Well, the time finally came, and Game of Thrones, one of the greatest shows on TV, has reached another finale. I must say, despite the beginning going a little slow, this season actually went by super fast. And the last 3 episodes where obviously some of the best the series has ever had.
Lets start with Stannis. With his daughter now sacrificed, the god of light has listened and a warm front came and melted the snow. He would be ready to attack, other than he soon finds out half his army has abandoned him – obviously due to his horrible act with his daughter. Upset at everything, he sends Melissandre off to return to the wall, who we see wastes no time to get the hell out of there. I’m thinking she realized that just because one thing worked (the sacrifice helping the weather), she never was able to foretell the outcome with the army. But Stannis is a stubborn man, and so with the little army he has left, we marches to Winterfell. Unfortunately, they have lost too many people, and when the Bolton army comes out on horseback, they basically wipe Stannis’ army out completely. It’s a slaughter. Oh, and earlier, Stannis’ wife hung herself, not able to live with what they did to their daughter.
Meanwhile, Sansa tries to light a candle in the window – the signal for help – but she literally misses Brienne by a second, who finally gave up on waiting and left see what was up with Stannis and his army. By the time she gets there, the war is over. Nothing but the dead bodies of Stannis’ army. Stannis still stands, barely… he’s one tough SOB, but Brienne has unfinished business with him… she remembers all too clearly the demon shadow with Stannis’ face that killed her beloved Renly. As Stannis leans against a tree, barely surviving, Brienne strikes him down. I was surprised that they actually didn’t show the hit/cut… for a show that does not hold back on such scenes, they did here. I bring this up cause in the book Brienne isn’t there… he supposedly dies in the battle. By supposedly I mean that you never see it, you just find out about it through a letter that gets sent to the wall with the news.
On Sansa’s end, she gets caught by Ramsey’s toy girl, who is about to kill her, only to be saved by Theon/Reek, who throws her off the railing to her death. Nothing else much happens here, but we finally get a glimpse that Theon might be of some assistance after all.
Jaime leaves Dorne with his niece/daughter (who btw know that he’s her dad), but as they have a heart to heart on the ship leaving, she dies from being poisoned… by a kiss goodbye from Ellaria Sand. She finally got her revenge. Will this lead to war between the nations now? This never happens in the books… at least not yet. You kind of expect it coming at some point (remember that witch who Cersei ran into as a little kit, and her warning that all 3 of her children will meet their doom), so I assume this would happen early in book 7.
Speaking of Cersei, she finally confesses, and so they let her return to the keep to see her son – so long as she does it naked through the streets she once tried to rule. Lets just say it’s super humiliating and she is broken by the time she makes it there. Finally, a moment that felt good in Game of Thrones. How strange and awesome that must be, but don’t worry… it doesn’t last long. Also, when she makes it to the keep, we’re introduced the the zombified version of the Mountain, now set to be her protector.
Across the world, Arya has disguised herself as a young girl to get to Meryn Trant (who likes them young). In fact, you don’t know it’s Arya until this random girl pulls off the fake face to reveal her. She basically massacres him and its absolutely amazing. But when she gets back to the House of Black and White, Hagar knows, and admits that since she took a life not meant for the faceless god, it must be paid with a life. But instead of killing her, he takes poison and kills himself. Arya is upset, only to find Hagar standing behind her. You see, the entire idea is, in this house, there are no particular people.. Hagar is just one of the faces they all wear, and in a way, they are all the same. As things start getting pretty deep, Arya suffers one more problem in the form of an eye for an eye (she had stabbed Trants eyes out)… out of nowhere she goes blind, and scene. This happens earlier in the books, so we’ll see how it progresses in the show.
Mormont and Daario head out to look for Dany, while they all decide Tyrion ruling in her steed is the best choice. Dany finds herself on some hilltop with Drogon. But while he sits there tending his wounds, she needs to return to the city, She leaves him behind and starts trekking it, only to be cut off by a huge Khalasar who surround her. Is this good? Bad? Who knows… not us readers, as the books end the same way (though her dragon is by her side there).
And to the big dramatic and horrible moment of the finale. At the wall, Sam knows it’s too dangerous to have Gilly around, and he also know that he would be more useful as a Maester, so with Jon’s permission, him and Gilly take off. You have a nice friendship filled scene between them before he goes. Later that night, Ollie comes to get Jon to report that they found a Wildling that had news on his uncle Benjen. Jon goes running outside only to be caught in a trap, surrounded by brothers of the Nights Watch… brothers that all hated him for bringing the Wildlings in. And one by one they each stab him, muttering “for the wall” as they do. The season ends with the camera frozen on Jon’s dead face as a pool of blood grown around him.
And that’s the season. Everyone is all caught up with the readers and no one knows what happens next. So… season 6 will be exciting (as we’re all in the same boat now).
Before we end this though, a theory brewing amongst the readers. Stop reading now if you don’t want this theory to act as a spoiler…
Mellisandre is a priestess of the God of Light, as was Thoros of Myr. If you remember Thoros had brought back Dondarion multiple time back from death. He even makes a joke to Melissandre (When she comes to grab Gendry from them back in season 2) about it. So if Thoros can do it, possible Mellisandre can too, right? And wasn’t it pretty interesting that she makes it back to the wall right before that final scene?
Anyway thats just a theory. It kind of makes sense (and combines with theories that Jon has some other roles to play), but this might just be people (including myself) who don’t want to accept the fact that he’s kicked the bucket. Guess we’ll see.
See you next season!
~mozeus
