Game Of Thrones Season 6: 10 Big Questions We're Asking After 'Blood Of My Blood'
Will we ever see Mace Tyrell's incredible headwear again?
Blood of my Blood sees Game of Thrones move into the second half of Season 6, and thus starts setting the table for what's to come in the final few episodes.
It's not an inherently bad thing, but it does mean there's a lack of conclusion to the storylines in this week's episode, as we wait for things to be picked back up next week, serving as a sort-of two-parter from writer/producer Bryan Cogman.
That's particularly the case with the ending, which felt a little tacked on, and Daenerys' speech didn't come close to matching the visual power of her walking out of the flames unburnt a couple of episodes back. Still, she seems to have Drogon under way better control, so that's something.
It wasn't just that storyline left hanging though: the Tyrell/Lannister alliance fails in its bid to overthrow the High Sparrow, with a couple of surprises for good measure; Jaime is given his marching orders; Arya discovers her old self; Sam makes a brave/stupid decision; and Bran and Meera are saved by a familiar (if now slightly different) face.
It was all entertaining to watch, but without any real payoff. Hopefully next week's episode, The Broken Man, will offer some conclusions, and answer a few of these questions.
10. Where Has Benjen Been?
Although Benjen Stark's return has been cried before, this time it's real, and not just a ruse to kill Jon Snow (although I look forward to a future scene when Bran tells Jon that their uncle is back, and Jon responds with "I'm not falling for that sh*t again.").
His return, while not exactly surprising (there were only a couple of options for who would save Bran, and the show gave us both of them in one character), is nonetheless a big moment, and it's great to have both the Benjen mystery cleared up and a show version of Coldhands.
While Benjen explains what happened to him (sort of), what with being stabbed by a White Walker and saved by the Children, it's not clear just what he's been up to since, or why he's only revealed himself to Bran now. Just how closely was he working with the Three-Eyed Raven? Where has he been? Was he, as speculation in the wake of this episode posits, responsible for the dragonglass found by Sam in Season 2? What else has he been involved in without showing his face?