Game of Thrones Round Table: Dany Hosts a Dragon BBQ
Henry A. Otero
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It's safe to say Rhaegal and Viserion were pleased with mommy this week after that delicious meal.
Daenerys made several important moves this week after losing Ser Barristan in the Sons of the Harpy attack. Sansa struggled with all the new (evil) faces at Winterfell and Jon planned to leave Castle Black as part of a deal with Tormund.
Join TV Fanatics Jim Garner, Lindsay MacDonald, Doug Wolfe and Hank Otero as they discuss all these topics and more in this week's Game of Thrones Season 5 Episode 5 Round Table...
Did Daenerys make another misstep by having her dragons chow down on the leader of one of the wealthy families? Why or why not?
Jim: I think showing the leaders of the families exactly why she is called the mother of dragons was a smart move. Hopefully that will filter back to the Sons of the Harpy and the killings will stop.
Lindsay: I think we saw a little of that Targaryen madness in her during that scene. Ultimately, I think it was actually a good move. She executed a slave for crimes earlier, and now she's executed a noble. Those families hold influence with the right people, and scaring them into remembering exactly who she is might be the only trick in her book right now.
Doug: I think it was a brilliant move, if only to re-establish herself as the ruler. Long term we all know it wouldn't work - and she'd prefer to be a benevolent dictator rather than tyrannical anyway. Still, a reminder now and then that she's the mother of dragons can't be a bad thing.
Hank: I agree with what everyone said. Daenerys needed to put her foot down, but in a way that intimidated while reminding the wealthiest families she is the mother of dragons. I wonder if the dragons will love her again after that little BBQ lunch. It's got to count for something right?
What are your thoughts on her subsequent plan to re-introduce the fighting pits (with free men only please!) and marry Hizdahr zo Loraq?
Jim: She's taking a step in the right direction, though I suspect the marriage will start out a bit one-sided, but who knows maybe after someone assassinates her first husband she can marry for love.
Lindsay: I'm not sure how she'll reintroduce the fighting pits without losing ground, but her engagement will definitely send a strong message that she's invested in Meereen long-term.
Doug: This move shows that she's a decent leader. One who never learns from his or her mistakes is doomed to failure. She's got a flexibility to her style, which I think will serve her well. This decision came as a relief, frankly. Until now I wondered if she was in over her head.
Hank: That's what I thought as well Doug. A leader who can't adapt or admit when they're mistaken will always fail. I think this move was one of the smartest Dany has made all season. It proves to us she's growing as a leader and ready to make sacrifices for her people.
What do you think of Miranda and her “gift” to Sansa?
Jim: I hope she got a receipt, because I would soooo be sending that gift back. Roose can clearly see that teasing Sansa with Reek was a bad idea, and I suspect with Sansa stabs him in the neck down the road, she will make a point of telling him so.
Lindsay: Miranda is ten kinds of crazy, and I want her FAR from Sansa. I have to think that Theon might still be in there somewhere though, so when push comes to shove, it will be interesting to see if he makes any moves to help Sansa.
Doug: I agree with Lindsay. If nothing else, it shows Miranda's true colours as a nutball, no better than Ramsay.
Hank: That's funny Jim, I'd send that gift back too. Miranda and Ramsay are made for one another, and now Sansa knows to watch her back. The Sansa/Reek confrontation was a great moment though, I had been waiting to see her reaction. I'm also extremely curious to see if Theon makes a move against his tormentor.
Jon’s heading out with the Free Folk to convince them to travel to the south. What do you foresee happening with that?
Jim: Resistance, then acceptance, with a good amount of fighting. Or as the Night's Watch likes to call it "Tuesday".
Lindsay: Nothing ever goes right in the world of Jon Snow, so I foresee a total catastrophe.
Doug: Unless Jon assigns temporary leadership to Alliser Thorne while he's away with the Wildings, I can see another mutiny on the horizon. Frankly the thought of him leaving the Wall for any length of time is troubling. And of course you have to wonder at how successful he'll be in convincing the Free Folk to travel south of the wall. They're fiercely independent and mistrustful. Jon has his hands full.
Hank: I don't think it's going to go exactly according to plan, but I feel Jon needs to be in the thick of things. Sure, his place is at Castle Black but Melisandre hinted that there's more in store for Jon as far as destiny. I think his role in this game is much more important than Lord Commander; King perhaps?
With a baby on the way, can Ramsay trust Roose to continue to accept him as his son?
Jim: Ramsay is smart to be on his guard, but I don't think he has anything to worry about from the baby. I would be more worried about surviving the wedding night to Sansa.
Lindsay: Roose made a pretty moving speech, and he seems to genuinely consider Ramsay and his heir at the moment. Still, this is the guy that betrayed and slaughtered our beloved Starks. I'm not sure he can be trusted, even among his own family.
Doug: I wouldn't trust Roose if he said "good morning". He needed to put on a convincing act, if he want's Ramsay to help out with the coming battle with Stannis, so of course he's going to sound as sincere as he can. Once the heat is off, however, I fully expect Roose to turn on him.
Hank: I don't trust any of those Boltons as far as I can throw 'em. For the time being, I think Ramsay's position is safe. Besides, I don't think the Bolton family is going to be around much longer. I feel like their story is coming to an end. Sure, one of them might take Stannis down, but the Bolton clan is irrelevant when push comes to shove.
Here's the teaser for Game of Thrones Season 5 Episode 6 airing this Sunday, May 17 at 9/8c.
