On Sunday’s episode of Game of Thrones, ‘Stormborn‘, Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) continues to plot her conquest of Westeros, Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel) and Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson) finally get busy, Sam (John Bradley) continues to get up to disgusting adventures in the Citadel, and Arya (Maisie Williams) briefly reunited with her long lost direwolf before Nymeria basically told her “girl, bye.”
However, the episode’s major moment came at the very end, with Euron Greyjoy’s (Pilou Asbæk) forces destroying Dany’s fleet, killing most of the Sand Snakes and taking Yara Greyjoy (Gemma Whelan) and Ellaria Sand (Indira Varma) as hostages. Theon’s (Alfie Allen) PTSD came back to haunt him as well, motivating him to abandon his sister and the cause. No one ever said that war was easy, but Dany is definitely going to be left scrambling after this massive defeat. As we look ahead to next week’s episode, here are a few moments that will definitely stick with viewers.
“Conquering Westeros would be easy for you, but you are not here to be queen of the ashes.” — Tyrion Lannister
Over the course of the series, Daenerys has proven herself to be a conqueror, but not necessarily a successful ruler. If she is going to claim and actually keep the Iron Throne, she is going to have to move beyond the “I Have Dragons” power move and prove herself to be a long term leader. However, she is moving in the right direction by seeking counsel from Tyrion (Peter Dinklage), who has played the game better and longer than many. Despite her claims of being the ruler by right, Dany certainly hasn’t shown much concern for the people of Westeros, only a thirst for power. If anyone is going to be left standing after the clash between her and Cersei (Lena Headey), she is going to have to take a much different route than she has in the past. She shows recognition by repeating this point later on, but we’ll see if the Targaryen fire gets the better of her in the long run.
“That noun has no gender in high Valyrian, so the proper translation for that prophecy would be ‘the prince or princess who was promised will bring the dawn.’” — Missandei
The identity of The Prince Who Was Promised has been one of the main mysteries for the entire series and the source of much debate. Whether the resurrected Azor Ahai is Jon Snow (Kit Harington), Dany, or even Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), their coming will be one of the major points of the series. It’s easy to get caught up in the episode to episode, smaller scale events and forget about the major themes, but the reveal of the Prince Who Was Promised will have series ramifications for how the series ends. With this reveal of the finer points of High Valyrian translation, the possibility of Dany being the Chosen One — Sorry not sorry, Stannis (Stephen Dillane) — has become even more pronounced.
“You all remember the mad king. You remember the horrors that he inflicted upon his people. His daughter is no different.” — Cersei Lannister
Yes, Cersei is attempting to gaslight the Lords of Westeros in order to sway them to her side (of course she sides with the slavers), but she kind of has a point. To her enemies, Dany is a blood-bringing tyrant who has left their cities in flames. While Cersei is using this information in a one sided way to bring others to her cause, it does raise the question of whether or not Dany could succumb to the madness that plagued her Father and led to the Targaryen downfall. Up to this point, Dany has been positioned as a hero, but a descent onto a darker path would not be out of the question considering her choices and her background. Dueling mad queens? It would not be boring.
“He’s a clever man, your Hand. I’ve known a great many clever men. I’ve outlived them all. Do you know why? I ignored them. The Lords of Westeros as sheep. Are you a sheep? No. You’re a dragon. Be a dragon.” — Olenna Tyrell
Lady Olenna (Diana Rigg) is the last member of House Tyrell, and the primary reason that she’s allied herself with Dany’s cause is revenge against Cersei Lannister. However, despite her less than altruistic motives, she is still an invaluable asset to the Targaryen cause. Olenna has long been a dispenser of wisdom to many young women on the show, and she continues that MO by reminding Dany that she is a dragon, not a sheep. She has the power, she only has to learn how to wield it well.
The later seasons of Game of Thrones have been focused on the women taking back the power that has long been denied them, and the rise of this season’s major players reflects this seismic shift. The pursuit of power is the name of the game, and women — in real life and in Westeros — have to work twice as hard to get a taste of it.
“Drink it all, please. I am afraid this is going to hurt.” — Samwell Tarley
There are understatements, and then there’s Sam telling Jorah (Iain Glenn) that peeling his grey necrotic flesh from his body is going to hurt. Watching the intrepid maester in training work to save Dany’s former advisor was revolting, yet inspiring, proving once again that Sam is one of the purist souls left in Westeros. Since arriving at the Citadel, Sam has been the impetus to some of Game of Thrones grossest imagery, but the oozing wound to meat pie with gravy smash cut really takes the nasty cake.
“You all crowned me your king. I never wanted it. I never asked for it. But I accepted it, because the North is my home. It is part of me, and I will never stop fighting for it no matter the odds. But the odds are against us.” — Jon Snow
While Jon is settling into his role as the King in the North, he is facing threats on all sides. With his intimate knowledge of the White Walker threat, he takes the war north of the Wall much more seriously than the others, while also recognizing the arrival of Daenerys as either a real threat or a potential opportunity.
Jon is being pulled in many directions, and while Sansa (Sophie Turner) is ultimately his right hand, their opposing methods are certainly a cause of friction. With Jon leaving the rule of Winterfell to Sansa in his absence, their tenuous bond will certainly be tested, not in the least by Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen). However, despite leaving some skeptical with his trust of Tyrion and ultimately Daenerys, Jon once again proves his love of the North: even if it could lead to his death (although plot-armor makes that pretty unlikely), he is willing to make the tough decisions needed to save his people.
“That’s not you.” — Arya Stark
While Arya’s reunion with Nymeria may have been more bittersweet than fans were hoping for, it was a very telling moment for the youngest remaining Stark. Echoing the season one scene where she told her father, Ned (Sean Bean), that a life as a lady wasn’t her, she acknowledges that a life behind castle walls wasn’t in the cards for Nymeria either, and maybe not even for her. While it seemed that Arya was heading back to hearth and home after learning that Jon and Sansa had driven the Boltons out of Winterfell, it will certainly not be a simple reunion. Arya has been single minded in her quest for revenge for years, and that has left her a very different girl than the one that her brother (sort of) and sister once knew. Just as Nymeria has embraced her wildness, so has Arya. Will she be able to reenter her old life at all? We’ll have to wait and see.
