I was enjoying the arena scene until....
Daenaryis has to prove how she's again the dragon queen. They really beat this one to death. It's not enough that her dragon showed up to save her. It's not enough that she stared deeply into its roaring mouth (for the umpteenth time) to the wonderment of onlookers. It's not enough that she has a tender mother/dragon moment while people are chucking spears at it. No, in order to fulfill maximum dragon wankery, it's time for a DRAGON RIDE. You knew it was coming, but seriously, the only way it could have been more overdone is if trumpets had played when she took off. Also, she has GOT to be running out of Unsullied at this point. For being such badass warriors, they've been dying to unarmored dudes with knives in droves. Maybe, I dunno, put down the damn spears and grab a short sword? Yeesh.
And yeah, my theory is that whoever Mellisandre has been communing with is not who she thinks it is.
Stannis' wife is an odd bird. She tried so hard to ignore his adultery, embrace his new crazy religion, even started hating on her daughter for no real reason. She almost keeps up the facade, until the screaming starts. I imagine she'll end up against a stake here before too long too.
Stannis the Sadness though, that's what he is now. Pity. I was starting to get to like him in this season, after having to sit through like two seasons of him skulking around his castle being mad he's not King, and burning people at the stake.
They had to do Dany the dragon queen like this though. They'd shown her dragons growing out of her control, they had to show her regaining control. Granted, they could probably give her better directions than amazed wonderment, because amazed wonderment stops working when you've seen amazed wonderment for about 4 seasons.
As for the Unsullied, she took every last Unsullied with her. All of them. The ones in training, the ones for sale, the ones guarding Ghiscar, the ones not for sale, all of them. She took a lot of Unsullied. Granted, yeah when they die she kinda fucked up there. There's no replacing them. In the books they start getting replaced by a more Westerosi-styled fighting force (with the advantage being that this force does not rely on the mass kidnapping and castrating of boys)... But this was being done by Barristan. Who got killed off too early.
Melisandre is communicating with Rh'ollor. She's getting the whole story told to her. She's just seeing what she wants to see... And what she wants to see does not align with the reality. This is using book knowledge mind you, as show melly just gives leech blowjobs and burns heretics. Book Melly looks into the fires and asks to see who the antichrist of Rh'ollor is and it's showing Stannis, while she asks to see who Azhor Ahai is and it's Jon Snow. At which point she's all like 'yh i kno stannis mannis is azhor ahai wots jon snow got 2 do wiv dis.'
Melisandre speaks for Rh'ollor some, but she definitely seems to have her own agenda as well. I would not equate her actions with her god's intentions completely.
The only thing I've seen in both the books and shows that suggest Melisandre isn't just a zealot who believes what she preaches is something that appears in the show and not the books. Namely, in that brief moment where she leaves Stannis and bumps into the Brotherhood without Banners. There she gets into an argument with Thoros, getting all self-righteous about how he gets all the cool powers of resurrection from Rh'ollor despite being a disgrace to the red god clergy (he had one job - converting Robert to Rh'ollorism, and by extension Westeros, instead he just spent his time drinking with Robert). Melly sellotape wants Rh'ollor's powers to be used only by the worthy and moral believers. Other than that she doesn't really do much else except try and get Stannis on the iron throne whilst burninating the peasants.
Which I would buy if there was any tangible evidence in the show she was contributing to the greater good. Some little aside. Some scenes. (The only ones of which she's had are meant to make you question her motives.) You only see her when she's preying on the other characters. And so far, she's just gotten Stannis laid and a lot of people burnt at the stake for the Greater Good. I get there's some sort of long-game plan here. But ostensibly, she does nothing except cast spells/perform very obviously evil rituals when it benefits her agenda.
Sorry, I find her in particular, again just from the show, totally out of place and about as subtle as a thrown brick. I can get in to most character's arcs, but there's nothing to go on with her. Just cool aloofness, blah blah blah the Night blah blah blah terrors blah blah blah sex blah blah blah kill your children. And it's gone on for multiple seasons now.
Before there was a much greater dynamic between her, Stannis the Mannis and tor.Onion knight.
The show dumbed it down considerably.
Also no one mentions Balon.
Remember, Mel?
You said your magic would kill Balon?
No word he's dead yet.
Sup, Mel?
Melly pls
No, he fell off a bridge and died. Someone mentioned it in a scene but I think it was really easy to miss.
That conversation happened in the books. In the show the vikings had a season cliffhanger, resolved the cliffhanger with a pathetic ironborn raid on naked ramsay (ffs that was stupid) and then they never reappeared again. NOT EVEN 2GOD. Even when Melly brings up her accomplishments of what King's blood has done, she lists Joffrey and Robb. No Balon. Balon is still chilling. Honestly I wouldn't be surprised at this point if Victarion and Euron never show up, and Balon never dies, meaning no Kingsm00t is necessary and their character arcs are made redundant.
I guess I'll take one bit back. I think there's a scene from last season where she's talking to Stannis' daughter alone maybe, and she actually talks about herself, a little bit about who she was. The change in tone, I was like "Woah. She sounds like a real person, not some dreadfully overacted high priestess of Satan." And then in the next scene, she went right back to it. There's a character there somewhere, it's just taking for fucking ever for it show itself. And what is being shown is a stereotypical evil temptress. I'm sure there's more there, just get on with it already.
Melly leech job x Roose is loose leech lord OTP
But seriously, Melly had to convince a cynical Stannis with words and ocular proof, in the show it's all just like 'power of boobs 2stronk'
Arya tries to seduce Meryn Trant, is rejected as being too old. This foils her assassination plan.
The Lannisters send their regards to the Iron Bank. They are granted an extension on their loan, mostly due to a brilliant singing performance.
Syrio Forel shows up and promptly jumps into a boat with Gendry and Rickon. They row off into the sunset.
Perfect. Also Mace Tyrell is best character. BEST CHARACTER LET ME SING YOU SONG OF MY PEOPLE
Rewatching the episode, painful. Rewatching any episode now and seeing Shireen is like seeing Sean Bean tell Jon Snow on the crossroads 'I'll tell you about your mother when I get back.' NO YOU NO
NO
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Also lol, an Unsullied is set on fire by Drogon. Rewatch it, an Unsullied is fighting 5 sons of the herpes when Drogon sets them all on fire, then it cuts to them all flailing around on fire - including one man carrying what is undoubtedly a buckler and unsullied spear.
Also did anyone else catch the wildlings calling Jon Snow 'King Crow' in episode 8? I wonder if that's how they'll fit in the chavening.