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‘Game of Thrones’, Season 6, Episode 8 Recap: ‘No One’

Warning: Spoilers!  We are back with another hyped up episode of Game of Thrones. Last time we saw Arya, she was in pretty bad shape. Being stabbed in the gut can do that to you. Good thing she has at least one […]

Warning: Spoilers! 

We are back with another hyped up episode of Game of Thrones.

Last time we saw Arya, she was in pretty bad shape. Being stabbed in the gut can do that to you. Good thing she has at least one friend in Bravvos. Arya shows up at Lady Crane’s doorstep (the one she was supposed to assassinate) who is kind enough to tend to her wounds and offer her a place in her troupe. Arya refuses and tells her she plans to go “west of Westeros” where all the maps end. To help her recover, Lady Crane gives Arya a sip of milk of the poppy, sending her to a deep sleep. Looks like our little Stark will live to fight another day.

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Over in Westeros, the Hound is on a hunt for the bandits who killed the village he was staying in and his friend, Ray. As brutal and snarky as ever, the Hound cuts down some of the Brotherhood Without Banners. The only one missing is the one in the yellow cloak, Lem Lemoncloak. He will hunt again.

In Meereen, the city is thriving as the Red Priests and Priestesses bring together the common folk to Daenerys’ cause, painting her as the Chosen One. On that note, Varys takes off for a mysterious expedition. While I think more Varys and Tyrion moments would have been cool, twas not meant to be. With Varys gone, Tyrion is left with Missandei and Grey Worm for awkward small talk, both of whom are not big drinkers or jokers. But they give it a go. Before they get too comfortable, a fleet arrives. “The Masters have returned for their property,” Missandei says.

Things aren’t looking great for Cersei. source

In King’s Landing, the Sparrows deliver the High Sparrow’s orders for Cersei to see him. When the Sparrows try to use force, the Mountain gets in the way. When Lancel, Cersei’s cousin, gives her to choice to come with him or there’ll be violence, Cersei chooses violence upon which the Mountain rips off the head of one of the Sparrows.

 

Meanwhile, King Tommen decrees there will no longer be trials of combat as it is brutish and a scheme devised to avoid their fate by the gods. This decrees takes away Cersei’s trump card – who would be able to defeat the Mountain in battle? Looks like Cleganebowl has been dissolved. But a rumour Cersei has had Qyburn look into seems to be reaping more than she expected.

At Riverrun, Podrick and Bronn have a heartfelt reunion. Pod reveals Brienne has been teaching him martial arts, but Bronn’s dirty tactics tell him he hasn’t been trained well enough. Back in Jaime’s tent, Brienne and Jaime parley, recounting the violent history of the Tullys, Starks, Freys and Boltons. Brienne offers a deal: Let the Blackfish and his men to ride north and help

Sansa defeat the Boltons, and Jaime can take the castle for Tommen. Before she leaves, Brienne goes to give Jaime his sword back, but he refuses to take it back as it belongs to her now. She also reminds him that if things don’t go to plan, Brienne will be forced to fight Jaime. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” he says.

The feels. source

The Blackfish’s stubbornness is just as Jaime described: He refuses to accept the deal, even after reading Sansa’s plea. If Jaime wants Rivverun, he will have to do it the old fashioned way. When Pod asks Brienne what he’d like her to say in her message to Sansa, she says, “Tell her I’ve failed.”

On the other side, Jaime visits Ser Edmure Tully to try and arrange a deal with him. Jaime brings up that Edmure has a child, to which Edmure lashes out and insults the Kingslayer’s honour, asking if he believes he is a decent person and how he can live with himself. Jaime, used to be insulted, fires back by talking about his late sister Catelyn Stark, whom he admired and respected despite being her prisoner, a lady who would do anything for her children. Cersei shares the same quality, a fierceness for protecting her children and he will do anything for her. And to sweeten the pot, he threatens to send for Edmure’s baby and catapult him into the castle because he does not care for Edmure or his child. “If I have to slaughter every Tully to get back to [Cersei], then that’s what I’ll do,” he tells Edmure – and we believe him.

Toby, shouldn’t you be on Outlander? source

With this, Edmure is allowed to approach the gates of Rivverun and ask for entry as he is the rightful lord of the castle. The Blackfish will not surrender to Jaime and demands the men to ignore Edmure, but they are dutybound to him. The Blackfish, despite knowing it is a trap, relents and they lower the drawbridge. It’s a huge risk if Edmure backs out of his deal with Jaime. But he delivers: Edmure orders total surrender. He also orders for the Blackfish to be found, chained and delivered to the Freys.

Below the castle, the Blackfish is escorting Brienne and Pod to an escape route by boat but insists on staying as he wouldn’t be much help to Sansa in the north. “I haven’t had a proper swordfight in years. I’ll probably make a damn fool of myself,” he says before dashing upstairs. After taking the castle, Jaime asks his men to see the elder Tully but is informed he died in the fighting. The old man had spirit.

It is then that he see Brienne and Pod making their way down the river. There’s another OTP floating downstream as they wave goodbye.

A city does burn this episode and it

is Meereen, which is under attack by the Masters. They are in dire need of help. Just when it seems Tyrion’s plan may cost them their lives, their queen arrives with Drogon and she is as fierce as ever. We will have to wait until next week to see what happens to the great city of Meereen.

Back to the Hound’s hunt, he finds the Lightning Lord Beric Dondarrion and Thoros of Myr. They’re about to hang Lem Lemoncloak and his men who were acting by themselves when they butchered the village, dragging the Brotherhood’s name through the dirt. Out of respect for the Hound’s loss, they allow him to kill two of the three and not by butchering them with his axe. It’s not ideal, but he’ll take it – and Lemoncloak’s boots. After the hanging, Beric and Thoros try to enlist the Hound as they prepare for the winds of winter.

Back in Bravvos, Lady Crane continues to tend to Arya. An unexpected guest arrives. It’s the Waif disguised as a boy who brutally murders Lady Crane. Arya wakes to face her rival and takes to the streets of Bravvos. The chase is intense, but she can’t seem to shake the Waif from her. She leaps into a fruit market, where her wound reopens, and she leaves a trail of blood for the Waif to follow. Arya is back in her hiding spot and the Waif asks how she wants to die. Grabbing Needle, she squares off against the Waif. As her enemy makes a move, she takes her chance and cuts the candle, extinguishing the light.

You cut it close, kid. source

It pays off. Jaqen finds the Waif’s bloody face in the Hall of Faces. He turns to find Arya pointing Needle at his chest. Unfazed, he says, “A girl has finally become No One.” Arya answers, “A girl is Arya Stark of Winterfell, and I’m going home.” Instead of killing her, Jaqen simply smiles as Arya walks away to take her place back in Westeros as Arya Stark.

Stay tuned for more Game of Thrones recaps!