Game of Thrones (TV Series) The Gift (2015) User Reviews

The arrival of winter

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 5 March 2018]

Came to 'Game of Thrones' fairly late in the game and due to being so busy the binge-watching was gradual. Have found myself truly loving the show, very quickly becoming one of my favourites. It totally lives up to the hype and not only does it do the brilliant source material justice (a rarity in television) it is on its own merits one of the finest, most addictive and consistently compelling shows in recent years and quality-wise it puts a lot of films in recent years to shame.

Personally liked to loved all the previous episodes of Season 5, which judging from the negative comments for the previous episode "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken" doesn't seem to be a popular opinion. Up to this point however, "The Gift" is the best and a big improvement over the polarising (and to me well done episode hampered by the stuff with the Sand Snakes) "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken".

What are the reasons for my saying this? It's the tightest paced episode up to this point in Season 5, it's the most jam-packed (in a good way, a lot happens but it doesn't feel too much), long awaited answers are provided and the character and story development show the most signs compared to the previous Season 5 episodes of moving forward rather than reiterating or feeling like filler.

"The Gift" and "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken" as well deserve credit for making Sansa the most interesting she's been in a long time and making me see Theon in a different light, instead of being the nasty piece of work he was previously part of me felt for him. There is a lot of intrigue and suspense, Tyrion and Jorah's storyline is very entertaining and the action is neatly executed. Actually found myself emotionally invested and interested in the Dorne storyline and the nudity in the prison scene was a non-issue.

'Game of Thrones' always delivers on the acting. "The Gift" is no exception and can find no casting issues. Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Diana Rigg are particularly exemplary.

Visually, "The Gift" looks amazing, as one would expect for 'Game of Thrones'. The scenery is throughout spectacular, the sets are hugely atmospheric and beautiful on the eyes with a real meticulous eye for detail and the costumes suit the characters to a tee. The make-up is beautifully done. As well the cinematography and editing, which are cinematic quality as well.

One cannot talk about "The Gift" without mentioning the thematically, orchestrally and atmospherically multi-layered music scoring and the unforgettable main theme. Again, worthy of a high-budget fantasy/action/drama film.

Script-wise, throughout the humour, mystery, wide emotional ranges and thought-provoking layers are present and the storytelling is passionate and sensitive.

Overall, wonderful episode and one of Season 5's best. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Winter is Here

[ThomasDrufke · 9/10 · 24 May 2015]

Last week had many critics as has this entire season, but I think episode 7 proved that this season is finally in full throttle. Most of the main cast was in the episode and we got possibly the coolest moment of the entire season.

We began in the north for the better part of the first 30 minutes, and it was pretty slow paced. Jon Snow left for the wildlings and the wall began to crumble. We also lost the old Targaryen died and Sam has barely any friends left. Which put Gilly in a bad position as we nearly had yet another rape scene. I was kind of hoping Sam would end up killing those guys. Ghost saving them felt too easy. And then to go on and have him and Gilly hook up felt tonally off. It was a pretty awkward scene to watch. Elsewhere in the north, Stannis is ready to march onto Winterfell but Melisandre has other plans. They are really painting Stannis as a much better guy this season so I hope he doesn't somehow give up his daughter to Melisandre. In Winterfell, Sansa plots against Ramsay with Theon, which predictably so turns south. Sophie Turner really shined this week as both a strong and broken character. She's come a long way since her season 1 days. But it was really heartbreaking to watch Ramsay get away with all that he does. Brienne has had a long enough break, wouldn't we all love to see her kill him?

Onto our favorite road trip comedy, Tyrion and Jorah. Their story picked up this week as they were sold into the fighting pits. It was nice to see Tyrion doing some as* kicking this week instead of the opposite way around. But by far the coolest scene of the season was seeing them meet up with Dany. Jorah brought his 'gift' to Dany, Tyrion. I don't see a good future for Jorah, but Tyrion's situation could wind up being a great turn for both the characters. They need each other. Back in Kings Landing, we have several, and I mean several, great scenes with the High Sparrow. We know Margaery and Loras are in jail and about to be on trial but I don't think we expected to see Cersei get the same treatment. She is easily one of the top 5 characters on the show so this becomes probably the top storyline of the future. The end of this season could turn out to have more WTF's than any of the past seasons.

It's worth mentioning that Bronn had an entertaining scene with the sand snakes, although I didn't really see the point for it other than comedic relief. Can we assume that he's cured now? It just seemed too easy. Also, Olenna Tyrell had a great scene with the High Sparrow and Littlefinger. I love how one week it seems like he's on one side and then the next week it's the opposite. He's just a fascinating character and always a joy to watch. It was nice to see him help the Tyrell's out there too as that was his 'Gift'. Well, there you have it, probably my favorite and most shocking episode of the season so far. Here's to winter!

+Sophie Turner

+Snow takes charge

+Sam steps up

+My name is Tyrion Lannister

+High Sparrow scenes

+Cersei is going down

+Littlefinger plans

-Gilly scenes felt off

-No point to the Bronn scene, is he safe?

9.6/10

A LIttle Too Smug, Eh!

[Hitchcoc · 10/10 · 11 April 2016]

This is such a good episode. We have significant advancement of the plot, lots of action, characters moving forward or backward, striking mistakes, and some justice. We begin with John Snow leading men into battle. While he is in command technically, loyalty is at a premium and he must watch his back. Sam wishes him well. Gully's assault brings Sam to exert himself. He reaches a "fight or die" conclusion, even though he has few of the tools to manage. Ramsay continues to persecute Sansa and Theon still lives in fear. Of course, at work are a couple of things. The birth of a non-bastard son in the offing and his self proclaimed status in the kingdom. He has delusions of grandeur that are going to be put to the test at some point. Jorah and Tyrion are sold as slaves to fight in an arena. Dany allows this fight to go ahead to appease the wish for tradition in her current setting. Jorah is wishing to reclaim himself, but when he stands before her, she rejects him. But then she is given a gift. We also have action back at the castle as Cersei is playing her hand. Margery and her brother are in prison, kept in a horrible dungeon. Cersei believes the High Sparrow is her ally. Margery's mother confronts the High Sparrow and makes threats unless Margery is released. The child King, Tommen is wrapped around his mother's finger, thinking she has Margery's best interest in mind. Cersei, of course, is pure evil and smugly thinks that she is in control. The episode ends with one of the best scenes in the entire series.

And there goes the boom... Beautiful emotional episode

[lukaradic1994 · 10/10 · 24 May 2015]

After a slow-paced start to this season things are finally picking up in this episode. We finally get to see Tyrion meet Daenerys and Cerci's "master plan" pay off. This episode also brought out some of the best acting i have seen on this show so far, from Cerci and Tommens emotional scene, to Sam, Gilly and the High Sparrow. Although for me Sansa delivered the best scene I have seen from her on the show. After being raped and tormented by Ramsey see really made me feel for her with her emotional plea for help to Theon/Reek. For me this was clearly the best episode of the season (so far at least) and I expect plots to develop pretty rapidly from this point onwards, especially for Jon considering the title of next weeks episode. 10/10.

Winter is definitely coming

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 27 March 2016]

After Jon heads off from Castle Black the situation becomes perilous for Sam and Gilly; without Jon's protection other members of the watch voice their doubts on Sam's claim to have slain a white walker as two of them make improper advances on Gilly. Sansa is in an even more precarious position in Winterfell; locked up during the day and at the mercy of Ramsey Bolton's perverse whims during the night; she seeks help from Theon but will this broken man be able to help her? Elsewhere in the north Stannis's army are held up in the snow; Lord Davos suggests that they return to Castle Black but Stannis is adamant that they continue to Winterfell; whether in victory or defeat he is determined that their campaign continues.

In the capital Olenna Tyrell goes to see High Sparrow but finds that he can't be persuaded to release her grandchildren. The King is also determined to see Margaery released and his mother, Cersei, agrees to try to help… of course she has no such intentions and visits Margaery just to taunt her. This doesn't mean things go her way; she may be trying to use the High Sparrow and his followers but their motives are very different and she is playing a dangerous game without even knowing it. Further south, in Dorne, Jaime learns that his daughter has no intention of returning to King's Landing and Bronn has a talk with the Sand Snakes in the dungeons. Across the Narrow Sea in Essos Tyrion and Jorah Mormont are sold as slaves to fight in the pits… this leads to an unexpected meeting between Jorah and Daenerys.

This was another really good episode with plenty of tension; some interesting plot developments and a nice twist involving Cersei and High Sparrow. The opening scenes snow us that winter is definitely coming in the North as snow falls on both Castle Black and Winterfell. The mood is almost as cold as we see Sam and Gilly's situation get distinctly more dangerous, even if that does bring them closer together, and things are even worse for Sansa as she learns that her situation is worse than she thought; she may have friends in the north but she has no way of contacting them; the one person she thought could help her is far too broken. Sophie Turner and Alfie Allen did fine jobs as Sansa and Theon. The scenes featuring Peter Dinklage and Iain Glen, as Tyrion and Jorah Mormont continue to some of the series more light-hearted moments… although they also provide some of the best action when we see Jorah defeat numerous fighters before revealing his identity to Daenerys. The best moments were saved for Queen Cersei; Lena Headey does a great job portraying one of the most devious and self-serving women in Westeros; first she is telling her son that she will do what she can for Margaery; then she is tormenting her in a way that could almost be considered friendly if we didn't know she didn't mean a word she said and Margaery knew it, finally her reaction to her reversal of fortunes was great; although I doubt many will sympathise with the character's plight. Overall this was one of the best episodes of the season.

The Best Episode of the Fifth Season

[claudio_carvalho · 9/10 · 24 May 2015]

Jon Snow rides with Tormund Giantsbane to meet the Wildlings; Aemon Targeryan dies; and Sam is left alone in Castle Black. Sansa asks Theon to light a candle in the broken tower to help her; however he betrays her. Stannis' army is weak with the cold winter but he decides to continue to march to Winterfell. Melisandre wants to sacrifice Stannis' daughter to victory. Tyrion and Jorah are sold to fight in the arena. Lady Olenna has a conversation with the High Sparrow about the destiny of Margaery and Loras Tyrell. Bronn was poisoned by one Sand Snake, but she gives the antidote to him. Jorah sees Daenerys in the arena and he shows his gift to her. Cersei goes to the Black Cells to visit and annoy Margaery and the High Sparrow gives a surprise to her.

"The Gift" is the best episode of the Fifth Season of Game of Thrones. Jon Snow's journey will begin in the Wildling lands. Sansa discovers how despicable Theon is. Will Stannis accept the sacrifice proposed by Melisandre? Lady Oleanna is trying to save her grandchildren at any cost. The encounter between Jorah and Daenerys is tense. But the best part is the fate of Cersei after meeting the High Sparrow. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "The Gift"

Pretty grim

[IamInge · 9/10 · 21 July 2019]

This episode represents a turn for the worse for some of the characters - but there's also some newfound light in the darkness.

Yes, Reek?

[sharky_55 · 25 May 2015]

There's a really clever scene in the North which begins the seventh episode and it's something that we haven't seen in GOT for a while. Clever camera-work can often substitute for good acting or dialogue and in this case it gets the point across in a really ingenious way. We see broken Reek, arguing and sobbing and apologizing for all his sins with an equally broken Sansa, who begs him to take a candle up to the broken tower and light it to signal to her Northern allies. Reek trudges out through the snow into the courtyard, glancing up at the old tower...he rounds the spiral staircase, the music swells, waiting, hoping for something for Sansa to change, he opens the door...and...The soundtrack comes to a sudden halt and it's not the broken tower at all that he's been climbing. It's Ramsay Snow's quarters and in just a few shots we've been told of Reek's continued obedience/slavery without hardly a word. It's almost as good as the scene way back when Tyrion deals out three separate rumours to Pycelle, Varys and Littlefinger in order to weed out the spy. Great bit of subtle storytelling. Which is a shame because I don't really think that they needed to show the old serving lady being flayed. We know how ruthless Ramsay can be already and I think it would have been a better direction to have Reek be too scared to do it but keep it a secret. But anyway I don't know what Brienne is waiting for. It's not like Sansa's life is getting any better and it's going to take everything to get over the cold winter walls.

On the wall we see Jon leaving for what seems like a doomed mission because bar Sam the entire Night's Watch disagrees with his intent of saving those wildlings, even if they would just pose a bigger problem come winter and white walkers. Sam has grown a lot from that first cowardly confession atop the wall to Jon in the first season, and his feeble attempts at sword play. He still doesn't really get much better at that despite slaying a white walker, although it is nice to see Ghost pop up again. Peter Vaughn finally bows out tonight after a long reign as the maester of the Night's Watch. What a touching and rather melancholy last moment he receives, as he dreams of a forgotten age of Westeros where the Targaryens were still in power and Aegon the fifth was still a babe in his arms. Gracefully done. And now his watch is ended.

Is it a hint of Joffrey we see in Tommen as he spits angrily to his surprisingly calm mother on the fate of his newly wedded queen? Or just a young and naive king who cannot bear to be away from his first? The show has put these two great houses into very comprising situations despite their power and wealth and now they are basically on their knees, at the mercy of the gods and the Faith. Even Olenna Tyrell seems to beg for some sort of agreement to free his grandchildren. Seemingly the Lannister and Tyrell guards have vanished, along with the City Watch and even the Kingsguard have been rendered useless, and we haven't really been given much indication of how much power and influence over the common folk that the Faith has. So what is stopping anyone from marching a small army to their gates and taking back their prisoners?

What's more troubling is Cersei's 'master plan' that finally derails at the end of this episode. Sure, you can put it down to her incompetence (which we have seen plenty of it), but even then her motivations seem weak. Rid of her first born son and father at the hands of her enemies and seeing a loss in power, her plan is to get Loras Tyrell arrested for homosexuality and Margaery for...perjury? What exactly does she think will occur, because I doubt that the crime is big enough for Cersei to return to power as Queen Regent. Which makes it more grating how confident and smug she seems in the jail. It is however a very satisfying and logical move for the Faith to arrest her for the incest brought upon them by the confession of Lancel. Even without the high flying rumours of her and Jaime they have a very solid case against her. It's finally come to bite her in the back and this time she is without ally in King's Landing.

Finally in the East we've been fast forwarded quite a bit in the storyline. What is supposedly a long journey suddenly arrives at its climax with Jorah and Tyrion arriving in the lower fighting pits of Meereen. How great is the little mutter from the slave master to his fighters after seeing the queen and his hurried urgency to straighten them up? "It's the f*cking queen...!" We get to see a great bit of the brute force and efficiency that Jorah deals out with his Westori training as a knight but the real delight is finally seeing the meeting of the dragon and the lion. This is certainly the match-up we've been waiting for; no two bigger main characters have met before like this, after starting so far away at the beginning of the series. With a real adviser at her side, how will this change things in Meereen? It's hopeful better advice than the very heavy handed metaphor that Daario gives.

Revenge is sweet...but this time it's delicious!

[tlfirth · 10/10 · 25 May 2015]

I hate to say it, but more happened in this episode than in the last three combined. This is why I think David Benioff and D. B. Weiss are the best writers, because they understand how the show needs to progress, and how to set out the perfect scenes. Bryan Cogman is good, but there's a heavy concentration on major revelations, rather than fleshing them out a bit more, and ultimately the scenes seem unfinished and imperfect. Dave Hill's new to the game, so we can't blame him, but his episode certainly did have some significant moments.

Anyhow, whilst the episode itself may seem quite quiet, as in there's nothing predominantly game- changing, Benioff and Weiss counter that with some deeply satisfying plot twists and dialogue that will knock your woolly socks off. Not to mention that a number of characters get some heavy development, including Samwell, Stannis, Olenna, Bronn, and of course our dearest Cersei. Stakes are high in the world of Game of Thrones, and when they're high, the writers get a chance to open things out a little. It could've been a mess, considering the fact that the writers had to fit 22 starring cast members into just under an hour of television - and to do it so deftly - is notorious of these show runners.

In the North, people are scattering, with Jon heading north-east to Hardhome and to hopefully start a new relationship with the help of Tormund Giantsbane. Samwell get some much-needed character development, particularly in showing his outright loyalty to Gilly. She rewards him kindly, and there's a real intimate relationship brewing. Also, we get to see glimpse of Ghost again. Stannis is also making a stand, this time to Melisandre, who has controversially stated that Shireen may be used in a sacrifice to Rhllor to help the King's cause, something that I doubt he would ever let happen. Equally, Ramsay is still holding his ground at Winterfell, but Sansa still has some fire within her yet - she's picked up a weapon after all. The shot of Brienne watching from afar is superbly envisioned - like a guardian angel, watching and waiting for the right moment. If only Theon had done the right thing.

In King's Landing, the Tyrell family gains a little back. A word joust between Olenna and the High Sparrow, followed by another with Baelish, leads to Cersei's imprisonment. It's great to see the true nature of the High Sparrow and how Lady Olenna realises that the Faith is more than just a group of people - they actually believe in justice. And to see Cersei's demise was a truly satisfying moment. Jonathan Pryce couldn't have played it better.

In Dorne, we learn two things. Myrcella may be a lost cause unless Jaime can somehow persuade her otherwise, and the Sand Snakes really should not be messed with. We see a side of Bronn that we haven't seen before, scared and desperate. After all, he wanted a quiet death, and the poison in Tyene's dagger was far from what he wanted. More is needed though before the end of this season - the Dorne storyline still feels incomplete.

Finally, in Meereen, the moment has happened that we've been expecting for a long while - Tyrion's meeting with Daenerys. Ser Jorah's love for seeing her is priceless, because we can't see how much he's wanted to see her. His battle with his fellow warriors is short-lived but enough for us to anticipate what happens next. Daenerys' expression explains it all. But if next week's trailer is anything to go by, Ser Jorah may still be struggling to find a place in Khaleesi's court.

From start to finish, this a stunning hour of television, giving this season a surge forward into the final three episodes, where I can see a lot of things happening. Game of Thrones continues to be one of my very favourite TV series, mainly because it is able to progress through a world- building structure in quite a serious fashion and continues to display realistic characters going through their realistic emotions. Almost flawless this week.

9.5/10

Karma is real

[moviesfilmsreviewsinc · 10/10 · 2 March 2023]

They say that success in life is all about who you know and who you are more than anything else. Very few people in Westeros are self-made men. Bronn was nothing but a common sellsword until he took a chance and befriended Tyrion Lannister. Now he's a knight with a castle, doing special favours for the Queen Mother in exchange for a bigger castle and a prettier wife. Littlefinger might have been a nobody as far as lords are concerned, but he was still a lord before he made his money as the Master of Coin and King's Landing's brothel master. Essos is a bit more fluid, lacking the traditional nobility of the Seven Kingdoms. We don't get a lot of shots of the 99 percent of Westeros. Mostly we see them being terrorized by Lannister men, or walking along the side of the road while The Hound and Arya pass through, or crowding in a marketplace while import characters walk and talk through them. The closest we've come to this world is the High Sparrow and his band of religious fanatics who have smashed and beaten and arrested their way through the nobles. Arming the Faith Militant was a huge mistake on Cersei's part, because it's not like she can get the Goldcloaks or the Lannister army to put down the beast she unleashed. She'd be directly attacking the church, which I can assume has a lot of support among the people of Westeros due to their short life span, and an incredible amount of financial resources, given the fact that the Sept of Baelor is a gilded monstrosity, according to the Sparrow himself. By turning the force of the Faith against the crown's most important ally over some personal grudge, Cersei Lannister might have just ruined the kingdom. Olenna Tyrell says, in no uncertain terms, that she'll let King's Landing starve and she'll make sure that the people know that the High Sparrow is responsible. Meanwhile, Littlefinger gives Olenna some information that she'll need to help bring down Cersei, and of course Lancel is there to give testimony as to the peculiar tastes of the former Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. There's no doubt Sansa is going to use that corkscrew, and there's no doubt it's going to backfire on her, because it's Sansa, and she can't really catch a break. Still, she hasn't given up, and that's a credit to her willingness to keep fighting even while her only ally has thrown her to the Bolton wolves (temporarily). Her allies among the small folk might give her numbers over the Bolton forces holding her captive, but small folk can only do so much without some sort of higher muscle behind them. The hard part is getting the good folks to do something effective to stop the bad.

I am the gift

[dannylee-78082 · 8/10 · 6 March 2022]

1. Master Aemon passes 2. Sam gets laid 3. Tyrion meets Daenerys

What strikes me in the past few episodes is the amount of power that the High Sparrow has. How is it possible that he could have so much authority when he's newly appointed and is the leader of a newly formed movement? He basically imprisoned all of the powers in King's Landing except the King himself. His motivations seem strange too - it's unclear whether it's really about the religion or power (funny to differentiate those two). He seems like a devout man, but with potential ulterior motives. Cersei's plan has backfired on her quite severely and it's one of the first times we see her be placed in a real danger ("Blackwater" doesn't count).

But so far, Cersei is definitely one of the single most impressive character in GoT. Basically every character is well written in this universe, but Cersei is so complex. She seems evil, but also kind towards the right people. She is a political genius - which reminds me of Claire Underwood (Robin Wright) in House of Cards. She really makes season 5 worth watching as I feel like it has less momentum than previous seasons.

Everything that happens in the North seemed a little less important, almost filler like. Maester Aemon dies, Sam gets laid, Ramsay flays again, Stannis is stuck... more or less minor details. But Jorah finally encounters Daenerys with Tyrion. A beginning of an exciting moment but we are already at episode 8. What can really be resolved in 3 episodes? We shall see...

Karma is finally catching up with Cersei.

[punch87 · 9/10 · 13 November 2019]

Stuff happened Sunday night. Lots of stuff. Stuff that hasn't even happened in the books yet. So much stuff that I'm not even going to complain that the showrunners actually crammed entirely too much stuff into one episode.

Fights and gifts

[AvionPrince16 · 7/10 · 12 April 2023]

We are not sure about the real implication of Cersei in the fate of Loras and Margaery but she really seem to be happy about the situation but she will be a prisoner too. Otenna meet Littlefinger and he confessed that he gave some info on Loras. We have Jaime who confront his sister and explained to her that they want her back. And we have also the most sensual scene of the episode with Bronnland Tyene and that was really l pleasant to the eye i need to admit. Daenerys is married with a man even if its not really who she loves the most; Daario is still have sexual relationship with her and is he gonna succeed to influence her more? He succeed with the fights at Meereen. Sansa become more and more trapped by Ramsay and their marriage. And we have the moment that we waited from a long time now: Daenerys finally meet Tyrion and see again Jorah; so what will happen now? Is she gonna forgive him? And what future she reserved to Tyrion? Clearly need to see more.

The Gift of Unremarkability

[aidricalamea · 5/10 · 3 January 2024]

5/10

Best Part: Master Aemon's death. It's just amazing.

Worst Part: Tyrion's chains being cut off by just this random guy. It's not horribly egregious it's just... what? Like, what?

Runner Up Worst Part #1: The scene with the Sandsnakes started off with the Sandsnakes still being stupid but at least Bronn was funny. And then the poison hit and... yeah.

Runner Up Worst Part #2: Fine, it may be unfair to pair these together, but I will anyway. Both of Olenna's scenes are... ugh. Her scene with Littlefinger has her being great but Littlefinger continues to make no sense. She also has a scene with the High Sparrow in which she's uncharacteristically awful at reading people and situations and just... how, after having a decent amount of experience with the High Sparrow and the Sparrows, does she think the High Sparrow is fully devoted to Cersei? It makes sense for Cersei to think this, but not Olenna.

Best and Worst Part: This episode just isn't very memorable at all. This would have been bad early in the show, but in Season 5 it's kind of a blessing.

Emotions and drama run high in Game of Thrones' best episode in ages.

[ryanjmorris · 9/10 · 25 May 2015]

So Game of Thrones' fifth season has finally given us its first truly perfect episode, almost three quarters of the way into this year's run. It's been very easy to label this season as the show's weakest year; after all, it did come off the back of what is arguably one of the most eventful seasons of any TV show, period. But the show's renewed emphasis on weighty thematic ideas and intricate character work has let us to this, and now season five has but three episodes left to take us back to the big, explosive Westeros we came to love in the first few seasons. The Gift is far and away the best episode of this season yet, in fact I think I'd have to go further back to season four's stellar The Laws of Gods and Men to find the last episode that topped this one. It may not represent Game of Thrones at its most shockingly dramatic, but The Gift is a surprisingly emotional episode, reinforced by concrete character development, some huge plot leaps and the best writing we've had all year. Welcome back, Westeros.

When I label this episode an "emotional" one, I don't mean it in the terms of making the viewer cry or eliciting an actual emotional response in the audience. Rather, The Gift felt content in allowing characters to put their own loved ones first, creating an episode in which even Cersei was almost likable. Even those who hate Cersei and everything she stands for would struggle to not feel something for her as she talks with Tommon about family values and what that means to her; if Cersei has one overall redeeming quality, it is that she loves her children more than anything in her world. Sam and Gilly were also treated to an emotional sequence this week, following the upsetting but unsurprising death of Maester Aemon. Sam and Gilly have been two of my favourite characters in this show for a long time now, so it was great to seem them given some truly serious stuff to play with, as both of them handled it with ease. Also shocking was Melisandre's (still Game of Thrones's most captivating on screen presence) request that Stannis sacrifice his own daughter in order to aid his advancement to Winterfell. Stannis shot this idea down instantly, further emphasising this episode's focus on family.

This episode really comes into form in it's final fifteen minutes, though, in which two of the show's most beloved characters finally come into contact for the first time, and it was seamless. Jorah's unveiling of himself in front of Daenerys was a superbly tense moment, leaving the audience unsure as to which way Dany would fall. She soon answers that question with a resounding "Get him out of my sight", before Tyrion makes his presence known in what I would happily label the season's most exciting sequence yet. Any other episode and this would take the final scene, but The Gift had more to tell. Last week we watched as both Loras and Margaery Tyrell were arrested by the Faith Militant for lying under oath, but I don't think anyone expected the following episode to result in Cersei herself succumbing to the same fate. Lancel's reveal was handled expertly, and Jonathon Pryce delivered arguably the best monologue of the season as the High Sparrow built to Cersei's arrest. The entire final act of episode seven was simply masterful stuff.

It may have taken a little longer to reach perfection than the show's other seasons, but this year's Game of Thrones is a very different show, as outlined in my review for episode one seven weeks back. Westeros is a different world to what it once was, and this is reflected in the show itself. Whilst it has been easy, and justifiable, to label this season disappointing, should the following three episodes sustain the narrative momentum we saw here, then season five could be able to claw its way back. I barely had time here to discuss Theon's betrayal of Sansa, or the fact that a Sand Snake was given solid screen time and actually performed well; there was just so much to talk about suddenly. The first six episodes were set up, and that phase did last far too long for a ten episode season (60% setup is difficult to justify), but if these upcoming episodes return to Game of Thrones' explosive roots, they could ultimately hit harder than ever because of this. If the show takes a step down again next week, then The Gift may end up feeling like a misplaced lightning fast episode dropped into a slow, set-up season. Either way, it's the best thing this show has done all year.

Last effort when chocolate and flower don't work anymore

[quincytheodore · 8/10 · 24 May 2015]

The winter has arrived, much like real life its timely arrival coincides with a great war. After the perverse pounding scene from last episode, Theon and Sansa are still trudging through their own ordeals. It's a bit disturbing, especially concerning Theon who is farther from redemption with each episode. Stannis, on the other hand, suffers losses even before the war begins. As Jon Snow's supposed reinforcement is still away, a desperate measure is presented in front of him.

Much of the time spent in North is with Sam. He has proved to be resilient and while not in usual conventional fashion, he is heroic in his own right. It's nice to see an ordinary man amidst the warlords and scheming generals. King's Landing has no shortage of those as houses play with politic, faith and knowledge. Olenna Tyrell does everything in her power to free her grandchildren. She might find the power her house holds is dwindling as the faith grows in strength, dangerously so.

In Dorne Jamie has little progress on convincing his love struck daughter/niece. He has had no luck with women or children, so this might take him a while. One of more intriguing moments happens with the favorite sell-sword Bronn who secretly has a talent to become a bard and his newly acquainted female warrior who has more weapons in her arsenal. The interaction between them is witty, seductive and entertaining in strangely lethal manner.

The royalties have equally surprising encounters. Lena Headey as Cersei gives a bizarre yet compelling display of affection. Even with her usual cold demeanor, she is convincingly passionate when it comes to her children. It's personal for her because Margeary sees his son as chess piece while Cersei truly adores him unconditionally.

The episode closes as Jorah makes his last gambit to gain the affection of women he lost. After investing so much, it's hard not to cheer for one of the most underdog characters of the series. It also presents one of the most awaited meetings of the series, which should present faster development for things to come.

A classic episode that improves on the first six episodes

[gavin-thelordofthefu-48-460297 · 10/10 · 24 April 2016]

After the controversial Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken, The Gift is a very satisfying episode that improves on the first six episodes. It does a neat job advancing the plot progression while making the relationships remain interesting. Plus it has some action in it which is really cool to watch. And no, there aren't any problems I have with this episode because it's great to see things getting better than ever.

The performances are still great, the characters are still believable, the pacing never drags and doesn't become uneven, the story/script improves on the weak writing that episode six had, the directing and editing is still sharp, the music score from Ramin Djawadi continues to be beautifully atmospheric, the action is really cool to watch and the plot progression, like I said before, is advanced very neatly.

So, overall, a classic episode and an improvement over Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken, which I thought was pretty good, but not without it's flaws. :)

I cried a lot.

[lv-berks · 10/10 · 18 February 2021]

Aemon Targaryens Death scene is the saddest scene in this show for me. All in all a very good episode but all the Scenes with Aemon in it made it a 10 out of 10.

Cersei's Time Is Coming

[Rainey-Dawn · 8/10 · 18 September 2018]

Season 5, episode 7. Jon leaves with a few rangers to just north of the wall. Sam and Gilly are having problems with a couple of the Men of the Watch - and Sam gets a threat. Master Aemon has died. Stannis and company are caught in the winter storm, The Red Woman insists on her blood magic to make Stannis a king before they march on Winterfell but Stannis refuses the magic because his daughter would be used. Tyrion and Jorah are sold as slaves and end up standing in front of Daenerys. Lady Olenna wants her grandchildren released from the King's Landing prison but is refused - she also speaks with Littlefinger and more information is revealed concerning the Lannisters and themselves. Cersei is gloating over Margaery's imprisonment but also finds herself put inside of of a cell.

8.5/10

I liked it.

[xplod-80383 · 9/10 · 12 February 2022]

A very good episode... I hope crazy Ramsey dies in the worst way!!!! I was enjoyed when Cersei, who had come to visit Margaery, was imprisoned herself.

the truth

[Kirpianuscus · 4 May 2019]

Love and meetings and desire to escape and need to escape the lover ones. And the brutal side of enemies anihilation. An episode about "gifts". Different and not comfortable. Because all are pieces around the truth. Not the comfortable one but necessary. Gilly and Samwell. Samwell and Aemon. Sansa and Theon.High Sparrow against fake almighty Cersei. And, sure, Mormont and his Dannerys. An episode for reflections. About love, power and fragilities.

Fun

[bevo-13678 · 10/10 · 16 June 2020]

I like the bit where tirion and jora are sold as slaves

Season 5 is a grind

[neatmiker · 8/10 · 15 August 2021]

Arya's storyline. The High Sparrow Yawnfest. Jora's desperate journey towards Dany's good graces. By this point in the season the episodes are tedious, boring and have destroyed all the momentum built during the previous 4 years.

Still, it's the 2nd greatest show ever made and better than anything else out there, even when considering it's been years since it's first run.

Getting better

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 15 October 2020]

THE GIFT is something of a step up from the previous instalment, less unpleasant and more entertaining generally. The step downs are an openly pornographic scene in the cells with the awful Dorne daughters and a gratuitous bed scene with Daenerys. The arena fight scene comes on suddenly and unexpectedly and reaffirms what we already knew about Ser Jorah and his fighting abilities, a real burst of adrenaline, this one. The final scene with Cersei is possibly the most satisfying of the whole show, and the most satisfaction we've had since the days of Tyrion destroying Joffrey. I admit to getting small pleasure out of Sam's humiliation, which humanises a character previously indestructible to anyone and everything.

Amazing Well-Planned Episode.

[ououzaza · 9/10 · 18 July 2019]

This Episode is so good. It is well-planned. It's about The Gift, Jorah's gift, Gilly's gift, and Littlefinger's gift. as well as that dornish girl's gift. I'm not good as describing so this is it. A really good episode. Make me want watch the next one so bad.