Yes, Westeros is a grim place, but Game of Thrones has always been able to cut through the darkness with the burning torch of great love affairs, entertaining platonic friendships, and a few oddball pairings effusing their own weird sweetness. Even if we viewers might not consciously realize it, these relationships (regardless of their often tragic endings) have provided us with much needed buffers against the Joffreys and Ramsays and the nearly overwhelming grim elements of George R. R. Martin’s world.
Season 6 is now running full-steam ahead, and many of our lead characters, having lost partners or left them behind, have moved onto to new, lonelier paths. Until “The Book of the Stranger,” almost every single one of the romantic/buddy relationships established in Seasons 1-5 had been snuffed out or left geographically suspended. These relationships had not been replaced or resumed in any substantial way, and without them, the epic landscape was starting to feel empty and hollow.
Perhaps the writers sensed the balance was out of whack: Sam and Gilly’s shipboard scene in “Oathbreaker” was refreshingly sweet, even though it didn’t do much for the plot, because it gave us a little bit of that light back. Looking back on the first three episodes, the few happy moments stick out because they’re so sparse: Sansa’s embrace with Theon and alliance with Brienne, Jon’s man-hugs with Tormund and Edd after his resurrection…these were much-needed. Winter is coming, yes, and the colder the story gets, the more we all seek the warmth.
Then came “Book of the Stranger,” which re-lit the dormant bonfires of familial love, bromances, sisterhoods, and oddball pairings. The epic romances may never return, but there’s now enough love and friendship to keep the torch burning in the void. Let’s take a look at what relationships Season 6 has given (and maintained), for us, starting with…
NEW BEGINNINGS
JON SNOW and SANSA STARK
The hug heard around the world. I dare you to tell me that you didn’t tear up at this moment, and if you didn’t, your heart must be as cold as Ramsay Bolton’s. Battered and bruised, the eldest daughter and the bastard son of the on-the-verge-of-extinction Stark family finally coming together blew the emotional doors off Castle Black. The good-hearted duo deserve each other’s support and I hope their family bond remains intact, because I’m sure it’ll be tested.
SANSA and BRIENNE
Brienne’s heartfelt oath of fealty to Sansa was one of the most affecting scenes of the season so far. Long victimized, whether in King’s Landing or Winterfell, Sansa finally gains a protector worth having. And Brienne, the failed questing knight, is able to honor her oath to Catelyn Stark by rescuing one of her daughters. I think these two need each 0ther even more than they comprehend. All hail the new sisterhood of the traveling sword.
BRAN STARK and MEERA REED
Can I just add this here even though it’s all wishful thinking? Bran and Meera have fought so long and so hard alongside each other that I don’t think it’s a stretch to have these two kids fall in love, young and locked up as they are under the great weirwood tree. Don’t they deserve it? And could Bran take her into greensight visions with him where he is whole and they could, um, interact?
BRIENNE AND TORMUND
Yes, yes, and infinite yes. Tormund’s meat-chomping ogle and Brienne’s disgusted/flattered/intrigued reaction were priceless. I’ll feel utterly robbed if this was just a funny one-off and the producers don’t find some way to fit this pairing into the story.
Along with the new beginnings in Season 6, we still have a few intense relationships holding on from earlier seasons of the show. Let’s call the folks in this category…
THE SURVIVORS
SAM and GILLY
Though they haven’t been seen much thus far into Season 6, this odd duo continues to give us joy. Gilly, who despite her limited experiences seems far more worldly than her partner, mixes well with the more intellectual Samwell. Although we sense that they may be too fragile to last long in the terrible days sure to come, these two are endearing together. They’re also one of the few romance-oriented couples left.
JON SNOW and TORMUND GIANTSBANE
One of the best bromances of the series, these two rough-and-tumble leaders have shifted from mortal enemies to suspicious allies to loyal friends. I suppose Jon’s death temporarily moved this pairing into the In Limbo column until his resurrection knocked it back out again. These guys are really going to need each other before everything is over, and I’d bet it all on this anti-White Walker team.
TYRION and VARYS
Though they haven’t really gotten back into their groove since reuniting in Meereen, I have high hopes for this unusual team, who will most certainly form the core of Daenerys’ cabinet. They offered a lot of great banter once Tyrion rolled out of his crate in Pentos, and their eventual separation was unfortunate, repartee-wise. These two misshapen men are brilliant political counselors who quietly acknowledge each other’s abilities, and both love the dangerous world of cloak and dagger diplomacy. And they’re a bright spot because they do genuinely like each other. I hope they get a lot of screen time with Daenerys once she returns.
MISSANDEI and GREY WORM
This romance has taken a long time to blossom, mainly due to the psychological and physical limitations of Grey Worm himself, but Missandei, having found her soulmate, appears to have all the time in the world for him, because he has obviously given her his heart. It’s an offbeat, baby-steps sort of love affair, but it’s also all about two damaged but decent people finding love, and that’s a precious commodity in Game of Thrones. The duo also got some extra screen time in “Book of the Stranger,” but I don’t know if there’ enough remaining in the series for them to have much further development. I hope there is, somehow.
CERSEI and JAIME
This incestuous pair of Machiavellians have never had a feel-good love affair. But they’ve made it this far, and that’s a triumph in itself. Their passion for and loyalty to each other, which seems to have strengthened following the death of Myrcella, is heartening, even though they really don’t care about many people other than their inbred kids.
If we want to get a sense of how much of the sweetness of the show has bled off over the years, we need to take a look at the loving couples and friendships we’ve lost. Read on…
Next: The Doomed Romances, the Friendships, and Beyond
We’ve talked about the relationships that have survived the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune (and on this show, there are a lot of those). Now, let’s talk about the ones that are gone but not forgotten, starting with…
THE DOOMED ROMANCES
EDDARD and CATELYN STARK
As the patriarch and matriarch of the Stark family, Ned and Catelyn’s love for each other seemed not to have mellowed over the years. Theirs was a common political union, but it had blossomed into a love affair for the ages, a model of caring and respect which both survived Ned’s apparent one-time philandering (and the resulting bastard Jon Snow, which Cat was, with great bitterness, forced to house under her own roof) and produced many children. As good lords and parents joined both in love and power, it’s not surprising that they were unable to survive when sucked into the vortex of treachery and chaos.
JON SNOW and YGRITTE
Like the star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet, who fell in love amidst the fight between the Montagues and Capulets, this torrid love affair was never going to end well. Yet the intensity of the attraction pulled us in, and we rooted for the couple even when everything fell to pieces. They were two noble people, but only Ygritte was in a position to give it everything she had. Honor kept Jon from forsaking the Night’s Watch for Ygritte, and in the end his punishment was to watch her die in his arms.
DAENERYS and DROGO
Yes, this one started out on the rough side, considering how Dany was married off to Khal Drogo in order to secure his army for Viserys, but once she proved herself his equal, their two great hearts conquered one another. They became a fun power couple who had the gusto to rule a Dothraki khalasar together. The intimate scenes between them were, surprisingly, some of the sweetest the show had to offer. Dany’s fate, to watch Drogo’s slow death, was agonizing, and once he was gone, her fortunes toppled.
ROBB and TALISA STARK
Like the love stories of Jon/Ygritte and Dany/Drogo, we had the pleasure of watching the early stages of this relationship. Those scenes were witty and endearing, and their sexual heat was icing on the cake. Both Robb and Talisa tried their best to be noble in a world gone rotten, and one could see the great potential for good this duo had. But Robb’s decision to forsake his arranged marriage to a Frey daughter in order to take Talisa as his bride was an insult that resulted in both of their undoing.
TYRION and SHAE
One might suspect the concubine Shae of playing the vulnerable-hearted imp here, but I think her love for Tyrion was genuine. Tyrion, despite his flaws, is a man capable of immense love, even if that love always seems to be kindled by the kind of low/fallen woman his late father hated. Shae, as a survivor, is a chameleon who makes her living by moving between the beds of the rich and powerful, but she is also highly perceptive, and she found both love and a way out of her difficult life in the arms of Tyrion. Once she realized the danger in King’s Landing, she was willing to forgo her luxuries and riches and run away with the man who loved her. Tyrion’s decision to try and protect Shae by dumping her simply reactivated her survival instincts, and her next move—to find another powerful man who could protect her—was predictable. The fact that Tyrion ends up killing her in a rage of emotional betrayal is shocking, but we knew things were going to end poorly for these two.
Game of Thrones Seasons 1-5 also introduced some entertaining non-romantic pairings that didn’t survive its brutal world. I think the best example is:
ARYA and THE HOUND
While it wasn’t all honeycakes and roses for these two, this beauty-and-the-beast, captive/captor twosome did develop a strange bond that provided us with humor and small flickers of warmth. Can I say it was sweet to see how much they disliked each other? We never saw the Hound actually expire, but I’ll put this duo in another category if he ever shows up again.
Lastly, let’s highlight the relationships active pre-Season 6 which are currently…
IN LIMBO
TYRION AND BRONN
I’m not sure what happened to Bronn this season, but despite his pairing up with Jaime for the ill-fated Dornish expedition last season, I’ll always be fondest of the great adventures he and Tyrion had in the early days. Theirs was the perfect Westerosi bromance, and I miss their humor and shenanigans.
JAIME AND BRIENNE
After a long and arduous journey together, Brienne came to respect Jaime, and he found someone he cared about other than his siblings. Her purity and devotion left a lasting impression upon Jaime, and she even kindled what was left of the goodness inside him. Their last scene together was memorable, though Tormund’s come-hither eyes may end up torpedoing any potential for romance.
THE TRIUMVIRATE: DANAERYS, TYRION and VARYS
These three characters are still very much with us, but I have long awaited the Dany/Tyrion/Varys triumvirate to form up and take on the world. The scenes between Dany and Varys before her escape from Meereen offered some great exchanges, and the banter can only be enhanced by throwing Varys into the mix. Maybe now that Dany has gained both her freedom and her army in Season 6, she’ll return to Meereen and brainstorm with her two highly capable advisors. I’d expect tons of fabulous dialog.
With all of its characters, Game of Thrones features many relationships, and it’s likely I may have omitted one or two of your favorites. Certainly one could mention the warm master/apprentice teams of Jon Snow and Jeor Mormont, or Bran and the Three-eyed raven (even Arya and Jaqen H’ghar might qualify for you), or the unrequited love between Jorah Mormont and Daenerys.
But what is certain is that “Book of the Stranger” brought back some of the sweetness that Season 6 was sorely lacking: dark epic fantasy needs sources of light, epic love affairs, and legendary friendships to keep the scales from tipping over into the abyss. Game of Thrones Season 6 crashed down upon us with cold resurrections, hangings, sword fights, and towers of blood, but it was smart enough to get its heart beating again as well.