Game Of Thrones: The Dance Of Dragons

Following one the best episodes of the show ever, 'The Dance Of Dragons' tries it's best to live up to previous episode 9's by giving us another massive set-piece in the second half but unfortunately the Dorne and Arya plotlines drag it down a bit.

- Arya's plotline really is going nowhere isn't it? We don't need a segment setting up Meryn Trant as a bad guy, he's clearly been one since season 1. Wow, he's a pedophile? Pure shock value, although it does provide Arya with a means to get close to him (EWWWWW!). I'm fine with her killing Trant but couldn't they have done it in the same episode? Do we really need to stretch this out for another week, he's only a minor henchman to Cersei! Plot delay aside it was fun seeing Mark Gatiss' banker being bored to death by Mace Tyrell, we need more humour in this show!

- We had an incredibly short scene with Jon this week. Basically Alliser Thorne let Jon and the Wildings in (not to mention Wun Wun!) but not before remarking that Jon's heart will get them all killed. He's not wrong, this is Game Of Thrones after all. Foreshadowing? 

- The Dorne segment was actually quite tolerable in this episode in comparison to episode 6 *SHUDDERS*, but the complete and utter lack of stakes (literally EVERYTHING gets worked out in the end and Jaime gets everything he wants) deflates any interest we have. Doran is such a nice guy, he's pretty much the only character on the show to preach peace! Normally with Game Of Thrones we would expect this scene to be immediately followed with Jaime being brutally stabbed by Ellaria Sand after she repents, but no, in fact she seems most agreeable towards Jaime. If anything big were to happen in Dorne I'm sure they would have done it in this episode. Still, something has to happen over there next week...right? Otherwise what was the point of this sub-par diversion? 

- I've finally cracked why the Dorne scenes feel so out of place with the rest of the show: it feels like a TV show. Yeah, you heard me right, on any other TV show the odd dodgy scene like the ones set in Dorne would pass but in GOT? This show never feels like a TV show, the writing, dialogue and acting has always been sky high above anything else TV can produce. So when we get a scene set in a claustrophobic, budget friendly space with sketchy, ill defined characters it jarrs with the rest of the aesthetic. 

Happy family.

- The big controversy of this episode is centered around Stannis doing a complete 180 from what we've seen so far this season and instantly becoming a bad guy by brutally murdering his daughter Shireen. EVERYONE saw this coming, we just didn't expect Stannis to be the one doing it. I am conflicted about this: on the one hand Stannis has been burning people for Melisandre since we first saw him (his first scene was him burning heretics), a fact I had conveniently forgot about until now. Then he has also been shown to be incredibly stubborn and once he's made up his mind there's no going back, and witch a lack of options what is a man going to do? BUT the show has gone on record several times by saying that he truly loves his daughter and wouldn't do anything to harm her, AND set up that he's becoming increasingly wary of crazy Mels magic. Despite the constant foreshadowing I still have trouble believing he would make a decision so quickly and in the same episode, it doesn't gel with me. Couple that with the fact that we have grown to love Shireen and in some respects root for Stannis (I have been heavily pro-Stannis all season) this was a HORRIFYING scene to watch, probably one of the show's worst since the infamous Red Wedding. It proved this show has no boundaries, no barrier is not yet crossed. So yes, the most popular show in television really did just make a fan favourite burn his daughter alive. That was a tough watch!

- Make no mistake both Stannis and Shireen died in this episode, there is nothing left of Stannis now but a hollowed out husk of a man who has been fed lies about being the chosen one. No matter who wins in the Battle of Winterfell (which better be in episode 10) we all lose, both sides deserve what's coming to them as far as I'm concerned, let's just make sure Brienne rescues Sansa before the swords start clashing. Reek, Stannis, Bolton's F*CK EM! 

- Forget the Dragon, the most unbelievable thing this episode was Selyse (Stannis' wife) trying to rescue Shireen from the burning pyre. Three season's and she's expressed nothing but hatred for Shireen, to have a change of heart so suddenly...nope not buying it. 

- Thank god poor uncle Davos was sent away! Stannis knew if anyone was to get in his way (or convince him otherwise) it would be him, so he coldly made sure Davos wouldn't be present. His last scene with Shireen was painful to watch and they shared a very close bond in season 3, and judging from Dovos' noncommittal reply 'Because you deserve it' indicates he knew that something bad was about to happen. Question is once he returns from the Wall what will he do when he finds out Shireen has been murdered? He would make a great advisor for Jon but I can also see him running a blade through Stannis' withered heart. Or vice versa. Personally I would have Davos try and rescue Shireen before being caught and executed beside her. You know, just to increase the tragedy. 

Group shot! 

- So the big event this week was indeed all about Danaerys and the Harpies invading Daznak's Pit. If this episode came BEFORE last week this would be one the show's most stunning sequences but as it stands this fantastic scene feels a little tame in comparison to the massive onslaught the White Walkers enacted upon the world in Hardhome. The biggest shock? No one died! For an episode so drenched in cruelty this was the perfect antidote we needed to match Shireen's horrible death and Meryn's pedophilic ways. The good guys actually managed to come out of this one unscathed! YAY!!! Well, as long as your not counting poor Hizdar. 

- Who wants to see a 1h recut episode that included the battle of Hardhome to the mix, basically move Stannis' stuff to last week and have both fights in one show? Now THAT would be one hell of a ninth episode! 

- Even if Drogon didn't show up this would still be an impressive sequence. Jorah's pre-terrorist attack fight in the pit was well done with him suitably getting his ass handed to him and barely making it out of each skirmish alive (his armor helped him a lot, nice touch). Once again the scale of the show is incredible, god knows how much the CGI cost to create that massive stadium. The banter between Hizdar, Tyrion and Daario was also pretty good, there's clearly some sort of philosophical competition going on between the three of them. Shame we didn't see more of this really. 

- Of course the Sons of the Harpy attack, creepily appearing put of nowhere and stabbing pretty much anyone near them. Who is organizing all these attacks? We should be pointing fingers at Hizdar, put the poor bloke got stabbed. There also seems to be a lot of these faceless terrorists, how they managed to sneak all those golden masks into the stadium is a bit of a mystery. Security anyone?! Anyway after a lot of stabbing Dany and co are herded into the middle of the stadium to presumably be massacred like cattle when this happens.....

Drogon to the rescue!

- You could argue it's a bit of a Deus Ex Machina but it's been well earned by this point. Sure enough Drogon proceeds to burn and tear up all of the bad guys (or conveniently placed groups of four in this case) to pieces in another awesome display of spectacle. Remember, we're watching a TV show! Dragon's aren't invulnerable however, it seems that any ordinary spear can pierce Drogon's hide which is a bit worrying, since those White Walkers from an episode back defintely had very pointy spears on hand. Dany of course sees this and then GETS ON HIS BACK AND FLIES AWAY. God it feels so good to finally type that. This is a big moment for the show, it's one thing to have the Dragons appear every now and again but if you're not going to use them in any meaningful way what's the point of having them? While I don't think we'll be seeing them every episode now that Dany can officially fly on Drogon I think this changes the game in Meereen somewhat. She's been afraid to use her Dragons in the past, surely now she'll untie the other two in the basement and get to work on burning the sunofabitch behind this? 

- These last few episodes have really delivered on the fantasy element of the show, I'm glad that they've really put a focus on the two main opposing forces (Ice & Fire) as the show nears the last phase of its narrative. Because let's face it, the final conflict is inevitably going to be zombies vs dragons, everything else is set dressing at this point. Also yes I guess Dany did just abandon her friends in the midst of an all out terrorist attack! But the way they shot it implied she did it stop Drogon from being killed rather than save her own skin. Still she could have still come back to roast some more harpies while her friends escaped! Judging from the next time trailer everyone seems to be okay though, so no harm no foul? 

Another week and another explosive edition of Game Of Thrones. While the constant dread and disgust onset by Stannis' actions were weirdly muffled by the somewhat happy and uplifting ending of Dany riding Drogon into the sunset (you end up feeling both depressed and exhilarated at the same time) this was still really good. It obviously can't compare to previous seasons but if you combine 'Hardhome' with 'The Dance Of Dragons' then you've got an amazing climax to this season. AND ITS NOT OVER YET! One more to go, my only worry is that they've got a LOT left to wrap up. GOT Ranking: 9/10.