Yahoo News What We Learned from the Game of Thrones Premiere
SPOILER ALERT for Game of Thrones Season 7, Episode 1, "Dragonstone."
After an excruciatingly long extended wait, Game of Thrones finally returned, and it did not disappoint. Here's what Daenerys Targaryen, Jon Snow, Cersei Lannister, and more were up to at the first episode of Season 7.
(Missed out on what happened last season? Catch up with our recap.)
Arya slaughters the entire Frey family.
At the end of Season 6, Arya killed Walder Frey on her way home to Winterfell from Braavos, but her task wasn't quite finished. Using the skills she learned under the training of the Many-Faced God, Arya used Walder's to lure Frey family members who took part in the Red Wedding to the Twins for a "feast." Arya-as-Walder offers a toast with poisoned wine, wiping out the entire Frey family in one stroke. “Leave one wolf alive and the sheep are never safe," she warns as the guests fall to their deaths. As one Frey daughter looks on in terror, she tells her that if anyone asks her what happened, "Tell them the North remembers. Tell them winter came for House Frey.”
The White Walkers are approaching.
In case the previews taught you nothing, Game of Thrones wants you to know that the White Walkers are coming. An ominous scene says it all: a massive cloud appears and the Night King and his army of the dead followers emerge from it.
Bran and Meera reach the Wall.
Bran Stark and Meera Reed reach the Wall and are met by Eddison Tollett (the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch) and some brothers of the Night's Watch. Though Tollett is first skeptical of the kids, Bran warns him that the Night King and his army are on their way, and he lets them in.
Women and girls will be fighting in the Great War too.
Back at Winterfell, Jon and Sansa are gather with the Lords of the North in the Great Hall (this scene seems to pick up right after last season's "The King in the North!" moment). Jon orders everyone aged 10-60 prepare for the battle - men and women included. Though Lord Glover is against this strategy, Lady Lyanna Mormont saves the day yet again. “I don’t plan on knitting by the fire while men fight for me," she tells him, vowing to train all the inhabitants of Bear Island. Shortly after, Jon sends the Wildlings, with Tormund at the helm, to help man the Wall.
Jon and Sansa aren't agreeing on everything.
As predicted, not all is peaceful between the half-siblings (though really, they're cousins). Sansa suggests giving the castles of House Umber and House Karstark to families who were loyal to House Stark in the Battle of the Bastards (reminder: Lord Umber and Lord Karstark fought for Ramsay, but they died in battle). Jon prefers not to strip the families of their ancestral homes, especially since many of them have been loyal to the Starks for thousands of years. His word is final, and he demands the youngest of the Umbers and Karstark - Ned and Alys, respectively - pledge to House Stark.
After the meeting, Sansa and Jon continue bickering - she goes so far as to compare him to Joffrey Baratheon because he seems averse to advice and suggestions. She suggests he make smarter decisions than Ned and Robb, but he doesn’t want to listen to her. Then, Jon receives a message from Cersei demanding her pledge the North's allegiance. Sansa warns Jon of what Cersei is capable.
Cersei and Jaime Lannister realize they have no allies.
Cersei and Jaime know that Tyrion is Daenerys’s Hand and she's sailing towards Dragonstone with a powerful fleet. Cersei knows they have enemies all around them: the Tyrells, the Martells, the Starks, and the Targaryens. Jaime says they're currently on the losing side and they should be aware of what dangers lie ahead. He notes they never talked about how Tommen, their youngest son, killed himself.
“We’re the last Lannisters. The last ones that count," Cersei tells him. Jaime is eager to look for allies, especially now that the Freys are all dead.
Euron Greyjoy “proposes” to Cersei.
Cersei invites Euron Greyjoy to King’s Landing; he has a strong fleet they can use and he wants a Queen - they're the perfect match. When he arrives, Euron tells Cersei and Jaime that Theon and Yara fled to join Daenerys - now, both their betraying family members are fighting on the same side. Cersei declines his proposal because he seems untrustworthy (he did kill his own brother, after all), but Euron promises to return with a gift to earn her trust.
Sam breaks the rules to learn about ways to fight the White Walkers.
Sam is doing dirty work at the Citadel, watching after old maesters (and cleaning after them) and organizing books. After a gag-worthy montage of his day-to-day duties, he decides to go after some books in the restricted area of the library, but it’s gated off and meant only for the maesters - Sam isn’t one just yet.
During an autopsy, he asks the archmaester (played by Harry Potter star Jim Broadbent) for help. He tells his superior he’s seen the White Walkers and was sent to the Ciradel to look for ways to fight them. The archmaester doesn't think there's anything to worry about: “The Wall has stood through it all, and every winter that’s ever come has ended.” Realizing he's alone in looking for answers, Sam goes into the restricted area anyway.
Brienne warns Sansa about Littlefinger.
Littlefinger is back to talk to Sansa. “I want you to be happy. I want you to be safe,” he says, though she looks very uninterested in what he has to say. When he leaves, Brienne of Tarth (who just destroyed Podrick in a mock battle, as Tormund looked on), asks why he's still around. Sansa says the Starks still need his men, the Knights of the Vale. Brienne is wary of Littlefinger - she knows he wants something.
Arya meets Ed Sheeran.
Arya comes across a group of soldiers (including one played by Ed Sheeran!), who are part of the army keeping peace in the Riverlands now that the Freys are dead. She shares a meal and a drink with them and is taken aback by their kindness - it seems like she's starting to feel guilty about killing all those strangers. When asked why she's going to King's Landing, she tells them: “I’m going to kill the queen.” After an awkward pause, they all laugh at her.
The Hound sees something in the flames.
The Hound and Brotherhood Without Banners ride north with Beric Dondarrion and Thoros of Myr. They come across a house in the middle of nowhere. There, they find two skeletons with a knife at their feet in the corner of the home.
Sandor Clegane starts questioning the motives of the Lord of Light. He wonders why the god keeps resurrecting Beric when there are greater men who have died and not been resurrected. Beric admits he’s asked himself that too and doesn’t know the answer. Thoros, a red priest, asks the Hound to look into the flames. There, he sees a place where the Wall meets the sea. There’s a castle there and a mountain shaped like an arrowhead. Thousands of the dead are marching past.
Afterwards, Thoros finds the Hound digging a grave for the dead they found in the house. When asked if he knew these deceased people he says, “not really." Thoros joins him in digging the grave. “I’m sorry you’re dead. You deserved better. Both of you,” the Hound says to corpses.
It turns out those bodies belonged to a meek farmer and his daughter, whom Clegane and Arya met in Season 3. The family took in the traveling pair, welcomed them into their home, and fed them, but despite their hospitality, the Hound beat up the farmer father, stole their silver, and left him there wounded, coldly saying he and his child would be dead by winter. Unfortunately, he was right.
Sam discovers a trove of dragon glass at Dragonstone.
While studying his new books, Sam learns the Targaryens used Dragonglass to decorate their weapons without knowing what it was used for. He comes across a map of Dragonstone, the Targaryen stronghold. He learns there's a mountain of dragonglass there and realizes he must tell Jon, who can use this resource to battle the White Walkers.
Sam meets Jorah Mormont.
While carrying out his daily cleaning tasks at the maester’s quarters, a scaly hand pops out from a slot in one of the doors - it’s Jorah Mormont's. The last time we saw him, Daenaerys sent him off, telling him to look for a cure for Greyscale. It’s likely he went straight to the Citadel, hoping to find a maester who knew a cure. “Has she come yet?” he asks Sam, looking for Daenerys. Sam says he hasn’t heard anything.
Daenerys arrives at Dragonstone.
After all the talk of Dragonstone, we finally see Daenarys arriving at the castle. She finds a Baratheon banner in the hall from the days when Stannis and his men still inhabited the castle. She tears it down. After finding the throne, she walks to the end of the map-table made by Aegon Targaryen. This is her first time home in years, but she’s not taking a breath. “Shall we begin?” she asks.
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