Game of Thrones “The Door”—Thematic Analysis

“The past is already written, the ink is already dry.” -The Three Eyed Raven

One of the striking things about Game of Thrones Season 6 is how it has moved from being a outwardly political parable to one on the nature of fate. I suppose that pivot was inevitable, as most fantasy concerns fate, destiny, the heroes journey and the like. The decisions of the past, the choices in the present and how they will effect the future all came together this week. In one case, it was Sansa demanding to know from Littlefinger if he chose to marry her to Ramsay knowing full well what he was, or if he was just an idiot. His choice in the past is why she spurns his help in the present, which may effect Jon’s battle in the future. (That’s why she didn’t tell Jon about the meeting, lest he decide that Littlefinger was an ally worth having.) In another case, it was Dany’s choice to send Jorah away time and time again, and his determination to return to her, time and time again. Will her command for him to find a cure change the future? Or is her dream of him at her side in the future when they conquer Westeros just that? And in one that could have far reaching consequences, the Ironborn choose to stick with the traditions of the past (and the patriarchal sexism they know and love) for impossible promises of the future where Euron is foolish enough to think he will marry Daenerys Targaryen. In the process they lose what they have in the present–a fearless leader and all their ships. Where are Yara and Theon off to? I’ll be shocked if it’s not Meereen, in a desperate gamble to get to Dany ahead of Euron and foil his plans.

Tyrion: “I’d settled for obeyed.”

Tyrion’s choices in the present this week were curious indeed. We saw him choose to take a risk–one it was clear from Varys’ point of view was unnecessary. Tyrion had managed to pause the war–that, it was clear in the eunuch’s mind, was enough success for now. Sitting back and waiting for Dany was clearly the next step. Why exactly did Tyrion decide then, that this wasn’t enough, and that he needed to take it a step further and erase this idea of “Mhysa is a Master”? Was it really something than had been brewing in the back of his mind since Volantis? Certainly he had thought long and hard about it–to the point that he used Varys own past words to sell it “Who said anything about him?”

And yet, though he knows Varys’ past, he seemed rather startled at the vehemence of his compatriot’s reaction to bringing aboard a Red Priestess to sell the Word of Dany to the people. Varys reaction was understandable, especially coupled with the creepiness of how quickly our newest representative of the R’hollr, who goes by the name of Kinvara (thank you subtitles!), seemed to see into his soul and know his past. Perhaps she knows this present decision by Tyrion is likely to drive the two friends apart?

Bobono: Of course we’re going to be intimate.
Lady Crane: It’s only a matter of time.

One of my favorite moment of the series, both on the page and now on the screen, is the moment where George R.R. Martin goes full “play within the play.” I have been looking forward to this ever since the “Mercy” chapter of The Winds of Winter chapter was previewed. Now, Arya’s story has not quite progressed as it has on the page–in the novels, she is already wearing faces, allowed out on her own to murder as she pleases, and is actually an actress in the troupe in question, playing the role of Sansa. With the names changed ever so slightly, and Arya so into her ability to be No One, she never gives any sign of recognizing that she is acting in a panto of the events of the past few novels. The show has changed all that. Arya may give lip service to “A Girl Has No Desires,” but she hasn’t let go of herself. Her face when seeing “Ned Stark” as a buffoon, the “Kind and Good Son Joffrey” being robbed on his throne by the “evil twisted Imp,” who steals Sansa for the raping, or at least the bosom exposing, says it all. (By the way, I assume this was a script personally approved by Cersei.) The hardest part for Arya is when they get to Ned’s beheading, a scene she witnessed from about the same vantage point. No One, my eye.

This twisting of the past is deeply affecting Arya’s performance in the present. She claims again and again that this is what she wants–to be a Faceless Man. But The Waif–and perhaps Jaqen H’ghar as well–see through her. She may not act like the traditional stereotype of one, but she’s still a highborn lady, and she believes in her inalienable right to her opinions and her curiosity. These are not traits of someone who is willing to truly ever believe herself No One. No One would not care to remember the truth of the story behind this play. No One would be unaffected to see Ned Stark as a buffoon, and Sansa Stark raped. No One would not care if Lady Crane was a decent woman or not. (Though the irony that Arya’s first mission is to be sent to kill the woman who plays one of the people on her “funny little list” on stage is delicious. Almost as delicious as the gratuitous cock thrown in to make up for the gratuitous boobs. Who says the production isn’t listening to our complaints?)

Brienne: “A bit brooding perhaps. but I suppose that’s understandable.”

But the real collision of past, present and future was embedded in what could be considered our “main” storyline of the evening. It’s been a really long time since we’ve checked in more than twice over the course of an hour with the same set of characters–at the beginning of the season we only checked in at the Wall twice an hour, and that was the dominant plot each time. In earlier seasons, we were more likely to stay in the same place for a longer time than multiple check ins that moved the plot along, But this week we stopped in with Bran and company three different times over the course of the hour. The first to visit the very far past, back before the world beyond the Wall was the Lands of Always Winter. Back to the Dawn Age, as we see the creation of the first White Walker, who looks suspiciously like the Night’s King we see leading the wight armies today. The second time was the traditional “student disobeys and goes without his teacher and screws things up” trope that we’ve seen in so many fantasy series before. Bran’s foolish trip back to where the White Walkers were first made brings him face to face with the Night’s King, who now comes after him. The Three Eyed Raven, as all teachers do at this juncture, tells him that he’s going to be on his own, and they must leave.

So why then does he take Bran and have them warg to Winterfell in the past? Why does he have Bran stand there and watch as Ned Stark is sent away to the Eyrie, to be fostered by Jon Arryn? What purpose could this possibly serve? Bran needs to be leaving, no?

Rickard Stark: Try to stay out of fights. But if you have to fight, win.

But Bran does not need to be leaving. Bran needs to be warged into the past, because that’s where he was when this happened before. Because the day Ned Stark was sent away, a curious thing happened no one could explain–Old Nan’s son Wylis fell to the ground in a fit, and ever since he has only been able to say one word: Hodor.

Why did that happen? Because Bran was there, warged into Hodor through time in the present, and also warged into his younger self Wylis in the past, commanding them as one to stay and sacrifice himself: “Hold the Door.” It was the only way to ensure that he and Meera could escape the wights.

Wylis: Hold the door…..holddedoor….hoddadoor…..hodor…..

Hodor’s tale is more tragic than we ever knew. Why does the big man only say “Hodor?” Why does he carry Bran upon his back like it was his purpose in life? Because it was. Bran made it so, years before he was even born. Why does he rock back and forth and whimper when Bran wargs beside him? Because for all these years Hodor has known the future, and traumatized by the memory of his own death to come. Bran had to do this. He had no choice–he’d done it before. The past and the future were already written.

Via http://winteriscoming.net/2016/05/23/game-of-thrones-the-door-thematic-analysis/