Well, they can't all be classics.
"Blood of my Blood," the sixth episode this season on "Game of Thrones," is more of a placeholder than anything else. But that is to be expected after the tireless sprint of this year's first half season. Freed from the restraints of the books, "Game of Thrones" is burning through plot lines like wildfire this season, converging storylines and serving up hashtag-worthy moments every week.
What I've enjoyed most about this season is that the showrunners are playing like they know the bottom of the ninth is coming up. With just two abbreviated seasons left, every move feels like it has the endgame in mind. We saw a lot of that last night.
The episode opens North of the Wall with Meera and Bran still running from the tragedy of last week. Bran is still plugged into the Weirwood matrix and downloading files. The Three Eyed Raven, who we'll get to in a moment, told him he needs to learn "everything." Bran's visions, which will no doubt prove crucial to the endgame down the line, contain at least a small part of that everything.
What stands out the most in these images is the quick glimpse of the Mad King Aerys ordering his pyromancers to burn down King's Landing and everyone in it. Of course, as our Intro to Westeros has taught us, Jaime slew Aerys and his flame-brains before that could happen. Why show us that? Why show of us any of it? What, exactly, is Bran learning?
*Begin Angry Rant*
I didn't get to write a review last week, but if I had, I would have said this about the Three Eyed Raven: He's a disappointment. The character has been teased for four-plus seasons, yet was killed before his role and impact became clear. What purpose did he serve as the Three Eyed Raven? What were his goals and intentions for Bran? What is his relationship and significance to both the White Walkers and the Children of the Forest?
The show sidelined anything of importance when it came the Three Eyed Raven. Add this to "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," and you've now got two iconic series wasting the legendary Max von Sydow. The fact that Bran now has to learn more on his own says to me that the Three Eyed Raven was never really needed in the first place.
*End Angry Rant*
But the real takeaway from this scene is the return of the long-lost Benjen Stark, now assuming the role of Coldhands from the books and confirming a long-held fan theory. Guy shows up, kicks some ice zombie ass, and drops a few truth bombs on Bran. Pretty great way to make your first appearance since season one.
Benjen explains that the Children of the Forest halted his turn into a White Walker. All of this suggests that the White Walkers may be more than just mindless killing machines. But while we're debating the implications of Benjen's physical state or trying to decipher meaning from Bran's visions, the show takes a few detours that are about as exciting as Mace Tyrell's blustering pump-up speech.
Sam takes Gilly home to his family, and his dad is predictably awful. Been there, done that already on "Thrones." The important thing to know is that Sam is taking Gilly and Baby Sam (and his father's Valyrian sword) with him.
In King's Landing, Tommen is acting a fool. He aligns the crown with the faith and awards them even greater power than before.
Give credit to the High Sparrow for anticipating every move from Lady Olenna and Cersei; his long con game would impress even Sawyer. But isn't it funny how disconnected everything in King's Landing feels nowadays? The political jockeying for the Iron Throne, once the lifeblood of this series, feels like a B-plot. North of the Wall is where all the action is now. We've seen how this show is going to end, and the petty squabbles for power in King's Landing pale in comparison to what is coming.
Though what is coming for Arya?
Arya can't go through with her Faceless Men hit, to the delight of the waif, and it's clear that she'll never be "no one."
"A shame," Jaqen H'ghar says with a sigh. "A girl had many gifts."
Arya finds Needle and presumably prepares to fight her way out of the House of Black and White. I'm interested to see how Arya rejoins the fray overall. I could see it going two different ways: either she goes back to Westeros and starts ticking off names on her own, or she seeks out Jon and Sansa to join the Stark family comeback tour. Either way, her re-introduction into the grand scheme could be important.
But perhaps not as important as Daenerys' return. Now backed by 100,000 Dothraki screamers, Dany has one of the most formidable armies in the world. Finally, after five seasons of throat clearing, she is poised to head to Westeros and start wreaking havoc. And, wouldn't you know, Yara and Theon Greyjoy just so happen to have a fleet of ships right now.
Dany's fantastic halftime speech is a great way to end the episode on a powerful note. But does anyone get the feeling that with more control over Drogon, a new Dothraki army and the introduction of a new Red Priestess, Dany could maybe become a bit too bloodthirsty and power hungry? Wouldn't that be an interesting turn after all these seasons of savior build-up?
"Blood of my Blood" raises some interesting questions that point to the home stretch of "Game of Thrones," and it includes the return of a few long-lost characters. It may have been the weakest effort of the season, but I think we can all agree that "Thrones" has earned a respite after such a stellar start.
Some Other Thoughts...
-I hate when the "Previously On..." spoils a plot reveal in the upcoming episode.
-Jaime is headed for Riverrun. Brienne is also headed for Riverrun. Will their paths cross as they represent the interests for opposing sides?
-Walder Frey makes his return to the screen in this episode. He still holds Edmure Tully, the Lord of Riverrun, captive. But the Blackfish has regained the castle. Let's start taking bets on how many more episodes Frey will still be breathing. I foresee an unpleasant run in with Arya in his future.
-Can we just take a moment to applaud Mace Tyrell's spectacular pea cocking efforts?
-Margaery is playing the game exceptionally well right now, using what is available to her and finding a way out of a difficult situation. But ultimately, her play is just a stalling tactic and I don't know if she has the juice to get out of this one alive.
-One big reason this episode could have been slow is that they blew half the budget on Drogon's CGI. I'm not complaining though, baby dragon has gotten big!
