GoT Season 8 Ep 1 Was Nothing Short of a Bollywood Family Drama

*Spoiler Alert*

Winter is here, finally.

The eighth and final season of Game of Thrones has aired and the first episode was exactly how fans had predicted: mostly at Winterfell, setting up the stage for an epic battle, with several reunions, and of course some solid call-backs.

The pacing was languid and there were no time-space jumps – unlike the slightly jarring ones last season. Perhaps that is also why there are quite a few fans out there who felt that the pilot episode was a bit of a dud. Reddit was abuzz with fans complaining how ‘nothing really happened’, when in reality, there was a lot to take in.

The Call-Backs to Season 1 Episode 1

Game of Thrones season 8 episode 1 is laced with references to the very first episode of the show.

The opening scene follows a kid climbing up a tree to get a better look at Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen – and her huge army of Dothraki and Unsullied soldiers marching their way to Winterfell.

You cannot help but think back to when Bran Stark climbed up the towers at Winterfell to take a good look at King Robert and his band of followers visiting from King’s Landing in the series premiere.

And we know that their visit did not end well for the Starks. Are the showmakers foreshadowing something with all the obvious call backs to the first episode?

Bollywood-Style Reunions

Game of Thrones season 8 episode 1 could be re-christened as ‘Hum Saath Saath Hai’ for the insanely filmy reunions that the characters have. Not that we’re complaining.

From Jon Snow finally meeting Arya Stark to Theon Greyjoy saving his sister Yara, reunions – some emotional and others awkward – seemed to be the key motif throughout the episode. Some of these reunions also paved the way for game-changing revelations that should prove crucial to how the show ends.

To find out more on these reunions, head here.

What We Liked:

For an episode with a slower pacing it managed to keep the plot moving, and even introduce some fresh elements for fans to theorise over – the weapon Arya wants forged (spear-cum-dagger, it would seem), Drogon's mysterious stare down at Jon, and Sansa’s (very pertinent) worry about they’re going to feed Daenerys’ large army – including the dragons who aren’t getting much as dragons go. These may seem like trivial, mundane issues, but could prove to be game-changers later.

Imagine, after theorising on all the epic ways in which the show could end, our heroes end up dying of starvation before facing off against the White Walkers!

We also loved how little lady Lyanna Mormont gave it to Jon Snow for accepting Daenerys as his and their Queen.

We were introduced to the key conflicts that would plague our favourite characters in near future – where does Jon Snow’s loyalty lie? How will Daenerys and Sansa’s tense relationship unfold?

We also know that the White Walkers have reached the Last Hearth (and done their creepy spiral art thing with severed limbs again) – is the great battle for Westeros’ survival going to be on us sooner than expected?

And most importantly, where does Cersei fit in this united front against White Walkers? We know that she is plotting something big, even though she’s missing a troop of elephants.

What we Did Not Like:

Some of the scenes do feel underwhelming specially when a solid character is reduced to just a ‘smart’ line to make their presence felt. Varys and Tyrion – yet again in a wagon a la season 5 – was a funny call-back to the series’ ongoing trope but their conversation fails to make a significant dent in the plot.

Similarly, Bran’s eerie and mysterious one-liners seem to lose its element of intrigue and could be passed off as plain fillers now. They don’t give any fresh information to the viewers – except that the Night King has a dragon now. But hey, fans knew that already! Ok fine the characters didn’t, but it’s high time Bran used that greensight for something special (though maybe we’ll get that next episode now that Jaime is in town).

Apart from Dolorous Edd screaming at Tormund, and Jon Snow’s first ever dragon-ride, there weren’t many high-on adrenaline moments in the first episode.

But the again, when fans have theorized on everything and anything under the sun in the last one and half year, it is tough for Benioff and Weiss to come up with surprises and twists.

Now that the showrunners have tested the fan’s loyalty and patience with a rather slow-paced and pensive start, they better deliver on some ‘epic shit’ in the upcoming episode. The fans are ready to see some action.