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| ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 6, Episode 2: A Red Rebound | ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 6, Episode 2: A Red Rebound |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Spoilers for Sunday’s episode of “Game of Thrones” are below. Naturally. | Spoilers for Sunday’s episode of “Game of Thrones” are below. Naturally. |
| It turns out the Red Woman isn’t so feeble after all. | It turns out the Red Woman isn’t so feeble after all. |
| A week after revealing herself to be perhaps centuries old as part of an extended pity party over her shattered visions (she thought), Melisandre put an end to the essentially non-mysterious mystery over whether Jon Snow would in fact stay dead. He didn’t, jolting awake after some laying on of hands, a few prayers and roughly 68,000 blog posts. (Take the over.) | A week after revealing herself to be perhaps centuries old as part of an extended pity party over her shattered visions (she thought), Melisandre put an end to the essentially non-mysterious mystery over whether Jon Snow would in fact stay dead. He didn’t, jolting awake after some laying on of hands, a few prayers and roughly 68,000 blog posts. (Take the over.) |
| At the moment viewers are nearly alone in this knowledge — all of the direct witnesses, except Ghost, left before Jon had his awakening. This includes the Red Woman, who apparently read none of those blog posts, most of which surmised that the story placed her at Castle Black essentially to bring Snow back. She had to be talked into even trying by Ser Davos, easily the MVP of the first fifth of Season 6. | At the moment viewers are nearly alone in this knowledge — all of the direct witnesses, except Ghost, left before Jon had his awakening. This includes the Red Woman, who apparently read none of those blog posts, most of which surmised that the story placed her at Castle Black essentially to bring Snow back. She had to be talked into even trying by Ser Davos, easily the MVP of the first fifth of Season 6. |
| In dispensing with the big question hanging over this season — when will Jon Snow come back? — the resurrection raises more of them that aren’t as cut and dry. What sort of Jon Snow will he be now? Will he be another Beric Dondarrion, who gets killed and comes back seemingly whenever convenient? (Seven times at last count.) Will he be somehow diminished, a shell of himself? (Dondarrion mentioned in Season 3 that with each resurrection, he is less of himself.) Will Jon’s stint in the afterlife up his already formidable tormented emo quotient even further? | In dispensing with the big question hanging over this season — when will Jon Snow come back? — the resurrection raises more of them that aren’t as cut and dry. What sort of Jon Snow will he be now? Will he be another Beric Dondarrion, who gets killed and comes back seemingly whenever convenient? (Seven times at last count.) Will he be somehow diminished, a shell of himself? (Dondarrion mentioned in Season 3 that with each resurrection, he is less of himself.) Will Jon’s stint in the afterlife up his already formidable tormented emo quotient even further? |
| And what about Melisandre? She admitted that she was something of a fraud, so might this display of true supernatural ability link her to Jon Snow for more noble purposes? Or will it send her, power-mad, in even darker directions? After all, this is a woman who was burning children just a few weeks ago (in “Thrones” time). | And what about Melisandre? She admitted that she was something of a fraud, so might this display of true supernatural ability link her to Jon Snow for more noble purposes? Or will it send her, power-mad, in even darker directions? After all, this is a woman who was burning children just a few weeks ago (in “Thrones” time). |
| Feel free to share any theories in the comments. We’ll have more on this later. But for now, a quick look at some of the other things that happened on Sunday: | Feel free to share any theories in the comments. We’ll have more on this later. But for now, a quick look at some of the other things that happened on Sunday: |
| • Bran Stark was back for the first time since Season 4, appearing mostly in a vision that took him and the Three-Eyed Raven to Winterfell past. Bran witnessed his father and uncle, as boys, sparring and viewers got the first living look at Lyanna Stark, Ned’s sister who died before the “Game of Thrones” timeline but is thought to have a significant role in the story. We also got the suggestion that Bran’s visions are intoxicating to him, which could be an issue going forward. Oh, and another thing: | • Bran Stark was back for the first time since Season 4, appearing mostly in a vision that took him and the Three-Eyed Raven to Winterfell past. Bran witnessed his father and uncle, as boys, sparring and viewers got the first living look at Lyanna Stark, Ned’s sister who died before the “Game of Thrones” timeline but is thought to have a significant role in the story. We also got the suggestion that Bran’s visions are intoxicating to him, which could be an issue going forward. Oh, and another thing: |
| • Hodor’s real name is Wyllis! And he used to say more things! I may be more excited about the Hodor origin story than I am about the race for the Iron Throne. | |
| • Ramsay Bolton attained new levels of treachery, killing first his father and then his stepmother and infant half brother. He accomplished the latter, the latest almost unbelievably cruel moment in a show that’s had plenty of them, by letting loose his dogs, who were clearly unsated by the Myranda Value Meal they got last week. It’s unclear if these were the same hounds who, as many commenters noted, mysteriously went missing during Brienne’s rescue of Sansa and Theon last week. | • Ramsay Bolton attained new levels of treachery, killing first his father and then his stepmother and infant half brother. He accomplished the latter, the latest almost unbelievably cruel moment in a show that’s had plenty of them, by letting loose his dogs, who were clearly unsated by the Myranda Value Meal they got last week. It’s unclear if these were the same hounds who, as many commenters noted, mysteriously went missing during Brienne’s rescue of Sansa and Theon last week. |
| • Tyrion took his first babysteps toward dragon friendship, unchaining the two beasts Dany put in the cellar at the end of Season 4. “The next time I have an idea like that, punch me in the face,” Tyrion told Varys. That’s what you get for drinking and thinking, my friend. | • Tyrion took his first babysteps toward dragon friendship, unchaining the two beasts Dany put in the cellar at the end of Season 4. “The next time I have an idea like that, punch me in the face,” Tyrion told Varys. That’s what you get for drinking and thinking, my friend. |
| • Speaking of bad drunken ideas, you absolutely do not want to be besmirching Cersei’s honor in King’s Landing. | • Speaking of bad drunken ideas, you absolutely do not want to be besmirching Cersei’s honor in King’s Landing. |
| • So long Balon Greyjoy, Theon’s father and the king of the Ironborn. His demise came via a new character, his brother Euron, who I’m guessing will be returning soon to claim the throne. In another win for Melisandre, you’ll recall that Balon was the last remaining living leech king from her Season 3 liaison with Gendry. (The other two were Robb Stark and Joffrey Baratheon.) So a big week for her! Gendry, of course, is still rowing, in our hearts if nothing else. | • So long Balon Greyjoy, Theon’s father and the king of the Ironborn. His demise came via a new character, his brother Euron, who I’m guessing will be returning soon to claim the throne. In another win for Melisandre, you’ll recall that Balon was the last remaining living leech king from her Season 3 liaison with Gendry. (The other two were Robb Stark and Joffrey Baratheon.) So a big week for her! Gendry, of course, is still rowing, in our hearts if nothing else. |
| Please check back later for a more in-depth version of this recap. | Please check back later for a more in-depth version of this recap. |