Now that Season 6 of the hit HBO show Game of Thrones is under way, here are some important things we know so far:
[SPOILERS ahead but honestly, if you aren’t caught up, you aren’t thinking about planning a viewing party]
1. Jon Snow (Kit Harington) is alive. At the end of Season 5, it looked dire for our favorite Lord Commander. He was stabbed several times by his Night’s Watch comrades who felt Snow was ruining everything by joining forces with their mortal enemies, the Wildlings, in an effort to fight the White Walkers. Yes, Jon does die but by episode 2, the Red Witch, Melisandre, brings him back to life – and everything in Westeros is right again. Except now, Jon, who has been reunited with sister Sansa Stark has to fight to gain back his home, Winterfell, from the evil Ramsay Bolton.
2. Daenerys Targareon, the Mother of Dragons, Khaleesi and many other titles, was captured by the Dothraki, only to turn the tables on the leaders by burning them and their Dosh Kaleen temple to the ground while walking away from the blaze Unburnt. She now has the Dothraki hordes – and her dragons — on her side… let’s see how she put all these newfound reinforcements to good use once she returns to Mereen and consults with Tyrion Lannister.
3. Bran Stark has been trained by the Three-Eyed Raven to go into the past for “vision walks,” but although he is only supposed to observe, Bran also somehow makes his presence known. This does not bode well for him, especially when he has run-in with the White Walker leader, the Night’s King, which leads to the ravenous White Walkers to Bran and his crew. When they attack, it’s Hodor who loses the battle. It’s up to Bran now to carry on the Three-Eyed Raven’s work and find a way to defeat the White Walkers.
4. The High Sparrow and his followers have almost complete control over the people of King’s Landing, now that young King Tommen and Queen Margaery have now drunken the High Sparrow’s Kool-Aid. The young king declares to the cheering crowd that there is “a holy alliance between the crown and the faith.” Of course, Tommen’s mother and father, Cersei and Jamie Lannister, aren’t going to just stand by and watch it happen, oh no.
There are other character developments – Arya’s plight; Theon and Yara Greyjoy fighting for the Salt Throne; the Sand Snakes of Dorne – but as we near the Season 6 finale (June 26), and it seems like those four pieces above are the most important to the whole who-is-going-to-sit-on-the-Iron Throne end game.
Now you’re ready to plan your viewing party for the Game of Thrones season finale, inviting those friends who are (hopefully) die-hard GoT fans and are all up-to-date. Between the fun aspects of decorating (an Iron Throne), planning the menu (lemon cakes), drink recipes (a White Walker) and coming up with creative games before, during and after the episode (drink when Jon Snow broods), you should have a blast setting up the perfect viewing party.