“Hardhome” was an entertaining and exciting episode to watch. At this stage, the TV show is intriguing since some of the source material has not been published yet. By the end of this season it will be hard to speculate what will happen and book “foreshadowing” might be used to define where the different characters and plot lines are heading. So far “Hardhome” is probably the best Game of Thrones episode that I have seen. I like it better than episode 209, “Blackwater.” My husband, a non-book reader, agrees with me. He was disappointed with the opening scene of Season 3, in which he only saw a zombie and was expecting a massacre of the brothers of the Night’s Watch. I think he got compensated with “Hardhome.”
Book Hardhome is slightly different than TV Hardhome. It is place that is considered haunted by the Wildlings. Here is a link for non-book readers describing book Hardhome.
In the books, the events at Hardhome are only described by characters who do not have a point of view. They are secondhand accounts. For instance, Arya in Braavos hears about slaver ships that carried Wildlings out of Hardhorme. Obviously the Free Folk are so desperate to leave the place. Jon also sends the commander of Eastwatch by the Sea, Cotter Pyke, to rescue the Wildlings. The maester who travelled with him sends a letter back mentioning that some ships sunk due to a snowstorm. He also writes about dead things moving in the water. Are these dead things the undead? It seems that the show opted not to portray the wights’ ability to swim for convenience; they have to cut the material off due to time and budget constraints.
Everything about Hardhome was magnificently done. The arrival of Tormund and Jon is not greeted but viewed suspiciously. Their first meeting is with the Lord of Bones who is clubbed to death by Tormund for not being receptive. Then they proceed to meet with the elders. Here three characters that will eventually leave an effect on the viewers are introduced. The Thenn chieftain is aggressive and unable to forget the enmity between Free Folk and crows. However, there is a female character among the elders who is able to put aside the differences between her people and the Night’s Watch, even though immediate members of her family were killed by crows. She is rational and she is willing to leave to keep her family and her people safe. Of course, she makes it clear that she does not trust crows but Tormund. Wun Wun, the giant, shares the same opinion. I really love how Jon is referred as “King Crow.” It is a pity that the female chieftain falls in battle unable to fight children that have become wights. My perception is that probably some of them were hers or related to her. At least her two (surviving?) daughters are safe. I wish they could have kept this female character alive since Jon really requires people like her. Furthermore it would have been more fun to watch another physically strong female character in the North besides Brienne.
The battle between the living and the “undead” is unforgettable. The CGI team really excelled and exceeded expectations with the end product. They created an army of wights, and the avalanche effect was initially confusing and scary at the same time. What the viewer realizes is that these avalanches are caused by wights throwing themselves down and hitting the ground. Then they just raise and start slaughtering everybody on their path. There is an element of shock in these scenes for both the victims and the TV viewers. The first avalanche makes the Thenn chieftain to close some gates leaving many Wildlings vulnerable to the attack. The viewer perceives the massacre behind these gates by listening to the desperate screams of the victims. Then there is a moment of silence which means that they were all killed. Then the offensive to exterminate the living starts.
During the battle, there are so many things happening, but it is structured and superbly done. First there is a great effort to hold the gate and wall separating the living and the undead, which eventually falls downs. There is also the scene in which the Thenn chieftain and Jon ally to look for the obsidian (dragonglass) cache especially after the appearance of the White Walkers. Of course, this leads to the combined effort of both the Thenn chieftain and Jon against a White Walker, who has the ability to fade away fires. The Thenn chieftain sacrifices himself, and Jon, after being in an “underdog” situation, gets hold of Longclaw and kills his rival. It is interesting to see the despair in the eyes of the White Walker once he realizes that Valyrian steel is unbreakable. This event is confirmation that Valyrian steel can be used to kill the White Walkers, something that is not confirmed in the books yet. At the same time, this earns Jon the stares from the Night’s King, the leader of the White Walkers. TV Night’s King might not be the same character as book Night’s King. Here is a topic that I wrote a while back concerning this issue.
The White Walkers and the Night’s King
After the gates came crashing down, everything becomes chaotic and everybody starts to retreat towards the boat. Once on the boat, it seems that the Night’s King wants to intimidate Jon. He keeps staring at him and shows off his magical prowess by reanimating all the dead at the same time. Another fact is that White Walkers move fast or teleport. The Night’s King was originally at the top of a mountain, but a the end of the massacre, he is able to make it all the way down to the shore where the small boats initially were.
Other Highlights
Sansa’s Arc: Reek explains to Sansa that Theon tried to escape and got some of his body parts mutilated. In his broken mind, Reek thinks he has done the right thing to keep Sansa safe. Sansa blames him for her not having a family, and that she would do what was done to him if she could. Reek then confesses that he did not kill Bran and Rickon but some farm boys who were burned to make them unrecognizable. This event is enough to give more empowerment to Sansa in terms of playing the game. Littlefinger did mention that “knowledge is power” in a former episode from previous seasons. Her sadistic husband is planning to infiltrate Stannis’ camp with 20 men.
Arya’s Arc: She has taken the identity of an orphan girl, Lanna, and sells oysters in one of the harbours. It seems she is comfortable with her new identity to the point that it looks like Jaqen H’ghar cannot really tell whether she is lying or not. Her role as Lanna is to get information of different events. This is how she comes across an insurance issuer who refuses to pay the money to a widow and her children. Her next assignment is to kill this character.
Events at King’s Landing: Cersei is being tortured by a Septa by not getting any water at all. In order to get some water, she first needs to confess her sins. Of course, she prefers to go thirsty due to her pride. The scene in which she licks the water on the floor is very unique. It shows that she is willing to go low in private, when there are no witnesses. Her meeting with Qyburn reveals several details:
- Cersei is awaiting trial for fornication, incest, treason and the murder of King Robert
- Maester Pycelle has requested Kevan Lannister to come to King’s Landing and be the Hand of the King
- King Tommen is not eating and has isolated himself from everybody. Of course, Cersei is concerned and Qyburn suggests confession since it will be the only way to get out of prison immediately.
Tyrion and Danaerys: Their meeting has not happened yet in the books so it is interesting to watch how events will be evolving in the TV show. There is a chemistry in their interactions. First, Tyrion is no longer drunk. He is very careful in his replies to Danaerys’ questions. All his answers take into consideration the Westerosi context. He tells her that Jorah should not be killed because he is devoted to her; he even mentions that he is in love with her. People would never like a ruler who kills those devoted to her. He also mentions that Jorah cannot be beside her as an advisor since he never confessed his betrayal. As a result, Danaerys orders Jorah to leave. However, he decides to be a pit fighter for Danaerys which is something that does not make much sense. Tyrion advises Danaerys to stay and forget about the Iron Throne since she will have to gain the support of the major houses, which for the most part crave the Iron Throne too. So far it seems that he will help her gain the Iron Throne. Danaerys has made a great choice in keeping him with her. This decision might also be an example that she might not have a narrow mind when it comes to dealing with other houses that went against hers during Robert’s Rebellion.
At the Wall: Sam explains to Olly that Jon did not have much of a choice concerning his expedition to Hardhome. He tells him that he has seen the White Walkers and the undead, and that they do not make any distinction between Wildling and crow. He mentions that sometimes one has to make choices that may look wrong in the short run but that will be right in the long run. It is better to ally with the Free Folk to prevent the army of wights in becoming bigger in numbers. However, everybody who has not travelled beyond the Wall would find it hard to believe or understand Jon’s decisions. Will Olly make the right choice? Sam’s line in regards to Jon is foreboding.
I’ve been worried about Jon for years, he always comes back.