Book-Reader’s Recap—Game of Thrones, Episode 801, “Winterfell”

This post is intended for those who have read the books in the Song of Ice and Fire series, not because we’re going to be discussing spoilers from the books — that’s not a thing anymore — but because we may make comparison’s between what we get onscreen and George R.R. Martin’s original vision. If you’d like the perspective of someone who has never read the books, check out our Unsullied recap. Thanks!

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This is it, the final premiere episode of Game of Thrones ever. For my money, it was retrained, intelligent, and plenty emotional. Let’s get to it!

Also it’s full of money. If you ever had any doubt that HBO wasn’t going to spend aircraft carriers of cash on this thing, it corrects you within seconds, as even the opening credits have been completely redone for this final go-round, not to mention that moody montage that ran before even the “Previously on” segment.

This episode is full of callbacks, starting right at the beginning when a young, nameless boy scampers through the woods and into the streets in an effort to see the Dragon Queen’s army pass by on its way to Winterfell. So far as characters we know go, the first face we see is Arya’s, watching the procession with a smirk, but I love that we stick with this kid’s perspective. It’s a great way to reorient us back into this world, by seeing it through the fresh eyes of someone who’s truly excited to see these wonders. Plus it’s a nifty callback to the first-ever episode of the show, where Bran scaled the walls of Winterfell to have a look at King Robert’s army approach.

It is a very impressive army:

In the midst of it are Jon and Dany, riding side by side in a show of unity. But the face we focus on is Arya’s, as she tries to hold back a wave of emotion as she sees her long-long brother pass her by. She cracks a smile when she sees Gendry, too, and looks confused when she sees the Hound. As usual, Maisie Williams gives some of the best face in the business. Also fun is Missandei, Grey Worm and the rest of Dany’s entourage getting stared at like they have arms for legs and vice versa:

The Northerners are not thrilled by the new arrivals, but Dany’s not concerned, because their vague disapproval is nothing in the face of her dragons, which fly overhead. Everybody panics except Arya, who looks thrilled. She’s making an early claim for episode MVP.

It’s a neat little sequence that establishes the stakes, although I could have done without Tyrion’s played-out eunuch joke. That’s the first line of season 8? Really?

Anyway, once inside the Winterfell courtyard, pleasantries are exchanged. Jon makes me smile when he eagerly hugs Bran and kisses him on the forehead, but of course Bran makes it awkward because he’s the Three-Eyed Robot now and no one’s sure how to relate to his ever-placid visage. Jon shares a warm hug with Sansa, too (a lot of hugging in this episode), but Sansa is more interested in his new girlfriend, who comes over a gives Sansa a compliment about being as beautiful as the North. It’s well-met, I think, but Sansa doesn’t look eager to turn over her authority to this new queen. There’s trouble ahead.

But there are other things to talk about, like the fact that the Night King is through the Wall and coming to wipe out humanity. We get one of those group scenes in the Winterfell Great Hall, where we learn that Sansa has called back the banners to Winterfell, although young Lord Ned Umber still has to collect his people from Winterfell. (Pray for Ned Umber.) It doesn’t take long for the meeting to veer off-subject, with Lyanna Mormont wondering what Jon Snow is to the North now that he’s bent the knee to Dany. Jon and Tyrion try to talk the crowd down by feeding them Jon’s “We need to work together if we’re going to survive” line, which is a good line, but it’s not enough to dull the steel in Lady Mormont’s eyes:

The best part of the scene is when Sansa asks how they’re supposed to feed Dany’s army and her two dragons, given that she only prepared enough food stores to last the North through the winter. Sansa: “What do dragons eat, anyway?” Daenerys: “Whatever they want.” And then there is glorious side eye. Things are looking up, conflict-wise.

Later, Tyrion and Sansa overlook Gendry unloading wagons full of Dragonglass in the courtyard. Their reunion is understated — there’s no hug or outpouring of emotion, but rather a mutual respect for what each has survived, which is about how it should be. Tyrion tries to reassure Sansa that Cersei Lannister’s army will fight alongside them, and she points out something fans have been wondering for a while: did Tyrion actually believe Cersei when she said she intended to do something for the greater good? If he did, it’s the latest in a long string of bad calls on his part. If he didn’t…conspiracy?

Much more emotional is the reunion between Jon and Arya, who meet in the Winterfell godswood. It makes perfect sense to me that Arya wouldn’t want to meet Jon with the rest of the crowd, but would rather wait until he was alone and sneak up on him. There’s a moment where the two of them regard each other almost with disbelief, and then Arya breaks into a smile, and Jon picks her up into a huge just as he did in the second episode of the show, and it’s really beautiful and warm and it can’t last but god I love it:

All the awwwws in the world.

But like all Game of Thrones reunions, the writers don’t throw warm fuzzies at us and call it a day. Jon assumes that Arya will “help” him when it comes to building a bridge between Daenerys and Sansa, but Arya may be more in her sister’s camp on this one. It doesn’t dull the sweetness of their reunion, but I’m very curious to see how the Stark sisters will deal with Jon’s new girlfriend. Mostly I just want an Arya-Daenerys scene as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Cersei welcomes back Euron Greyjoy to King’s Landing. As promised, he’s brought the Golden Company with him, headed by Harry Strickland, who little resembles the desk jockey described in A Dance with Dragons, although admittedly he doesn’t get many lines here. Anyway, Euron is eager to get what was promised: sex with Cersei. She demurs, but he play-acts having a broken heart, points out all the ways he’s aided her, and she changes her mind. I’m not entirely sure why. Her shift in attitude is played for intensity; there’s a swell of music and a stricken look from Cersei. Maybe she figures she can’t afford to alienate the ruler of the Iron Islands, or maybe she’s honestly lonely, or maybe she actually likes him? Headey and Pilou Asbæk do have some chemistry, although I wouldn’t bet on that last explanation.

We rejoin them later post-coital. Once again, Cersei is a little hard to read. Euron boldly proclaims that he’s going to “put a prince in your belly” and walks out of the room. Cersei looks…guilty? Upset? Worried that she’s already pregnant with Jaime’s child and now she might have to pass it off as Euron’s? Wouldn’t it be wild if she once again married someone and had a child that wasn’t their’s?

Anyway, we also get a brief scene with Euron and Yara, who’s tied to a post on the Silence, Euron’s ship. It’s a quieter moment with Euron, which frankly is long overdue; we still don’t have a good idea of who this guy is. I liked Euron’s explanation for why he, a man with a ship crewed by mutes, doesn’t just kill Yara. “We’re family…If I kill you, who can I talk to?” We’re still quite a ways off from the barking mad Euron from the books — I kind of wish he would have fed Yara shade of the evening as he does to Aeron Greyjoy in The Winds of Winter — but it’s good to see Pilou Asbæk relax into the role a bit.

A bit later, when Euron is in the Red Keep, Theon and his ragtag band of Ironborn rebels sneak onto the Silence, kill a bunch of guys, and Theon sets Yara free. Still mad about him abandoning her in season 7, she headbutts him to the ground and then helps him up. They still have one of the more healthy relationships on the show.

Later, the two of them are on a couple of pilfered Ironborn ships (man, they sure do like pulling that trick), and Yara suggests heading back to the Iron Islands and reasserting their rule while Euron is busy elsewhere. Also, the Iron Islands could be a refuge for the living if the White Walkers overrun Westeros, wights being historically wary of water. But Theon clearly wants to go fight at Winterfell with his adopted family, and Yara gives him leave. They share the latest in a long line of touching hugs.

I have a sinking feeling this may be the last we see of Yara, but I really hope not. She and Gemma Whelan bring a fun energy to the show. And Euron is still out there. I really don’t know how the Greyjoy plotline will wrap up, and I like that.

One more scene in King’s Landing, and it’s an interesting one: Bronn is having graphic sex with three prostitutes (like, more graphic than I’ve ever seen on this show; it’s like an homage to the show’s early sexploitative days but cranked up a few notches), when Qyburn appears with stealth skills apparently on par with Arya’s. He’s here on behalf of Cersei, who wants Bronn to kill Tyrion and Jaime with a crossbow (which is pretty funny, admittedly). Will Bronn take her up on the offer? It’s very possible. We know that what Bronn wants is riches, and Cersei is the only Lannister sibling to actually follow through on her grander promises; remember that she set him up with Lollys Stokeworth back in season 4, before Jaime abducted him to go to Dorne. Bronn is a mercenary. Does he actually have allegiance to Jaime and Tyrion, or is it all about the money?

Back to Winterfell, for a walk and talk between Davos, Tyrion and Varys. This scene is short but I liked it, because Davos expresses something I don’t why no one has brought up by now: what if, assuming everyone survives the war, Jon and Dany just get married? They’re both noble, and they’re both basically decent people who could make up for the each other’s shortcomings. “What if the Seven Kingdoms, for once in their whole shit history, were ruled by a just woman and an honorable man?” Yeah, how about that?

Things take an intriguing turn when the trio starts talking about what it’s like to be older and trying to influence the young. Quoth Varys: “Respect is how the young keep us at a distance, so we don’t remind them of an unpleasant truth: nothing lasts.” If that’s not unsettling foreshadowing, I don’t know what is. I think this moment is going to be key in retrospect.

And now for what is already looking like the most divisive scene of the episode: Jon and Dany are walking along in the Winterfell courtyard, talking about Sansa’s chilly reception, when Dany’s Dothraki lieutenants inform her that the dragons haven’t been eating much lately. The pair visit Rhaegal and Drogon, who are presiding over a pile of animal bones. Dany, perhaps thinking that the best way for the dragons to develop an appetite is to take them for a ride, mounts Drogon, and asks Jon to mount Rhaegal. He does, nervously, and then they’re off, flying through the sky on a wing on a prayer, Jon holding on to Rhaegal’s spiny hide for dear life, Daenerys shooting knowing smirks his way.

Okay, so the arguments against this scene are that it’s cheesy and fan-service-y. It feels like something out of a YA fantasy series, or Kit Harington’s own How to Train Your Dragon franchise, with two hot people having a bit of a “A Whole New World” Aladdin moment. And I see the wisdom of those arguments, but…this scene got past my defense. The special effects, as always, are glorious, and Ramin Djawadi’s new score soars as high as the dragons. Sue me, but I was swept away.

It’s true that the sequence is awfully exuberant for Game of Thrones. That continues into the next bit, where Jon and Dany land and make out in front of a waterfall. But I don’t think this crosses the line into fan service, because we know this happiness can’t last. Varys told us himself, and Jon even has a line about them growing old. And oh yeah, these two are related and potential rivals for the Iron Throne. As superficially as you can read it, I think there was more to this scene than young lovers enjoying a magic carpet ride.

And also Drogon and Rhaegal glare at Jon when he kisses Dany, which is pretty funny.

Back at Winterfell (typing that a lot tonight), Arya continues the tour of her life as she reunites with first the Hound and then Gendry. The Hound calls her a “cold little bitch,” and walks off, which from him is an enormous compliment. Their reunion is pretty much perfect. As for Gendry, dare I say that sparks fly, as he calls her “m’lady,” she tries to keep a straight face but breaks into a smile, and she gives him a dragonglass spear to make. I’m not really a shipper — then again, I enjoyed the dragon flight, so maybe I am — but that was fun.

It’s also interesting to see Arya find happiness in something again after years of misery. That’s potentially rich material for Williams to mine; is Arya No One the faceless assassin, or a young girl reconnecting with her loved ones? Both? Neither?

Meanwhile, the other Stark sister is meeting with Jon. I’m very curious to see what Sansa is going to do about Daenerys. I have my theories, but let’s keep that for later. Right now, she poses a good question to her half-brother/cousin: “Did you bend the knee to save the North, or because you love her?” Now, we know that when Jon bent the knee, it was actually after she had pledged to go north with him and help fight the White Walker, so I can’t help but think that it’s option “B” here. But will that love last? Can it survive what’s coming?

And what’s coming? Samwell Tarly is here to fill us in on that. In a terrific scene, Jorah and Daenerys find Sam in the Winterfell library. Jorah wants Dany to meet the man who saved him from greyscale when no one else would, and indeed, for a minute, the three of them get along famously…until it comes out that Daenerys burned Sam’s father and brother for refusing to bend the knee. John Bradley is excellent in this scene. Sam holds it together when he learns his dickhead father has died, but when Dany tells him that the good-hearted Dickon burned, too, his face falls and he excuses himself in a hurry…

…only to find Bran in the courtyard, sitting patiently, “waiting for an old friend.” (That’s my other pick for line of the episode, by the way.) Bran tells Sam that, as John’s oldest friend, he must tell Jon about his true heritage. “Now’s the time.” What do you know, Three-Eyed Raven? Why now? Did Sam have to tell Jon that he’s Dany’s rival for the Iron Throne at the moment when he feels the most antipathy toward her? Things to ponder…

Anyway, Jon is skulking in the Winterfell crypts, probably trying to make up for the joy he felt flying through the skies with his girlfriend earlier by hanging out in the dark and damp. He sees Sam and gives him a fierce bro hug. It’s sweet. Man, a ton happened to these two since they parted in season 5.

But it’s not to last. Sam, clearly still reeling from the news about his father and brother, tells Jon the truth, but he’s not impartial. Now only does Sam tell Jon that he’s “king of the bloody Seven Kingdoms,” but he tells him that Daenerys “shouldn’t be” queen. Once again, I wonder if Bran sent Sam down to tell Jon at this particular moment for a reason.

Oh, and both Bradley and Harington kill it here. The camera is focused on Harington’s face for much of the time, so we can see him process all the emotions — the disbelief that Ned Stark lied to him all those years, the dawning realization about what this means for him and Dany, etc. And no one brings up incest, but you know someone is thinking it.

At this point, we’ve only visited two locations: King’s Landing and Winterfell, unless you want to count wherever Theon and Yara after they steal those ships. With so many characters now in the same place, I expect that the days of episodes that trotted around the world are largely over, and I’m fine with that; “Winterfell” found a lot of emotional richness in bringing together these far-flung characters.

That said, we do have one last place to visit: the Last Hearth, home of the Umber family and a castle that lays between the Wall and Winterfell. You’ll remember that earlier in the episode young lord Ned Umber was heading back there with wagons to collect his people. He hit a snag.

We see Tormund Giantsbane, Beric Dondarrion, and a few other people we can assume survived the fall of the Wall at Eastwatch make their way into the castle. It’s seen better days. The courtyard is strewn with debris (and blood) and there’s a general creepy spooky scary snowy vibe over the place.

The group makes their way down a dark hallway where things rattle against the walls. They brace for a horror movie monster to come around the corner, but it’s just Dolorous Edd and a few other members of the Night’s Watch. As often happens on this show, the timeline is a little confusing (So did Edd leave Castle Black after he heard the Wall had collapsed at Eastwatch, or was Castle Black attacked, or…?), but the episode papers over it with a little funny dialogue. (Edd: “Stay back, he’s got blue eyes!” Tormund: “I’ve always had blue eyes!”)

And as also often happens on this show, the payoff is worth it. The group wanders into a darkened room to find young Lord Umber pinned to a wall with human limbs arranged around him in that spiral shape the White Walkers like so much. We can see his eyes glow blue before the rest of the group, and pretty soon he’s screaming a high-pitched scream. Beric attacks with his flaming sword, and pretty soon the Walkers’ whole art project is ablaze. It’s some real horror movie shit, and I’m into it.

The final scene of the night is fun an unexpected. A hooded figure rides into Winterfell. Now, there are only so many people this could be, so I’m not shocked when it’s revealed to be a scruffy Jaime Lannister, but I still like that writer Dave Hill ends the episode on a relatively quiet moment, as Jaime locks eyes with Bran, who’s in the exact spot he was the night previous when Sam talked to him. Jaime is the old friend! Brilliant!

I enjoyed this episode. There were a couple of lines I would have cut, and the dragon ride is going to divide people, but this was full of rich performances and careful plotting. It’s a calm, muted opening to what promises to be a bombastic season. I’m thrilled to take this ride one last time.

Game of Bullet Points

• No lines from Brienne, Grey Worm or Missandei, and no sight of Podrick that I could see. Give us lines soon!
• Tyrion: “The last time we spoke was at Joffrey’s wedding. A miserable affair.” Sansa: “It had its moments.”
• Pretty good line from Cersei to Euron: “You want a whore, buy one. You want a queen, earn her.”
• Did you notice that the one prostitute talked about “Eddie the ginger,” a Lannister soldier who got his eyelids singed off by dragonfire? That’s almost definitely a cute little reference to Ed Sheeran’s cameo as a Lannister soldier in season 7.

• Bronn accurately characterizes the Lannisters: “That fucking family.”
• Okay, so here’s my Sansa theory: obviously, she has problems with Daenerys usurping her authority. She doesn’t know it yet, but Jon is offering her a way to push back. Surely Sansa would rather back Jon for the Iron Throne than Daenerys. But Sansa can’t do anything if she’s in the dark. Honestly, I can see Jon wanting to keep this information to himself, at least for now. But what if Sam, who is also not on Team Dany, leaks it knowing it will force Jon to take on the authority that, so far as Sam is concerned, he would manage more responsibly?

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