Oh, what the hell: I’m reviewing season six of Game of Thrones. I came to the show late
and binge-watched it over the last year. I never thought I’d like it because
I’m not so into those fantasy type shows but I am really enjoying all the
politics and scheming. I haven’t read the books.
The season six premiere was mostly about table setting and
letting us all remind ourselves what was going on with all the main characters.
Jon Snow is possibly/definitely dead for the moment/forever. I laughed at the
mental gymnastics Ser Alliser had to do to convince himself he was loyal
because he never disobeyed an order, even though he killed his commanding
officer. True, Jon never ordered anybody not to kill him but I inferred the
order was implied.
Meanwhile, Sansa and Theon are on the run through a frigid
river (I couldn’t blame Sansa for not wanting to wade through; I am more
dramatic about jumping into a slightly chilly pool) and finally get a break
from danger in the form of a thrilling rescue from Brienne and Podrick. There
was a momentary hesitation when Brienne offered her services to Lady Catelyn’s
daughter and at home, I helpfully suggested, “Yes, you’ll want to stick with
the badass blonde amazon” to the TV. I liked Sansa’s ritual acceptance of
Brienne’s services, which promises that she will be more commanding and powerful
from here on out.
Meanwhile, in Winterfell, Ramsay realizes he will actually
need Sansa and her child to maintain the throne. He eulogizes the kennel
master’s daughter as fierce but she actually went over that balcony and fell to
her death pretty easily last season. Then Ramsay feeds her “good meat” to the
hounds, just to re-re-emphasize that he’s a bastard.
Meanwhile, in King’s Landing, Cersei looks forward to
reuniting with Myrcella only for brother/lover Jamie to tell her the girl is
dead, with her coffin returning draped in gold, as the fortune teller said it
would. “She was good,” the queen regent says of her daughter. “From her first
breath she was so sweet. I don’t know where she came from. She was nothing like
me.” I know the Lannisters are the worst and Cersei earned her comeuppance with
that walk of shame but I do feel for her, with two kids dead. At least it will
be highly entertaining to see her revenge.
Meanwhile, in prison, the world’s must fun nun tries to get
Margaery to confess.
Meanwhile, in Dorne, Ellaria and the Sand Snakes take over,
assassinating the Doran regime. This has been boiling ever since Oberyn died,
with Ellaria noting that Doran did nothing to avenge that or her sister’s death.
Meanwhile, Arya is living on the streets as a blind beggar. The
Waif (like Stick to Daredevil) attacks Arya and teaches her to defend herself.
Meanwhile, Daenerys ends up with her old in-laws, the
Dothraki. She asserts her power enough to escape assault and rape but it turns
out they still want her to live in an old widow’s home. I liked her line about
only submitting “when the sun rises in the west and sets in the east,” a
callback to the witch who turned Khal Drogo into a vegetable. I hope Daenerys
will soon actually get to Westeros. Also, Jorah somehow, in the middle of that
massive green field, finds the ring she left as a breadcrumb. I know her had
the trampled grass to use as a bullseye but come on. Or maybe Jorrah’s eyes are
just that good; after all, he was the only one who spotted the attack on his
queen in the fighting pits.
Meanwhile, in Meereen, the dynamic duo of Tyrion and Varys
sees the city in flames and decides maybe the mhysa’s reign isn’t going over
very well.
Meanwhile, Melisandre is secretly an old woman, appearing
young due to her magic and the ruby she wears around her neck. It was a
surprising reveal but it makes sense that she’s old because she never really
carried herself like a young woman; she had more gravitas than that. I didn’t
know how to read the fact that she let her guard down and appeared old again. She
looked so defeated when she went to bed and maybe she is just tired of all the
prophecies that have failed. I guess it’s deflating when you realize you
manipulated a man into burning his daughter at the stake for no real reason. Or
maybe giving up the artifice of youth will allow her to make her own sacrifice
and give life back to Jon Snow.
It was an OK episode, mostly checking in on everyone. I
didn’t mind that part of it but look forward to spending more time in fewer
locations.
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