First off, a grim reminder: Half this season of Game of Thrones is already over.
Unsettling, right? There's plenty unsettling things happening within the series itself, both for book lovers and for those who're yet to go through George RR Martin's yet to be completed series.
For those who have already read, spoilers haven't been much of a problem. We sat through the Red Wedding, taping unsuspecting fans watch the Stark family butchered to death, we -- while despising King Joffrey -- smugly found respite in the knowledge of his impending death and we tried really, really hard to not fall in love with Oberyn Martell -- despite the charm of Pedro Pascal -- since we knew that was not gonna end well.
But the days of book lovers smugly smiling through hope-crushing Game of Thrones moments seem numbered. The swift plots of season five have waded through so many story lines and cut-short the lifespan of so many characters that it almost seems like the series is whizzing past. Further, some major story lines are taking a completely different course altogether; case in point: Sansa back in Winterfell. Exciting yet, unsettling.
Meanwhile, for the TV series lover, what's unsettling is how season 5 is probably taking longer than always to get cracking. There's a bunch of heart-racing moments, interspersed within elaborate stage-setting. But hey, winter is coming and valar morghulis... oh boy, exciting.
If episode five 'Kill the Boy' is anything to go by, this volcano is waiting to erupt and give fans sleepless nights.
In Mereen, following the attack on Greyworm and Sir Barristan, Dany is angry and looking to get in control. She's also trying to train her dragons, considering she wouldn't be much of mother if she can't even hold them together.
Things haven't really gone well with Ser Jorah and his abductee Tyrion either.
Up North, Lord Commander Jon Snow has done well, and is making smart and important decisions. But that doesn't necessarily mean they've gone down well with his crow-brothers. Wildlings on the other hand... Snow might just have saved all their lives. On a broader note, the scenes around the Wall concentrated heavily on reminding the viewer that winter is coming and with it, half-dead men.
Even Stannis has quite easily accepted that not only are White Walkers real, but also a significant threat.
He's, meanwhile, headed to Winterfell, unaware of Sansa Stark's return to her home. Sansa's transition through the series is one of my favourites, considering how stunning it's been. She was hated, then she became the crybaby who got sympathy from no one and after her time with Littlefinger, she's almost become likable. Headstrong, smart, beautiful and hungry for revenge.
As for the Boltons... ugh. After all the sinister characters the series has seen, this father and son team has quickly gone up the ranks of 'truly despicable'. Be it Ramsay's treatment of Theon aka Reek, the Bolton's schemes that led to Red Wedding, or Lord Roose in today's episode, explaining how Ramsay -- his bastard -- was conceived. If there's ever going to be any justice in Westeros, let's hope the Bolton's get a nice raw deal.
(The writer is on Twitter @saxenavishakha)
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