Winter is finally here people! So far it’s not skimping on the blood, fire and overall mayhem we’ve come to expect from our favorite fictional world. “The Winds Of Winter” was truly an action-packed masterpiece as things definitely got real for our beloved cast of characters.
A blaze of glory …
I’m not sure about the rest of you, but the underlying score for the first half of the episode didn’t sit well with me right from the get-go. I mean hello? Did everyone forget how the hair on our necks stood up when “The Rains Of Castamere” began playing at the Red Wedding? Nothing is pure coincidence on this show, so it was pretty clear that something big was about to go down. If you didn’t feel it from the music, then Cersei calmly dressing in her best Gothic-chic gown while having a glass of red should have tipped you off. I sure as heck wouldn’t be that nonchalant if my fate was about to be decided by a bunch of religious fanatics.
Anyhow, everyone gathered in the Great Sept of Baelor to witness Loras and Cersei’s trials. Poor downtrodden Loras announced that there wouldn’t be a trial because he confessed his sins and wanted to devote his life to the faith after renouncing his title and claim to Highgarden. It seemed too easy, as if there was some underhanded plan judging from the way Margaery kept looking around. I was waiting for Loras to headbutt those Sparrows or something, but before you knew it, Loras had the Seven-Pointed Star carved onto his forehead.
When they realized that Cersei wasn’t in attendance, the High Sparrow dispatched Lancel and a few others to escort her to the Sept. However, a little boy running through the streets caught Lancel’s attention instead and he decided to chase after him which led right into the wildfire cache beneath the city that we’ve known about since Season 2.
The little boy stabbed him, but Lancel did all he could to extinguish the lit candles that were right on top of the residue. Meanwhile, Margaery sensed that something was wrong since Tommen was also missing from the proceedings, but the High Sparrow wouldn’t listen. Everyone in attendance was barred from leaving and by the time they heard the rumble beneath their feet, it was too late. Kings Landing went up in smoke as Cersei watched from her balcony, sipping her wine and smirking.
However, that wasn’t all she had planned. She had Qyburn and a group of children murder Grand Maester Pycelle before dealing with Septa Unella. Cersei poured wine on Unella’s face telling her to confess. Afterwards, she brought in #FrankenMountain and shouted “Shame” as she left them both in the room. I can only imagine what we’ll find remaining of her next season.
On a serious note though: Is anyone else conflicted here besides me? Cersei is evil, but part of me was pretty satisfied that she had gotten her revenge. Of course, I wish that Margaery and Loras hadn’t been caught in the middle, but this is Game Of Thrones after all, so Valar Morghulis, right?
For those who don’t agree, she did technically get hers when Tommen committed suicide right after the fireworks display. Having done everything in her power to keep him safe and delay the prophecy from coming true for as long as possible, the irony is that she paved the way for his death. Amazingly calm for having lost her last surviving child, she told Qyburn to burn him and bury the ashes where the Great Sept of Baelor had stood.
How about some pie?
Having regained control of Riverrun, our least favorite party host Walder Frey threw a feast for his house and the Lannister army. However, no one had to worry about a repeat of the Red Wedding because Arya crossed more names off her list that night instead. Donning the face of a pretty serving girl, she offered Frey a piece of pie with his two sons’ remains as the filling before slitting his throat. It was such a beautiful sight that I was willing to overlook the fact that Arya must have teleported from Braavos to the Twins since the voyage takes a few months.
A nerd’s dream come true…
The most lighthearted scene of the night was Sam’s and Gilly’s arrival at Oldtown and then entering the Citadel. He didn’t receive the warmest welcome, nor did he stand up for Gilly when she was spoken to rudely, but the sight of that GINORMOUSLY GORGEOUS library more than made up for it. As he gazed in wonder at all the books, I was more concerned with how long it’s going to take him to learn everything and then go back to the Wall to help defend Westeros against the dead.
Be gone red woman…
Now while I haven’t forgotten all the terrible things that Melisandre has done in the past, I kind of let bygones be bygones when she resurrected my Jon Snow. And besides, you have to respect your elders, as if I need to put that disturbing picture back in your minds after being burned into your retinas. But after Davos learned about Shireen’s death, I knew things didn’t look good for Melisandre. When Davos confronted her about it, Melisandre confessed to having burned Shireen because her parents willed her to. Davos demanded Jon kill her, but Jon told her to ride South and never come to the North again, otherwise he’d hang her as a murderer. Davos warned her that he would do it himself as he teared up about the little girl he had loved as his own.
Yes, I know right from wrong, but was sending her away really the best thing? I mean she knows magic and you’ll be dealing with an army of dead people soon, so shouldn’t you have kept her locked up or something?
Winter has finally come!
Sansa joined Jon at the top of Winterfell’s ramparts as they watched Melisandre depart. Jon told her that he was having the lord’s chamber prepped for Sansa, which Sansa was surprised to hear. She told him that he should take the room. But Jon reminded her that he is not a Stark and since she helped win the war against the Boltons that made her the new Lady of Winterfell. Sansa apologized for not having told Jon about reaching out to Littlefinger and the Knights of the Vale and Jon reminded her that they had a lot of enemies, so they had to trust each other. The best part of this conversation? Sansa announced that a white raven had come from the Citadel to declare that winter had finally arrived. Let’s just say that she and Jon weren’t the only ones smiling fondly.
The ultimate girl alliance …
Dorne came back on our radars as Lady Olenna Tyrell (now in charge of Highgarden following Mace’s, Loras’ & Margaery’s deaths), met with Ellaria (presumably in charge of Dorne since she had murdered Prince Doran.) Ellaria proposed an alliance saying House Martell would help House Tyrell get vengeance and justice against House Lannister. When asked how, Varys arrived and said “through fire and blood” thus securing some allies for when Daenerys finally comes to Westeros.
Road trip!
Yes folks, after six seasons of talking about when she will leave for Westeros, our bad-ass Khaleesi has finally set sail for her homeland! Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to Daario - like literally goodbye, not figuratively speaking for his death. Daenerys told her lover that he could not come to Westeros with her, but instead had to stay in Meereen with the Second Sons and keep the peace.
The poor guy told her he loved her and everything, but we later learned that Daenerys didn’t feel the least bit sad having to leave him. As she told Tyrion, she was rather impatient to get on with everything (#Ouch). In the night’s “aw” moment a few minutes later, she gave Tyrion a pendant much like the one the Hand of the King wears in Westeros before asking him to be Hand of the Queen. Tyrion was honored and told her that he believed in her and her cause.
And the mother is …
FINALLY! We now officially know who Jon Snow’s mother is! Sure, book readers have speculated for years and fans of the show have probably seen the R+L=J theory more times than they cared for, but the Tower of Joy flashback that the Three-Eyed Raven had so rudely interrupted earlier this season finally played out!
Bran saw Ned rush inside to find Lyanna in a pool of blood… having just given birth to Jon Snow! Of course, the only part of their conversation that was audible was when Lyanna asked Ned to promise her after having whispered something in his ear. Thanks to my stellar lip-reading abilities (not really, but this is what I was able to make out) she told Ned that if Robert (meaning Robert Baratheon, the guy she was supposed to marry and who had declared war to get her back from Rhaegar) found out, he would kill the baby. Why would Robert kill an innocent baby? Because the father was Rhaegar Targaryen! (OK, this was inferred by the whole “Rhaegar Targaryen kidnapped and then raped my Aunt Lyanna” recap at the top of the episode.) And Robert HATED the Targaryens.
So as a close up of the little cutie pie’s eyes morphed into Jon’s eyes, the mystery was pretty much confirmed. Which would put Jon in a bit of a pickle because the Stark bannermen all declared him to be King of the North since Ned Stark’s blood runs through his veins. Well, it’s Lyanna Stark’s actually, so that counts too as far as I’m concerned!
Speaking of Lyanna, a shoutout to the fierce and feisty Lady of Bear Island who basically made it happen. She stared down all the grown men in the room and reminding them that they were sworn to House Stark and, the North has its own King, not the one in King’s Landing. One by one all the bannermen chanted “King of the North” saying that Jon, the White Wolf, had avenged the Red Wedding for them. Only Littlefinger stood sulking in the corner with a curious look in his eyes. Hopefully he doesn’t do something we’ll all want to wring his neck for next season considering Sansa had turned him down earlier in the episode.
Clash of the queens …
The most exciting part of “The Winds Of Winter”? How they’ve set the stage for some massive wars to come, Queen wars to be more specific. With Tommen dead, Cersei was crowned Queen of Westeros and ascended the throne while Jaime watched from the balcony.
Gunning for her? Daenerys, her khalasar and a fleet of ships led by Yara and Theon Greyjoy. Oh yeah and three almost full-grown dragons. Not to mention Varys who miraculously made it from Dorne to Meereen in minutes. So Cersei better not get too comfortable in that seat.
And now the impossible wait for Season 7!
What did you think of “The Winds Of Winter”?