The creators of Game of Thrones clearly know what they are doing. The sharpest sword in their arsenal is anticipation, and it is one that they wield well. Not only did the run up to this season take longer than any that came before, the first episode itself seems to revel in its ability to keep viewers waiting.
The very first scene has onlookers sharing the viewpoint of a young child trying to get a glimpse of something on the other side of a massive crowd. Besides delaying the satisfaction of actually seeing the characters we’ve grown to care about on screen, this also brilliantly mirrors our introduction to the series as a whole. In that scene a young Arya Stark finds herself in the same situation when King Baratheon arrives in Winterfell with Cersei and her brothers. The final scene of the latest episode also plays with delayed satisfaction, starting with a cloaked figure riding into a town on horseback. The character’s identity is not revealed for what feels like an eternity. There are several more similar instances throughout the episode. Though most of them work well, sometimes it can feel a bit excessive.
There episode also mirrors at least one other aspect of the first season, calling back to King Robert’s relationship with Cersei. Robert felt nothing for her after losing the woman he considered to be his one true love. Instead, he used Cersei for the power of the Lannister name. The queen is in a similar situation now, having lost the loyalty of her brother, and all of her children in previous seasons. She is now playing the same role her husband played earlier, getting into a relationship for what it brings to her empire rather than anything emotional.
The episode does seem to make it clear who the main character of the show is, if it was not clear enough already after the second episode of season six. This episode has you follow the character into a situation the series hasn’t allowed us to experience before now. The scene I’m speaking of gives the viewer a sense of speed and danger that few other shows have been able to accomplish. This was also a welcome break from some of the doom and gloom that must be on its way.
All in all, I don’t think I would rate this episode among the best in ‘Game of Thrones’ history. Indisputably not the most action packed episode, it did tie up some loose ends that needed to be taken care of before moving on. It definitely left me wanting more. The biggest question from this episode comes from Bran, as usual I suppose. What does he mean by “almost”? The most badass award also goes to a character who has her share of such moments, Daenerys, specifically for her line “Whatever they want.” The appearance of credits was a blunt reminder that the wait for the next episode starts anew every week for the next month and a half. Particularly difficult for those of us who are used to watching several episodes in a row nowadays.