Game of Threads: The Dragon and the Wolf

And so passes another season of Game of Thrones.  The finale did not disappoint, especially on the costume front.  With such drastic changes to the characters’ wardrobes this season, it will be interesting to see if they keep the same motifs going forward, or if the characters will evolve even further, but we are left with seven episodes of beautiful craftsmanship at its very finest.

The majority of our favorite main characters arrive in King’s Landing for a Westerosi UN meeting.  What’s funny to notice, right off the bat, is the difference in not only how the speaking characters dress, but how different the nameless soldiers and fighters dress.  The long walk from the initial meet-and-greet to the dragon pit is full of wide shots of the Lannister soldiers in their red armor, the Dothraki warriors in their brown braided leather, and the Unsullied army in their stylized black leather armor.

The first major costume to stand out is Tyrion‘s new texturized leather doublet.  The shape of the vest is something we’ve seen throughout the season, and the raised leather texture has featured on his sleeves in the past, but the all over “spiked” effect is evident on every inch of his outfit, and makes a clear statement to his siblings.  He is now in a very important position, and is on a very important mission, so the intimidation factor is ramped up.  Still, this is probably the most like Tywin he’s ever looked, and the coolness of the black tones are more married to Cersei’s than Daenerys’.  Whether it is a conscious choice or not, Tyrion is tied to his family, for better or for worse, and needs to appeal to them in one way or another to help in the war with the dead.

Cersei arrives at the gathering wearing another technically stunning piece.  Perhaps not as complicated and immediately eye-catching as Dany’s white coat from last week’s episode, but it’s in the subtleties that the true craftsmanship lies.  The actual gown has more silver in it than we’ve seen in her gowns thus far, which calls to mind the look of chainmail.  She is armed and ready to meet her enemies, with a lion’s head sitting at her sternum like a breastplate.  The jet-black coat she wears over the gown is the true stunner.  Right off the bat, there is a noticeable similarity between the rounded shoulders of the short sleeves and the rounded shoulder pieces in Jaime’s armor, furthering the notion of her dressing for battle, as well as directly tying her to Jaime.  The incredible spine detail on the back of the coat is the ultimate affront to the gathering, and is a visual allusion to her statements to both Tyrion and Jaime about how she doesn’t care if everyone is killed in one way or another, as long as her dynasty and family (Jaime and the unborn child) is protected and still standing, thus becoming the de facto “Queen of the Dead.”

Later in the episode, when she does speak with Jaime and tells him that she has no intention of sending troops to the North, she is ironically dressed in elements of that very region.  The furs are obviously very practical as winter comes for King’s Landing, but the shape of her whole looks echoes Sansa’s Season 5 wedding dress, tying Sansa to Cersei once more.

Disgusted with Cersei, Jaime leaves the capital and eschews his Lannister armor.  He was the last Lannister to actually wear the house colors, but now he’s not only trying to lay low as he rides away, but he’s symbolically leaving behind everything that he thought he loved.  Cersei’s last effort was to keep the dynasty going, but now she’s left alone with an unborn child.

Tracking back to the dragon pit, Daenerys arrives casually late on the back of Drogon.  What could have been another major costuming moment for her, was wisely replaced with a more down-to-business look that we’ve seen throughout the season.  Her entrance alone is enough to send prophecy paranoia back into Cersei’s head.  What’s funny is that this is the same coat Dany wore when she destroyed the Lannister army, the Tarlys, and all of the Highgarden bounty back in Episode 4.  To further salt the wound, she adds her red scaled cape to her dragon chain to make her family name known.  The browns in the lining of her fur also tie her to Jon’s massive fur cloak, hinting at their allegiance without Jon having had to blurt it out.

Up North, Sansa and Bran sit at the high table in a very united front.  Both are wearing the formidable Stark furs, and it serves to amp up the tension and divide them both from Arya even more when she is called in.  Once their game is revealed, it’s clear how Arya is meant to look like her father, taking the “I did warn you not to trust me” line full circle.

Theon, after wearing his formal Greyjoy armor to the dragon pit meeting, returns to wearing his armored shirt.  This shirt is, again, almost exactly the same as Yara’s, and is the one he wore when she was captured by Euron.  He is now wearing it again to rescue her, but to also emulate her strength while he commands their loyal Greyjoy fleet in her stead.

The Hound gets something nice to wear!

Special attention must be paid to the beautiful armor throughout the series, but the detailing is so much clearer in the sunny south.

And finally, Rhaegar’s wig aside, did this scene not whack you on the head with FANTASY GENRE?  Lyanna looks like Arwen in Westeros and I can definitely get on board with that.

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