Spoiler warning: This article discusses events leading up to and including the first episode of season five. This writer has yet to conquer the literary behemoths the show is based on, so book readers may take their knowledgeable elitism elsewhere.
Writing a season premiere of Game of Thrones is almost as daunting a task as ruling the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. After a season four finale that included three major character deaths (presuming the Hound’s demise is permanent) and a litany of plot developments, “The Wars to Come” is left to pick up the scattered pieces. Indeed, “Wars” is all about the damage characters have endured–and are preparing to deliver throughout this season.
The episode starts with a flashback, a first for Thrones. Young Cersei receives a prophecy of her future, which she spends the rest of the episode (and presumably season) fearing. Her relationship with Jaime is particularly striking, as a conversation between the two reveals just how far apart they’ve grown. Jaime attempts to deal with the aftermath of Tywin’s death and the ensuing power vacuum, while Cersei lays the blame for her father’s death at the feet of both Jaime and Tyrion. If seasons one to three of Thrones were about the devastation of the Stark clan, then seasons four, five and beyond will undoubtedly concentrate on the fall of the Lannisters.
Meanwhile, across the Narrow Sea, Tyrion has all but given up on Westeros. He is prepared to drink himself to death before Varys proposes a journey to visit Daenerys, the “Mother of Dragons” and candidate for the Iron Throne, making evident his desire for her to ascend to the throne. Varys is given a great chance to shine here–the eunuch’s motivations are among the purest in the show. At its core, Thrones is essentially a chess match between two players: Varys, who wants what’s best for the realm, and his former adversary on the small council, Littlefinger, who desires power for himself. It was incredibly unsettling to see Tyrion, a fan favorite, so resigned. Perhaps an alliance with Varys will spur him back into action.
While there is action across the rest of the realm, Daenerys’ storyline continues to frustrate. She is still dealing with the struggles of being queen, and a new issue has arisen concerning the re-opening of the slave-gladiator pits (a longstanding tradition among Daenerys’ new subjects that could determine the success of her reign). The biggest knock on Daenerys, which may be the fault of Emilia Clarke, is that she really isn’t that interesting a character. She remains rather stoic and bland, even in an intimate scene with her lover. It’s hard to muster any real interest in this storyline when there are also dragons. Daenerys’ encounter with the chained-up dragons was a pleasant reprieve from the dullness, as there was a look of real panic and worry in her eyes. The dragons also look fierce, having grown significantly since last season. Now if only Benedict Cumberbatch could play the missing Drogon. One can only hope. With any luck, this dragon-filled storyline will actually develop this season to add some much needed progress to Daenerys’ character arc. Seriously, more dragons.
At the Wall, everyone’s favorite ignorant Stark, Jon Snow, is dealing with conflict between Stannis Baratheon and the Wildlings. As is typical of Thrones, the episode ends with the death of Mance Rayder, killed off surprisingly soon. Jon chooses to shoot him with an arrow to spare him the pain of burning to death, which presumably will lead to tension between him and Stannis. Jon is one of the show’s more moral characters (which really does not say much), so it will be very interesting to see where this storyline takes him. As one of the last remaining members of the Stark family, could a return to Winterfell in the cards? We’ll have to wait and see.
As is typical with Thrones, there are countless other subplots that you’ve forgotten about: Sam and his Wildling lover, Littlefinger, Sansa and their incredibly uncomfortable relationship, Unsullied Soldier #2 and Female Character #14, and the relationship between Margaery and Ser Loras and his lover .
Showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have proven that they are more than adept at balancing the multiple onerous storylines that Thrones involves. “Wars” is a solid enough start, as the pieces are being moved into place for what should be an epic fifth. The episode had everything Thrones has become known for: excessive nudity, surprising deaths, and the promise countless storylines you’ll try to keep straight in your head. Until you remember that Sansa is out there somewhere and wasn’t even mentioned in the episode. If Benioff, Weiss, and Martin can pull this off, they will have won the game of thrones. If the show collapses under its own weight, they will have to suffer the wrath of millions of irate fans. But as long as there are dragons, I will be happy.
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