GAME OF THRONES Season 5 Episode 7
Episode Title: “The Gift”
Writers: David Benioff & D. B. Weiss
Director: Miguel Sapochnik
Previously on Game of Thrones:
Episode 5.06: “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken”
I think that we all know how Game of Thrones works at this point. If the show is going through the effort to make Stannis (Stephen Dillane) redeemable by his love for his daughter then of course he’s going to eventually let Shireen be sacrificed by Melisandre (Carice van Houten).
Suddenly, it’s very clear why Shireen was asked to come along on this march to war. This was Melisandre’s plan all along. And I think that Game of Thrones has shown us enough of Stannis and Shireen’s relationship that it will actually sting when he inevitably betrays her to her doom. But for now, Stannis’ refusal to bow to Melisandre’s crazy suggestion makes him a lot more likable. That never lasts on this show.
From this point on, there are full spoilers ahead for “The Gift.” You’ve been warned!
Given the outcry over what happened to Sansa (Sophie Turner) on last week’s episode, I was surprised that Benioff and Weiss went right back to the rape well with Gilly (Hannah Murray) at Castle Black. This time, Gilly escapes Sansa’s fate with a little Deus Ex Wolf and a brave showing from Sam (John Bradley). On one hand, it does make sense that the Night’s Watch would be emboldened by Jon Snow’s (Kit Harington) absence and rapists are definitely among their number. I just assumed that Weiss and Benioff would know better than to do that scene so close to the one from last week.
Do you remember the story of Tyrion’s first wife, Tysha from the first season of Game of Thrones? Supposedly Tysha was a prostitute hired by Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) for Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) under the pretense that they were saving her from rape. Shae told Tyrion that no woman would welcome him into her bed so soon after nearly being raped. And yet that’s kind of what happens here between Gilly and Sam. She escapes that dark fate and rewards Sam by having sex with him.
The best part of the Castle Black scenes this week revolved around the last moments of Maester Aemon (Peter Vaughan). I’ve always given credit to this show’s casting directors, as even minor roles like Aemon have been filled with talented performers like Vaughan. I’ll miss seeing Vaughan on this show, but at least Aemon had a really good sendoff. There was something heartbreaking about Aemon’s final words: “Egg, I dreamed that I was old.”
Getting back to Sansa, the bruises on her body made it clear that Ramsay (Iwan Rheon) has been physically abusing her on top of sexually assaulting her. Sansa tried to set in motion a rescue plan by recruiting Reek (Alfie Allen)… but he immediately folded and confessed everything to Ramsay. I don’t think that Theon is ever going to get redemption on this show. That was his best chance in a long time, and he blew it.
Brienne (Gwendoline Christie) is relegated to a cameo appearance this week, but I’d still love to see her put a sword though Ramsay. One thing to keep in mind is that Roose Bolton (Michael McElhatton) has met Brienne before, so I am curious to see if they cross paths again in Winterfell.
The storyline in Dorne continues to be an afterthought this season, as our brief check in with Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) only demonstrates that his captors know who he is and he is actually being treated well. Of course, Myrcella (Nell Tiger Free) has no intention of coming home with Jaime and she even mentions that she’s been in Dorne for years. I wonder if Jaime would ever use the nuclear option of revealing Myrcella’s parentage to her Dornish hosts. That would destroy her value to them, but it probably isn’t worth outing himself as Cersei’s lover.
Aside from Bronn’s (Jerome Flynn) hilarious rendition of the Dornishman’s Wife and Tyene Sand’s (Rosabell Laurenti Sellers) peep show, there wasn’t much of a point to having the Sand Snakes in this week’s episode. I’ve been really disappointed by that trio, since their father, Oberyn was such a dynamic and fun character last season. We’re over halfway through this season and the Sand Snakes have yet to move the story forward in any meaningful way aside from last week’s lackluster garden duel.
King’s Landing had the bulk of the juicy material this week as Cersei (Lena Headey) finally got what was coming to her. Did anyone really think that arming the Faith Militant and putting the High Sparrow (Jonathan Pryce) in power wouldn’t come back to haunt her? Former Lannister, Lancel (Eugene Simon) knows all about Cersei’s sins and her part in the plot to set up King Robert’s demise. And now Cersei’s locked up near a very angry Margaery (Natalie Dormer).
Pryce is doing an excellent job of making the High Sparrow seem dangerous through his extreme piety. Much to the horror of Lady Olenna (Diana Rigg), the High Sparrow can’t be bribed or intimidated. He actually believes that he’s punishing the wicked who have sinned against the gods, although I would argue that Loras (Finn Jones) and Margaery are more innocent than most of the High Sparrow’s targets. They didn’t even help Lady Olenna and Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish (Aidan Gillen) kill Joffrey!
The most epic moment in the episode came when Tyrion introduced himself to Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) in Meereen after Jorah (Iain Glen) emerged as the victor of the first fighting pit match. Finally, two of the show’s strongest characters are a part of the same storyline. I was expecting their first meeting to occur in the season finale. I’m much happier to see it happen now.
Poor Jorah still can’t catch a break. He goes through the trouble of not killing anyone in the fighting pit, but Daenerys still orders him out of her sight. It seems doubtful her mood will improve anytime soon. Daario (Michiel Huisman) also had some key advice for his lover this week: kill all the masters that she can find. It’s a very cynical worldview, but Daenerys needs that advice. I also have to give Huisman credit for making Daario a lot more tolerable this season.
This was a very good episode that never quite managed to be great. The story is moving along at a nice pace, but the season is almost over just as things are getting really interesting.
