We have now reached season 5 of Game of Thrones. This wasn’t the most exciting season in my opinion or the best, but some very pivotal moments in the story line have happened this season. With all of our beloved characters now roaming the Seven Kingdoms and Essos, I am going to separate my review based on the characters who I feel had the most important moments this season. I also had separate scenes that I felt were important. Let’s discuss below.
Cersei
First of. lets start with Cersei. This season has not been very kind to her, though she brought a lot of that on herself. She is so focused on the prophecy she heard from the woods witch, that she believes that Margery is the one that will be the younger, more beautiful Queen to take her place. We all know that she hates Margery throughout their interactions in season 4. To her credit, Margery dislikes Cersei just as much. I love her little quips to get under Cersei’s skin, especially once she becomes Queen. “What do I call you now? Dowager Queen or Queen Mother?” I think I laughed for a good couple of minutes. Let’s be honest, Cersei still believes herself Queen, even though Margery has just married Tommen.
Cersei goes to great lengths to take back the power she loves oh so much. What I find ironic and hilarious is that she didn’t realize that, in her effort to get rid of Margery and Loras, the High Sparrow could also hold her captive for her own sins. She thinks that she is so above everyone else that he wouldn’t touch her. To my satisfaction she was proved wrong. I did feel a bit sorry for her, as she was forced to walk naked for her atonement. No one deserves that kind of humiliation.
Sansa
I keep marveling at how strong Sansa has become. Being forced to marry Ramsay, raped and beaten, she still finds away to carry on. I think a lot of that strength came when Theon said that he hadn’t killed Bran or Rickon, like the idea that there was something out there to live for, that she still had a family, served to ground her. She has grown to a strong woman that is capable and does what she needs to survive. She will fight for herself, her family, and her home. I admire her a lot. I don’t know if I would be able to do what she has done. Sansa is truly a survivor.
Arya
Valar Morghulis Valar Dohaeris,”all men must die, all men must serve.” Arya. My little she-wolf. I love her so. She is so determined to become a faceless man. You can tell how frustrated she is at just doing simple chores. She just wants to learn to play the game of faces. All of that aside, she can’t bring it upon herself to fully become no one. It physically pained me watching her tearful eyes as she contemplated getting rid of needle. That is the last thing she has of Jon, of her family besides her name. She is not no one, she is Arya Stark of Winterfell.
She also reinforces her wants when she gets to cross another name of her list. Ser Meryn Trant. How I loathed him. I think I felt almost as much satisfaction from his death as Arya did. Although I could have done with a little less blood. Alas, this is Game of Thrones, that isn’t possible.
Daenerys
Daenerys struggles with her self-confidence so much this season. You can tell in the way she wants to deal with the Sons of the Harpy, and reopening the fighting pits. Everyone else keeps telling her what to do, but she isn’t giving enough attention to the most important person, herself. She needs to trust in herself and who she is.
I believe in her.
Can we also talk about how much I hate Daario? When he said, “A dragon queen with no dragons isn’t a queen” I wanted to kill him. SHE is a dragon, you ass hat. Her children do not define her alone, she is so much more than just the mother of dragons. But what does Daario know? He just loves her for her titles and dragons, not for who she is as a person. She deserves so much better.
Jon
Why do my favorites always have to go and get themselves killed? Of course they have to be from the same family. First Ned, then Robb, and now Jon. Stupid, honorable, infuriating, warrior hero that he is. I know with Game of Thrones it is better to not get to attached to characters, but these damn Starks make it so hard.
Olly. Just the utter devastation of Jon’s face as Olly stabbed him was enough to gut me. I can only imagine the thoughts going through his head. After all, Jon had taken him under his wing like a little brother and he betrayed him. Jon was doing it for the greater good Olly, you didn’t need to go and kill him.
No matter how many re-watches I have done, his death always guts me. GRRM, David Benioff, and Dan Weiss I love and loathe you. Why did you have to make me love Jon so much? I often wonder if they take pleasure in killing off characters to see our reactions.
Hardhome
This battle scene is everything. The way that it was shot still blows my mind. I have seen a lot of battle scenes and I never thought any would be as good as they are in the Lord of the Rings.The part that gave me chills. though is the end. where the Night King is on the dock and is in an intense stare down with Jon. He just raises his hands and up rise more wights. Chills. That’s all I had up and down my arms.
Defining Character moment for Daenerys
This scene between Dany and Tyrion is when it really clicked for me, when Dany really realizes who she is and what she wants. I can finally see her get her self-confidence back, the one that she has been missing since the beginning of the season. She is so sure of herself. She wants a new world. She wants to break the wheel. This is where we can really start to see the type of Queen she wants to be when she gets to the Seven Kingdoms. I believe she can get there, its just going to be a long and hard road for her.
What did you all think of season 5? Drop comments below and tell me your thoughts of what you thought. You can read my review of season 4 here.
Game of Thrones season 8 premieres April 14thon HBO.