The beginning of the end is here.
And if you somehow missed that this was the final season, you must have been living in a cell under the Red Keep because I don’t think I’ve ever seen such intense anticipation for a pop culture event since, well, the final season of Breaking Bad. But Game of Thrones is even more epic and last night was the height of can’t-miss-TV.
But was the episode worth the insufferably long wait, or are we just too emotionally invested to be completely objective, at this point?
Major spoilers ahead: In addition to talking about the latest episode, comments about the content of George R.R. Martin’s ASOIaF books are also fair game, but please no snark about the pace of his writing, etc.
“Togetherness” was certainly the theme of tonight’s episode.
You’d think with all of the massive amounts of death on this show, the cast would be pretty small by this season, but, nope: there are a lot of people to reunite under one very grim cause.
I was so focused on Jon Snow and Arya reuniting, I forgot to even think about how some of the other meetings might go, like Sansa and Tyrion. I had completely forgotten that they were maybe technically still married, depending on your feelings on consummation and if there was time for an officially recognized annulment. You knew Sansa and Dany weren’t going to immediately be besties, and I’m with Sansa on her feelings of frustration with Jon Snow and his new queen. I loved how Jon seemed a bit put out that Arya thinks Sansa is the smartest person she knows and that she and Sansa are keeping their family in mind first.
No matter what your blood says, you are Ned Stark’s son, Jon Snow, and that isn’t a total compliment.
Jon’s familial bonds might be tested when he really thinks through the ramifications of being a Targaryen and heir to the Iron Throne, but that didn’t happen tonight. I was a bit surprised and relieved that Jon learned of his royal lineage so quickly. Though it was fun to watch Jon ride a dragon for the first time knowing what he did not—so we weren’t as scared for him as he was. (I still preferred the dragon chase scene in Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire more, though, or the Reign of Fire archangels scene, if we’re ranking dragon flight sequences.)
I’d be happy to see a just woman and an honorable man wed. Nothing lasts. Dany still really needs everyone to bend the knee, and it’s hard to like her when she’s so damn aloof. But, priorities, and all… She and Sansa do seem to really have the bigger picture in mind, and are both coming at their current catastrophe with good intentions.
I really didn’t think at all about Samwell meeting the queen who executed his father and brother, ahead of the premiere. I wasn’t quite expecting Sam to react with those tears—but, of course he would, because Sam is a caring person and families are complicated. Oh, damn, that’s not good for Jon Snow’s cause. Especially since, oops, Dany didn’t tell Jon she’d executed the Tarlys and Jon can’t tell Sam that she was wrong to do it. I love all of these unintended emotions and consequences.
I really, really wasn’t thinking about Bran seeing Jaime again. It was kind of weird how Bran’s Three-Eyed Raven status makes him basically a robot played for plot exposition and comedic timing—was he just sitting outside at Winterfell overnight, waiting? But it’s interesting that there might be a tiny, petty, human part inside Bran after all, and perhaps it still wants some justice for what Jaime did to him in the first ever episode.
If even Bran has some drama to work through, you know it’s going to be hard for allies to work together, let alone for Cersei to contend with her enemies, which now includes her favorite brother. Hey, at least Euron makes a plausible father for her unborn child. I doubt that little fish is going to live long enough to take a paternity test on Maury—and thanks the gods, because Euron is the worst.
Lastly, everyone’s favorite wildling is alive! As if such a memorable man as Tormund could be killed offscreen along with a bunch of faceless extras. I’m glad we got an answer on that in this installment, because, damn, there was a lot packed into a surprisingly short episode. I thought all of the final episodes were going to run over an hour—this one clocked in at 54 minutes, although later episodes in the season will be closer to 80 minutes in length—and I was bummed, albeit in the best way, that it was over so fast.
Thinking on it a bit more, I’m also concerned that any amount of Thrones this season will not feel like enough to leave everyone happy.
Final thoughts:
- Understatement of the year (so far): “It had its moments.” —Sansa on the Purple Wedding.
- Lyanna Mormont’s look when she saw Dany. You could tell how disappointed she is with Jon Snow. Like, boy, you didn’t choose the North, you chose a dragon babe.
- Grey Worm and Missandei in the North looked *real uncomfortable* so far from home. I’m glad they have each other.
- Bronn had a bad night at the brothel. On the one hand, he really likes Jaime and Tyrion, but he’s always insisted that he values money more. I don’t see this ending well for the sellsword, but maybe he’ll become a man of honor, too, before his end.
- I’m wondering what Tyrion’s arc will be this season. His story’s been too thin since he met Dany. Will it be more family drama? Will it be new love? A new job starting Westeros’ first parliament?
- I loved how we began the first episode of the last season with a callback to the first episode of the first season. Little Lord Umber running and climbing through the castle at Winterfell to watch the approach of a visiting king looked so much like Arya waiting for King Robert. I hope Umber’s grisly “death” at the hand of the Night King isn’t a foreshadowing of Arya’s fate.
- I didn’t forget about Theon. I just don’t care.
- Next week: Jaime must answer for more past crimes; Tyrion looks ready for battle.
Theresa DeLucci is a regular contributor to Tor.com covering TV, book reviews and sometimes games. She’s also gotten enthusiastic about television for Boing Boing, Wired.com’s Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy podcast and Den of Geek. Send her a raven via Twitter.
Great episode for character related moments, but plot-wise, it was pure set-up. Which is kinda weird, seeing as how there’s only 6 episodes. And doubly weird that this episode was less than an hour long. Wasn’t the story that the season would be shorten but have movie-length episodes?
The “Sansa’s the smartest” took me out of the scene for a moment. In the books (and I can’t help but have my views dominated by them), Arya is the smartest sister and Sansa is ….. slow to learn.
“Whatever they want” was kind of obvious, but I LOL’d anyway. Plus it had a nice double meaning in Dany’s case.
I was first disappointed in Arya’s meeting with The Hound, but on reflection I think it was both meaningful for both of them and predictive.
While again my reaction was colored by the books, Sam’s reaction to his father’s death didn’t seem right to me. His father abused him (and pretty much everyone else) horribly. I could see Sam as being emotional over his brother’s death but not his father’s.
Re Bran waiting outside, it was totally planned – Sam asked him what he was doing outside and he said “I’m waiting for a friend to arrive” or words to that effect.
I thought the episode was quite good – I liked the “calm before the storm” feel that allowed the viewers to reconnect with the sprawling cast on a personal level. Very well played.
Great reunion but Arya needs to have a serious talk with Jon – used Needle once or twice – yikes. She needs to tell him she took out the entire Frey family.
I couldn’t really tell but did Theon kill his way onto Yara’s boat alone or was he part of a small ironborn team? I agree I don’t care much but I did expect that Theon would return to the bow as his principal weapon.
Loved Qyburn’s burn – saying that one of the whores would get the pox and throwing Bronn completely out of his usual cool.
I think my favourite moment was Yara/Asha’s comment about the White Walkers: “What is dead may never die, but kill the bastards anyway.”
The one reunion/confrontation we really missed out on, I think, was Jorah and Lyanna Mormont. We need more Lyanna on this show, and seeing her own her older cousin would have been hilarious, while also serving to strengthen her dislike of Daenerys.
“Grey Worm and Missandei in the North looked *real uncomfortable* so far from home. I’m glad they have each other.”
I would be real uncomfortable, too, if I was in the North and didn’t own a pair of sleeves.
Tyrion, at least, is smart enough to double any offer. Hopefully he brought four chests of gold with him. Qyburn reminded Bronn that show-Jaime has, whatever his redemption arc, always been a jerk.
I’d like to give a shout out to the best line of the evening “Poor girl, the pox will take her within the year.” Not quite “the dwarf lives until we find a cock merchant”, but still… quality.
Re: 3 and the Yara rescue, we see several bowmen taking out Euron’s sailors, before Theon gets to Yara.
“It’s got blue eyes!’
“I’ve always had blue eyes!”
Shout out to Yara for the most ridiculous line in the episode. Just how long are we supposed to think she has been Euron’s prisoner, silently waiting to be on screen to ask him that question?
Sam’s talk with Jon very handily resumed why I dislike Danaerys and her “chosen one” schtick. When Sam tells Jon that he’s the true heir to the Iron Throne and that he was willing to surrender his crown as King in the North for the good of everybody, but asks him if he thinks Danaerys would do the same given the real situation, all I could think of was “Bendtheknee-aerys Targaryen, chosen by the gods, born into entitlement, surrender her crown for the good of anybody? Yeah, that’s not happening.”
@3: Strictly speaking, Arya didn’t use Needle to take out the Freys. :)
By my count, she’s used it 4 times: stableboy, Polliver, Rorge, and the Waif. I could have missed one.
Lyanna Mormont is the last person I would want mad at me. Better to take my chances with a dragon.
Great overall episode.
But I admit to being underwhelmed by Jon’s first Dragon ride, and the lead up to it. Why did Danny make that offer? I know why the dragon accepted him, but it still seemed anti-climatic. And I can’t keep the dragons straight. Which one is he riding? One named after a brother, right? Not her dead husband.
But once again, GoT has the magical fast transportation in effect. I’m glad Sansa asked about the food issues. That’s a major issue, as is getting rid of all the human waste safely. The glass garden of Winterfell can’t support that army. But I’m not sure it was repaired.
I did love the new opening! All the interior views! And the limited number of family symbols. Really shows how the story has narrowed down.
EDD!!!! Oh, I’m so glad Delorous Edd survived, my heart couldn’t take it.
Notice how Dany echoed Ygritte in her and Jon’s moment by the falls? And how Jon was taken aback by it? I think that’s to indicate how little these two actually know about each other. She doesn’t know about Jon’s past and former loves, and maybe that’s indicating to Jon that it’s not meant to last, and he needs that before he learns the truth about his parents.
I know all the fan theories have a ton invested in a final confrontation in Kings Landing with the Starks v the Lannisters, but I don’t think so. This article at the Escapist talked about the differences in values between the families, and one thing that can be said for Ned, is while he had honor, he always put the tangible ties of family first, over the nebulous idea of honor. And that is why the Starks now stand strong with powerful allies, and Cersei sits in the Iron throne room alone except for Qyburn and an automaton. So having seen how isolated Cersei is, does anyone else expect her to just collapse under the weight of her own hubris? Which won’t be very cathartic for the audience, many of whom want to see Arya take her off her list, but would be fitting. Additional question, does anything really think that baby she’s carrying is a natural conception? Because I sure don’t.
I continue to love Yara. Of course, with how unreliable Theon can be, she’s doing the Starks no favors.
NO BRIENNE!!! She better be in the next one.
“I’m waiting for an old friend” Incredible writing. Even after I figured out the hooded rider was Jaime(I first thought it was a wight, he wasn’t very certain in the saddle IMO), it didn’t really click for me what Bran meant by that until Jaime dismounted his horse.
I don’t know, at the end of the day, one of the things I felt Martin’s books were getting at, was that bloodline wasn’t important to the things that really matter, like who can wield power with compassion. Those things come from education and experience, you’re not just born with them. So it’s just a bit aggravating to me how everyone is getting all hung up on Jon being “rightful king”. And. um, Jon hasn’t worked for it. Agree or disagree with Dany’s actions, she has worked for it. I just hate how people keep falling over themselves to give power to men just because of who’s bed they were made in. If this show wants to completely win me over, Jon better eschew all this shit by the end.
PS One of the theories I like best, is that Tyrion promised to make Cersei’s child Dany’s heir in exchange for her armies, which is why he believes she won’t betray him, and why he’s not on board with the whole Dany/Jon ship. He continues to be reticent about when counseling with Varys and Davos, so I definitely feel there is SOMETHING behind his uneasiness.
@2, Sophist, one of the earliest conversations Sandor and Arya had was when Arya intervened to save an old man’s life, and Sandor called her soft. I thought it was a very fitting bookend.
And in re Samwell, that’s exactly how I read it. He’s not that messed up about Randall’s death, because he thinks at least he still has Dickon, but that news is what really broke him. Especially because he knew, really, that Dickon didn’t really choose to stand with Randall, because Dickon never learned he actually had a choice at all. However, my own reading of the books colors this whole story, because in the books the Tarly’s are Targ loyalists, who probably would have joined back up with her if given the chance. Nice of the show to occasionally remember that shit has consequences though.
@13, I mean, isn’t Dany allied with Highgarden? Surely she knows by know an army marches on their stomach. I mean, it’s a good question, but it’s impact would matter more to me if the show had been concerned with these types of logistics since the second season. During S1 & 2, the show took the time to demonstrate how long travel took, and had external events indicate how the differing plot lines lined up timewise. Ever since then, they haven’t GAF about it, so I can’t really GAF myself when they want to make a point about it to try and give Sansa some points to score over Dany and Jon in this conflict.
Also, Jon is riding Rhaegal, the one named for his father (wink wink). The one named for Dany’s horrendous traitorous brother is the Wight Dragon now, fittingly enough.
Aeryl: Yeah, I caught that resonance with Jon/Ygritte too. However, I’d forgotten the earlier conversation between The Hound and Arya. Nice.
I’m not convinced Cersei is really pregnant, though if she is it could easily be unnatural. I am convinced that Tyrion has a secret deal with her which Dany will view as a betrayal (and which the Starks will too).
@15: There is no Highgarden anymore. The Lannister took it over to steal the gold, and I believe still have control over the food. That’s when we get the wonderful “Tell Cersei it was me” line.
So yes, food for a 10 year period in a frozen land will be a problem. There will be less men to worry about in just a few months, but the food still has to last. Which makes me wonder how some of that food lasts even half that time. But that’s a real world issue. The show, nor the books really worry themselves about the real world issues of food production to population.
@2, have to agree with Aeryl here: Sam was upset/broken up about his father’s death, because that’s the kind of caring man Sam is. There isn’t a scenario where he wouldn’t have shed tears with that news. Despite all the trauma, that was still his family and father.
However, he was ready to push past it when the news that he also lost his brother just smashed his resolve. That bit of news he just couldn’t bear.
@17, Fair enough, but again, I can’t hinge that much importance on the logistics of this, when in the past 4 or 5 seasons, this show hasn’t given two figs about logistics.
@19, you can’t really complain. Hollywood, hell most STORIES, do not concern themselves with the ugly realities of life, unless and until the protagonist digs a latrine trench…
And frankly, how many guns in movies/TV have a clip capacity of “Until it would be dramatic to reload”?
There is nothing in war more important than minding your logistics trail. And nothing more deadly dull to discuss, with the possible exception of accounting. No one watched “Dallas” to see the accounting department fund oil operations. And no one watched “Return of the King” to spend twenty minutes watching Theoden (or more likely, Eomer) break up the days marches so as to arrive at the Pellennor Fields on time, en masse, in a fit condition to fight.
I loved all those delicious embarrassing moments, particularly poor Dany and Sam. Hilarious! And Jaime and Bran. Although poor Bran did seem to spend the episode parked in the courtyard.
Im actually annoyed by Lyanna and Sansa. Did they really think calling Jon the King would make any difference? It’s not politically realistic. Dany has the shadows of her terrible upbringing to overcome, abandonment, exile, abuse and its no wonder she likes the power she has but I think she means well. After all it’s nothing to the Targs to marry each other, and who could be more suitable a husband? However I don’t feel the dragon riding scene was great. Dany should know that only Valyrian blood can ride a dragon so what was she thinking?! And yes it was Rhaegal Jon rode.
Im afraid everything will be rushed and superficial. And sad that we returned to the sexposition no matter how funny it all was.
Final thought – the Golden Company was founded by rogue Targaryens as a filler whilst trying to get the throne back, does Cersei know this?
@19 Good point about the show ignoring logistics. As far as I can recollect, we have never seen the Unsullied with a supply train, or even packs on their backs, when they are on the march. Not even a canteen to be seen.
My favorite line of the night was the one about Arya being “off skulking…” or something like that.
They are being pretty heavy handed about Jon being noble and self-sacrificing, and Dany being selfish and hungry for power. My guess is that they are leading up to the opposite, Dany sacrificing herself for Jon and Westeros. We shall see…
I haven’t even finished reading the article but you’ve won my undying loyalty with, “…or the Reign of Fire archangels scene, if we’re ranking dragon flight sequences.”
Also, why has this show never addressed damn dragonsaddles???
I mean, especially considering that airborne combat vs Wiserion(geddit?) is a given now. We’ve already seen how Jon struggled to stay mounted(though I caught on my second watch that he actually steered Rhaegal), why has no one thought of this??
I agree that Dany likely wouldn’t see a problem with marrying Jon if she knew they were related, in the first book she was expecting to be married to Viserys before he married her off to Drogo. I do think, however, she’ll have a problem with the fact that Jon’s claim supersedes her own. And there is the fact that whatever the truth is, there is no proof of Jon’s claim. No one in Dany’s camp will take Bran’s word for it, nor is Sam’s Septon’s diary proof of Jon’s parentage, only that Rhaegar and Lyanna were wed. Which is a story Dany would like to get out, in all actuality, as it clears her brother’s name, and proves Robert’s Rebellion to be undertaken under false pretenses.
But again, my true hope for this series is that it smashes the concept of monarchy, and the ice/fire duality, thereby ending the need for the importance of bloodlines, and I have always believed that the characters who can’t get on board with this brave new world will be the ones who do not survive the coming battle. But I’ve always doubted Weiss & Benioff’s interpretation of the books to line up with my own, and nothing I’ve seen thus far since they went beyond the books have assuaged that doubt.
54 minute betrayal after 20 months of waiting and promises. Sorry if my formatting is hoaky…first time typing on an iPhone.
I think there was too much talk about “them” coming. We needed an intense battle /skirmish or two visually.
Danny’s character seemed to have to many screenshots of her smiling like her “real” Emilia Clark self.
I did love the “ royal like” entrance of John and Danny. She could however, have lent him some respect in front of his people. Her true character could have pulled that off easily and still remained Queenly.
Like others, I found amusing remarks like Arya is “lurking” and “she is a cold bitch” and finally, “My Lady” from Gendry, tongue in cheek.
I hope John finds out in a very serious way what Arya has done and is capable of.
Finally, they better give us “true to character drama of more than 54 minutes. Loyal fans are deserving fans. John is a king. Danny has a heart. Arya is a warrior who loves her family. Sansa HAS learned well! And I believe Cersei has gone mad, Jamie has seen the light ( maybe) and Tyrion hmmm, hasn’t he always just wanted to be accepted? Does Varys really only care for the kingdom?
PS Did anyone read the Time editorial? Grrrrrrr!
So Dany nearly kills Jon because she did not look up a Dragonlord manual even when she was on Dragonstone. The books established that having close blood ties to House Targaryen was minimally required for a dragon to accept a rider. I don’t remember this being clearly stated in the show, but in the extras the showrunners seem to think they have.
I suspect that is what is going to convince Dany that Jon is a Targ, after Tyrion shares with her a drink and some dragon lore he knows.
OK , Jon has the better claim to the throne than Dany. But so what? Dany has a respectable army of the best heavy infantry, an enormous army of the best light cavalry and the two dragons. Who has the better chance of making their claim stick? One usually bets on the bigger battalions. All the more reason to get those two married and combine the claims (it is a Targaryen family tradition after all).
@24 Given Martin’s tendency to subvert fantasy tropes, I have often thought the series would end as Tyrion is elected first president of the Republic of Westeros. But there haven’t been any hints of democracy in the series to date, so that is probably doubtful. (Although the whole “lift your sword and cry ‘King of the North'” thing is kind of democratic, if you consider the Northern lords representatives of their people. But you have to squint pretty hard to mistake that for democracy.)
I’m wondering if Dany will turn out to be something more sinister – she seemed to make a veiled/unfinished threat at Sansa to Jon, and I can’t help from wondering if Samwell will be forced to bend the knee – especially as he is the one that put it all together. But I also wonder if Dany suspects (especially after the dragon ride) and perhaps that would just make him even more attractive to her as a potential mate…
But I noticed Arya also had her own little ‘threat’ to Jon as well…
I mean, ultimately I kind of agree with Aeryl here that all the squabbling over bloodlines and crowns and what have you is kind of dumb. I love Lyanna Mormont but I was rolling her eyes a bit at the whole ‘we gave you a crown!’ thing, as if that really matters right now.
I forgot that Tyrion potentially made a secret deal with Cersei…
One other thing – that jump scare with the little Lord Umber Wight almost got me…I had just noticed, ‘wait a sec, did his eyes open???’ when it started shrieking. Ugh! The symbol was a nice callback to the first episode, though.
I can’t help but wonder if Qyburn is planning on giving that prostitute the pox to do some kind of experiment…like, I get that it was supposed to be a throwaway line perhaps just at Bronn’s expense, but I wonder…
“I really wanted those elephants” is probably my favorite line of the episode, ha. Well, that or waiting for an ‘old friend’.
I’m not seeing much of a case made for the idea that it’s “better” for Westeros if Jon is king rather than Dany being queen.
Quite apart from her bloodline, she’s shown up with dragons to fight a giant army of ice zombies that have fire as their main weakness. She’s put everything she has on the line to save Westeros. For the duration of the war, she’s the right person to have in charge.
I’m very much on the side that Jon made the correct decision about Dany. She has an army; it’s loyal to her. She has 2 dragons which are, for now, entirely under her control; they have little chance of defeating the NK without those dragons, especially because he now has one of his own. Given what Jon knows, Dany is a sine qua non for victory and her price was both reasonable — given what Jon knew — and must be paid.
@27 Braavos and Volantis both have democracy, sort of. The Sealord of Braavos is elected for life, the three Triarchs of Volantis are elected for 1 year terms. Of course, only freeborn citizens of Volantis can vote, 1/6th of the population. And I’d suspect that who can vote for the Sealord is rather restricted also. Still, the basic idea isn’t completely unknown.
@31 – Westeros does not seem to have much in the way of existing democratic or constitutional institutions. The most we have seen is how the Night’s Watch chooses a Lord Commander. Imposing a democracy on a culture which has no experience with it is easier said than done.
For those who doubt Sam’s reaction to Randyll Tarly’s death, let me put forward my own experience.
I had a sister who was less than a year younger than me. When we were growing up…we hated each other. We fought like anything. This wasn’t mere sibling rivalry stuff, it was genuine dislike. After we reached adulthood, we got along a bit better – distance helped – but we never liked each other.
And when she died, it was a blow. I didn’t like her, but she was still my sister. She was a part of me. I mourned.
So I have no trouble believing that Sam would mourn his abusive father.
(It’s fifteen years ago now, btw, so no condolences needed.)
@24 Aeryl, you’re forgetting that even in the show there’s one witness left to Jon’s birth, Howland Reed. Reed was with Ned at the Tower, and his daughter just went home with tales fresh from Winterfell about Jon Snow and his rise to power.
A slow start but proceeding nicely.
The thing with Cersei’s baby seems tailor-made for some GoT horror. Remembering her absolute hatred for Tyrion for killing first her mother, her son (wrongly) and her father (good job), I predict she will give birth to a dwarf herself with the attendant psychological trauma no doubt written up to the max – the walk of shame was not enough for this woman!
Thanks for the recap & thoughts, Theresa.
One of the things that bugs me: it was far too easy for Theon to free Yara and get away with three ships. Huh?!
I am glad Jon now knows his true origins and Dany told Sam Tarly about the fire execution of his dad and brother. His dad hated Sam anyway.
And finally, the look in Jaime’s eye when he saw Bran — priceless!
Seems like the events in this episode are just a few weeks after season 7’s finale. Cheers!
@34 – Nice point. In any event, Sansa called the banners so at least Meera and perhaps Howland himself should be showing up from Graywater Watch in Ep. 2.
@34 & 37, I haven’t forgotten about Howland, it’s just his testimony is going to be viewed as suspect as Bran’s. He’s a Stark loyalist, OF COURSE he would say that to elevate the son of Ned Stark to the throne over that evil Targaryen girl. There is no one alive Dany, or her loyalists, would believe about this.
Now, Jon’s connection to the dragons is a proof she would accept of his Targaryen blood, but she can also say that Jon isn’t trueborn, but is still a bastard, as no one in Westeros now acknowledging polygamous marriages, as Rhaegar was legally married to Elia, and had two children with her, and therefore her claim is more valid.
I think it’s important to the Jon’s development as a character that he know this, but I really don’t see this impacting the power balances in the show. Especially since, as many have pointed out, Dany is the one who has put in the effort here, she got the army, she recruited people, she’s done the diplomacy. Now, there is the fact that the reason why she’s done all that is her belief that the throne is rightfully hers, and Jon never had that conception. But all this is, IMO, is a to tempt Jon into setting himself in opposition to Dany at a time when the people of Westeros least need that. This getting out isn’t going to change anyone’s mind, especially since for most people who support Dany or Jon, don’t really do so because of who they were born as, but for their actions. Right now, no one views the holder of any of thrones as legitimate.
@27, I’m also pretty sure that the small towns and cities have elected representatives, that report to the local lord. The Faith also votes, IIRC. So it’s not like voting is completely unheard of. And it will be a lot easier to make that transition away from the old system, when most of the entrenched defenders of that system are dead.
For all the character meet-ups, the one I didn’t know I wanted until it did not happen was Jorah and Lyanna Mormont.
@33: I’m sure that people can have different reactions to the death of a relative, including sadness at the death of an abuser. I re-watched the scene, and those were right who made the point about Sam not really losing it until he learned about his brother. Also, Sam doesn’t know the circumstances of their death; Dany had some justification for the order (within the context of Westeros society), though burning as a method of execution is pretty horrifying and will remind people of her father.
Jon has stoutly resisted playing the game of thrones in the face of existential danger. Whatever Sam’s intentions (or Sansa’s or Arya’s), pushing Jon in that direction at this point in time can’t possibly help.
@@@@@ 21: I was going to respond with snarky ire to your “poor Bran” line. And then it gave me pause.
Bran Stark lost the use of his legs (and presumably his whole lower body) right before puberty. As if that weren’t enough, he lost most of his family and friends, went through hell following the Three-Eyed Raven, and then he himself became the Three-Eyed Raven and lost most of his humanity. He’s a Leto Atreides II sort of character. Gosh, the poor thing!
My crazy theory of the day is that Jamie will be executed by Dany, Arya will take his face and go to king’s landing and kill Cersei. Then Arya will wear Cersei’s face to order her armies to help Jon and Dany fight white walkers. That special blade/weapon has to be intended for something specific, right?
On another note, say Dany survives this war and ends up Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. Who’s going to be her heir if she can’t have any more children? Or has Jon already gotten her pregnant and the witch-woman was just messing with her head…
Re Tyrion and Sansa: My personal theory is that those two will end up together.
I was surprised at Sansa’s cold welcome after everything Tyrion did for her, but then again Sansa has grown into a really guarded person (her “Winterfell is yours, Your Grace” had more nuances than a Leonardo painting), so it makes sense that she showed reserve towards someone who is still her husband and who could try to cash in all those favor.
I don’t give Tyrion much credit for his relationship with Sansa, and I don’t think she does either. The best that can be said for him is that he refused to do something morally abhorrent (in essence, rape her). You don’t get credit for that, it’s a pretty minimal expectation. He also intervened to prevent a further beating, but again that’s a bare minimum.
AFAIC, Sansa has no reason to be anything other than cold to Tyrion given what his family put her through and given that he remained loyal to his family throughout. Putting aside whether any of the women characters “need” to end up with any man — they actually might under the existing conditions of Westeros — I think Sansa could do much better than Tyrion.
I can only imagine Bran having a dream that Jamie was coming to Winterfell, but not knowing when, and so having to sit in the courtyard for several days, just so he gets that slightly creepy “I’ve been expecting you” look across the courtyard at Jamie :)
You and me both mate. The true king of Seven Kingdoms is still alive!
Maybe. The books (mainly the novella The Princess and the Queen) establish that people assumed that a rider would have to have Targaryan blood, but it’s not clear that all of the “dragonseeds” actually were Targaryen by-blows. Especially the girl Nettles, who didn’t have any of the usual physical characteristics of a Targ, and gained the trust of her dragon though kindness/bribery.
Given that the theme of the books is subverting fantasy tropes, having everyone assume that you had to be from a certain family to ride a dragon, only for it to turn out that almost anyone could do it if they were given the chance, would fit the themes very well.
@44: Your “expectations” about Tyrion are totally modern and out of context. In the Westeros context, Tyrion’s behavior toward Sansa, even before they were engaged, is nothing short of extraordinary.
As for people ending up together, in movies and stories, that’s hardly a women’s thing. And let’s not forget that Tyrion and Sansa are indeed married. In the context of fiction, that has some meaning.
Another cheer for:
“It’s got blue eyes!’
“I’ve always had blue eyes!”
“Little Lord Umber running and climbing through the castle at Winterfell to watch the approach of a visiting king looked so much like Arya waiting for King Robert.”
Wasn’t it Bran? That’s the trouble with the long waits between books and now series seasons. I felt the image of the waterfall had some meaning, yet couldn’t remember that it was a visual reminder of the Jon/Ygritte romance.
This is the end… My only friend, the end…
We’re back! It wasn’t perfect, but let’s be honest: they’ll never please everybody. For my own enjoyment, I loved the Arya/Jon hug. I’m not sure it surpasses the Sansa/Jon hug way back in season six, but I teared up a little. We’ve spent so much time with these characters that they feel real. It was a nice moment before everything goes to hell.
On the downside, they tried too hard to make Sansa look good. Why would Arya consider her the “smartest person”? That felt forced to me. The Sansa/Tyrion dialogue was a better way to show her intelligence, rather than tell about it.
Another nitpick: why bother talking about logistics now? It’s too little too late. It reminded me of a game where they limit your inventory space – they never explain how you can carry a bunch of stuff, but for some arbitrary reason a little extra is too much. How can the North feed itself at all? If winters can last for years, how do they get food? None of that makes sense if you stop to think about it, so it’s best to just ignore it.
Finally, Cersei and the elephants made me remember one of my favorite Simpsons episodes. That is all I have to say about that
I’m just glad it’s finally ending. Excuse me while I enjoy the ride.
Hardly. Just try to imagine Jon Snow or Robb Stark in Tyrion’s situation. They would never have behaved so badly. Tyrion met minimal expectations of decent human behavior in a context in which the Lannister family — his family — behaved abominably. He gets no credit even by the standards of the show/books.
@46, Sorry, but marital rape has always been wrong, regardless of what society thought about it. And I echo Sophist’s frustration about readers constantly pairing up women with men who demonstrate a modicum of kindness. We should all expect better than the bare minimum. Especially considering, that for all his wit and decency, at the end of the day Tyrion is still a wine soaked whoremonger.
@48, Arya was the one wearing a helmet hiding in the carts. Bran lined up with his family.
@49, The thing is the books do explain how they feed people, Winterfell itself is built atop a hot spring, which warms the castle walls, and there are greenhouses within Winterfell itself for growing food in winter. But, like I said I would care more about that if the show had. And I assume Arya said that because Sansa was the ringleader in taking out Littlefinger, letting him play out his rope until he hung himself, whereas Arya was falling for his lie.
@5 H.P. Grey Worm and Missandei (her in particular) didn’t look uncomfortable for lack of sleeves. They could tell Northerners hadn’t ever seen people like them before. It was such a knowing look between black people, I cackled at my tv. It was probably my favourite bit.
I loved all of the little pay offs and callbacks to the first episode, particularly the music. And the opening credits were beautiful.
I didn’t like the ‘Sansa is the smartest person I know’ line. I don’t think we’ve seen her do enough to deserve that. Beyond sending for the Vale reinforcements and killing Littlefinger, she hasn’t been smart. Or at least, I don’t see much evidence.
I do wish the episode had been a bit longer, with more than mere table setting. It felt very short and somewhat lacking for the season opener.
For all his faults, no man she has been paired with has treated Sansa better than Tyrion. He gave her the freedom to choose where others only used her as they saw fit, with no regard for her feelings or desires.
@52, She was the one who knew Littlefinger was playing them all and sought out Bran to get the 411 they could use to take him out. She is the one who outplayed him, which makes her smart. She’s also the one in the North, who knows Cersei will betray them.
Also, if you enjoyed that moment, there are lots of mashups of the banjo music from Deliverance set to Missandei and Grey Worm’s “look”.
@53, I don’t disagree, but that is a very low bar to clear.
I believe that’s the lowest bar I’ve ever seen.
@50: I disagree. And those are very high standards.
@53, 54, and 55: Alas, low indeed.
I find that, at the very least, Sansa has reason to be grateful to Tyrion, as well as to trust him. Plus I find that they are extremely well paired. They are both very smart people, and they have both been through hell and back more than once. Plus they look good together. And, let’s not forget, they are still married…
@56, I will accept that Tyrion has demonstrated his trustworthiness. But I fear even that is about to dashed, as Jaime will surely be informing everyone that Cersei has no intention of living up to her end of the bargain, and that’s going to make people question why Tyrion was so sure she would, and what implications there are about that.
I suspect “Sansa is the smartest person I know” is meant to say more about how Arya’s changed than anything else. Even Jon comments on it. Not only did season one Arya disagree with everything Sansa did or said (with good reason), but young Arya would have looked down on the kind of strength Sansa has grown into. As a child, Arya likely thought Jon was the smartest person she knew. Arya sees both Sansa and Jon as equal to her and to each other and that’s got to be a big change for Jon.
I didn’t watch the preview of next week, so maybe this theory has already been debunked, but my thought at seeing Bran’s expression is that he recognizes that what Jaime did to him was required in order to become the Three Eyed Raven. And maybe he has seen Jaime’s part in the upcoming battle and recognizes he’s needed. It’s possible he’s even “seen” a change in Jaime’s heart.
What I did not sense is a desire in Bran for revenge.
I wasn’t surprised to see Sam cry over his father as well as his brother. He loves his family and his whole life at Horn Hill, he didn’t grow resentful or hateful as many would. He took that hate into his own shoulders and believed it all true. My foster father was a real piece of work, most would’ve hated him as much as I did. And like me, still would have cried at his death. Sam’s is a very human reaction, it is very much a young person’s reaction as well. Sam was barely a man’s age, even by the standards of the time the book series is set, and yet coddled by his mother and sisters once they saw how Randyl treated his 1st born. In their own way, they made it worse as no doubt Randyl wished his wife at least had his back over his hatred of Sam the obeast.
Hardly surprising the North wasn’t too happy with Jon for abdicating so swiftly, but what did surprise me was the reaction of the northerners. Glover isn’t beholden to the Starks in the books, the Glovers were bannerman of the Tullys, so him leaving to go home is no big loss. Their king went south and brought back a massive army to help defend the north, yet it seems 95% of the North would sooner have died and fed the dead army their numbers than possibly survive and thrive even via their alliance.
Yes, I agree that this was a weak episode in terms of advancing the story. A set up episode that dealt with so many loose plot threads was probably necessary. Yet with only 6 episodes of a total of under 480 minutes or 7 hours….kinda made me question the point of an episode that had a lot of reunions and yet little else. Leaving their collective backs exposed to the Lannisters and Euron to attack seems like yet another of Tyrion’s terrible battle strategies.
All I can say is this. I really hope Martin doesn’t pooch this as badly as his TV series has. If he ever finishes even 1 book of it that is.
There were two younger brothers under Bran, right? What happened to them? I can’t recall, but I thought they survived.
@61 – Rickon was the younger brother (there was only one), and in the show he was killed by Ramsay in the Battle of the Bastards.
I think in the book he is still alive…I think Osha might have taken him in hiding somewhere, but I don’t remember all the details.
“Hey, at least Euron makes a plausible father for her unborn child.”
Did we forget that Cersi was drinking wine after her tryst with Euron? Either she was faking pregnancy from the beginning (likely) or she had a miscarriage (hence the odd look after the “king in your belly” comment).
Do residents of Game of Thrones know about fetal alcohol syndrome?
I actually took the look as her possibly wondering if she could use Euron as a plausible father, or perhaps just her own thoughts at the irony of the situation – that he thinks he will impregnate her, but she already is. And perhaps she can use that to keep him further tied to him.
That said I also think her faking it is a likely possiblity.
@64:
Remember, it was her NOT drinking wine with Tyrion that tipped him to her possibly being pregnant in the first place, hence him using it as a potential bargaining chip. She didn’t have to just drop it out there to lure him. She did it on the sly. So yes, they likely know it’s bad to drink wine while pregnant.
Maybe we’ll see Bronn take out the Night King with the crossbow and Arya’s special dragonglass bolt, dying a reluctant hero
@62 – In the books, Rickon is with Osha and Shaggydog and is almost certainly on Skagos, an island populated by cannibals and other scary creatures. Davos was heading out on a sea mission to find him -insofar as he is the apparent lawful heir to Winterfell since Robb is dead and all assume Bran is dead.
I’ve unsubscribed from the TOR email newsletter (and marked it as spam in gmail since the unsubscribe link results in a 500 error on submission) because I don’t want GoT spoilers in my email. I’m sad to do this because I have enjoyed the rest of the newsletter and hopefully I remember to sign back up again after GoT ends.
@66, Since by all appearance, the Night King and other White Walkers are innocent people trapped within their circumstances, I kinda hope this doesn’t end with their wholesale slaughter.
@Theresa: Yes, the archangel scene in Reign Of Fire is amazing.
@12 – Ragnar: I agree, Lyanna is scary. I wouldn’t dare disobey her.
@14 – Aeryl: At first I thought the hooded rider was Benjen, somehow.
@26 – Crusader75: Yeah, Dany’s army answers to her because she’s her, not because her last name.
I’m with Cersi, I wanted elephants. The leader of the Golden Legion sure seems laid back, not the sort of personality I expected. Do we have any reason to think he will turn on Cersi? Euron has already said he’ll turn sides to stay with the winners but I hope a dragon takes him out (with predjudice).
On to the prophecy: Isn’t the one with the burning sword supposed to be the one who saves it all? That makes it seem like Beric Dondarion is “The ONE”.
Am I the only one who flashed on Lois McMaster Bujold’s Memory when Cersei started going on about the elephants?
“Money, power, sex … and elephants.”
@48
The boy running through Winter Town was not Little Lord Umber – just a boy.
@Theresa
The little boy running through Winter Town to see the army is not Little Lord Umber; he’s just a random boy
@71, In the books the Golden Company has a relation to the Tagaryens, but I just don’t know if there is enough time to establish that in the show.
In re the burning sword. It’s a magic trick any Red Priest of R’hllor can do. It’s Thoros of Myr who does it in the books, as he’s the priest, and Beric started doing it when Thoros resurrected him and he worshipped R’hllor too.
Of course, the priests and priestesses of R’hllor do magic tricks to convince people their faith is the “true one” and it’s much more likely that the “Burning sword buried within his beloved’s flesh” is metaphorical, not referring to an actual sword.
@72: Actually, what came to my mind was Will Cuppy’s hilarious takedown of Hannibal. (Barca, not Lecter.)
@69: The Night King and those few White Walkers that are sentient are indeed people trapped in a spell gone awry, but their destruction is the only option Westeros has to survive.
@77, OR they could find a way to break the enchantment.
@@@@@14 Brienne IS visible in a couple of shots, she just doesn’t really get any lines. Which leads to one of the reunions many of us are waiting for… Brienne and Tormund! Although now that Jaime is there it could be EXTRA awkward!
@@@@@41 something else there with Bran being paralyzed that I’m not sure (with some of the other discussion of him here) a lot of people caught, his comment when Jon sees him and says “you’re a man now!” and Bran replies “almost.” In that society that likely refers not only to him being not only paralyzed but likely to him being unable to perform sexually and produce children. Something else besides his powers that distances him from people.
@@@@@52 several of the folks in our viewing group are POC, they said the EXACT same thing about Grey Worm & Misandei’s look.
General notes, “Poor girl, the pox will take her” and “I’ve always had blue eyes!” are up there for laugh out loud lines, but Bron’s FACE in reaction to the first one puts it over the top.
BUT, even more to the point about that scene, who noticed that the show threw shade at one of their most hated moments & left Ed Sheeran burned but alive off screen???
Did ‘Game Of Thrones’ Just Burn Ed Sheeran’s Cameo?
@79 I had no real idea who Ed Sheeran was until GOT, but I liked him. Still, it’s hilarious that they killed him offscreen in such a vicious way. The season of fan service, for sure!
Yeah, I had NO idea who Ed Sheeran was before that episode; I guess a lot of people were upset over it? It worked for me, at least. Poor Eddie ;)
Speaking of ambitious crossovers, I have kids, so this ended up in whatever algorithm YouTube uses to suggest videos. I had to watch it several times to even believe it was real. I was laughing so hard I almost had tears in my eyes becuase it’s just…so absurd.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2ppLtHbag4
Honestly, I have to give mad props to the actors for 100% selling it and being that devoted to their characters.
@81, Lena Headey deserves an Emmy for that “I can try” line. So much face acting
My favorite was the snort she does at the beginning when it is suggested that they try listening to each other.
But seriously, that was some true devotion to their craft/characters :)