 Tagline: All Men Must Die Once upon a time in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, a land where summers span decades and winters can last a lifetime, a king arose, donned his crown, and went hunting in the wilderness. Based on the bestselling book series "A Song of Ice and Fire" by George R.R. Martin, this sprawling new HBO Drama is set in a world where summers span decades and winters can last a lifetime. From the scheming south and the savage eastern lands, to the frozen north and the ancient Wall that protects the realm from the mysterious darkness beyond, the powerful families of the Seven Kingdoms are locked in a battle for the Iron Throne. This is a story of duplicity and treachery, nobility and honor, conquest and triumph. In the Game of Thrones, you either win or you die. Storyline: Nine noble families, seven of which are considered kingdoms, fight for control of the mythical land of Westeros. Political and sexual intrigue is pervasive. Robert Baratheon, King of Westeros, asks his old friend Eddard, Lord Stark, to serve as Hand of the King, or highest official. Secretly warned that the previous Hand was assassinated, Eddard accepts in order to investigate further. Meanwhile the Queen's family, the Lannisters, may be hatching a plot to take power. Across the sea, the last members of the previous and deposed ruling family, the Targaryens, are also scheming to regain the throne. The friction between the houses Stark, Lannister, Baratheon and Targaryen and with the remaining great houses Greyjoy, Tully, Arryn,Tyrell and Martell leads to full-scale war. All while a very ancient evil awakens in the farthest north. Amidst the war and political confusion, a neglected military order of misfits, the Night's Watch, is all that stands between the realms of men and icy horrors beyond. Written by Tfilm78 and Cajunman 5.01 The Wars to Come - In a flashback, a young Cersei is told a sombre fortune by a witch. After Tywin's burial, Cersei chastises Jaime for freeing Tyrion and their cousin Lancel returns, now a devout religious man. In Pentos, a despondent Tyrion agrees to accompany Varys to Meereen to support Daenerys's claim. In Meereen, the insurgent "Sons of the Harpy" murder an Unsullied, and Hizdahr zo Loraq and Daario Nahaaris try to convince Daenerys to reopen the traditional fighting pits. Daenerys' locked-away dragons breathe fire at her when she comes to check on them. In the Vale, Littlefinger puts Robyn in the care of House Royce and leaves with Sansa, their caravan passing Brienne of Tarth and Podrick Payne. At the Wall, Stannis wants to enlist the Wildlings in his war against Roose Bolton. Jon Snow is unable to convince Mance Rayder to bend the knee to Stannis, who then has Mance burned alive for treason. (Disc.1) 5.02 The House of Black and White - Arya arrives in Braavos and is accepted into the House of Black and White. Cersei sends Jaime to Dorne to bring back Myrcella; Jaime recruits Bronn and relieves him of his betrothal to Lollys. Podrick Payne recognises Littlefinger and Sansa inside an inn where they are resting; Brienne of Tarth tries to convince Sansa of her vow of allegiance to Catelyn Stark but is rebuffed. Brienne tries to leave, when ensues a confrontation where Brienne kills some of Baelish's men. Jon Snow is promised legitimacy and Winterfell if he bends the knee to Stannis; Samwell forced Snow's hand by nominating him as candidate, and Snow is elected the 998th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch on the casting vote of Maester Aemon. Daenerys is faced with a riot after she decides to execute a former slave who has murdered a captured member of the Son of Harpy before he has been given the chance of a fair trial; she has to be evacuated by her Unsullied. Drogon reappears when Dany is atop her citadel overlooking the city of Meereen. (Disc.1) 5.03 High Sparrow - Margaery, freshly wed to Tommen, manipulates her husband into dispatching Cersei to Casterly Rock. Baelish conducts Sansa Stark to Winterfell to cement an alliance with Roose Bolton through her marriage to his son Ramsay; Sansa will consolidate the Bolton hold on the North, while Baelish hints at an alliance between the North and the Eyrie is capable of bringing down the kingdom. Jon Snow refuses Stannis' proposition and Stannis heads for King's Landing via Winterfell. To adapt in the House of Black and White, Arya rids herself of all her personal effects save for Needle, which she hides in a pile of rocks. At Castle Black, Ser Allister is named First Ranger; Janos Slynt refuses to be dispatched to rebuild Greygard, and Snow executes Slynt himself. Lancel finds the High Septon compromised in Littlefinger's brothel; in a purge, Cersei decides to seek out the High Sparrow. Arriving in Volantis, Tyrion visits a brothel and is abducted by Jorah Mormont. (Disc.2) 5.04 The Sons of the Harpy - The Sparrows seize Loras Tyrell, and Margaery is enraged, but Tommen proves too weak to arrange his release. Melisandre tries to seduce Jon Snow in an attempt to convince Snow to go to Winterfell with Stannis. In the crypts of Winterfell, Baelish reveals he has been summoned to return to King's Landing by Cersei. Before leaving, he tries to dispel the misgivings of Sansa towards Ramsay Bolton, telling her Stannis will defeat the Boltons and rescue her. Bronn and Jaime land secretly in Dorne, and they kill four horsemen who come across them. The Sand Snakes learn from a sea captain that Jaime has come to Dorne for Myrcella; Ellaria convinces the Sand Snakes to plan to avenge the death of Oberyn by abducting Myrcella before Jaime intervenes. Ser Jorah plans to redeem himself to Daenerys by presenting Tyrion to her. In Meereen, Hizdahr zo Loraq makes another appeal to Dany to reopen the fighting pits; the Sons of the Harpy run amok and ambush patrolling Unsullied inside the citadel and start massacring soldiers; Grey Worm is critically wounded and Ser Barristan is killed. (Disc.2) 5.05 Kill the Boy - Brienne and Podrick arrive at an inn close to Winterfell and asks for help to get a message to Sansa, who, in Winterfell, is reunited with Reek, formerly Theon Greyjoy. Ramsay forces Reek to apologize to Sansa for murdering her younger brothers. At the Wall, Tormund Giantsbane accepts an alliance with the Night's Watch in exchange for settlement south of the Wall. He tells Jon that most of the wildlings have made their way to Hardhome, and that Jon must accompany him to speak with the wildlings, which Jon accepts. Later, Stannis' army marches on Winterfell, along with Selyse and Shireen. In Meereen, Grey Worm rests under the watchful eye of Missandei. Daenerys has a Meereenese noble fed to her dragons Viserion and Rhaegal in retaliation for Ser Barristan's death and many others imprisoned, but, after an astute conversation with Missandei, agrees to reopen the fighting pits and marry Hizdahr zo Loraq to help bring peace to Meereen. At sea, Tyrion and Jorah sail through Valyria. They see Drogon fly overhead before they are attacked by a group of stone men. They manage to escape, but Jorah is infected with greyscale, though he keeps this a secret. (Disc.2) 5.06 Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken - Jaqen takes Arya to a chamber underneath the temple, where the faces of all the people that have died in the temple are stored. Jaime and Bronn reach the Water Gardens, where they find Myrcella and attempt to take her. They are attacked by the Sand Snakes but the fight is quickly broken up by Dornish guards. Jorah and Tyrion run into slavers whom Tyrion manages to convince to take them to the fighting pits of Meereen, since Jorah is a good warrior. Petyr meets with Cersei and informs her that Roose plans to marry Sansa to Ramsay, which infuriates her. Petyr convinces her to allow him to lead the knights of the Vale to Winterfell to destroy both the Boltons and Stannis, asking that he be named Warden of the North in return. Olenna arrives in King's Landing and warns Cersei that the confinement of Loras has put their alliance in peril. At Loras' holy inquest, Loras and Margaery both state that there is no evidence that Loras is homosexual. However, after Olyvar is brought in and testifies against him, Loras is set to be brought to trial, while Margaery is arrested for lying to the High Sparrow. In Winterfell, Sansa is married to Ramsay, who consummates the marriage by raping her in front of Reek. (Disc.3) 5.07 The Gift - Jon leaves for Hardhome with Tormund and some rangers. Maester Aemon dies shortly after. Gilly is attacked by two brothers, but Sam comes to her rescue. He is badly beaten. Gilly tends to him and later the two have sex. Sansa asks Reek to help her escape Winterfell, but Reek instead informs Ramsay, who flays the old lady who had offered to help Sansa. At Stannis' army's camp, Melisandre asks permission to sacrifice Princess Shireen; Stannis is disgusted and refuses. Jorah and Tyrion are sold as slaves to Yezzan zo Qaggaz. The two are brought to a fighting pit; after defeating the other slaves, Jorah reveals his identity to Daenerys and that he brought Tyrion Lannister as a gift for her. In Dorne, Myrcella asks Jaime why he came to rescue her when what she wants is to marry Trystane. Tyene reveals to Bronn that she poisoned him. She offers him the antidote in return for him declaring her the world's most beautiful woman, which he does. Olenna's demand for Loras and Margaery's release is declined by the High Sparrow. Later, the High Sparrow reveals to Cersei his knowledge of her and Lancel's adulterous relationship and has her imprisoned. (Disc.3) 5.08 Hardhome - Cersei refuses to confess her sins. Qyburn informs her that Pycelle has sent for Kevan to serve as the King's Hand, and that "the work continues". Arya assumes the identity of Lana, an oyster seller. Jaqen tells her to learn everything about a man who takes wagers on whether or not ships arrive at their destinations, and then poison him. Olly asks Sam why Jon trusts the wildlings, to which Sam replies that he has no other choice; otherwise they don't stand a chance against the army of the dead. Sansa asks Reek why he told Ramsay about her escape plans, and he says there is no escape. He then finally reveals that he faked the deaths of her younger brothers. Ramsay suggests to his father that they move on Stannis and asks for twenty good men. In Meereen, Tyrion convinces Daenerys to spare Jorah's life and exile him again. Jorah instead goes back to Yezzan and asks permission to fight in the pits. Daenerys accepts Tyrion into her council. Arriving at Hardhome, Jon and Tormund manage to convince about five thousand wildlings to come back with them, showing them the dragonglass and offering them lands south of the Wall. Hardhome is suddenly attacked by an army of wights, and Jon and the other rangers help defend it. A White Walker attacks Jon, but is killed by Jon's Valyrian steel-sword. As Jon, the other rangers and the wildlings sail away, they witness the Night's King reanimating the deceased wildlings who rise from the dead as wights. (Disc.3) 5.09 The Dance of Dragons - In the midst of a snowstorm, Stannis' camp is sabotaged when Ramsay's men light fire to his supplies and horses. Melisandre insists they must make a sacrifice of King's Blood to reach Winterfell. Stannis reluctantly offers his daughter, Princess Shireen, burning her alive at the stake, while she desperately cries out for her parents. Jon and the wildlings return to the Wall, where their welcome is fraught with tension. In Dorne, Prince Doran permits Jaime to return to King's Landing with Myrcella, provided Trystane accompany them and serve on the small council in Oberyn's stead. In Meereen, the fights at Daznak's pit begin, and Daenerys is stunned to see Jorah amongst the combatants. Although he is successful, his triumph is interrupted by a fierce attack by the Sons of the Harpy, who quickly surround Daenerys and her supporters. Just as all hope seems lost, Drogon arrives, and Daenerys mounts her dragon and flies away from Meereen, her followers and enemies watching alike in awe. (Disc.4) 5.10 Mother's Mercy - Sam, Gilly and her child leave for Oldtown for Sam to become a maester. Selyse hangs herself and half of Stannis' forces desert him; Stannis is defeated by the Boltons and apparently killed by Brienne, while Melisandre flees to Castle Black. Sansa escapes her room, but is caught by Myranda. Reek kills Myranda and he and Sansa escape from Winterfell by jumping off the castle walls. Cersei confesses to sleeping with Lancel and is forced to walk naked to the Red Keep, as the crowd jeers, spits, and flings filth at her. She is received by the Small Council, with Qyburn introducing a new member of the Kingsguard. Jaime, Myrcella, Bronn and Trystane sail from Dorne. After Myrcella tells Jaime that she knows he is her father, she collapses from being poisoned by Ellaria. Arya infiltrates a brothel and kills Ser Meryn. Jaqen appears to take his own life to repay the Many-faced God for the life stolen by Arya, and Arya is blinded. Varys arrives in Meereen to rule the city with Tyrion, Grey Worm and Missandei, while Daario and Jorah search for Daenerys, who, far away, is found by a large group of Dothraki and surrounded by their warriors. At Castle Black a group of brothers, including Alliser and Olly, mutiny against Jon, leaving him to die. (Disc.4) ------------------------------Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman, March 12, 2016 Note: Care has been taken not to post any out and out spoilers, but discussing a series as far along as this one now is means that many plot points need to be at least alluded to. Since some viewers may not yet be acquainted with various elements of either this or even prior seasons, anyone even slightly concerned about having a major secret revealed is encouraged to skip down to the technical portions of the review, below. There's a moment fairly early in the fifth season of Game of Thrones where a so-called Unsullied rests in the arms of a "working woman" (since he probably can't avail himself of the typical blandishments of the woman’s offerings), at which point the poor, unfortunate soul suddenly meets his fate in a rather gruesome and graphic manner. It's a perhaps subliminal warning to longtime fans of this global phenomenon to never get too comfortable, for you can never be sure what those adapting George R.R. Martin's epochal novels may have in store, especially with regard to who lives and who dies at any given moment. There may however be an upside to the attrition of deaths that have tended to define some of this series' more memorable sequences, for it at least tends to winnow Game of Thrones' at times ungainly cast of characters. Game of Thrones appropriately novelistic approach toward adapting Martin's epic achievement continues unabated in this fifth season, and most fans who have become entranced in the mystical but often viscerally violent world depicted in the series will find plenty of intrigue and drama as a number of percolating plot points are brought to a full boil. Newcomers to Game of Thrones will probably find it better to "start at the very beginning" (so to speak), and for those folks or for others wanting to remind themselves of the many plot strands at play in this dense work, I refer you to previous seasons (above). There's been some angst among longtime fans of both George R.R. Martin's original series of novels and the television adaptation that Martin's unhurried writing regimen may mean that the series will ultimately "outpace" Martin's source tomes, which in fact begins to happen this season (which is not say previous seasons haven't at least temporarily strayed from "canon" at times). This season starts out with a flashback, which the commentary included on the Blu-ray set mentions is the first such event in the show's history. While the commentators make much out of the supposed point that the two little girls depicted in the sequence are not identified and will therefore be a "mystery" to viewers, in truth it's not too difficult to figure out whose childhood is being portrayed. That look backward then segues directly into the roiling dysfunctions surrounding the Lannister siblings Cersei (Lena Headey), Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) in the wake of the "death" of Tywin (Charles Dance). The incestuous relationship between Cersei and Jaime continues to inform the series in some discomfiting ways, including worries about their offspring. Tyrion's arc is initially played at least a bit for laughs, as he finds himself sequestered in a rather luxe island hideaway after having been forced to get there in a small crate with holes punched in the side. Meanwhile Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) is attempting to reason with Mance Rayder (Ciarán Hinds), unsurprisingly to no avail. Game of Thrones' sometimes gruesome dispatching of various characters continues unabated with a squirm worthy climax to this season's opening episode, where the doleful Snow is forced to do what he considers the right thing, despite its horrifying consequences. What impresses repeatedly this season, and which is perhaps hinted at subliminally in that opening flashback, is that the writers, perhaps sensing an upcoming "divorce" from Martin's tomes, are playing a long hand here, offering extended timelines where seeds planted early don't necessarily pay off all that quickly. In fact Cersei's convoluted tale provides a bookend of sorts this sesaon, with the character's supposed cunning as evidenced early in the season (not to mention prior years) reaping some unexpected "dividends" later on (including a devastating sequence in the season's final episode that speaks to Headey's courage as an actress). But over and over again this season, individual episodes offer sometimes brief but visceral scenes that offer long delayed payoffs, some of which were sparked by events that actually happened seasons ago. Without posting any potential spoilers, one potent such example comes courtesy of Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie), whose late season showdown with Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane) is the culmination of several years of plot mechanics. Despite a perhaps overly languid approach to at least some individual plot arcs, something that almost feels like the show's writing team was stalling in the hopes that Martin might provide more material, several characters' stories build to significant climaxes by the time the season comes to yet another corpse strewn ending. A lot of newsprint and/or bandwidth has been devoted to one especially shocking set of developments surrounding Sansa (Sophie Turner), including an extremely disturbing attack that may provide the series with some "consequences" going forward. But the whole Sansa subplot reveals one of this season's recurring gambits which may not be as artfully handled as it might have been, namely the good old "damsel in distress" trope. Sansa's own predicament late in the season serves as a salient example, but there's another one that occurs even later than that with regard to Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), who finds herself surrounded in an almost literal cliffhanger toward the end of the season. It's arguable that the show tends to go to this well too often, and in too facile a manner, to sufficiently develop actual dramatic veracity. To put it simply, things simply seem too contrived at times. There's also a certain predictability to at least some elements of the "detour" to Dorne which provides recurrent content throughout the season. While often nicely scenic, an element which provides the series a break from its otherwise fairly dank slate gray and blue colored wintry ambience, some of the interactions, specifically those between Jaime and Myrcella (Nell Tiger Free), can feel like a series of plot points is being ticked off in anticipation of some other development coming down the pike in the future. The whole Sand Snakes issue (not to be confused with an element in another sprawling adaptation of a literary monolith, Dune) seems overheated at times and probably doesn't provide enough punch (no pun intended) to warrant its build up. A couple of late elisions seem to hint at some more major characters shuffling off this mortal coil, sometimes in rather horrifying ways, but the fact that overt visual "proof" isn't offered may hint at some surprises in store for the show's sixth season. A few narrative stumbles and a reliance on what has become an almost impossibly overstuffed roster of characters makes this season just a tad more uneven than previous years, but perhaps that slightly askew tendency only reinforces one of the central messages of this vastly entertaining, even enthralling, show: never get too comfortable. There is simply so many simultaneous plots going on and so many characters interwoven into this season that it's frankly impossible to write about all of them in a relatively brief review. (I'm sure there will be a number of readers who have seen the fifth season who will be wondering, "Why didn't he mention [fill in the blank]?") That turns out to be a challenge not just for those who write about shows, but for those who are simply trying to wend their through an increasingly dense narrative. Parts of this fifth season seem at least a trifle overwrought, and a few recurrent issues with contrivances tend not to resonate very well. But Game of Thrones is still so consistently amazing that it seems at least a little curmudgeonly to niggle too much about passing qualms when the general impact of the series is so obviously intact and impressive. As with previous seasons, technical merits are first rate and the supplementary package quite abundant. Highly recommended. Trivia:
IMDb Rating (05/11/16): 9.5/10 from 960,075 users IMDb Rating (11/29/14): 8.2/10 from 55,004 users IMDb Rating (04/21/14): 8.2/10 from 32,892 users
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