Recap: Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 1, the Episode of Reunions!
Winter is here! After 2 years of waiting for the premiere of the last season of one of the best TV shows to have ever been created, the first episode of Game of Thrones Season 8 did not disappoint!
Caution: SPOILERS AHEAD
Well we already know what this season is gearing up to: the Battle of Winterfell, where all the kingdoms will fight against the Army of the dead or the White Walkers. Considering there are only going to be 6 episodes in this season, the writer and director of this episode, Dave hill and David Nutter respectively, don’t waste time in letting us know where each character is in their respective journey. This is why I call this episode the Episode of Reunions! So where to begin?
We’ll start with the very beginning. You see Daenerys’ army, the Unsullied and the Dothraki, all marching to Winterfell. Dany and Jon, along with Tyrion, Lord Varys, Messandei and Grey Worm, all reach Winterfell where Sansa , Arya and Bran are waiting for their return. Of course joining them are Sandor Clegane (aka The Hound) and Gendry and Dany’s dragons screeching in the sky.
It’s obvious that Sansa doesn’t like the Queen or the fact that Jon bent the knee. Which makes complete sense, I mean why would she trust a complete stranger or even respect her. The Northern lords also feel betrayed with the fact that Jon is no longer King of the North. Of course I believe that Jon was right in his decision. He needed allies, and now he has the biggest armies on his side to fight against the White Walkers. Tyrion also tries to explain to the assembled lords and ladies that it’s better this way. Bending the knee is a better deal than to come back empty handed and fight to die without any hope. Alas, it doesn’t seem that the Lords, Ladies and even Sansa are still okay with that decision. Of course through all this drama, one of the sweetest moments of this episode was the reunion of Arya and Jon which led to an amazing exchange about her sword needle:
Jon: Have you had to use it?
Arya: “…once or twice.”
It’s sweet and also a little tense, considering that Arya tells Jon that he should remember who is his family, clearly indicating she’s team Sansa on the whole Daenerys situation.
The second reunion: Tyrion and Sansa. Sansa is badass! When Tyrion tells her that Cersei has agreed to send her army to fight the dead, Sansa’s response is well: “I thought you were the cleverest man I had ever met”. Like I said, badass! Also what is with Bran staring at Tyrion?
Now let’s move on to what’s happening at King’s Landing. Here comes Euron Greyjoy with an army, the Golden Company. And all his arrogance and ‘charm’ certainly pays off, as he ends up filling the void left behind by Jaime: a night alone with his queen. Surprisingly (for me at least), they end up enjoying each other’s company. Cersei calls him ‘the most arrogant man she’s ever met’, which is apparently a turn on.
As for the rest of Cersei’s activities; Cersei, being Cersei, asks Bronn (through Maester Qyburn) to assassinate her treasonous brothers with a specific weapon: the crossbow. Yes, the same crossbow that Tyrion used to kill Tywin. And his prize: a more handsome award than he can possibly imagine.
“Our queen is not without a sense of irony”, says Maester Qyburn.
Evidently, Euron isn’t the only Greyjoy getting stuff done. Theon rescues Yara (what was the point of capturing her if all Euron wanted to do was talk to her) and they promptly escape. I bet Yara definitely didn’t see that one coming, her cowardly brother rescuing her. Though being the big sister, she understands that Theon wants to stay beside the Starks and fight with him so she lets him leave while sailing herself for the Iron Islands. A great move, considering Euron is well distracted!
“What is dead may never die, but kill them all anyway.”
Back at Winterfell, Dany and Jon are sort of ‘dating’ I think. I mean you can call a ride on the dragons to a secret waterfall where they end up making out a date right? Well what’s sweet/creepy is how Dany’s dragons seem to be smiling, yes smiling, at them both when they’e kissing. The dragons obviously don’t know that they’re nephew and aunt.
Oh and also, Dany is pissed that Sansa doesn’t respect her but I think she’s clearly forgotten that respect is earned and not asked for.
And another reunion: Gendry and Arya and the Hound. It’s been a while since they’ve seen each other. Gendry is busy building weapons out of dragonglass. And behold, here comes Arya Stark. The Hound and Arya share a strange appreciation for each other’s survival. And is there romance on the cards for Arya?? Cz that’s what I got from that conversation between her and Gendry.
Now here comes, the revelation.
Samwell Tarly, aka Jon Snow’s best friend, meets the Targaryn Queen. And then also finds out that she killed his father and brother, so not such a great moment. On talking to Bran, Bran convinces Sam that he should be the one to tell him. Tell him what? That Jon would better than Dany in ruling the seven kingdoms.
And also the truth:
Sam: "You've spared men. Thousands of wildlings…" Jon: "I wasn't a king." Sam: "But you were. You've always been." Jon: "I gave up my crown, Sam. I bent the knee. I'm not King in the North anymore." Sam: "I'm not talking about the King in the North. I'm talking about the King of the bloody Seven Kingdoms … your mother was Lyanna Stark. Your father — your real father — was Rhaegar Targaryen. You've never been a bastard. You're Aegon Targaryen, the true heir to the Iron Throne."
It’s a huge reveal. What I was wondering was what Jon was thinking after Sam told him. I mean, his girlfriend is his aunt……..Oh and yes also how this could affect his alliance with Daenerys.
Further North of Winterfell, the Eastwatch survivors find poor young Ned Umber nailed to a wall, with the insignia of the White Walkers. It’s a clear message, they’re coming for Winterfell!
Last, but not the least, the reunion of the Kingslayer and Bran. Yes, the last scene shows Jaime at Winterfell and who else is the first person that he sees but his victim Brandon Stark.
So many questions after this episode!!!!! How will the Starks react when the find out the truth about Cersei? And will they accept Jaime even after what he did to Bran? What is up with the smiling dragons? And most importantly, now that Jon knows the truth, will Daenerys give up her crown for the greater good? We’ll just have to wait 1 more week!!! But till then check out the trailer for the second episode below!
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