The first three hours of season six of Game Of Thrones are in the history books. It seems almost impossible that we are already 1/3 of the way done with the season, when it seems like the show just came back yesterday. But such is the reality of watching Game Of Thrones, the wait for it is long, and then it comes and goes in a blink of an eye. Nonetheless, Game Of Thrones never ceases to jam pack every episode, and much has already changed from the beginning of the season.
Sansa Stark/Brienne of Tarth/Podrick (in the North): Unseen in the latest episode three, Sansa's situation has dramatically improved from where it ended in season five. She began season six looking like she was either going to freeze to death or be dragged back to Ramsey by his pack of dogs, but she was saved by Brienne of Tarth, and her trusty sword, "Oathkeeper." Speaking of keeping oaths, Brienne has had some good luck as of late with that, at the end of season five she fulfilled her oath to the late Renly, and slayed his killer and kinsman, Stannis Baratheon. At the beginning of season six, she carries out her oath to Catelyn Stark that she protect at least one of her daughters.
In episode two, Sansa even found it within herself to forgive Theon (Reek), after she hated him for betraying her brother Robb and supposedly killing her younger two brothers, Bran and Rickon (don't worry, he didn't actually kill them, he burned two innocent farm boys instead). But it seems like Sansa and Theon will finally be splitting ways again, as Theon heads to the Iron Islands and Sansa farther North, to Castle Black where she believes her half-brother and bastard Jon Snow reigns as Lord Commander (more on him later). This trio seems to be getting all the good news, as Sansa learns that Arya is alive, and Podrick even gets to have another badass moment where he kills a Bolton soldier while saving Sansa. #GoPodrick!
Iron Islands: Yara Greyjoy and her father Balon have a fight over if the Ironborn should continue their war. Yara says there is no point in attacking the North anymore, since the War of the Five Kings is over. Balon demands they continue before leaving. He is walking across a rickety bridge in the middle of a storm when his brother Euron Greyjoy (newly introduced) makes a sudden appearance and blocks his path. After many words and thinly veiled threats are said, Euron murders Balon Greyjoy by pushing him off the bridge and into the waters. Yara learns her inheritance of his throne is not secure and that kingsmoot (whatever that is) will have to occur.
Ramsay (at Winterfell): It is now official, Ramsay Bolton is the most hated villain on Game Of Thrones, ever. Remember the good old days with Joffery and Cersei? And when you could hate Walter Frey and Roose Bolton and be completely happy? Not anymore. Ramsay starts season six by "lamenting" Myranda's death, before ordering her body be used to feed the dogs. In the second episode, he murders his father (not that I'm necessarily complaining, but I expected something much grander and sweeter for the death of the man that betrayed Robb and planned the Red Wedding), then sets his dogs (the same ones that were not just a few days earlier feasting on Myranda's flesh) onto his mother-in-law and newborn half-brother. He takes control of Castle Black, anoints himself Lord Bolton and Warden of the North, and schemes to get Sansa back, kill Jon Snow, and attack Castle Black. And in episode 3, the traitorous Lord Umber gives Ramsay Osha and Rickon Stark (remember him?) as a "present", before slamming the decapitated head of Rickon's direwolf Shaggydog on the table before Ramsay. Okay, so I guess we get to now hate Lord Umber too?
The Lannisters (at King's Landing): Cersei learns of her daughter Myrcella's death, and gives a morbid but beautiful soliloquy about her body decomposing. Jamie and Cersei vow to take back what was stolen from them, as Cersei begins to accept the prophecy told to her as a young child (pretty much that all of her children will die before her eyes). Former Master Qyburn's "experiment", The Frankenstein Mountain (A.K.A Ser Gregor), is practically Cersei's shadow, leaving her only when he needs to bash the brains of vulgar commoners who talk down to Cersei or mention her Walk of Atonement. King Tommen is just as useless as ever, as he can't convince the High Sparrow to allow his mother to see Myrcella's funeral, and as he continues to be manipulated by all of those around him (High Sparrow, His Uncle/Father Jamie, and even his mother). Cersei and Jamie's first attempt to grab back power fails when they arrive uninvited to a High Council meeting and are spurred by Lord Kevan and GrandmamaTyrell.
Arya Stark (in Braavos): Newly blind Arya is begging on the street for the first two episodes, as the crime she committed that got her banished from the House of Black and White is still talked about on the streets. She is soon approached by the Waif (or as she is known to the common viewer: the crazy girl with the short hair who seems oddly jealous of Arya and/or maybe wants to have sex with her?) who pretty much bullies and beats the crap out of her with a stick. Jaqen appears (wait, I thought he was dead? Yeah, I'm confused too) and after Arya insists she is no-one, she is brought back to the house to train.
Episode three shows her training montage, and she gets back into the good graces of Jaqen, although the Waif still seems to hate her, and after repeating she is no-one and that "A girl has no name," she drinks from the little fountain of death (that's what I call it), but instead of dying she regains her sight. It looks like the Many-Faced God has forgiven her for straying, but it also seems like she's right back where she was at the beginning of season five, so I'm interested to see where they take her character and how long it takes them to get her there.
Daenerys: She is picked up by a hoard of Dothraki, and Khal Moro (after threatening to rape her and bickering with his men) says that she must go to the Dosh Khaleen, where all widowed khaleesis must go. However, upon arriving, the Dosh Khaleen tell her she may not be welcomed, since she did not come here straight after Khal Drogo's death. Jorah and Daario are still on the hunt to find her and Drogon, her biggest and baddest dragon, is nowhere to be seen.
Tyrion/Varys/Grey Worm/Missandei (in Meereen): Tyrion and Varys are, once again, great together as they walk the streets of Meereen and see first hand the city's problems. Tyrion decides that the other two dragons that Daenerys put in chains need to be unchained, as that is the only way they will grown and be able to help their Mother reconquer Slaver's Bay and eventually Westeros. There is a great scene where Tyrion removes the chains on the dragon's necks (in his own way, becoming a Breaker of Chains) and tells a tale of how sad he was when he first learned that dragons were extinct. Varys finds out that the people responsible for the Sons of the Harpy are the old Masters in all the cities Daenerys has liberated before. They are supplying the money for the riots, and the team must think of a way to stop them and regain control in all of Daenerys' cities.
Dorne: Ellaria and Tyene (Prince Oberyn's lover) kills Prince Doran and his big-bad bodyguard Areo Hotah right after the two learn of Myrcella's death (orchestrated, of course, by Ellaria herself). The two other Sand Snakes murder Prince Trystane, who was on his way back to Dorne.
Jon Snow (at Castle Black/The Wall): We see his corpse, a lot. He really died. And he stayed dead for almost two entire episodes, before Ser Davos convinces the Red Woman, Melisandre, to try to bring him back to life. It seems like it will be a failure, but then Ghost jumps up, followed shortly by Jon Snow opening his eyes and taking a big gasp of air. The Wildlings arrive to help Jon's friend Edd take control of Castle Black from Thorne and the backstabbers. In episode three, the brothers of the Night's Watch see Jon Snow for the first time, alive again, and Tormund the Wildling comments that most think he is a god. Jon Snow does his duty as Lord Commander and executes the traitors who killed him, including little old Olly, before taking off his cloak, handing it to Edd, and saying "My watch has ended." Talk about a mic drop.
And that is what the first three epsiodes of season six have brought us, and what they are setting us up for. Winter has come, and it is glorious.
