Game of Thrones Post-Mortem of “Beyond the Wall”

Tyrion Daenerys White Outfit Beyond the Wall

Last night’s “Beyond the Wall” was the penultimate episode of the penultimate year for Game of Thrones, and it delivered the action, suspense, and heartbreak we’ve come to expect at this point in the season. While reviews have been mixed on just how well it delivered, there are certainly no lack of hot topics to discuss: the conflict brewing between Arya and Sansa, the suspenseful action beyond the Wall, the growing attraction between Jon and Daenerys, and – of course – the terrifying prospect of an undead dragon. We have quite a few interviews and videos to dissect today, so let’s take a look!

Sansa Arya

First up, showrunner D.B. Weiss, co-executive producer Bryan Cogman, Sophie Turner, and Aidan Gillen chat with Entertainment Weekly about the tense dynamic between the recently reunited Stark sisters. According to Weiss, “People move apart they grow apart. This is a fantasy exaggeration of that…How much of Arya is Arya Stark of Winterfell and how much is the Faceless Men? Sansa has undergone her training, for good or for ill, under Littlefinger’s supervision. So how much of that Machiavellian quality has rubbed off on her?” He continues, “You would think a family reunion among three siblings should be unalloyed joy, and to an extent it is. But there’s a lot of tension and anxiety under the surface…”

Turner agrees. “In the books, it says something about how Arya and Sansa are different sides of the same coin. They love each other but they’re so different. They never really got along,” she admits. “And now that they’re back together that’s heightened because they’ve gone down totally different paths and have had to adapt to totally different situations to the point where they don’t see on each other’s level.”

“Just because the Starks have reunited doesn’t mean it’s going to be sunshine and roses,” Cogman adds. “It’s a fun gothic storyline with Littlefinger pitting the Starks against each other.” Gillen appreciates his character being the instigator of chaos. “Watching my plan come to fruition is quite something. There’s all kinds of mixed things going on with Littlefinger and that relationship with Sansa. So watching her grow in stature is quite enjoyable,” he says. “With carefully laid plans there’s always a bit of risk involved. He puts himself in a situation that could backfire on him. I think he likes it. His plans are never fail safe. But he puts himself on the line like a good gambler.” I don’t know about you, but I’m betting his gamble fails and costs him his life.

Read more at EW.

706 - Beyond - Tormund, Sandor 1

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Kristofer Hivju talks to Making Game of Thrones about his character and the intensity of filming the action sequence for “Beyond the Wall.” Hivju shares some insight into Tormund’s relationship with Jon Snow. “I think Tormund has always liked Jon…But the moment he really came to respect Jon was before they went to Hardhome,” he says. “Tormund saw the mercy arrow Jon gave Mance. It was an important moment when Jon took off Tormund’s chains and showed he trusted him and understood they had the same goal.”

What does Hivju think about the Brimund ship? “It’s very unexpected; nobody saw that coming. When Brienne came into Castle Black on that horse, the arrow of love just penetrated Tormund’s heart. I think it’s really funny. It’s like throwing a bit of sugar into all that dark salt when you bring some light and love into this dark universe,” he admits. “Watching somebody falling totally in love is always pleasant to watch; especially since Brienne doesn’t really enjoy it. Although…I think she does a bit. Tormund might have a plan. It could be fantastic.” Look out Braime fans!

Hivju also breaks down the difficulties of shooting such a complex action sequence. “It took at least a month to shoot. There were so many kills we didn’t have the time or capacity to choreograph every single move. So the fantastic thing we did was an alphabet of choreographed movements…So they could just throw wights at us, and because they [the stuntmen] knew the language too, we could just improvise with that alphabet. So after a couple of days it became very organic, and extremely real because people were coming from everywhere.” Hivju adds, “When they said ‘action’ and you have 20 guys coming at you; it’s just crazy. It was like chopping for your life, and it was pretty physically intense, actually.”

Check out the full interview at Making Game of Thrones.

Beric Dondarrion flaming sword Beyond the Wall

Making Game of Thrones also spoke with Richard Dormer about Beric’s choices and what it’s like fighting with that incredible fiery sword. “I think [Beric] realizes there are sacrifices to be made for every great purpose, and every soldier has to go make those calls…When he hears about the armies that are gathering in the north, of the dead, he realizes that’s where he’s got to go. He knows what death is and he’s one of the men to hold it back, to try to defeat it.” Dormer adds, “I think his one regret is he’s only half the man he used to be; he’s lost so much of himself.”

Does Beric feel a special bond with Jon after what they have both been through? “The only power that can resurrect is the Lord of Light; he realizes Jon has a special purpose, because he also has been kept alive. Beric’s thinking, ‘I better look out for this guy, because he has a big role to play in this war’…Beric sees how brave and selfless Jon is. He sees in Jon a great king — and I think he believes the Lord of Light sees that as well.” Dormer admits Beric is also quite fond of the Hound . “He’s just like the grumpy, old dog in the corner; you can’t help but love him. The other thing is, Beric is a good judge of character, and I think he can see in the Hound the goodness that wants to come out. He can see a broken man who wants to redeem himself.”

Beric has become a fan favorite due in part to his flaming sword, which really is on fire. “It only burns for two minutes at a time, and you can’t swing it too quickly, so you have to slow down your moves, which is actually quite tiring. It weighs about three times as much as a normal sword,” Dormer confesses. “It’s a pretty impressive weapon.”

Head over to Making Game of Thrones for the rest. 

Thoros Game of Thrones

Back at EW, Paul Kaye discusses Thoros of Myr’s unfortunate demise. “I got the news last summer sometime, I missed a couple calls from [showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss], and that’s the kiss of death,” he explains. Although his character is now gone, Kaye was glad for the chance to come back this season. “It looked like they weren’t following Lady Stoneheart’s storyline in the show, so I prepared myself not to re-emerge. So it was great to get back and have this adventure. Just staying alive for six seasons is an achievement in itself on this show.”

At least Thoros had one last moment of heroism before his death – saving the Hound from an undead polar bear. Kaye is pleased with how his character’s story ended. “It’s glorious, really,” he admits. “And I like the fact I get [cremated] with my own booze as well —there’s a message there somewhere.” I’m sure Thoros would approve.

Go to EW for more.

Night King spear Viserion Beyond the Wall

The other major death last night was Viserion, speared by the Night King before being reanimated as a wight. Emilia Clarke shares her feelings about it with EW“It’s a heartbreak. Not only losing it but having that being given to the other side.” As gut-wrenching as the loss is for Daenerys, it does serve to strengthen her resolve to defeat the army of the dead. “My dragon could not have died for nothing, so this is now so important. For the first time, you’re starting to see her defenses broken.”

Many fans have questioned some of Dany’s choices lately, as she has revealed a more brutal side in her conquest of Westeros. “The biggest question this season for Dany is what side of the coin she’s on,” Clarke admits. “The unequivocal nature in choosing to be this aggressive is something you haven’t seen before. She’s practiced patience and has this savior-like quality, but now it’s game on.” Let’s hope she brings some of that brutality to the White Walkers before it’s too late.

Read more at EW

Daenerys and Jon Game of Thrones

Last but definitely not least, Deadline speaks with episode director Alan Taylor about Viserion’s death, the converging of plots, and Jon and Dany’s relationship. “I was really grateful to see that I got to kill one of the dragons, because I knew that was a major emotional point. Then I was really, you know, excited when I got to the end and realized how it was turning, because it’s obviously sort of a big lurch forward in terms of the oncoming battle.” Taylor adds, “The episode was recently leaked, and I’m hoping at least some people are still surprised by those plot points because the secret of the episode was that that happened.”

Now that Game of Thrones is entering the endgame, characters are interacting more than ever before. “Part of my episode was doing the job of braiding stories together that’ve been separate for a long time, braiding characters that’ve been separate for a long time, and that will only continue into Season 8…This ball, this machine is revving up bigger and rolling faster and with more inevitability. But it also has just as many surprises, and that just continues to happen,” Taylor says. “The plot points are going to continue to sort of be like gut punches, and each of these characters that’ve been so fully fleshed out and so well-rounded are going to be moving towards their resolution, is what I’d say. I think people will be really surprised, but also fulfilled by where it goes.”

Taylor also discusses the implications of Jon and Daenerys coming together, as well as their feelings for each other. “There’s been an inevitability to the two of them coming together. It’s been foreshadowed over and over again, and those who know the books know it’s inevitable, but that doesn’t tell you anything about how it’s going to play out or how it’s going to go,” he explains. Taylor recalls George R. R. Martin visiting the set during season one and sharing information about the future of the book series. “We didn’t really know what a phenomenon [the show] was going to be, and I think he was being less guarded than we’ve become since then. Anyways, he alluded to the fact that Jon and Dany were the point, kind of.”

“At the time, there was a huge, vast array of characters, and Jon was a lowly, you know, bastard son…[Martin] did sort of say things that made it clear that the meeting and the convergence of Jon and Dany were sort of the point of the series,” he confesses. Taylor appreciates being able to show their relationship deepening, as he says, “I was happy that a big step forward was taken in the episode I got to do this season is where he has fallen for her both, you know, emotionally and politically I think…There’s still a step further to go with them in terms of the romantic side of things and a lot more to play out in terms of how the politics and the power struggle will work, but it was at least a sort of solid step forward in that major arc.”

The entire interview is well worth a read, so head over to Deadline for more.


On this week’s Inside the Episode, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss give insight into the rising tension being Arya and Sansa (thanks Littlefinger), the dangerous mission beyond the Wall, the budding romance between Jon and Daenerys, and the impact of Viserion’s death and reanimation at the Night King’s hand.

Kit Harington, Iain Glen, Kristofer Hivju, Rory McCann, Joe Dempsie, and Paul Kaye discuss the unlikely camaraderie and friendships that develop among the “Magnificent Seven” as they journey north.

Finally, the cast and crew break down that icy battle north of the Wall.

55 Comments

  1. THOROS!

    Beric’s fire sword needs a separate write up. I enjoyed all the “science experiments” and results we got this episode. Beric’s sword is still mysterious to me and I hope there’s more show time spent on its significance.

    I am most interested in the lighting mechanism currently. Looked like a Thoros style wildfire trick at first. The first scene with bear, both Thoros and Beric light up with a hand across the blade. That seems like a wildfire trick. Tormund then mentions having no fire to burn Thoros and again Beric slides his hand across the blade. In the final fight Beric lights the sword in what appears to a strength of will. Imo this puts Beric pretty much up there with Jon and Daenerys.

  2. Does anyone else keep getting yanked to the top of articles by that “Pickled Beans” ad? Or is it just me?

  3. I love that Richard Dormer used the term “Broken Man” regarding The Hound. Isn’t that the name of the episode the Hound was re-introduced in Season 6? I believe there was a whole dialogue about “broken men” in AFfC, which I think was eventually included in dialogue between Brother Ray and The Hound. Cool!

  4. I liked the Winterfell scenes and thought they made perfect sense. I thought it was the strongest part of the episode.

    The stuff beyond the Wall was gorgeous, but they really could have done a much better job of fleshing out the Night King and his abilities. He had to know the dragons were coming. That is why he didn’t have the wights overwhelm the ‘Not So Magnificent 7’. Also, would it have killed them to utilize Bran to inform Dany of what was happening so she could get the news quicker? That could have explained how she showed up so quickly, and would have saved us from Gendry Gump and imagining lightning fast ravens who can travel 700-800 miles in less than a day.

  5. Night Knight,

    heh, it reminds me of the “lukewarm water” routine from Spinal Tap!

    Seriously, I’ve been expecting this for 17+ years: I don’t know exactly when I began to figure that GRRM was writing Jon & Daenerys arcing towards each other, but it certainly was by the end of the 3rd book. And I quite like the understated manner of their interactions: it’s like two inexperienced young adults developing crushes on one another in a situation where neither of them even considered it a possibility in the first place. Elsewhere, I likened it to a workplace romance: you go to parties, bars, etc., hoping to meet someone (when you are young and single, that is), but you go to work expecting to just work with someone. So, when the romantic feelings creep into play, it’s out of place: sort of like (say) crickets at midday during a total eclipse! (No idea why I chose that example…..)

    And, of course, not all battles are martial ones.

  6. I fucking adore that photo of Beric. I could not be happier at the bigger role He’s been given this season, He’s always been a favourite of mine.

    “When I come towards you, I’m a bear.”
    Rory: “No you’re not – your name’s Toby.”

    😂😂😂😂😂 God I love him. I shall now refer to the Wight bear as Toby.

  7. Pigeon: God I love him. I shall now refer to the Wight bear as Toby.

    *Sniff* I will always refer to him as Chekhov’s Zombie Bear….

  8. Tycho Nestoris:
    THOROS!

    Beric’s fire sword needs a separate write up. I enjoyed all the “science experiments” and results we got this episode. Beric’s sword is still mysterious to me and I hope there’s more show time spent on its significance.

    I am most interested in the lighting mechanism currently. Looked like a Thoros style wildfire trick at first. The first scene with bear, both Thoros and Beric light up with a hand across the blade. That seems like a wildfire trick. Tormund then mentions having no fire to burn Thoros and again Beric slides his hand across the blade. In the final fight Beric lights the sword in what appears to a strength of will. Imo this puts Beric pretty much up there with Jon and Daenerys.

    Wildfire trick?

  9. Pigeon:
    I fucking adore that photo of Beric. I could not be happier at the bigger role He’s been given this season, He’s always been a favourite of mine.

    “When I come towards you, I’m a bear.”
    Rory: “No you’re not – your name’s Toby.”

    😂😂😂😂😂 God I love him. I shall now refer to the Wight bear as Toby.

    When did Rory say that?

  10. Watching the making of the battle sequence on the lake of ice just blows me away. The amount of work that went into just that one scene is incredible. This really explains why the season is shorter and why next season has to be as well. Dan and Dave took on this challenge of making Game of Thrones and knew that there would come a point if the show succeeded that they would be beyond the books and would have to find some way to wrap up the massive amount of subplots that George Martin had created in a relatively limited amount of time. I can only imagine how much money was spent on the set the traveling through Iceland and all the setting up required and that forbidding terrain in addition to all of the post-production wizardry that had to occur to bring it all to life seamlessly. This along with the loot train battle just took up a massive amount of energy and budget. But we are at that point in the series where it’s just not going to be convincing without these kinds of set pieces.

    Let’s face it. Dan and Dave are trying to get the pieces in place for the endgame and unfortunately some of the other subplots and characters are having to suffer because of it but I am confident when all is said and done it will have been worth it. I also like how in another thread it was brought up that the wildlings already had those chains for the attack on the wall under Mance Rayder. They didn’t just pull them out of thin air but we’re probably going to be using them again under the Night King.

  11. A superficial observation: I say Dany looks very fine dressed in winter attire. I know she’s the “fire” and not the ice, but doesn’t she make a fine ice queen?

  12. Are they seriously still selling The Great Stark Sibling Conflict? It was a good ruse between the seasons, but now S7 is practically over and no sign of it. Some tensions sure, which is pretty much OK even in normal circumstances. Are they going to cut each other’s throats all of a sudden in the last episode? Or is LF who’s going to get it? Any bets?
    And Jon is not even in WF. The principal line between the seasons was a greeeat conflict between him and Sansa. Almost a civil war. Turned out it was all about manners.

  13. LOVED this episode… it was all I expected and more, visually stunning, great character moments and some really tense moments.

    Despite all that I have to comment on those damn chains. I know we’re not allowed to criticise the show anymore but come on. How could those frickin massive chains have been forged in the icy wastes north of the wall when they don’t even have ore for weapons? And how did they drag them all the way across those wastelands and how did they get them under a frozen lake and a dead dragon?

    I know people will be pissed at the “nitpicking” but get real, those are huge ice lake plotholes- and my main issue is that it wasn’t even necessary: Why didn’t Cold Dave (my new name for the NK cos let’s face it, this new guy is NOT scary), simply raise his arms and raise Viz from the depths of the lake? Would’ve been way more dramatic.

    Won’t even mention Gendry managing to get to EW, get a raven to DS and for Dany to get NOTW in the space of a few hours (maybe one night). Oops- I just did.

    But- still an AMAZING episode and I do love the show, before any of the kissasses start with their crap!

  14. Apollo,

    They could have gotten the chains at Hardhome, or one of the Giant Wights could have had them. The Night King could have sent some of the Wights down to the bottom of the lake to wrap them around the dragon (I don’t think he really cares about sacrificing a couple of them, and it’s not like they’re going to disobey him).
    Though, you are right that he could just raise his arms like he did at Hardhome. Not sure why he didn’t just do that.

    As for the timing thing, Sacred Lime wrote a post on the Unsullied Recap, explaining it pretty well.

  15. Apollo,

    The suggestion has been made that those chains were already there from when the wildlings were planning on attacking the wall under Mance Rayder. I’ve already said Dan and Dave could have had Viserion crash onto dry land and it wouldn’t even have been an issue. It is what it is. I do agree however that Jon and the gang were on that island not more than 24 hours, maybe longer. So the time that passed for Dany to get there was a stretch.

    But I agree with you it was still an epic episode.

  16. Apparently, my imagination was way bigger than what the end may be…which is why I have a splitting headache right now.

  17. Ser Broccoli McBroccoliface,

    The problem with having him crash onto dry land is that people would then be questioning why Dany didn’t torch Viserion’s body before escaping, so that it couldn’t be resurrected.

    I think that’s probably why they had it sink into the water.

    But the chains thing was ridiculous. They could’ve come up with something less obviously inconsistent with the world they’d already established.

    Some rope and a few wight giants would’ve done the job just fine.

  18. I’d be more than happy to accept that explanation (I saw it on the other discussion board), but the Giants used strong ropes and grappling hooks to prise the gates from the Wall in S4… I just checked. So there were no huge, perfectly forged chains North of the Wall that we know of. Although if there were, dragging them around would explain why it takes the WWs army so long to get from A-B 😝

    Ser Broccoli McBroccoliface:
    Apollo,

    The suggestion has been made that those chains were already there from when the wildlings were planning on attacking the wall under Mance Rayder. I’ve already said Dan and Dave could have had Viserion crash onto dry land and it wouldn’t even have been an issue. It is what it is. I do agree however that Jon and the gang were on that island not more than 24 hours, maybe longer. So the time that passed for Dany to get there was a stretch.

    But I agree with you it was still an epic episode.

  19. BigMac,

    If Night King just raised his hands, Viserion would be a wight dragon which is essentially a reanimated zombie

    By touching the dragon, he made it a white walker dragon which has different “rules” as to how it’s killed and is more of a magical entity than a walking corpse

    As for the chains, beyond the obvious answers people gave (from Hardhome, the giants, maybe old boat chains etc), I’m surprised so many people are incredulous by it. We see very little of the land of always winter and don’t know much about where the Night King is based out of and what he has at his disposal. I wouldn’t have thought twice about the chains had I not read 1000 complaints about it online. Plus there’s always the chance that this was a trap set by the NK, which is why he had the anti-dragon spears and the chains ready to go (probably a bit deeper than D&D usually write though, it’s more of a GRRM type concept)

  20. We FINALLY know the gag that kept getting pulled…zombie polar bear!

    They also teased a scene for Season 6, one that should have been in Season 5, but was shifted to later. Actually, it’s been shifted a couple of times.

    [F]or last two years, we got to this one point and we read this one gag and thought ‘Oh my God, how the hell are we going to do that? But this is going to be incredible!’ And then it got pulled and we didn’t do it in Season 4,” says Gower. “And then, lo and behold, in Season 5 there it was again. And it’s pulled again! But now, in Season 6, it looks like we’re going to do it. Fingers crossed they won’t chicken out.” https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:Zb2qTpdjOxYJ:https://winteriscoming.net/2015/06/17/game-of-thrones-vfx-sets-stunt-record-tease-season-6/+&cd=6&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

  21. JonSnowsForeskin,

    You could be on to something there.. maybe the NK was expecting the dragons (he’s clearly a greenser after all), and had the tools there already. It’d explain why the WW sat there waiting all that time when all they had to do was freeze the damn lake themselves. Maybe that was always their plan, to get a fire breathing (ice melting?) Dragon.

    Those chains really bummed me out so I’ll take any plausible reason 😝

  22. I tell you that Kristofer Hivju brought it to this episode last night. Look at the actors on the back of Drogon when Viseron gets killed. Jorah has seen dragons before. Beric has died 6 times. What can you show him? The Hound is like Glen Campbell said about Willie Nelson. “He wouldn’t go somewhere to watch a pissant eat a bail of hay.” But Tormund has never seen anything like this in his life! And it shows. He’s watching a woman riding a dragon and commanding two others. And he watches a walking ice cube throw a magic spear that pierces on of the dragons thereby igniting it to explode and crash to earth. Tormund’s eyes are about to jump out of their sockets. He had the best delivery and reactions all night.

  23. Apollo,

    The Giants used chains when Mance attacked the Wall and no one questioned it. Whether they made them or salvaged them is not relative. They were used then. And Bran warged Giants so we know they are in the NK raiding party. There purpose was to breach the Wall at Endwatch as they were used during Mance’s attack on the Wall. I do think there could have been better delivery on the timeline of Jon’s Raiding Party’s Last Stand. Thoros could have made it his last act in life heating the rock they were perched on to keep the water fluid until he died. As a Red Priest, I’d buy that. Or they could have explained that there was underground volcanic activity that affected ice in areas. I’d buy that because it’s right there by the ocean. The ice could easily melt and refreeze in some spots.

  24. Jenny: So do you guys think Dany and Jon are having a boy or a girl?Personally I’m hoping for a girl.

    I guess I missed the sex part. Did Jon pollinate Dany via their handholding?

  25. I almost wish I hadn’t like this ep as much as I did.

    Because, let’s be honest, things start to make less and less sense.

    – Apparently, dragons and ravens fly at supersonic speeds now? And Gendry’s running abilities would put Usain Bolt to shame?
    – The Night King has an 88mm flak-gun for an arm? And he carries super heavy duty chains with him wherever he goes?
    – Thanks to her training in Braavos, Arya is supposed to be good at detecting liars – but can’t tell that Sansa is honest when she says she wrote that letter under duress? (Although in fairness, we don’t yet know where this contrived conflict is going). Hey, girls: Why not stop a moment, think and ask questions? Like “where did you find this letter?”. Or “who would have an interest in sowing discord between us?”.

    And what’s with this *stupid* plan to try and “convince” Cersei of the WW-threat? Tyrion of all people should know that Cersei is too stubborn/dumb to allow herself to be convinced of things she doesn’t want to believe in or hear about. Plus her disdain for the realm and the small folk has been established over and over again, starting in season 1. Heck, she blew up a huge-ass cathedral packed full of people, just to get rid of her enemies. And this is the person you want to negotiate with? Even the noblest character should at this point at least contemplate the thought of simply hiring a faceless man to remove Cersei from the picture.

  26. Lord Of Lite,

    I completely agree with you about Tormund’s reaction to Dany and the dragons! You can see his shock when he was climbing on Drogon and looking at Dany. She even briefly looked at him before she turned her eyes to Jon. I was half expecting him to say something funny about riding a dragon as he looked up at Drogon above the Wall but I can understand why he didn’t, given the somber mood.

  27. JonSnowsForeskin,

    But that’s the question, isn’t it? Blue eyes aren’t an indication, since both wights and WW have them.
    From what we’ve seen so far on the show however:
    Wights are created from corpses, WW from living beings. Why else would the WW/NK need wildlings like Craster sacrifice living babies to them? If they didn’t need living things for that, they might as well turn corpses they come across into WW.

  28. Lord Of Lite,

    The Giants used thick ropes and grappling hooks, not chains. I checked S4 E9.

    I’m making my peace with it- and assuming the NK knew all along they’d get a Dragon at that lake.

    The NK still could’ve raised Viserion Hardhome style.

  29. BigMac,

    Yes. I just mentioned this in another thread. Happens to me often. You’ll start reading and then the page just pulls you down to that ad and sometimes it won’t let me scroll back up.

  30. Jenny,

    I really don’t know why them having a child would be part of the story unless he/she ends up fulfilling some prophecy. And what could that be? There’s no time to have the child grow old enough to be anything important to fight the war…ugh after saying that a thought just came to mind that doesn’t bear thinking further.

  31. MoaKaka,

    She did look very beautiful, like out of a fairy tale. I was also happy to see one of the mains dressed in something other than dreary dark colors.

  32. Sorry to post this on thiscthread, but I couldn’t get it to post on the Unsullied recap.

    Is anyone talking about the dagger? When LF gives it to bran near the beginning of the season, bran immediately asks “Do you know who this belonged to?” LF says no, and it’s immediately forgotten.

    Arya and Sansa have an awkward reunion in the crypts but both seem to be “normal” around each other, given what they’ve gone through. But once bran gives arya the dagger she starts to act paranoid and cold with seemingly no provocation other than seeing LF around Sansa.

    Does the dagger have some sort of effect on area psychologically? Could the previous owner mentioned by bran possibly be the mad king, having been driven mad by the supernatural power of the dagger?

    Waaaaaaaay outside the box, I know.

  33. JonSnowsForeskin,
    I wouldn’t have thought twice about the chains had I not read 1000 complaints about it online.

    Same here. Most people want to know more about the White walkers but then we get a scene that shows they’re very resourceful and obviously knew enough to have them at the ready, that’s giving us more insight into them. It gives more depth to this enemy. And I just thought the scene was kinda cool 🙂

  34. Randyll Tarly’s Minivan,

    I noticed that and a kind of lingering shot on Bran handing the dagger too. Also it was pictured in an old book that Sam was flicking through a few pages away from the Dragonstone map.

    Maybe it is connected to Dragonstone in some way.. possibly Nymeria Targaryen’s dagger.. that would be cool.. as she was Arya’s hero growing up.. now she has her dagger.

    So who did the dagger pass down to? “Someone very wealthy wanted me dead.” Bran said. The Iron Bank? That guy from Pentos who arranged Dany’s marriage? Twyin?

  35. ygritte,

    Oh well they are dropping clues left and right so I guess it’s gonna happen.I think George has had it in the cards since the beginning.And there are many ways how they can use the child in the story.We don’t know yet.

  36. JonSnowsForeskin,

    You’re absolutely right.

    I really loved the episode, some really great dialogues. It was such a joy to see all these wonderful actors together beyond the wall. Tormund, The hound, Beric, Jorah … were amazing. Really love them all!
    And Viserion slipping into the water was beautifully done.
    And I also loved the scene between Jon and Dany.
    The good stuff in this episode was really really good, better then I had expected. If they had cut the Winterfell scenes it would have been my absolute favourite episode.

  37. Jenny,

    They’re alluding to it a lot, so it’s going to happen, I just wonder what’s the significance. It pulls to mind that part of the AA prophecy “wakes dragons out of stone” for some reason I think it applies symbolically to Dany’s womb being quickened after the curse and “dragons” of course meaning little baby Targs. Like, yeah it did literally happen with her dragon eggs hatching but I think as well it could also apply to Jon now.

  38. Before I read through the comments

    That picture of the Night King about to throw the spear is soooooooo sad….

    Looking at poor Baby V.. minding his business, being a good boy… burning wights like mama told him to… and bam. Ugh it truly breaks my heart. I know im obsessing over this. Someone please tell me they feel the same lol.

  39. Jenny,

    Jenny… I know you knew what was happening.. but did you like the episode?

    I still don’t see Dany and Jon hooking up.

  40. JonSnowsForeskin: As for the chains, beyond the obvious answers people gave (from Hardhome, the giants, maybe old boat chains etc), I’m surprised so many people are incredulous by it. We see very little of the land of always winter and don’t know much about where the Night King is based out of and what he has at his disposal. I wouldn’t have thought twice about the chains had I not read 1000 complaints about it online. Plus there’s always the chance that this was a trap set by the NK, which is why he had the anti-dragon spears and the chains ready to go (probably a bit deeper than D&D usually write though, it’s more of a GRRM type concept)

    100%

  41. Dee Stark: Looking at poor Baby V.. minding his business, being a good boy… burning wights like mama told him to… and bam. Ugh it truly breaks my heart. I know im obsessing over this. Someone please tell me they feel the same lol.

    I highly doubt my sensation of loss is equivalent to yours (as you’re in a hype-league of your own 😀 ), BUT I did actually have a dream about “Baby V” and his brothers just before I woke up this morning!! LOL

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