*** This post is dark and full of spoilers ***
After last night’s episode of Game of Thrones entitled “Home” we decided to forgive Melisandre A.K.A. The Red Woman for every wrong thing she’s ever done. (Well maybe not for Shireen’s death.) Though she had us all scared for a moment when she doubted her abilities; her mutterings, rituals and magic revived our beloved Lord Commander Jon Snow. After seeing Melisandre take off her glowing red choker to reveal her “true self” in the season six premiere, we weren’t sure what to think. It seemed to us that the choker was the thing that held the power in masking her true form. However, many GoT fans are saying that the show hinted at this way back in season four.
So, how do you explain this, @GameOfThrones ? #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/KE23Y0cYOh
— Marcela Limon (@march) April 25, 2016
In the seventh episode of season four, Stannis Baratheon’s wife Selyse is in the room with Melisandre as she is taking a bath, and she isn’t wearing the choker. Reddit user brashendeavors suggests that Selyse is actually seeing Melisandre as she truly is, while GoT viewers were still seeing her in her most beautiful and youthful form. brashendeavors says,
“Selyse has this strange expression the entire time. Like she cannot look directly at Melisandre yet also cannot look away. At first you think it is that of a religious “uptight” person seeing a naked and very sexual woman. But if you rewatch the scene, and “pretend” to yourself that Selyse is seeing Melisandre as she actually appears, it actually fits better. WE still see the seductress, Selyse sees the hag. She is horrified yet fascinated and not at all shocked. She knew all along (just like she knows the true fate of her daughter), Melisandre explains she does not need to use her “tricks” on the true convert (Stannis is NOT a true convert but his wife is). When Melisandre explains about her potions, and the potion that makes it so no man can resist her sexually, Selyse almost nods with relief. Did she use this on Stannis? (It would explain so much! she thinks as she stares in horror at the hags body, which still looks very alluring to the viewers.) “I didn’t have to,” Mel replies. Selyse actually shudders at this thought.”
Clearly, GoT showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss didn’t just forget Melisandre’s choker in this scene; it was deliberate AF. Last week, the viewers were able to see Melissandre in her true form because she’d lost faith in herself, not just because she removed her choker. This is probably why it took her so damn long to revive our boo Jon Snow. But all is forgiven now. We don’t know what The Red Woman has in her potions, lights, and choker, we’re just glad it all worked out in our favor.
