Melisandre Just Went to Sleep. Here’s Why That’s a Big Deal:
So uh the final scene of Game of Thrones’ season six premiere was... interesting. It was finally confirmed that the Red Lady Melisandre was much older than she appears, which has been a popular theory for a while. However, she also did something that no one saw coming: at the end of the episode, Melisandre gets into bed and goes to sleep.
Why is this important? In the books, it’s a pretty big deal that Melisandre is not a normal person with normal person needs. In A Dance With Dragons, Jon Snow questions if Melisandre even sleeps and Melisandre herself basically confirms this a few chapters later, “Dawn. Another day is given us, R'hllor be praised. The terrors of the night recede. Melisandre had spent the night in her chair by the fire, as she often did. With Stannis gone, her bed saw little use. She had no time for sleep, with the weight of the world upon her shoulders.”
Melisandre’s faith in the Lord of Light protects her from earthly needs like sleep and aging and even feeling cold. This entire episode subtly emphasizes the fact that Melisandre has lost her faith. You might also have noticed that when Melisandre visits Davos, she’s wearing a coat for the first time ever. She no longer believes that the Lord of Light will keep her warm. Melisandre is broken which might sound like a bad thing, but it could also be the key to resurrecting Jon Snow...
In season 3, the Red Priest Thoros of Myr talks about reviving his brother in arms Beric Dondarrion, “I knelt beside his cold body, and said the old words. Not because I believed in them, but... he was my friend. And he was dead. And they were the only words I knew. And for the first time in my life, the Lord replied. Beric's eyes opened. And I knew the truth: our God is the one true God... and all men must serve Him.”
Thoros was only able to resurrect his friend once he reached rock bottom. The Lord of Light tests its followers. It’s easy to have faith when things are going well, but faith in the face of evidence to the contrary is what the Lord of Light rewards. Melisandre needs to be broken. This is a consistent theme throughout the Song of Ice and Fire. Dany’s guiding principle is the prophecy, “To reach the west, you must go east.” In other words, it’s always darkest before the dawn.








