This season of Game of Thrones has finally moved to a new gear. In what will be an episode considered to be one of the best of this season, if not the entire show’s history, certain characters stood out above the rest.

Here are the five best things in this week’s episode:

SANSA

Sansa has always been one of my least favourite characters on the show but despite my lack of excitement for her character or her arc, one thing has always been true about her: she is one of the strongest characters on this show. This has never been more true than in this week’s episode where we see her not only remark about her horrific treatment at the hands of Ramsay but use it as a weapon to wield against Littlefinger. What happened to Sansa was one of the truly horrific moments in Game of Thrones’ history and it was starting to feel like it was going to swept under the rug and rarely spoken of. There is a lot of strength in what Sansa did in this week’s episode. She brings the traumatic event up to the forefront, baring it for all the world to see, proving it hasn’t broken her. It has shaped her into a stronger character, one who now not only realises how harsh the world is, but how one needs to act in order to survive in it. The most interesting part of Sansa’s character development is how closely it mirrors Cersei. Cersei is known for taking the hardest, worst things that have happened to her and turning them into character-defining aspects of her personality. It taught her how to fight tooth and nail to get power and to keep it. Sansa was made privy to these ideals in season two through her interactions with Cersei. We might finally see Sansa coming full circle and becoming the harsh, stern female leader that Winterfell, and possibly all of Westeros needs. One that noticeably is starting to look and sound like the powerful female that was her mother, Catelyn.

JORAH

It was a surprising turn for Jorah this week because it was the first time in a long time his story took an interesting turn away from the predictable. While before he has been motivated entirely by his love for Daenerys, fighting for her corner, then fighting his way back to her corner, then fighting his way to get her out of her new corner, he now has a story that is and of his own. Sure he is doing it because of her orders but the simple shift in his dynamic makes him a true wild card on the show now. While before it seemed he would return to Daenerys side and fight until the bitter end, he has now moved away in search of his cure for greyscale. Where his journey takes him might never be a major plot line but it is enough for it to be relevant to the show and to Daenerys moving forward. While before this week all Jorah seemed to be was a love-sick puppy, he now has an influence again. Where he goes now is no longer irrelevant. He could shape major decisions to come, or he could wither and die alone in the desert, but sure that kind of unpredictability are what wild cards are made for aren’t they?

ARYA

Arya had another strong episode as we are finally starting to see her story arc pick up pace. She has now been entrusted with her first murder, but that is not what makes this episode so interesting. She is scouting her latest prey while listening to an account of the fall of the Starks in Kings Landing. On the surface this looks like Arya being overwhelmed by people laughing at the demise of her father but there is also something important happening here, especially if she delves further into the plot in next week’s episode. Arya doesn’t know much about what happened in Westeros after she left Kings Landing. For the most part she spent her time on the run, keeping her head down and generally just trying to stay alive. She has no idea what happened to her family while she was on the run. By being exposed to this play she may be able to catch up on the goings-on in Westeros while she was away. It may not seem like much but to the Faceless Men information can be as powerful as any weapon. A better informed Arya is a dangerous Arya.

EURON

Euron Greyjoy is an incredibly interesting character in the books and he is building to be one of the stand outs of season six. With his arrival, the Iron Islands have not only shot to relevancy but they may be seeing their presence felt in more than one story arc. With the Kingsmoot now decided, Euron rules the Iron Islands, something that Yara didn’t agree with. Now the Iron Islands have seen their loyalties split. Euron is planning to sail to Meereen and make Daenerys an offer she can’t refuse, while Yara and Theon are setting sail for parts unknown, and wherever unknown ends up being you can be guaranteed they will be very relevant when they get there. Could a reunion with Sansa and Jon’s army be on the cards? As for Euron, he has shaken up season six in a big way. Pretty soon he will have the one thing Daenerys needs more than all else: ships. If he manages to make it to Meereen and convince Daenerys to agree to a treaty with him, that agreement will instantly make the Greyjoys the favourites to rule the North. It has always been felt that once Daenerys reaches Westeros it would be a good thing for the Starks but should Jon take the North before Daenerys arrives we might be facing one of the most conflicting battles in Game of Thrones’ history: one that sees Jon go face to face with Daenerys for rule in the North. Though the White Walkers might run intereference on that one. One thing is for sure though: Euron has thrown as spanner in the Westeros works and one that will send the Iron Born outward to influence the rest of the land. Their influence could very well be felt from here on until the very end of the show.

HODOR

There really couldn’t be anyone else in this spot could there?

Many characters have come and gone in Game of Thrones, some with truly horrific deaths and some with passings so unexpected that it blew the internet in half. Hodor’s sacrifice in this week’s episode may have trumped them all in the simplest of ways. The saddest fact about this death is that it’s not even devisive. The internet has been well and truly united in the wake of Hodor’s heroic sacrifice. This could be for many reasons. One that stands out the most is the fact that his entire existence got revealed to be a tragedy. A lot of theories revolved around the idea that Hodor would be revealed to be a warg who had lost his mind due to his own greed, something that would have been infinitely less tragic. Some thought he would eventually end up being the conduit for Bran’s warg abilities, turning him into an unstoppable, fighting juggernaut. This would have made any reason for his affliction acceptable because his ultimate existence would have been glorious. In the end the true tragedy is that not only was Hodor’s affliction not his own fault or a way for him to ultimately be the hero, but instead he was simply a victim of Bran’s inability to control his own powers. In the end Hodor died, and lived, simply to serve Bran on whatever quest he is on. There will be no bright light at the end of the tunnel for Hodor. All that was end of that tunnel for him was a door. A giant door that he needed to hold to save the life of a boy who cost him the quality of his own. He may never have been the most important character on the show but he certainly felt that way this week, and many weeks to come, as Hodor may have just provided us with the greatest moment this season will see.

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If you like my review of this week’s Game of Thrones, why not check out my opinion of the Five Best Things in Last Week’s Episode “Book of the Stranger” or follow me on twitter. Thanks.