Let’s start this week’s “Game of Thrones” review and recap at the end. The fourth episode of this fifth season is called “The Sons of the Harpy” for a reason and that last action scene delivers, and what makes it stand out in an episode full of them are the stakes. The Sons of the Harpy are stepping up their activities and starting to win the support of the Meereenese people. Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) is losing her grip on her reign and the increased Sons of the Harpy outbursts are a physical manifestation of this shift.
The action also stands out because of its coherence. The editing on many of the other action scenes in this episode are cut together in the seizure inducing, hyper-cut style of most modern action movies. The irony of this one being the clearest action scene is that all but two of the combatants wear masks. That isn’t to say the pacing of the action and cutting isn’t frenetic, it certainly is, but the action is anchored by what it all means in the context of the fate of Meereen and Dany’s rule.
The rest of the episode is an overall improvement over last week as well. All of the storylines are propelled forward in pretty significant ways while still moving pieces into place for future events to unfold. My favorite of these developments continues to be the jockeying between Cersei (Lena Heady) and Margaery (Natalie Dormer). Cersei keeps up her diabolical methods in her quest to consolidate power but she is becoming more and more transparent about her chess moves. She sees her biggest, and most immediate, threat as the Tyrells and is able to take care of two of them all within five minutes of screen time. Cersei doesn’t seem to be a big believer in the “keep your enemies closer” mantra.
This week also sees Margaery’s father, Mace Tyrell (Roger Ashton-Griffiths), sent off to Braavos to negotiate with the Iron Bank and the arrest of Margaery’s brother, Loras (Finn Jones). The glee with which Cersei executes her plans is something to behold and I’m getting a lot of personal enjoyment out of this particular performance.
The proper introduction of the Sand Snakes is also a promising development and sets up another showdown. The bastard offspring of Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal) have been mentioned a few times already this season so we knew they were coming. While not exactly the introduction I was hoping for (none of the Sand Snakes — played by Keisha Castle-Hughes [pictured right], Jessica Henwick and Rosabell Laurenti Sellers — have much of an individual personality… yet), getting them involved in the plot sets up a few exciting possibilities both in Dorne and in King’s Landing. I’m excited to see if/how this plot will deviate from the books.
We also get confirmation this week that Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen) is planning to bring Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) to Dany. It’s nice to see that captivity hasn’t dulled Tyrion’s mind as he quickly identifies Jorah and easily figures out his intentions. Sometimes when a character seems to know everything about another character or new situation they find themselves in I find it tedious and a shortcut to narrative advancement, in this case, though, Tyrion would have all of the knowledge required to crack the mystery of who kidnapped him and why. Unfortunately for Jorah, he’s duplicating work that Tyrion was already doing, “What a waste of a good kidnapping.”
The final development I want to comment on this week happens in the crypt below Winterfell. Sansa (Sophie Turner) finally finds herself at home and is reconnecting with the family members she never met but still had a hand in shaping her present. Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen) recounts the story of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen and the tens of thousands that died because of the choice Rhaegar made. “Game of Thrones” has always been beholden to its past, so many of the events depicted on screen were set in motion years earlier.
The real takeaway from this scene is the growth that becomes apparent in Sansa. She’s been the pawn for so long but has unwittingly become a very important player in the game. Littlefinger preps Sansa for the roll she will need to play no matter the fate that befalls Winterfell. She is the key to controlling the North regardless of which House ends up within the walls. This sounds like yet another example of Sansa being looked at as a pawn but Littlefinger knows that those no one expects anything of are in a better position to control their own destiny. But that kiss!
Did Littlefinger kiss Sansa just to see how she would react? Will Dany still be in control of Meereen when Jorah and Tryion get there? Are Dorne and King’s Landing on a collision course? Did Cersei open a can of worms by arming the Faith Militant? Let me know what you thought of this episode below!
