Hardhome (episode)

"Hardhome" is the eighth episode of the fifth season of Game of Thrones. It is the forty-eighth episode of the series overall. It premiered on May 31, 2015. It was written by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik.

In Braavos
A girl continues training.

At the Wall
Sam and Olly get pretty bro. (Actually, it's Gilly.)

In King's Landing
Cersei refuses to repent, which causes her to get slapped by a rather large spoon.

In Meereen
Khaleesi exiles Jorah and wants to kill Tyrion at first. Then, Tyrion gives reasons why Khaleesi should not kill him. Khaleesi ends up not killing Tyrion.

At Hardhome
Jon Snow and Tormund Giantsbane, along with other members of the Night's and the Free Folk, arrive at the Wildling town Hardhome to convince the rest of the wildlings to move join them in the upcoming war against the White Walkers and their armies of Wights. The Lord of Bones insults Tormund for being at the side of Jon Snow, causing Tormund to beat his former ally to death. They gather in the Townshall to discuss an alliance between the Free Folk and the Night's Watch but many of the wildlings do not trust Jon Snow before Tormund speaks for him. Some leaders are convinced, such as Karsi, but others like the Thenn warior Loboda leaves. Just as many of the Free Folk gathers to set sail to the Wall, the sounds of a storm are heared. Recognizing this as the sign of approaching White Walkers, Loboda orders the gates of Hardhome to be shut, abandoning many of the Free Folk to their fate. Suddenly, the screams of the people shut outside the walls of Hardhome fall silent. A moment later, a large host of undead whights starts breaking through the gates and climbing over the walls. Jon, Tormund, Loboda and Karsi fight alongside others to give as many people an opportunity to make it to their ships. On top of a hill overlooking Hardhome, multiple White Walkers mounted on undead horses are looking at the battle, including The Night's King. Realizing the need for dragonglass, Jon and Loboda go to the townhall, which is on fire. A White Walker warrior confronts the two. While Loboda confronts the threat, Jon Snow goes for the dragonclass. Loboda is quickly killed as his axe shatters immediately upon contacting the White Walkers weapon before he is impaled. Jon Snow just manage to grab a dragonglass dagger but is tossed aside by the Walker. When he retrieves Longclaw, both he and the White Walker are surprised to see it doesn't shatter. Seizing the opportunity, Jon slays the White Walker which immediately shatters to pieces after being touched by Longclaw, indicating Valyrian steel to be another weakness of the White Walkers like dragonglass. Karsi fights of multiple whights before she is confronted by a pack of undead children. Freezes by the horror, she is unable to resist as she is mauled to death. The Night's King screams as another large host of whight's jumps from the hill. Momentarily thinking the whights did not survive the fall, Jon and Edd flee for their lifes as the whights start rising up. Shielded by the giant Wun Wun who wields a burning log as a club, they manage to get to the last remaining boat to make it to their ship. To their horror, The Night's King rises his arms as the slain wildlings rise up as undead wights, including Karsi.

First

 * Karsi
 * Loboda
 * Wun Wun

Deaths

 * Lord of Bones
 * Karsi
 * Loboda

Cast
Starring
 * Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister
 * Lena Headey as Queen Mother Cersei Lannister
 * Emilia Clarke as Queen Daenerys Targaryen
 * Kit Harington as Lord Commander Jon Snow
 * Sophie Turner as Lady Sansa Stark
 * Maisie Williams as Arya Stark
 * John Bradley as Samwell Tarly
 * Hannah Murray as Gilly
 * Kristofer Hivju as Tormund Giantsbane
 * Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy
 * Nathalie Emmanuel as Missandei
 * Tom Wlaschiha as Jaqen H'ghar
 * Michael McElhatton as Roose Bolton
 * Iwan Rheon as Ramsay Bolton
 * with Iain Glen as Ser Jorah Mormont

Guest Starring
 * Anton Lesser as Qyburn
 * Ben Crompton as Eddison Tollett
 * Faye Marsay as The Waif
 * Birgitte Hjort Sørensen as Karsi
 * Enzo Cilenti as Yezzan zo Qaggaz
 * Zahary Baharov as Loboda
 * Hannah Waddingham as Septa Unella
 * Brenock O'Connor as Olly
 * Richard Brake as The Night's King
 * Ian Whyte as Wun Wun
 * Ross O'Hennessy as the Lord of Bones
 * Murray McArthur as Wildling elder
 * Will O'Connell as Night's Watchman
 * Oengus MacNamara as the thin man
 * Sarine Sofair as Lhara
 * Morgan C. Jones as TBA
 * Tim Loane as TBA
 * Ali Lyons as Karsi daugther
 * Karla Lyons as Karsi daugther

Cast notes

 * 15 of 27 cast members for the fifth season appear in this episode.
 * Starring cast members Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister), Aidan Gillen (Petyr Baelish), Natalie Dormer (Margaery Tyrell), Stephen Dillane (Stannis Baratheon), Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth), Carice van Houten (Melisandre), Indira Varma (Ellaria Sand), Conleth Hill (Varys), Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth), Jerome Flynn (Bronn), Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis) and Dean-Charles Chapman (Tommen Baratheon) are not credited and do not appear in this episode.

In the books

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


 * The episode is adapted from the following chapters of A Feast for Crows:
 * Chapter 22, Arya II: The Faceless Man tells Arya she must leave the temple and adopt a new identity.
 * Chapter 34, Cat of the Canals: Arya gets used to making a living in Braavos under the identity of an orphan girl who sells oysters, clams and cockles from a cart.
 * Chapter 43, Cersei X: Cersei remains imprisoned at the Great Sept, where Septa Unella continuously asks her to confess her sins. A septa brings a bowl of disgusting soup, which she throws at her face. Later, they bring water, which she is too thirsty to refuse. Qyburn visits her and tells her the Faith will try her for murder, treason, and fornication, and that Ser Kevan is coming back to take over.
 * The episode is adapted from the following chapters of A Dance with Dragons:
 * Chapter 7, Jon II: It is suggested that Valyrian steel may kill White Walkers.
 * Chapter 49, Jon X: Lord Commander Jon Snow’s plan to bring Tormund back to the Wall with thousands of wildlings is successful.
 * Chapter 51, Theon I: Roose Bolton decides to let out a host to fight Stannis in the snow.
 * Chapter 58, Jon XII: Jon’s Night’s Watch men arrive in Hardhome in order to bring the Free Folk south of the Wall, so they are safe from the White Walkers, but the settlement is surrounded by wights.
 * Chapter 64, The Ugly Little Girl: Arya is charged with her first assassination target: an old man selling insurance to ship captains. He is always protected by two guards.
 * Chapter 66, Tyrion XII: Tyrion Lannister talks his way out of his bondage to Yezzan zo Qaggaz and comes to an agreement with Queen Daenerys’ side.
 * Chapter 69, Jon XIII: Jon is to lead a rescue mission to Hardhome with Tormund.
 * The sixth novel, The Winds of Winter, remains unpublished, so there are some events brought forward from it that may occur in the story, yet the specific chapters are unknown. This may include Sansa’s wedding and her return to Winterfell, both of which are also part of Littlefinger's plan in the books but have not happened yet. The meeting of Tyrion and Daenerys has been confirmed to take place in the sixth book.