Review 'GoT Season 6 Episode 6': Cold hands, colder hearts, wings of fire

GoT review: Season 6 Episode 6,
Coldhands: 3.7/5

Ride away around the corner on your horse. And come back riding a dragon. That would show them who's boss. Daenerys Targaryen did just that, setting into motion a plan to take back what is hers —the Iron Throne. Let’s go back to last week’s episode for just a bit. Euron “Crow’s Eye” Greyjoy, the new king of the Iron Islands, had stated his intention of marrying Dany or at least, marry his fleet of a thousand ships to her army of the Unsullied, the Dothraki Screamers and the dragons.

Up north, thanks to Bran Stark, we get our first glimpse of the Mad King Aerys Targaryen, Daenerys’ father, in a jumbled flashback. And then, a mysterious horse rider saves Bran and Meera Reed from a bunch of wights. For those who read the books, this was an exciting reveal. For this is “Coldhands” from the books, a character long suspected by fans to be Benjen Stark, the Stark clan’s long lost uncle. And the show has proved them all right. It was indeed Benjen, who was saved by the Children of the Forest after he was mortally wounded on a ranging mission.

Meanwhile, we see Sam and Gilly, and little Sam, on their way to Horn Hill, where Sam hopes to find Gilly safe lodging in his father’s castle while he studies at Old Town to become a master for the Night’s Watch. That’s how we are introduced to Sam’s father, the despicable Randyll Tarly. Years of Sam building up his self-esteem almost went to waste as Randyll brutally hurls a series of emasculating insults at his firstborn. But we then see it hasn’t had as much of an effect on Sam as he sneaks out, steals the family sword and takes Gilly and the baby away with him.

And finally, things are coming to a head in King’s Landing as the Lannisters, Jaime and Cersei, decide to end the cunning High Sparrow once and for all. This comes after the High Sparrow convinces King Tommen to unite the Faith and the Crown so that one becomes synonymous with the other. This way, any authority Tommen may have had is diluted while the Faith have gained in stature; they are now to be a treated on par with the Crown. All in all, an episode full of intrigue and minor payoffs.