"Mockingbird" caught me by surprise. Given the title, I was expecting the episode to focus on Littlefinger. He may have got the most exciting moment of the hour, but the rest of the episode was intense with emotion and character development. Well-crafted is the best way to describe it.
Thoughts on the episode and a list of my favorite quotes after the image.
Favorite quotes:
"You cannot give up on the gravy." - Hot Pie
“Nothing isn’t better or worse than anything. Nothing is just nothing.” - Arya Stark
“I suppose I’ll have to kill the Mountain myself. Won’t that make for a great song?” - Tyrion Lannister
"She's in a good mood." - Daario Naharis
"I will be your champion." - Oberyn Martell
"If you want justice, you've come to the wrong place." - Tyrion Lannister
“You’re not interesting enough to be offensive." Brienne of Tarth
“You think you’re on your own." - The Hound
“They can live in my new world or they can die in their old one.” - Daenerys Targaryen
“It’s rare to meet a Lannister who shares my enthusiasm for dead Lannisters." - Oberyn Martell
“Why are you sorry? Because you’re an evil bastard with no conscience and no heart? That’s what I liked about you in the first place.” - Tyrion Lannister
Random thoughts:
- Where to start? Mockingbird may be the most emotional episode of Game of Thrones and probably my favorite of the season so far. I teared up at so many characters... Bronn, Oberyn, Tyrion, Sansa, Hot Pie, the Hound. It wasn't all heavy emotions either. Some of them came colored with a bit of hope. Goodness knows that's not something we often get from Game of Thrones.
- If memory serves, the story Oberyn told Tyrion matched the books almost word for word. Pascal delivered it perfectly and by the time he said he would fight for Tyrion, I nearly stood and cheered.
- At first, I wanted to be upset with Bronn. However, Tyrion captures it when he said he liked Bronn because he wasn't trying to pretend he was a better man. Bronn has simple desires and if he can have them fulfilled without Tyrion, well, I don't blame him. Their last handshake and Tyrion teasing about the song they'd write about him defeating the Mountain... sniffle.
- Was anyone else surprised that the Mountain seemed to arrive in King's Landing in no time at all? I'm not sure how much time passed since the last episode, but I didn't get the impression it was very long.
- When I saw the promo image for the episode featuring Sansa in the snow looking happy I didn't get it, but as soon as the scene started, I said out loud, "Ohhh, it reminds her of Winterfell." Duh. I thought it was beautiful that she rebuilt her home from memory. It's weird to remember that this is world where she wouldn't have a picture of Winterfell.
- Littlefinger. His time in the episode can be summarized thusly: GROSS and YAY. I was surprised to hear them change the line from "only Cat" to "your sister."
- I clapped when I saw Hot Pie. While he was amusing as he talked about how to make the ideal kidney pie, he also had a touching moment. His second direwolf bread looks much better than his first attempt. Also, still completely adoring the Brienne and Podrick team-up.
- While I respect the fact that Arya is a survivor and a badass, she's also scaring me. How many kills is that now? It's weird to see it unfold on the screen and weirder that I know I'm still rooting for. She's headed down a sketchy path.
- Oh wow, the wounded look on the Hound's face as he told the story about his brother burning him. I just wanted to hug him ala Good Will Hunting.
- Dany: Well played. Both because of Daario and listening to Jorah.