Game of Thrones Review: "Book of the Stranger"

          Well it’s taken a little time but season six of Game of Thrones is now moving forward. With “Book of the Stranger” a number of the major conflicts that have been hinted at in past episodes are starting to take affect and we’re getting an idea of where they’re going (except Dorne, that whole revolution’s just in the background now). This episode provided a number of long-awaited reunions as well as some important developments (particularly in the Essos storylines) that look to be putting the story back on track.
          For one thing, we FINALLY get a reunion between Starks. This is the first time in three seasons that any member of the Stark family has seen another and it was really rewarding. Brienne actually manages to get Sansa to the Wall, and Jon’s been revived just in time to see his sister again. For not having worked with each other for five years, Kit Harrington and Sophie Turner had pretty decent chemistry as they talk about old times and as Sansa tries to push Jon into taking back Winterfell. Gone are the days when she was content just to be safe, she wants to take action now. But Jon doesn’t think it’s his responsibility. Brienne also boasts to Melissandre and Davos about how she killed Stannis, and that she still bears a grudge against them for their accessory to Renly’s death. But come on, Davos didn’t do anything!
          A few interesting things took place in King’s Landing this week. There was another reunion between siblings as Margery got to see Loras for the first time since last season. Prior to that she endured another parable from the High Sparrow talking about his past and his own sins, and particularly how he learned there was more truth in the poor than the rich. He clearly wants Margery to give up her life of riches. There’s also apparently a Bible for this religion, a component of which gives its name to the episode title. Seeing Loras, she tries to keep his spirits up but he seems almost as broken as Theon was under Ramsay. The scene is performed fairly well by Natalie Dormer and Finn Jones and you wonder how long they’re going to be kept in these circumstances. Cersei however manages to extract from Tommen that Margery is going to made to take the same walk of atonement she did, and formulates a strategy. She and Jamie take this information to Olenna Tyrell who is determined not to let that happen. It’s actually kind of great to see Cersei and Olenna on the same page for once, as they (and Jamie and Kevan) plot their take-down of the Faith Militant. The Tyrells will attack King’s Landing in revolt, defeat the Sparrows, Tommen and Margery will be back in power, and Kevan will get his son Lancel back from that order. It’s a very shrewd plan and I’d like to see if it works out.
          Even more surprisingly and for the first time this season, I’m invested in what happens in the east. In Mereen Tyrion is becoming quite a diplomat. He, like many of us, knows it was a mistake for Daenerys to immediately impose an end to slavery in all cities she came across, and that that was the reason for the rise of the terrorists. He offers the leaders of those cities more breathing room, a chance to abolish slavery within seven years guaranteeing recompense for slave owners. The scene is one of the better written and better acted in the episode, I was astonished how much I was engaged in the politics. Though the city leaders seem interested in his proposal, Tyrion faces opposition from many of the free slaves in Mereen as well as his fellow advisers Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel did a really good job in this episode) and Grey Worm both of whom had been slaves most of their lives. It looks like they’re implying problems will arise from this plan which is a shame because I think Tyrion has the right idea.
          Meanwhile Theon returns to the Iron Islands and is the third character to reunite with his sister -though it doesn’t go nearly as well. After all, last time Yara saw him he foiled an attempt at his own rescue resulting in the loss of a number of her men. So she’s pretty pissed with him, especially given the coincidence he just happens to show up as the Iron Islands are choosing Balon’s successor (and manhood or not, Theon’s likely to be favoured over her). Theon though, supports her claim. However this turns out, I like how dedicated Theon is to righting his wrongs first with Sansa, now with Yara. We check in with the Vale and see Littlefinger for the first time this season. He intimidates one of his vassals showing just how much power he has over Robin Arryn, the teenage Lord of the land. Also it looks like Sansa’s marriage to Ramsay may have been part of another plan, as he claims she had been kidnapped by the Boltons. Littlefinger’s also aware that Sansa’s made for the Wall and fears she won’t have adequate protection there so he convinces Robin to send knights to protect her.
          And she’ll need them, considering the Wall has just received a letter from Ramsay demanding he send her back to him, while also revealing he has their brother Rickon captive. I don’t know why Sansa’s so quick to believe he really has her brother (she may just want whatever excuse necessary to retake Winterfell). In any case, that news as well as a graphic description of what Ramsay will do to them when he marches on Castle Black is enough to convince Jon. What many fans were hoping for seems inevitable: it’s going to be bastard vs. bastard- Jon Snow vs. Ramsay Bolton! Though even with the Wildlings they’re outnumbered, Sansa seems to think Jon will be able to get support from some families as the son of Ned Stark. And hopefully Littlefinger’s sending enough knights. We did check in with Ramsay himself briefly, during which unfortunately as I predicted last week one of his captives was instantly killed. Osha tries the same seduction on him that she tried on Theon four seasons ago, but because Theon had confided it to Ramsay it ends with a knife through Osha’s neck. She was never a great character, but Natalia Tena was a very welcome part of the show and it’s too bad she had to leave as soon as she got back.
          For the first time this season we don’t end the episode at the Wall. I was dreading we were going to be wasting a season on another uninteresting Daenerys plot, but luckily it got a whole lot more exciting this week. Jorah and Darrio made it to Vaes Dothrak and even managed to find Dany, but instead of letting them attempt to smuggle her out, she comes up with another plan for that night in the temple. As soon as she begins speaking after the assembled Khals are through being assholes of the highest calibre, you know they’re all going to die. And sure enough she declares herself leader of the Dothraki and spills all the braziers in the temple setting the whole place on fire. Eventually Dany emerges pretty much exactly as she had at the end of season one (I thought Emilia Clarke wasn’t doing any more nude scenes). Once again everyone bows and she’s seems to have another army. While I do think the ending is a little too derivative of the end of season one, her destruction of the temple and khals was pretty awesome and it does set her back on track which I really like. Will she take this new host of Dothraki back to Mereen and resume her role there, or will she finally get to Westeros and take back the Iron Throne?
          “Book of the Stranger” really got the gears for this season in motion after a couple minor stumbles in the first three episodes. It definitely feels like there arcs now and I’m interested in where multiple conflicts are going, whether it be in Mereen, the war for the north, the battle for King’s Landing, even the fate of the Iron Islands. For the first time this season I really feel that even without the books to guide them, the makers of Game of Thrones know what they’re doing!