The Real War Begins

There’s a tradition in Game of Thrones around the penultimate episode. And it’s something all long-time viewers and fans know to be weary of. Think of “Baelor,” “The Rains of Castemere,” “The Dance of Dragons,” or “Battle of the Bastards.” People talked about it as being weary of the ninth episode of the season, but it’s really because it’s the penultimate outing.

Season seven of Game of Thrones doesn’t have nine episodes. It will only run for seven episodes. But the showrunners haven’t forgotten about the penultimate episode. “Beyond the Wall,” the penultimate episode of this shortened season, delivered another classic in the cannon of the show. And, much like other penultimate episodes, it was at turns thrilling and heart-breaking.

Earlier this Spring I saw the image above of an ice dragon. It was beautiful and captivating, and something that I couldn’t let go. At one point I even named one of my Fantasy Football dynasty league teams the Ice Dragons. But the question was whether we’d see it or not. We got that answer last night. But what I’d never considered was how it might come about. Some had theorized the ice dragons were hidden in the wall or already existed to the north. Instead, the show has chosen to show us how the ice dragon would be made, and it came at a cost.

Many fans of the show have wondered who the three dragon riders would be. Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) is certainly one, and most believe Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) would be another. But who would be the third? Well, if you’ve seen Sundays episode, you know that question is sort of academic now. Daenerys and her three dragons traveled north of the wall to rescue Jon and his ill-fated mission, but only two dragons came back.

The Night King, never one to miss a moment to strut, fired an ice spear into the heavens and through the neck of Viserion, one of Daenerys three dragons. The beast fell, perished and sank into the frozen lake. (Meanwhile, fire hot tears streamed down my cheek, and I’m man enough to admit it.)

But that wasn’t the end. In the closing moments of the Army of the Dead pulled Viserion from the bottom of the lake and the Night King worked his magic. The close of the episode was that blue eye opening above, a chilling reminder of the bigger war to come, and the fact that Daenerys, Jon and every living soul in Westeros has an impossible enemy left to defeat.

I spent a lot of time thinking about ice dragons this spring and summer, but Sundays episode made me realize you have to be careful what you wish for. And now we know that in the final six episodes in season eight, Drogon and Rhaegal will have to face a friend and brother.

Of course Viserion wasn’t the only casualty of the ill-conceived mission. Thoros of Myr (Paul Kaye) also fell along the way. That means the Lord of Light has lost another practitioner, the Brotherhood Without Banners has lost a leader and Beric Dondarrion (Richard Dormer) is likely down to his last life. While Beric survived the battle, he lost his friend and the man who’s brought him back six times.

The bigger surprise wasn’t that Thoros and Viserion died (some, including The Ringer’s Mallory Rubin, predicted a dragon would fall to the Army of the Dead last night), it was that so many survived. While a number of Wildlings were lost on the journey, none of them were named characters. Of the seven named characters that headed out into the snow, six came back. That’s not too bad. Not that it wasn’t close…

Looking To The Future

Daenerys played a big part in this week’s episode. And obviously her action scenes North of the Wall, and her exchanges with Jon were really key (more on that last part in a bit). But it was a conversation with Tyrion (Peter Dinkledge) that is most fascinating. Tyrion spoke for the audience in suggesting that Jon is interested in more than a strategic alliance with Daenerys (again, something confirmed at the end), but that led him to push her on the idea of legacy. Daenerys bristled at the notion, but it is a question worth considering moving forward. And one that reminds me of a scene we saw in season two, when Daenerys had a vision of the Wall.

At the time, it was hard to know what to make of it. But, essentially, Daenerys sees the wall, goes through it and beyond the wall sees Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa) and her dead son. Some have posited that it’s an indication that Daenerys might not survive the war against the dead. When questions like the one Tyrion posed about what would happen if she fell, it’s hard not to wonder if we’re getting a touch of foreshadowing, especially since she’s now committed to the cause of fighting the Army of the Dead.

But it wasn’t only Daenerys that was confronted with some hard truths. In the fourth episode, while in the cave, Daenerys challenged Jon to bend the knee, and he again refused. But some of her comments to Jon mirrored the argument Jon made to Mance Rayder (Ciaran Hinds) when asking him to kneel for Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane). That was something that didn’t escape the notice of fans, and something that was addressed clearly in this episode.

Tormund (Kristofer Hivju) fought with Mance, and has become a close friend and confidant for Jon. When discussing Daenerys proposal, Tormund mentioned a hard truth about Mance and his refusal to kneel. He suggested that many Wildlings suffered for Mance’s pride. It’s hard to imagine that didn’t play a role in Jon’s overture to Daenerys at the end of the episode.

Another scene I loved out in the wilds to the north was the short exchange between Jon and Beric, someone who is uniquely positioned to understand Jon’s personal struggles. We’ve seen Jon struggle with the burden of his resurrection, and what it means. He often appears as though he’s carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders and waiting for death to take him again. There was a moment during the Battle of the Bastards that was quite unsettling, and some have suggested Jon seems depressed. Beric, who has come back many times, understands the struggle to understand the purpose of the gift they’ve been given. And he seemed to present a unique perspective to Jon on the “real enemy,” saying, “Death is the enemy. The first enemy and the last. The enemy always wins and we still need to fight him.”

I am curious to see if we get a little change in Jon after his time to the North. I also enjoyed his exchange with Jorah (Iain Glen). Jon nobly offered Jorah his family sword, which was declined. But their discussion about family and honor was a nice touch (one of many in this episode).

A Future Union

Early in the episode, as mentioned above, Tyrion suggested that Jon cared for Daenerys. In earlier episodes, Ser Davos (Liam Cunningham) made a similar comment to Jon about his feelings for Daenerys. But last night, we saw that reciprocated. Even Daenerys’ comments about heroes, was telling. She cares for Jon, but she’s worried about the path he’s on. And the look on her face when she saw him riding toward the wall was telling.

So, too, was her expression when seeing Jon tended to by Davos on the ship, and seeing the scare near his heart. Daenerys has been curious about the comments surrounding Jon being stabbed, but seeing the truth was eye-opening. In their short time together, both have come to understand and respect each other, which was evident last night. It’s interesting because, as fans, we’ve longed for them to meet. Through six seasons we’ve gotten to know both as characters and become invested in them to the point that it was easy to forget that they would have been weary of each other at first.

But that outward protection has melted away. Jon, after hearing what he needed to hear from Tormund, pledged support to Daenerys. And Daenerys, after seeing the Army of the Dead and the true depth of Jon’s sacrifice, understands his passion and concern. They are finally united in mission, vision and understanding.

And those lingering looks and hand holding suggest they’ll be united in another way before long, something I expect to be re-visited in the season finale. The question remains whether Jon will learn his true identity first, and how that might change this budding romance.

Advancing the Plot

While the best and most important parts of “Beyond the Wall” took place in the north, or with Daenerys and Jon, that wasn’t the whole episode. We again got some exchanges between Sansa (Sophie Turner) and Arya (Maisie Williams), and let’s just say things aren’t warm and fuzzy. These two have never been tight, and time and experience have possibly furthered the divide. I have been on record as saying I don’t think Arya really has this strong animosity toward her sister, and I think it’s part of a ruse. I still do.

But last night’s episode featured some very tense scenes. First, Arya called Sansa out on the battlements for her note. This was clearly what Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen) wanted when he allowed Arya to find the note. Later, Arya questioned Sansa’s motivations and loyalty to their “brother” Jon, making what seemed like a pretty obvious threat. Sansa, in turn, didn’t take the exchange well. But what is it all leading to?

I don’t expect Arya to kill her sister. That seems like it would be too cruel and out of character, even for the icy assassin Arya has become. I would also be disappointed if she really can’t see she’s being played. Some have suggested Arya is doing all this to toughen Sansa up, and that it might be Sansa that kills Littlefinger. While it’s possible, I don’t buy it. I think it’s part of a long game, one that isn’t totally clear right now. But I have a feeling that, with so much else that must be done, we’ll get closure on this one way or another in the season finale.

The Wars to Come

Well, it’s hard to believe, but we’ve reached the end of season seven. We have just one (super long) episode remaining. Then the long winter begins. Season eight production begins in October, meaning that it’s possible we would get a final season next November, but more likely HBO will launch it in 2019. So we’ll have plenty of time to ruminate on the events of this finale and what will happen in those final six episodes.

But, before we get there next Monday, it’s time for some fearless predictions for the close of season seven. We know that all the key players are coming together, but this is an 80-minute episode, and there’s lots to do, so I doubt that’s all. Also, I doubt we’re done seeing people and characters die. Here’s a few fearless predictions.

• I have talked about a Stark reunion (Jon and the other three), and so far the show has denied us. The previews for the finale would look to keep that going. But I still believe in my heart we get it. And given the ease of travel in these recent seasons, I think Jon could be in King’s Landing to start the episode and the frozen north by the end. Which leads me to…
• Jon finds out about his parentage. In episode three Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) said he needed to talk to Jon. We all need him to talk to Jon. I think it happens.
• The Hound (Rory McCann) and The Mountain (Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson) will cross paths. Many believe we see Clegane Bowl in this episode. I’m not totally sure, but something certainly needs to happen.
• Cersei (Lena Headey) and Jamie (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) live to see season eight. I think, at this point, that final confrontation is not happening this season.
• Littlefinger meets his end. As I said, I don’t believe that Arya is getting played and I think in the finale we get some resolution. Littlefinger’s played his role, and I think it’s time for that to end.
• The wall crumbles. The real war is about to begin, and I think the image we’re left with is the Army of the Dead with a pathway to the land of the living.

That’s it for this week. Have thoughts, a favorite scene or predictions? Hit me up in the comments.