S06.E05: The Door

[Athena]

Episode Synopsis:

Tyrion seeks a strange ally. Bran learns a great deal. Brienne goes on a mission. Arya is given a chance to prove herself.

Reminder: There is open air book talk here. If you are just watching the TV show and you don't want to stumble into a potential spoiler you should leave now. Book Talk assumes you have read all the books to date. Any information from unpublished books, such as preview chapters should be in spoiler tags.

[Mya Stone]

Crying forever. Seriously. I can't handle Summer, or Hodor. 

 

My heart hurts. 

 

I'll be in the corner muttering Hodor forever. 

[dizzyd]

I like that this episode began as a Starkfest.  I loved every minute of Sansa, that woman has become an amazing player, what a change from the petty kid she started off as.  I didn’t get the point of LF’s last comment about Jon’s illegitimacy.

The satirical act in Braavos was entertaining, but nevertheless a waste of time as has been everything Arya for a long time now. 

As Yara said, no one cares much for the Ironborn, including me, but the Kingsmoot was interesting and finally everyone including Dany is playing the Game of Thrones.

So all Red witches dress the same, she did make Mereen more exciting.

I didn’t like how the White Walkers came to be, that was such an anti-climax, but fuckity fuck on the ending. The fire was not enough to hold off the Walker leaders, maybe needs to be dragon fire?  Not Summer and Hodor, NOOOOO!  I’m bawling my eyes out!!!!!

[rwlevin]

And then, only Ghost remained...

[CofCinci]

Why is my face wet?  RIP Sweet Hodor.

[dizzyd]

Actually Nymeria is also out there somewhere.

[Potanical Pardon]

Dayum.

[CofCinci]

1 minute ago, rwlevin said:

And then, only Ghost remained...

Nymeria is still out there somewhere.

[lmsweb]

Insert ugly crying face here. Even you, sweet giant.

[Mya Stone]

1 minute ago, rwlevin said:

And then, only Ghost remained...

And Nymeria. 

[glowbug]

Wow, this episode was both awesome and awful all at the same time. It would have been just awesome had it not been for Summer dying. Note to TPTB: Stop killing direwolves. I cried when he died and I'm clinging to the hope that Summer's death was a change from the books because then I can comfort myself with the fact that Summer is alive and well in the real story. Nymeria and Ghost better live to the end. I don't think my heart can take another direwolf death. Hodor's death was also sad especially because of the realization that Bran was the one who caused his brain damage. Also, it brings up all sorts of questions about the morality of sacrificing another life for your own. Bran causing Hodor's brain damage means that he can affect the past. All I can say about the White Walkers and wights is they are impressive villains. They're truly terrifying. I'm surprised the attack and Bran's escape happened so early in the season. The reveal that the Children of the Forest created the White Walkers was a big one and I hope we find out more about that. 

I'm still enjoying the Northern storyline. I like Sansa when she's taking charge and being assertive. I'm glad that she didn't forgive Littlefinger although it does seem she's taking some of what he said to heart. I'm hoping she completely turns on him by the end of the season. Interesting that she kept her meeting with Littlefinger secret from Jon. I wish she hadn't done that but at least we got a nice scene between them with her giving him a cloak like Ned's. Brienne is being sent to the Riverlands to recruit the Tully's in the Northern fight, which makes more sense than sending her after Arya since they have no idea where to start looking, but it's a little disappointing. I would have loved to see a scene where Sansa and Jon talk about Arya and Bran. 

I'm interested to see where the Ironborn plot is headed. It looks like Theon and Yara are taking over Victarion's storyline in the books, though I doubt Theon will be offering himself to Dany as a husband. It also seems likely that Dany will ally herself with them rather than just take their ships the way I think the Victarion plot is going in the books. The actor playing Euron really looks like he could be related to Alfie Allen so good casting choice there. Kinslaying is definitely not that big of a deal in the show since Euron just confessed to killing his brother and no one blinked an eye. 

I was actually interested in Arya's plot for the first time in a while. It seems like we're finally getting to the point where everyone, including Arya, is going to accept that she will never be no one. The Waif said as much and with Jaqen reminding her that she won't get a third chance, and her already expressing doubts about killing the actress, it seems that all signs are pointing to her finally leaving the Faceless Men and hopefully heading back to Westeros.

There's not much to say about Dany's storyline this episode except that I'm glad she's forgiven Jorah. I wonder what will become of his quest for a cure for grayscale. Mereen was actually interesting for once. As I hoped last week, the Red Priestess did spice things up. I wonder whose name Varys heard in the fire as a boy. We don't often get to see him unnerved like that.

No King's Landing and I didn't even miss it. Funny how it used to be the most interesting plot at the beginning of the series and now it seems the most pointless.

[SeanC]

1 minute ago, dizzyd said:

I didn’t get the point of LF’s last comment about Jon’s illegitimacy.

He was insinuating that she shouldn't trust Jon.

I hope Meera has been keeping up with her full-body workout routine during that time in the cave.  Hauling Bran in that sled hundreds of miles to the Wall whilst being pursued by a horde of tireless zombies is going to be a pretty daunting task.  Jokes aside, more happened in Bran’s storyline in that one episode than in, what, the last three seasons?  Though the huge revelation about the origins of the White Walkers felt like it could have been built up a bit more, in comparison to the slower pace of every other vision he’s had.  Ellie Kendrick was great this episode (Meera has seemed to have a lot more personality in her appearances this season).

Sansa would own Project Runway.  Those new Team Stark uniforms she made had fur, leatherwork, embroidery, the whole deal.  The scene where she confronts Littlefinger was great, though as a general rule when somebody asks if they can say one more thing in that situation, in general your response should be “no”.  I guess they’re playing one of the consequences of Sansa’s experience as being severe trust issues?  When Brienne asked why she didn’t tell Jon where the information was from, Sansa looked discomfited, like she wasn’t quite sure.  Then she gave him his sweet fur coat.

After last episode it seemed like Arya had been making real progress to becoming “no one”, but in this episode she was pretty much the same, and going to see the play she was pretty obviously still Arya.  Of course, the whole point of this story is that Arya can’t be a Faceless Man, but there’s little sense that she’s even at risk of it.  Anyway, it seems like the crux of her story this season is going to be the realization that an assassin death cult doesn’t just kill bad guys.  The scenes with the players were amusing.
 

[CofCinci]

3 minutes ago, dizzyd said:

 I didn’t get the point of LF’s last comment about Jon’s illegitimacy.

Splitting/triangulation.  He's working to divide the "siblings" as he believes he can still manipulate Sansa.

[rwlevin]

1 minute ago, Mya Stone said:

And Nymeria. 

But the tv show has kind of removed her link to Arya and all the callbacks to her. She hasn't been mentioned since the first season. Anyway...

[RedheadZombie]

Fuck you show.

[Mya Stone]

Oh, and watching Arya watch her "father's" beheading...again. A girl will never forget. 

[Potanical Pardon]

I thought for sure he was going to say something finally before the end.

Why couldn't that Forest girl have just thrown her acorn grenade and still ran with them?

Now we have two Red Women who both think their respective ruler is the right one. That means neither is, yeah?

Man, so much happened! 

Ahhhh! Preacher is starting, but all I can think about is GoT!

Edited May 23, 2016 by Potanical Pardon

[Eyes High]

1. Dany/Jorah killed me. Heartbreaking.

2. Nice to see Varys and Littlefinger completely shut down this episode. Kinvara's actress (Ania Bukstein) did a great job. Tyrion's "Mother of Dragons, Breaker of Chains...and all that" was also awesome. I guess he's as sick of her titles as we are.

3. Hodor! Man, that was brutal. Some great acting from IHW.

4. It took all of two sentences for Littlefinger to get Sansa to start lying to Jon. That was fast. I guess we're going to see a Jon/Sansa rivalry being set up for when Ramsay's been dealt with.

5. I had to laugh at Theon and Yara bouncing during Euron's drowning ceremony. Maybe they could have secured Theon and Yara before doing the ceremony? It was smart of Yara and Theon to have a backup plan and not stick around for Euron to murder them, though.

6. We got another confirmation this episode that kinslaying ain't no thang in the GOT universe: Euron cheerfully admitted to killing his brother and got a hearty endorsement from the Ironborn of his plan to murder his niece and nephew.

7. Loved the play. Arya's expression when she was watching "Tyrion" announce his plan to force "Sansa" to marry him and when "Ned" was executed was great. Also loved the fantastic Essie Davis as Lady Crane.

8. Anyone think that the way Bloodraven flew into pieces after being struck by the NK in Bran's vision was a nod to Obi Wan Kenobi disappearing after being struck in Star Wars? The writers are big SW fans, after all.

[SeanC]

2 minutes ago, Potanical Pardon said:

Now we have two Red Women who both think their respective ruler is the right one. That means neither is, yeah?

Or both are.

Actually, speaking of Mel, she's had remarkably little to do in the three episodes since she brought Jon back from the dead.

Edited May 23, 2016 by SeanC

[Mya Stone]

1 minute ago, rwlevin said:

But the tv show has kind of removed her link to Arya and all the callbacks to her. She hasn't been mentioned since the first season. Anyway...

Oh, I know. I just refuse to think that she's not happily killing Freys in the Riverlands. In my mind, she's Lady Stoneheart. ;)

[MuuMuuChainsmoker]

On a happier note, my man Tormund was like:

 

[dbell1]

Hodor! I was yelling at the tv. I'm gutted. That poor boy. No wonder he always freaked out when Bran warged into him. And Summer. Damn this show. Ghost better make it to happily ever after. Oh, and Bran, you suck. 

Thank you Sansa for growing a brain and getting rid of Littlefinger. Brienne still kicks all kinds of ass on a weekly basis. If only Arya could join them, that would be my ultimate girl power trio. And Nymeria could come out of hiding.

Hooray for the Blackfish being back. Can our group stop at the Twins for some sweet, sweet payback? 

[Spartan Girl]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

It so figures that we'd finally find out how Hodor got his name on the same episode where he dies.

Geez, halfway through this season and already the body count is high! Hey maybe Littlefinger will be next. Not likely but we can dream. Sucks that the Raven is dead though. We had better still get confirmation of R+L=J this season or so help me...

First Shaggydog and now Summer?! If anything happens to Ghost, I'm done. The only way I'll accept this is if Nymeria comes back. This show owes us in direwolves!

Don't have Dany marry into the Greyjoys. Just...no.

[YaddaYadda]

I am never recovering from this Hodor business. 

[Minneapple]

I see. So this is how things work.

Last week we were all happy and glowy with STARK FEELS and Tormienne shipping.

Now. Now they must pay, D&D said, for their moment of happiness. 

I will write more later after I have recovered. Thank you and now I will go have a drink or seven and maybe curl up and suck my thumb.

[CofCinci]

3 minutes ago, MuuMuuChainsmoker said:

On a happier note, my man Tormund was like

If Tormund and Brienne aren't OTP in the books, I don't even want the shitty things.  I'll live on B&T gifs and memes.

[Skeeter22]

Sansa ought to move south and start her own fashion empire. The girl has skills. 

[Dust Bunny]

The higher the body count of likable people and animals, the less I care about this show's endgame.

Edited May 23, 2016 by Dust Bunny

[BrendasChoppers]

Again another wolf dies and we have to hear it's whimpers. Another Stark family circle death. A little more of my heart shriveled away. 

I bawled like a baby.

[VCRTracking]

Saddest Game of Throne ending ever.

[benteen]

Wow.  I heard the show was pretty wild tonight but I wasn’t expecting the full-scale White Walker onslaught.  You really screwed the pooch on that one, Bran.

RIP, Summer and Hodor.  Those two deaths are brutal.

They definitely re-established the White Walker threat and I don’t know how the hell Meera and Bran are supposed to get out of this one.

I’m not sure how I feel about the revelation that the Children created the White Walkers.

I can’t believe I’m actually interested in the Ironborn storyline but I am.  That was pretty awesome.  Alfie is killing it.  He’s Theon once again but he’s still a shaky mess of a man.  But after last week, I’m more excited about his involvement in this storyline.  Euron was impressive here and throwing the Dany card out in the opening makes it even more intriguing.  I guess though kinslaying really isn’t a big thing on the show, at least not in the Iron Islands.

Dany and Jorah’s farewell was very touching.

The new Red Priestesses involvement in the Meereen storyline has made it much more interesting.

Arya’s in her Winds of Winter material now.

I’m glad Sansa told Littlefinger off though I hate him trying to drive a wedge between her and Jon.

Loved the cloak scene with her and Jon.

It looks like Jon is going to get Stannis’s storyline as he tries to raise a Northern army.

I laughed at Brienne’s real opinions of everyone around her.

[screamin]

You know what? Fuck Bran Stark. He broke his back because he refused to do as he was told and stop climbing freakin' towers. Now he gets Bloodraven, the Direwolf, a number of Children and Hodor killed (and retroactively brain-damaged) by undertaking an action he knew damned well was dangerous and was told not to do, simply because he was bored and wanted to jack in and download porn on the weirless network without oversight. Fuck him.

[Sakura12]

And then there were two (Direwolves)

Aww man, Not Hodor. 

Finally a Red Priestess, I was wondering where they were since Dany actually walked out of fire 5 years ago. You think they would've been all over that at that point. I wonder when they'll hear of Dany's latest fire walk? The Priestess was the first person to shut Varys down.

Go Sansa, don't listen to the shit Littlefinger says. He's always only been interested in bettering himself. He knew Ramsey was a psycho, everyone knows that. 

Are they calling her the Dragon Queen now. That sounds more badass than the mother of dragons.

I wish we could forget about the Iron born. 

Arya still has a name. I don't think she'll ever be fully committed. I wonder if that's the first she's heard about what happened to her sister. She hasn't heard about Ramsey yet. That'll be a name a girl can put on her list.  

[placate]

It was amazingly satisfying when Not!Tyrion kept slapping Not!Joffrey.  I wish they'd explained what exactly the children did to make the first other.  It'll be awhile til the book comes out so I guess sticking something in a guy's chest is better than nothing. 

[Advance35]

Quote

The satirical act in Braavos was entertaining, but nevertheless a waste of time as has been everything Arya for a long time now. 

Ditto.  I am a HUGE Essie Davis fan but Arya can go away until next season if we must see her again.

I was actually moved by Dany and Jorah and neither has ever been anything but annoying in my view.   Their parting was surprisingly effective.

Interesting character work with Sansa though I continue to question throwing LF out with the bath water.   Sansa is no where NEAR the political operator needed to keep the North safe from the rest of the Seven Kingdoms.   She could use someone like LF, granted he would be using her at the same time but that's what happens in the Game of Thrones.   Also interesting that she keeps somethings to herself, she trust Jon but it's clear she's learned from her time in Kings Landing, even your allies shouldn't know EVERYTHING.   And I guess it wouldn't do for Davos AND Melissandre to know any and ALL resources at her disposal.

That was a sad concluding scene.  I could careless about the Direwolf's, they mean nothing to me but I felt terrible about Hodor.

[Eyes High]

3 minutes ago, Minneapple said:

I see. So this is how things work.

Last week we were all happy and glowy with STARK FEELS and Tormienne shipping.

Now. Now they must pay, D&D said, for their moment of happiness. 

That's probably why the Jon/Sansa reunion was so glowy and sappy: it's all downhill from here. A sentence and a half from Littlefinger (Get your own army/Half-brother) and Sansa's lying to Jon, concealing valuable information from him about the Vale soldiers, and having nothing to say when Brienne points out that she doesn't trust Jon despite her claims to the contrary. Not good.

[mac123x]

Dammit, I thought we were going to get Tower of Joy, The Sequel, tonight.  I guess Bran will have to have that on his own while sledding across country?  I did think that the Three Eyed Raven should probably have warned Bran not to go looking for the Night King because it would end in disaster.  Withholding vital information in order to further the plot, I guess.

 

Arya, still don't care about her story.  I am embarassed to take this long to realize that the Waif was Anne Neville in The White Queen.

 

I didn't like the red priestess either.  Is she borrowing Littefinger's teleporter device, to get from Volantis to Meereen in the time it takes to make a scene change?

[Raachel2008]

I haven't been this sad/depressed since Ned's, Rob's and Talisa's deaths. Oh, Hodor. What a horrible way to go and watching young Hodor repeating "hold the door" over and over and over was heartbreaking.

{{{{SOBS}}}}

[Umbelina]

I'm trying to understand the whole time travel element of Hodor, and struggling.  Anyone have a good grasp of that one?  What other things, given this one, can Bran do that might change the past?  Warg into his dad and, as Ned, refuse to go to King's Landing?  Because really, the possibilities seem endless there.

I think Sansa was just being smart with Jon, or rather, with information.  There is no need to spill your guts to everyone, or anyone.  She gave him the information he needed, nothing more.  It seemed slightly Varas-like.  I loved her telling off Littlefinger, and nothing tonight told me she is trusting him again, let alone softening toward him.  She may use and then destroy him, this is not, partly because of him, the little girl who escaped from Kings Landing.

I hope that "I can feel it in my body" is just that, and not a pregnancy, because, yuck.

[jcin617]

Bran is twice guilty for Hodor, by allowing the Night King entry and by causing Hodor's ailments.   But its a strange predestination paradox; Hodor needed to be warged into to do anything because Bran warged into him in the past to do it.

[Umbelina]

9 minutes ago, placate said:

It was amazingly satisfying when Not!Tyrion kept slapping Not!Joffrey.  I wish they'd explained what exactly the children did to make the first other.  It'll be awhile til the book comes out so I guess sticking something in a guy's chest is better than nothing. 

I really loved that play, all of it, every minute.  It's nice to see that the doings in King's Landing and Westeros are known in the rest of the world, in their way.

I don't care, and will never care about the damn pirates.  I care slightly about Theon and his sister.

I still love Arya's story, which will hopefully move right along now that we'd done with GRRM.  He made it a yawn, but she isn't a yawn.

Was that the last of the Children of the Forest, or are there more somewhere? 

ETA, I wonder how old this Red Priestess is?  Oh, and how she and the other one will get along.

Edited May 23, 2016 by Umbelina

[SFoster21]

Well, seems a shame no one thought to breed those direwolves.

 

Maybe Nymeria is off having pups.

Edited May 23, 2016 by SFoster21

[KaleyFirefly]

19 minutes ago, glowbug said:

Bran causing Hodor's brain damage means that he can affect the past.

Bran may be able to fix all sorts of things in the past! Like, not getting pushed out of the tower by Jamie, or saving Ned, or saving all the direwolves! (I can only hope)

[Lemuria]

Quote

He broke his back because he refused to do as he was told and stop climbing freakin' towers.

I'm less than happy with Bran this episode but I do have to disagree with this.  Bran's back was broken because someone, who shall remain nameless but whose initials are Jamie Lannister, threw him off the tower.  I doubt that when he was warned to stop climbing towers, anyone was thinking this was the danger.

5 minutes ago, Eyes High said:

A sentence and a half from Littlefinger (Get your own army/Half-brother) and Sansa's lying to Jon, concealing valuable information from him about the Vale soldiers, and having nothing to say when Brienne points out that she doesn't trust Jon despite her claims to the contrary. Not good.

Yeah, not thrilled with Sansa here.  Jon has done nothing to earn distrust from her, while LF has done more than just a little.  Especially when, LF notwithstanding, the troops from the Vale could be very useful.

[CherryMalotte]

I love that Tormund's all like 'hey I just met you but send me a raven maybe' with Brienne.  I can suffer a lot of In Memorials on this show for those moments, but Hodor? Nooooooooo.....  

Richard E Grant and Essie Davis?  Oh yes and thank you casting.  And Randall Tarly being played by James Faulkner, that's pretty cool for the I Claudius fans.

One can only hope that Ghost and Nymeria bring forth a new generation of direwolves.  I am going to go find the kleenex box have a good cry now.

[SFoster21]

Just now, SFoster21 said:

Well, seems a shame no one thought to breed those direwolves.

[Mya Stone]

2 minutes ago, Umbelina said:

I'm trying to understand the whole time travel element of Hodor, and struggling.  Anyone have a good grasp of that one?  What other things, given this one, can Bran do that might change the past?  Warg into his dad and, as Ned, refuse to go to King's Landing?  Because really, the possibilities seem endless there.

I think Sansa was just being smart with Jon, or rather, with information.  There is no need to spill your guts to everyone, or anyone.  She gave him the information he needed, nothing more.  It seemed slightly Varas-like.  I loved her telling off Littlefinger, and nothing tonight told me she is trusting him again, let alone softening toward him.  She may use and then destroy him, this is not, partly because of him, the little girl who escaped from Kings Landing.

I hope that "I can feel it in my body" is just that, and not a pregnancy, because, yuck.

I think - THINK - what happened was that Meera's insistent words reached Bran, and that greenseeing handicapable Bran in the tree warged into Hodor in the tree, and Weekend at Winterfell Bran warged into sweet Wylis, who also heard Meera's HOLD THE DOOR. Because, magic. I truly believe the 3ER brought Bran to that time to make it happen, because it had always been that way. Which is a closed loop, really. 

 

And can we please give Jack Bender some love? Of course he would get a time travelly episode, because, well, he's Jack Bender. That's just what he does. 

[MuuMuuChainsmoker]

13 minutes ago, CofCinci said:

If Tormund and Brienne aren't OTP in the books, I don't even want the shitty things.  I'll live on B&T gifs and memes.

"Wast thine daddy a sorcerer?  Cause...abracaDAYUM!!"
 

[TiredMe]

I just cannot even deal. I may never forgive them for this one. Not one death has made me even close to shedding a tear and now I'm ugly crying. Damn you show! Not Hodor!

Jorah is my fav so I hope he finds a cure and doesn't disappear the rest of the season or series. 

Now I'm off to go lay in a fetal position and blubber some more......

Edited May 23, 2016 by TiredMe

[Umbelina]

1 minute ago, Mya Stone said:

I think - THINK - what happened was that Meera's insistent words reached Bran, and that greenseeing handicapable Bran in the tree warged into Hodor in the tree, and Weekend at Winterfell Bran warged into sweet Wylis, who also heard Meera's HOLD THE DOOR. Because, magic. I truly believe the 3ER brought Bran to that time to make it happen, because it had always been that way. Which is a closed loop, really. 

 

And can we please give Jack Bender some love? Of course he would get a time travelly episode, because, well, he's Jack Bender. That's just what he does. 

Yes, I semi get that part, well as much as any complicated magical time travel, but I really wonder what else Bran might be capable of changing in the past.