Game of Thrones, “Winterfell”, Review!

Winter is here!  Daenerys Targaryen, who has brought her Dothraki and Unsullied armies, and has formed an alliance with Cersei Lannister, taking rule of Kings Landing.  She hopes to take on the unstoppable hordes of White Walkers, wights, and others led by the Night King!  Her dragon, Viserion, was lost in an attack on the Night King.  His army has brought down the Wall with Viserion and is heading south!  The opening has the Wall shattered by the dragon with the ice slowly crawling forwards. The folding out opening doesn't pass overhead of all of the kingdoms, it enters their halls.  It ends with the Iron Throne!  The episode was directed by David Nutter and written by Dave Hill.  A boy runs across an icy castle.  He sees the spears of marching soldiers and Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) smiles.  He climbs up a tree to see the army marching.  Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) and Jon Snow (Kit Harington), whom we found out was Targaryen, ride into Winterfell.  He passes Arya.   Then, there is the Hound, Sandor Clegane (Rory McCann) riding up with Gendry (Joe Dempsie), an unknown son of King Baratheon.  In a carriage is Tyrion Lannister and Lord Varys (Conleth Hill), Tyrion jokes with Varys, then Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel) and Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson).  Jon tells Dany he warned her.  Two dragons pass over Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) at the Winterfell, home to the Starks.  Jon rides up to see Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) overjoyed to see him grown.  Then, he goes to embrace Sansa and wants to see Arya.  This reunion really brings it all full circle to season one.  Daenrys meets with Sansa who gives her Winterfell.  Bran tells Dany that the Night King has Viserion.  

GAME OF THRONES -- “Winterfell” -- Emilia Clarke -- Helen Sloan/HBO. 

Sansa has brought all of her armies.  Jon says that ravens are to bring the Night’s Watch.  Jon Snow was made King of the North, but he says he gave up his crown to keep the North.  Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) sits with Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham).  Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) vouches for Jon Snow and says there is a great army and two dragons.  Sansa says that she may not be able to feed this army.  Supplies are carried out.  Tyrion greets Sansa as the Lady of Winterfell.  He mentions she is his wife.  Sansa doubts that Cersei will keep to her promise of bringing her armies.  Tyrion looks at Bran.  Jon is at the tree and then sees Arya who hugs him.  We have waited years for this moment.  She shows him her sword, Needle, and says she used it.  He takes out his sword, Longclaw, for her.  Jon says he needed her help.  Kings Landing, Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) is given the report by the Hand, Qyburn (Anton Lesser) that Night King’s armies have breached the wall as ships from the Iron Fleet approach.  Euron Greyjoy (Pilou Asbaek) has brought his army.  In the ship’s hold is Yara Greyjoy (Gemma Whelan) tied to a post, Euron holds it over her.  She says he is on the losing side.  Euron tells Queen Cersei on the Iron Throne there is 20,000 men in the army, but not the elephants she expected.  He wants a private meeting with the queen as the Mountain risen from the dead stands guard.  Cersei walks away from his suggestion of meeting with her.  She acknowledges him and he follows her.  

GAME OF THRONES -- “Winterfell” -- Kit Harington -- Helen Sloan/HBO. 

Three women are undressing talking with Bronn (Jerome Flynn) about the dragons.  He is interrupted by Qyburn with a summons by the queen.  He is told there are several wagons of gold to be sent after Jaime Lannister who she thinks betryaed her with the crossbow that killed her father.  Starts to dress and he asks about King Robert Baratheon.  She says she likes his arrogance.  Arrows kill men on a ship and Yara Greyjoy is freed by Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen), her brother, who kills her guard with an axe to the head.  She headbuts him and then pulls him up.  Three ships are sailing and Theon wants to head north, but follows his sister back to the Iron Islands which she says the dead can’t go.  She sends him to fight with the Starks.  A caravan of supplies reaches Winterfell, it is the Karstarks.  Davos talks with Varys and Tyrion.  He mentions a proposal.  Dany walks with Jon and she mentions Sansa’s dislike.  Dothraki riders report the animals eaten by the dragons. Daenerys worried about them and their lack of appetite.  She mounts her dragon, Drogon, and she tells Jon to mount the other.  He of course gets on it since he is part Targaryen.  His dragon, Rhaegal, takes flight and Dany joins him.  Jon is unsteady and Daenerys takes the lead.  Jon is no dragonrider yet and they move through snowy canyons.  The dragons land and Dany sees an icy waterfall.  They kiss.  Not exactly romantic with the Luke and Leia connection.  

At a forge, Gendry is working making an axe with a dragonglass blade for the Hound, Arya meets again with the Hound.  Dragonglass can destroy the White Walkers.  She shows Gendry a drawing of a weapon of Valyrian steel.  Sansa’s chambers, she tells Jon Snow that one lord has turned away their request.  He tells her sternly that without Daenerys they will lose against the Night King.  She asks him if she loves Dany.  Daenerys enters with Ser Jorah Monmount (Iain Glen), loyal knight to Dany, and meets with Samwell Tarly (John Bradley).  She thanks Sam for saving Ser Jorah.  He says he needs a pardon for borrowing things from House Tarly.  Dany tells Sam that his father, Randal Tarly, refused to bend the knee to her with his son.  Sam starts to cry for his family.  He is lord of House Tarly!  Sam asks for his leave and sees Bran who tells him Jon must be told of his true family.  Jon is paying his respects to his father, Eddard Stark, at his family’s tomb and Sam stumbles in.  He didn’t know about Sam’s family.  Sam reveals Jon is Aegon Targaryen, the true king of the Seven Kingdoms.  His mother was Lyanna Stark and his father was Rhaegar Targaryen.  Jon thinks his father betrayed him, but Sam says he swore to protect him.  The snowy remains of a deserted castle, the Last Hearth, Tormund Giantsbane (Kristofer Hivju) draws his sword, and Berric Dondarrion (Richard Dormer), with the survivors of the Night’s Watch.  They hear footsteps and meet with other Night’s Watch soldiers.  A boy, Ned Umber (Harry Grasby), is pinned to the wall along with limbs in a spiral, a message from the Night King!  He starts screaming, he is a wight,! Berric with the flaming sword burns him and the limbs into a fiery symbol.  The supply train moves into Winterfell and a rider dismounts, it is Jaime Lannister (Nikolah Coster-Waldau), and he sees Bran Stark, the boy he crippled by throwing him off of a tower in Winterfell!  Powerful acting for each actor and a great build up from the first episode to this one!    

Five Shards of Dragonglass out of Five!       

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