Television Review: The House of White and Black (Game of Thrones, S5x02, 2015)

The House of White and Black (S5x02)

Airdate: 19 April 2015

Written by: David Benioff & D.B. Weiss
Directed by: Michael Slovis

Running Time: 55 minutes

The second episode of Game of Thrones’ fifth season, “The House of Black and White,” is another solid instalment that efficiently advances the sprawling narrative while providing some increasingly rare examples of deliberate worldbuilding at this relatively late stage in the series’ run. Directed by Alex Graves, the episode builds upon the foundation laid by the premiere, raising the stakes and forcing major characters into a series of tough, defining decisions. While it occasionally succumbs to the show’s mid-season tendency for table-setting, the instalment is elevated by strong character moments, the introduction of captivating new locales, and a continued, if sometimes clumsy, exploration of the burdens of power and justice.

The episode’s title refers to the mysterious Braavosi temple where Arya Stark arrives, seeking the Faceless Men. Her journey provides the most concentrated dose of worldbuilding. After being brusquely turned away by a mysterious black-clad man (played by Cedric Henderson), Arya is forced to survive on the streets of the canal-laced city, a sequence that finally gives visual substance to the legendary Free City. The production utilises the Croatian coastal settlement of Kaštel Gomilica to create a Braavos that vividly resembles a medieval Venice, complete with old Mediterranean architecture that feels both foreign and tangibly real. Her eventual confrontation with street thugs, where she draws Needle only to be saved by the reappearance of the same man—who reveals himself as the shape-shifting Jaqen H’ghar—is a satisfying, if somewhat predictable, narrative beat. His instruction that she must become “nobody” to begin her training sets the stage for one of the season’s most compelling arcs.

Across the Narrow Sea, the episode continues to expand the show’s geographical palette with the long-awaited introduction of Dorne. Seen solely through the sun-drenched, water-garden palace of House Martell, the region’s al-Andalus-inspired architecture immediately signals the authors’ intent to parallel southern Europe, distinguishing it culturally from the rest of Westeros. The political conflict here is ignited by a blunt threat against Myrcella Baratheon, sent by a grief-maddened Ellaria Sand. This portrayal marks one of the episode’s—and indeed the season’s—most significant departures from George R.R. Martin’s source material. The literary Ellaria is a voice for peace after Oberyn’s death; here, she is transformed into a shrieking avatar of vengeance, a change that simplifies the complex Martell scheming of the books into a more digestible, if less nuanced, television conflict. This compromise, likely made due to the show’s limited time to introduce additional Martell players like the Sand Snakes, sacrifices political subtlety for clearer emotional stakes.

In King’s Landing, Cersei’s attempts to consolidate power are bluntly rebuffed by her uncle, Ser Kevan Lannister, whose refusal of the post of Master of War and retreat to Casterly Rock is a stinging reminder of her precarious authority. Jaime’s subsequent plan to rescue Myrcella personally, enlisting Bronn with promises of a richer bride than his vapid fiancée Lollys Stockworth (Elizabeth Cadwallder), further deviates from the novels, where Jaime remains in the Riverlands. This change, while providing a clear mission for a popular character, begins the show’s trend of streamlining and redirecting plotlines for dramatic convenience.

Nowhere are the challenges of rule more starkly depicted than in Meereen. Daenerys Targaryen, struggling to govern a city she has conquered, is caught between the resentment of the former masters and the unmet expectations of the liberated slaves. Her decision to grant a fair trial to a captured Son of the Harpy, on the advice of Ser Barristan Selmy, is a well-intentioned attempt to institute a new system of justice. However, the brutal murder of the prisoner by the young ex-slave Mossador (Reece Noi) forces her into a terrible choice. Her decision to execute Mossador to demonstrate that justice applies to all backfires spectacularly, sparking a riot among the very people she freed. This storyline aims to explore the impracticalities of idealism, but its execution is problematic. The portrayal of the former slaves collectively reverting to a childlike, hysterical mob—crying “Mhysa” one moment and hurling stones the next—risks reducing them to an irrational, monolithic mass incapable of understanding the nuances of law, a depiction that can be read as patronising. The episode’s sole moment of solace for Daenerys comes in a silent, poignant scene where Drogon briefly alights on the Great Pyramid before flying away, a powerful visual metaphor for her dwindling connection to the primal, uncompromising power that forged her rise.

The theme of honour clashing with ambition or desire is further explored at the Wall. In a compelling scene, Stannis Baratheon offers Jon Snow the legitimisation he has craved his entire life: a royal decree that would make him Jon Stark, Lord of Winterfell. Kit Harington’s wordless reaction masterfully conveys the weight of this temptation. Jon’s ultimate refusal, honour-bound to his Night’s Watch vows, is a defining moment of character, though it prompts the viewer to question whether nobility is merely another form of hiding from one’s true desires. This integrity directly leads to his election as Lord Commander, a historic first for the series, albeit in a version vastly simplified from the elaborate, multi-candidate process of the novels. The episode is shadowed by a real-world tragedy, as it featured one of the final performances of J.J. Murphy, the Northern Irish actor who played Ser Denys Mallister, who passed away just four days after completing his scenes.

In the Vale, another invented television meeting occurs as Brienne of Tarth finally encounters Sansa Stark. The scene is charged with dramatic irony, as Brienne pledges her service only for Littlefinger to expertly undermine her by referencing her failed protection of Renly and Catelyn. Sansa, under his predatory gaze, is forced to publicly reject Brienne, a moment the script clarified was a desperate performance for Littlefinger’s benefit. The subsequent pursuit and skirmish with Littlefinger’s men in the woods feels precisely like what it is: an inserted action quota to ensure the episode maintains a certain pace, a common symptom of the show’s increasing deviations from its source material.

This inventiveness extends to Tyrion’s journey, where he and Varys travel towards Meereen concealed in a box-like coach. Their witty, philosophical dialogue about power and the “boxes” people choose to live in is a highlight, with Varys reminding a drunken Tyrion that Cersei has promised a knighthood for his head. Director Alex Graves pays off this dark humour with a masterful cut: immediately after Tyrion muses that his sister would have every dwarf in the world killed to find him, the scene shifts to Cersei being presented with the severed head of an anonymous dwarf, a grisly testament to the brutal literalism of the world they inhabit.

The House of Black and White is an episode of considerable strengths and telling compromises. It successfully deepens the world by introducing Dorne and expanding Braavos, and it compellingly advances key characters like Jon Snow and Arya Stark towards their destinies. However, the cracks in the adaptation are becoming more visible. The simplification of complex political narratives (particularly in Dorne) and the occasional reliance on manufactured conflict for action signal a show that is increasingly prioritising direct plot momentum and televisual spectacle over the intricate, character-driven political tapestry of its earlier seasons.

RATING: 7/10 (+++)

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