The Broken Man
Game of Thrones | Season 6 | Episode 7

The Broken Man

TV-MA | 50 MIN

Written by Bryan Cogman
Directed by Mark Mylod

Brother Ray walks amongst his followers as they work together to build a new sept. A solitary figure single-handedly carries a huge log; he is the Hound.

As Sandor Clegane chops wood, the septon comments it must have taken quite a monster of a man to bring him down. "He was a woman," the Hound replies. Remembering the condition in which he found the Hound, Ray concludes: "The Gods aren't done with you yet."

The High Sparrow visits Margaery. Informed by Tommen that Margaery has been avoiding marital "congress," he reminds her an heir is necessary to continue their work. He further suggests she focus on her grandmother, subtly threatening the Queen of Thorns' well-being if she can't be taught "the new way."

Margaery meets with Olenna, who is irritated by the constant presence of Unella in Margaery's chambers. Margaery shares the proposal for Loras' future: he will return to Highgarden, but as a penitent, stripped of his title. She advises her grandmother she too should leave for Highgarden, but Olenna protests. Margaery secretly presses a note into her grandmother's hand, and stresses, "You must." Leaving her granddaughter, Olenna unfolds the note to find a drawing of a rose. Margaery's newfound piety may not be so pure, after all.

Cersei questions Olenna about her decision to leave the city, admitting she underestimated the High Sparrow. Although relishing Cersei's desperation, Olenna is not interested in helping her fight the fanatics, and plans to depart King's Landing while she can.

Jon and his band meet with the wildling chieftains to engage their support. One leader, Dim Dalba, contends it is not the war they pledged to fight. Jon agrees, "but I need you with me if we're going to beat them, and we need to beat them if you're going to survive." Tormund backs Jon, and Wun-Wun voices his support with a simple, "Snow." Dim Dalba, representing the others, shakes Jon's hand in assent.

Standing before 10-year-old Lyanna Mormont of Bear Island, Jon, Sansa, and Davos are caught off-guard by the young lady's no-nonsense manner. Jon references her letter to Stannis: "Bear Island knows no king but the King in the North, whose name is Stark." Lyanna counters as far as she's concerned, neither sibling is a Stark, but a Snow and a Bolton. Davos steps in and, rather than condescend to her, he sympathizes with the unexpected responsibility which the girl now has as head of her house: "We have to fight. And we have to do it together." Swayed by his approach, Lyanna offers the men she can – 62 in total. Davos diplomatically says, "If they're half as ferocious as their lady, the Boltons are doomed."

The group meets with Robett Glover. Having just won his castle back from the Ironborn with help from the Boltons, Glover is resistant even before hearing that Jon and Sansa's army is mostly wildlings. Sansa attempts to remind Glover of his duty, but the former bannerman erupts in fury: "House Stark is dead."

The Northern allies gather at the site of Stannis' old camp. Despite Sansa's insistence that they continue to gather their forces, Jon says they must march on Winterfell soon – they are out of time.

Alone in her tent, Sansa writes a letter, hesitates, then seals it with the direwolf sigil.

Jaime Lannister and Bronn arrive at Riverrun with the Lannister army and find the Frey's siege in a sorry state. "Black" Walder and Lothar draw out their threat to kill Edmure, first by hanging, then by slitting his throat. The Blackfish, watching from the ramparts, easily calls their bluff. Jaime chastises the brothers for their incompetence and empty threats. "I'm here by the King's command to take back this castle," he calmly says, and tells Bronn to get word to the Blackfish for a parley.

On the Riverrun drawbridge, the Blackfish makes it clear he will not forfeit, and believes Edmure's fate to be sealed. Unwilling to discuss terms, the Blackfish explains he agreed to meet to get the measure of the Kingslayer, and is disappointed with the result.

The Ironborn find amusement in a Volantis brothel. Yara kisses a courtesan with pleasure, but notes Theon's discomfort. She commands her brother to drink: "I need you. The real Theon… can you find him for me?" Laying out plans to make her own pact with the Dragon Queen, Yara asks if he is with her. Theon nods; Yara kisses him on the forehead, and joins her courtesan.

Arya books passage back to Westeros. Pausing on a bridge for a last look over the city, she is approached by an old woman, who suddenly stabs her. The crone removes her face to reveal the Waif, and Arya dives into the canal for safety.

Emerging from the water and bleeding badly from her torso, Arya looks around, panicked; anyone could be a Faceless Man.

The Hound listens with the rest of the community as Ray reflects on his time as a soldier, and the violent orders he executed that continue to haunt him. When a trio from the Brotherhood Without Banners approaches, Ray greets them politely, but tension is high when the septon claims not to have any resources to give them. "The night is dark and full of terrors," Lem Lemoncloak warns before riding off.

Frustrated with the handling of the situation, the Hound chops firewood as Ray explains his rationale, "Violence is a disease. You don't cure it by spreading it to more people." The Hound replies, "You don't cure it by dying, either."

Ray heads back to the village while the Hound keeps chopping wood. Later, still working alone, the Hound hears a scream. Returning to the building site, he finds the slain bodies of the villagers and Ray hanging from the sept's unfinished rafters. Noticing a trail of hoof-prints, the Hound grabs his axe.

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