‘Game of Thrones’: Jon Snow’s Fate Rocks Show to Its Core

The old gods and the new are freaking out right now

game of thrones bran three eyed raven
HBO

(Spoiler alert: Do not keep reading if you have not seen this week’s episode of “Game of Thrones”)

“Game of Thrones” fans are no doubt losing their minds at the end of this week’s episode as a major character makes a sudden comeback. But first…

Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) got back into the thick of things in this week’s episode. Bran and the Three Eyed Raven (Max von Sydow) venture into Bran’s past to his days as a young child at Winterfell. He sees his aunt Lyanna and even a young Hodor, known then as Willis, before he’s brought back to reality.

Meanwhile, Meera Reed (Ellie Kendrick) appears to be growing restless as Bran completes his training. But a Child of the Forest insists that Bran will need her for what is to come.

At Castle Black, Thorne (Owen Teale) attempts to break into the room containing Jon Snow’s (Kit Harrington) body, but before he can, a massive group of wildlings arrives led by Tormund Giantsbane (Kristofer Hivju). All the Night’s Watch brothers drop their swords rather than fight. Thorne and all the conspirators are taken prisoner.

In King’s Landing, Cersei (Lena Headey) is barred from attending her daughter’s funeral by order of her son, King Tommen (Dean-Charles Chapman). Tommen and Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) attend the funeral alone, where Tommen feels he has failed to protect his mother and his wife, Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer), from the High Sparrow (Jonathan Pryce).

The High Sparrow arrives at the funeral and speaks with Jaime. Jaime threatens him, but the members of the Faith Militant arrive and prevent Jaime from striking their leader down.

Tommen goes to speak with Cersei, where he apologizes for his weakness. He asks for her help in being a stronger ruler and the two embrace.

Across the Narrow Sea in Meereen, Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) surmises that he must free the two dragons being kept in captivity in the city in order to restore order.

He descends into the chamber where they are being kept to tries to bond with the fearsome fire breathers. The dragons seem to take to him and he is able to free them from their chains.

Arya (Maisie Williams) is still blind and begging on the streets of Braavos. The Waif (Faye Marsay) assaults her again, and asks Arya who she is.

Arya replies “No one,” but The Waif beats her anyway. Then Jaqen H’ghar (Tom Wlaschiha) appears and tells Arya if she speaks her own name, he will feed her and restore her sight. She again says “No one,” and Jaqen takes her away, as she has passed his test.

Roose Bolton (Michael McElhatton) learns that Sansa (Sophie Turner) has slipped through his grasp, just as his wife gives birth to his new son.

Ramsay (Iwan Rheon) celebrates the birth of his baby brother by killing his father and claiming Winterfell for himself. He instructs his men by threat of violence to say that Roose was poisoned by his enemies. Ramsay then kills both his father’s wife and her newborn son by feeding them to the hounds.

Sansa and Theon (Alfie Allen) talk on the way to Castle Black. Theon knows that he can never attone for his crimes against the Starks, so he asks Sansa to allow him to return to the Iron Islands.

Yara Greyjoy (Gemma Whelan) argues with her father Balon (Patrick Malahide) about his insistence to continue to wage war against Westeros at their home on Pyke. But as Balon walks a bridge between two of his towers, his brother Euron (Pilou Asbæk) approaches him.

Euron has been thought dead for years, but he has returned now convinced he is the living embodiment of the Drowned God. He kills Balon by throwing him off the bridge into the sea.Yara assumes that she will take over now that her father is dead, but a priest tells her that she will have to fight for the throne.

Davos (Liam Cunningham) approaches Melisandre (Carice Van Houten) and asks if she can resurrect Jon Snow. But Melisandre is still not herself after her failure to help Stannis. Davos is able to convince her to at least try.

She washes Snow’s body and speaks an incantation while burning locks of his hair. But it does not work and Snow remains dead. Everyone leaves the room utterly dejected.

As the episode ends, Ghost has been sleeping peacefully at Snow’s side. When Ghost begins to stir, Snow suddenly wakes up and takes several panicked breaths.

“Game of Thrones” airs Sundays at 9 p.m./8c on HBO.

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