Blood of My Blood

"Blood of My Blood" is the sixth episode of the sixth season of Game of Thrones. It is the fifty-sixth episode of the series overall. It will premiere on May 29, 2016. It was written by Bryan Cogman and directed by Jack Bender.

Beyond the Wall
Meera is still pulling Bran through the snow as he remains in vision-state, but she is clearly getting tired. Bran experiences a rush of visions, including King Aerys shouting "Burn them all!." Pursuing wights are also seen. Meera cannot go on any further and tries to wake Bran, who comes out of his visions to say "They've found us." She can hear wights approaching through the trees. With no more energy left to pull Bran, and barely enough to draw her sword, she apologises to Bran for failing him, as the wights come into sight.

Just as all appears hopeless a mysterious rider appears and attacks the wights with a sickle and a flaming flail. Once the wights in the immediate vicinity have been dealt with he urges Meera and Bran to come with him because "the dead don't rest", and they escape on horseback.

Later, when they have reached relative safety and the rider is preparing a meal, Meera asks why he helped them. The rider reveals he was sent by the Three-eyed Raven who "lives again" - just as he says this Bran wakes up. The rider reveals himself as a disfigured Benjen Stark, Bran's uncle, and explains that he was stabbed in the gut by a White Walker's sword and left to die, but the Children of the Forest  rescued him and stopped the magic that would have turned him into a Wight.

He explains that Bran must now be the Three-eyed Raven, and when the White Walkers come to the realms of men, Bran will be waiting for them.

In the Reach
Sam and Gilly approach Horn Hill, the Tarly estate. Sam warns Gilly that they must claim Little Sam is Sam's son, and that Gilly should hide the fact that she is a wildling.

Sam introduces Gilly and Little Sam to his mother and sister.

They all have dinner along with Sam's father and brother. Sam reveals his plans to become a maester and eventually return to Castle Black. Randyll Tarly, Sam's father, criticises Sam for his weight and mocks his hunting and fighting skills. Gilly, defending Sam, inadvertently reveals her origins from North of the Wall. Randyll reveals his prejudice towards wildlings and his contempt for Sam, though he agrees Gilly and Little Sam can stay at Horn Hill, this will be Sam's last night under his roof.

Sam later apologises to Gilly for not standing up to his father and that he will be leaving at first light. However he changes his mind and says that they need to stay together as they belong with each other, and that they are all leaving right now. On the way out he takes Heartsbane -- the family's Valyrian Steel sword.

In King's Landing
Tommen is speaking with the High Sparrow about Margaery's Walk of Atonement, and the High Sparrow offers to let him see her. Tommen enters Margaery's cell and is surprised to find her speaking positively about the High Sparrow and contritely about her past sins, including her vanity about being seen to help the poor and needy. He finds himself agreeing with her feelings towards the High Sparrow.

Later, Mace Tyrell leads an army through the streets of King's Landing to a waiting Jaime Lannister, before giving a rather pompous speech at which Jaime cringes. Together they proceed to the Great Sept, outside which the High Sparrow, Septa Unella, the Faith Militant  and a crowd of city folk are preparing for Margaery's Walk of Atonement. The army arrives, along with Olenna Tyrell in a litter, as the High Sparrow is speaking, and Jaime demands he release Margaery and Loras, before they can "be on their way."

The High Sparrow refuses and fends off Jaime's threats by saying each of the Faith Militant yearn to die in the service of the Gods, but after a dramatic pause says it will not be necessary, as there will be no Walk of Atonement. Margaery has already atoned for her sins by bringing another into the faith. To Jaime's astonishment the doors of the Sept open and King Tommen walks out, escorted by his own guards, and walks down the steps to join the High Sparrow and Margaery in a demonstration of unity between the crown and the faith.

Mace asks what is happening and Olenna replies in disgust that the High Sparrow has beaten them.

Later, in the throne room, Tommen strips Jaime of his position in the Kingsguard because "an attack on the faith is an attack on the crown", but reveals that Jaime will not have to face imprisonment or humiliation, he can continue to serve his King and the Lannisters, just not in King's Landing.

Jaime later complains to Cersei that he has been told to help Walder Frey take Riverrun, but instead he intends to get Bronn  and whatever killers Bronn can find, to march into the Great Sept and kill the High Sparrow. Cersei says that he should go to Riverrun and show everyone how easily a Lannister can take a castle, as to attack the High Sparrow and his fanatics would probably result in Jaime's death and destroy everything they are working for. She does not need Jaime to be in the city for her trial, it will be a trial by combat and she has the unbeatable Mountain. She reassures Jaime they will still defeat all their enemies, and they start to kiss.

In Braavos
Arya is watching the second half of the mummers' performance of "The Bloody Hand" in which the caricature version of Tyrion poisons his nephew and murders his father. She displays amusement at the rendition of Joffrey's painful death. She then seems moved by Lady Crane's performance as Cersei. She notices the actress playing Sansa mouthing Lady Crane's lines.

As the play is finishing she sneaks backstage and poisons Lady Crane's rum, hesitating before doing so. She is still backstage as the mummers come in, and Lady Crane recognises her as being in the audience earlier. The two converse and Arya realises she has much in common with the actor. Uncomfortable at what she has done she makes an excuse and leaves.

Lady Crane argues with Izembaro about improving the script and just as she is about to drink her rum, Arya reappears and knocks it from her hand. She points at Bianca  and warns Lady Crane she wants her dead. Unknown to Arya the Waif witnesses this exchange and reports back to Jaqen, asking for permission to kill Arya. Jaqen agrees, contemplating it is a shame as Arya had many gifts, and instructs the Waif to ensure Arya does not suffer.

Meanwhile Arya retrieves her sword, demonstrating she has forsaken her desire to become a Faceless Man and once more is embracing her destiny as Arya Stark.

In the Riverlands
At The Twins, Walder Frey receives word that Riverrun is lost, taken by Brynden Tully. He is flabbergasted, regretting that the Blackfish escaped from the Red Wedding and evaded his soldiers. Despite having superior numbers, House Frey is struggling with other houses in the Riverlands and the Brotherhood Without Banners rallying and raiding their supply lines and camps. Walder demands that the Tully stronghold be taken back, refusing to be humiliated by not being able to hold a single castle. He decides to use his trump card to force their surrender: Edmure Tully, held as a prisoner of the Freys since the Red Wedding. Walder jokingly tells Edmure not to worry as he is going home.

In the Dothraki Sea
Daenerys Targaryen is riding with Daario Naharis and her newly acquired khalasar of 100,000. She asks Daario how long it will take to get back to Meereen and inquires how many ships would be needed to carry her army across the Narrow Sea. Daario replies that it will take a week to get back, and at least 1,000 ships to take her new khalasar across the sea. Pondering this, Daenerys tells the khalasar to halt as she rides on ahead. After a while, Daario announces he will look for her, but is stopped with then distinctive shadow of a dragon passes overhead. After a moment, Drogon appears and slowly circles the khalasar before landing, revealing Daenerys on his back. Daenerys asks if the khalasar is willing to cross the Narrow Sea, beat the armies of the Seven Kingdoms, and rip down the keeps of its lords, as Drogo had promised. When they shout their affirmation, Daenerys reminds them that every khal in history has selected three Bloodriders to ride at her side at the head of the khalasar. Daenerys, however, is not a khal and does not have to abide by their rules. Therefore, she declares the entire khalasar her bloodriders.

First

 * King Aerys II Targaryen (Flashback)
 * Lady Melessa Tarly
 * Talla Tarly
 * Dickon Tarly
 * Lord Randyll Tarly
 * Tyrell bannerman

Deaths

 * King Aerys II Targaryen (Flashback)

Cast
Starring
 * Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Ser Jaime Lannister
 * Lena Headey as Queen Mother Cersei Lannister
 * Emilia Clarke as Queen Daenerys Targaryen
 * Natalie Dormer as Queen Margaery Tyrell
 * Maisie Williams as Arya Stark
 * Jonathan Pryce as the High Sparrow
 * John Bradley as Samwell Tarly
 * Isaac Hempstead-Wright as Bran Stark
 * Michiel Huisman as Daario Naharis
 * Tom Wlaschiha as Jaqen H'ghar
 * Dean-Charles Chapman as King Tommen Baratheon
 * Hannah Murray as Gilly

Guest Starring
 * Diana Rigg as Lady Olenna Tyrell
 * Richard E. Grant as Izembaro
 * David Bradley as Lord Walder Frey
 * Essie Davis as Lady Crane
 * Joseph Mawle as Benjen Stark
 * Tobias Menzies as Lord Edmure Tully
 * Ellie Kendrick as Meera Reed
 * Faye Marsay as the Waif
 * Roger Ashton-Griffiths as Lord Mace Tyrell
 * Ian Gelder as Ser Kevan Lannister
 * Hannah Waddingham as Septa Unella
 * James Faulkner as Lord Randyll Tarly
 * Samantha Spiro as Lady Melessa Tarly
 * Eugene Simon as Lancel
 * Tim Plester as Walder Rivers
 * Daniel Tuite as Lothar Frey
 * Kevin Eldon as Camello
 * Leigh Gill as Bobono
 * Eline Powell as Bianca
 * Rob Callender as Clarenzo
 * Eva Butterly as the mummer playing Margaery Tyrell
 * David Rintoul as King Aerys II Targaryen
 * Freddie Stroma as Dickon Tarly
 * Rebecca Benson as Talla Tarly
 * Robert Aramayo as Lord Eddard Stark
 * Raúl Tortosa as a Tyrell bannerman
 * Lucy Hayes as
 * Glen Barry as a mummer
 * Brendan O'Rourke as a mummer
 * Ross Anderson-Doherty as a mummer
 * William & James Wilson as Sam
 * Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir as a musician
 * Ragnar Þórhallsson as a musician
 * Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson as a musician
 * Brynjar Leifsson as a musician
 * Kristján Páll Kristjánsson as a musician

Cast notes

 * 12 of 27 starring cast members appear in this episode.
 * Starring cast members Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister), Kit Harington (Jon Snow), Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth), Carice Van Houten (Melisandre), Aidan Gillen (Petyr Baelish), Indira Varma (Ellaria Sand), Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark), Conleth Hill (Varys), Nathalie Emmanuel (Missandei), Kristofer Hivju (Tormund Giantsbane) Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy), Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth), Iwan Rheon (Ramsay Bolton), Jerome Flynn (Bronn), and Iain Glen (Jorah Mormont) are not credited and do not appear in this episode.

General

 * The title of the episode refers to how a Dohtraki Khal and his bloodriders address each other. As an ironic double entendre it apparently also refers Samwell and Tommen both defying their fathers and claiming their respective family legacies.  It could also be seen as a reference to Bran's reunion with his uncle.
 * Although major settings for the episode, Horn Hill and The Twins do not appear in the Title sequence for the episode. Although Meereen, which doesn't appear in this episode, is still kept in it.
 * This episode marks the first time three Essos locations are featured in the title sequence (Braavos, Vaes Dothrak, and Meereen), and the first time since "Fire and Blood" in Season 1, only three Westeros locations are featured (King's Landing, Winterfell and the Wall).
 * Dorne does not appear in this episode, and has not reappeared since half of the main Dornish characters were abruptly killed off in the Season 6 premiere (increasing evidence that the showrunners simply abandoned the Dornish subplot as a failure). The Wall, The North, The Vale, Meereen, and the Iron Islands also do not appear.
 * This is the first time the show has had a scene take place in the Reach, and as of this episode, the show has visited all 9 regions of the Seven Kingdoms (the original "seven kingdoms" plus the borderlands that became the Riverlands, and the capital region of the Crownlands). With the appearance of Horn Hill, a castle has been shown in every part of the Seven Kingdoms except for the Stormlands and the Westerlands.
 * Locations in the North, the Vale, the Riverlands, and King's Landing appeared in Season 1; locations in the Iron Islands were introduced in Season 2, and locations in Dorne were introduced in Season 5. As for the Crownlands apart from King's Landing, Dragonstone was introduced in Season 2, and Stokeworth was briefly seen in Season 5.
 * The production team did hope to introduce Storm's End, ruling seat of the Stormlands, in Season 2: however due to budget constraints the parley between Renly and Stannis had to simply be filmed on cliffs by the sea - though they did state in dialogue that they were in the Stormlands at the time. Robb Stark's army technically entered into the Westerlands in Season 2 while on campaign, leading to the Battle of Oxcross, but these scenes basically just focused on the Stark army camp, without showing any major locations such as Casterly Rock itself.
 * Walder Frey, House Frey, and the Twins return in this episode, having not appeared since the Season 3 finale "Mhysa". Edmure Tully also returns, not seen since the Red Wedding, who has been a prisoner of the Freys ever since. As in the books, they intentionally took him alive because following the death of his father Hoster he is the new head of House Tully, making him a valuable political hostage.
 * Although not seen, the Brotherhood without Banners are mentioned in this episode for the first time since Season 4.  They are apparently still active in the Riverlands and still disrupting the Frey supply lines.

Bran and Benjen Stark

 * This episode marks the return of Benjen Stark, who has not appeared in the show since the third episode of the first season "Lord Snow."  Benjen Stark's fate has not been revealed yet in the books, but this is true of most of Bran's Season 6 storyline.
 * On the Inside the Episode piece for Blood of My Blood, the showrunners refer to Benjen as Coldhands.  Coldhands is a character from the novels who has been an escort to Bran and also Samwell Tarly at earlier stages in the story.  Prior to The Winds of Winter, the origins of Coldhands have not been revealed in the novels.  There are many fan theories that claim Coldhands is in fact Benjen in the novels, but George RR Martin has himself stated that this is not true.  It is possible the TV series has simply merged the characters of Benjen Stark and Coldhands to simplify the narrative.
 * In his vision, Bran sees several glimpses of the past, including:
 * The fall that paralyzed him ("Winter is Coming")
 * The beheading of his father ("Baelor")
 * The death of his mother ("The Rains of Castamere")
 * Several images of the Night King at the Battle of Hardhome ("Hardhome")
 * Daenerys appearing before her khalessar after surviving Drogo's funeral pyre ("Fire and Blood")
 * The Night King turning Craster's last son into a White Walker ("Oathkeeper")
 * Ned Stark at the Tower of Joy ("Oathbreaker")
 * Roose Bolton killing Robb Stark ("The Rains of Castamere")
 * The Children of the Forest creating the White Walkers ("(The Door")
 * Jon Snow battling a White Walker ("Hardhome")
 * Bran's visions also include several past events never before depicted in the TV series:
 * The Alchemist's Guild creating massive amounts of Wildfire at the Mad King's request.
 * The first-ever on-screen appearance of the Mad King himself, Aerys II Targaryen, shouting "Burn them all!" - commanding the pyromancers to put the Wildfire plot into effect and burn down King's Landing rather than let it fall to rebel armies.
 * Jaime Lannister killing the Mad King at the very foot of the Iron Throne itself - as he explained in Season 3's "Kissed by Fire", in order to stop the Mad King from carrying out his insane plan to burn down the capital city.
 * Jaime, having killed the Mad King, sitting down on the Iron Throne in disgust and shock at what he had just done.
 * Following a vision of Eddard Stark asking where is his sister, a scene showing a body covered with blood with the hand of someone else touching it.
 * Bran also seems to have visions of the future:
 * A large dragon, possibly Drogon, in flight above a city looking like King's Landing.
 * A large underground wildfire stockpile actually exploding in a spectacular green fireball.

In the Reach

 * In this episode, Samwell Tarly and Gilly arrive at his family's castle-seat at Horn Hill. Samwell's father Randyll Tarly has been mentioned since Season 1 but makes his first on-screen appearance now.
 * Samwell and Gilly were mostly absent from the first half of Season 6, barring one scene on their ship, but this matches just how long their journey was: from the northern edge of the Seven Kingdoms at the Wall to the southern shore of the Seven Kingdoms at Oldtown. In fact, they didn't just go from the northern to southern end but along the even longer diagonal distance: they left Castle Black (in the Season 5 finale) and went to the eastern end of The Wall to the Watch's port-castle at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea to board their ship. Eastwatch is thus at the absolute northeastern corner of the Seven Kingdoms, while Oldtown is at the absolute southwestern corner, in the Reach. Nor did they go in a straight line, but had to sail around the continent lengthwise through the Narrow Sea.
 * In the books, Samwell and Gilly's sea journey from the Wall to Oldtown takes up much of their narrative in the fourth novel.
 * Contrast the realistically long time it took for Samwell and Gilly to travel from the Wall to Oldtown by sea with how in the preceding episode, Littlefinger somehow traveled the vast distance from the Vale to the outskirts of Castle Black, without explanation (which was an invention of the TV series).
 * Gilly gets her first new costume since she was introduced on the TV series in Season 2 - meaning that she finally got to change out of the dirty, heavy roughspun wool costume she was wearing on the show for four and a half years.
 * This makes Hannah Murray the cast member who has gone the longest without a costume change - barring a few cases of characters who wear official uniforms. Arya Stark disguised herself as a peasant boy at the end of Season 1 and didn't change costumes until mid-Season 5 (about three and a half seasons without a costume change). Samwell and Dolorous Edd haven't changed costumes because they wear Night's Watch uniforms (Sam since Season 1, Dolorous Edd since being introduced in Season 2). Grand Maester Pycelle has also worn the same costume since Season 1, as his robes are the official uniform of a maester. Podrick Payne has also generally worn the same costume since being introduced in Season 2, but it is apparently some sort of standard-issue leather armor as a Lannister squire. The other only character who wore the same costume for so long, but not been required to as part of some military uniform, was Hodor - Hodor was introduced in Season 1 before Gilly was introduced in Season 2, however Hodor and Bran's storyline took a year off and didn't appear in Season 5. Thus Kristian Nairn (Hodor) is the only other non-uniformed cast member who can match how long Hannah Murray (Gilly) has been wearing the same costume - though Gilly slightly edges Hodor out in the sense that she wore the same costume for four and a half continuous seasons in a row. Hodor also acquired a new heavy fur coat in Season 4 when traveling beyond the Wall - which is a new costume of a sort. In contrast, Gilly originated beyond the Wall, so she always had a heavy fur coat, though she took it off for some interior scenes.
 * This is also the first time that non-Tyrell Reach nobility have been shown. Appropriately, their style of clothing is generally similar to that of the Tyrells, however, the Tarly women wear dresses of a slight different style than Margaery's, most notably with very different shoulders. On the other hand, Melessa's hair is styled exactly the same as one of Margaery's signature looks.
 * Randyll Tarly states that the sword, Heartsbane, is made of Valyrian steel and has been in his family for 500 years.  Sam is aware of the ability of Valyrian steel to kill White Walkers and this may have played a significant part in his decision to take the sword.  Other known Valyrian steel swords include Ice (Eddard Stark) which was melted down to form Oathkeeper (Brienne) and Widow's Wail (presumably now with Tommen), and Jon Snow's Longclaw.

Arya in Braavos

 * The play Arya Stark saw in Braavos in the preceding episode, titled The Bloody Hand, returns. The preceding episode was apparently "Act I", corresponding to the events of Season 1 with King Robert Baratheon's death and culminating with Ned Stark's execution. The "Act" seen in this episode deals with the Purple Wedding, which of course blames everything on Tyrion.
 * The play isn't in the current novels but appears in a preview chapter that was released for the unpublished sixth novel. This led to some confusion because the preview chapter actually focuses on "Tyrion" plotting to poison Joffrey, and Ned Stark didn't appear at all. The simple answer is probably that the preview chapter is from the middle of the next book, and earlier as-yet unreleased chapters will show earlier Acts which "adapt" the events of the War of the Five Kings from the beginning.
 * In the play, where "Tyrion" shoots "Tywin", he makes a comment about Tywin shitting gold. This in fact occurred in the novels. In the novels, after Tyrion kills Tywin, he notes that in the end, Tywin Lannister did not shit gold
 * In the play, "Tyrion" mentions the lion and the rose, which is the title of the episode Joffrey was killed in.
 * Arya introduces herself as "Mercy" to Lady Crane. Arya used that name in the chapter "Mercy" from the Winds of Winter.