GAME OF THRONES Season 6 Episode 06
Episode Title: “Blood of my Blood”
Writers: David Benioff & D. B. Weiss
Director: Jack Bender
Previously on Game of Thrones:
There are spoilers ahead for last night’s episode of Game of Thrones, but don’t pretend that you didn’t know that!
“Blood of My Blood” didn’t have the emotional gut punch of “The Door,” but it was exciting to see so many familiar faces return. I wasn’t sure if Benjen Stark would ever come back to the series, but as soon as Bran and Meera were rescued, I instantly guessed who had saved them. The Game of Thrones team even managed to get Joseph Mawle to reprise his role after six years away from the series!
That opening sequence was intense, as it played on Benjen’s warning that “the dead don’t rest.” After the harrowing events of the last episode, Meera could only pull Bran’s sled for so long before she was exhausted. She doesn’t seem to be holding any grudges against Bran, even though his foolishness cost them the lives of their friends and allies. That’s why it makes perfect sense to reintroduce Benjen now. They needed a new protector, and now they’ve got one. It’s also intriguing that Benjen is now a half-undead wight and half human. Bran’s visions also gave us our first glimpse of the Mad King, Aerys Targaryen. That’s something else I never expected.
Although their returns weren’t quite as dramatic, it was also a thrill to see Walder Frey and Edmure Tully for the first time in three seasons. Considering that David Bradley and Tobias Menzies both have leading roles on other TV series, it has to be considered a coup to get them back. Hopefully, they last longer than Osha did in her return. The series appears to be setting up a showdown in Riverrun, with the remaining forces of Lord Frey and the Lannister army against Blackfish Tully. That may mean that Brienne and Jaime may soon find themselves on opposite sides once again.
Jon Snow and Sansa sat out this week’s episode, but Arya had a big moment simply by remaining true to herself and rejecting the Faceless Men. I never thought that Arya would go through with completely abandoning her physical appearance and identity, but that betrayal will cost her. She may be able to overcome the Waif, but I doubt that she can hold her own against Jaqen H’ghar and the full force of his order. There some excellent quiet moments in this storyline, especially Arya’s joy at watching Joffrey’s death by proxy. She has to realize that it didn’t happen quite that way, but she was the only one in the crowd laughing at that piece of melodrama.
Also: ‘Game of Thrones’ Producers ‘Apologize’ For Last Sunday’s Episode
Speaking of which, Joffrey’s murder may yet come back to haunt this show if Queen Margaery has really converted to the Faith of the Seven and the teachings of the High Sparrow. She’s one of the few people left alive who knows that her grandmother, Lady Tyrell played a role in Joffrey’s demise. That’s going to be a major test of her loyalty. If Margaery is only pretending, that secret may be safe. If not…, well, that would be bad for the Tyrells. Littlefinger might escape blame, since Lady Tyrell and Sansa are the only ones who know his secret.
King Tommen’s conversion to the faith had been foreshadowed for weeks. Although Tommen had asked his mother, Cersei to make him strong, he’s embraced a different kind of strength…but it still isn’t his. Tommen’s just become someone else’s puppet, and I can’t see this ending well for him. For now, the High Sparrow really has won. Knowing the Lannisters, their next move will probably make the situation worse.
This episode also spent a lot of time with Sam and Gilly at Horn Hill, the home of Sam’s family. Unlike their brief interlude on the ship earlier this season, this was a much more effective use for Sam and Gilly. It even gave them a chance to recommit to each other in the face of Randyll Tarly’s cruelty to Sam. The rest of Sam’s family was quite lovely and kind, but Randyll was just as much of a nightmare as Sam said he was in previous seasons. It was a nice touch that Sam stole the family sword, since he’s the only one in House Tarly who might put it to good use. The show certainly went out of its way to set up that sword, so it had better payoff.
Finally, Daenerys managed to top her surviving a fire trick by giving a speech to her Dothraki followers on the back of Drogon. It was a little redundant, but it was still a breathtaking visual to see her riding a dragon with ease. Her speech seemed to mirror Khal Drogo’s vow from season 1, and hopefully…HOPEFULLY!, the show is finally positioning Daenerys to make her way to Westeros. It’s about bloody time, especially if the show only has 13 episodes left after this season.
Not every episode has to be splashy or action packed. The developments in this episode were very satisfying to watch. If this is the beginning of Game of Thrones’ endgame, then it’s a strong start for a series that has rarely lost its way.
