A Recap of 'GoT' Season 8's Most Heart-Stopping Reunions So Far + Our Predictions For What's Next
Has it seriously been nine years since we first met the TV incarnations of the Starks, the Lannisters, the Night's Watch, and everyone and anyone populating George R. R. Martin's masterpiece of the fictional world of Westeros?
Yes, it has—Game of Thrones' very first episode aired on April 11, 2011, and if there's anything we could wish for right now, it's for the show not to be ending so soon!
But alas, Winter is here—GoT's eighth and final season has arrived, and the rightful heir (or heiress) to the Iron Throne will soon be named, a bestowal of power that won't be without its wounds, scars, and bruises––emotional ones very much included. (Fans, you know what we're talking about).
READ: Game of Thrones Season 8: Everything We Know So Far
Coinciding with the Sunday night premiere in the US, HBO aired season 8’s first episode at the exact same time all around the world––9am in Manila. And boy, were our eyes glued to the screen from the moment the (new!) opening credits rolled––a sequence worth its own analysis, to be honest––up to that gasp-worthy reunion at the end.
But before going on, now is the time say spoiler alert! (Come back later after you have gotten your fill of GoT politics, adventure, muddy alliances, and yes, sexual tension on tonight's primetime replay at 10pm).
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*SPOILERS AHEAD*
For those who've already had the ultimate privilege of viewing the episode we painfully waited a year and eight months for, read on, and do share your own thoughts with us!
We're rounding up all the long-anticipated reunions in the first episode of what's sure to be a crazy good season, and sharing our own predictions for what's to come in the Seven Kingdoms and beyond.
Arya and Jon
It really doesn't matter if a sibling doesn't share the same set of parents; family is family. The sentiment certainly rings true in Winterfell where King in the North Jon Snow and lady-turned-warrior Arya Stark met again with a tight, teary embrace after years of being apart and unknowing if the other had even made it through all the war and strife in one piece.
Jon and Arya clearly had the deepest connection among the Stark siblings, and when they parted ways in Season 1, Jon gave Arya a sword named 'Needle.' During their reunion, Jon's remarks about how much his sister has grown, with Needle still safe by her side, was the most big-brothery thing we've seen him do as of late, and we're still not over it.
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Sansa and Tyrion
In case you've forgotten––Sansa and Tyrion are legally, still married. This union between houses Stark and Lannister was never meant to be one of tenderness and romance, but instead, it was a life-saving move that allowed the two to make it as far as they have––limbs, minds, and ambitions still intact.
Having lived separate lives since their politically-motivated marriage in Season 3, their joining of forces of under the current, much more dire circumstances is more than intriguing. Whether their aliance will play a part in the scramble for the Iron Throne is still up for speculation.
READ: New Game of Thrones Final Season Photos Reveal More About Life in Winterfell
Jaime and Bran
Where do we even begin?
It was Jaime Lannister and Bran Stark's encounter on that fateful tower window that essentially got this war started (at least in GoT's TV version). So, when the one-handed Kingslayer arrives in Winterfell in a hooded disguise, watching his face change upon dismounting his horse and seeing a living, wheelchair-bound Brand staring back at him was simply delicious. That was the look of worry and anxiety right there.
There's a reason the GoT showrunners chose to air the scene during the episode's last two minutes and treated it as a somewhat cliff-hanger: Jaime meeting Bran again spells a set of events leading up to the series finale that will be very, very exciting to watch unfold.
READ: Game of Thrones Star Kit Harington Comes to Terms With Jon Snow
So what happens next?
Apart from these reunions, Season 8, Episode 1 also dropped the biggest revelation on the person who knows nothing, aka Jon Snow (but not anymore!). Samwell Tarly, Jon's most trusted friend from their time on the Night's Watch, told him that—gasp!—he's the true and rightful heir to the Iron Throne!
With Jon's newly acquired information, we're betting it won't be just Sansa stirring up tension with Daenerys. We're guessing that Jon, in the meantime, will be keeping this secret from the Dragon Queen, but it will definitely have an effect on him and his decisions later on during the battle with the Army of the Dead.
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Speaking of the White Walkers, we believe they'll be making an appearance in the next episode. In the latest trailer released earlier today, everyone is frantically preparing for the approaching fight against the undead. Our cards, however, tell us that the aerial battle between the dragons won't happen until the third episode.
At the end of Season 7, Tyrion pleaded with Cersei to let the Lannister forces march North to aid the living in the imminent Great War. Although Cersei gave her word, we all know she does not intend on keeping it. But, we're still wondering––what did Tyrion say or what deal did he strike with his sister to get her to agree? Some of us are speculating: what if Daenerys' right-hand man made plans to betray the dragon queen? After all, for his entire life, Tyrion yearned for his family's acceptance. On the other side, however, some of us maintain that Tyrion is a good man, but also agree with Sansa's thinking that he might not be as clever as we initially thought.
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On the topic of the Lannisters, let's talk about Jaime. We have two guesses on the fate of the fallen knight: first, he'll be pardoned by Daenerys and the Starks, and will fight alongside their armies in defeating the common enemy. Our second guess, considering Maggy the Frog accurately predicted two events in Cersei's life, her third prediction, that Cersei will die at the hands of a valonqar or 'little brother,' is likely. While Tyrion is the obvious suspect, her twin brother, whom she is older than by a few minutes, could be the brother to choke the life out of her––a poetic death, if you ask us.
As for the Stark siblings, they might all live. They're all together, and they're home in Winterfell. As Sansa said, "When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives." Here's to hoping that the pack indeed will survive!
And finally, the Wall: Beric Dondarrion, Tormund Giantsbane, and Lord Commander Edd Tollett might discover the secret to ending it all. Could the spiral symbol they set aflame be a key?
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At this point, we've made a mental list a la Arya Stark; ours however has names of the characters we are doubting will survive till the series' end. But, we're still just at the beginning! We don't want to break any hearts, so instead, share with us who you think will ultimately sit on the Iron Throne and live through the last episode.
Oh, and we also pray for more servings of Arya and Gendry scenes (we ship it), and a healthy helping of the fan-anticipated Cleganebowl, thank you very much.
All these we ask, of the Old Gods and the New, the Drowned God, the Lord of Light, and whatever god there is. Valar morghulis.
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