Watching through this season of Game of Thrones has been incredibly fun for book readers; long-standing theories have turned into massive, fist-pumping reveals, which showrunners David Benioff and D.B Weiss and each episodes respective Directors have handled magnificently. “The Broken Man” finally addressed one of those theories, and it was all revealed quickly during a very rare cold-opening, rather than stretching it out like a lesser program would do.
Ian McShane (best known for his foul-mouthed role in Deadwood) was brought on to help move this big reveal along and add some credibility to it. His character, an ex-warrior turned pacifist named Brother Ray, ended up finding The Hound after Arya had left him for dead and has, somewhere along where I assume is the Trident, nursed him back to health. Hence, Sandor Clegane is alive and relatively well, calmer and placated while he helps the peace-loving commune build what looks to be a church. Clegane is among the very best of Game of Thrones characters so bringing him back into the picture – and making such a big deal out of it, rightfully so – opens up some very exciting possibilities, and is more fuel for the “Cleganbowl” theory (which you should Google if you feel so inclined #gethype).
I enjoyed the three scenes spent with this group, highlighting the inner-conflict within Sandor who still very much questions Brother Ray’s non-violent approach especially when the commune is sort-of threatened by three men who seem to be from the Brothers Without Banners (their presence fueling yet another theory about another highly anticipated character return). However, it did feel like a bit of a stretch to have Brother Ray remain so foolish given the universe that has been established in the GoT world, especially seeing as he used to be a cold blooded killer who can even count children as his pile of victims. This in a way took away from Sandor’s re-introductory storyline and felt like a contrived shortcut to get him back into revenge mode.
Natalie Dormer had the most significant screen-time she has had in awhile here, bringing Margaery back as a bigger part in the King’s Landing saga by expertly bonding with The High Sparrow right before she made it very clear to Olenna that she is still well and truly all about House Tyrell. Playing these religious zealots is not surprising considering that Margaery’s basically a tender – and arguably smarter – version of Cersei.
Speaking of Cersei, she was taken down several pegs by the razor-tongued Olenna, who reminded us why she’s got some of the best dialogue on the entire show. The only thing surprising here was Cersei actually bringing down her own walls for a second and admitting to fault, almost as if she’s trying to reach out to a woman who very obviously hates her in order for some emotional support in the wake up all the death and suffering she has gone through lately. It’s heartbreaking in a way, and Cersei continues to both be one of the more sympathetic and hateful characters on the show, a testament to how well written she is, with Lena Headey’s hit-after-hit performance.
This King’s Landing arc has run stale at times, most notably stalling the otherwise entertaining character of Jaime. Taking him out and setting him onto the Riverlands, especially with a witty-as-ever Bronn, does prove to be one of the strongest developments in this episode and will likely continue to put the character back on the radar in episodes to come. The Riverlands is also a magnificent setting for the show, and comparing the set now to a few seasons prior shows how much the production has improved on Game of Thrones, seemingly along with the show’s budget.
The “Blackfish” enjoyed a good re-entry here as the head of a Tully army holed up in this impenetrable castle, parlaying with Jaime and verbally slapping him about despite the Frey’s threatening to hang Edmure. Where this siege will fit into the overall story remains to be seen, but with clear-cut villains (Frey’s) and not-so-clear antiheroes involved (Jaime and Bronn), as well as the forthcoming arrival of Brienne, this is one of the most exciting new storylines this season.
Another arc that has some great potential is edging Yara and Theon towards Dany (and unbeknownst to them, Tyrion), bridged here by a brief scene in Volantis where Yara is busy indulging in sex while also trying to posture Theon back up to be who she needs him to be. Seeing as Reek has been formed for seasons now, it’s going to be interesting to watch if Theon can actually come back and be an effective part of the show; it sure is one of the more complex redemption arcs on TV at the moment. Let’s just hope he isn’t a stand-in for Quentyn Martell (because there was some foreshadowing there).
Jon Snow and Sansa are stuck in the bridging moments leading up to the big battle with Ramsay, and much like Stannis and Davos before their march on Winterfell, it involves a lot of attempts at rallying support. This is where Davos is most useful – as the most effective publicist in Westeros – and his worth here was shown at the beautiful Bear Island with a ferocious scene-stealing Lyanna Mormont resisting until The Onion Knight used his go-to White Walker warning. Though, after all that, House Mormont can only spare 62 fighters.
There’s not much of an army backing Jon, making him the clear underdog in this Battle of the Bastards, prompting Sansa to send a raven to – obviously – Littlefinger to request help from the Vale. It seems predictable at this point that the knights of the Vale will show up during episode 9 and help Jon capture or kill Ramsay, but after Littlefinger’s swift verbal bashing from Sansa a few episodes ago, there needs to at least be some sort of twist in order to restore his character to the master of manipulation he has been built as ever since the show’s early days.
The other big development this episode is finally getting Arya back to Westeros and out of the stand-still storyline of training to be a Faceless Man. Last week, Arya made the irreversible decision to disobey Jaqen H’ghar and is now on the run from the Waif, at least that’s what should be happening. Instead Arya seems rather casual about abandoning a group of dangerous faceless assassins, trying to buy her passage back to Westeros and then just chilling looking out over the sea, not noticing that the Waif is behind her.
Arya getting stabbed repeatedly was shocking at first, and frustrating, until she pushed the Waif away and managed to escape into a crowded marketplace. Obviously Arya is not going to die at this point, and there is a theory that maybe that wasn’t Arya in the first place, but wedging this scene into the episode felt unnecessary. This could have easily fit into the next week’s entry and led into a much larger time spent closing the book on this so-so situation.
Review Score: FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights:
- The Hound is back!
- Ser Davos gets through to Lady Mormont
- Lady Olenna verbally spares with Cersei, again
- Riverlands
- Viva la House Tyrell
Lowlights:
- Arya scene was rushed
- Brother Ray too foolish
Stray Thoughts:
- That one brief look at the cascading waters of Bear Island was breathtaking. It’s unlikely, but we need to spend more time here.
- I really do hope Bronn and Tyrion meet once again. Both are masters of the one-liner, and their chemistry is second to none
Episode MVP: Lady Olenna
Game of Thrones airs in Australia on Showcase, Foxtel every Monday at 11am and 7:30pm
Headline Image: HBO
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