Game of Thrones Season 5 is nigh, and thus the episode synopses for the first 3 of its eventual 10 hours of engrossing storytelling have arrived. They are vague (and get increasingly so from one week to the next), but let's see if we can't glean something useful from them.
In general this season, HBO has betrayed that:
Jon Snow (Kit Harington) is struggling to balance the demands of the Night’s Watch with those of the newly arrived Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane), who styles himself the rightful king of Westeros. Meanwhile, Cersei (Lena Headey) scrambles to hold on to power in King’s Landing amidst the Tyrells and the rise of a religious group led by the enigmatic High Sparrow, while Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) embarks on a secret mission. Across the Narrow Sea, Arya (Maisie Williams) seeks an old friend and a fugitive Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) finds a new cause. And as danger mounts in Meereen, Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) finds that her tenuous hold on the city requires hard sacrifices.
As for specific episodes:
Episode #41: “The Wars to Come”
Cersei and Jaime adjust to a world without Tywin. Varys (Conleth Hill) reveals a conspiracy to Tyrion. Daenerys faces a new threat to her rule. Jon is caught between two kings.
Written by David Benioff & D. B. Weiss; directed by Michael Slovis.
Episode #42: “The House of Black and White”
Arya arrives in Braavos. Pod (Daniel Portman) and Brienne (Gwendoline Christie) run into trouble on the road. Cersei fears for her daughter’s safety in Dorne as Ellaria Sand (Indira Varma) seeks revenge for Oberyn’s death. Stannis tempts Jon. An advisor tempts Daenerys.
Written by David Benioff & D. B. Weiss; directed by Michael Slovis.
Episode #43: “High Sparrow”
In King’s Landing, Queen Margaery (Natalie Dormer) enjoys her new husband. Tyrion and Varys walk the Long Bridge of Volantis.
Written by David Benioff & D. B. Weiss; directed by Mark Mylod.
This season may see some pretty big change-ups for the show, with the additional focus of House Martell and Dorne, as well as the rise of the religious order in King's Landing. Plus, Arya's journey and transformation in Braavos will be interesting to watch, along with what schemes Littlefinger (Aiden Gillen) has in store for Sansa (Sophie Turner).
In the comments, book readers please speak cryptically when discussing book events, or clearly mark your comments with a SPOILER tag. Although soon, the spoilers for the books may be on the show …
Game of Thrones Season 5 premieres April 12th on HBO at 9 p.m.
