Game of Thrones Episode 608 Recap: A Girl is No One

The Hound finds a quartet of Brotherhood Without Banners men gathered around a fire. He kills three brutally with an axe, then tries to get answers out of the fourth, looking for the men who killed Brother Ray and his followers. The man won’t say a word, so he faces the same brutal death as his brethren.

He continues and finds Lem Lemoncloak and his lackeys in nooses, about to be executed by Beric Dondarrion, Thoros of Myr, and a few more of the Brotherhood. The Hound is surprised that Beric wants to kill them for the same reasons. In fairness to the Hound, Beric says he can kill two of the three – but not with an axe. They are not butchers. The Hound finds this too generous, but still kicks out the barrels from beneath two of the three. While Lem is still twitching on the noose, the Hound steals his boots and sits down with the Brotherhood for a meal. The Brotherhood asks the Hound to join them, and he initially refuses, but by the end of the meal, he is at least considering it.

Tyrion and Varys walk through the Meereen marketplace, and are pleased to see the city has sprung back to life. Varys takes off on his secret mission to Westoros, in order to get friends and ships. Back at the pyramid, Tyrion is happy and urges Missandei and Grey Worm to drink with him and tell jokes. Though the jokes aren’t funny, it breaks the ice between the three – until bells ring. Grey Worm rushes off, and Tyrion and Missandei look outside. The bay is filled with fleets of ships. “The masters have come for their property,” Missandei notes. I guess Tyrion’s plan wasn’t as successful as he thought.

The boats attack, and Tyrion admits he was wrong. He asks what Grey Worm what they should do. The pyramid is the only place they can defend, he says. They need to wait there and let the invaders come to them. They wait tensely, then a crash on the roof causes everyone to grab weapons. A guard steps outside while the rest wait with baited breath. Then the guard kneels… the other guards kneel. Daenerys is home, dropped off by one of her dragons, who flies away in the distance.

Qyburn alerts Cersei that she has visitors: the Faith Militant are waiting for her in the Red Keep. She goes out to greet them, and Lancel tells her the High Sparrow wishes to see her in the Great Sept. Cersei refuses to go, insisting that if the High Sparrow wishes to see her, he can come here. Lancel informs her this is a command, not a request, and if she doesn’t come with them, there will be violence. The Mountain steps forward to protect her, and Cersei says, “I choose violence.” The Faith Militant attack, sending a mace into the Mountain’s chest. The Mountain doesn’t flinch; instead he picks up the man by neck, throws him across the room, then pulls out his head and spine from his body. The other Militants watch in fear, but no one makes a move towards her. “Tell the High Sparrow he is welcome to visit,” Cersei says before going back to her room.

Cersei goes to the throne room, where there is to be a royal announcement. She is mad that she wasn’t informed earlier – or, more likely, mad that Tommen didn’t request her counsel. She insists on standing beside her son, but Kevan informs her that her place is in the gallery with the other ladies of the court. Offended, Cersei takes her place with the masses, and Tommen takes the throne. He begins with the oft-repeated phrase, “The faith and the crown are pillars that hold up this world. If one collapses, so does the other.” He has set a date for Loras and Cersei’s trial, but he has a new decree: trial by combat is now forbidden. Cersei can’t hide that “oh sh*t” look on her face. In an attempt to find some good news, Qyburn assures her that the old rumor is “more, much more” than just a rumor.

Brienne and Podrick arrive at Riverrun, where the Lannister troops have settled in. Guards approach, and Brienne says she is there to speak to Jaime, and she has his sword. While Podrick hangs out with Bronn, Brienne and Jaime meet privately in a tent.

Jaime is surprised that Sansa is still alive, and rather proud that she survived. Cersei still wants her dead, but Jaime seems indifferent. Brienne informs Jaime that she is there for the Blackfish, and wants him and the Tully army to join in the fight for Winterfell. She wants to go to the Blackfish and get him to surrender. If he does, Jaime will allow him to lead the Tully forces safely north. Jaime agrees to this. The Blackfish is stubborn, but the Tully forces might listen. Brienne tries to give him back his sword, but Jaime refuses. “It is yours. It will always be yours.” She accepts the sword, but warns him that if she fails to get the troops to surrender, and fighting ensues, her honor will force her to fight for the Stark family. Jaime accepts this.

Brienne takes Sansa’s note to the Blackfish. Having not seen her since she was a child, the Blackfish doesn’t know if this note is really from Sansa, and he doesn’t really care. He is not interested in abandoning his seat. Brienne finally convinces him to read it, and he is taken by how much Sansa sounds like Catelyn. He doesn’t think he has enough men to take back Winterfell, and while he understands Sansa wants her home back, he is not willing to give up his. Brienne sadly tells Podrick to send a raven to Sansa – “Tell her I failed.”

Jaime visits Edmure, who is still his captive. He offers to bring Edmure’s wife (who he hasn’t seen since the Red Wedding) and son (who he has never met) to see him. Edmure doesn’t budge, and calls Jaime an evil man. Jaime tries to invoke Catelyn to soften Edmure’s demeanor, telling him that even though she hated Jaime, he admired her. The love that Catelyn had for her children, the fierceness that you don’t often see, reminded him of the way Cersei feels about her kids. Jaime then says that he loves Cersei, and she needs him, but he can’t return until he takes Riverrun. “If I have to slaughter every Tully to get back to my sister, that is what I will do.”

So Edmure demands entry into the castle. The Blackfish, sensing it is a trap, refuses, but the leader of the Tully army cannot refuse an order from his lord, and commands the drawbridge be lowered. Edmure enters and commands his forces to surrender. They lay down their weapons and open the gates, letting in the Lannister army. The Blackfish takes Brienne and Podrick to a rowboat so they can escape. He refuses to go with them, and plans to die fighting if need be. “You will serve Sansa better than I ever could,” he assures Brienne before rushing into the battle.

The Lannister banners are raised, and Jaime requests the Blackfish be brought to him. One of his soldiers informs him that the Blackfish died fighting. Jaime looks as though he is hollow. From the top of the castle, he sees Brienne and Podrick escaping in the little boat. She eyes him anxiously. He raises a hand as a goodbye, a gesture which Brienne returns.

Lady Crane gives another performance as Cersei, which the audience loves. She heads backstage and hears a thump. Behind the costumes, she finds Arya bleeding. Lady Crane takes Arya back to her place and patches her up. She looks remarkably like Catelyn Stark in this scene. When asked about Bianca, Lady Crane promises that she will never act again, after what she did to her face. She invites Arya to join their theater troupe, but Arya declines. “You wouldn’t be safe.” Lady Crane gives her something to help her sleep.

While getting a bottle off a top shelf, Lady Crane is surprised by a blonde in her room. Arya wakes to a crash and discovers Lady Crane dead, the Waif standing over her. “The Many-Faced God was promised another name,” she says with a smirk. Arya leaps out the window and runs. The Waif follows, but marches out the door with the determined calm of the Terminator. Arya ducks into a bathhouse and exits another door, but the Waif finds her. Arya tumbles over a balcony, into some fruit vendors, and down some stairs. She is alive but her knife wound has opened up, slowing her down. The Waif still follows, and now she has a trail of blood to lead her.

The Waif finally catches up with Arya in her small, dark room. She shuts the door and promises Arya it will all be over soon. She gives the girl the option to die on her knees or on her feet. Arya, in pain, brings herself to her feet, and has her sword in her hand. She slices the candle flame off, plunging the room into darkness.

Jaqen follows a trail of blood into the Hall of Faces. A new, bloody face has been added to the wall: that of the Waif. Arya appears behind Jaqen. “You told her to kill me,” Arya says, offended. “Yes. But here you are and there she is,” Jaqen says. “Finally a girl is no one.” “A girl is Arya Stark of Winterfell, and I am going home,” she says determinedly. Jaqen smiles slightly, nods slightly, and Arya marches away.

You can watch a preview for next week’s episode by clicking here.