Game of Thrones has returned. It’s back. Winter is here. There’s a lot for the show to wrap up in just! six! episodes! But I’m here to talk about one thing and one thing only:
The romance.
Or, you know, sexual tension.
Or just straight up sex.
I’m here to talk about ships.
Before we go any farther, I’d like to make it very, very, very clear: THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS UP THROUGH SEASON 8, EPISODE 1.
Now, I’m the sort of person who sees two characters look at each other for slightly too long and goes, “AH…LOVE!” whether there’s any other supporting evidence or not. I’m also not loyal, at all, to any one ship.
For the purposes of these posts, I will try to keep my dirty dirty noncanonical multishipper ways out of it and stick to what the show is actually supporting.
Let’s start with Jon and Daenerys, who take up most of the screentime this episode:
When I watched season 7 the first time, I didn’t get it at all. They’re both beautiful and I love them both, but it seemed as rushed as everything else that season.
And it is! But on a rewatch, they got me. It’s the way Dany looks like her heart just got ripped out when Jon volunteers to go North to get a wight. It’s her realizing, all at once, that she doesn’t want him to go.
Also, in the finale, when he opens the door on Bran saying “he loved her” and she looks back at him on Bran saying “and she loved him”? IT MELTS MY HEART.
…Yes, that scene was also the one affirming how super related they are and how Jon’s the true heir to the Iron Throne, and all of that makes it very awkward. Can’t deny that.
Going into this season premiere, they don’t know about the whole incest thing or Jon being the rightful heir to the throne Dany’s been chasing for years. They get to be happy. They look so good together. They get to race while flying dragons.
They get to make out while being watched by dragons, because I guess dragons are just like any other pet: Creepy voyeurs that you wish would get out of the bedroom.
Sansa can tell that Jon loves Dany. Davos, Tyrion, and Varys discuss the possibility of marrying them to each other to unite the Seven Kingdoms. This ship could sail so strong and so true…
…but the incest. Dammit. Which, btw, Jon finds out about this episode! Sure, after Sam tells him who his father is, he mainly focuses on the whole “Ned Stark isn’t my father?” and “I’m the heir to the Iron Throne?”, but the look on his face when Sam says, “Your real father was Rhaegar Targaryen” is 100% “oh god I fucked my aunt”.
I don’t know what to do about that either, Jon.
I’m curious to see if Jon tells Dany, and how long it takes. Jon’s an honorable boy. He couldn’t even lie for two seconds to Cersei and bend the fake knee because he’d already bent it to another queen. He risked everything on telling the truth because, well, maybe he’s not Ned Stark’s son, but he’s super Ned Stark’s son.
So, are we going to see that in the next episode? Is Jon going to come right out and tell her? How do you tell someone you’ve been sleeping with that she’s your aunt and you have a more rightful claim to her throne than she does? Or will he take after his father in another way, and continue hiding his identity?
I’m lowkey really stressed about this.
I wasn’t lying about Jon and Dany taking up most of the screentime and this post. I can get everyone else in bullet points.
- Cersei and Jaime
- She’s sent Bronn off to kill him and Jaime’s arrived in Winterfell, so their relationship is either on the rocks or dead.
- Missandei and Grey Worm
- Tied with Sam and Gilly for both #1 cutest couple in Game of Thrones and #1 underutilized in this episode.
- But we do see them kiss in the preview for next week.
- Also we see them exchange looks of “oh god we’re surrounded by probably racist white people” when they enter Winterfell.
- Sam and Gilly
- Sam’s there, but Gilly isn’t in this episode, and I’m grumpy about it.
- (I mean, not really, I’m very pleased with the episode overall. I just love Gilly.)
- Sam’s there, but Gilly isn’t in this episode, and I’m grumpy about it.
- Tied with Sam and Gilly for both #1 cutest couple in Game of Thrones and #1 underutilized in this episode.
- Tyrion and Sansa
- I don’t think this is or should be a real ship, but I’m including it because I…can’t remember what happened to their marriage. I know she got married off to Ramsay but was her marriage to Tyrion annulled or?
- I swear to god, I just rewatched the whole series, and I couldn’t tell you.
- Anyway, I also liked that we got to see their reunion. They had a good friendship forming and I miss it.
- (and anyway sANSA SHOULD HAVE BEEN WITH MARGAERY)
- Sorry, sorry. I know I said I’d try.
- Cersei and Euron
- I don’t want to have to include this. I don’t want to think about Euron Greyjoy. He’s gross.
- But they did have sex so…whatever, here they are.
- Gendry and Arya
- I don’t know if this counts as canon! But this is the only person I ship Arya with (I think, at least – feel free to tell me others, I’ll probably agree) and it’s SWEET and I’M INCLUDING IT.
- He makes her laugh by calling her “milady” again, and they flirt a little over swords.
- I SHIP IT.
- Daenerys and Yara
- I KNOW, but Dany had more chemistry with Yara in the five minutes they’ve been on screen together than she’s ever had with anyone.
- Also, this episode featured Theon saying Yara and Yara going back to the Iron Islands to basically make a home for Dany to return to if needed.
- A home for them.
- Let me dream, okay?
- He makes her laugh by calling her “milady” again, and they flirt a little over swords.
- I don’t know if this counts as canon! But this is the only person I ship Arya with (I think, at least – feel free to tell me others, I’ll probably agree) and it’s SWEET and I’M INCLUDING IT.
- I don’t think this is or should be a real ship, but I’m including it because I…can’t remember what happened to their marriage. I know she got married off to Ramsay but was her marriage to Tyrion annulled or?
- Cersei and Elephants
- It just really looked like she was going to cry when she was told there weren’t any elephants.
- I can’t blame her. Who doesn’t want elephants of their own?
- Bran and Staring Ominously
- Maybe the most canon and undying ship on the show.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be somewhere screaming into a pillow until next week because the Army of the Dead is way too close and I’m really worried about all of my precious children.
