This is a show where fighting is perhaps the most important element of any character, and those who aren't fighters, have to think like fighters while getting others to do their violence for them. See Tyrion Lannister, Littlefinger, and Cersei Lannister, all of whom appear in this episode making decisions of various quality. Cersei, as usual, does the bulk of the plotting. After meeting with the High Sparrow, she decides that Westeros needs its religious military back once again, thus the Sparrows find themselves rearmed after hundreds of years with no Faith Militant. Never mind the fact that they were disarmed for a reason, now Westeros has armed religious fanatics smashing tables (and beer barrels, cue tears) in the streets of King's Landing while Cersei smirks and sics her new-found dogs on the Tyrell family, despite the fact that Mace Tyrell has basically been supporting the crown's lavish spending and the Iron Bank is calling in part of its significant loan to the Seven Kingdoms. As Daenerys has discovered, just because you're in charge doesn't mean you're in control, and that's one of the most spectacular fight scenes in the show's run thus far. In the streets of Meereen, the Unsullied and Second Sons patrol for danger, hunting down the Sons of the Harpy. The visuals have more impact than the writing from Dave Hill, but that's probably by design. The discussion scenes, particularly Bronn/Jaime, Tyrion/Jorah, and most surprisingly Stannis and Shireen, tap into the emotions quite deftly. The Baratheon men are known for their big hearts... well, all but Stannis, but watch him awkwardly embrace his grayscale-faced daughter and tell me he's not as big-hearted as the Brienne-saving Renly or the Ned-loving Robert. It's a lovely moment, and it shows a newly human side to Stannis The Mannis (knocked out of the park by Stephen Dillane). Absolutely wonderful; it's nice to see there's still a human king of Westeros involved in the war between sycophants and psychopaths. Is that glimpse of humanity something positive for Stannis, or a sign of weakness that's going to bring him down when push comes to shove? He is a formidable opponent militarily, and he's the rightful king of Westeros, in so much as anyone's the rightful king of anything. Hopefully he'll be able to use his clever daughter to his advantage, just not in a creepy Sansa/Littlefinger way.
Review of Sons of the Harpy
