We review all the commentaries on the Game of Thrones Season 6 home boxset

Episode 610, “The Winds of Winter.” Commentary by executive producers/writers David Benioff & D.B. Weiss, Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister), and Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister).

• Peter Dinklage on the intro sequence: “Not since the opening credits of the Love Boat has there been such an opening credits.”
• Director Miguel Sapochnik had some kind of a hand in coming up with the piano theme that plays throughout the lengthy opening sequence in King’s Landing.
• David Benioff on Arya’s direwolf: “Nymeria could still be out there somewhere, hunting deer, rabbits, sauce pots…”
• It’s gotta be said that these four don’t offer a lot of insight, something they freely admit. They’ve been doing this for a long time—maybe they’re past being interested in commentaries. As an example, during Pycelle’s death scene, they talk about wanting to visit Norway and the European pop band A-ha.
• The scene where Cersei pours wine on Septa Unella was as uncomfortable for actress Hannah Waddingham as it looked, what with wine getting in her habit and turing her hair pink.
• Dinklage suggests a new line for Cersei in the scene where she see Tommen’s body: “That hot witch was right.”
• The snotty maester Sam meets at the Citadel is played by Frank Hvam, “one of the great Danish comedians,” according to Benioff. They sought him out because on his work on a show called Klown.
• When watching the scene where Sam enters the Citadel library, fans weren’t the only ones who thought of the scene from Beauty and the Beast when Belle enters the library. It was on Benioff’s mind, too.
• Look, I’m just transcribing jokes here, but I enjoyed this bit of ribbing about David Benioff’s high-minded tastes in books. Dinklage: “Benioff makes his children read Proust.” Benioff: “Nothing wrong with that.” Headey: “Proust keep you regular!” Literature humor!
• When Melisandre rides away from Winterfell, it’s “definitely not Carice [van Houten] riding a horse, cause Carice is deathly afraid of horses.”
• Although there isn’t a lot of sincere engagement with the material on this track, Benioff admits that he openly loves the scene between Sansa and Jon on the ramparts of Winterfell. Then they all quiet down to hear it. What a weird commentary track this is. Also, the falling snow in this scene is actually soap bubbles. #MovieMagic
• Is Daario Naharis coming back for Game of Thrones Season 7? It doesn’t sound like it. Dan Weiss on his exit: “He just walks off the show.”
• Benioff and Weiss were having a debate recently. Who takes more joy in defeating their enemies: Arya, Cersei or Daenerys?
• Another moment worth noting: the foursome wonder if Charlie Manson watches Game of Thrones from prison. Again, what a weird commentary track this is.
• Lena Headey hadn’t seen the episode yet, and actually takes off her headphones and closes her eyes during the Ned Stark flashback to avoid being spoiled. I say again: WEIRD.
• Also, Benioff and Weiss confirm that, when they first met with George R.R. Martin, he asked them who Jon Snow’s mother was, and they correctly answered Lyanna, thus proving they were worthy of making a television adaptation.
• Benioff and Weiss originally signed on Bella Ramsey (Lyanna Mormont) for one scene, but loved her so much they kept bringing her back. Weiss: “And now she’s the star of the show.”

Episode 610, “The Winds of Winter.” Commentary by special effects supervisor Sam Conway, camera operator Sean Savage, and producer Chris Newman.

• Years ago, when the production team first conceived the Sept of Baelor set, they weren’t expecting to hold a trial there—they weren’t apparently thinking that far ahead. It required a lot of meetings with director Miguel Sapochnik to figure out how to repurpose the space. I’d say they pulled it off.
• The folks here draw a comparison between the kids killing Pycelle and the wight children tearing apart Karsi in “Hardhome.” I see it. In both cases, gah the creepiness.
• The guys make an interesting about how the Sept sequence reverses Game of Thrones’ usual habit of dealing out death to characters we like. They identify Tommen as the only “innocent” in all this. I wouldn’t call Margaery innocent, but I think she’s earned the right to be called a sympathetic character.
• “It’s like Cersei has a list, like Arya has a list.” “Everyone’s on her list, though.”
• The set where Cersei tortures Unella also stood in for Balon Greyjoy’s throne room on Pyke.
• Newman compares Sam’s first sight of Oldtown, Westeros’ center of learning, to a commoner from the provinces seeing Rome for the first time. “Only of course to be majorly disappointed, cause it’s never what you expect it to be.”
• The conception of the Citadel library is interesting. Obviously, it’s done with visual effects—no set is that huge. And yet, the producers admit that it’s very probably going to be back in Season 7, but they’re not sure which parts of it. So we see more CGI work, they may build a chunk, or there might be a combination.
• Watching Olenna shut down the Sand Snakes, these guys can only do what the rest of us do: laugh in delight. “I wish was in some of our meetings.”
• A fun tidbit: the weirwood tree where Benjen leaves Bran and Meera is the same one where Jon and Sam took their Night’s Watch vows back in Season 1. It’s “within spitting distance” of Castle Black. I still say Benjen could have dropped them off closer, though.
• Apparently, Kit Harington was sick while shooting the “King in the North” scene at Winterfell. Pushed through it alright, though.
• The Red Keep throne set is the only set in Belfast to have remained unchanged since the start of the show.