Hey 3.5 readers.
So, there was a lot of payoff in this episode. A lot of things that rewarded you if you’ve been watching since the show began:
#1 – Jaime now feels like a dick for pushing Bran out the window all those years ago. The show is a miraculous piece of writing that it has a character who started out the series pushing a kid out a window to cover up for his incestuous affair with his sister and now all these years later you feel sorry for him because he has grown and become a better person, a person who wouldn’t do such a thing now but he will always carry the guilt of having done so.
#2 – Jaime isn’t trusted by Dany because he killed her father though that seems silly because even she admits her father was a dickcheese. Brienne of Tarth vouches for him, rewarding you for watching that season where she and Jaime became the traveling odd couple.
#3 – Brienne is formally knighted. It seems like a sleight of writing hand to make it so any knight can appoint another knight because she’s known so many damn knights for so long. Then again, maybe she just needed to vouch for one and then he owed her a favor. It was a nice feminist moment though the show has long had women in positions of power. The GOT world is ancient and backward but damn if it doesn’t let women be in charge of things.
#4 – Arya and Gendry get freaky. This is bizarre and I’m not sure they should have done it. Problem is the actress who plays Arya still looks very young for her age though I guess she is of age now. I assume Gendry is her age but he looks like a full grown man getting down with a kid in this scene. I believe the characters are both of age at this point. I don’t know. They might have handled this scene better. Maybe they could have just alluded to it. Masie Williams just looks too young.
#5 – Khaleesi seems to really be up Tyrion’s ass for every little mistake. Jorah Mormount who doesn’t like Tyrion stands up for him, pointing out that no hand would ever not make a mistake and he as at least gotten her this far.
#6 – Sansa and Khaleesi are at odds. Also, she isn’t happy to learn Jon Snow is a Targaryen.
#7 – Tormund is a giant titty sucker.
#8 – Overall you just had a lot of characters who finally come together after years of infighting and so far the last season is progressing well.
Bookshelf Battle 
I thought this episode was terrible (see my recent post). Your insights are good. Let’s hope for a better ep next week.
Hmm I think you’re wrong on this. I agree it was hokey and more about talking and character development. Thing to remember is George RR doesn’t give us what we want but gives us life. We want Khaleesi to sit on the throne and be a wise and just ruler. In reality she is as susceptible as anyone to being corrupted especially if she feels like she got lied to about jon bending the knee so she’d bring her army north only for Jon to bring up a last minute claim to the throne
Interesting points all. However, last week was the setup episode for me and since there are only 6 total I expected more from this one. No way Daenerys ends up on the throne in any scenario, in my humble opinion.
It’ll be something we didn’t expect. I actually wonder if maybe Cersei wins. The good guys save the day but die and go unappreciated. The bad guy takes the credit