Unexpected opportunities led to dangerous decisions on Game of Thrones season 5, episode 2.
No one
Arya arrives in Braavos and tries to make her introductions at the House of Black and White. The elderly man who answers the door is unimpressed by her offerings, or her reference to Jaqen H’gar.
“No one here by that name,” he says, and shuts the door in her face.
Stubborn as ever, Arya plants herself on the steps of the temple. When morning comes and the House of Black and White remains impassive, Arya tosses the coin in the canal and stalks off to begin her life in Braavos.
Later, Arya nearly gets into a fight with three grown men, until the old man intervenes. He leads her back to the House of Black and White and returns her coin. Then he sweeps a hand across his face.
The man is Jaqen H’gar! Well, sort of.
“A man is not Jaqen H’gar,” he says.
“Who are you, then?” Arya asks.
“No one,” he says. “And that is who a girl must become.”
He opens the black door, and Arya steps into the temple.
Questions of trust
Brienne and Podrick run into Sansa and Littlefinger at an inn, causing the jaws of book fans to collide with floors around the world. Brienne approaches them, interrupting a discussion on an accepted marriage proposal, the participants of which remain undisclosed.
Brienne swears her loyalty to Sansa, but it is immediately apparent how flimsy her position is. Sansa remembers Brienne from Joffrey’s wedding, and has no interest in offering her trust again.
Thankfully, Brienne is smart enough to know that accepting Littlefinger’s offer to stay will mean a knife in the back, and stampedes out of the inn with Pod. During pursuit, Brienne watches Sansa and Littlefinger escape down the east road. She rescues Podrick and determines to follow, insisting that Sansa is not safe with Littlefinger.
She’s probably right, but we still can’t imagine that this game is going to end well for anybody.
The viper
Cersei receives a “gift” from Dorne — a necklace belonging to Myrcella, dangling from the fangs of a snake statue — and for once is probably not wrong in interpreting this as a threat. Feeling helpless to protect her two children who have not (yet) been shrouded in gold, Cersei takes her anger out on Jaime, who makes a decision.
“I’m going to Dorne,” he says. “I’m bringing our daughter home.”
Cersei points out that this is not entirely practical — there is, after all, a marriage contract in place with the Martells — but Jaime is unconcerned. Cersei is touched, and tells him that Oberyn Martell mentioned that Myrcella was being kept in the watergardens.
Jaime picks up Bronn on the way south (before he can murder Lollys Stokeworth’s older sister.) He promises Bronn a better deal than Lollys when they return, which we’re sure they will definitely do swiftly and without any problems at all.
Little girls
Except that multiple problems are already rearing down in Dorne. For now, they take the form of Ellaria Sand, who — as Cersei predicted — is enraged by Oberyn’s death and Myrcella Lannister Baratheon’s presence in her kingdom.
Ellaria confronts Prince Doran about this injustice, but Oberyn’s brother views it as nothing of the sort. Doran Martell is older, and invalid, and considerably cooler-blooded than anyone around him. He has no intention of going to war over Oberyn’s death, and also refuses to allow any harm to come to Myrcella.
“We do not mutilate little girls for vengeance,” he tells Ellaria. “Not here. Not while I rule.”
“And how long will that be?” Ellaria spits, leaving the frustrated Prince in her wake.
Getting ahead
On the road to Meereen-by-way-of-Volantis, Tyrion whines and drinks. He wants to leave the wheelhouse, but Varys refuses as Cersei has offered a lordship for Tyrion’s head.
“How many dwarves are there in the world?” Tyrion exclaims. “Is Cersei going to kill them all?”
The answer, as evidenced by the arrival of a dwarf’s head in Cersei’s lap, is “Absolutely yes.”
Afterward, Cersei leads a meeting of the Small Council in Tommen’s place. She neatly sidesteps the attempts to appoint a new Hand and invites her uncle Kevan to be Master of War. Kevan, however, refuses to take orders from the “Queen Mother” and leaves for Casterly Rock.
Taking up the mantle
At the Wall, Shireen teaches Gilly to read. In gratitude, Gilly tells the princess the gorey details of how her sisters died from greyscale.
Meanwhile, Stannis is angry at Jon, but smart enough to know when he has an important piece on his side of the board. Aware that Alliser Thorne is likely to be elected Lord Commander, and that he’s more than likely to make Jon’s life a living hell in that event, Stannis makes Jon an offer.
“Kneel before me,” he says. “Lay your sword at my feet, pledge me your service. And you’ll rise again as Jon Stark, Lord of Winterfell.”
Jon is stunned; as he tells Sam, being a Stark is the first thing he can ever remember wanting. But, because he’s Jon, he is determined to refuse and hold to his Night’s Watch oath.
Elections commence for the Lord Commander. Alliser Thorne and Denys Mallister are the only candidates — until Sam nominates Jon Snow.
“He may be young,” Sam says. “But he was the commander we turned to when the night was darkest.”
When the votes are submitted, Jon and Ser Alliser are tied — until Maester Aemon casts his vote for Jon, making him the 998th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch.
Orphans
In Meereen, a member of the Sons of the Harpy is found. Daenerys agrees to give the man a trial when Barristan Selmy tells her about her father’s brand of brutal justice. Unfortunately, the slave representative on Dany’s council takes matters into his own hands. Mossador murders the Son of the Harpy, and worse, leaves his body in the street for all of Meereen to see.
As an example of the justice brought about by freedom, Dany is forced to have Mossador executed. And because she is Dany, she has it done in public, surrounded by former slaves and masters.
The moment is long, tense, and terrible; the former slaves scream out to Dany, begging their “mother” to be merciful. When the arakh swings, Dany’s “children” begin to hiss at her, and violence breaks out across Meereen.
That night, a sickened Daenerys follows a noise on her balcony. Instead of an assasain, she finds Drogon — her true child — watching her from atop the pyramid. Drogon takes flight before Dany can touch him, screaming out across the tortured city.
Truly, what is a mother if she has no children?