Having apparently realized the Dorne plot wasn't working, the showrunners decided to have Ellaria Sand murder her dead lover's brother and nephew, presumably seizing the throne of Dorne for herself. The events in Dorne-the weakest storyline in the show by far-are a good example. In season six, the petty squabbles continue. None of the Seven Kingdoms' administrators are ready to face reality, having depleted their financial resources while waging wars of vanity against each other. Millions will die, if not from the White Walkers, then from starvation.

Westeros does not lack heroes-Ser Davos, Brienne of Tarth, Jon Snow (RIP?), Samwell Tarly-it lacks competent governance. The state has proven itself wholly incapable of undertaking preparations to survive the most serious external threat to humanity: a long winter. The leaders of the Seven Kingdoms continue to deserve much of the blame for that. It is difficult to imagine the scattered forces of good putting up much of a challenge as the impending collapse of civilization unfolds. If last night's premiere was any indication, what comes next might very well be the end of the world. But this season is set to be different from the previous six: having exhausted nearly all of the books' narrative threads, the showrunners are finally in the position of needing to explain what comes next.

The return of HBO's Game of Thrones is always an exciting event for fans of A Song of Ice and Fire, the series upon which it is based.

Game of thrones civilization