WARNING: Let’s just say do not read any further unless you have watched episode one of Game of Thrones. There are spoilers ahead and you cannot complain that we spoiled the first episode for you, because we are giving this nice little warning.
With that out of the way, let’s talk about “The Red Woman”, episode one of Game of Thrones. Some are saying that the episode is starting the season really slow and “nothing happened”, but we beg to differ. This episode is setting up the season and setting it up beautifully. With murder and intrigue, we finally get to see Ellaria Sand and the Sand Snakes do what they are good at, killing. With the first death being Myrcella Baratheon (which we’re hoping will piss Cersei off enough to go into action), we now get to see Ellaria being the deadly viper she is, as she enacts her coup of Dorne claiming, “weak men will never rule Dorne again.” Then with the murder of Trystane to quickly follow (which was an awesome moment we have to say with how Obara kills him) it’s clear this season is going to be a bloody one. This whole turn of events means one big thing: there is a war brewing between Dorne and the Lannisters and it is going to be epic.
Meanwhile, we get to see a brooding Cersei in the Red Keep (who seems to be rocking the short hair this season) and of course Jaime coming to console her and tell her that no one else matters but them. It seems like the typical Lannister incestuous moment here, while we are all waiting (impatiently I might add) for Cersei to become her crazy, blood thirsty self once again. Can we see her commanding the once again alive Mountain please? We’d love to see him kill someone (or many someone’s) this season.
The real action, though, is happening in the North. With Sansa Stark and Theon Greyjoy as they are fleeing the Bolton’s (and somehow have use of their legs after such a long drop). Just when you think they are going to be caught, Brienne of Tarth and Podrick Payne show up to save the day, and this has to be a redeeming moment for Brienne. She’s been chasing after Sansa trying to rescue her for a little too long, and finally these two are pairing up and Sansa has someone on her side who can actually fight. The theme of woman finally getting back on their feet and essentially flipping off the men who brought them to their knees is strong this week. Even with Daenerys, who has been taken prisoner by the Dothraki and now is on her way to Vaes Dothrak to spend her days with the widows of the Khals (yea that might be the safe option but we know Daenerys and that is so not happening).
That begs the question though, are woman going to have a stronger role once again in this season? Will they finally be part of the playing field as strong players once again? It’s been some time since we saw strong female characters kicking ass in Game of Thrones (I mean; we always have Daenerys but she’s been kind of not so strong lately).
And the question that everyone went into this episode wondering, what is going to happen to Jon. Of course we had to wait to talk about this at the end, because it ties up the episode so nicely. We have Ser Davos and a gang of Night’s Watch, guarding Jon’s body while that jerk Thorn is taking over the rest of the Watch. We also have the Red Woman, Melisandre, at Castle Black and we all know what the power of the God of Light can do. So that begs the question, why didn’t the men of the Watch immediately burn Jon’s body when he died? They know the dead turn into Walkers right? So they just left him to become a Walker? I don’t’ think so. There is something going on here and I think Melisandre is at the heart of it. We are still rooting that Jon Snow will come back to life (if you couldn’t tell) and we are hoping it happens in the next couple of episodes.
But the rather shocking ending of the episode had us thinking. With Melisandre’s transformation and the blatant, in your face statement that Melisandre’s magic is quite real (which we already knew, but they just wanted to make sure we knew) proves that she could have a trick or two up her sleeve when it comes to the entire situation at Castle Black. We are rooting for the Red Woman right now; old or young version it doesn’t matter.
But the entire episode is raising more questions than giving answers, which we’ve found to be normal when it comes to Game of Thrones, but even if it’s normal, it still is frustrating. This episode is opening the season nicely, and we can only hope that we’ll get to see some good fighting this season and that it picks up. With promises of Bran and White Walkers in recent trailers, we are crossing our fingers that the episode will just get better week by week.
What were your thoughts on episode 1 of season 6? Share with us in the comments below!
Photo Credit: HBO Entertainment
