THERE ARE SPOILERS AHEAD! IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED “OATHBREAKER”, EPISODE THREE OF SEASON SIX OF GAME OF THRONES THEN PLEASE STOP READING AND DON’T SCROLL DOWN!
With that out of the way, let’s talk about Sunday nights episode of Game of Thrones. A lot has happened in the first three episodes of season six, but nothing beats what we have seen here in “Oathbreaker”. With a sharp theme of miracles and the truths we discover about the past, this episode gives viewers a lot to think about and to chew over as they wait in anticipation for the next episode. From Jon’s reawakening to Arya’s returning sight and Dani’s predicament in Vaes Dothrak, there are many choices about to be made by our favorite characters and like a giant chess board, pieces are being moved strategically, but for what we still do not know.
Fans of the books are at a loss right now when watching the season (myself included), since we don’t know what is going to happen. In the past we’ve always know at least the direction that the story line was going, but now we are searching blindly in the dark and it’s horrifying and nerve wracking. With the start of this episode, it was clear there were going to be problems. With Jon being brought back to life by the Lord of Light (or some other spooky, mystical being), fans get to see Melisandre and a host of other characters swallow the realization that Jon is actually alive and is this really happening? Looking back at the scenes, I think the characters take it pretty well that Jon is back, all except Melisandre. With her faith hanging in the balance and slowly returning to the Lord of Light, it’s no shock that she wants to know what is beyond and who is there waiting for us when we die. But the realization that there is nothing there (which Jon makes very clear as he speaks of the nothing and darkness) is horrifying. She’s having to cope with the realization that her god might not be real at all.
Following the Jon Snow arc, let’s just skip to the end of the episode where we see some not so shocking deaths for the season. It’s no shock that the traitors who killed Jon would die in an episode titled “Oathbreaker”. But it’s not an emotionless scene. The death of Olly, who was someone that Jon protected and who had grown close to Jon is a sad one. It’s also a sad moment realizing that Alistair Thorne has been with the show since the beginning and he’s never been an actual bad guy, he just is set in his ways and is trying to do what’s best for the Night’s Watch, which ends up being his downfall (pun intended).
Next let’s discuss what we got to see with Bran and the Three-Eyed Raven. The scene we see is one that we’ve only heard about in the past, the fight between Ned Stark and Arthur Dayne, who is protecting Lyanna, Ned’s sister. All this we knew, because in the stories Rhaegar, the mad king, took Lyanna and hid her away. But we are given our first piece of doubt in this newest episode, because the truth isn’t what Bran or any of us have been told. Clearly, Ned doesn’t honorably kill Dayne, instead Howland Reed stabs Dayne in the back, with Ned finishing the job. So clearly, something is amiss, because the beginning of the story is wrong, how much more of the story is wrong?
Here’s my crazy theory about this part of the Game of Thrones story arc, and I know I’m not the only one with this theory. What if Lyanna wasn’t kidnapped? What if Rhaegar and Lyanna were actually in love? I think they were and there’s a very important love child floating around in the North, recently resurrected and whom has left the black (which is realistic, his Watch was ended when he died). But we’ll have to wait and see.
In the rest of the world, we get to see Arya become the girl with no name, as she trains to be a servant of the Many Faced God. Her transformation has been fun to watch, because she’s finally becoming something that she wanted to be: a killer. She always wanted to feel tough and better than just a girl and finally we are seeing her become something a little more. We’ll see where this story arc goes.
But Dani’s story is what has us guessing. She’s at Vaes Dothrak and it’s clear she no longer holds any power as the Mother of Dragons. She’s about to be judged and from the past couple of season, which haven’t been very nice to Dani, we’re not shocked that this has finally come. I mean, she’s never had a real teacher who helps her to make decisions and actually rule like a true leader (she finally got one in Tyrion but then decided to get herself kidnapped). Hopefully we will see Dani transform and become the woman we all want her to be, powerful and not as naïve as she’s been the past couple of seasons.
This season is picking up and the players are being set. There’s war brewing and it will be exciting to see who comes out on top and what will happen between all the different characters. Who will survive season 6? Only time will tell.
In the meantime, check out the trailer for the next episode. Hopefully we’ll get some more action and surprises in the future.
Photo Credit: HBO Entertainment