Game of Thrones season 7, episode 3: 5 OMG moments
(LEFT TO RIGHT) Rosabell Laurenti Sellers as Tyene Sand, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson as Mountain, Lena Headey as Cersei
Lannister, and Indira Varma as Ellaria Sand – Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO
Props to Game of Thrones for still being able to shock us seven seasons in. In Sunday’s episode, those moments were all about highly-anticipated meetings and highly-dramatic departures.
After all the build-up and looking ahead of episode 2, episode 3 of Game of Thrones seventh season was again one of action. Planned meetings were carried out, anticipated punishments were enacted. And yet the sneaky show runners were still able to surprise us with these five moments:
Jon Snow finally meets Daenerys Targaryen
Twenty years, five books, and seven seasons in the making, Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen are in the same room. In as heartfelt a reunion as we’ll get this episode between Jon and Tyrion, they make their way to the castle with Davos and Missendei. Dany’s vast list of titles doesn’t impress nor intimidate Jon, who is more acquainted with nothing and the dead than he is the squabbles of the “children” in charge of the great houses of Westeros.
The showdown is certainly filled with tension, drawing in everyone in the chamber, even echoing a similar “don’t step to the queen” move The Mountain pulled in episode 1. And while their first encounter doesn’t end as amicably as we had all hoped and prayed for, Dany and Jon eventually recognize each other for the tasks they’ve undertaken. They part as allies, if only for now, and Dany assures Jon that the dragonglass mines will be at his disposal.
Fun moment: Jon ducking under the dragon (his heritage) on the walk up to Dragonstone (his ancestral home) to meet Dany (his aunt).
Cersei gets her revenge
Game of Thrones is not a show that shies away from gruesome violence or gag-inducing action (we’re looking at you, Samwell). And yet, perhaps one of the most upsetting deaths we’ve encountered maybe in the entire series came early in Sunday night’s episode, and it all happened entirely off-screen. We’re referring, of course, to Cersei’s slow murder and psychological torture toward Tyene and Ellaria Sand, respectively.
By having Cersei kiss Tyene with her poisoned lipstick just as Ellaria did Myrcella, then merely describe what would happen next left it up to us, the viewers, to envision the horrors of what would unfold ourselves. It’s the same reason books are almost exclusively better than movie versions (debatable, if we’re talking Thrones specifically): our own imaginations are much more frightening and powerful than we thought. And thanks to Cersei’s taste for vengeance, we will forever be haunted by our own vision of Ellaria watching by torchlight as her only surviving daughter dies a slow and painful death.
Stark family awkward reunion
All that time north of the Wall has made Bran pretty cold. In a scene that ultimately lets us know that Bran has grown WELL-beyond his years. Bran’s too focused on the whole Three-Eyed Raven thing to recognize it’s probably not a great idea to bring up Sansa’s traumatic wedding night with Ramsay Bolton right this second. Sansa has dealt with setback after setback over her travels south and then back home, and they’re all brought back to the surface immediately after one interaction with her only living true brother.
Surprise at Casterly Rock
Impressively narrated by Tyrion, the invasion of Casterly Rock reveals the seat of the Lannisters even though the location wasn’t revealed in the opening credits (see OMG #5 for the other location that skipped the opening credits). After that hard-fought victory courtesy of his Unsullied men, he peers over the battlements only to find the Greyjoy fleet (with a hard focus on Euron’s “Silence”) in the bay attacking his ships. Grey Worm seems up the Rhoyne without a paddle, but this OMG moment, however, is merely the setup for the episodes biggest mic-drop.
Olenna drops the ultimate mic
Good R’hllor. Glenna Tyrell is truly the Queen of Thorns.
Jaime, the Tarlys, and everyone’s favorite sell sword Bronn triumphantly approach Highgarden. Striding through the remnants of their victory, Jaime makes his way to the chambers of Olenna Tyrell to discuss the terms of her defeat.
Next: Game of Thrones season 7, episode 3: Our favorite feminist moments
Jaime makes another noticeable move back toward chivalry with his stance that Olenna deserves a clean and honorable death. However, the loose end of Joffrey’s death, a much-talked-about remaining plot point coming into this season, comes front and center during this ultimate showdown between two heads of their houses. Very similar to the “thought it would go this way but didn’t” meeting with the Blackfish, the Kingslayer is again left alone to contemplate the mistakes he’s made in his life. Also, incredible props for the acting and intention behind Olenna CHUGGING her wine, making sure her fate was sealed before she reveals her most devious plot.