The episode "Winterfell" was a tad underwhelming as audience expectations were high post the mediocre penultimate season which saw the characters travel the continent of Westeros at logic defying speed. Please turn away if you haven't yet watched it. There are spoilers in this article.
It will always be remembered as the one with the reveal, the reunions, the new opening sequence and plenty of throwbacks to the series premiere "Winter is Coming."
"Winterfell" reminded causal viewers of scenes from The pilot episode where a young boy runs to the crowd and Arya is missing from the welcoming party within Winterfell. Where a ruler from the south is making their way north and is welcomed in the courtyard of Winterfell. Unlike season 1 though Arya doesn't show up for the welcome just in time and no one can do a thing about it.
Opening sequence
The new opening sequence features the astrolabe with a white background, the wall, the last hearth, Winterfell, the Godswood and King's Landing. The throne room makes it's first appearance in the opening sequence. The absence of Pyke is telling and based on the events of the first episode we may have possibly seen the last of Yara Greyjoy.
The Reveal
Jon Snow has been informed that he actually is a Targaryen, but that was the last we saw of his character for the episode. He seemed to be overwhelmed but hopefully he knows something and manages to join the pieces and find out how he was successfully able touch the dragons without getting incinerated and even ride Rhaegal in the scene I like to call 'How to Train your Dragon 4: The Secret Targaryen's first flight.'
The Reunions
Right from the opening scene it became abundantly clear that the episode was going to focus on getting those long awaited reunions and first meetings out of the way. So much so that the Night King and his army of the dead were not even on screen save for the one wight at the end.
The lack of close ups in the scene where Arya spots Jon, Sandor Clegane and Gendry among the crowd is telling. Here most people will say that the scene was from Arya's point of view and she managed to spot these characters from among the crowd, but what about the audiences who have just tuned in to the final season due to its hype. Just like how people showed up only to watch the final Harry Potter movie.
A close up on either on the characters would have shown everyone that these characters matter from Arya's perspective as well as show the new audiences who don't see it fit to watch the previous 67 episodes that these characters are different from the rest of the soldiers.
The arrival of Jon and Dany isn't grand on its own and requires the dragons to swoop in and make the save just as they have been doing ever since the tv show went ahead of the books.
Other reunions include Sansa and Tyrion Lannister (who is grossly underused in the episode)
His plans seem to be all over the place and we earnestly hope that the show brings back the man who drinks and knows things.
Just when we though that the reunions were done, Jaime Lannister arrives in Winterfell only to be met by none other than Bran Stark who was "waiting for an old friend." This is similar to the final scene of the series premiere way back in 2011 when Kingsguard Jaime Lannister throws young Brandon Stark from the tower to close out the episode.
Best part of the episode
Bran being Bran
He is still just sitting there always at the right place at the right time and being extremely creepy. His 3 scenes (the one where he tells Daenaerys that they have no time, the one where he tells Sam that he must tell Jon the truth and the one where he meets his "old friend") are the ones that will be remembered for long time.
The episode also saw action in King's Landing and the introduction of the Golden Company. Cersei was drinking wine, something which she had refused to do so in the previous season as she was "pregnant?" We can see that it was Machiavellianism and I feel stupid for letting it surprise me, as after 7 seasons one can come to expect Machiavellian behaviour to be the norm from the Lion Queen.
People who say that the show is galloping ahead with too many reveals and reunions happening in a single episode should refrain from speaking as when else will all these reunions happen.
There are just 5 episodes left and there are so many battles still to come which makes it good that these reunions are out of the way.
We didn't seen our main antagonist in this episode, but we know that he is moving south. With all these reunions and reveals out of the way all the pieces are in place in the giant chessboard of the North and just 5 episodes remaining one can expect the pace to pick up as the battle finally begins.
It will always be remembered as the one with the reveal, the reunions, the new opening sequence and plenty of throwbacks to the series premiere "Winter is Coming."
"Winterfell" reminded causal viewers of scenes from The pilot episode where a young boy runs to the crowd and Arya is missing from the welcoming party within Winterfell. Where a ruler from the south is making their way north and is welcomed in the courtyard of Winterfell. Unlike season 1 though Arya doesn't show up for the welcome just in time and no one can do a thing about it.
Opening sequence
The new opening sequence features the astrolabe with a white background, the wall, the last hearth, Winterfell, the Godswood and King's Landing. The throne room makes it's first appearance in the opening sequence. The absence of Pyke is telling and based on the events of the first episode we may have possibly seen the last of Yara Greyjoy.
The Reveal
Jon Snow has been informed that he actually is a Targaryen, but that was the last we saw of his character for the episode. He seemed to be overwhelmed but hopefully he knows something and manages to join the pieces and find out how he was successfully able touch the dragons without getting incinerated and even ride Rhaegal in the scene I like to call 'How to Train your Dragon 4: The Secret Targaryen's first flight.'
The Reunions
Right from the opening scene it became abundantly clear that the episode was going to focus on getting those long awaited reunions and first meetings out of the way. So much so that the Night King and his army of the dead were not even on screen save for the one wight at the end.
The lack of close ups in the scene where Arya spots Jon, Sandor Clegane and Gendry among the crowd is telling. Here most people will say that the scene was from Arya's point of view and she managed to spot these characters from among the crowd, but what about the audiences who have just tuned in to the final season due to its hype. Just like how people showed up only to watch the final Harry Potter movie.
A close up on either on the characters would have shown everyone that these characters matter from Arya's perspective as well as show the new audiences who don't see it fit to watch the previous 67 episodes that these characters are different from the rest of the soldiers.
The arrival of Jon and Dany isn't grand on its own and requires the dragons to swoop in and make the save just as they have been doing ever since the tv show went ahead of the books.
Other reunions include Sansa and Tyrion Lannister (who is grossly underused in the episode)
His plans seem to be all over the place and we earnestly hope that the show brings back the man who drinks and knows things.
Just when we though that the reunions were done, Jaime Lannister arrives in Winterfell only to be met by none other than Bran Stark who was "waiting for an old friend." This is similar to the final scene of the series premiere way back in 2011 when Kingsguard Jaime Lannister throws young Brandon Stark from the tower to close out the episode.
Best part of the episode
Bran being Bran
He is still just sitting there always at the right place at the right time and being extremely creepy. His 3 scenes (the one where he tells Daenaerys that they have no time, the one where he tells Sam that he must tell Jon the truth and the one where he meets his "old friend") are the ones that will be remembered for long time.
The episode also saw action in King's Landing and the introduction of the Golden Company. Cersei was drinking wine, something which she had refused to do so in the previous season as she was "pregnant?" We can see that it was Machiavellianism and I feel stupid for letting it surprise me, as after 7 seasons one can come to expect Machiavellian behaviour to be the norm from the Lion Queen.
People who say that the show is galloping ahead with too many reveals and reunions happening in a single episode should refrain from speaking as when else will all these reunions happen.
There are just 5 episodes left and there are so many battles still to come which makes it good that these reunions are out of the way.
We didn't seen our main antagonist in this episode, but we know that he is moving south. With all these reunions and reveals out of the way all the pieces are in place in the giant chessboard of the North and just 5 episodes remaining one can expect the pace to pick up as the battle finally begins.
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