The House of Black and White

"The House of Black and White" is the second episode of the fifth season of Game of Thrones. It is the forty-second episode of the series overall. It premiered on April 19, 2015. It was written by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, and directed by Michael Slovis.

In the Crownlands
Jaime asks Bronn for help rescuing Myrcella from Dorne, promising a much better girl than lollys and the present castle.

In Braavos
Ternesio Terys and Arya Stark arrive at the House of Black and White on a boat. Arya lingers outside waiting for admittance, but is rejected despite showing the coin Jaqen H'ghar had given her and mentioning their prior association. Arya waits outside the House for days, endlessly reciting the names of the people she's going to kill, but eventually wanders off into the streets of Bravvos. While hunting for pigeons, she encounters several boys who challenge her. Although she is more than willing to kill them with Needle, the boys scatter when the man from the House of Black and White appears again. At the house again, Arya demands him for his identity, and he returns to her the coin she threw in the water before. His face morphs into that of Jaqen. Stating that "a man is not Jaqen H'ghar," he indicates that Arya may enter the House.

In the Vale
Brienne and Podrick arrive at an innkeep and dine. Podrick spots Sansa Stark with Petyr Baelish, and Brienne tells him to ready the horses and she confronts them. Brienne mentions her sworn vow to Sansa's mother Catelyn, while Littlefinger points out how she was accused of murdering Renly Baratheon and both he and Catelyn are now dead. Sansa denies Brienne's request and Littlefinger urges that she stay as the road is not safe, and seeing this as a trap, Brienne escapes with Podrick on the horses they steal. They are chased through a forest as Brienne fights the men and Podrick is thrown off his horse. Reuniting, Podrick mentions how both Stark girls denied her request for protection, but Brienne retorts by doubting Sansa is safe with Littlefinger. Brienne tells Podrick to get his horse as they attempt to further pursue Sansa and Littlefinger.

In Meereen
Daario and Grey Worm find a house belonging to a son of the Harpy allegedly responsible for White Rat's death. Daenerys and her council debate executing him. Barristan tells her about her father, and confirms his madness. Daenerys promises Ser Barristan that there will be a trial for the accused. Before the trial begins, Mossador kills the Harpy son. Daenerys has Mossador publically executed, causing the freed slaves to hiss at her and throw rocks at her as she leaves.

At the Wall
Shireen Baratheon teaches Gilly how to read in Castle Black's library, apparently to Sam's chagrin. Gilly asks about Shireen's Greyscale scars, revealing that the Wildlings don't really have a word for it and that two of her sisters contracted and were driven mad by the disease, before Craster put them out of their misery. Queen Selyse interrupts the proceedings and dismisses Sam and Gilly. She lectures Shireen on the dangers of spending time with any Wildlings, since they could conceivably use Gilly to harm Stannis through Shireen. Shireen, however, doubts that that's how things will go.

Stannis himself, meanwhile, discusses Jon Snow's recent defiance. He then make Jon an enticing offer: if he leaves the Night's Watch and bends the knee to Stannis, he will rise as Jon Stark, Lord of Winterfell. Jon is visibly moved at the prospect of having his lifelong dream finally come true, but he later admits to Sam that he plans to turn Stannis down: he is a man of the Night's Watch.

The election for the new Lord Commander of the Night's Watch commences, overseen by Maester Aemon. Janos Slynt nominates Alliser Thorne. Another brother names Denys Mallister, Commander of the Shadow Tower. The vote almost begins before Sam interrupts to put forward a third nomination: Jon Snow. When the votes are cast, a tie is called: Snow and Thorne have garnered an equal number of votes. With a wry smile, Maester Aemon casts his own vote... for Jon Snow. The Black Brothers hail Jon as the 998th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch.

In Dorne
Ellaria Sand asks Doran Martell for Myrcella so that she can send her piece by piece to Cersei as revenge for Oberyn Martell's death. Doran refuses saying that small children will not be killed while he rules. Ellaria asks how long he expects to rule for.

Appearances

 * Main: The House of Black and White/Appearances

First

 * Areo Hotah
 * Doran Martell
 * Trystane Martell
 * Lollys Stokeworth

Deaths

 * Mossador

Cast
Starring
 * Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister
 * Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Ser Jaime Lannister
 * Lena Headey as Queen Cersei Lannister
 * Emilia Clarke as Queen Daenerys Targaryen
 * Kit Harington as Jon Snow
 * Aidan Gillen as Petyr 'Littlefinger' Baelish
 * Stephen Dillane as King Stannis Baratheon
 * Liam Cunningham as Ser Davos Seaworth
 * Indira Varma as Ellaria Sand
 * John Bradley as Samwell Tarly
 * Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark
 * Maisie Williams as Arya Stark
 * Hannah Murray as Gilly
 * Conleth Hill as Lord Varys
 * Jerome Flynn as Ser Bronn
 * Michiel Huisman as Daario Naharis
 * Nathalie Emmanuel as Missandei
 * Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth
 * Tom Wlaschiha as Jaqen H'ghar

Guest Starring
 * Peter Vaughan as Maester Aemon
 * Ian McElhinney as Barristan Selmy
 * Julian Glover as Grand Maester Pycelle
 * Anton Lesser as Qyburn
 * Tara Fitzgerald as Selyse Baratheon
 * Owen Teale as Ser Alliser Thorne
 * Alexander Siddig as Doran Martell
 * Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm
 * Ben Crompton as Eddison Tollett
 * Dominic Carter as Janos Slynt
 * Daniel Portman as Podrick Payne
 * Roger Ashton-Griffiths as Lord Mace Tyrell
 * Joel Fry as Hizdahr zo Loraq
 * DeObia Oparei as Areo Hotah
 * Ian Gelder as Ser Kevan Lannister
 * Ian Beattie as Ser Meryn Trant
 * Reece Noi as Mossador
 * Kerry Ingram as Shireen Baratheon
 * Brenock O'Connor as Olly
 * Nell Tiger Free as Myrcella Baratheon
 * Toby Sebastian as Trystane Martell
 * Elizabeth Cadwallader as Lollys Stokeworth
 * Cedric Henderson as TBA
 * Brian Fortune as Othell Yarwyck
 * Gary Oliver as Ternesio Terys
 * J.J. Murphy as Denys Mallister
 * Michael Condron as Bowen Marsh
 * Thomas Fava as Street tough 1
 * Derek Lord as Military officer
 * Paul Kennedy as Eyrie Guard
 * Winston Davis as Street tough 2
 * Irene Kelleher as Inn waitress
 * Curtis-Lee Ashqar as Harpy
 * Jonathan Gunning as TBA
 * Alan McKee as TBA

Cast notes

 * 19 of 28 cast members for the fifth season appear in this episode.
 * Starring cast members Natalie Dormer (Margaery Tyrell), Carice van Houten (Melisandre), Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy), Kristofer Hivju (Tormund Giantsbane), Dean-Charles Chapman (Tommen Baratheon), Michael McElhatton (Roose Bolton), Iwan Rheon (Ramsay Bolton), Diana Rigg (Olenna Tyrell) and Iain Glen (Jorah Mormont) are not credited and do not appear in this episode.
 * Indira Varma and Tom Wlaschiha are both added to the main cast with their names appearing in the opening credits, starting with this episode. They both previously appeared in recurring roles, Varma in the fourth, and Wlaschiha in the second season.

In the books

 * See: Differences between books and TV series - Season 5


 * The episode is adapted from the following chapters of A Storm of Swords:
 * Chapter 71, Daenerys VI: Ser Barristan Selmy tells Queen Daenerys the truth about her father —that he was in fact Mad.
 * Chapter 76, Jon XI: Though Jon insists on his vows to the Night's Watch, Stannis offers to legitimize him as "Jon Stark" and make him Lord of Winterfell if he bends the knee, lays his sword at the King's feet, and pledges himself to his service.
 * Chapter 78, Samwell V: Sam argues for Jon to be chosen as the next Lord Commander.
 * Chapter 79, Jon XII: Jon wins the election and becomes the Lord Commander.


 * The episode is adapted from the following chapters of A Feast for Crows:
 * Chapter 2, The Captain of the Guards: at the Water Gardens, a Sand, enraged by the murder of her loved one, Oberyn Martell, arrives to call on Prince Doran. Areo Hotah, the Prince's bodyguard, blocks her passage, yet Doran tells him to let her in. She tells him everyone in Dorne is asking what the Prince intends to do to the Lannisters in retaliation for his murdered brother, yet Doran says Oberyn was lawfully slain during a trial by combat. Angered by Doran's inaction, she storms out.
 * Chapter 5, Samwell II: at the library of Castle Black, Sam learns that the youngest Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, Osric Stark, was chosen at the age of ten.
 * Chapter 6, Arya I: Arya arrives in Braavos, awestruck by the Titan, which lets out a loud blast announcing their arrival, startling her. Captain Ternesio Terys has her rowed through the city to the House of Black and White, where he told her Jaqen H'ghar might be found. Arya finds its door locked, and begs to be let in, as she has had to cross the Narrow Sea. When a robed old man receives her, she shows him Jaqen's coin and asks for him, but the old man claims not to know Jaqen. Though she swears to have no place to go, he tells her that this is no place for Arya. However, upon her insistence, the old man accepts her as an apprentice.
 * Chapter 7, Cersei II: Kevan Lannister spurns Cersei's offer of a position in King Tommen's small council, unmoved by her attempts to convince him by appealing to Tommen’s need of him.
 * Chapter 13, The Soiled Knight: Princess Myrcella and Prince Trystane are getting along nicely.
 * Chapter 16, Jaime II: Kevan returns to Casterly Rock in anger. Bronn now resides in Castle Stokeworth.
 * Chapter 17, Cersei IV: Cersei is presented with a dwarf's head that is not Tyrion's, yet decides not to punish the hunters, as it would dissuade others. She walks with Qyburn to meet her new small council. Qyburn's appointment as Master of Whisperers infuriates Grand Maester Pycelle. Cersei sends a Kingsguard to Dorne in order to bring Myrcella back.
 * Chapter 22, Arya II: Arya's instructor tells her she must become "no one."
 * Chapter 24, Cersei V: Cersei plots to undermine Bronn and his position at Castle Stokeworth.
 * Chapter 27, Jaime III: Jaime recruits his sword partner as a companion and sets upon his mission away from King's Landing.


 * The episode is adapted from the following chapters of A Dance with Dragons:
 * Chapter 1, Tyrion I: when Tyrion learns that Cersei has offered a lordship to the man who brings her his head, he points out she should offer her sex as well; “the best part of him for the best part of her.”
 * Chapter 3, Jon I: having demanded the loyalty of the northern lords, Stannis shows Jon the laconic reply of the ten years old Lady of Bear Island, Lyanna Mormont: "Bear Island knows no king but the King in the North, whose name is STARK."
 * Chapter 5, Tyrion II: Tyrion is smuggled out of Pentos inside the litter of Illyrio Mopatis, and he and his companion head to Volantis, in order to sail from there to Meereen.

Memorable Quotes
Samwell Tarly: Whilst Lord Janos was hiding with the women and children, Jon Snow was leading. Ser Alliser fought bravely, it is true, but when he was wounded, it was Jon who saved us. He took charge of the Wall's defense, he killed the Magnar of the Thenns, he went north to deal with Mance Rayder, knowing that it certainly meant his own death. Before that, he led the mission to avenge Lord Commander Mormont. Mormont himself chose Jon to be his steward. He saw something in Jon and now we've all seen it too. He may be young, but he's the commander we turned to when the night was darkest.

Arya Stark: Well, who are you then?

Jaqen H'ghar: No one, and that is what girl must become.