Folks make their peace with their gods as the Great War commences…

In an episode filled with humor and heart, we get more reunions and resolutions when Jaime arrives at Winterfell, and the final plans for taking down the Night King are made. Almost everyone – with the exceptions of Tyrion, Brienne, Jon and Bran – wants to murder his arse on sight. I have never seen a group of people so ready to shiv someone outside of an episode of Oz before in my life. It’s friggin’ great.

Jaime is a mess, trying to make his case while standing in a room full of people with their hands on their swords just waiting on Daenerys and Sansa to give the nod. Tyrion tries, he truly does, but Dany is way past fed up with him and his family both and is like, ‘No, thank you.’ So, of course, the save comes from Brienne who stands up for Jaime in front of everyone. It’s great for several reasons, the least of which is the look on Jaime’s face of, ‘I love you. My gawd. I’m an idiot for not saying this before.’ This leads to the world’s most awkward flirting as Jaime, after being given the ‘You get to live. For now.’ from Dany and Sansa, spends the entire episode mooning after Brienne and being utterly confused by Tormund’s (who is fully down for the threesome) very existence. It’s hilarious but also leads to one of the most emotionally rewarding and wonderfully, sincerely, sweet scenes this show has ever given us: The knighting of Brienne of Tarth.

Y’all. I’m not going to lie. I cried my damn eyes out during this entire scene. Everyone in it was on point but the highlight is the look of utter and pure joy that Gwendoline Christie graced us with as Brienne, finally, got shown the respect and love that she has earned and deserves – by a room full of men she respects – well. Let’s just say there was not a dry eye in this house.


Meanwhile, now that all the players are on the board, Bran lets everyone know the game plan for dealing with the Night King: use him as bait. Everyone is like, ‘…but why though?’ but Sam and Bran break it down: dude hates life. He’s been trying to destroy all of mankind down to the very memory of humanity and who holds all the memories of all of humanity? The Three Eyed Raven. The mark Bran got two seasons ago finally comes into play as it’s now confirmed that the Night King can track Bran anywhere with it so,  bait it is. Of course the Stark kids are not down with this but Bran’s like, ‘Don’t care. Move on.’ It’s kind of baller but also? It’s kind of a terrible plan. It’s also the best one they’ve got so…

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The North Remembers

Deepwood Motte is toast y’all. Lord Glover’s faithless arse got turned into a white walker. I sure hope being hung up on titles was worth it.

I wish we’d gotten more Jaime and Jon interaction but I have a feeling that’s going to come into play more after episode 3, if they both survive.

Tyrion don’t realize how close he came to getting the Littlefinger treatment and how many different ways he should be saying ‘Thank you’ to Jorah Mormont.

Speaking of, Lyanna Mormont telling Jorah where he can take his ‘you’re the future of our house’ nonsense is everything.

Watch the background of the forge scene when Arya starts throwing daggers. The one dude who clears out had me dying.

We keep getting some amazing illustrations of racism and microaggressions as Grey Worm and Missandei keep getting treated like they’re lesser by literal filthy northerners. It’s one of the most honest and subtle things this show has ever done and I didn’t think D&D had it in them. I still don’t want Confederate though. Y’all can throw that right into the sun.

I need everyone to stop saying the crypts of Winterfell are safe. It’s making me uneasy.

I have to ask, is it so hard for Dany to give up the North? Like, she was willing to let Yara be queen of the Iron Islands if she swore she’d support her, how is that different than letting Sansa be queen in the North? Why is she so hung up on this?

Speaking of, Theon makes it back to Winterfell by folding space, and as I said in the live tweet: I never thought I’d see the day that I’d cheer for Theon Greyjoy but here we are.

Tormund Giantsbane is everything good and pure in the world and must be protected at all costs.

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Finally, in the crypts of Winterfell, as Jon stands before his mother’s statue, Dany comes calling. Having spent the episode being ghosted by Jon, she’s trying to figure out what in the actual hell is happening, and assumes it’s because the Night King is coming and Jon’s family doesn’t like her. It is, and it isn’t, which Dany finds out: Jon drops the truth on her and Dany loses her shite. Listen, I love Dany. I truly do and I know I’m one of the few who does but…my gawd woman. There is an actual horde of intelligent ice zombies knocking at the front door and all you can focus on is whether Jon has the better claim to the Iron Throne? It’s not a good look to be honest and it makes me concerned about what her priorities are going to be, assuming she and Jon survive the Long Night.

Four Horns out of Five