Are you ready for the journey HOME?

EPISODE STATS

Death Toll: 5 onscreen deaths (Lady Bolton, Baby Bolton, Roose Bolton, Balon Greyjoy, Shame Flasher), 1 confirmed death (Myrcella) Reveals: 1) Jon Snow is actually alive, duh! 2) Balon has a brother who was thought lost at sea, but is back in the Iron Islands with a vengeance. Biggest Climb: 1) Jon Snow coming back from the dead is a pretty big improvement considering. 2) Honorable Mention: Ramsay Bolton murdered his entire family, making him the undisputed Warden of the North. Lowest Fall: 1) Cersei got shut out of her own daughter's funeral by baby-soft Tommen. 2) Yara got taken down a peg after Balon's death, she probably won't be ruling the Iron Borne any time soon.

WESTEROS

Beyond The Wall

Bran, Three-Eyed Raven, Hodor, Meera, Random Tree Woman What We Know: We open up with one of Bran's warg visions, shared with the Three-Eyed Raven. This is the first, in a series of flashbacks we will be seeing revolving around Ned's story-line. We see a young Ned and Benjen sparring, when sister Lyanna trots in showing off her horse skills. We also meet a young Hodor, then named Wylis, who talks and seems very smitten with Lyanna. The Raven warns Bran that they cannot stay in the flashback long or else... and they return to the safety of the tree, where some random creature woman is just watching them memory trip. Bran tries to get through to Hodor with this new information, but of course, all Hodor can reply with is, "Hodor". Then Bran casually lounges in the snow to tell Meera, who's just sitting waiting to be killed, that she should probably get her ass back inside the tree. Predictions: This is the first point in my recaps that I will admit I was wrong about something, don't let it get to your heads people. I originally predicted that the knights in Targaryen armor in the promos were Jorah and Daario... well the next on, coupled with the flashbacks, suggests that these are Targaryen knights who Ned fought in the past. But why would he fight the Targaryens? Well it might have something to do with the Mad King kidnapping, raping and murdering his sister Lyanna. Will we finally learn that Jon Snow is the product of her capture? One theory on the Hodor/Wylis character is that he might have possibly been injured in battle, perhaps defending his crush, Lyanna. Another possible theory is that Wylis was gifted, like Bran, but warged too long and got stuck, possibly in the body of a horse, which is why he's so comfortable being saddled and ridden by Bran. All of this, however, does open up a bigger question, how old is Hodor? Like older than Ned apparently... maybe he really does have Giant's blood.

The Wall

Jon Snow’s body, Ghost, Melisandre, Davos, Thorne, Night’s Watch, Wildlings What We Know: Melisandre, Davos and a couple good Night's Watch are still locked in this room with Jon Snow's dead body and a very protective Ghost. Thorne and the traitors are about to bust in, when the Wildlings take Castle Black and force the Night's Watch to surrender. Davos pleads with Melisandre to do some magic, but she's been feeling self-conscious ever since killing Shireen with no good outcome. But she tries anyway, and everyone knows a reanimation isn't complete without body washing and hair fondling. It appears as if her magic is all but gone and everyone leaves Jon's body with Ghost. But at the very end of the episode, Ghost perks up just before Jon takes a breath and opens his eyes, because no one saw this coming. Predictions: The promo shows Jon walking through a crowd of astonished Wildlings and Night's Watch, comparing him to a God. There are many options for Jon to pursue when he wakes, he can take revenge on those that killed him, re-instate himself as Lord Commander, or just peace out altogether because this is a tough job with no benefits. What's more interesting is to ponder what he saw, if anything, while he was dead. Does he now have a new understanding for the world, the White Walkers, and his place in everything?

Winterfell

Sansa, Theon, Brienne, Pod What We Know: Sansa, Theon, Brienne and Pod are all a happy gang of misfit toys on their way to The Wall. They have no idea that Jon has died, and subsequently come back to life. But Theon knows what would happen to him if he were to face him again. Sansa doesn't want to let Theon go, but he can't face the man he betrayed and lose what's left of his life, so he tells Sansa that he is going home. Predictions: With Balon now dead and Yara, a woman and apparently unfit to rule the Iron Islands, if Theon does indeed return to Pyke he would be next in line as heir. Sansa, on the other hand, has a great protector in Brienne, but we've also seen Bri's charges die horribly. And with Ramsay now having full control over the North, there's not much standing in his way of getting his wife back, since he knows where she is heading. If Sansa does get to The Wall before Ramsay gets her, it would be the first time she and Jon saw each other since season 1, and they both have A LOT to catch up on. Ramsay, Roose, Lady and Baby Bolton What We Know: Lady Bolton gives birth to a baby boy and Papa Roose is thrilled. Ramsay tries his best to fake happiness, and Roose tells him that Ramsay will always be his "first born", which Ramsay sees as the perfect moment to shank his daddy to death. He then sends for his New Mommy and Baby Bro and sicks his dogs on them, thus making him the only Bolton left and Warden of the North. Predictions: Ramsay must be stopped! He is perhaps even more evil and brattier than Joffrey, who at least didn't kill his own siblings and parents. Ramsay is legitimate and the only living Bolton, making him Warden of the North. The only thing to solidify his hold further, would be to put a baby in Sansa, who he will undoubtedly still be hunting for. We also know that in the upcoming episode description, Ramsay receives a "gift", could it be a once-again-captured Theon who left Sansa to return to Pyke?

The Iron Islands

Yara, Balon and Euron Greyjoy What We Know: Yara and Balon are having their typical Father/Daughter spat when Balon decides to retire for the night. Of course to get to his bedroom he has to walk on a treacherous swinging bridge, which I'm mostly impressed he can do at his age. However, on the bridge he meets a mysterious stranger, revealed to be his brother Euron, who was thought dead at sea. Euron is pissed about something and throws Balon to his death. Which is actually a good thing considering Balon is Westeros' Worst Father Runner Up, after Stannis of course. Predictions: No one knows Euron is back in Pyke, but I'm guessing they're about to. He is apparently one of the Greyjoys involved with an attempted coupe that led to Theon being a hostage of the Starks. Now that Balon is dead, Yara is set on finding her father's killer and ruling the Iron Borne, but Gandolf Greyjoy is like, "Hold up, you're a woman, we'll see about all that..." But something is telling me Yara isn't going to just lie down and take it. If Theon does return home, he and Yara can hook up and rule the Iron Islands together and band against crazy Uncle Euron.

King's Landing

Cersei, Franken-Mountain, Jaime, Tommen, Sparrow What We Know: Cersei is on her way to Myrcella's funeral when she is stopped by order of King Tommen, since when is he giving orders? Franken-Mountain looks as if he's ready to tear through all 20-something guards in the Queen Mother's way, but she puts him on a leash. He instead goes into town and smashes the head of the Shame Walk Flasher. So Cersei is locked up in the Castle while Jaime, Tommen and Sparrow measure their dicks, while standing over Myrcella's corpse. She also somehow got the eyeball rocks Trystane painted for her when he died? After all the drama at the funeral home, Tommen goes to his mother and tells her he's going to be a good little mama's boy from now on, which is all Cersei ever wanted. Predictions: Cersei better be careful, because that prophecy the witch foretold is awfully close to coming true. I don't see any universe where Tommen lives through the end of the season, I'm honestly surprised he's still alive, being by far the daftest Lannister, heck even Lancil has his own thing going on. I, for one, am excited to see some more skull-crushing from Franken-Mountain, who has not yet been properly utilized. And with the mounting (pun intended) tension between Sparrow and Jaime, expect a big showdown between the Crown and the Seven soon.

ESSOS

Meereen

Tyrion, Varys, Missandei, Grey Worm, Rhaegal and Viserion (Dragons) What We Know: Sorry lovelies, no Khaleesi this episode, but we did get DRAGONS! Hell Yeah! So I'll just go ahead and say it, "I was RIGHT!" Tyrion unchains Rhaegal and Viserion. He seems pretty nervous while doing so, but calms himself and the dragons, by telling them a bed time story about how he wanted a mini-dragon for a pet as a child, adorable. Predictions: Now that the dragons are unchained and are softening to Tyrion's touch, it's only a matter of time before he releases them into the wild to find Khaleesi, get a hold over Meereen and put the Sons of the Harpy in their place. Missandei tells Tyrion that she knew the dragons as babies and they never hurt her, but Tyrion doesn't know them at all, so why did they let him touch them? Well, maybe they do know him, so far my Tyrion Targaryen theory holds water, he's approached the dragons and they have accepted him, next step, saddle up and ride one of those scaly dogs!

Braavos

Arya, The Waif, Jacquen What We Know: Arya holds her stick, awaiting the return of The Waif and another beating. When The Waif returns, this time Arya is only semi-prepared, she's not able to land any good blows, but at least she doesn't get her ass kicked again. The Waif disappears and leaves Arya furiously flailing her stick around until it's caught by Jacquen. Jacquen asks her her name, to which she replies "No one." He offers her money, food, shelter, even her sight back if she admits she is "Arya," but she remains "No one," and is rewarded by being invited back into the House of Black and White. Predictions: We see Arya training hard in the House of Black and White with The Waif. Hopefully over the next few episodes we will see Arya becoming accustomed to her blindness and perhaps even using it to her advantage. Was Jacquen's offer of her sight just an empty gesture, or can her sight actually be restored? Short answer, it probably can, but probably won't  because good things don't happen to the Starks... I mean "No one."

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