Meereen: Dany, Tyrion and Daario
While the Northern battle is certainly the focus of the episode, it begins with the Siege of Meereen, where the Masters’ fleet continues an endless bombardment on the city. Dany is quite, shall we say, stern with Tyrion, who’s plan admittedly did not live up to expectation. However, Dany’s plan for her usual righteous vengeance does not sit well for Tyrion either.
He reminds her of the deceased father Mad King and confides in him the secret of why his brother Jaime killed him: his threat to burn King’s Landing to the ground with wildfire. Ostensibly he is showing her how to forge a new path but it’s complete foreshadowing. That rumor Qyburn investigated last week? Yep, Cersei’s gonna go Mad Queen on us.
Back to Meereen, Dany meets with the Masters. Their threats fall on deaf ears when Drogon arrives (seriously, does everyone forget this girl has dragons?). We here at Thrones always expect things to go sideways for our beloved characters, but here is an example of a confluence things going Dany’s way (as it belatedly does for the Starks). Rhaegal and Viserion break out of their prison and join Drogon burning the fleet while her Dothraki horde set upon the Sons of the Harpy left in the city. They truly did not skimp for this episode, with spectacular CGI on the dragons flying above the city, setting fire to the slavers’ fleet.
While I thought we’d see the Greyjoy fleet join the battle, instead we cut straight to Yara and Theon presenting themselves before Dany and Tyrion in the throne room. They warn her of their uncle’s plans and his intention to marry her for her claim and dragons. Amidst talk of past slights, bad fathers and feminist rule, they agree to a deal: Dany with help Yara sit the Salt Throne as the independent queen of the Iron Islands in return for her help retaking Westeros and the abolishment of the Ironborn’s rape-and-pillage lifestyle.
MISSING THIS WEEK:
- Literally everybody else
NEXT WEEK:
It’s here. The finale. “The Winds of Winter.” How galled must George R.R. Martin that the Benioff & Weiss get to publish something with that title before him?
