You know the drill – if you haven’t watched the episode of Game of Thrones, don’t read this review unless you are a masochist.

Episode 3 begins with a bang – Jon Snow is alive and breathing, though barely, and looks like a colt trying to remember how to walk. He is immediately brought out as if on parade before the rest of the men of the Night’s Watch after Melisandre asks him some telling questions about the god she isn’t sure she follows anymore. We finally see retribution in the form of all his detractors being hanged – granted, most people had been wanting Olly to leave the series for quite a while, and now, he has.

Sam finally makes a return to the screen. He has no idea what’s going on at the wall, but is still single-minded as ever in the protection of his woman and child. In an interesting flashback scene, we see the history of Ned Stark not quite as it was told at the Tower of Joy when he goes to rescue his sister, through the eyes of Bran and the Three-Eyed Raven. When Bran calls out to his father, the Raven pulls him back to the present, where Bran continues to whine and moan about being in the cave as if he has learnt nothing at all.

Varys’ little birds – street urchins, wooed by candy – now become the spies for King’s Landing, and Cersei’s plan of domination is still rolling. Tommen goes to demand Cersei’s audience with her daughter’s body from the High Sparrow, and somehow ends up in a conversation about motherhood and true love.

And Arya is conquering her blindness, and right when she learns the lesson, she is given her sight back, which definitely feels like a turning point in the series. Also, Ramsay is the recipient of a gift – that gift being Osha, the free wildling, and Rickon Stark. You know something terrible is going to happen, as it tends to with Ramsay in the picture. Finally, Daenerys awaits judgement at Vaes Dothrak.

The first three episodes of this season are still very much laying ground for what is going to happen in the remaining episodes. My biggest annoyances are with Bran and Daenerys’ entitled behaviour – Khaleesi insists on spewing her titles in front of people, instead of humbling herself before people who have the power to decide her fate – especially as she has no dragons, that we can see, as yet. Bran is being a spoilt child, which he has been all his life but you would think after everything that he had gone through in Season 4, he would have grown up a bit. The trailer for Season 6 indicates that some point Drogon is going to be at Vaes Dothrak so there may be no reason for Daenerys to ‘behave’, but I am of the opinion that self-preservation should be of interest. She can’t conquer if she’s dead. If you noticed, it all started going downhill after sex. With Daario. Something clouded her brain.

My three biggest questions after this are, one – I doubt Tommen will really be able to lead a revolution against the Faith. At this point he seems more frail than ever, being the only heir and easily swayed. A Lannister in charge of a kingdom cannot afford to be easily swayed, so I am beginning to think that his mother will take him out herself when she sees past her motherhood and to his weakness. Cersei wants her children safe, but she also wants power and revenge. By enacting it herself instead of through Tommen, it’ll happen faster, no?

Two, if Arya is now no one, who is going to clear off that list of hers? A girl may have no enemies now, no?

And finally, – Jon Snow delivers judgement to those who betrayed him and then declares his watch over. I didn’t see that coming, but of course once you die you are released from your oath. But where is he going? Whose side is he going to fight on now, and who is going to lead the men of the Night’s Watch and the wildlings against evil Ramsay Bolton when they come for Sansa? Clearly the Jon Snow now is different from the one who died, having now to live with the fact that he was murdered for fighting for the truth. As with every character in this story, he needs a motivation. I’m waiting to see what his motivation will be, and if Melisandre will play a part in it.

What did you think of the episode?

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