‘Game of Thrones’ Season 6, Episode 7 Review: Sansa Stark meets Lyanna, Margaery Tyrell makes a move; Daenerys Targaryen missed [SPOILERS]

“Game of Thrones” Season 6, Episode 7 (“The Broken Man”) aired June 5 on HBO, featuring the debut of child actress Bella Ramsey as Lyanna Mormont and a smart move made by Natalie Dormer’s Margaery Tyrell. Meanwhile, Sophie Turner’s Sansa Stark and Kit Harington’s Jon Snow are headed for Winterfell, hoping the North still remembers.

Spoiler alert: This review contains “Game of Thrones” Season 6 spoilers. Details include highlights about the cast and characters mentioned above.

‘Game of Thrones’ Season 6, Episode 7: Sansa meets a Lyanna, sends a message

Sansa Stark and the resurrected Jon Snow are not seeing eye to eye when it comes to their battle plan to get Winterfell back. Not everyone is still in strong support of the North, they realise. Sansa decides to call for help after Jon said that they were going to fight with the army they’ve got – including the wildlings and 62 men from the Lady of Bear Island, Lyanna Mormont.

It is presumed that Sansa is springing Petyr Baelish a.k.a. Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen) into action, even as he had left her to suffer in the hands of madman Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon). This would be another desperate move for survival, just like what Sansa told Lyanna: she married a Lannister and a Bolton to survive. And now it seems she is going against the advice of Brienne of Tarth, and not getting her brother properly informed.

‘Game of Thrones’ Season 6, Episode 7: Arya Stark attacked, The Hound returns

In a development that was both expected and frustrating, Arya Stark was attacked by The Waif (Faye Marsay). Since Arya got Needle back, fans hoped that Arya would beat the Waif once she made her move.

Back in Episode 5 of GOT 6, Jaqen H'ghar (Tom Wlaschiha) gives his nod of death to The Waif, telling her not to make Arya suffer. In the same episode, Arya digs out Needle, implying that she knows she does not belong to the House of Black and White anymore. However, by the end of Episode 6, it seems she would be trapped in Braavos for a while longer, unless she gets some unexpected help.

It is widely presumed that Arya Stark would survive the assault, especially since Sandor Clegane a.k.a. The Hound (Rory McCann) is back. (See related review - The Broken Hound and Brother Ray)

‘Game of Thrones’ Season 6, Episode 7: Margaery Tyrell sends a message, the Greyjoys set out to find Mother of Dragons

Olenna Tyrell (Dame Diana Rigg) gets a clandestine message from her granddaughter Margaery: a simple image of a rose, the sigil of House Tyrell of Highgarden. This convinces Olenna that it is indeed time to leave King’s Landing, because Margaery is not to be rescued. She has a plan, and things are already in motion. Olenna staying could derail this plan, but Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) is making a last-ditch effort toward making the Tyrell matriarch stay, perhaps as support for the next trial by combat.

Meanwhile, there is no update about Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) in this new episode, but she gets a special mention from Yara Greyjoy (Gemma Whelan) who is trying to wake up the old Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen). The siblings are hoping to oust their uncle (also their father’s murderer), Euron Greyjoy (Pilou Asbæk).

Plenty of story arc and character developments moved in GOT 6x7, making fans anxious for what happens next in the final three episodes of the season. While quieter and calmer, this new episode is dropping hints as to how big the GOT season 6 finale could get.

From “Game of Thrones” Season 6, Episode 7 alone, fans are picking up hints about a potentially big battle in the North, perhaps more Faith of the Seven bloodbath, and (not included in this review) another main event involving Brynden Tully (Clive Russell), Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and Bronn (Jerome Flynn). GOT HBO developers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have previously hinted at shortened seasons to cap the series, which would explain the comebacks and new heights being achieved this season.

“Game of Thrones” Season 6, Episode 7 was written and directed by Bryan Cogman and Mark Mylod, respectively. The next episode (GOT 6x8), titled “No One” will air next Sunday, June 12, on HBO.