Catching Up

I watched "Winterfell"--the premiere episode of the final season of Game Of Thrones--24 hours after it debuted.  Waiting that long, I discovered how hard it is to avoid spoilers.  As soon as the episode was over, everyone on the internet started talking about it.  Anyway, "Winterfell" was filled with reunions, as expected, and clearly big battles are to follow.  Right now we're catching up with the show, just as numerous characters are catching up with each other.

We start (after snazzy new credits) with people lined up at Winterfell, including Arya, to see the massive army that's come up North to fight the White Walkers.  There's Daenerys--in a fabulous off-white winter outfit--and Jon leading them (from the middle), along with Tyrion, Varys, Grey Worm, Missandei and the rest.  Above them fly the two (used to be three) dragons--Arya seems to be thrilled by the sight, though Sansa at the battlements looks a little concerned.

I generally remember where we left off from last season, but it's hard to recall who hasn't met whom in how many years.  But from the way Jon Snow reacts, it's clear he hasn't seen any of the Starks in a long time.  First he greets Bran, sitting (natch) in the courtyard, followed by sis Sansa, now the Lady of Winterfell.  His favorite, Arya, is around somewhere, though not available.  Sansa seems a little cold about the appearance of the Unsullied, the Dothraki, two dragons and, above all, a hot new queen.

Bram, by the way, knows who Jon Snow's real parents are (Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen), but he's not telling.  I guess it's not the time--let bro unpack his bags first.  But the Three-Eyed Raven notes there's no time to waste anyway, not with the Night King on the march.

So the Starks hold a meeting, and want all the houses to fall back to Winterfell. Young Lord Umber will hurry back to fetch his people.  Why make a point of this--wonder if he'll have some trouble?  Lady Lyanna Mormont, a little older and no less tough, explains to Snow that the North isn't thrilled that he left as their king and has since bent the knee to Dany. (While we're at it, does Lyanna know disgraced relative Jorah is Dany's advisor?  That'd be a reunion I'd like to see.)  Jon and Tyrion try to explain they need allies right now, especially Dany.  I realize Northerners are Iowa Stubborn, but I find this all kind of boring.  Yes, they're set in their ways, but certainly they understand by now that everything is at stake.  Haven't they ever heard the phrase "Winter Is Coming"?  Well, it's come.  Time for everyone to concentrate on the goal at hand.  We don't need all these wet, frozen blankets.

Everyone is grumpier still when the Imp says the Lannister armies will soon join them.  Meanwhile, they've imported dragonglass so Gendry can forge new weapons.  Considering dragonglass easily kills the enemy, as well as fire, and they can't travel through water, and if you kill one all those he or she converted will also die, these zombies don't sound that scary.

Sansa mocks Tyrion for believing Cersei will help them out.  Good point--in fact, how is it Tyrion can believe such nonsense?  He's usually smart--it's sort of like Littlefinger getting dumber in the last few seasons.  It is nice to see Tyrion and Sansa back together--it's easy to forget they were married and Sansa ran off after Joffrey was killed at his wedding celebration.

Out at the weirwood tree Arya and Jon finally get their reunion.  They were close growing up, and I don't think they've seen each other since before Ned was executed.  Arya explains for all the problems Jon is having getting everyone together, she stands with Sansa (something she rarely did in the past) and hopes Jon remembers the importance of family.  Et tu, Arya?

Now we go to King's Landing, where Qyburn tells Cersei about the dead breaking through the Wall.  Good, she replies.  Meanwhile, Euron's ships, carrying the Golden Company, are arriving.  I'm not saying that Dany couldn't trust Cersei, but mightn't she have left a spy or two in KL just to check for this sort of thing.  Then they could send a raven with the latest so Dany can fly down and light up the ships when it's clear Euron hasn't gone back to the Iron Islands like he promised.

Euron still holds Yara, who's getting tired of waiting to die.  Euron (a character no one likes, though it's cool he's got a name that sounds like urine) determines to bed Cersei, and through his insolence, does just that. It helps he's brought her ships, troops and horses (sorry, no elephants--they don't sail well).

Meanwhile, Qyburn visits Bronn (who's busy with some prostitutes) to tell him the Queen has a request: kill her brothers.  Yep, Tyrion and Jaime, Bronn's benefactors, are now his targets.  Don't know if I like this development.  I hope Bronn's smart enough (he's probably not faithful enough) to avoid killing them, but who knows on GOT?  He's got to kill them with a crossbow, just as Tyrion killed Tywin. (Maybe he will. Or maybe it'll be a Manchurian Candidate sort of twist.)

I might add at present we're far more interested in the characters at Winterfell, and all this stuff at King's Landing is comparatively dull.

While Euron is otherwise disposed, Theon and a small crew sneak onto his ship and rescue Yara pretty easily.  You'd think that ship would be especially well protected, but I guess no one figured there'd be any problem.  Yara, after head-butting her brother, accepts his help and soon they're sailing away.  She wants to take back the throne at the Iron Islands.  But it's clear Theon wants to fight with the Starks, and Yara tells him to go. 1) He's still got a lot to make up for, and while this might not be enough, it's a start. 2) After Dorne, the Iron Islands are the most boring place in the show, so we're all happy Theon isn't going back.

Back at Winterfell, Varys, Tyrion and Davos are trying to figure out how to get the loyal (that's putting it nicely) Northerners on their side.  They'll have to earn it, says Davos, who's been there a while.  He suggests, in fact, the Seven Kingdoms be co-ruled by a woman and a man this time around.

Meanwhile, Dany and Jon are prancing around like schoolkids.  Dany is worried Sansa doesn't like her.  Have we stumbled into an episode of Square Pegs? They go to her dragons and Dany suggests he get on one.  She's surprisingly casual about getting Jon to ride a dragon, since it's seems like a pretty good way to die.  But he catches on--he is a Targaryen, after all.  There's special music written for the scene, though perhaps "Can You Read My Mind?" would have worked.  (And don't forget, never raven and fly.)  It's good for the dragons to have a little fun, since they've been moping around since they got to the North.

The two land near a beautiful waterfall and we're reminded of the fun times Jon had at a hot spring with Ygritte (except this time around he knows something). They make kissy-face as the dragons watch.

Gendry makes a battle axe of dragonglass for the Hound, who then runs into Arya.  Another big reunion--in fact, they may have the best relationship in the entire show.  He reminds her she left him to die, and she counters first she robbed him.  He calls her a cold little bitch and says that's why she's still alive. High praise from the Hound.  While I would have liked a little more, it's good to see they still care about each other though they can't openly admit it.

Arya goes on to talk to Gendry--another reunion--and they both seem to have a gleam in their eye for the other. Fine, but let's not waste too much time on this relationship, please?  She wants a special weapon made of Valyrian steel.  Now this is the stuff we want to see.

Sansa tells Snow that the House Glover isn't coming to Winterfell.  She explains it's because he abandoned the North.  Once again, there aren't that many episodes left and already I'm tired of Jon explaining the obvious point that he did what he had to do.  What good is being King of the North if everyone's dead?  (He also assures Sansa that Dany is not like her father.  The Targaryens are a family where madness skips a generation.)

In another quiet chamber, Dany and Mormont run into Samwell.  This is the guy who cured Jorah, so they're grateful.  He'll certainly do well in the Citadel after she's Queen.  They're having a good time when she mentions "oh, by the way, I killed your father and brother when they wouldn't bend the knee." Sam didn't like his family much, but it's still a shock and he walks out--though you might have thought he'd tell her "by the way, you're sleeping with your nephew."

He goes out in the courtyard and there's creepy Bran saying it's time for Samwell to tell Jon about his parentage.  He explains Jon trusts Sam. (And he doesn't trust Bran, the kid he grew up with? Sounds like Bran just doesn't want the hassle.) So Sam finds Jon in the crypt and after a little talk about Dany killing his family, breaks the news.  Poor Jon, a simple bastard who didn't want power but was named leader of the Night's Watch, then King of the North, and now has the best claim to the Iron Throne.  Jon isn't sure how to take it.  And how will Dany take it?  She's spent quite a lot of time planning to be in charge. (Maybe Davos's idea isn't so bad after all.)

Then we cut to a place I had to check on the internet, because I had no idea where it was.  Turns out it's the Last Hearth, and Tormund and Beric Dondarrion are looking around.  They've seen the destruction of the Wall and are on their way back to Winterfell.  They run into Edd from the Night's Watch and compare notes.  Then they see young Lord Umber nailed to the wall with a bunch of limbs attractively attached.  The first episode ever started with Spirograph designs the White Walkers made with dead bodies, so we've come full circle (or spiral).

Suddenly, Umber awakes and it's as if we're in a crossover with The Walking Dead.  They torch him before he can cause any trouble.

Finally, we meet the only major character missing this episode as Jaime Lannister arrives at Winterfell.  The Imp is expecting a whole army, but this is all he's going to get.  Across the courtyard, staring at him, is creepy Bran.  This has got to be the reunion with the longest wait time, since Jaime pushed Bran out the window around the same time Tiger Woods won his previous major.  I assume Bran remembers, because he knows everything now.  Wonder what the two will have to say?  We'll have to wait till next week.

So that's it.  Not a great episode, and a lot of table setting, but it's still nice to have the gang back. Hard to believe only five more left in the entire series.