Ranking the episodes of Game of Thrones Season 6
By Dan Selcke
7. “The Red Woman”
Moment for moment, “The Red Woman” is rockier than “The Broken Man.” For example, “The Broken Man” doesn’t have anything as scattershot as the scene where the Sand Snakes kill Trystane on his boat. There are just…so many unanswered questions with this bit. Is Trystane coming or going from King’s Landing? How did the Sand Snakes get on board? Why would Doran ever allow them to leave Dorne after their attempt on Myrcella’s life?
Then there’s Doran’s own death, which represents a clean break with the character fans knew from George R.R. Martin’s novels. True, the show has no obligation to replicate the books in every detail. But if it was going to turn Doran from a master strategist into a guy who couldn’t see a coup coming from a mile away, why include him at all?
What gives “The Red Woman” the edge on this list are a pair of excellent scenes. First, there’s Sansa and Theon fleeing from the Boltons. It’s an exciting sequence aided by beautiful photography and Ramin Djawadi’s propulsive score. It also represents a step forward for both of these characters. By this point, we’d gotten used to thinking of Sansa and Theon as passive. Seeing them take charge, even in desperation, is a thrill.
The battle between the Bolton men, Brienne, Pod, and Theon is also suburb. And afterwards, we get the first of several crowd-pleasing moments from Season 6 when Sansa takes Brienne into her service. Finally, the forces of good are aligning.
The second great scene comes at the end, when Melisandre removes her necklace and reveals her true age. Director Jeremy Podeswa takes his time setting the mood and making sure we feel Melisandre’s self-doubt. The final dolly-out shot is a terrific example of how to use special effects well: that’s obviously not Carice van Houten’s body, but we recognize her eyes, dulled but still alive with purpose. This moment recontextualizes Melisandre’s character and sets her up for new stories. It’s a fantastic character beat.
So far as interstitial scenes go, highlights include Jaime rededicating himself to Cersei in the wake of their daughter’s death, a visit to Arya at rock bottom, and Alliser Thorne’s explanation for why he killed Jon Snow. We don’t agree with Thorne, but we respect that he owns up to his part in the assassination in front of the other Night’s Watchmen. The writers deserve credit for not turning him into a complete cartoon of a villain.
