Here we are again. Another week. Another hour. So much to unpack in so little time. Just beware: this article is dark and full of spoilers. If you haven’t had the chance to watch episode two just yet, what are you waiting for? There’s quite literally an apocalypse upon us. Okay, it’s only upon our favorite characters, but it feels the same!
image via vulture
Let’s start with Jaime’s trial that opened last night’s episode. Daenerys was fierce as always, facing down the man who killed her father and kickstarted Robert’s rebellion. Sansa chimes in with the fact that he also attacked her father in the middle of King’s Landing, and Bran casually sits back and reminds Jaime of “the things we do for love.” This isn’t the first time Bran will troll Jaime, but it was my favorite moment of the whole episode. Personally, I think Jaime got off a little too easy. I mean all Brienne had to do was stand by his side and that was enough for Lady Sansa and Lord Snow. Did I want Jaime thrown in a cell or sentenced to death? No, but I mean…he did kill Aeryes Targaryen and pushed a young boy out the window. Are we really just going to forget about that? Well….
image via Daily mail
Let’s skip ahead to the scene where Jaime approaches Bran under the Weirwood tree. It’s fantastic and full of epic Bran-ness. Jaime can’t help but wonder why Bran wouldn’t tell the council that it was he who tossed him out the window. Truthfully, neither can I. For one, it definitely would have ensured Jaime’s immediate death, and that’s exactly what Bran is trying to avoid. One more fighter is huge in the battle against the dead. When Jaime asks what Bran will tell them after the battle, Bran’s response shook Jaime to the core: “How do you know there is an afterwards?” Excuse me? Does this mean everyone dies? Jaime dies? Does the world come to a crashing end? We were promised six episodes, HBO, what are you getting at? Don’t worry, we have to remember Bran’s ability to look into the future isn’t perfect. The future is always changing, and Bran is still a newbie Three-Eyed Raven. At least this is what I’m going to keep telling myself.
image via harper’s bazaar
Let’s switch gears to talk about everyone’s favorite warrior: Arya Stark. There is no doubt she is completely badass, but let’s talk about how we see her become more human in this episode. At the beginning, she has a mini-interaction with Gendry, where she is once again talking about her weapon she wants him to build. She’s also trying to get any and all information he has on these zombie creatures. She doesn’t come off scared, throwing knives into a wall all perfectly aligned. Let’s face it: my money is on her to survive this thing. Later though, we see her practicing her shot with a bow. This comes shortly after admitting she doesn’t want to spend her last hours with the Hound and Beric, drinking on the wall overlooking Winterfell. I mean, I don’t blame her. This is the first time we see Arya actually face the fact that she might die. Seeing her practicing her shot is the first time we see her nervous. We’ve never seen her practice, only train. She takes this a step further when she approaches Gendry about finding out what sex is like before dying. She is clearly accepting death as a possibility, something we haven’t seen from her ever.
image via the asian age
Arya and Gendry has been a ship I’ve been waiting to see sail since season two and she admits she wants to be his family, and he basically says she would be his wife. Last night, the chemistry just exploded between them. It was everything I ever needed out of this pairing. Gendry notices the scars on Arya’s body and realizes she isn’t the lady he wants her to be, and Arya’s attitude is red hot as ever. Not all viewers loved it, but there have been countless channels and videos dedicated to this pairing long before we ever got to the eighth season. Let’s face it: this is huge for both the characters and fans. Not only do we get to see one of the most consensual sex scenes in the entire series, we get to see Arya finally take on human qualities.
image via reddit
Jaime also becomes more human in this episode, always growing on us to like him more and more. After basically being told by Bran he’s going to die, he approaches Brienne and pledges to fight under her command. This becomes one of the biggest episodes for Brienne, and I absolutely love how things turn out for her. After Tormund shows up, he is immediately taken with her again. He sets out to immediately get on her good side. When they are gathered in front of the hearth in Winterfell with Jaime, Tyrion, and Davoos, Tormund decides to go into great detail on how he got his name Gianstbane. Let me tell you, I thought this story was going to go an entirely different way, not that this story was all that glamorous.
image via vanity fair
It made for great comic relief, however, as the rest of the episode is spent gearing up for inevitable death. The scenes in front of this hearth seem more like power struggles between Tormund and Jaime than anything else. The two keep trying to beat out the other one for her respect and admiration, which can only end up making Brienne happy. When Tormund says that he would knight her ten times over if he were king, Jaime comes in with the “well, actually…” As a knight himself, Jaime has the power to knight others. He wastes no time bestowing that honor upon Brienne, or, should we say, Sir Brienne. If you weren’t floored by this scene, you really have no idea what a powerful moment this is in world like West Eros. Women aren’t knights, they don’t inherit thrones. It makes this moment so special and significant for Brienne, who has been fighting and protecting as a knight since we meet her in season two.
image via trensmap
One thing is certain: this was not a great episode for Daenerys. We already know that Jon Snow is really Aegon Targaryen, but Daenerys doesn’t have this bit of information yet. She believes she is the one still destined to be on the Iron Throne after it was usurped from her father. In her conversation with Sansa, she makes it apparent that she wants them to get along but that she is not willing to give up power over the North. Her hand, Tyrion, doesn’t seems to be making mistakes he hasn’t made earlier in their relationship. She feels Jon putting a divide between them, and the people of the North still don’t respect her.
Things don’t even seem so bad until she follows Jon into the crypts of Winterfell in front of Lyanna Stark. Daenerys, like many people, is still under the impression that though her brother Rhaegar was said to be this great man he still raped Lyanna. What other choice does Jon have than to reveal the whole truth? Daenerys is skeptical that the only two people who know the truth are Jon’s brother and best friend. Well, anyone at the Citadel would know the truth if they bothered to open up that can of worms. Even so, Daenerys is more upset by the fact that this makes him the male heir, therefore the true heir. I can only wonder at the fact that why neither of these two seem to discuss the fact that they were each hooking up with a close relative. This is all I could think about, but all they care about is a throne? How is that the biggest concern here? Truth be told, incest is nothing new in the Targaryen family, so I still don’t see a problem if this is something they want to do. Neither technically has to kill the other, but it would make for a much more interesting season.
image via insider
Of course there are other things in this episode that made us happy and sad cry. When a little girl approaches Davos for soup, you can easily see she has the same scars as Shireen Baratheon. Davos was extremely close to this little girl, and you can see that tenderness in him as he serves her. We once again see Gilly, preparing the women and children to hide away in the crypts when the battle begins. Sam gives Jorah Mormont his father’s sword, Heartsbane, because Sam knows he is unable to defend anyone but Jorah can. Grey Worm and Missandei have a moment discussing what they will do after the battle is over, filled with emotion and love.
What scares me so much about all of this? They keep saying the crypt is the safest place in Winterfell. They say it every time the issue of the crypts comes up. Are they forgetting the crypt is filled with dead bodies? Are they forgetting that the wights are dead bodies risen again to hunt the living? There aren’t even rules regarding how far or close the Night King can be to revive the dead bodies for his army. If I was in Winterfell, the last place I would want to be is in the crypts. Place me in the highest tower, or better yet send me back with Yara Greyjoy.
image via business insider nordic
Next week is the big one. It is the Battle of Winterfell, during which the dead and the living will meet in what is expected to be the most explosive battle of the entire series. It will be the longest episode of the season, going over eighty minutes. People will die, so I think the safer question is who will live? One thing we didn’t see in this episode is where is Bronn? He was sent North to kill Jaime and Tyrion, but will he get there in time to help these two in the battle against the dead? Will he get there at all? We saw the battle plans being set up after Tormund, Beric, and Edd return to give Jon the news that the dead will be upon them by dawn. Bran will try to attract the Night King to under the Weirwood, while they all continue to build pits of fire and weapons of dragon glass. Don’t forget, if you kill the Night King you kill those in his dead army. It will be interesting to see how much the dragon glass and Valyrian steel help in this epic battle.
