‘Game of Thrones’ season 7, episode 5 preview: A breakdown of everything HBO teased for next week
Sunday night’s episode of Game of Thrones was the most explosive of the seventh season so far. Seriously, Daenerys and Drogon burned through the Lannister forces with little resistance. But “The Spoils of War” was filled with more than just destruction and dracarys. It also brought Arya Stark back to Winterfell for an awkward reunion with Sansa and Bran — Bran totally regifted the Valyrian-steel dagger that Littlefinger gave him; delivered an epic sparring match between Arya and Brienne, who got her ass handed to her by the Many-Faced God understudy; and it gave Jon and Dany a romantic, torch-lit cave date.
Strong as all that was, “Blood of the Dragon” looks like it’s going to be a worthy followup. Here’s everything we know about season seven’s upcoming fifth episode.
Drogon is fine
“The Spoils of War” ended with poor Drogon getting shot by Cersei’s gargantuan, dragon-slaying crossbow; “Blood of the Dragon” reveals that the endangered creature is alive and well. Not only that, but he appears to serve as the centerpiece during Dany’s Mad Queen-ish monologue.
“I’m not here to murder,” Dany says moments after murdering countless Lannister soldiers. “Bend the knee and join me, or refuse and die.”
Just in case the surviving troops have any doubts of her sincerity, Drogon lingers in the background, presumably ready to torch anyone left standing.
Varys and Tyrion have a heart-to-heart
Against all council, dear ol’ Dany went ahead and mounted a dragon-Dothraki attack against the Lannister forces. Tyrion tried to talk her out of it. Jon Snow tried to talk her out of it. Varys tried to talk her out of it. But if the Mother of Dragons has proved anything, it’s that she’s more than a little bullheaded.
“You need to find a way to make her listen,” the Spider says as Tyrion drinks his stresses away.
The problem here is that Tyrion and Varys have been trying to “make her listen” the entire time but to no avail. Both men are excellent at playing the game, so the question is this: How will they try to play Dany in the season’s few remaining episodes?
Drogon and Jon have some beef
Drogon looks pretty unhappy with Jon in the teaser for next week’s episode. Also, his tongue looks really gross. But more importantly, where is all this animosity coming from? Dany and her dragons are connected on a deep level, so it’s likely Drogon’s angry growl emanates from his mom. Did Jon do something to piss Dany off, or has she simply grown tired of having him as her guest at Dragonstone? Might be time to pack up your obsidian and make for Winterfell, young Jon Snow.
Queen Cersei isn’t shook
Sure, Daenerys may have just wiped out a huge chunk of the Lannister forces, and, yeah, Jaime might be (but definitely isn’t) drowning at the bottom of some lake, but Queen Cersei isn’t shook.
“Whatever stands in our way, we will defeat it,” she confidently tells Maester Qyburn.
Why is she so confident? Their dragon-slaying crossbow didn’t work out quite as well as they had hoped. Maybe the duplicitous duo have another trick up their sleeve.
Bad things are coming
“Winter is coming.” The Starks have been saying it since season one, and few bothered to listen. Now, the frozen, undead army is officially on the march.
“Bran saw the Night King and his army marching towards East Watch,” Jon Snow says in Dany’s council room.
The Battle of Hardhome proved just how tough an adversary the Night King is. The White Walkers decimated the wildlings and nearly took Jon’s life as well, and we have to believe that skirmish was but a fraction of their full force.
Hopefully, Jon will mine plenty of dragonglass for the upcoming war, and Daenerys and her dragons will come to the North’s aid to kill the undead army once and for all.
Game of Thrones airs on Sundays at 9 p.m. Eastern on HBO.
Watch the preview for episode five, “Blood of the Dragon,” below.
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