Episode 10 and season finale of season 5 of Game of Thrones is entitled “Mother’s Mercy”. Now, if we know anything about the world of Game of Thrones, it is that there is no mercy, whether it comes from a mother or someone else. The HBO summary of the episode to come states “Stannis marches. Dany is surrounded by strangers. Cersei seeks forgiveness. Jon is challenged.”
Now, we can assume that Mother’s Mercy refers to the Mother, one of the Seven, gods of Westeros. The Mother is the part of the Seven that represents mercy, justice, fertility and peace. Cersei will have to cast herself onto the mercy of the Seven, specifically the Mother in this episode. However, Cersei’s manipulative and cruel ways are truly catching up to her. Simply asking forgiveness will not be enough. Cersei will have to undergo serious humiliation and retribution to make amends with the High Faith. Giving the High Sparrow as much power as she did was hugely unwise.
Both Cersei and Dany will have to deal with the consequences of their actions this week. In the heart-pounding climax of Episode 9, Dany climbed astride Drogon and flew away from Meereen, leaving Tyrion, Jorah and Daario alone in a sea of their opposition. Although we can see from this week’s preview that the three survived, they will have to figure out what to do while Dany is off on her own. Drogon may listen to Daenerys more than anyone else, but it is safe to assume that Dany will be away from Meereen for a period of time. In the books, Daenerys’s new husband, Hizdahr, takes over the city during her absence. However, in the show, Hizdahr has just been killed and Tyrion, not present in the book, is ready to step in. Will Tyrion take on the role of head advisor again? Hopefully, it will not end in murder and exile again this time. In the preview, we hear Tyrion say, “You betrayed her!”, presumably about Daenerys. The question is whether this refers to Jorah, who we already know has betrayed her once, or if this is a new betrayal, and the reason for the chaos in the fighting pits.
This episode promises some dramatic endings for our many characters in the North having a rough time. Jon Snow, although making a decision that seems morally right, has had difficulty convincing his men to work with the wildlings. This episode promises a confrontation between the Night’s Watch and Jon. Will our favorite characters in the Watch survive?
Stannis’s horrifying sacrifice in episode 9 seems to have paid off. The storm besieging the Baratheon camp has ceased, allowing the troops to march on Winterfell. All 3 main characters in the North may finally converge, allowing Stannis, Sansa and Brienne to come together. Will the internet denizens be right? Will Stannis be killed by Brienne? If so, that would make the sacrifice of Shireen even more depressing. This battle will almost surely be anti-climatic, since most of the intense battle scenes are left to the ninth episode of each season. Hopefully, Sansa’s wish that she be killed before she loses herself is unnecessary. But, knowing the writers, she is bound to experience much more pain and trauma in the future.