Review: Game of Thrones - S6E03 - Oathbreaker

Spoiler Alert: These reviews contain spoilers for the titled episode. They may also contain spoilers for any previous episodes and published book content. If you are not caught up, this is your warning.

Wow.  This season seems to be batting a thousand so far.  Rob Bricken, in his review you can find over at io9 states that a running theme throughout this episode is anger and I would heartily agree.  Close to every character is some shade of angry, whether it be a simmering determination to downright boiling rage.  These characters (much like the audience, at this point) have been through a lot.  As we pelt onward to the encroaching conclusion to one of the most epic, sprawling tales out there, things are really coming together.  Here we go:  Oathbreaker.

 The Wall - In keeping with the chronology of the past episodes, we pick up immediately after the cliffhanger we were left on.  We see Jon rise from the table (and all the fangirls squeal) pale, cold, disoriented and scared.  He, very understandably, has not the slightest bleeping clue what is going on.  We see Davos' face in what may be one of the best WTF faces I've ever seen.  As he as tended towards, Davos has a fatherly nature to him, when it comes down to it, and he falls into this a bit here.  He also speaks with frankness and candor, mentioning that given how mad the situation seems to him, he can't imagine what Jon must be feeling.  I'm thinking that Jon's probably thinking he's spot on.

Melisandre enters and seems rather amazed that the ritual really worked.  Were Darth Vader here, I imagine he find her lack of faith disturbing; I sure did.  Look, lady, in a world where seeing is believing, where there clearly is magic and you actually do seem to know the in's and out's of at least some magic, you'd think you could recognize a genuine miracle right in front of you.  Maybe she does, but you would think that this would be faith affirming in a huge way.

Jon goes out and sees the boys and they have perfect looks of shock and awe on their faces.  Jon sees Tormund and mentions the vast majority of the men think he's some kind of God, but he knows better, having seen him Stark naked on that table.  We all get a nice chuckle out of that.  Good ol' Tormund.  Finally Jon gets to the stalwart Dolorous Edd.  He gives him a big hug and Edd gets a bit of a scare, wondering whether it really is still Jon in that skin because... well... Jon makes a joke.  It's good to see Edd finally gets to laugh.  :)

A Ship At Sea - Sam!  On one of the below-decks of a ship, mid-voyage, Sam tries to keep it together, doing his damndest to look heroic for Gilly as only Sam can.  They're headed to Oldtown, reportedly the most beautiful city in all of Westeros, where Sam will begin his pursuit of a Maester's chain so he can get back to Castle Black to fill the incredibly large shoes of the late, great Maester Aemon.  While speaking with Gilly, she talks about her journey to literacy and mentions a time "before she knew how to read" and we smile, knowing that was something like a few weeks ago.  She's a quick learner!

Sam also reiterates that he's doing this to do his duty for Castle Black, and for his best friend and Lord Commander, Jon Snow.  This moment really struck me, as I say there realizing Sam has no idea what happened at Castle Black.  For all he knows, Jon is still strongly in charge.  Think about those you hold most dear, and then think about being away on vacation.  The idea that something terrible could happen while you're away isn't a thought that occurs to most of us.  I wonder what Sam would do if he was to find out about this.  Inevitably he will, but what if this is after he's been chained and sworn?  Also, for that matter, would his vow as a Maester overwrite his vow as a man of the Night's Watch?  Maester Luwin, for example, as a Maester, was stationed at Winterfell and sworn to serve whoever ruled there, Stark or not.  I wonder if Sam would, as such, be assigned to Castle Black, regardless if the Night's Watch held sway there or not.  That being said, something tells me if the Night's Watch is gone from Castle Black, there might not be a Castle Black worth being a Maester for...

It is also brought up that while Sam had connections he could leverage at Castle Black which allowed him to bring Gilly to safety, he wouldn't have the same advantage down in Oldtown.  The Citadel, being an ancient order devoted to training the learned men of Westeros, would not have a woman in their halls.  Fortunately Sam's home is near Oldtown.  They're planning to take Gilly and baby Sam to Horn Hill, the ancestral seat of House Tarly and abode to the loving dad that told Sam he would go north, take The Black, and renounce any claim to house Tarly or he would have a most regrettable "hunting accident."  Luckily it sounds like the women of Sam's family are far better people.  Gilly and the baby may just be alright.

The Tower of Joy - Here we get to some real meat.  In another Bran flashback, we see a young Ned and company taking care of some business after the Battle of the Trident (where Robert Baratheon defeats young prince Rhaegar Targaryen).  Outside the tower are stationed some old school Kingsguard, still in service to Aerys (The Mad King) and the still-current royal family.  Visibly a much less flashy, much more practical group of guys, we see their armor is still the tri-crested helm, but here is simple steel, with an understated Targaryen sigil on the chest.  This is the armor of someone who is dressed for work.

Ned is looking for his sister, Lyanna (whom we met in the previous flashback).  Robert told us in season 1 that he was betrothed to her and the whole mess started because Rhaegar abducted her.  Sounds like this may be where he took her.  Among Ned's company is none other than Jojan and Meera's father, Howland Reed.  I don't know why, but I was surprised that he looked normal.  Being from The Neck, and a crannogman, I expected him to almost look like a mix between a human and the Children.

Ned demands to see his Sister and that the Kingsguard step aside.  At this point we see exactly why the Kingsguard used to be revered and respected.  Arguably the greatest knight to ever don armor, Ser Arthur Dayne steps forward.  He looks Ned in the face and turns him down.  Ned and his boys aren't taking no for an answer.  Cue one of the most badass fight scenes we've seen in the show yet.

Arthur Dayne is plainly head and shoulders above the rest; uniquely acquitting himself with a sword in each hand.  He takes on multiple simultaneous opponents with expert movement, showing exactly why Ser Barristan Selmy held him in such high regard.

In the end, Bran sees that the only way Dayne was defeated wasn't, in fact, due to his father honorably wresting victory from the paragon of the Kingsguard, but instead was thanks to a timely shanking from a not-dead-yet Howland Reed.  Bran is visibly shaken as a key story about his father, our greatest example of an honorable man, is shifted forever.

Ned runs for the tower.  The Raven tells him it's time to go.  We're pissed.  So is Bran.  He chases after his father, calling out for him but sadly, we know no one can hear or see them.  Except Ned turns.  Looking around, sure he heard something (we know he did), he stops a moment.  He can't see anything, shakes it off and runs up the stairs.  We're ready to follow, to get some answers!  Yet again, Bran is denied, and so too are we.  The Raven instructs Bran to moderate and that he should be mindful that he will not stay there forever and that he has much to learn.  When he asks what, the Raven says one chilling word... "Everything."

Vaes Dothrak - Dany enters the Dothraki capital and more and more I tire of the Dothraki.  She looks at them, plainly as someone on a whole other level.  They treat her with disrespect and an odd air of superiority (you'd think that they might possibly view a dragon as a big, winged horse or something... although Drogon isn't exactly around either...).  She's taken to the Dosh Kahleen, a coven of withered ex-Khaleesi's, who try to verbally intimidate the Mother of Dragons.  All I can think is that either they'll soon be following her, or they'll be kindling.  They know not with whom they mess.

Meereen - Varys meets with the woman who was giving comfort to that cuddly unsullied last season, until he got that really sloppy tracheotomy and we see the face of the Sons of the Harpy for the first time.  We see, yet again, why Varys is where he is and how he's gotten so far.  He's very good.  He gives her the opportunity to help him out, smartly using honey instead of vinegar while still conveying just how much danger she and her son could find themselves in.  It was an extremely well played scene.

Jump over to Tyrion playing out a short, funny scene between himself, Grey Worm and Missandei.  It would seem games, drinking and even conversation are not things that easily cross cultural and societal divides.  In comes Varys, and we learn that a plan is being put in place where his spies and being deployed to Volantis, Astapor and Yunkai.  He and Tyrion are planning to unleash some serious multi-point espionage.  I'm interested to see how this goes.

Kings Landing - Speaking of little birds, the new Master of Whispers talks with the KL chapter of the Little Birds gang.  Qyburn plies them with sweets while they ask where their old master is.  Almost sounds like they miss him.  They're told that they're working for Qyburn now and that the arrangements will remain largely the same, so long as they continue their good work, just for him now.

Shortly thereafter, in comes Jamie, Cersei and Ser Robert Strong.  Wait... Ser Gregor.  Qyburn just says it, straight up, as if it's no big deal that the guy used to be a corpse.  "Oh, don't mind him.  I know what you're thinking, but trust me, it's cool."  So much for that; I suppose the mystery is slightly easier to buy on paper, but looking at him, and having seen so many scenes of Qyburn working on his body, there plainly was no mystery intended.

Cersei meets with her Master of Whispers and demands he stretch his spy tendrils out to their farthest extent, wanting word of even the slightest inflammatory goings-on.  She's had it up to here with other people messing with them and she's ready to be in undisputed power again.

The Small Council Chamber - Lord and Hand-of-the-King, Ser Kevan Lannister meets with the small council.  Pycelle, whinging and moaning as usual, is griping about the queen's new bodyguard.  The best part is when the twins Lannister walk in with the hulk looming behind them.

Pycelle keeps rambling as every other gaze in the room (include the returning Olenna Tyrell!) turns to the new guests.  With classic comedic timing he stammers to a halt, turns and... "...he's right behind me, isn't he..."

The twins look at the small council and Cersei is dismayed about being left out.  I love how Kevan has at no point put up with Cersei's shenanigans, and Olenna Tyrell, I don't think, has put up with someone's crap a day in her life.

Obstinately, when refused a place at the table, and flatly told by the Queen of Thorns that she (Cersei) is not the queen anymore, she and Jamie channel a bit of Tyrion and pull up chairs anyway.  Just as we're thinking things are going to move forward, the small council simply decides "Sure, we can't make Cersei leave, but she can't make us stay" and they leave.  How's that for adaptability?

The Great Sept of Baelor - Tommen goes to see the High Sparrow and decides to really lay some force down.  He puts his game face on, squares his shoulders, tells the priest exactly how it's going to be... and then gets played like a fiddle.  Tommen, as young as he is, is plainly doing the best he can, drawing on the advice he's been given, but oddly enough, he could probably do with having a little Joff in him.  Tommen's prudence and willingness to listen combined with just a touch of gusto and willfulness might just be a great combo.  As it stands, he's brushed off.

Braavos - Finally back in the House of Black and White, Arya undergoes a great training montage.  It's tightly edited and has awesome mental training woven in amongst the physical.  As her character is systematically broken down, she gets real with herself.  We hear that she really views Jon as her full brother, though she knows he isn't.  She's honest with herself about her feelings about The Hound.  We realize that her list has become startlingly short.  It's odd to think there's actually been that kind of progress made, but given that it is Game of Thrones... folks be dyin'.

After the Waif puts Arya through her paces, finally being bested by the girl she was so easily beating not so long ago, a man we recognize as looking like Jaqen H'gar takes over.  He gives Arya the "No One" questions and she answers predictably.  He then sits her down on the edge of the small pool and says "If you really are No One, drink this."

In this moment, I have to say, though I knew where it was going, I was still scared for her.  We've seen the water send those looking for the long sleep drink and die.  It makes me wonder if magic was involved (apart from what's usually there) or what this might be.  How is it that it brings back her sight?  We haven't seen the water used for ought else but giving the gift of death.  I'm not sure what to think of this.  At the end of the day, we have an Arya with her vision back and that's to the good.

Winterfell - This scene was crazy to me.  The Boltons show up, exchange unpleasantries in an all-too-Umber-like fashion and state that they know about Jon's Wildling situation at the wall.  Ramsay wants fealty (of course) and the Umbers are fine with that, but ain't gonna be no kneelin', ring kissin' or scrapin' for the new Warden of the North, no sir... but never let it be said that the Umbers show up with nothing to offer.

In stumbles two burlap-hooded captives, looking rough and ragged to say the least.  Off comes hood number one and it's our old Wildling friend Osha.  To our dawning horror, it takes two seconds to do the math on who's under the second hood.  Off it comes and sure enough, it's Rickon Stark.  This is doubly huge because as far as anyone knows, he's the only living male Stark left on the planet.

Color Ramsay skeptical, he doesn't buy it.  How does he know that this is really Rickon?  Could be anyone, right?  Well, sounds like the Umbers thought he'd say that, so they give him proof: the head of Shaggy Dog, Rickon's damn direwolf.

This turned my stomach.  The only thing that consoles me is that I think there's a good deal of Shaggy Dog in Rickon, and maybe, just maybe, Ramsay will have gotten more than he bargained for in the youngest Stark.  Let the wolfblood run hot in your veins, Rickon.  Time to take back Winterfell.

Please let that be where this goes....

Castle Black - Back to Jon.  He comes out, looking like he's got to do some Lord Commander business.  He grabs Longclaw and, after last season, I was pretty sure we were going to see someone go the way of Slynt.  Turns out they're going to expedite the process and the four main traitors have nooses around their necks.

True to his Stark training, he gives the men their last words and hears them all out.  You know, at the end of this, I really had to say I respected Ser Alliser Thorne.  He's an unlikable bastard, but he really did do what he did for The Watch.  He stuck to his guns and, as far as he thought, stood by his vows.  What do you think?  Should Alliser Thorne really have been executed?

Jon Snow thought so.  After a tortured moment, Jon swings Longclaw down with gusto, dropping the supports from the men, strangling the life out of them.  After a few moments, their faces are changed into asphyxiated death masks.  And so their watch is ended...

Jon walks to Edd, takes his cloak off, and does what I've been predicting since I read in the books that Jon Snow had been killed:  if he came back, he'd be leaving The Watch.  Their vows state "It shall not end until my death."  Well, vow fulfilled and for the first time since Season 1, Episode 2, Jon Snow is no longer a member of the Night's Watch.  Where do you think he's off to?

Thank you all for reading.  As always, please hit up the comments below, share your thoughts.  I really would like to hear your thoughts on the episode and would love to discuss what went on in this third, excellent episode!

 Also be sure to check out the reviews our buddies from Boiled Leather are doing over at Rolling Stone and The Nerdstream Era!