Wars Are Coming

Game Of Thrones is back on, and that's always a good thing. (Silicon Valley is back, too, and still very good.) The first episode of season five, "The Wars To Come," catches us up with most of the characters.  Even before the action, in the credits we see we're going to Pentos--and I bet I know who will be there.

We start with an odd sequence where a young, imperious girl with a powerful father visits a witch.  The witch tells her future--she'll be queen, but will be usurped by someone younger and more beautiful.  Cut forward to Cersei--we kind of knew it was her. (I'm not a big fan of magical predictions in literature--I like the future to be open.) Cersei is walking up the steps to see her father lying in state.  She passes Margaery, probably figuring this is the one who'll replace her, but we're thinking Daenerys.

Jaime is at his father's side, and Cersei, predictably, isn't happy that her lover/brother released Tyrion.  Jaime is as responsible for Tywin's death as the Imp.  She has a point.  Jaime recognizes, at least, that now is no time for weakness--with dad dead the vultures are circling.  Still, what can he do?  What can Cersei do?

Tyrion has been Fedexed to Pentos (as we expected), and Varys paid the postage.  I don't think we've been in Pentos since the first season.  Tyrion seems to think there's nothing to do but drink himself to death at this point, while Varys has plans--he's always got plans.

The Harpy is pulled down in Meereen, but a secret rebellions starts, and an Unsullied is murdered. Dany has the Unsullied patrol the city.  Turns out staying put and ruling isn't so easy.  Meanwhile, she has put down the rebellion in Yunkai, but the former masters want a concession--open up the fighting pits.  She says no.

At the Wall, Jon Snow is training his men.  Haven't things calmed down a bit there?  Apparently they'll soon be voting in a new Lord Commander for the Night's Watch, but do we really care?  More important, Snow is called before Stannis.  The would-be king has a plan--he wants to take back Winterfell from the nasty Roose Bolton, and go on to take back the rest of Westeros. He figures he needs some help.  (What happened to all that gold from Braavos?  And the 100,000 soldiers?  Has he squandered it all?)  And so he wants to enlist the Wildlings.  Actually, a pretty good idea.  Unfortunately, he'll only do it if Mance bends the knee. Good luck with that.

Over at the Eyrie, Robin is in training. He stinks, of course, but Littlefinger is glad to leave him behind in fighting school.  Not far from there, Brienne stews.  She couldn't help Arya, and doesn't want Pod following her around. What about Sansa? Have they already tried the Bloody Gate and been turned down?  Speaking of which, there's a coach driving by with Petyr and his ward. He's leaving the area--too dangerous, full of people who may turn on them.  But he won't tell Sansa where they're going.  We only know it's far away.  Where could that be?

Back at King's Landing, people offer condolences to Cersei. She runs into cousin Lancel, with whom she once connived. (Is that what they're calling it now?)  He's found religion, become a Sparrow, and says it can offer her comfort. She doesn't want it, but it's clear with Tywin gone religious radicals are coming back to the capital--that may mean trouble.  Elsewhere, Loras sleeps around--he and Cersei won't have to get married, now, will they?  Margaery is a bit disappointed--getting Cersei to Highgarden would leave Tommen all to herself.

In Pentos, Varys lays his cards (what else does he have?) on the table.  All along he's been fighting for the Realm, and right now the best man for the job is a woman. He plans to go to Meereen and work with Dany, apparently. And he wants Tyrion with him.  Okay, but 1) just what will they do, and 2) just how will Dany treat them when they drop in?

Speaking of Dany, her boytoy Daario tells her to open up the pits.  Forget all this morality jazz--the people want it and it will make you look good. More important, what's with the dragons tied up?  You're the dragon queen. He's got a point--she'd be nothing without them.  The third one hasn't been seen, but she goes in the dungeon where the two are locked up and they don't seem happy.  Has the Mother of Dragons lost her brood?

Snow goes to Mance, but we know what's gonna happen.  Mance can't bow to anyone, so he goes outside, wishes Stannis luck, and the lady in Red starts lighting him up. It's a sad spectacle, ended early when Jon puts an arrow through his heart. (Ygritte would be proud.)  And that's all for this week.

We saw some good setups--it'll be fun to have the Mother of Dragons meet the Imp. Have no idea where some are going--Littlefinger, Brienne? Any chance they'll meet up after the near miss?  Margaery and Cersei seem ready to go at it, while Jaime is at loose ends.  Stannis is ready to make some sort of move, though how it'll play out is hard to say--especially with the Night's Watch having to deal with the White Walkers.  No Roose, Ramsay or Theon, which is okay. Ser Jorah's out there, but who knows where?  Bran is where he needs to be, but it's not clear what he'll do.  And where is Arya? Her adventures in Braavos could be a series on its own, I bet.