The Starks are back in action, with Sansa pushing Jon Snow to war in the most recent episode. The preview for Game of Thrones Season 6 episode 5, “The Door,” promises even more Starks, with Arya and Sansa looking downright murderous.
But the showstopper for episode 5 looks to be the confrontation between Bran Stark and the undead army of the Night’s King, whose magic can pierce through the veil that has kept Bran invisible and incorporeal in previous greenseer visions.
Watch the preview and then stick around to pine with me over the loss of Uncle Benjen, the Night’s Watch’s finest raider and scout.
It’s still a little unclear exactly what’s happening between Bran and the Night’s King, but an earlier trailer showed the Night’s King grabbing Bran — he’s definitely magical enough to see and interact with Bran. With Meera desperately trying to shake Bran from his vision, it seems like the budding Stark tree-wizard is in some serious trouble.
With Jon Snow moving south to take back Winterfell with Sansa, there doesn’t seem to be anyone who could help Bran out should the Night’s King come for him. Maybe this would be the perfect time to finally bring back Uncle Benjen Stark?
Though Benjen has been missing north of the Wall since Game of Thrones Season 1, recent episodes have hinted at his continued importance for the surviving Stark characters. The traitors who murdered Jon Snow drew him out with the promise of Uncle Benjen’s return in Season 5. And this season saw Bran at Winterfell, watching a vision of his father and Benjen training. It seems the Game of Thrones writers have not forgotten ol’ Uncle Benjen.
A Benjen return in Game of Thrones Season 6 could even tie into a dropped character from George R.R. Martin’s novels: Coldhands. An undead brother of the Night’s Watch, Coldhands guides Bran north to meet the Three-eyed Raven. Perhaps Uncle Benjen hasn’t survived all this time, but can help out Bran Stark even in death.
