Game of Thrones, Episode 6, Beyond the Wall

This episode should have been called “Nail biting scenes beyond the wall and some boring parts in Winterfell.” Can we resolve that silly Arya/Sansa storyline already?

BEYOND THE WALL: We begin beyond the wall where snow is new for some of our characters. Interesting conversation between Tormund (my favorite Wildling) and Jon who seems to imply Jon should not let his pride about bending the knee to “The Dragon Queen” get people killed.

I like the catching up between Jon and Jorah and the conversation between the rest of the gang. It’s nice to see all these subplots come together. Though truth is without the “what happened last time” at the beginning of this episode I wouldn’t have remembered some things like the significance of the sword.

WINTERFELL: Arya confronts Sansa for purportedly “helping” the Lannisters kill their father. Why Arya can’t realize Sansa was forced to write that letter is beyond me. She thinks Sansa could have done more to help. She’s not buying Sansa’s, “I was just a child.” I buy that though! Arya seems really unreasonable in this scene and paranoid.

BEYOND THE WALL: The Hound and Tormund bring much needed comic relief. I love the conversation about Tormund’s love for Brienne. There’s some talk between Jon and Beric about the Lord of Light and death being the ultimate enemy. The Hound sees the mountain he saw in the fire. They are getting close!

WESTEROS: Dany and Tyrion talk about Tyrion’s lack of heroics and why Dany appreciates that. Tyrion points out that all the heroes she named are in love with her. In discussing Jon Snow she unexpectedly says, “He’s too little.” Random! Anyway, I love Tyrion’s speech about not ruling with fear. I’m looking forward to the upcoming face-to-face between Cersei and Dany. Tyrion is worried about the succession plan since Dany has no non-dragon children. She says they will discuss that only after she wears the crown.

BEYOND THE WALL: That bear. Yuck.

WINTERFELL: Littlefinger is up to I don’t know what. Always something.

BEYOND THE WALL: First view of the army of the dead, but only a small band of them. I really hate these fights. How the heck are they going to kidnap one of those things? Did anyone in that gang think this plan through????

Gendry is sent back to get word to Dany without his hammer. I don’t like it! Ugh and then SO MANY WHITE WALKERS. We do, however, get an important plot point: killing a White Walker will also kill the army folks that the White Walker raised up from the dead. Efficient!

WINTERFELL: Brienne doesn’t feel right about leaving Sansa and I agree with her. Things never go well with Brienne away!

WESTEROS: Dany: “I’m not doing nothing again.” I love her snow outfit. She’s headed North!

BEYOND THE WALL: Oy, The Hound throws that rock and shows the white walkers that the ice is no longer breaking. Things are going to get violent again. And . . . here we go. Our guys are horribly outnumbered, but there’s no way they are all dying. Oh no! Someone save Tormund! Here comes The Hound! But then we lost one. Who was that?

O.M.G. Dany and the dragons! Oh no! We lost a dragon! Will it become part of the dead army now? And they’re leaving without Jon? Okay, hold on. Jon is up from the ice. With his sword. Then Benjen shows up to save Jon . . . HOW exactly?! . . . and puts Jon on a horse. This all felt a bit too convenient. They should have showed us more of Benjen in the last episode. Didn’t he randomly save Bran once too?

Dany is clearly waiting for Jon to emerge. Jorah is all, “It’s time to go.” Okay, Jon is safely on the boat and now Dany has seen all his deadly wounds.

WINTERFELL: Hated that scene with Arya and Sansa and the faces. I don’t like that subplot at all after we waited so long for Arya to be reunited with her family.

WESTEROS: Well, now Dany is on board to kill The Night King and his army. And she does NOT want to be called Dany. Jon offers to bend the knee. They hold hands. Why can’t I get a kiss already??

BEYOND THE WALL: Oh s%^t. Yeah, The Night King brought the dragon into his army. This isn’t good. That blue eye will haunt me tonight.

READ THE SUMMARY FOR EPISODE SEVEN

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Nina Badzin hosts the podcast Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship. She's been writing about friendship since 2014, co-leads the writing groups at ModernWell in Minneapolis, and reviews 30+ books a year on her website.

4 Responses

  1. ZOMBIE DRAGON!!!!????!!!!! I cannot help but think how bad that’s going to be for our heroes. And I am so conflicted about Dany and Jon, their chemistry is so good but still……………..

  2. Watching the dragon die was heartbreaking! I think the reveal last week about Jon’s parents means that he is the rightful heir to the throne, not Dany, and that they are actually related. Not that this is an obstacle to a relationship in Westeros, but still…

  3. I loved your comments in real time it was like you were taking notes as you were watching it. There were several times I had said the same thing for example “Oh no, someone just died who was that?” Great blog Nina, I am now officially a fan!
    And I agree can they just kiss already?

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Hi, I'm Nina

HI, I’M NINA BADZIN. I’m a writer fascinated by the dynamics of friendship, and I’ve been answering anonymous advice questions on the topic since 2014. I now also answer them on my podcast, Dear Nina! I’m a creative writing instructor at ModernWell in Minneapolis, a freelance writer and editor, and an avid reader who reviews 50 books a year. Welcome to my site! 

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Hi, I'm Nina

DEAR NINA: Conversations About Friendship is a podcast and newsletter about the ups and downs of adult friendship. I’m the host, Nina Badzin, a Minneapolis-based writer who accepted a position as a friendship advice columnist in 2014 and never stopped. DEAR NINA, the podcast, started in 2021, and has been referenced in The Wall Street JournalThe Washington PostTime Magazine, The GuardianThe Chicago TribuneThe Minneapolis Star Tribune, and elsewhere

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