Game Of Thrones Season 6 came to an explosive conclusion last night with some show-stopping scenes and an even more impressive bodycount than we’ve come to expect. After the credits rolled, showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff gave viewers their takes on some of the episode's most momentous scenes. Here are some of their insights into the episode, the characters and what might be in store for Season 7.
WARNING: There are apocalyptic spoilers below so don’t even think of reading this if you haven’t seen the episode!
Cersei’s Revenge
Weiss: The wildfire was something that we had on the board. We knew from Jaime’s conversation with Brienne that there was wildfire under the city. Everything that Olenna says about Cersei earlier in the season is true: that she’s got no more friends left, that she’s got no more power left. Olenna asks her point blank, “What? are you going to kill everyone yourself?” it’s possible that she puts an idea in Cersei’s head or at least augments an idea that’s already been in Cersei’s head. It’s all been building up to this moment and then... boom.
Meanwhile Tommen’s alone. This fragile, malleable, devastated child, basically, is sitting there without anybody to comfort him. and if she had been there he wouldn’t have gone out that window. She failed him and she alone failed him here.
Benioff: I think the idea of Cersei without her children is terrifying because it was the one thing that really humanised her: the love for her kids. As much of a monster as she could sometimes be, she was a mother who truly did love her children and now those children have gone and all she’s got is power – and she’s got a lot of it. She’s the queen, she’s sitting on the iron throne. I don’t think it bodes well for anyone really. She’s capable of doing anything – as she’s proven in this episode – to get what she wants. The real question now is, what does she want?
The King In The North
Benioff: Sansa does love her brother. They’ve had a conflicted past but over the course of this season they’ve come to really rely upon each other. But she doesn’t necessarily trust him completely. She didn’t tell him about the meeting with Littlefinger; she didn’t tell him that she summoned the knights of The Vale. There’s definitely a little hint of conflict there. We see that come out in episode nine, when she’s at the war council where no one asks her opinion despite the fact that she knows Ramsay better than anyone. So I think there’s a little bit of anger about that and a little bit of jealousy and that relationship will be crucial to watch.
When we see the second King In The North scene with Jon, it was important to us that it evoke that first King In The North scene. In some ways the evocation of the first one is meant to be a little bit worrisome because it was a very triumphant moment when Robb is named King In The North, but it didn’t go so well. I think we have to be a little worried for Jon. At the same time it’s a pretty reversal for a character who was dead at the beginning of this season to be declared king at the end of it. He’s done well in ten short episodes.
A Girl Returns
Benioff: Arya is someone whose path has been very dark and yet I think we all see where she’s coming from. She’s seen the Stark family endure many atrocities and she wants vengeance. In some ways it’s the cleanest narrative of them all.
This is a scene we’ve been looking forward to for quite some time: her return to Westeros and her revenge upon Walder Frey. It’s a worrisome narrative for Arya; because she started as this little girl who was always tough and plucky and whatnot but she’s become a murderer and a highly skilled murderer. Even if the murders are justifiable, we witness the descent of this girl into someone who is capable of slitting a man’s throat and smiling as she watches him bleed out. I don’t think anyone’s going to be crying over the fate of Walder Frey but still, if you love Arya you have to be a little bit worried about where she goes from here.
The Hand Of The Queen
Weiss: Tyrion had a very steep slope to climb to win Dany’s trust. His family played an integral part in nearly exterminating her family but at this point, especially given the hand he was dealt with Meereen after she left, he’s earned her trust. He’s one of the few people in the world at this point who’s willing speak the truth to her face.
Benioff: Dany’s not going to do anything she doesn’t want to do, she’s not going to take anyone’s advice if it seems against her interests. So when he recommends that she cut ties with Daario, she does it because she thinks he’s right. Tyrion has become a very capable advisor in a very short time. She clearly respects his intelligence and she now respects his loyalty, especially given she knows where they’re heading: they’re going back to Westeros. Most of the people on her team have never been there but Tyrion spent his whole life there, served as Hand Of The King before, defended King’s Landing during an attack. He knows the ruling families better than anyone. He certainly knows Cersei better than anyone so as long as she can trust him, which she does, he’s the perfect advisor to her in the war for Westeros. he’s the perfect Hand Of The Queen and that’s why she names him such.
Daenerys’ Homecoming
Weiss: That shot of Dany’s fleet, with all of her newly arrayed allies, making its way out of Slavers’ Bay towards The Narrow Sea and home is probably the biggest single thing that’s happened on the show thus far. It’s the thing we’ve been waiting for since the pilot episode of the first season. The person she is now is very, very different from the person she was then. It hasn’t been a smooth road – it feels like she has earned it at this point.
Benioff: It’s the shot that we’re going to leave everyone with but it was a real thrill to see her on the bow of that ship with Tyrion by her side, heading West. there’s a ruthlessness that comes with even the good Targaryens. I mean, these are the people who came over from across the narrow sea and conquered the known world. It will be very interesting to see how that plays out going forward.
Game Of Thrones Season 7 will air in the UK on Sky Atlantic 2017
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Game of Thrones season 6
**Season 6 - Episode review guide **