Game of Thrones: Season 5, Episode 3

Game of Thrones

Episode Title: “High Sparrow”

Channel: HBO

Director: Mark Mylod

Writers: David Benioff and D.B. Weiss

Genre: Action, Drama, Fantasy

Runtime: 55 min

Rated: TV-MA

Original Air Date: April 26, 2015

It's starting to look like the most interesting things to happen in season five of Game of Thrones are going to happen in the North. Whereas the other characters' stories have taken on a very localized feel the North is continuing a broader story. The other stories are sure to be engaging in their own way, but the big moves are happening away from King's Landing, and I'm all right with that.

Following his election as Lord Commander, John Snow formally refused Stannis' offer of legitimacy and his father's castle. It was a great moment between the two characters as Stannis remarked on Jon's stubbornness and sense of honor reminding him of Ned. Jon chose to take the comment as a compliment despite that not being Stannis' intent. After the meeting concluded Davos stayed behind to work on Jon from a different angle. If one of those characters can convince Jon to take the name of Stark it would be Davos, but I don't see it happening. Later, in an attempt to mend fences and shed enemies, Jon named Alliser First Ranger, which seemed to placate the older man. Then he ordered Janos Slynt to take command of a ruined castle, which went about as well as expected. Janos railed at Jon with insult after insult and refused the order, the punishment for which is death. After some crying and begging from Slynt, Jon did the deed himself, perhaps convincing Alliser to keep in line and earning a measure of respect from Stannis. Seeing one of the bad guys get what he deserves seems to happen far less often than seeing our favorite characters die, so this was a rewarding scene for the vindictive among the audience.

Elsewhere in the North, Littlefinger is hatching his own plan to establish a Stark in Winterfell, by marrying Sansa to the newly not-a-bastard Ramsay Bolton. I'm finding it hard to believe that he has anything but his best interests in mind with this plan, despite him telling Sansa that this was her opportunity for revenge. For one thing, the talk he had with Sansa, convincing her to go to Ramsay, seemed a little too much like a talk he would've given one of his new girls back in his brothel running days. Also, what exactly is he expecting out of Sansa in this situation? If it were Arya I wouldn't doubt for a second that she'd stab Ramsay to death the first chance she got, but Sansa? Maybe she'll surprise us, I really hope she does. I just want it to be believable if it's taken in that direction.

Back in King's Landing the marriage of King Tommen to Margaery Tyrell is officially consummated in a scene that can only be described as awkward when you remember that he's supposed to be a young teen. It seems as though she already has her hook planted deeply in the impressionable young man, which is made apparent when he begins to hint that Ceresi might be happier back home at Casterly Rock. The High Septon was accosted by Sparrows at a brothel and made to walk the streets naked while being beaten. Ceresi went to visit the High Sparrow and seems to have acquired a new ally in her struggle to maintain power, although her endgame isn't clear.

Tyrion finally got some time outside of his carriage when he and Varys arrived in Volantis. Although a brothel was his obvious first stop he found himself unable to resume his whoring ways. This was the first significant thing we've seen from Tyrion this season, drinking doesn't count. In the same brothel we were reacquainted with our old friend Jorah Mormont, who recognized Tyrion and kidnapped him when the eunuch wasn't looking. It seems clear that Jorah is planning on bringing Tyrion to Daenerys, a move that he probably thinks will put him back in her good graces.

And finally, in Braavos, Arya has been sweeping the floor in the House of Black and White. It appears that they have a shrine to every god in the world there, and people show up there to die. A fellow apprentice exposed her for caring too much about who she was, and not what she wants to become, and in an attempt to prove she's ready she threw most of her possessions into the sea. Needle was hidden in some rocks, so she's still not ready to forgo her revenge but apparently it was enough to begin the next step of her initiation. So she was promoted from sweeping to washing dead bodies. It's hard to say where her story is headed right now, just that she seems so far away from her stated goals at this point that she may never find the revenge she's looking for.

Conclusion: So far this season Jon Snow has been given the most interesting things to do, which is good for a character that had been boring in large stretches up to this point. While I can see everyone's arcs this season being important, they seem important at a much more personal level than in previous seasons. Between Margaery's passive-aggressive harassment of Ceresi and Ceresi's past actions it is hard to choose who to root for in their coming power struggle.

Rating: 8/10