Return to Westeros: A GAME OF THRONES Season 6 Recap

Written by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss
Directed by Miguel Sapochnik

After the longest break between seasons of the cult-coveted series Game of Thrones, we finally get some insight into what is to come in Season 7 after HBO released their classic character art posters. All with the upclose, ¾ face shot, in blue lighting, even down to the same image in their eye. Is it a bird? A Dragon? Superman? No, it’s the White Walker King’s eye looking back at you. Shiver. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for more twists, turns, violence, sexy time, Jon Snow (Kit Harrington), and dragons.

Did I mention Jon Snow?

Season 6 was proclaimed the most well written, directed, and action packed season to date. This time we actually received answers, but a lot of information in a 10 episode span. Whereas this season we will be receiving a meager 7 episodes to answer all the long held questions. Who will rule Westeros? How do the White Walkers effect the war over the throne? Will the remaining Starks ever reunite? Which God or Gods truly exist? Most importantly, will Arya’s (Maisie Williams) wolf Nymeria ever make her return?

Throughout the last 6 seasons, we have received little pieces of progress met with large setbacks, usually resulting in our favorite character’s deaths, causing us to all wonder what is the point? With the end of Season 6 we finally have some answers, and a better idea of what is to come. The title Game of Thrones, finally makes sense. Just like a chess board, each character has been moved around methodically, by Lord of Wrenching Our Hearts Out, George R R Martin. We have reached Check, all that’s left is for that one final move to be made in Season 7 for the Checkmate on Queen Cersei Lena Headey) and her gruesome demise. Yet wouldn’t it just be comically cruel and just the kind of thing for Martin to have Cersei defeat all those against her and bring an end to all Starks and Targaryens. That won’t happen right? I mean it’s not like the good guy was killed in the first season or the good guy’s son was murdered at a wedding, or the bad guy smashes in the good guys head, or a favorite character is raped while her family friend is forced to watch. Writers don’t do that, that would be absurd. Right? Right….?

Anyway, let’s try not to dwell too much on the unknown, it only leads to worry, and we already have plenty of that going on in our lives. Instead let’s do a quick recap of what has already happened and what we already know. First and foremost, we finally know who Jon Snow’s parents are! Lyanna Stark, and Rhaegar Targaryen, making Jon Snow Daenerys Targaryen’s (Emilia Clarke) uncle. With that knowledge you would assume that fans wouldn’t be ‘shipping’ a romantic connection, but this is Game of Thrones people. It’s completely expected for a little incest here and there, after all it runs in the Targaryen family line. If you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em! Plus we as the fans can’t help but picture beautiful little dark and light haired mini Jon and Dani babies running around. Aaaawwww can you imagine them with little baby dragons too! Ok, focus guys.  

So, we know Jon’s lineage, which means he is the rightful heir to the Iron Throne, and on that subject, when we last saw Cersei she became childless, just as the prophecy foretold, adorned a kick ass battle gown, became Queen of Westeros, oh, yea, and BLEW UP the Sept of the Seven, along with half of King’s Landing, and Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer). Sniffle, RIP Margery, you will be missed. Her death caused King Justin-Bieber-look-a-like Tommen (Dean-Charles Chapman) to jump out the window to his death. Bit dramatic there bruh, just saying, but hey at least he’s with his twoo luv. Giggle snort. Oh you naive little sucker, thank the Seven you never managed to reproduce. I will ask, did anyone else catch the ironic symbolism of Tommen jumping from a window? No? Think back a bit, to the first season. Remember baby Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright)? Remember Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) pushing him out a window? There you go!

So, Cersei is Queen, Jon is the rightful heir, Tommen and Margaery are reunited in death, and Arya is back bitches and she’s out for blood. Out of anyone, I would not want to cross her! She has come a long way from the little girl who only knew to stick them with the pointy end, to being able change her face, leap off walls, slit men’s throats, and, oh yea, bake some sick people pies that would make Hannibal jealous. Mmmmm just needs some fava beans and chianti. All I want to happen is for her and Nymeria to reunite and all my dreams will come true.

The biggest event of the Season of course is Daenerys and her army of Dothraki, Unsullied, Tyrell’s, Greyjoys, Dorne, and basically all the leftovers of her campaign through Slaver’s Bay, aride ships sailing toward Westeros! Can I hear an Amen Hallelujah!! Finally she is on her way, and in her wake has left a string of broken hearts behind her. Poor Jorah (Iain Glen); if ever the friend zone existed it’s for this poor fellow. After all he had done for her, even attained Grayscale for her, he professes his love and gets a silent watery eyed response. Cold Dani, you’re cold but damn do we love you. Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) has joined forces with her along side Varys (Conleth Hill), and boy howdy does Tyrion look on her like the Queen he has always yearned for. Sorry lover boy, I just don’t think she’ll be falling for you, but it’s always nice to fantasize. Then there is rejected sellsword Daario Naharis (Michiel Huisman) — let’s be real, handsome, you were never Mr. Right just Mr. Right Now, but you have a lot going for you. You’ll find someone. Maybe Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel) — oh wait, she would rather have Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson), even if he is sans, well… you know.  So we leave the Queen of Fire on a ship with her three dragons flying over, headed for a war they aren’t expecting.

The Hound (Rory McCann) is alive and well, and has joined forces with the Brotherhood led by Beric Dondarrion (Richard Dormer), dealing out their own ideal of justice. Brienne (Gwendoline Christie) and Pod (Daniel Portman) are headed north, and ancient, Melisandre (Carice van Houten), yea remember that, has been banished after losing Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane) to the war over the throne. Can I just say, good riddance? I mean who kills little girls to please some God of Light, so that a fake King can win a losing war? Let’s face it, they all got what they deserved, and now Davos (Liam Cunningham) has to pick up the burned pieces alongside Jon Snow as his confidant. Then we have Sansa, who overcame all those who doubted and used and abused her, and became Queen of the North, but also, fed freaking creep master 2016, Ramsy Bolton (Iwan Rheon) to his own dogs. It was beautiful, and my favorite scene of the whole season.

Bran Stark has now become the Three Eyed Raven. How he plays a part in the upcoming season has yet to be determined, but hey Samwell Tarly (John Bradley) stuck it to his pisshat of a father and has reached the Citadel. Can we all take a moment of silence for the library? I mean as a child I thought no library could come close to the Beast’s, oh how I am happily incorrect. Not going to lie, I cried, and I know you did too. We know how much of a badass Tarly is. I mean he stabbed a freaking White Walker and killed it! That never happens, and now he gets to have access to the world’s largest library! If I could be anyone in the GoT universe, I would want to be Sam.

Then we have the White Walkers. As the humans have fought and killed amongst themselves over a very strange version of musical chairs, the White Walkers have only grown in size and power, creating more of their kind through death, and child abducting. Of course, no one in Westeros really wants to believe they exist so why bother preparing for battle? I mean the uncomfortable chair is much more important than the continued survival of all of mankind. Am I right?

Thank God Dani is on the way to rescue them with her fire breathing dragons, cause everyone else would be up shart creek. After six seasons of hearing winter is coming, now that things have reached a head, the white raven has been released signalling Winter is finally here, and it has kind of lost its thrill. I think we all have an idea on how it will end. Personally I want it all to end in a sea of white, Cersei atop the corpses of all those defied her, but that’s because I’m a cynic at heart. I do love to hate her. Regardless of how this goes down, at least we have each other; that is, unless the Lannisters send their regards, then we’re all f*****.