History YMMV / GameOfThronesS5E7TheGift

* MagnificentBastard: The High Sparrow. Anyone with the chutzpa to outsnark the Queen of Thorns and lock up the Queen Mother deserves respect.

* BrokenBase:
** Many people still dislike the Sansa-Jeyne Poole AdaptationDistillation. Whether or not this episode makes things better or worse is up for debate, mostly because Sansa appealing to Theon for help is a total turn from her prior CharacterDevelopment, going from justifyingly hating Theon since she believes that he killed her baby brothers and knows that he did betray Robb, to actively begging and ''confiding'' in him for help as Jeyne does in the books. The awkward amalgam of two totally different characters leads to her being a totally helpless victim in private (Book!Jeyne, if not to the same desperate straits), while still trying to be cunning and manipulate Ramsay when she gets any freedom of movement (Sansa). Likewise the plot retreads elements of her previous story, with Ramsay showing the flayed corpse of her conspirator echoing Joffrey showing her the severed heads of her father and Septa.
** Continuing from the previous episode, the gratuitous AttemptedRape of Gilly (not there in the books) is another point of contention. Likewise Sam being humiliated and beaten up again irritates viewers for {{Flanderization}} of his insecurity complexes, since Sam had already become self-confident and gotten over his insecurity at the end of Season 4 and the scene added cheap shocks for no reasons. Others see it as an arguably necessary dose of RealityEnsues, reminding us that for all Sam's confidence and his impressive accomplishments, a couple of lucky kills don't make you a skilled fighter. In addition, it serves as validation for Sam's concerns last season and Stannis' concerns earlier this season about the safety of women at the wall, given that many of the sworn brothers are, in fact, convicted rapists.
** While many fans liked the meeting of Tyrion and Dany, some felt that it was not nearly dramatic as it should have been while others, book purists feel that they should not have met at all.
** Tyene Sand's tease routine with Bronn is beginning to gain accusations of [[MaleGaze gratuitous, unnecessary objectification]]. On another note, some fans debate whether Tyene's wiliness in the scene continued to cement her (and the rest of the Sand Snakes) as TheScrappy or helped to partially get her RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap while giving her actress an occasion to show SheReallyCanAct.
** There is some debate over whether or not Gilly and Sam sleeping together after Gilly's NearRapeExperience was in bad taste or not. Some appear to be against this sequence of events in general and feel that their first time should have been saved for a later episode. Others point out that with Sam more or less helpless after the beating he took, and other aspects of the GenderInvertedTrope of the scene, it was a clear exercise of her power and very much her choice (and, let's not forget, Gilly has been in love with Sam for quite some time now). How the fact that Gilly has been sexually abused all her life factors into her psychology in the situation is a fuzzy subject.

* IdiotBall: In reality, the High Sparrow's threat to start a peasant uprising against the Tyrells probably wouldn't be a credible threat since—unlike the Lannisters—the Tyrells not only still have vast resources, wealth, competent and united leadership, and a strong military, but also haven't done anything to make their people dislike them since the Reach hasn't suffered any of the devastation seen in the Riverlands or Crownlands, and they even seek to be more likeable through charity. But for some reason Olenna just treats it as serious enough to make her back off from her threats to cut off food to King's Landing.

* IdiotBall: In reality the High Sparrow's threat to start a rebellion among the peasants against the Tyrells probably wouldn't be that credible a threat. The people of the Reach haven't suffered nearly the same devastation as the refugees from the Riverlands and the King's Landers, unlike the Lannisters the Tyrells are still very rich and have competent leadership of a very large force and they haven't done much to make their people dislike them. But for some reason Olenna just treats it as serious enough to make her back off from her threats to cut off food to King's Landing.

** The main dubious decision by Sansa is that, given a private signal to call for help, and the manner by which to trigger it she decides to confide and give her trump card to ''the man she believes to have murdered her baby brothers and actually betrayed her elder brother Robb'' whom she has absolutely no reason to trust (and outright expressed hatred for in all previous episodes). As a result of this, the loyal servant gets brutally killed and her situation is worse than ever.

* {{Narm}}: Tyene's little poison game. Between the gratuitous nudity, FridgeLogic (why would she use slow-acting poison on a mission where she'd fight her fellow Dornishmen? Why is her nudity apparently enough to trigger the poison when fighting wasn't?), and her shift to a completely different personality from what audiences have seen, it's very tough to take it seriously.

* EpilepticTrees: Some fans suspect the slave who frees Tyrion is the show's version of the seemingly AdaptedOut Strong Belwas due to his size and particular look. In the books, Strong Belwas was a former pit fighter.

** There is some debate over whether or not Gilly and Sam sleeping together after Gilly's NearRapeExperience was in bad taste or not. Some appear to be against this sequence of events in general and feel that their first time should have been saved for a later episode. Others point out that with Sam more or less helpless after the beating he took, and other aspects of the GenderInvertedTrope of the scene, it was a clear exercise of her power and very much her choice. How the fact that Gilly has been sexually abused all her life factors into her psychology in the situation is a fuzzy subject.

* {{Narm}}: Tyene's little poison game. Between the gratuitous nudity, FridgeLogic (Why would she use slow-acting poison on a mission where she'd fight her fellow Dornishmen? Why is her nudity apparently enough to trigger the poison when fighting wasn't?), and her shift to a completely different personality from what audiences have seen, it's very tough to take it seriously.

** Tyene Sand's tease routine with Bronn is beginning to gain accusations of [[MaleGaze gratuitous, unnecessary objectification]]. On another note, some fans debate whether Tyene's wiliness in the scene continued to cement her (and the rest of the Sand Snakes) as TheScrappy or helped to partially get her RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap while giving her actress an occasion to show SheReallyCanAct.

* EpilepticTrees: Some fans suspect the slave who frees Tyrion is the show's version of the seemingly AdaptedOut Strong Belwas.

* {{Narm}}: Tyene's little poison game. Between the gratuitous nudity, FridgeLogic (Why would she use slow-acting poison on a mission where she'd fight her fellow Dornishmen? Why is her nudity apparently enough to trigger the poison when fighting wasn't?), and her shift to a completely different personality from what audiences have seen, it's very tough to take it seriously.
* RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap: As mentioned under Broken Base, some feel that Tyene rescues herself in this episode as she gets the chance to show off some acting ranges with a playful, wily, slightly psychotic personality that gives her more depth than her sisters.

** There is some debate over whether or not Gilly and Sam sleeping together after Gilly's NearRapeExperience was in bad taste or not. Some appear to be against this sequence of events in general and feel that their first time should have been saved for a later episode. Others point out that with Sam more or less helpless after the beating he took, and other aspects of the GenderRoleReversal of the scene, it was a clear exercise of her power and very much her choice. How the fact that Gilly has been sexually abused all her life factors into her psychology in the situation is a fuzzy subject.

** Many people still dislike the Sansa-Jeyne Poole AdaptationDistillation. Whether or not this episode makes things better or worse is up for debate, mostly because Sansa appealing to Theon for help is a total turn from her prior CharacterDevelopment, going from justifyingly hating Theon since she believes that he killed her baby brothers and knows that he did betray Robb, to actively begging and ''confiding'' in him for help as Jeyne does in the books. The awkward amalgam of two totally different characters leads to her being a totally helpless victim in private (Book!Jeyne, if not to the same desperate straits), while still trying to be cunning and manipulate Ramsay when she gets any freedom of movement (Sansa). Likewise the plot retreads elements of her previous story, with Ramsay showing the flayed corpse of her conspirator echoing Joffrey showing her the severed heads of her father and septa.

* WhatAnIdiot: Really Sansa, pressing your psycho sadistic husband's BerserkButton about his upbringing was rather stupid.

** The main dubious decision by Sansa is that, given a private signal to call for help, and the manner by which to trigger it she decides to confide and give her trump card to ''the man she believes to have murdered her baby brothers and actually betrayed her elder brother Robb'' whom she has absolutely no reason to trust (and outright expressed hatred for in all previous episodes). As a result of this, the loyal servant gets brutally killed and her situation is worse than ever.

** The main dubious decision by Sansa is that, given a private signal to call for help, and the manner by which to trigger it, rather than think on her own and find a way to activate it, or try and contact the servant herself, she decides to confide and give her trump card to ''the man she believes to have murdered her baby brothers and actually betrayed her elder brother Robb'' who she has absolutely no reason to trust (and outright expressed hatred for in all previous episodes). As a result of this, the loyal servant gets brutally killed and her situation is worse than ever.

** The main dubious decision by Sansa is that, given a private signal to call for help, and the manner by which to trigger it, rather than think on her own and find a way to activate it, or try and contact the servant herself, she decides to confide and give her trump card to ''the man she believes to have murdered her baby brothers and actually betrayed her elder brother Robb'' who she has absolutely no reason to trust (and outright expressed hatred for in all previous episodes). As a result of this, Sansa's only loyal supporter gets brutally killed and her situation is worse than ever.

** The main dubious decision by Sansa is that, given a private signal to call for help, and the manner by which to trigger it, rather than think on her own and find a way to activate it, or try and contact the servant herself, she decides to confide and give her trump card to ''the man she believes to have murdered her baby brothers and actually betrayed her elder brother Robb'' who she has absolutely no reason to trust (and outright expressed hatred for in all previous episodes). However, the implication is that Theon is the only person other than Ramsay who visits her now, so he's her only option.

** The main dubious decision by Sansa is that, given a private signal to call for help, and the manner by which to trigger it, rather than think on her own and find a way to activate it, or try and contact the servant herself, she decides to confide and give her trump card to ''the man she believes to have murdered her baby brothers and actually betrayed her elder brother Robb'' who she has absolutely no reason to trust (and outright expressed hatred for in all previous episodes).

** The main dubious decision by Sansa is that, given a private signal to call for help, and the manner by which to trigger it, rather than think on her own and find a way to activate it, or try and contact the servant herself, she decides to confide and give her trump card to ''the man she believes to have murdered her baby brothers and actually betrayed her elder brother Robb'' who she has absolutely no reason to trust (and outright expressed hatred for in all previous episodes).
** That full-blown, 1790's-style revolution that the High Sparrow is threatening? It isn't possible under Westeros's current level of military technology. Similar peasant revolts from around this approximate period of time in real life (Pilgrimage of Grace, 1520's peasant rebellion in Germany, 1510's peasant rebellion in Hungary) were all smashed and ended in the downtrodden specifically being given ''less'' rights. Olenna, of all people, should know how these things end, yet she is cowed by the High Sparrow. Although,like Cersei said to Tommen, the first casualty of that war would be Margery and Loras. And quite frankly, it was more like Olenna was at a loss for words when facing an unusual adversary than she was threatened by him.

** That full-blown, 1790's-style revolution that the High Sparrow is threatening? It isn't possible under Westeros's current level of military technology. Similar peasant revolts from around this approximate period of time in real life (Pilgrimage of Grace, 1520's peasant rebellion in Germany, 1510's peasant rebellion in Hungary) were all smashed and ended in the downtrodden specifically being given ''less'' rights. Olenna, of all people, should know how these things end, yet she is cowed by the High Sparrow. Although,like Cersei said to Tommen, the first casualty of that war would be Margery and Floras. And quite frankly, it was more like Olenna was at a lost of word when facing an unusual adversary than she was threatened by him.

** The main dubious decision by Sansa is that, given a private signal to call for help, and the manner by which to trigger it, rather than think on her own and find a way to activate it, or try and contact the servant herself, she decides to confide and give her trump card to ''the man she believes to have murdered her baby brothers and actually betrayed her elder brother Robb'' who she has absolutely no reason to trust (and outright expressed hatred for in all previous episodes). Sansa herself said that Ramsay locked her up all day and the very first scene showed Theon unlocked her door from the outside. It was quite clear that Sansa was a prisoner. Also, the fact that Ramsay waited in the broken tower showed that he was aware of the Stark loyalist problem and took measure to prevent it.

** The main dubious decision by Sansa is that, given a private signal to call for help, and the manner by which to trigger it, rather than think on her own and find a way to activate it, or try and contact the servant herself, she decides to confide and give her trump card to ''the man she believes to have murdered her baby brothers and actually betrayed her elder brother Robb'' who she has absolutely no reason to trust (and outright expressed hatred for in all previous episodes). The only possible explanation is that Reek is the only servant Ramsay is allowing to tend to Sansa anymore, but if this is the case, it isn't made explicitly clear.
** That full-blown, 1790's-style revolution that the High Sparrow is threatening? It isn't possible under Westeros's current level of military technology. Similar peasant revolts from around this approximate period of time in real life (Pilgrimage of Grace, 1520's peasant rebellion in Germany, 1510's peasant rebellion in Hungary) were all smashed and ended in the downtrodden specifically being given ''less'' rights. Olenna, of all people, should know how these things end, yet she is cowed by the High Sparrow.

** Tyene Sand's tease routine with Bronn is beginning to gain accusations of [[MaleGaze gratuitous, unnecessary objectification]]. On another note, some fans debate whether Tyene's wiliness in the scene continued to cement her (and the rest of the Sand Snakes) as TheScrappy or helped to partially get her a RescueFromTheScappyHeap while giving her actress an occasion to show SheReallyCanAct.

*** Actually, Sansa herself said that Ramsay locked her up all day and the very first scene showed Theon unlocked her door from the outside. It was quite clear that Sansa was a prisoner. Also, the fact that Ramsay waited in the broken tower showed that he was aware of the Stark loyalist problem and took measure to prevent it.
** That full-blown, 1790's-style revolution that the High Sparrow is threatening? It isn't possible under Westeros's current level of military technology. Similar peasant revolts from around this approximate period of time in real life (Pilgrimage of Grace, 1520's peasant rebellion in Germany, 1510's peasant rebellion in Hungary) were all smashed and ended in the downtrodden specifically being given ''less'' rights. Olenna, of all people, should know how these things end, yet she is cowed by the High Sparrow.
*** Like Cersei said to Tommen, the first casualty of that war would be Margery and Floras. And quite frankly, it was more like Olenna was at a lost of word when facing an unusual adversary than she was threatened by him.