High Sparrow (Game of Thrones)

"High Sparrow"
Game of Thrones episode
Janos Slynt begging to the recently elected Lord Commander Jon Snow for mercy from his death sentence for insubordination.
Episode no.	Season 5 Episode 3
Directed by	Mark Mylod
Written by	David Benioff D. B. Weiss
Featured music	Ramin Djawadi
Cinematography by	Anette Haellmigk
Editing by	Tim Porter
Original air date	April 26, 2015 (2015-04-26)
Running time	60 minutes
Guest appearance(s)
Jonathan Pryce as High Sparrow Julian Glover as Grand Maester Pycelle Anton Lesser as Qyburn Owen Teale as Ser Alliser Thorne Roger Ashton-Griffiths as Mace Tyrell Ben Crompton as Edd Tollett Faye Marsay as The Waif Daniel Portman as Podrick Payne Dominic Carter as Janos Slynt Ian Beattie as Meryn Trant Eugene Simon as Lancel Lannister Brenock O'Connor as Olly Will Tudor as Olyvar Finn Jones as Loras Tyrell Charlotte Hope as Myranda Rila Fukushima as Red Priestess Elizabeth Webster as Walda Bolton Paul Bentley as High Septon Brian Fortune as Othell Yarwyck Michael Condron as Bowen Marsh Gwyneth Keyworth as Clea
Episode chronology
← Previous "The House of Black and White" Next → "Sons of the Harpy"
Game of Thrones (season 5) List of Game of Thrones episodes

"High Sparrow" is the third episode of the fifth season of HBO's fantasy television series Game of Thrones, and the 43rd overall. The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Mark Mylod, his directorial debut for the series. It aired on April 26, 2015. Prior to airing, this episode along with the other first four episodes of the season were leaked online.

Tommen (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Margaery (Natalie Dormer) are wed, and that night, they consummate their marriage. Margaery then manipulates Tommen into trying to persuade his mother, Cersei (Lena Headey), to return to Casterly Rock for her wellbeing, but she declines. Cersei, with the façade of a caring mother-in-law, confronts Margaery and is powerless when she mockingly gossips about Tommen's enthusiasm in the bedroom and Cersei's age.

In a whorehouse, the High Septon (Paul Bentley) is attacked by Lancel (Eugene Simon) and several other Sparrows, and forced to walk naked through the streets while they call him a sinner. He requests that the Small Council take action against the Sparrows by executing their leader, the High Sparrow (Jonathan Pryce). Cersei meets with the High Sparrow personally to tell him that he will not be executed, and that she has imprisoned the High Septon, whom the High Sparrow will replace as head of the Faith. Returning to the castle, Cersei has Qyburn (Anton Lesser) send a message to Lord Baelish. As Qyburn writes, the body of Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane shakes on Qyburn's operating table.

Reek (Alfie Allen) passes through the courtyard at Winterfell, while several workers repair the castle. He is horrified to witness several flayed corpses being hung up in the courtyard. While serving dinner to Roose (Michael McElhatton) and Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon), Reek overhears that the Boltons do not have enough men to hold the North, should the former bannermen of House Stark rise against them. Roose tells Ramsay that the best way for them to forge alliances is with a marriage.