Excuse me, do you have a moment to talk about our lord (commander) and savior, Jon Snow? You do? Wonderful, because I've got a lot to say.
It wasn't too long ago that a small minority of audiences complained about the "Breaking Bad" series finale for being too neat and tidy, too predictable and easy. Well, those viewers can cozy up to the Drowned God for all I care.
The beauty of "Game of Thrones" is that the show can proceed down an entirely predictable path that viewers see coming months in advance, and yet the series can still elicit uproars of applause from grown men and women around the world. Every single one of us knew what was coming last night. But none of that mattered, because the emotional investment we've made in Jon far exceeds any other critical metric. "Game of Thrones" gave us exactly what we wanted, how we wanted, and "Home" was still a perfectly satisfying hour of television.
Just a few short seasons ago, you could make the argument that The Wall was the show's weakest storyline (and while we all love Jon Snow, there's no denying that his Boy Scout routine can grow a bit dull at times). The fluid forward movement of Westeros' power struggle would immediately grind to an abrupt halt anytime a scene cut to Craster's Keep, Castle Black and the like. How many more monologues about duty could the audience realistically stomach? But showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss deserve credit for their long game because the payoff has been well worth it.
With the convergence of storylines at the Wall (Davos + Melisandre + Jon = interesting), the inclusion of the Wildlings and the introduction of the White Walkers as "Game of Thrones'" true endgame, the Wall has come from behind to become the show's most exciting arc. Bravo, or should I say Braavos?
This episode set the stage well for Jon's phoenix-like rise, with a through line of what was vs. what is, past vs. present. Melisandre, once so arrogant in her unwavering convictions, needed to be humbled. She needed to lose her faith. She needed, as we saw last week, to transform in order to perform this miracle. And she's not the only one.
Bran Stark is also undergoing a metamorphosis of sorts, training with the Three Eyed Raven (love me some Max von Sydow) to develop his greenseer abilities. The episode opens with him seeing a vision of his father (Ned), uncle (Benjen) and aunt (Lyanna) playing in Winterfell as children.
"Look how happy they all were," Bran muses. But all good things must come to an end, both in reality and in this fantasy. The Three Eyed Raven pulls Bran from the vision, saying, "It is beautiful beneath the sea, but if you stay too long you'll drown." #Foreshadowing
"Game of Thrones" has always prided itself on its realism, but this detour into fantasy land was well played. The flashback had an epic quality to it, and next week's highly anticipated trip to the past has the potential to be explosive and revealing. But there is a question as to whether the show will use Bran as a vehicle to deliver crowd-pleasing background on the legend and lore of the "Game of Thrones" universe, or if Bran's powers will lead to something more impactful within the parameters of the immediate storyline.
Changing the past to effect the future is not restricted to Westeros' northern heights. In Essos, Tyrion is attempting to introduce himself to the dragons without being turned into BBQ, but this time it is his compassion and not his wit that is most useful. As we've seen, Daenerys' dragons can be a bit, err, particular with whom they trust. But perhaps they have an innate judge of character similar to the dire wolves.
Tyrion shares yet another heartbreaking story of his family belittling him, hurting him, shaming him for his belief in the magic of dragons as a child (Peter Dinklage is always in Emmy form, even when he's not acting with real human co-stars). Viserion and Rhaegal allow him to remove their chains, the first step in what could potentially be the great equalizer in this global conflict.
Despite the undeniably enjoyable victories for our main characters, this episode wasn't without its flaws. The Iron Islands feel so disconnected that it's hard to get excited when a paint-by-numbers mystery villain (Balon's long-lost brother Euron) shows up to change the status quo. Everything inside me is screaming: "Please don't be Dorne on the sea. Please don't be Dorne on the sea" as I am legitimately worried about this becoming another ill-advised detour.
Roose Bolton, well aware of Ramsay's "mad dog" tendencies, made the fatal mistake of threatening his psychotic son's hold on Winterfell as heir. While it was great to see the betrayer betrayed (how's that for poetic justice), the entire Ramsay sequence felt like an overindulgence. We already know this guy is a deranged lunatic; do we really need to draw out his explicitly violent murder of two innocent people at this point? And this says nothing of dispatching a heavy, interesting villain in favor of his one-note son. Compelling antagonists are dropping like flies and that could hurt the narrative going forward.
Overall, Jon's resurrection may not have been the cleverest storytelling we've seen on TV. But "Game of Thrones" has earned our love and appreciation though five-plus hard-fought seasons. Sometimes audiences just need a good old-fashioned win, and they got that in "Home." Flaws and all, this episode helped turn season six up to 11 in only its second episode. Not bad.
Some other thoughts:
-The Jaime vs. High Sparrow scene was a great showcase of how things are changing in King's Landing. "We're all poor and powerless, and yet together, we can overthrow an empire," the High Sparrow says in his best Bernie Sanders impersonation.
-Theon says he doesn't "want forgiveness," yet Sansa gives it to him anyway. It's one of the most touching moments so far this season.
-"Next time I have an idea like that...punch me in the face." Pure. Gold.
-Arya can play along with the House of Black and White training all she wants. She'll still never willingly become no one.
Follow Brandon Katz at @Great_Katzby
