SPOILERS AHEAD

Last week, Arya managed to have the best scene and the worst scene. There was the cold open (I gasped when the theme music didn’t start up instantly) where she butchered the Frays, and I had quite the smile on my face throughout. Old Man Fray got his comeuppance, and Arya got some VERY cathartic revenge. But then, we were treated to that dreadfully distracting cameo from Ed Sheeran. To be fair, his scene wasn’t even bad. It just pulled you right out of the episode, which is a shame because it showed that there was some good in Westeros still, as well as including a song that really fit where the show is.

This week, Arya met up with Hot Pie, that cute chubby kid from the earlier seasons, and he told her about how the Boltons no longer hold Winterfell, and that Jon Snow is the King of the North. Maisie Williams really nailed this scene, because the glimmer of hope that spread across her face was absolutely priceless.

I liked how quickly this episode moved things. A raven was sent to Jon from Dragonstone asking for his loyalty. Meanwhile, Samwell has learned that Dragonstone houses an immense amount of dragon glass (obsidian) which can be used to kill White Walkers. So, now Jon is going to go to Dragonstone and meet Dany. Man oh man, am I excited for that. Pieces of the puzzle are coming together, and things are happening. Well, I guess things aren’t happening yet, but damn does it feel close.

Cersei is still a bitch. She told her followers that Daenerys is like her father, the Mad King, and that she will destroy the city. I mean, fair enough. I understand why she would do this, but she’s still really enjoyable to hate. Lena Headey is terrifying as usual.

The episode ended with what could have been a gratuitous sex scene, but in turn was a gratuitous war scene. I didn’t really like it at all. I thought that the direction was very busy and disorienting. The choppy and messy editing made for a chaotic battle, though I could have done with a bit of lighting or a shot that lasted more than one second. The one thing that I did enjoy, even if it made my stomach turn, was when Theon jumped. I’m glad that Game of Thrones hasn’t jumped the shark and changed their characters.

Each character is so layered and complex, it was great to see a character do something that they totally would have done in that situation. He has always been a coward. He really has no reason not to be. All his life he has been cut down, cast aside, and belittled. For Theon, there is no ‘fight or flight’, there is only flight.

Decent episode, overall. I hope things pick up even faster, because there are only 11 episodes of the series left, and I’m getting antsy.