By First Things First, just so we get this out of the way: YES! This Article WILL Contain SPOILERS. So Do Not Read Further unless you have seen the episode and want to know more on what happened and what may come after…
The season 6 premiere of Game Of Thrones, aptly called “The Red Woman” aired on April 24th 2016, and picked up right where “Mother’s Mercy”, the season 5 finale had left off. Some questions remained unanswered, yet more hints were dropped as what is to happen throughout the season. Let’s begin the recap:
Jon Snow’s Body Is Found
Davos hears the howling of Ghost, Jon’s Direwolf and discovers the lifeless body of the Lord Commander where Alliser Throne, Olly and Bowen Marsh had left him for dead. Edd and other brothers of the Nights Watch help Davos clear the body and lock themselves in a room. Edd makes sure to bring in Ghost. As they discuss the situation they’re in and realize they are greatly outnumbered, Davos suggests Edd to go get help from another group that “owed their lives to Jon Snow”: The Wildlings!
Melisandre Sees Jon Snow’s Body
After seeing his dead body, Melisandre’s crisis of faith seems to worsen. She had seen Jon Snow “Fighting In Winterfell”, yet here he is, lying dead on a table. Worthy to remind that Melisandre is aware and HAS seen the powers of resurrection that the Lord of Light did to Berric Danderrion via the Red Priest Thoros of Myr in season 3. Hopefully, a similar resurrection could occur this season (Even more so after the big reveal at the end of the episode).
Alliser Thorne Confesses Of The Murder
Meanwhile, Alliser Thorne calls for a meeting with the other members of the Nights Watch to inform them of Snow’s death, and the reasons for so doing. His favorable actions towards the Wildlings is what caused them to kill the Lord Commander and protect the Order of The Nights Watch. The other brothers, while reluctant at first, follow his lead and give an ultimatum to Davos and the others to surrender and leave them the body.
Ramsey Bolton Mourns Myranda
In what initially seemed like a first, where Ramsey shows some grief while he mourns his paramour killed by Theon in the last season, the Bolton Bastard stays true to his colors and instructs his Maester to have her feed the kennels rather than burying her. Ramsey Bolton sure is one heartless Bastard.
Stannis’ Fate Is Sealed…. Is It?
Roose Bolton congratulates his legitimized bastard on the victory against the “False King” Stannis Baratheon. He asks him if he knows who dealt the “killing blow” in order to reward the man. Ramsey does not know, yet it confirms he must have seen the body after the battle. Roose then reminds him of the importance of finding Sansa Stark, who is the key for the Boltons to hold the North should they one day confront a “prepared and provisioned Lannister army”.
Theon Greyjoy And Sansa Stark Are On The Run
Theon and Sansa are on the run after escaping Winterfell, and have Bolton Men with Kennels chasing them. Even after crossing an ice cold river, the hunters are still on their trace. Theon advises her to head to Castle Black where her Half Brother Jon Snow could help her while he distracts them and sacrifices himself for her.
Brienne Of Tarth Saves The Day
Luckily Brienne, fresh off killing Stannis (Or did she?), swoops in with Podrick to save the day. Theon even proves helpful, killing a Bolton soldier going after Podrick. She offers her services to Sansa a second time, with Sansa accepting her protection. What’s to occur next seems perplex, as the trailer’s footage did show Brienne and Podrick in the Riverlands later this season, and Sansa wearing her Stark sigil in the North.
The Lannister Will Have Their Debts Paid
Cersei is depressed as her second child is now cloaked in a Golden Shroud. Maggy the Frog’s Prophecy is coming along more and more and there’s nothing she can do about it, despite her brother Jaime’s comforting words. The Lannisters will fight their enemies both in Kings Landing, and now in Dorne.
The High Sparrow And Margaery Tyrell
Margaery Tyrell, the Queen, is still held prisoners by the Faith Militant, along with her brother Loras. Her demands are not met for as long as she refuses to confess. The High Sparrow pleads her to look upon her sins and repent should she want to see her brother. This scene is a setup for the eventual clash between the Faith Militant and the Tyrell army we’ve seen in the trailer, as well as the scene where she comforts her brother.
Prince Doran Martell Gets Assassinated
An article about changes from the books that were not well received by fans of the books was published earlier this year. Many would agree that this event from the episode should be added to it. Not Doran’s death per se, as it hasn’t happened in the books, but rather, how the character was not given a proper chance to shine in the show as he does in the fourth and fifth book.
Prince Doran Martell is actually a phenomenal political manipulator in the books, akin to Tywin Lannister. He even convinces Arianne Martell (Her role was replaced by Ellaria Sand in the show) that he actually has a master plan against the Lannisters for the deaths of both Elia and Oberyn. The producers decided to have Ellaria and the Sand Snakes continue their plot and finally kill him and his Captain of the Guard Areo Hotah as soon as they learn of Myrcella’s death. The inaction of the guards as their prince is being assassinated in front of them reveals that Ellaria already has plans to take over the power in Dorne.
Prince Trystane Martell Gets Murdered
While Trystane is mourning the loss of his betrothed, Myrcella Baratheon, he gets Ambushed by Obara Sand and Nymeria Sand. While he has his back turned to Obara, thinking the two Sand Snakes will honor a one on one combat, he gets stabbed in the head by Obara’s spear.
That was a pretty brutal death for the heir to Dorne.
Tyrion Lannister In Mereen
Tyrion and Varys walk in Mereen in order to get a sense of the city they plan to rule while Danaerys is gone missing. They stumble upon a Red Priest preaching to liberated slaves about the Lord of Light, only later to find out all their fleets have been burned, most likely by the Sons of the Harpy.
Jorah Mormont And Daario Naharis Search For Daenerys
Jorah Mormont And Daario Naharis are on the right track and find traces of where Drogon burned and ate a ram, and where Daenerys was. Traces left from a Dothraki horde, along with her ring on the floor lets them know the Dothraki have her, giving them a hint on where to go next to find her. Jorah’s Greyscale is also worsening since the last time he had checked it…
Daenerys: Prisoner Of The Dothraki
Danerys is held prisoner by the Dothraki who mistake her for a common woman, describing the things they will do to her once they reach the camp of Khal Moro, the new Khal of the Dothraki. She is then presented to the Khal who sees her as a new slave for him and his men. It’s when he attempts to undress her that she confronts him in Dothraki, and lets him know who she is: Khal Drogo’s Widow! Dothraki tradition forbids him or anyone to touch her, instead forces them to bring her to Vaes Dothrak in the temple of Dosh Khaleen to spend the rest of her days along the other widows of former Khals.
Arya Stark Is Still Blind In Braavos
Arya is begging in the streets of Braavos, trying to make sense of what she’s hearing. The waif comes and throws her a stick for her to fight with. Her complete blindness makes her get beaten by the waif. She leaves her there, warning her to be ready for the same the next day. Arya’s blindness will be a rigororous training where she will learn to “See”, as her first Braavosi instructor Syrio Forel had told her back in Season 1. Maybe she will discover warging capabilities of her own, just like her brother Bran, and use nearby animals, cats for example to warg and see around her…. (She has been seen chasing cats many times in the series, birds as well)
Alliser Thorne’s Ultimatum
Alliser Throne and the rest of the Nights Watch promise Davos and the other brothers guarding Jon’s body amnesty should they surrender before nightfall. Davos knows better than to trust Thorne, and suggests bringing in the help of the Red Woman, while Edd seeks the Wildlings. It means the released scene by HBO of Davos grabbing Lonclaw to defend the room should occur in the next episode…
Melisandre’s Real Age
Melisandre’s real age has been debated by book readers ever since “A Dance With Dragons”, the fifth book was released. Her necklace, particularly its red glow, has been the source of many debates, ever since it glowed after Maester Cressen’s failed poisoning attempt in the first episode of the second season. She reveals how she uses power of illusions to have others see whatever she wants them to see. She even uses them on a complicated plot which was omitted from the show where Mance Rayder is believed to have burnt at the pyre, but is actually still alive in the books.
We see her in despair after she realizes that her visions in the flames of Jon Snow in Winterfell, and Stannis as the Prince that was promised were false. Not wanting to bear with this burden anymore, she removes the amulet that allows her to perform the illusion to look young and beautiful, and reveals her true self:
Melisandre is a very old witch (most likely many centuries old), and has been doing her sorcery for quite a long time, maybe even centuries. Having her crisis of faith at this very moment makes it even more so significant. Having her sacrifice her (old) self to save (much younger) Jon Snow would make sense, in order for her to “re-ignite the flame” (Terrible pun indeed).
It Was Foreshadowed:
Watching this scene between Selyse and Melisandre from Season 4 Episode 7 should now leaves goosebumps, now that Melisandre’s real age has been revealed. She’s not wearing the necklace, meaning Selyse sees her as she really is. Melisandre even tells her that since she’s a true devout believer, unlike Stannis who tends to use her as means to an end, she doesn’t need to use her illusions on her…
