Season 7, Episode 1…
I fell out of love with Game of Thrones some time ago and it hurt me deeply. Whether it was the shambolic handling of Dorne or Jamie Lannister’s preposterous rape scene, I found the TV adaptation of George RR Martin’s beloved book series to have gone downhill.
It feels like all the characters I originally fell in love with are either dead or changed beyond recognition and I don’t really know who I should be rooting for any more. That being said, it is still one of the best TV shows out there on its day, and I was as excited as anyone about the new series.
Dragonstone marks the start of the seventh season of the hit fantasy show and the beginning of the final act of the story. Most of the main players are either making their way somewhere for a climatic ending or are already there. This comeback episode didn’t tell us much we didn’t already know, but it was a more dialogue driven episode that harked back to the shows glory years.
To recap then, Arya goes full Jim Carrey by wearing a Walder Frey mask (available in all good toy shops) to pretty much wipe out the Frey’s in one fell swoop. Jon Snow continues his hot streak of being a total wet lettuce by declaring the Umbers and the Karstarks his friends despite their treachery. The Hound is moping around with the Brotherhood without Banners and pretending he doesn’t like any of them when, like, he totally does, you guys. Podrick Payne gets another good beat down from Brienne of Tarth and Samwise Tarly ‘discovers’ something that Stannis had already told him ages before. Oh and Ed Sheeran is there for some fucking reason, in a move that appeals to nobody and only serves to devalue an otherwise decent episode.
All in all I enjoyed Dragonstone and it’s nice to have an episode of calm that allows us to reacquaint ourselves with the characters before it all inevitably kicks off. Jim Broadbent is a welcome addition as the Archmaester at Oldtown and, happily, there wasn’t much of emo Jon Snow stinking the place out.
Stray Observations
- Did anyone else cringe a little at Sandor Clegane’s reference to a top knot? Fully expected the camera to pan out to reveal Thoros of Myr wearing a Father John Misty t-shirt and drinking a luxury coffee.
- Euron Greyjoy revealed himself to be a bit of LAD at Kings Landing, cracking jokes and sharing bants with all and sundry. Imagine the capers he and Bronn could get into!
- The flashback at the start was good this week and also vital. I had forgotten that most of that stuff had happened. I think we can all be thankful that the short reign of King Tommen is over. Robert Baratheon would have chuckled in his grave at the poor job his surrogate son made of ruling the iron throne.