Game of Thrones Season 5 Recap: Everything You Need to Know

Just in case you don’t have time re-watch seven seasons of Game of Thrones before the upcoming premiere—it’s only 67 episodes; what’s wrong with you?—we here at Vanity Fair will be recapping every single season of the show to make sure key events are fresh in your mind. Since this is a rather daunting undertaking—it’s 67 episodes; what do you expect of us?!—we’ve boiled each season down to the essential arc of each surviving main character set to do battle in Season 8.

If you feel a little more ambitious, there’s an extra-credit section below with additional information that could be good to remember when the series returns. (Just because a character has died, for instance, that doesn’t mean they’re unimportant!) For a more in-depth look at some of the key episodes of Game of Thrones, you can dive into Vanity Fair’s list of the 15 most essential episodes of Game of Thrones to re-watch before the final season. But for now, here’s Season 5.

You can catch up with other recaps here:

Previously on Game of Thrones Season 7.

Previously on Game of Thrones Season 6.

Previously on Game of Thrones Season 4.

Previously on Game of Thrones Season 3.

Previously on Game of Thrones Season 2.

Previously on Game of Thrones Season 1.

Essential Information

Cersei Lannister, Queen Regent of Westeros, buries her father Tywin, is jealous of Queen Margaery Tyrell, is worried about her daughter, Myrcella, in Dorne, tries to make a powerful ally in a religious figure known as the High Sparrow and his Faith Militant followers, and has Loras Tyrell arrested. Cersei is then taken prisoner by the High Sparrow, charged with adultery, incest, and regicide. She has all her hair chopped off; takes a long, awful walk through the streets of King’s Landing; and collapses in the arms of Qyburn and her new, undead bodyguard: the Mountain.

Jaime Lannister, Her Twin Brother, teams up with the sellsword-turned-knight Bronn to travel to Dorne to rescue his daughter, Myrcella, from the Martells who are more than a little ticked about the death of Prince Oberyn. (You remember, sexy rakish guy who had his head popped?) Jaime’s stay in Dorne is a mixed success as he tangles with Oberyn’s daughters, the Sand Snakes, and his brother, Prince Doran—but ultimately, he winds up taking his daughter and her fiancé, Trystane Martell, back to King’s Landing. Just as they’re leaving Dorne and Jaime confesses to Myrcella that he’s her dad (not her uncle), the girl dies in his arms thanks to a poisonous kiss she received from Oberyn’s paramour: Ellaria Sand.

Tyrion Lannister, Her Other Brother, arrives in Essos, drinks some wine, throws up, drinks more wine, begins traveling with Varys toward Meereen, visits a brothel in Volantis, is captured by Ser Jorah, sails through Valyria, is almost killed by Stone Men, is captured by slavers, convinces them to seek out a cock merchant, is sold into the fighting pits, meets Daenerys, wins her over with banter, watches her fly away on a dragon, and gets left in charge of Meereen.

Jon Snow, the Bastard of Winterfell, teaches Olly how to fight, has an awkward sex talk with Melisandre, kills Mance as an act of mercy, becomes Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, turns down Stannis’s offer of legitimization, executes Janos Slynt, travels to Hardhome, battles the undead, kills a White Walker with his Valyrian Steel sword, meets the Night King, gets back to Castle Black, lets the wildlings through the gate, learns of Stannis’s loss at Winterfell, and is murdered (temporarily) “For the Watch.”