Hardhome new episode

In the Throne Room, Daenerys ponders on what to do with Tyrion and Jorah. She asks Tyrion why she shouldn't kill him, since the Lannisters are enemies to her House. He claims to have killed both of his parents and by that he is an enemy to the Lannisters as well. Daenerys isn't convinced that killing one's own familiy is a good reputation for someone in her service. Tyrion counters by wondering aloud if she at least is worth his service. Ordered to tell her why he has come to her from the other end of the world, he explains how he learned about her own story from rumours and from Varys. He says that she – a lost girl born in a storm, who with virtually no assistance managed to acquire a barbarian horde, an effective army, conquer three cities, break the slave trade and hatch three dragons – might be worth living for when he lost everything he had lived for until then. He adds that Daenerys needs his advice despite having a powerful army and large dragons, as she lacks both political experience and practical knowledge of Westeros.

She eventually agrees to spare his life, but asks what to do about Ser Jorah. She seems poised to fulfil her promise of killing him if she saw him again, as it would not do at all for a queen not to keep her word. Tyrion defends Jorah, commenting that he is clearly devoted to her and quite possibly in love with her, but also that he did not trust her enough to inform her of his mission to spy on her for King Robert and that therefore he cannot be trusted to stand by her side. But, he argues, just as a queen should keep true to her oaths, she should also not kill those devoted to her.

Daenerys exiles Jorah from the city. Contemplating his greyscale, Jorah returns to Yezzan zo Qaggaz and offers to fight for him. He promises to lead Yezzan's team to the Great Pit and win the tournament for the Queen – after that Yezzan can make a fortune selling Jorah on the black market.

Later, Tyrion and Daenerys sit in her solar and have a talk about ambitions. When Tyrion mentions what a horrible father Tywin was, Daenerys admits that she no longer has any illusions about her own father. Daenerys is curious about the circumstances of Tyrion's murder of Tywin. He wryly promises that if she decides not to kill him then one day he will tell her, but on that day they will need a lot more wine than the large decanter they are drinking from.

They discuss the role of Varys in their stories and Tyrion assures Daenerys he trusts him, and that he's probably the reason she wasn't killed years ago. Tyrion was convinced by Varys that she could be a ruler who deserves his support. When Daenerys asks how he can get her what she wants, Tyrion nearly rolls his eyes at her desire for the Iron Throne. He suggests that she might want to stay in Slaver's Bay and build a new kingdom for herself in Meereen, complimenting her on reopening the fighting pits and her upcoming political marriage. She assures him that she will stay and help stabilize things, and make sure the slave trade stays broken, but Essos is not her "home." Tyrion counters that no one will support her in Westeros, but Daenerys somewhat idealistically declares that the common people will support her. Tyrion generously assumes that this will happen (which it generally doesn't), but then he reminds Daenerys that Meereen has been in a state of chaos without the combined support of the Great Masters and the smallfolk, and extends this to Westeros and its Great Houses. He notes that Houses Targaryen and Stark are effectively dead due to the combined actionsof their "two terrible fathers." Neither House Lannister nor House Baratheon of Dragonstone will ever support her claim in light of their histories with the Targaryens. Tyrion says that leaves House Tyrell who might be willing to switch sides due to Cersei's recent schemes against them but that still isn't enough. Daenerys stubbornly likens the Great Houses, including her own House Targaryen, to the spokes on a wheel, one on top and then others, and on and on, crushing the commoners beneath them in their struggle for supremacy. Tyrion sarcastically warns that others have dreamed of stopping the wheel, but Daenerys clarifies that she plans tobreak it.

Daenerys decides Tyrion will remain as her advisor, but confiscates the wine, as a drunk is of no use to her.

In Braavos Edit

Arya assumes the identity of Lanna, a clam-seller, and shows Jaqen H'ghar she can convincingly become a different person, developing an elaborate and very believable backstory. The Faceless Man sends her, as Lanna, to the harbor where she observes someone referred to as "the thin man" refuse a contract to insure a man's boat, leaving the man in desperate circumstances. Jaqen explains the thin man's business is a sort of gamble yet he does not honor his agreements; when a ship captain dies at sea, he is supposed to make good on his promise and pay the family, but he often doesn't. Jaqen instructs her to kill him, and hands her a "gift" for the thin man — a vial of poison. The waif is skeptical of Arya/Lanna's success.

In King's Landing Edit

Septa Unella continues to urge an imprisoned Cersei to confess in return for her freedom. She remains defiant, despite being obliged to drink water from the floor out of sheer thirst. Qyburn visits her in her cell, and informs her that her trial will begin soon for the crimes of fornication, treason, incest, and Robert's murder, all of which Cersei furiously dismisses as "lies." Qyburn tells her that Grand Maester Pycelle has summoned Kevan Lannister to serve as Hand of the King. Kevan has, at this point in time, already arrived, and he has refused to visit her in prison. Qyburn also tells her that Tommen has become reclusive, refusing to see anyone and refusing to eat in his emotional state. Before leaving, he tells her "the work continues" on their secret project.

In the North Edit

A bitter and determined Sansa confronts Reek about his latest betrayal. Reek apologetically affirms he was helping her and that there is no escaping Ramsay. He tell her about how Theon Greyjoy tried to escape and Ramsay tortured him until there was no Theon left. Sansa coldly expresses approval and reminds Reek of the role he played in her family's downfall, and that if she could do to him what Ramsay did, she would. Reek shamefully admits he deserved his torture as he did terrible things, specifically killing "those boys." Enraged by his reference seemingly to her brothers as "those boys" rather than Bran and Rickon, Sansa vehemently demands to know why they should be dead while he still breathes the air, forcing Reek to finally admit that they were not in fact Bran and Rickon, only two farm boys. In light of this admission, Sansa's anger towards Reek cools but when she presses him as to where they might have gone, calling him Theon again, he breaks down and runs out the room, crying, "Not Theon! Reek!"

Roose Bolton maintains that his army must wait inside Winterfell, thus starving out Stannis' forces, as Winterfell had enough supplies to last 6 months under siege. Such conditions would cause a mutiny in the ranks of the Baratheon force and break them down. Ramsay, on the other hand, has a plan to defeat Stannis decisively and asks his father to lend him "just 20 good men."

At the Wall Edit

Gilly continues to tend Sam's wounds. Olly enters with some food, having heard what happened. Once Gilly leaves, Olly expresses concern at joining forces with the wildlings, particularly Tormund, who led the raid in which his parents were killed. Sam reassures Olly that Jon knows what he is doing, and that unless he is successful, neither the Night's Watch nor Westeros stands a chance against the White Walkers. Sam explains this is a hard choice Jon had to make, however unpopular, and then then tells him not to worry, as Jon always comes back.

At Hardhome Edit

Jon Snow and Tormund Giantsbane, along with other members of the Night's Watch and the Free Folk, arrive at the wildling town Hardhome to convince the rest of the wildlings to join them in the upcoming war against the White Walkers and their armies of Wights.

Insisting on never being an ally with a Crow, The Lord of Bones insults Tormund for being at the side of an enemy like Jon Snow. Tormund seizes the Lord's staff and beats his former ally to death with it. The wildling elders decide to gather in the Townshall to hear out Jon's proposal; an alliance between the Free Folk and the Night's Watch in the face of their common enemy, the undead.

Having not seen Mance Rayder since he was taken prisoner at The Wall, the Wildlings question his whereabouts. Snow reluctantly informs them that he is dead and that he shot him personally with an arrow. The group is infuriated, but as they move in to kill him, Tormund vouches for him, describing how Rayder was about to be burned at the stake as a warning from Stannis Baratheon, and how Snow defied Stannis by ending his life quickly instead of humiliating him and making him suffer in the flames. Some leaders are convinced, such asKarsi and the giant Wun Wun, but others like the Thenn warrior Loboda begin to leave. Jon offers them the dragonglass daggers, telling them that his friend had killed a White Walker with one. The Wildlings still seem unconvinced.

While approximately five thousand Free Folk gather to set sail to the Wall, the Night's Watch starts gathering the dragonglass daggers in the tent. Edd approaches Wun Wun who holds one of the daggers, examining it curiously. The giant appears unwilling to hand it over and asks Edd "The fuck you looking at?" in the giants' rudimentary form of the Old Tongue. Edd walks away quietly, without collecting the arrowhead. Suddenly, dogs begin barking and the sounds of a storm are heard. Recognizing the sign of approaching White Walkers, Loboda orders the gates of Hardhome to be shut, abandoning many of the Free Folk on the other side to their fate. As the storm reaches the village, the screams of the people shut outside the walls of Hardhome quickly fall silent. A moment later, a large host of undead wights begin breaking through the gates and climbing over the walls. Jon, Tormund, Loboda and Karsi fight alongside others to give as many people as possible an opportunity to make it to their ships. Eddison Tollett, Wun Wun, and others are trapped inside the townhall, which is set upon by wights and catches fire – in the confusion, the bag of dragonglass weapons is lost.

The Night's King raises the dead wildlings into wights.

On top of a hill overlooking Hardhome, several White Walkers mounted on undead horses observe the battle, including the Night's King. Noticing them, and realizing the need for dragonglass, Jon and Loboda go to the burning townhall, only to be confronted by a White Walker warrior. While Loboda faces the threat, Jon Snow goes for the dragonglass. Loboda is quickly killed after his axe shatters immediately upon contacting the White Walker's ice blade. Jon just manages to grab a dragonglass dagger but is tossed aside by the White Walker. Jon retrieves Longclaw and defends himself against the White Walker and both combatants are astonished to see the Valyrian steel remain intact after colliding with the White Walker's blade. Seizing the opportunity, Jon strikes the White Walker, shattering his body into fragments of ice, confirming that Valyrian steel is just as lethal to them as dragonglass. The Night's King, watching the entire battle from a distance, seems at least mildly intrigued by this turn of events.

Meanwhile, Karsi fights off multiple wights before being confronted by a pack of undead children. Frozen by the horror, she is unable to resist as she is mauled to death. The White Walkers deploy another large host of wights, letting them hurl themselves over the cliffs above Hardhome. Jon, Edd, Tormund and the remaining defenders flee for their lives. Shielded by Wun Wun, who throws several wights off himself and wields a burning log as a club before walking into the sea with them, they manage to get to the last remaining boat and quickly row out to a safe distance. As Jon and the others look on in horror, the Night's King raises his arms triumphantly; all around it, the slain wildlings rise up as undead wights, including Karsi. The Night's King and his army continue to stare in silence as they retreat.