Game of Thrones picks up with some interesting flashes into the past, characters reaching the tipping point in their development, and one game changing move.  In this article, we will recap and analyze the main points in this episode named Oathbreaker.

***But before we continue, there are SPOILERS ahead.  If you have not seen the episode, do not read further.***

Jon Snow

As everyone is well aware, fan favorite Jon Snow was brought back to life by Melisandre in the last episode. This has been one of the most anticipated revivals of the entire series as people know that Jon Snow is going to be shake up the story.  Some people were expecting him to be kicking ass from the very moment he opened his eyes.  This episode did not go in that direction.  Some people may be disappointed and may feel as if this episode was slower as the fans have become used to being shocked almost every episode.  We still feel that this episode was a necessary and good bridge episode in which it allowed us to see character growth.  We feel as if this is the calm before the storm as things are building and characters are reaching their potential or changing.

In this episode, Jon Snow awakens confused and a little frightened as well he should be.  When he comes out of the room and it becomes known to everyone that he is alive, there is definitely a palpable air of fear and awe that surround him as some consider him unnatural and others (mainly the Wildlings) consider him a god.  This is to be understood.  What we liked about this is that there is doubt in Jon Snow as to why he is back, and what it could mean.  It also has completely solidified the Wildlings loyalty to him, and we think Melisandre is now going to be loyal to him as well.  That makes Jon Snow quite a formidable opponent not only to the enemies of the Starks, but to the army of the dead coming from North of the wall. But what price has been paid for Jon Snow to come back?  We think this is the question that looms in the minds of fans and of the other characters about the issue. Even Ed, one of Jon’s closest friends, asks him repeatedly if he is the same Jon Snow as before.  Was there a price for his revival?  We shall see.

Jon Snow gets to confront his murderers and, after giving them their last words, has them hanged.  He then takes off his Lord Commander Mantle and literally gives up his role as Lord Commander to Dolorous Ed, stating that his watch as ended.  With no one to really say differently, Jon Snow leaves the Nights Watch.

Now what does this signify for future episodes?  A lot actually as we see Jon now no longer fettered by the rules of the Nights Watch.  Add in that he now has a loyal army at his side and a fire priestess that can do some pretty gnarly things, and we think that Jon Snow is just about to get started in the ass kicking.  We think it was a fitting way to end the episode with Jon Snow closing the last chapter of his last life and starting over.  And then there is Sansa who is on her way to Castle Black for Jon Snow’s protection.  What will happen to her when she gets there?  The Nights Watch will not be as obligated to help or protect her without Jon Snow there.  We hope she meets up with Jon Snow and they don’t just missed each other as it might get bad for Sansa in this matter.

Bran Stark

Bran Stark is still in the tree with the three-eyed raven having visions of the past and learning how to control his abilities, but this episode, we think, really changed Bran.  In this episode, he gets to see an important memory of his young father as he faces off with Ser Arthur Dayne also known as the Sword of the Morning for his unparalleled skill in sword fighting.

Young Ned Stark played by Robert Aramayo.

In his vision, he gets to see his father, which he has idolized, once more as more and more pieces of the past are coming together.  The vision takes place in the previous war just after Robert Baratheon has defeated and killed Rhaegar Targaryen at the Trident.  Rhaegar has requested some of his best soldiers which includes Ser Arthur Dayne to stand guard over a tower.  It is at this tower that Ned Stark and his men charge forward.  Ned asks Ser Arthur why he wasn’t at the trident protecting Rhaegar, and he tells him that Rhaegar posted him here to protect this fortress.  He asks about his sister Lyanna, which has been said to have been taken by Rhaegar against her will, and it is assumed that she is being held in the keep.

Ser Arthur will not budge, and Ned along with Howland Reed, Jojen and Meera Reed’s father, and a few others fight “The Sword of the Morning” and his men.  It quickly becomes clear, even to Bran, that Ser Arthur is an exceptional swordsman, and far better than everyone else as he basically takes on Ned and all his men by himself.

It comes down to Ned and Arthur, and, after witnessing Arthur kicking everyone else’s asses, you think that Ned is in trouble, but, as Bran remarks, Ned lives and was supposed to have killed Ser Arthur.  They fight, and Arthur has him beat until a wounded Howland Reed comes up from behind Ser Arthur, and stabs him in the back.  This action is abhorrent to Bran and to Ned, but Ned still takes advantage of the situation and kills a wounded Arthur Dayne.

This scene is probably one of our favorite scenes of the episode for several reasons.  We get to see one more piece of the past war that really seems to be having an effect on the present.  We see that Ned is desperate and will do anything to find and save his sister.  The scene ends with Ned racing up the steps of the keep as a woman screams in the keep.  Is it Lyanna? Is it because she is giving birth as the  popular theory of Jon Snow’s true parentage suggests?

And we get to see a minor character that has a bit of a fan following, which is Ser Arthur Dayne, in full action.  It wets our appetite to see more of what happened in the past.  Could there possibly be a spinoff series from this?  We would be interested in one if there was one.

On top of this mysterious element and  sneak peek into characters of the past, we see Bran’s idolized vision he had of his father crash down as he realizes that his father was just a man who had to do some unsavory things.  This is always a critical moment of any child’s life as they become an adult, the realization that their parents are not perfect creatures, but human and flawed.  We think this will have an impact in how Bran will proceed especially if more of the past is uncovered that does not align up with what he knows to be true.

Arya Stark

The last we saw of Arya her time as a blind beggar was over, and she was accepted back into the House of Black and White.  This episode we see more of her training, except this time we see her skills get better and better as she starts to get the upper hand against the girl who is always tormenting her.  It wasn’t a large part in the episode, but watching her progression throughout the episode was chilling and exciting to see.  Her part ends with her besting the girl and regaining her sight.  By this time, we can see that she is no longer the Arya that we have grown to love, but has truly come to embrace the “no one” she has become.  Arya is ready now to kick some ass and we can’t wait to see it.  The only better thing that could happen is if she were to be reunited with her direwolf, Nymeria, whom we believe is still alive.  If that happens, we have a feeling that nothing really is going to be able to stop this duo.

The Lannisters

We put the Lannisters together, including Tyrion, because they seem to have the same mission which is collecting up as much information and intel on their enemies as they can.  In this episode, Cersei is getting much more cunning as she has taken control of the “little bird” network of spies that Varys started, but is now being controlled by Qyburn who is loyal to Cersei.  With this new source of power and knowledge and with Jaime Lannister close to her side, we have a feeling that the Lannisters in Kings Landing are just about to open up a can of whoop ass on their enemies.

Similarly in Meereen, Tyrion, with the help of Varys, is hunting down who is funding the Sons of the Harpy organization that is still doing damage in Meereen.  Varys finds an agent connected to the Sons of the Harpy: a prostitute who was slitting the throats of Deanery’s unsullied.  With some light threats, and even more incentives, Varys’s gets the information that the Sons of the Harpy are being funded by the Masters that have taken over Yunkai and Astapor.  This is critical information to have, and we are sure that Tyrion will make good use of it.

Rickon Stark

Probably the biggest game changing moment of this episode has to be the reemergence of Rickon Stark, who has been in the wind since season 3.  Rickon and Osha, his Wildling protector and companion, are brought to Winterfell by head of the Umber family, Smalljon Umber.  The Umbers, being north of Winterfell, are keenly aware that the Wildlings are south of the wall now.  They know that the fight will come to them first.  So they decide to form an alliance with Boltons and the Karstarks.  Judging by the rude way he introduces this alliance to Ramsey, we think it is safe to say that the Umbers are none too happy about having to form an alliance with the Boltons, but are doing it out of necessity.

It is terrifying to see Rickon in the hands of the monster known as Ramsey especially since we see that the Umbers have killed his dire wolf, Shaggy.  We are not sure what to expect from this.  Has it made Ramsey’s hold of the North stronger?  Yes, unfortunately it has, but we still feel that the Northerners will not stand for anything bad being done to Rickon.  But it could be bad news for Ramsey as well as now there is a male Stark heir in Winterfell, a point that the Northerners are not going to forsake as easily.

And there there is the question that is sure to be in every Northerners mind: if Rickon is alive could Bran Stark be alive as well?  Add in that Jon Snow is a free agent with an army, and Rickon’s plight may not be as dire as we think.  If Jon Snow and Sansa meet up, this united Stark front may just pull support and allegiance away from the Boltons.  Let’s hope that we will see a united Stark family once more.

Notable moments 

-We did get to see Daenerys in this episode, but it was briefly.  Daenerys makes it to Vaes Dothrak where she is brought to the Dosh Khaleen.  It becomes clear that her fate may be up in the air as she did not come straight away to Vaes Dothrak after Khal Drogo’s death.  Our question is where is Drogon and when is she going to get out of this?

-We are really starting to be over the whole High Sparrow arc and would actually love to see Cersei kick the living snot out of this guy.  Hopefully Tommen will not pay the price, but it doesn’t look good for him either.