This is an action packed episode!
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We start with Daenerys speaking with Jorah and Tyrion in her throne room. Tyrion makes a case for himself about meeting her and how he’s a Lannister killer. His proposition is to be her adviser, but he is undecided about whether she deserves it. The first test from Dany for Tyrion is to advise what she should do with Jorah, who she promised to kill the next time she saw him. Tyrion convinces her to not punish loyalty with death and so she banishes him (good thing because he has gray scale).
The Sister is offering Cersei water if she confesses. She refuses and is slapped with the spoon.
Arya’s new identity is Tanya, an oyster seller at the harbor. She has to figure out from the Many-Faced-God what to do with her new identity. She feeds an old man an oyster, but it turns out he’s a gambler. Her actual task, when she speaks to Jaqen is to find out as much as she can about him then poison him. The other girl questions whether she is ready to kill. But we all know she is!
Cersei is visited by her “mad scientist,” Qyburn. She will go to trial with the High Sparrow, unless she confesses. Qyburn brings news that Grand Maester Pycelle summoned Uncle Kevan Lannister as hand of the King and her son refuses to eat over the grief of both his queen and his mother locked away. Qyburn leaves ominously with: “The work continues.”
Reek brings Sansa her meal, compared to last week she’s accepted her roll and is dressed for the day. She jumps right into questioning him about why he told Ramsay about the signal. He told to save Sansa from the punishment that might come from escaping (as he knows from his time as Ramsay’s captive). Sansa says she would give the same punishment for Theon for betraying her family and killing Bran and Rickon. He confesses that he didn’t actually kill Bran and Rickon–she is shocked, obviously.
In another room in Winterfell, Roose Bolton is holding his war council. He says they are prepared to fight and prepared to stick it out in case of siege and doesn’t have any plans for Stannis except waiting it out for his army to die. Ramsay suggests making the first move with a small group of 20 men.
Daenerys has invited Tyrion to sit and drink wine with her. They speak of their fathers and how they both know the legacy and stay away from it. Tyrion questions what type of queen Daenerys is, and he suspects that she’s the kind of queen that prevents terror for her people. Though Tyrion found out about Dany through Varys, and she remains distrustful of him, Tyrion on the other hand says he is the most trustworthy person, next to Jamie, that he knows. And though Daenerys plan is to become queen of the seven kingdoms, Tyrion points out that she won’t get that way without the support of the high houses. Daenerys declares she is “not going to stop the wheel, I’m going to break the wheel.” Badass.
In the outskirts of the Mereen, Jorah goes to slaver who had originally purchased him. He sells himself to the slaver to fight in the pit for his third chance at getting in her good graces.
Cersei still refuses to confess. And again she doesn’t get water. When the sister leaves, she drinks it off the floor and cries.
At the Wall, Gilly tends to Sam’s wounds. They both confess they are a little scared. Olly comes to bring Sam food and starts asking questions about Jon. “Why is he saving the Wildlings?” “How can they be trusted?” Sam calmly explains that we don’t stand a chance without the men he’s bringing back. And the scene ends when Sam says that Jon always comes back. (Wonder why he would say that…)
The main event of the episode: Jon sails into a small Wildling camp with Tormund and a few Crows. Rattleshirt (a man with a skull mask and rib bones as a shirt) blocks the path, words are exchanged, and Rattleshirt calls Tormund a traitor. Tormund is not having any of it and beats Rattleshirt with his own staff. In a meeting of the elders, Jon and Tormund explain why this has to be done. It’s for the greater good to put aside differences and stop the White Walkers. Jon gives a great inspirational speech, but the Wildlings look to Tormund, who they trust, to advise them. “With King Crow there’s a chance,” says one elder. Thenn, a stripped faced Wildling opposes. Though most choose to stay behind, they begin gathering wildlings into boats. Suddenly there’s a change in the wind and what looks like an avalanche among the cliffs. Dogs are barking. A mist is coming down the mountain. They close the village gate. Some Wildlings get through, but many are trapped on the other side. The mist reaches them and they are turned into an army of the dead–stripped away of their skin and muscle so they are just bones. Wildlings are fleeing and it’s choas. Eddison tries to get Jon to leave on a boat but he stays and fights with Tormund and a Woman Chieftainess, among others. The army of the dead fight through the gate and are killing everyone.
Jon sees four White Walker horsemen on the cliffs. Jon and Thenn go in search for dragon glass (he was using the glass in his earlier speech to prove that he was serious). In the hut, they encounter a White Walker in armor. Thenn tries to attack the White Walker with his ax while Jon goes in search of the glass. Thenn’s axe is destroyed by the White Walker’s ice spear and then Thenn is stabbed in the chest. The White Walker comes after Jon, but he loses his sword in the fight. Jon scrambles for a weapon and the White Walker fights him around the hut. Jon falls from a second story landing and then tries to run away (no dragon glass in hand). He picks up his sword on the way out. The White Walker follows him out. Jon stops a swing of the ice spear with his sword and slashes through the White Walker, who breaks into a thousand pieces of ice instantly. The Valyerian Steel works against White Walkers!! (Jon is my hero).
Woman Chieftainess has been fighting off the army of the dead, but she sees that children have been changed, she hesitates when she sees them and they kill her. Eddison grabs Jon and starts to bring him to the leftover boat. They see a bunch of the army of the dead throw themselves off a cliff–could this be the end? their faces ask. But the dead bounce right back up and the remaining Wildlings, including Tormund and a giant, and the Crows run to shore and hop on the boat. They start sailing away and the dead stop at the shore. Another of the White Walkers appears on the dock. He lifts his arms and all the people who were just killed rise as the undead.
-End-
