*Contains spoilers*
One of the most powerful moments in the first episode of Season 7 of Game of Thrones belongs to Sansa. She is the lady in Winterfell now, and has just questioned the decision of cousin (of course, she doesn’t know yet) and King in the North, Jon Snow, amidst all the Lords and Ladies. Littlefinger, who smiles his rather knowing smile at this, accosts her as she watches Brienne and Pod training in the yard. Sansa, perfectly groomed and primed to turn the next player in the big game, forestalls Lord Baelish. You don’t always have to seize the last word, Lord Baelish, she says, without sparing him a glance. “I’ll assume it was something clever.”
Then, she turns to Jon Snow, and berates him in a sisterly fashion. “You are good at ruling, but you need to be smarter than Father and Robb. They were good, and they lost their heads for it.”
It’s Sansa who has had Cersei for a teacher.
She’s not the only one who is visibly wiser, though.
When ‘Dragonstone’ begins, Lord Walder Frey is seen holding a grand feast for all his men. Every one of them is relishing good meat, and drinking the finest of wines. The finest Arbor Gold for heroes, says Frey. The heroes who slew a pregnant woman, and a mother of five.
Only, it isn’t wine.
And it’s something much worse than “Dornish horse piss”.
“Leave one wolf alive and the sheep are never safe,” he says. That’s really when it begins to dawn on the Frey crowd that something is wrong, indeed. By the time they muster a look of confusion, and what seems like genuine surprise, they spew blood from their noses and mouth.
The lone wolf is fresh from Braavos, and she wouldn’t rest without killing the queen.
A queen.
*****
Down South in King’s Landing, Cersei is all set to take over the world. But she is constantly reminded of her past by her twin, Jaime. Clearly taken aback by Cersei’s change in behaviour and hunger for vengeance (with all their kids dead), Jaime throws a word of caution.
Euron Greyjoy then pays a visit, and promises something priceless for the lovely queen he’s been dreaming of since he was 10. I have two hands, he laughs, as Jaime looks daggers at him.
*****
Recommended
Samwell Tarly is at the Citadel, learning how to become a maester. Except, all he does is clean shit and serve food that resembles shit. Or he’s arranging books at the library and studying. There’s a lot one can relate with him – the mundane life, a job that you probably hate but do it anyway, and mentors with wise sayings such as, “every winter that ever came has ended.”
*****
Sandor Clegane or the Hound has a defining moment. Last seen hanging around with Berric Dondarrion and his posse, Sandor sees the futility of wars and fighting. And has a profound moment in the fire, as he begins ‘seeing’ things. He really has the sight, it would seem, though we quite expect him to break into a laugh, and call their bluff.
*****
Daenerys and her new hand, Tyrion Lannister, head to a new place. The place is what the episode is named after. She dramatically feels the sand, walks into the castle flanked by stone dragons.
We almost expect her to do a Padayappa Sivaji, but she just emotes with her eyes.
How boring.
*****
Given that several fan theories include stories from Norse mythologies, it is possible to link predictions for future episodes based on the information we already have from Ragnarok. According to this blogpost, A Song Of Ice And Fire is simply a retelling of the Norse mythological story of Ragnarok, in which each GOT/ASOIAF character is almost a direct embodiment of one of the Norse gods.
A few other predictions, based on several fan theories, and some of our own:
Ser Jorah Mormont at the Citadel continues to pine for Daenerys. His grey scale gets worse by the day, and he scares Samwell every passing moment.
Sandor Clegane realises he’s a seer and gets over his fear of fire. He also understands why the Lord of the Light chooses Beric Dondarrion every time. Also, the Hound appears to be taking the role of Lady Stoneheart. In the ASOIAF series, LS conducts her own trial, and hangs those related to the Freys, Boltons or Lannisters. While Arya has killed the Freys, the Hound – having given the corpses found in the abandoned house a proper burial – may just begin conducting trials of justice.
- Arya Stark heads to King’s Landing with Ed Sheeran. She has a plan, but much like the soldiers, no one believes her.
- Daenerys chances upon a few family secrets in Dragonstone, including the stuff that Ser Barristan deems too hard for her ears. She learns more about herself, and perhaps even goes through a mild identity crisis along the way.
- Tyrion, meanwhile, may just learn why he has been fascinated with dragons all his life. Several theories on Reddit suggest that Tyrion could be the gift that Euron Greyjoy promises. Him, or one of the dragons. And when he is brought in as the gift to Cersei, Jaime would have to make a decision on which sibling to pick – the one who resembles the Mad King Aerys or the Kinslayer Tyrion. And, there is your valonqar.
- The White Walkers would continue to totter on snow towards the camera.
- More declarations of the winter that has come.
- Sansa would take a leaf out of Cersei’s book, play Littlefinger …a little.
- The Martells – Ellaria Sand and her girls – could strike back.
- Gendry to row, row, row.
Gendry
*****