As before, this post contains a number of spoilers so if you haven’t seen the latest episode of read on with extreme caution. This week’s episode builds on the strong foundations established last week and offers the perfect set-up for the Battle for Winterfell. It is going to be awesome!!

Reunions

Last week had more reunions than you could shake a stick at, but this week offered up a few more; Theon/Sansa, Tormund/Brienne and Brienne/Jaime. Admittedly, the first two offered very little to move the plot forward but they were satisfying to watch anyway.

Brienne and Jaime’s reunion however, offered up a little more in terms of the story, most noticeably, ensuring Jaime’s safety at Winterfell, which is no mean feat considering that he had a hand in the death of both Dany and Sansa’s fathers. It also gave us an inkling into the battle plan and offered up a rather intriguing and hilarious love triangle.

Arya’s Weapon

This week Arya’s weapon was revealed – a spear. When you think back to her training in Braavos, I am expecting some epic fighting scenes from her in the battle to come.

Sansa Vs Dany

Throughout the show, we have seen that Sansa learns from those around her and, in some regards, respects them for their strengths, regardless of how morally questionable they may be; as a result, Sansa has proven to be a fair and just ruler who truly cares for her people. I feel that Sansa has become the ruler that Dany believes herself to be, and perhaps was at one point in time, but the differences between the two was shown is stark contrast during this week’s episode (no pun intended). This shaky dynamic may prove to be pivotal in the last few episodes, particularly as the truth of Jon’s heritage comes to light.

Trouble In Paradise

Jon reveals the truth about his parents to Dany and, as you can probably imagine, it does not go down very well. Whilst she may have admitted to loving Jon, her reactions have made it clear that the throne comes first. It seems that Jon is always destined to love his enemies, however I have a feeling that if Dany gets the chance, she won’t miss.

Called It

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Arya & Gendry – I have been ‘shipping’ Team Gendarya since way back in season two, and this week all those little flirtatious moments came to a climax (#sorrynotsorry). I don’t think it is just a one night stand though, I have always said that they will end up getting married, and I stand by it. Once the war is over and the dust settles, I believe that Gendry will be legitimised and the Stark-Baratheon bond will be reinforced through marriage.

Theon & Bran – Last week I said that I thought Theon will die protecting Bran and this week’s episode all but confirmed it. I think it will be a fitting end to Theon’s journey.

Ghost Is Back!!

It may have been a blink-and-you-miss-it moment but Ghost is definitely at Winterfell. As impressed as I am with the amount of detail on the dragons, I do wish they had left a little more in the budget for the direwolves.

End Of The World… Or Jaime?

“How do you know there is an afterwards?” Since Littlefinger’s death, Bran has been filling in as Master of Cryptic Comments and this week offered another gem. “How do you know there is an afterwards?” Does this mean that they will lose and there is no afterwards for anyone or is he, in his own way, revealing that the end is near for Jaime. We know that Jaime will be fighting with Brienne in the upcoming battle and Cersei has sent a very personal assassin after him, so it might be fair to assume that his days are numbered.

Pulling At The Heartstrings

For a show that is full of manipulation, treachery, death and bare flesh, there are some surprisingly heart-warming moments scattered throughout, and this episode definitely pulls at your heartstrings.

Rather shamelessly, and not very subtly, this episode offers a throwback to one of the most heart-breaking deaths of the whole show, the sacrificial burning of Princess Shireen. When serving soup to the people of Winterfell, Ser Davos is approached by a young girl, with a scarred face, who wants to fight.

It has been said a lot over the last few episodes, but instead of a fight for the throne, it is now a fight for survival; the living versus the dead. They show this brilliantly in this episode in what is perhaps one of my favourite scenes of the whole show, the Knighting of Lady Brienne, witnessed by Tyrion, Pod, Davos and Tormund.

With GoT though, something good is usually followed by something terrible and I think that this will be no exception. The question is who, how, where and when? It could mean that having finally got the recognition she deserves, Brienne will die. Or she will fail to protect someone, i.e. Pod or Jaime, and will feel as though she doesn’t deserve her title.

So there you have it, my thoughts of the second episode. Roll on next week and the Battle of Winterfell. Seen it? Let me know what you thought.