Rate/Review 7x05: Eastwatch

I give it a 6. The lazy writing to get the show moving was too obvious tonight despite having a few good scenes

This episode had much hype built into it and it's a tough act to follow. Expectations are high but it's exciting to see Eastwatch in the opening credits. The episode starts with Tyrion walking through the aftermath hoping not to see his brother's corpse.




I feel like any negotiation that starts with a huge dragon screeching at everybody is a bit stacked in the favor of the person who brought the dragon. The Lannister soldiers take a knee and Dany recognizes a lord immediately. They frame Randyll with Tyrion briefly, it's an awesome shot. Things quickly escalate as Randyll plays the not my queen card and I never thought I'd be jazzed up over the Tarly family but dammit I was screaming for Dickon to shut up and straight crine when they got sent to Drogon.

but I'm trying not to get attached to characters anymore


This is one of my favorite scenes of the season. It added such an interesting layer to Dany's story that I wasn't sure the show would explore. There are so many parallels between Dany and Cersei that it really helps explain why that conflict is so chaotic.  The show did a good job making R&D compelling in the past few episodes and the way things played out kind out sucked the wind out of Dany's campaign in Westeros.  Jon should try telling everybody about the White Walkers.

When you're rooting for Dany and she burns the Tarlys alive



Jaime rushes through the halls of King's Landing with an interesting callback to the Highgarden set piece.  The scenes between Cersei and Jaime have become my favorite of the season. The way Jaime tries to explain the gravity of Dany's advantage is almost sad as it's the first time Cersei has seemed vulnerable this season.  The lighting is amazing here, the shutters look like Tyrell flowers but the light cast over Cersei a few shots later look like the shadow of Sunspear.  During their argument Jaime admits that Olenna killed their son.  Lena does this amazing thing where you can tell what Cersei feels by her expression immediately then she masks it and speaks with confidence.  Things are starting to get weird and there's a lot of tension between both the Lannister and Stark families right now, which I think might be the most important theme of the episode.

  
This is going to sound crazy but I think it's the happy sitcom reunion moment of Game of Thrones.  A ton of chest pieces were moved into place and a lot of characters are reflecting on each other when neither of those things happen very often in this show.  It's like the Christmas Special of the season, they're trying to cram some happy moments down our throat before shit gets real.  But would the show really follow that amazing battle with a sloppy catch up with emotion special this week?

 


Ok, can we talk about the scene with Jon and Drogon.  That was something I never thought about, never saw coming, and dammit now I can't imagine this story without that moment.  It was so well done, I got choked up and I don't want to talk about it.  Dany steps off of Drogon, gives him a glance and he flies off to give her some alone time with Jon.  I don't want this moment to be glossed over.  Dany definitely looked at Drogon and he understood what she wanted and flew away.  I just thought that was really cool.  "They're beautiful aren't they," she says.  "That wasn't the word I was thinking of but-"



You had better watch your beautiful tongue Jon Snow.  I love the ominous clouds and wind in this scene.  And have we talked about how every single character is wearing black this seasons?  It's one of the most striking visual elements of the season, and has helped maintain a dreary and conflicted tone this year.  I like how on Dragonstone everything always feels damp, like they all got rained on just before the scene started.  It's kind of a bummer, and not a coincidence that King's Landing feels way darker and more brooding than the earlier seasons.  Suddenly Jorah Mormont enters looking like a Jedi.  That little hug was kind of special, including all of the awkward glancing that followed it. 




The Sam Tarly scenes sometimes feel like HBO's attempt to save libraries.  Like every game changing moment is going to be discovered in an old tome or scroll in Oldtown, but it is a logical progression from the books and its 'keep reading' moments so I'm still invested.  I love how Sam was finally like 'dude, stop mocking me, put up or prove I'm wrong.'  And we go to Tyrion and Varys both venting and testing each other.  This episode finally has some of the character moments I've been craving since the premier.  Varys grabbing the wine and opening up about the horrors of serving under the Mad King was a brief glimpse into the Spider's head and the level of chaos going on where he might actually feel desperate enough to talk about his feelings.  Tyrion as always does a good job comforting:




Tyrion hatches a totally insane plan to bring evidence of the dead army down to the capitol to appeal to Cersei's sense of benevolence. I'm struck by the ambition of the plan but skeptical of the outcome, I think the unspoken truth is that Tyrion is very desperate to be hatching a plan that appeals to Cersei. So Tyrion lays it out and our heroes start signing up for it. Dany reminds Jon that he doesn't have permission to leave but apparently he doesn't need it.




I loved the scene between Arya and Sansa.  Both of their positions seemed logical and disturbing at the same time.  Sophie did a good job showing how creeped out she felt by Arya.  This scene is challenging and I love it for that reason.  This tension between Sansa and Arya is tough for the viewers but it's much more compelling than the forced scenes about daggers so i'm glad they're getting some real development tonight.  Sophie and Maisie both do a fantastic job and that scene was better than anything with cave-driven sexual tension.  Instead we get cave fratricidal tension.  Tyrion and Jaime finally get a reunion thanks to Bronn but remember it's part of the Game of Thrones family reunion special.  Tyrion admits that nobody expects Cersei to bend the knee.  

Every time I hear 'I won't bend the knee but it'll turn out ok'



I wasn't sure how I felt about the Gendry scenes. It wasn't something I was asking for, but I was kind of hyped up for him by the end of the episode. One thing I've always wanted to see was Robby B swinging that war hammer around like he means business. But unless Bran is gonna show us some cool flashbacks, we have Gendry taking up that role and sparking the imagination of Robert fans when he finally puts the hammer to use.  And can we recognize that they acknowledged the 'still rowing' meme of the fandom?  It's official, the show has gone meta.

When you show up six years late for child support


Davos has a surprisingly romantic reunion with Gendry where they talk about getting fucked by time.  Gendry is ready to get the fuck out of King's Landing and just start murdering people with a giant hammer, and somehow this is one of the most comforting moments of the season.  A genuine sense of friendship motivated by the need of murdering your enemies.  Davos trying to make up a fake name and back story for the Gold cloaks was hilarious.  Even a mundane problem like bribing the patrols has become chaotic when they start demanding 15 golden dragons a piece.  Davos' indignation at inflation was priceless.  They are almost in the clear when Tyrion passes the guards and catches their attention. 'You, dwarf!' they exclaim before Davos reminds them of the crazy crab meat aphrodisiac they just supped on.

Then Gendry resolves the situation.  



And we go to a sneaky secret scene with Cersei and Qyburn where he's whispering for her to 'behave herself' before being excused and sending a sly excuse me to Jaime himself. The following scene between the twins is brilliant of course, especially as Cersei seems a bit more aggressive than usual in prodding Jaime for answers. Then she rests her hands in her lap and we understand why she's so tenacious, she's pregnant and with her love Jaime by her side they are in a position to create the next great dynasty of the Seven Kingdoms. Things, well, they're complicated. If you don't have dragons, the people are not really hyped up about incest. Speaking of which

every scene between Jaime/Cersei



Trying to think about Gendry coming along for the mission.  I love this twist with Jaime and Cersei because it could make them more dangerous than they've ever been.  And Cersei adds an unusual last second power struggled.  I love the scene that plays out between Dany and Jorah but it's kind of hilarious that before that they try to do a poetic line call back to season five and everybody is like 




Speaking of which, where the hell is Ghost, I can't be the only one a bit triggered about all the dragon scenes and not a single hint of Ghost in what must be two seasons by now?  But I do love the 17th farewell between Dany and Jorah, with just six episodes left I expect like three more farewell and reunion scenes between Dany and Jorah.  Gilly steals the next scene and wins the episode for being the funniest character but Sam is also running away with a new direction.  Next we see Arya stalking on Littlefinger in different spots. But this subterfuge feels orchestrated, as long as things don't get too creepy




Oh my god. Okay. We're suddenly in the North and we have every bad ass character conveniently convening at Eastwatch by the Sea. Jon Snow, Tormund, Jorah Mormont, THE HOUND, Beric Dondie, Thoros of Myr, Davos, Gendry. It's like Wrestlemania in Westeros, it's cold as shit and almost everybody hates each other. But like Beric says, we survive toGETHA. And The Hound cuts to the chase. This is the Dream Team and they are going beyond the Wall and the episode just ends, I've never been more frustrated with the end of an episode but that's a testament to how well they played up the suspense this time.

7x05 cliffhanger

Man. With the possible exception of Winds of Winter following B.O.B last year, this was one of those textbook hero to zero episodes GOT is prone to after particularly strong or thrilling episodes (e.g: 3x10, post red wedding.)

Something monumental followed up with something anti-climactic that can’t possibly live up. How you make hugely anticipated moments like the Tyrion/Jaime reunion or the return of Gendry (hammer-time excepted) feel flat and perfunctory is beyond me but somehow this episode managed it.

Tbh, the season really showed the seven episode squeeze this week – maybe more than any other. It was as if all the relevant logic  and character beats you feel should naturally have occupied a full ten episode span around the E5-7 mid-section (how the BWB wound up at Eastwatch ... what is going on with the Greyjoys ... Jon and Gendry speaking about Arya, or just how Bronn and Jaime managed to somehow evade capture rather than popping up untraced downriver) got the fast forward treatment to rush things to the wight hunt.

Gendry: "Great, let’s go!"

Davos: "Hey, you heard the meme about you still rowing?"

Audience:

Winterfell? Arya vs LF is a sparring match that doesn't engage me and I'm curious as to why - probably because they'e made her so OP by this point, having dispatched her every nemesis, it negates the Baelish threat-level and we can predict how it will end.

The final images were great, admittedly, but it's also the point you realise most of the story changes made with this large set of secondary characters up until this point have basically been to the end of getting that Avengers Assemble moment on screen, and not a whole lot more. Thor's Gendry's hammer doesn't help the obvious comparison that D&D have been watching too much Marvel.

Bits I enjoyed? Old man Tarly's last stand, his son's fealty, and the continuation of that gorgeous new Jon/Dany theme playing when Jon petted Drogon. Oh, and the Raven flyover was kinda neat, if a little CGI.

9/10 for last week's thrill-fest, but back to the underwhelming 7's, I'm afraid.

Please don’t suck balls, wight hunt, and make me love this season as much as 7X04!  Pretty please...?

P.S: And what the actual fuck is Kevin Eldon doing as a Lannister soldier when he was a member of the Braavos theatre troop last season? Undercover actor, or are they recycling their bit part players?
The 'dumb guards' couplings are getting a bit Python this season.

King Bobby would have been proud.

This episode was a 6 for me.

Most of the writing for this one was

Scenes that were well done/I liked
Tyrion and Jaime
Tyrion and Varys
Jaime telling Cersei, gurl we in trouble, she will kill us all.
Jon, I don't need your permission. Bye.
Emilia's acting perks up when she shares scenes with Iain Glen
Gendry's return

Things that bug me:
Sansa vs. Arya. How did Arya read her so fast? How is Arya that dumb? AFTER EVERYTHING THAT FAMILY HAS BEEN THROUGH, SHE THINKS SANSA SHOULD CUT OFF THE HEADS OF COMPLAINING LORDS??? That's a Dany/Cersei move.
Obviously LF wants to drive a wedge between them, but why?
What is the point of keeping Gendry a secret?
The marriage in Dorne between Rhaegar and you know who? Wouldn't the Dornish be upset about that? Doesn't that make Elia's kids illegit???
Dany: I'm not here to murder you.
Tarlys: You are not our queen
Dany: Dracarys.
Ummmm...didn't you just murder them? How come they get burnt for being all LOL, not kneeling meanwhile Jon is like, "Nope" and she doesn't sic a dragon on him
Where da fuq is Ghost?

Its funny how my time on the forum has me watching the show and thinking how various posters would react to stuff. I had a feeling lots of the Arya stuff and Gendry stuff would irritate you. I pictured TheMadQueen cackling at Cersei being all Ms. Varys-know-it-all over the Jaime-Tyrion meeting. Earlier this season i saw the Hound's scenes and eagerly anticipated DaveyJoe 's thoughts. Oh, and i knew day dreamer would be as disappointed by Bran's stuff as me. I love that i now watch the show like that
I agree with your overall piint btw. This episode was probably the most obvious sign of them rushing to reach a big flashy moment and getting their Avengers Assemble moment with Jon and co. "We're going on a wight hunt a wight hunt a wight hunt!" (Please tell me someone else hears wight hunt in a sing song campy childrens show voice? No? Just me? Ok...)
Not a totally awful episode though,because there were still some great character moments. Unfortunately, the better writing was concentrated around Dany, Cersei and their supporting cast, and the North was given the cold shoulder.

On a discussion point rather than review point,i think Dany made a good point to Jon, that he killed just as many retaking Winterfell as she did in her recent battle (it was worded better than that). That she used her dragon only reduced casualties on her side. Dead is dead, after all.

Re: Dany burning Randyll and Dickon, i dont think it makes her like Aerys. I think it didnt make much sense paired with her break the wheel speech, obviously. I wont argue that point, because its definitely weord of her to say she isnt hear to burn and murder then proceed to do just that.
But in terms of executing your enemies its what any other lord or king would do. Randyll quite clearly wasnt going to be reasoned with. He refused to take the black, he insulted Dany, refused to bend the knee. She can hardly just tell him to go on his way. Seemed like if he said yes to the Black she probably would have allowed it. The major concern i guess is that it was done by dragon? Well, does doing it via beheading or hanging really make much difference? *shrug*
Btw, i'm talking entirely within the context of the ahow here, where it would be general practice to execute traitors.


Separate note again - i really really wosh the fact Tyrion was responsible for the Wildfire plot that killed Davos' son received more than just a passing mention. That should be a point of conflict between Davis and Tyrion imo, and would have been cool to see it play out.

Whatever happened to Sallador Sahn on the show btw? Genuinely cant recall beyond the scene in Braavos a couple of seasons ago

I don't think it's unreasonable for the maesters to have missed the note about Rhaegar. This septon counted the number of steps in the Citadel, the number of windows in the Great Sept, and took note of every time he took a shit. I wouldn't want to read his stuff. And the maesters have clearly been portrayed as ignorant and dismissive for as long as Sam's been there. Could be someone started reading his notes, realised they were mostly about shits, then stopped.

Although admittedly I would've preferred if it had gotten more than just a passing mention.

I really liked this episode, but it had its issues, so i'll discuss a few points...

Dany burns the Tarly's. First of all i don't feel sorry for Randyll he is a dick and a fool. I do feel sorry for his idiot son though. Dany should have waited longer to show the Tarly's why they should fight for her, but at the same time i don't think Randyll would have ever changed his mind. She gave them a pretty quick death- would be the same as beheading. But i actually think she made the right decision here, the men still refuse to fear Dany because they think she is weak. They are scared of Drogon, but as soon as she said her piece there were still some men not wanting to bend the knee. As soon as she showed that she would stick by her word and show no mercy, they all bent the knee. Sad but necessary imo

Find it a bit of a stretch that Tyrion could organise Bronn to get Jaime to meet with him, was this the spider's doing? We know that Qyburn has bought out Varys little birds and so this makes sense that Cersei knew. But how did Varys organise this? Jaime is such a conflicted character at the moment, i enjoyed his scene with both Tyrion and Cersei but hate the way he keeps getting manipulated by everyone, especially Cersei.
Davos' scene in Flea bottom was very nostalgic somehow, i knew as soon as Davos walked into the place we would be seeing Gendry, and he has changed quite a bit. Their conversation is light-hearted and Gendry seems passionate about the chance to kill some lannisters. Also believes Davos instantly about the white walkers (?) which i'll give them a pass for but yeh. Is Tyrion really that stupid he would not duck down to avoid being seen by the guards? LOL but Gendry using that hammer was amazing, looking forward to seeing more!

Jon and Dany chemistry is getting real. Drogon even likes Jon. Okay we get it, they love each other or will love each other. Glad to see Jorah and Dany get their little moment.

It's like an episode of convenient meetings, a little too convenient for my liking but the character moments are so great i'm willing to overlook some of them.

I liked Arya and Sansa's scene together, it shows that Arya is using her skills of 'knowing a lie' to understand what kind of person Sansa is. Is she the same as she was when she last saw her? It seems like even though she's been through hell, Sansa really is the same and has the same ambitions. Arya's words struck Sansa so much because they were true.
Littlefinger getting the one-up on Arya was his best scene of the season. Mostly because he didn't really talk at all, i like it when he doesn't talk because i can't stand his voice. The scroll is the one Sansa wrote to Catelyn to surrender their armies. I wonder why Arya would even care about this, she's smart enough to understand it was Cersei writing it not Sansa.

So Bran sees the Night King going to Eastwatch. So no development on Bran, no revisit of his visions, no connect-the-dots moment. What exactly was wrong with him again? Both Arya and Bran had normal emotions last season and it just seems weirdly abrupt that they have become so unattached and unemotional. I mean, the whole point to Arya's arc last season is that she finally accepted that she isn't no one, she is Arya Stark. I didn't know Arya Stark had a weird detachment from her siblings and would behead (genuine threat) anyone who said Jon was a bad King. Well....

Jon is being kind of a bad King. I would expect him to go back to Winterfell before heading North into certain death. I mean this whole plan is fucking stupid. I actually hate this plan. Oh man they are so meta with the men going North, just like the old stories Old Nan used to tell!

i'll give it 7 or 8 out of 10. An 8 because of that visual of Drogon in the reach.

Also Sam's scenes didn't bother me at all, in fact they make sense. I personally think the maesters are not researching the long night/white walkers on purpose. I think Sam's Maester knows its true but know's the citaedel's view on magic and so pretends not to care. I wonder if Sam is heading straight to Winterfell, hope he brought the right books with him! Wouldn't have to turn back :S

This episode made me love Gilly even more though. Her flat response about it being "steps not shits" when Sam had his mini meltdown was perfect.