Spoiler note: The discussion in this post is primarily for non-book readers (book fans can discuss the show-only here). We ask that all Sullied book-readers refrain from posting any mentions/references to the books in the comments here, veiled or otherwise. No spoilers, at all! This show is best viewed without knowing all the surprises beforehand or afterwards, so please be respectful of your fellow fans. Thank you!
The wait for the beginning of the end is finally over. The feelings are real. The emotions are real. The reunions are real. And the inevitable is real. This phenomenon that many of us have been nothing short of fanatical about is coming to its denouement. Like it or not, agree with it or not, there are only a few short mornings we have like this left.
Let’s put aside our differences and analyze, discuss and ponder as adults. We all know that this is not going to end necessarily the way we want it to. It’s numerically impossible. But I can promise you this: It’s going to be glorious and painful and triumphant and downright miserable all at the same time. Join a man… and let’s do this together!
Welcome to the in-season, boys and girls! I am your Unsullied leader and this post is where show-viewers only get to release their likes/dislikes/understandings/misunderstandings in a safe environment guarded against those who may judge us for being uneducated idiots (although we value all feedback constructive pleasantries).
How about that new intro???
The Unsullied Parade
What better way to ring in the new season by reminding us who is still alive and heading to Winterfell (it has been almost two damn years, so thanks HBO).
Arya is clearly waiting for the Unsullied to throw her some beads and to see who entered a float in this years’ version of the winter celebration. She wanted to yell at Jon. I wanted her to yell at Jon. But we save the reunion for later and I’m content that we did.
Arya was unimpressed with the Hound float yet loved the Gendry one, but not nearly as unimpressed with the local’s Django Unchained reaction to Worm and Missandei riding horses.
The dragon balloons were incredibly life-like and a huge hit with the parade attendees, other than Sansa.
Cold Reception
It starts off well enough with Jon finally reuniting with Bran and quickly realizing that the little boy he used to know is vastly different. Before Dany can fully enjoy Sansa’s expected warm greeting, Bran breaks up the party.
“This is nice and all, but we ain’t got time for this shit.”
Inside the gathering hall, Little Lord Umber tells Sansa that he needs horses and wagons to round up the folk at the Last Hearth. I yelled at him from my couch that he didn’t need to go; that the intro already told us where the AOTD’s first house call would be. He couldn’t hear me.
Next up was the always bashful and shy Lady Mormont who is confused on how to address King/Lord/Pushover Snow. Jon begins his same season 7 spill on how he didn’t choose to be king when thankfully, Tyrion steps up.
How many times does everyone in the North need to be reminded that there are thousands of frozen zombies coming to destroy them?
Understandably, Sansa is perturbed by anything having to do with the newcomers. There is nothing wrong with her having doubts. But complaining about what everybody is going to eat when the dead are en route to kill everyone is just one example of why many don’t like her. The writers don’t do her any favors.
Yet, she then reveals her wisdom by letting Tyrion know that he’s not very clever if he thinks Cersei’s army is coming North. She’s right of course, and where this series leaves her standing is still a mystery. As I said, her arc is still a work in progress.
Eight Years Waiting on No One
Arya and Jon finally reunite with a hug that probably made you cry (or at least think about it) where they compare swords and have a laugh. Arya reinforces that Sansa is looking out for the best interests of the family.
When they ask me to write this post, they ask me to give my true feelings on the episode, so that is what I will do. Seeing Arya take up for Sansa is heart-warming and refreshing considering the differences the sisters have had. But all of a sudden she is the smartest person she’s ever met? OK. That’s not Sansa-hating. I don’t hate her. That line just seemed like an extreme in an effort to emphasize Arya’s support for Sansa. Having said that, we get the point.
Cersei’s Landing
“The dead have broken through the Wall.”
“Good.”
Cersei still doesn’t get it. Or maybe she does and she’s just mad.
Regardless, Euron brings in the Golds along with newcomer Strickland and reveals that Yara is alive and somewhat well and tied up below the deck of the ship.
Cersei once again fends off the romantic advances of Euron only to seemingly have second thoughts. You have to assume she realizes that she really has no one left and to keep his loyalty, she has to give him what he wants.
What she really wanted was elephants. Apparently Euron doesn’t have one (hehehe).
And sorry Euron… there’s already one in the oven. Or is there?
Ser Bronn of the Brothelwater
Nobody in the KL seems all that worried about the frozen dead. Everybody’s just getting naked.
I’m not going to elaborate on the deal with Bronn because I already have. My conjecture is almost always admittedly wrong. But not on this one.
The Redemption of Theon
Theon’s atonement tour is in full swing already as he rescues Yara from Euron’s yacht. I’m not going to say it was excessively easy, but I’m not saying it wasn’t. Yara makes it clear that she is going to retake the Iron Islands while Theon feels the need to continue to pay restitution for his prior indiscretions and head back to Winterfell to help the Starks. And yes, this makes me very pleased.
The Dragon Roller Coaster of Love (say what)
Look… I try to be upbeat and positive about everything so I’m going to do my best to give this sequence a pass. I suppose there needed to be a Disney-esque moment where a special romantic interlude was included to help sell the deep love that Jon and Dany now apparently share with each other. But God, this was cheese. I had hoped the first time Jon rode a dragon it was going to be something awe-inspiring. Instead it was kind of aww-ful.
And then, let’s-get-down-to-business-take-the-throne-with-fire-and-blood Dany is all of a sudden so smitten that she suggests climbing into a waterfall with Jon for 1000 years where no one would find them. I completely understand what they are trying to accomplish here. But this seemed forced, especially with the dead on the doorstep.
But, oh well… if you disagree, sound off below.
I’m more interested in knowing what Dany was about to say about Sansa before she was interrupted. “If she can’t respect me…”
No One, a Bastard and a Hound
Arya reunites with two former sidekicks at once meeting both the Hound and Gendry at the same time. The Hound/Arya could have been a little more riveting considering their time together was one of the more entertaining pairings of the series. However, I’m sure there’s more to come.
But were the sparks flying with Arya and Gendry or was that just weapons being forged?
Different Kind of Sparks
We knew a showdown was coming between Jon and Sansa and the fact that he is no longer a King. It didn’t last long and while Sansa’s concerns are legitimate, Jon defends himself and reminds her again that they were in desperate need of help to fight the dead.
If there is a library scene, you can bet your ass that Sam is going to be in it. But it doesn’t go well for Dany as Sam gets very emotional after realizing she barbecued his father and brother. Remember, Tyrion begged her not to. And Sam and Jon remain very close.
Sam then retreats and finds Bran who tells him that now is the time to tell Jon the truth. Jon understandably doubts Sam after being told he’s not the King in the North, but rather the King of the fucking world. Episode 2 is going to be very intriguing.
Beric and Tormund are alive as is Edd and other Crows. Considering the Last Hearth was in that fancy new intro, this is likely where they are with blood everywhere yet no bodies, save one: Little Umber. And his eyes are bluer than Tormund’s.
Waiting for a Friend
At the end, a hooded figure rides into Winterfell that ends up being Jaime F-ing Lannister. And guess who is there to greet him first… his old friend.
Episode 801 Personal Awards
Favorite Quotes:
“What do dragons eat, anyway?” “Whatever they want.”
“Poor girl. The pox will take her within a year.” -Qyburn
“That fucking family.” -Bronn
“Did you bend the knee to save the North, or because you love her?” -Sansa
“You gave up your crown to save your people. Would she do the same?” – Sam
“I’ve always had BLUE EYES!” – Tormund
Favorite Sequence: Jon and Arya reunion, Jaime arriving in Winterfell to Bran
The “Ow, That Shit Hurts Award” goes to: Bronn, for having to stop in the middle of the act and then stuff it in his pants
Two Guys I’d Most Want to Grab Some Sour Goat Milk (but preferably a beer) With: Beric and Tormund because, dammit, one of them is going to die soon
Official Season 8 Penis Count: Zero (but close)
Overall Thoughts: Despite my minor complaints, I really liked the episode. The reunions seemed a bit rushed and didn’t necessarily meet expectation. However, there was a fair amount of methodology necessary and if the payoff is five episodes of holy shit moments coupled with incredible storytelling, then I can absolutely live with it.
To be honest, I’m just glad the damn show is back.
That’s it for me guys and gals! Thanks for putting up with my perspective and please share yours below.
Until next week, hang out and stay awhile. Invite a friend to join us. And may there always be peace in your realm. –Oz
Follow Oz on Twitter.
**SPOILER NOTE: The Management of this fine site would like to remind you that spoilers (book or leak) are not allowed in Unsullied posts. This includes spoilers covered by code or otherwise. Personally, I appreciate feedback from Sullied and Unsullied alike, so long as they do not include any type of hinting or conversation related to the written verse. However, spoiler coded comments do tend to lead to further Sullied conversation and for that reason, we ask that you please refrain from posting any SPOILERY content whatsoever in Unsullied posts. Thank you for the coop, ya’ shits. -Oz
#ForTheThrone
Welcome back!
Jack Bauer 24,
Seven blessings to you, Bauer!
Like you, I’m so very happy with the Theon redemption storyline! I’ve been wanting this for several seasons now! Eddard’s stewardship had more of an impact than the young man realized until too late — I’ve always truly felt he was one of the good guys! Even when he did bad, he pulled his punches.
There are many things to say, and I’m sure many will say many things. I would like to add:
I believe Drogon should have been bigger than he is. Right ?
The thing that concerns me about the mechanics / sequencing here is that, when (if) Jon’s parentage is presented to Dani, and Sam steps up as the source of information, she’s just going to have a fit about him making it up in retaliation for her roasting his brother. (psst – dead people outside). I mean, the only person who can corroborate anything is Jon’s brother/cousin so… (psst – seriously, that’s a LOT of dead people)
It would however make for an interesting turn if Dani were to turn on Jon for “turning on her”, try to roast him, and the dragons refuse! Or otherwise defend him in some way. (Maybe THEY realize there’s a ton of dead people outside and they can run and climb like army ants and not just shamble about and the blue one has really nasty javelins…)
Or likely Jon tells Sam to tell no one (not tell Arya but really keep it a secret) because he’s been banging the drum… there’s a isht ton of dead people out there.
Curious to see how it goes!
“I’ve seen the Dead twice, remember”, as an older guy these lines about “the Dead” always invoke the image of the band breaking through the wall or whatever and of the cast trying to one up each other in hipster points.
Lol the oh fuck moment when Jaime realizes who’s waiting literally for him was immensely precious. The only other one that matches it was LF when the same Bran quotes back to him “Chaos is a laddah…”
Props to Aidan and NWC for the subtle yet huge transformation both display at being caught on the wrong foot with crap they’ve pulled in the past. That being said, Bran is a problem for me and I wish I had time to explain but I don’t. Just wanted to pop in and read Oz’s review and say it’s good to see these reviews again.
Also: yes not hating on Sansa but Arya knows very few peeps she hasn’t killed so… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I enjoyed it. I would have made some different choices as the writer or director but I am mostly happy. Tormund and Sam stood out to me.
Man, to have waited 20 months for this show I thought they did quite fucking well with it. New intro was BA
It was a packed episode with more humor than I’m used to but hey, when you dealin’ with an army of frozen fishstick murderers coming for you sometimes all you can do is laugh.
I’ve always had blue eyes lmfao
The Theon/yara jailbreak seemed a bit rushed but other then that I thought it rocked.
Yay its back ✋✋✋✋✋✋💪
Really liked the episode! Though I agree that it was a bit rushed at times.
I actually liked the scene between Jon and Dany. Felt it was a great callback to Jon and Ygritte in the cave in season 3. The chemistry also seems to be better than last season. And it was great to see them like that. They haven’t experienced love and warmth in a long time.
Oh how I laughed at Edd and Tormund almost killing each other.
Great recap as always Oz!
I can’t understand why they chose to use the Baratheon musical theme for the arrival of John and Dany at Winterfell? I mean I totally get that it’s referencing the arrival of Bobby B in the pilot episode, but why do they need to take references to that extreme? A musical score (in my opinion) should be helping build a story or a character…not used to say ‘we’ve done this all before…remember?’
Has this episode been OFFICIALLY given a title?
I have heard:
“Winterfell”
“The King’s Landing”
“Last Hearth”
and “Episode One”
Anybody know?
We all have very different interpretations and opinions on scenes and this is interesting.
But damn something was so off this time. Notice who wrote the episode… Dave Hill. The one who wrote Eastwatch last season. The worst episode of S7 IMO, with the absolutely ridiculous Dragonstone scene about the idea of capturing a wight. And I’m not even criticizing the whole plan of getting a wight beyond the wall, I’m criticizing the scene itself completely rushed and with poor dialogue. Or the scene between Jaime/Tyrion cut so shortly. Etc.
I always defended S7 but now I really can’t save that first episode of S8.
tryptych,
Winterfell
TormundsWoman,
The show didn’t do justice to Bran. He is one of my favorite character from the books. Isaac does an amazing job playing him. but It feels like they downplayed him in the earlier seasons and now suddenly he is the most powerful character in the show and they don’t know what exactly to do with that and they keep him creeping on other characters
I expect Jaime and Bran to become close allies. I think there was always far more to their previous engagement that we have been told so far.
Where Jaime acted out a need to protect others. LF’s action was out of personal ambition.
Bran waiting outside to see him early indicates they need to talk/plan before Jaime engages the others. Bran sees Jaime as important to the upcoming battle.
Overall, I liked the episode. I still think “Two Swords” is the best season opener in the show’s history, but “Winterfell” is a close second.
After the episode ended I kept getting this nagging feeling like something was missing and made the episode feel a bit hollow for me.
I thought it was a bit strange that Jon or anyone else who’s pro-Dany didn’t really say much of anything to articulate why the Northerners should support Dany in the first place. I mean, they paraded her around Winterfell and gave her a seat in the great hall, but never attempted to make her case for why the Northerners should accept her. She just kind of melded into the background after she arrived.
I would, at the very least, expect there would be a scene where Dany tries to convince everyone to work together. I suppose that may be coming in episode 2, but it seemed odd to me that it didn’t happen in the first episode.
Amanda,
I felt inserting “The King’s arrival” theme was quite nostalgic and did the scene a lot of justice. Although it would have been fitting to have inserted a mixture of the Stark/Targaryen themes, it also fit this particular scenario too. I mean, the entire scene is supposed to bookend Arya’s first appearance and somewhat Bran’s, so I see why they felt the need to drive home the nostalgia. We’re going to hear plenty of Stark and Targ music throughout the szn so that’s also why I didn’t mind their exclusion.
Jaime gonna have Some explaining to do as to what his motives are for showing up. How is this not some Cersei ploy?
He may dish her plans but not convinced that’ll be enough. Tyrion may vouch for him but not sure that will be enough either or so Tyrion any good!
Could be fun watching
Jaime: “Hey, I know y’all don’t like me – but I can offer valuable information about Cersei and that Lannister army coming north to “help” you!” – The three eyed raven formerly known as Bran: “Ah yeah, she basically wants to betray us. Oh, and only to mention it: she’s hired your buddy Bronn to kill you, and you too, Tyrion.”
If Bronn takes his mission seriously, they will be prepared (or should be, unless the 3ER doesn’t think it important).
Freyjoy,
Brienne will speak up for Jaime I’m sure. I would also expect Bran to take the side of “we all have to work together”.
I think Sansa questioning how they are going to feed two armies when they have food rationed away for their own people is a good question. That’s pretty logical of her. If they can’t feed people then it doesn’t matter how big their defensive force is.
We’ve seen (in the preview) Dani tearing into Jaime. Wouldn’t it be fun if it keeps getting worse and worse and deadpan-Bran is the one who stands up for him? I’m thinking he will somehow reveal – in weird Bran fashion – in front of all these people who’ve vilified him for it for years – exactly why Jaime killed the Mad King. He’s definitely done awful things since but if that’s at the root of their hate they have to reconsider everything. Plus The Three Eyed Raven cares not for any revenge on behalf of his former self as Bran Stark.
Also Night King.
Kingslayer.
The symmetry is just too good to dismiss.
“Waiting for a friend”. What a strange and interesting thing for (the now unhuman) Bran to say about the man who shoved him to his paralysis, and possibly awoke his magical powers.
This has made me wonder what will now be written on Jaime’s pages in that giant book about the King’s Guards. This scene feels more important than it did on first watch.
What Sansa isn’t considering in her otherwise-very-valid weights and measures accounting of food stores (and she admits she’s not possessing of a military mind) and no one seems to want to say out loud is that most of these people who “need feeding” are going to be dead soon. Problem solved.
Sansa Defense Squad incoming:
I actually think that her concern for food availability is entirely practical and actually pretty intelligent. A starving, malnourished army cannot fight and the dead still need to march on Winterfell and the battle may turn into a longer siege. Not to mention if the dragons start picking off the men…
Also, I totally cannot blame her for the cold greeting given to Dany. First of all the political mess, but then the very first thing Dany did was reduce Sansa to her beauty. Something that she has dealt with since Season 1 and I am CERTAIN she is fed up with it, especially considering how time and time again she has proved she is much more.
I’ve loved Dany since the beginning, but she has turned into a one-trick pony- disagree with me and you face the dragons. Sam’s reaction to Dany was actually perfect in my opinion.
Mike Stark,
Exactly! An army needs to eat to be able to fight!
Sansa hate is strong, bahaha
Great recap Oz.
I absolutely adored this episode 😉 big shocker eh? Hahaha
It was perfect for me in terms of pacing. Reunions and stuff, as much as I would love them to take their time with, because I can watch this show endlessly, with so little time they had to make decisions and payoffs. I do agree with
Mr Derp, and think there should have been some sort of attempt for Dany/Jon to address the crowd and northerners specifically on Dany’s claim. We shall see.
20/10 for me 🙂
Sansa tried the same tactic on Lyanna Mormont.
Thud,
Loved Yara’s line…
“What is dead may never die, but kill the bastards anyway”
I loved this episode…even the “I can show you the world…” Aladdin [carpet] ride.
Oz, when this season is done, assuming you will read the books, any chance you’ll start a series of reviews for big moments in the books with comparisons to how the show handled (or did not handle) them? I know other outlets have done this already, but I bet many of us would like to read your perspectives on the books.
Same here. My way or no way is starting to wear a bit thin with me now. I’ve not been this put off Dany since she executed Mossador. Her cold, hard poker face in response to Sam’s grief at her actions didn’t do her any favours. I’m hoping she redeems herself from here on in.
a frog has no name,
Her concerns are indeed very practical, but they do seem a bit off place. As Jon mentioned, the whole point of him travelling South was to bring back allies to help in the fight, so in theory, Sansa should have been anticipating extra mouths to feed once Jon returned, and the concerns about food should not have been unexpectedly so. As she mentioned them, it came as if Jon suddenly decided to arrive with unexpected guests, which maybe was what Sansa thought would happen, giving validity to Jon’s “Do you have any faith in me?” question. If Sansa expected Jon to fail then it doesn’t speak too well about her trust in Jon, if she thought he’d succeed, then she shouldn’t have acted as if now food is suddenly a concern she had’t accounted for.
Mr Derp,
And Lyanna rightly roasted her for it. Dany’s behind the times.
Honestly, Sansa’s right about feeding the armies. They’re already losing manpower because people are losing confidence in Jon. It goes both ways. What point is there defeating the dead army if they all starve and pick each other off afterwards? (And if you don’t think this would happen here, what show have you been watching?)
I also understand where Sansa is coming from. At the moment, I don’t think anyone realizes how close the White Walkers are, so to them, there is no telling how long they’re going to have to feed a massive army. If they don’t have the supplies to feed everyone, people will start to get sick, turn on each other, even die. Being concerned about that seems pretty practical to me as does being concerned with how the North reacts to the fact Jon just threw away his crown. All of the conflict here seems pretty organic.
I will say that everything feels a bit too upbeat at the moment. I’m hoping that’s to lure us into a false sense of security. As much as I don’t want to see any of these characters die, it’s going to feel really off if there aren’t some real and painful casualties in this war.
dm,
I would very much like to find out that Hot Pie has a secret cache of grain hidden away by the Inn that he’ll share with Winterfell as long as he gets to become the official chef.
I am also not loving Dany again. Instead of trying to make people feel better about her presence, she looked really smug when her dragons scared everyone.
Miss Stark,
I don’t enjoy smug Dany either. I’m hoping they give her a chance to actually discuss with the Northerners why she’s there in the next episode. She kind of just showed up in episode 1 and made her presence known without explaining her or Jon’s position at all.
a frog has no name,
I agree with your sentiment about food availability. Once again, this comes down to time elapse which has always been hard to measure in GoT.
In S7, Sansa walks with Yohn and Maester Wolkan and realizes they have enough food for about a year. She also talks about building granaries to stockpile for the winter. Now, if that was a month ago in GoT time and the dead will be there in roughly another month, then they should be fine. If they all die, it won’t matter. If they live, we assume the Unsullied will move on down the road to take out Cersei after the conflict. This is roughly what i had in mind when I made the comment.
But to be fair, if that conversation happened six months ago they could definitely be in trouble.
I thought this was better than 90% of season 7. I’m surprised at the number of negative comments about the episode considering how good I thought it was. To me it is easily in the top 3 premieres along with the pilot and Two Swords.
Mr Derp,
Hot Pie saves us all! The true hero of Winterhell. That’s a real solution.
dm,
“The Pie That Was Promised”
As soon as he sinks his Valyrian steel cutting knife into the pie it will give birth to the pie of ice and fire. You cannot give up on the icing.
Lots to agree with here!
I don’t know how but the Greyjoy rescue/farewell was maybe my favourite moment of the episode. Just the acting from Alfie and Gemma and how it felt like they’re probably never going to see each other again made me tear up a little bit. Theon better get a deserving death saving someone, although not everyone can get a chance like that and… I’m hoping the same for Jorah and Beric too but Theon better not die without him feeling like he’s redeemed himself to the Starks.
JamesL,
Unfortunately everyone has been waiting for this season for so long, that they created in their minds the story they wish to see on screen. I expect a lot of nitpicking going forward lol
After watching the preview for 8×02, I feel like Dany will have chance to prove herself in at least one way. When Sam was telling Jon that she had executed his father and brother he noted that Jon had shown mercy in the past, kinda questioning if Dany ever would. I feel like she will show she can be merciful when she meets Jaime.
This is a man who murdered her father, which led to her growing up in exile running from assassins all her childhood. Most people would understand if she wanted to have him killed. But she knows what her father was, she knows why Jaime killed him, she knows he did it for the greater good. And here he is now, keeping his word to help in the fight against the dead. And she will forgive him.
Why do you guys still even bother with unsullied and sullied posts? Tradition? It makes no sense.
George probably won’t release WoW for another 2 years at least. It’s only been 7 years since dance of dragons.
I don’t think it was coincidental that just before this exchange, the camera panned over the crowd and lingered an extra heartbeat on Baby Bear – so that she’d be in the back of our minds when Dany hits Sansa with a stupid bit of flattery about her looks. You just know Sansa is thinking, ‘Yeah, I did that once too, and got my head handed to me. I’m older and wiser now.’
If you have read the books you have more information and context than has been presented in the show. It offers a different perspective, and a different view. I certainly enjoy reading two different opinions anyway.
I don’t hate her, but these repeated references to Sansa being the Smartest Person just aren’t ringing true to me. They seem to violate the whole “Show, don’t tell” concept of visual storytelling. No matter how many times characters are given lines explicitly attesting to Sansa’s intelligence, no matter how many times D & D tell us in Behind the Episode segments or Sophie tells us in interviews that Sansa has become such a clever and sophisticated power-player, I’m not going to believe it without seeing it demonstrated in her actions. Stockpiling food was a start, but not impressive enough to wipe out the memory of her ratting out Ned to Cersei in Season 1, which was not merely naive but just plain clueless.
I also didn’t like how glibly she treated the consequences to Tyrion of her flight from King’s Landing. She could have at least acknowledged that he had been unfailingly kind to her during her time of captivity there. In the matter of their enforced marriage, he hadn’t had much more agency than she did; but what he did have, he used to shield her as best he could from further pain. He doesn’t deserve such snippiness from her.
Firannion,
Sansa on TV never ratted out Ned to Cersei. That’s book-only stuff.
Firannion,
I agree with most of what you said. I think Sansa is growing into a good leader of Winterfell, at least that’s what we’re being told, but I don’t understand why she has to be so snippy with everyone all the time. It is possible to not trust people, but still be kind and respectful at the same time. She seems incapable of being kind right now. And I don’t want to hear the excuse that “she’s been through a lot”. Everyone on this show has been through a lot.
She’s turned into the Ice Queen without ever having met the Night King. Arya is pretty icy herself now too. Again, I understand the need to be guarded and protective, but there’s no need to turn them into robots. We’ve already got Bran for that.
Dee Stark,
Hello to the happiest GoT fan on WotW. Happy to see you back, Dee! I hope you’re ready for the emotional journey. I watched the episode a couple hours ago and I’m still recovering from intense heartbeat due to positive anxiety. I’m really thinking now how to properly write my reviews in order to make justice to my internal emotional reaction.
And I may not fully agree with your review, Oz, but I really appreciate your work here on WotW and I’ll surely tune in for even more reviews. This “Unsullied” thread is always such a pleasure to follow for me… such a nice place on WotW site.
Lord Parramandas,
Awww thank you! 🙂 so happy to see you also!!!
Yes, you may need to take a few breaths before you do but I look forward to reading your review. Did you like it?!?!
No, I didn’t like it… I loved it! I don’t even know how to describe the vibe when watching now. It feels “different”… like more pulling my emotional heartstrings and I was already a big fan before. I believe it will even reflect in my review when I finish writing it on my new forum thread.
Jons dragon flight ALMOST jumped the shark. Martin would never have written that. Why are Tormund and Edd at Umbers castle? Why did they go there? Jorah knew who Sam Tarley was. Why didn’t he tell Daenerys before the introduction? Why was she surprised? So much useless TV dialogue. “Fire and Ice” light.
I, too, had a little cognitive dissonance around Arya’s statement that Sansa was the smartest person she knows…
Until (wild speculation here) I considered my wife’s theory that the entire Littlefinger scheme was really an Ocean’s Eleven “scheme-within-a-scheme” architected by little Miss Lemon Cakes.
She, Arya, and Raven-Bran (if there’s ever GoT cereal, I’m pulling for Raven Bran) spent some time together talking about his visions and Bran had his “chaos is a ladder” moment (which he maybe blurted out). Even sending Brienne to KL was architected to LET it play out as though Sansa was falling for Littlefinger’s warnings about Arya.
Only Arya knows for sure (Bran is sort of an observer of his own life at this point without such strong opinions about anything) so maybe…
We’ll have to wait to see if Sansa really is playing three-dimensional chess.
Well at least Jon didn’t shout “I’m the king of the world” when he was riding Rhaegal. That would’ve been the final straw for me 🙂
Because they are trying to make their way south from the Wall and the Umbers are on the way.
Because drama.
Well I personally wouldn’t want to be my 16 year old self, trying to drive a car for the first time, when my life and the lives of many people depended on me driving that car right from the get-go! I am glad Jon rode Rhaegal for the first time this episode so he knows now he can and Rhaegal will allow him, and I don’t think it went on too long, it needed to happen! Also, so many people last season said the romance or love between Jon and Dany happened too fast or it wasn’t played out enough! Well this episode, they are finally spending time together and allowing us to see that they do love and care for each other, and now people are complaining about that! Damned if they do and damned if they don’t!🤷♀️
Lord Parramandas,
cant wait to read
Haha to warn you beforehand, it will be a bit different compared to my past ones… more spontaneous and more emotionally charged 😅 The approach of emotional closure is getting to me and a lot happened in my private life lately that additionally “shaped me”.
Solid observation and question.
Tyrion and Sansa both were set up to take the fall for Joffrey’s murder. He suffered no extra consequences b/c she left. Cersei blamed Tyrion just because she blames him for everything, but had Sansa still been there they would have had actual evidence to implicate them both. He fared better b/c she wasn’t there, and the only reason it got as bad as it did was b/c Cersei found Shae, got her to lie, and Tyrion became unhinged.
I don’t think Sansa owes Tyrion anything. I actually LOVE the shade she threw his way. No one else is telling him the obvious. And Sansa has no more efs to give all these clever men with their clever plots.
OK. I guess. Many people have traveled between the Wall and Winterfell over the years and I can’t remember any stopping off to see the Umbers. Maybe someone should mention to Brienne and Arya that Valerian steel can kill the undead. Did Daenerys or Tyrion even question how Bran knew the Night King was approaching? His visions are going to be very important and have to be credible when he describes the wedding of Johns parents.
Thud,
Probably because he knew nothing about it. Ser Jorah hadn’t arrived yet to Dragonstone when that happened. He just arrived in time to be part of the plan to go beyond the wall and then left. So I don’t think there was much time nor interest for Daenerys to brief him on which lords she had to burn because they refused to bend the knee. Once they made it back alive, between the trip to meet Cersei, then to Dragonstone again, and then North, I don’t think it would have been high on the list of topics to discuss with everything else going on. In other words, it was probably as much a surprise to Jorah as it was for Daenerys.
I do not think the story will/should require Jaime to depend on Daenerys’s forgiveness. It would undermine the Jaime’ entire storyline. If this is how it goes then D&D will surprise me!
She is sleeping with Ned’s Starks son. Ned is the man that co-led the rebellion that led to the crisis for the Targs as a group. Jaime is also Tyrion’s, her Hand’s brother – never forget that. And everyone is expecting him to arrive anyway. That was the arrangement.
Killing the mad king was one of the bravest things done in the entire story. If she goes down that path, expect Jaime or Bran to tell Daenerys to fuck off – maybe not in that language. He will say he is here to fight the AOTD not to rehash garbage that he does not regret and would do again if required.
Well, let us see how it goes.
Lord Parramandas,
And you shouldn’t, my friend! Everyone’s perspective is different and I appreciate all views so long as they are not made to intentionally offend, harass or bully anyone.
I surely don’t take my reviews and viewpoints as gospel. To the contrary, their are many who have a much better perspective than my own, and I learn from them daily. And thats the primary reason I have done recaps for this site for so long. The intent of the site’s creation in the first place was to give a voice to anyone who wants to discuss openly without the fear of internet toxicity.
So, thank you sincerely, My Lord.
The NW are sworn to protect the realms of men. The Wall fell, and they know that they need to get to Winterfell for temporary safety. I’d assume that they stopped at the Umbers on the way because it’s their duty to warn them about the AOTD coming, but the AOTD beat them to it. I don’t think we need to know who or who hasn’t previously visited the Umbers in order to accept that.
Mango,
I feel like you misunderstood my post tbh.
I’m not saying Jaime is in any way depending on her forgiveness. I’m saying her showing forgiveness to him for killing her father will help the other people present there to see she is indeed different from her father, thus taking a step closer to them accepting her. Or at least Sam should take it as a positive given how he clearly questioned whether she would be capable of showing mercy like Jon has done in the past.
If I remember correctly, the theme you mention never was THE baratheon-theme but a King-related theme. The track in season 1 is called “the kingsroad”.
Charles Vitale,
Proof?
Qyburn the Cockblocker. What an asshat.
Oz, nice recap. And I agree completely…I’m just so damn happy the show is back.
I was irresistibly reminded of a different movie scene: Harry gleefully riding Buckbeak the hippogriff over the Black Lake at Hogwarts in Prisoner of Azkaban.
On my second watch, it appeared to me that Jon was already learning to direct Rhaegal’s flight toward the end. When they landed at the waterfall – a place that seemed to have some significance to Jon – he seemed to bank his mount to the right deliberately, and coax him to a landing. Quick study!
If there is ever a GoT theme park, I expect there to be a dragonback roller-coaster ride replicating this little outing, with 3-D projections of ice canyons in Iceland. That first big dip is a doozy.
I guess I’m in the minority, but I loved the dragon ride.
I’m just glad it didn’t happen in the cliched “We’re in the middle of battle and I’m about to die but hey here comes a dragon maybe I can climb on his back and escape and then turn around and burn the people who were trying to kill me.” way. That’s what I expected, and I enjoy the unexpected.
Yes it was slightly corny, but the corniness made the chemistry between those two a lot more real to me. I was never a Jon/Dany “shipper” and I didn’t buy them as a couple last season. Felt stilted and contrived. The humor and fun in this scene felt more like a couple falling for each other.
Also, while I think Rhaegal’s acceptance of Jon should have been a big hint to Dany that something was up with Jon’s bloodline, instead she is thinking that it validates that Jon is the mate for her. I think it’s making her fall harder and faster.
ThisGirlHasNoName,
I so agree. I’m glad the dragon ride happened the way I did and not in overdramatic way. It reminded me of Harry Potter riding Buckbeak.
Dee Stark,
To you and anybody else who might be interested, my review is finished.
http://forum.watchersonthewall.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=337&p=3374#p3374
This strays into Sullied territory, but the official ASoIaF map set shows Last Hearth as not being right on the Kingsroad, but further east. Eastwatch would have been the nearest fort on the Wall. So for people traveling between Winterfell and Castle Black, a stop to pay a call on the Umbers would constitute a serious side trip. Remember, the North is as big as the other six kingdoms put together!
I love the new opening credits.
A lot of people seem to have interpreted Daenerys’ smile once Drogon and Rhaegal appear to be smug, or that it’s a major sign that she’s becoming a Mad Queen, that she enjoys inciting fear in the hearts of the commonfolk of Winterfell. I had a different interpretation: From the point of view of the townsfolk, they were never reassured (as far as I can remember) of Daenerys’ character. The only word I remember Jon sending back to Winterfell was to tell Sansa that he had bent the knee. The lords/ladies have not heard nor seen anything that might dissuade them from thinking that Daenerys is the spiritual heir to the Mad King.
Being a Targaryen without reassurances from the one they named King in the North is bad enough, but a Targaryen with dragons? The cold reception is understandable and it’s clearly affected Daeny’s confidence, but just like in 502, when she was in emotional turmoil over the events re: Mossador, her children appear and their presence provides not only a comfort to her, but a spring in her step again.
I thought the tension/conflict between Sansa and Daenerys was a lot more organic than say, last season between her and Arya. I read her scene with Jon to mean that she was in the same boat as the other townsfolk, not knowing Daenerys’ character. Her line about not being able to account for her forces implies she was given no forewarning about her arrival alongisde Jon. We know from last season that she was pragmatic when it came to ruling and preparing Winterfell for winter, so it stands to reason that had she known they would have thousands more mouths to feed, she would have been able to properly prepare.
In her shoes, I’d be mad as well, though I’ll be surprised if this conflict isn’t resolved by Episode 3, given that it looks like Daenerys will be speaking before the lords/ladies and Jaime. She already knows her father was a horrible man, if she acknowledges it again and says she harbors no grudge against him / bears him no ill will in front of the Northern Nobility, it might go a long way in terms of assuring them of her character, and if next episode sets up the Battle of Winterfell for 803, there will definitely be less mouths to feed.
BRAVO Lord Parramandas!!! I’ve been reading a lot of great reviews today, but yours was the first to bring the tears back. You perfectly captured my own anxiety last night as I pressed Play. It was such a long wait and knowing that this was the beginning of the end, there was just a lot of emotion.
I also agree with your assessments of all the major scenes, and learned a few new things to boot. Awesome review, thank you for putting so much energy into it. I could feel that energy jumping off the screen.
ThisGirlHasNoName,
Thank you very much!! I truly appreciate it!
a frog has no name,
I also don’t have a problem with Sansa bringing up the concern of food. It shows that she’s considering the larger, or at least another side of, the picture. This has been something that’s been brought up several times on the show, by Dany last season and Olenna in an earlier season (5 or 6?) as a very real practical issue with large armies.
I also love how both Arya and Sansa are united in their protectiveness of their family. After all that’s happened to them, it’s totally understandable, especially given that there’s only 3 true-born Starks remaining.
There was a lot to love in this episode! The few things that didn’t quite land for me were:
– Theon’s rather convenient rescue of Yara (though I can understand them not wanting to drag that out with only 6 episodes).
– Cersei paying Bronn to go kill Tyrion and Jamie felt like a plot just to have him ride North, as I don’t think anyone expects he’ll go through with it.
– Arya’s reunion with Sandor was a bit brief, and I wanted more, but I’m confident we’ll get that in the next few episodes because how can they not capitalize on one of the greatest duos of the show.
Arya’s reunion with Jon and Gendry were very well done though. I genuinely got the feels with Arya and Jon, and Arya/Gendry was just the right kind of awkward with some playful flirtation thrown in.
I really loved Dany’s scene with Sam (great acting by Bradley), and then Sam telling Jon about his true parentage. Sam asking Jon if Dany would give up her crown as he did gave me chills. Something tells me that won’t be so easy..
Jamie seeing Bran has me super-hyped for next episode, and I appreciate how it mirrored the ending of 1×01 with Jamie pushing Bran out of the window. Great stuff!
Mango,
That is an interesting take. I am not sure what to make of Bran.
The problem -my problem really- is that Bran sees everything. So he may see the future as well, however we know the future is not written so what he may see could be a version of a possible Jaime that’s important to the Great War to an extent that he cannot ignore in order to exact revenge like he did with LF. He’s probably seeing Jaime attacking Ned and killing Jory. I have a feeling that’s on the list of bad behaviors as well besides throwing him from a tower.
Honestly I think the person above you that responded to me said it somewhere in his /hers comment (
Irphern, that Bran is so powerful (his knowledge so powerful and immense) that they literally seem to don’t know what to do with him because he can blow anyone’s cover/shirt/plan up.
Ex: he could have spoken up to his siblings and said after that meeting that no Lannister Army is coming and Cersei played them all. He knows that so it’s insane to think he’d let them think so now when they count on it. He can also tell on Bronn later one when he’s riding for WF that he’s supposed to kill the Lannister bros, Basically he can change any narrative at any given time and I’ll always be asking myself what’s the point, where’s the whole plot mystery left, if you have such a seer power in the story playing for one side.
Basically I’m confused and I need to come up with something soon to explain why he’s creeping around instead of blowing everything out of the water for everyone. But again that’s just my own issue with Bran at this point.
They knew because they received a Raven. Did they believe that the Umbers who would be the most danger would not have received a Raven? Did they have a little extra time? This was more TV writing for dramatic effect. The plot holes continue.
Mango,
oh boy, it seems we get to see a burned Mango for the first time in history. Your comment contains lot of treasury, bow to your true queen or be eaten by a lovely dragon. (wondering if they like the taste of Mango’s)
Just kidding.
Wonder how Dany will react to Jaime and the truthbomb.
TormundsWoman,
I’m not sure that Bran has universal knowledge, just that he has access to it. For example, he knew Jon was Lyanna and Rhaegar’s son, but it was Sam told him they married. Only then did Bran know to go back and look. I think he needs the human links to help him navigate what he knows and add context. That’s my guess anyways.
I’m still frustrated at the Bran-the-emotionless-computer act. The original 3-eyed raven had a personality. Why does Bran have to be a full on robot?
In his shoes, I might try to distance myself for sure, and I would be overwhelmed by all of the knowledge and responsibility. But I would also have a range of warring internal struggles – who I was, the importance of who I am now, the fear, pain, love, and what all this information could do to (and for) the people I love.
Mr Derp,
I agree – the Great Hall scene could/should have been written so much better. Jon could have spoken up for Daenerys saying she brought her dragons beyond the wall to save the King in the North’s (my) life and ended up losing one of the children/dragons… Daenerys supplied all the critical dragonglass to make weapons needed to defeat the aofd, Daenerys then choose to bring her armies of Unsullied and Dhothraki to Winterfell to save the Lords of North and their castles. Daenerys deserves our support and loyality.
Also when Lyanna Mormont spoke up to Jon it would of been the perfect time to introduce Lyanna… lady of Bear Island and niece of Jorah Mormont to Queen Daenerys… 2 big missed opportunities… IMHO.
Bran’s role is a tricky one – as it can turn any way possible. He tells when he is needed for one plot point. On another plot point, you wonder why Bran did not just warn everyone. I think he sees the past and present – I am not sure about the future.
On Jaime: many of Jaime’s actions are driven by love of others, service to others. The main beneficiaries have been the million or half million in KL; his sister; his brother etc. He attacked Ned to try to get his brother back. Jory attacked Jaime and got a fair fight. Jaime is not an angel and we have seen him evolve as a man.
However, I have no concern about him and Bran. And I think it is more than Bran being a zombie.
Tinfoil: I am sure there is a 3Raven link between Bran and Jaime. I think the entire group is awaiting a leader. Bran has a good idea who that will be – that is why he is sitting out “on the porch”, waiting.
Ahaha!!!
Sorry, I misunderstood completely.
Yes, I hope that helps. Things are not going well for Daenerys at the moment. But her help is essential in the AOTD fight. I did not expect her to be welcomed in the North but I think when the war starts, well, no-one will have time for that.
I note however that now we have two (well 3!) dragon riders – this is good news for the future.
hahhahaa! I hope Jaime goes for it. The dragons have not been eating well so maybe the Dracarys fire is compromised. At least his gold hand will put up strong resistance to burning!
Burnt mango is delicious!!!!
Lord Parramandas,
My Lord!
I started reading your commentary – and though this is off-topic and somewhat personal – you wrote that the Arya & Jon hug “reminded me of every moment when me and my girlfriend are reunited, considering we live in different countries and are able to meet a couple times a year. “
I’ve got to ask: How do you manage it??? Seven years ago someone I loved deeply – and still do – was suddenly forced by family medical exigencies to relocate 2,800 miles away. I could not go with her, and was heartbroken that our blossoming romance had to end abruptly. Flying cross-country for weekend visits every now and then never seemed like a viable option. (I couldn’t fathom either of us spending forty hours in disease-infested, sardine-packed planes and airport layovers just to see one another for six hours.)
All I could do was say goodbye and tell her:
“You’ll always be my wife in a different life.”
How on earth do you manage to keep alive a romance when you and your girlfriend live in different countries and only see each other a couple of times a year?
I understand if you don’t want to reply if this is getting too personal. If you have some secret formula you’d wish to share, I’m all ears….
Theon dying protecting nameless Northern children would be a good death for him, IMO, given he murdered two of them….
Forget the Starks, it’s the common folk he really owes.
Of course Bran’s conversation with Jaime may be mainly practical. Jaime is the only person there that has led an army AGAINST a dragon. He may have some practical insights. He may have learned something to improve from the previous disaster. I doubt that though!!!
Ten Bears,
We live in different countries but there’s only about 400km of distance between us. It takes me about 6 hours by bus to get to her hometown and we spend multiple days together whenever we meet. Also, not really expensive money-wise. We got to know each other in LOST FANS UNITE group on Facebook back in September 2016, started having daily talks with each other, our friendship grew through months, eventually we both became admins there, we supported each other through hard times despite not knowing each other in person and we eventually met in person for first time in May last year. Shortly after, it became obvious to both of us that there’s something more between us and friendship eventually grew to love. We’re both young but we believe in each other and we try to make it work. We’re not that far from each other in first place.
Lord Parramandas,
My Lord:
You touched on this, but my inexplicable laugh out loud moment of the episode was Cersei’s genuine disappointment that the Golden Company didn’t bring elephants!
I too was disappointed. I had been so looking forward to Wight Pachyderms.
🧟♂️🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🧟♀️
On the other hand… perhaps the showrunners ditched the touted elephants to devote the requisite amount of cash for DIREWOLVES!!!!
(Suggested S8e4 title: “The Pack is Back.”)
omg yes. My first thought was “what the hell is up with this bachelor style date” ??
I wasn’t sold on that scene, but I can maybe understand the purpose of it.
yes! this scene totally exceeded my expectations, loved the interaction.
Dany has been a stranger in the land she was born. She’s trying to crack through the doubts the people she thought she was there to liberate. She was reacting to the news she had lost her allies and acted in vengeance. She didn’t listen and she will have to redeem herself to the stubborn Northerner’s. Jon knew Olly and executed him like he did men who wouldn’t obey orders. Dany had no connection to the Tarly’s other than they were in on killing her ally Lady Olenna who she admired. I think she is dismayed over the pain she caused Sam. How she deals with her actions will make the difference between forced loyalty or the true love from subjects whose loyalty she earns.
Well yay, GoT is back.
I did love the episode, though there are obviously some nitpicks I have.
1) Sansa being passive agressive all the time with actually everybody is bloody tedious but at this point sadly expected, so I’m mostly fine with that. However I was saddened by Arya’s insinuations toward Jon when they met. I hope Arya doesn’t end up being Sansa 2.0 in that she starts stabbing people based on their look or something…
2) The “DragonRide TM”… Well, it wasn’t as cheesy as I feared. One part I didn’t quite understand was how Daenerys was unfazed with Jon actually being able to mount a dragon. I mean, she did see the dragons let Jon touch them, but from there expecting them to let him ride seems like a stretch. At that point maybe I should start breeding horses (I rode them a couple times) and make a snake zoo (I do ocassionaly come across some and have petted others) or something…
All that said, I loved that Jon visibly tried and seemingly managed to really control Rhaegal, that is an important point. Also, that did solicit Daenerys’ surprised reaction. Very nice.
Other than that, the Sam/Daenerys scene was perfect. Sam behaved as well as could be expected and Daenerys was also visibly shaken. She sees what her actions lead to. I hope she takes it to heart (if she lives long enough for it to matter). Jorah probably didn’t know (will need to rewatch to observe his face).
I find that Bran is getting some emotions back, which perfectly fits with the theory that “roboticBran” was merely a phase due to him being overwhelmed with his knowledge/powers. He corectly urges Sam to divulge the secret to Jon, he talks of awaiting a friend. Speaking of that line, was I the only one interpreting it as him waiting for Sam that one evening? And other than Jaime, I also felt like Bran was on another plan waiting (and still is) for the Night King.
And yes, the look on Jaime’s face was priceless.
In closing, Tormund’s always blue eyes were awesome. And I hope for more Arya/Hound in the future.
Why did we get pretty much no reaction to the Night King has an ice Viseryion? That seems like a pretty big deal.
A similarly big deal would be Jon riding Rheagal. No discussion there either.
I hope both get some discussion in episode 2.
I watched it a 2nd time today and really can’t get the waterfall scene out of my head.
Part of me wonders if we’ll perhaps see that waterfall again and the way Dany said they could stay there for a thousand years…..🤔🥶 bad vibes for Dany…
On the flip side, if you were a fish stick it’d be a pretty cool Airbnb…
Don’t know if this came up yet, but Theon is walking right into danger, IMO. Where would Yara drop him off? Because it seems like he’s going to encounter the Army of the Dead or walk right into the battle. I hope he makes it to WInterfell. I can see them looking at Zombie Theon with blue eyes. I’d feel terrible if that happened.
TOIVA,
Long reply to your comment vanished into alphabet heaven. Lemme try again…
Ten Bears,
Too bad Cersei couldn’t channel Emilia/Dany and shout with (mock) outrage:
“WHERE ARE MY ELEPHANTS!!!”
I see your problem. But I think that because Bran knows everything he also knows what info to share and what not to share. I think he knows that if humanity is to survive things need to play out a certain way, if he shares everything that will be ruined.
I mean why tell Sam that the time is now to tell Jon the truth, when Sam is clearly upset? Because it is important for Sam to be upset with Dany when he tells Jon. He may not have said “will she do the same?” otherwise.
Same goes with him not telling about Cersei. He knows Jaime is coming and that it is important that Jaime shares this information, not him. It probably saves Jaime’s ass from being executed by Dany and the Starks. Cause he knows Jaime will be important later.
Bran is the puppet master now. He will only share things when it is the right time to do so. That’s my take on it.
Lord Parramandas,
loved this, thanks for sharing 🙂
Dee Stark,
Thank you, Dee! I’m glad you enjoyed it! I was worried I rambled too much 😅
I find it a bit weird that so many people interpret Dany saying “if she can’t respect me…” as a threat to Sansa’s safety. Like, isn’t that a weird conclusion to jump to? Why the hell would she say something like that to Jon about his sister? The more logical continuation to what she said would be concern of how Sansa’s attitude would affect the other northern lords and ladies and the possible friction it could create between the forces gathered at Winterfell to fight against the army of the dead. There is no time for infighting. They need to be unified, and Sansa’s jabs aren’t helping with that. Dany knows what is coming, she’s seen the Night King and his army.
Also in general, I feel like especially in this first episode we as the audience were meant to see Dany in the same light as the northerners do, as in not really knowing what she might do or if she can be trusted. Davos said she needs to prove herself to win the trust of these people. I expect she’ll start proving herself next episode and dissolving some of the concerns the northerners have. She will acknowledge what her father was and that Jaime did the right thing when he killed him. She will talk to Sansa about Tyrion being wrong to trust Cersei, maybe she’ll even ask Sansa’s advice about something and that helps to build a better relationship between them.
I’ve always felt that one of the themes of the series is the cyclical nature of human history:
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”–George Santayana
I think D&D made these choices (the music, the waterfall for Dany and Jon, etc) to emphasize this theme. The Universe gives us chance after chance in our lives to learn from our mistakes, but do we?
Edit: OOOZZZZZ!! So so so happy to be reading these recaps again. You never fail to make me laugh out loud. Greetings and salutations to you and yours!
HA!! That;s what I said too!
I can appreciate that some found the dragon ride a bit cheesy but I’m firmly in the camp of “at least his first ride wasn’t in the the heat of battle/deus ex machina.” And I loved Jon’s “What if he doesn’t want me to?” line.
I found it a tad on the cheesy side as well, but I’m actually fine with it given that we’re in for a rough, rough ride in the coming episodes. I’ll take some uplifting moments when I can get them.
Ten Bears,
Oh I’ll gladly wait to read your comments. I actually saved parts of my post elsewhere in fear of it being swallowed by the edit monster. 😀
One thing I didn’t mention in my previous post is that while the Yara rescue scene was a tad too easy and quickly dealt with, A) there was probably no more time for it in the grand scheme of things and B) it actually made sense, Euron was otherwise occupied at the moment. Yara was (I hope – though it wouldn’t be that shocking if not) the last thing on his mind when he was with Cersei. And he definitely didn’t consider Theon any kind of threat.
Great theory but there is no support for it aside from Arya’s comment…and it runs contrary to what has been stated in numerous interviews and behind-the-scenes explanations. The tension between Sansa and Arya was real.
I agree with Firannion on this…the writers want us to know Sansa is smart but have struggled to show it.
If they really wanted to show what a smart player she is, they could have played her scene with Tyrion a little differently. IF Tyrion knows more than he is letting on about Cersei’s no-show (I lean toward believing that**)…then a savvy Sansa would be a step ahead in suspecting that scenario. But she scorned him as an idiot, not a con man. There was no hint (*yet*) that she is thinking beyond “”Tyrion is stupid enough to trust Cersei”.
**Tyrion told us himself in the Dragonpit that Jon should have just lied so they could move forward. Perhaps that’s what he did.
The Great and Powerful One returns! So good to have you back, and am looking forward to your reactions over the next month. Valar Doheris!
Because they are trying to make their way south from the Wall and the Umbers are on the way.
If you look at the map Umbers Castle is quite a detour from The Wall to Winterfell.
Charles Vitale,
Except it’s really not. The Last Hearth is pretty much right between the Wall and Winterfell. Especially if you’re coming from Eastwatch, which Beric and Tormund were.
At least according to the map that I use:
http://quartermaester.info/
Bran is the puppet master now. He will only share things when it is the right time to do so. That’s my take on it.
I agree with your take on Bran as a puppet master. I don’t understand why Danny or one of her crew did not show any emotion to his statement that the Night King is flying her dead dragon. She should have been shocked. They did not even ask how he knew. Danny does not even mention Bran’s statement to Jon. She takes him on a joy ride. This part of the storyline doesn’t make sense. Maybe she will pay attention when Bran tells her that she is NOT the Queen.
Mr Derp,
Right, but It is off well The Kings Road for a group in a hurry. It seemed like a stretch for me to have both parties meet simultaneously at Last Hearth for no apparent reason. Jon ordered Castle Black abandoned. Where were all The Brothers that should have been with Edd? A very dramatic scene but a bit contrived.
Upgrayedd,
Would Jaime go full turncloak and offer information on Cersei’s plans, beyond the fact that she lied and is letting them go it alone, while retaining her forces? He is there to honor his pledge as an ally in the Great War, not necessarily switching sides in the war for the throne.
It could be Theon or Bran that spills the beans on the Golden Company and Euron.
On the other hand maybe Jaime feels honor compels him to tell all since she betrayed them. Or that it’s the smart thing to do because they will find out anyway and not trust him if he held back.
I think the Sansa is the smartest person in the world part is a hint for us in the audience who were confused about how particularly littlefinger’s final moments came together. It was Sansa’s plan all along it seems.
Charles Vitale,
Wait, but Daenerys was utterly shocked when Bran told them of undead Viserion.
Unlike the moment Jon was allowed up on Rhaegal and even in the air…
Nice recap, Oz!
I’m with you on Sansa, including that her arc is still a work in progress. I don’t dislike her either and she has valid points, but man she’s channeling Cersei with that haughtiness and “everyone who isn’t us is our enemy”. Of course there is a big difference- in particular, Sansa cares about her people and about ruling justly…her “us” is still her family first and foremost, but has an outer circle that encompasses the north. But maybe show a touch of graciousness toward the crew that arrived with large armies and dragons to save yo a**? The way she brings up feeding the armies, I kinda wish one of Jon or Dany’s camp slapped their forehead – “they all have to eat? You’re a genius, why didn’t we think of that?!” (Because – writers and drama)
I feel like they want us to see the potential for Cersei 2.0…for a Stark to win, but basically be the new Lannister (a bitter twist to a “good guys” win). But I can see a more positive ending for her, where she keeps the savvy with less bratty.
Have to admit that on rewatch, the delivery of the “what do dragons eat, anyway?” is quite entertaining – our girl Sophie can really dish the snark!
ThisGirlHasNoName,
For me, the worst part of Bran’s robot act was the way he treated Meera’s goodbye. That really hurt and seemed unnecessarily cruel.
Wow… look at all the familiar faces. Where in seven hells have you all been hiding?
Thank you all for reading and commenting and for the great feedback. 3Eyes, Ashara and Dee in the house!
Great work Oz!! I look forward to reading your reviews again this season.
Non-delicate, direct, unabashed Sansa hate. Battle of the bastards…
Loved the my eyes have always been blue line from Tormund.
Excited for the truth bomb.
Very excited for the upcoming battle.
I hope we will (surely we must) get more information about the NKs motivations. Why is he on his reign of terror? Side note, can he talk?
Where is Ghost? Where is Melisandre?