It finally happened. A day that Game of Thrones fans have been eagerly anticipating for some time has finally come as Jon Snow arrived at Dragonstone to meet Daenerys Targaryen. I’m not sure that fans were expecting such a tense, frictional first meeting, but nonetheless it was a huge payoff that fans have been waiting on for years. Whether it lived up to the initial hype remains to be seen, but we can be sure that it ignited (no pun intended) something magnificent to come.
As Game of Thrones began to pass the books, the “fan service” complaints began. Some of it, I’m sure, is long-time book fans growing increasingly frustrated that the shows have passed them. Others of them just assume that (even though George R. R. Martin shared the deets) that the showrunners are now flying by the seat of their pants and giving fans everything they want to see before the show ends. While I can see why people might think this, I disagree. The past season or so has been satisfying to watch as fans because eventually, down on their luck characters needed a victory. Most of it happened as a natural progression of the show, and that’s just how the meeting of Jon Snow and Daenerys turned out to be. Admittedly, seeing that they were going to meet without knowing any back story could feel a bit like fan service, but not only was it not, it was also different than fans expected.
That was a bit of a tangent, but I say that to say this: Jon and Daenerys’ meeting did not go as I expected. Since things had been going well (as well as they can on Game of Thrones) for both of them recently, it wasn’t outside the realm of possibility to think that the first meeting would go smoothly between these two characters. It did not. Jon Snow displayed Ned Stark’s stubbornness, and Daenerys displayed her own. There were disagreements about the greater imminent threat being Cersei or the White Walkers. Daenerys’ followers dug in their heels and supported her, just as Ser Davos did for Jon. Luckily, Tyrion was able to salvage the meeting from being a total disaster. Still, for all the arguments I read that Game of Thrones has become fan service, I think Daenerys and Jon stayed true to their established characters and that’s why their first meeting went poorly. They will eventually be allies, obviously, but “Ice and Fire” were bound to clash on their first go round, but they will certainly make powerful allies.
I know I spent a long time on that particular subject, but given that fans have been waiting on it for seven years, I think it was warranted. Anyway, here are a summation of the rest of my thoughts on the episode:
- Never in a million years did I predict that Sam would save Ser Jorah from greyscale. I was so happy and surprised.
- On my earlier subject, I’m really glad that Game of Thrones hasn’t turned into “good guys win” just yet. Cersei, Euron and Jaime winning a few battles is just the kind of hurdle the show has been needing. I can’t wait to see the dragons fly over it, though.
- Theon is about to get another awesome redemption arc. Right? Riiight?
- Is it just me, or was Bran a bit creepy upon his return? Does that just come with being the Three Eyed Raven? Either way, it was good to get another Stark family reunion.
- I don’t think anyone could ever have better last words than Lady Olenna Tyrell. “I want her to know it was me.” Even in defeat, she could pull a punch.
The battle in this episode was few and far between, and the actions set up for better, broader, bigger actions down the line. That said, it was still a happy moment seeing Jon and Daenerys meet for the first time, and their inevitable victory over the dead and the Lannisters will be even sweeter.
What did you guys think? Did you enjoy the episode? Let us know in the comments!
Game of Thrones airs Sundays at 9/8c on HBO
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