The final fifteen minutes of “Game of Thrones” this week throw things into stark relief. All the jockeying for position, all the grand planning, all the war and peace of men are about to become exceptionally insignificant if the White Walkers and the army of the dead get south of the wall.
It isn’t an insignificant detail the wights arrive at Hardhome accompanied by fierce wind and snow. The White Walkers and the wights are a single minded force of nature solely focused on destruction and conquering. This is precisely the warning Jon Snow (Kit Harington) arrives with, only he doesn’t arrive soon enough.
Before terror descends on Hardhome, Jon gets to prove he may have been the best choice to take the mantle of Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. He knows the danger on the horizon will require drastic action and he is able to convince a fair number of Wildlings, supposedly his sworn enemy, over to his side. This is the first of a few minor victories Jon accumulates. He’s also won the respect of Torumnd Giantsbane (Kristofer Hivju) which is enough to get even more Wildlings to agree to sail south.
In combat, Jon wins his most significant victory of the trip. He faces off against a White Walker and not only survives, but learns his sword, Longclaw, can withstand a weapon that normally shatters steel and destroys the Walker. All these things are minor victories, even the killing of one White Walker, in the face of the massive defeat overall. Former allies killed in battle become part of the threat. A relatively small band of wights attached Hardhome, the amount of Wildlings they killed for the White Walkers to control grows that force exponentially. Jon floats away a failure.
In the books, Hardhome is merely referenced and it’s mentioned something terrible happened there. I was excited to see the events play out even if the addition of Jon Snow would take out some of the tension. What we ended up with works better as a story beat than an actual scene. I found the action confusing and the geography hard to follow. What the scene represents and how it ups the stakes is very clear, but from a purely visceral level, it was hard for me to enjoy.
Back across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) has to figure out what to do with the gift she received last week. Her scenes with Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) are fascinating. Tyrion retelling the story of Dany’s life elevates her to almost mythic status and the very complicated relationship they would have, if they have one at all, is made very clear. Their lives are more similar than it may appear at first. They are from powerful families but have had to accumulate all the power they’ve ever had on their own. They both had terrible fathers although Dany never got the chance to know her’s, the Kingslayer saw to that. They might also not be as fit to rule as they each think they are.
Venturing into uncharted territory has placed a weapon back into the arsenal of the writers. Daenerys and Tryion have very different ideas about what makes a good ruler despite having the best of intentions. They also both cling tightly to their intentions despite having seen terrible things happen as a direct result. It has been a while since the writers have been able to use characters to meditate on the nature of power and ruling and it has always been something they have done well. With Dany set to “break the wheel”, what power means and how those in power choose to rule will become more important than ever.
The other major development this week happens between Sansa (Sophie Turner) and Reek (Alfie Allen). Sansa finally learns the truth about her family, her two younger brothers are alive. Right before Reek admits this truth, Sansa makes an admission of her own. All the torture Reek has endured, Sansa wishes she could do to him all over again.
This is a new side to Sansa, a vindictive side. She is once again rebuilding herself and this time she is putting on the strongest armor she can make. She’s going to need that armor if she is going to escape from Ramsay (Iwan Rheon) and find her brothers. Ramsay is bound to be distracted by the impending invasion of Winterfell so she may never get a better chance to light the candle in the broken tower or to use that stolen corkscrew.
The end of this episode will continue to hang over the series, at least for the final two episodes this season. The army of the dead marches on Westeros and if Hardhome is any indication, it’s going to take everyone coming together to stop the threat. Right now, I don’t like their chances.
Are the White Walkers and unstoppable force? Is there any possibility of a good ending for Cersei? Are you excited for the Daenerys/Tyrion pairing? Will Sansa make her move now that she knows her brothers are alive? We have a lot to discuss!
