"The Red Woman" serves as a bridge between the shock of the Season 5 finale and a new era of leadership for the show's surviving women. The premiere focuses heavily on grief and the consequences of past choices while setting the stage for major shifts in power across Westeros and Essos. Key Plot Points & Character Arcs

Sansa Stark and Theon Greyjoy are pursued by Bolton soldiers until Brienne of Tarth and Podrick Payne intervene. After a brutal fight, Sansa officially accepts Brienne into her service, fulfilling an oath Brienne made to Catelyn Stark years prior.

Tyrion and Varys walk through the tense, deserted streets to discover that the Meereenese fleet has been burned in the harbor.