Game Of Thrones: 12 Ups And 4 Downs From Season 6

2. Things Finally Go Well For The Starks

House Stark served as our introduction to this world. Ned is the closest thing the show has gotten to a sole protagonist, and the first season of the show was particularly Stark heavy. Since then, they've always been the 'good guys', but separated and subjected to endless amounts of pain and misery. Robb and Catelyn were killed, Sansa passed from tormentor to tormentor, Bran ended up beyond the Wall, Rickon disappeared, Arya left Westeros altogether, and Jon joined the Night's Watch and ended up dead.

After Season 5 took each member to their lowest point yet - Sansa's abuse at the hands of Ramsay, Arya going blind, Jon being killed - Season 6 set about restoring the balance, and giving the Starks a win.

Jon was resurrected, defeated Ramsay in battle, and made King in the North. Meanwhile, he and Sansa were reunited, the first time any of Ned's children have been together since Bran and Rickon parted ways back in Season 3. Even though they never had a scene together and weren't close, their reunion is still hugely emotional because of what they've both been through, and how long we've wanted the Starks to start coming back together. Sansa herself had a great year, escaping Ramsay, standing up to Littlefinger, and helping the Northern and wildling forces win the Battle of the Bastards, while delivering sweet revenge herself.

Lastly Arya, who'd been stuck in Braavos for far too long and came close to giving up her entire identity, remembered who she was. Her proclamation that she's Arya Stark and going home was a total fist-pump moment, and it only got better when she turned up at the Twins to avenge the deaths of Robb and Catelyn. Now, hopefully she too will head back to Westeros, and by the end of Season 7 we could have all the Starks back at Winterfell.