Drogon the dragon returned at the end of "Game of Thrones" Season 5, Episode 2, "The House of Black and White," just in time for almost everyone else to abandon their Mhysa. Everyone saw justice as black and white this week, with a lack of common ground causing problems for leaders from The Wall (congrats, Jon Lord Commander Snow?) down to Dorne and across to Meereen. Oh, Dany. You're going to regret that call.

Daenerys Targaryen is the mother of dragons, but can't tame them. She wants to be a good ruler but what's fair and what's right? "The House of Black and White" was like Ned and Robb Stark all over again -- especially Robb, when he killed an ally for killing an enemy to try and make a point about justice to allies who only ended up abandoning him. This week, Dany killed one of her own allies in a heartbreaking scene that led to her "children" literally hissing at their "mother" in fury. (Someone should make a gif of that hissing. Just sayin', it's a great way to offer commentary.) No one, except maybe Ser Barristan, will be on Dany's side for that call. Good thing this is just her "test-run" kingdom!

Meanwhile, Jon Snow was *thisclose* to getting his lifelong dream of being Jon Stark. He could take back Winterfell from the repulsive Boltons. He could rule the north and help bring peace. Instead, he's the new Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. It's a powerful role too, but not the one he wanted, and almost exactly half of his own people are livid that he's in that position. His life just got a lot harder.

Also having a tough time - Brienne of Tarth, who cannot catch a break with the Stark girls. If Jon had said yes to being a Stark, he could connect with Sansa and they could rebuild Winterfell together. Oh well. Honor and duty win, as it would for Ned too.


Speaking of Starks, another one may be dropping the name. Arya went to Braavos and kind of reunited with an old friend, only that friend now wants her to become "No One." Can Arya do that, when she's so tied to the person who, whenever there's a quiet moment, goes back to reciting her list of people to kill?

Cersei is still on Arya's list of people to kill, and she's busy trying to protect her daughter in Dorne and putting "sycophants" on "the king's" council. She does not have her own uncle's backing, and few people are left on her side too. No ruler is having an easy time right about now, including Prince Doran down in Dorne, who is facing pressure to go to war with the Lannisters over his dead brother, Oberyn. He doesn't want war, but will his own people just push him aside to get their own way? That's a question for several leaders right about now.

Read on for a full recap of Episode 2:

Opening credits: The map takes us to King's Landing, The Eyrie, Winterfell, The Wall, Braavos, Meereen. Why not Dorne?

Arya in Braavos
GoT first took us to Braavos last season when Stannis went asking for money from the Iron Bank of Braavos. This place is like Venice with all the waterways. This time Arya sails through the giant legs and heads to The House of Black and White. She says she's not afraid, but maybe she should be. She knocks on the door and the man who answers is a stranger to us. He says there's no one there by the name Jaqen H'ghar. "Please. I've crossed the Narrow Sea. I have nowhere else to go." "You have everywhere else to go." Burn! Shut out, Arya sits down and repeats her list of name. It's shorter now. Cersei. Walder Frey. The Mountain. Meryn Trant. A night passes. Nothing happens. She throws her valar morghulis coin into the water and walks away.

Pod & Brienne meet Sansa & Petyr
Pod and Brienne head to a tavern and Pod sees Petyr Baelish and dark-haired Sansa Stark sitting on the other side. It's a small world after all (and a new one from the book). Apparently Sansa's dark look doesn't disguise her too well. Sansa asks about the raven scroll that Petyr got last week. "My marriage proposal has been accepted." Uh oh, what proposal? He doesn't tell us, or Sansa, yet. Pod points out to Brienne that Sansa is over there. There are too many knights for them to take on. Brienne approaches and introduces herself, says she gave Catelyn Stark her word that she would protect Sansa. Petyr does a good job of discrediting Brienne and Sansa is still impressionable. Plus, that stupid "murdered by a shadow" story keeps coming back to bite Brienne. The Stark girls keep shutting her down. Sansa saw her at Joffrey's wedding, and now tells her to leave. Dang it. If only Sansa knew who to trust. Then again, Arya didn't either. Brienne gets pissed, and she and Pod are followed through the woods, then get separated. Pod, who has the worst luck ever, is dropped from his horse into the water, but Brienne shows up to save him. They are a team. But where will they go now? Pod points out that both Stark girls rejected her protection, so maybe she's free from her vow. But Brienne knows Sansa is not safe with Littlefinger.

Jaime has a new mission
Cersei got a message/threat from Dorne. Myrcella, Jaime and Cersei's daughter, is down in Dorne surrounded by people who hate the Lannisters. (Can't blame them, although props to Cersei for that "smirking whore" diss to Margaery.) No missions ever tend to go well, but now Jaime is going to go to Dorne to bring Myrcella home. She's promised to Prince Doran's son, so it's not going to be easy to get her back. Jaime won't bring an army, but he won't be going alone... He should find Brienne and Pod. This is a better mission for them.

Bronn dumps Lollys for Jaime
Remember how Bronn got engaged to Lollys Stokeworth on his attempt to rise to the top? Well, now we see them taking a stroll on the shore. She prattles on about wedding plans and Bronn just skips stones on the water. He couldn't care less, although he's still planning to take down the older sister, who stands to inherit. "I've been all over the world and if there's one thing I've learned it's that meanness comes around." Yep, Joffrey would agree. They see someone on the wall and it's "Jaime f--kin' Lannister." The bromance is back! Jaime makes Bronn an offer he can't refuse -- promising Lollys to someone else, and promising Bronn a better girl with a better castle, after he helps Jaime with a certain task as far south as south goes. Speaking of south...

The snakes are angry
Our first actual visit to Dorne! We see Ellaria Sand (Oberyn's lady love, 'memba?) down in Dorne, she's watching Myrcella and her betrothed, Trystane Martell. She's pissed at Prince Doran for doing nothing when his own brother was murdered. Prince Doran argues that Oberyn wasn't murdered, he died in trial by combat. He will bury his brother, but not go to war the way she and the Sand Snakes (Oberyn's daughters) want. Ellaria is furious that Oberyn is dead and the Lannister girl skips around breathing their air: "Let me send her to Cersei one finger at a time." Prince Doran says, "We do not mutilate little girls for vengeance," not while he's in charge. But how long will that be? She leaves him with that threat. His captain makes a motion like "cut her head off?" but Prince D says no. More mercy.

Daario and Grey Worm
The Unsullied are marching in the streets of Meereen and Daario tells Grey Worm the Unsullied are too conspicious. His own Second Sons blend in better. They bust into a room but see nothing. Daario makes a point about the helpfulness of fear; Grey Worm has forgotten fear and forgotten how to hide when you're afraid. Daario finds someone in a wall. He's a good warrior, you have to give him that, but he's ruthless.

Council meeting - execution or trial?
They found a Son of the Harpy mask in the room, so they know the guy Daario and Grey Worm found was a member. Former slave Mossador argues that the Harpy man should be killed, he wants to put a collar back on all of their necks. Dany says it would indeed send a message. Ser Barristan counsels restraint, that this man may know something valuable. Daario says he already "questioned" him. Hizdahr zo Loraq asks why this man would want to bring back slavery. Dany wonders if maybe it makes him feel better to know there's someone lower. Mossador says they pay him, great families pay poor men to do it for them. Ser Barristan said the man should get a fair trial to teach the people of Meereen a better way. Mossador said here mercy and fair trial mean nothing to the great families. All they know is blood. Dany now has to make a decision. Ser Barristan brings up the Mad King. When the people rose against him, he set the castles aflame and murdered sons in front of the fathers. He burned them with wildfire and laughed as they screamed. "And his efforts to stamp out dissent led to a rebellion that killed every Targaryen except two." She said she's not her father, but Barristan argues that her father gave his enemies the justice he thought they deserved, and each time it made him feel more powerful and right, until the very end. She says she will not have the Son of the Harpy executed without a fair trial. So he convinced her. But this is not Westeros, and even in Westeros we've seen how that kind of justice in a time of crisis can backfire. If only Ser Jorah were here... or Tyrion. Or Varys. Ser Barristan should not be the only voice from Westeros, since he was a warrior, not a leader/political adviser.

On the road with Tyrion and Varys
These two. Of all the odd couples in the known world, these two are the most amusing. Tyrion is drinking his way to Volantis, which is on the way to Meereen. Varys mentions that Tyrion was quite good at ruling during his brief tenure as Hand. (Agreed.) Tyrion mentions how Shae begged him to leave King's Landing and he wouldn't go. He liked the power. "People follow leaders, they will never follow us. They find us repulsive." "I find us repulsive." "And we find them repulsive which iswhy we surround ourselves with large, comfortable boxes to keep them away. And yet, no matter what we do, people like us are never really comfortable inside the box. Not for long." That's just a fancy way of Varys and Tyrion patting themselves on the back for thinking outside the box. But Tyrion decides it's time to get out and go for a walk, even with Cersei hunting down dwarfs to find Tyrion. (Great Tyrion quote: "She ought to offer her c-nt. Best part of her for the best part of me.") On that note...

King's Landing council gets ugly
Someone plops a head in front of Cersei, but it's not Tyrion's head. Qyburn takes it for his creepy experiments. He's now sitting at Cersei's right hand at the council, much to Pycelle's dismay. Qyburn gets to be the new Master of Whisperers too, because he's loyal. Who is Hand of the King? Cersei says it wouldn't be right for her to be the Hand of the King because she's a woman (she must be seething inside as she says that) but she's going to sit there until Tommen comes of age and chooses his own Hand. Lord Tyrell offers to be the acting Hand, but Cersei doesn't want the Tyrells to have too much power so she says the king has assigned him as Master of Coin. He seems pleased enough. Kevan Lannister is on to Cersei, but he says nothing -- until Cersei says the king has asked Uncle Kevan to be Master at War. Kevan wants to hear it from the king himself; Tommen should be there, he argues, so he can learn how to lead. Kevan did not return to the capital to serve as Cersei's "puppet" and watch her stack the small council with sycophants. He calls her out, and does not recognize her authority. "You are the queen mother. Nothing more." He leaves for Casterly Rock. So now Cersei has no family on her side, but also no voices to oppose her.

Gilly learns to read, thanks to Shireen
Sweet Shireen Baratheon is teaching Gilly to read, up at The Wall. Sam points out that the youngest Lord Commander in history was elected at the age of 10. (And he was a Stark.) Gilly and Sam spar over his lack of patience in teaching. Cutest couple ever. Gilly and Shireen have a talk about greyscale; two of Gilly's sisters died from it. They acted like animals. Foreshadowing for someone to get greyscale a bit later on? Selyse wants Shireen to stay away from Gilly, she's a wildling. Shireen has the worst parents. Well, maybe not the worst, but colder than The Others.

Stannis makes his pitch - will Jon Stark rise?
Stannis is mad at Jon Snow, as expected, for that merciful arrow shot to Mance Rayder's heart. He went against Stannis' order. Jon says the free folk will never follow him, no matter what he does. The lady of Bear Island, a girl of 10, sent a letter to Stannis saying they know no king but the king in the north, whose name is Stark. The northerners are like the free folk. Davos said they are about to elect a new lord commander, and Ser Alliser Thorne is going to win. What's life going to be like up there for Jon with Alliser as LC? "Unpleasant, I expect." Stannis says Jon's bravery made Alliser look weak. He, Stannis, doesn't punish men for bravery. (Mance, do you agree with that?) Stannis wants Jon to give him the north. Kneel before him, pledge to serve, and he can rise as Jon Stark, Lord of Winterfell. It's the first thing he ever wanted. Sam is happy for Jon, but Jon says he's going to refuse Stannis. No one likes to kneel before you, Stannis, take the hint.
New Lord Commander
Time to cast tokens for the 998th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. It's Ser Alliser Thorne vs. Ser Denys Mallister. Alliser is going to win, but ... Sam has something to say. He calls out Lord Janos Slynt for his cowardice during the war, and says while that was happening, Jon Snow was leading. Sam makes a great pitch for Jon to be the new LC. Mormont himself chose Jon to be his steward, he saw something in Jon. "He may be young, but he's the commander we turned to when the night was darkest." He's the hero Gotham needs and deserves! Ser Alliser wonders if Jon wants the Night's Watch to rule or the wildlings? "Do you want to choose a man who has fought the wildings all his life or one who makes love to them?" Good points on both sides. When all the tokens are in, it's a tie, until Maester Aemon votes for Jon and puts him over the edge. It helps to have a Targaryen on your side (and in the family?). Meet the new Lord Commander: Jon Snow. Sam is the best friend ever. #JonSnow2016

Arya on the streets
She's just wandering around in an alley when three guys stop her and want to steal her sword. She tells them to turn around and go. They say her sword is worth 100 pieces. Arya: "Nothing is worth anything to dead men." Badass. Total queen. The old man from the House of Black and White shows up and just being there scares the men away. Arya follows him back to the house. He gives her back her coin, and reveals his face as Jaqen H'ghar. "You said there was no Jaqen H'ghar here." "There isn't. A man is not Jaqen H'ghar" "Who are you then?" "No one. And that is what a girl must become." Intriguing. Good to see him again.

Mhysa's justice
Mossador goes to visit the Harpy in the dungeon. The guy tells Mossador, "She doesn't belong here. And no matter how many of you traitors call her 'Mhysa,' she will never be your mother." Next, we see his dead body with the mask on, with a sign next to him saying "Kill the masters." Mossador is next shown before Dany, who asks him "Why." He says for her, Mhysa. She wanted the Harpy dead but her hands were tied. She argues that he was awaiting trial, Mossador had no right. Mossador shares his story, including his own father dying in the fighting. Dany says she isn't the law, the law is the law. Mossador is dragged out for a public execution, to make a point. The people reach out their hands to Mhysa. Even Hizdahr says she should've cut off the "traitor's" head in the Great Pyramid and be done with it; Daario counters that that's what he keeps telling Dany to do to Hizdahr. Dany makes a speech, saying she promised freedom and justice. "One cannot exist without the other." The people call out "brother" to Mossador. It's heartbreaking to hear Mossador call out for "Mhysa" (mother). She says this man killed a prisoner awaiting trial and the punishment is death. The people keep calling out for Mhysa, asking for mercy. Dany won't look at Mossador, who keeps says Mhysa, please. Huge mistake, Dany. When his head comes off, there's silence, then hissing. The tide has turned. The people pick up rocks and throw them. She is their mother no more.
Drogon returns
Grey Worm and Barristan say they'll guard Dany, but she has them leave. She goes out to her balcony and who should stop by but Drogon. Her biggest child. She is still mother to him, even if he can't be tamed, and doesn't stick around for long. He hasn't forgotten his mother's love. But if she promised freedom and justice, then how does that work for Drogon? He has freedom, but is he killing more people out there?

Next week
Petyr tells Sansa to avenge her family. Arya looks different. We see Theon and the Boltons. Jon begins his rule.