1) All things Nymeria
After years of separation, cruelty and horrible abuse towards direwolves, we finally got a reunion that we were all hoping for, but it didn’t quite pan out like we hoped.
On that scene, Maisie Williams told EW that: “Nymeria has created her own world and created her own pack and isn’t ready to be Arya’s pet. To be someone’s pet would reverse everything she’s learned. So they almost just regard each other and go their separate ways.”
Producer Bryan Cogman added that “Arya and Nymeria do and don’t have the connection they’ve always had. In the end, they’re both lone wolves. They can’t go back to the way things were. And that might be foreshadowing for Arya too.
In an in Inside the Episode video, show runner D.B Weiss said that “That’s not you’ is a direct reference to what Arya herself said to her father when her father painted this picture for her of the life she could have as a lady of a castle and marrying some lord and wearing a nice frilly dress.”
Essentially, both Arya and Nymeria are lone wolves now – they’ve changed too much for things to go back to how their relationship used to be – but that’s not to say that Nymeria won’t come to Arya’s aid at some point.
We wait and see.
2) The Mad King’s shadow looms
Is anyone else slightly worried about Daenerys? Aside from taking back Dragonstone, Dany’s links to her father are starting to become even more apparent.
Her warning to Varys that “If you ever betray me, I’ll burn you alive” really sounded like that badass threat she made to the Masters in Meereen. When asked by Tyrion about how she will deal with their threat, she said “I will crucify the Masters. I will set their fleets afire, kill every last one of their soldiers, and return their cities to the dirt” – a statement that provoked Tyrion to interject and draw a necessary comparison to the actions of The Mad King.
Granted, Dany is in Westeros now and she can’t show any sign of weakness, but there was a harshness, brutality and ferocity to which she demanded Jon Snow must ‘bend the knee.” It’s something that Stannis Baratheon would have insisted on. In fact, he did.
Don’t forget that there’s madness in the Targaryen lineage that stretches back centuries. Combine this with the blunt and decisive statement Daenerys made in the trailer: “I was born to rule the seven kingdoms and I will.”
There’s no middle ground, negotiation or compromise here. Next week’s episode will be vital for her rule and character.
Mmm, we wonder what would happen is she fully listened to Olenna Tyrell’s advice and 100% decided to “be a dragon.”
In a nice throwback to the Targaryen dynasty, we also got a look at Balerion the Dread and the damage he inflicted.
Expect fire and blood.
balerion's skull literally has me shaking look at the size of that beauty pic.twitter.com/qv7g2IEPg9
— osha (@oshawildling) July 24, 2017
3) Kids are already training at Winterfell
Jon’s advice about training every man, woman and child in The North to fight against the White Walkers is already being followed by the Northern lords.
It’s clear though that Sansa still openly questions his authority though, despite their conversation from last week about how she undermines Jon during his meetings.
The image below is also a nice visual throwback to the very first episode, in particular the scene where Bran is practicing his archery skills.
Image via – Reddit
4) Yara’s fatal words
When asked by Ellaria Sand about Theon’s potential role during her rule at the Iron Islands, Yara said that he’s “my advisor, my protector.”
Well that didn’t work out.
This being said, we did love Euron calling Theon a “cockless coward” just moments before he abandoned ship and his sister.
5) Silence is golden.
Right, how badass was Euron’s entrance? Not only did he surfboard in while riding on top of a falling plank that squashed his enemy via jagged teeth, but he then proceeded to slaughter his enemies with a battle axe!
Not only this, he pulled arrows from his own neck and absolutely annihilated Nymeria and Obara Sand. Nobody will shed a tear for them.
Surely his entrance in that scene is up there with the most ballsy, daring and bloodthirsty acts of violence in the show’s history?
In what’s a very cool detail, you can also see the crew members of Euron’s ship, the Silence, ripping the tongues out from the mouths of those men that were loyal to Yara.
In the books, Euron’s ship got its name because he frequently ripped the tongues out from his own men – he didn’t want them speaking , communicating, talking back , or planning a mutiny against him.
In the scene where Yara is being held hostage, and Theon is frozen, you can see Euron’s men cutting the tongues out from the surviving crew.
They’re actually doing this to replace the crew men that died during the raid.
6) Hear me roar.
Did anyone else spot the book in the Citadel that Archmaester Ebrose handed to Sam?
It’s called ‘An history of the House of Lannister’. Not exactly grammatically correct but it could be important.
We’re speculating here but this could clear up a few questions about Tyrion’s lineage and biological family.
If you’re familiar with the ‘three heads of the dragon theory’, you’ll know what we mean.
7) Bend the knee
“He sounds like quite a man”, six words that gave every Game of Thrones fan goosebumps.
This being said, the Starks have a checkered history when it comes to bending the knee to other rulers. Ned Stark was happy to do it for Robert Baratheon, but as we all know, his reluctance to accept Joffrey’s rule proved to be fatal.
Robb Stark also refused to acknowledge any other ruler and declared himself the King in the North, but Jon should be different given that he has seen the army of the dead and is in desperate need of Daenery’s dragons and the mountains of dragon glass that she owns.
Still though, will Jon relent and accept Dany’s claim to the Iron Throne, or will Northern pride get in the way?
Half of the drama on this show could be avoided if they stopped asking people to bend the knee #GameOfThrones #ThronesYall pic.twitter.com/DJ485rFnro
— JJ (@artistsreward) July 24, 2017
8) Team Cersei
Yep, you probably already knew the man that Jaime was trying to court as a Lannister ally, it’s Sam’s dad, Randyll Tarly.
Sam might be a man of books and knowledge, but his father is a military genius. In fact, Randyll Tarly is one of the only men that beat Robert Baratheon’s forces in combat.
Such is his experience, expertise and knowledge, Robert actually kept him around as an ally, despite Tarly’s support for the Targaryens during Robert’s Rebellion.
This being said, he named his son Dickon…so he’s not that much of a genius.
Eagle-eyed fans might notice that the actor has been recast.
Yo @ClamsAndCockles y'all notice another shameless re-cast (Dickon Tarly, Sam's brother) pic.twitter.com/I9RQEF6Buv
— Patrick (@pjames122) July 24, 2017
9) The ominous music
When Cersei was learning about the gigantic crossbow that Qyburn has made to defeat the dragons, elements of that ominous music that soundtracked her destruction of the Sept Baelor was playing.
Foreshadow?
Seriously. Someone needs to teach Drogon, Rhaegar, and Vasaeryn how to zigzag in light of Cersei's new toy 😳 #GameOfThrones
— Read Books, FFS🤦🏻♀️ (@RebelRunnerGirl) July 24, 2017
10) Littlefinger is climbing that ladder of chaos
How creepy was Littlefinger’s lingering looks towards Sansa and Jon as he found out the news about Dragonstone and Daenerys.
This paled in comparison to the faux-pas sadness that he expressed at having to return Ned Stark’s bones to the Winterfelll crypt.
We all know that Littlefinger’s schemes, plots and treachery against Ned Stark proved to be fatal, but he really is shameless. He had a hand in Ned’s death and here he is, openly lying and teasing Jon as he stands over Ned’s grave.
Jon’s reaction to being around him is exactly like Ned’s.
Image via Reddit
11) Winter is here
Hardcore fans of the show might remember two references to the very first episode in the show.
Remember when Viserys was in exile and was told that “The people drink secret toasts to your health. They cry out for their true king” by a Targaryen sympathiser?
Well, Dany was far more capable of cutting through the bulls**t and seeing that line for what it is when Varys was pandering to any ego.
You might also recall a lovely scene at Winterfell when Jon and Tyrion met for the very first time.
“All dwarves are bastards in their father’s eyes,” says Tyrion after Jon asked him “What the hell would you know about being a bastard?”
We’re looking forward to that reunion, although….
https://twitter.com/gamofphoto/status/889519973332381697
12) The tense reunion
Jon and Dany might be getting the top bill, but don’t forget about one facet to this gathering that not many people have considered.
Davos will undoubtedly be seeing Melisandre again – provided the Red Priestess is still at Dragonstone.
The last time The Onion Knight saw Melisandre, he warned her that I will “execute you myself” after he discovered that she burned Princess Shireeen alive.
Watch this space.
13) Sam the man
Jeor Mormont would be proud of his Night’s Watch brother.
This throwback is further proof that Sam will never forget or abandon his fellow crows.
14) *That* edit
If the sight of Jorah Mormont’s oozing, dripping and infected gresycale wounds was too much to watch, it’s very likely that you cowered away in horror.
If you missed that scene, just know that the director/editors used one of the best edits in the show’s history to change the scene.
To be fair, we wouldn’t blame you for looking away!
Gotta applaud Game of Thrones for one of the grossest scene transitions in TV history pic.twitter.com/8lX3aU8igl
— Tristan Cooper (@TristanACooper) July 24, 2017
There’s a bit more information on the episode below- including more details about Arya and Nymeria’s reunion.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
