Game of Thrones Season Six: Guess Who’s Back?

Bran+and+the+Three+Eyed+Raven+observe+a+childhood+Ned+Stark+during+a+flashback+in+season+six%2C+episode+two.+

Photo courtesy of popsugar.com

Bran and the Three Eyed Raven observe a childhood Ned Stark during a flashback in season six, episode two.

Caution: Spoilers Ahead!

   As the school year comes to a close and spring sports seasons are ending, students are looking for a new extracurricular activity to invest their time. Game of Thrones season six is exactly that activity. The first two episodes have already been released, and new episodes stream every Sunday. If you don’t catch the new episodes live, you can stream the show on HBO GO, or On Demand with an HBO subscription.

   The real interest of this new season is that George R.R. Martin, the author of the book series that Game of Thrones is based off of, hasn’t yet published his sixth novel, which means that although Martin has consulted with screenwriters D.B. Weiss and  David Benioff, season six is largely original material.  

   The first two episodes of the popular show opened up new storylines, answered controversial questions, and, of course, mercilessly killed off a plethora of seemingly important characters.  The first episode alone attracted almost eight million viewers according to Tvbythenumbers.com, and rightfully so. This was a triumph of narrative storytelling, and viewing Game of Thrones may just be as important to your cultural lexicon as reading Macbeth or the Great Gatsby.

In case you missed the first two episodes of the season, or are confused with any new characters or plot lines, here is a recap to keep you on track.

   Highlights from episode one: “The Red Woman”

 

Jon Snow is still dead…for now

   In the series opener, viewers were heartbroken to realize that Jon Snow, the betrayed Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch at Castle Black, remains dead.  Ser Davos, who arrived with Melisandre aka The Red Woman, at Castle Black in season five,  discovers Snow’s body and convenes with other Jon Snow supporters against the facilitator of Snow’s death- and now reigning Lord Commander- Ser Alliser Thorne. 

   Above all else, Melisandre is most surprised to hear of Snow’s death. After she sees his lifeless body, the sorceress tells Davos that in a vision she saw Snow “in the flames fighting at Winterfell.” The season premier ends with her taking off her necklace and suddenly transforming from her attractive, young appearance into a haggard, wrinkled old woman.

Bolton releases the hounds

   Meanwhile, Winterfell remains under control of the notoriously cruel, hound-loving Ramsay Bolton. Sansa and Theon are able to make their escape after throwing Myranda from the Winterfell wall, but the pair are trailed by a vicious team of hounds sent by Ramsay.  The two escapees are eventually discovered; however at the last second, Brienne and Podrick swoop in to save the day. Brienne and Pod murder the trackers and Brienne fulfills her oath to continue to protect the Stark children.

Murder and new control in Dorne

   The Prince of Dorne, Doran Martell, is murdered by Ellaria Sand as Trystane, his son, meets the same grisly demise as Ellaria’s team of female Sand Snakes stabs him in the back of the head with a spear.

Tyrion and Varys take a stroll in Meereen

   Since the sudden departure of Daenarys on her dragon, Tyrion presides as the temporary ruler of Meereen.  He and the eunuch advisor Varys take a walk through the city and notice abundant unrest.  Their walk ends by the bay, where the Tyrion and Varys watch as every ship in Meereen is caught on fire.  

Cersei receives tragic news in King’s Landing

   Cersei, after having faced a difficult-to-watch nude march through the streets of King’s Landing, is looking forward to finally seeing her incest-born daughter Myrcella again upon her return from Dorne.  However, her excitement is silenced as she sees Jaime’s boat coming into harbor with the golden casket containing her recently murdered daughter.

Arya Trains in Braavos

   Arya’s journey has been long and solitary.  She now resides in the streets of Braavos as a beggar after having been blinded by the faceless man. She is met by an apprentice of the faceless man and beaten with a stick, assumedly as part of her training.   

Daenerys returns to the Dothraki

   After a long flight on the back of her largest dragon, Queen Dany demounts in the middle of the Grasslands.  She is then taken captive by a group of nomadic Dothraki, and ultimately arrives in their camp to meet Khal Moro. Moro is contemplating whether to kill Daenerys when she confidently announces her previous marriage to Khal Drogo. Upon hearing this unlikely news, instead of granting her freedom, the Khal tells her that she must live out the rest of her days along with the rest of the Khaleesi widows in the Temple of the Dosh Khaleen.

Highlights from episode two: “Home”

 

Ramsay takes control

   Although Game of Thrones is known for its morality-shattering scenes, Ramsay Bolton may have just taken the cake with this one.  In possibly the most gruesome series of events that has ever aired on the show, Ramsay Bolton stabs and kills his father, Roose, and subsequently feeds his father’s wife and newborn baby (his brother) to his bloodthirsty hounds.  All this without blinking an eye and Ramsay Bolton assumes control over Winterfell.

Regicide in Pyke

As Theon begins his march back to Pyke after escaping the horrors of Ramsay Bolton-controlled Winterfell, the rest of the Greyjoy clan endures a major development. Theon’s father Balon, the ruler of Pyke, is confronted by a new character, his brother Euron, and is thrown to his death from a rope bridge overhanging the miserable setting of Pyke.

Lannisters versus The Faith Militant

   Cersei Lannister is denied entry to her daughter’s funeral by her son, King of Westeros, Tommen. At the funeral, Jaime Lannister is confronted by the High Sparrow, who hints at a religion-fueled takeover of the crown. Jaime is about to react to the High Sparrow’s comments when the situation is diffused by the arrival of a large group of Faith Militant supporters.  The High Sparrow exits the scene unscathed.

Bran makes his long awaited appearance

   After remaining M.I.A. through the entirety of season five, Bran Stark is reintroduced in the second episode of season six as the apprentice of the Three Eyed Raven.  As he trains to harness control over his magical warg powers, Meera mourns her brother’s death. As part of his training, Bran and the Three Eyed Raven travel through the past to Winterfell to observe young Ned Stark and two of his siblings (with highlighted significance to his younger sister Lyanna). Additionally, a teenage Hodor, who is articulate and referred to as Wylis, also makes an appearance in this scene.

Tyrion tries to feed the dragons

   After witnessing the ensuing mayhem in the streets of Meereen, Tyrion thinks up a plan to try and regain control by feeding and befriending Daenerys’s dragon children. The plan goes miserably and Tyrion tells Varys to “punch me in the face” next time he has an idea like that.

Jon Snow is alive!!

   Ser Davos and the rest of the pro-Jon Snow clan eagerly await aid to to help bring justice to the murderers of their Lord Commander.  The Wildlings answer his prayers by storming Castle Black and imprisoning the traitorous Alliser Thorne and Olly.

   In the closing scene of the second episode, Melisandre performs a magical ceremony to try and bring Snow back to life.  It initially looks as though the revival has failed, and each of the observers, with the exception of Snow’s direwolf, Ghost, evacuate the room.  Just as it appears all hope is lost for seemingly the only definitively good Game of Thrones character to garner more than five cumulative minutes of airtime on the series, Jon Snow takes his first sputtering breath of new life.