Game Of Thrones Season 6: 10 Ups And 2 Downs From 'The Red Woman'

1. The Big Melisandre Reveal

This episode was titled The Red Woman, so we knew to expect Melisandre to play a key role in things. However, surely no one could have expected, well, this?! (And if you did, what are you on?)

With hindsight, of reveal of Melisandre's true-self maybe isn't all that surprising. After all, we know she possesses some powerful magic, and Carice van Houten has spoken of the character being over 100-years-old before. For book readers especially, there's the fact that we've already seen glamour magic from her (with Mance Rayder and Rattleshirt), and that rubies point to such magic being used.

Watching the episode, though, the transformation of Melisandre from attractive sorceress into a haggard crone comes as a big shock, especially for the visual of it happening. It's also a great moment for the character as well though, showing how broken she is by the deaths of Stannis and Jon, and what is a perceived failing on her part and that of the God she worships.

It's also a timely reminder, with Jon dead and Melisandre the favourite to bring him back, of just what level of power she does actually possess. Whether it's enough to raise the dead is another matter though.

Now, for what the episode didn't do so well...