The Game of Thrones Awards, Season 6, Episode 5: Oh, Hodor

Given the internet’s fondness of Hodor, you can hardly throw a virtual rock into Google without hitting a meme about the lovable giant. He is an important character in the sense that he safeguards a much more important character, Bran Stark. I never imagined him rising above the gimmick that, well, he could only say his name. And yet despite his limitations, his death provided one of the most memorable scenes in all five-and-a-half seasons of Game of Thrones.
While Bran is watching young Hodor (aka Willis) in one of his flashback dreams, Meera calls to him to warg into the adult Hodor to help them escape from the White Walkers in the present. In the end, Hodor’s last mission on behalf of Bran is to “hold the door” as the two remaining members of their sad alliance flee the attacking Wights. Somehow, the magic has a time-twisting effect, causing the young Willis to seize and begin chanting this final objective, a three-word string that eventually blends into “Hodor.” As I watched, my brain turned to mush, and I was overtaken by equal parts gut wrenching sadness and pure joy at what George R.R. Martin managed to engineer, some five books and 20 years ago (per the showrunners, this plot point came straight from him). Yet as great as the on-the-page reveal in The Winds of Winter will likely be, the show was able to present it in a highly satisfying fashion. We saw the beginning and the end of Hodor in the same heartbreaking instant, a melding of two moments separated by decades.
Perhaps the most tragic aspect may be easily forgotten in the shock of the reveal: Hodor choose none of this; His fate was thrust upon him by an impatient boy who failed to understand the consequences of his actions. The White Walkers would not have been at the front door had Bran not gone playing in flashback land by himself and let the Night’s King touch him. (I will get back to that in the awards section.) Bran’s trespassing also lead to the death of the Three-Eyed Raven, who is swiftly executed by the Night’s King.
Without that mind-blowing conclusion, the episode MVP would have been Sansa Stark. Her scene with Littlefinger was likely her strongest moment of the series. In the past, he no doubt would have been able to manipulate her into trusting him again, but she is having none of it. She does raise an interesting point though: did he really not know anything about Ramsay? If so, that does put a bit of a dent in his reputation as “the dude who somehow knows everything about everyone.” Before he leaves town, Littlefinger does provide another key bit of information: the Blackfish, Brynden Tully, has re-taken River Run from the Boltons. As Jon and Sansa take aim at retaking Winterfell, this will likely be important.
Varys also had to face the fact that he doesn’t know as much as he thought. Kinvara, the new Red Priestess in Mereen, is very familiar with his backstory, and has info that he either doesn’t have or isn’t ready to hear. Interestingly enough, she is every bit as convinced that Daenerys is the “promised one” as Melisandre was that it was Stannis (if you’ll remember, she’s now equally convinced Jon is her man). Oh, you wacky religious nuts!
Speaking of Daenerys, she finally gets around to welcoming Jorah back into her life. Unfortunately, he still has that Grayscale issue to deal with and doesn’t really want to infect her, so this time, he banishes himself. With perhaps her last order to him, Dany sends him off and find a cure. Please do, Jorah. Your arm is gross.
On the Iron Islands, Euron Grayjoy won the Kingsmoot, despite Theon’s touching speech in favor of his sister. I was originally skeptical of this choice, given his lack of screen time. Then again, of all of the strong women on Thrones, I feel like Yara is the one we are the least invested in, so her loss doesn’t feel too bothersome. The fact that Euron wants to unite with Dany and give her a fleet of ships to help her take the Seven Kingdoms is refreshing, in the sense that it might make someone, anyone, care about the Iron Islands.

Watching the first few seasons of Thrones reenacted in an absurd play in Braavos offered a bit of unexpected levity, no doubt—though when Arya has to watch her father’s head get chopped off again, staged or not, she fails to find said humor. Like Bran, her training appears to be over, but I share the Waif’s skepticism. Much like Bran, she doesn’t appear to be truly ready. Her constant skepticism of Jaqen H’ghar is getting just as old as his vague answers. You’d figure she either has to buy in, or be kicked out. I will be interested to see how her second chance is handled, as we have been told she won’t be getting a third.
All of the remaining Stark children (not counting Rickon, because does anyone ever count Rickon?) are entering storylines that will likely define their time in the narrative. Considering our quick, if comedic, look back at season one, how surprising and rewarding is it that Sansa is the one best equipped to handle the tumultuous times they’re all facing?
Quotable Quotes
“Tyrion Lannister was right. I love you.” – Jorah, with the most obvious declaration ever. Someone should photoshop him holding aloft a boom box, blasting Peter Gabriel.
“He seems trustworthy…a bit brooding perhaps.” – Brienne, with a quick summary of the internet’s problem with Jon Snow
Hodor Count: 27
This feature really went out with a bang, huh? RIP.
Awards!

• Our first ever “Nightmare Fuel of the Week” award goes to that moment when Bran realizes that all of the undead army can see him. The Night’s King’s slight head movement toward him was chilling.
• This week’s “We Miss You and Wish You Weren’t Murdered in Horrifying Fashion” award goes to Hodor. For a character I didn’t give a lot of thought to throughout the series, I missed him as soon as the final credits began to roll. The consolation prize goes to Bran’s direwolf, Summer, who was stabbed to death by a horde of zombies, because there is no justice in Westeros, or beyond the wall, for that matter.
• The “Surprise Close-Up of the Week” award goes to a particular moment backstage at the Bravosi theater. You know…that moment. For once, the gratuitous nudity wind blows both ways.
• The “This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” award goes to the flashback where we learned that the White Walkers were created by The Children to help save the world from being destroyed by man.

And Now, a Haiku by Hodor
Hold the Door, Hold the
Door, Hold the Door, Hold the Door
Hodor Hodor Hodor
I will be back at it next week. I’m too sad to say anything witty here.