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Our GAME OF THRONES Season Six Review

Season six of GAME OF THRONES offered some of the most satisfying moments over the past six years, and promised an epic conclusion to the series!

MASSIVE SPOILERS FOLLOW!

This season of GAME OF THRONES was initially difficult to review, in no small part because there were more joyous, genuinely happy moments in the last ten episodes than in the first five seasons combined. We’ve been trained not to get too close to beloved characters for fear the show would unsuspectingly kill them off. At this point, George Martin is essentially a verb synonymous with murdering fan favorite heroes.  

Yet this season not only kept our most loved characters breathing, it actually brought back to life everyone’s favorite bastard, Jon Snow. From the first episode when Brienne of Tarth rescued Sansa, there was a distinct sense that we may have finally turned the collective page on the good guys getting the short end of the stick.

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The shear number of victories for team humanity are almost too numerous to recount in one review. Daenerys not only escapes captivity from the Dothraki, she overthrows the horse lord leaders and takes control of their entire nation. Sansa not only successfully escaped the clutches of the sociopath Ramsay Bolton, she ends up serving one of the show’s most welcomed revenge plots. Even the pessimistic Tyrion Lannister finally receives the well deserved respect he’s been denied his entire life. And after three seasons, there’s finally a Stark back in Winterfell (two actually)!

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There were also so many powerful, evocative scenes in season six. Tyrion releasing the dragons while talking to them about his childhood fascination with them. Daenerys standing outside the Dothraki holy temple, burning the horse lords alive and proving her rightful place as their leader. Jon Snow standing alone before an onslaught of cavalry charging toward him, and the fifteen minute, earthy battle sequence that followed. The revelation of poor Hodor’s backstory, as we realize the terrible price he paid so that Bran could continue his journey to becoming the Three-Eyed Raven. And we finally have confirmation of Jon Snow’s true parents!

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I would also be remiss, if not outright negligent, if I didn’t mention Cersei’s glorious, terrifying revenge against the High Sparrow and the faith militant. While she has never been anything close to a protagonist on the show, GAME OF THRONES has done a great job in helping us understand and empathize with her, so there was a distinct pleasure watching her get revenge. However, we immediately see the cost of her actions in the death of her last child King Tommen. As we see her crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, not as Cersei Baratheon but Lannister, we’re officially on notice that there’s a new villain, and she has a love of wildfire that would make the mad king proud.

Now this season was not perfect. You’ll notice none of my highlights included the Arya storyline. While her character has a lot going for it, her time in Braavos was uneven at its best. Several major character motivations were never fully explained, specifically why did the waif hate Arya so much, and why does Jaquen simply let her leave after learning all the secrets of the Faceless Men? Even her final murder of Walder Frey, while somewhat satisfying, felt botched and rushed.

The Dorne story line also didn’t work for much of the season, though I’ll let it slide because it definitely stuck the landing with the Queen of Thrones allying not only with the Sand Snakes, but also with Daenerys! This was definitely the season of female empowerment, considering every major faction, save for the North, is now led by a matriarch, and there can be a very legitimate claim that Sansa deserves that honor, not Jon.

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Next season promises a renewed focus on the true ‘game of thrones,’ with no less than five legitimate contenders capable of ending up on it: Cersei, Daenerys, Sansa, Jon, and Littlefinger. It’s set up to unleash epic confrontation after epic confrontation, and I for one can’t wait to see where it goes, and I’m not even talking about the white walkers yet!

We have another nine months to wait before next season gets here though, so until then, keep it here at The Fandom for all your latest GAME OF THRONES news!

By Kait

Kait is a New Englander, a YA book and adaptation lover, and a Slythindor, as well as a red velvet and red wine enthusiast. She likes to like things. Catch her on Twitter: @kaitmary