Game of Thrones S06E05 review: Screw Hodor, I want more from the Iron Islands

The Bran stuff is starting to get a little bonkers

Whether it was Tyrion serving as the Hand of the King or Littlefinger double-crossing pretty much everyone in Westeros, the sub-plots that have always interested me most in Game of Thrones are not the bombastic, fire-breathing dragon or White Walker stand-off ones, but the more subtle, political bouts.

Tonight’s episode is going to be remembered for one thing only, the passing of Hodor, but, emotional though it was, I’d have gladly sacrificed a few minutes of CGI mayhem at the Weirwood tree for a little more on the power struggle in the Iron Islands. There’s a really interesting narrative unfolding at House Greyjoy, which is trying to find a way to actually make a mark on the Seven Kingdoms. Yara Greyjoy is fast becoming my favourite character in the show and her relationship with her redeemed, albeit weakened, brother Theon is an interesting one. Their uncle Euron’s claim to the Salt Throne and plan for allying with Daenerys is also pretty legit, so we have a more interesting fight going on here than simple good vs. evil, right vs. wrong, which is the case with pretty much all the other storylines right now.

A little on those other storylines: Littlefinger pleaded ignorance to Sansa over his part in her marriage to Ramsay tonight, but, ever the master manipulator, still managed to plant a seed in her head about remembering Jon is only her half brother. This led to Sansa later lying to Jon and the beginnings of a crack appearing in the Stark duo (though this could be easily remedied if the L+R=J theory comes true).

Arya meanwhile, was still stuck in those boring training scenes, getting knocked down with a staff for what seemed like the 500th consecutive episode, though she did get a fun little skirmish to an acting troupe, which saw enjoyable cameos from Richard E. Grant and Kevin Eldon.

Religious skeptics Tyrion and Varys sought an unlikely alliance with red priestess Kinvara, and Ser Jorah, ever the romantic, was sent on a mission by Daenerys to cure himself of greyscale so he can return to fawning at her side and looking wistfully at the horizon.

Brienne and Tormund’s nascent romance got teased a little more, which I love even though it’s playing out like a ‘lord getting with a servant’ romance in Downton Abbey.

But yes, tonight’s climactic moment went to Hodor, Bran and the White Walkers, following a convoluted flashback setup which suggested an abstract form of time travel is possible in the Game of Thrones universe - something I’m not sure I’m down with, as we’ve already had death undermined this season with Jon Snow, now time itself too?

10/10 for addressing the female nudity debate by including a seemingly completely random close-up of a penis, though.