And it would seem that perhaps the series agrees, as two of them are killed off mere moments later, with the others captured and not likely to last much longer themselves. If Hot Pie and Nymeria were welcome sights, the reintroduction of Ellaria and the Sand Snakes likely had more than a few rolling their eyes. Having said that, if we don't see Nymeria again – likely leaping in to save Arya from trouble at the last second – it'll be a miracle. And while it's disappointing that they part ways almost immediately (seriously, not even a friendly lick or a hug?) it also makes sense: neither of them are who they were back then. It was so long ago that Arya was forced to leave her wolf behind – both in show time, and in the real world – that seeing them reunited really brings home the journey she's been on. Nymeria, too, has flourished, growing to a fearsome size, and with a pack of other wolves following in her wake. It's not often a character gets a happy ending in Game of Thrones, but Hot Pie seems happy and content, and it's nice to see someone prosper in this world. Firstly, Hot Pie, whom we could reasonably have expected to never see again, and later, her long-lost Direwolf, Nymeria. There's another long-awaited moment with a Stark girl, as Arya meets not one, but two old friends. Related: 10 Game of Thrones theories that might still come true Still, Sansa's no fool herself, and the moment Jon stops her in her tracks and leaves her in charge is deeply satisfying, and wonderfully played by Sophie Turner. The worrying thing is that he's smart enough to engineer a scenario where he'll get what he wants. Littlefinger's obsession with the Stark women has always been creepy, but he's taking it to extremes now. Up in the North, Jon Snow consolidates his alliance with Sansa by leaving her as the Stark in Winterfell as he sets off to Dragonstone, while potentially cementing a dangerous new enemy in Petyr Baelish. Great work from Jacob Anderson, in particular.
As Grey Worm finally opens up about his feelings, it's the first scene between them to truly sing, and the love scene that follows is unexpectedly tender. The series has long wanted us to be invested in their hesitant romance, but it's not until tonight that it felt like anything other than the series shoe-horning in a token relationship now that all other romantic pairings have been dissolved. Speaking of eunuchs, the episode's major triumph could well be in finally giving Grey Worm and Missandei a scene to justify their screen time.
Compared to the paragons of masculinity that once dominated this world – and series – it's a marked contrast. Tyrion is a dwarf, while Varys, Theon and Grey Worm are all various kinds of eunuch. It's also notable that, while these fearsome women are joined by several men, none of them are what the world would call complete. Now, as the end game has begun, we don't need to skip over the map to visit people – the plot has contracted, and we're at a point where they will effectively come to us.Īs such, Dany has a formidable group around her, including Yara Greyjoy, Ellaria Sand, and the always welcome Olenna Tyrell. It's striking to see so many disparate characters in one room together in what always used to be such a wide-spread series, with most figures existing only in their own far-flung corners of the world. The meagre court of Lords that Cersei is able to summon is in stark contrast to Daenerys' own war council, which boasts a host of characters we know, and strong ones to boot.
Less funny by design is Randyll Tarly, Sam's flinty father, whom Jaime recruits as his general in the war to come. Related: Every single Game of Thrones episode, ranked