Mother's Mercy
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"Mother's Mercy" is the fifth season finale episode of
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
's
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
television series ''
Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the first ...
'', and the 50th overall. The tenth and final episode of the fifth season, the episode was written by the series creators
David Benioff David Friedman (; born September 25, 1970), known professionally as David Benioff (), is an American writer, director and producer. Along with his collaborator D. B. Weiss, he is best known as co-creator and showrunner of ''Game of Thrones'' (20 ...
and
D. B. Weiss Daniel Brett Weiss (; born April 23, 1971) is an American television writer, director, and producer. Along with his collaborator David Benioff, he is best-known as co-creator of ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019), the HBO adaptation of George R. R ...
and directed by
David Nutter David Nutter (born 1960) is an American television and film director and television producer. He is best known for directing pilot episodes for television. In 2015, he received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series ...
. "Mother's Mercy" garnered critical acclaim, with critics lauding
Lena Headey Lena Kathren Headey ( ; born 3 October 1973) is a British actress. She gained international recognition and acclaim for her portrayal of Cersei Lannister on the HBO epic fantasy drama series '' Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019), for which she re ...
's performance,
David Nutter David Nutter (born 1960) is an American television and film director and television producer. He is best known for directing pilot episodes for television. In 2015, he received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series ...
's direction and the writing of Benioff and Weiss. Particular praise was directed to Cersei Lannister's walk of atonement, which involved a body double and the use of CGI. In the United States, the episode premiere achieved a viewership of 8.11 million, making it the show's most watched episode, until it was surpassed by the season six finale, "
The Winds of Winter ''The Winds of Winter'' is the planned sixth novel in the epic fantasy series ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' by American writer George R. R. Martin. Martin believes the last two volumes of the series will total over 3,000 manuscript pages. Martin ha ...
". The episode won
Emmy Awards The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
for Writing in a Drama Series and Directing in a Drama Series for Benioff, Weiss, and Nutter. This episode marks the final appearance for
Stephen Dillane Stephen John Dillane (; born 27 March 1957) is a British actor. He is best known for his roles as Leonard Woolf in the 2002 film '' The Hours'', Stannis Baratheon in ''Game of Thrones'', and Thomas Jefferson in the 2008 HBO miniseries ''John Ada ...
(
Stannis Baratheon Stannis Baratheon is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' is a series of epic fantasy novels by the American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin. He began the first volume of the series, ...
),
Tara Fitzgerald Tara Anne Cassandra Fitzgerald (born 18 September 1967) is an English actress who has appeared in feature films, television, radio and the stage. She won the New York Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play in 1995 as Opheli ...
(Selyse Baratheon), and
Ian Beattie Ian Beattie (born 3 March 1965) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He is best known for playing Antigonus in the film ''Alexander'' (2004) and Ser Meryn Trant in the television series ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2015). Career Beattie’s star ...
(Ser Meryn Trant).


Plot


In Braavos

Arya kills Trant for the murder of Syrio Forel. Jaqen berates Arya for taking a life not meant for her to take, and declares that another life must be taken in order to appease the Many-Faced God before apparently committing suicide. The Waif, now wearing Jaqen's face, points out to Arya that "Jaqen" never existed and warns Arya that putting on a new face if one is not "No One" is like poison. As punishment, Arya is struck blind.


In the Dothraki Sea

Drogon brings Daenerys back to his lair. Daenerys wanders off on her own, spotting a Dothraki horde advancing in the distance. Daenerys drops a ring to the ground before being surrounded.


In Meereen

Daario and Jorah leave Meereen to search for Daenerys. Tyrion is left to govern Meereen in Daenerys' absence, assisted by Missandei and Grey Worm. Varys arrives in Meereen and offers use of his spy network to aid Tyrion.


In King's Landing

Cersei confesses to committing adultery with Lancel to the High Sparrow, but denies mothering children to her brother Jaime. The High Sparrow allows Cersei to return to the Red Keep to await a formal trial, but she is forced to walk naked from the Great Sept of Baelor to the Red Keep while being jeered at and pelted with garbage by the angry crowd. Upon returning to the Red Keep, she is comforted by Maester Qyburn and the mutated, undead iteration of Gregor Clegane.


In Dorne

Bidding farewell to Jaime and Myrcella, Ellaria kisses Myrcella on the lips. Myrcella reveals that she knows Jaime is her real father and that she is glad that he is her father. Myrcella suddenly collapses and dies in Jaime's arms, and it is revealed that Ellaria had secretly poisoned her with poisoned lipstick.


In the North

In the wake of his sacrifice of his daughter, Shireen, Stannis is informed that half of his forces have deserted and his wife has hanged herself in grief. Stannis nonetheless orders his remaining troops to march on Winterfell. After a quick yet fierce battle, the Boltons emerge as the victors. Stannis survives the destruction of his army, but is severely wounded. Brienne arrives and executes Stannis for the murder of Renly Baratheon. Theon throws Myranda from the castle to her death just as the Bolton army returns to Winterfell. Theon and Sansa jump from the castle walls into the deep snow below in an attempt to escape.


At the Wall

Jon sends Samwell with Gilly and her baby to Oldtown to become a maester. Olly and Thorne take Jon outside under the pretense of seeing a wildling who had recently seen his uncle Benjen Stark. Led outside, he realizes that he has been betrayed. Thorne, Marsh, Yarwyck, Olly, and the others take turns stabbing Jon, each uttering "For the Watch", before leaving him to die alone in the snow.


Production


Writing

"Mother's Mercy" was written by the series' creators
David Benioff David Friedman (; born September 25, 1970), known professionally as David Benioff (), is an American writer, director and producer. Along with his collaborator D. B. Weiss, he is best known as co-creator and showrunner of ''Game of Thrones'' (20 ...
and
D. B. Weiss Daniel Brett Weiss (; born April 23, 1971) is an American television writer, director, and producer. Along with his collaborator David Benioff, he is best-known as co-creator of ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019), the HBO adaptation of George R. R ...
. It primarily covers elements from George Martin's novels ''
A Feast for Crows ''A Feast for Crows'' is the fourth of seven planned novels in the epic fantasy series '' A Song of Ice and Fire'' by American author George R. R. Martin. The novel was first published on October 17, 2005, in the United Kingdom, with a United ...
'', chapters "Samwell I" and "Cat of the Canals" and ''
A Dance with Dragons ''A Dance with Dragons'' is the fifth novel of seven planned in the epic fantasy series '' A Song of Ice and Fire'' by American author George R. R. Martin. In some areas, the paperback edition was published in two parts, titled ''Dreams and Du ...
'', chapters "Jon II", "Theon I", "Daenerys X", "Cersei I", "Cersei II" and "Jon XIII". It also contains material from Martin's upcoming sixth novel in the series, ''
The Winds of Winter ''The Winds of Winter'' is the planned sixth novel in the epic fantasy series ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' by American writer George R. R. Martin. Martin believes the last two volumes of the series will total over 3,000 manuscript pages. Martin ha ...
'', chapter "Mercy".


Filming

"Mother's Mercy" was directed by
David Nutter David Nutter (born 1960) is an American television and film director and television producer. He is best known for directing pilot episodes for television. In 2015, he received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series ...
, He also directed the previous episode, " The Dance of Dragons". It was photographed by
Robert McLachlan Robert McLachlan may refer to: * Robert McLachlan (cyclist) (born 1971), Australian cyclist * Robert McLachlan (cinematographer), Canadian cinematographer * Robert McLachlan (entomologist) (1837–1904), British entomologist * Robert Wallace McLa ...
and was
edited Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...
by Tim Porter, one of the show's main editors, under the supervision of Nutter.


Cersei's walk of atonement

For Cersei Lannister's nude "walk of atonement" through King's Landing, HBO employed actress Rebecca Van Cleave as a
body double In filmmaking, a double is a person who substitutes FOR another actor such that the person's face is not shown. There are various terms associated with a double based on the specific body part or ability they serve as a double for, such as stunt ...
for
Lena Headey Lena Kathren Headey ( ; born 3 October 1973) is a British actress. She gained international recognition and acclaim for her portrayal of Cersei Lannister on the HBO epic fantasy drama series '' Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019), for which she re ...
. While filming the scene on the Jesuit stairs in
Dubrovnik Dubrovnik (), historically known as Ragusa (; see notes on naming), is a city on the Adriatic Sea in the region of Dalmatia, in the southeastern semi-exclave of Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterran ...
, Croatia in October 2014, Van Cleave performed fully nude while Headey wore a simple beige shift. Both performances were then merged by the show's editing team, combining
close-up A close-up or closeup in filmmaking, television production, still photography, and the comic strip medium is a type of shot that tightly frames a person or object. Close-ups are one of the standard shots used regularly with medium and long s ...
s of Headey's facial expressions and
long shot In photography, filmmaking and video production, a wide shot (sometimes referred to as a full shot or long shot) is a shot that typically shows the entire object or human figure and is usually intended to place it in some relation to its surrou ...
s of Van Cleave's nude walk through the city. In some instances CGI was used to put Headey's face on Van Cleave's body. Headey says that the showrunners decided to cast a body double for "several reasons." Headey says she was glad to use a body double for the scene because she wanted to focus on the character's emotions. Another actor noted that Headey's "extensive tattoos" may have been another reason. Months later, Headey announced that she was pregnant with her second child, though it is unclear if she was pregnant when this scene had to be filmed. Sarah Buchanan of ''Express'' notes the strangeness of casting a much younger actress to play the middle-aged Cersei when the key outcome of the walk of atonement in ''A Dance with Dragons'' is that when the people see that Cersei's body is not beautiful, she loses a large part of her mystique. The 27-year-old Van Cleave did not show any of the specific signs of aging or past pregnancy for which the Cersei of the books was mocked by the crowd. When casting for the role, HBO received applications from more than actresses to act as Headey's body double for the scene. A selection of seven finalists, including Van Cleave, was then flown to
Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
, Northern Ireland to audition before the show's producers. Headey also opted out of the casting process, but director
David Nutter David Nutter (born 1960) is an American television and film director and television producer. He is best known for directing pilot episodes for television. In 2015, he received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series ...
said finding the right double was one of the most important parts of making the finale. "We needed somebody who could do The Walk of Shame physically, somebody who could match Lena's integrity, intensity, and sensibility. We found a tremendous actress in Rebecca; she was a godsend. The courage of this girl, who's never done anything like this in her life, who understood what was important about this...once I had her I felt like I could accomplish anything." Van Cleave herself described the scene as "one of the scariest, most wonderful, most gratifying experiences I could have imagined ... I never in a million years would have thought I would be in Dubrovnik surrounded by hundreds of extras and crew members throwing food at me, but it was amazing" and "I hope the next thing I do will have my head in it." She also praised Headey's willingness to help her, describing the two of them as a "tag-team"; Headey would walk behind Van Cleave during the shoot, coaching her on the character's responses. When the showrunners first announced the plans of shooting a nude scene in Dubrovnik, the city's Catholic Church of St. Nicholas strongly opposed the idea, due to it being immoral to walk their sacred grounds in the nude. Eventually, both parties came to the agreement that the shooting could commence, provided no nude scenes would be filmed in a place of worship. During the three-day shoot, Headey walked Van Cleave through each shot, giving insight into all the emotions Cersei was feeling. The six-minute scene was filmed using 500 extras.


Fate of Jon Snow

D.B. Weiss discussed the decision to kill Jon Snow by saying that he felt the visual medium did not give him the freedom to leave Jon's fate open: "In a book, you can present that kind of ambiguity. In a show, everybody sees it for what it is. It's that rule: 'If we don't see the body then they’re not really dead.' Like when we cut Ned's head off, we didn't want a gory Monty Python geyser of blood, but we needed to see the blade enter his neck and cut out on the frame where the blade was mid-neck. ..we needed Ned's death to be totally unambiguous." Actor Kit Harington said of the scene, "I loved it. I loved how they brought Olly in to be the person who kills me. I love how the storyline with Thorne was wrapped up." Although Weiss meant the scene to be unambiguous, the episode left many viewers uncertain as to whether Jon Snow had been killed or merely injured (his fate in the novels is left unconfirmed as of ''A Dance with Dragons'', with much debate about Martin's future intentions). Some of the confusion may be because, as reviewers have noted, Jon was killed in what can be seen as the middle of his story arc and his death does not have an obvious narrative purpose. For example, Nate Jones of ''Vulture'' notes, " 's easy to see what ther characters'deaths meant for the series' sprawling narrative: Ned's execution sent the Stark kids adrift in a universe where there was nobody looking out for them, while Robb's murder was the final death knell for the hopes that the saga would ever have a traditional 'happy' ending. What would be accomplished, narratively, by getting rid of Jon permanently right now?" Both before and after these announcements, viewers have speculated that Jon Snow might have survived his stabbing and there are many fan theories on how he might have accomplished this, including spiritually possessing his direwolf's body or being brought back to life by Melisandre. When jokingly asked during a panel if Kit Harington would ever get to play a warg (human who has possessed the body of an animal), Weiss replied with, "Two words for you: Season 6." In July 2015, photos of Kit Harington arriving in Belfast—where the series is primarily filmed and where other actors are arriving for the Season 6 script read-throughs—surfaced, fueling speculation of his survival. However, Joanna Robinson of ''Vanity Fair'' pointed out that
Charles Dance Walter Charles Dance (born 10 October 1946) is an English actor. He is known for playing strict, authoritarian characters and villains. His most notable film roles include Sardo Numspa in ''The Golden Child'' (1986), Dr. Jonathan Clemens in ''A ...
was seen at Belfast the previous year, and his character
Tywin Lannister Tywin Lannister is a fictional character in the fantasy series ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' by American novelist George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''. He is introduced in ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996) and subsequentl ...
only appeared in the first episode of the subsequent season and only as a corpse, although Dance himself confirmed the nature of his role shortly after the announcement. Another photo that showed Harington on set in Belfast in a costume that varied from the Night's Watch outfit was published on September 25, 2015.


Fates of other characters

Various interviews with the producers, director and writers have indicated that it is a "safe bet" that Sansa Stark and Theon Greyjoy survive their fall, while Stannis and Myrcella were definitively killed after being beheaded and poisoned, respectively.


Reception


Ratings

"Mother's Mercy" was seen by an estimated 8.1 million viewers on its first airing. This is higher than any previous episode, exceeding the 8 million for "
The Wars to Come "The Wars to Come" is the first episode of the fifth season of HBO's medieval fantasy television series '' Game of Thrones'', and the 41st overall. The episode was directed by Michael Slovis, his directorial debut for the series, and written by s ...
". With Live+7 DVR viewing factored in, the episode had an overall rating of 10.43 million viewers, and a 5.4 in the 18–49 demographic, which was a series high in both viewership and 18–49 rating. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 2.437 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. It also received 0.121 million timeshift viewers.


Critical reception

"Mother's Mercy" received critical acclaim. Review aggregation website
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
assembled 31 reviews and gave "Mother's Mercy" a 97% score and an average rating of 9.1 out of 10. The site's consensus reads that the episode "wraps up a particularly dark ''Game of Thrones'' season with a finale that delivers strong character work and a handful of appropriately bleak cliffhangers." In his 9.0/10 review, Matt Fowler of ''
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' praised Jon Snow's death and Cersei's atonement, as well as Arya's and Dorne's storylines, but felt Sansa's storyline was too hurried. Sean T. Collins of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' was positive too, writing, "Slaughter and shame made this the show's most upsetting season-ender yet."


Accolades


References


External links


"Mother's Mercy"
at
HBO.com Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television, premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office busi ...
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mother's Mercy 2015 American television episodes Game of Thrones (season 5) episodes Emmy Award-winning episodes Television episodes about assassinations Television episodes directed by David Nutter Television episodes written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss