*SPOILERS* The first episode of Season 7 was a great set up and didn't disappoint with the amount of character coverage. There is not a lot of time for filler with two shorter seasons left, so the bar is set high for the quality of writing we should expect from this season. This episode wasn't groundbreaking but it was a fast paced, well written, and a perfect ending to the long drought between season 6 and 7.
Riverlands: We begin with Walder Frey-Arya. Somewhere between baking Walder's sons into pies and slitting ol' Walder's throat, Arya decides she will hang out for a few weeks with Lord Frey's face on in order to slay the rest of the Frey's who were instrumental in the orchestrated murder of her mother and brother at the Red Wedding. After delivering a speech to the dinner attendees about the danger to the sheep if you leave one wolf alive, she reminds them of their crimes to her family as the men start to feel the effects of the poisoned wine and begin dying around her. At this point Arya takes off Walder Frey's face and leaves Walder Frey's young wife and two serving girls to survive ordering them to tell everyone that the "North Remembers" and "Winter has come for the Freys". The Freys suck so much that we applaud Arya's vengeance and let her psychopathic behavior slide.
Arya is on the road again and I have given up on trying to figure out the travel timelines in the show since it isn't cohesive at all. Trying to puzzle it out creates more gaps than it does answers so let's just assume there are major time lapses that occur between story lines and we are being spared the tedious details of getting from point A to point B. Arya runs into Lannister soldiers. Ed Sheeren's cameo is revealed as he sings a song from the books about Tyrion's relationship with Shae. Arya stops to listen saying she hasn't heard that song before (Ed's cameo didn't take me out of the fantasy world as some watchers complained about) They offer Arya food and a place by their fire and she accepts. The soldiers end up being decent guys who are just doing their job to keep the peace in the region. I half expected Arya to kill the soldiers simply because they serve the Lannisters but to my relief, she didn't. Our favorite assassin does glance over at their weapons but seems to understand that these men were just pawns of a war that was not theirs and they wanted what most soldiers want; an end to the war so they can get back to their families.
The Hound is traveling with the Brotherhood Without Banners. They end up at a farmhouse where he and Arya had stayed at years ago when they were traveling to the Vale in order to ransom Arya off to her Aunt Lysa. The Hound, to Arya's horror, robbed the father and daughter who opened their home to them. When he and the Brotherhood enter the home, they find the skeletons of the man and his daughter. This troubles the Hound as he realizes the man killed his girl and himself to prevent them from starving to death. The Hound realizes his own actions essentially killed them as he had robbed them of what little provisions they had prepared for Winter.
After insulting Thoros of Myr's man bun and telling Beric Dondarrion he was a huge bore, he wonders out loud what made them so special that the Lord of Light has chosen to give Thoros the power to resurrect Beric as many times as he has. He claims that if any justice existed, they would all be dead and the father and his daughter would still be alive. They have no idea why they were chosen but they convince
the Hound that whatever the reason, their lives were given a new
purpose, one much bigger than themselves. Thoros asks Sandor to look in the flames and the Hound sees the Wall and the threats in the North. In a nod to the
Gravedigger Theory familiar to book enthusiasts, they showed the Hound in an act of atonement as he buries the Father and Daughter and holds an awkward vigil over their graves.
The North: Bran sees the White Walker army in a vision and the threat is ominously massive. Meera and Bran make it to the Wall and are heading South to warn of the coming dangers.
Jon is struggling with his new role as King in the North. He and Sansa have been differing in politics and she publicly disagrees with Jon for allowing the Karstarks and Umbers to keep their homes after they betrayed the Starks to fight with the Boltons. Jon explains the traitors of those houses have paid for their treason by dying on the battlefield. He said historically the Karstarks and Umbers have been loyal to House Stark and wants to keep faith with the remaining members of those Houses and unite in the wars to come. Alys Karstark and Ned Umber swear their fealty to House Stark. Littlefinger is lurking in the shadows waiting for his chance to try and manipulate Sansa. Jon talks privately with Sansa about undermining his decisions but he hears her council. He explains his position on uniting the North when a raven arrives from Cersei demanding fealty. Sansa warns Jon not to underestimate the Queen and what she is capable of. Jon notes that it sounds like Sansa admires Cersei and Sansa admits she learned a lot from her. Littlefinger is snubbed by Sansa who is getting tired of listening to his schemes and planting doubts in her head.
In the Winterfell yard Tormund flirts with Brienne as she is training Podrick and she takes her frustration out on Pod. Tormund remarks that Pod is a lucky man and it's kind of hilarious.
Kings Landing: Cersei and Jamie are in the Red Keep standing on a freshly painted floor map of Westeros as she plots out plans to take down her enemies. She talks about creating a dynasty with Jamie and he reminds her that all of their children are dead. He wants to talk about them and Cersei shuts him down, explaining how Tommen betrayed them and that while she loved her children there was no point in discussing them. Jamie tries to explain to her they lack allies and that the Dragon Queen is heading to Dragonstone with three grown dragons. Cersei insists they will crush their enemies because they are Lannisters and seems unconcerned.
Euron Greyjoy sails his Greyjoy fleet to make an alliance with Cersei and propose marriage. He has a Jack Sparrow kind of pirate swagger as he mocks Jamie and boasts he is the best captain in the world. Cersei declines his proposal but Euron swears he will bring Cersei a gift that will prove he is worthy of her trust and he won't return to Kings Landing until he has it (at this point I am reasonably certain things won't be ending well for Ellaria Sand, who murdered Cersei's only daughter, Myrcella).
The Reach: Sam is an acolyte at the Citadel in Oldtown and we are taken through a montage of his disgusting daily work as Sam gags through it each day, etc. Sam asks Archmaester Ebrose about getting access to the restricted book section but is refused. While Ebrose believes Sam about the threat of the White Walkers, he tells a Sam story about the perseverance of the world and that regardless of times of war and peace, that everything works out in the end. Sam steals the books he needs and he and Gilly learn that the dragonglass they need to fight the White Walkers is in Dragonstone in abundance. Sam seemingly forgot a conversation he had with Stannis who already told him this but I digress. Jorah Mormont's greyscale rotting arm appears from a quarantined room as we learn he went to the Citadel to fulfill his promise to his Queen to find a cure for his progressive disease.
Dragonstone: Daenerys Targaryen and her army land on Dragonstone, the ancient seat of her family. We follow her in silence as she takes down the banners Stannis left behind and reclaims what is hers. It is supposed to be a big moment but it lacked in emotion for me. The best part of this scene was getting to see the Painted Table of Westeros again. The episode ends with Dany ready to plot her plans to take back the Seven Kingdoms and she asks her advisors, "Shall we begin?"
I give this episode an B+.
