Game of Thrones Season 5 Episode 7: The Gift Recap With Spoilers

The opening stops at King’s Landing, Winterfell, the Wall, Braavos, Meereen, and Dorne.

Men of the Night’s Watch prepare for the coming journey. Tormund is escorted into the yard, where Jon Snow orders his shackles removed. Jon passes command of Castle Black to Alliser Thorne while he’s away. Thorne makes sure Jon knows what a terrible idea he thinks this mission is. Sam wishes Jon safe travels, and hands Jon a pack with the dragon glass Sam used to kill White Walker. Sam and Gilly bring the baby to see Maester Aemon, who is sick in bed.

Reek brings food to Sansa, who is curled up in bed. Sansa, who insists on calling Reek by Theon, begs for help. She’s locked in her room every day until Ramsay comes at night. Sansa tells Reek that she still has friends in the North, and begs Theon to light the signal in the tower. She tries to remind him who he is and makes him promise to light the signal. Theon walks through Winterfell with the candle in his hand, up the tower to Ramsay’s dining room. Brienne stands sentry, waiting for a signal.

Aemon lies in bed, having memories of his brother Egg. Gilly tells Sam to get some sleep because Sam will have to speak for Aemon in the morning. Aemon says “Egg, I dreamed that I was old.” In the morning, Sam leads the ceremony to burn Aemon’s body. Thorne points out that Sam is losing all of his friends.

Sansa walks the parapets at Winterfell and meets Ramsay. Ramsay tells Sansa what low expectations he had when his father first told him he was marrying. He tells her that Stannis is riding towards Winterfell, but that the snowstorm that’s settled in should help them defend Winterfell. Ramsay say that one day he’ll be Warden of the North, but Sansa pointedly notes that Roose’s child with Walda would likely be next in line of inheritance. He notes that bastards can rise high, and tells her that Jon is Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch now. He then shows her the chamber woman who had been kind to her, flayed, and tells her to hold onto her candles.

Stannis’ men are camped out, shivering in the cold. Davos fills Stannis in on how much the storm is weakening their forces. Davos councils that this is not the time for an attack. Stannis tells Davos that he can’t retreat again after retreating at King’s Landing. Stannis says the time is now. They march to victory, or they march to defeat. He turns to Melisandre and says he trusted her. Melisandre reminds him that they both saw, in the flames, a great battle in the snow. Melisandre says sometimes a sacrifice must be made to achieve victory. She suggests using the king’s blood in Shireen, saying he must become king before the Long Night begins, that only he can lead the living against the dead. Stannis kicks her out of his tent.

Two men of the Night’s Watch harass Gilly. Sam shows up with a sword in hand and reminds the two men that they have guard duty. They shove Gilly aside, and begin fighting Sam. They beat Sam while he’s down, then move to take Gilly. Sam gets up on his feet, despite the beating. Then men approach Sam, but Ghost walks in the room growling. The men run off. Sam passes out. Gilly gets him into bed and tends to his busted up face. Sam promises to take care of both Gilly and little Sam. Sam asks Gilly to stay with him. Gilly begins kissing him, then straddles him and they make love.

Malko brings Tyrion and Jorah to market to auction off. Jorah is sold first. Tyrion insists that the buyer must purchase him as well, saying that he and Jorah are a team and that he’s a good fighter. He beats up the servant holding his chains to prove the point. The man purchases Tyrion as well.

Dany and Daario share a bed, and discuss her impending marriage to Hizdahr. Daario isn’t particularly happy about the arrangement. He suggests that Dany marry him instead. Dany says she can’t. Daario makes a last suggestion: gathering all the masters on the day of the great games and slaughtering them. Dany says she’s not a butcher. Daario says all rulers are either butchers or meat.

Olenna Tyrell approaches the High Sparrow in the Great Sept. She calls him on the “man of the people” act, pointing out that he’s just doing Cersei’s dirty work. Olenna tries to buy him, but the Sparrow insists that he only serves the gods. Olenna threatens to stop sending food to King’s Landing, but the Sparrow says they are the many, and they will soon stop fearing the few. Olenna receives a message as she leaves.

Tommen is distraught over Margaery’s imprisonment, and yells about it to his mother. Cersei counsels acceptance. Tommen wants to start a war, but Cersei warns that Margaery would be the first to die. Tommen says he loves Margaery. Tommen wants to talk to the High Sparrow, but Cersei volunteers to do so on his behalf.

Jaime sits in a luxurious cell in Dorne. Areo brings Myrcella to him. Jaime says that Dorne is too dangerous now, and he’s come to take Myrcella home for Cersei. She insists that she loves Trystane and that Dorne is her home, and says they’ll be married and remain in Dorne.

Bronn is singing from his much less luxurious cell. The Sand Snakes sit in a separate cell. Tyene applauds his Bronn’s singing. She asks after Bronn’s arm and begins seducing him through the bars, undressing herself. Bronn’s vision becomes fuzzy. His nose starts bleeding, and he falls to the ground. Tyene reveals that her dagger was coated with a poison from Ashai, the long goodbye, which causes death over a long period of time. She wears the antidote around her neck. She gets him to call her the most beautiful woman in the world, then she tosses him the antidote and he drinks it.

Littlefinger surveys the damage done to his establishment. There are seven-pointed stars on the walls. Olenna Tyrell meets him there. Olenna is angry that Littlefinger didn’t return to King’s Landing before things went wrong. Littlefinger tells Olenna about what Cersei summoned him for, but then offers her a gift, the same kind of gift he offered Cersei, a handsome young man.

Jorah and Tyrion are being prepared for training. Jorah isn’t called with the first batch, and awaits his turn. Dany visits the lower pit where Jorah, unknown to her, is located, a part of Meereenese tradition. Jorah hears the slaves salute the queen, and steals a look at her from his quarters. The fighting is brutal, and Dany moves to leave. Hizdahr halts her. Jorah grabs his gear and heads out into the arena, striking down his master as he does so. He begins taking out all of the other fighters. The other fighters in the waiting room leave Tyrion behind to join the fray. Tyrion begins filing away at his chains. A guard breaks them for him. Jorah emerges victorious and unmasks himself in front of Dany. Dany orders him taken from his sight, but Jorah says he’s brought her a gift. Tyrion emerges and introduces himself.

Cersei visits Margaery in her cell in the Great Sept. Cersei feigns concern, but Margaery lets her know that she knows who is behind this and screams at her to leave. Cersei walks back through the halls of the Great Sept. She finds the High Sparrow waiting for her. He says Margaery and Loras will both have a trial, with seven Septons as judges. If they confess before the trial, they will receive the “Mother’s mercy,” whatever that may mean in relation to their crimes. The Sparrow begins sharing the history of the chapel where they stand, and testing Cersei’s own knowledge. He notes how simple and solid it is compared to the gilded, Great Sept above. He says the same will be done to the Tyrells, and everyone else. He asks what they’ll find when they strip away Cersei’s finery. He says a young man came to them not long ago, and shared a great many things that had been weighing on his soul. He says the man had much to say about Cersei. Lancel enters the chapel. Cersei turns to leave, but a Sister grabs hold of her and takes her away. They lock her in a cell beneath the Great Sept.