This week's episode of Game of Thrones really pushed the Jon Snow/Daenerys Targaryen parallels by splitting this episode between them. GoT has set something of a precedent for containing large-scale battles to capsule episodes but this particular dual arc episode works really well in emphasizing the Ice and Fire parallel that is present throughout the series.

That being said, I am really interested in looking, particularly, at the Winterfell piece of this episode.


Ramsay Bolton (nee Snow) is a character who thrives on predictable chaos. Although a supreme sociopath, Ramsay certainly understands people, their motivations, and how those motivations are likely to fuel their actions. His strengths in this area are arguably the reason why he is so great at being so evil to people in the ways that will affect them most viscerally. Ramsay lives in the comfort of his own ability to manipulate and predict the outcomes of the chaos he orchestrates.

This week, for example, Jon Snow is warned by Sansa that he should not do what Ramsay expects. Sansa understands that Ramsay's strength is in knowing how people will react to the chaos he sets in motion and that the only way to throw him off of his game is to resist acting with the predictability on which Ramsay will be banking.


Ramsay understands that the honorable tendencies of the Stark house have been a large factor in their own downfall. The murder-game that Ramsay plays with Rickon as he "releases" him to join Jon and his fleet is a well orchestrated plan to make Jon react according to emotion rather than follow through with smart battle tactics. Even those who know Jon best understand immediately how he is going to react upon Rickon's death. The camera moves to Tormund for a few moments following the arrow strike. We see him say under his breath - but clearly to Jon - "Don't." Tormund knows that Jon's reaction is going to be to charge Ramsay, leaving little choice for his men but to follow suit. Davos made it clear in the strategy meeting that any possibility of their success largely hung on Ramsay charging first. Instead Jon acts, predictably, on his emotions and the want to avenge his sibling(s), resulting in an ill-started and chaotic battle.


Here I think that it is pertinent to recognize the brilliance of the presentation on the part of the cinematographers and visual effects artists on the show. The eruption of chaos on the battlefield was beautifully shot and highly effective in  pulling the audience into the physical turmoil of the battle. Not to say that I am one to sit around thinking much about what it would be like to find myself in the middle of a Medieval ground battle, but I have once or twice (judge if you will) and imagine it would be utter chaos much in the way that it was presented in this episode.


Ramsay, of course, sits in the background comfortably enjoying the chaos he has put into motion. He understands exactly how this battle is to play out. However, Ramsay is only able to manipulate so many pieces of the tactical war machine he has devised. He fails to recognize that his creation of chaos is, in fact, predictable. Sansa Stark, as she professes to Jon, knows Ramsay well and is therefore able to act as something of a "butterfly effect" to the chaos Ramsay has devised. Sansa's delivery of a letter to Littlefinger completely changes the conditions under which Jon and Ramsay's army are fighting. Petyr's army from the Vale shows up just in time to disrupt the advantage that Ramsay's army had as a result of the chaos he created, allowing Jon and his men to come out on top.



This episode just goes to show that if one knows how best to manipulate or change the initial conditions of an event, one can effectively change the outcome of that event. As someone who has lived in chaos for a great number of years, Sansa understands the predictability of Ramsays brand of chaos and how best to disrupt it. Her intimate knowledge of Ramsay's mind and her anticipatory action in writing to Littlefinger makes her the ultimate hero of the day. Although I am still unsure if Sansa is a convert to the dark side, today I will climb the walls Winterfell and shout from the rooftop, "You go Sansa Stark!"
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Let's talk about Arya...and the Waif. The internet has had a bit of time to express their excitement to see the Waif finally meet her end by Arya's hand.

We're all glad the Waif is dead, but what we REALLY want is for Arya and the Hound to get the band back together #GameofThrones

— michelle (@me_carter) June 15, 2016

Arya was badass.
Waif is dead.
Arya killed her.
Arya is going home.
I am a happy happy girl #GameofThrones

— Edward's Lamb (@AffatKiPudia) June 13, 2016

But people are also a bit disappointed that the Waif's death is not actually shown on-screen.

2 gripes with #GameofThrones this week. The blackfish dies offscreen, arya kills the waif and they don't show the battle. #Letdown

— Lou-E (@Lou_E_) June 14, 2016

seriously those minutes of Tyrion telling drunk jokes could've been a scene how Arya kills that Waif. 😒#GameofThrones #ThronesYall

— Maria Patricia (@pattieserrie) June 13, 2016

Considering the violent precedent that the Game of Thrones show runners have set for themselves, I find the fact that Arya's epic chase scene with the Waif was not followed up by a more gruesome/satisfying depiction of the Waif's final moments. However, this seemingly strange move on the part of the show-runners has me convinced that there is more going on than the viewers are being led to believe. Perhaps, just as Arya left the Waif to fight her in the dark, so too are the show-runners leaving viewers to search for answers while they have left us in the dark about the actual fight that takes place in that room.


The Blogosphere has already pointed out the strange inconsistency of Arya's survival after the Waif stabs her. Just check out this article that outlines just how many times similar actions have led to drastically different ends. So why does Arya have the distinctly lucky pleasure of being an obvious exception to what is the usual Westrosi rule of death? I have a few thoughts.

First of all, I am unconvinced that Arya is...well...Arya. Sure, we see the Waif's face adorning the wall in the House of Black and White, but can we be certain that the blood we see is not actually that of Arya?


In the time that Arya trained with the Waif, she was exposed to some bizarre - if not unlikely - psychological tests that seem a bit counter intuitive to the pursuit of attempting to turn a "someone" into "no-one." Seriously, what was the purpose of having Arya revisit and divulge her life story to the Waif? Although an unlikely method of turning Arya into a "no-one," it would have been a good way for the Waif to put herself into the position of having enough intimate knowledge of Arya's life that she would be able to wear Arya's face and take her place.

It seems likely that in a world where practically everyone is striving to work their way up the ladder in pursuit of power positions, it stands to reason that the Faceless men might also want a piece of the power pie (so to speak). Being in possession of a face that belongs to a person of stature puts this group in a better position to achieve such an end. Because Arya becomes uncooperative, the Waif exchanging Arya's face for her own may be a solution to put the Faceless Men back on track to achieving whatever ends they are pursuing through possessing Arya's face. If this theory has any weight, I am certainly curious to know what the Faceless Men are actually up to and how they will use Arya's face.

I realize this may be a bit of a far fetched theory, but very little is ever a coincidence in the GOT world. Some things about this story-line and the way it was presented just do not add up or fall in line with the usual narrational progression of this universe. Frankly, I refuse to believe the show-runners would be so boring about the much anticipated death of the Waif unless there is a much bigger twist to come!
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This week I have been feeling a bit empathetic to Arya. Girlfriend, I have been feeling on the verge of death this week too. Okay, I was not stabbed but some kind of terrible bug set up camp these past few days. I finally starting to feel functional again. Hopefully Arya will be feeling herself again next Sunday as well.

Because my body is still disallowing my brain from performing with any long term coherence (thank sickness!), I have decided to step away from my usual method of finding a theme on which to expand and, instead, I will just give a few general thoughts on the latest episode. Therefore this blog is brought to you in three parts.


Part 1: Clegane-bowl(?!?)
As anyone who took the time to watch knows, this episode was heavy on The Hound. Book fans probably are aware that there is much speculation within the fan community that The Hound is also still alive in the book series. The fact that the show never actually showed The Hound die on-screen has caused many fans to believe that he would, in fact, be back. All of this makes me wonder wether the show is buttering up the audience for the long-speculated Clegane-Bowl. The fact that the TV show had The Hound serving - or at least living among - followers of The Seven makes me wonder if the show will use this association to bring The Hound to King's Landing to continue to serve there. If this happens it stands to reason that Cersei will probably request a trial by combat that will pit her champion (the resurrected Mountain) up against the champion of the faith militant (likely, The Hound).


Part 2: Lady Stone-Heart
The Brotherhood Without Banners was also a return presence in this episode. Although they appear to be the force behind the pillaging and massacre of the convent in which The Hound found refuge, I must ponder the purpose of their reemergence. The return of the brotherhood in a season that has been so keen on character returns makes me wonder if the show-runners won't use this opportunity to bring back Lady Stoneheart (a.k.a. Catelyn Stark). My fingers are definitely crossed!


Part 3: Margaery Tyrell
I think that one of the biggest twists this week came in the form of a small hand drawn rose delivered to Grandma Tyrell from her granddaughter Margaery. Although I have not completely figured out what Margaery's end game is, I was greatly suspicious that she was, in fact, not as devout as she was making herself out to be. I am curious how this is going to play out as it pertains to Tommen. Is he aware of Margaery's disingenuousness? The way in which he is interacting with the Faith suggests to me that he is not necessarily aware at all. I am curious if this whole scenario will play into Tommen's death which I feel will probably happen at some point in the next episodes (or early next season).

Hopefully my faculties will be restored before the next episode so that I might be able to offer something of more substance next week.
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First I must apologize to my loyal readers for the tardiness of this post. I spent the latter portion of the long/holiday weekend in a place that's technological amenities are not so far removed from the medieval-esque innovations of Westeros...My mother's house. Seriously....no internet...no cable. I have no idea how she entertains herself when I am not there to visit. But I have finally found the time to watch. Here are my thoughts:

This week's episode has proven to keep in line with the strong story-telling of the past several episodes of season 6. Much like me this past weekend, Samwell returned home. Fortunately for me, my mother is much more proud and accepting of me than Samwell's father is of him. This segment really made me think of the way in which this show both sets up expectations for and simultaneously values legacy.
Clearly Randyll Tarly's vast disapproval of Sam exists as a result of Sam's inability to live up to the legacy of his father's military prowess. Randyll takes every chance he can to shame Sam as insufficient both physically and in regards to his talents (or lack thereof of those skill he deems appropriately masculine). Sam's father is not a fan of the fact that his son prefers books and learning to the physical trials of hunting and war.


Melessa Tarly clearly disapproves of her husband's dismissal of their son. However, she very clearly still propagates the notion that father's ultimately want their sons to grow up in their image. As she takes her new grandson into her arms, she states that she believes her grandson will someday be a scholar just like his father. Her comment here suggests that there is a commonly felt notion among men that sons should grow to exhibit whatever iteration of masculinity that is held by the father.

This rift in acceptable masculine display as it plays out between Samwell and Randyll is similar to other iterations on this theme that have played out amongst other father/son pairings in the world of Game of Thrones. For example, Tyrion, although he is much like Tywin in political prowess, is often denounced by his father as a result of his dwarfism. Tyrion's inability to possess the ideal masculine body is seen as a failure to live in his father's image. Later in this episode we see a similar interaction transpire between Tommen and Jaime. Jaime is disappointed that his son is allowing his power to be taken by the Sparrow. Tommen's meek nature is a disappointment to Jaime who is more assertive. These sons being unable or unwilling to live according to their father's legacies causes the perception  that both father and son have failed.


As much as I have spoken of this idea of legacy in terms of fathers and sons and those sons who tend to fall short, I want to touch upon this theme in a different manner. There are certainly pairs that demonstrate the value of aspiring to be like a parent as well. I would really like to talk about this as it relates to Arya. Arya is arguably quite masculine and although she is not a son of Ned Stark, this episode seems to suggest that she aspires to be more like Ned. There is a moment in this episode when she walks back stage to add poison to Lady Crane's drink and she walks past the prop head of Ned Stark. Even before Arya returns to stop the poisoning that she set in motion. I  knew at this moment that she would not allow the murder to take place and would, in fact start the "return" of Arya Stark (as opposed to pursuing being No One). Arya clearly found a degree of honor in her father's way of living. She clearly is seeing a fault in the Faceless Men's killing paradigm - one that she cannot condone as a relatively honorable person. Although her choice my come to her detriment, as the Waif is now under orders to kill her, she will at least go out knowing that she did the honorable thing: the thing her father would have done.

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I am particularly fond of the Game of Thrones episodes in which we are treated to parody pieces of theater that depict recent Westrosi history. This episode is particularly interesting in that it serves as a twisted source of information for Arya Stark.




This street theater performance is clearly a narrative device to shock Arya's system, to remind her of her old values, the person she once was, and from where she comes. However, Arya has been decidedly absent from being "in the know" regarding political activities and scandals for the past several years. Past the experience of re-living her father's decapitation via parodic performance, the following information she receives from the play is essentially new to her (e.g. Sansa and Tyrion).


Although Arya seems to be incredibly understanding of the "fun" of the parody at the beginning of the scene, the falsehoods begin to affect her as they clearly cause dissonance when portraying her father as less of an honorable man and more of an idiot. Although historical plays are often both exaggerations of events and means of flattery towards those in power - in this case, the Lannisters, we as audience members of the show must understand how this skewed portrayal of events might affect Arya. Arya is often beholden to her reactions to events and this scene seems to suggest that she has not completely allowed herself to see the scenario with complexity. She clearly understands the falsehood of the beginning of the play but has no frame of reference for the rest. As a result she may take more truth from the scene than she should.

So the question becomes, how will this all play out? If Arya, as I suggest above, views the play as containing more truth than is warranted, there is a possibility that she now has a considerable bone to pick with Tyrion. Arya is obviously not predisposed toward erring on the side of trust - nor does history indicate that she should - when it comes to the Lannisters. However, in a bit of dramatic irony, we the audience know just how kind Tyrion was to Sansa, a truth that Arya will be unlikely to seek out on her own. Arya may end up with an unwarranted sense of anger towards Tyrion. We also know that Arya's anger tends to result in death (or at least the promise of it). Will Tyrion be a name that Arya secretly adds to her list?


I have been under the impression for some time that Arya's time in Bravvos will come to an end at some point. Either she will be released by Jaqen H'gar or she will go MIA upon completing her training so that she can pursue her own interests. If this comes to be, Tyrion is not really all that far from her as they are both currently in Essos. Geography suggests a showdown between these characters is definitely possible.

Here's to hoping that Arya's seemingly negative reaction to the play will not result in the death of the only likable Lannister and that we as viewers learn a lesson not to take historical plays (or other pieces of historical extertainment) at face value. Even Shakespeare was known to elaborate a bit when it came to portraying certain historical figures in ways that would appease the powers that be. Clearly truths and lies can comfortably co-exist and if we do not do our due diligence to seek truth from several angles, someone may suffer the consequences.
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Holy Crap!

Can we just take a few moments to appreciate the gravity of all of the amazing moments from last night's Game of Thrones?

** Sits in silence for 10 seconds and lets it all sink-in **

Again in this episode the audience is served a treat of mirroring story-lines between Jon Snow and Daenerys. Each of them experiences a reunion with notable figures in their lives. Dany is met by both Jorah and Daario at Vaes Dothrak (and after literally turning up the heat, she has something of a reunion with her Dothraki "people"). To the North, Brienne safely delivers Sansa to Castle Black just before Jon plans to depart (way to go on the timing, Brienne!). The question I have... What will come of this? What do these reunions mean to these characters?


I think that for both Jon and Dany, these reunions are coupled with a sincere reconstituting of the dynamic between themselves and those to whom they have been reunited. These newly reformed relationships will have vast implications on the future movements of these characters.

Jon and Sansa share a heartwarming conversation in which they collectively recognize their own shortcomings in their previous "life" as siblings (i.e. Sansa was a bitch...Jon was majorly jealous). This new understanding and "forgiveness" of previous familial interactions allows these characters a renewed sense of familial bond at a time that each of them is in sore need of one another's company. In other words, Jon needs a new sense of purpose and Sansa needs to feel both protected and connected. Voila! Each is perfectly suited to provide for the other's needs. In fact, for Jon, this newly found understanding between the two might be what ultimately helps him to decide how to respond to the "pink letter" that he receives from Ramsay Bolton. If Melisandre's visions are any indication, there will be a epic battle of the bastards by season's end.


Dany, after burning down the Dothraki house experiences a strange rebirth as a Khaleesi. The Dothraki people seem all too receptive to the idea of the change in leadership. With just a walk through fire, Dany has turned a notoriously patriarchal people in an instant, converting them to a matriarchy over which she can preside. She did, after all, better their Khal, so it seems to follow that the Dothraki people would naturally uphold their tradition of moving on to living under the new victor's rule.


Additionally, the audience can see that Daario, for all his usual cockiness, is finally realizing/witnessing the true force of Daenerys Targaryen. Sure, he has witnessed her Dragons and even seen her lose firm control of them, but he has never experienced her ability to walk through fire without enduring the usual burn. Perhaps he finally understands the true extent of Jorah's belief in and love for Dany. I think that Daario's awe is also an indication of just how much of a force Dany truly has become. Bring it on Westeros! Khaleesi is coming for you...all of you and your little throne too!


Clearly each of these characters (Dany and Jon) have experienced "game-changers" during this episode. All I want to know now is when these two will finally meet and whether it will be an epic family reunion by way of congenial welcoming or bloody battle.
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There is something powerful about a new beginning. I am sure that many have wished for one at some point or another, I know I have. This week's episode of Game of Thrones has very clearly afforded two major characters the opportunity of a new start. The literal and metaphorical death and subsequent rebirth of Jon Snow and Arya Stark respectively are probably two of the most interesting moments from this season so far. I cannot help but ask, "how will this piece of the narrative affect the future story?"