'Game of Thrones' Recap: 'Hardhome' lives up to its name

GoT S5E7 Hardhome

Much of the fifth season of Game of Thrones has been bogged down in the minutiae of ruling. In the moves that work and the moves that don’t. And it has become easy to forget the grand tapestry that is Westeros and Essos when you are following only a few threads each episode, hopping from one corner of the tapestry to the other. “Hardhome” is a stark (or should I say Snow, I’ll be here all week) reminder that, occasionally, it is important to look at the whole image as opposed to the individual strands of thread.

Hardhome is the port town in which Jon and Tormund sail in hopes of convincing a large settlement of wildlings in allying with the Night’s Watch. It’s a fairly desolate place, with beaches covered in white and mountains looming behind. It also happens to be the exact place the white walkers decide to attack next on their southward tour of destruction and “conscription”.

Hardhome is the first true large scale battle I can remember happening in the middle of the day and it certainly did not disappoint. The camera felt controlled but the confusion on screen was felt in the audience with editing and not focusing too long on Jon or Tormund or any one character. It was a melee and a freeforall and the way in which the scene was edited as the horde of white walkers continued to break through the wall (and launch themselves off of a mountain) was purposeful and intense. This was not quick cutting fight scenes so often utilized in movies that disorient the audience for the sake of trumped up excitement. No, this was certainly more measured to recreate the confusion on the battlefield but not make the action feel incomprehensible. And the scene felt appropriately epic. The Battle of The Blackwater, while excellently filmed as well, didn’t feel nearly as grandiose as it should have. Hardhome had no such issues.

But the real genius in “Hardhome” wasn’t the battle sequence. It was what preceded it. The negotiating and talking around a fire with wildlings by Jon and Tormund (Tormund’s initial meet and greet with the Lord of Bones was hilariously gruesome). These great plans and offers and dealings being hashed out amongst the freefolk a Night’s Watchmen, sworn enemies. And immediately having these discussions become obsolete in the face of an actual attack by the very thing Jon was recruiting the wildlings to fight against. Game of Thrones has never been about the huge, war changing battles, but the behind the scenes work. But having the white walkers demolish these negotiations reminds the audience that “the best laid schemes o’ mice an men gang aft agley.” That ultimately it doesn’t matter who sits atop the Iron Throne, who becomes whose advisor, and what petty squabbles there may be between two families. There are forces out there that will destroy whatever is in their path because they can, putting everything south of The Wall into context.

This isn’t to say that the wheelings and dealings aren’t equally as entertaining or enjoyable. Tyrion and Dany’s couple scenes were some of the best this season has had to offer. Tyrion proving to Dany that his advice is worthwhile by telling her of Jorah’s devotion but not being too lenient reminded us all that Tyrion knows what he’s doing when it comes to leading. It has been a long time since he was the Hand of the King and had a major role in governance and his arguments (the greatest Lannister killer of all time) to become Dany’s advisor were spot on. These rememberances of Tyrion’s greatness for cunning and tact as well as how exciting he and Dany as a pair would be came rushing back in “Hardhome.” And even though Dany wants to break the wheel of power in Westeros Tyrion’s recognition and advice to her that it will be harder than it looks seem to have not fallen on deaf ears.

Theon’s ears are perpetually deaf through fear of being punished again by Ramsay. This was another reminder of why Theon did not help Sansa in the previous episode – and that converting him into an ally for Sansa will take more time than Sansa anticipated. But Theon seems to be crumbling as he confesses to Sansa that Bran and Rickon are still alive. And Sansa may be given even more of a chance to try and turn Theon into a somewhat trusted ally if Ramsay, who has volunteered to take a band of skilled fighters to Stannis in some sort of sneak attack, does not take Theon along. At the very least Sansa may be able to put the candle in the highest tower in Winterfell herself if Ramsay leaves and does not lock her in her room.

Where Tyrion’s station in life looks brighter and brighter, Cersei’s continues to get darker. Cersei was never one to be able to take advice and as her first act as de facto ruler (Tommen listening to whatever she says) has clearly shown that being able to take advice is a needed trait. Having been jailed by the High Sparrow at the end of last week’s episode, we see some of the punishments for unrepenting sinners. She gets no water until she confesses her sins, as well as the occasional beating by the water ladle. By the end of the episode she is forced to suck the water up from the ground that the sister sparrow has purposefully spilled. But she still refuses to confess knowing that the Lannisters would be disgraced and would lose any legitimacy to the throne, she knows she can’t confess though even if she could it doesn’t seem as though she ever would.

Luckily Arya is still open to learning and suggestion. Finally her training at the House of White and Black begins as she is tasked by Jaqen to “become” an oyster girl who sells oysters on the streets of Braavos. Specifically he wants to see if she’s observant enough to find any people doing wrong to the normal citizens of Braavos. Who knew that life insurance was just as big of a racket in Essos as it is in our world? Satisfied with Arya’s abilities to recognize the harm this captain insurer is capable of, Jaqen then tells her to know him and once that happens poison him. It is a big task for Arya since all she has been doing is cleaning the dead but now she is finally learning what she has come to learn. It also doesn’t hurt to get her out of the dreary House of White and Black.

Even with these developments in Essos and King’s Landing it’s hard not to feel as though they are diminished by the return of the white walker army. Ultimately nothing south of The Wall will matter if the white walkers cannot be defeated and it is painfully obvious that the Night’s Watch and the wildlings are nowhere near ready to take on this threat. “Hardhome” focused on all the right stories, finally giving some of them some guidance on where they may go and offered the incredible juxtaposition that in the end it may not matter where our characters end up.

Other Gamey Morsels

• Jon came to raise an army to fight the white walkers but the very literal raising of the new white walker army (those who died in the fight) was pretty harrowing for Jon – though I thought I detected a little anger underneath his expression of shock and fright.

• There need to be more giants in Game of Thrones. We need to know where they come from, where they live, and how Jon can convince them to join him. Also a white walker giant seems like the most terrifying thing in the world.

• If the zombies in The Walking Dead had even half the agility, speed, determination, and power of the white walkers The Walking Dead would have lasted about an episode and a half.

• A couple last thoughts about Hardhome. Valyrian steel, which Jon’s sword is made of, has dragonglass threaded throughout it, which proves to Jon and anyone who saw that dragonglass is a powerful tool. Also we know that fire can defeat them as well. It seems as though there’s someone across the Narrow Sea who may have an endless supply of weaponized fire at her disposal… I also can’t reiterate how incredible it was to watch Tormund show everyone who was boss as he beat the Lord of Bones to a bloody pulp.

• Jorah seems destined for a Gladiator moment as he decides to become a fighter in the pits again. His grayscale is spreading rather slowly, it seems.