Game of Thrones Recap ‘The Dance of Dragons’: The Greatest Sacrifice

In the latest Game of Thrones recap, Daenerys finds herself in peril, Arya spots a familiar face and Stannis makes the ultimate sacrifice to win the war….

By Damon Martin — Editor/Lead Writer

To win a war, sacrifices must be made.

Whether that means hundreds or perhaps thousands of people dying for one side or another to win or lose. Maybe it’s a king or queen making strange bedfellows for the sake of victory. Or in the case of Stannis Baratheon believing all is lost and the only way to regain a foothold on his mission to retake the north is to sacrifice his own daughter because she has king’s blood flowing through her veins.

A few weeks back the red priestess better known as Melisandre made the suggestion that the only way she could ensure Stannis would conquer the Boltons before one day sitting on the Iron Throne was to make a sacrifice to the Lord of Light so that he would return the favor and help him win the war. Melisandre knows there’s real power in king’s blood — she believes the small amount she siphoned off from Robert’s bastard Gendry helped lead to the deaths of both Joffrey Baratheon and Robb Stark.

She’s drawn to king’s blood like a moth to a flame, which is why she was so intent on adding Jon Snow’s manhood to her kingly collection earlier this season. But the one thing Melisandre knows beyond a shadow of a doubt is that to appease her Lord of Light, he demands repayment and there’s none higher than the blood of a king being spilled in his honor.

With no other kings or children of kings present, the only person Melisandre has left to sacrifice to the alter of R’hllor (who you know better by the name ‘The Lord of Light) is Stannis’ own flesh and blood, Shireen Baratheon. When she even mentioned the thought of killing Shireen, Stannis flew off the handle and demanded Melisandre vanish from his sight, but after Ramsay Bolton led a force of 20 men into the camp and destroyed all of their food, weapons and supplies along with hundreds of horses, it was clear that this armada was either going to stand and fight or sit and die, there was no third direction.

Stannis sees this atrocity as a sign that he’s somehow shunned the Lord of Light’s offer and decides that sacrificing his only child is worthy of his eventual ascension to the Iron Throne.

“If a man knows what he is and remains true to himself, he must fulfill his destiny and become who he is meant to be.”

~ Stannis

Stannis believes that he is meant to be king. It’s not just a right of passage because he was Robert’s eldest sibling and he technically didn’t have any children of his own. Stannis believes, because Melisandre helped him to believe, that he’s been prophesized as the one true king of Westeros and nothing can stop him from landing there one day. But sometimes destiny needs a helping hand or in this case an entire child because with his forces depleted and one step away from defeat, Stannis opts to make the ultimate sacrifice and send his daughter to the flames as a gift to the Lord of Light.

Of course, Stannis plays it smart by sending Ser Davos north to the Wall to gather supplies and horses from Lord Commander Jon Snow, thus ending a possible uprising by his Hand of the King knowing full well he would never allow Shireen to be harmed.

As the little girl’s life went up in smoke even her mother, who was as cold to her as the snow that was falling on their faces at the time, came to her senses as Shireen’s screams echoed throughout the north. Eventually, she was subdued and Stannis watched as his only living heir was burned to ashes all for the cause that he would be king.

One man’s belief in one woman’s words in one god’s prophecies led to the death of one innocent little girl. Stannis’ heart is dark and clearly Melisandre is full of terrors.

With that, let’s recap this week’s ‘Game of Thrones’ titled ‘The Dance of Dragons’:

A Good Heart

Following a scary trip north to Hardhome where he gathered about 5,000 Free Folk to follow south before a garrison of White Walkers and wights slaughtered everyone left behind, Jon Snow finally returned to the Wall this week.

While it seemed for a time like Ser Asshole — excuse me, Alliser — was going to keep the gates locked thus preventing the Lord Commander from entering, he ultimately chose to allow Jon and the Free Folk to enter. As the Free Folk shuffled through Castle Black and out again south of the Wall, likely for the first time for nearly all of them, Jon Snow contemplated how many more died on the shores of Hardhome.

Sam tries to remind Jon that he saved as many as he could while Ollie just looked back down at the Lord Commander with disdain after he helped rescue a group of people responsible for the deaths of his parents and entire fishing village he called home.

Of course, Alliser has to get in his remark as the Free Folk move through to freedom while likely ending a war that’s gone on for over 8,000 years.

“You have a good heart, Jon Snow. It’ll get us all killed”

~ Ser Alliser Thorne

It might get one of them killed at least.

Second Chances

In Dorne, Jamie Lannister sits down to dinner with Prince Doran as well as his ‘niece’ Myrcella, her future husband Trystane and Ellaria Sand as they try to resolve the issues they’ve all faced recently. Jamie assumes he’s being led to the executioner’s block, but Prince Doran points out that executing the king’s uncle would only lead Dorne into war with the throne and that’s the last thing he wants to do right now.

“I’ve seen war. I’ve seen the bodies piled on the battlefields. I’ve seen orphans starving in the cities. I don’t want to lead my people into that hell.”

~ Prince Doran

Jamie explains to the prince that the reason he ushered into Dorne under the cover of secrecy was due to the threat that was placed on Myrcella’s head, which everyone assumes came from Ellaria of course. Prince Doran decides to make peace between the two sides while placing a few conditions on this new understanding between the Martells of Dorne and the Lannisters of King’s Landing.

King Tommen has ordered the return of his sister to the capitol so Prince Doran agrees to concede, but he also wants her betrothed (and his son) Trystane to accompany her to King’s Landing where he will take his uncle’s place on the small council. He also requests that Trystane and Myrcella remain engaged with the promise of marriage so the kinship between the Martells and Lannisters continues.

Jamie agrees while also asking for one more small favor — the release of his soldier, Ser Bronn of the Blackwater.

Prince Doran turns the decision over to his son Trystane because if he’s going to be king one day, he needs to know how to rule. Trystane opts for mercy and releases Bronn — only after Doran’s head guard Areo Hotah delivers a rather crushing elbow to his jaw as payback for his punch to the future king of Dorne.

Prince Doran also turns his attention back to Ellaria Sand after she continues to dig her spurs into the side of her ruler and his guests. He gives her one last chance to return to the fold or she will be killed on the spot. Ellaria, with tears running down her face, opts for life as she bows and kisses the ring of Prince Doran. He reminds Ellaria that she’s been given a second chance, but there will not be a third.

“I believe in second chances. I don’t believe in third chances.”

~ Prince Doran

Before Jamie and Bronn set off for King’s Landing with Trystane and Myrcella in tow, he writes a letter to send to Cersei to let her know what has happened. While he’s penning his letter, Ellaria pays him a visit and proceeds to admit that her plan of revenge may have been somewhat ill fated, but that doesn’t mean she regrets it.

Her lover Oberyn died a horrific death at the hands of the Lannisters but it wasn’t Myrcella’s fault and it may not have even been Jamie’s fault, but Ellaria wants someone to pay. She also comments how much Jamie must love his ‘daughter’ while acknowledging that she also knows the Lannister family dirty little secret although from the sound of things she’s not holding it against him.

“They disapproved of me and Oberyn where you are from. Here, no one blinked an eye. A hundred years ago no one would have blinked an eye at you if you’d been named Targaryen. It’s always changing, who we’re supposed to love and who we’re not. The only thing that stays the same is we want who we want.”

~ Ellaria Sand

Very true and Ellaria is also correct about the Targaryens — who routinely married brothers and sisters for the sake of furthering the bloodline. Something tells me despite her kind words of caring, this viper hasn’t struck for the last time.

The List Gets Hungry

When Arya Stark left the Hound for dead and traveled to Braavos her intended purpose was to find the House of Black and White to hopefully one day become part of an exclusive club of the most lethal assassins the world has ever known. Since her arrival, Arya has been schooled in the ways of ‘The Faceless Men’, which means serving the Many Faced God (aka the god of death), leaving her past behind and losing her identity to effectively become no one.

‘No one’ can kill at will because a price has been paid. ‘No one’ doesn’t have attachments that could prevent them from carrying out such a duty. ‘No one’ can’t be traced back to where they came from for retribution.

But as much as Arya wants to become ‘no one’, she still has trouble letting go of her former life. It’s never been more evident than this week when she’s been tasked with killing ‘the thin man’ who likes to gamble on the safe arrival or tragic end of ships and their captains while making a fortune off of those very wagers that usually results in a family losing their husbands and fathers. Her job is to hand the thin man an oyster laced with poison and as he chokes to death, Arya’s first kill will be complete.

Unfortunately what she didn’t plan for as Arya made her way to the docks this week was running into a boat containing blowhard buffoon Mace Tyrell and his military escort led by Meryn Trant. You remember Meryn Trant — the man responsible for killing Arya’s teacher and friend Syrio Forel. Meryn Trant has a place on Arya’s infamous death list, but if she’s truly given up her past identity, then his arrival should mean nothing, correct?

Wrong.

Arya follows Meryn and Mace Tyrell all over Braavos as they meet with the Iron Bank to try and settle their debts and at the end of the night she even follows the knight in the Kingsguard into a brothel. There Ser Meryn reveals his proclivity for young girls while Arya tries to get a good look at him and his disgusting habits.

She’s booted out of the brothel for spying and when she arrives back at the House of Black and White she has to inform Jaqen H’Ghar that the thin man is still breathing.

Arya: “The thin man wasn’t hungry today”

Jaqen: “Perhaps that is why a man is thin”

Arya: “Tomorrow”

Arya has been practicing the game of faces also known as the game of lying and she believes she’s gotten pretty good at it. Good enough that she believes Jaqen will buy her story as to why the thin man is still alive. Does Jaqen believe her or is he just setting her up for failure?

With only one episode to go this season, we’ll likely find out next week.

On the Backs of Dragons

When the Targaryens migrated from Valyria to Dragonstone, they brought with them five dragons that were eventually whittled down to just one along with a group of dragon eggs that eventually hatched and helped the fire-breathing brood conquer Westeros and start a new dynasty that would last for hundreds of years. Targaryens were known to have a special kinship with their dragons and a family member could raise the beasts from birth until adulthood and they would create a special bond together.

The bond was so strong in fact that a Targaryen could mount their dragon and ride its back into battle or across the world as they flew through the sky together.

Dragons eventually went extinct until a beautiful young girl carried three petrified eggs into a great fire and when she emerged she was unburnt and carrying three ‘children’ with her. The girl was Daenerys Targaryen and she had three dragons with her, but she learned as they grew older and much bigger that taming the beasts was easier said than done. Eventually she even had to lock up two of them after a small child was burned alive and killed by one of her dragons.

Fast forward to Sunday’s episode as Queen Daenerys sat at Daznak’s Pit for the opening of the Great Games where gladiators would fight and die for her honor while thousands of fans cheered from all over the stadium just hoping to see some blood.

Daenerys was clearly appalled by the spectacle as one man beheaded another and her new advisor Tyrion wasn’t very amused either while watching man kill man for the ‘honor’ of being called champion. Daenerys’ new husband Hizdahr zo Loraq didn’t seem to appreciate their lack of understanding for a sport that has taken place in Meereen for centuries as tradition.

He wonders if Tyrion is having problems watching men battle to the death.

Tyrion: “There’s always been enough death in the world for my taste. I can do without it in my leisure time.”

Hizdahr: “Fair enough, but it’s an unpleasant question — but what great thing has ever been accomplished without killing or cruelty?”

Tyrion: “It’s easy to confuse what is with what ought to be, especially when what is has worked out in your favor.”

Hizdahr zo Loraq continues to soliloquize about the greatness of the city of Meereen and how the fighting pits are a place of honor and how these traditions will out live him, Daenerys and anyone else sitting on the dais watching the games. His outpouring of political yammering reminds Tyrion of someone he knew all too well.

“My father would have liked you.”

~ Tyrion

The conversation is cut short after Daenerys spots the latest champion on the field of battle, ready to do her honor by killing as many men as he can without losing his own life in the process. Ser Jorah takes his place in the pit and while it looks like he’s not going to make it out alive while constantly looking to the queen to stop the brutality before he has to kill again and again, she just watches in horror and angst. Finally after killing the last man, Jorah is alone as champion but his work is far from done on this day.

He lifts a spear used to kill his last opponent and tosses it towards the elevated stage where the queen and her court are sitting. Jorah wasn’t aiming for Daenerys, Tyrion or even Hizdahr — he spotted a member of the Sons of the Harpy creeping up on the monarchs with a dagger in his hand. As the Sons of the Harpy assassin fell to the ground, Daario Naharis turns and sees that the stands are full of those gold masks with horns and it’s clear that this entire fighting pit was a trap meant to end with Daenerys dead and gone.

The group fights back as many men as possible while Ser Jorah finally receives the gift he’s been waiting for as Daenerys places her hand in his so they can escape into the pit and get away from the would be assassins. Tyrion even gets in on the act by saving Missandei’s life before they all gather in the pit to try one more passage to get out. Daenerys’ new husband Hizdahr zo Loraq doesn’t get quite as lucky as he has a dagger plunged into his heart several times but at least now we know he wasn’t the one leading the Sons of the Harpy!

It seems the slave loving group had this entire plan orchestrated because all of the exits have been closed and they begin surrounding Daenerys and the small group of soldiers tasked with saving her life. One by one, Dario and the others begin to pick off the Sons of the Harpy but the numbers are too great and it’s only a matter of time before the gold-masked killers slip through and kill the queen.

Daenerys clasps Missandei’s hand as they close their eyes and wait for the final blow to be struck when out of nowhere a screech is heard in the skies followed by a bright orange and yellow flame streaking across the clouds in blue. It’s Drogon and he’s come to rescue his mother, who needs him now more than ever.

Drogon lands in the pit and proceeds to light up the Sons of the Hapry with his fiery breath. He kills dozens of them, but they fight back by tossing spears at the dragon. As the blades penetrate his scaly skin, Drogon cries out in pain but he’s not leaving while his mother is in trouble. So Daenerys approaches the beast, pulls out the spears and climbs onto his back as Drogon gets a running start and bursts into the sky.

Daenerys has now fulfilled her family’s prophecy by not only bringing dragons back to the realms of men, but also created a bond with Drogon just like her ancestors did for so many years before. Tyrion watched as Daenerys flew out of the arena and away to safety as any doubts or misgivings about this girl melted away.

When Tyrion first met Jorah, the former Westerosi knight said all of his cynicism faded when he saw a young girl walk into a pit of fire and walk out again without a burn on her and three dragons in her clutches. Seeing Daenerys mount her dragon and ride off into the sky was something Tyrion never believed could have happened until he saw it with his own two eyes.

This was real.

Dragons are real.

And Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryen, the First of Her Name, the Unburnt, Queen of Meereen, Queen of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains, and Mother of Dragons is very real and she may be the last hope Westeros has left and now Tyrion has officially been given a reason to live.

ONE SIDE NOTE FOR BOOK READERS:

This week’s ‘Inside the Episode’ about Game of Thrones reveals the detail about Shireen’s death and how it was intended by creator George R.R. Martin in the books. So before everyone freaks out and says Shireen’s death was a particularly cruel fate that even Martin didn’t beset on her, it looks like this is going to happen in the books as well.

Make sure to come back next week for the season finale of ‘Game of Thrones’ as the fifth season officially comes to an end.