5.07 The Gift

[Judderman]

So, an interesting episode all in all.

Master Aemon Targaryan died at the wall and Jon Snow's Direwolf had to save Sam and Gilly.

Cersei delights in Tyrell's imprisonment though Tommen makes her feel perhaps a tad guilty(?), and then she gets thrown into imprisonment herself.

Ser Barristan and Tyrion meet up with Daenerys via a fortunate meeting at a fighting pit.

Reek (Theon) grasses on Sansa to Ramsey. Though how did Ramsey know the old nanny had any involvement? He guessed?

Stannis is asked to kill his own daughter. Seems to far.

As for the Sandsnakes and Bronn. Well, I was spellbound, but it was definitely an unnecessary scene. The writers are going for the Spartacus style gratuity market. But what was the reason for saving him? They want to do a jailbreak together?

 

[REBerg]

How great was it to see the ever-scheming Cersei get her due? Who didn’t see that comeuppance coming?

It was pure delight to see Cersei’s customary smug, "I'm in control" look evaporate as she realized her puppet was no longer attached to his strings (not that he ever was). It was an especially sweet thing coming immediately after the Queen Mother had just lorded (ladied?) it over real Queen (technically) Margaery. Give Margaery a rousing three cheers for rejecting all of Cersei’s spiel and tossing that leftover venison at the cell wall.

Welcome to the dungeon, Cersei. The High Sparrow is the real deal.

 

[svalbard]

A welcome return to form on this episode.

Sansa's situation looks hopeless at the moment, but Brienne is close at hand...

Jonathan Pryce is stealing all the plaudits for his performance in this season. His scene with Olenna was fantastic.

I was also spellbound by the scene in the cells with the Sandsnakes and Bronn.

 

[REBerg]

Jonathan Pryce is stealing all the plaudits for his performance in this season. His scene with Olenna was fantastic.

I really enjoyed the former Mrs. Peel trading jabs with The High Sparrow, although she was the one who came away from the sparring session with her nose bloodied.

“We are the many. You are the few,” THS informed the lady. “And, when the many stop fearing the few…” He walked away from Olenna without finishing the sentence. So, might I suggest: “…the few become the none.”?

Also interesting was Olenna's meeting with Littlefinger. Both characters previously claimed (privately, of course) credit for the poisoning death of King Joffrey, and their conversation in this episode revealed more.

“Together, we murdered a king,” Olenna reminded Littlefinger.

Aha! It was a collaborative effort. Thank you both for performing this public service. Might I introduce you to Ramsay Bolton?

 

[Koopa]

The speech of the high sparrow was brought well, but i couldn't help but think to myself that Olenna was right in stating that most in King's Landing did far worse than Loras and Margaery. As a result his comment about equality didn't quite reach home for me, since he was obviously targeting the few and not the many. Cause the many aren't singled out and punished by him as Loras and Margaery and even Cersei are. The french revolution shows that when the many stop fearing the few all kinds of stuff can happen to the few. Power can change hands, but in the end from the many, new few will arise, since true equality doesn't exist, it can't exist unless we become cyborgs or something. In the end few will always rule over the many.

It's kinda ironic that in every nation communism came to the forefront, these nations more than others were ruled by the few. Once can only shudder when considering the Pol Pots, Mao Zedongs, Stalins of this world.

And when religion comes into play it seems to make matters even worse imo. In a way i feel it's not so much religion that is a problem, but the organisations behind the religion. Especially those whom make extremists out of their followers. I've been raised as a passive christian. Basically we go to church for getting baptisement and burials, we went to Don Bosco schools, but don't actively practice it. We value certain values whilst thinking little and less about everything else. So although i don't actively belief in God, and i find much to criticize and even mock in the bible, i am passively coloured by it. Even though i'm 99% sure Gods doesn't exist, i can't say for 100% sure he doesn't exist and the god and religion i think about when considering this is the christian God.

What i'm trying to say is this, whilst i would call myself a passive christian since it's the faith i'm coloured by (even as stated earlier, i'm mostly certain god doesn't exist) i can tell you i'm a good deal repulsed by the church that represents that faith. The church for all the good it undeniable does in the world is imo a monstrosity. Which has destroyed countless of lives both by it's doctrine and it's actions. Some of which stand in contrast to the religion their organisation stands for. (strong words i guess for a thing i barely think about/has much to do with my daily life - thank god for overall west-european/belgian thoughts on religion)

It's almost like FIFA (except i don't care about god whilst i will always care about the game of football). You love football, but FIFA itself is just a corrupt vile organisation. Lancel and the High Sparrow thoroughly give me the creeps, so i daresay they are playing their roles quite well.

@Mods, if this post is too politically and religiously tinted for this forum, feel free to remove it.

 

[Judderman]

Maybe the High Sparrow was wronged by the Lannisters and/or the Tyrrells in whatever his previous role was.

 

[Culhwch]

Loved the High Sparrow bits. Really well executed.

Could easily have done without all of the Dorne stuff. Did not see the point to any of that.

 

[REBerg]

Could easily have done without all of the Dorne stuff. Did not see the point to any of that.

Several amazing things were revealed in the Dornian dungeon scene. The third most amazing thing to me was Bronn, vision blurred and collapsed on the cell floor as the poison worked through his system, still able to make an amazing catch and down the antidote to save his life.

Looks like Bronn's got himself a feisty new girlfriend in Tyene Sand.

 

[REBerg]

Power can change hands, but in the end from the many, new few will arise, since true equality doesn't exist, it can't exist unless we become cyborgs or something. In the end few will always rule over the many.

It's kinda ironic that in every nation communism came to the forefront, these nations more than others were ruled by the few.

To paraphrase George Orwell: “All citizens of Westeros are equal, but some will eventually be more equal than others.

Although Game of Thrones is a work of fiction, its characters are based on the same self-centered human nature that led to the failure of the new society in Animal Farm as well as the failures of the real world communism it satirizes.

I would expect things to turn out no differently, should the Faith Militant and the High Sparrow/Septon succeed in converting GoT society to their vision.

 

[Reivax26]

I thought the Dorne scene was great. The High Sparrow parts were awesome as was poor old Jorah trying to get to Dany. I am very interested to see what is going to happen going forward now that Tyrion is there with her.

 

[Dave]

I felt this Season had final got somewhere after an exceedingly slow build-up. Some of the characters seem to make very poor decisions though - Cersei thinking she was still in control for one (what happened in Baelish's brothel would tell me enough not to work with the Harpy followers) - Jon Snow leaving Alliser Thorne in charge of Castle Black would be another.

I am very interested to see what is going to happen going forward now that Tyrion is there with her.

I am too, though she is no longer the innocent she started out as when she was taken by her brother to marry Drogo. The conversation she had with Darrio summed it up. She still wants to be this populist and charismatic dictator to her people, but to remain in control of so many she has, and must continue to carry out some very authoritarian actions. Tyrion strikes me as a much freer sole, and allough he is not best pleased with his treatment in Kings Landing, I doubt he will really wish Daenery's kind of medicine on them.

 

[Dave]

Reek (Theon) grasses on Sansa to Ramsey. Though how did Ramsey know the old nanny had any involvement? He guessed?

I thought that Ramsey would ask Theon why he had brought a candle to the top of a disused tower, and Theon would then tell him. Then Ramsey would light it and wait for the old nanny (or whoever) to be summoned by it. The problem is (which I assume you mean) is that Ramsey was already sat waiting in the tower for Theon. This suggests that Ramsey already knew the plan beforehand.

 

[Culhwch]

Cersei thinking she was still in control for one (what happened in Baelish's brothel would tell me enough not to work with the Harpy followers)

I think this is true to her most singular character flaw, though - she has too much faith in her own cleverness, and can't imagine anyone else manipulating her.

I thought that Ramsey would ask Theon why he had brought a candle to the top of a disused tower, and Theon would then tell him. Then Ramsey would light it and wait for the old nanny (or whoever) to be summoned by it. The problem is (which I assume you mean) is that Ramsey was already sat waiting in the tower for Theon. This suggests that Ramsey already knew the plan beforehand.

Different towers. It was just editing trickery. You were meant to think Theon was going to the broken tower, when in fact he was going to dob on Sansa the whole time (with perhaps the slightest pause to entertain the notion of helping her).

 

[REBerg]

Different towers. It was just editing trickery. You were meant to think Theon was going to the broken tower, when in fact he was going to dob on Sansa the whole time (with perhaps the slightest pause to entertain the notion of helping her).

Yeah, they really nailed me on that one. Nicely done, GoT tricksters.

When Reek opened the door to what appeared to be Ramsay's office, I was embarrassed at how completely I had been sucked into thinking that Reek had recovered a little Theon and was actually going to do something noble. But then, Theon was not exactly a noble character in his pre-Ramsay days.

Just when you think Reek cannot possibly reek any more than he does – he does.

 

[Koopa]

I think Reek may end up surprising a few people

 

[Reivax26]

I am wondering if Sansa is going to kill Reek, Ramsay, Roose and that one stupid little girl that Ramsay has been shagging.

 

[Narkalui]

Well we did see Sansa steal that dagger didn't we...