Game of Thrones S06E05: We need to talk about Hodor, and 'that' scene with Bran

The Birth of the Night's King

The night was dark and full or terrors. The scene is set in the Three Eyed Raven's cave where Meera and Hodor are sleeping, while the Raven takes Bran to the past to check out the anti-climactic 'birth' of the first White Walker at the hands of the same Child of the Forest who saved the trio and brought them to the Raven's cave.

Apparently the White Walkers were created to save the forest, and the Children of the Forest from men. An impulse that's easily understood. Men are creeps after all. Anywhoo. The deed was done and went south after the White Walkers went rogue and created an entire army of icy-eyed zombies.

Bran learns the truth. But he doesn't actually learn anything real. For yet again, he deems it okay to butt in into somebody else's business *cough*Cercei-Jamie*cough* - this time going into the Raven's mind, meeting the blue-eyed zombie army, getting himself marked by the Night's King and setting into motion yet another circle of destruction, death and decay.

Lord, Bran. Do you also know nothing?

Hold the Door. Hodor.

As the zombie army closes in on the Raven's cave and the Children of the Forest die left right and centre to save Bran and party, Bran goes into his last trance with the Raven. It is here that he first wargs into Willis. Our Hodor.

It is here that we learn for sure that Bran can change the past/future. It is here that we learn that it is Bran's warging that's responsible for Hodor's one-word vocabulary.

It is here that Hodor is actually Hold the Door - a literal act of holding on to the door so that Meera and Bran can escape. It is here that we watch in pain and horror as the cries of 'hold the door' transcends the past and the present as the gentle giant, Willis fights to save Bran.

It is here that Hold the Door slowly turns into Hodor. It is here that Hodor succumbs to the White Walkers. Hodor, no more.

1) Bran's visions into the past can alter it. Does this mean he really did whisper to Aerys II Targaryen, leading to his madness? #TheMadKing #BurnThemAll

2) The Starks should never own pets. Summer was important only till Bran needed to warg and feel like he could walk? As of now only Jon Snow's Ghost is in our lives, while Nymeria is either absconding/missing/dead(?). The rest of the direwolves are all dead. #crie

3) The Night's King needs Bran for something. What though? Does he wish to alter the past and thereby change the course of the present? To have arrived with such alacrity to finish off the Raven and hunt down Bran does not brood well for Westeros. #WhiteWalkersAlsoRemember

4) Meera Reed has got to be the most amazing human on the planet. She brought her brother all the way to meet Bran and then Jojen Reed lost his life, all to save whiny Bran and get him to the Three Eyed Raven.

Now with no Hodor and no Summer, and a differently-abled Bran who has no interest in the present either-way, she needs to navigate to safety with the Night's King in pursuit. #SaveMeera

5) Bran has now fully earned the titled of Bran the Liability because the entire Game of Thrones was set in motion because of him. What if he hadn't seen Cercei and Jamie indulging in HBO-style incest? Rob would have been alive. Catelyn Stark would be alive. Rickon wouldn't be with Bolton junior. Osha would be alive. And Hodor.

Ugh Bran. The death count is astounding. Enough playing with the past for fun. Find your powers, whatever they may be. Go save the world, or something.

-- Edited by Abha Srivastava