Eeeeeee! It’s here! It’s finally here! I have been waiting for Game of Thrones to return like a damn nerd fiend. Rather than nerd out with a full season premiere recap, I’m going to hit a few highlights and link to the GoT recaps I like. I’ll let you know what you need to know, what questions are driving me batty, and where to find more quality commentary.
*This post may contain spoilers.*
Okay, here are the season 6 premiere highlights:
- Jon Snow is dead (for now).
Okay, that’s pretty much it. Bye. J/K. Kind of. Here’s what else was like maybe kind of worth noticing.
- Sansa and Theon (aka Reek) survived their base-dive escape from Winterfell.
- Brienne and Pod intervened to rescue S & T in the woods, and Sansa accepted Brienne’s pledge to serve her.
- Arya is blind and begging on the streets, but the Waif and Jacqen/the face-mask creepy people are not done with her yet.
- Cersei’s daughter Myrcella is dead at Ellaria Sand‘s hand (well, mouth). Ellaria and the Sand Snakes killed Prince Doran, as well as his son Tristane and his main guardsman. Coup in Dorne.
- Back at King’s Landing, Margaery is still in jail. The Sparrows are still power-tripping in the capital city.
- Increasing social unrest plagues Mereen, presenting challenges for Tyrion and Varys.
- The Dothraki took a lone and lost Danaerys to their Khal, who decided instead of raping her he was bound to honor her–by sending her to live in a khaleesi widows’ tower.
- The Red Lady, Melisandre, is at Castle Bla— HOLY SHIT, what just happened?!?
Questions:
- What is the deal with Melisandre? It maybe looks like she’s going to use some of her power to save Jon… or more likely we’re watching her shed some of the illusions she relies on as she has a crisis of faith…. which will accidentally lead to her saving Jon? Maybe? What is the meaning of her end-of-episode drastic change?
- Does Melisandre derive power from her necklace? Her potions? Or are both red herrings?
- How long will we have to wait for the Snow resurrection?
- What’s Bran been up to?!
- Where’s Littlefinger?
- Is Stannis actually dead?
- What can we expect from Ser Davos now that the Baratheons are dead, as is Davos’s own family? Is he going to stay at the Wall? And what will happen when he learns what Melisandre et al did to Shireen Baratheon?
- Are we going to have to endure another season of the damn Sand Snakes?
For some great recapping, including good doses of humor, critical takes on the show and some entertaining fan theories, check out my fave articles and podcasts:
- EW’s Game of Thrones recap by James Hibberd
- Rolling Stone’s recap by Sean T. Collins
- Vanity Fair’s GoT coverage by Joanna Robinson
- Game of Thrones the Podcast
- A Cast of Kings podcast
Brunch on the Balcony 