With “Game of Thrones” jumping from one storyline to another each week, it can be hard keeping track of everything. That’s why we’re keeping a running record of everything happening in the show’s wild sixth season. Obviously, SPOILERS ARE AHEAD.
THE WALL
The season begins where last season left off: with the dead body of Jon Snow. Those still loyal to Jon retreat and regroup while the mutineers, led by Alliser Thorne, threaten to kill them all if they don’t surrender by nightfall.
Meanwhile, the priestess Melisandre realizes she may not be as powerful as she once thought. With Stannis and Jon dead, her faith in the Lord of Light is shaken. She removes her amulet and reveals that without her powers, she is nothing but an old crone.
But just when things look hopeless for Jon’s men, their wildling allies arrive and turn the tide back against the mutineers. Alliser Thorne and his fellow conspirators are jailed for their treason.
Despite her broken confidence, Melisandre tries one more time to bring Jon back from the dead. It seems to be all for naught at first… but when his direwolf, Ghost, comes to his side, Jon miraculously returns to life.
As punishment for attempting to kill their Lord Commander, Jon sentences Thorne and the mutineers to hang. He then resigns from his post as Lord Commander, declaring that since he has died, his watch has ended.
WINTERFELL
Ramsay Bolton discovers the corpse of his friend Myranda, who was killed by Sansa and Theon at the end of last season. Rather than give her an honorable funeral, he feeds her to his hounds.
His father, Roose, is infuriated that he let Sansa get away. He threatens that he will rescind the birthright he recently gave his bastard son and give it to Ramsay’s unborn stepbrother if he can’t get Sansa back.
Upon hearing news that Roose’s new son is born, Ramsay impulsively stabbed his father and loosed his hounds on Roose’s wife and newborn child. As the only Bolton remaining, Ramsay became the new Lord of Winterfell.
Ramsay is approached by Smalljon Umber and asked for help with the armies of wildlings Jon Snow has been allowing through the Wall. To show his loyalty to Ramsay, he presents a gift to him: Rickon Stark and Osha, along with the head of Rickon’s direwolf.
SANSA AND THEON
After taking a leap of faith from Winterfell’s ramparts last season, Sansa and Theon attempt to escape Ramsay’s clutches, but are caught by Bolton soldiers.
Before they can be brought back to Winterfell, however, they are rescued by Brienne and Podrick, whose service Sansa had previously rejected. This time, Sansa accepts Brienne’s pledge of loyalty to her.
Theon, however, is too overcome with guilt over betraying the Starks to continue the journey to Castle Black with Sansa. He parts ways with her, declaring his intention to return to his home in the Iron Islands.
What he doesn’t know is that his father, Balon Greyjoy, has been murdered by his uncle, Euron. Euron has returned from exile and now plans to pull off the invasion of the North that his brother repeatedly failed to accomplish.
THE LANNISTERS
Cersei continues to pay the price for her wickedness as Jaime returns to King’s Landing with the body of her daughter, Myrcella.
For all intents and purposes, King’s Landing is under the control of the High Sparrow and the Faith Militant, who have removed Jaime and Cersei from power by exposing their incestuous relationship. They also have Margaery Tyrell imprisoned for lying in court to protect her gay brother, Loras, from sodomy charges.
The King, Tommen Lannister, expresses his frustration with being unable to protect his wife and family from imprisonment despite his power. Feeling helpless, he asks Cersei to help teach him how to be an effective ruler.
The King’s small council, led by the new Hand of the King Kevan Lannister, have all been targets of Cersei’s scheming. As such, they have exiled her and Jaime from their meetings, but the two siblings have a trump card: the dark maester Qyburn and the reanimated body of Gregor Clegane.
BRAAVOS
As punishment for using the powers of the Faceless Men for personal revenge, Arya Stark has been rendered blind. While begging on the streets, she is forced to duel in staff combat by The Waif, and is severely beaten.
After several days on the streets, Arya receives an offer from her friend, Jaqen H’ghar, for food and shelter. She rejects the offer, and in doing so, passes Jaqen’s test. The Faceless Men bring her back.
Arya undergoes more tests, learning to mix potions and fight without her eyesight. She is repeatedly asked what her name is, and she replies, “A girl has no name.” She is rewarded with the return of her vision and is fully admitted into the ranks of the Faceless Men.
BRAN AND THE RAVEN
After a long journey, Bran Stark has reached the lair of the Three-Eyed Raven, a former Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch who is now fused to a weirwood tree. With the Raven as his master, Bran trains in the art of greenseeing and has visions of House Stark’s past.
First, he sees a vision of his father, Ned, training with his aunt and uncle, Lyanna and Benjen. During this first vision, he discovers Hodor’s true name: Wylis.
In another vision, Bran witnesses Ned defeat the last of Aerys Targaryen’s Kingsguard, but not as honorably as Bran once thought he did. Before he can discover the fate of Lyanna, Bran is pulled out of the dream by the Raven, who assures Bran that he will one day return to Westeros, but only once he’s learned “everything.”
MEEREEN
With Queen Daenerys missing, Tyrion Lannister and Lord Varys are struggling to keep control of Meereen. The slavers that Daenerys once cowed into submission are regaining power and have destroyed the Queen’s fleet, meaning she cannot sail to Westeros.
Still, Tyrion recognizes that they still have an ace in the hole: Daenerys’ dragons, Rhaegal and Viserion. He goes down to the dungeons and manages to earn their trust. He releases the dragons from their collars, giving them the freedom to grow.
In the meantime, Lord Varys investigates the Sons of the Harpy, an insurgency group working to overthrow Daenerys. He discovers that the slavers are funding the Sons and uses his little birds to uncover their leader.
Daenerys, meanwhile, has been taken prisoner by Khal Moro and his khalasar. Upon revealing that she was the wife of Khal Drogo, Moro takes her to Vaes Dothrak, where she is to remain with the other Khal widows — known as the Dosh Khaleen — for the rest of her days…
…that is, if she is still allowed to join them. Upon arriving at Vaes Dothrak, the Dosh Khaleen leader tells her that she violated Dothraki tradition by attempting to become a queen instead of going straight to Vaes Dothrak when Khal Drogo died. The Khals are gathering to decide which tribes and cities to invade, and they will decide whether Daenerys will be punished for breaking their code.
Daenerys’ only hope lies in the hands of Jorah Mormont and Daario Naharis, who have been tasked with finding Daenerys and bringing her back to Meereen. There is also her dragon, Drogon, who was last seen recovering from a fight with the Sons of the Harpy and is undoubtedly searching for who took his mother.