After last week's explosive episode of Game of Thrones, featuring aflame-retardent nude Daenerys Targaryen and a Stark family reunion, many thought this week's offering would be a more sedate affair. But the show managed to out do itself once again last night with it's exhilarating levels of political scheming, gratuitous nudity, emotional flashbacks, and a couple of heartbreaking farewells.
Hodor’s origin story was wrenching
“Hold the door, hold the door…Hodor, Hodor,” intoned the once and future Hodor at the conclusion of a heartbreaking episode that crossed the temporal streams and unraveled the mystery of the gentle giant’s impaired conversational skills. In the present day Hodor had wedged his loyal girth against the barrier holding back the Night King’s and his horde while in the past the boy Hodor was struck down by a future echo of the same incident.
Convoluted stuff in theory but played so devastatingly it was hard not to feel tears welling. Not only had Hodor given his life for Bran – he made the sacrifice twice over as he was plunged into a violent trance in the Winterfell courtyard of 40 odd years earlier, where the Stark heir was temporarily hanging out even as the Night’s King stormed his hideaway.
We'd only just been getting to know the real Hodor thanks to Bran's flashback scenes: his real name was Wylis, and he used to be able to talk. So it seems especially cruel that he was killed off by the White Walkers.
The triumph was in making us care deeply for an essentially minor character. Hodor’s demise at the hands of the Walkers wasn’t another gory end – it was a brave, epic death that meant something to Bran and to us. Consider our heartstrings officially shredded.
Then again, we never actually saw Hodor die on screen, as Kristian Nairn has already pointed out. This gives a very tiny ray of hope that we may see Winterfell's most loyal servant again – possibly as one of the Night's King soldiers.
We learned a LOT about the Walkers
For a ravenous mob intent on feasting on the delicious brains of the whole of Westeros, the White Walkers have taken their sweet time. However, they raised their game with a vengeance in a compelling hour that played out as a sequel to last year’s ghoul-iriffic Hardhome.
With Bran’s unauthorised dream quest bringing the Night’s King down on the Three-Eyed Raven’s hideaway faster than you could say “zombie apocalypse” this was Game of Thrones at its most thrillingly fantastical. And let’s not forget that earlier Stark flashback in which it was revealed that the Walkers are essentially eco-warriors with hygiene issues, created by the Children of the Forest to keep mankind at bay. A chilling reminder of the depths people sank to in the time before Facebook petitions.
The Sansa-Littlefinger reunion was awkward
Lady Stark isn't one to bear a grudge but in the case of Littlefinger she was very much making an exception. In a riveting face-off with her creepy pretend-uncle, Sansa counted the ways in which he had wronged her in marrying her off to eligible sociopath Ramsay Bolton.
How satisfying to watch this one-time push-over stick it to the slithery manipulator and what a showcase for Sophie Turner’s emergence as one of Game of Throne’s most compelling stars. "He hurt me," said Sansa in a monologue that knocked Baelish backwards with its untrammelled ferocity. “And I don't mean in my tender little heart."
Ser Jorah's Greyscale outlook is black
It was goodbye from Ser Jorah as he confessed his enduring affection for Daenerys a soliloquy complicated by his admission moments earlier to a ravaging case of Greyscale. “I love you, I'll always love you," he burbled with the honesty of someone with nothing to lose (apart from their skin, sanity etc).
Rather than release Sad Ser Jorah from her service Daenerys ordered him go forth and find a cure for the (thoroughly incurable) Greyscale. Yet though the Khaleesi appeared broadly at peace with his departure, what of viewers? If this truly is the end for Ser Jorah, it was a stunningly casual farewell – the latest character exit handled with almost clumsy haste (see also Roose Bolton, Osha etc). Jorah deserved better, and so did we.
Now we know why the Iron Islands exist
A prospective alliance between Daenerys and the Iron Islanders was revealed as the big plot pivot we'd sensed chugging down the rails. Suddenly the Mother of Dragons has a potential path across the Narrow Sea to Westeros – while we long-suffering viewers finally understand why the show has been boring us witless with the interminable Greyjoy storyline.
Wresting the Driftwood Crown from presumptive heir Yara Greyjoy, her wicked uncle Euron outlined his plans for a corporate merger with House Targaryen. Daenerys would bring the dragons and bloodthirsty barbarians, the Iron Islanders would take care of the transport, catering, ferry transfers etc.
In a cackling turn as Euron, Borgen actor Pilou Asbæk later got to deliver the evening’s most quintessentially Game of Thrones zinger: "Where are my niece and nephew? Let's go murder them. "
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