“Game of Thrones” Season 7, Episode 7 Recap: Family Ties

Emily Guntharp

Contributing Writer

This past Sunday was the Season 7 finale of everyone’s favorite television show: “Game of Thrones.” Forewarning, if you have not seen the last two episodes of this season or any episodes at all, get ready for spoilers. On the previous episode, we ended with a very dramatic closing scene. The Night King and the Army of the Dead were hauling one of Daenerys’ dragons from below the ice before the dragon opened its eyes to reveal their bright blue color. *Spoilers Ahead*

Like previous season finales, this episode did not disappoint. This episode had extreme highs and extreme lows, and it was definitely an emotional rollercoaster. First off, I pieced together the knowledge of both Samwell Tarly and our favorite three-eyed raven, Bran Stark, and figured out that Jon Snow is, in fact, not a bastard after all! We have known for quite some time that Jon’s actual parents are Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark; however, what Bran was able to confirm through his visions in this episode was that Rhaegar and Lyanna had wed before she gave birth to Jon Snow. This not only makes him the legitimate son of a Stark and a Targaryen, but it also makes him the rightful heir to the Iron Throne. For the record, yes, I was also overly excited.

Unfortunately for Jon, this also in fact makes Daenerys his aunt. That makes all of their sexual tension and sexual relations in the season finale very awkward.

Personally, the best part of the episode was the moment I have dreamt of for so long: Lord Baelish’s—also known as “Littlefinger’s”—death. After weeks of antagonism between Sansa and Arya Stark, the sisters reunited in the most satisfying murder plot ever.

Nothing says sister bonding like bloodshed, am I right?

When Sansa turned to Littlefinger and said, “How do you plea… Lord Baelish,” we learned that chaos truly is a ladder. Giving us Red Wedding vibes, Sansa gave Arya the order to slit his throat but not before throwing back in his face some of the “knowledge” he had given her through the years.

Back in King’s Landing, we got another epic moment: Jaime Lannister finally stood up to his sister, Cersei. Sick of her plots and twisted ways, he finally walked away from her and left her standing alone. I think Jaime is a complicated character that many hate to love. Hopefully, without his sister to bring him down, he can return to the North and take up arms to defend, protect and save the Seven Kingdoms from both the Army of the Dead and his sister.

Unfortunately, we have to also talk about the not-so-happy part of the episode as well. Surely we did not all forget about Viserion, the dragon that the Night King brought back from the dead? The show’s final scene flashed to Tormund and others back in the North on the Wall, Tormund looking out into the snow, seeing the Army of the Dead quickly approaching. He sounded the horn, and just as he rang the alarm, Viserion, the dragon, flew overhead with the Night King on his back. All of a sudden, the dragon opened its mouth and breathed what looked to be dicyanoacetylene (a chemical compound that would make the dragon’s fire blue and even more harmful). This brought devastation to the North’s front door as the dragon demolished the Wall that had stood protecting the North for 8,000 years, possibly killing the beloved Tormund.

Although this season has been short, it has definitely not disappointed. That being said, many questions and problems still remain unanswered with only one season left. Despite this, I want to leave this season clinging to a little hope for our heroes and heroines of the Seven Kingdoms. As Ned Stark once said, “When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives.”