Game of Thrones – The Bells

By: Paige Zinaman

Reeling from the events from the episode prior, Varys (Conleth Hill) writes a letter admitting who the true heir to Iron Throne is. There’s a knock at his door as he places the letter away granting entrance to Martha (Bronte Carmichael) who tells him that Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) refuses to eat. Jon Snow (Kit Harington) arrives on the shore greeted by Varys who tells Jon that Daenerys hasn’t eaten for days, hasn’t seen anyone and hasn’t left her chambers. Jon tells Varys that Daenerys shouldn’t be alone to which Varys points out that Jon is worried about her telling Jon that he admires that. Varys tells Jon that they both know what she’s about to do to, which Jon tells him that it’s her decision to do because she is their Queen. Varys pleads with Jon to take the Iron Throne, but Jon tells Varys that he doesn’t want the throne and that he never did. Varys tries again to reason with Jon which is left unspoken as Jon walks away. Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) watches their interactions before going to see Daenerys. He finds her leaning against a pillar clearly still mourning the loss of Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel) when he tells her that there is something she must know. Without looking away she tells him that someone betrayed her and that is was Varys because he knows the truth about Jon. She faces Tyrion and informs him that it’s because he told Varys after learning the truth from Sansa (Sophie Turner) who learned from Jon after she pleaded with him to not tell her. Tyrion tells Daenerys that he’s glad that Sansa told him because as her right hand he needs to be aware of any threats she maybe facing. She then asks why he thinks Sansa told him, further telling him that she knew he would spread rumors to destroy his own Queen and he did not let her down. Varys is yet again writing in his chamber and places it to a candle to destroy it as he hears the guards footsteps getting closer. He is then led to Daenerys and Jon outside to face his punishment for treason, which is ultimately death by dragon fire.

Daenerys is sitting by the fire talking to Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson) about Missandei and the only thing she brought with her from home (a collar from her time as a slave). He tosses it into the fire and walks out without saying a word before asking to talk to Jon. They hold eye contact before Daenerys asks him what she told him when he went to tell his sister. Jon tells her that he doesn’t want the throne, which he already told Varys. She tells him that Sansa betrayed Jon’s trust and that she is as responsible for Varys’ death just as much as she is. They continue to talk as Daenerys tells Jon that she doesn’t have love the city and that she only has fear. Jon tells her that he loves her and that she’ll always be his Queen. Daenerys walks up to him asking if that’s all she is to him is his Queen as the two share a kiss before Jon pulls back leading Daenerys to know where they stand. Tyrion tells Daenerys that the people there are innocent and that they are like the people she’s rescued years ago. Daenerys tells Grey Worm to gather the armies and that they march on Kings Landing. Tyrion tries yet again to save the innocent people by saying that the people will turn on Cersei (Lena Headey) and to give them a chance to ring the bell for surrender and pleads with her that if they hear the bell to not attack. Daenerys tells Grey Worm to wait for her outside the city and they will know when it’s time to act.  Daenerys warns Tyrion that the next time he fails her will be the last time he fails her.

The people of Kings Landing start making their way into the kingdom to be granted safety at the palace. Daenerys’ troops along with Tyrion and Davos (Liam Cunningham) gather at the meeting point where they wait for Daenerys to make her way. Meanwhile, Sandor (Rory McCann) and Arya (Maisie Williams) arrive but are blocked entrance by a solider. Arya introduces herself telling the guard, “I’m Arya Stark, I’m going to kill Queen Cersei.” Sandor goes on to tell the guard to think about his options. If she kills Queen Cersei then there will be no siege and that he may not even die tomorrow to which the guard lets them go through. Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) goes to one of Daenerys’ soldiers requesting to see her as he was captured on his way back to her. Tyrion pleads with Jaime to make Cersei see other ways and to get her to surrender without killing innocent people and their child. He says that the city will fall tomorrow if they don’t get Cersei to end this now. Tyrion tells Jaime to escape with Cersei and explains where to go with Cersei so they can go and live together without being in harms way. Jaime gives Tyrion his word that he and Cersei will leave and Tyrion tells him to ring the bell and open the gates. The brothers share a moment before the battle knowing that they won’t see each other again after everything that happens.

The next morning the Iron fleets are waiting on the shore line for Daenerys riding in on her dragon as the people of Kings Landing rush to find shelter and safety. Troops rush to their posts as they prepare for what is about to come their way. Arya and Sandor walk in amongst all of the chaos and head to the door to the kingdom as does Jaime. Cersei and her armies wait as Harry (Marc Rissmann) stands front and center of Daenerys’ troops. Tyrion once again tells Jon that if they hear the bell ring to call off his men. The guards are told to close off the gates leaving millions of people outside on their own including Jaime and Nora (Laura Elphinstone) and her daughter. They are left trying to find a way out as Arya and Sandor managed to slip their way inside. All is quiet as Euron (Pilou Asbæk) looks up to the sky right as Daenerys comes flying down taking out every single bow and boat that was in her wake before they could use them to hit her. The troops hear a rumble as fire blasts from behind them as Daenerys comes through singling the start of their final war. During this battle men are fighting left and right as Daenerys keeps flying overhead setting fire to every inch of Kings Landing. Cersei watches on as the events take place seemingly knowing she doesn’t stand a chance of survival from what’s happening in the moment as the fire ranges on. Qyburn (Anton Lesser) informs Cersei that the Iron Fleets have been destroyed and that the gates have been breached. Jon and Grey Worm lead a group of men to face off with Cersei’s men as Jaime tries to reach the bell before the battle continues. Daenerys lands and Cersei’s men throw down their swords in surrender as they hear the bell that Jaime had managed to get to and ring. It’s at this point Cersei knows for a fact that she has lost. At hearing the bell ring, Daenerys seems to battle anger before eventually charging forward burning all of Kings Landing to the ground, not caring in the moment about the people inside the walls. Grey Worm and Daenerys’s men charge forward killing anyone in their wake as Jon tries to hold his men back. Unable to do so, they are forced to fight. Euron and Jaime face off on the beach below Kings Landing leading to both men being seriously injured and eventually Jaime giving Euron a fetal wound as he goes to Cersei.

Qyburn convinces Cersei that it maybe best for her to leave now as he and Gregor (Hafpór Júlíus Björnsson) lead her down the tower only to come face to face with Sandor and Arya. Sandor convinces Arya to leave and save herself while he deals with Cersei and Gregor. Sandor gets to them as Gregor smashes Qyburn against the wall and down the stairs. He and Sandor face off letting Cersei walk away. Sandor and Gregor go head to head in a death match as Cersei runs into Jaime on her way out. They share a hug where she discovers he’s been hurt. Tears fall as she holds him close to her. Jaime leads Cersei toward to the beach access as Sandor and Gregor continue the fight while Arya tries to find her way out of Kings Landing. She walks past injured men and women as well as children as she tries to escape the fire raining down upon them. Arya gets lost in the crowd as people step all around her as the fight between Gregor and Sandor continues. Luckily, Nora and her daughter grab Arya trying to lead her with them only for her to be taken down the street in the other direction running away from the rubble falling. Sandor eventually pushes both he and Gregor over the edge into the fire down below. Jon watches as green flames engulf everyone as he yells to his men to fall back to get out of the city knowing there’s no way if they stay they will survive. Smoke consumes the streets. As Arya wakes up to the sound of imploding buildings she runs into a little building where people are hiding. She tells them that if they don’t leave they will all die and has Nora and her daughter fall her out. Once outside they make a run for it only to have Nora get killed. Nora pleads with Arya to take her daughter. She starts to leave with her only to have the little girl run back to her mother so Arya has to make another run for it. Jaime leads Cersei to the place to get out only to find that the opening has been caved in. It is in this moment that Cersei tells Jaime that she doesn’t want to die and that she wants the baby to live. She wants for him to not let her die knowing that they are trapped below the castle. Jaime tells Cersei to keep looking at him as the ceiling breaks down around them burying them underneath the ruins of the castle. The smoke begins to clear as Daenerys stops her attack on the city as ashes rain down upon Arya, who looks worse for wear until she spots a lone horse standing along the smoke. She takes it to escape what is left of Kings Landing.