The Second Watch is a weekly “Game of Thrones” recap column by Arts & Life Editor Erin Yarnall. Read more here. 

I started this season so excited, so hopeful and finished feeling dead and empty inside. After numerous deaths of characters and watching the poor treatment of the female characters of “Game of Thrones” this season, I was worn out.

Right off the bat, “Mother’s Mercy” was filled with deaths of characters that viewers have known since the earliest seasons  such as Selyse Baratheon — who killed herself after watching her daughter get burned alive — and also ended with the most heartbreaking deaths of the show: the death of precious, innocent, perfect Jon Snow, who was killed because he didn’t hate the Wildlings, and was seen as a “traitor” to the Night’s Watch. In a scene eerily reminiscent of the death of Julius Caesar, members of the Night’s Watch took turns, one by one, stabbing Jon Snow in the stomach, even Jon’s protege Olly. Et tu, Olly?

Another sad death was that of Myrcella Baratheon, Jaime and Cersei’s only daughter. After a creepy interaction with Jaime, telling him that she’s happy he is her dad, and she accepts the incest that created her, Myrcella succumbs to being poisoned by Ellaria Sand, who finally got revenge on the Lannister family. The question left season six: will this be enough revenge for her and her daughters?

But the worst scene of all was watching Cersei walk through King’s Landing for repentance. She was stripped, had her hair cut to the point that her scalp was bleeding, and forced to walk throughout the entire city, enduring jeers from the people of King’s Landing who threw food at her and attempted to sexually assault her. This scene calls to light the double standard that women in Westeros, and in the real world, face on a daily basis. Cersei’s husband, Robert, slept around with various women, having children throughout the world, but because Cersei slept around she is made into a public punching bag.

It’s even more disgusting to think of the viewers who were happy about this, and who thought Cersei got what was coming to her. I can’t wait to watch Cersei, with the help of her new zombie bodyguard kill every last person who brought her to that point, especially. the High Sparrow. If Olly is not my new least favorite character in the show, it’s absolutely the High Sparrow, who gained intense joy watching Cersei being beat down.

Despite how bleak and filled with death the episode was, it had its good points, including Arya becoming the person viewers have wanted her to be since she escaped King’s Landing at the end of season one: a ruthless, cold-blooded killer. Her gruesome attack on Meryn Trant was exciting, and the kind of disturbing death that “Game of Thrones” fans relish. After weeks of anticipation, Theon finally stepped up and saved himself and Sansa. It was cute (a word hardly ever used to describe anything but the direwolves on this show) to see his concern for someone who was essentially his sister, leading him to kill Myranda and escape Ramsay after years of torture. It’s interesting to think of what will happen to the Bolton family in the North now that they no longer have a Stark as their claim to the area.

Especially after last week’s episode, it was thrilling to see that Stannis finally died in this episode, leading to the true end of the War of the Five Kings, which season two consisted of, as the last of the “five kings” (Stannis Baratheon, Joffrey Baratheon, Robb Stark, Renly Baratheon and Balon Greyjoy) died. Fittingly, he died at the hand of Brienne of Tarth, as she finally got her revenge that she has wanted since we met her character as Renly died.

The episode altogether left me feeling dead on the inside, but hopeful. Sansa is free, she might be dead, but she’s free, and Jon Snow has got to find a way to come back, no matter what Kit Harington says. Season six has a lot to catch us up on, and will be full of surprises, especially now that the show has entirely caught up to the book series, but I can’t wait to see it.

Kill, Marry, Screw, Prediction

Marry: N/A

Kill: So many people died in this episode, it seemed as if there was a death every few minute. Selyse killed herself within the first few minutes, and shortly after Stannis and his entire army were killed by the Bolton army. Theon (I’m restoring his name now that he finally deserves it) finally stepped up and killed Myranda, as she was about to torture Sansa. Ellaria got her revenge for the death of Oberyn, and literally gave Myrcella the kiss of death as she had poison on her lips when she kissed her goodbye. Arya finally crossed a name off of her list on her own by killing Meryn Trant, the man who killed her dance instructor, Syrio Forel. But because of it, Jaqen H’gar killed himself, or Arya? (Or no one? Who really knows what he’s ever talking about.) The episode ended with Jon Snow being stabbed, Julius Caesar-style, by members of the Night’s Watch, and part of my heart died with him.

Screw: The Night’s Watch screwed over Jon, and especially Olly. It’s safe to say after the deaths of Joffrey and Stannis, little Olly is one of the most hated characters throughout the series.

Prediction: Jon can’t really be dead, despite actor Kit Harington emphasizing that fact that his character is dead in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. The scenes at the Wall are some of the most important throughout the show, and without a main character at the Wall (now that Sam’s going to Oldtown) they can’t go back to that plot line. If Jon really died, Melisandre will bring him back from the dead, as Red priestesses have powers to bring people back from the dead. He can’t be dead, he just can’t be!