In its first season not tethered to George R. R. Martin's books -- save for some leftover Iron Islands shenanigans -- Game of Thrones moved faster than fans have come to anticipate with regards to story, payoffs, and even the literal movement of characters from one realm to another.
At times, there were so many "happy" moments that the series began to feel rather un-Game of Thrones like, though the show certainly had an excuse for rocketing us toward the end and giving the heroes more wins than usual - we're near the end! This is when things are supposed to start falling into place, if we're to follow traditional fantasy storytelling rules. None of this necessarily means we'll wind up with a feel-good ending by the time the curtain actually falls on this saga, but for now, with Season 6 acting as the gateway to the actual series endgame (expected to take place over two shortened final seasons), it was time for many of our heroes to triumph and ascend in ways that Martin never quite allowed in his pages. To date, of course...
It was a big year, to say the least, and Season 6 was notably light on audience contempt and tragedy, which had been the show's bread and butter up until this point. It was also the year that fans -- especially longtime fans who'd read the books -- found themselves getting ahead of the tale a bit, as their long-held theories about Jon Snow's parents, Jon Snow's short-lived death, Coldhands, and more were revealed to be pretty much exactly what had been guessed by many.
Because there were definitely times, given how the series had been running so far, where it almost felt like the audience didn't deserve so many big crowd-pleasing moments. Also, since executive producers Benioff and Weiss were creating a bulk of the content themselves -- with only the larger plot points having been revealed to them by GRRM ahead of this season -- the show began to have a slight "fan service" vibe. Sansa's storyline, in particular, had moments of empowerment that felt like a direct response to how poorly her Season 5 victimization was received. That being said, regardless of the reasoning, watching a stronger, emboldened Sansa this year was a straight-up treat - particularly how she somewhat began to lean toward a devious side right at the end, even in regard to her own family.
The Verdict
Game of Thrones' sixth season wasn't without its hiccups, and a few lesser episodes, but as usual there were tremendous jaw-dropping moments and some spectacular sequences that stand as some of the show's best. Hodor's death broke our hearts while sending our imaginations soaring and seeing the Stark sigil back at Winterfell was a blessing to behold.
