Mother’s Mercy

Season 5 of Game of Thrones is now over, and as ever, it has ended in spectacular fashion. An extremely powerful and sad episode with excellent pacing. The unthinkable has happened and Jon Snow is dead. Betrayed by his own and left to die in the snow. Sam got his wish and was able to escape the frozen North with Gilly and head to Kings Landing before things turned ugly. Stannis’ army are now defeated as half of his men abandon him after his horrific burning of Shireen; the other half slaughtered by the Boltons. Arya is learning some tough and emotional lessons as she veers from her orders to murder the wrong person. We find Myrcella has been poisoned just as she is leaving Dorne while her mother is freed and allowed to return to The Red Keep. I can imagine that season 6 will begin with her being more than a little vengeful.

Everything seems to fall apart at once for Stannis as his army are annihilated at Winterfell. Listening to the advice of Millisandre cost him everything in the end, particularly his daughter who was the one person who seemed to hold genuine affection for him. His wife is found hung in the forest- her faith clearly completely broken after the death of her child. Much of his army abandoned him after feeling disgusted by his actions. The anguish on his face at the end of the battle with the Bolton’s is clear, Brienne of Tarth took great pleasure in confronting Stannis before going at him with her sword. Interestingly, we don’t actually see Stannis die here. I can’t imagine any possible way in which he could have escaped her blade, but in Game of Thrones you can’t just assume someone is dead unless you actually see their head fall off.

In the scene after this we finally find Reek growing his balls back, so to speak. This is something I think a lot of viewers have been hoping and thinking would happen eventually, we just had to wait to the final episode to see it. Whether or not this was just a one off action or he will now pair up with Sansa and actively defy Ramsay is yet to be seen. Yet they clasp hands here which seems like trust has been partially returned to him after his heroically stupid act. Hopefully the snow was able to break their fall from that height tho.

Arya had to learn an extremely harsh lesson after ignoring her instructions by murdering Ser Mern Trant in a brothel. She seems unable to let go of her identity and is still obsessed by her death list. After stabbing him through both eyes before cutting his throat she is given a very ironic punishment of blindness. I saw this as a bit pointelss as I think theyve now ruined what was becoming an interesting character. Whatever becomes of her next season I doubt that she will disobey the orders of The Faceless Man again.

Thing seem to end in Dorne quite amicably as Myrcella heads back to Kings Landing with Bronne and Jamie. We now know that she was poisoned by Ellaria who has been gunning for her for most of the season, but has as yet been unable to get to her as she has been well protected. Once again, like Stannis we can only say that it’s likely she is dead, but we can make no assumptions until we actually see a character die. It came at quite a sad moment too, just as she tells Jamie that she knows he is her father.

We can only assume that next season an enraged Jamie and an extremely angry and newly freed Cerci will be doing a fair bit of war mongering. I’m not really understanding the decision of the High Sparrow here to release her from prison at this stage. After her humiliation and imprisonment I can’t see another reaction from Cerci than to send in the army to totally obliterate the Faith Militant. I think Cerci’ walk of atonement through the street of Kings Landing is probably the first time I have felt any sympathy or humanity towards her. I’m wondering if the idea here will be to make Cerci a more humble and dignified person… Realistically however I just don’t think it’s in her make up. I’m preparing myself for an angry and vengeful woman in season 6.

Every other week Deanerys seems to find herself in another spot of bother. This time she is captured by a Dothraki hoard. Drogon seems to be in one of his funny moods so it doesn’t seem likely that he will swoop in to save her. She has a good team in her place ruling over Mereen while she is gone. My favourite double act of Tyrian and Varys are reunited again. He shows up just as Daario and Jorah leave to start their search for her, I’m sure the timing was more than coincidence as they wouldn’t be best pleased to see him in such an influential position at Tyrians side. I do think however, that Varys will be another valuable tool in her quest to conquer Westerso, assuming she returns safe and well from the Dothraki…

A character most of us felt wouldn’t be killed off is now dead. I have said in previous reviews that this is what I like about Game of Thrones, most shows have protagonists who are invulnerable from death, Game of Thrones has never had that. His murder is orchestrated by Allister Thorne and it’s his steward Ollie who makes the final blow. I did consider that Millisandre shows up to Castle Black just before Jon dies. If we remember back to previous seasons Thoros of Myr, who is also a Red Priest, brings Beric Dondarrian back to life on several occasions. This guy is nowhere near as powerful as Millisandre, I don’t know if im overthinking this but her appearance at this time seems like more than a coincidence. Watch this space.