Knee-jerk Reaction to “Dragonstone:” Five Best and Worst Moments

FLEA BOTTOM BROWN FIVE: Oh, that slimy Littlefinger

He is such a whispery snake in the grass. He’s like the Grinch mixed with Jabba the Hutt. It seems impossible that Sansa can stand him. He’s no good, low-down candy-stealing trouble. It would probably be best for everyone involved if Littlefinger meets with an unfortunate accident, and soon.

FLEA BOTTOM BROWN FOUR: Ed Sheeran, your scene was kinda lame

Yeah, he was singing (not long enough, in my honest opinion), and the scene was sweet, but it had that weird feeling scenes have when they’re written to accommodate a cameo and not a storyline. They were certainly the cleanest and least-threatening Lannister soldiers I’ve ever seen.

FLEA BOTTOM BROWN THREE: Sansa needs better timing

For a lady who showed up just in the nick of time at the Battle of the Bastards, Sansa should try to voice her disagreements with Jon in a private setting. Yes, it’s good and dramatic to have Jon and Sansa argue in front of their bannermen, but it’s poor statesmanship. Sansa and Jon should work these issues out before they stand up in front of their new assembly, because it makes them look indecisive.

FLEA BOTTOM BROWN TWO: Euron is Ramsay 2.0?

If Game of Thrones suffers from any lingering issues, character-wise, it’s the one-dimensional characterization of Ramsay Bolton. Though gamely portrayed by Iwan Rheon, Ramsay lacked the depth and complexity we’re come to expect from our gray-and-black bad guys on this show. And now, Euron Greyjoy, with all of his strutting and boasting and bug-eyed glaring, threatens to function just as predictably and flatly as Ramsay did. Hope not.

FLEA BOTTOM BROWN ONE: Sam’s heatwarming poop montage

The Samwell Tarly Citadel apprenticeship sequence, or the “poop-grimace-gag-stew-poop montage” for short, was overdone. We get it. The stew looks like poop. The autopsy scene was a cornucopia of fun grossness, though.

BONUS VALYRIAN STEEL MOMENT: Tormund ogles Brienne and Pod pays for it

Call me guilty of shipping Tormund and Brienne. I loved how Tormund distracted Brienne long enough for Pod to get a lick in during practice, and boy did Pod pay the price.

RAP IT UP AND PUT A BLOODY BOW ON IT

A really good episode, nicely crafted to launch the new season. It did feel a bit fragmented, as if there’s a need to combine some of these stories soon, which I’m sure will happen.

Next: Watch the trailer for 'Stormborn,' the second episode of season 7

What did you all think?