Well, having just watched the episode I am still processing the things I saw. The episode certainly delivered scenes that evoked a lot of emotion - both sadness and elation to the degree few other shows can. Some will be mad as usual about the harshness of the storyline. *Spoilers follow for the episode so don't read if you haven't seen it*
The episode primarily consisted of Stannis' choice in the north and Dany's arc. It developed Arya's arc which is leading hopefully to her confrontation of someone on her infamous list. The Dorne players made peace - setting up for the future.
The first main storyline was the betrayal of Shireen Baratheon by her parents to the witch Melisandre. Though I was hoping against hope that Stannis' love for his daughter would win over his desperation - this was not the case. Those who claim this is inconsistency in his character though have viewed him with rose colored glasses. Let us not forget he had his brother Renly killed the last time he was at a critical juncture and sadly enough, his familial love once again lost out to his "destiny" and ambition. Stannis is brave and tough as Blackwater exhibited but those who ever thought he was a "all round good guy" were deluding themselves. He killed his brother and now he killed his daughter. I was never Team Stannis but still wonder how his "destiny" plays out and will look forward to seeing what develops. His wife redeemed herself slightly in this instance but still had let her brother burn in the beginning of season 2 so hardly an innocent either. Melisandre is well Melisandre - lives are just pieces on her board. I am sad for Shireen and Stannis is going to lose the good people that believed in him. Certainly Davos is going to be heartbroken.
Now when Stannis clashes with the Boltons - I can only hope that Littlefinger wins (following his plan to swoop in at the end and defeat the weakened winnder) - lol saying a lot that Littlefinger is the one that I clearly root for in the battle of Winterfell!
Dany's arc was suspenseful and glorious. At first I worried that there was no way I would be able to watch it after the horrible thing that happened with Stannis but the interactions of her companions quickly captured my attention. I am glad to see Jorah redeem himself (though his time is limited by his disease) and the image of Drogon flying in and defending Dany was marvelous as was her mounting him for the first time. Tyrion and Dany's mercenary boytoy were both in excellent witty form. There are going to be repercussions for the Sons of the Harpy and it was good to see some of them burn by dragon fire. We will see what happens next episode.
In the end, the episode had both great sadness, suspense, and awe- inspiring imagery in the colliseum. As usual Thrones did not play it safe and many will as usual threaten "rage-quits" though at this stage honestly it sounds hollow - if you've been watching this long, you don't want your drama to take the safe route - you want it to push the boundaries and this is what GoT does. Sometimes you'll love it and sometimes you will be angry and heartbroken - don't pretend you don't know this by now.
The episode primarily consisted of Stannis' choice in the north and Dany's arc. It developed Arya's arc which is leading hopefully to her confrontation of someone on her infamous list. The Dorne players made peace - setting up for the future.
The first main storyline was the betrayal of Shireen Baratheon by her parents to the witch Melisandre. Though I was hoping against hope that Stannis' love for his daughter would win over his desperation - this was not the case. Those who claim this is inconsistency in his character though have viewed him with rose colored glasses. Let us not forget he had his brother Renly killed the last time he was at a critical juncture and sadly enough, his familial love once again lost out to his "destiny" and ambition. Stannis is brave and tough as Blackwater exhibited but those who ever thought he was a "all round good guy" were deluding themselves. He killed his brother and now he killed his daughter. I was never Team Stannis but still wonder how his "destiny" plays out and will look forward to seeing what develops. His wife redeemed herself slightly in this instance but still had let her brother burn in the beginning of season 2 so hardly an innocent either. Melisandre is well Melisandre - lives are just pieces on her board. I am sad for Shireen and Stannis is going to lose the good people that believed in him. Certainly Davos is going to be heartbroken.
Now when Stannis clashes with the Boltons - I can only hope that Littlefinger wins (following his plan to swoop in at the end and defeat the weakened winnder) - lol saying a lot that Littlefinger is the one that I clearly root for in the battle of Winterfell!
Dany's arc was suspenseful and glorious. At first I worried that there was no way I would be able to watch it after the horrible thing that happened with Stannis but the interactions of her companions quickly captured my attention. I am glad to see Jorah redeem himself (though his time is limited by his disease) and the image of Drogon flying in and defending Dany was marvelous as was her mounting him for the first time. Tyrion and Dany's mercenary boytoy were both in excellent witty form. There are going to be repercussions for the Sons of the Harpy and it was good to see some of them burn by dragon fire. We will see what happens next episode.
In the end, the episode had both great sadness, suspense, and awe- inspiring imagery in the colliseum. As usual Thrones did not play it safe and many will as usual threaten "rage-quits" though at this stage honestly it sounds hollow - if you've been watching this long, you don't want your drama to take the safe route - you want it to push the boundaries and this is what GoT does. Sometimes you'll love it and sometimes you will be angry and heartbroken - don't pretend you don't know this by now.