This year I resolved to read George R. R. Martin‘s A Song of Ice and Fire and watch HBO’s Game of Thrones, both series. For all of you who have seen the entire series and/or read all the books, here is your chance to experience it for the first time all over again!
Why I Chose it: I had tried watching the series a few times and only ever reached the half-way point of the first season. Then I was in Calgary visiting my friend, and she wanted to watch Game of Thrones. I was curious to see it, and it was fantastic. I had to know everything that happened. But I’m not just satisfied with the TV show. I love to know all the details from the books too. I expect this is going to be a momentous task, and I hope I’m up for the challenge.
If you haven’t seen the series, there will be spoilers as we go along. If you have seen it, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments, but please, please, please, don’t spoil future seasons or books for me.
This month, we take a look at season seven of Game of Thrones.
Episode 1 – Dragonstone
This had to be my favorite opening, when Walder Frey feasts his men and then kills them as he recounts the Red Wedding, and then we find out Walder is actually Arya. She has become creepy and scary, and oh so fantastic! When she’s travelling south and meets the group of men on the road, it was a bit of a relief to see that they were genuinely kind. Up until now, it seems to me that anytime anyone was met on the road, there were ulterior motives and violence involved. As for Daenerys’ homecoming to Dragonstone, I keep thinking about the Daenerys in the books. Dragonstone was where she was born, but in the books, she always thought of the house with the red door as home. It is a bit ridiculous of me, especially because this is the show, not the books, but I’d kind of hoped that somewhere, at some point, Daenerys would get back to that house with the red door, even if it was just to pass it by.
Episode 2 – Stormborn
Hot Pie! I’m glad he was brought back and is the one to tell Arya about Sansa and Jon being back at Winterfell. Arya needs to go home. I was devastated for Arya, though, when Nymeria turns her back on her. I think that means none of the dire wolves are left. Nymeria’s alive, but not with Arya. I thought Ghost was still alive, but now I’m drawing a blank on him. I am so proud of Sam. Reading the books I dreaded having to read through the tedium of Sam’s studies at the Citadel. I mean, that’s what time-lapses are for! I digress. Here he is learning to be a Maester, but also making himself useful to the immediate needs of his friends, locating where there is a large store of dragon-glass in Dragonstone, and how to cure greyscale. Though I don’t know how useful curing greyscale will be outside of helping Jorah Mormont, but even that is enough. It also goes a long way to showing Sam’s character. Also, I couldn’t help but laugh when Sam is so sweetly trying to cut off the greyscale and is telling Mormont he knows how much it hurts but to shush because no one can know he’s doing it.
Episode 3 – The Queen’s Justice
This was not the most exciting episode. Lady Oleanna didn’t really need to confess she killed Joffrey, though I suppose it would give a dying woman some satisfaction to see Jamie’s face when she told him she’d killed his son. I thought that was kind of a nice moment between Lady Oleanna and Jamie, the way they chatted and were so matter-of-fact about the whole thing, and yet we saw a bit of regret or remorse on Jamie’s face, like he didn’t really want to do this but he had to. Conversely, when Cersei confronts Illaria Sand in the dungeon under the Red Keep, then kisses Illaria’s daughter Tyene, using the same poison they used to kill Mycella. It was so cold, and so heartless, and just so Cersei.
Episode 4 – The Spoils of War
Arya’s home!
I don’t know how I feel about Bran becoming the Three-Eyed Raven. This whole all-seeing thing just seems so…convenient. It allows the writers to have all kinds of shortcuts for getting information out. At the same time, there have been others throughout the series who are wargs, and it was suggested that the Starks all have that ability too, so this could be a potential avenue to investigate and develop stories around, though I don’t think that will happen in the tv series. Though now that I think about it, I agree with my friend’s theory about Bran and the dragon-wight.
Episode 5 – Eastwatch
This is the episode that started me on this crazy year-long quest to read the books and watch the entire series. I totally blame the entirety of this episode. I had no idea why Tyrion was now the hand of Daenerys. I had no idea who the Tarly’s were, only that my friend said, “Well, there goes another of the Great Houses of Westeros.” Of course, now that I know that was Sam’s Dad, I’m not terribly broken up about it, though Sam’s brother seemed a decent enough bloke. I did know who Gendry was and I thought his war-hammer was something special or magical. Robert Baratheon was supposed to have been magnificent with a war-hammer, so maybe it was Robert Baratheon’s. But now it just seems to be a regular old war-hammer. Like father, like son, in the ability to wield one, I suppose. I was in agreement with my friend, though. Capturing a wight to bring back to Cersei to convince her for help seemed like a stupid thing to do. And Sam, once again, makes it for me, by packing Gilly and Little Sam up and leaving the Citadel.
Episode 6 – Beyond the Wall
The best part of this episode that was pretty much just the trek north of the wall and fighting off the wights, was the exchange between Arya and Sansa. This exchange has bothered me for some time, because here Arya’s still accusing Sansa of loving Joffrey and playing a part in their father’s execution. But both girls were there, and Sansa was definitely surprised and upset by Joffrey’s decision not to grant Ned pardon as he had promised. Sansa’s grief was plain for all to see, though I will give Arya the benefit of the doubt to say we all see what we want to see, and she was never a fan of Sansa’s.
Episode 7 – The Dragon and the Wolf
The “secret” of Jon’s true birth is supposed to be some big shock, but it is the worst kept secret in the world! Far too many hints were dropped throughout the series. Even if they hadn’t, Ned Stark was far too noble a man to have had a bastard and then bring the bastard back to Winterfell. I am aware that there were many murmurings before this episode, that Jon and Daenerys were related, so now we have the whole incest thing to deal with. But remember, they are Targaeryns, that’s what they do. There is one thing that bothers me about this, though, and it is tiny, really. Ned Stark knew that Joffrey, Tommen, and Mycella were Lannisters because their hair was blonde, like Jamie’s. Robert Baratheon’s bastards were known to be his because they had his dark hair. So by that logic, shouldn’t Jon Snow have the white-silver hair of his father Rhaegar? Ah, I know, that would spoil the “surprise”.
That was a very, very sweet moment, when Arya seems to be on trial for murder and treason but then Sansa turns to Littlefinger and accuses him instead. It is about time he was dealt with. And damn, Arya’s quick with that sword.
Cersei’s an idiot to think 25,000 sellswords and Euron Greyjoy are going to help her. Because she’s right, something did happen to one of the dragons. The Night Lord has him and uses him to blow blue fire at the wall and melt it. The WhiteWalkers are coming!
General thoughts
Well, now I know what happened between the first half of the first season (and book one), and the end of season 7 (and book 5). It has been quite a year, living in Westeros. I’m going to take some time to compile my thoughts on this experience and share them in the Resolution Project round-up for 2018. Good God, I can’t believe this year is done!
Until then, I shall leave you with this trailer for Season 8!
These are my observations, what about you? Did I miss something you loved, or hated? Let’s talk Season 7!
No Comments