Game of Thrones premiered at Hollywood’s Chinese Theatre Sunday night, the only screening of the Season 6 premiere expected before the April 24 release date. Despite a review embargo on critics in attendance, the accumulation of impressions leaves a spoiler-rich residue of plot points, character beats and innuendos. Here’s what we’ve learned.
Is Jon Snow Resurrected in the Season 6 Premiere?
In their obnoxiously headlined article on the premiere, “ Game of Thrones season 6 world premiere and after party: everything we learnt, including is Jon Snow dead?,” The Telegraph said, “The burning question (no Melisandre-related pun intended) on every fan’s lips, of course – is Jon Snow really dead? – cannot be answered here.”
Well, screw you guys, now we’ll have to speculate for ourselves.
Entertainment Weekly said, “the premiere spends a lot of time at Castle Black,” the location of Jon Snow’s dead body.
Speaking of the trailer footage we’ve already seen for Season 6, EW said, “ A surprising amount of that footage is either from this first episode or from scenes that will seemingly happen in the next.”
Since the trailer includes a resurrected Jon Snow’s march on Winterfell, it seems likely that the premiere will feature Jon Snow’s resurrection and end on him marching south with a wildling army.
What About Sansa and Brienne of Tarth?
A lot of coverage for the Game of Thrones Season 6 premiere has been given over to Sansa, who escape from Winterfell with Theon Greyjoy at the end of last season.
According to The Telegraph, Sansa will finally hook up with Brienne of Tarth in the premiere. “The biggest cheer from the audience was reserved for the dramatic appearance of Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie),” The Telegraph said, “finally fulfilling a long-held ambition and making her loyal presence felt.”
Other Plotlines
The Game of Thrones Season 6 premiere, “The Red Woman,” dives right back into the aftermath left behind in Season 5. “All the climactic beats last year felt like cliffhangers, so this intense new hour picks up right where each left off,” EW said. Here are the cliffhangers EW named that will be addressed in the premiere:
“Dany’s capture by the Dothraki”
“Cersei’s Walk of Shame’
“Arya being blinded”
“Jon Snow’s death”
“Sansa and Theon fleeing Winterfell”
Since George R.R. Martin’s The Winds of Winter is still a ways off from publication, couch potatoes and book readers alike will go into this season uncertain what will happen. According to EW, “ There are some scenes that are genuinely shocking. As in: Even hardcore fans full of speculation about the new season won’t see some twists coming.”
