‘Game of Thrones’ 6.07 Recap: “It’s Never Too Late to Come Back”

I’m feeling really uneasy about the way that ‘Game of Thrones’ keeps bringing back characters assumed to be dead. That’s getting to be a bad habit for the show.

It also makes clear a pattern that people from behind-the-scenes of the series cannot be trusted to tell the truth about their intentions. Following the death of Jon Snow in the Season 5 finale, show-runner Dan Weiss straight-up lied to fans and said the character would not come back, only to resurrect him two episodes later. Similarly, the director of the Season 4 finale stated in an interview that Ser Sandor Clegane, The Hound, was gone for good. That didn’t turn out to be true either.

To be fair, perhaps the episode director wasn’t privy to all of the writers’ plans for the character. Or perhaps the decision to bring The Hound back was made much later, after the writers ran out of source material from the George R.R. Martin novels. Regardless, anything someone from the show says in an interview from now on must be taken with a huge grain of salt.

A precedent set and now repeated, I have to wonder who else we’ll see again. Ever since he was allegedly killed off-screen in Season 1, I’ve been waiting for the House Stark swordmaster Syrio Forel to make a surprise reappearance. That seems almost inevitable now. Not to get spoilery, but the book series also resurrected a prominent character from the dead in a storyline that the TV show chose to ignore. Will we swing back around and follow through with that after all? From clues in this episode, I suspect we will. I don’t know how I feel about that.

The Riverlands

Yes, The Hound lives. Abandoned by Arya Stark and left for dead after his brutal fight with Brienne, he shows up again now in the company of a religious commune out in the middle of nowhere. We’re told that he was discovered on the brink of death by the group’s unnamed Septon (basically, their priest – played by Ian McShane), who nursed him back to health. Although Clegane doesn’t entirely buy into the religion or the Septon’s hippie-dippy preachings about nonviolence, he stuck around to help them build a church. He considers himself broken and is done with war and fighting. He has nowhere else to go.

That all changes when a trio of soldiers from the Brotherhood Without Banners ride in on horseback and try to intimidate and extort the commune. The Septon talks them off by claiming that the village has nothing of value to take. The men leave, but Clegane warns that they’ll be back. The Septon, a former soldier himself who now embraces the power of peace and love, is not worried.

Soon enough, as Clegane is conveniently off in the woods collecting firewood, he hears the sounds of horses and runs back to the village, where he finds everyone murdered. The Septon, last seen so contented and full of himself, swings from a noose with a look of abject terror frozen on his face. Clegane, looking pissed off and determined, grabs an axe and heads out, presumably to exact some revenge. I’m sure the Septon wouldn’t approve, but The Hound can’t fight his nature.

King’s Landing

Margaery, still acting pious and contrite, speaks with the High Sparrow about redemption. The Sparrow asks why she has not fulfilled her wifely responsibilities (i.e. boning Tommen) since being reunited with her husband. He stresses the importance of the king having an heir, which will surely solidify the standing of his own religion. The Sparrow also urges Margaery to convert her grandmother, Lady Olenna, to the faith. He makes a veiled threat toward the old woman’s safety if she doesn’t repent her sins.

Accompanied by the stern Septa Unella as a chaperone, Margaery meets with her grandmother and suggests that it’s time for her to go home. Olenna refuses to leave, until Margaery secretly slips her a note. It’s just a drawing of a flower, but this clearly has meaning between them. Margaery isn’t as brainwashed as she acts.

Olenna then makes plans to leave immediately for Highgarden. She’s interrupted while packing by Cersei, who apologizes for their past disagreements and offers an alliance between the Lannisters and the Tyrells against the Sparrows. Olenna isn’t having any of it. She still despises Cersei and makes no bones about it. She asks, “I wonder if you’re the worst person I’ve ever met?”, and rejects the offer with the most wonderfully catty dismissal as only Dame Diana Rigg could deliver it.

The Northern Kingdoms

Jon Snow spends the entire episode trying to secure alliances for the impending war against Ramsay Bolton. Even the Wildlings don’t want to fight Jon’s war for him. He has to convince them that it’s in their own best interest. Eventually, they agree with a handshake, assuring him, “When we say we’ll do something, we do it.”

At their next stop, Jon, Sansa and Davos meet with Lyanna Mormont, the niece of former Night’s Watch Lord Commander Jeor Mormont (and cousin to Jorah). Although only a child of 10-years-old, the girl is feisty and hard-headed. She clearly takes after her uncle, and rebuffs Jon and Sansa’s attempts at flattery. She nurses a grudge that her mother was killed while fighting for Robb Stark. When they appeal to her family’s oath of loyalty to House Stark, Lyanna snidely points out that neither Jon (a bastard) nor Sansa (twice married) are technically Starks. Finally, Davos wins her over by explaining that their true mutual enemies are the White Walkers. “The dead are coming,” he tells her. The girl agrees, “We will not break faith today.” However, she can only pledge a 62 fighting men, though she promises that they will fight ferociously.

That’s a disappointingly small victory and seemingly a waste of time, but it’s far more success than the trio have talking to House Glover. The current lord of the house is appalled that Jon Snow would fight with Wildlings and spurns his and Sansa’s attempts to recruit him to fight, declaring, “House Stark is dead.”

After returning to the Wildling camp, Jon tells Sansa that he wants to march on Winterfell as soon as possible, before the snow returns or Ramsay can build up his own army any larger. Sansa protests that they don’t have nearly enough men and need to continue collecting forces first, but Jon disagrees. (Has he learned nothing from Stannis Baratheon?) The last we see of her, Sansa writes a letter to be sent by raven. The contents of the letter or the intended recipient are not yet known.

Riverrun

As he was ordered by Tommen, Jaime rides to Riverrun with a Lannister force to assist the Frey army in retaking the castle from Brynden “The Blackfish” Tully. Bronn is at his side, but isn’t exactly happy to be there or very grateful that he was officially anointed a knight.

Walder Frey’s two idiot sons, Lothar and Black Walder, have done a truly pathetic job of laying siege to the castle. They haven’t even secured their perimeter, and allow the Lannister soldiers to walk right up to them unnoticed. Black Walder drags out the Blackfish’s nephew, Edmure Tully, and threatens to slit his throat if the Blackfish doesn’t surrender. The Blackfish doesn’t give a shit about Edmure and tells them to go ahead and kill him. His bluff called, Black Walder drags Edmure back towards his cage.

Jaime immediately asserts command and orders that Edmure be bathed and fed. He dismisses the incompetent Frey boys and calls for a parley with The Blackfish.

The castle lowers its drawbridge and The Blackfish meets with Jaime, who announces that he’s in charge now and that shit’s about to get real. He offers to spare the lives of all his men if The Blackfish will surrender peacefully. The Blackfish isn’t impressed or intimidated. He claims that he has two years of provisions inside and can outlast the siege. Then he walks away, expressing his disappointment that the famous Kingslayer wasn’t anywhere near as imposing as his legend.

Volantis

Having hijacked most of the Ironborn fleet, Yara and Theon sail to Essos and make port in the city of Volantis. Yara drags Theon to a brothel. (It appears to be the same one Tyrion was kidnapped from in Season 5.) The castrated Theon may not have much interest in the topless whores prancing about, but Yara sure does.

While Theon is depressed and worried about their uncle Euron hunting them down to murder them, Yara is cocky from their success in stealing the fleet. She says that she wants the real Theon back and encourages him to get drunk with her. She tells him that, after a brief respite, they’re going to sail to Mereen and make a pact with Daenerys Stormborn (just like Euron said he’d do), then return with her army to retake the Iron Islands. Knowing that they have a plan, perhaps even a good one, bolsters Theon’s spirits a little.

Braavos

With money she’d stolen, Arya books passage on a ship back to Westeros. Before that can happen, she’s approached by an old woman on a bridge. This could not more obviously be a trap, but Arya either doesn’t suspect it or just doesn’t react quickly enough. The woman is The Waif in disguise. She grabs Arya and stabs her several times in the gut. Arya shoves her away and leaps off the bridge into the water. The Waif waits a moment for her to surface, but seeing only blood in the water assumes that Arya is dead. She should know better.

The storyline could have ended there on a weak cliffhanger, but fortunately doesn’t waste our time with a gimmick like that. We see Arya surface and drag herself to shore. She’s in bad shape, bleeding quite a bit as she stumbles through a crowd of people, none of whom offer to help her – but she’s still alive.

Episode Verdict

The Hound is a fun character and I enjoy having him back on the show, but his reappearance feels like a cheat. I’m also a little disappointed in the way the episode wastes a guest spot by Ian McShane, one of TV’s most famous hard-asses, by having him play a namby-pamby throwaway character. He’s a perfect actor for this show, yet would be so much better utilized in almost any other type of role.

Aside from those quibbles, I enjoyed this episode. The other storylines come together well, and Yara is so much more appealing when she’s strong and confident, and shows some affection for her brother Theon. Their interactions here are actually touching. I also loved Jaime’s dealings with the Freys and with The Blackfish. I look forward to seeing how his siege plays out.

47 comments

  1. HuskerGuy

    There is now way Sansa’s letter isn’t to Littlefinger. She’s realized she was wrong to dismiss the army he could provide.

    Also, I don’t buy the Arya bit just yet. She’s not dumb enough to go waltzing through the city with bags of money and then just hang out on a bridge by herself when she knows the faceless want to kill her. I’ve convinced myself it’s some sort of elaborate ruse.

    Also, I’ll note that I don’t have any problem with them bringing back the Hound. That said, bringing back Syrio as well would be a bit too much.

  2. itjustWoRX

    Lady Mormont…wow. That young actress killed it! And Bear Island sure looked a lot more beautiful than I expected…

    The Hound returning is another point in the books that is alluded to but not confirmed, but I’m more than happy to have the Hound back. And in close proximity to so many characters…

    I’m not drinking the kool-aid with the Arya situation. They’re going to pull something weird.

    The Riverrun scenes were excellent. With the preview for next week’s episode, it looks as though the Blackfish is going to have to decide whether to hold his castle and birthplace, or abandon it to go to the aid of his surviving family up North. I loved how he sized up Jaime.

    Who would have thought that King’s Landing would become the most boring story line (aside from Daenerys)? I don’t count Dorne into the equation anymore.

    This episode definitely made up for last week’s mouse fart, except that it literally ran about 10 minutes short. I guess they have to save a little money for the big battle sequences. Speaking of which; with only 3 episodes to go, I’m starting to worry how we’re going to get to the big Battle of the Bastards so quickly.

  3. I was hoping McShane would call The Hound a “King’s Landing c##ksucker.” 😉

    Seriously though, The Hound was never a character I considered dead…I always assumed he was alive.

    Remind me AGAIN what the point of Jon Snow dying was? They should have left him dead – he’s done NOTHING significant this season.

        • eric

          too true… they never leverage what they have going for them.

          He needs to walk in there and say “Listen, I killed a white walker. I can control the Wildings, I have a giant and a sorcerer. Oh, and by the way, I can’t be killed.”

          • Timcharger

            As Sam’s brother retorted during
            that dinner scene, White Walkers aren’t real.

            It’s like whenever Dany lists her many titles.
            Unless you are on fire sitting on a dragon,
            don’t bother claiming you’re the Unburnt
            Mother of Dragons.

            If Jon traveled to these northern Houses
            while riding on the giant shoulders of Wun-
            Wun, yeah, that would sell.

    • Timcharger

      Just saying that the most famous
      zombie resurrection in Western civilization
      was most noted for deeds prior to his
      resurrection and that was about it.
      Accomplishments post reanimation are
      not considered canon and are only
      adopted by the cultist fringe. Some have
      been waiting two thousand years for an
      encore to do something more significant.
      I think we can give Jon Snow a season to
      make a significant move. Just saying.
      🙂

    • I thought his episode made it kinda clear what the point of him dying was. Him dying to protect the wildlings solidified his pact with the only real army he can find.
      Jon staying dead made much less sense to me. It would have left too much up in the air. The books played up the mystery of who he is a lot more and what he is to accomplish. Also the need to discover his lineage would basically be dead if he were as well.

  4. eric

    Sansa’s letter has to be to Littlefinger, who else would it be?

    Margaery slips Olenna a drawing of the sigil for house tyrell, indicating that she needs to take her hint to leave and that all is not as it seems.

    You left out the key part where House Glover indicated that they were allies with the Boltons who helped them get their castle back. This is the primary reason for not helping and the Wildings is just a bonus reason not to help.

    Riverrun, the Blackfish doesn’t necessarilly not give a shit about his nephew but he was probably just calling their bluff and certainly wouldn’t give up the castle for one person. I think the reaction was more of a distain for Frey’s idiot sons. It is amazing to me that these two bumbling idiots were key in the Red Wedding.

    Volantis – Yara gives Theon some tough love and tells him to suck it up and show her the real Theon or kill himself and get it over with. She wants the real Theon not the shadow he is now. This was a great speech and I thought more empowering than many of the Ra Ra speeches we normally get in this show.

    Braavos – i am dissapointed at how easily Aria let her guard down and was attacked, she is a slow learner. I dont feel like she has learned much at this point. I bet she ends up back with the actress she spared and somehow the house of Black and White wont find her. Or, we find out we were tricked and that is not Aria, she does know the face trick.

    I dont feel like the Hound is a cheat, he was clearly alive and in bad shape and alot of other storylines have lent to the theory that he would comeback at some point later on. I bet he ends up fighting against the Mountain for the High Sparrow, or somehow in a twist of events he joins Brienne at Riverrun.
    I expected to see more of Ian Mcshane’s character and was surprised he was gone so fast. Bummer.

    Now with Davos aligned with Lyanna Mormont is their going to be a connection there to get Jorah closer to a cure to stop Greyscale, remember there is a connectiong with Davos back to Shireen who somehow survived it. I can’t remember if some sort of sorcery was involved with that.

    • Josh Zyber
      Author

      The first time we met The Blackfish was at Lord Hoster Tully’s funeral in Season 3. It was Edmure’s job to shoot the flaming arrow that would set the casket barge aflame. Edmure was incompetent at that and missed shot after shot, so Blackfish shoved him aside disdainfully and took care of it himself.

      I don’t think Blackfish gives a damn at all about Edmure.

    • Timcharger

      “Volantis – Yara gives Theon some tough love and tells him to suck it up and show her the real Theon or kill himself and get it over with. She wants the real Theon not the shadow he is now. This was a great speech and I thought more empowering than many of the Ra Ra speeches we normally get in this show.”

      It was a: go-kill-yourself-(or-don’t) speech. It wasn’t
      bad. I’m not sure it was great, either. I did like that
      the Broken Man title refers both to the Hound and
      to Theon.

  5. Timcharger

    Josh: “It’s Never Too Late to Come Back.”

    Yes, Josh. I’m disappointed. Instead of a theme within the
    show. A theme of the show’s contents, you picked a quote
    to pick a bone with your perceived “habit” of the show.

    Josh: “Game of Thrones’ keeps bringing back characters assumed to be dead. That’s getting to be a bad habit for the show.”

    It “keeps” doing that? Given how many characters are
    killed off in almost every episode, the ratio is quite low.

    And you must be referring to the Hound in this episode.
    And the show didn’t “lie” to you. Who cares what the
    actors, directors say? They are playing poker. That’s the
    Hollywood world, not the Westeros world. The
    alternative is to have the showrunners ruin the
    storytelling, ruin the viewing experience?!

    Speaking of the Hound and “lies,” the show absolutely
    DIDN’T lie, because Arya was whipped for that lie. If you
    recall when Arya was naming her kill list before the Waif,
    when Arya named the Hound, she was struck. Naming
    Joffrey, no whip. Naming Sandor Clegane, whip.

    —–

    As for a possible Syrio Forel return, we didn’t see his
    death. We saw him easily dispatch 4 Lannister soldiers.
    The First Sword of Braavos seems to be a good bet
    against Kingsguard Meryn Trant. Both the Hound and
    Barristan Selmy have shown disdain for Trant’s fighting
    skills. It’s not like we saw Syrio Forel get swamped by a
    dozen zombies, clutched and ripping at his flesh.

    And a few seasons ago, when Arya was first sailing to
    Braavos, and we didn’t know much about Braavos. We
    only knew about Syrio Forel. the First Sword of Braavos.
    We wondered if Arya would see him again.

    —–

    The quote you selected is about never being too late to
    start doing some good. People can choose their next
    deed to be kind and generous, despite previous wrong
    doings. To select that quote and twist it to serve your
    purpose of overgeneralizing the return of “dead”
    characters, that’s…
    that’s…
    let’s just say Josh, it’s not too late for you to come back.
    🙂

    • Josh Zyber
      Author

      Arya was whipped for lying because she wasn’t the one who killed The Hound. Brienne did. I suppose it’s possible that Jaqen may somehow know that The Hound survived, but Arya did not know that. She believes him to be dead.

      You can argue all the technicalities you want about how we didn’t actually see The Hound die, but he was certainly presumed dead after that episode. For the show to bring back a character presumed dead with a deus-ex-machina twist that he was saved at the last minute is a cheesy soap opera device. You get crap like that all the time in Day of Our Lives, but this isn’t that type of show. It’s supposed to be better than that. There should be an expectation that the writers aren’t just jerking us around.

      Nevertheless, I would allow the show to get away with this ploy… once. The problem is that this is already the second return-from-death this season. And bringing the Brotherhood Without Banners back into the story suggests that the writers are planning to circle back to do the Lady Stoneheart storyline from the novels after all.

      When presumed-dead characters keep reappearing three, four, five, etc. times, it’s a real credibility problem for the show.

      • Timcharger

        We don’t know the source material’s position
        on the Hound. Because we’re past that point in the books.
        Perhaps the Hound will be brought back in the next book.
        I haven’t read the source material, so ICBW.

        And speaking of the source material, the show has brought
        back MUCH FEWER characters than the books. How is it a
        credibility problem of the show?

        3, 4, 5 times? Huh? You griped about Hound in this recap.
        You counting Jon Snow? You think the books WON’T bring
        him back?!

        • Josh Zyber
          Author

          I don’t care what the books have done or will do. George R.R. Martin can open the next book with Martians in flying saucers landing in Westeros. If I see that in the TV show, I’m going to call it lame.

          • Timcharger

            It does have flying dragons and ice zombies.
            (Just like the source material.)

            Gonna call that lame, Josh? Of course the source
            material matters.

            I don’t like a magical dragon easily solving all of
            Dany’s problems. I don’t like Jon having a cheat
            code for bonus lives in his gameplay. But you’ve
            overgeneralized, miscounted “bad habits,” and
            wrongly concluded the show has a credibility
            problem. If there are 3, 4, 5 offenses, I would
            agree with you.

      • eric

        But Arya wasn’t whipped for saying Joffrey, she didn’t kill him either. But he is dead. I never felt that the Hound was dead, it seemed like to much storyline to through away for the Hound to get out of Kings Landing and for Arya to get to Braavos to just throw it away.

      • Timcharger

        And let’s not confuse:
        “return-from-death” with mysterious disappearance.

        I’m guessing your 3, 4, 5 times include Benjen Stark?
        We never saw Benjen’s death. It wasn’t implied off-
        screen either. It was a missing person mystery. We
        just didn’t know what happened to him.

        That’s a failure and credibility problem of the show?

          • Timcharger

            Now you’ve lost good faith in this discussion.

            Ned’s body and bones were delivered to Catelyn
            Stark in a chest by LIttlefinger.

            —–

            It’s not just visually witnessing a death. There
            are follow-up scenes discussing said death.
            And the consequences of said death playing out
            in other areas. The Hound didn’t have that.
            Benjen Stark didn’t have that.

            Days of Our LIves would have a open casket
            funeral for Ned Stark. But it was really Sean
            Bean’s evil twin that was behead. The real Ned
            Stark has been in a coma under John Doe in
            King’s Landing General Hospital for the last 6
            years…

          • HuskerGuy

            You also see his head on a pike in either the last episode of season 1 or the first of season 2.

  6. Chaz

    I read a comment somewhere that had a good theory about Arya, that she wasnt Arya, that it was Jaquen. She didnt have her sword on her and when she was buying passage for the boat she walked exactly like he does. Plus we just assume she stole that much money so fast? Thats a hell of a lot of coin and although she wasnt the best, she also isnt stupid, she was curled up in a cave pretty much the last time we saw her. Could this be some kind of test for the waif? Jaquen has never been straight forward about anything, so this is an interesting theory, someone also said that it was Jaquen’s music that was playing for Arya in that part of the show as well….

    • Timcharger

      Interesting theory.

      Though I don’t like the notion that a
      facemask would alter Jaqen’s height
      to Arya’s height.

      If Arya wears the Mountain’s face, she
      would gain his height? If Jaqen wears
      Tyrion’s face, that would shrink him?

      • Josh Zyber
        Author

        In the Season 5 finale, when Jaqen seemingly killed himself with poison, The Waif pulled off a mask and morphed into Jaqen. They don’t have nearly the same body type. Arya then pulled mask after mask off the corpse she assumed was Jaqen until seeing her own face.

        The masks do seem to have a magical component that changes their entire bodies.

        • Timcharger

          Since the poisoned Jaqen was lying
          down “dead” on the ground, I didn’t notice
          if his body sized morphed large, to small, to
          large to match the face changes.

          I demand the magic to be rational.
          🙂

    • Timcharger

      What about this crazy theory…

      Arya and the Waif are one. The Waif is Tyler Durden
      to Arya. And their fight is her Fight Club. In order for
      Arya to truly become a No-One-assassin, she must kill
      the Arya side of her personality. This would explain
      how the Waif knows so much about the truth of Arya’s
      past and her true feelings of people Arya professes to
      hate.

      If Arya can kill the Waif, she has killed that side of her
      split personality. And can resume her true Arya self.
      Split personality, 2 sides, the 2 colors of the House of
      Black AND White… maybe? The masks we wear…
      the personalities we adopt… hmmm.

  7. Timcharger

    Josh: “Regardless, anything someone from the show says in an interview from now on must be taken with a huge grain of salt.”

    I’m picturing Josh reading interviews, adding sugar
    to his kool-aid, thinking, why yes, this interviewee
    will spoil the upcoming season. “From now on,”
    you’ll take salt with that instead.
    🙂 🙂 🙂
    (3 smiley faces, to apologize profusely.)

  8. Timcharger

    The Riverlands

    Josh: (No mention of cold open.)

    While it is rare to have a scene before the opening credits,
    I don’t think this is a big deal. Some are comparing the
    episodes that have cold opens and draw significance from
    them.

    I think it’s just so that we don’t see the name Rory McCann
    in the credits and ruin the surprise. I don’t think it means
    the Hound’s role in the wars to come will be huuuge. It’ll
    be a big role, but not HUUUGE.

  9. Timcharger

    King’s Landing

    Josh: “Margaery secretly slips her a note. It’s just a drawing of a flower, but this clearly has meaning between them. Margaery isn’t as brainwashed as she acts.”

    I never believed that Margaery was brainwashed,
    but I’m not too sure this is some kind of win for
    the Tyrells. I don’t know if the High Sparrow is or
    is not deceived by Margaery’s act, if at the end of
    the day, Margaery only succeeded in doing what
    the High Sparrow really wanted.

    High Sparrow wanted Tommen converted.
    Margaery delivered that. And that resulted in
    Jaime being banished from King’s Landing. And
    another threat to the High Sparrow is Lady
    Olenna. And Margaery delivered that. Olenna
    is also leaving King’s Landing.

    Perhaps the Tyrells eventually turn Margaery’s
    deception to their advantage, but so far, these
    are wins for the High Sparrow.

  10. David26

    Why is the font color for the comment section so faded? Maybe I’m getting old, but I find it almost unreadable.
    Having said that, I enjoy reading your reviews very much.

  11. Timcharger

    Northern Kingdoms
    Josh: “Jon tells Sansa that he wants to march on Winterfell as soon as possible, before the snow returns.”

    And with all those fights breaking out at the
    Stark alliance camp, Jon can tell that he can’t
    hold his various armies together for long.

    Josh: “Jon Snow spends the entire episode trying to secure alliances.”
    Jon, Sansa, and Davos. But I don’t recall seeing
    Melisandre. I assume she’s traveling wherever
    Jon is going, but she must have been off-camera
    for all of these scenes.

    Brienne left Castle Black at the same time, but
    she must be going to the Blackfish on her own.
    Unless she is off-camera with her new bestie
    Melisandre. And how lucky would we be if
    Tormond accompanied Brienne on her mission.

    I would like to see Jaime get sized up by Tormond.
    The Blackfish confrontation was alright, but who
    doesn’t want to see a Tormond Jaime fight over
    Brienne?

    Oh yeah, Tormond was at the Wildlings camp.
    So no road trip love story for Brienne and
    Tormond.

    —–

    Davos made a special note that the Stark alliance
    was camped at the same site as Stannis’ army.

    So we may get another raid from Ramsay and
    20 of his best men?

    Or Davos will discover the remnants of a pyre.
    Maybe find a charred stag statue?

    • Timcharger

      Worth noting who was good at negotiating with who.

      Jon dealt with the Free Folk. He did fall for a Wildling
      girl. Makes sense.

      Davos spoke well with the young “princess” leader.
      Lyanna Mormont has a very different personality
      than Shireen, but I can’t help think of the connection.
      I think it would be a mistake for the show if it doesn’t
      follow up on Davos’ reaction to how Shireen died.

  12. Timcharger

    Josh: “Sansa writes a letter to be sent by raven. The contents of the letter or the intended recipient are not yet known.”

    The wax seal with the imprint of the Stark wolf,
    isn’t that supposed to be on the outside of the
    letter? Yes, Sansa hasn’t been the head of a
    House for long, so her letter writing experience
    is lacking, but shouldn’t everyone know that
    the wax seal is to indicate if a letter has been
    opened and read?

    Is Sansa purposely putting the seal there, so
    anyone can read the letter? Is she clever
    enough to “mistakenly” have the letter be sent
    to Winterfell, so the Boltons use that info to
    attack Littlefinger and the knights of the Vale
    who are in the North already? This will help
    deplete the Bolton resources. That would be
    the perfect comeuppance for Littlefinger from
    Sansa. Have her perpetrator, Ramsay, turn
    the tables on Littlefinger.

    She ain’t that clever, but that would totally
    redeem her in the game of thrones.

  13. I did not think that the Hound was presumed-dead. The show didn’t showed him dying. For me this is actually a tip that the character was not killed.
    This same way, I will not be surprised if Stannis gets back.

    Despite Jon Snow’s return, GoT is still father way from series like Heroes, which reached a point where one could not trust any character’s death.

  14. Timcharger

    Josh: “I’m also a little disappointed in the way the episode wastes a guest spot by Ian McShane, one of TV’s most famous hard-asses, by having him play a namby-pamby throwaway character.”

    I’m actually impressed that GoT can have
    such renowned actors play minor roles.
    Not only is there the benefit of quality
    acting, but it challenges the viewers’
    expectations and brings about surprises
    to the characters’ outcomes. Whenever
    we see a “big-time” actor, we get clued-in
    to how that character will be the double
    agent/undercover cop/hero’s true love/
    mystery killer. But with GoT, we can’t
    automatically guess the result.

  15. Timcharger

    Not a guess of the next recap’s title quote.
    I just want to alter a quote in light of the recent tragedy.

    Brienne tells the Blackfish, “Don’t die for pride, when
    you can fight for your blood.”

    To me I heard the Blackfish reply, “Pride doesn’t die.”

    • Timcharger

      Cersei’s “I choose violence” certainly
      is a good choice. It was kind of spoiled from
      the trailers, but it works. Short and poignant.

    • Timcharger

      But for a good callback all the way
      back to season 1, episode 1, Jaime’s “Things we
      do for love” is great choice.

      And both usages involve pushing or catapulting
      young children off castle walls. (Why do people
      think Jaime has grown as a character?)

    • Timcharger

      Josh, if you have GoT giveaway (maybe the
      studio sent some extra Steelbooks), may I suggest
      finishing Tyrion’s joke as the contest question.

      “I walked into a brothel with a honeycomb and a
      jackass…”

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