Ever since I completed the “A Song of Ice and Fire” books during Season 3 of the show, I have considered myself a book purist. I love the books, and I also love the show, but I often found myself nitpicking minor changes about the television adaptation because I preferred how George RR Martin wrote it. Seasons 4 and 5 were sometimes a struggle as I did not really understand what the writers and directors were doing or why they made various changes. Flash-forward to this season and I must say that it is likely my favorite season to date. Episode 10 did not disappoint (and perhaps, even went above and beyond). Perhaps that is due to me becoming more and more an “Unsullied” watcher as we stray further and past the books, or it is due to the action, script and acting improving. Regardless, Episode 10, “The Winds of Winter” was an all-time episode for me.
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I have to continue to give credit to director Miguel Sapochnik, who has directed arguably the 3 best episodes of the last 2 seasons (Hardhome, The Battle of the Bastards, The Winds of Winter) and perhaps even of the show. I hope that the show creators Benioff and Weiss continue to work with Sapochnik because it has very clearly worked thus far.
The tenth episode opens with an incredible, heart-pounding sequence of scenes that flip between the sept of Baelor and the Red Keep. Right off the bat, we are greeted with some intense, eerie music that I thought set the scene tremendously for the next 10-15 minutes. The music truly kept me on the edge of my seat last night as I just knew (and was hoping) that something big was going to happen.
And boy did it happen. Margaery realizes Cersei isn’t present and something is amiss. The High Sparrow is too full of himself to care. Cersei is casually sipping on some vino while Lancel crawls in order to save everybody. In the end (and only 15 minutes into the episode), we have seen the deaths of recurring characters including Pycelle, High Sparrow, Loras Tyrell, Margaery Tyrell, Mace Tyrell, Lancel Lannister, Kevan Lannister and everyone else present in the sept. I predicted that Cersei would burn it down, but I did not expect the level of magnitude and sheer amount of major characters killed off.
The one character that I had read about on forums leading up to the finale was Tommen, who many suspected would commit suicide after realizing his wife and friends of the Faith were just obliterated. Surely Cersei did not expect Tommen to die, especially with the Mountain watching over him. I wasn’t really a fan of how Lena Headley portrayed Cersei as she looked down on her son’s dead body. We’ve discussed this in the thread, but I would have appreciated more sadness or hysteria as Cersei realizes the Maggy the Frog prophecy has come true. She seems much too calm for my tastes, but perhaps that is due to her finally feeling fully free in commanding the Seven Kingdoms as she sees fit. Her “punk rock” look that she wore during her coronation showed that she has an IDGAF attitude from now on if her subjects disagree with her. As evidenced by her final scene, it is clear that this event (the wildfire and Tommen’s suicide) that will drive the stake between Cersei and Jaime’s relationship.
At the Twins, the Freys and Lannisters are feasting as Walder compares himself to Jaime as kingslayers and survivors. This clearly irks Jaime, who is none too thrilled about the prospect of them being equals, clearly pointing to Jaime’s humane side of his personality. Later on at the Twins, Walder Frey is mysteriously eating and drinking alone in the Great Hall when a serving girl comes up and serves him a pie and reveals herself to be Arya Stark before slicing his throat, just how his son did to her mother (Catelyn). While I am obviously disappointed we didn’t get the Wyman Manderly book plot, at least we got served a little Frey pie and it is rewarding to see Arya get a little revenge on the man who murdered her family. As soon as I saw the serving girl that Bronn and Jaime were discussing, I had a feeling it was Arya with a face. Speculation will abound as to where Arya heads next (north and her home or south and revenge), but my gut says she meets up with Melisandre and/or the Brotherhood without Banners eventually. It will be interesting if her potentially-sadistic way of killing those on her list continues, as she has had a deep and dark past that will continue to haunt her.
In only their 3rd appearance in the season, we see Sam and Gilly arriving at Oldtown, and my, what a magnificent site it is. I have long been hoping the show would go to Oldtown and the scenery is absolutely incredible with the Hightower and the Citadel’s library. I don’t think we’ll ever meet the Hightower family, but surely Sam will meet someone of importance or read something crucial while he is at the Citadel.
At Winterfell, Sansa and Jon find the raven from the Citadel that proclaims that winter has come, just as their father had promised all those years ago (hint-hint: “Promise me, Ned”). Later on, Petyr Baelish reveals what we’ve long suspected that he wants to sit on the Iron Throne and also have Sansa as his queen. It is clear that Littlefinger is going to continually scheme and try to drive a fork between Jon and Sansa. I think this will be a pretty big plot piece in Season 7 as I just don’t see Sansa ordering his execution anytime soon. But he will surely create a master plan that furthers his personal motives going forward.
In the north, Benjen drops off Meera and Bran nowhere near the Wall and with no supplies or way to drag Bran south. We were made sure to hear that the Wall is made of magic that blocks the Walkers or the dead from missing (hint: don’t go south, Bran) which will surely be a plot point next season. However the clearly bigger reveal from Bran is his flashback to the Tower of Joy as Ned discovers that his sister Lyanna has given birth to a baby boy. She whispers to him that “If Robert finds out, he’ll kill him. You know he will. You have to protect him. Promise me, Ned. Promise me”, which is plenty enough to convince me that the “Rhaeger + Lyanna = Jon theory” is true.
I really liked how the show cut from baby Jon to Jon’s face at Winterfell where Lyanna Mormont calls the Northmen, the Vale and the wildlings to name Jon the new King in the North. I enjoyed finally meeting Wyman Manderly (looked a bit too skinny, to be totally honest) and having Robett Glover apologize for his mistakes. Going forward, will Jon have the full strength of the Vale, or will this be a way that Littlefinger exacts revenge, which he so clearly was scheming as he watched all of the men in the hall declare for Jon, even with Sansa looking onward? I also wonder where we go from here now that Jon is King. That scene was so eerily similar to when Robb was declared king (seriously, go re-watch it in Season 2), that you can’t help but think something could possibly eventually go wrong for Jon/the North.
After we see Cersei the Maleficent crowned, we cut to the open sea where Daenerys Targaryen is finally heading to Westeros. Her forces are formidable: 3 fully-grown dragons, 100,000 Dothraki, 8000 Unsullied, the Greyjoy fleet, the Martell army and fleet and the Tyrell army and fleet. I thought it was interesting/confusing that we saw Varys on the ships (remember: he’s never actually met Daenerys) as well as Tyrell and Martell banners on several of the boats, but it was a solid end to the episode for a large majority of the fanbase’s favorite character (excluding myself).
Some other random thoughts:
1) I was a bit disappointed to see no mention of white walkers in an episode titled “The Winds of Winter.” I thought a quick back-and-forth between Dany and her dragons (Fire) and the undead army approaching the Wall (Ice) would have been an excellent end to the season.
2) Bella Ramsey played Lyanna Mormont and it was her first acting job in her life. She quickly became a fan favorite and I hope we see her in future seasons.
3) It’s a small detail at Winterfell, but I continue to be impressed with Liam Cunningham (Davos)’s acting abilities. You really felt like he truly cared for and loved Shireen Baratheon while he was at the stand-off with Mel in front of Jon. I have long been a Davos fan and I am sure he wanted Mel gone, but I am glad that he finally has another king to advise and follow in Jon.
4) I hate the Sand Snakes. I’ve said it a million times. But I absolutely loved their scene on Sunday solely because Olenna Tyrell bitch-slapped all of them into submission. It was just so perfect and it was a nice tribute and redemption for all of us Sand Snake-haters for the last two seasons. I was a little bit shocked that they stole Doran Martell’s “Fire and Blood” “speech” and gave it to Varys (as I have long been a Doran fan), but I can getover that knowing that Olenna ruled the scene.
5) Sign him up for an Ivy League Crew Team, Gendry’s still rowin’.
I hope you enjoyed my reviews for the last few episodes of Season 6 and I am anxiously awaiting Season 7 casting news as we head into the summer months.
A graduate of Xavier University, Chris began his writing career as a Xavier Musketeers Athletic Communications Intern where he wrote previews and post-game recaps for men’s basketball, women’s basketball and other Olympic sports. He has worked in the sports industry in various capacities for over 5 years. Chris is a fan of the Xavier Musketeers, the Baltimore Ravens and the Baltimore Orioles. Other hobbies and passions includes Game of Thrones and, as an Eagle Scout, volunteering as a Boy Scout Troop Assistant Scoutmaster. Chris was born in Baltimore, raised in Baltimore County and currently resides in Canton.