As this episode opens Stannis's camp is attacked by a small force lead by Ramsey Bolton; important stocks and vital horses are destroyed and the attackers departed before anybody knows what is happening. This leads Stannis to order Davos Seaworth back to Castle Black to get further supplies; with him away Stannis does what Melisandre has demanded and makes a shocking sacrifice. Further north Jon and the Wildlings get to Castle Black and are relieved when the gate is opened. At the other end of Westeros Jaime Lannister meets Doran Martell and negotiates to take Myrcella back to King's Landing.
Across the Narrow Sea in Essos Arya sets off to assassinate the 'thin man'; as she nears him she is distracted by the arrival of a boat carrying Mace Tyrell and more importantly Meryn Trant. She neglects her mission and follows Trant to a local brothel; she doesn't act against him but learns that he will be back the next day. In Meereen it is time for the Games where combatants fight to the death in the fighting pits. One of those fighting is Jorah Mormont who is determined to show his loyalty to Daenerys. As the fight ends The Sons of the Harpy attack spectators and move to kill Daenerys; she and a small group are surrounded in the middle of the pit when salvation comes in the form of one of her dragons.
So far each 'episode nine' has either featured the surprising death of major characters or a battle that takes up the entire episode; this episode doesn't fit that pattern but it is still one of the most gripping as it frequently looks as though major characters are in real danger. This isn't to say that no recurring characters die; the death of Shireen Baratheon was one of the most surprising and disturbing deaths to date even though she was a relatively minor character. Arya's scenes were also fairly tense even though it never felt as though she would come to real harm. The highlight of the episode was of course the action in Meereen; this was exciting. This is especially true once the Sons of the Harpy attack even though I suspect many viewers will have expected a dragon to come to Daenerys's rescue it is still great when it appears. Overall a gripping episode that left me looking forward to the series finale.
Across the Narrow Sea in Essos Arya sets off to assassinate the 'thin man'; as she nears him she is distracted by the arrival of a boat carrying Mace Tyrell and more importantly Meryn Trant. She neglects her mission and follows Trant to a local brothel; she doesn't act against him but learns that he will be back the next day. In Meereen it is time for the Games where combatants fight to the death in the fighting pits. One of those fighting is Jorah Mormont who is determined to show his loyalty to Daenerys. As the fight ends The Sons of the Harpy attack spectators and move to kill Daenerys; she and a small group are surrounded in the middle of the pit when salvation comes in the form of one of her dragons.
So far each 'episode nine' has either featured the surprising death of major characters or a battle that takes up the entire episode; this episode doesn't fit that pattern but it is still one of the most gripping as it frequently looks as though major characters are in real danger. This isn't to say that no recurring characters die; the death of Shireen Baratheon was one of the most surprising and disturbing deaths to date even though she was a relatively minor character. Arya's scenes were also fairly tense even though it never felt as though she would come to real harm. The highlight of the episode was of course the action in Meereen; this was exciting. This is especially true once the Sons of the Harpy attack even though I suspect many viewers will have expected a dragon to come to Daenerys's rescue it is still great when it appears. Overall a gripping episode that left me looking forward to the series finale.