Jeremy Podeswa is not a great director. So I cranked my expectations down a few notches. But what I discovered was pretty interesting. When you have a mediocre director handling an episode, that really exposes everyone else's strengths. And in particular I thought the writing was fantastic. Effortlessly sharp and inspiring. Manipulative in the most enjoyable way. Thank God we have D&D guiding this show. They really know how to deliver on pivotal moments.
The ending was so perfect. Gotta know when to be quiet. I was holding my breath waiting for a stinger at the end, and it was delivered. The cold open was pretty great, too. I like that they could credibly pull a Salud. Rewatching that cold open reveals so many new layers, by the way — a stunning performance there.
Hound & co. was also a showcase of very good acting. That all really worked for me. Would have liked to see a flash or two of what he was seeing in the flames, though, just to know he wasn't pulling their leg (which I suspected at first).
Euron is interesting. And kind of terrifying. He and Cersei are worthy villains for this season.
Calling it now: In the finale, we see Ed Sheeran decapitated in battle.
Jon made the right call in that meeting. I understand Sansa's position, but I think she's wrong. I also suspect she plans to lead Littlefinger on. That may not have been part of it, but we will probably see something soon to that end.
I'm
aching for this Stark/Targaryen alliance. (My thoughts on that are
here.) I assumed Dany would be seeking out Jon, but it looks like it'll be the other way around. A nice twist. I need to see Sansa vouch for Theon and Tyrion, who were some of her only allies in very dark times. Olenna, for that matter. I doubt Jon will need to be convinced. He's desperate for people, and the Targaryen alliance are obviously the good guys.
There will be resistance from others. Northerners don't like Targaryens. The last war with them was very recent, even. Just need to convince them that Daenerys is a rebranded Targaryen. Only problem is they don't really have access to Dany's propaganda, like her "break the wheel" speech and so forth.
I still think Dany will be easy to convince:
Daenerys would be a fool not to take advantage of the incredible loyalty the Starks have in the North. (She can't be interested in scorching a bunch of northerners while trying to win hearts and minds.) Considering she's okay with leaving the Iron Islands semi-independent, the North by comparison is a dream scenario for her. You're dealing with this super honorable house with two leaders who are decidedly not power-hungry, who are not raping or pillaging anyone, who yearn for an end to the chaos of Westeros even more than Daenerys does.
Anyway...
How the hell did Euron manage to make an armada that big and powerful? Ridiculous.
Yeah... I'm trying to remember exactly what portion of his ships were stolen, but I don't think it was even made very clear at the time. "My best ships" we are told. It's problematic that his story last season ended with him calling for a mass manufacture of ships, because that only confused the issue.
The timeline works, though. Theon and Yara fled the Iron Islands, making some stops along the way, then got to Daenerys. They stayed there for a little while, forming the alliance and perhaps waiting some more time for all the other allies to show up, so they could all depart together. Then they had to make that journey back to Westeros. Was surely weeks, could have been months.
Euron's task was simpler: make a bunch of ships, then sail to King's Landing. If they are really fast shipbuilders, I could buy that. We didn't get any information to tell us how difficult a task that was for them. But I'll give GoT the benefit of the doubt here.
