‘Game Of Thrones’ Season 7, Episode 5 Recap: Gendry Returns, Cersei Refuses To Back Down

Game of Thrones season 7 episode 5 throws us in right where it left off, with Jaime and Bronn in the lake at the end of the dragon battle.

GAME OF THRONES RECAP

Both come up for air alive, and already the two have a little scuffle – Jaime about his lost battle, and Bronn about his lost gold. We quickly pan back over to Danearys and her hoard. She gives the remaining Lannister army the chance to bend the knee and join her fight against Cersei, or else face the consequences (get burned up by her dragon.)

Randyll Tarly is the first to refuse, followed by his son Dickon, who just had to stand with his father. Despite Tyrion’s pleas, Dany must stick to her word. She has Drogon breathe fire on the duo, after which every remaining soldier gets down on one knee in submission.

Back on Dragonstone, Dany returns and lands her dragon about 20 feet from where Jon Snow is standing. He holds his ground and, while terrified, approaches Drogon. Or rather, Drogon approaches Jon with curiosity. The two share a moment, and the dragon allows Jon to pet him. This move just further confirms the popular fan theory that Jon is a Targaryen. Dany looks shocked at the scene, but also impressed. The trio is then interrupted by a visitor – Jorah has returned, with his greyscale healed. Dany is so happy to see him, she is almost in tears.

Next we’re brought back to Bran, who sees a vision of the Night King and a hoard of white walkers approach Eastwatch, both the title of the episode, and the castle closest to the Wall where Jon had previously sent Tormund and a small army. Bran immediately sends ravens sharing the harrowing news.

We see Dany and Tryion read the scroll from Winterfell, and Jon jumps into hero mode, needing to go and fight. Dany asks him not to go, and goes as far as to say he doesn’t have her permission. “With respect, Your Grace, I do not need your permission. I am a king,” he says back to her.

Finally, Tyrion steps in with a pretty good plan. He suggests they send a team to capture a wight from north of the Wall, and bring it to King’s Landing to prove to Cersei that the threat of the undead is real. Jon commits to the plan.

But first – back to King’s Landing, where Jaime has returned. He tells Cersei that, “This isn’t a war we can win,” before confessing that it was Lady Olenna who killed Joffrey, not Tyrion. Brief pause while Bronn brings Jaime to the dungeon to secretly meet with Tyrion, who tried to convince him to meet with Danearys. We don’t hear their whole conversation, but afterward, Jaime goes back to Cersei to tell her what’s up.

But apparently she already knew. Instead, she suggests that Jaime be mad at Bronn for setting up a secret meeting without telling him. Just when Jaime is getting suspicious of Cersei’s overwhelming power, she breaks the news that she is pregnant. “Who will you say is the father?” he asks, and his face coyly lights up when she says, “You.”

We head to Fleabottom where we arefinally reunited with Gendry, Robert’s bastard son who was last seen three season’s ago in a rowboat. Davos goes to collect him and some of his weapons, and Gendry doesn’t need to be asked twice. They head to another boat, but are stopped by Lannister soldiers. They bribe them away, but then Tyrion appears and the soldiers try to take him up to Cersei. Gendry acts quickly and destroys the guards.

The three arrive in Dragonstone, where Davos introduces Gendry to Jon Snow, and they get along immediately. Two bastards whose fathers were best friends, and they are already cracking jokes.

We are taken back to the Citadel with Samwell, who is still unaware that his father and brother were burned alive by a dragon. Instead, he walks in on a meeting where some maesters are discussing Bran’s note, and the old guys are almost making fun of Bran. Sam steps in and pleads with them to believe the note, but they aren’t having it. Sam gets home in a crappy mood, and doesn’t listen to Gilly when she basically confirms the Jon Targaryen theory. She asks what an annulment is, and then talks about a Prince “Regger” (Rhaegar) who had his marriage annulled and then was secretly married to someone in Dorne. (This doesn’t explicitly confirm anything, but the theory that Rhaegar married Lyanna Stark and that Jon Snow is their legitimate son and heir to the throne is one step closer to being known as fact.)

But, instead of listening, Sam storms out of their home and goes back to the Citadel, seemingly to find some useful knowledge to help against the forthcoming White Walker fight.

Back in Winterfell, Arya witnesses Sansa being berated by soldiers for Jon’s actions. Sansa simply takes it, and tells them all that Jon is doing the best he can and what he thinks is best for the North. No one is happy with that, least of all Arya. She meets her sister in her room and tells her she should be more assertive. When Sansa tries to explain she’s being diplomatic, Arya counters that chopping off heads is more effective. It seems the sisters will never see eye to eye.

Arya then decides to stalk Littlefinger, whom she doesn’t trust, and with good reason. But it turns out Littlefinger is much more clever than the oafs Arya has gotten used to outsmarting. She sneaks into his room and discovers a scroll (which appears to be the one Cersei forced Sansa to write in season 1 about how their father is a traitor). She walks out, and it’s revealed that Littlefinger is actually watching her now.

The end of the episode takes us to Eastwatch, with Jon Snow joined by Ser Jorah and Gendry. They meet up with Tormund, who takes them to a cell holding the Hound, Beric Dondarrion, and Thoros. The six men embark out of the front gate and into the snow to find a wight to take back to Cersei.

After just five episodes, there are only two more to look forward to in season 7. I’m sure we can expect much more action going into episode six next Sunday at 9.