Episode 5: The Bells – A Take on Dany’s Turn From The Low Lands

Published May 14, 2019 · Updated July 6, 2022

Hi guys,

Thanks for guiding us through this whirlwind of a season. Just here to let you know you’re not just doing this for HBO’s ‘home’-country but for viewers (and podcast listeners) from all over the world; in my case from The Netherlands. I’m really enjoying watching the episodes and then extending the experience by listening to your instacast, deep-dive and the small council. Here’s my subtle attempt to be included in one of them.

I’m emailing you for 2 reasons:
1) I always enjoy non-Dutch-speaking people trying to pronounce my name
2) I recognized your ambiguity in the instacast for episode 5 The Bells. I have the same struggle within myself.

To get a bit more distance and not over-analyze everything I tried taking a step back. Did I enjoy watching the episode? The answer to his question is ‘hell yeah!’. After 80 minutes or so I thought: It’s over already? It really flew by which I think is a good thing. It wasn’t perfect but a mediocre GoT-episode is still considered world-class in my book. There maybe were some disappointing or anti-climactic moments, but the still were fitting.

Again, we’ve seen some real wtf-moments but just as Arya killing the night king, Daenerys turning tot he dark side was preceded by a lot of foreshadowing in the previous seasons. She’s committed multiple atrocities/war crimes (crucifying the Masters of Mereen, burning Astapor and executing people left and right) and has lost so much: Her claim to the throne is overshadowed by Jon – and in the process she’s rejected by her lover -, losing half of her armies (Dothraki and Unsullied) was tough but she really took the loss of her confidant Jorah, best friend Missandei and two of her children really hard. I think that the moment she landed with Drogon, the bells rang and she looked at the Red Keep is when she thought: I have lost practically everything and everyone. All I have left is revenge on Cersei for betraying me and killing Missandei and they’re not taking that from me. Ironically this does make her the ‘queen of the ashes’ she told Tyrion she had no desire to become. It also calls back to the vision she had in the season 2 finale at the House of the Undying showing a destroyed throne room. What I presumed to be snow could very well be ashes. The vision ends with Dany walking away from the throne through the gate in the Wall. To me, after episode 5 her arc is almost complete and she will get ready to die. I don’t see her keeping the throne, but she has wiped the slate clean for a new ruler to rebuild a better Westeros. Do you agree on this take?

Best regards from the Low Lands
Wouter Baars

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