Winter is here.
If you've not seen it yet, spoilers are coming, so look away now.
There were a lot of pretty massive events – Cersei basically killed off the entire nobility of King's Landing and became Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, the King jumped to his death, Daenerys is FINALLY on her way to Westeros, Arya did some typically badass Arya stuff, and that's before we even mention Jon Snow's parents.
Given all that, there's a of the finer details of the episode that were pretty easy to miss. Game of Thrones is one clever show.
1. There were both Tyrell and Martell ships in Daenerys' fleet sailing towards Westeros.
Photos: HBO
The green Tyrell sails in the top picture are a little more difficult to see, but they are there behind the black and red of Targaryen, and you can see the orange Dornish sails pretty clearly in the picture below.
This doesn't only mean that Daenerys has the backing of three houses as she prepares her assault on Westeros, but it also explains how Varys got back to her squad so damn quickly – he's not some kind of magical teleporting eunuch.
2. It looks like Qyburn is now Hand of the Queen.
Photo: HBO
No actual mention is made of this and it's a small detail that is pretty easy to miss, but you can see the hand's badge here on his shoulder towards the end of the episode. I suppose Cersei kinda did owe him big time, what with all that destruction he helped her with.
3. Revenge has well and truly been carried out for the Red Wedding.
Photo: HBO
Robb was shot with arrows at the massacre Twyin Lannister orchestrated – Twyin was killed in his own home with a crossbow. Roose Bolton stabbed Robb through the chest, and was killed in the same way by Ramsay in his own home. Catelyn Stark had her throat cut by Walder Frey's son, and Arya cut Walder's throat in her own home.
This is why the North will always remember, and why you should never betray the sacred guests' right – because
karma will get you eventually.
4. Tommen's death created a pretty symbolic link to the very first episode.
Photos: HBO
Remember all those years ago when this whole shitshow was essentially created by Jaime shoving Bran out of that window in Winterfell because he saw him and Cersei engaging in some very "un-siblinglike" activity? Well now Cersei has lost the last of her children in almost the exact same way.
You could even say that Cersei kind of pushed him out of that window – it was her "mad queen burn them all" actions that took away everything he had, and now the prophecy that all three of her children will die before her has been fulfilled.
5. This Reddit user also makes a really good point about how Tommen's suicide was the first time he's really acted of his own volition.
Photo: Reddit
6. Oh, and the actor who plays Tommen, Dean-Charles Chapman, has now died twice on the show.
Photo: HBO
He also played Martyn Lannister, one of the hostage boys Lord Karstark killed during the Starks' war with the Lannisters. This means Chapman is the only person to die twice on-screen in the show – congrats, Dean-Charles!
7. And one more thing about that scene – remember how the High Sparrow kept talking about the crown and the faith as "the two pillars that hold up the world"? Well...
Photo: HBO
Yeah, that's not gone so well for you, has it?
8. The scene where Jon's real mother is finally confirmed is followed immediately by a girl of the same name proclaiming him king.
Photos: HBO
It's basically impossible to be watching Game of Thrones and not have heard about R+L=J, the show's most famous theory that was finally actually confirmed in this episode(!!!!!). Now we know for sure – Jon is not Ned Stark's bastard, but the son of his sister Lyanna and Rhaegar Targaryen (the son of the mad king, and Daenerys' brother).
Having that scene where little baby Jon opens those unmistakable brown eyes immediately followed by the most badass 10-year-old in all of the Seven Kingdoms, Lyanna Mormont (who was named after his mother), shouting her support for him in the halls of Winterfell and getting the North to rally to his side was pretty beautifully poetic.
9. And the heart tree where Bran finds out about Jon? It's the same one Jon and Sam take their Night's Watch vows at in season one.
Photo: HBO
This show really, really loves callbacks.
10. That globe Sam sees in the library in the Citadel? You've seen it before – a lot of times.
Photos: HBO
Yep, it's that same one we see every single week in the opening credits. Also how great was the look on Sam's little nerdy face when he walked into that fuck-off massive library?
11. It looks like this prediction from Melisandre about Arya may well come true.
Photo: HBO
Arya is at The Twins, Melisandre is heading south – is a girl going to scratch another name off her list next season?
12. THE DIREWOLF SIGIL IS BACK ON WINTERFELL IN THE OPENING CREDITS!
Photo: HBO
YEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSS.
13. And there was a pretty big hint dropped that Jon might be the prince that was promised.
Photo: HBO
The prophecy goes that the prince that was promised will be born "beneath a bleeding star". When Ned goes over to Lyanna in Bran's Tower of Joy flashback, he is holding Arthur Dayne's sword Dawn, which was forged from a fallen star, and the sword is covered with blood (great spot from Reddit user
BWPhoenix for this). It's only a hint, but it's definitely enough to get us excited for season seven (as if there weren't enough reasons already).
Is it April yet? Have a read of
our review of 'the Winds of Winter' here.
