In “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” Team Stark and allies makes plans for how to fight the Night King because WINTER IS HERE. Read our review of the latest Game of Thrones!
This week’s Game of Thrones episode felt very much like the calm before the storm. As Katie mentioned last week, now that we’re in the final act of the series, most of our fave (and not so fave) characters have arrived at Winterfell, prepared to defend humanity against the Army of the Dead. In “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” we see Team Stark and allies derive plans for how to fight the Night King. This was coupled with more reunions, more big reveals, and even more fear for who will not survive.
“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” opens with Dany telling a story… Does Jaime really think he’s going to be able to roll up into Winterfell, nice and easy? He stands before court at Winterfell and Dany shares how she and Viserys would reassure each other as children with stories of how they would exact revenge on the person who killed their father. Sup Kingslayer!
Interestingly, Jaime doesn’t apologize. What he did, he did in service of his family, like everyone sitting in that room. Bran/Three-Eyed Raven cosigns: “The things we do for love…”
Jaime is so shook in this moment! Like:
1. Will Bran tell everyone that Jaime pushed him out of the tower all those years ago?
2. Why does it feel like Bran knows allllllll of Jaime’s secrets, including his love for Cersei?
Well, at least Jaime brings the truth about Cersei’s betrayal. She doesn’t have plans to send the Lannister forces to join in the fight against the Night King… she will bide her time and rally her forces (with Euron and the Golden Company from Essos… no elephants *snort*) to defend her hold on King’s Landing. Clearly, Cersei can’t be trusted, and it seems everybody but Tyrion and Dany know it. Well, at least Jaime is there to fight…right?
Dany and Sansa are quick to shut down Jaime’s offer, but Brienne defends him. She tells Court about how Jaime saved her from being raped; he’s the one who provided the resources for Brienne to ride to find Sansa, in fulfillment of his oath to Caitlin. Sansa pauses:
S: “You vouch for him?”
B: “I do.”
S: “You would fight beside him?”
B: “I would.”
Welps, Sansa trusts Brienne with her life and says as much. Dany and Jon agree with Sansa’s judgement, and Jaime is allowed to stay. *INSERT “IT’S HANDLED” GIF*
Afterwards, Jaime confronts Bran while he’s in the Godswood, and tries to apologize:
J: “You’re not angry at me?”
B: “I’m not angry at anyone.”
Such an interesting conversation between Bran and Jaime! Because, ultimately, Bran says that Jaime pushing him out of the tower is the catalyst that brought them to this point, in this place, exactly as they now are.
Later on, Jaime and Tyrion get to have a reunion. They discuss the potential of their deaths, with Tyrion saying that he always thought he would die as an 80 year old, with a girl’s mouth around his cock. Lovely. Ugh. Anyway:
Tyrion: “At least Cersei won’t get to murder me…”
Ummmm, if only they knew that Bron is coming for both of y’all Lannister brothers.
Tyrion also gets to witness the Jaime/Brienne angst, as they watch her prepare her forces to defend Winterfell’s left flank.
Jaime approaches Brienne as she’s watching Pod teach a youngster how to swordfight. Ah, the student has become the teacher. But Jaime takes the chance to make his offer:
“I’m not the fighter I used to be. But I’d be honored to fight under your command, if you’ll have me.”
WOW.
Elsewhere, Gendry is hard at work forging dragonglass weapons, and apparently hasn’t had time to work on Arya’s project. When she asks him about her weapon, Gendry tries to talk her out of fighting. But Arya let’s him know in her quiet, self-assured way:
“I know Death. He’s got many faces. I look forward to seeing this one.”
As she effortlessly aims and throws three daggers all at the same point on the wall. Dear Gendry, please stop with the underestimating of Arya’s skills! Gendry promises to get to work on Arya’s weapon.
Shifting to Dany, she’s still very upset with this situation. How could Tyrion not see through Cersei’s deception? He’s supposed to be a wise counselor and if Tyrion serve her in this capacity, Dany suggests that she might appoint a new Hand. While she reflects alone, Jorah offers some advice. He convinces Dany that she needs someone like Tyrion by her side to reclaim the Iron Throne–surprising, because we always though Jorah would end up being Dany’s Hand. Tyrion will learn from his mistakes, so Dany should forgive him. Jorah also makes one more suggestion: that she should try to befriend Sansa.
Dany goes to Sansa and confronts Sansa about her mistrust. They seem to bond over the complexities of family and both being women in leadership positions. But Sansa does admit that she’s concerned that Dany might take advantage of the fact that Jon loves her. But Dany turns that on its head. For as long as she can remember, her goal has been to take back the Iron Throne. Yet, instead of King’s Landing, she’s at Winterfell fighting Jon’s war. Who has manipulated whom? Sansa and Dany share a laugh over that… but it’s short-lived. When it’s all said and done and Dany is Queen, what happens to the North? Things get really tense again.
But Sansa and Dany are interrupted by another arrival. Theon has come to Winterfell with news that Yara is off to reclaim the Iron Islands in Dany’s name. But he’s here to fight and asks for Sansa’s permission. She runs to hug him, and I totally am not expecting that. I mean, if anyone knows the pain Sansa suffered at Ramsay’s hands, it’s Theon. And, of course, Theon helps Sansa escape. If Sansa can forgive Theon, I guess I can move on from my resentment… but I’m not really sure if I appreciate the subtle shipping of these two from the writers.
As people from the surrounding area continue to converge on Winterfell, Tormund and the Night’s Watch also arrive. They bring news of the Night King breaching the Wall. The Army of the Dead should arrive before the sun comes up tomorrow.
Team Stark and Co. convene to discuss this news. Bran seems to know what the Night King is after. Him: “He wants to erase this world. And I am its memory.”
So the plan? Kill the Night King, destroy the Army of the Dead. Theon promises that he and the Ironborn will protect Bran as he awaits the Night King in the Godswood… the bait.
The group breaks up and they all go their separate ways to enjoy what little time they have.
Bran tells Tyrion his story.
Greyworm and Missandei making plans for the future. When Dany takes the Iron Throne, they’ll return to her home, Naath.
M: “My people are peaceful. We cannot protect ourselves.”
G: “My people are not peaceful. We will protect you.”
Me: *SWOOOOOOOOON*
Arya gets tired of spending time with the Hound and Dondarrion, two old men. As she’s practicing her archery, Gendry brings her the new weapon. Arya questions Gendry about his experience with Melisandre… his other sexual experiences. Yep, Arya has decided to live a little. If these are her final hours, she better experience sex beforehand. Gendry is going to fulfill that need. The scene is highly unexpected, but I’ve wanted that ship to sail for awhile, so *EXCITE*
Brienne, Tormund, Pod, Tyrion, Davos, and Jaime sit together drinking ale in front of the fire. Tyrion and Jaime reminisce about how Tywin would love *cough*HATE*cough* how his two sons are at WInterfell, prepared to defend it.
Tormund shares the story of how he became Giantsbane: by nursing and drinking milk from a Giantess. OMG. Then he asks about why Brienne isn’t a knight:
B: “Women can’t be knights.”
T: “Why?”
B: “Tradition.”
T: “Fuck tradition!”
YAS, because Tormund is all of us!!! Then Jaime totally elevates the scene by knighting Brienne, right then and there, in the name of the Warrior, Father, and Mother. The smile of Brienne’s face as the others cheer her, a new knight of the Seven Kingdoms, is GLORIOUS.
Jorah tries to convince Lyanna to stay in the crypt, she patently refuses while saucily telling Jorah about himself. But seriously. Lyanna Mormont must be protected! Samwell intervenes to give Jorah the Tarly family Valyrian sword, Heartsbane.
P.S. Is the crypt, with all those dead bodies, really the best place for folks to be when the Night King arrives??? I’ve said what I’ve said.
During the episode, Jon has been reeling from Samwell’s reveal that he is the Targaryen heir, and has been avoiding Dany as a consequence. Dany comes to him as he in the crypt before his mother’s statue… and Jon reveals everything. That Rhaegar and Lyanna were married; that Lyanna had a son before she died, a son that Ned Stark claimed as his bastard to protect from Robert Baratheon; that he is the son, Aegon Targaryen. Dany is verrrrrrry skeptical of Jon, and angry. Isn’t it convenient that, just as she’s closest to taking the Iron Throne, a male, Targaryen heir makes himself known. Or… maybe Dany does believe him, which feels even worse. And scary. YIKES.
In any event, by the end of the episode, the Army of the Dead has arrived. Any calm has ended, and the Winter storm is truly here.
Game of Thrones airs Sundays on HBO at 9/8c. Make sure to live tweet with us!