Decoding the enigma

The ancient town of Dubrovnik in Croatia, the snowy terrains of Iceland, the magnificent forts of Morocco, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Malta – exotic locations across the world, life-like sets, magnificent costumes, huge cast, award-winning performances, spine-chilling violence, mind boggling political strategies and plots and fantastically executed action sequences, nudity that knows no bounds – when the first episode of Season 1 of the American fantasy television series ‘Game of Thrones’ was launched in 2011, it created history. The euphoria has reached newer heights with the launch of Season 6, that will be aired on HBO this April

Is Jon Snow really dead? Why did they even kill him? Isn’t Kit Harrington spotted on the sets? Does that mean he is alive? Oh, my god! Will he be a white walker? Did Sansa and Theon survive? What will happen to Arya...?

These are some questions that have been doing rounds in the fanzines, fansites and message boards ever since the end of season 5, of the most watched TV series – ‘Game of Thrones’ (GoT). The fan frenzy has been upped by a couple of notches as the release date for the much-anticipated show is barely a couple of weeks away.

Much of the discussion around the season 6 is revolving around Jon Snow. The bastard son’s death has turned fans nuts, with some even vowing not to watch the series again. However, the speculations regarding his death and the apparent news that Kit Harrington – who plays Jon Snow – was spotted on the sets fuelled crazy fan theories. Some even speculated and wished that he would turn into a white walker.

Sadly, HBO doused the rising hopes of fans in the recently-released synopsis for the premiere of the season 6 titled, ‘The Red Queen’. The three-line synopsis goes like this “Jon Snow is dead. Daenerys meets a strong man. Cersei sees her daughter again.”

Going by the vague synopsis and the happenings at the end of the season 5, it looks like, survivors from all parts of Westeros and Essos regroup to press forward, inexorably, towards their uncertain individual fates. Familiar faces will forge new alliances to bolster their strategic chances at survival while new characters (hinted by show runners) will emerge to challenge the balance of power in the east, west, north, and south.

Most of the events of the series until season 5 were taken from George RR Martin's novels and those who have read the novels had spoiled the fun for the others by leaking the big reveal. Season 6 promises to be different and the showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss said that they have caught up with the books and began introducing plot developments from beyond the published novels.

George RR Martin, about books spoilers in season 6 in his New Year's Day post said, “When you ask me, 'will the show spoil the books,' all I can do is say, 'yes and no,' and mumble once again about the butterfly effect.”

Catching up with Bran
Those who have read books will realise that Bran Stark is the only character in the series that is not on par with the novels. Isaac Hempstead Wright returns as Bran Stark in season 6 and in an interview David Benioff suggested that Bran will be getting to grips with his powers in a similar way to Luke Skywalker between ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ and ‘Return of the Jedi’. A new image even has him standing up (which he hasn't been able to do since his abortive flying attempt in the very first episode) next to Max Von Sydow. Is this a vision, or a miraculous recovery?

Things look bleak for everyone
A video teaser displayed the disembodied head of Jon Snow along with the heads of Tyrion, Daenerys and Sansa among others with the dead Ned Stark and Joffrey Baratheon. Does this mean that everyone is in danger? The showdown between Cersei Lannister and Olenna Tyrell is on the cards. “I've got a head-on with Cersei coming up and it's really good,” Diana Rigg said of Olenna's role in season 6. “We're not sure, who we'd put our money on,” she added.

New characters
Veteran actor Ian McShane will be making an appearance in the season and in a recent interview he said, “I will be responsible for bringing somebody back that you think you're never going to see again.” Fan theories claim that he'll be a Red Priest from the same holy order as Carice van Houten's Melisandre and will be 'bringing someone back from the dead. Wait, who is he hinting at?

Return of the Hound
The latest rumour is that actor Rory McCann (Hound) has been spotted at the shoot. He was left to die by Arya, but speculation has been rife ever since thanks to his supposed death off screen. And let's face it, even a death on screen is no guarantee of anything in this show.

Coming to terms with books
The series has been conspicuously missing a few threads and characters from the books, such as Lady Stoneheart, Arianne Martell and the goings on in the Iron Islands. In many of these cases, the cuts were clearly made for the sake of economy and making the story filmable, but the showrunners have hinted that they might pick up some of those absent threads in the upcoming seasons. So it might be that some of those apparently abandoned characters might be putting in an appearance in season 6.

Arya, Sansa, and Tyrion
At the end of season 5, Sansa and Theon escaped from Ramsay and it remains to be seen, whether Sansa will become a power player in season 6. In all likelihood, the duo might go on a search for Bran. Coming to the most adored character – Arya Stark, she lost her eyes in the last season and according to the teasers that were on offers, she is more than likely involved in a bloody feud.

Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister is the most loved character in the entire series while the season 5 had him paired with Daenerys Targaryen for a few scenes, which drove the viewers’ minds away, nothing much has been revealed about his fate in the upcoming season. However, if the show runners decide to kill him at the end of the season, it will sure make fans riot.

Finally coming to Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen, the actress in a recent interview hinted that she will put in a situation that will drive away last bits of humanity left in her. With VFX personnel of the show claiming that the dragons will be bigger than before, fingers are crossed for the action scenes that would be served.

Fan expectations
The show is notorious for quashing the expectations, yet coming up with content that glues one to the screen. Here is what they have to say…

“Brandon should control the white walkers and Jon Snow should be alive,” says Harpreet Kaur from Jaipur.While every fan wants Jon Snow to be alive; every fan has his or her take on the form the bastard son has to be.According to Rahul Buddhavarapu, a techie from Australia, “Jon Snow should be alive, leading white walkers. While a main character dies at the end of every season, I sincerely hope it is not Tyrion.”

Blood, gore, and violence might be a put off to many, but the fans of the show have embraced the explicit content with open arms.“I'm expecting a lot of bloodshed. Season 6 will be exactly like the second ‘Lord of the Rings’ movie. I am expecting a lot of flashbacks in this particular season with references to Jon's birth at the Tower of Joy and hopefully a lot of Targaryen storyline.

And if all the theories I've read and my analysis is right, it'll end in a grand finale where Jon Snow returns in some form - either to lead the white walkers or resurrected by Melisandre - and set it all up for the final two seasons where the big war will happen. Where Winter actually comes and Daenerys actually reaches King's Landing with her dragons,” says Bhavneet Singh a stand-up comic based in Hyderabad.

Abhinav Sisodia, a hardcore fan of the novels and series said, “I would like season 6 to throw some clarity on following points. What happened to Jon Snow? What is the Iron Throne to Myrcella’s death? What will be the fate of Sansa and will Bran realize his true potential?

Since it is said that the season will be premiered in India on par with that of US, the fans here wouldn’t have to wait. Considering the fact that even Bond was made a sanskaari, same will be the case with the new season too. However, for the uncensored content, we can always take help of our friends at torrents!