Game of Thrones Episode 701—”Dragonstone”—Preview

Okay. Here we go. It’s been a long wait, but the first episode of Game of Thrones season 7 is almost upon us. The title? “Dragonstone.” The description? Vague. The hype level? Off the charts.

Specifically, HBO’s official episode description reads as follows:

"Jon (Kit Harington) organizes the defense of the North. Cersei (Lena Headey) tries to even the odds. Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) comes home."

Ah, maddeningly vague episode descriptions. How I’ve missed you.

HBO hasn’t released a trailer for the episode, but based on shots like the one above — plus the fact that the episode is called “Dragonstone” — it’s an extremely good bet that the episode features Daenerys Targaren and her crew landing on, uh, Dragonstone, the place where Dany was born before Targaryen loyalists spirited her across the Narrow Sea, one step ahead of Robert Baratheon’s assassins. That’s more than likely what the episode refers to when it says that Daenerys “comes home.”

Here’s a quick factual breakdown of the episode:

• Start Time: July 16, 2017, 9 p.m. EST
• TV Info: HBO
• Episode: Season 7, Episode 1, “Dragonstone”
• Writers: David Benioff & D.B. Weiss
• Director: Jeremy Podeswa
• Run time: 59 minutes
• Live Stream: Stream 1 – Stream 2

Director Jeremy Podeswa previously helmed episodes like “Kill the Boy” and “Home.” He’s become one of the show’s go-to directors, and we’re eager to see what he can bring now that he’s been with the production for a while. At 59 minutes in length, he has plenty of room to work his magic.

So far as official images go, we also have one of Jaime and Cersei standing in a courtyard, no doubt trying to think of ways to “even the odds.” Naturally, Cersei is drinking during their strategy session, because wine helps her think — she’s certainly not doing it on account of her chemical dependency on alcohol.

We’ll also have Bran and Meera crossing through the Wall and reaching Castle Black. Well, Meera will, at least. She may have gotten fed up with carrying Bran on the way and dumped him in a snowbank.

As for Jon Snow, he and Sansa will have to consolidate their hold on the North in the wake of the Battle of the Bastards. Quite possibly, there will be some clashes over certain decisions. It’s tough being in charge.

Next: Game of Thrones season 7 -- Our comprehensive preview

We’ll be back tomorrow during and after the episode to break it all down. Welcome back, Game of Thrones. You’ll never know how much we missed you!