"Game of Thrones" recap: "Hardhome"
Usually, the big battles and Oh-My-God-Did-You-See-That?! moments in "Game of Thrones" come each season in episode 9 (see: Blackwater, the Red Wedding, the battle at Castle Black). So it was a pleasant surprise -- though also a terrifying one -- to get all the action we saw Sunday night in "Hardhome," an episode earlier than expected.
The second half of the episode dealt with Jon and Tormund's arrival at the wildling settlement at Hardhome, and the attack there of the White Walkers and their army of undead. But we'll get to the "GOT" equivalent of "The Walking Dead" in a bit. First, the other developments from last night's episode...
In Meereen, Dany and Tyrion get their first proper chat and it's as great a back-and-forth as you hoped it would be. The Lannisters killed her family, she tells him, but Tyrion points out he's a pretty good Lannister-killer himself. She asks him what she should do about Ser Jorah, and he advises that "a ruler who kills those devoted to her does not inspire devotion." She listens, and has him banished from the city (again) instead of having him executed.
Later, the two have a drink together and speak privately, bonding over being children of "terrible fathers." She gives that speech about "breaking the wheel" of families battling over the Iron Throne that we saw in the season 5 trailers, and decides to keep Tyrion on as an adviser. It'll be interesting to see how their new alliance plays out.
Over in Braavos, Arya gets her first mission in the name of the Many-Faced God. She becomes an oyster merchant named Lana, and is sent to the docks to gather intel on a guy running a crooked insurance scam on sea captains. When she returns, Jaqen H'ghar tells her she'll get to kill the gambler and hands her a vial of the temple's fountain water. The other girl at the House of Black and White doesn't think Arya is ready, but H'ghar shrugs and replies, "It's all the same to the Many-Faced God." Doesn't sound like he cares too much whether she fails or succeeds.
In King's Landing, we get the jarring site of Cersei Lannister stripped of all her finery - hair disheveled, dressed in rags, but still seething with rage. A nun offers her water but only in exchange for a confession, which she refuses to do (at least, for now). Even Qyburn advises her to confess her sins (adultery, incest, treason, regicide - you know, the usual) and appeal to the High Sparrow for forgiveness, but she screams at him for even suggesting it. But behind that brave front, she's quietly crushed when she's told Tommen won't come and visit her, and hits an even lower low when she kneels down, alone in her cell, to drink the spilled water off the dungeon floor.
Sansa, meanwhile, gets a shocking bit of news over in Winterfell. While confronting Theon/Reek about telling Ramsay of her plans to signal for help and escape, he admits that he didn't in fact murder her younger brothers Bran and Rickon - he killed two farm boys instead and passed them off as the young Starks. This is incredible news for someone who's suffered so much pain and loss, and is just the thing to give her strength and purpose.
Also at Winterfell, Roose and Ramsay Bolton debate what to do about Stannis' approaching army. Roose is content to wait out winter and let them freeze to death, but Ramsay wants to take 20 men and attack Stannis' camp. Who's surprised Ramsay wants to go for the more violent option? No one? Thought so.
And now, we get to the really good stuff at Hardhome. Jon Snow and Tormund get to the wildling encampment and make their case to the free folk: Join forces with the Crows, or stay put and become zombie bait. Despite what seems like a no-brainer decision, only a few of the wildling elders agree to return with Jon to Castle Black. And just as they're about to leave, there's a rumbling in the distance and an army of undead begin storming their camp.
From there, everything happens quickly -- the first wave of killer corpses, the appearance of the White Walkers, the discovery that Jon's Valyrian steel sword can kill the White Walkers just like dragon glass can and that incredible scene where a mountain of wights come cascading over a cliff only to rise up and begin attacking again.
Realizing they don't stand a chance, Jon & Co. head for the boats and the last minutes of the episode become eerily quiet. They all watch helplessly as the rest of the remaining wildlings are slaughtered within what seems like seconds, and then as the head White Walker rises his arms, resurrecting a hoard of new additions to his undead army.
Tell us: What did you think of "Hardhome"?