Inside the Episode: “Oathbreaker”

With the conclusion of every Game of Thrones episode, the production releases a spate of videos detailing the behind-the-scenes work that went into making it. These videos explore the thought process that went into the creation of particular scenes, and highlight what the writers and directors see as the key moments of the episode. As a reminder, this year George R.R. Martin seems to be sitting these out completely in order to focus on finishing The Winds of Winter. So for this week’s episode, “Oathbreaker,” we have one video from showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and then one from the point of view of the actors.

We start, of course, with the Inside the Episode featurette, featuring Benioff and Weiss. they with the scene that excited all the hardcore fans: the fight at the Tower of Joy.

The last couple of episodes have featured two behind-the-scenes videos, discussed from the point of view of the actors. This week, we only have one, and it focuses on one of the stranger scenes this week: Tyrion trying to get Missandei and Grey Worm to play a game with him. Peter Dinklage (Tyrion), Jacob Anderson (Grey Worm), and Nathalie Emanuel (Missandei) discuss “assessing an Outsider.”

I think it’s interesting that the show felt the need to put out an explainer about this scene. There were several people I talked to who really didn’t get the point of it, and I think this is proof the showrunners realized that was probably going to happen.

Finally, we close with a clip from the show—the production always puts one on YouTube that it feels is central to the storyline that week. This time, it’s Dany facing down the Dosh Khaleen, and her realization that her time at Vaes Dothrak may not be as easy as she originally assumed.