So we have gotten through Episode One, Winterfell, which was a lot of reunions, explanations, truth reveals, and Bran, Bran, Everywhere. Oh, and also Jaime Lannister arrived at Winterfell. So what have we learned from episode 2? Besides that poor HBO cannot get a break from their episodes getting leaked out early. First DirecTV and then Amazon Prime Video in Germany. C’mon folks….get your technology under control. So let’s take a look see…
1) Ser Jaime owes his life to Lady Brienne who spoke in his behalf. Denaerys was ready to have him killed for his crimes against her family. Sansa was ready to have him killed for his crimes against HER family. Tyrion tried to speak on his behalf but all it did was confirm to Dany that her Hand was foolish enough to believe his sister. Jaime for his part refused to apologize for his past actions. He did what he felt was best to defend his house and his family and he would do it again. “What we do for love,” as Bran reminded him. Not exactly the best way to get your enemies to consider sparing you. It was only by Brienne vouching for Jaime to Sansa that he was allowed to live. .
2) Arya likes to spend a lot of time at the forge. Not that I blame her. In Winterfell, the best place to work in the whole place might be the forge if you want to stay warm. Although I doubt it’s the warmth of the fire that’s getting Arya heated up. Oh, Gendry you ladies man, you. Although, he’s not much for details as far the Night King’s minions are concerned. Arya wants a scouting report and all he can say is their “really bad.” After watching Arya and her dragon glass knife skills, it looked like Arya wasn’t the only one heated up. Back to this in a bit.
3) Jaime, fresh from being spared from being executed, goes to clear the air with Bran. ( It probably unnerved him to have Bran staring at him all the time). In typical Bran fashion he tells Jaime he holds no malice in his heart towards him. In fact, the incident is what eventually brought them both to this place, at this time, and in this war. Jaime tells him he is no longer the man he was when he pushed Bran out the window. While Bran tells him he would have been if he HADN’T pushed him…and neither would have Bran. As for why Bran didn’t tell Sansa, Jon or Arya about what happened, he had a practical answer. Jaime could not fight this war with them if they had executed him. (Basically the same reasoning Jon had during Jaime’s “trial.”) When Jaime asks what about afterwards, Bran’s answer is cryptic as always, “How do you know there IS an afterwards?”
4) Nice scene with Theon returning to Winterfell and Sansa’s reaction to it. Theon did save her from Ramsey but her reaction might make one go hmmmm? Young Bella Ramsey as Lyanna Mormont is still a firecracker in armor. Ser Jorah didn’t have a hell of a chance of talking her out of a fight. I hope she’s packing a small Valerian Steel sword. I would be sad to see her get killed.
5) Speaking of Jorah, eventful day for him as he talked Dany from wanting to rid herself of Tyrion, even though he was heart broken when she appointed Tyrion her hand instead of him. He admitted that she made the right choice and shouldn’t question it now. He also recommended she clear the air with Sansa, which was fairly successful although Sansa couldn’t get an assurance from Denaerys about the North’s status after the war. Finally he was given the honor of carrying the Tarly family sword into battle by Sam who knew he was not strong enough physically to wield it. (If heart alone enabled you to use the sword, Sam would be able to swing 50 family swords). All things being equal, if Sam had a first choice it would have been Jon, but he already had Long Claw, the Mormont family sword. So there is a poetic justice that Ser Jorah would use it.
6) A couple of great small moments: Ser Davos serving food to the people of Winterfell when the small girl with greyscale tells him she wants to fight. Nice move by Gilly to tell her she could fight by protecting those in the crypt. It made the little girl happy to know she could be of use. All Ser Davos could see when looking at her was the poor Princess Shireen, who he loved like a daughter.
The Hound sitting on the ground with Arya waiting for the war to start when Beric Dondarrion shows
up and starts in about the “Lords of Light.” He stops him in his tracks with a line that is pure Hound and delivered with the innate skill of Rory McCann. “Thoros isn’t here any more, so I hope you’re not about to give us a sermon. Because if you are, the Lord of Light’s gonna wonder why he brought you back 19 times just to watch you die when I chuck you off this fucking wall.”
Side Notes: Some of the greatest sounding voices in Game of Thrones: Richard Dormer as Beric Dondarrion, Ian Glenn as Ser Jorah, Peter Dinklage as Tyrion, and Rory McCann as The Hound (who has a delivery all his own). Also nice to see Ghost is still about. There might have been a riot if he wasn’t.
7) The Greatest Moment in the episode and the one for which the episode is titled: Jamie Lannister knighting Brianne of Tarth. How fitting that the man who Brianne saved from certain execution is the one who makes her a “Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.” The sheer joy in Gwendoline Christie’s face as she achieves what she has long hoped for but had denied she had wanted, was a great scene and a nice warm feeling before all hell breaks loose next episode. It also is fitting that Tormond was the one who realized how stupid tradition is in this matter. Tormond would have knighted her many times over but he might have went about it a different way, if he had the chance. Just sayin.’
8) The Battle Conference was chilling as you could see graphically on the table the overwhelming odds they are facing. Jon’s voice is a steadying hand but it is Bran who helps them set the plan as he will draw the Night King to him which hopefully will give them a chance to take him down. When he goes down, the wights he created go with him. That is the hope anyway. Theon agrees to protect Bran and He agrees which probably means that was supposed to happen in the first place. Basically, Bran is making a puzzle and confirming all the pieces are in place.
9) Getting back to Arya, the scene with her and Gendry was not unexpected and she is an adult for the 
sake of clarity. As the scene progressed you forgot how many times Arya had been wounded during her time away. Many of those by the Waif during her time with the faceless men. The poor thing is scarred up. The fact that she was basically the aggressor in the scene is also not a surprise. She is an assertive, strong young woman and knows that it’s very likely that their time is short. It was not a time to leave things undone or unsaid. So she did neither. Speaking of not leaving things unsaid…
10) Jon tells Denaerys about his true parentage in the Stark family crypt, right before the statue of his mother Lyanna. Although she had a hard time believing it considering the source (His Brother and his best friend), her first reaction that he was now first in line for the throne was somewhat disappointing. She should know by now that Jon has no interest in being King. The fact that she appeared to be threatened by the revelation is somewhat telling. Although, she has been on the quest to regain the throne since her childhood so perhaps her reaction is reasonable. Fortunately, before the discussion could go any further, the warning sounded that the dead have come a calling. Saved by the proverbial horn blast.
So the die (probably literally) has been cast, and the War is here. This will be one of the most emotional, heart stopping, conflicts since “The Battle of the Bastards.” I know I will be going into this with my heart racing and that will be one day removed from Avengers: End Game. I might want to invest in some nitro pills. Share your thoughts on what has transpired so far and what you expect to see come next Sunday….provided it doesn’t get leaked before hand, with us at GVNation.
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 50 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove head first over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 18 year old boy with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
