Naw, he pulled the lever and shot the metal column, effectively getting control of the mecha, then ejected himself at the exact right moment. I'm not gonna say he was in control of the situation, but it was definitely not just dumb luck.

Just nitpicking, but you're thinking of Jeor Mormont as the grizzled security guard. Jorah Mormont is the blonde guy with Daenerys

I heard "Get a real dog!" from the protesters, which is way funnier