Game of Thrones is a show that doesn’t shy away from shock value. Episode 2 of season 7 was no exception. Here are the five most jaw-dropping moments.
The Game of Thrones season 7 premiere opened with dozens of murders in the first minutes. The second episode closed with just as much gore in just as shockingly short a window. The action unfolded in a bit of a slow-burn in comparison to a lot of Game of Thrones episodes past, with many of the storylines focusing on planning and plotting upcoming events. So the final battle was all the more startling. But before that climactic conclusion, the episode was filled with plenty of other staggering seconds. Here are five of our favorites:
(LEFT TO RIGHT) Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen, Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, Gemma Whelan as Yara Greyjoy, and Indira Varma as Ellaria Sand – Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO
Olenna’s pep talk to Daenerys
It didn’t involve wildfire or weaponry, but the impact of Lady Olenna Tyrell’s sit-down chat with Daenerys at Dragonstone was just as dramatic. Even without a fleet of dragons, Lady Olenna’s a force to be reckoned with.
As she tells Daenerys in their nuanced conversation, she’s outlived many clever men in her years and Daenerys doesn’t need these clever men to lead. She just needs her dragon instincts. The tone of the two women’s conversation is steely, supportive, and just the interaction we didn’t know we needed to see.
Missendei and Grey Worm’s love scene
Grey Worm was a poet and we didn’t even know it. When battle plans get underway, Daenerys’ loyal Unsullied body man Grey Worm showed us an unexpected softer side in his declaration of feelings to Missendei. The scene was striking not only for its long-simmering build-up (we’ve been shipping these two for quite a while), but also for its respectful handling of Grey Worm’s eunuch status.
Missendei isn’t fazed by Grey Worm’s mutilation. Instead, she tells him she wants to see all of him, and it’s that frank conviction and sweetness that made this moment so noteworthy.
That disgusting secret surgery
For the second week in a row, Sam was tasked with doing something incredibly gross. In the season premiere, it was bathroom clean-up. This time around, it was the secret surgery to rid Jorah of his greyscale at the Citadel. For all the grit and gore Game of Thrones shows us, it takes a lot to get viewers to need to physically shield their eyes from an episode, but this graphic scene did it (for me and my co-watchers at least).
The show’s creative team decided to really get in there and give viewers an up-close look at Sam slicing the infected scales from Jorah’s flesh (which, probably was’t entirely necessary, okay, HBO?), ooze and all. Luckily, Sam and Jorah swigging booze to lessen the intensity of the situation helped a bit. We just wish we had some to do the same while we were watching.
Nymeria’s return
The Stark family’s dire wolves have had a rough go of it, so it was a delightful surprise in Sunday’s episode to be reunited with Nymeria right along with Arya. The scene, which takes place at Arya’s makeshift camp site, was frightening, then frustrating, then fitting. Arya is surrounded by ferocious-looking wolves but shares a meaningful moment with her old furry friend when she recognizes her as Nymeria.
It’s briefly heartbreaking when we realize Nymeria won’t be joining Arya on her journey as she asked her to, but considering Arya’s own personality and spirit, the choice makes perfect sense. Nymeria, like Arya, doesn’t like to abide by the rules.
Next: Game of Thrones season 7, episode 2 recap: Stormborn
Theon’s dive
The entire last five minutes of the episode are brutal and eye-popping as Euron and his men attack the Dornish ship. But the most gut-wrenching moment comes near the very end of the scene when Euron is able to take Yara captive. The crazy-eyed uncle encourages his nephew to come save his sister. Instead, a panicked-looking Theon freezes, then leaps from the ship. Much was said (particularly in the meme world) about Theon being a coward in this interaction, when in actuality it appears the show’s creators we attempting to show the lasting impact of Theon’s repeated trauma. So did Yara survive? We’ll have to wait and see on Sunday.