Perhaps I have waited a bit too long to review this season, but I still have a lot to say. Some are calling this the best season of Game of Thrones. I would respectfully disagree, but I still think it is a solid season. I may be in the minority but I thought last season was truly fantastic. It had so many great moments that I was a bit worried this season could not live up (especially since it was going off book). Of course this season turned out to be as good as one would expect from a show like Game of Thrones. However, I felt like the show struggled in some aspects of the narrative.
I Choose Violence
I feel as though I cannot effectively share my thoughts without spoiling the season, so reader beware. Last season ended on a spectacular cliffhanger that called into question whether Jon Snow will truly be written off the show. Thankfully, the showrunners were smart enough to deal with this question rather quickly and effectively. Yes, Jon Snow is alive, but now he has a much larger role than ever before. He has to reclaim Winterfell and prepare for the battle against the White Walkers. Jon’s arc this season was not as great as past seasons, but it was still very interesting. We got to see his relationships with Sansa, Davos and even Tormund evolve. There is a bit of a growing distance between him and Sansa as Littlefinger’s secrecy seems to have rubbed off on her. I do not know where the show intends on taking her character, but I have a feeling that she is going to go on a darker path. Tormund and Jon’s relationship has been growing ever since season 3, but it is in this season that they have truly embraced their friendship. Davos is a newcomer to Jon’s crew, but they quickly establish a strong friendship. Davos is my favorite character for the wisdom he offers and the purity within. He is a good, honest man who simply wants to do what is right. This is why he feels so compelled to have Melisandre bring him back from the dead. Speaking of her, I am interested whether the show will delve more into her backstory. We got a glimpse of her true self in the first episode of the season (I am still recovering from that) but now that Jon has banished her I wonder if we will get an episode centered on her. Jon’s arc this season caused him to face off against Ramsay Bolton who has been the show’s main human villain since season 5. The “Battle of the Bastards” episode deserves a bit of spotlight because it did a great job depicting the two very different characters of Jon and Ramsay. Jon being a noble man who relies a bit too much on his emotions, and Ramsay being a man who knows how to manipulate others for his own gain. This episode may have been a bit too predictable, but it was great nonetheless. It was impeccably directed and shot. My personal favorite shot of the show is Jon facing off the oncoming calvary. Sticking with Jon: We also learned that Ned is not his true father and that he is related to Daenerys. This is a welcome reveal that sets Jon up for many exciting plot points in the future. I absolutely cannot wait until the two of them meet (If they do, who know’s. After all it is Game of Thrones). Speaking of Daenerys, she had a particularly strong season. It felt as if she finally embraced who she was and decided that it was time for her to reclaim the throne in King’s Landing. I have not been too fond of her past story arcs because they felt long and drawn out, but this season did a good job of picking up the pace. I have to mention how much I enjoy seeing her interactions with Tyrion. The two of them work exceedingly well together and hopefully she will rely on his counsel for many more seasons to come (I guess only two more since that is all that is left). During episode 9 she got some unexpected visitors: Theon and Yara. I will admit that it is a bit strange how they got there so quickly, but it led to a great scene where the four of them (Theon, Yara, Tyrion, and Daenerys) discuss how they will leave the world better than they found it. I want to return to Daenerys after discussing everything with King’s Landing.
My Reign Has Just Begun
I was never 100% sold on the High Sparrow plot line. It was certainly very interesting, but for it to go on for 2 season feels a bit excessive. However, it did end in a very exciting way. Cersei uses some wildfire to blow up the Great Sept and with it some main characters including the High Sparrow. The sequence leading up to the explosion is one of the shows’ best, but the aftermath may even be better. Cersei is now the Queen but her recklessness has gained her many enemies. One of those may even by Jamie. He and Cersei did not speak during the finale, but the look he gives her is one of disapproval. Another major enemy she made is Lady Olenna Tyrell. She makes an alliacne with the women in Dorne, who in turn have allied themselves with Vary’s and Daenerys. The plotline involving Dorne never quite worked for the show until now. After the finale I realized how the show had to go through all the misadventures in Dorne so that they could eventually ally themselves up with Daenerys against House Lannister. So now with her new allies, Daenerys has her ships and her armies and is going to King’s Landing. Two other characters I have not touched on yet are Arya and Bran. Arya’s plotline is more of a negative for me so I want to get through Bran’s first. This is the most engaged I have been with Bran since the first couple of seasons. There are still many unanswered questions in relation to the Three-eyed Raven, but it hailed several great revelations. I hope next season spends some more time with Bran for I want to know the full extent of his powers and the role he will play in final two seasons. Arya’s storyline did not fare as well. I did not hate it, but it felt like it dragged. I understand she needs to find out who she is, but it took her far too long to get to that point. Some of her scenes also felt a little gimmicky as I had to suspend some disbelief. Along with Arya’s bland arc, this season suffered from a handful of moments that felt very “staged”. What I love about Game of Thrones is how often times it feels very real. I rarely think “oh this is fake”. Scenes such as the excellent 20 minute wildfire sequence in the finale felt a bit staged which took me out of the show a bit. Occasionally this season also felt a bit too predictable, but that is to be expected when the show is tying up some loose ends. There are about 14 episodes left so everything that the past 5 seasons have been building up to are slowly coming to a head.
Closing Remarks
This is a mega-long review for a season that felt jam-packed with important reveals and storylines. It is not a perfect season by any means, but it feels like it is building up to something truly amazing. It had a strong start, okay middle and a fantastic end. Rumor is that the seventh season will take longer to come out, and if that is the case then I am fine with that. I want the remaining episodes to be as great as they can possibly be. If that means I have to wait a bit longer to see them then so be it. I do want to speculate a bit as to how the last episodes will play out: I foresee the focus of next season being Daenerys Vs. Cersei. I suspect Jamie will be the one to kill Cersei leaving Daenerys the Queen of King’s Landing. The last season will have Daenerys and Jon join forces as they find a way to defeat the White Walkers. Again, this is all purely speculation, but I know that the remaining episodes of this fantastic show will truly be something special.