HBO’s Game of Thrones season six episode three split time between Jon Snow’s return from the dead, Arya’s journey to become no one, the High Sparrow’s continued demand for Cersei to finish atoning for her actions, Dany’s involvement with the Dothraki, and the reappearance of a Stark who’s been absent for a season. Episode three titled ‘Oathbreaker’ also caught us up on Sam’s voyage on the high seas, the wheelings and dealings of Cersei and Jamie, and even threw in another scene of Bran finding out the truth behind a legendary battle between his father and Sir Arthur Dayne. While not nearly as entertaining as either episode one or two, episode three did serve to set up the new chapter in Jon Snow’s journey which, hopefully, will be given more screen time in episode four.
The Recap:
Sir Davos (Liam Cunningham) stares at Jon Snow (Kit Harington) as he sits up, naked with the ever-faithful Ghost at his side. Jon gasps for breath, completely overwhelmed and confused by what’s transpired. He feels the wounds on his chest and tells Davos and Melisandre (Carice van Houten) that he remembers being stabbed, and even remembers Olly (Brenock O’Connor) putting a knife in his heart. “I shouldn’t be here,” he says, and Davos tells him the Red Woman brought him back. She demands to know what he saw after he died, and Jon Snow says there was nothing at all. “The Lord let you come back for a reason,” says Melisandre and tells him Stannis wasn’t the chosen prince, but someone has to be.
After asking for a moment alone, Davos tells Jon he was dead and now he’s not – and that’s “completely f**king mad.” Jon reconfirms he did what he believed was right, and he paid the price by being murdered. But, now he’s back. He has no idea why, and Davos tries to make him move on from the subject by saying they may never know why he’s back but he must continue to fight. Jon admits he’s not sure how to do that. He thinks he failed and Davos tells him that’s okay. “Now go fail again,” says Davos.
The Night’s Watch and the wildlings have gathered in the courtyard of Castle Black. Jon walks through them as they part to let him pass. Tormund (Kristofer Hivju) is the first to actually approach Jon Snow, letting him know the men think he’s a god. Jon shakes that suggestion off, saying he’s not. Tormund gives him a hug and jokes about the size of his penis, saying no god would ever have one so small. Jon continues walking through the men, still in pain, it seems as he finds Edd (Ben Crompton) in the crowd and hugs him. Edd tells Jon his eyes are still brown so he thinks Jon’s still in there. Jon, now in a joking mood following Tormund’s penis putdown, tells him to hold off burning his body for now.
Meanwhile out on the high seas, Sam (John Bradley) is dealing with a touch of seasickness. Gilly (Hannah Murray) tries to take his mind off it by rambling on about the definition of the word sea. Sam breaks the news the Citadel won’t take women or a baby, so she can’t stay there. She says she’ll stay in Old Town, but he tells her he’s taking her to Horn Hill – his home. His mom and sisters will take care of her, but she doesn’t want to be separated. Finally, she agrees to go as long as he thinks it’s for the best.
Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) and the Three-Eyed Raven (Max von Sydow) are having another flashback of Ned as a young man. This time the peek back at Stark family history involves Bran’s dad and Sir Arthur Dayne (Luke Roberts), the best swordsman Ned Stark ever encountered. Stark tells Sir Dayne the Mad King is dead and wants to know why they weren’t there to protect their prince. Ned’s searching for his sister and Dayne, unwilling to disclose her location, draws his swords. Ned’s men and Sir Dayne’s square off until only Sir Dayne is left standing against Ned and a handful of men. Sir Dayne is holding his own, with only Ned and Howland Reed left standing.
Dayne is the better fighter and Bran recalls that his father told him he beat Dayne during this battle. Ned actually wasn’t able to kill Dayne until after Howland stabbed him in the back. When the fight is over, Ned heads up the hill after hearing his sister scream and Bran wants to follow him but is stopped by the Three-Eyed Raven. Bran demands to know who’s in the tower but the Three-Eyed Raven tells him he can’t stay too long in the past or he won’t be able to return to the present.
Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) and the Dothraki finally arrive at the temple housing the widows of Khals. The women strip her naked and she’s given simple, plain clothes to wear. She’s upset to be there and doesn’t understand why she has to stay, reeling off her long list of titles including Mother of Dragons. They explain that because she didn’t come to them immediately, there are many outcomes but the best would be she was allowed to stay with the rest of the widows. However, it’s up to the khalasars to decide her fate.
Lord Varys (Conleth Hill) meets with Valla to discuss her act of treason against Daenerys. She sacrificed her body for a cause and she helped the Sons of the Harpy kill the Unsullied and the Second Sons. She’s unapologetic, but Varys offers an explanation as to how he sees her actions. He uses the fact he knows about her son to scare her into talking, wondering how her young son will get along without her. He then offers her safe passage with her son on a boat leaving in the morning, if she spills the beans and tells what she knows about the Sons of the Harpy’s backers. It’s really her only option.
Back in Meereen, Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) is trying to get Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson) and Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel) to engage in small talk. They are both horrible at it so Tyrion suggests they play a game. Missandei has played a (sex) game before but Tyrion says that’s not what he’s talking about. He makes up a drinking game but that doesn’t go over well either because they don’t drink. Thankfully, Varys enters and tells them he’s learned three rich foreign cities are funding the Sons of the Harpy. The Unsullied can’t march off to fight but Missandei says the masters only speak one language and if they want to be heard, they must speak it back to them. Tyrion wants Varys to send out his little birds to the three rich masters backing the rebellion.
Back at King’s Landing, Lord Varys’ children gather with Qyburn (Anton Lesser) and are given candied plums in exchange for whispers. In walks Sir Gregor, Cersei (Lena Headey), and Jamie (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and the little birds scatter. Qyburn says the little birds are now Cersei’s, not Varys’, which interests Cersei but Jamie is more interested in what exactly Qyburn did to Sir Gregor. Apparently, Sir Gregor does still understand orders and Jamie wants him to crush the High Sparrow’s head like a melon. Cersei reminds him that he has hundreds of faithful and Sir Gregor can’t face them all. Cersei says she wants little birds sent out throughout the kingdom. She wants to know everything that’s going on and wants news on anyone who disparages her family or laughs about her walk of shame.
The small council is meeting and discussing Sir Gregor when he, Cersei, and Jamie barge in. Cersei wants to know why Olenna Tyrell (Diana Rigg) is involved in the meeting, and Olenna responds by telling her she’s there to check on the queen who is still imprisoned. Cersei starts to thank her for her concern when Lady Tyrell says she’s of course talking about her daughter, Margaery, the actual queen. “You are not the queen because you are not married to the king. I do appreciate these things can get a bit confusing in your family,” says Olenna Tyrell, delivering the second-best line of dialogue in the episode. Cersei wants to know if they consider Myrcella’s death an important issue, and even though Cersei isn’t a member of the small council she stays. The council leave en masse, refusing to discuss matters with her since she has no business dealing with them.
King Tommen (Dean Charles Chapman) visits the High Sparrow and tells him Cersei wants to see Myrcella’s final resting place. The High Sparrow turns down the request because she hasn’t fully atoned for her sins. She must stand trial but Tommen continues to demand that she be allowed to see the grave. The High Sparrow continues to say no and says there’s a great deal of falsehood in Cersei except for when she speaks of Tommen. Her love for her son is truly real. Her walk of atonement was for Tommen, but the High Sparrow says the gods still want more from her.
And now it’s time to catch up with Arya (Maisie Williams) who is, once again, getting beaten by the Waif. She talks about her old life – her brothers, sister, mother, and father. Arya doesn’t know if they’re all dead. The Waif asks about The Hound and Arya believes he’s dead because she left him to die even though she’d taken him off her list. Still left on Arya’s list are Cersei, Gregor, and Walder Frey. The Waif says that’s a short list and it can’t be everyone. “Which name would you like a girl to speak?” asks Arya. Jaqen H’ghar (Tom Wlaschiha) will give Arya her eyes back if she tells him her name. She says she has no name and she passes the final test. Her sight returns.
Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon) and Lord Karstark meet with Lord Umber, representing a family that refuses to pledge themselves to the Boltons. He’s there delivering the news that Jon Snow led an army of wildlings past the Wall and now the Umbers need help. Bolton says if Umber pledges to House Bolton, they’ll fight together to defeat Jon Snow and the wildlings. Umber won’t kneel but he has a gift for Ramsay instead, revealing Rickon Stark and Osha (Natalia Tena). Bolton doesn’t trust that it’s Rickon but Lord Umber produces Rickon’s direwolf’s head as proof. “Welcome home, Lord Stark,” says Bolton, smiling.
Back at Castle Black, Jon Snow grabs his sword and allows the four Night’s Watch prisoners – including Sir Alliser Thorne (Owen Teale) – to say their final words. Alliser said he acted because Jon Snow brought the wildlings into their world and he’d do it all over again. Last up is Olly, who looks at Jon with utter contempt and says nothing. Jon slices the rope and the four men swing from the gallows. After they’re dead, he hands over his coat to Edd and tells him to wear it, burn it, or whatever he wants. And now comes the best line of dialogue from season six episode three: “You have Castle Black. My watch is ended.”
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