Sunday night’s episode ended with a big bang confirming what many fans have suspected for a year now: Jon Snow is back! I obviously have some in-depth thoughts about that, which you can read about here.
Now that we know for sure that my future husband is back, let’s discuss all the other epic moments that happened in this episode, which will no doubt go down as one of the most seismic episodes of the series, right up there with the Red Wedding.
Before we move forward, please understand that the following post is riddled with spoiler alerts. If you haven’t seen “Home” yet (season 6, episode 2), like fucking duh stop reading already.
NORTH
The episode starts off North of the Wall, with Bran Stark and the three-eyed raven channeling a flashback to Winterfell and the boyhood of Bran’s father, Ned Stark. Young Ned is seen playing with Benjen Stark and shortly after, Lyanna Stark appears on horseback. Even Hodor’s included in this flashback party, although they call him Wylis, and he can actually say things other than “Hodor.” It will definitely be exciting to visit Hodor’s backstory this season.
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I have to say, I do not believe it is a coincidence that this episode starts off with Bran’s vision of Lyanna and Ned and ends with Jon Snow’s resurrection.
I think this was just the beginning of Lyanna’s character development and that we’re going to see and learn a lot more about her throughout this season. I think we’ll finally learn the true identity of Jon Snow’s parents, and whether the long held fan theory known as R+J=L is true.
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I also believe there was a reason we got to see young Benjen since the last time we saw him was in Season 1, when he left Castle Black to head north of the wall on a ranging. Later in Season 1, his horse returns to Castle Black and his fellow rangers are later found dead but there is no sign of Benjen himself.
That being said, everyone knows that if we don’t see the murder or an actual dead body with our own eyes, it’s possible that the character isn’t actually dead. (Or in Jon’s case even if we see the murder and the actual body, it’s still a possibility to come back to life)
I have a mild suspicion that we will get to find out what really happened to Benjen this season and that he’ll be coming back—either alive or as a Wight.
One thing I’m curious about is the meaning behind the Three Eyed Raven’s response when Bran gets upset for being taken from his vision too early.
“It is beautiful beneath the sea, but if you stay too long, you’ll drown,” said the Three Eyed Raven. To which Bran replied, “I wasn’t drowning, I was home,” echoing the title of this episode.
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As for Meera, she just seemed super over being there (I get in those moods too, but for me it’s just called hungry). But the Child of the Forest assures relentless and annoyed Meera that Bran will need her. “He won’t be in there forever,” she tells the girl.
So unfortunately for Meera, she’s going to have to stick around even if she has absolutely nothing to do (which kinda perfectly describes me at my last job).
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I believe Bran’s developing warg powers are going to play a prominent role this season, from his flashback visions to his friendship with the Children Of The Forest to the war that is coming. I think it’s also possible that Bran and Jon will reunite this season in saving the realm (that is if Jon is in fact the reborn Azor Ahai and possibly even reunite with his other Stark siblings.
Braavos
Arya Stark is still a blind beggar and gets the shit beaten out of her in yet another episode. Jaqen H’ghar appears to tempt Arya with food, shelter, and eyesight in exchange for saying her name, but Arya does not give in and responds each time with “A girl has no name.”
At this point, I’m not even sure if Arya refuses because she’s that strong, or if she’s just so delusional from starvation and being beaten up that she doesn’t actually remember her name. Regardless, she passes the test and Jaqen instructs her to leave her beggar’s dish and follow him.
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I don’t know if it’s the wine talking, but I swear if you closed your eyes and listened to Jaqen’s creepy low voice as he asks Arya his first two questions, it almost sounds like a creepy fuckboy at a bar with no game trying to hit on her by asking for her name.
King’s Landing
The show continues with short-haired Cersei Lannister who’s marching along the path to redemption by ordering her monster pal, The Mountain, to kill anyone who’s mocked her in the streets. The Meowtain (I just made a cat joke, LOL) smashes the head of the man who flashed her during her walk of shame and later boasted about doing so to his pals.
Jaime goes to mourn his daughter (whoops, I mean niece), Myrcella, at the High Sept, where he gets into it with the High Sparrow, who has become one cocky little prick. The High Sparrow reminds Jaime that his people have nothing to lose—no wealth, no families, no names, and yet together they can “overthrow an empire.” If I didn’t know any better, I’d think that the High Sparrow’s real name was Bernie Sanders. #FeelTheSparrow
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Lastly, Tommen Lannister finally realizes that he’s a terrible ruler. I mean it’s not his fault since he’s like, 12, and I’m pretty sure his balls haven’t even dropped yet.
There is a touching moment between Cersei and her son Tommen during which he apologizes for everything and asks for help in making everything right. Cersei calmly accepts his apology and stays, because, let’s be honest, she has no spare kids left so she might as well play her cards right with this one.
In her defense, I will admit that although she may be a heartless, cold-blooded cunt with beautiful genes, when it comes to her children even a blind man can see how much she cares for them.
Meeren
Dany is still busy playing a Dothraki widow while one of the many current issues back at Meeren is that the dragons refuse to eat. Tyrion Lannister insists that if they free the two dragons, then they will eat. Tyrion’s reasoning behind this idea? “I drink and I know things,” he says.
Everyone seemed so tense during the scene when Tyrion frees the dragons, but I didn’t even flinch, which could be because I was just as wine drunk as Tyrion was when he suggested his brilliant plan.
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To keep this short, Tyrion manages to charm the Dragons and talk himself out of being eaten. He frees the dragons and walks out in one piece because apparently the dragons understand English.
Maybe the real reason behind why I didn’t flinch when Tyrion was near the dragons is because of the increasingly popular fan theory that Tyrion’s obsession with dragons and being able to talk to them is no coincidence because he’s secretly a Targaryen.
The Iron Islands
We see Yara Greyjoy (girl power!) and Balon Greyjoy arguing over the merits of invading the mainland. He threatens that if she disobeys him, he’ll make another heir, which seems like quite a stretch. Still, Yara is kind enough to let that one slide. (If there was a show called “Parents say the darndest things” instead of “Kids say the darndest things,” Balon would definitely appear on it).
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Balon then storms out and goes for a peaceful stroll in the rain across a rope bridge before his younger brother, the insane and arrogant Euron Greyjoy, appears to exchange a few words. He says something about him being the “the drowned god” and “the storm brother” that he is destined to rule as “the old god” reborn. It’s safe to say that mental stability does not run in this family. Naturally, Euron, filled with joy over seeing his brother after all these years, tosses Balon off the bridge.
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The following day, Balon’s body is sent out to sea while Yara swears to exact vengeance on whoever killed him. Dripping with sarcasm, the priest tells her: “Maybe you’ll be the first woman to rule the Iron Island,” to remind her that she’s just a fragile little woman.
Lets be real, Yara, who is a great warrior and has previously led her own army, seems way too stable, sane, and competent to be chosen as the next ruler by the Iron Islanders at the kingsmoot.
Winterfell
Theon Greyjoy, who is afraid to face Jon Snow at Castle Black after everything he’s done to the Stark family, decides it’s best for him to ride west to the Iron Islands.
Theon has some major daddy issues (same dude, same) to resolve but since his dad just got murdered, it should give him enough time to reconnect with his favorite family “member” (aka his penis) that is probably still in that gift box that thoughtful Ramsay sent out to the Greyjoy fam a while back. (If you really think about it, there are quite a few characters with their penis’s cut off in this show—it is quite odd how common it is, really).
Aside from my jokes about Theon, I do feel for his character and I really am hoping for a silver lining for him (and Sansa) this season.
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Moving on to Ramsay Bolton (and some even more serious daddy issues). Previously, we learned from Ramsey that romance is key and that no food should ever go to waste even if it’s the body of your ex lover (aka last episode he fed his fuck buddy’s dead body to the hounds). This episode, Ramsay proves that Joeffrey Baratheon’s got nothing on him. Although something tells me that if Joeffrey was still alive, these two would make great pals! Can you say #FriendshipGoals !?!
I was honestly surprised that it took the Game Of Thrones writers a whole 34 minutes into the show before someone was finally murdered. Moments before being murdered, Roose Bolton gives his bastard son Ramsay some condescending advice in response to Ramsey’s announcement that he wants to attack Castle Black and kill Jon Snow: If you act like a dog, you’ll be treated like one. (You should be one to talk, Roose. Cough Red Wedding cough).
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During this wise speech, the maester walks in with news that Lady Walda just had a baby boy. Filled with numerous emotions except excitement or joy over getting a new baby brother, the level-headed Ramsay congratulates his father by stabbing him to death right in front of two witnesses because he literally does not give a fuck about anything. Roose is dead, “poisoned by our enemies,” Ramsay tells the maester to pass along.
This did surprise me since Roose was a very clever man (or so I thought) and I was surprised he didn’t see this one coming…unless of course he did but his play to take a stab (see what I did there?) at fucking over his bat shit crazy bastard son was a minute too late.
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In the following scene, Ramsay takes a moment to greet his new baby brother before luring Walda and her newborn baby into the kennels to be eaten alive by his pets. “I prefer being an only child,” says Ramsay before releasing his hounds, which seem to be on a very strict human only diet. Ramsay’s madness has definitely opened the door to all sorts of madness in the North, although I am not sure he cares.
One thing there is to note here is whether or not it’s a coincident that Melisandre has predicted the deaths of the three false kings, including Robb Stark, who was murdered at the Red Wedding, Jeoffery Baratheon, who was poisoned to death, and now Balon Greyjoy, who has been stabbed to death.
Castle Black
Jon Snow comes back to life! Read more about this here.
