Game of thrones – the final five episodes of season six (and I’m still loving it).

Game of thrones has managed it again. After a lackluster fifth season the sixth season has gone out in a blaze of glory. As I have previously written I was already loving the first five episodes of this season and (apart from a few nitpicks) the show hasn’t run out of steam in the last five.

If I had to truly point out one big flaw in the show it’s that it is going by pretty darn fast. Coldhands appeared and disappeared from the show in two episodes flat. And in the last episode alone the show killed off seven major players (and a CGI heavy citadel).

But then again, the show is in its final stretch.
So how to structure this article? Lets deal with the deaths first and see from there.

Poor Tommen – he was too kind for Westeros

Reading some reviews online I noticed a lot of people complaining that Tommen kind of went out like a ‘total wimp’. Which is true, but, I think, a bit more complicated than that. For starters Tommen is still pretty much a teenage (even younger in the books). And teenagers aren’t the most levelheaded creatures to roam this planet. Especially when it comes to grief.

This actor played two parts in Game of thrones.
And in both parts his character died.
Poor chap.

Second, what I always liked was that, Tommen is the mirror opposite of Joffrey. Where Joffrey was cruel, Tommen was caring. Where Joffrey was single-minded, Tommen was full of doubt. So Tommen’s demise, in this sense, makes perfect sense.

When Joffrey died he was basically a child crying for his mother to save him. But Tommen didn’t need his mother. He made his own adult decision. Or, at least, that’s the way I read it.

Looking back at the three Lannister siblings I can only conclude that the (probably) best candidate for the throne would have been Myrcella. This girl was both sweet and smart (figuring out who her father was). But then again, she did get poisoned.

Anyway, in every season of Game of thrones a king dies. And now Cersei is in power.

Now that she finally, and obviously, has lost her marbles even Jamie is a bit scared of her. But, then again, these two characters are already pretty messed up in the head. So it’s quite difficult to try any prediction. At least her prophecy came true. She finally got the main prize. Which kind of makes her a target.

Poor Rickon – never walk in a straight line.

Couldn’t the show have given dear Art Parkinson at least one line before he got killed. I mean, the boy is doing voice work for the upcoming Laika animation later this year- I’m sure he can talk. Anyway, all silliness aside, I do recognize the critique his character has gotten for not zigzagging when he was fleeing from Bolton’s bolts.

I was hoping that the
‘I don’t bend the knee’-theory proved right (look it up).
Alas it didn’t.

But then again; the kid was going to die no matter what. So hiding behind one of those burning crucifixes would only result in the writers having to come up with some kind of secondary assassin plot. No, the show kept it simple. I still hate to see him go, but heck, that’s Game of Thrones for you.

Poor Lancel – You’ve been around far too long.

As I’m writing this I suddenly realized that Lancel has been around since the very first season, yet nobody ever talks about him (or the actor playing him Eugene Simon). So here it is. This is a guy responsible for several mayor plot developments (the death of King Robert and the High Sparrows ascension) yet always remained in the background. In the final episode he got his moment to shine (in green vapor wildfire).

Grand Maester Pycelle – talk about being around too long.

As a nitpick I have to repeat that I really wanted to see Pycelle break his façade when the end came. I mean, he did a bit by hitting a kid in the face but still. Anyway, this was a character that had to be cleared from the board. And to die on orders of his replacement is sweet irony.

Mace, Margaery and Loras – oh dear.

I could really see Margaery wrap another king around her little finger. And by the looks of it she was definitely planning it. But, like the ending to Sean Penn’s the pledge her plan got interrupted and she paid with her life. It’s sad to see her go. But, again, pieces on the board have to be removed. Plus we now have Granny (Weatherwax) Tyrell in wrath-modus.

Which brings me to Dorne. As I wrote before the season five Dorne storyline wasn’t very good. And season six quickly fixed the mistakes in the very first episode. And, in a stroke of brilliance, -to contain the fallout- didn’t return to Dorne until the last episode. Perfect. Now we’ve got the sandsnakes together with a prickly rose and a spider. They are suddenly interesting again.

The high Sparrow, the blackfish and many, many others.

The high Sparrow finally died. That was to be expected. And I will most definitely miss him. I‘ve always enjoyed Jonathan Price in all his performances and his High Sparrow didn’t disappoint.

One big cheer by the way for Ian McShane
one of the few actors working today who can
just as easily take on the role of villain
as a friendly giant.

I did have some problems with the death of the Blackfish though. Off-screen? For such a great fighter? Not even a shot of him charging into certain death? All the little voices inside my mind are screaming denial. Especially since there was one guy left for dead who returned this season: the Hound.
I truly enjoyed his bargaining with the men with without banners whether or not he was allowed to torture his victims a bit first.
Great to have you back bloke now prepare because you have to fight your zombie-brother.

Which brings me automatically to the survivors. Who survived to play another day?

Robin - the ultimate survivor.

I’m actually starting to believe that mad-as-a-hatter Robin Arryn is going to survive everything. Heck, my fan fiction brain is already marrying him to Lyanna Mormont from Bear Island. She could definitely handle him because she gets stuff done! The bird and the bear.

Anyway it would make a far stronger bond between the Stark loyalists and the Arryns than Littlefinger’s (cold) heart.

Melisandre – lucky witch.

She’s never going to survive to the end. There must be some karma left in the world. So I was a bit surprised that she actually got away with a simple banishment for murdering Shireen (awesome to see Davos lose his cool like that – great actor).

I always liked Sam and Gilly...I can't help it.
Next to Hodor they are the sweetest couple in the whole of Westeros.
So him giving the finger to his father was a joyous moment for me.

But maybe I should have known. Dutch actors have this strange tendency to survive American productions. I mean in Dutch productions they die all the time. But in American productions for some reason they tend to stay alive. For example: Jeroen Krabbé, to this day, played the only Bond-villain to survive in the living daylights. And Rutger Hauer hardly ever dies on screen (and when he does he gives a legendary speech).

So it was very reassuring for me to see the two Dutch actors on Game of thrones: Carice van Houten en Michiel Huisman survive all the bloodshed. My theory is still intact. And besides, Game of thrones doesn’t have to kill everybody.

Sansa – don’t mess with me - Stark.

Finally Sansa has gotten her revenge. Plus she even managed to put her diplomatic skills to good use. She knows perfectly well that Littlefingers isn’t to be trusted (that look on Littlefinger’s face when the new king in the north was elected). But as the phrase goes: ‘…keep your enemies closer’. At least it’s great that Littlefinger came all out with his motives (too bad that he now has another king to topple).

However, with the Spider arriving next season I don’t see a happy ending for Littlefinger in the immediate future. I’m not much of a poker player but by the looks of it the spider has a queen and three aces and Littlefinger three jacks and a king.

Arya – what's her face? - Stark.

As Sansa fed Ramsay Bolton to his own dogs I found myself thinking how dear Arya was going to top this. An episode later I knew: by feeding Lord Walder Frey his own sons for dinner.Yuck!

Bran is massively wise and powerful now.
That’s good. But I still feel for dear Meera.
She has to carry him through the snow, all over the wall and whatnot.
I do hope there is some reward for her at the end of the hardship.

Now, Arya's fight scene on the streets of Bravos was cool; no question. Though I did wonder a bit about her stab wound. I guess that faceless assassin was rubbish at her job (I loved her perpetual smirk though).

But I eventhough it ended with her leaving the house of black and white. In the last episode she apparently kept her face changing ability. I know Game of thrones is high fantasy but I can’t help myself and remember J.K. Rowling’s advice when she spoke about magic:

The first thing you have to do is set the boundaries.

Anyway, with Arya at the Twins and Bran near the Wall a Stark family reunion next season is highly likely (and about time).

Jon – the second king of the north - Stark.

Which brings me, finally, to Jon. Now according to Bran’s vision he is born from Lyanna Stark’s and Rhaegar Targaryen. So, if I’m correct, that would make him Sansa’s and Arya’s direct cousin (sorry shippers) and Dany’s nephew. Who will he marry in the end? We’ll find out when we get there.

At least, the way things look now the next season is going to be quite the battle between the Lannisters on the one hand and the Starks, Greyjoy and Targaryen on the other (oh and the Martells and Tyrells).

Hopefully, by then, Gendry has finished his rowing trip; Arya en Bran gotten their butts back to Winterfell; And the Nightking gives the living time to sort things out before he attacks in full force.

I can hardly wait.