Game of Thrones Round Table: The Queen's Prize
Henry A. Otero
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This week on Game of Thrones, we learned that Tyrion himself was "The Gift," while also being quite a surprise for Dany.
At Castle Black, we lost Maester Aemon and Jon set out to unite the Wildlings, leaving Sam behind to fend for himself. And to also get lucky!
Join TV Fanatics Doug Wolfe, Lindsay MacDonald, Amanda Steinmetz, Jim Garner and Hank Otero as we discuss the topics mentioned above and more in our Game of Thrones Season 5 Episode 7 Round Table...
Daenerys and Tyrion finally met! What did you think of that pivotal scene and what comes next for them?
Doug: That scene is a game changer, and will result in an entire revision of whatever plans Daenerys had prior to his arrival. I imagine Daario will give her all kinds of ideas, as will Tyrion himself. Since he has no love for Cersei or any of the old gang, I expect him and Daenerys to become good friends as they plot the invasion and takeover of Kings Landing.
Lindsay: I have to say, I was more excited to see Dany and Jorah reunite, but Tyrion's entrance was impressive! I'm not sure their friendship will fall very easily into place, since she'd be wise to be suspicious of any Lannister at the moment. Let's just hope Tyrion can prove his worth fast!
Amanda: I'm thrilled they've finally come face to face. However, I agree with Lindsay that Daenerys may be hesitant to work with a Lannister. I hope they become allies because Daenerys needs to get to King's Landing already!
Jim: I liked it. I was worried they were going to do the whole "can see them but not reach them" trope and have Dany just miss meeting Tyrion longer... Glad they didn't
Hank: I was thinking the same thing Jim. They were so close, but it felt like the writers were just teasing us until Jorah jumped into action. I'm with Doug, this meeting was a game changer for the series. While Dany may be suspicious of Tyrion's motives, I think this is the start of the series' endgame. I can't wait to hear what they discuss next episode.
With the loss of Maester Aemon, Sam is definitely more alone than ever. Share your thoughts on his big fight scene and his connection with Gilly.
Doug: The man certainly has a lot of heart and no shortage of courage, does he? This Sam is a far better person than he was when he first arrived at Castle Black. I doubt he knew Ghost was there waiting to help him sort those two guys out, so it makes me think that he would have drawn on whatever reserves he had to take them down. This is a Sam everyone can respect. I’m looking forward to seeing more of him.
Lindsay: I definitely enjoyed seeing this protective side of Sam, since it's very true to his character. But I'm not so hot on the hookup, even though it's obviously been building for some time now. Wasn't this the show that said it was stupid to believe a woman who'd just nearly been raped would hop right into bed with her savior?
Amanda: I think Sam has come a long way from when he first met him, and I like seeing him stand up for himself and Gilly. Sam is one of the few decent men on this show, so I have no problem with Sam and Gilly getting closer.
Jim: As the others have said, Sam has come a long way. Though I thought his "oh my" when they were sharing their "connection" was priceless. I like Sam and Gilly together and I hope they can find a way to make it work.
Hank: I'm with Jim, I really hope Sam and Gilly work out. Though I will say, when she asked him to take care of the baby a red flag went up. She's not going to make it, is she? I loved Sam this week and he really has grown into his own. He's easily one of my favorite characters.
Theon/Reek betrayed Sansa. Did you think for a moment he might help her? Will he ultimately find the courage to fight back?
Doug: I thought for a second he might help her, but his subsequent action wasn’t much of a surprise. The man is truly brainwashed, heart and soul, into the persona of Reek, and in thrall to Ramsay. His betrayal was disappointing, to be sure.
Lindsay: I hoped he'd help her, but I wasn't surprised when he didn't. That would have been a little too easy. Let's just hope that Sansa can use her new skills of deceit and manipulation to get the hell out of Winterfell soon.
Amanda: Was I hoping he would help her? Yes. Am I surprised he didn't? No. Reek is too fearful of Ramsay to go back to being Theon. I hope he grows a spine eventually or Sansa will have to save herself.
Jim: Reek/Theon needs to die. His betrayal (again) has done nothing but push Sansa's character into the role Jayne Poole had in the book and that annoys me to no end.
Hank: I'm actually rooting for Theon now, I don't want him to die. The torture he's endured at the hands of Ramsay is unimaginable. That's the monster that needs to die already. Like Doug, I thought for a second Theon was going to help, but it didn't surprise me he betrayed Sansa. While I'm hoping he'll fight back, Ramsay's hold over him is way too powerful. I'm not expecting Reek to be much help.
What is Lady Olenna and Littlefinger's next move? Will bringing down the Faith Militant mean helping Cersei as well?
Doug: I really have no idea how they’re going to tackle the Faith Militant, but I know that they must. It’s a good team-up: her for her son and him for his lost business and wealth.
Lindsay: Well, I'd assumed it was their move to get Cersei arrested. Without her running interference for Tommen, the wimpy little king can finally take a stand and put the Faith Militant in their place.
Amanda: I have no idea, but I doubt they will want to help Cersei.
Jim: I'm really hoping that their next move includes taking down Cersei, given that the Faith Militant are armed because of her. If Stannis had any idea how weak the throne was right now, he could ride into Kings landing and damn-near adopt Tommen.
Hank: Something tells me Lady Olenna and Littlefinger will need Cersei to bring down the Faith Militant. The High Sparrow had his eye on her all along. I don't think Lady Olenna or Littlefinger had anything to do with her arrest. This is an important team-up, if they can rally other powerful families to their cause the Faith Militant will fall once again.
Share your thoughts on that moment between Cersei and the High Sparrow. Is she finally getting what she deserves?
Doug: While watching the High Sparrow speak with Cersei I couldn’t help thinking of the classic Columbo series, when the detective took much the same approach: he engaged in an almost sing-song type of lazy chit-chat, while quietly pulling the threads tighter and tighter around his prey, like an enormous spider. It was well done, and yes oh yes - she did deserve it.
Lindsay: She absolutely deserved it. I heard a cry of JUSTICE ring out over the entire internet after that scene. It's so hard to hate the High Sparrow because he does truly seem to want to strip the corruption away from King's Landing, but he also kind of reminds me of those religious nutjobs that hide behind scripture in order to condemn everyone but themselves. I think he'll fall eventually, but I'll almost be a little sad when he does.
Amanda: The second I realized what the High Sparrow was up to with Cersei, I shouted, "Yes!" at the top of my lungs. Cersei is awful and there's no doubt she getting what she deserves. Rumors of Cersei's incestuous relationships have been all over King's Landing. The High Sparrow was bound to do something about her.
Jim: I clapped and cheered. Cersei has had this coming for so long. She's abused so many people it is nice to see that her plans have backfired a little bit and she's suffering from the choice she made to arm the faith militant.
Hank: Yep, Cersei is absolutely getting what she deserves and it's long overdue. I loved the way the High Sparrow toyed with her as Doug mentioned. She's so used to be the hunter, she didn't realize she had become his prey. It was a brilliant scene and one of my favorite moments of the season. I'm hoping she does not get out of this too easily.
Will Jon manage to unite the wildlings and then join Stannis in reclaiming Winterfell?
Doug: I think he will. The only problem I see for him is regaining his command at Castle Black. Ser Thorne doesn’t strike me as a man who will willingly cede back his command to him as he should.
Lindsay: I've said this before, but I kind of don't care. Sorry! Jon Snow has had the most mind-numblingly boring plot this year, and I can't care one way or another if he unites the wildlings or gets eaten by a white walker. If he gets interesting again I might change my tune, but for now... meh.
Amanda: I'm right with you, Lindsay. Jon Snow's storyline, along with Arya's, have been the least interesting to me. The show already moves at a snail's pace, and I'm just bored watching them. I'd like him to join Stannis because it would, at least, move things along.
Jim: If he spends more than an episode getting the wildlings on his side it will be too long. As others have pointed out, Jon's story has been tedious and boring of late and I would really like to see it move along.
Hank: Jon is important and though his arc has indeed been painfully slow, I don't want to see anything bad happen to him. I mean, the guy is one of the few "good guys" in the Seven Kingdoms. There's a plan for the character that's for sure. Like Jim, I think Jon needs to unite the wildlings and set out for Winterfell next episode. The pacing this season has dragged on and on, enough with the setup... get down to business!
NOTE: Game of Thrones Season 5 Episode 8 is titled “Hardhome” and airs on Sunday, May 31.
