A Post of Fire and Ice: Dragonstone

“Dragonstone”, the first episode of the penultimate season of Game of Thrones, moves slowly, putting the chess pieces in place for what promises to be a fast-moving, shortened season. Yes, it was a bit slow, but we witnessed a spectacular opening scene that saw Arya, as Walder Frey, poison the extended Frey clan. I have found Arya’s subplot among the least interesting throughout the series, from her travels with the Hound across Westeros to her long stint at the House of Black and White. But her winding storyline looks like it will finally pay off, as she emerges as one of the many strong female characters forging her own destiny at this point in Game of Thrones. More on that later.

I watched “Dragonstone” with both enjoyment and apprehension, because we got to spend unhurried time with minor characters who have become fan favorites- Samwell Tarly furtively studying up on dragonglass at the Citadel, the Hound discovering his mystic powers in the Riverlands, even a quick reminder that loyal Jorah Mormont is alive and still pining after his Khaleesi. But the apprehension comes from knowing that goodness is not rewarded in the Game of Thrones universe. You either win, or you die. Cruelty is met with revenge, as we saw in Arya’s deadly opening scene, doubt and suspicion are sown among siblings, as seen with Sansa and Jon Snow in Winterfell, and Queen Cersei seeks to crush all opponents in King’s Landing. Virtue, when not paired with cunning, leads to death. I believe this is why the farmer and his young daughter, a fleeting presence from season 4, were brought back in skeletal form in this episode- to remind us that when you trust strangers in Westeros, you pay. Sandor Clegane is a changed man since he stole their silver and left them vulnerable so long ago, remorseful enough to bury them to make amends. He is an example of a character who is coupling steeliness and kindness, generosity and strength. Another character learning to stiffen her spine and not be so naive? Sansa Stark, on a collision course with her brother Jon, who, though wiser to the ways of the world, still extends forgiveness where Sansa believes he should show firmer resolve. We are witnessing a wedge growing between the two, as is Petyr Baelish, who is still lurking in the shadows.

And of course the episode ends where the previous season ended- with Daenarys Targaryen, sailing onward to conquer an ancestral homeland that she does not know. She has already sent shockwaves through the Red Keep, with her massive army, wealth, and shrewd adviser, Tyrion Lannister (I wondered how the information about Daenarys and her crew got back to Cersei so fast. Is Varys still sending secrets to the capital?). The question remains not only if she will take the Iron Throne, but if she would rule as the Breaker of Chains with an eye to meting out justice and righting wrongs, or if she has inherited some of the madness and ruthlessness of her Targaryen blood.

The Sydney Morning Herald had an interesting piece on the evolving gender dynamics of Game of Thrones. I’ve noticed that the show has relied less on brothel scenes and gore and more and character and plot over the years; one other way that the show has matured is that women seem to be ascendant, leaving men quivering in their wake (see: Daenerys and Tyrion, Yara and Theon, Cersei and Jaime, even little Lyanna Mormont urging the Lords of the North to send their daughters to defend their land). When Game of Thrones began, the female characters were victims of fates that were decided by the men around them. However, over the course of six seasons, women like Arya and Sansa have learned to take control of their destinies and not depend on men to defend them. The showdown this season appears to be between two queens: Cersei, with Jamie Lannister at her side, and Daenerys Stormborn, with Tyrion Lannister at her side. This promises to be a short yet thoroughly entertaining season.