Halt! This here post is dark and full of spoilers for the latest episode of Game of Thrones, “Eastwatch.” If you haven’t watched it, turn away and head back to the Citadel to complete your homework.
The news coming from the North in Game of Thrones isn’t great. Westeros is in more danger than it’s been in for hundreds of years, and few people care because they don’t believe the existence of White Walkers is possible. “Eastwatch” confronted what it might take for the more skeptical to see the truth about the Night King and the army of the dead marching towards the Wall. Will the notion of a grisly show-and-tell work? For the sake of everyone in the realm, I hope so.In an episode with the return of a fan favorite character, dragon petting, baby manipulation, and a huge reveal on the Targaryen birthright front, it wasn’t easy to choose the MVP. But even with all those factors to consider, Ser Davos Seaworth stands head and shoulders above. Here are five reasons why Davos stood out in “Eastwatch:”
Sneaky Sailing
When Tyrion needed to get into King’s Landing for a meeting with Jaime, everyone turned to look at Davos. His smuggling knowhow isn’t something he can leave behind, and he doesn’t gloss over it. He knew exactly where to slip into the city for a less-than-official delivery. He dodged the docks and was able to point Tyrion towards a path rarely trodden by gold cloaks because of all the steps. To summarize, Davos knew his stuff and got himself and Tyrion into town smoothly and without detection.
Side note: isn’t it interesting how mundane things in King’s Landing (like little known points of entry) haven’t changed when so much else has? Davos didn’t even seem worried about that as a possibility.
Loyal Buddy
Davos didn’t spend a ton of time with Gendry when Melisandre brought the boy to Dragonstone in the third season of the series, but he sure bonded with him. Having recently lost his son and being suspect of Melisandre, Davos showed the boy kindness. He stood up for the bastard son of Robert Baratheon and convinced Stannis to spare Gendry’s life.
Fast forward three to four years later. Davos took the opportunity he had in King’s Landing and went to Flea Bottom to see if he could find word of the boy. We first met Gendry doing the blacksmith thing, so given his background and the proximity of Dragonstone to King’s Landing, it makes sense for him to go back to familiar ground—literally and in his profession.
Davos wasn’t obligated to search for Gendry. Kindness certainly isn’t a trait we see exhibited in Westeros often. But search he did and did so with the intent of taking Gendry back to Dragonstone with him.
The Best Crack
When we last saw Gendry in season three, he was rowing away from Dragonstone to shores unknown. The years since his departure have left the internet wondering about whether he was gone from the series forever, with a lot of jokes about him rowing and rowing his way around the known kingdoms. Here at Nerdist, we’ve been wondering where Gendry is for some time. Davos had a pitch-perfect line that nodded to all those comments when he told Gendry, “Thought you might still be rowing.”
Well. Played. Ser.
Crab Tales
The rowing crack was on point, but Davos is no stranger to humor. He often finds his comedic beats by being frank. But sometimes, the man uses his wit deliberately—like when he needs to fool a bunch of doltish gold cloaks.
He stopped in King’s Landing and acquired some crab. When the gold cloaks got nosy about Davos’ business, he spun a fantastic tale about the purpose of the fermented crab in his boat. He was creative and quick on his feet with the potent properties of the crab, and he would have gotten them out of there no questions asked if Tyrion would have been a touch sneakier.
Then again, for all we know, fermented crab truly is like Viagra in Westeros.
Knowing Limits
Davos is a brave man. I don’t think anyone would dispute that. He just sailed into King’s Landing, the home of Daenerys’ number one enemy, without any hesitation. But he knows he’s not the man for any sort of combat. He pointed out his limits in that arena a couple of times in the episode and not because he’s a coward, but because he knows there are better men for the job and he wants to serve Jon the best way he can. I couldn’t respect him more.
While Davos scores the MVP title, two other characters get honorable mentions. First of all, there’s Gendry for showing he knows when and how to use his hammer. Secondly, there’s Gilly for practicing those reading skills and stumbling upon an incredibly important piece of information. I hope they packed that book.
Who do you think deserves the MVP title for “Eastwatch?” Share your pick in the comments. And a selfish request: hop over to Twitter and show me your favorite Davos gifs.