Game of Thrones is back! Season 6 is finally here and if you were expecting fireworks in the first episode, you don’t know this show. Game of Thrones is often a slow burn and the premiere simply sets the stage for where everyone is headed. The good news is that, in almost every storyline, it’s the women who are kicking some butt.
Sansa finally gets a real bodyguard, the Lannisters plot their next steps, Arya learns to be Matt Murdcok, Dany finds a new home and Ellaria Sand leads a women’s revolt that kills a trio of men introduced last season. As for Jon Snow, he’s still dead at the start and end of this episode, but he still has plenty of friends, including a certain Red Woman who reveals a whole new side of herself.
Jon Snow’s New Army
Season 6 begins right where season 5 left off. Davos finds Jon Snow’s dead body and brings him inside along with Eddison Tollett, a few of Jon’s other Night’s Watch friends, Ghost and Melisandre. They are still loyal to Jon Snow, even though Alliser Thorne has taken over as Lord Commander by justifying the need to kill Jon.
However, Davos and company are locked in a room and Alliser is threatening to kill them if they don’t surrender. Luckily, Davos knows of a few other people who owe Jon their lives, so Eddison runs off (presumably to recruit the Wildlings to take over Castle Black).
Perhaps the most puzzling moment of the Game of Thrones season 6 premiere is the very last scene where Melisandre gets completely naked, then takes off the necklace she always wears. It seems that necklace is magic, because Melisandre is really a nasty, super old lady.
Sansa’s New Bodyguard
The Boltons celebrate their victory of Stannis, but it’s short-lived because Sansa is gone and they need her to rule the North. Sansa and Theon are on the run in the freezing cold, but they are captured by Ramsey’s men.
Thankfully, Brienne and Podrick ride in at that exact moment to save the day. They kill Ramsey’s men (with an assist from Theon) and Sansa FINALLY agrees to let Brienne protect her. I’m totally down with this new foursome of Sansa, Theon, Brienne and Pod.
Cersei and Jaime’s New Plan
Still coping with the aftermath of her Walk of Shame, Cersei gets even more bad news when Jaime returns home with their dead daughter Myrcella. Cersei is at her absolute lowest, angry that she hasn’t listened to all the prophecies warning of her children’s deaths. Jaime doesn’t care. Jaime tells her to forget about everyone else because they are all that matters and they will take back everything that was taken from them. Don’t mess with the Lannisters.
Meanwhile, Queen Margaery is still imprisoned by the High Sparrow. Is it weird that part of me actually hopes Margaery and Cersei will team up this season to take down these religious nutjobs?
A Female Coup in Dorne
In recent weeks, there’s been a big story in the television community about the death of female characters. So it’s a refreshing change of pace that, in Dorne, Ellaria Sand pulls a full-on coup d’etat, killing Prince Doran and his bodyguard while the Sand Snakes kill his son Trystane. All of the Martells are dead and now it’s Ellaria and the Sand Snakes who rule Dorne. Who runs the world? Girls!
Dany’s New Home
Tyrion and Varys are trying to rule Meereen while Daario and Jorah are hot on Dany’s trail. However, she’s been kidnapped by Dothraki warriors and taken to Vaes Dothrak, the Dothraki homeland. The warriors give Dany to their khal, Moro, and after a long series of sexual insults, Dany reveals that she speaks their language.
She tells them her long list of names, but Khal Moro isn’t impressed. He changes his tune when he learns she’s the widow of Khal Drogo. Dany is released, but the rules state that all widows of khals must live out the rest of their days at Vaes Dothrak. Something tells me Dany won’t be cool with that.
Arya’s New Life
Blind Arya is begging on the streets of Braavos, but her day is interrupted by the Waif, her gal pal from the House of Black and White. She throws Arya a stick (that she can’t see) and starts fighting her. Just like Syrio Forel in season 1, the Waif seems to be training Arya to fight, only now she has to learn how to do it while blind. It doesn’t go well, but maybe this is the first step on Arya’s road to becoming Daredevil.
(Image courtesy of HBO)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
John watches nearly every show on TV, but he specializes in sci-fi/fantasy like The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and True Blood. However, he can also be found writing about everything from Survivor and Glee to One Tree Hill and Smallville.
