{"id":96230,"date":"2019-05-14T14:26:19","date_gmt":"2019-05-14T03:26:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/?p=96230"},"modified":"2019-05-21T11:57:57","modified_gmt":"2019-05-21T00:57:57","slug":"game-of-thrones-season-8-episode-5-recap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/2019\/05\/14\/game-of-thrones-season-8-episode-5-recap\/","title":{"rendered":"Game of Thrones: Season 8 Episode 5 Recap"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>There is only ONE WEEK LEFT until we find out who will take the Iron Throne (though it all looks a bit grim from here&#8230;). Sarah McDuling, Booktopia\u2019s resident Game of Thrones lover and spoiler enthusiast, recaps Season 8 Episode 5, \u201cThe Bells.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>If you\u2019ve missed our previous recaps, you can find them below:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/2019\/04\/16\/game-of-thrones-season-8-episode-1-recap\/?utm_source=booktopian_blog&amp;utm_medium=booktopian&amp;utm_campaign=GoTs8e5_recap\">Episode 1: Winterfell<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/2019\/04\/24\/game-of-thrones-season-8-episode-2-recap\/?utm_source=booktopian_blog&amp;utm_medium=booktopian&amp;utm_campaign=GoTs8e5_recap\">Episode 2: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/2019\/04\/30\/game-of-thrones-season-8-episode-3-recap\/?utm_source=booktopian_blog&amp;utm_medium=booktopian&amp;utm_campaign=GoTs8e5_recap\">Episode 3: The Long Night<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/2019\/05\/07\/game-of-thrones-season-8-episode-4-recap\/?utm_source=booktopian_blog&amp;utm_medium=booktopian&amp;utm_campaign=GoTs8e5_recap\">Episode 4: The Last of the Starks<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3><strong>HERE BE SPOILERS! You have been warned\u2026<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\t<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-gif\">\n\t\t<figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-gif-wrapper\" style=\"padding-top:56%\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<iframe src=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/embed\/kEjA68s6HUApXMlQSB\" title=\"the bells\"><\/iframe>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Okay! Well. That was certainly an episode of television, wasn\u2019t it? I have many thoughts and feelings (mostly all good!) but I think I will save them for the end of the recap. For now, let\u2019s go ahead and dive right in\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>Varys is being tricksy<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>We open with Varys who is writing lots of treasonous letters and employing more child spies. It seems he is back to his old tricks, scheming and plotting against people. This time it\u2019s Daenerys he is plotting against. Of course we knew this was coming because he basically announced his plans to Tyrion last week. Ahhh Varys! He used to be such a crafty mastermind. Now he just goes around declaring his secret schemes for all the world to hear! Like so many of our beloved characters this season, Varys seems to have had a personality transplant. (Or maybe a lobotomy?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Next up we see Jon arriving at Dragonstone. Varys meets him on the shore and proceeds to tell him all about his new Top Secret Plan to plot against Daenerys (<em>facepalm<\/em>). Varys really seems to have forgotten the basics of how to be a successful spymaster. He tells Jon he is totally anti-Daenerys now and very much pro-Jon. Varys says Jon will rule wisely and well. Jon doesn\u2019t want to hear it because like he has said eleventy-million times before, he doesn\u2019t want the Iron Throne. Meanwhile, Tyrion is spying on them. He has overheard the whole conversation and naturally runs straight to Daenerys to tell her everything\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>Daenerys is being sad and staring at the ocean<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>She also has messy hair and dark circles under her eyes now, which I guess is the show\u2019s way of telling us she is about to turn into a mass-murdering psychopath? Tyrion is all \u201cVarys doesn\u2019t like you anymore.\u201d And Daenerys is all, \u201cThis is definitely Jon\u2019s fault, but you are also to blame for spilling secrets to Varys!\u201d She points out to Tyrion that he was totally manipulated by Sansa Stark, which is very true. Queen Sansa definitely used some Littlefinger style mind games on Tyrion last week because she is the only one left in the game who seems to know what she\u2019s doing. If this show doesn\u2019t end with Sansa as Queen of the Seven Kingdoms I\u2019m going to be displeased (something I never thought I would say back in season one). At this point, she\u2019s really the only one I\u2019d trust to rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"665\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog.png\" alt=\"GoT Season 8 Episode 5\" class=\"wp-image-96256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog.png 665w, https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-300x135.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 665px) 100vw, 665px\" \/><figcaption>You know it&#8217;s bad when the braids are down.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>Varys is executed by Dragon fire<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a sad end for a character who has been manipulating and backstabbing all the way back since the very beginning of this show. But it\u2019s also pretty inevitable, considering this political mastermind chose to broadcast his decision to plot against the Dragon Queen and then just decided to hang around at Dragonstone, writing a bunch of letters and waiting to get caught. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You really brought this on yourself, Varys. Goodbye!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Daenerys and Greyworm mourn Missandei<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Greyworn is clearly done with the softer emotions in life. He finally found love, after a lifetime of suffering and torture, and then he had to watch his love get beheaded by The Mountain. He has every right to be pissed. After mourning with Daenerys he tosses Missandei\u2019s slave collar in the fire and leaves. As he walks out, Jon shows up for an argument\/make out session with his queen\/aunt. Daenerys is very mad at Jon for telling his sisters about his secret identity. She then makes a speech about how Jon is beloved in Westeros whereas Daenerys is only feared. John says  \u201cI love you!\u201d and then follows that up with, \u201cYou will always be my queen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Daenerys is pleased to hear this and kisses him. Alas, Jon isn\u2019t into it. He clearly hasn\u2019t changed his stance vis-a-vis incest. Daenerys pulls away from him and with a very chilling expression says, \u201cVery well. Let it be fear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yikes!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"665\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-1.png\" alt=\"GoT Season 8 Episode 5\" class=\"wp-image-96257\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-1.png 665w, https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-1-300x135.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 665px) 100vw, 665px\" \/><figcaption>Big yikes!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>And now it\u2019s time to find out why this episode is called \u201cThe Bells\u201d<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>We cut to the Dragonstone throne room which, let\u2019s be honest, has always looked like it was designed by Satan. Daenerys is sitting on the throne, looking appropriately cold and evil and channeling some major \u201cQueen of Hell\u201d vibes. Things aren\u2019t looking good for King\u2019s Landing. Daenerys is \u201cbreaking bad\u201d in a big way and things are probably about to get very violent very quickly. There\u2019s a very good reason the Targaryen family motto is <em>Fire and Blood<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tyrion begs Daenerys to consider all the innocent people in King\u2019s Landing. She isn\u2019t much in the mood for considering innocent lives. He explains that when the city rings the bells (episode name check), it means they are surrendering. He asks her to listen for the bells and if they ring then it means she has won and can therefore stop destroying the city. There is great emphasis placed on the importance of the bells. No-one needs to die after the bells ring\u2026 provided Daenerys keeps her cool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"665\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-14.png\" alt=\"GoT Season 8 Episode 5\" class=\"wp-image-96303\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-14.png 665w, https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-14-300x135.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 665px) 100vw, 665px\" \/><figcaption>Tyrion &#8220;Sick of your Sh*t&#8221; Lannister.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jaime Lannister has been captured (again)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We cut rather abruptly to King\u2019s Landing. The Good Guys (AKA The Northern Armies and the Unsullied, plus a handful of Dothraki) have left Dragonstone and are now setting up camp outside the city. This has been done seemingly in a matter of minutes, but then time means nothing in Westeros anymore. Journeys that used to take seasons now happen in seconds because we only have two episodes left. We don\u2019t have time for things like timelines or a cohesive plot!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tyrion finds out his brother Jaime has been taken captive. Again. He was caught trying to sneak into Kings Landing to (for some baffling reason) reunite with his evil twin sister\/ex girlfriend. Even though he had a perfectly amazing new girlfriend back in Winterfell but whatever. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(I\u2019m not bitter.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>Arya and The Hound are here!<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Speaking of the nifty time travel powers now available to everyone in Westeros\u2026 remember how Arya and the Hound left Winterfell last episode? They have now arrived in King\u2019s Landing! It\u2019s wonderful to see them but I can\u2019t help feeling annoyed that we will never get to see any of their journey together. I bet there was so much great snarky banter on that road trip. Sigh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Arya announces her intention to kill Cersei in a funny scene with a bumbling young soldier and then it\u2019s back to the Lannister brothers again!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tyrion and Jaime have a beautiful scene together. I may never understand why, after seasons of careful character development, Jaime randomly decided to go straight back to his evil twin. Why build a character up for an epic redemption and then just abandon it at the eleventh hour? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Not bitter.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"665\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-9.png\" alt=\"GoT Season 8 Episode 5\" class=\"wp-image-96267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-9.png 665w, https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-9-300x135.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 665px) 100vw, 665px\" \/><figcaption>Definitely not bitter.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Tyrion releases Jaime and tells him to go rescue Cersei because\u2026 I honestly have no idea why. Maybe when all is said and done, family matters more to Tyrion than anything else? Maybe he\u2019s thinking of his unborn niece or nephew? Anyway, he urges Jaime to get Cersei out of King\u2019s Landing and hilariously suggests that they jump in a rowboat sail away together. He also thanks Jaime for looking out for him when they were young. It\u2019s incredibly touching. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou were all I had,\u201d says Tyrion as he hugs his big brother for what is probably the last time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Army of Good Guys arrives at King\u2019s Landing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Northern Armies and The Unsullied (AKA The Good Guys) are lined up outside the city walls. The Bad Guys (AKA The Golden Company) march out to meet them. Meanwhile, Arya and The Hound are already inside the city, striding purposefully through the crowded streets. The Hound is wearing a hood by way of disguise. Arya is too cool for disguises. Her whole attitude pretty much screams \u201cI am Arya \u201cNight Kingslayer\u201d Stark\u2026 come at me!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"665\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-2.png\" alt=\"GoT Season 8 Episode 5\" class=\"wp-image-96259\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-2.png 665w, https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-2-300x135.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 665px) 100vw, 665px\" \/><figcaption>Game of Thrones or Monty Python skit?<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>And here\u2019s Cersei!<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Everybody\u2019s least favourite Queen is standing at her balcony, looking fierce in red and gold and smirking in a way that makes me want to punch her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We cut to hordes of innocent people rushing to seek shelter in the Red Keep. The gates get rudely slammed in their faces because Cersei is the worst person ever. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, Jaime is in the crowd, waving his golden hand around and trying to get recognised &#8211; presumably so that he will be captured and taken to Cersei. Honestly, looking back over the years, Jaime Lannister has easily spent 85% of his time being captured and held captive. This is very on brand for him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>DRAGON TIME!<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Daenerys Stormborn and Drogon descend on Euron Greyjoy and his ships like a mighty fire breathing reckoning. This scene is OUT OF CONTROL! This is a true Targaryen reign of fire and it is amazing. All the giant arrows are burned to ashes. All the ship are burned to ashes. Many soldiers are burned to ashes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We cut to the armies of The Good Guys and the Bad Guys. The Bad Guys are led by that random nameless guy who is in charge of the Golden Company. I\u2019m sure he has a name, but he literally just showed up a few episodes ago and I don\u2019t think he\u2019s has ever had a single line of dialogue so I\u2019m going to go ahead and call him Nameless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just as the armies of Good Guys and Bad Guys are getting really good at glaring silently at each other, a sudden burst of dragon fire erupts through the city wall and completely wipes out the Golden Company. In one fell swoop they are all burned to ash! And then the army of the Good Guys advances and poor old Nameless is trampled to death!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"665\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-3.png\" alt=\"GoT Season 8 Episode 5\" class=\"wp-image-96260\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-3.png 665w, https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-3-300x135.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 665px) 100vw, 665px\" \/><figcaption>Euron Greyjoy and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>Daenerys is definitely winning the war<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>And Cersei is in major denial about it. We see her talking to Qyburn who is all, \u201cHey this looks pretty bad for us, maybe we should run?\u201d But Cersei is all \u201cThe Red keep has never fallen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, the Army of Good Guys has made it into the city now. We see Jon and Greyworm &amp; Co. running through the streets until they come up against some more Bad Guys. (Is this the Queen\u2019s Guard, or the Lannister army? I don\u2019t know and I\u2019m too stressed to care right now!!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Daenerys flies Drogon over to perch on what reminds of the city wall. The Bad Guys basically gulp in fear and throw down their swords. They have surrendered. Why aren\u2019t the bells ringing??<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, Tyrion is wandering aimlessly through the battlefield having Deep Thoughts. Jaime is searching for Cersei. The Star of the Seven theme song is playing (the same haunting violin music that played when Cersei blew up the Sept of Baelor in season six). What in the name of seven hells is about to happen here? Why aren\u2019t those bloody bells ringing??<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"665\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-5.png\" alt=\"GoT Season 8 Episode 5\" class=\"wp-image-96263\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-5.png 665w, https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-5-300x135.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 665px) 100vw, 665px\" \/><figcaption>My face while watching this entire episode<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>Enter the MAD QUEEN!!! <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The city has surrendered. Daenerys has won \u2026 but she doesn\u2019t look happy. Nope, she looks insanely furious. Apparently she\u2019s not pleased by the idea of winning the war with minimal civilian casualties and with the city virtually intact. Nope, not our Daenerys! In what seems like a simultaneously very predictable and yet also somehow horribly sudden plot twist, Daenerys Targaryen goes full blown MAD QUEEN. Casting a murderous glare towards the Red Keep, she launches Drogon into the air and the battle is back on with a vengeance. I will now commence screaming and hyperventilating for the rest of the episode. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>ARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGH!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As soon as Daenerys goes MAD QUEEN it\u2019s like a signal for everyone to go berserk. Greyworm takes one look at the soldiers who have surrendered their swords and you can see him thinking, \u201cYeah nah. I think I\u2019m just gonna go on a killing rampage now.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Greyworm hurls his spear at an unarmed soldier and all hell breaks loose. Pretty much everyone is \u201cchoosing violence\u201d now, in a big way. The Good Guys have becomes the Bad Guys and the former Bad Guys are rapidly becoming dead. Those that aren\u2019t burned alive by dragonfire or crushed by falling debris are being slaughtered by Unsullied and Northern soldiers. And it\u2019s not just the men being slaughtered. The former Good Guys are running wild like rabid beasts, killing everyone in sight. Even innocent and unarmed civilians. Even children. No one is safe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>WHAT AM I WATCHING RIGHT NOW???<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"665\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-4.png\" alt=\"GoT Season 8 Episode 5\" class=\"wp-image-96261\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-4.png 665w, https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-4-300x135.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 665px) 100vw, 665px\" \/><figcaption>I&#8217;m sorry, the old Dany can&#8217;t come to the phone right now.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>Cersei is crying!<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Poor Cersei. She\u2019s finally out of denial and into the stage of grief. Amazingly, we see tears rolling down her cheeks as Qyburn convinces her that the battle is lost and she needs to run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>Jaime and Euron fight to the death and honestly, good riddance to both of them<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Jaime is running into the tunnels that lead beneath the Red Keep when who should stroll out of the ocean but Euron Greyjoy! They immediately start bickering like school boys and pretty soon it\u2019s a full on fight to the death. They stab each other approximately 37 times until both are mortally wounded. Jaime walks away from a dying Euron who proclaims, \u201cI\u2019m the man who killed Jaime Lannister!\u201d Of course, he\u2019s also a man who was killed by Jaime Lannister but whatever &#8211; as far as last words go it\u2019s a stylish exit for Euron. The horny pirate king is finally dead, hooray!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"665\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-11.png\" alt=\"GoT Season 8 Episode 5\" class=\"wp-image-96270\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-11.png 665w, https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-11-300x135.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 665px) 100vw, 665px\" \/><figcaption>Thank u, next.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>GOLDEN MOMENT ALERT!<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>And now we come to what I feel is the best character moment of this episode. The Hound and Arya have reached that room in the Red Keep with the map painted on the floor. I\u2019m sure it has a proper name, but I will henceforth refer to it as Map Room. The Hound tells Arya to let go of her thirst for revenge or else she will end up just like him. It\u2019s too late for The Hound to change, but he wants something better for Arya. He convinces her to give up her quest to kill Cersei before he leaves to go kill his brother. As he departs, Arya calls out to him\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSandor, thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My heart!!! This was such a great moment I burst into a spontaneous round of applause!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"665\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-6.png\" alt=\"GoT Season 8 Episode 5\" class=\"wp-image-96264\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-6.png 665w, https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-6-300x135.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 665px) 100vw, 665px\" \/><figcaption>&#8220;I gotta go my own waaaaaayyy&#8221; <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>And now, after seasons of anticipation, welcome to Cleganebowl!<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Qyburn, The Mountain and Cersei are fleeing down a flight of stairs when they come face to face with The Hound. Cersei commands The Mountain to protect her. By way of reply, the Mountain glares at her with his repellent red zombie eyes. Qyburn demands the Mountain obey Cersei. By way of reply, the Mountain smashes Qyburn into a wall, crushing his skull. Qyburn is dead! And then, in a moment that is sure to become an overused gif, Cersei cuts her losses, awkwardly sidesteps The Hound. and makes the world\u2019s speediest getaway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>CLEGANEBOWL IS ON!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"665\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-7.png\" alt=\"GoT Season 8 Episode 5\" class=\"wp-image-96265\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-7.png 665w, https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-7-300x135.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 665px) 100vw, 665px\" \/><figcaption>Sorry, can&#8217;t hear you over the sound of CLEGANEBOWL FINALLY HAPPENING!!!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>Back in the Map Room\u2026<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Cersei and Jaime are reunited. I can\u2019t talk about this in detail because I\u2019m still mad at Jaime for abandoning his redemption arc and breaking up with Brienne. BAD MOVE JAIME! I suppose he\u2019s going to bleed to death soon, but until that happens I reserve the right to hold a grudge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cersei notices Jaime is mortally wounded and then the Lannister twins run off together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>Back to Cleganebowl!<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The Hound isn\u2019t doing too well. The Clegane brothers engage in an epic fight while in the background you can see Drogon flying around, wreaking havoc  on the city.  For some reason, during the fight The Mountain becomes horrifyingly shirtless and we see that his bloated undead chest is lacerated with stab wounds and seeping with putrid looking pus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Argh, my eyes! Will I will ever be able to unsee this??) <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Next we cut to Arya running through the burning streets of Kings Landing as buildings explode all around her. What proceeds is a very tense series of scenes cutting between Arya\u2019s fight for survival and Cleganebowl. It\u2019s brilliantly done. The tension and drama are reaching peak levels. The Hound is getting badly beaten. Arya has fallen to the ground and is getting trampled. The Hound is smashed into a wall. Arya is helped to her feet by a kind woman  (it\u2019s the woman from the precious mother and daughter team that we have seen a few times in this episode and who are clearly supposed to represent all the innocent souls who are dying because of our old friend, the MAD QUEEN). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"665\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-13.png\" alt=\"GoT Season 8 Episode 5\" class=\"wp-image-96285\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-13.png 665w, https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-13-300x135.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 665px) 100vw, 665px\" \/><figcaption>Marriage to Gendry suddenly doesn&#8217;t seem so bad.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The Hound stabs the Mountain a bunch of times and I start yelling at the top of my lungs \u201cOMG JUST CUT OFF HIS HEAD PLEASE!\u201d but the Hound can\u2019t hear me because he\u2019s busy having his eyes gouged out. <br> And then in an absolutely amazing scene, the The Hound charges at The Mountain. The brothers smash through a wall and fall to their mutual deaths, disappearing into the flames below. It is breathtaking and so much better that I ever imagined Cleganebowl would ever be! This whole episode is so damn EPIC in scope it\u2019s impossible not to be impressed with the action sequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>The destruction of King\u2019s Landing continues\u2026<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The city lies in ruins and Daenerys shows no sign of stopping her murderous rampage any time soon. Jon calls for his soldiers to fall back. Arya stumbles through the dusty rubble and runs into a group of civilians &#8211;  including the precious mother and daughter team from before! She convinces everyone to run with her. Two seconds later the precious mother is slashed through the back by a passing Dothraki and the precious daughter will not leave her mother\u2019s side. Arya tries really hard to help them but then a burst of fire knocks everyone off screen. And oh my God, if that was Ayra Stark\u2019s death scene then I am going to go full blown MAD QUEEN on the people who make this show. No-one will be safe from my righteous fury if Arya is dead!!!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"665\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-8.png\" alt=\"GoT Season 8 Episode 5\" class=\"wp-image-96266\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-8.png 665w, https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-8-300x135.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 665px) 100vw, 665px\" \/><figcaption>Me deleting all the unread emails in my inbox.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>Back to the Lannister twins\/lovers\u2026<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Jaime and Cersei have made it to the dungeons where all the dragon skulls are kept. Cersei is very upset. It\u2019s actually quite satisfying to see how terrified and miserable she is. She knows it\u2019s the end of the line for her and Jaime. She wants her baby to live but really\u2026 too bad! If she wanted her baby to live then she probably shouldn\u2019t have executed our beloved Missandei and provoked the violent rage of a mad dragon queen!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After some tears and incestous kisses, the Red Keep collapses on top of the Lannisters. Jaime and Cersei die in each others arms. I guess there\u2019s some dramatic irony in that, but I really was hoping to see Arya strike that last name off her Murder List.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>And now we have come to the end\u2026<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>In the last scene of the episode we see a battered and bleeding Arya Stark who is mercifully not dead! The Night-Kingslayer is stumbling through the rubble that was once King\u2019s Landing as smoke billows and ash falls from above. She sees the bodies of the precious mother and daughter, both killed by dragon fire. They died embracing each other and their charred bodies look like something straight out of Pompeii. I won\u2019t lie\u2026 the sight really got to me. It\u2019s official. I think I hate Daenerys now!?!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Arya sees a white horse standing eerily alone in the empty ruins. In a beautiful and surreal moment, she approaches the horse slowly and takes hold of it\u2019s reins. We then we see her riding off down the burning street like a valiant hero. She is presumably going to kill Daenerys now and I can only salute her because after what we\u2019ve just seen, Daenerys needs to die ASAP. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"665\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-10.png\" alt=\"GoT Season 8 Episode 5\" class=\"wp-image-96268\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-10.png 665w, https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-10-300x135.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 665px) 100vw, 665px\" \/><figcaption>What a mood, honestly.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>And that\u2019s a wrap on Episode Five! ONLY ONE EPISODE LEFT!<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>FIRST OF ALL, I have Some Thoughts&#8230; <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With one episode to go, we have a brand new villain! And it\u2019s our very own Mother of Dragons!! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, no-one can really argue that this is out of character for Dany. We have seen her make some questionable decisions in the past while she was busy conquering multiple cities and ruthlessly destroying her enemies. She is a Targaryen, after all, and madness runs in her blood. This is actually a pretty brilliant ending for her character and yet&#8230; I\u2019ve always loved Daenerys so it\u2019s hard to see her become such an outright villain after watching her triumphant rise to power over eight seasons. Is having a volatile temper, a violent streak,and a family history of madness really enough to warrant this deep dive into mass murder? Apparently so! Losing two of her dragon children, as well as her Jorah and her Missandei, coupled with betrayal on all sides by her trusted allies (not to mention breaking up with her nephew\/boyfriend)\u2026 well, it\u2019s enough to drive any Targaryen into a killing frenzy. And given that this show has always been grim and shocking and unkind to our favourite characters &#8211; this ending has George R.R. Martin written literally all over it. <br><br>Game of Thrones has never given us want we want. It has always famously defied expectations. This ending makes perfect sense but still\u2026 something about this season just feels clumsy and poorly executed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Can someone explain to me why the final season of the most popular show in the history of all time had to be squished into 6 episodes? I feel like I\u2019m watching what could have been the best season of television EVER, except that it is streaming in fast forward! I don\u2019t disagree with the way the plot is unfolding, per say. It\u2019s dramatic and tragic and totally epic. But the pacing is completely bonkers. The characters have all become time-travelling chameleons who do or say whatever is required to keep the plot racing along at breakneck speed. Honestly, Season 8 is giving me whiplash. It\u2019s still highly entertaining though. I was on tenterhooks for the entire episode and once again loved every second!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"665\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-12.png\" alt=\"GoT Season 8 Episode 5\" class=\"wp-image-96273\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-12.png 665w, https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-Blog-12-300x135.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 665px) 100vw, 665px\" \/><figcaption>What&#8217;s this? Oh, just the fiery gaping hole left in my heart by this episode.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Best Dressed:<\/strong> This doesn\u2019t sit well with me but it has to be Cersei. Her military style red and gold gowns this season have been so awesome. And even though I still hate her with every fibre of my being, I have to admit she looked very stylish in this episode. Rest in eternal torment, Cersei! I hope it hurt when The Red Keep landed on you!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Golden Moment:<\/strong> Arya and the Hound\u2019s final scene together is one of my favourite scenes in the entire show. I\u2019m so glad that during this madcap hyperspeed race to the finish line of this show, they still found time for this beautiful moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Predictions:<\/strong> Who the hell knows? The heroes became the villains in this episode. All bets are off for the future. Anything could happen, but I suppose someone will have to kill Daenerys now. It will probably be Jon, (though I hope it will be Arya). After that, I guess someone will need to rule Westeros? My vote is with Sansa. Love live the Queen in the North!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Burning question:<\/strong> Is the Iron Throne even still a thing? Did it get crushed when the Red Keep collapsed? And if there is no Iron Throne anymore\u2026 does this mean everyone can just stop fighting and go home?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Game of Thrones | Season 8 Episode 6 | Preview (HBO)\" width=\"1250\" height=\"703\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qyBPzUe3hNI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We&#8217;re really getting to the pointy end now&#8230; read Sarah McDuling&#8217;s recap of Season 8 Episode 5 of Game of Thrones, &#8220;The Bells.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":96294,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":""},"categories":[53],"tags":[6799,2126,9875,2175,8984],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/GoTs8e5Recap-social.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96230"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96230"}],"version-history":[{"count":56,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96230\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":96956,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96230\/revisions\/96956"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/96294"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96230"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96230"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}