Only two more threads from me on GoT until the spin-offs come out. (3 currently in production).
Episode 5 started off with the betrayal of Varys (called it). Writing raven letters (we need to assume those got out) and answering the door to a young child working in the kitchen.
Interesting thing here that may have been missed. Varys was trying to poison Dany. The conversation between the child and Varys consisted on whether or not the child had any "luck" and the child replying that the Queen wasn't eating. The kid went on to say she was being watched and was afraid to which Varys replied that great deeds often times have great risks but also great rewards. I believe Varys was trying to poison Dany. In my opinion it's also why Varys took off his rings when he knew the soliders were coming for him. As we've seen at Joffrey's wedding jewelry is oftentimes used as a place to hide poison. Varys has no family to leave the jewelry to so why take off the rings even if he knew he was going to die? Probably because they contained poison and he knew what Dany was about to do. Perhaps someone would take the poison and finish the job he couldn't.
Anyway Varys dies and as we find out later in the episode he was right.
Tyrion learns his brother was captured trying to get back to King's Landing and commits treason by freeing his brother from captivity...yet another betrayal of Dany but in the name of trying to avoid the inevitable slaughter. Also he loves his brother.
I won't speak much to what happens in between then and the Battle. Tyrion obviously is on the outs and as Dany rightfully points out went to Varys about the truth of Jon Snow before he went to her. A betrayal in it's own right but as Dany also rightfully points out Jon's fault for going against her wishes and telling his sisters/cousins. Jon's meeting with Dany ended up being a cry for help from Dany. She has lost just about everyone she trusted. Jorah, Missande... The only ones left were Grey Worm who is consumed by grief and a desire for revenge and Jon Snow whose love for Dany is real but just can't come to grips with banging his aunt. A very poignant line she gave was about whether she would be loved or feared. When Jon rejected her she said "fear it is" basically. The writers thereby setting the stage for what happens next.
One interesting thing which I think is more important than the episode led on was Sansa's betrayal of her oath to Jon and how she knew how it would create a political issue for Dany. (More on this later)
Tyrion yet again begs Dany to show mercy to the people of King's Landing asking her to call of the siege if she hear the bells ringing (hence the name of the episode "Bells").
The battle begins. It seems that Dany now has realized that attacking dragon killing scorpions head on is a bad idea. So she seems to attack from the sides and behind to avoid that danger with success. Blows the gates and the armies of Dany and the Northerners rush in. With the Golden Company being a HUGE disappointment and barely an afterthought the Lanisters surrender and the bells are wrung.
There is a moment after the bells ring where we see Dany on her dragon and the decision she makes unspoken but written on her face (which by the way is the last time we see her face...from then on it's just the back of her head).
She decides (more on that later) to attack and burn the city and people within.
Grey Worm sees this and is also motivated by revenge so attacks the surrendered Lanisters prompting his troops and the Northerners to go on a killing spree. Jon tries to stop his men which Grey Worm sees and fails. The slaughter continues.
Cercei in her hubris denies she has lost the city right up until the building starts to fall in around her.
Sandor Clegane (The Hound) talks Arya into making something more of her life other than revenge. Arya realizes he is right and leaves before dispatching Cercei (more on this later).
The long awaited battle between the Hound and his brother the Mountain plays out. Sandor satisfies his revenge...the revenge he has been seeking ever since his bigger brother held his face to the flame at the cost of his own life taking his brother into the flames from what seems to be about a 300 foot fall. (more on this later)
Jamie on his way to save Cercei meets Euron who, his fleet destroyed, realizes the battle is over and seems to want to kill Jamie for the sake of how his name will go down in history. Jamie ends up winning but is mortally wounded.
Jamie finds the defeated and panicked Cercei and then tries to lead her out the way he came to sail to safety in Pentos. They find themselves trapped and seem to die in the dragon crypts however; we really don't specifically see it but assume that Jamie and Cercei die together just as they came into the world together.
Arya makes the longest possible trip from the Red Keep to the gates of King's Landing. Seeing the destruction caused by the new "Mad Queen". (More on this later).
Jon pulls his troops out of the city. Not much more to say on what took place.
Theories:
Obviously with the writers focusing on Arya's journey seeing death and destruction but getting out safely that there is still more revenge in Arya's future making her a potential to sit on the Iron Throne.
We didn't really see Cercei die. We can assume she did but that's always been a bad call in GoT so who knows if she actually lived although I don't see much of a story there if she did. We only have one episode left after all. My guess is they are dead.
Tyrion committed treason and most likely will be executed for it or he could be protected by Jon Snow and survive and thus be a potential candidate to sit on the Iron Throne.
Jon saw that Dany, through her burning of the city, truly is the Mad Queen and will now accept his role as rightful heir to the throne. Leaving him a potential candidate to sit on the Iron Throne.
Sansa's plot (through her many teachings of treachery and deceit) from her time in King's Landing to her time with the likes of Littlefinger and Ramsey will work. Which makes her a candidate to sit on the Iron Throne.
My take and predictions:
I have to say I'm not especially thrilled with this last season. It seems rushed (because it is) and they are trying to close the loops of so many character arcs, the likes of which have been developoed over 10 years only to be extinguished in a singe episode.
I don't blame the writers of course... Heck I don't even blame HBO... I blame the profit margin bell curve. Increasing salaries for main characters, ever growing production costs and the potential for cheaper but just as popular spin-offs forces their hand to wrap this series up. But GoT is an extremely intricate story with character focus, development and intrigue being it's main draw. This series has none of the recipe that made GoT popular in the first place. To me they just want to wrap it up which is probably extremely frustrating for the writers and it shows in their writing.
The battle between the Clegane brothers was inevitable. It was decent. I liked the part where it looked like Sandor was going to get his head squashed in by the Mountain in the same manner as the Viper but alas that didn't happen. Sandor took his brother to their deaths by way of fire (although the fall would have killed them) in an attempt to close the loop on that story arc. The Hound driven by revenge as a result of fire achieves that revenge by the way of fire. A feel good ending but not a GoT ending. Personally I would have preferred Sandor losing and dying (because revenge isn't good and all) and the Mountain being killed by dragon fire the way he tortured his brother.
The writers focusing on the perspective of the people on the ground dying by Drogon's fire and the back of Dany's head was a good one but also and again a rush to create what is only a predictable ending. Something GoT has never done which is why most people love the series. Instead we are almost assured that because of Dany's actions she will be killed and we can now all feel good about that because of what she did...
I don't think Jon Snow will sit on the Iron Throne. I think it is probably the populace's version of what will take place but it's not going to happen. Jon will die as a result of a perceived treason. Something foreshadowed in this episode.
Arya will end up killing Dany because well again foreshadowing from her journey through the city seeing innocents die especially the mother and her child she tried so hard to help. By the way how many buildings have to fall on Arya before she dies? Writer fail.
There are two possible outcomes to who sits on what's left of the throne.
1) Tyrion makes it through and as the last Lanister takes his place.
2) And my theory is that Sansa will take the throne when there is literally no one else left. Sansa has become the smartest politically and positioned herself for this. She never really liked Jon, never thought of him as a Stark and used him to obtain power. She will take the throne and be no better than Cercei in doing so.
Anyway I'm going to wrap it up. A lot more I could say but I'm tired of typing at this point. Looking forward to tonight's episode.
Enjoy.