HBO
An interesting episode, with one big death. Let's dive in:
1) Distrust grows
The beginning of the episode was about healing after so many friends were lost. But Dany's desire to take the iron throne at all costs is beginning to sow seeds of distrust. Varys and Tyrion are having their doubts. Sansa believes the troops need rest. With just two episodes remaining, the stage is set.
2) Cersei is just smarter
Dany's tactics from a military perspective continue to be questionable. She got another dragon killed, and Missandei captured. Cersei and her allies have been a step ahead from the beginning. Simple question: Why did she not circle around and hit the Greyjoy ships from behind after the anti-dragon weapon worked? She could have toasted the fleet without risking Drogon. Instead, she lost yet another battle.
3) Jamie comes full circle
Jamie's character arc has been amazing. From absolute turd to likable, and it all centered around Brienne. The fact that they finally hooked up was predictable. But for Jamie to leave her to return to Cersei, to once again go back to being a turd...the entire character change seemed to be erased. We still have to think that his story is still to be determined.
4) Adios, Missandei
Another second-tier character bites the dust as Cersei executes Missandei. It serves as a plot point in that now the wrath of Dany and Grey Worm will be impossible to stop. Cersei's arrogance is born of victory after victory. She believes she is going to win, to the point she enjoys killing Missandei. It would be wholly unsatisfying, but at this point do you believe she won't win?
5) Big betrayal coming?
The episode set up something big for next week. Does Varys betray Dany? Will Tyrion? Does the Golden Company betray Cersei? The battle for the Iron Throne will likely be settled next week, and we still have no clue who it will be. Cersei? Dany? Jon? Dany's strategy has been terrible. Why not just dispatch Arya to assassinate Cersei? No battle, no war. Easy surrender. Instead we are likely to see another battle and thousands of innocent deaths. Cersei was always the biggest threat, more so than the Night King, because she is smarter than everyone else.
My only main beef is with the pacing of the show. Too many scenes are dragged out, while others seem rushed.
Still, this was a solid episode, and hopefully the next will be even better.
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The Houston Rockets will aim to bounce back from their loss to the Lakers when they host the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night at Toyota Center.
Houston (49-27) has surged into second place in the Western Conference, winning eight of its last 10 games while outscoring opponents by an average of 10.5 points per game in that span. Jalen Green (21.5 PPG) and Alperen Sengun (18.1 PPG last 10 games) continue to lead a balanced Rockets attack that averages 114.0 points per game this season.
Utah (16-60) enters on a six-game losing streak and has struggled against Western Conference opponents, going just 7-41. Despite the rough stretch, the Jazz remain strong on the glass, ranking fifth in the NBA in rebounds (45.4 per game) behind center Walker Kessler (12.2 RPG, 2.4 BPG). However, injuries continue to pile up, with Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, and Kessler all listed as day-to-day.
Perimeter shooting could be a key factor in this matchup. The Rockets allow 12.1 made 3-pointers per game, while the Jazz make 13.8 per contest—but Utah also surrenders 14.7 threes per game, giving Houston an opportunity to exploit its defense from beyond the arc.
With a playoff spot locked up, the Rockets will look to take care of business and extend Utah’s losing streak as the regular season winds down.
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