Rate 6x07

Brought it down to a 9. Something about this episode just felt weird. When it started without the titles and then showed random people building some random framework I thought I'd started to watch the wrong show, but then I saw a man limping

The Positives
- The Hound is back and he has a purpose in this world, "The gods aren't done with you yet" In all honesty, I never really suspected I'd get to see or read about Cleganebowl, I did think it was mostly just some fantasy invented by people who want to see the Hound get revenge, but he'd found peace so I just thought it wouldn't happen. This Hound hasn't found (or has lost) peace, and he's still alive for a reason, so Cleganebowl is pretty much confirmed

- Riverrun was great, as expected. I'd have loved to get another scene like with Edmure and Jaime or something, but what we got was fantastic. Blackfish's reintroduction was perfect, and I like that he isn't just straightforward "thuggish" like he was for some of season 3.
- Olenna's scenes were quite good and I usually find her annoying so that's a positive. My only problem is that I want crazy Cersei! Not this calm, collected, "let's work together" Cersei. If Olenna had told book Cersei she was stupid then I doubt this is how it would go, but I'll wait to see where this story goes from here.

The Mehs
- Arya's scene just felt unnecessary. Maybe there's a reason we'll find out next week, but it seems like they could've just put this bit in the next episode.
- For the first time, I just wasn't feeling a High-Sparrow-advice scene. I'm starting to get sick of that fucking room. It just felt really weird, with him basically showing up and turning into a marriage counsellor I was expecting Loras to be the new target rather than Olenna but we'll see where it goes.
- The Greyjoys in Volantis. Meh.

I wanted this to be a 10 as I said in the promo thread - this episode wasn't bad or anything, just quite underwhelming

Ayy, what's up with the rating distribution haha? Seems like the most divisive episode by far so far. Anyways, giving this one a 9. Loved that they used a cold open, and this was probably the most good-looking episode possibly ever. No scene was anything short of great. I've just given out 3 10's already, so I'm in a bit of a withholding mood right now.

My doubt is only/mainly from the books and I just assumed they'd be following roughly the same course on the show, so I wasn't completely sure it'd happen. But they didn't follow the same course, and so my hype is restored.

Best episode of the season. It featured an amazing sense of confidence in storytelling that the show has been afraid to embrace until now. I love the smash cuts of Jon and Sansa recruiting Northern allies throughout the episode. The shedding of formula to reintroduce the Hound in a cold open and the use of a daring pace to integrate him into the story as a whole.

The scenes with Jaime and Bronn in the Riverlands were spectacularly cinematic and Jaime's face-off with the Blackfish was supremely dramatic.

Marg's play is brilliant and the audience is just catching up to it this episode. Last week we were confused as to how she suddenly seemed loyal to the Faith. But it eventually became clear that she was playing a game, sadly, she used Tommen as a tool to escape the walk of atonement by steering him towards the Faith. And through Marg's story The High Sparrow opened an unprecedented level of discomfort when he told the Queen about her duty to procreate whether or not she shared the desire.

Show Marg has always seemed a bit more cunning and savvy, but the past two episodes have proven it beyond doubt. She's playing the Faith at their own game. She gave them Tommen, but also saved the Queen of Thornes with a subtle play that sent her back home, the drawing she shared was of a rose, but with a thorn on the stem to emphasize that their family won't easily forgive this disrespect.

Jon and Sansa start their recruitment campaign with the Wildlings, and surprisingly, this is the easiest group to win over. Once they enter the North proper, their supposed Banner-men grow increasingly harder to win over.

At this point there's a spectacular scene between Cersei and The Queen of Thornes. Two players I could watch butt heads all day long. Refreshingly, Cersei reaches out and reminds Olenna about their need for unification to destroy the High Sparrow and free their children, but Olenna is eager to remind Cersei of her responsibility in arming the Faith Militant and allowing them to take over. After a serious belittlement, Cersei admits culpability for possibly the first time in the entire story. Amazingly, she brushes it off and strives for partnership with Grandma Tyrell again. But no, the Queen of Thornes reminds Cersei of how desperately alone she is, Jaime is gone, the rest of her family has abandoned her, and the city despises her. Cersei is standing on a desperate type of loyalty, with no possible outcome, do you know who that reminds me of? Ned Stark. They share a strikingly depressing character arc this season.

We're at the Riverlands where we're reminded how ineffectual the Freys are. You can't make idle threats when it comes to warfare, and Jaime makes an effective lesson of that to Black Walder.

Here we get probably the best scene of the episode with the commanding presence of Lady Mormont. Sansa starts with a condescending attitude, and Jon doubles down, both are dismissed outright, and Lady Mormont demands quick answers. She's not impressed, she reminds them of the fact that Jon is a Snow, and Lady "Sandra" is a Bolton. Jon and Sansa stammer as Lady Mormont reminds them that she is responsible for her own people, and she deserves a reason to sacrifice the people that trust in her. Suddenly, Davos, with a brief flash of humility, manages to gain the respect of Lady Mormont, long enough to break down the real impending threat.

With courage, Jaime approaches the moat at Riverrun. The Blackfish approaches, long awaited, adorned in a dark yet colorful scaled armor. They immediately denigrate each other with the nick names they're eager to shed. Jaime discovers that he can't play the pragmatic. He offers a reasonable term on his offer, but the Blackfish throws it back in his face. Who could trust the Kingslayer? He has no honor. And Jaime is left in limbo, once again, as the Blackfish assures him that he will see Edmure die, it's a given, after all, and survive a siege against Lannister/Frey forces for two years. Things don't look good.

We see the next Stark negotiation with a Northern house, and it's more desperate than ever. House Glover is impatient and reluctant to ally with Jon and Sansa while Ramsay Bolton rules the North through fear and pain. Lord Glover dismisses Jon's arguments and walks away, and Sansa calls him back with the commanding force of a Stark. But the Glover House didn't have it easy during the Stark Campaign. It's actually harder and harder for Jon and Sansa to rally supposed loyal houses to their cause.

Things look bleak for the Stark army, but thanks to Sansa's mercy, they will survive. But what part will Littlefinger play in the unification of the North?

This is when we see Ray's influence on Sandor. He's always doubted himself, he has no moral background. But Ray tells a story of his own violence, but reminds the group how it's never too late to help others.. The group is threatened by a trio of Riders. Sandor chops wood to vent his frustration. He criticizes Ray's failure to protect the group. "What could I have done? I'm a Septon." asks Ray. "Something..." replies Sandor. He's changed, but not completely..

He's chopping branches in the forest when he hears a distant scream. He limps toward the village to find a massacre of corpses and blood-stained ground. It's hard to become a righteous person, it's easy to become the Hound again. Let us pray for him.

If that was a 'weak episode,' I can't wait to see a good one.

Everything our little raccoon said.

It's really interesting to see how divisive this episode is. I think the key factor here is one's opinion on Sandor as a character. I don't find him and his storyline particularly interesting and his scenes in this episodes bored me felt a little bit too long. Apart from that, I thought the episode had a lot of strong scenes, but they were really just set-up. Nothing had the emotional punch of episodes like "The Door". So yeah, for me it is definitely the weakest episode since 5x06 probably. But that's ok, I guess I'll love the last three. And I'm glad y'all loved it.

I really enjoyed Glover telling Jon and Sansa how much of a dumbass the "King in the North" was.

Thanks.

The latter quote, I stand by, Sansa let Littlefinger live out of mercy.  Character arcs aren't that simple, they are messy, and it takes time to become a player.  I think as strong as Sansa may have become, would we want her to be completely without mercy?  Not yet.  She had a complex relationship with Petyr, and her mercy may just be what saves the North.

Also, where the hell is Mel?