Game of Thrones Review: Home (Season 6 Episode 2)

Just for the record, Game of Thrones, you fooled absolutely no one.

But that wasn’t the point of the exercise anyway. At least, I don’t think it was. When you draw from beloved books that so many have read and re-read, you can’t really hope to fool the people who’ve studied, speculated and theorized for years. All you can do is try to keep them entertained despite all they know.

And in that regard, Game of Thrones, you delivered. You always have.

Yes, Jon Snow is alive. He was dead for all of one episode, and yet I can already imagine all the backtracking, all the “we never said he wasn’t coming back, we just said he was dead” – and that’s okay. We forgive you.

We never really believed it anyway.

Jon Snow is the hero of this tale. We thought it was Ned, at first. And yes, you broke our hearts then. Afterwards, we moved onto Robb. We placed all our hopes and dreams on him. He was the heir apparent, the good, noble boy. The King in the North. We loved him, and we lost him. But we didn’t learn our lesson, no. We just claimed we had. We said we weren’t going to care anymore.

We care about Jon. We always have, even when we said we didn’t. And we felt safe in that love, because there was no one else left, no one with the possibilities, no one with the secrets. Fantasy doesn’t work without a hero, without someone to root for, and for all that Game of Thrones has toyed with our hearts and our expectations, it wasn’t about to shatter them completely.

No, we saw Jon fall, and we knew better. We recognized the signs. The other deaths, those were about sending the message that this was not a show/book like the others. This, however, this was about bringing the hero full circle. This wasn’t the end of the story. It couldn’t be.

How does it feel to be right, Game of Thrones fans?

If you excuse me, I’m going to answer the rhetorical question: It feels pretty good.

Jon Snow is alive and Game of Thrones suddenly feels like a different show. Jon Snow is alive and hope has returned to Westeros. Jon Snow is alive and the Stark reunion we’ve been hoping to see for six seasons is no longer a far-fetched dream, but a very real possibility. Jon Snow is alive, and we’re as close as we’ve ever been to getting an answer about his true origins. Jon Snow is alive, and it all means something again.

This isn’t just a show about dragons and Lannisters getting their way, no. The Starks fell, but now it’s time for the North to rise again. It’s time for Jon to become who he was meant to be. It’s time for Sansa Stark to be Lady Stark. It’s time to go find Rickon. It’s time for Bran to show everyone the way. It’s time for Arya to reclaim her name. And it’s time for people like Brienne and Davos to finally be on the right side, on the winning side.

It’s the time of the Starks. Who would have thought?

Other things to note:

• I’m not going to sit here and pretend to mourn Roose Bolton, but I really, really do hope someone kills Ramsay this year. I wouldn’t have believed it possible a few years ago, but I hate him even more than I hated Joffrey.
• Though, if he keeps killing people in my kill list, I won’t be mad.
• Jamie, it’s a little too late to be acting like “Father of the Year”
• What’s the High Sparrow’s endgame? I’m confused.
• Brienne telling Sansa about Arya made me strangely emotional. Ah, to see the day when the sisters finally reunite.
• Was I the only one cheering for the wildlings? Because I was cheering LOUD.
• Tyrion is the dragon whisperer! “I’m friends with your mother” indeed.
• I want to be interested in what Bran is seeing; I just don’t see the point yet. Of course, watch him warg to the Tower of Joy next episode and shut me up.
• Poor Ghost didn’t get to kill anyone. He was really looking forward to the opportunity!

What did you think of this episode of Game of Thrones? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Game of Thrones airs Sundays at 9/8c on HBO.

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