Before I dive into the review for the Season 8 premiere of Game of Thrones, let’s all take a minute to appreciate that this wonderful show is back in our lives. Game of Thrones won’t be on for much longer so let’s enjoy it while it lasts. Now, we can talk about the episode 1.
Note: I’m a fan so my review of each episode comes from a fan’s perspective. I want to inform you as to what happened, but I also want to provide some entertainment in the process.
Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 1: “Winterfell”
-As expected, tonight’s episode set the table for the Battle at Winterfell, which is rumored to take place in episode 3. Everything done in the first two episodes of this season is all in preparation for the battle.
-Jon is home and he brought his girlfriend, who happens to have a huge army and two dragons! Ask yourself this. If you were living in the North, would you be happy that your “King” bent the knee to a foreigner AND invited her into your kingdom? Jon is naive thinking that Sansa and the rest of Winterfell would support his decision to bend the knee to Queen Daenerys Targaryen. As Lyanna Mormont mentioned, the people of the North elected Jon to be King, not Daenerys. Daenerys will have to prove her worth in order for the northerners to accept her.
-Reunions, reunions, and more reunions! With the Army of the Dead on the horizon, it was nice to see some heartfelt reunions before things take a turn for the worse. Jon and Bran’s hug was a bit awkward considering Bran knows that Jon is Aegon Targaryen, the true heir to the Iron Throne. Tyrion and Sansa, who were once married, had a less than pleasant conversation about their common hatred towards Cersei. However, the reunion that put a smile on my face was when Arya and Jon embraced at the heart tree.
-Sansa has evolved so much as a character. In the earlier seasons, Sansa desired to be married to a king and live a life of royalty. Now, she’s a powerful, independent leader who is about to go toe-to-toe with the Mother of Dragons.
-Arya and Gendry. Did they flirt or did they flirt? Keep a tab on this relationship. (I’m for this relationship, by the way.)
-My predictions for this season.
-In King’s Landing, Cersei is up to her manipulative ways again. When Qyburn gives news that the Night King demolished the Wall, Cersei couldn’t help but smile. Cersei’s plan is to let the Army of the Dead fight Jon, Daenerys, and the rest of the North to the death and whoever emerges victorious will take on Cersei at King’s Landing. So far, so good for this plan.
-Cersei is still cold-blooded as ever as she hires Bronn to kill her brothers, Jamie and Tyrion. In a sick twist, Cersei wants Bronn to kill her brothers with the same crossbow that Tyrion used to kill their father, Tywin. It’s not a secret that Bronn is a fan favorite. However, will that all change if he kills Jamie and Tyrion? More importantly, will Bronn be able to kill his friends?
-Speaking of villains, Euron Greyjoy’s arrogance was on full display tonight. It’s no secret that Euron wants to marry Cersei in order to become King. After acquiring the Golden Company, Euron believes that he should be rewarded for his hard work. What does he want? In his words, not mine, Euron wants to “fuck the Queen.” Well, that’s exactly what he did. Cersei knows that Euron’s fleet is far too valuable to lose so she sleeps with Euron. Brashly, Euron states his intention to “put a prince” in Cersei’s belly. Little does he know that Cersei is pregnant with Jamie’s child. As bad as Cersei is, is Euron worse?
-While Euron was getting it on with the Queen, Theon infiltrated one of the ships to rescue his sister, Yara. When Yara decides to sail back to the Iron Islands, Theon determines that his next move involves traveling Winterfell to fight alongside the Starks. I’m sure the Starks will welcome Theon with open arms and forget about the time he betrayed their family and seized Winterfell.
-Jamie seeing Bran for the first time since pushing him out of a castle and paralyzing him. Awkward…
-In my predictions, I did say that Jon would ride a dragon at some point. I did not expect his first time on a dragon would be to go on a romantic date with Daenerys. I’m sorry Daenerys, but the only one who gets to go with Jon into a cave is Ygritte.
-In the scariest scene of the episode, Tormund Giantsbane, Beric Dondarrion and Lord Commander “Dolorous” Edd Tollett received a sign from the Night King in the form of a zombie child pinned to the wall with severed limbs surrounding him. This is just a small sample of what the Night King is about to do to the Army of the Living.
-Finally, the most important sequence in tonight’s episode occurred between Jon and Samwell Tarly. Sam met Daenerys after Jorah Mormont wished to thank Sam for saving him at the Citadel. However, Sam unfortunately learned what happened to his father and brother, who were both burned alive by dragons after refusing to bend the knee to Daenerys. It’s ironic that Daenerys emphasizes that she is not like her father even though she burned innocent people to death just like the Mad King did during his reign.
Upset with Daanerys and motivated by Bran, Sam confronts Jon about what Daenerys did to his family. Sam reveals that Jon was never a bastard. Jon is the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen and his real name is Aegon Targaryen. As Sam said, Jon, not Daenerys, is the one true King of the seven kingdoms. Jon FINALLY knows his true lineage.
Oh, this also means Jon is in love with and has sex with his aunt.
Was tonight’s episode a home run? Absolutely not, but the pieces of the chessboard are moving into place. The Battle at Winterfell is coming and death will follow.
See you next week.