The first episode of the final season of Game of Thrones titled Winterfell was one of the most contrasting episodes we have ever watched. I think fans have gotten accustomed to seeing blood, ripped heads and the worst possible crap go down so this episode will seem like a lackluster. However, this episode was pleasantly surprising and indicated that this season is a marathon, not a sprint. The main characters including Jon, Daenerys, Arya, Sansa, Tyrion and others were given just enough time on the packed episode even though we got to see very little of Tyrion and Varys. I would say that the one thing I did not get was how easy Yara’s rescue was probably because I didn’t care.
All in all, Winterfell lived up to its hype and millions of fans around the world got attached to their screens. Let’s take our time and shortly summarize what happened. Oh, and as formality insists; SPOILER ALERT!
Daenerys Receives a “Winter” Reception
Jon left a king and came back a ….. I’m sure it’ll come to Lady Mormont. The northerners had never seen the unsullied before and well, and their reaction was as expected. Not to mention two dragons flying over Winterfell, a sight which brought a smile only to Arya’s face. Reminds me of her conversation with Tywin Lannister. Daenerys’ arrival was not well met by the people or Sansa for that matter. Plus, she is the only one smart enough to realize that Cersei is playing everyone and her army is not coming.
Euron Gets his Wish
Cersei finally gives up her crown to Euron if you know what I mean. Euron is one of the most arrogant yet wittily charming characters on the show. However, his intentions were clear at the end of the scene where he wanted to put a prince in Cersei’s belly. Cersei, as we expected was quick to sip her wine even though she shouldn’t be and was silently shocked to learning this. Now, we know about the prophecy involving Cersei and her having three children. It would be absolutely hilarious if Cersei has a miscarriage because of alcohol. That would just be too easy but we’ll see.
Arya Meets Jon
Certainly, this is the reunion the fans had been waiting for. And, it was indeed the most heart-warming moment in Winterfell even though it was embarrassingly shorter than we hoped for. I just cannot wait to see the look on Jon’s face when he sees Arya in action and I definitely hope she spars with him and takes him out with everyone watching. That’ll be a good laugh. “Once or twice, you say”? Furthermore, Arya visits the foundry where she meets Gendry and asks him to make a special weapon for her. There was definitely a spark between them but not really sure Arya is the lovey dovey type.
Drogon is Watching You
One of funniest scenes in the whole series was the way Drogon stared at Jon like “I am watching you” while his mother kissed their could-be step-dad. With a shortage of food and supplies in Winterfell, Aegon Targaeryan, 6th of his name, lord of the seven kingdoms and protector of the realm could well add “snack of Drogon” to his resume.
Theon Frees Yara
Nobody cares. Alright, Theon climbs the ship on which Yara is, unties Yara and they escape. That’s about it.
Enter Aegon Targaryen
After witnessing the saddest moment of the whole episode where Sam finds out his father and brother were executed, I personally wanted Daenerys dead. Shockingly, her cold reaction along with Ser Jorah’s silence just kept our blood boiling. But brave and loyal Sam, as he’s always been, shakes it off and eventually runs into Bran who tells him to tell Jon the truth without any further delay. After Jon and Sam hug it out “Bros of the Night watch style”, grumpy Sam asks if Jon knew what Daenerys did and indeed “Jon knows nothing”. Moving on, Sam tells him that he is the true heir to the iron throne leaving Jon more concerned than he already was, you know with the Night king on his way, the Northerners anger and Sansa disapproval of the queen.
The Night King’s Message
I don’t know who screamed louder; the kid or me in my room with the lights out. That was some chucky, It, Insidious, Annabelle moment all in one. I don’t think we’ve watched a scarier scene in the whole series. We all know what happened at the wall so we were curious to know who survived. After making it out of Castle Black alive, Tormund, Beric Dondarrion and Eddison Tollett crossed paths again at Last Hearth.
Jaime’s Confrontation with Bran
Eventually, Jaime finds his way to Winterfell where the first person he sees is the little boy he threw off the tower all those years ago. Neither Jaime is the same man he was and Bran is definitely not the same. Finally, this is where the episode ended and was a perfect little cliffhanger to build on for the next episode.
