GoT Ep 801 "Winterfell"

Image via HBO

After a year and a half of waiting, Season 8 of Game of Thrones is finally here! The name of the episode is "Winterfell" and was chock full of character reunions that we've waited years for.

Maybe you fast-forwarded through the opening credits. Not judging. I've been known to do it from time-to-time, but you if you missed them you may want to go back and rewatch as they made some updates. The astrolabe was updated a bit and the locations in Westeros were updated as well, with Essos being taken out since we most likely won't see it again.

This episode definitely harkened back to the very first episode of the series, "Winter is Coming," where King Robert Baratheon arrived at Winterfell and where we were introduced to the Starks and the Lannisters for the first time. However, in this episode, it's Daenerys who is arriving at Winterfell and the Stark children are finally reuniting under one roof since that first episode.

Everyone in and outside of Winterfell is curious about the arrival of the Targaryen queen and her army. One little boy, (reminiscent of the young Bran) is anxious to get a look and ends up climbing a tree to see over all of the adults in the village outside the gates. Arya has even joined the villagers for a look at her long lost brother and the queen, and it was heartbreaking to see her face light up only to have Jon not see her in the crowd of people. Arya also notices that Gendry and the Hound are with the queen's entourage as well. Even though everyone wants a look, Daenerys gets a very quiet and icy reception. Jon reminds her of his warning that northerners don't trust outsiders. Then, the dragons show up and the crowd oohs and aahs while also running for cover. Arya isn't scared though and looks in amazement as they fly over her. Sansa gets a good look at the dragons as well as they fly over Winterfell.

When Jon and Daenerys arrive through the gates Jon sees Bran. He jumps off his horse and hugs him and can't believe he's a man. Bran says "almost," most likely referring to his status as the Three-Eyed-Raven and in one of his many stare-downs of the episode, Bran looks at Daenerys. Jon asks Sansa where Arya is and Sansa says she is running around somewhere as usual. Then, the introduction we've all been waiting for. Jon introduces Daenerys to Sansa who begrudgingly says, "Winterfell is yours, your grace." Bran interrupts saying they have no time for all of these formal introductions and conversations because the Night King has resurrected Daenerys's dragon and has broken through the Wall.

They all gather in the Great Hall and Sansa calls on all of the Stark bannermen to return to Winterfell. Most have come but they are still waiting on the Umbers. She calls Lord Umber forth, who is only a little boy. He says they are trying their best but need more wagons to carry men and the food and supplies they will bring. Jon says they will have whatever they need. Jon also wants to send word to the Night's Watch to abandon the castles on the Wall. Since the Night King has already broken through that line of defense there really is no reason to keep them manned.

And then it happens. Lyanna Mormont stands up and gives Jon hell for bending the knee to Daenerys. He left Winterfell as King in the North, a title they bestowed upon him and she doesn't' understand how he could give that up. Jon tells her and the other lords that he will always be grateful for that but they need allies and Daenerys is a strong ally with her army and dragons. So, he chose to bend the knee and protect the north. Tyrion stands and starts to speak to try and make peace with the northerners but since he is a Lannister they aren't very excited to hear from him and even less excited when he announces that his sister, Queen Cersei, will be sending the Lannister army to help them. Sansa questions how they will feed everyone since she only accounted for feeding the armies of the north the last time she checked the stores. She asks what grown dragons eat, throwing shade at Daenerys, who throws it right back by replying, "whatever they want." The catfight is definitely on.

They all go their separate ways for the time being and we see that Jon has returned with as much dragonglass as he could mine. Gendry is in charge of the armory and will be overseeing the production of the weapons. Tyrion seizes a moment to catch up with Sansa. They joke about the painful event that was Joffrey's wedding and Sansa says it had its moments. Then she apologizes to Tyrion for leaving the way she did. He says its water under the bridge and they both survived. He also says that a lot of people underestimated her but most of those people are dead now. He knows she is unhappy about the alliance with the Lannisters and she says she can't believe he would trust her sister to remain true to her word. He says Sansa has something to live for now (referring too but not mentioning Cersei's sham of a pregnancy, because I believe it is) but Sansa only replies by saying she used to think Tyrion was the cleverest man alive before walking away. Tyrion looks down in the courtyard to find Bran staring at him.

Jon visits the godswood when Arya sneaks up on him. They run and hug and we finally get the most important reunion we've been waiting for. Arya shows him that she still has Needle and says she's used it a few times. He shows her Longclaw. He asks where she was earlier because he could've used her help with Sansa. She thinks she's the smartest person in the world now and Arya says she's the smartest person she ever met. Jon wasn't expecting her to come to Sansa's defense but Arya says she is defending their family.

In the south at Kings Landing, Qyeburn informs Cersei that the dead have broken through the Wall. Cersei is delighted to hear it. Euron is also arriving with the Golden Company. He still has Yara as a prisoner and delights in talking to her on a regular basis. She asks why he doesn't just go ahead and kill her and he says he can't because she's the only family he's got left and the only one he can talk to since his crew is a bunch of mutes. Yara realizes they've sailed back to Kings Landing and tells Euron he's picked the losing side. He says if that is the case then he'll just sail the fleet somewhere else but first, he's going to have sex with the queen.

Euron introduces Cersei to the commander of the Golden Company. She is displeased to hear that they did not bring any elephants and they only have 20,000 men and 2,000 on horseback. Euron is anxious to talk with Cersei in private as he believes he is long overdue for payment. She tells him he can wait until after the war and if he can't he can go buy a whore but he must earn a queen. He says he has done everything she's asked and more and she finally concedes and sleeps with him. After they do the deed he asks how he compared to Robert and the Kingslayer. She says he is the most arrogant man she ever met and she likes that. Euron says he is going to put a prince in her belly and leaves. I really wanted her to say "I'm counting on it" because I don't believe she is pregnant but she just smirks, which is enough for me.

Qyeburn visits Bronn while he has company. Cersei is offering him a lot of gold in advance if he will murder her "treasonous brothers" if they somehow make it through the war in the north. Qyeburn even gives him the crossbow that Tyrion used to kill Lord Tywin. Bronn takes the crossbow but I'm hoping he'll reconsider his options and head north.

While Euron is busy with Cersei Theon rescues Yara. After he frees her from her restraints she head butts him but then helps him up. They get back to Theon's ship and talk about what to do next. She thinks they should take back the Iron Islands because there is no way Euron can defend it right now and they will also have a place for Daenerys to run to if her army needs to fall back. Theon says Yara is his queen so he will do whatever she commands but she can see that he wants to go fight for the Starks so she lets him go. They both say "what is dead may never die" and she says "but kill the bastards anyway," referring to the army of the dead.

More people arrive at Winterfell, including the Karstarks. Daavos, Tyrion, and Varys are talking and Ser Davos tells Daenerys's advisers that the Northmen and the wildlings are loyal to Jon and they are also stubborn as goats. If Daenerys wants them to follow her, she will need to earn their loyalty. He even proposes that Jon and Daenerys should marry to strengthen the alliance. Varys doesn't think that either of them will listen to advise from old men because they remind the young that nothing lasts.

Daenerys and Jon are speaking and she tells Jon that Sansa doesn't like her very much. He tells her to give it time but she says they don't have to be friends but she is her queen and she must respect her. One of the Dothraki interrupts to let Daenerys know that her dragons are not eating as much as they should. She takes Jon with her when she goes to check on them and she decides to take Drogon for a ride. Then, she urges Jon to climb on Rhaegal and join her for a ride. He isn't too keen on it at first and asks what will happen if Rhaegal doesn't want him to ride him. She says then it's been nice knowing you. Jon climbs on Rhaegal's back and the dragons take off flying over the north. We've all been wanting Jon to hop on one of those dragons for years but I thought they'd make us wait until at least the second episode. Jon and Dany land near a waterfall and sneak a kiss while the dragons stare at them a little creepily.

The Hound is collecting his new dragonglass ax from Gendry when Arya shows up. The Hound gives her lip for leaving him to die and calls her a cold little bitch but says that's probably while she's still alive. He leaves and she and Gendry reunite. She asks Gendry to make a special weapon for her.

Sansa receives a raven from Deepwood Motte. The Glovers will stay at their castle with all of their soldiers. Sansa tells Jon it's because he abandoned his crown. Jon says titles don't matter and without Daenerys, they wouldn't stand a chance against the Night King. He asks if she has any faith in him and she assures him she does. He says Daenerys will be a good queen and that she is not her father. Sansa replies that she is much prettier. Then, she asks Jon if he bent the knee to save the north, or because he's in love with Daenerys. We don't hear his answer because the scene cuts out.

Dany and Jorah visit the library so she can meet Sam and thank him for saving Jorah. She offers him a reward and he jokes about needing a pardon since he stole some books from the Citadel and also his family's sword. When she hears that his last name is Tarly, things get awkward because she has to tell him that she executed his father and brother. Sam isn't too upset about his father but when he hears about his brother Dickon he thanks Dany for telling him and asks for her leave as the emotions take over. He walks out to the courtyard and Bran is staring at him. He asks Bran what he is doing out there and Bran tells Sam that he has to tell Jon the truth about his parents now. Sam doesn't understand why Bran can't tell him and Bran says that Jon trusts Sam more than anyone in the world and will believe him.

Jon is down in the crypts visiting Ned when he hears someone fall and finds out it's Sam. Sam asks if Jon knew that Daenerys executed his father and brother and Jon says he didn't know. Sam asks if Jon would've done the same and Jon says that he has executed plenty of men for not following orders. Sam reminds him that he also showed mercy. Then Sam blurts out that he is the rightful heir to the "bloody Seven Kingdoms" because his mother was Lyanna Stark and his real father was Rhaegar Targaryen. He tells Jon that he is Aegon VI and the rightful heir to the Iron Throne. Jon is in total disbelief and tells Sam that Ned was the most honorable man ever and wouldn't have lied about being his father but Sam explains that he did it to keep Jon safe because Robert would've had Jon killed. Jon insists that Daenerys is queen but Sam says Jon gave up his crown to save his people and asks if that is something Daenerys would do as well.

Luckily, Tormund and Beric made it through the Night King's attack on the Wall. They are headed to Winterfell on foot when they come across the Last Hearth, the home of the Umbers. It's very obvious that the Night King and his army have been there and that no one was left alive. They explore the castle and run into Dolorous Ed who screams out "watch out his eyes are blue" when he sees Tormund. Tormund says his eyes have always been blue and Ed realizes who he is. They find the Umber boy dead and pinned to the wall with a spiral of arms around him. Tormund says they need to get to Winterfell to warn them before the Night King attacks them unawares. Ed has horses and they will need to ride hard and fast to beat him. Then, little Lord Umber wakes up screaming and is a wight. They burn him and he lights up along with the spiraled arms around him.

And last but certainly not least, Jaime arrives at Winterfell to tell them that the Lannister army isn't coming. When he gets down from his horse and looks around he is completely stunned to find Bran is staring back at him. Jaime didn't know he was alive and that takes the prize for the most awkward moment of the night. I mean, what do you say to the boy you tried to kill?

So, five episodes to go. A little over five hours left in the entire series. It feels surreal that these are the last few episodes of the series and that we are finally seeing them since we've waited so long! What do you think will happen over the next five episodes and will anyone be sitting on the Iron Throne at the end?

Remember to check out my podcast as well on iTunes, Games for the Throne! Until next week.Be sure to catch my weekly recaps and theories in blog form or by podcast on itunes (Games For The Throne)!

Until next week…

Courtenay | Other Mother of Dragons