Music: Temple Run ft Aris x L.price_For You

Temple Run  brought back to Back collaboration with ''G.O.S'' {Get it or Struggle} Entertianment Team Aris & L.Price that been notable Nigerian Americans, Rappers with naija Afro Beat. prod by Spice Chordz. Mix By 2gen2beat

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DUNKIRK NEW ( 2017 )

An action movie Directed by Christopher Nolan

Allied soldiers from Belgium, the British Empire and France are surrounded by the German army and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II.
I’m sure there are already as many reviews about Christopher Nolan’s last movie about the battle of Dunkirk, as there were British soldiers on the beach of Dunkirk waiting for their evacuation. An awful lot. Although it wasn’t a battle in the strict sense of the word, but rather a massive logistical operation to get the English army back on British soil. Whether this operation had any influence on the course of the 2nd WO, is something for military strategists and analysts to determine.

In my opinion, there was an incomprehensible blunder made by the German commanders. Fortunately, because sauerkraut isn’t really my favorite dish. It’s not a chapter in this terrible world war, with heroic battles taking place. A bold choice, but nevertheless, it was a breathtaking spectacle.

To call it “Film of the Year” is a bridge too far (you can call that flick a masterpiece). But Nolan succeeded in creating an energetic and exciting film that intertwines three different story lines in a non-chronological way. Tommy (Fionn Whitehead) is the key figure who must save his own skin from the beginning on, so he won’t be mowed down by German bullets. It seemed like the only thing he did the whole movie was surviving one life-threatening situation after the other.

Then there’s Farrier (Tom Hardy), one of three Spitfire pilots who try to safeguard the crossing of their troops and hunt down fierce German fighter planes and bombers which are trying to sink as many ships as possible. And finally there’s Mr. Dawson (Mark Rylance) who’s crossing the canal in a simple yacht together with his sons Peter (Tom Glynn-Carney) and George (Barry Keoghan) to help with the rescue of soldiers. In this way Nolan incorporates three different chapters, each taking place in another territory. By land, at sea and in the air.

The very first thing you’ll notice is the largely wordless acting. Particularly Tommy whose lips seem to be sealed almost throughout the complete movie. It is as if in this war every conversation seems useless and body language speaks volumes. The majority of dialogues are at the expense of pilots and commanders. Unfortunately, the conversation between Spitfire pilots is sometimes unclear and restricted to indistinct mumbling. Partly due to deafening noise effects (and when you are watching this movie in a Slovenian cinema where it’s hard to read the subtitles as well, this is a slight disadvantage).

And that brings us to the soundtrack. It’s omnipresent and, in my opinion, of decisive importance. Hans Zimmer’s music seems to be constantly present and bolsters the entire film. At moments unobtrusive in the background after which it swells out into a climax. Let’s say that this is the very first time the musical setting demands my attention and impresses me. The same goes for the deafening noise effects, which sometimes make it seem like you’re in the midst of the war. The down diving Stuka’s and the deadly cargo they drop on the beach with that terrifying, screaming noise. Sometimes I had the urge to crawl deeper into my chair.

THE EMOJI MOVIE ( 2017 )

EMOJI  is a small digital image or icon used to express an idea or emotion in electronic communication.

So In 1969, ahead of his 70th birthday, Vladimir Nabokov was asked a rather audacious question by a reporter from The New York Times: “How do you rank yourself among writers (living) and of the immediate past?” Nabokov reportedly replied by describing a form of communication that had yet to be invented: “I often think there should exist a special typographical sign for a smile—some sort of concave mark, a supine round bracket, which I would now like to trace in reply to your question.”

It wasn’t until 1999, many years after his death, that Nabokov’s wish was granted. That was the year that Shigetaka Kurita developed the first set of emojis, 176 in total, for the Japanese telecom company NTT Docomo. (E moji translates to “picture character” in Japanese.) These early emojis, designed for cell phone screens, were 12 x 12 pixels large. The icons included a sun, a train, and a game controller. Looking at them now evokes the quiet charm of early internet pixel art; just a few dozen points strung together, and a high-heeled shoe or a rocking horse appears.

The emojis that we are familiar with today were made popular by their inclusion in Apple’s first iPhone in 2007. These emojis were hidden in a keyboard meant solely for Japanese users, but people around the world promptly dug them out. Emojis faced backlash from the beginning, often being associated with frivolity and stupidity. “I am deeply offended by them,” Maria McErlane, a British journalist and actress, told The New York Times in 2011. “I find it lazy. Are your words not enough? To use a little picture with sunglasses on it to let you know how you’re feeling is beyond ridiculous.”

Another critic lamented to the Times that emojis signaled the end of language: “They’re part of the degradation of writing skills—grammar, syntax, sentence structure, even penmanship—that come with digital technology.” People have warned against using them in the workplace due to their unprofessionality. The use of the emoji has, above all, been chastised for being childish.

In 2017, such criticisms have been relegated to the luddite realm. In the age of social media, texting, and digital work platforms like Slack, emojis have become universal. Their very ubiquity has made them ripe for crass commercialization, which is why we now have The Emoji Movie. The movie has been widely (and rightly) panned—it has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 8 percent—but its most egregious flaw is that it packages itself as a children’s movie.

The Emoji Movie is set inside a smartphone. The story follows Gene, a “meh” emoji who leaves the text messaging app to join up with Jailbreak, a princess emoji who is really a hacker in disguise. They adventure in and out of various apps to escape the phone and reach the cloud (their motivations for doing so are really not worth mentioning). Some critics have compared it to a low-rent Inside Out, but the movie is really like a very uninspired and hackneyed version of Wreck It Ralph. 

It would be hard to forgive The Emoji Movie its “meh” plotline and the fact that it is literally one giant ad for apps, but its most unforgivable sin is that it perpetuates the notion that emojis are childish. There’s a reason Hillary Clinton took so much flak in 2016 when her campaign tweeted to her followers, “How does your student loan debt make you feel? Tell us in 3 emojis or less.” This was mocked because it was a shallow and transparent attempt to pander to young voters, which in turn made it clear that the Clinton campaign condescendingly viewed the form as one used by immature simpletons.

Why the patronizing attitude? It is partly because emojis are relatively new, but also because they are unapologetically fun. However, their sunniness does not connote an innocent simplicity; in fact, they serve a real psychological purpose, which is to soften the harsh edges of internet life.

While it’s true that emojis were originally created by Kurita for teens, those teens were the first to have come of age with little memory of a non-internet world. And everyone in this generation knows that the online world is a terrible, terrible place. The 2016 election brought this reality into sharp relief; anyone who expressed a political opinion on the internet was likely to have felt the wrath of misogynist and racist trolls and harassers. The Emoji Movie even includes a plotline about internet trolls who spend their time heckling the movie’s heroes, the emojis.

The emoji is often used as an antidote to the trolls. Because they are small cartoons, they are always—perhaps sometimes insufferably—happy. As Adam Sternbergh wrote in New York magazine, “It’s frankly pretty strange that, in an online climate that is constantly being called out for excessive aggression and maliciousness, emoji have no in-built linguistic capacity for meanness. There are angry faces and frowning faces and thumbs down and even the so-called Face With No Good Gesture, which, in the Apple set, is a woman with her arms crossed in an X. But, seriously, look at her: 🙅. The Face With No Good Gesture has never actually hurt someone’s feelings.”

According to emojitracker.com, which records real-time emoji use on Twitter, the most used emojis are all happy ones—the joyful crying face, the heart, the face with heart-eyes. This ceaseless positivity may be annoying to those of an older generation, but it’s one of the few ways to balance the cynicism and derision and hate that proliferate on the internet. Perhaps the best example of someone using emojis to combat online harassment is Chelsea Manning, who faces some of the most extreme abuse on Twitter:

Manning’s emoji-laden responses are far from frivolous or childish or simple. The emojis allow Manning to respond to the trolls, but without succumbing to their trolling. As Eve Peyser writes at Vice, “Among the utter darkness of the Trump-era internet, Chelsea Manning is a beam of light.”


Even in the 1960s, Nabokov reportedly described a proto-emoji to soften his response and give it ambiguous nuance. He chose a coy smile, rather than a straightforward refusal to answer the question. The Emoji Movie might be a trite and uninspired, but emojis themselves are not. They are the shining chef kisses of joy (👨🏻‍🍳 😘 👌) in the hellscape of online. As Kurita once said, the idea for emojis all “started with the heart icon. That’s how it all began.”

ATOMIC BLONDE ( Charlize Theron )

Atomic Blonde is one of those Cold War era spy thrillers that pits style over content you can actually care about. Neon lights shot through cigarette smoke during 80’s night at your local club. A collection of ‘cool’ shots, and one really good fight sequence, but behind the colorful vail there isn’t much there. This is a spy thriller as imagined through the drunken eyes of a lout, right before his dreams of slickly choreographed battle clash with reality and he ends up bloodied and beaten.

As delivered, this film sets up characters best remembered by their alcoholic drink of choice. From the get-go, we learn very little about these players as they scamper about the film’s simple plot.  Charlize Theron equips herself admirably in the lead and is credible during the films brutal fight sequences, but is ultimately let down by a story that gives the audience nothing to root for. Since none of the characters in the show can be trusted, there’s nothing for an audience to connect with. You’re expecting anything and suspect everyone, so when the big twists come, you don’t care enough to be surprised.

Movie Prep:

Expect brutal well shot fight sequences and all your favorite 80’s music. This is like your first visit to a proper nightclub. Initially exciting, colorful and fun, but ultimately leaves you feeling nauseous and ready to puke.

Best Moment:

Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron) tackles several hitmen while trying to get an asset called, Spyglass, across the East/West German border. The resulting action is fantastic and sadly the only valid reason to check this film out.

Theron's commanding performance is remarkable. Her take-no-bull body language and calculating stare give her character an intelligence and prove she's the right person for the job. Theron grounds the film whenever it threatens to become a smarter-than-thou, hyper-convoluted slog. She also makes you believe that her character isn't just another James Bond clone. You may watch "Atomic Blonde" because it's from the co-director of "John Wick," but you should see it for Theron.

Theron also makes you want to dig into the meaning of a film whose amped-up '80s soundtrack—everything from Nena's "99 Luftaballons" to New Order's "Blue Monday”—announces “Atomic Blonde” as a knowing act of role-playing. The story is set during the first week of November, 1989, days before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Historically speaking, we know how the story ends. But what’s important here is the spy work and its consequences for Lorraine. To get the job done, she has to enter every situation numb to the human connections she makes in order to (primarily) survive and also to save the lives of her colleagues. She consequently addresses every situation tactically rather than emotionally.

Lorraine has personal ties to the spy whose death and betrayal leads to her arrival in Berlin, even if those ties are thankfully only mentioned once during a flashback. That dream/flashback suggests a personal dimension to Lorraine's quest that is thankfully never foregrounded. Lorraine's status quo is chilliness, a foundational state of being whose necessity is confirmed with almost every interaction. As a woman, she has to be on guard at all times, because she enters every situation knowing that everyone wants to proposition and/or take advantage of her. At every step, she meets people who openly deceive her or who are theoretically on her side but seem as if they’re out to get her. First she is ambushed by a group of Stasi officers who pose as her contacts. Then she meets British spy David Percival (James McAvoy), who is disillusioned with his low status on the espionage totem pole and doesn’t seem too invested in helping a British informant known as Spyglass (Eddie Marsan) to flee Berlin. A French spy and potential love interest named Delphine (Sofia Boutella) challenges Lorraine, but even she is initially untrustworthy since she employs the same used car salesman "trust me" tactics as Lorraine's counterparts (the first time they meet, Delphine offers to "rescue" Lorraine).

Still, the fact that Lorraine's backstory is relegated to a single dream sequence is telling. True, her story is recounted in the form of a series of flashbacks to a trio of antagonistic interrogators: Eric Gray (Toby Jones), Lorraine's commanding officer; Emmet Kurzfeld (John Goodman), a dickish CIA chief; and the mysterious Chief "C" (James Faulkner), an MI6 figurehead who watches Lorraine tell her tale from behind a two-way mirror. But these guys are, as she points out, not her "superiors." For the most part, action and steely-eyed glares tell us everything we need to know about who Lorraine is. The fact that the film's creators trust viewers enough enough to downplay hackneyed origin-story psychology will hopefully make viewers more inclined to forgive blocky expository dialogue exchanges, smart-ass Machiavelli quotations, and an overwritten plot.

Based on Antony Johnston and Sam Hart's comic book, “Atomic Blonde” has been adapted by director David Leitch (co-director of the “John Wick” films) by screenwriter Kurt Johnstad in a way that gives us lots of information about Lorraine through visuals alone. The heroine announces, in thuddingly obvious dialogue, that she’s cool, and is only making connections to get ahead, but she’s actually a mix of fire and ice: Leitch and his cinematographer Jonathan Sela put the idea across with red and blue light. The ice bath Theron emerges from in her first scene is lit blue, while the lighter that is offered to her at a bar in one of the film's most indelible images lights her face up red. Blue is the persona that Lorraine presents to the world; red light cuts through the character's facade and reveals her interior. When Lorraine makes contact with Delfine, her blue-lit face is undercut with flashes of fiery red light that accent Theron's cheekbones. When Delfine and Lorraine retire to Lorraine’s bedroom, the sheets are the same cerulean hue as the light on their bodies.

Pop culture references do some of the heavy lifting here, too, connecting not only with Lorraine’s personality but with the historical landscape through which she travels. "Blue Monday" plays during a table-setting introductory scene, solidifying the notion of Lorraine-as-ice-queen and subtly reminding us that espionage is Lorraine’s job and she’s about to start a new assignment. The film's main action kicks off to the tune of David Bowie's "Cat People,” a song that begins with a verse by Iggy Pop, one of Bowie's famous collaborators during his Berlin years, and whose main refrain is "It's been so long ... " More ideas are teased in a fight scene where Lorraine tracks a group of killers into a movie theater showing "Stalker," Andrei Tarkovsky's 1979 science fiction drama, then sneaks into the area behind the screen and is ultimately kicked through right through it. "Stalker" is set in “the Zone," an Edenic oasis where wishes are granted by discarded alien artifacts; to Lorraine and Percival, Berlin is their own personal version of the Zone, a Wild West-style frontier where anything goes and everything can kill you.

This, ultimately, is why it matters that Theron plays a role that under most other circumstances, would have been given to a lesser male star. Her intensity during the film's action scenes—a mix of ostentatiously choreographed "The Raid"-style brutality and Paul Greengrass-style hand-held camerawork—really convinces you that she is the best person for the job. And while the film doesn't ultimately say anything more cutting than "sometimes we role-play in order to remind ourselves what we stand for," Theron does ground the film whenever its hard-boiled heroine threatens to get bogged down by superficial allusions and armchair philosophizing. The film's creators do exploit her gender in ways that they wouldn't for a man (a male lead wouldn’t be allowed to have a same-sex relationship in a movie made at this budget level). But you can't help but be awed as Theron's Lorraine knowingly traipses into a minefield of impending double and triple crosses, and comes out looking as poised as royalty.

Music by Hans Zimmer to be included in Blade Runner 2049

Hans Zimmer is now collaborating with Benjamin Wallfisch on the original score and theme that Jóhann Jóhannsson wrote for the upcoming sequel, Blade Runner 2049. Jóhannsson collaborated with director Denis Villeneuve on three of his directorial efforts (Prisoners, Sicario and Arrival) prior to their work together on the Blade Runner sequel and was even nominated for an Oscar, for his efforts on Sicario. However, it will be up to Zimmer and Wallfisch to complete the music for the Blade Runner followup, ahead of its domestic theatrical release in October.

Zimmer, as it were, has been involved with Blade Runner 2049 – a film that continues the story of Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) and introduces new blade runner K (Ryan Gosling), thirty years after the events of the original Blade Runner – since back in May, if not even further back than that. It is believed that Jóhannsson has stepped away from his fourth collaboration with Villeneuve in order to concrete on finishing his score for Mother!, the Darren Aronofsky-directed/scripted dramatic thriller that is now scheduled to hit theaters in mid-September.

Villeneuve confirmed to Studio Cine Live (via Film Music Reporter) that Jóhannsson remains involved with Blade Runner 2049 and that his original theme is still being used by Zimmer and Wallfisch. The latter duo previously collaborated on the score for the Oscar-nominated historical drama Hidden Figures. Wallfisch also scored the horror film A Cure for Wellness earlier this year and provided the music for two fast-approaching horror film releases (Annabelle: Creation and IT), while Zimmer is currently earning accolades for his score from Christopher Nolan’s WWII thriller, Dunkirk.

Vangelis’ ethereal score for the original Blade Runner is generally considered to be as essential to that Ridley Scott movie’s futuristic-Noir atmosphere as its visual components are – in turn, setting the bar high for what fans of the film are going to be expecting from the music of Blade Runner 2049. Jóhannsson crafted similarly atmospheric and unique scores for his previous collaborations with Villeneuve, so his involvement with the Blade Runner sequel sounds all the more promising, for it. By the sound of it, Zimmer and Wallfisch aren’t changing course from Jóhannsson’s approach on the film either and are instead drawing heavy inspiration from the blueprint that the latter left for them.

While Jóhannsson’s departure from Blade Runner 2049 might come as something of a surprise to some, it’s not altogether unexpected. In retrospect, it was always going to be a challenge for Jóhannsson to complete the scores for both the Blade Runner sequel and Mother!, since the two are being released in such close proximity to one another (John Williams is no longer scoring Ready Player One, for similar reasons). As far as replacements go, one could certainly do far worse than bringing on an icon like Zimmer to finish what Jóhannsson started and bring the world of Blade Runner back to the big screen.

Johann Johannsson of Iceland composes the main theme as planned. However, given the scale of the task, Benjamin Wallfisch and Hans Zimmer joined the team to help Johann. It’s hard to get to Vangelis’ angle. We have Johann’s breathtaking atmospheric sounds, but I needed other things, and Hans helped us.

Zimmer needs no introduction, of course, but Wallfisch is another veteran composer, having worked on a slew of features (and previously collaborating with Zimmer on Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice). It sounds like this is less an issue of creative differences between Johannsson and Villeneuve and more an opportunity to get the soundtrack just right; not every film composer is an expert at every style of music, and if the director just needed someone to land harder on the ‘80s synth music, it sounds like a good collaboration for everyone involved. And hey, with movies like Han Solo and Justice League steeped in controversy, this little bit of composer shuffling seems delightfully tame by comparison.

Elektra is a ‘Completely New Character’ in The Defenders

Elektra Natchios will be a changed woman, the next time that we see her. While the primary focus of Netflix’s upcoming The Defenders miniseries is naturally the four members of the titular team, they are far from the only cast members – as nearly every supporting character of consequence from prior seasons of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist will also be making an appearance during the grand team-up spectacle. One of the most important to date is Elektra Natchios, a fellow protege of Stick who Matt Murdock fell madly in love with, despite their different philosophies of life.

A common part of Daredevil’s backstory, Elektra tends to alternate between a friend and a foe, similar in some ways to the antagonistic yet often romantic relationship between Batman and Catwoman. She served that same purpose during Daredevil season 2, working both for and against Matt’s goals on different occasions. Her biggest struggles were against her urge to kill, one that Matt of course vehemently disagreed with. Elektra earned her redemption though, sacrificing herself to save Matt from The Hand.

Unfortunately – or fortunately, depending on your perspective – Elektra won’t be gone for long, as The Hand were shown making preparations to resurrect her as their ultimate weapon, The Black Sky, near the end of Daredevil season 2. When asked how Elektra’s role will differ in The Defenders, actress Elodie Yung told Cinema Blend that she’ll almost be a “completely new character.” Here’s her full quote.

“It was a great idea. I think they got really inspired by the comics. Elektra dies and comes back in a new outfit, and she’s changed. It was a really cool and interesting thing to have Elektra again, just being a completely new character. Almost, because she doesn’t remember anything. And so exploring kind of a new character was exciting for me. So this is where we start. And then Alexandra takes over this new Elektra and forges her the way she wants her to be, if that makes sense. So that’s the start.”

At this point, little is known about the background of Alexandra (Sigourney Weaver), the lead villain of The Defenders. If she’s the one pulling Elektra’s strings now though, clearly she has some connection to The Hand, or at least a level of power and influence that allows her to acquire the services of their greatest weapon. Of course, Stick never really stopped to explain exactly what the Black Sky would specifically do once unleashed, so it remains to be seen how Alexandra plans to use her.

On the other side though, one imagines that Matt won’t be eager to fight Elektra, even once she’s come back from the dead and been brainwashed by evil. His love for Elektra was arguably the primary cause of the implosion of Matt’s budding relationship with Karen, so it’s doubtful that such strong feelings will just be able to be put aside in service of The Defenders’ overall mission. From the sound of it though, Elektra 2.0 won’t harbor any similar feelings for him, so the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen better get used to being stabbed by sais.

Marvel’s The Defenders premieres on August 18, followed by The Punisher season 1 later this fall. Premiere dates for the new seasons of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist have yet to be announced.

It was a great idea. I think they got really inspired by the comics. Elektra dies and comes back in a new outfit, and she’s changed. It was a really cool and interesting thing to have Elektra again, just being a completely new character. Almost, because she doesn’t remember anything. And so exploring kind of a new character was exciting for me. So this is where we start. And then Alexandra takes over this new Elektra and forges her the way she wants her to be, if that makes sense. So that’s the start.

Melisandre’s Death Prophecy On Game of Thrones

To Melisandre, death prophecies are no fun unless shared with everyone. Though much happened on this week’s Game of Thrones, the Red Priestess stole the show. She not only succeeded in uniting ice and fire, but she laid the groundwork for several major twists in the final season. Melisandre may not always be the most effective prophet, but you can never fault her for being genuine, especially when her own life is on the line.

In her clifftop conversation with Varys, she revealed that her time in Westeros is short. If she weren’t secretly a decrepit, thousand-year-old woman beneath that magic necklace, we’d say she’s on a suicide run for the Lord of Light. No wonder why she’s been so eager to find her Prince That Was Promised, prematurely anointing Stannis Baratheon and burning his daughter as a sacrifice to R’hllor. She’s been on a mission, one that was destined to end with her death.

That’s dark enough on its own terms, but why must Varys also die? And why is Melisandre including him in her morbid prophecy?

The Spider has kept his cool throughout Game of Thrones. He has crawled through King’s Landing, sparred with Littlefinger, and crept into the court of Daenerys Targaryen unscathed. Through all of his Machiavellian tactics, we have seen Varys panic only twice, and on both occasions, he was in the company of a Red Priestess. In the events leading up to these moments, Varys mocked the ambassadors of R’hllor, spat in the face of their religion, and rejected their services.

During their run-in at the Great Pyramid of Meereen, the Red Priestess Kinvara made mention of the Spider’s most humbling hour: when he was castrated by a sadistic, “second-rate sorcerer.” As Varys’ otherwise stoic face melts into despair, Kinvara twists the blade and asks,

“Do you remember what you heard that night when the sorcerer tossed your parts into the fire? You heard a voice call out from the flames…should I tell you what the voice said? Should I tell you the name of the one who spoke?”

In George R. R. Martin’s A Clash of Kings, Varys gives more detail on this life-altering event. As the sorcerer performed his act of emasculation, he “[chanted] all the while. I watched him burn my manly parts on a brazier. The flames turned blue, and I heard a voice answer his call, though I did not understand the words they spoke.”

Those words are no secret to the Red Priestesses.

MELISANDRE’S MISSION

In season three of Game of Thrones, the sorcerer who took young Varys’ manhood is revealed to be living in a box. Much to Tyrion’s dismay, this crate is the embodiment of Varys’ ambition and his indefatigable spirit. Though he was castrated and left to die, he built himself up to become an indispensable advisor, tracked down the wizard, and imprisoned him in a box that he opens up from time to time to say, “Hello, my old friend. It’s been a long time.” Though he keeps the box in place, it’s clear Varys is always on the run from his tragic childhood.

After Kinvara, the Spider stayed clear of Red Priestesses until Melisandre arrived at Dragonstone. The witch minded her business, brought Jon Snow to Daenerys Targaryen, then watched from on high as ice and fire aligned. In announcing her leave of absence from Dragonstone (actress Carice van Houten is confirmed to only star in two episodes this season), Melisandre teased her upcoming journey to Volantis, home to the flagship Temple of the Lord of Light.

In A Song of Ice and Fire, when Jorah Mormont travels through the city, he learns that there are more disciples of R’hllor in Volantis than followers of every other religion in Westeros. In Game of Thrones, Melisandre makes it clear that she’ll be returning to Westeros, but after a few months in the heartland of R’hllor, who knows what she may bring to the Seven Kingdoms – a flaming sword, an army of Red Priestesses, the Lord of Light himself?

VARYS’ LOYALTY IN QUESTION

Melisandre not only expects to die, but she’s seemingly at peace with it. With a Mona Lisa smile and an unblinking gaze, she flaunts the cold truth in the face of Varys. She even avoids the refrain of “the night is dark and full of terrors,” instead becoming more placid and assured than we’ve ever seen her. As she wraps up her work on Dragonstone, Melisandre’s efforts are enhanced by the rising tide of R’hllor across the land (encapsulated by the Hound’s prophecy in the season premiere).

None of this is lost on Varys, whose confidence shatters like steel against a White Walker’s blade when Melisandre assures him of his impending death. Has Varys heard this prophecy before? According to his encounter with the sorcerer, he very well might have. Kinvara knows what “the voice” told him, and she knows the identity of the voice itself.

Could that statement be the same prophecy Melisandre foretold? Varys has had a good run in the Seven Kingdoms, but it appears his days have always been numbered. Though he once swore to serve the “good of the realm,” and most recently promised to support Daenerys through all trials and tribulations, it seems the Spider has finally been caught in his own web.

Now that the handwriting is on the wall, will Varys remain loyal to his queen, or will he stab her in the back? Though many consider Dany to be the Princes That Was Promised, it’s worth noting that the Azor Ahai prophecy ended with a warning from Quaithe to the Targaryen herself: “beware the perfumed seneschal.” As A Song of Ice and Fire aficionados know, Varys is described as wearing more perfume than any other character. He has never been trustworthy, but now that the clock is ticking, Varys has become a full-blown liability to the Mother of Dragons.

Death has been coming for Melisandre for some time now, and that makes her dangerous. The only thing she's truly beholden to is her god. If she believes removing Varys from the equation will in some way pave the way for Jon and Daenerys to get down to the business of fulfilling the show's ultimate prophecy, she's going to make sure it happens. For now, she's planted a seed of doubt in Varys's mind and created a scenario in which the Spider could become caught in his own web.