It’s official, summer is over and winter is here. If you haven’t seen the new episode yet, get off the internet ASAP because spoilers are everywhere (including in this article).
Despite the dramatic cliffhanger that season seven finished with, there was no big battle season in the season eight premiere. Instead, tensions ran high and future rivalries were set up. It turns out that the big war is not going to be as simple as everyone vs. the White Walkers and that Cercie isn’t the only one who is less than pleased about Deanarys becoming a key player in the game of thrones.
Sansa Stark is the first potential rival of the Queen and questions Khaleesi on her decision to bring so many men to Winterfell, where supplies are low. When Sansa asks what dragons eat, Deanarys curtly replies “they eat whatever they want”. Tensions rise and throughout the rest of the episode, characters are constantly reminded that the trust of the North needs to be earned.
More worryingly, the lovely Samuel Tarwell is also set up to be an enemy of the Queen. When he discovers that she has killed his father and brother for not bending the knee, his tearful expression makes us question her rash decisions. Could it be the case that Deanarys is being driven wild with power and that she is doomed to wind up just like her father, the Mad King? Samuel certainly suspects so and consequently pledges his allegiance to Jon Snow, before revealing who his real parents are. Jon Snow is shocked after discovering that he has been lied to his whole life, but the question of what he does next is uncertain.
Other episode highlights include Theon finally getting his redeeming moment when he saves his sister, Yara Greyjoy from his uncle’s hands. The reunion between Arya and Gendry was also a delight and there seems to be hope for a possible romance between the unlikely pair.
Lastly, the episode’s ending was not what we expected. Instead of ending with a fierce confrontation with the White Walkers, the episode ends with Bran and Jamie making some pretty intense eye contact. Will Jamie, a completely changed man, finally have to answer for the crimes of his past? Regardless of what happens next, the brief moment of eye contact was a curious way to end the season 8 premiere.
Anyway, tensions are rising and we are eager not just for the epic battle between the living and the dead, but to find out whether the lords and ladies will manage to abandon their titles to protect the realm or if petty differences will get the better of them.
Entertainment For Us Winter Rating: Cloudy skies with 80% chance of rainfall.
