The scope of “Battle of the Bastards” may be wider than we thought

Game of Thrones Season 6 has been a game changer in many aspects. For one thing, the rhythm has been different, with big events being front-loaded into the first five episodes. Usually, things start slow and build until the last few episodes, where there is massive emotional payoff, usually around episode 9.

Traditionally, Game of Thrones has saved its biggest moments for the ninth episodes. Think of Ned Stark’s beheading in the penultimate episode of Season 1, or the Red Wedding in Season 3. (One could argue that Season 5, which peaked with the Massacre at Hardhome in Episode 8, bucked this trend.)

In even-numbered seasons, the ninth episodes have all taken place in one location and centered around big battles—the Battle of the Blackwater in Season 2 and the Battle of Castle Black in Season 4. What with the coming episode, “Battle of the Bastards,” focusing on the showdown between Ramsay Bolton and Jon Snow, most of us thought it would follow suit. But then Vanity Fair writer Joanna Robinson took to Twitter with this shot from TV & Satellite Week:

"This week’s episode sees Yara Greyjoy and her brother Theon finally make it to Meereen where the Ironborn warrior finds an admirer in Daenerys."

Robinson is correct: HBO has been doing everything it can to sell us on the idea that “Battle of the Bastards” will take place in one location. The trailer has shows nothing that isn’t battle-related. The promotional pictures follow suit. Entertainment Weekly has been hyping the battle without mentioning that we could be possibly going anywhere else.

Could TV & Satellite Week have their information confused, and be describing a scene from the finale? It’s possible. But with so many dangling threads to pick up still, it seems almost insane that they would stay in one location for the entire hour and leave literally everything else for the finale. And this season of Game of Thrones has not conformed to the usual pattern. Why should that change now?