Game of Thrones Season 7 Episode 7 Review: “The Dragon and the Wolf”, a bittersweet symphony
It’s not easy to write a review for an episode that’s over an hour long and full of interesting things happening, with every minute revealing or communicating something important. This season has seen the consolidation of themes and relationships that have been seven seasons in the making, and this unhurried, dialogue-packed finale is the culmination of a long preparation. We start out with the Dragonpit scene, which was well constructed and built up an almost unbearable tension through many one-on-one interactions and reunions between characters, including the Clegane brothers, Tyrion and Bronn, and Euron and Theon. The symbolic balance of power starts with a Lannister advantage as Bronn and some Lannister soldiers escort the visitors to the Dragonpit. It may seem a curious spot for holding a meeting during winter, but from Cersei’s perspective it would be fitting to negotiate in this ruin: it represents the decadence of the Targaryen lineage that Daenerys wants to restore, as the Mother of Dragons herself later points out when handling an atrophied dragon skull found among the ruins. The balance of power shifts when Daenerys arrives atop her dragon, a move that was no less majestic for being predictable. The captured wight throws things into turmoil and Cersei seems to be even worse off as her ally Euron jumps ship; we are not sure yet but it seems like the ridiculous wight hunt might pay off. There is much back and forth, Jon publically reveals his recent acceptance of Daenerys as his queen and refuses to remain neutral in a future conflict between the two queens, and by the end of the scene it seems they will all be marching north together to fight the White Walkers.
Nonetheless, all the build up in the Dragonpit ends up seeming a bit pointless some time later, when both Cersei and Euron’s moves are revealed as strategic lies in a conversation between Jamie and Cersei. This was probably the most disappointing part of the episode, because it seemed somewhat inexplicable and things like the scene between Tyrion and Cersei seemed pointless. However, this is at least partly compensated by the quality of the scene between Jaime and Cersei. Watching Jamie try to make his sister-lover see sense, his mounting desperation and anger — accompanied by deep underlying concern — was gripping and sad. I seethed in frustration alongside him when the “Mad Queen” explains her plot, and feared for his safety when Cersei threatens him. Throughout this scene as well as the whole episode, the acting was stellar and helped to carry the episode through emotionally, even when we could continue to detect holes in the show’s inner logic.
The last words Jamie says to Cersei in the scene are “I don’t believe you”. We then see him riding away, King’s Landing in the background, as snow begins to fall. Then we get a few scenes of snowy King’s Landing and the giant map in the Red Keep, empty and dark. What is Jamie up to? It seems he is trying to decisively break away from Cersei’s influence. He loses his trust in her when he discovers that the events in the Dragon Pit were a bluff, and is now interested in being honorable and fulfilling his pledge to fight against the Night King. If this is the case, season 8 will see Cersei lonelier than ever, as Jamie pointed out, although she will have her new ally Euron by her side. I was expecting this season to show Cersei’s downfall, but it seems she and Euron will be making it as key players nearly to the end, so that the showdown between the living and the dead will not be a simple two-sided affair as might have been envisioned. This will certainly make the strategies and developments of the final season more interesting than if it just became a simple showdown of living versus dead. In that sense I am glad for Cersei’s continued survival as a profoundly fascinating villain.
In Winterfell, this episode sees the demise of a villain who had been progressively growing more annoying and less fun to watch. Petyr Baelish’s protégé outwits him and executes him for multiple treasons and the murder of Lysa Arryn. The mounting animosity we had been observing between Sansa and Arya was, it appears, a well-laid trap to catch Petyr unaware. The sibling rivalry exists, but Sansa and Arya were over-playing the intensity of their conflict and underplaying their will to work together. What for? To punish Petyr Baelish at the right time, and avoid him fleeing back to the Vale as he tried to do in his final scene by appealing to Lord Yohn Royce, asking him to esort him safely back. By making it seems it was Arya she was worried about, Sansa caught Baelish unaware just when he thought his plan to pit Arya and Sansa against each other was reaching fruition. Petyr meets a grisly end thanks to the same kind of scheming that had gotten him so far in life, and it certainly feels like poetic justice that he die in this way and Arya gets some sort of vengeance for the betrayal of Ned Stark (and countless others).
Revealing that the sisters had been working together throughout this season’s events was a nice way to tie the intrigues at Winterfell up, but the summary execution itself felt rushed. Littlefinger was not even given the chance to utter some last words, much less defend himself against the charges brought against him. As viewers we know that Bran, Arya and Sansa are right and that anything that came out of his mouth would be lies — but it is not the most encouraging trial process for all the other lords present, and the atmosphere when it happens is of foreboding, not festive justice. Nonetheless, it is good to see the Stark sibling collaborating, and Sansa’s echoing of Ned stark’s words after the execution is moving. It was a crowd-pleasing move, but it also allows Sansa to free herself from her dodgy mentor’s shadow and come into her own. Henceforth, she will presumably be working for the Stark’s general interest instead of Petyr’s mysterious goals.
Speaking of the Starks, the episode title “The Dragon and the Wolf” takes us most evidently to the pivotal characters of the show at this point, Jon and Daenerys. The dragon and the wolf are most evidently allies at this point, and something more: Jon has publicly declared his fealty in the Dragonpit, and later they become lovers as well as allies in wordless seduction aboard a ship heading north. Although we viewers might be thrilled to see this destined union happen, Tyrion seems less excited and more concerned–indicating that this is unlikely to be a fan-service happy-ending romance. Also crucially, the love scene between Daenerys and Jon is overlaid with further explanation about the revelations of Jon’s heritage that Bran is piecing together with help from Sam.
After a whole season of mostly waiting in the background, Bran and Sam finally come to the fore as they piece together the knowledge about Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark–the dragon and the wolf yet again. We already knew they had conceived a child and in this season we confirm this happened within marriage — which within this universe has huge implications for their son. We see a close-up Jon’s face as he makes love to Daenerys and Bran’s voice-over explains that he was never a bastard, but the true-born heir of the Seven Kingdoms. As viewers we had some idea of this already from Gilly’s discovery early in the season, but the importance of this scene is that characters in-universe are putting the pieces together and preparing to reveal the truth, most importantly to Jon himself.
The reveal of Jon’s heritage is certain to provoke confusion and mixed feelings: Jon’s identity, his personality, is tied in closely both with his status as bastard and the image of his supposed father Ned Stark. How will Jon react when, presumably at the outset of the next season, his true parentage and given name is revealed to him? The scene between Jon and Theon at Dragonstone is hinting at this in a way. “You don’t need to choose. You’re a Greyjoy, and you’re a Stark”, he tells Theon after hearing him talk about his conflicted loyalties. In the Dragonpit scene at the outset of this episode we see Jon Snow refuse to lie even strategically and expound a view on lying and oaths that would have made both Ned Stark and Immanuel Kant immensely proud. Jon is still a Stark, soon to rejoin the Stark pack in Winterfell; he is still Ned’s son by nurture if not by nature.
The revelation that Jon is the heir to the throne (given that succession in Westeros is traditionally reserved for male family members) is likely to shake things up massively in his alliance with Daenerys. It is not impossible to imagine her growing distrustful when she realizes his claim is stronger than hers. It is also going to have strategic impacts on the relations with other Lords of Westeros — such as the Northern lords who have yet to even be informed of their King’s new allegiance. In terms of symbolism and prophecy, in my mind it confirms that Jon is going to become a dragonrider and take command of Rhaegal in the Great War–yet another reason that waiting for the next season will be unbearably difficult, but I’m sure it will be worth it.
At the end of the episode, in Eastwatch, there is a seismic shift in the balance of power between living or dead. The Night King unveils his new weapon of mass destruction, using undead Viserion to destroy Eastwatch and burn down a vast swathe of the wall, through which his undead army is proceeding to march into Westeros. I really, really hope Beric and Tormund make it out alive so that they can run south and get word to Winterfell and beyond about this invasion. Although the undead army seems to march at a sluggish pace, this season finale leaves no room for doubt: the dead are coming, and the Great War is here. It’s depressing that we will have to wait so long to see it happen, but there can always be discussion, speculation, and the hope that “The Winds of Winter” will come out.
