With so many huge events taking place in the latter half of Storm of Swords, I was anticipating that this season would deviate from the usual trends and deliver a steady stream of surprises, including a season finale that was less denouement and more capstone.  That was certainly true, even as it set up expectations for the fifth season that may be hard to meet, especially for those familiar with the pacing and content of the concurrent fourth and fifth volumes of the source material.

 

The previous episode ended with Jon Snow leaving to meet with Mance Rayder, and so it makes sense for the story to pick up right at that point.  Given how the show must streamline the complicated state of play in the source material, it makes sense that it would come down to a relatively simple and straightforward discussion between Jon and Mance.  What’s unfortunate is that Jon has to see the truth of Mance’s position, yet he really has no authority to agree to anything.  At least, not yet.

 

That is likely to change now that Stannis has arrived to “save” the Night’s Watch and alter the situation entirely.  This shouldn’t have come as too much of a shock; Melisandre all but told the audience that it was coming, after all.  Stannis already takes great stock in what Jon has to say, which is promising, and who could miss the interest that Melisandre had in Jon while looking through the flames of the pyre?

 

On the other hand, this is likely to be disruptive.  The Night’s Watch has its traditions, and Jon has already made a habit of breaking them to get things done.  The coming fight would have been hard enough on those merits.  But the Night’s Watch has also gotten used to being independent, largely beholden to only the slightest regulation from the King in charge at any given time.  Having Stannis, the most inflexible claimant in Westeros, right there at Castle Black is sure to be a hardship.

 

At least Jon isn’t Daenerys, because she’s learning some harsh lessons in the wake of dismissing her most strident and balanced of advisors.  Dany is all about freedom, and so despite her strong personal objections, she has to admit that some of the former slaves would much rather go back to their old lives.  It’s hard to fathom, but freedom of choice means letting people make choices you don’t like.  On the other hand, allowing it without regulation will certainly lead to abuse.  And just like that, Dany is right in the middle of the all-too-familiar debate between freedom and security.  Devoting Unsullied to maintaining order means having less resources to deal with Yunkai’s regression and the threats to her rule in Slaver’s Bay.

 

Meanwhile, there is a more personal cost to ruling instead of conquering.  Dany might be willing to let her dragons roam free when their destructive side is useful for taking out the corrupt and cruel, but they are hardly convenient when the task is establishing and maintaining order.  Especially given the fact that they don’t take orders all that well.  Dany’s solution is to lock the dragons up, and while it’s a bit soul-crushing on her part, the scene itself is staged perfectly to show how scary and dangerous her “children” are, even as they are upset that Mommy is grounding them.  Not to mention the metaphor of Daenerys, Breaker of Chains, having to chain up her dragons.

 

 

All of these events were so grounded in the progression of the source material that I was taken aback by the decisions made in other instances.  The most perplexing was Bran’s subplot.  Anyone familiar with the source material is well aware of how much the writers cut out of this subplot, thus bringing Bran’s long journey of discovery Above-the-Wall to an abrupt conclusion.  There were actually some important items to explore in the scenes that were lost, but that’s not the most worrisome part.  This actually brings Bran much closer to the point at which his development has come in the existing source material, so this raises the issue of stepping into territory not yet explored in the books.

 

That’s hardly the biggest problem with this subplot, though.  The introduction of the Children of the Forest is a bit rough, especially the use of “magic” that is about the most blatant use of a fantasy trope we’ve seen to date.  Whether it is true magic or just well-hidden use of explosives, it doesn’t matter.  It looked dodgy and will no doubt cause more than a few of the less fantasy-prone viewers wondering if there’s a bait and switch in the works.

 

For those familiar with the source material, there was a more concerning twist.  The absence of “Coldhands” means that some vital shading is missing, but there are ways around that.  Killing off Jojen is a bit more perplexing.  I can only imagine that they felt the shortcutting of Bran’s journey to the cave of the Children and his initial meeting with the “three-eyed crow” meant that the stakes had to be raised, but why kill off a character that isn’t supposed to die yet?  Hopefully this won’t cause issues down the line.

 

Similarly, I have to wonder how the decision to have Brienne encounter Arya and the Hound is going to play out.  It probably won’t matter overly much in the long run, but it is a significant difference.  Brienne isn’t supposed to know that Arya is still alive, after all.  That said, the decision to have the Hound arrive at his proper fate via Brienne, instead of something more random, is a good one.  Not only does it reinforce Brienne’s skills, but it also presents Arya with a choice that she otherwise didn’t have.  She could have chosen to trust Brienne and attempt to return to her old life.  Instead, she actively chooses to strike out on her own, which further underscores her agency.  It’s a nice touch, especially when it led to one of Arya’s best moments, as she silently lets the Hound suffer before taking his money and leaving him to die.  Turns out she learned a thing or two from him, after all!  (And, yeah, leaving him to die is not the wisest move, as one should never assume anyone is dead on this show until the body is burned or butchered!)

 

Even with all of that happening, the most thrilling moment was left for the last 10 minutes.  Jamie and Varys help Tyrion escape, but rather than leave well enough alone, Tyrion goes to confront his father.  What he discovers sets him off, to say the least.  It’s as unclear in the episode as it was the source material how long Shae was involved with Tywin, but it really doesn’t matter.  Tyrion gets just vengeance for how she all but buried him with her false testimony and personal betrayal, and then moves on to what passes in Westeros for a pleasant Father’s Day celebration.

 

It’s a trivial difference from the books, but Tywin’s death technically was supposed to come from a well-aimed crossbow bolt to the groin.  I know more than a few fans that felt cheated as a result, but let’s face it: the end result is still a stunning reversal of Lannister fortune, and it was (as usual) the result of self-inflicted wounds.  Tywin was the mastermind behind it all, and with the family falling apart at the seams, it leaves Cersei, the Mother of Madness, to serve as the glue holding Tommen’s kingdom intact.  The ensuing power vacuum is going to be interesting to witness.

 

The fourth season was full of twists and turns, and broke the mold in some fundamental ways.  The trick is going to be matching the intensity in the fifth season, when much of the story revolves around the fallout and aftermath of the changes this season.  There’s a lot still to be explored, and much still to be introduced, but it’s almost impossible to predict the pacing that will be chosen or how far into the mixed narrative of volumes four and five the show will delve.  One thing is certain: the pressure for George R.R. Martin to release The Winds of Winter is only going to increase.