Game of Thrones 6.04: "Book of the Stranger"

“We never should have left Winterfell.”
-Jon Snow

This episode of “Game of Thrones” featured the first in what I would imagine will be many reunions between characters who haven’t seen each other in quite some time. The Starks are coming back together, and they’re taking back what’s theirs (or at least, that’s what they want to do). I’m glad to see this turn in the story. The characters kept spreading out and the various story threads kept getting more numerous, and now everyone is starting to come back together. I really want to see the Starks prevail after everything they’ve been through, and now that the reunions are happening, I hope we’re starting to move towards that point. There are also some other interesting plots going on in this episode (we can’t possibly have an episode of “Game of Thrones” with out many disparate plots), but the action in the North made me the most happy in this one.

We start in the North and with that reunion I mentioned. Jon and Edd are having a bit of an argument about Jon’s plans to leave Castle Black and the Night’s Watch. Jon feels like he can’t stay, considering a bunch of the Brothers killed him and all. He’s pretty low on self-esteem at the moment in general. Edd, for his part, is mad that Jon’s abandoning them now, especially since me made a lifetime commitment. Jon reminds Edd that his life, and his Watch, have ended. He doesn’t really know what he’s going to do next other than go South. While this argument is happening, Sansa, Brienne, and somebody else (Gendry, maybe?) arrive at Castle Black. Jon sees Sansa, and they rush towards each other and hug. It’s a really sweet reunion, although since this is “Game of Thrones,” the sweetness doesn’t last for long.

Jon and Sansa reminisce over the old Winterfell days over a meal. They were generally happy as kids, and they trace the beginnings of all their misfortunes back to leaving Winterfell. Since they left, both have seen and experienced unspeakable horrors. The reminiscing soon turns into an argument, however, over whether or not they should try and take back Winterfell. Sansa is firmly on the side of taking back what is theirs, while Jon is hesitating because he’s just plain tired of fighting. Outside, Melissandre and Davos have a conversation where Melissandre tells him that she serves Jon now. When Davos wants to know what happened to Stannis, Brienne arrives on the scene to fill in the important details, including how she executed him.

Let’s head East next to Slaver’s Bay, where Tyrion is trying to negotiate with the Masters for peace and an end to the Sons of the Harpy. Pretty much everyone who talks to Tyrion is skeptical that this will actually work, but Tyrion feels like he has to try. If anyone can accomplish this, it’s Tyrion, but I’m a little skeptical that even his masterful skill with words will solve this problem. The deal he offers the Masters is that slavery will not return to Meereen, everywhere else has seven years to abolish the practice, and the Masters will be compensated for the loss of their slaves. In return, the Masters will stop supporting the Sons of the Harpy. Tyrion’s overall strategy is to make the Masters think abolition is in their best interest. A bunch of former slaves are pissed at Tyrion for negotiating with the Masters, and they ask Missandei and Grey Worm for their opinion. They are both truly skeptical, but they publicly support Tyrion’s attempt at negotiation. Privately, they tell him to watch his back. Tyrion thinks they have a chance because the Masters underestimate them, but Missandei and Grey Worm aren’t so sure. It’s an interesting discussion in our current political climate.

Next, we head to Vaes Dothrak. Daario and Jorah are outside the city, trying to strategize about how to rescue Dany from the Dosh Khaleen. Daario is not fond of Jorah, and he generally keeps giving Jorah shit and bragging about how he’s banged the Khaleesi and Jorah hasn’t. It’s kind of gross. Jorah, for his part, mostly keeps it together and explains that they’re going to have to sneak Dany out in the middle of the night. They’re also going to have to leave their weapons behind so that they won’t get in quite as much trouble if they’re discovered. This makes Daario very unhappy. When they enter the city, they are indeed stopped, and Jorah’s story about them being merchants isn’t believed. Daario kept one of his weapons after all, and he kills the person who was questioning them. Jorah points out that there’s going to be a lot of trouble if it’s discovered that somebody was stabbed (weapons really aren’t allowed in the sacred city), so Daario smashes the dead guy with a rock, too, to hide the stab wound.

In King’s Landing, Margaery is still in the custody of the High Sparrow, and after lecturing her a little bit, he lets her go see Loras. Margaery was hoping to inspire Loras to keep fighting the good fight against the Faith Militant, but they have completely broken him. At the Red Keep, Cersei interrupts Tommen talking to Grand Maester Pycelle. Tommen, once they are alone, tells Cersei a secret, which she of course immediately reveals to Lady Oleanna and Kevan. Apparently the High Sparrow is close to having Margaery do her walk of shame like Cersei had to do. She wants the Tyrell family army to put down the High Sparrow and the Faith Militant before this happens. Lady Oleanna hesitates at first, but eventually agrees, because she doesn’t want someone from her family to experience that shame.

Let’s wrap up the rest of the news from Westeros before we go back for a final check-in in the East. We pay a brief visit to the Vale, where we learn that Robin Aaryn is terrible at archery and Petyr Baelish is still up to his old tricks. Littlefinger returns to the Vale and brings Robin a falcon as a present. He tries to frame Royce for leaking his plans to transport Sansa, which resulted in Sansa being married to Ramsey Bolton. Robin wants to throw Royce through the Moon Door, but Littlefinger “convinces” him he should be spared to help command the troops in the war to come. He also “convinces” Robin to join in the fight to help Sansa, since they’re cousins and all. Something tells me this won’t end well. Theon goes home to the Iron Islands, where his sister is wary of him at first. Once she’s convinced that he doesn’t want to take the throne away from her, she welcomes him home. At Winterfell, a sadistic-as-ever Ramsay kills Osha before sending a threatening letter to Castle Black. The letter threatens Rickon, and when Jon and Sansa receive it, it’s the final straw to finally make Jon agree to retake Winterfell.

In Vaes Dothrak, Dany is tiring of the company of the Dosh Khaleen, especially since they like to keep chiding her for daring to have a life of her own after Khal Drogo’s death. She does develop a bit of a friendship with one especially young Dosh Khaleen, though, but when they go for a walk, they get caught. This leads to Dany being reunited with Jorah and Daario, though. Dany is taken to the meeting where the top Khals are going to decide her fate. Dany offers her own opinion of her situation – she doesn’t think this group of Khals are any good, and she is going to rule the Dothraki. She then quickly backs up her statement by starting a fire in the building. She’s impervious to fire being a Targaryen and all. As she emerges from the flames, all the assembled Dothraki (plus Jorah and Daario) bow down to her.