Game of Thrones Season 7, Episode 1 Review: Winter Is Here, Welcome To Dragonstone

When you plan to start your dynasty, the first thing you need is a personalized (if not painted) map of the entire seven kingdoms. That’s one of the highlights of the newest season of “Game of Thrones” that just premiered early this week. The story’s two main queens plotted on domination on the opposite ends of Blackwater Bay, and it seems that this could be the central theme of season 7, aside from the war with the Night King and his cohorts.

Massive spoilers for “Game of Thrones ahead.

Game of Thrones: ‘Dragonstone’ Recap

“Game of Thrones” Season 7, episode 1 picked up from where it left us back in Season 6. It started off by outlining the clashes to come in the season, suggesting a possible convergence between our main characters and the future stories that will be fleshed out throughout the 7-episode season.

What’s very interesting is how the premiere episode seemed to focus on the people that we have seen from the beginning: Arya, Sansa, and Bran Stark, Jon Snow, Cersei and Jaime Lannister; Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion Lannister. Even Sandor Clegane—who’s now riding with Beric Dondarrion and Thoros—is shown in significant detail, exposing their journey in a way that seems to be hinting at something very drastic for the second episode.

Ben Crompton in Game of Thrones. Photo by Helen Sloan/HBO

The world of the Seven Kingdoms seems to be smaller, as suggested by Cersei’s maps. Everyone is back in their specific areas of dominion: Meera Reed and Bran Stark have finally reached the Wall, Jon is ruling over the North, figuring out more ways to acquire more dragonstone and secures the loyalties of Houses Umber and Karstark, who fought alongside Ramsay in the Battle of the Bastards. There’s a little clash between him and Sansa, but it all comes as the latter wanting more from Jon Snow, something better than what Ned and Rob Stark did as Lord of Winterfell.

Samwell Tarly is finally at the Citadel albeit depressing and disgusting tasks. But no matter how much they treat him like he’s a servant for the Maesters, he perseveres and finally gets a hold of one of the books about the White Walkers. Further on, he encounters a greyscale-afflicted person’s  hand popping out from one of the cells. He asks if Daenerys has finally landed in Westeros, to which Samwell has no idea about. Well, it looks like Ser Jorah hasn’t found a cure for the grayscale just yet.

Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones. Photo by Helen Sloan/HBO

The Lannisters are demanding loyalty to the Lords of the Seven Kingdoms, all while assessing which among the other houses remain as their allies. They’re still in King’s Landing, still plotting, and still trying to rule with an already rusty iron fist. Daenerys has finally landed at Dragonstone, finally reclaiming her birthplace and ready to plan for the invasion of Westeros.

Arya is still at it with her vengeful journey towards Westeros as well. After killing off the male children of House Frey, she’s now on her way to King’s Landing. She encounters a group of friendly Lannister soldiers on the way and tells them of her plan to kill the Queen. They all end up laughing, but Arya is dead set on what she said. Sandor ends up believing in the Lord of Light after being given a vision of the White Walkers in the fire.

Where The Premiere Goes From Here

Cersei is now out of options for whoever is going to take her place. Her children are all dead, and clearly, she is out of options for marriage. Walder Frey is also out of male children. A “bastard” rules over the North. The last child of the Mad King Aerys is coming to Westeros with armies blazing. It’s now pointing out that the “Game of Thrones” is now on the playing field of the neglected children of Westeros. However, there’s still one more to take care of: the Night King. They’re closing in on the North, with thousands of White Walkers on his side.

Photo via Helen Sloan (HBO)

A few questions: Will the remaining Stark children finally be reunited? What does Cersei have to fight against Dany and her massive army of Unsullied and Dothraki warriors (not to mention her three large and powerful dragons)? Will Sandor be a protectorate of the Lord of Light, the same as Beric? More importantly,

It’s good to be back in the world of “Game of Thrones.”As the premiere opened with a surprise appearance from Walder Frey talking to his children, I felt the same thing that Dany felt when she walked inside the Dragonstone castle for the first time since she was born. I was overwhelmed, awed, and I couldn’t believe everything that I was witnessing. From the cold opening to the familiar theme song with new features added in the map, from that weird and unexpected cameo from Ed Sheeran, from the South to the North, “Game of Thrones” remains as pure and enthralling as it is.