Game of Thrones Episode 707 recap: “The Dragon and the Wolf”

The Game of Thrones season 7 finale has come and gone, and before we head into the dark night, we took one more ride with our friends from Westeros.

The super sized Game of Thrones season 7 finale left most fans breathless, but before the screen faded to black we were treated to a lovely conclusion to what had become an uneven season in the past few weeks. In between giant reveals and events that will change the landscape of, the show returned to its roots with quiet, powerful scenes. Exactly what we were missing from most of season 7. SPOILERS follow below.

We open in King’s Landing, where Daenerys and her armies have arrived to meet with Cersei regarding a temporary truce in order to fight the army of the dead. With the exception of a few characters, virtually the entire cast is present in King’s Landing. And it’s here that Game of Thrones returns to form.

If we could stand on our soapbox for a moment, the biggest issue with season 7 was not the complete lack of logic behind characters jumping all over the map at a whim. It was what those times jumps deprived us of, specifically, the type of conversations we got in this episode. With respect to some of the awesome battles the show has produced, we watch Game of Thrones for character moments like this.

OK, down off the soapbox. The truce discussions lead to few unexpected reunions, which lead to the aforementioned character moments. The first, is Podrick’s reunion with Tyrion, was a small and touching moment. The big one though is Brienne and the Hound. Despite nearly killing one another back in season 4, the two share no animosity. Their shared love of Arya Stark, who most likely needs neither of them any longer, was a fantastic beat and was just the sort of moment we’d been waiting for.

Onto to the big meeting itself. The meeting takes place in the Dragonpit (which looks rather small for its stated purpose), where everyone has arrived except Daenerys herself. Dany is, of course, choosing to be fashionably late, an especially appropriate response considering everyone is wearing their Sunday best. Seriously, we’re guessing a huge chunk of the season 7 budget went to the ensembles everyone is wearing here.

The truce discussions take a few twists and turns, the first of which is Cersei not believing what the hell Jon and Dany are saying. Jon’s like, hold up, we got proof, and in walks the Hound with a giant box strapped to his back. In a carefully choreographed release, Jon, the Hound, and Davos and demonstrate the wight’s weaknesses. Seeing the wight chopped in half has its desired effect on Cersei, who is clearly horrified.

We loved that Qyburn is naturally interested in the wight from a scientific point of view, but Euron Greyjoy just says nope, I’m out. Both reactions struck us as fairly honest, and even Cersei seemed eager to set aside their differences to fight the dead. That is until she learns that Jon has already bent the knee.

It was a bit of stretch for Cersei to get so angry about the news, as Jon was neither openly fighting against Cersei nor cooperating with Dany. Still, Cersei angrily storms out of the meeting, and Tyrion is forced negotiate with her in private. And once again, we are headed for a fantastic reunion, though not of the happy sort.

Tyrion and Cersei coming face to face again is the reason we watch Game of Thrones. The meeting is painful on every level, and yet we can’t take our eyes away from it. Tyrion’s insistence that Cersei acknowledge his love for her children was especially torturous, but needed. We loved every second of their meeting, but we do wish we would have gotten to see them hammer out the truce.

As it happens, that part occurs off screen, and Cersei and Tyrion interrupt some pretty heavy flirting between Dany and Jon to announce that the Lannister forces will join them in the fight against the undead. It’s a shocking turn of events, and despite being a bit too good to be true, our heroes are elated at the news.

After that its off to Winterfell, where as the saying goes, things are about to get real. Littlefinger and Sansa are having a chin wag, and Baelish is putting the ice on the cake that is Sansa executing Arya as a threat to Sansa. Like Cersei agreeing to fight with the Starks, as the audience we don’t quite buy it, but almost.

Arya is brought to the great hall, and Sansa initially seems ready to execute her, but then plot twist, we’re actually here to talk about Littlefinger. Sansa coldly and coolly runs down Littlefinger’s many sins, with an assist or two from Bran (transcript says, yes you did betray our father). Littlefinger is a trapped animal in this scene, and it’s nice to finally see the man squirm. Confessing his love for Sansa does him no good, and Arya is all too eager to slit Baelish’s throat. It’s a quick end to the master manipulator.

It also puts to rest the conflict between the sisters Stark, although Sansa does declare that Arya is still “weird and annoying” like a proper older sister. The whole Winterfell plot seemed a bit over done at times during the season, but in the end, House Stark is united as one. The throwback scene of Sansa and Arya on the ramparts of Winterfell was a touching way to wrap up the rivalry.

Down to Dragonstone we go, where everyone is advising Dany to fly straight to Winterfell, but Jon’s like hold up, why don’t we take a romantic boat ride for two up to the North? It’s a subtle suggestion, but one that Dany ends up taking. Smooth Jon. Real smooth.

We hop across Blackwater Bay to King’s Landing, where things are going less smoothly for the Lannister twins. Jaime is making preparations to head north post haste, and we admire him for taking the dead as seriously as he does. Cersei does not.

Cersei berates Jaime for being a fool and reveals that Euron is headed to Essos to pick up the Golden Company, rather than back home to the Iron Islands. Cersei declares her intent to wait out the war and then take out the winner. Jaime has had enough, though, and finally, breaks free of the abusive relationship. It’s a powerful moment made even more so by the snow falling over King’s Landing as Jaime departs. Almost as if the seasons are giving Jaime their blessing.

Back to Winterfell we go, where Samwell Tarly has arrived. Speaking with Bran the two compare notes like a couple detectives on Law and Order, and determine that Jon is not Jon at all, but rather the legitimate son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, aptly named Aegon.

Ordinarily, we might be cheering, but the whole sequence is interspersed with shots of Jon and Dany getting it on. And while the sheer beauty of the two involved parties is almost enough to distract, we can’t help but realize that Jon is actually banging his aunt. Guess the Lannisters aren’t the only weird family in Westeros anymore. To make it even weirder, Tyrion hangs out outside their cabin, like some sort of rejected nice guy who just finished last.

But the hits are still coming, as we jump even farther up north, as we cut to the Wall. Tormund and Beric are walking along the top of the Wall, as the Night King and his army show up in force. This is not the small little army we’ve seen throughout season 7, but rather an enormous mass of the dead, including multiple giants.

And as if that was not enough, the Night King quickly shows up on his new ride, the undead Viserion. Mounted on Viserion, the Night King makes quick and devastating work of the Wall. The structure that stood for thousands of years is brought low in just a few moments thanks to Viserion’s new blue ice flames.

As we are left to wonder about the fates of Tormund and Beric, our attention turns to Westeros, as the army of the dead is streaming through the hole in the Wall like candy from a pinata. It’s a sobering image as we close out season 7, and one that will likely set the tone for season 8.

Next: The 35 Best Moments from Game of Thrones Season 7

All and all, season 7 was a bit uneven, but the finales did its best to put a nice bow on everything before we head into what could be a very long offseason. The final six episodes have a lot of ground to cover, and most of it looks like it will be littered with bodies.