Last week's episode got season six off on a good foot and tonight's episode "Home" continued with its mission of filling in some plot points tp move the season along. The show skipped around to various locations, some old, some new, even bringing back what appeared to be a much older Bran. (Isaac Hempstead Wright is seventeen now and since the show runners gave him last season off, hasn't stopped him from growing.)
However, the question that all GOT fans have been clamoring answers for ever since Jon Snow was shockingly killed by his brethren at Castle Black in season five's finale, 'Mother's Mercy" has finally been answered.
(SPOILERS BELOW)
Yes, we've all been wanting to know if Jon Snow could somehow live through the horrific attack, led by Alliser Thorne and Olly, that gutted him in the frigid air. Did George RR Martin really kill off one of the last characters in the cast that we've all been rooting for? Could he do that to us, again?
As Davos Seaworth, Ghost and the remaining crows, who were loyal to Jon Snow were about to get massacred by Alliser, the free folk reached the castle walls and the main gate was crushed in by our favorite giant. The wildlings flowed through, led by Eddison Tollett and Tormund Giantsbane. They quickly sacked Thorne and his followers and took over the castle. Loyalty is something the free folk know all about. (By the way, never piss off the giant, never.)
After Thorne and his henchmen were thrown into cells, Davos approached a very distraught Melisandre, who doubts her God for the first time.
"The great victory I saw in the flames, all of it was a lie."
Davos replies, "Fuck em. F*ck them all. Seven Gods, Drowned Gods, Tree Gods, it's all the same. I'm not asking the Lord of the Light, I'm asking the women who showed me miracles exist."
She goes to Jon's body and begins a ritual - cleans his wounds, washes away the blood from his body and it looks like she's healed them to a certain extent. She's chanting and cuts some of his hair and places them in the flames.
She washes his hair with water, then lays her hands on him, trying to channel her magics and begins her incantations. She finally ends by saying the word, "please."
Nothing happens and after a time, Tormund leaves the room in disgust. She looks at Davos in despair and they all leave the room, defeated.
The room is now empty except for Ghost, who is sleeping on the floor by Snow's feet. Suddenly the direwolf wakes up, feeling that something is happening, he turns towards his master and the camera closes in and Jon Snow and suddenly he begins gasping for air, alive!
Welcome back, Jon Snow! Cut to credits...
As for the rest of the episode, it opens with the return of Bran. He's connected to the tree and has visions of when his father is a child, sparring with his father's older brother. We see a young Lyanna ride in and have some fun with the boys. Hey, we also see a young Hodor, who's real name is Wylis, and he can talk! Bran wakes up and who shows up? None other than Max von Sydow, playing the Three Eyed Raven.
Back at King's Landing, Jaime has a standoff with the High Sparrow at his daughter's funeral. The great Jonathan Pryce may be getting a little too comfortable throwing his weight around with his acolytes to defend him and you know, if the kingslayer had both hands he would have dispatched them all, but it ends peacefully.
In a heartfelt sequence, King Tommen finally visits his mother, who he's avoided because of embarrassment and apologizes for not interceding on her behalf when she was imprisoned. Cersei is still torn up by Myrcella's death, but comforts him in the end.
Who is the hand of the King these days? Maybe a job for his uncle/father?
Arya finally gets back in with the Many-Faced god after Waif beats her up again.
Theon Greyjoy decides to leave Sansa in the hands of Brienne, as they depart for Castle Black. He knows his sins are unforgivable and admits that much to her. He's going back home to face the wrath of King Balon.
What he doesn't know is that Balon's younger brother shows up after many years away from the Iron Islands, confronts him and kills him during a storm, but then disappears.
Back at Winterfell, Roose Bolton's psychopathic bastard guts him and feeds his wife and new baby brother to the dogs and becomes the new Warden of the North. Good times for all.
Next up, The Tyrion and the Lord Varys Show!
As I've said before, I'd pay to see a sitcom starring these two since their chemistry is incredible. Maybe we can get Dan Harmon to pick up the idea? (Tweet him out the idea: @danharmon)
In Meereen, the slavers at the bay are all back in business and the dragons aren't eating. Tyrion has studied the lore and knows that Maesters have said they are smarter than people and it was captivity that destroyed their line in generations past so he decides to make a visit to cheer up old Rhaegal and Viserion.
Tyrion "drinks a lot and knows a lot."
Even though he stupidly goes down to see them with only a torch in his hands, you gotta say he's got big brass ones.
They do appear, but as you'd expect, not in a very good mood. He could have easily been a roasted morsel for them, but he was right, in that they seem to know he's a friend to their mother of dragons.
He releases them from their chained collar and runs out of there with Varys looking on in disbelief.
"Next time I have an idea like that, punch me in the face."
*I will say Jon Snow's revival was a little too easy. At least Melisandre could have broken a sweat at least, maybe cursed a little bit. The freaking ritual was anticlimactic.
*I felt sort of like The Walking Dead fans, that had their chains pulled when it looked like Glenn was killed.
(Please forgive any mistakes I've made. I don't have advanced copies and I'm writing this on the fly.)
