The season finale starts with Jon Snow heading out beyond the wall, passing the many bodies of fallen men. As he walks into the Wildling encampment, he puts his hands up to disarm the men that surround him. He approaches Mance Rayder and tells him that he has been sent to negotiate with him. Jon tries to convince Mance to turn his armies around. Mance wants access to the tunnel, offering A truce to be allowed to let his people travel south of the wall before winter comes. Before Jon answers, a horn is sounded. An army is attacking their encampment, Stannis’ army. Mance Rayder drops his weapons and orders his men to stand down, his people have been bled enough. Stannis Baratheon tries to order Mance to kneel, but that is the one thing his people will not do. Jon Snow speaks on his behalf, telling Stannis that his Father would have treated him well. He would also burn the dead before nightfall, all of them.
The mountain lays dying, the physician suggesting milk of the poppy for his pain, though they don’t have enough to effect him, being that he has a regular habit of it. Cersei dismisses him, and puts The Mountain in the hands of Qyburn (an ex-maester who was denounced for unnatural practices), who warns that he can save him, but the process will ‘change him’. Cersei only cares that he will not be weakened.
Cersei goes to Tywin and tries to refuse her marriage to Loras Tyrell. She tries threatening, and promises that she will do anything she can not to let it happen. She goes so far as to threaten to tell the truth about her sons, that Jamie is the Father. He refuses to believe that it’s true.
Cersei then goes to Jamie and tries to seduce him to her side. She tells him that she told Tywin about them. As she professes her love for him, he throws her on a table and has his way with her.
A freed slave comes before Daenerys and asks for the right to sell himself back to his Master. She approves that of his free will he can enter into a contract of service with his old Master for a year. Another man comes carrying a bundle, and she asks him to approach. He holds the charred bones of his 3 year old daughter, one of her dragons has killed her. She orders her council to meet her in the catacombs where her dragons reside. Her black dragon is no longer there. She cries as she chains the green and the white, they screech after her as she closes them in.
The Nights Watch hold funerary services, and burn their dead. Tormund tells Jon Snow that Ygritte belongs in the north and asks that she be laid to rest there. Jon builds her funeral pyre beyond the wall.
Bran, Hodor, Meera & Jojen struggle to fight the snow and wind as they head north, but they manage to find the Weirwood tree. As they walk towards it, hands reach up through the snow and grab them. The dead rise and attack them. Bran wargs Hodor and helps him fight. Jojen is stabbed to death by one of the skeleton soldiers. A child orders Bran and Meera to follow her or die. They run into the tree, where the skeletons cannot follow. She says, “Come, he waits for you.” Beneath the tree is an elaborate maze of roots, human bones. An old man sits on a throne of roots. He is the 3 eyed raven. He tells them that Jojen knew what would happen from the start, and he chose to come anyway. He says that he died to help Bran find what he has lost. He tells Bran that he will never walk again, but he will fly.
Brienne and Pod wake, their horses are gone. She scolds Pod for not tying them properly and tells him that he now has to carry the saddle bags. Brienne sees Arya practicing her sword work. She doesn’t know her on sight. The Hound comes round, Podrick recognizes him. Brienne finally realizes that she has been talking to Arya Stark. Brienne says that she swore to her Mother that she would bring Arya home, but The Hound swears that she will not take her. He is watching over her. They begin to fight. She bests him, getting him on his knees. As she says I have no wish to kill you, he grabs her sword, and says that he is not a knight as blood drips from his hands. He fights dirty, knocking her to the ground. She bites his ear off in the struggle, and pushes him off a cliff. In the struggle Podrick loses Arya. After Arya sees them go off in search of her, she goes to The Hound’s side. He tells her that he is going to die, he’s done. He asks her to kill him, says,”Go on girl, another name off your list. You kept promising me.” He tries to taunt her into killing him, then begins to beg, but she refuses. She just takes his gold and walks away, leaving him to die.
Jamie goes and springs Tyrion from his cell, telling him that Varys waits to take him out of King’s Landing. Jamie hugs him and they exchange heartfelt goodbyes. Tyrion looks up the stairwell that Jamie told him to go to find Varys, but decides instead to go to his Father’s bed chamber. In Tywin’s bed is Shae. She sees Tyrion and grabs a knife. He jumps on top of her and they struggle. He uses a cord from the bedding to strangle her to death. After there is no life left in her he says, “Sorry…I’m sorry.” He then sees a cross bow on the wall, and takes it. He finds his Father on the toilet. Tyrion says, “All my life you’ve wanted me dead.”
Tywin, “Yes, but you refused to die. I respect that, even admire it. You fight for what’s yours. I’d never let them execute you. Is that what you fear? I’d never let Ilyn Payne take your head, you’re a Lannister. You’re my Son.”
Tyrion, “I loved her.”
Tywin, “Who?”
Tyrion, “Shae.”
Tywin tells Tyrion to put down the crossbow, but Tyrion stops him. He tells him that he murdered Shae with his own hands. Tywin tells him that it doesn’t matter, she was a whore.
Tyrion, “Say that word again.”
Tywin, “And what? You’ll kill your own Father in the privy? No…you’re my Son. Now, enough of this nonsense.”
Tyrion, “I am your Son, and you sentenced me to die. You knew that I didn’t poison Joffrey, but you sentenced me all the same. Why?”
Tywin tries to rise again, to get Tyrion to go back to his chambers so they can speak with some dignity. Tyrion says that he can’t go back there, that she’s in there. Tywin says, “Are you afraid of a dead whore?” Before he gets the whole sentence out, Tyrion presses the trigger and an arrow flies into Tywin’s chest. He loads it again as Tywin says incredulously, “You shot me. You are no Son of mine.”
Tyrion replies, “I am your Son. I have always been your Son.” He shoots him again, this time killing him and walking away. Varys finds him, and asks him what he has done? He doesn’t answer. Varys then loads him into a crate and onto a ship. As he is on the dock he hears the bells of the castle toll, announcing Tywin’s death. Varys decides to stay on the ship and accompany Tyrion.
Arya riding alone sees a port and ships, and rides towards it. She talks to the Captain of the ship, telling him that she wants to go north. He says that he is not going north, he is going home to Bravos. She says that she has something other than gold to offer him, she has iron. He is dumbfounded, asking where she got it. She says, “Valar Morghulis. (All men must die.)” It’s the coin that Jaqen H’ghar gave her. He saluts her and replies, ” Valar dohaeris (All men must serve). Of course, you shall have a cabin.” Fade to Black.
Happy Father’s Day Tywin!!! Though it’s incredibly satisfying to see both Shae and Tywin get their just desserts, I don’t like the changes they made from the books. In the story, it is not Shae that Tywin calls a whore, it’s Tyrion’s first wife. There were a few odd changes, including Brienne killing The Hound. Not sure why they decided to change the story that way. I guess we will see. All in all, a good end to the season!
