‘Game Of Thrones’ Season 6 Finale Recap: ‘The Winds Of Winter’

Game Of Thrones season 6 finale saw the demise of a number of main characters, a new King named in the North and new ruler of Westeros crowned.

‘Game Of Thrones’ Seaosn 6 Finale Recap

Kings Landing

Cersei (Lena Headey), clad in black, stares out at King’s Landing ahead of her trial in the sept. Tommen (Dean Charles Chapman) is dressed for the occasion, capped with his House Baratheon crown, stealing himself for what will likely be his mother’s death. The High Sparrow (Jonathan Pryce) and Margaery (Natalie Dormer) are readied as well, and Loras (Finn Jones), a shell of his former self, is dragged to the chamber. Mace Tyrell (Roger Ashton-Griffiths) and Kevan Lannister (Ian Gelder) are present at the trial as well. Standing before the High Sparrow, Loras Tyrell waves his right to a trial, and instead confesses to all of the crimes of which he’s been accused, including sleeping with Renly Baratheon. As punishment, Loras will join the Sparrows, and has their mark carved into his forehead, much to Margaery’s horror.

When Tommen tries to exit the Red Keep for Cersei’s trial, The Mountain stops him. Meanwhile, Margaery wants to know why Cersei is not in the sept, and why her boy king husband is also missing. The High Sparrow sends Lancel Lannister off to fetch her, but Margaery insists that there’s a reason why Cersei opted not to come to her trial, and that it likely spells danger for them all. “There’s something wrong. Cersei is not here. Tommen is not here. Why do you think they are not here?” Margaery asks. “Cersei understands the consequences of her absence, and she is absent anyway, which means she does not intend to suffer those consequences.”

The High Sparrow, ever proud, does not heed Margaery’s warnings. She goes to her brother and tries to make an exit out of the sept, and urges the others to follow her, but the Sparrows block everybody inside. Below the sept, Lancel (Eugene Simon), who has been stabbed by one of Qyburn’s child assassins, is crawling towards three candles burning out atop pooling wildfire. Just before he can blow them out, they ignite, imploding the sept and incinerating everyone within it. A satisfied Cersei watches her latest scheme level her political opponents with a smile, and then goes to visit Septa Unella, who she has tied to a table. She waterboards her with wine, confesses her own sins and points out that the Septa, too, has sinned. Instead of killing her then and there, she leaves her with the Mountain, who will likely make her death a long and painful one. “Shame. Shame. Shame,” Cersei calls out as she leaves.

Tommen, still in his chambers in the Red Keep, looks out at the billowing smoke from the sept as he’s told the news. Taking his crown off, he returns to the window and walks off the ledge to his death. Upon seeing the body of her last surviving child, Cersei says she wants him burnt and his ashes spread on the ruins of the sept. Also dead is Grand Maester Pycelle (Julian Glover), who had been lured by Qyburn to a fake meeting with Tommen, and was knifed to death by a gang of children.

Twins

Walder Frey (David Bradley) is hosting a dinner with the Frey and Lannister armies. Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), after sending Bronn (Jerome Flynn) off with a couple of girls, chats with Walder. Jaime finds Walder a despicable creature, and questions him about his own experience on the battlefield. Jaime points out that the only reason why the Freys have the Riverlands is so that they can hold onto them for the Lannisters. But, seeing as the Lannisters have to keep riding up to retake them from those who’ve bested the Freys, they’re not nearly as important as Walder presumes.

The following day, in the Freys’ darkened hall, Walder is served lunch and complains to the serving girl about how his sons Black Walder (Tim Plester) and Lothar (Tom Brooke) have yet to show up as planned. “They’re here, my Lord,” says the serving girl before pointing to his meat pie. He lifts up the crust and there’s a finger. “They were easy to carve, especially Black Walder,” says the girl, who, upon pulling off her mask, is Arya Stark (Maisie Williams). “The last thing you’re ever going to see is a Stark staring down at you while you die,” Arya tells Walder before slitting his throat.

Oldtowne

Samwell Tarly (John Bradley) has arrived in Oldtowne with Gilly (Hannah Murray) and Sam Jr. At the Citadel, he explains that he has been sent to become the new maester for Castle Black. While the irregularities of his assignment are sorted out, he will be able to use the Citadels’ impressive library.

Winterfell

Jon Snow (Kit Harington) is in the big hall, telling Melisandre (Clarice Van Houten) about how when he was growing up there, his family would sit at the large table up front, while he would be relegated to the back. Davos (Liam Cunningham) interrupts the chat with Princess Shireen’s toy stag, charred from the fire that killed her on Melisandre’s insistence. She defends herself, saying it was the only way to try to help Stannis’ army. Davos is furious and urges Jon Snow to have Melisandre executed. Jon Snow opts to have her exiled instead of killing her. Davos promises that he’ll kill her himself if she should ever return to the North.

As Jon Snow watches Melisandre ride off from the top of Winterfell, Sansa (Sophie Turner) joins him. He tells her he’s having the Lord’s chamber prepared for her. “You’re the lady of Winterfell. We’re standing here because of you,” he tells her. As for the Knights of the Vale army, she admits that she should have told him about them, and insists that she doesn’t trust Littlefinger (Aiden Gillen). Where trust is concerned, Jon Snow says that they must trust each other if not anyone else. Sansa tells him a white raven came from the Citadel. Winter is here.

In the Godswood, Littlefinger approaches Sansa and confesses that his lifelong goal is to sit on the Iron Throne with her as his queen by his side. When he goes to kiss her, Sansa stops him, but says, “It’s a pretty picture.” As she walks away, he tells her he’s loudly declared for House Stark. And, that she is the true heir of Winterfell, far truer than Jon Snow.

Dorne

Olenna Tyrell (Diana Rigg) has arrived in Dorne to parlay with Ellaria Sand (Indira Varma) and the Sand Snakes. “You look like an angry little boy. Don’t presume to tell me what I need,” Olenna tells Obara before turning her attention to Ellaria, who says they must be allies. Olenna makes it plain that she’s not in search of survival, but rather vengeance. Enter Varys (Conleth Hill): “Fire and Blood,” the Targaryen words.

Mereen

Speaking of Targaryens, Dany (Emilia Clarke) tells Daario (Michiel Huisman) that he will not be coming to Westeros with her, but rather stay in Mereen with the Second Sons to help keep the peace. She explains that she won’t be bringing a lover to Westeros, mostly because it could get in the way of making an alliance through marriage. Despite his pleading, Dany holds her ground. She then meets with Tyrion (Peter Dinklage), who commends her for making that tough choice. He goes on to give her the highest praise he could give her: he believes in her. Dany then presents Tyrion with the honor of being her Hand of the Queen and the corresponding pin.

North of the Wall

Benjen Stark (Joseph Mawle) brings Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) and Meera (Ellie Kendrick) to the wall, but explains that he cannot pass through with them, as there are enchantments on the wall that disallow the dead – or partially dead – to get to the other side. Before Meera and Bran cross, Bran goes to a weirwood tree, which brings him back to the Tower of Joy. Many years ago at the Tower of Joy, Nedd Stark runs up to the tower, where he finds his sister Lyanna Stark, lying in a pool of her own blood in bed. She knows that she’s about to die and makes him make a promise, and then he is shown her baby – who would be Jon Snow.

Winterfell

Jon Snow, whose mother is likely Lyanna Stark and his father likely Rhaegar Targaryen, stands in the hall at Winterfell, letting the Bannerman of the North know that winter is well and truly here and that they must be prepared to do battle with the White Walkers. His speech gets little more that mutters, but 10-year-old Lyanna Mormont (Bella Ramsey) stands up and calls the fellow Bannerman out on their cowardice, and urges them to call him the King of the North. Her speech rouses them, and Jon Snow is declared King of the North.

King’s Landing

Jaime and Bronn return to King’s Landing to see the black smoke rising from the sept, and then, upon entering the Throne Room, to see Cersei sitting down in the Iron Throne as the first Queen of Westeros.

The Narrow Sea

Dany, with her Unsullied Army, the ships of Mereen’s Masters and those of the Iron Islands, is on her way to Westeros to take the crown.