The Gift (S5x07)
Airdate: 24 May 2015
Written by: David Benioff & D.B. Weiss
Directed by: Miguel Sapochnik
Running Time: 58 minutes
Following the profoundly contentious and narratively dubious conclusion of Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken – Sansa Stark’s brutal marital rape at the hands of Ramsay Bolton – the subsequent episode, The Gif”, initially presents itself as a formulaic calm before the storm. It adopts the series’ now-standard structure of checking in on its scattered, sprawling cast, methodically advancing each piece on the board. This gives the instalent a procedural, almost predictable rhythm, a necessary breather after the previous episode’s emotional violence. Yet, to dismiss it as mere table-setting would be a mistake. Beneath its composed surface, The Gift is busily laying explosive charges under several key characters, culminating in one of the season’s most melodramatically potent cliffhangers. It is an episode of quiet desperation, failed machinations, and sudden, seismic shifts, all directed with a steady hand by first-timer Miguel Sapochnik, who would later become the series’ premier architect of large-scale chaos.
The narrative, as ever, hopscotches across the map. At the Wall, the episode handles two significant passings. The first is the gentle, natural death of Maester Aemon, a moment rendered uniquely moving by the knowledge that actor Peter Vaughan, like his character, was blind during filming and passed away a year after the season aired. It is a rare moment of peace snatched from a world of strife. The second passing is of Jon Snow’s presence, as he departs with Tormund Giantsbane for the doomed mission to Hardhome. In his absence, Samwell Tarly’s fragile authority is tested. His attempt to protect Gilly from the crude sexual harassment of two Night’s Watchmen results in a beating – a clumsy, televisual alternative to the books’ more plausible scenario where alcohol, not fisticuffs, lowers inhibitions. While the subsequent love scene between Sam and Gilly is commendably unexploitative and sweet, the preceding violence feels like a manufactured shortcut to Sam’s moment of courage. The intervention of Ghost, Jon’s direwolf, to end the assault is a welcome nod to the supernatural bonds of the Stark children, but it underscores the episode’s occasional reliance on convenient, crowd-pleasing solutions.
In Winterfell, the atmosphere is one of claustrophobic dread. Sansa’s flicker of hope, kindled by a seemingly broken Theon’s agreement to help her escape, is cruelly extinguished when he betrays her to Ramsay. The consequence is the flaying of an old woman, a graphic reminder of the Bolton signature. The ensuing conversation between Sansa and Ramsay is a masterclass in psychological torment, with Sophie Turner and Iwan Rheon excelling. Sansa, learning fast, points out the threat posed by Walda Frey’s unborn son to Ramsay’s inheritance. Ramsay, however, is chillingly confident, correctly diagnosing that the advancing winter is his greatest ally against the besieging Stannis Baratheon. This strategic insight – that Southern soldiers will perish where Northerners endure – is a rare moment of tactical acumen for the otherwise psychopathic character, grounding his villainy in a cold, pragmatic truth.
That truth is vividly illustrated in Stannis’s camp, where the King’s army is quite literally melting away. Men and horses freeze and starve, a visual representation of a campaign unravelling. Ser Davos, the voice of grim reason, advocates a retreat to wait out the winter. Stannis, the inflexible iron, refuses. This desperation creates the fertile ground for Melisandre’s most horrific proposal: the sacrifice of Princess Shireen to the Lord of Light. This plotline, a significant deviation from George R.R. Martin’s novels (where a different royal bastard is demanded), draws clear and intentional parallels to the myth of Iphigenia from the Trojan War. It is a testament to the show’s willingness to forge its own, often darker path, though one questions whether this narrative invention serves character or merely shock.
Elsewhere, the quality of deviation is less inspired. In Dorne, the plot remains the season’s glaring weak point. Jaime’s fruitless plea to Myrcella and the Sand Snakes’ imprisonment could have been tense. Instead, the dungeon scene devolves into what can only be described as gratuitous exploitation. The prolonged focus on Tyene Sand (Rosabell Laurenti Sellers) disrobing feels like a transparent excuse for nudity, ticking an obligatory “spicy” quota for the episode. The subplot is saved from utter absurdity only by Jerome Flynn’s charismatic performance; Bronn’s defiant, excellent rendition of “The Dornishman’s Wife” during this scene provides a much-needed dash of authentic Thrones grit and humour, even as the framing undermines it.
The episode’s centrepiece, however, and its namesake, unfolds in Meereen. Here, the writing is notably more confident. Jorah Mormont, having captured Tyrion Lannister, is himself enslaved and sold to the fight pits of Yezzan zo Qaggaz. Tyrion, with characteristic wit, engineers his own purchase. Their arrival at the Great Pit of Daznak coincides with Daenerys’s reluctant attendance, advised by Hizdahr zo Loraq to witness the “culture” she has suppressed. Her visible disgust at the brutality is palpable. This setting provides the perfect, public stage for Jorah’s dramatic re-emergence into her life. Throwing aside his helmet after dispatching a foe, he presents a chained Tyrion with the simple declaration, “A gift.” It is a fantastically melodramatic cliffhanger, the kind of convening of major characters that the television medium excels at, and it irrevocably steers the series into uncharted territory. This moment is critically important, as it marks the point where Tyrion’s storyline definitively advances beyond the latest confirmed events in Martin’s novels. The Gift thus becomes a clear signal that the television series, for better and worse, is now committed to forging its own path, free from the constraints of its source material.
Nowhere is the adaptation’s handling of source material more faithful – and effective – than in King’s Landing. The political intrigue here is razor-sharp. Lady Olenna’s attempt to bribe the High Sparrow fails spectacularly, revealing the depth of the sparrow’s fervour. King Tommen’s impotent despair is pitiable. And Cersei Lannister, believing herself the ultimate player, makes her fatal error. Her gloating visit to Margaery Tyrell’s cell is a delicious moment of villainous triumph. Yet, in her subsequent meeting with the High Sparrow, the tables are turned with breathtaking ruthlessness. Accused of her own sexual crimes (specifically, her affair with Lancel Lannister), Cersei is arrested and imprisoned. This comeuppance, taken directly from the novels, is intensely audience-pleasing. It delivers poetic justice, giving the female villain a taste of the humiliation and powerlessness she has so often inflicted on others, all while feeling entirely believable within the logic of the story.
Directed by Miguel Sapochnik in his series debut, The Gift exhibits a confident, unfussy style that would later define his legendary battle episodes. He manages the episode’s numerous tonal shifts adeptly, from the quiet sorrow of Aemon’s death to the spectacle of the fighting pits. The storylines are well-condensed and comprehensive, each receiving just enough time to advance meaningfully. In essence, The Gift is a workmanlike but crucial episode. It is burdened by some of Season Five’s worst tendencies – exploitative nudity, occasionally clumsy writing – yet it is elevated by strong performances, several genuinely powerful moments, and one of the series’ most iconic cliffhangers.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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