‘Game Of Thrones’ Recap: Season 5, Episode 9 – ‘The Dance Of Dragons’

Joel Fry as Hizdahr Zo Loraq and Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen (Nick Wall/HBO)

One ruler went too far, and another went to new heights in Sunday’s “Game of Thrones.”

(Spoiler Alert! This article recaps the plot twists from Sunday’s episode.)

Daenerys Targaryen found trouble after opening the fighting pits, but two old allies came to her aid, while across the realm, King Stannis Baratheon made a horrific move in his desperate quest for the Iron Throne. Over in Dorne, Jaime Lannister got some good news from Prince Doran, and in Braavos, Arya ran into an old name from her hit list.

PHOTOS: ‘Game Of Thrones’: Season 5, Episode 9 — ‘The Dance Of Dragons’

Here’s our recap of “Game of Thrones” Season 5, Episode 9 – “The Dance of Dragons”:

King Stannis Baratheon

Winter is storming around Stannis Baratheon’s camp. Inside a tent, Melisandre is startled by something and goes outside to see what it is. Fire! Fire everywhere! Flames break out across the camp, burning tents and horses. It’s chaos as men rush to try and contain the damage caused by Ramsay Bolton and his twenty men. The next morning, Davos Seaworth tells his king the bad news – their food was burned, and hundreds of horses are dead. They should go back, Davos suggests. “We’re not returning to Castle Black,” Stannis replies. Davos pleads with his king, and then he stops. He has no sway now, not with Stannis looking straight at Melisandre.

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Jon Snow & The Wildlings

After last week’s supernatural White Walker and wights battle, Jon Snow and the Wildlings have sailed south and marched across the snow, and we find them outside the gate that runs under The Wall at Castle Black. Atop The Wall, Ser Alliser Thorne looks down at all the people he fought (in Season 4), and he takes a moment (maybe a little too long for Jon’s liking). Finally, Ser Alliser orders the men to open the gate. Inside, as the Wildlings file through, the Night’s Watch men look at them – and Jon – with disdain (Olly too). Ser Alliser actually has a kind word for Jon – telling his Lord Commander he has a good heart… and that that heart is going to get them all killed.

King Stannis Baratheon

With things looking bleak, King Stannis tells Davos he’s going on a mission – he will go to Castle Black and tell Jon to give them food, supplies and fresh horses (in return for Stannis giving the Night’s Watch all the men they need, after he takes the Iron Throne). Cautiously, Davos suggests that it might not be the right time for the Hand of the King (him) to abandon his King (Stannis) during a time of war. Stannis says he needs Davos to do the job and he won’t discuss it further. “Your grace, perhaps Queen Selyse and Princess Shireen could accompany me?” Davos asks. Stannis turns him down. He knows Stannis is making a bad choice, but Davos nods and leaves the King’s tent, and stops in to say goodbye to Shireen. She’s been enjoying reading “The Dance of Dragons,” and tells him about it. He hands her a gift – it’s a stag carved out of wood – to thank her for teaching him “how to be a grown up.” He’ll be gone for a few days, Davos tells her, and he asks Shireen to tell him all about the book when he gets back. And with that, Davos kisses his young friend on her forehead and leaves.

Jaime Lannister & The Martells

Good news for Jaime Lannister – he can return with his “niece,” Prince Doran reveals, and Tristane, her fiancé, will be going too. They have an alliance, after all. Jaime’s not thrilled by the second part, but it’s a good deal to get out of there alive. Doran, who’s a pretty savvy politician, then makes another deal – Tristane must have Oberyn’s place on the Small Council. None of this pleases Ellaria, who insults Oberyn’s brother before storming out (“No wonder you can’t stand – no spine,” she says). Jaime agrees to Doran’s terms, but he has one request — he wants Bronn back. Doran is smart about that too. Since Bronn struck a royal (Tristane) in the fight in the courtyard with the Sand Snakes, Tristane will get to decide what justice is served. Marched out of his cell (past the Sand Snakes), Bronn is brought to them, and he gets the back hand of Tristane’s justice, or rather the hand of Areo Hotah as he’s knocked to the ground. Justice, is served.

Arya Stark

On the docks in Braavos, Arya is pretending to be Lana and about to deal with the thin man, when she sees an arrival – Mace Tyrell with Ser Meryn Trant (one of the people on her nighttime prayers list). They’re greeted by Tycho (Mark Gatiss) of the Iron Bank (who loaned Stannis money in Season 4). Arya follows them all day, and at night, she follows Meryn and his men to a brothel. Her oyster tray helps her gain entry to the establishment, and once inside, Arya watches Ser Meryn from behind a see-through room divider as Meryn sits on one side of the room, telling the Madame of the house that all the women she shows to him are “too old.” One of the men wandering around spots Arya and her oysters and drags her into the room with Meryn. As soon as this man from King’s Landing looks at her, it’s clear he’s about to have a memory jogged. But, before that happens, Arya is quickly yanked out of that room, and a young virgin is brought in, who grabs Meryn’s attention.

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Later, back at the House of Black and White, Arya apologizes to Jaqen for not doing what she was supposed to do to the thin man. “Tomorrow,” she promises him.

Jaime Lannister & The Martells

With tears in her eyes, and the Sand Snakes at her side (their hands are bound), Ellaria kneels before Prince Doran and kisses his hand. He forgives her, but he gives her a stiff warning about second — and third — chances. After composing herself, she goes to see Jaime, and talks to him about love (she mentions his romance wouldn’t have been a big deal 100 years ago, and if he’d been a Targaryen). She tells him they can’t help who they love (her own romance with Oberyn would have been trouble in a place other than Dorne), and leaves after making a comment that makes Jaime think. “I know your daughter had no part in what happened to the man I love. Perhaps even you are innocent of that,” she says.

King Stannis Baratheon

Shireen is playing with her new little stag toy when her father walks in. She’s been reading more of “The Dance of Dragons” book and tells him some of the tale – about two Targaryens who divided the realm as they fought for control of the Seven Kingdoms. Very quickly, talk about the book turns to talk about Stannis’ belief in his right to be King. “If a man knows what he is and remains true to himself, the choice is no choice at all. He must fulfill his destiny and become who he is meant to be, however much he may hate it,” he tells her. Shireen gives the perfect response to her father. “Is there any way I can help you?” she asks. He tells her there is and they hug. “Forgive me,” he says as he holds her close.

Clutching the stag, Shireen walks through the camp, flanked by soldiers, who part to reveal a stake above a pyre. Melisandre steps out, and it dawns on Shireen what’s going on. “Where is my father! I want to see my father,” she shouts. “It will all be over soon, princess,” Melisandre says. Shireen begs and pleads for her father, who is standing in the crowd of men, his wife, Queen Selyse, at his side. Selyse calls it “a good thing, a great thing,” as Melisandre begins preaching, and Shireen is tied to the stake. The young girl screams for her mother, and Selyse changes her mind. But Melisandre lights the fire. Selyse breaks free from Stannis’ hold and runs forward, but is held back from reaching her daughter to save her by Stannis’ men, many of whom turn their heads in disgust at the tragic scene. Stannis closes his eyes. When Shireen is gone, her mother cries, and Stannis turns away.

Daenerys Targaryen

“They’re waiting for you, clap your hands,” Hizdahr tells Dany as they sit in the arena on the day the fighting pits open. She does and two men begin to fight to the death. Daario gets in between his Queen and her fiancée, telling them all about strategies and why the smaller guy has an advantage. And then, the smaller man loses to the large fighter. As the next six men walk out, Hizdahr argues with Dany about tradition, until a voice from the fighting pit turns her head. “I fight and die for your glory,” the man says. It’s Ser Jorah. Dany is stunned. She takes a moment and then, she claps her hands and the fights begin. Jorah wins his first match, nearly loses the second and wins the third. The crowd boos (he is a Westerosi Knight after all). With the spear of the last man he beat in his hand, Jorah looks at Dany — and then he chucks the spear in her direction. Someone screams! But the spear wasn’t aimed at her. It hits and kills an assassin! Sons of the Harpy!

The men in gold masks are here, and Jorah just saved Dany’s life. “Protect your queen,” Daario says as Sons of the Harpy — in their gold masks — rise up in the crowd.Chaos erupts as everyone else runs for their lives. On the attack, one the Sons gets through and stabs Hizdahr. Jorah jumps on to the podium and holds out his hand for Dany, and she takes his in a tender moment among the fighting, so he can lead her to safety with the help of Daario.

Tyrion jumps in just in time with a knife to save Missandei from another Sons of the Harpy blade, and they make a break for it too, all of Dany’s closest trying to cut through the arena. But more of the Sons appear. Dany’s party is out numbered. In the center of the arena, Dany and her men – some Unsullied, Jorah, and Daario are surrounded. They can do nothing but fight. In the middle of the chaos, Dany and Missandei grip each other’s hands for support. It’s times like these that one could use a dragon’s whistle. Dany closes her eyes, and a moment later — as if he was summoned — Drogon appears, spitting fire! He lands and helps with the fight, grabbing one man and shaking him to his death, and burning groups of others to protect his mother. Seeing her dragon hit by spears, Dany walks over to his aid, and yanks one of them out. He screams at her, but she doesn’t flinch and afterward, the mother of dragons and Drogon share a moment, before he’s drawn back into the chaos. He screams at a few more of the enemy, and then, his mother does something extraordinary. As her friends watch, Dany gets on his back, and together, they fly away.

“Game of Thrones” Season 5 concludes next Sunday on HBO.

— Jolie Lash