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Latest “Game of Thrones” installment excelled despite bumps

Sixth season concluded with a bang

<p>Even after six seasons and sixty episodes, "Game of Thrones"&nbsp;still has the ability to shock viewers.</p>

Even after six seasons and sixty episodes, "Game of Thrones" still has the ability to shock viewers.

The sixth season of cultural sensation “Game of Thrones” went out with a bang. With perhaps one of the show’s best episodes, the finale proved why the entire world is obsessed with “Game of Thrones.” Even after six seasons and sixty episodes, the show still has the ability to shock viewers, which is huge in a television landscape where many feel they’ve seen it all. However, despite this incredible final hour, this season of “Thrones” was not without its faults.

This is the first season to not be adapted directly off of one of the novels in the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series. Author George R. R. Martin intended for his sixth book, “The Winds of Winter,” to be released before the sixth season, but ultimately the book wasn’t ready in time — one has to wonder if the book series will ever be completed at this pace. Regardless, “Thrones” doesn’t have the luxury of stopping and waiting, so the show marched on with mixed results.

At times, the show was very obviously not based on the rich and elaborate plot Martin is known for. Very few narrative plots had much depth, and in a season with rampant, insane fan-theories, many fans were disappointed when reveals weren’t as twisted as they had been in previous seasons.

Many characters this season were spinning their wheels and did not move forward in their story — another knock on this installment. Fan-favorite Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) was one of these characters. Season six saw Arya continuing her training in the House of Black and White trying to become faceless, and many of her episodes are extremely repetitive. After two seasons of training, she leaves for Westeros, reverting her character to exactly the same as before her journey to Braavos.

Occasionally, the show also seems to give up logic for strong dramatic television moments, which may be another symptom of running off-book. An example of this came in the showstopping episode nine — “Battle of the Bastards.” In what was perhaps the most epic battle sequence ever seen on television, the episode bent certain plot points. Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) hides her correspondence with Lord Baelish (Aidan Gillen) — a huge bit of information — from Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) for no obvious reason. This may be because of the creator’s desire to unveil a huge surprise for the audience and the characters. Issues like this make the show feel like a boiled-down version of the books at times.

Despite all of its faults, the sixth season did have some incredible moments. “The Door” was another incredible moment in “Game of Thrones” history, which perhaps creates Hodor’s death as a greater tragedy than the infamous Red Wedding. Jon Snow’s resurrection was also an exciting confirmation for the audience, who had been predicting it since the fifth book was released years ago.

Each season of “Game of Thrones” has its most-valued player, and this felt like the season of Jon Snow (Kit Harrington). Harrington put in some of his best acting here, and the show really gave a lot of story to Snow — despite him being dead for the first two episodes. One of the strongest fan theories of the series — “R+ L = J” — was finally confirmed, breathing new dynamics into the plot going forward.

“Game of Thrones” is not always the most logical series, but when the material feels confident, the show excels. With the creators hinting there are only 13 episodes left in the series, one has to imagine the show will only turn up the intensity. “Game of Thrones” is a special media event with one of the most passionate fanbases of any cultural phenomenon. It has changed the way viewers watch television and it has raised the bar in scope and quality of other programs. 

Winter is finally here.  

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