Sansa Stark vs Cersie Lannister – Part 2

I’ve already written one meta about Cersie and Sansa which you can read here.

Having seen all of Season 7, I have to say I am even more convinced that the final showdown must be between Sansa and Cersie for a number of reasons.

First off, there are parallels, both Sansa and Cersie are usually overlooked and underestimated by those around them. Dany doesn’t suffer from this because of her dragons, but neither of these two women have that luxury. They are both ordinary (and I use that term very loosely) women who have nothing but their wits to keep them alive. They have had to become smart in order to survive. Cersie had to do it because she was stuck in a love-less marriage with Robert, a man who never really had any ambition to be king and was therefore not as careful as one might have been had they cared about the position. Cersie also knew what had happened to Rhaegar’s wife and children and would not let that happen to herself or her children. In the earlier seasons, her entire focus is on the survival of her family and all her actions lead to that. Sansa, on the other hand, had to learn because her very survival depended on it. She had no alternatives, no protectors, no one to speak up for her.

There was something else that struck me as I was starting this meta, in a way, Cersie was a surrogate mother to Sansa. It makes sense, Sansa was twelve when she went to KL and her mother did not accompany the two young girls, which in itself if quite strange. And before Ned lost his head, Cersie made herself into a mother figure for Sansa. Sansa looked up to her and admired her, wanted to be like her. After Ned’s death, Sansa’s life became a living nightmare but, in a weird way, she still had Cersie who would occasionally advise her, in a way a mother would (albeit it was otten harshly delivered, but that did not lessen the importance of the advice itself). It was Cersie who told Sansa that she could try to love Joffrey, implying that he was already a monster and even Cersie could not always control him. In her most formative years, it wasn’t Ned or Catelyn who were with Sansa, it was Cersie. I’ve also stated that, in those early years, she did care for Sansa, in her own twisted way. This gives Sansa an insight into the kind of women she really is which is why there is a part of Sansa that does admire her, because she’s survived where other, more able players have not.

Game of Thrones has been setting up Tyrion as a master strategist and this season just served to illustrate that that reputation may have been premature. He pledged to serve Dany and help her become queen of the Seven Kingdoms and was outmaneuvered time and again by Cersie. In the beginning when Dany’s war council were going over plans of taking KL, it seemed like a great plan, using Westerosi forces to take KL and the Unsullied to take Casterly Rock but while he was feeling smug, he forgot that he was dealing with Cersie. Cersie who learned from her father who was indeed a great strategist. Even at the end, she played both her brothers, especially Tyrion. That entire conversation is a very finely staged performance on Cersie’s part. Every action and word was carefully chosen. When she placed her hand on her stomach, it felt so out-of-character for her. This is Tyrion, she doesn’t trust him, she doesn’t even like him but she does have him figured out. She knew that he did genuinely love Tommen and Myrcella and he does regret that they died. Here’s another thing to consider, Tyrion does have a blindspot where his family is concerned. He hates his sister but she is his sister, there will always be a part of him that sees her through the lenses of a younger brother. Cersie has no such concerns, she would burn the world down and happily watch it burn.

Which brings us to Sansa. We spent the entire season worried sick over whether Sansa would indeed betray her family. Of course, the makers never gave any proof to set up that betrayal but that’s besides the point. If Tyrion was Cersie adversary, LF was Sansa’s. As we found out at the end, Sansa’s problems from the beginning were the handiwork of LF, if not for him Robert would not have come North and would not have betrothed Sansa and Joffrey. The Starks would have stayed home, healthy and whole. But LF’s hunger for power got the entire plot going. He then betrayed Ned and then used and abused Sansa. Sansa suffered some of the worst abuse at the hand of the Boltons and that match was arranged by none other than LF. Like Tyrion (and mind you I love him) LF also has too high an opinion of himself, he’s started believing his own publicity. Throughout this season, he tried to sow the seeds to dissent, first between Jon and Sansa and then between Sansa and Arya. And it would have worked except all season, LF was telling Sansa to think about the bigger picture, to view everyone with suspicion and always play out scenarios in her head so that nothing ever surprises her. This was great advice, except LF thought that for some reason, he was exempt from all these scenarios. Killing him would have been easy but to do so without losing the support of the Knights of the Vale, that was going to be exceedingly tricky. That scene where LF finally meets his end, that too is very carefully constructed, it’s the Knights of Vale who line the Great Hall with Lord Royce present, who already didn’t like him very much but couldn’t openly oppose him for fear of Sweet Robin. She sets him up perfectly, so much so that he never sees it coming.

So Season 7 saw both Cersie and Sansa outplay men who thought themselves to be smarter than the women they were trying to manipulate..

It also set them up in contrast to each other. In Season 6, Cersie burned down the Sept with all those people inside, not to mention all the collateral damage. Whereas Sansa was more worried whether they had enough food to make sure that everyone would be fed and they could take in refugees when the fight against the WW really came. She takes a personal interest when she really doesn’t need to and her people see this. This is evident when Arya comes to Winterfell and the two sentries don’t want to bother Lady Sansa, not because they’re scared but because, in a strange way, they’re protective of her.

Season 7 has so far established 3 main groups, Dany and her quest for the IT, Cersie and her quest for who-knows-what and the North that just wants its own independence and also survive both the WW and Cersie. I’ve stated multiple times that I don’t see Jon retain his crown in Season 8 which makes Sansa the QitN. Jaime recently left Cersie and rode North to fight against the WW and while there he will join Sansa and not Dany. Dany burned his men alive, he doesn’t like her and he doesn’t trust her. Jaime redemption arc started when he was paired with Brienne and tasked with getting the Stark girls safely delivered to their family. Plus he knows Sansa, he knew her father and mother and while he may not have liked them very much, I believe he does respect them. I personally can’t wait for him to meet Sansa and see the capable woman that she’s grown into. Jaime is often blinded by his love for Cersie but he’s starting to see that most of it may have been one-sided. When it is time to make a final choice as to who he will support, I believe he will pick Sansa, simply because she’s the better candidate. The fight against the WW will end with the elimination of one of the groups and I don’t believe it will be the Starks. They’re the protagonists of the series. I believe that Cersie will make it out alive as well with Dany sacrificing herself in the fight against the WW.

In the Starks vs Cersie battle, there will be one key difference from the BotB, Jon will seek out and heed Sansa’s counsel when it comes to how best deal with Cersie.

Anyway, that’s what I think and this post got way longer than I thought it would, but I hope it makes sense.

Game of Thrones Season 7 Episode 7 – The Wolf and the Dragon – Thoughts

So the season finale is finally done and thankfully the season ended as well as it had started, the middle is a clusterfuck full of inconsistencies and poor-writing but by and large, the finale was satisfying. Brace yourself, this will be a long post.

Let’s start with the Dragonpit: This started well enough and we had a number of character encounters that were fun to watch:

It was fun to watch these characters meet each other again, all of them much different than what they were before. Even Tyrion and Bronn shared a nice moment,

The Dragonpit also went on to showcase all the reasons why Jon is not fit to be king of anything. There was one instance that required his diplomacy and he refused. Mind you, Cersie’s request was reasonable, she only asked that the North remain neutral during the truce and Jon mucked it up. Even Dany was exasperated and Tyrion was close to tearing his hair out.

Tyrion’s exchanges with both Cersie and Jaime were entertaining. Cersie is such a dynamic character and so unapologetic. We have been seeing Jaime giving her the side-eye on a number of occasions this season, and it all came to a head in this episode. Deep down, he is an honourable man, he takes his duties seriously, you can see his frustration with Cersie at her inability to see it from his point-of-view. Her refusal to honour the pact was the last straw for him and in the end we see him riding north, leaving Cersie truly alone.

Dany’s war council and the Boat scene: The war council scenes were telling for a number of reasons.

They are discussing how they should venture North and while both Jorah and Jon express different approaches, Tyrion stays quiet which is curious. Dany chooses to go with Jon’s idea and we cut to Jorah’s expression, he looks less than happy. What’s also interesting, is the way the shot cut to Tyrion while the exchange was going on. He doesn’t look happy, he looks concerned. His quiet is also worrisome, he is someone who also speaks up when he has an opinion, it is clear that he has an opinion, he just doesn’t share it.

The Boatsex! finally happened and it was shocking just how underwhelming it was. First, screencaps:

We start with Sam and Bran talking about Jon’s parentage and Sam urges to go back actually see what happened. We cut from Rhaegar and Lyanna’s wedding to the Targ crest on the door, just before Jon knocks and Dany opens the door to let him in. There is also the shot of Tyrion standing and looking at them, looking less than pleased which again, is weird.
Then there is Bran’s VO while the two are having sex. The sex scene is far from romantic:

It is intercut with scenes featuring a dying Lyanna, telling Ned what Jon’s true name is and then back to Tyrion standing outside their room. This is downright creepy and makes little sense unless you see it in the larger context. We already Jon screw up at the Dragonpit and that almost cost them the truce (whether or not Cersie would have honoured it, is besides the point) and then he can see that suddenly Dany gives more weight to Jon’s suggestions than she does to other people in her camp. Which is dangerous.

Winterfell: The Winterfell scenes were the real highlight of the episode.

We start with Starkbowl misdirect 101. Sansa sitting with LF and trying to figure out Arya’s motives. He gives her some more advice which she takes and there is a gradual shift in her as while she is still analysing Arya. I felt like it while, outloud, she was talking about Arya, in her head, she was thinking about LF and his own motives.

The Great Hall scene was absolutely epic!!! It made the whole season worth the watch, despite all the hours of anxiety and confusion and the bad writing. It was all worth it in the end. It was thrilling to see all the Stark children working together and bring down LF. In the end, he was a crying mess and he had no idea that Sansa had played him. It was extremely satisfying to watch. LF had overstayed his welcome in GoT and it was time for his exit.

Analyses and meta in post no. 2.

Sansa in Game of Thrones Season 7 Finale

So we have 2 shots of Sansa in the promo:

She is standing at the same place where Jon offered her Ned and Catelyn’s room and where Sansa tried to warn him of the threat that is Cersie. When I saw the still earlier, I thought she looked despondent. But seeing it in the promo followed by her walk away, I am inclined to change my opinion. I think she looks like she finally made a decision. I think she goes up there to think in peace without the prying eyes of those around her. Now, I’m hoping that that this is where she decides that LF is too big a threat to be left unattended and therefore must be taken out.

I think she’s at a stage where she knows she can’t trust anyone. Arya being homicidal and whether that’s for LF’s benefit or Sansa’s remains to be seen and she sure as hell can’t trust LF because the only person LF helps is himself. But she is taking his advice and playing out all possible scenarios in her head before coming to a final decision.

it’s also possible that she went up there to clear her head and gather courage for what she’s about to do. I do believe that this season must end with LF’s death, and the Starks banding together, but I also expect it to be hard won.

The promos only ever show the audience scenes from the first half of the episode which leads me to believe that the scene is from close to the beginning.

Damn I am simultaneously excited and dreading the season finale. Also, the wait is killing me…

P.S. – where is Dany? She seems to have sent all her forces south but she herself is missing. I can’t see her not attending but then again, she also loves making an entrance so we’ll see..

Game of Thrones Season 7 – Starkbowl

Greetings anxious fans (moreso if you’re a Sansa fan) things seem to be heating up in anticipation for the final episode of season 7 and episode 6 was nothing if not a real clusterfuck which made little sense and further destroyed characters we’ve fallen in love with.

Let’s start with Arya. Arya is a veritable badass and has been through her own fair share of torture and trauma. But her sheer level of antipathy towards Sansa is out of character. Now, there are some fans who are saying that well, they never liked each other, you only have to watch season 1 to figure this out. But they were both CHILDREN! They’ve both grown and their entire world has been upended. If that doesn’t get you to change and change your outlook, then there’s something wrong with you. They’ve both gone through horrible things but over the last few seasons, their outlook towards each other changed, where Sansa grew to fondly remember Arya and not complain about Arya’s sense of dressing, similarly, even Arya holds a somewhat more sympathetic view of Sansa, saying that she would like to see her sister as well. Arya is the character who killed Walder Frey in his home surrounded by his men and that was after she killed and cooked his sons into a pie. You can’t do that unless you’re stealthy as fuck, to the extent that no one sees you coming. But at Winterfell, she feels sloppy. I still think that she’s being way too obvious, lurking in the corridors. She’s smarter than this. Plus, I think the Starks have a real problem with communicating with each other and they seriously need to work on that, but that’s a post for another day.

Now, moving on to the whole “Sansa will betray her home and her family”. To this too, I say, where is the proof? There is none. The Northern Lords preferring her over Jon is fickle and Sansa says as much, she doesn’t lay much importance in their allegiance because it changes as the winds do. The other reason I think it’s a red herring is just because of just how plugged it is.

Literally every interview with D&D and the main cast points to Starkbowl and Sansa’s betrayal. They’ve brought it up in every interview and played it up. Now, if this were legitimate, why plug it so hard, where’s the excitement and the shock that GoT loves to spring on its fans? It’s absurd. Let me illustrate with an example, you make a murder mystery but throughout the marketing, you start giving away the culprit and the motive for the murder. Why would you do that? But here’s an alternative theory, what if you want to misdirect the audience? How would you that? Well, in the same fashion as the GoT makers, you lay a false trail, you get the actors to go along with you. You get them to say some really stupid stuff and keep on laying the red herrings. If Sansa was really going to betray her family, I bet everyone would have been saying that she’s a true daughter of the North and that she loves her family, that way, when the betrayal did come, it would catch us completely by surprise.

Game of Thrones is hugely popular and the people behind the show knows this. Before every season, we are met with leaks ranging from set-photos to the actual plot. Now the first few times it happened, it may have been legitimate but you can’t tell me that the writers and the producers are going to let the leaks keep happening. GoT is a very expensive show and is a huge cash-cow for HBO, you mean to tell me that they’re just going to sit back and not put a cap on the leaks? I think they did just that with season 7. They knew that the leaks have played a huge part in ramping up the interest for the upcoming season, so the leaks were controlled. They told us what a lot of the marketing machinery was telling us, making us even more apprehensive. Think about it, the leaks told us nothing new, a lot of “what was revealed” were things that a lot of us had seen coming and therefore were not surprised. I’m not saying that all the leaks were false, they can’t be, not if they’re meant to be effective. There’s some truth mixed in with a lot of horse-shit. There were instances where we had the bullet points but no context and context is everything. But I digress.

The reason I think Starkbowl is false is because of how hard the marketing pushed it, you simply don’t start giving out integral plot points and Sansa’s betrayal should have been that. Unless, she’s truly committed to protecting her family and the North. Well, then the fans get complacent, they know they can trust this character, that she’s good. That doesn’t make for very interesting television ( at least in producers’ and writers’ minds) So if Sansa is indeed fighting for the Starks and the North, how do you create discord to keep the fans on their toes? By creating it. By putting LF by her side and reuniting her with her family but making their reunion one that is fraught with suspicion and thinly veiled threats. But I’m not convinced and perhaps I am giving too much credit to the makers of the show.

Also, where is Bran in all of this? You can’t mean to tell me that he’s not involved in someway or another. He’s the Three-Eyed Raven, he sees the past, the present and the future. He’s seen the web that LF weaves and the way he plays people against each other. Just because we haven’t seen him interact with Sansa and Arya doesn’t mean it’s not happening off camera.

What’s even more obvious is that Sansa knows this too as does Arya, though she didn’t spend as much time around him as Sansa did. You mean to tell me that you set-up a Stark reunion after Winterfell is back in Stark hands only for the House to implode? The Starks are the good guys in the GoT universe and this is their time. They’ve taken their home back and are slowly but surely making their enemies pay. The Freys and the Boltons are gone, LF is next on the agenda, he just doesn’t know it yet.

Game of Thrones Season 7 Episode 6 – Beyond the Wall

So, i finally caved.. I thought I would wait for the episode to air but the temptation was too great. This season feels more and more like it’s devolving and that’s not a good thing. The writing seems to have gone from bad to worse with characters being dumbed-down and some straight-up being ruined.

Now, I will discuss the episode here so all my thoughts are under the cut.

SPOILERS – BEWARE!!!!!

 

 

 

Let’s start with the world’s dumbest idea ever, get a wight south of the wall. I’m stunned that Tyrion thought this was a good idea and that Jon decided to go on the hunt. He’s a king for crying out loud, his people need him alive, not frozen to death somewhere or worse, undead, under the Night King’s thrall. The sheer amount of things that could have gone wrong were through of the roof. I’m sorry Davos, but you need to be doing a better job when it comes to advising your king, the one you’re supposed to help survive.

And then hooray! they got one wight and lost good men and a dragon in the process, I’m not sure I would call that a fair trade. That Dragon is now under the Night King’s control and is about to become a royal pain in the ass! Ugh!! The stupidity is astounding!

I did like Dany in this episode. I don’t much care for the Jon x Dany relationship that’s being shoved down our throats but it’s okay, I’ll live. I did like that she doesn’t completely rely on Tyrion’s advice. I love Tyrion but not doing anything was not sound advice. As Dany stated, her inaction already cost her Dorne and Highgarden, she wasn’t about to lose a potential alliance with the King in the North.

On a side note, there seems to some space-time issues with this season. How did Dany and her dragons get to Jon and his men so quickly? Can dragons also teleport? It made no sense.

We have the boatbang! to look forward to next episode an honestly, I don’t care either way. First off, how and why is Dany suddenly in love with Jon? They’ve hardly spent any time together and when they were, they always viewed each other with wariness. Besides, I thought she was too busy on her mission to get together with yet another guy.

And need I remind you that they are both Targs and Dany’s primary goal is to sit on the Iron Throne, she will tolerate no competition. Also Jon’s Targ status puts his kinghsip in serious jeopardy. The Northern Lords DO NOT like the Targs, they don’t trust them. They will not be happy that he bent his knee and worse, expects them to do the same. Even Sansa will have a tough time accepting this. This is Jon’s shortcoming, his inability to see that the people he claims to lead might be unhappy and dissatisfied with his decisions. What’s his plan should they refuse to bend their knee? He can’t very well force them to, he doesn’t have a personal army to get them to threaten them into agreeing with him. They don’t like Dany, a foreign invader and they will trust Jon even less when his true lineage is revealed.

The whole Sansa vs Arya plot is so annoying and exceptionally badly written. It makes no sense for the sisters to be fighting. Neither one of them is who they were all those years ago. They’ve both changed and in ways that neither of them foresaw. Arya, at least, knew she wanted to be an assassin and trained for it. But Sansa? Humiliated, raped and tortured. The ONLY reason she survived was because she was smart. She wasn’t wrong when she said that Arya would not have survived KL as she did just as it is true that Sansa could not survived the training that Arya underwent. They both went through horrible things but where Arya chose her path, Sansa didn’t get the same luxury.

We, the audience know that LF is playing the two sisters against each other. He wants to isolate Sansa and for a second I thought it worked when she went to him to ask him about the letter. But I still think that Sansa hasn’t fallen for his games even though Arya seems to have. He mentions Brienne and that in a conflict between the two sisters, Brienne would be honour-bound to intercede. One would think that with the intensity of the conflict between the two sisters, it would make sense to have her there. Instead, Sansa sends her away. Why do that unless she wanted her far away so she wouldn’t get sucked into LF’s schemes. Think about it, having Brienne by her side makes her stronger because so long as Brienne is with her, it would give Arya pause because she too likes her.

I think the scene where Sansa and LF are talking, Sansa is trying to gauge LF’s true motives. She’s also trying to gather where Arya might have gotten the letter from and she confirmed her suspicions about him. Why would LF keep that particular letter when it serves no purpose, except it puts Sansa in a precarious position.

The second scene with Arya and Sansa was especially painful to watch. You could see the horror on Sansa’s face and the fear. She honestly thought that Arya was going to kill her and wear her face. UGH! Both Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams are so good in that scene. Also when did Arya turn into a certifiable psychopath that she would threaten her own sister. Come on D & D!! This is some shitty writing and conflict for the sake of conflict. Seeing these two women who have gone through so much and are finally together and instead of banding together and supporting each other, they are at each others’ throats.

*Also, Bran, feel free to jump in anytime what with you being the all-seeing Three-Eyed Raven and what not. How can he not see what’s happening right under his nose. LF is playing his sisters against each other while he continues to brood in his chair.*

But the bit that threw me off was when Arya gave the Valerian steel dagger to Sansa. One way of looking at it was Arya telling her that she could have the dagger but it wouldn’t help her, Sansa would never see her coming. But that’s not how the scene was played. The handing over suddenly breaks the tension and you can see the confusion on Sansa’s face. She doesn’t see it as a tool of defense against Arya. She has no idea why Arya handed it over.

Which leads me think that it will be Sansa who will kill LF with the Valerian steel dagger. LF tried to give it to Bran who in turn gave it to Arya and who finally handed it over to Sansa. We also have her dialogue from the trailer, “The lone wolf dies but the pack survives.”  Of course, I could be wrong, but in that case, it makes no sense for Sansa to have the dagger. She’s not one to wield a weapon, her weapons of choice are her wits. But for LF, she’s going to make an exception. She was the one who ordered Ramsay’s death and even stood and watched as his own dogs ate him alive. But with LF, things will get even more personal, he was instrumental in Ned’s death and got the whole thing rolling. He is personally responsible for Sansa’s rape at Ramsay’s hands. It would be poetic justice for her to kill him. All the while looking into his eyes and seeing as he finally realises that he’s been outplayed with Arya standing behind her, a smug smile on her face. I need this to happen. I need Arya and Sansa to be a unified front and fuck anyone who tries to fuck with the Starks.

P.S. – I love that little head tilt that Sansa does when she’s trying to be brave. It gets me every time.

Game of Thrones – Eastwatch – Arya and Sansa

Having watched the episode and the promo for next week’s episode, saying that I am worried about the Stark sisters would be a massive understatement. But there are a few things that stuck out for me. I desperately want to believe that Arya is faking it all but I’m getting ahead of myself.

All the scenes where Arya is spying on LF, are too obvious. We know from the framing that she isn’t even hiding properly, she’s just standing where LF can see her, probably from the corners of his eyes. She’s actually being very obvious about it. She enters his room only a few seconds after he leaves. That’s beyond unwise and we know that Arya is better than this. She killed Walder Frey and everyone at the feast and no one saw it coming. That’s how stealthy she can be, so then why be so obvious now? It makes no sense.

Also, let’s not forget that Sansa says that LF doesn’t do anything unless he benefits from it, when Bran tells her and Arya that LF gave him the dagger, so technically Arya should know that Sansa doesn’t trust LF. Why then, attack Sansa in her chambers and then spy on LF like captain obvious?

Here’s my two-bit worth. I think it is a ploy by both Sansa and Arya. They would both know that LF has spies in Winterfell and not even their chambers are safe from prying eyes and ears. This is LF, the guy who knew pretty much everything, much like Varys but without his (somewhat dubious) moral compass.

Also, let’s not forget the part where Bran says “Chaos is a Ladder” to LF and you can see the shock on LF’s face. Is this not Bran telling LF that he’s onto him. It doesn’t make sense for all the Stark kids to know that LF is not trustworthy and then for Arya to fall for his tricks, especially when they’re so shoddily executed. I mean shoddy by LF’s standards, remember, he’s very good at the Game and this ploy against the Stark Sisters is far from his best work. It’s actually painfully obvious just what he’s trying to do.

Which brings me to the other question, why not just kill him? Well, for the same reason that the Starks can’t go killing people who disagree with them. Remember, we the audience know what a scheming creeper he is, but the other Northern Lords don’t. Plus, if they were to simply kill him, they would likely lose the Knights of the Vale, which is not something they can afford right now. So then, they have to be crafty about it. They need to make him slip, make him do something that can warrant his death. I believe that Sansa and Arya are the ones who are actually laying the trap that LF is walking into. He is too sure of his skills to ever wonder that he might be being played. I’m sure the thought never crosses his mind, seeing as there’s no Varys around.

LF wants to isolate Sansa from those around her like Brienne, Arya and Bran (to whatever extent he is able to emote) because of late, she just ignores him or shuts him down. He wants Sansa and he fears that he’s loosing his influence on her. So what better way of making her come back to him than making her feel like she can’t trust anyone. Except, Sansa already knows LF and DOES NOT trust him. Sansa and Arya separately are formidable players but together, they would be unbeatable. I think Sansa can sense the discord that LF can sow in a short amount of time, and times are unpredictable what with Cersie and the WW and they can’t afford to have their fragile alliance with the other Northern Lords be compromised. Jon is already falling in popularity and people are questioning his decisions, Sansa knows that LF would use the doubts of the people to his advantage. He would add fuel their fire and thus make it harder for the Starks to hold not only Winterfell but also a position of authority in the North.

This season, logically can’t end with Cersie’s death or the end of the WW, so who does that leave us with? Dear ol’ LF.  That’s the only logical death that I can foresee this season. LF is no longer the formidable master manipulator of old. His methods seem old and done to death. How many times will people fall for the same tricks. He’s no longer interesting and brings nothing new to the plot. It would be the perfect time to thin the plot in terms of antagonists starting with him.

Also, Sansa needs a break, can i have the Stark sisters be protective of and support each other. Would that be too much to ask for? Would it be too much to ask that women support other women especially their sisters, emotionally and physically traumatised sisters (here I refer to both Arys and Sansa) I just want them to happy and I’m not even talking about ships. Personally I ship them with happiness, whatever form it comes in.

P.S. – I am so done with all the Sansa Hate! Honestly, it’s gotten so old, get over it already..

Game of Thrones Season 7 Episode 4 and 5

Okay, I didn’t see the previous episode due to work so I saw both episodes back to back. I really liked The Spoils of War but episode 5 was a more than a little frustrating.

First off, let’s start with Dany. The people around her keep saying that she has a good heart and that she’s not her father but there are things that she does that are quite problematic. The scene where she burnt all those men was downright horrible. The way that scene plays out clearly demonstrates her as the villain. Listen to the music that plays and the way the Dothraki are shot, they were not being portrayed as the heroes. the camera and therefore the audience , stayed with the Lannister and Tyrell army. We saw Tyrion’s horror at what was happening. In that moment, Dany was every bit the villain that Cersie described. She may not have enjoyed it, but she didn’t regret her actions/decisions either. She burnt people alive and didn’t even blink. Dany does have a dark side and there’s not getting away from that. Even the aftermath is not shot like a heroic victory. Randall Tarly was a horrible man and yet in his last moments, the show makes us sympathize with him and Dickon. Dany also burnt the food and supplies, supplies that would have fed the common folk, people that she claims to be fighting for. And yet she never stopped to think about it.

Tyrion and Varys: Tyrion has started repeating the same old line and it’s getting old. Saying that he’s her hand and not her head is not enough. Varys’ line about what he told himself when the Mad King “punished” people was very telling. I think Varys is definitely wondering if he made the right decision when he joined Dany. *psssst, Varys, you can always join Sansa*

Jon: Okay, the past 2 episodes were really trying to push the Jon x Dany ship but it was very overt, in the sense, it had to be stated by other characters because it wasn’t as apparent, the way it is with Jon and Sansa. Also, I loved the scene where Jon and Drogon interacted. And I liked that he finally told Dany off and told her that he’s a king himself and she can’t hold him at Dragonstone. But I can’t help but think that Dany won’t be happy to learn that not only do her dragons like him but also that he’s a Targaryen himself and he’s not a bastard as we found out this episode. Rhaegar married Lyanna after annulling his marriage to Ellaria. She won’t share her power, she believes that the Iron Thrones is her birthright. Once she finds out that not only is Jon a Targ but that he’s Rhaegar’s legitimate son, she will be far from happy. Let me repeat, Dany will not share power. He’s a contender and has a strong claim to the Iron Throne. For those who think that Dany won’t mind, they don’t really know her. She’s not as cruel as Cersie but she’s just as ambitious and driven and won’t tolerate any competition.

Cersie and Jamie: these are so messed up together. I think Jamie has the potential to be truly decent and honourable, but that can’t happen as long as he’s with Cersie. He also genuinely loves her, but I don’t think she loves him anymore, at least not as she once did. Now, she only has one goal, defeat her enemies and rule the seven kingdoms. That’s her sole mission and Jamie is just a convenience. Someone she knows she can mould because she knows that he’s truly in love with her. I also don’t think she’s actually pregnant, I think that’s a ploy to keep Jamie loyal to her and what better way of doing that than making him think that he’s about to become a father again. And now, he won’t have to hide that he’s the father.

Arya and Sansa: I was thrilled to see that Arya was finally back at Winterfell and the reunion between the sisters was absolutely heartwarming. But sadly it didn’t last. They weren’t close to begin with and they’ve both gone through so much that they’re not who they were. You can see that Sansa is disturbed by the mention of Arya’s list. Her skill with the blade is also something that concerns her because it makes her wonder where and who she learnt from. While she and LF stand at the battlement, she casts LF a quick look before moving on. She doesn’t want him to see that she’s worried. She hides that from him. Sansa knows LF and knows how he works. But Arya doesn’t. LF lays out an elaborate trap that Arya just walks into. He shows her precisely what she wants to see. She doesn’t trust Sansa, she verbally attacks Sansa before LF lays out the breadcrumbs. And these supposed “clues” are just adding more fuel to her fire. He’s pitting the two sisters against each other and Arya is falling for it. For those Sansa haters saying that Sansa is trying to overthrow Jon, there is no evidence to support your claim. Arya berates her for not standing up for Jon and implies that those who question them can be beheaded. Well, Arya honey, that’s how Robb lost the war that he was actually winning, when he cut off a bannerman’s head off, he lost the entire house and all the people who came with them. Also, need I remind you, that Jon didn’t want to behead people either, did not even want to punish the houses that stood against them. I can’t imagine that Jon would be happy with Arya’s plan. Arya is smart, I just hope that the sisters find a way back to each other.

Also, watch the “behind the episode” for episode 5, D & D clearly say that LF is pitting the sisters against each other.

I think Sansa will realise what LF is trying to do and will try to get through to Arya. We hear Arya saying something like “what are you afraid of?” in the promo for episode 6, I think she’s saying that to Sansa and confronting her about conspiring with LF. The thing is that Sansa is trying to communicate with her, she’s trying, but Arya isn’t. There is so much aggression in Arya’s voice when she lays into Sansa in their parents’ bedroom. The problem is that when it comes to plotting, she is vastly outclassed by LF, she has no idea just how insidious he is. Arya is so sure of her skill that she hasn’t stopped to think that everything that she saw and heard might be a trap.

We only have 2 more episode to go, I need LF to die and I need Sansa to do it. Arya can help but the driving force has to be Sansa. She’s the one he’s tormented the most and she deserves this kill. Arya needs to get her head out of her ass and actually see how much good her sister is doing. When Lord Glover said that they perhaps made a mistake in choosing Jon, he was right, Jon is a military man, like Jamie, he’s not made to rule. He’s a man of action who has no patience for politics.

I feel like so far, the plot hasn’t really moved anywhere. We have 8 episodes to go, and so far the only thing the show has done is thin the herd and move the characters so that they align neatly in groups. But in terms of actual plot progression, precious little has happened. I don’t think that we’ll see either the Cercie plot or the White Walkers plot line resolved. It looks like both of these problems will come up simultaneously in season 8. Jon, Sansa and Arya will have to deal with Cersie and the White Walkers. And Dany, once she finds out that Jon is Rhaegar’s son. I think this season will see the death of LF and making the Starks one unified front. These individual splinters will become a pack and stick together, against all odds. I am so done with characters falling for LF’s schemes, it’s gotten old. I want Varys to switch sides and come work for Sansa. She needs someone as smart as him and someone who will also stay loyal to her.

Game of Thrones Season 7 Episode 3 – The Queen’s Justice

Episode 3 featured a good amount of Jon and Sansa but separately. Jon has finally landed at Dragonstone, ready for his meeting with Dany. I know there are many who are worried that Jon and Dany will get into a relationship but so far, there is nothing in their interaction to indicate that.

Look at the way they’re staged, so far away from each other and the way they are both in isolated shafts of light with the dark patch in the middle. It’s almost as if they’re in two different spaces. And they are, their motivation is very different. Dany wants to be queen because she believes it’s her birthright and Jon never wanted to be king or the leader of the Night’s Watch, he doesn’t power and he doesn’t care for it.. He’s also not smitten by her at all. In fact, not only does he keeps refusing to kneel to her, he also refuses to aid her in her quest for the throne. He’s there for the dragonglass and possibly her help in defeating the White Walkers and yet he offers her nothing in return.

Look at his face:

Jon doesn’t trust her and he doesn’t believe in her cause. Now look at Dany:

She doesn’t like him any more than he likes her, she hates that he refuses to bend his knee to her, refuses to swear allegiance to House Targaryen.

Even when they are in the same frame, they are separated from each other. The lighting is also key in these scenes. It is cold, even when the characters are standing in the shafts of sunlight, the light is cold. Contrast that with Sansa and Jon, in most of their shots, they are bathed in warm light, faces illuminated. There is a marked difference in between the two.

Plus there was that entire exchange between Jon and Tyrion when Jon first landed when they’re discussing Sansa. When Tyrion asks him if she misses him terribly, Jon’s face shuts down. He does not want to discuss their marriage. If Jon’s feelings for Sansa were that of her brother, he would not been bothered by it because surely he knows that Tyrion was kind to her, he treated her well. Why then did he get so agitated? There is no reason for a brother to react the way he did. Now, a rival suitor, that’s a different story and Jon’s reaction fits perfectly. He doesn’t want to know about her relationship with her exes, he doesn’t want men walking up to him and telling him that they love her. Those are the things that make him lose his cool.

Add to the fact that Jon says that he wants to go back and Sansa soon mirrors it by saying that she wished that Jon was at Winterfell.

Now onto Sansa, being the amazing queen we all knew she was:

She’s taking an active part in running Winterfell, making sure that they have enough grains, the armor is being made the right way. These are relatively small things, clearly someone else could have taken care of them. But while she does delegate, she also takes a personal interest in the management.

I love the look on Yohn Royce’ face when Sansa points out the armors, that look of exasperation and horror that while Sansa noticed this, he didn’t.

Little Finger is still hanging around, the little creep that he is. I love that she continues to shut him down while absorbing the lessons, he so graciously gives her. He doesn’t yet realise that all he’s doing is handing her the tools that will eventually be used against him. Unlike LF, Sansa knows his weakness and what he wants. LF on the other hands, can only guess at what she wants because she reveals nothing.

Then there was the reunion some of us were looking forward to:

Sansa’s face when she finally realises that it’s Bran and he’s finally home. But this reunion was also very different from her reunion with Jon. This was very clearly a brother and sister coming together, and unlike her scene with Jon, there was no nuzzling, no rubbing of her cheek against Bran. And we don’t linger too long on their hug, the way we did with Jon and Sansa.

What really throws me off though, about Bran, is the scene that followed the hug. They are both sitting under the Godswood and Sansa tells him that he’s the trueborn son of Ned Stark and the rightful King in the North and he refuses saying that he can’t be because he’s the Three-Eyed Raven. When Sansa asks him to explain that, and mind you, she does this in a very gentle manner, things take a turn for the bizarre. It’s not so much what he’s saying as it the way he says it. He starts off by saying that he knows horrible things happened to her right here at Winterfell and you can see the change on Sansa’s face:

And then he says that it was a beautiful night and it was snowing, that she looked beautiful. She’s clearly getting triggered:

There was no need to say any of that. It makes no sense. The only way I can rationalize it is that he’s been seeing the events unfold as the Three Eyed Raven. He’s been an observer but he hasn’t really had any real contact with the people he’s seen in those visions. When he sees his visions, there’s always a distance which obviously doesn’t exist for someone who lived through those experiences. Also, he was still absorbing the visions till quite recently, and I am guessing that he’s still reeling from all that he saw. Pushing his emotions down is his way to dealing with what he sees.

Having said that, there is no real  excuse for the way he acted, the fact that he couldn’t see how affected Sansa was. Also, the Godswood scene seems to be a whole lot shorter in the episode than it was in the trailers.

Will Sansa betray Jon?

Let me start by saying that I don’t think Starkbowl is a real thing and if it is, it’s too contrived and out of character for Sansa. So, now that Jon is no longer at Winterfell, does that mean that Sansa will side with Little Finger and betray Jon?

Well, I don’t think so. Let’s break it down. Following last season and the way it ended, Sansa’s main objective was getting Winterfell back from the Boltons, taking back her home so that her remaining family would be safe. That was the driving force. We also know that Jon never wanted to be King in the North, just as he didn’t want to be Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. Both positions were thrust on him. Jon is a man of action, he doesn’t really have patience for politics or diplomacy, both of which are important if one wants to be a leader in either scenario. One also cannot ignore threats within their own camp.

Jon’s actions as Lord Commander were honourable but he ended up getting murdered by his own brothers for it because while he saw their dissent, he didn’t take the threat they presented seriously enough.

Then there’s Sansa, who was groomed for as long as we can remember to be a Lady, to be faithful and loyal to her husband. In King’s Landing, she got a rude awakening when her father was executed right in front of her. She soon found herself in a nest of vipers with no friends or allies, there was literally NO one looking out for her. This was true of her time in KL as well as when she travels to the Vale as Little Finger’s bastard daughter, and need I even mention her time as Ramsay’s wife. But despite all of that, she survived. She learnt from those around her, saw them play their games and adapted. It’s why she’s politically more savvy, she knows how the court works and that being good and honourable aren’t enough to survive. Ned and Robb were both of those things and they still died.

Which brings us to this season. There was some tension between Jon and Sansa in episode 1 where they disagreed very publicly but then, they spoke to each other and listened to each other. The change was evident in episode 2 where Jon actively asked for her opinion and considered it. Even their disagreement in the Great Hall wasn’t as aggressive as it had been in the previous episode.

The entire Starkbowl theory rests on the assumption that Sansa is hungry for power and so far we haven’t seen anything to support that. If Sansa is indeed power hungry, she has a very ineffective way of going after it. She let Jon know when she disagreed with him and when she was approached by LF, she rebuffed him. Even in their exchange in the Great Hall in episode 2, she let Jon know, in no uncertain terms that she wanted him to stay back, that it wasn’t safe for him to leave. That, by leaving, he was abandoning the North, their home and their people. And what is it that LF can use to manipulate Sansa to his side; that he can promise her power and the recognition she deserves. Except, that no longer works as a lure.

Jon voluntarily hands over his crown to her, to rule in his absence, thereby nullifying LF’s lure. Jon says that he doesn’t want to be king, he never wanted that power, Sansa doesn’t either. And he hands over the reins knowing full well that their approach is different, they both perceive the threat of the White Walkers and Cersie differently. Despite all this, he still trusts her enough to hand over all that power. And he’s taking Davos with him, the only man who could have second-guessed Sansa’s decisions. He does this because even though Sansa might rule differently from him, their objective is the same, keep Winterfell and the North safe. And Sansa will take it a step further, she will do anything necessary to keep what remains of her family safe.

In making her the Queen, Jon also gave her something else, for the first time, she doesn’t have to depend on any man to protect her. For the first time in her life, she is independent and she has agency. I don’t see her giving it up just so LF can sit on the Iron Throne and let’s be honest, everyone knows (except LF) that he’s never going to get near the throne. She won’t interfere with Jon because having him with her also bolsters her own position whether as QitN or Lady of Winterfell.

Game of Thrones Season 7 Episode 2 – Stormborn

I’ve wanted to write my thoughts on this episode since last night, alas, work gets in the way.. Anyway, here we are. I was thinking of doing a full recap but that would take too long, perhaps, once this post is done, let’s see. But moving along to Jon and Sansa. (also I’m writing this while at work, so I’m not quite as mentally ordered as I’d like to be, do bear with me)

Episode 2 didn’t have as many Jon+Sansa scenes as the first episode but there’s still plenty to decode where these two are concerned. Let’s start with another Cat/Ned parallel on the battlements:

I mean, it’s so obvious that you can’t possibly tell me that the showrunners, directors and writers haven’t planned it. After this, there is a marked change in Jon and Sansa’s interaction:

He asks for her opinion and takes it seriously. Even Sansa is a little taken aback (and not for the last time, this episode) The letter from Dany’s court has come from Tyrion and Sansa is the only one among the three of them who knows him best. She says that he’s not like the other Lannisters. He was kind to her when he didn’t need to and tried to protect her as best he could. Their interaction may not have been too dramatic, but Jon still gazes at her, so he’s back to that, as if really drinking her in.

The scene in the Great Hall was also very different than in the first episode. In this gathering, he seemed a little subdued, somber. And it’s not lack of confidence on his part, but a deep unwillingness to leave the North. He, like Sansa, has only just reclaimed his home and now he has to leave. He’s miserable, look at his face. Once, he puts his point forward about Dragonstone and going to Dany and her help in defeating the Night Walkers, various Lords speak out, including Lyanna Mormont, they like Sansa are concerned about the KitN leaving for the South.

Here is another stark (pun intended) differences between episodes 1 and 2:

Jon doesn’t dismiss or shut her out. He realises that her concerns are valid, just as they were in the first episode. he does trust her and demonstrates it by telling her, in front of everyone, that the North is in her hands while he is away.

You can see the shock on her face. This was the last thing she expected. Just look at her face, she had no inkling. She probably thought that he’s leave their home and by extension her, in someone else’s hands. I love the way this scene played out. There is so much to read in just their expressions. Then there’s that idiot LF, still skulking. Sansa glances at him and it’s not a look of triumph, he has a smile on his face but she is still stunned. She doesn’t smile back at him or any gives any indication that she’s happy about what just happened.

Now, onto the crypt scene: There was poor Jon, among his ancestors and then LF enters and it’s obvious that Jon is not happy about the intrusion. You can see the anger on his face, but he’s very much in control of himself.

See that? There’s the smile, similar to Ned’s expression. But here’s the other parallel:

The minute LF says that he loves Sansa as he loved her mother. Jon loses it. That is pure rage on his face. He snarls before he shoves LF against the wall. As I mentioned, Ned was smiling, toying with LF, letting him know who the alpha was. Jon was the aggressor, he was putting a claim, on Sansa, whether he realises this or not, LF clearly does. Jon is not playing around and he’s far more guarded than Ned every was. I can’t quite understand what LF was playing at when he tells Jon that he loves her. He couldn’t possibly have hoped for a positive outcome. I think that he was trying to seeds of distrust between the two of them.. He tells Jon, just as he’s about to leave that he loves Sansa and then starts working on her while Jon is away, except it backfires, Big time. Also, pleased don’t tell me that that was Jon just being a good, protective brother. That is not how brothers react, that was a lover, letting his rival know that he stands no chance and will be killed should be push the boundaries.

The farewell:

Once he’s outside, he gives no indication that he just strangled someone. They tentatively wave at each other and Sansa continues looking at him, even after he exits the gate.

He looks at Sansa and she’s still looking in Jon’s direction. I think he’s starting to realises that this may be history repeating itself. She doesn’t see him emerging from the crypts, her attention is completely centered on Jon.

In my mind, there is no doubt there is a well of deep and complicated feelings on both their parts, it’s why their interactions are so full undercurrents that some people interpret as tension. There is that, but it’s not steeped in distrust.

Arya needs to get to Winterfell ASAP!!! LF is going to try and manipulate Sansa and I can’t stand him getting close to her. It helps that she knows what he’s after and that Brienne is with her and she doesn’t trust him either.

Also, we have the Godswood scene in the next episode and now we know that it’s not Jon who’s with her. Who else could it be? LF maybe, but the figure appears to be too bulky to be him.