‘Game Of Thrones’ Season 6: Recap Of Episode 9, ‘Battle Of The Bastards’

This is the episode many have been waiting for, the battle between Jon Snow and Ramsay Bolton. So, here’s the recap for Season 6, Episode 9 of HBO’s Game of Thrones entitled “Battle of the Bastards.”

SPOILER ALERT: This article contains information on Episode 9 of HBO’s Game of Thrones. Please proceed with caution if you wish to avoid spoilers.

Before Game of Thrones fans can really settle into the highly anticipated battle between Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon) for the ownership of Winterfell, and, by effect, the North, there is a little housekeeping to take care of in regard to another outstanding storyline.

Namely, that battle in Meereen between the Masters and Daenerys’ leadership. Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) appeared at the end of Episode 8 of Game of Thrones and really has no idea what is going on, so Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) has to fill her in. He seems a little uneasy, and there’s a reason for that; he remembers what the last irritated Targaryen had planned in regard to battle, and that was to burn King’s Landing to the ground using wildfire rather than admit defeat. Daenerys manages to come up with a plan that doesn’t involve wildfire, but the next best thing: dragons. After she hops aboard a dragon, she burns the attacking fleet to the waterline and there is nothing left for the Masters to do but surrender to Daenerys.

Once order is maintained in Episode 8 of Game of Thrones, the Greyjoys arrive with their fleet and offer their services. While Daenerys is hesitant at first, a strange friendship is struck up between her and Yara Greyjoy (Gemma Whelan). Although, to be honest, it looks like Yara may want a little more than friendship with the mother of dragons. But, a deal is struck and the Greyjoys agree to join with Daenerys as well as stop their pirating ways so long as Daenerys takes out Yara’s opposition to the throne in the Iron Isles. It seems pretty certain Yara is lying about giving up the pirating life though. It will be interesting to see what happens when she reneges on that part of the deal in upcoming episodes of Game of Thrones.

Now, for that epic battle fans were looking forward to for the entire season of Game of Thrones. Was it worth the wait? It certainly was!

Jon and Ramsay meet and negotiate. Jon tries to get Ramsay to fight one on one, to save the armies they both lead but Ramsay disagrees. He knows Jon is the better swordsman. So, the battle’s date is scheduled in for the morning and Game of Thrones fans are left wondering if Ramsay will sneak into the camp overnight and try to take them out while they sleep.

But, before any battle can begin in earnest, there must be war talk. Jon seems pretty confident in his assumptions of Ramsay but, as Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) points out, he has only had one conversation with the man, she has had to live with him. She says it is highly unlikely their younger brother, Rickon Stark (Art Parkinson), will survive for very long since he is the one true heir to Winterfell. Sansa warns Jon not to try and save Rickon as it will be a lost cause. She also states that if they lose, she will not return to Ramsay alive. This gets Jon thinking about his own mortality so he pays a visit to Melisandre (Carice van Houten). He tells her he does not want to be resurrected again if he should fall in battle, because, let’s face it, Westeros is a miserable place. Melisandre refuses to grant his wish because of her staunch belief in the Lord of Light. Fans just assume this is foreshadowing and start to freak out about the fate of Jon Snow considering how close to the Season 6 finale of Game of Thrones they are and how HBO seem to like leaving his life hanging in the balance.

The next morning, without Ramsay sneaking in and killing them all, Sansa’s point is proven about Rickon when Ramsay sends Rickon across to the Starks but tells the boy to run. He then proceeds to shoot arrows at him. Now Ramsay lets Rickon get to within a few inches of Jon, who has rushed forward on his horse to try and save the boy before hitting him with an arrow. As the boy lays dying, Jon realizes his mistake at trying to reach Rickon before Ramsay kills him. He is now front and center with nothing to help him but his sword and his steed. But wait, Ramsay shoots Jon’s steed also. Regardless of how desperate the situation seems, Jon pulls his sword and proceeds to get ready to fight.

Just when it seems Jon is a lost cause against the arriving army, his army arrives after they decided it was time to enter the battle rather than wait for Jon’s instruction. And what an epic battle it is. The Starks and wildings fight valiantly and at times it seems they might be able to fight their way out of the situation. Until Ramsay’s army circles them. Even then, when all odds are stacked against them, the North prove just how tenacious they are and just keep fighting. It still isn’t enough though and just as Game of Thrones fans realize Ramsay has won, the Vale arrives thanks to Sansa’s letter and take the battle right out of Ramsay’s clasp.

When Ramsay realizes he has lost, he heads back to Winterfell, still cocky enough to believe he is safe there. However, Jon Snow, Tormund (Kristofer Hivju) and the giant, Wun Weg Wun Dar Wun (Ian Whyte), follow closely behind and before Ramsay can get comfortable, the giant rips off the doors and the three enter Winterfell. Ramsay tries to reclaim some semblance of authority by offering to participate in a duel but Jon doesn’t fall for the lies. He forges forward and takes Ramsay, beating him until Sansa arrives and then throwing him into a cell.

But why didn’t Jon kill Ramsay Bolton in Episode 9 of Game of Thrones? Well, that’s because it was Sansa’s kill. And what a kill she inflicts on him. She sets his hounds loose. Ramsay is sure the hounds will obey him, but he hasn’t fed them for seven days, so he becomes dog meat, face first. While the scene was gruesome and completely rewarding for fans who have hated Ramsay for a long time, it was the conversation that went on beforehand that was just as disturbing. It seems that while Sansa can kill Ramsay, he will never really be dead, leading fans to assume Sansa is pregnant to Ramsay.

What did you think of Episode 9 of Game of Thrones? Let us know by commenting below!

Game of Thrones returns to HBO with the Season 6 finale Episode 10, entitled “The Winds of Winter,” on Sunday, June 26, at 9 p.m. ET. The official synopsis for Episode 10 is as follows.

“Season Finale. Cersei faces her trial.”

[Image via HBO]