‘Game of Thrones’ Season 6, Episode 5 recap

HBO PHOTO

Hodor ended up being the center of attention in the current season’s fifth episode, as hinted by the title “The Door.”

In the opening scene, Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish asked to see Sansa Stark to tell her that Lord of Vale Robin Arryn wish to extend some help for the brewing war against the Boltons.

But Sansa wasn’t happy and instead scolded Littlefinger after he gave her to Ramsay Snow.

“Did you know about Ramsay?” she asked. “If you didn’t know, you’re an idiot. If you did know, you’re my enemy. Would you like to know about our wedding night?”

Sansa let him guess what Ramsay did to her until Littlefinger found out she was beaten and raped, over which he was completely apologetic. “I did a mistake, a horrible mistake. I underestimated a stranger.”

He reiterated his promise to protect Sansa, but she dismissed it right away. “I don’t believe you anymore. I don’t need you anymore.”

Before Littlefinger left, he egged Sansa to seek the help of her great uncle Brynden “The Blackfish” Tully, who managed to gather his forces and took over Riverrun.

Arya Stark continued to be the subject of  habitual beating from the Waif and it looked like the girl couldn’t keep up with her trainer’s skills. “You are not ready. You should go home before it’s too late,” the Waif argued.

Jaqen H’gar saved the day and spared her from further whooping. He led her to the Hall of Faces and shared the history of Faceless Men. They were once slaves from Valyria and were given a gift from the Many-Faced God. They later relocated to the city of Braavos and built the House of Black and White.

Arya was then given a mission to redeem herself: to kill an theater actress who performs in the square. “A girl has been given a second chance. There will not be a third. One way or another a face will be added to the hall,” Jaqen said.

Arya came to see the play about her father Ned’s execution and the game of succession for the Iron Throne. She was amused at the beginning, until she grew pensive when the scenes reminded her of her grim past.

She later reported she will poison the rum the lady drinks and suggested she could use one of the faces from the hall. “The girl is not ready,” Jaqen replied.

Arya’s heart softened too, and felt a bit hesitant in killing a good actress. “She seems like a decent woman.”

“Does death only come for the wicked and leave the decent behind?” Jaqen asked. “A girl must decide if she wants to serve the Many-Faced God.”

“A girl has decided,” Arya said to which Jaqen replied, “A servant doesn’t ask questions.”

For his first vision in the episode, Bran found himself near a big Heart Tree in the middle of stones laid in spiral pattern. The Children of the Forest were there. He saw how Leaf turned a man into the first WhiteWalker. Leaf later justified her action to Bran, saying that White Walkers were animated to defend the Children of the Forest from humans.

During the Kingsmoot in the Iron Islands, Yara Greyjoy claimed the Salt Throne. She was promising to build the largest fleet in the world when a man interrupted her, questioned her ability to lead and lobbied for her brother Theon who he thinks is the rightful heir.

But the man didn’t know Theon was in full support of his sister. “You know what she is. She is a leader. She is a warrior. She is Ironborn. We will find no better leader. This is our queen.”

Out of nowhere, their uncle Euron turned up to snatch the position. He admitted killing his brother Balon and addressed the people of his agenda: Because he believes he’s the only one who knows how to use a fleet, he will give it to Daenerys Targaryen and together they will conquer the seven kingdoms.

Euron was proclaimed the new king through the drowning ceremony, while Theon and Yara went away, taking the family’s best ships. Euron was unfazed as he told his men, “Build me a thousand ships and I will give you this world!”

In Vaes Dothrak, Daenerys was thinking of what do to with her former right-hand Jorah Mormont after banishing him twice and coming to her rescue twice. “I can’t take you back. And I can’t send you away.”

Jorah chose the latter and showed to her queen the greyscale that is starting to spread on his arm. Daenerys was shaken.  But Jorah allayed her feeling with a confession: “Tyrion Lannister is right. I love you. I’ll always love you.”

The Mother of Dragons commanded him to find a cure, heal himself and return to her.  “When I take the seven kingdoms, I need you by my side.”

In Meereen,  the peace pact with the masters has been effective as evaluated by Tyrion, Varys, Greyworm and Missandei.

But zero casualty is not enough proof and the people need to know that Daenerys is behind the restored stability in the city. So they needed someone to reinforce that belief, with the help of someone people can trust, someone that can’t be bought or influenced.

Tyrion and Varys found the answer in Kinvara, the High Priestess of the Red Temple of Volantis, who declared Daenerys as “the one who was promised.”

Kinvara proposed that she will summon her most eloquent priests to spread the word that Daenerys has been sent to lead the people against darkness. But Varys is skeptical. After all, Stannis Baratheon was “a prince who was promised” too, as Melisandre claimed, but he met his demise too soon.

Kinvara explained that even honest servants of the Lord make mistakes. “Everyone is what they are and where they are for a reason. Terrible things happen for a reason,” she said later on, taking for an instance Vary’s mutilation from the hands of a sorcerer.

At the Castle Black, Jon convened a strategy meeting with Davos, Sansa and other allies. They needed additional men for their army and considered the other houses in the north that remain loyal to the Starks.

Sansa reported about the Tullys who retook the Riverrun and may yield to back them against the Boltons, though she lied about where she got that vital information. In the end, Jon and company left the Winterfell for their mission, while Edd Tollett was left to oversee the Castle Black.

Back to Bran’s vision, he saw a multitude of zombies or wights and walked past them until he came face to face with the Night King, the White Walker leader, who made a body contact with him.

“He touched you…He knows you are here. He’ll come for you…His mark is on you,” the Three-eyed Raven told Bran. “The time has come for you to become me.”

Later on the episode, Meera went out the cave and saw the wights and White Walkers about to attack.

She hurriedly went back inside to wake up Bran, who was in the middle of his visions with the Raven. Bran saw the young Wylis (the past Hodor) in good form at the courtyard in Winterfell, as the past and present realities merged.

The wights were starting to enter the cave when in the height of events, Bran warged into Hodor while still in his visions.  With Leaf protecting them from enemies, Meera, Hodor and Bran managed to exit from the other side of the cave through a door.

While Meera carried Bran away for safety, Hodor leaned his back against the door and  shut it with all his strength so the wights couldn’t pass through. Meera kept on shouting to Hodor, “Hold the door!”

Her words rang across Bran’s visions where Wylis fainted and also began screaming “Hold the door!” until he can be heard uttering only one word: Hodor!

Hodor later died protecting Bran and Meera as the living corpses clawed at his body.

RELATED STORIES

‘Game of Thrones’ Season 6, Episode 1 recap

‘Game of Thrones’ Season 6, Episode 2 recap

‘Game of Thrones’ Season 6, Episode 3 recap

‘Game of Thrones’ Season 6, Episode 4 recap