*some explicit content may be covered in this recap*
You can check out my ranking and review for "Winterfell" here, but I have to tell you ahead of time - it was the only episode in the season so far.
Game of Thrones, in my opinion, is at its best when the show is about people talking to each other rooms. The show is so well written and has so many great characters that it is a waste when their personalities are not frequently displayed. The first two episodes of Season 8 have given us interaction after interaction with dozens of characters we have seen grow and develop for almost 10 years now. "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms", specifically had dozens of character payoffs because each character was able to bring something unique to situations we had never seen them in before. Other characters were doing what they do best: talking to others in a room.
For example, Brienne was able to use her experiences with Jaime to protect him from a room of people who wanted to see him dead. Sansa then was able to trust Brienne because of how much they had gone through together. Brienne truly spelled out in the perfect way, how Jaime had basically saved Sansa's life by saving Brienne's. If Jaime didn't go back for her at Harrenhal when she was about to be killed by a bear, then she never would have gotten her Valyrian steel sword Oathkeeper that she then used to defend Sansa from Ramsay's men. That was just one example of how well placed many of these characters were throughout the episode. Despite this episode taking place only in Winterfell, it felt like this episode was taking place all over the map as just about everyone we cared about had a moment to shine.
I have to say, overall, this may have been my favorite episode of GOT since the last episode of Season 6 (The Winds of Winter). I loved all the character dynamics, I loved how tense the episode felt because of the impending doom, and I also appreciated that we finally got confirmation about what the Night King truly wants. Now...time for some recap and analysis.
Recap and Analysis
Jaime's Trial
We begin right away with Jaime's trial and almost everyone in the room has a reason to hate him and want him dead. Dany makes that clear with the first lines of the episode that she wants to make him pay for murdering her father. Sansa also agrees with Dany's desire to murder Jaime because he attacked Ned Stark in the streets of King's Landing and his family led Ned to lose his head. Jon, the other person in charge, looks distant and like he wants nothing to do with this trial. Jaime stands by his actions because he did it for his "family" which I liked. Despite his decision to fight for Winterfell he still doesn't regret his past actions because he did what he did to save the people he loved.
Finally, after watching Jaime defend himself - Tyrion poorly doing so - Brienne stands up and stands by Jaime. She tells Sansa how Jaime is responsible for Sansa being alive and in charge of Winterfell today. Jaime made a promise to Catelyn Stark that he would return her daughters home safely and he did everything in his power to keep that promise. Despite his name - Kingslayer - Jaime is one of the most honorable characters in the show and Brienne proves it here. His character arc is truly incredible.
This opening scene was also vital because the North finally got confirmation that Cersei has no intention of helping them fight the dead. In fact, she's planning to kill them all with 20,000 soldiers if they do beat the dead. Just another problem for the North to deal with.
This news is another blow to Tyrion's credibility with Dany. She once again has a reason to doubt his intelligence and his decision making. Fortunately for Tyrion, some important characters later in the episode will go to bat for him and defend him.
The only thing I felt like this scene was missing was another speech from Jaime explaining why he murdered the Mad King. I can understand why the show didn’t include that though because you need to have Brienne defend Jaime’s honor in this scene so that Sansa can also understand why she should trust Jaime.
Post-trial, Dany finally calls out Tyrion for being bad at his job. I personally thought it was about time, but I also felt pretty bad for him because I’ve been rooting for him for 7 seasons now. Tyrion certainly was a fool before, and it won’t be the last time, but the show looks like it's setting Tyrion up to redeem himself through one last big act (hopefully). (Although it would be truly tragic and be a total GOT move to make Tyrion fail again at the most crucial of moments)
About three scenes later Jorah goes to bat for Tyrion and tells Dany that, despite his flaws and mistakes thus far, he is a smart man who learns from his mistakes and "owns his mistakes". Jorah knows more than anyone that people are deserving of second chances. Jorah came back from the equivalent of a 0-3 deficit in the NBA playoffs when he came back from being a slave and from having greyscale so he knows a thing or two about redemption.
Arya terrifies Gendry and turns him on at the same time
Outside in the forge of Winterfell, we get plenty of Gendry and Arya fan-service as she eyes him for approximately two minutes before she asks him about her weapon. Arya stares longingly at Gendry’s sweet pecks as he hammers on dragonglass and slams his axe into some wood (that sentence can be read as an innuendo if you read it slowly). I would have preferred that Gendry was shirtless for this whole scene, but I guess I can’t always get what I want. Then Arya throws three precise daggers into a post about 20 feet away which terrifies and turns on Gendry in every way possible. This also clearly sets up that these two kids are gonna do something later (winky face) I don’t think any of expected this much this soon though…
Jaime walking the grounds of Winterfell
Jaime meets Bran out in the Godswood and apologizes for what he did in the pilot without realizing Bran is no longer someone who needs an apology. In a roundabout way, just like how Sansa would not be alive without Jaime, Bran would not be the Three-Eyed Raven without Jaime pushing him out the window. Because of Jaime’s actions, Bran went on an epic quest beyond the Wall and became something he could never imagine being.
Jaime asks Bran why he tell everyone that Jaime pushed him out a window. That would have condemned Jaime to death for sure if Bran said that. However, like I said, Bran now has a higher purpose because of Jaime and Bran understands something that Jaime doesn’t – he can be an ally in the fight against the dead.
One significant quote from this scene was by Bran who said: “How do you know there is an afterwards?”. We know that Bran can see the past, present, and (at times) the future because he saw the wild-fire explode and he saw a dragon fly over King’s Landing. So if Bran doesn’t know there is an afterwards or he doesn’t see anything does that mean the good guys lose? Does that mean he’s going to die and that’s why he can’t see anything after? I thought it was interesting that Bran, who has been so certain about everything so far, doesn’t know the outcome of this battle. Maybe he does and he can’t say anything though because the Night King can see where Bran is at all times and he isn’t sure to what extent the Night King can spy on him.
After Jaime’s catch up with Bran, he then meets up with Tyrion to walk the grounds of Winterfell. The discussion between the two mainly focused on why each of them decided to support the queens they did. I thought this discussion between the two was especially compelling because of the parallels between Cersei and Dany. Jaime loved Cersei despite knowing she was a monster and Tyrion loves Dany (at least I think he does) despite her disposition to show Mad Queen vibes.
Then they see Brienne in front of the walls of Winterfell training soldiers and we get a beautiful reunion between the two. Jaime pledges his allegiance to Brienne and let's her know that he plans to serve underneath her in battle. This is the primary table setting that allows for Jaime and Brienne’s big moment later.
Also Pod’s sword work is pretty good in this scene! What can’t this kid do? He can sing, he has a swinging sword and he’s great at fighting now.
Sansa and Dany almost bond
Per Jorah’s advice, Dany reaches out to Dany in order to try to defuse the tension between the two. This scene did a lot for both characters. Sansa told Dany she calls it as she sees it when it comes to her and she also defends Tyrion because she understands how complicated family relationships really are (Tyrion gets some solid clout this episode). This was interesting because Dany - besides her brother for six episodes in season one – never really had a family in this show. Jorah is as close to a father figure (friend zone) as it gets for her but besides him, she has no family (except Jon I guess). There’s no way she can truly understand the complications that family dynamics cause in everyday politics.
Dany tells Sansa that she pledged allegiance to help Jon in her war because she loves him, but the conversation quickly switches from Jon to her conquest of the Seven Kingdoms which causes Sansa to ask about how Dany plans to deal with the North. Dany pulls her hand away from Sansa and it looks like any bridging they did a few minutes ago is for not.
However, before the moment gets too tense again, the arrival of Theon interrupts them as he arrives to pledge himself to defend Winterfell. I was not expecting to feel any emotion at all when Theon arrived but seeing Sansa’s reaction to him coming back warmed my heart. You have to remember, without Theon, there’s no way Sansa escapes Ramsay’s clutches. She owes him her life and I think she is beginning to have feelings for him because of it. I never really saw them as a potential couple I would ship before, but after this seen I definitely have to reconsider. I thought Dany’s reaction to this union was very telling. Like I said above, she has no living family so she can’t understand the gravity of the reunion between Sansa and Theon. Her face says it all as she is confused as to how someone can have so much emotion for another person. She has the feels for Jon, and she loved Drogo, but these feelings are few and far between. I feel like the only other person she truly loves is Jorah (but as like a best friend who will never be romantically involved with her ever).
One final note about this reunion and it’s about Dany. She has absolutely no idea what Sansa went through to get to where she is today. Dany is convinced she is the Queen to rule the Seven Kingdoms because she was raped, kidnapped, freed slaves and did other magical things. Sansa was a captive to the Lannisters, saw her father beheaded in front of her, was married to Ramsay, beaten and raped by him, escaped and took back the North using her political savvy to rally the Knights of the Vale. If you compare Sansa and Dany’s journeys, they are pretty similar and both equally impressive. The difference is that Dany brags about hers and lets everyone know about it. Sansa doesn’t.
Outside in the Winterfell yards again
We get a brief scene with Davos and Gilly. Davos is trying to give random men the bravery to fight and Gilly is trying to convince a young girl to not fight. I like the parallels of them trying to talk down a little girl from giving her life while trying to get adult men to die for Winterfell.
We then hear horns to signal the arrival of Tormund, Edd and co from the Wall. It is another emotional reunion because these are just such great characters and I am glad they have the moment because they will all almost certainly die soon. The reunion is short lived though because of the news that the White Walkers will be at Winterfell before tomorrow morning.
Battle Planning
While the tools for the battle are being prepped in the Winterfell yards, the strategy for the battle is being prepped in the meeting room with every single important character present. Jon reveals to everyone that they don’t need to kill every White Walker because they physically can’t. They just need to figure out a way to kill the Night King.
Bran comes up with the plan to use himself as bait by having him stay in the godswood to wait for the Night King because he is coming for Bran and knows where he is at all times. Having him be in the godswood versus the crypts of Winterfell protects all of the innocent people hiding in there because the Night King won’t try to kill them as he come for Bran.
Theon promises he will be there to protect him, and the team decides that is their plan. Now the team just needs to hope the Night King comes for Bran before everyone else at Winterfell dies. This plan makes sense but its also a little tough to swallow because what is to stop the Night King from waiting out the battle and then finding Bran once everyone at Winterfell is dead. The good guys are banking on the Night King being impatient and having the desire to kill Bran as soon as the battle starts. Maybe they can figure out a strategy to force the Night King to try to find Bran sooner.
The most important takeaways from this scene are what we learn both about Bran and the Night King. In this scene we learn the basic role of the Three-Eyed Raven: his job is to preserve all the memories of humanity. As long as we have those memories then we can learn from them and prevent the Long Night from occurring. If Bran dies, then humanity dies with him because we forget everything. Like Sam says in the episode, death is essentially just forgetting. As for what the Night King wants, we know that he wants to kill Bran so that he can cause an Endless Night. His objective is simple, but I like the idea that the Night King is the epitome of absolute evil and the Jon – the epitome of good – is destined to stop him. It’s a little cliché and I know that the show probably won’t end in an exactly cliché way but this is still a fantasy story; and what is fantasy about? Good versus evil. I think we will get more flashbacks and delve into the Night King’s history a bit more. The show will need to find a way to break up the battle scenes with dialogue so I think flashbacks or Bran telling Theon the history of the Night King will be a good way to break up the action.
The last important things to happen in this scene was how Dany reacted to Tyrion’s desire to fight. She said she needed him alive which was a big boost for Tyrion who has taken dozens of Ls the past couple of years. Jon also leaves the room without Jon really acknowledging Dany because he knows the gravity of the news, he has to tell her soon.
If this plan to lure the Night King in manages to work, then they could defeat the Night King by a Weirwood tree. They need dragonglass to defeat him which would be similar to how he was created by the Children of the Forest. The rhythm of this death would go along nicely with the poetic justice of the show.
Finally, Tyrion sits down with Bran and learns all about his journey (off-screen). You gotta imagine something he learns about while talking with Bran will help them this season.
Grey Worm and Missandei seal their fate by talking about life after the war.
Yeah it was a strong flex by Grey Worm to talk about life after, but it also basically assured us that he will die.
And now their watch begins
We get a familiar scene above the walls at Winterfell as our Nights Watchmen (Jon, Edd, and Sam) look out into the distance. And we even get a surprise visit from one dire wolf who literally hasn’t seen the screen in 15 episodes! Jon finally remember he has a dire wolf named Ghost and he invites him up to hang out with the boys. This was just the beginning over so many great emotional gatherings throughout the entirety of this episode.
Let’s go by characters for the rest of the episode.
Arya – let’s just get this over with
Arya realizes she doesn’t want to spend the last night of her life with Beric and the Hound, so she leaves them to sit alone together in silence.
Arya leaves them to find Gendry, Gendry gives Arya her spear (in more ways than one), and Google searches for “Maise Williams age” skyrocketed for the rest of the evening. She's 22 so it's okay legally...it just doesn't feel legal to watch.
Jorah
After losing a debate to Lyanna about whether she’s fit to fight in the field or not, Sam presents Jorah with Sam’s family sword Heartsbane. Sam does this because:
1) Sam can’t wield it.
2) Jeor Mormont taught Sam how to be a man so Sam is repaying the Mormont family in the only way he knows how.
Jorah finally returning to Westeros, fighting along wide his house, and getting a Valyrian steel sword is just another great example of how far Jorah has come as a character. Three seasons ago he was cast out by Dany and thought he may never see her again. He has gone through an incredible redemption arc in not only her eyes but his house’s eyes as well. Unfortunately, a moment like this means that his character arc is basically complete which means death may be the next thing waiting for him – just like how it’s waiting for another character who had a great moment this episode.
Jaime
Around the fireplace in the Great Hall Jaime and Tyrion sit together reminiscing about family and how much has changed in their lives. This moment really reminded me how much these two brothers care about each other. Jaime, for the longest time, was Tyrion’s protector. Jaime attacked Ned in the streets of King’s Landing because Cat took Tyrion. Tyrion called Jaime to be his champion at the Vale before Bron stepped up to save him. Jaime freed Tyrion from captivity the evening before his pending execution and Jaime also helped set up the sit-down with Cersei at risk to his own life. Jaime loves Tyrion and will do whatever it takes to protect him.
While it’s just those two in the room, Tyrion and Jaime talk about how their old lives are behind them and that they can never return to them now. Tyrion specifically says his whoremongering days are gone because of “self-betterment”. Is that it? Or is it because he is in infatuated with Dany? I think it’s because of his affection for Dany. He passionately defended her earlier in the Winterfell courtyards and his resolve for her hasn’t changed since the day they first talked about breaking the wheel in Season 5. I just still can’t shake the way Tyrion looked at the door to Dany’s room on the boat when she was in there with Jon. He had a look of concern on his face but also a look of jealousy. Every man Dany has met has loved her after seeing her: Jorah, Drogo, Dario, Barristan Selmy (in a fatherly way) are just a few on that list. Why would Tyrion be any different?
After these two have a few minutes alone, Brienne and Podrick join the room, then Davos, and then finally Tormund. And now we finally have the greatest gathering of characters ever in the history of this show. We get Davos, the man of sensibility and humbleness. We get Podrick, the Josh Groban of Westeros. We have Tyrion the talker who can get anyone to have a good time. Finally, we have the best love triangle that none of the three people involved actually know they are in it. We got Tormund eyeing Brienne who’s eyeing Jaime who is vaguely eyeing Brienne and not trying to make it too obvious.
It’s nice to have all of these lovable characters gather because more than half of them will probably die over the next 4 weeks. We also get a Tormund story to top all Tormund stories. It’s even more unbelievable than the story that he drunkenly laid with a bear once.
I 100% believe him too.
The best part of this whole Great Hall scene though is when Jaime knights Brienne. It is something she wanted all her life and there is no one else in the world she would want to knight her than him. Everyone in the room is incredibly happy for her and Jaime’s little nod he gives her at the end tells her that she deserves this. Brienne has now become the thing she has wanted to be her entire life. All throughout the show people have been confused by what to call her – lady? Ser? Ma’am? Milady? Now she has only one title: Brienne, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
Podrick then busts out the pipes of an angel as he sings the song “Jenny of Oldstone”. This song creates an incredibly emotional montage as we realize the battle for Winterfell is imminent. We know for a fact, that this will be the last episode where all of these characters are alive together.
The news
Jon has some news for Dany and it’s not great. Turns out he’s Aegon Targaryen and his dad is Rhaegar. Dany is devastated by this news and she immediately attacks the credibility of the news as well as bring up how he now has a claim to the Iron Throne. Upon receiving the news, Dany doesn’t think about anything else or any other ramifications of this news rather than Dany is no longer the rightful ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. Her reaction is understandable though. Her entire life has been leading up to taking the Iron Throne. She believed she was the last living Targaryen and destined to rule. Now her entire perception of her reality has been flipped on its head and she (much like Jon when Sam told him) can’t believe this is true.
I found Dany’s reaction to Jon delivering the news of his parentage to her interesting because of what she didn’t say. She didn’t think about how heartbreaking this news is for Jon, that they are related, and that Jon wouldn’t even want the throne in the first place. He bent the knee the Dany last season because he loved her and believed in her. This news is crazy for them both, but it won’t change the way he feels about her and it won’t change his desire to serve her. Dany doesn’t consider any of these factors and before she even has time to, the dead arrive.
Jenny of Oldstone – a song breakdown
Let’s go through the lines of the song and see if we can figure out the meaning of the song. Time for my high school literature classes to come in handy. Overall, I believe this song could be interpreted as a preview for next episode, each line references a different character, or it’s just a creepy song that to play before our characters face death.
“High in the halls of the kings who are gone, Jenny would dance with their ghosts”.
The “dancing” referred to could mean a couple of things. It could be foreshadowing that the “halls” will soon be filled with “ghosts” because of how many people will die. The dancing could also be interpreted as fighting because sword fighting, with the correct footwork, can be a dance (Arya would tell you that) so the song could be foreshadowing the fighting that will take place next episode.
“The ones she had lost and the ones she had found, and the ones who had loved her the most”.
Lost and found could mean old kings she didn’t know about and those that she was familiar with. It could also be a eulogy for those lost souls. If you want a more cryptic foreshadowing, this song is telling us that dead Starks are going to rise from the dead (both old and new bodies) and attack our heroes.
“The ones who’d been lost for so very long, she couldn’t remember their names”.
“Spun her around on the damp old stones, spun away all her sorrow and pain.”
The ones who’d been lost for so very long could be a reference to all the deaths we have had long the way. It could also mean our heroes are going to face wights from all periods of time (both old and new). The damp old stones could refer to tombstones or crypts since damp is usually in reference to an area that is moist which could be underground. “Spun her away from all her sorrow and pain” is a reference to death. What happens in death? You are relieved of all pain and sorrow.
“And she never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave (x3)”.
“They danced through the day and into the night, through the snow that swept through the hall”.
I think this is referencing the White Walkers approaching and their persistent march which will not be hindered by any weather or any time of day. The snow in the line seems to be a reference to snow coming into the Great Hall at Winterfell which means the dead have arrived.
“From winter to summer then winter again, til the walls did crumble and fall”
Okay these interpretations are getting a bit more straightforward… the wall crumbling. This has to be about the Wall falling and about the walls of Winterfell falling as well. Winterfell has never been taken because of its high and well-built walls (because they were constructed by Brandon the Builder who built the wall). If the Night King made the wall crumble could he make the Winterfell walls crumble too? Are the walls of Winterfell made of magic just like the Wall in the north was? Can they fend off the dead because Brandon built them in a way to do so? I think this line is foreshadowing this.
“and she never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave (repeated until the end then followed by the first lines again)”.
I wonder how much of next episode will mirror the lines from this song. Will we get this song again and have it play as these things happen? Or, like I said before, was it just a creepy song to prepare us for an intense battle next week? I think either way this song has serious implications regarding what will happen next week. It is going to be an incredible episode.
Season 8 Power Rankings
1. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
2. Winterfell
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