Game Of Thrones - Season 8, Episode 1 'Winterfell': Review
Season 8 is finally here... but before the Night King can serve some rough justice, it's time for reunions and introductions years in the making!
Spoilers ahead!
We've waited so long and Winterfell does not disappoint!
The episode opens with Jon, Daenerys, her inner circle, her vast army and (of course) her dragons approaching Winterfell. A young boy runs through Winterfell and climbs a tree to watch team Targaryen arrive, in what appears to be a callback to 2011, Season One Episode 1 Winter Is Coming, where Bran climbs to a high spot to observe King Robert's arrival. It's a sweet moment but it's hard to stay positive when you know the Night King is on his way...
Reunions and introductions are the focus of this episode and rightly so, we can't go straight into the marathon without at least warming up first. Anyway, some of these moments have been years in the making!
Jon and Arya are brought back together, they speak about swords, of course. It does make you wonder when are the Stark children are going to come together and have a good old fashioned conversation about their less-than-conventional, strange-and-supernatural abilities. We guess with the Night King on the way, some might not get the chance!
Sam has one of the more important narratives this episode and it seems as though Daenerys should have listened to Tyrion last season, before she started burning people alive. Sam learns his father and brother were executed and it's tough to see him upset, as he's definitely too sweet for this world. John Bradley gives one of his best performances yet, when Sam, now full of rage, confronts Jon with the news we've waited so long for him to hear.
Sam echoes what we're all thinking. Take the crown for yourself, Jon, Daenerys isn't fit to wear it anyway. And now Jon knows his true parentage, conflict has got to be just around the corner.
Jon and Sansa disagree on what is right for the North. It's so hard to see these two butting heads, they're on the same side and that's not going to change but their views on what is best for their people are wildly different. Though, if Sansa learns of Jon's true parentage, she may take Winterfell for herself. One thing's certain, this season is going to be thrilling!
In Kings Landing, we're treated to an appearance from Euron Greyjoy, the adult equivalent of Joffrey, maybe that's why Cersei seems to like him so much! He brings with him the Golden Company, for which Cersei 'rewards' him for, after quite a bit of persuasion. He's a fantastic love-to-hate character but every 'Joffrey' in Game of Thrones has to go at some point, it must be his time soon...
Bronn is given the task of killing Jaime and Tyrion in return for gold, this time upfront. We've heard Bronn say many times that gold and castles are his currency, but could he actually kill his friends? Could team Targaryen offer him more to spare the Lannister brothers? Time will tell.
Winterfell may not have been the bloodbath you were expecting but with five episodes left, anything could happen. It's a testament to Game of Thrones that we can have a character driven episode with very little action and still be kept on tenterhooks. Though the Night King didn't appear, we're hoping he doesn't leave it too long before his next visit!
Rating: 4/5
Catch Game of Thrones on Sky Atlantic, 9pm Monday.