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: This is for discussion of the TV show only, no book talk allowed - including saying "but it's different in the books". Any spoiler from outside the books (i.e. next weeks preview) should be in spoiler tags.

[SimoneS]

Poor Hodor. What a terrible death. Heartbreaking. Now we understand what happened to Willis and why he repeats “Hodor.” He is repeating  “hold the door.” Poor Summer, butchered. Only Nymeria and Ghost are still alive. So the Children of the Forest made the White Walkers, but cannot control them. Their leaders are immune to fire. We will need Valyrian steel, obsidian, and dragons to defeat them.

I cannot believe Sansa trusting creepy scheming Littlefinger. I hope we get to see Varys stab him in his treacherous heart before the series is over. I am glad that Brienne confronted Sansa about her lie. Tormund continuing to give Brienne the eye will never stop being funny as hell.

Where is Ghost? Edd is so sweet and loyal. I hope he doesn’t die.

Well, I am glad that Daenerys knows about Jorah’s infection. It was a sad scene.

Another Red Priestess. Ugh. I share Varys’ skepticism about these various religions and their goals to control the Throne and powerful.

I hope that play makes Arya remember who she is and realize that she will never be “nobody.” I cannot wait for her to go back north to meet up with her family and kill her enemies. Maybe hot Jaqen will go with her. I really don’t understand the point of the faceless god, who or why these specific people are murdered. Essie Davis from Miss Fisher’s Mysteries played the actress who Arya killed.

Damn, Theon steps up does the right thing and Euron usurps Yara. At least, Yara is smart to instantly know that Euron murdered her father. Euron is a fool. Daenerys will burn off his dick. I am glad that Yara, Theon, and their men got away with their best ships. Hopefully, they get to Daenerys first.

Why all the unnecessary bare breasts in this episode?

Edited May 23, 2016 by SimoneS

[AliShibaz]

I couldn't help but think there was some significance to the actor who played Joffrey complaining about having two warts on his private parts. This show just doesn't seem to insert random personal remarks like that unless they are used to tie into some other situation.

Is there any way that his genital warts could possibly be related to Arya's mission?

[AimingforYoko]

Damn, I always wanted to find out the deal with Hodor, but not like this. Not like this! And now we're down to two direwolves.

In happier Stark news, how far has Sansa come. I quite enjoyed her making Littlefinger squirm.

[rungirl911]

Fucking Bran. 

[Stardancer Supreme]

Damn.  RIP Summer and Hodor.  

[AimingforYoko]

4 minutes ago, SimoneS said:

Another Red Priestess. Ugh. I share Varys’ skepticism about these various religions and their goals to control the Throne and powerful.

I loved how Tyrion was trying to be the diplomatic one there, but I suppose Varys has reasons to distrust fanatics.

[Lemuria]

I should have posted last week, because I know no one will believe me, but when I was listening to some of the recaps/reviews, and commentators were saying that they really wanted to find out why Hodor keeps saying "Hodor," it just struck me that "Hodor" was a corruption of "Hold the door."  I had no idea what door, or why he had to hold it, but I was pretty sure that's what it meant.

Darn.  I should have bet someone.  lol

Edited May 23, 2016 by Lemuria
making sense counts!

[Jaded Sapphire]

1 minute ago, rungirl911 said:

Fucking Bran. 

That about sums up my opinion of this episode.

[KaleyFirefly]

Hodor hodor hodor. RIP Summer. Do the writers of this show hate direwolves? Why?? Hodor. :-(

[SimoneS]

I just realized that with Bran no longer in the tree we are not going to find out about Lyanna any time soon.

[AimingforYoko]

I have a feeling Bran might not need the tree.

[Artsda]

Summer. :(

This episode reminded me of why I really hated Sansa in season one but also liked her. Loved her making the coat for Jon that was like Neds, but hated her trusting Littlefinger and lying to Jon about it. He's not the one she should be lying to.

So sad at Jonah saying goodbye, hope he does find the cure.

[Lemuria]

Just now, SimoneS said:

I just realized that with Bran no longer in the tree we are not going to find out about Lyanna any time soon.

So there were many reasons to slap Bran around this ep.  Why bother to listen to the person who knows so much more than you do?  

[Neurochick]

3 minutes ago, rungirl911 said:

Fucking Bran. 

That whole thing with Bran was strange.  So time isn't linear?  Hodor saw the future as a child?

[Popples]

Not Summer! I'm convinced that the wolves were just too expensive for the show, so they're killing all of them off. And I'm truly heartbroken over Hodor. Goddammit Bran!

I totally didn't see the Children of the Forest creating the White Walkers. So they just kidnapped some dude and shoved an ice shard(?) in his chest?

Arya has to kill Miss Fisher, I'm so conflicted.

Great casting on Euron, he looks a lot like Alfie Allen. 

New red priestess resembled Rachel Weisz a bit, to me.

Oh Brienne, you should be all about that wildling with the beard. Her trying to avoid his gaze was too funny. Davos, Tormund, and Blackfish could be great together. I don't think they're all going to the Riverlands, but hilarity would ensue if the all met up.

[rungirl911]

Worried about Sansa trusting ANYthing that Littlefinger says. 

Sansa is a super fast sewer. 

Liked Dany and See Jorah's moment. 

Meh about the new lord of light priestess. 

Not sure about this Arya storyline. 

Sick of the unnecessary direwolf deaths :(

Edited to add that I loved Tormund and Brienne. So much. 

And that I was happy to see Yara and Theon working together. 

Edited May 23, 2016 by rungirl911

[Enigma X]

Once I heard Summer's wimper, I screamed WTF? And Hodor. Damn! Damn! Damn! I am verklempt!

 

Yeah. I am thinking the direwolves are too expensive. Nymeria should be ok as long as she stays lost. 

[fellini]

It was a okay episode. I don't think the Arya storyline is interesting, but oh well. Can't wait until next episode to see what happens to Bran.

[GrailKing]

What I got:

Sansa hates LF, he threw in the half brother line to put a wall between Jon and Sansa, so he's going to manipulate them, Sansa lied to Jon was it because of what she has seen of "bastards" (Joffery, Ramsey) or does she have a reason?

Liked Brieene called her out on it, then Sansa gives Jon a Stark outfit patterned after Neds.

COF created the WW, who was the tree victim a Stark or random fellow, to kill the King do they have to remove the obsidian blade, or only dragon fire kills him.

Bran is responsible for Hodor, he created a paradox and the TEC couldn't fix it so now Bran must or they're screwed.

I also think this is going along with my thinking, the Direwolves were sent to protect the Starks, if the wolves die protecting a Stark I think it may prove to be a blessing in the future . 

ETA: How is she going to explain about the Vale army.

Edited May 23, 2016 by GrailKing
spelling

[AimingforYoko]

Just now, fellini said:

Can't wait until next episode to see what happens to Bran.

This is the first season that's ever been a valid opinion.

[KLeewrite]

It actually hadn't occurred to me that Bran might have caused Hodor's mental breakdown. The impression I came away with was that all this is predestined. Maybe the phrase "Hold the door" flashed into Willis's (that was his name, right?) and overwhelmed him. He could be seeing the future, in a way. So it seemed to me that holding the door really was what Hodor was meant to do -- it was his mission in life. Like that Red Priestess said, everything happens for a reason.

[MarySNJ]

1 hour ago, AliShibaz said:

I couldn't help but think there was some significance to the actor who played Joffrey complaining about having two warts on his private parts. This show just doesn't seem to insert random personal remarks like that unless they are used to tie into some other situation.

iIs there any way that his genital warts could possibly be related to Arya's mission?

I think it was a gratuitous male frontal shot, since there have been complaints about not enough of that. And a bit of humor. I think it's just the mundane chatter backstage to show that Arya is spying to learn what she can.  

[Macbeth]

Hodor's death was the most heartbreaking scene in all of GOT for me.  Max Von Sydow why didn't you warn Bran about how bad the Night King's touch could be - before it happened?

I know Bran's story needed to move- but I never knew Hodor and Summer would be sacrificed in the process.

Hello Girl with No Name - that lasted all of 3 seconds before you saw your father being portrayed by a fool.

Nice to have a religion that is honest - the Faceless Men are for hire.  I always suspected as much.

Yara moves really fast - stole an entire fleet in the time it took Euro whatever to die and be reborn as the Iron King.  My money is always on her.

[Timetoread]

Killed another fucking direwolf. Fuck this show.  If you kill the dragons, I'm out. Do NOT play with me.

[mojoween]

Dear David and DB -

Stop.  Killing.  The fucking.  Direwolves.

Also, Hodor? You dicks.

Love - mojo

[tomsmom]

I won't be able to ask anyone to hold the door ever again. 

Edited May 23, 2016 by tomsmom

[peggy06]

32 minutes ago, Neurochick said:

That whole thing with Bran was strange.  So time isn't linear?  Hodor saw the future as a child?

This time-shift stuff is giving me a headache. Hodor has been saying Hodor for the entire show, and the warging where the White Walker touched Bran just happened. I hate this kind of thing. Also not too happy with Bran. But since Hodor was already Hodoring, it's like he was predestined to do this? IDK. Like I said, giving me a headache.

Is Summer a wight direwolf now? That would be formidable.

I feel like they're building up to Arya leaving the Faceless Men. She obviously isn't "no one," and the other girl knows it. And so does Jaquen. But if she leaves to resume her Stark identity, what a waste of time this plot has been. Not sure what to make of it.

Sansa shouldn't have sent Brienne away. Not with Littlefinger at Moat Caellin.

I'm with Varys. These red priestesses are bad news. Religion on this show is bad news. I feel Tyrion is making a big error here.

Very touching scene when Jorah revealed his greyscale to Danaerys. Iain Glen is terrific in this role.
 

Edited May 23, 2016 by peggy06

[Drogo]

Bran: Am I ready?

Man in Tree: Clearly not, since I'm such a shit teacher I never mentioned Rule #1 "Stay the hell away from visions of White Walkers or we all die."

[Drogo]

Quote

Very touching scene when Jorah revealed his greyscale to Danaerys. 

If Stannis found someone with a cure, Jorah can.

[CleoCaesar]

Hodor.    :'(

Still digging Tormund throwing saucy looks at Brienne. I ship it..

Really nice scene with Daenerys and Captain Friendzone.

[paigow]

8 minutes ago, Drogo said:

If Stannis found someone with a cure, Jorah can.

Stannis went through the entire Craigslist category of maesters and healers...not sure if Jorah has the same HMO...

[rozen]

If you're too stupid to immediately gtfo when White Walkers cross your dreamscape, you pretty much deserve to die (imo). They've showed a few times that there are people in these flashbacks who seem to be more "sensitive" to Bran's attempted interference, e.g. Ned when he was charging up the tower to Lyanna. I don't think these are static instant replays, I think if Bran really wanted to he could probably influence the past and people who probably interpret it as a spirit or demon or whatever. The sister (forgot her name) screaming into Bran's dreamscape may have triggered young Hodor, who was sensitive to Bran's presence already. Ugh, has he spent his whole life wondering when that moment would come that he would die so horribly? If so, no wonder he'd freak out at random things, he knew his time was coming.

And Bran just stands there confused like a bump on a log while all these people are screaming for him to help and dying to save him. Ugh, freaking Bran. I wonder what was up with the spear that killed that White Walker? That shouldn't have been enough to take him down, and the sister looked pretty shocked too. Does she have some special ability now?

Ugh at Sansa taking LF's bait so easily. Yes, she needs to rally people to her and her legitimate name, because the North seems pretty patriarchal and they'd get over a bastard ruling them sooner than a girl Stark. But there's no reason to lie to Jon about what she's doing, he'd probably think carefully about how to present things to make as easy for her to take power as possible. But noooo, she reverts back to Southern backhand scheming, which she adroitly pointed out to Davos does not work up North.

Yea, LF knew exactly what he was handing her off to, and is probably an expert at reassembling whatever pieces remain of that person into something he can manipulate. He looked nonplussed at how strong she still was. Those Northern girls are tough, did he forget Rose already?

LOL at Daario being all "ugh, he's playing the I'm dying card. Now we'll never get rid of him." 

The new red priestess' comment about not flambaying "true" friends of Daenerys does not bode well. Y'all crazy.

Welp, Yara's screwed. Hopefully Euron was too busy globe-trotting and didn't pick up much battle tactics, because that's pretty much all she has going for her. Her ships seem to run like well-oiled machines compared to standard issue.

Arya's too old to get so worked up over a stupid play. What did she think? Ned would be portrayed as a noble hero while the Lannisters are still only a shipride and some vaelfire (sp) away? I was not ready for that zoom i n of a warty penis. 

Edited May 23, 2016 by rozen

[TheodoraK]

for now and i apologize for being repetitive if i am. i loved this episode. i understood almost everything and there was so much humor interspersed with the horror. tormund's lascivious glance at Brienne and her reaction! priceless. more that i can't remember without a second viewing. but i do have one huge beef with the show. where the flying fuck are Ghosts and the freaking dragons? how can she be the mother of dragons without them following her in some way. of course someone did talk about her dragons burning down people in its way or whatever. maybe that was melissande's red cousin in mereen. she is something else. to get to Varys that way. wow and scary.

summer getting killed? are you kidding me? which one of the writers hate canines so much? but jon needs ghost and vice versa. can someone explain this to me? did he die to allow jon to live? sorry for the obsession. i have a service dog and yada yada yada. i'll be back with more praise and more ranting.

[Lady S.]

1 minute ago, rozen said:

That shouldn't have been enough to take him down, and the sister looked pretty shocked too. Does she have some special ability now?

I'm guessing the spearhead was made of dragonglass. Sam gave them some from his collection when they met, so I've been waiting for the Chekhov's dragonglass to come into play.

 

1 hour ago, AimingforYoko said:

I have a feeling Bran might not need the tree.

If Von Sydow succeeded in transferring his powers to Bran before he died, then I think Bran should be able to use any weirwood or maybe none at all.

 

1 hour ago, rungirl911 said:

Fucking Bran. 

To sum up, Bran's peeping tom adventures crippled him and started his family's trouble, sending two orphans to a nearby farm got them killed by Theon, sending Rickon to the Umbers got Osha and Shaggy killed and made Rickon a prisoner, and now Hodor, the 3ER, the CotF, and Bran's own wolf have been killed because of him. What a human disaster this kid is. 

[La Dee Da]

That was a nice "moving the pieces into place" 55 minutes and then an intense "oh God nooooooooo!" 5 minutes.  Poor, brave Hodor! Bran is either super powerful - did he basically warg into Willis in the vision and create a bridge to his final moments as Hodor in the present? The show hinted at his ability to affect the past with his father at the tower.  Or Bran is super screwed - can the Night King track him and Meera wherever they go now? How does he use his visions to affect the future?  

I appreciate why Sansa doesn't want Littlefinger's support, as well as the lie - she knew the others would argue pragmatically for allying with the Vale, and she couldn't abide - at least for now - working with someone she can't trust.  I think she'll come around to the benefits of using him.

I wonder how often the Iron Islands coronation ceremony doesn't work and the King to be drowns? Do they turn to the runner up and say "no hard feelings?"

[islandgal140]

As usual, the white walkers show up at the tail end of the episode and everything pops off! That was harrowing and good but also annoying. Makes no damn sense that after TEC tells  Bran that being touched by the King makes him able to enter the tree that they stroll off on a leisurely warg together and lay there unguarded and helpless with the undead on the way. Dumb!

Either one of the direwolf or Hodor dying would be difficult but both in the same episode? DEVASTATING!!!

Not often do I get to say "you had one Job!" and can end it with and damned if you didn't do it!  What a terrible way to go. Just goes to show that no one is safe on TGOT. Direwolves especially. How the hell is just that poor girl gonna drag Bran around? 

Sansa was a boss in her scene with Littlefinger. Loved seeing him squirm and loved seeing her steel willed resolve and unwavering gaze as she pinned him to the mat. Too bad some of that was undone by Sansa's lies later on. 

The only interesting thing to happen in Braavos this episode was that play. What the what?!?! Was that Daily Show irony, sarcasm? I don't even get it. How the hell can Ned be the hillbilly idiot while Cersei and Satan's spawn Joffrey get the good edit? Was that play sponsored by the Lannisters or just a whoooole lot of misinformation? 

[easypeasy]

So, when did the children of the forest and white walker alliance(if you can call it that) start to sour? And why do the walkers seem harder to kill than their creators? I hope we're spared the horror of a wight Hodor and Summer, and I especially didn't expect to lose the latter so soon after Shaggydog's demise.  If they insist on killing off 'good' guys, can they ease off the ones that are Stark/Stark related? All of Daenerys' minions and pets are still alive....

A little bit of levity thanks to:

- Tormund and Brienne's not so budding romance. I think her disdain is kind of adorable.

- Yara accusing Euron of her father's murder and him basically being like ' Yeah I did it' *kanyeshrug* 'And my bad for not killing him sooner.'

Speaking of the Ironborn, what a shitty looking crown, and it's not made of salt or steel or stone. I mean, why even bother.

[riley702]

2 hours ago, Lemuria said:

I should have posted last week, because I know no one will believe me, but when I was listening to some of the recaps/reviews, and commentators were saying that they really wanted to find out why Hodor keeps saying "Hodor," it just struck me that "Hodor" was a corruption of "Hold the door."  I had no idea what door, or why he had to hold it, but I was pretty sure that's what it meant.

Darn.  I should have bet someone.  lol

I had recently read speculation about the name Hodor coming from a corruption of "hold the door", but they thought it would happen at the Tower of Joy and that he was defending Lyanna as she was giving birth. 

2 hours ago, Neurochick said:

That whole thing with Bran was strange.  So time isn't linear?  Hodor saw the future as a child?

Yeah, that puzzled me, too. And made my head hurt.

[luckyroll3]

1 hour ago, MarySNJ said:

I think it was a gratuitous male frontal shot, since there have been complaints about not enough of that.

Gratuitous and tiny. The never give us the good stuff for the men.

I'm still over here sobbing at losing another wolf and Hordor's last scene.  Just completely devastating to watch.  But props go out to the chick for not only successfully fighting off the white walkers but getting Bran's dumb ass out of there. 

I was really hoping Euron wouldn't awaken from his watery nap.  What an asshole.  And how long exactly does it take to build 1000 ships from scratch?  By the time those things are done, the final war will be over.  His new subjects did not look too pleased with that order.

[Conan Troutman]

2 hours ago, GrailKing said:

 

Bran is responsible for Hodor, he created a paradox and the TEC couldn't fix it so now Bran must or they're screwed.

Donnie Starko? 

[MsChipper]

Bran will ruin it all. I'm sure.

"bran, no climbing" >>>> entire family dies and massive war ensues

"bran, no doing that solo shit" >>>> Hodor, summer, leaf lady and crow bro all die

U all wanna bet he's actually the lord of the light and he's the one who effed up the entire time line and got this shit started in the first place?

He probably got the Mad King to go mad even.

 

Now I just hope he doesn't go to The Wall and get Edd killed since he's got the mark now, so that magic ain't gonna hold.

[riley702]

8 minutes ago, easypeasy said:

Speaking of the Ironborn, what a shitty looking crown, and it's not made of salt or steel or stone. I mean, why even bother.

I don't know; driftwood seemed appropriate for a people linked to the sea.

[AliShibaz]

2 hours ago, rungirl911 said:

Sansa is a super fast sewer.

Can you explain what you mean by that? I'm not looking for a quarrel. I really don't understand Sansa.

Someone said that Sansa trusted LF tonight. But I'm not sure that is true. If she trusted him, why didn't she let him give her the Army of the Vale and let John command them - or someone else - but  not LF.

My initial impression was that she told LF to get lost and we will never see him again. But I have serious doubts about that.

Edited May 23, 2016 by AliShibaz

[MsChipper]

1 minute ago, AliShibaz said:

Can you explain what you mean by that? I'm not looking for a quarrel. I really don't understand Sansa.

I think the term Sansa is a super fast sewer just means that she can make coats and stuff really fast. lol

[AliShibaz]

2 hours ago, peggy06 said:

I feel like they're building up to Arya leaving the Faceless Men. She obviously isn't "no one," and the other girl knows it. And so does Jaquen. But if she leaves to resume her Stark identity, what a waste of time this plot has been. Not sure what to make of it.

The one plus to this plot line will be if Arya learns a bunch of superb assassination skills and then uses them on her family's enemies. That would make it worthwhile.

[SimoneS]

I re-watched,  but I could not watch Hodor and Summer die again. I enjoyed Brienne's assessment of the Night Watch crew. Jon is a bit broody. Tormund constantly giving her the eye is a bit much. She is too harsh on Davos, but she nailed Mellisandre's fickleness. 

[izabella]

15 minutes ago, AliShibaz said:

Can you explain what you mean by that? I'm not looking for a quarrel. I really don't understand Sansa.

Someone said that Sansa trusted LF tonight. But I'm not sure that is true. If she trusted him, why didn't she let him give her the Army of the Vale and let John command them - or someone else - but  not LF.

My initial impression was that she told LF to get lost and we will never see him again. But I have serious doubts about that. I've never been so wrong about my predictions for any other show. I'm almost perfect when it comes to being wrong about a prediction. I should just think of my prediction and then write the opposite.

Sansa did tell LF to get lost.  But, she believed what he told her about the Blackfish controlling the Tully lands again and having an army there.  She thinks he's telling the truth, when she ought to know better.  And she is making plans based on it, and lied about who told her that information, all of which is a big mistake because LF is manipulative and lies.

Edited May 23, 2016 by izabella

[Last Time Lord]

[truelovekiss]

WELL THAT WAS FUCKING HEARTBREAKING.

 

Seriously, I wept at the loss of Hodor. More than at the Red Wedding. What a lovely, kind soul. He was too good for this world. Bran, you fucked up everything. And we lost a direwolf on top of it, in the most useless manner possible. It didn't even seem like Summer slowed them down.