It’s over now the music of the night!
I’m in mourning
I get the feeling that before this is over he and Ceresi are going to get it on, at least once. He is her type after all. Why else cast an actor this attractive? He looks like Jamie does in the books.
I can imagine Ceresi sleeping with him, thinking it’ll placate him (a callback to the Euron scene in episode one), only for him to immediately reply:
Harry: “That was all well and good, but you still need to pay the gold cloaks our salary. Our real salary.”
I can’t wait for the memes if that happens.
Don’t judge, but I ship this new character, Harry Strickland, with Sansa
Finally, someone else admitted to liking this episode!
Although I’m quite frustrated that D&D still deprive us of Starks’ moments and the pack vibes, in general, 8x04 is quite a good episode in my opinion. Here I’d like to share with you my thoughts on some of the key moments in the episode. I will mainly focus on the state of warfare, my interpretation of the main players’ motivations and concerns, and my view on whether their decisions (based on the set of information each one has in hand) are good for the realm. Always keep in mind that beside Family-Duty-Honour, the running theme since the beginning of the series has always been anti-war.
The episode starts with the aftermath of the Long Night. Tens of thousand died. The survivors are all wounded, drained out and devastated. Let’s do some maths to compare the Stark-Dany’s force to that of Cersei-Euron’s at the moment.
Stark-Dany: Before the battle against the Dead, the North and Vale had 20.000 soldiers. Dany had 40.000 Dothrak, 8.000 Unsullied, the remaining of Yara’s force and 2 dragons. In total, they had around 70.000 soldiers and 2 dragons. After the battle, the size of the alliance shrinks massively. Half of the Unsullied are gone and so are the Northmen, so I assume the same survival ratio applies to the Vale and Dothraki. Thus, altogether they have around 30.000 soldiers left and 2 dragons, however all in bad shape.
Cersei-Euron: the remaining of the Lannister army, the Iron Fleet (full strength), 20.000 sellswords from the Golden Company. So I assume they have more or less the same number of soldiers as Stark-Dany alliance. Well-rested, well-armed, well-positioned for defense behind the high walls of KL, and fully-equipped with balistas to counter the dragons.
I will discuss the rational strategy for each side in later part. For now, we clearly see that any wise leader must understand this is not the time to wage another war. Best thing to do now is giving everyone a rest to recover from the battle fatigue before starting a new campaign. (Better not to actively wage another war at all. But if they really have to, give the soldiers a break first.)
As usual, Jon delivered his iconic “coming together” speech. Despite giving away his crown, he is still the true commander-in-chief. By the way, where was Dany? The Queen is not really familiar with “setting aside differences to fight and die together so that others might live”, hers are more about “will you kill my enemies in their iron suits and tear down their stone houses” or “bend the knee or die”. So Jon took the job, and he did it well.
It is our duty and honor to keep them alive in memory for those who come after us and those who come after them for as long as men draw breath.
Highlight: This war for the survival of mankind is a war worth fighting and dying for, because it ensures hope and a surviving chance for the future generations. (But the coming war for the Throne might not because it sacrifices lives for power.) Note that Sansa was always in the background during this part of Jon’s speech. –> Hint: They might very well be the ones that pass on these memories to the future generations. Having children of their own, perhaps?
The next scene was the banquet, where Dany legitimized Gendry to everyone’s surprise. There was tension in the Hall with several reaction shots before Dany finally revealed her offer to make him Lord Gendry Baratheon of Storm’s End.
Gif: gendry-aryas
Tyrion: And a Lord of Storm’s End who will be forever loyal to you.
Dany: See? You’re not the only one who’s clever.
Was Dany trying to gain an ally? Not necessarily. Gendry does not have yet any bannermen or wealth, so he is not of immediate use to her. What Dany wanted to show people was, she was a powerful Queen who was to fear, but she could grant mercy as she wished and make or break a Lord in just seconds. Pay attention to her word choice. She first highlighted to Gendry his father’s crimes to her family and herself to make him scared: “You are aware he took my family’s throne and tried to have me murdered?”. Then she showed everyone that she could be merciful if she wanted to, and she could grant one title and wealth at her will, “You are Lord Gendry Baratheon of Storm’s End, the lawful son of Robert Baratheon. Because that is what I have made you.”
If Dany really wanted to reward Gendry because of his contribution in the war, she would have highlighted the fact that he fought bravely and he was a great blacksmith who forged the weapons to fight the Dead, so he deserved this. No. She didn’t talk about his contribution at all. She made it clear to everyone, he became a Lord because she wanted to.
People in the background chanted: That’s easy, isn’t it?
If the Queen could easily do everything at her will, she could make a Lord and give wealth to him in seconds, then she can strip away titles and wealth in seconds too. What is more interesting was the exchanging look between Tyrion and Sansa thereafter, both did not seem to be excited with the Queen’s generousity at all. They both knew that the relationship between the Queen and the Lady of Winterfell was strained and tried to figure out what kind of underlying message Dany wanted to convey.
My interpretation: The Queen was sending a fair warning to the Lady of Winterfell. See how easily I reward Gendry, a bastard son of the man who stole the Throne from my family? You’d better behave, or I can strip you off your title and land as easily as I make a Lord out of him.
Gif: allons-ymrholmes
So very probably, Dany wanted to warn Sansa that the Queen could strip away her land and title at ease. But if she intends to do so, who would she grant Winterfell to? The possible candidates are Bran (the only living trueborn son of Ned) and Jon (the supposed bastard, if he stays silent about his parentage). Some of you might think that this is a very Tywinesque move that Dany could never think of. But I think this is very possible. Otherwise, Sansa and Tyrion would not have exchanged that suspiscious look.
Both Tyrion and Sansa were aware of Dany’s possible hidden agenda. Tyrion then did a bit of reality check with Bran. He was always curious about the crippled boy and his adventure, and now he wanted to test what the boy wanted. He praised Bran’s extensive knowledge and said that it would be useful as Lord of Winterfell. Arghh, but Sansa is currently the Lady of Winterfell, why did Tyrion give hint to Bran that he was the only trueborn son of Ned Stark and should be the Lord of Winterfell? I think Tyrion was trying to figure out the power dynamic within the Stark family and what each of them might want. Do they want power, or do they want something else? Bran made it clear to Tyrion that he didn’t really want to be the Lord of Winterfell anymore. (Maybe he did when he was a kid, but now he doesn’t.) Since Tyrion didn’t know about Jon’s parentage yet, so to his knowledge the contenders for Winterfell are only Jon and Sansa. In Tyrion’s eyes, Jon is clearly in Dany’s favor since he is her lover. If Dany legitimizes Jon and gives Winterfell to him, Sansa would be empty-handed. To certain extent, Tyrion cares for Sansa’s well-being, that’s why he approached Sansa and raised his concerns to her before he left.
- to be continued -
After half-an-hour the Duke came forth and was accompanied to the Queen’s Chamber, where were also the Princess Mary and many attendants.The Queen (Catherine Parr) danced first with her brother very gracefully; and then the Princess Mary, the Princess of Scotland (Margaret Douglas) danced with other gentlemen and many other ladies also danced. A Venetian of the King’s household danced some gallards with extraordinary agility. After dancing had lasted several hours the Queen returned to her chamber, first causing one of the noblemen who spoke Spanish to offer some presents to the Duke, who kissed her hand. He would have likewise kissed the Princess Mary’s hand, but she offered her lips; and so he saluted her and all the other ladies. The King is said to be a man of great authority and beauty. The Queen has a lively and pleasing appearance and is praised as a virtuous woman. Describes her dress and that of the Princess Mary, who has a pleasing countenance and person and who knows how to conceal her acquirements. She is adored throughout the kingdom.
The Duke of Nagera’s Visit to England, 17th February 1544 (via queenmarytudor)
“He would have likewise kissed the Princess Mary’s hand, but she offered her lips; and so he saluted her and all the other ladies.”
Princess Mary, hoping for some action!
Jon returns to his one true love...Tormund.
Hey, he always loved those red heads!
Even though we didn’t get to see Sansa and Arya’s reactions to Jon’s parentage reveal, their next scenes subtly show how they process this information.
Arya, who previously worked so hard to return to her family and went out of her way to call Jon her brother (not her half-brother), now wants to go to Kings Landing to finish her hit list.
Inconsistent character development? You might say that, but I have another theory. Arya only came home because she heard Jon had helped retake Winterfell, but when she arrives home he’s not there, Sansa and Bran are two very different people, and the loving family reunion she expected from Jon is ruined by the arrival of his new girlfriend and the impending war against the Night King.
When we first see Arya this season she is standing with the commoners outside Winterfell watching Jon and Daenerys arrive. She smiles when she sees Jon, only to be disappointed when he rides right by her without recognizing her. This could be why she isn’t there when Jon walks into Winterfell--she’s sulking. Her reunion with Jon doesn’t go as planned because she has to defend Sansa and remind him that he needs to keep his family’s interests in mind.
She reawakens her humanity (and dormant sexuality) with Gendry. After sleeping with him she looks...calm, disappointed? Maybe the experience wasn’t what she expected. Maybe she expected having sex would make her feel powerful and whole, maybe she thought it’d make her feel fully connected with someone for the first time in many years. Instead she stares off into space, probably thinking of the upcoming battle.
Then in 8x03 she saves the day by killing the Night King...only to not show up at the feast a few days later, where she SHOULD be the guest of honor, but is instead only thanked by Daenerys once in a toast which she doesn’t even see. Instead of joining her family and the other survivors, she training by herself all alone in the dark until Gendry arrives.
Gendry proposes, but she declines because “that’s not me.” She doesn’t know how to do anything but fight. Revenge and hate have become a part of her, more than anyone else in her family, even Sansa. She doesn’t know the first thing about being a “lady” or a wife or anything but a nameless, faceless girl that used to be Arya Stark.
She finally learns about Jon’s true parents off screen after calling Daenerys out and reminding Jon about the importance of family and protecting his own. The next time we see her she’s on her way to King’s Landing, back on the path to revenge. Why not stay home and let the others take care of Cersei? She previously said that she doesn’t trust Daenerys and now that she knows Jon isn’t completely a Stark, maybe she feels she can’t fully trust Jon either? Sure he’s still the man she grew up with and called brother, but Jon isn’t Jon anymore in the larger scheme of things. Arya might even think Jon going south and siding with a Targaryen (and maybe one day accepting that he is one too) is a betrayal of his Stark heritage and his Stark family.
Arya doesn’t expect to come back from her final mission. She doesn’t know how to live in her old home anymore. She doesn’t know how to be the Arya Stark she used to be and the Arya Stark everyone else wants her to be. She thinks she has no place in Westeros after Cersei’s death. But I hope the next two episodes prove her wrong.
We are approaching the end of Game of Thrones, so at this point in any good story all of the major characters must feel a sense of hopelessness and darkness before the light at the end of the tunnel. Daenerys is loosing all of her allies, Jon suddenly realizes he’s not who he thought he was, and, likewise, Arya is questioning her identity and her own place in the world.
I think she’ll find it, one way or another, by the time the show ends.
So now we’re Calling D&D sexists misogynists because we’re not going to get the ending we wanted!!!
Cersei is playing men like a fucking piano she’s using her fake pregnancy to get them to do what she wants( jamie prolly left brienne and went South to try to save her and their baby) euron would do anything for his future prince and tyrion dumbly believes that cersei can be trusted because of the supposed baby she’s expecting.
Sansa is the most powerfull person in the north she’s loved respected by the northerners lords and they even wanted her to be their queen because she’s absolutely brilliant at what she does , she outsmarted littlefuckingfinger killed ramsay the man who put her through hell( jon could have done it but he didn’t sansa did it herself like a Fucking G)
Arya stole the show in 8x03 she killed the Fucking night king who saw that one coming?! we all thought jon was going to kill TNK and we were Fucking wrong. She also had sex with gendry and then left him because being a lady isn’t for her she left him not the other way around.
Brienne won a fight against the hound and she’s now a knight
Dany’s been kicking men ass since seaon 2, jon gave up the north’ independence and now he’s giving up his birthright just to please her.
we also had margaery ollena catelyn…GOT writers are not misogynists if anything they’re feminists the women are the ones who run shit in westeros .
WOMEN’S HISTORY † LOUISE DE LORRAINE (30 April 1553 – 29 January 1601)
Louise de Lorraine was the only surviving child of Nicolas de Lorraine, duc de Mercœur and his first wife, Marguerite d’Egmont. Her mother died when Louise was a baby and her father remarried to Jeanne de Savoie-Nemours in 1555, by whom he had six children, two of whom died young. Jeanne proved to be a loving and caring stepmother who ensured that young Louise received a good education. Jeanne died in 1568 and her father married a third time to Catherine de Lorraine, the granddaughter of Claude de Lorraine, duc de Guise and Antoinette de Bourbon. Catherine, who was only three years older than Louise, was reportedly unfond of all of her stepchildren. Regardless, by reaching adulthood, Louise was recognized as an ideal beauty of the times with blonde hair and fair skin. In 1573, Henri, duc d’Anjou, the third surviving son of Henri II and Caterina de’ Medici, paid a visit to Charles III, duc de Lorraine on his way to claim the crown of Poland. Louise was present at this gathering and Henri was immediately taken with her, supposedly because of her great resemblance to Marie de Clèves. After the death of his older brother in 1574, Henri returned to France to claim the throne. Henri originally planned to marry Marie, but she died shortly afterwards of pneumonia or complications of childbirth, leaving Henri heartbroken, though aware that he had to marry to father heirs. His mother wanted him to marry Elisabet Vasa, but Henri sought Louise’s hand instead and they married 15 February 1575, two days after his coronation. Caterina was initially uneasy about her sons’ choice, as Louise was the cousin of Guises, but she changed her mind after meeting Louise. Louise and Henri appear to have genuinely loved each other, but despite their hopes, they were childless. She made numerous pilgrimages to pray for children, but none were born, causing her great grief. She was also greatly upset about her husband’s conflicts with her half-brother, Philippe-Emmanuel, a diehard supporter of the Catholic League and prayed constantly for reconciliation between them, though she was disappointed in this, too. She was generally well-liked by her subjects for her generosity and charity. Henri was assassinated 1 August 1589 by Jacques Clément in revenge for his ordering the assassinations of Henri de Lorraine, duc de Guise and Louis II de Lorraine, cardinal de Guise. Louise was grief-stricken at his death and went to work trying to reverse the excommunication he had received. She begged his successor, Henri IV, to punish Catherine-Marie de Lorraine, the sister of the Guise brothers, who had openly boasted about her involvement in the assassination of Louise’s husband, but he didn’t, though both he and Louise were probably relieved when Catherine died in 1596. Louise spent the rest of her life residing in the Château de Chenonceau. She died 29 January 1601 and was buried in a convent in Capuchins. In the 19th century, however, her remains were moved to the Basilica of Saint-Denis. Her niece, Françoise, married Henri IV’s favorite illegitimate son, César, duc de Vendôme.