If you watched Game of Thrones Season 6 Episode 2 last night, then you know the episode was positively packed with stunning twists.
Unfortunately, the long-awaited resurrection of Jon Snow was not one of those surprises.
As many fans pointed out on social media, the show kind of wrote itself into a corner with that one, as there was really no other way it could"ve played out, and there was nothing surprising about the moment when it inevitably occurred.
Still, it"s nice to have it done with so that we can get on with the rest of Season 6, which is already progressing at a breakneck speed.
Last night"s episode advanced the storylines of Tyrion, Ramsay, Theon/Reek, Bran, Sansa and Arya by leaps and bounds.
Are we leaving anyone out?
It"s entirely possible considering how much showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss managed to cram into one of the most taut and tightly-constructed installments in the show"s history.
It"s hard to believe the GoT could keep up such a breakneck pace, but next week"s episode – ominously titled "Oathbreaker" – may contain the answers to some of the most important questions in the show"s universe.
One of them: Where the hell are the Dothraki taking Daenerys? reflects a relatively new concern, while the other has been a matter of debate amongst George R.R. Martin devotees for two decades:
Who is the mother of Jon Snow, bastard of Winterfell and Lord Commander of the Night"s Watch?
It"s a question that may turn out to have far-reaching consequences in Westeros, and after years of fan theories and online speculation, we may be on the verge of a definitive answer.
The preview released last night promises a flashback (via one of Bran"s mental trips through time with the Three-Eyed Raven) to the time when a young Ned Stark fought a member of Aerys II Targaryen"s Kingsguard at the Tower of Joy.
The location is significant, as it"s the spot where Daenerys" brother Rhaegar Targaryen took Ned"s "kidnapped" sister, Lyanna Stark.
Fans have long theorized that Rhaegar and Lyanna are Jon"s true parents, and this could be the episode where the hypothesis is confirmed.
If we have to tell you why it"s significant that Jon may be a royal-blooded Targaryen, then it"s possible that like Mr. Snow himself, you know nothing, dear reader.
