, and Theon's gruesome torture, Sansa being raped by Ramsay, just a lot of unspeakable things. We absolutely have to start where the episode was most exciting in my opinion, King's Landing. This blog will be like my others in that we'll touch on all the stories that went on throughout this episode, but I'll be jumping back and forth between stories a little bit more. I just want to start out this King's Landing piece by saying that the first 5-10 minutes of this episode was so intense just from a viewers perspective. The whole time watching with friends we were all just so captivated by what was going on, the music was low and the noise was almost non-existent. I was convinced we weren't going to get this wildfire reveal till the end of the episode but David Benioff and D.B. Weiss once again brought the heat, and brought it early. The opening shot with the all of the main characters left in King's Landing getting ready for the trial was so awesome. Margery and Cersei being dressed for the day, Tommen showing the anguish on his face from being in an uncomfortable position he's in while getting dressed. Loris being dragged up from his cell, and the people flooding into the Sept all headed by the High Sparrow. The whole calm of this scene was so good because it made the explosion that much more shocking and sudden even though we kinda all knew it was coming. The range of characters that are touched by this power move by Cersei stretches beyond even where the show can go yet. This move to put Cersei in power was a solo mission carried out by her and Qyburn (her creepy maester buddy). I want to take a quick trip back to the beginning of Season 5 when the show opens with a young Cersei wandering through the woods... The witch tells Cersei that she will lose all 3 of her children and that a younger much prettier woman will come and uproot her from her position of power. The reason that this is the only scene in the entire show that flashes back without any vision or 3 eyed raven type of scenario is because this is the foreshadowing for our new main antagonist Cersei Lannister Queen of the Andhols and the First Men. Although that wouldn't come for another season we've had a different main bad character almost every other season, always with the looming threat of the white walkers and the long night. The first few seasons was Jeoffrey, then it was Ramsay and the Bolton's and now it's Cersei full on Mad Queen Cersei. The reason they chose to end this episode in King's Landing with Jamie and Cersei having their stare down is because now Jamie has to make a choice. His whole life he's been faithful to Cersei he loves her unconditionally and always has, but now that she's become the very thing he's lived to protect people from. (The Mad King burning the entirety of King's Landing hence the nickname Kingslayer). Jamie has truly seen Cersei lose her mind, their children are all dead, and the last one is dead as a direct result of her actions. My guess for next season will be Jamie dealing with the conflict of his love for his sister Cersei and his good nature and will to do what's right for the people. The same way he knew that killing the Mad King before he could do EXACTLY what Cersei just did was for the good of the realm. Even if it wasn't what he wanted to do, he knew that tarnishing his name would save thousands of lives so he made the sacrifice. It will be interesting next year to see if the death of all his kids will drive Jamie into this lone ranger type of role where he just does what he believes is right now, with his family all but dead. Let's travel up North and talk about the aftermath of last weeks thrilling battle... After last week we were left with a few small mysteries about what lie next for the people of the North. What would Jon do with the remaining houses that didn't back them, who would lead them Sansa or Jon, how would Littlefinger expect to be rewarded for saving them? We got parts of all of those questions answered, for example Jon is clearly the elected leader of the people. THE KING IN THE NORTH once again thanks to the BOSS Lyanna Mormont basically just declaring him King in the North, the same way Big Jon Umber did 3 seasons ago to Robb Stark. I also am guessing that before all this Melissandre was sent away, and that she will find Thoros of Myr along with the Hound. The Red Priests will start to play a bigger role in the upcoming seasons as well. While the scene sent chills up and down my body, I'm not so sure how I feel about it. Just because we remember how things went for the last King in the North. Jon even says to Sansa in this episode, "we have to trust each other, we have so many enemies now." I think the reason Robb didn't realize he was in trouble before it was too late was because of how comfortable he started to get. Jon knowing that is enemies outweigh his allies despite this recent victory is what will make his story as King in the North different from Robb's. Sansa however may not be in that much better of a spot. I remember thinking during this scene talking to Littlefinger that Sansa wasn't the same girl he'd dropped off at the Dreadfort to marry Ramsay. She had seen him one time since then, but with Brienne and this was really the first time they've had alone since he kissed her and killed her Aunt at the Vale. Since then Sansa has really begun to understand how the game works and that in order to stay alive she really can't trust anyone. Littlefinger tries to get all pervy with her once again except this time she pushes him off. Littlefinger finally opens up to Sansa and tells her of his intentions to get onto the Iron Throne and that he wants her by his side. Sansa is now forced into a position where she now knows what Littlefingers ultimate goal is, but again she doesn't tell Jon about her meeting in the woods. Very eery to me about Sansa's future, at the end of the last episode Ramsay told her that he would always have a little piece of him inside her. People speculated that this meant she was pregnant but what I believe is that Sansa has Ramsay's evil inside her now. This is only confirmed in my eyes by her walking away at the end of the episode after Ramsay is being eaten alive.... She cracks the same smile we see from Cersei when the Sept of Baelor blows up. That is why I believe that Sansa's character development is in an eerie spot for the future. In my eyes she is on a similar path to Cersei... Onto the Twins and Walder Frey This scene was done so beautifully, by far and away the least expected part of this whole episode. Arya returns to Westeros to check another name off of her list. "The last thing you're ever going to see is a Stark smiling down at you while you die". This scene starts out with Jamie and Bronn jabbering back and forth like most men would do in this show at these feasts, until Bronn gets bootycalled. Jamie then is "graced" with the presence of Walder Frey. I use graced in quotes because Walder Frey and his conversation is not as merry as the one they had before. Jamie is quite obviously pissed off by the fact that Walder Frey wants to buddy buddy up with Jamie. Talking about his Tywin, giving the Blackfish shit for dying, then Jamie pokes at him asking him he ever did any fighting. They squab back and forth for a bit about what their respective definitions of fighting are before Walder Frey talks about being mocked his whole life. Then he really jabs at Jamie and gets under his skin telling him that they're both Kingslayers. This conversation while small right now I think will hold more weight later on for Jamie. Like I said earlier I think Jamie will have to put an end to Cersei himself so he will have this whole swirling internal conflict about killing the woman he loves. Also now having to deal with the thought of being a "Queenslayer", even though the reason he killed the Mad King was to prevent him from doing EXACTLY what Cersei just did. Quick drop in on Sam... Sam has finally reached the great library to begin his training as a Maester, a process which in the books takes about 10 years. I'm guessing the show will have to take a logic leap here and skip a few of those years in order to keep Sam relevant. Especially now that he's walking around with Valyrian steel on his belt side. Another quick stop this time in Dorne... Olenna Tyrell while without a family now has the financial backing and the name that Dany needs to come to Westeros with strong support. From the people of High Garden, and the strong people of Dorne Danerys will have time to push her way up through the Southern parts of Westeros. A lot of my friends believe that Dany will go straight for the Iron Throne and try to land her ships in Blackwater Bay but I don't think so. I think she will land her troops in Dorne and march North, Highgarden is also in the southern part of Westeros so it is another reason I believe she'll start in the south. Ahhh Dany... Dany. Dany. Dany. You beautiful temptress you. YOU DID IT (Almost) Dany finally has her armies, she finally has her ships and she is FINALLY going to Westeros. Leaving Daario behind to watch over Meereen in the other free cities. She has taken the leap of faith with the Horde of Dothraki, fleet of Greyjoys, and the Unsullied at her side. Tyrion as her head advisor and Hand of the Queen. Varys as her head coordinator of alliances in Westeros. Dany now more than ever is ready to take the Throne. She's got the weakened faith of the people in King's Landing, the allies in Dorne and Highgarden, and oh ya dragons. We didn't get a whole lot in terms of development other than the fact that we now know Dany is headed west to retake what is rightfully hers. Last but not least, we'll touch on Bran and the Tower of Joy... Last night everyone finally found out what people have speculated for so long to be true. That Jon Snow is in fact the love child of Rhaegar and Lyanna Stark. Again not a whole lot to explain, the scene was pretty straight forward so I'm going to take a moment here to answer some of the questions people ask the most that I see on the internet.
1. Where was Rhaegar when Ned came to save his sister?? Rhaegar had died fighting on the Trident against Robert's rebellion and that's why he wasn't there with Lyanna. 2. Why doesn't Ned tell anyone who Jon's real parents are? Jon Snow's real identity is kept a secret because if you remember from the first couple of seasons of the show, Robert is still hunting down Targaryen's. He hated them and everything they resembled. So in the episode this is why Lyanna's saying "you need to protect him". Ned is an honor bound man, and in this case it was to a fault because without Bran we would never know and neither would Jon. 3. Why did Robert hate the Targaryen's so much? During the great tournament, Rhaegar Targaryen seemed unstoppable and ended up winning. Taking the winter rosecrown (basically an award you give to the woman you love), he revealed his interest in Lyanna (Ned's sister) by passing over his wife, the Princess Elia of Dorne, and setting it in Lyanna's lap. The next year, Rhaegar seemingly kidnapped Lyanna, for reasons unknown. This act ultimately triggered Robert's Rebellion and was ultimately the downfall of the Targaryen dynasty. (http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Rhaegar_Targaryen) Thank you guys for sticking with me this season it truly was an amazing ride and I can't wait to see what season 7 has in store. The Great Game is terrifying. and Winter is still Coming..... Comments are closed.
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