‘ GAME OF THRONES’: IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Sunday night was the first episode of the new season of the highly anticipated “Game of Thrones” series. Here’s what happened . . . there are spoilers ahead, so read at your own risk!
C HANGE is in the air as season five of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” begins: Cersei’s on the ropes, Mance is on the pyre and Tyrion is on the move.
This just might be the season of the underdog though “GoT” viewers know not to get too attached to anyone.
We open on a young Cersei Lannister and her friend soliciting fortunes from a witch. “You’ll be queen for a time,” she cackles. “Then comes another, more beautiful, to cast you down.” ( Even odds on Margaery and Danaerys?) Cut to adult Cersei ( Lena Headey), en route to her father’s funeral. Twin brother Jamie ( Nikolaj Coster Waldau) is already there, and catches her ire for letting Tyrion ( Peter Dinklage) escape.
The dwarf in question is uncrated and reunited with his rescuer, Lord Varys ( Conleth Hill). “I still don’t see why I had to stay in this f— king crate once we set sail,” he spits, downing one goblet of wine after another. Varys ignores this ingratitude and makes his pitch to Tyrion: Come with him to Meereen and meet the realm’s new best hope, Daenerys Targaryen ( Emilia Hill). “Can I drink myself to death along the way?” Tyrion asks.
Though a meeting between Dany and Tyrion might make “GoT” fans’ heads explode with joy, they’ll have to wait; the Mother of Dragons is still struggling to rule the newly conquered slave city. Advised to reopen the fighting pits in the slave city she conquered, she nixes it, not a fan of “human cockfighting.” She is, however, a fan of Daario Naharis ( Michel Huisman), who postcoitally suggests she reconsider – and that she get back in touch with her caged up dragons.
Back at the Wall, Jon Snow ( Kit Harington) is summoned to Stannis Baratheon ( Stephen Dillane), who wants him to convince imprisoned Mance Rayder ( Ciaran Hinds) to help with a raid on Winterfell. If not, the reliably grim Stannis will burn Mance alive. On the road are two pairs: Littlefinger ( Aidan Gillen) and Sansa ( Sophie Turner), who abandon Robin Arryn ( Lino Facioli) at a school for young inbred royalty before abscond ing “to a land so far away even Cersei Lannister can’t get her hands on you.” And Brienne of Tarth ( Gwendoline Christie) tries to dodge squire Podrick Payne ( Daniel Portman): “I don’t want anyone following me,” she tells him. “All I wanted was to fight for a good leader.”
Cersei’s intended, Loras Tyrell ( Finn Jones), is interrupted mid-clinch with a blond gentleman; “We’re late for dinner,” his sister Margaery ( Natalie Dormer) snaps at him, adding that he could be more discreet.
“Why?” shrugs Loras, saying there’s no point trying to keep anything secret in a gossipy hive like King’s Landing. He suggests she worry more about having Cersei as the world’s worst motherinlaw. “Perhaps,” says Margaery ominously.
Jon Snow’s pleas fall on deaf ears. We are spared another gruesome death.
As Mance begins to catch fire, a wellplaced arrow rains on Stannis’ sadistic parade. Contrary to the saying about Jon Snow’s lack of knowledge, he IS good at putting a guy out of his misery.