Game of Thrones recap: everything that happened in season 7
The eighth and final season of Game of Thrones, HBO’s massive television juggernaut consumed by everyone and anyone, is fast approaching. But who will survive and what will be left of Westeros once the dust settles?
The seventh season stuffed its seven episodes to the brim with so much intense action, political intrigue and long awaited payoffs, that even the most seasoned fans may struggle to recall it all as the endgame begins. So here's a reminder of the major plot points that are likely to have an impact on season 8.
Daenerys Targaryen arrives in The Seven Kingdom, but plans go awry
As the White Walkers and their wights continue to march south, Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) finally reaches Westeros and sets up camp her family’s ancestral seat, Dragonstone, with her fleet and advisors, including Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage). They meet with her Westerosi allies; Melisandre advises Daenerys to meet with Jon, with Tyrion agreeing the Starks could be allies. A plan is made for Daenerys’ Westerosi armies to besiege King’s Landing while the Unsullied will capture Casterly Rock, the Lannister stronghold.
Unfortunately Euron Greyjoy’s Iron Fleet attacks and defeats Yara Greyjoy’s army. The Unsullied capture Casterly Rock, infiltrating the castle via its sewage system, but it is a trap; the Iron Fleet arrives and destroys their ships, leaving the Unsullied stranded on the opposite side of Westeros.
Jon Snow’s questionable decisions
Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) clash over over how to manage the North. Petyr Baelish, aka Littlefinger (Aiden Gillen), attempts to remain in Sansa’s good graces, who remains aloof but recognises they still need the support of the Vale's army.
Jon Snow receives Daenerys’ invitation to meet at Dragonstone. Sansa and Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham) push for him to refuse to meet, but Jon recognizes the the practical efficiency of dragonfire against the advancing White Walkers. He decides to personally meet Daenerys at Dragonstone and appoints Sansa to be Winterfell’s regent in his staid.
Cersei Lannister takes charge
Cersei (Lena Headey) attempts to solidify her power base in King’s Landing despite having very few allies and entertaining grand delusions of establishing a Lannister dynasty, openly flaunting her relationship with her twin brother-lover Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), who warily follows her lead.
Euron brings his prisoners to Cersei and she accepts his alliance, agreeing to marry once the war has been won. She takes revenge on Ellaria by poisoning Tyne with the same poison she used to kill her daughter Myrcella, and keeping her alive to watch Tyne slowly die.
The Stark siblings reunite at last and tie off loose ends
Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) takes get her revenge on House Frey for for her mother and brother’s murders, then makes her way north upon hearing Jon has reclaimed Winterfell.
Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) and Meera Reed arrive at Winterfell. Littlefinger tries to make nice with Bran by gifting him with the Valyrian dagger used in the attempt on his life, but Bran sees through his attempted manipulations. Both sisters are disturbed by Bran’s change in personality and omnipresent knowledge; he gives Arya the Valyrian steel dagger.
Littlefinger attempts to play Sansa and Arya against each other, using the letter Cersei forced Sansa to write after Robert Baratheon died asking Robb to swear fealty to Joffrey to sow seeds of doubt in the sisters. However, the Stark siblings turn the tables, charging Littlefinger with murder and treason, in particular for his role in manipulating Lysa Arryn to kill Jon Arryn, setting in motion the entire war. Littlefinger begs for mercy as Sansa coldly watches on, Arya slits his throat with the Valyrian steel dagger. Afterwards Arya and Sansa vow to stand strong together in the future.
Sayonara Oldtown
Samwell Tarly (John Bradley) learns of a large deposit of dragonglass (one of only two materials that can kill White Walkers) located on Dragonstone while training to become a maester and sends news to Jon. He discovers Jorah Mormont (Iian Glen), whose greyscale has rapidly progressed; Sam surgically removes his greyscale who then heads on his way to Dragonstone to beg for Daenerys’ forgiveness.
Sam vouches for Bran Stark’s raven warning of the Night King’s army but leaves in frustration with Gilly (Hannah Murray) when the maesters decide the potential end of the world “needs further study.” He takes with him documents from the Citadel library, one of which details the annulment High Septon Maynard gave to a “Prince Raggar,” who married another woman in a secret ceremony in Dorne.
The Dragon Queen and Bastard Wolf
Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen finally meet face to face. Jon tries to explain the gravity of the situation regarding the White Walkers but Daenerys wants to claim the Iron Throne before dealing with other threats. When she receives news of Yara’s defeat, their meeting is cut short and Jon remains at Dragonstone as a “guest.”
Tyrion talks Daenerys down from burning Euron’s ships with her dragons and agrees with Jon Snow regarding the threat of the White Walkers. He gives Jon advice on how to frame the threat in a manner Daenerys understands. Jon requests to mine the dragonglass underneath Dragonstone, which Daenerys accepts and tells him privately.
Jon Snow shows Daenerys the enormous dragonglass mine and while she is apparently convinced of Jon’s telling the truth, she will only pledge to fight against the White Walkers and for the North if Jon bends the knee. Jon still refuses.
Like father, like daughter?
Daenerys is not happy with the double-edged victory of Casterly Rock and loss of Highgarden and questions Tyrion’s loyalties. She considers attacking King’s Landing with her dragons and asks Jon for advice. He notes if she destroys a city she prove she is just another tyrant.
Jamie and Randyll Tarly’s armies take Highgarden, House Tyrell’s seat, and Jamie allows Olenna Tyrell a quick and merciful death by poison, but not before Olenna confesses to murdering Joffrey - who tells Jaime to tell Cersei. Daenerys leads a Dothraki attack while riding Drogon and surrounds the Lannister army. Mercenary Bronn (Jerome Flynn) manages to wound Drogon with Qyburn’s new weapon but Drogon destroys it. Jamie charges at Daenerys when she dismounts, but her dragon breathes fire at him and is only saved at the last minute by Bronn.
Daenerys gives the surviving soldiers the choice between fealty to her or death. Tyrion urges her to spare the Tarlys or send them to the Wall, which they refuse. She keeps her promise and burns the Tarlys to death via Drogon’s fire; the remaining prisoners swear fealty.
Jon Snow pets a dragon and gathers a team
Daenerys returns to Dragonstone and Drogon allows Jon Snow to touch him, an extraordinary occurrence. Jorah arrives and Daenerys accepts him into her entourage. Varys and Tyrion become worried about Daenerys growing bloodthirsty like her father, the Mad King Aerys.
Jon receives Bran’s raven, deciding to to head beyond the wall to fight the undead. He requests for Daenerys’ help but she refuses because she doesn’t want to be vulnerable to Cersei. Tyrion proposes capturing a wight and bringing it as proof to Cersei that the threat of the Night Army is real and gain her support; Jon and Jorah volunteer for the mission. Tyrion and Davos smuggle Gendry, Robert Baratheon’s sole remaining bastard, out of King’s Landing.
Jamie Lannister has second thoughts and receives some (good?) news
Having now seen a dragon in person, Jamie realizes the Lannisters could never overcome the three dragons in person. He tells Cersei of Olenna’s confession and she regrets not giving her a painful death. While in King’s Landing Tyrion arranges to meet with Jamie through Bronn to pass along to Cersei a request for an audience once Jon Snow can prove the White Walkers exist. Cersei acknowledges a temporary ceasefire could be necessary and reveals to Jamie she is pregnant, and wants to acknowledge him as the father.
A win and a loss
The intrepid travellers met up with meet with giant Tormund at the Night Watch's fortress Eastwatch and join forces with the Brotherhood Without Banners and Sandor Clegane in the face of the common enemy.
The party journey beyond the Wall and successfully capture an animated wight, but end up trapped on an island surrounded by the undead. Daenerys flies north with Drogon, Rhaegal and Viserion and lays waste, but the wights continue their attack and the Night King kills Viserion with an ice javelin. Jon is pulled into the water but is saved by a reanimated Benjen Stark, who sacrifices himself for Jon to escape.
Jon apologizes to Daenerys for Viserion's death and she sorrowfully accepts her loss as the price of learning the truth. She agrees to fight the Night King and White Walkers with Jon; in return, Jon pledges fealty to her. Meanwhile, beyond the Wall the Night King reanimates Viserion.
A cautious detente and a Lannister breakup
Daenerys, Cersei and their entourages meet in King’s Landing. Jon and The Hound successfully present the animated wight to Cersei, who agrees to help against the war against the Night King, on the condition Jon be a neutral party. She rescinds her support when Jon tells her he has sworn himself to Daenerys.
Tyrion confronts Cersei, and realizes she is pregnant. Cersei returns to the talks and agrees to send her entire army north to fight the White Walkers. However, Cersei reveals to Jaime she lied. She has sent Euron to Essos to transport the Golden Company, an elite mercenary organization, which she will then use to pick off whomever wins against the White Walkers. Jamie finally breaks with his sister, refusing break his word to help, and rides north just it begins to in King’s Landing.
The end approaches with a revelation, an undead dragon and unintentional incest
Sam, Gilly and her son arrive in Winterfell and Bran drops a nuclear bomb on Sam: Jon’s real parents were Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, firstborn child of Mad King Aerys and Daenerys’ oldest brother, and Lyanna Stark, Ned and Benjen Stark’s sister.
They married in secret after Rhaegar’s marriage to Elia Martell was annulled. Bran views the wedding and Jon’s birth through his sight, learning the name Lynna gave her son: Aegon Targaryen. As Jon is Rhaegar’s legitimate son, he is the heir to the Iron Throne.
Enroute to Winterfell on the Narrow Sea, Jon and Daenerys give into their feelings for one another and have sex, very unaware that they are related (nephew and aunt to be precise).
Meanwhile, the Night King’s undead army arrives at Eastwatch with the Night King riding the undead Viserion. He destroys the fortress and a section of the wall, allowing the White Walker to finally enter the Seven Kingdoms. Winter has truly come to Westeros.