‘Game of Thrones’ Season 6: What you need to know.
Peeling back the shroud of secrecy surrounding the rollout of Season 6
It may not be in the same category as a Ned Stark beheading, but what the ruthless people behind “Game of Thrones” have done to TV critics is, nonetheless pretty vicious. For the first time since the show debuted in 2011, HBO declined to send out advance episodes for review that could be passed on as vital intel for you. In fact, as Season 6 of the wildly popular fantasy series approaches, the level of secrecy surrounding “Game of Thrones” is at an all-time high. Why, you ask? It’s partially because the show is about to enter new territory. The plot lines are speeding past George R.R. Martin’s best-selling novels, which have served as the “Thrones” blueprint. Now, everything is essentially a spoiler. Still, we refused to be deterred. Like a pack of ravenous dire wolves, we prowled the Internet and combed through trailers, sniffing out every morsel of information we could find. Here then is our Season 6 primer:
Where we left off
Some shows end seasons with a major cliffhanger. “Game of Thrones” finished off Season 5 with a virtual avalanche.
To recap: Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) escaped an assassination attempt but was captured by the Dothraki; Cersei (Lena Headey) was stripped of power and forced by religious fundamentalists to march naked through Kings Landing; Sansa (Sophie Turner) was fleeing Winterfell — with Theon (Alfie Allen) — in hopes of escaping her sadistic husband Ramsay (Iwan Rheon); Arya (Maisie Williams) was blinded by Jaqen (Tom Wlaschiha), her mentor at the House of Black and White; and, of course, Jon Snow (Kit Harington) was repeatedly stabbed and left for dead by a group of Night’s Watch traitors. (A moment of silence, please).
Where we resume
Sunday’s opening episode is titled “The Red Woman,” a reference to the seductive sorceress Melisandre (Carice van Houten). The story reportedly picks up at Castle Black, right after the attack on Jon Snow. Fans will recall that Melisandre had fled to Castle Black after trying — and failing — to use her powers to save Stannis Baratheon’s army from defeat by sacrificing his young daughter, Shireen.
According to an episode log line issued by HBO, “survivors from all parts of Westeros and Essos regroup to press forward, inexorably, toward their uncertain individual fates. Familiar faces will forge new alliances to bolster their strategic chances at survival, while new characters will emerge to challenge the balance of power in the east, west, north and south.”
Whither Jon Snow?
Since the end of Season 5, fans have obsessively speculated about the fate of the Lord Commander, despite the fact that producers, cast members and HBO suits have all insisted that poor Jon is indeed a goner. Clearly, some of us can’t imagine the show going on without the bushy-haired heartthrob.
So theories continue to be offered up on how Snow might return to the land of the living. The most popular one has Melisandre using her dark magic to somehow resurrect the brooding warrior. Hence, all the excitement over the title of Episode 1.
Some early raves
Although HBO did not send out screeners, the cable titan did hold a glitzy red-carpet premiere of the Season 6 opener in Hollywood, where a few media members were in attendance. Of
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course, the reporters were under strict orders not to divulge plot details, but they did gauge audience reaction.
The Hollywood Reporter wrote that “numerous moments throughout the episode elicited gasps of shock, unexpected (and uncomfortable) laughter and long moments of stunned silence.” Meanwhile, Entertainment Weekly emphasized the episode’s speed: “Unlike some years, when ‘Thrones’ started with a somewhat slower-paced episode that re-established all the various storylines, ‘The Red Woman’ hits the ground at full sprint.”
Women on top
The fans who have complained about female characters getting a raw deal may like what they see this season. From all accounts, several of the show’s women — including Daenerys, Brienne (Gwendoline Christie), Arya, Cersei and Sansa — will take center stage as they evolve in interesting ways.The change might be particularly satisfying in the case of Turner’s previously timid Sansa, who was the victim in a brutal — and highly controversial — rape scene last season.
“It’s the phoenix from the ashes,” Turner tells TV Guide. “This season, she’s a leader (who) ... wants revenge on anyone who has done harm to her or her family.”
Bran, Hodor return
After sitting on the sidelines for all of last season, the paralyzed young teen Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright), returns to action, along with his hulking bodyguard, Hodor (Kristian Nairn).
Season 4 ended with Bran tapping into his mysterious supernatural powers, which allow him to see across time and transfer himself into the bodies of other creatures. Those powers will be further explored this season as Bran progresses under the tutelage of the enigmatic Three-Eyed Raven, played by screen legend Max von Sydow, who takes over a role originated by Struan Rodger.
Under further review
For years, we bemoaned the fact that “Game of Thrones” didn’t have a weekly companion “after show,” like “The Walking Dead” has with “Talking Dead.” No other TV drama is more in need of thoughtful postgame analysis.
Now there is one. “After the Thrones,” hosted by Andy Greenwald and Chris Ryan, will recap the latest episode by breaking down the who, what, when and where of the storyline, while exploring the complicated politics and history of “Thrones” and offering theories about future episodes.
Follow Chuck Barney at Twitter.com/chuckbarney and Facebook.com/ bayareanewsgroup. chuckbarney.