It may be Tuesday, but fans are still buzzing from Sunday night. This past week saw the second episode of season seven of HBO’s hit show Game of Thrones, and man oh man did it not disappoint. To say it ended with an intense battle aboard a Greyjoy ship would be an understatement.
Euron Greyjoy, who has been deployed by Cersei, finally got some revenge on his niece and nephew. Yara and Theon, who are working for Dany, were set for smooth sailing onto Dorne before their Uncle ruined things. So let’s get a quick recap of some of the key events that ended the episode.
Yara and Ellaria Sand were getting to know one another. While they were getting comfortable with one another, the question was asked, what was Theon’s role. Yara, defending her brother, said that he was her protector. It was a very bold statement about a man who isn’t exactly oozing with confidence, thanks to everything Ramsey Bolton put him through years back.
Then Euron and his crew show up. A ton of people died, including two of the three sand snakes. Ellaria was taken captive. And finally, Euron got a hold of Yara. This led to a face-to-face showdown with his nephew, Theon.
With a sword to Yara’s throat, Euron kept poking the bear. He was taunting Theon, telling him to save his sister. He was ready to slit his niece’s throat, and he wanted Theon to feel just as helpless. So what did Theon do? Well, he did exactly what you would imagine Theon would do. He jumped overboard!
Needless to say, the internet has been roasting Theon for the past 24-plus hours. The word “coward” is just the beginning of the words used to describe the Greyjoy and his actions. But I’m here to cut Theon a little slack, as his actions may have ultimately saved his sister.
For starters, if he made any type of move towards Euron, I think it is safe to say at least one of the two Greyjoy’s (Yara and Theon, not Euron), would have ended up dead. More likely than not, Yara’s throat would have been slit, followed by Theon getting finished off.
Sure you can play devil’s advocate and say “you never know”, as that is not the course of action that was taken. But given how skilled a fighter Euron showed himself to be, Toen would have stood no chance. Their only hope would have been if Theon caused enough of a distraction for Yara to gain control. I just don’t feel confident that is how things would have gone.
So by jumping overboard, Yara remains alive. Yes, she is a prisoner of war, but that means she still has her life. So does Theon, as he floats in the water, waiting for someone to find him (Gendry anyone?). Even though their circumstances are not ideal, both Greyjoys still have their lives.
Now, Yara will almost certainly be brought to Cersei. It is very possible that she will be tortured for information. But luckily for her, the Unsullied and Dany’s army are on their way to take down the Queen. So all hope is not lost for Yara.
Now, is this what Theon was thinking when he decided to jump? He just heard Yara call him her protector mere minutes earlier. So did he view this as his best way of protecting her? Maybe. Maybe not. At the end of the day, Theon is still very much a coward. But when all is said and done, his actions still may have been the right way to save his sister’s life. Even if it is just for the time being.
What do you think? Did Theon actually save Yara’s life by jumping ship? Or is it simply a coward move that will only delay the inevitable? Tell us what you think about Theon and Game of Thrones in the comments!