Game Of Thrones Is Back! Daenerys And Sansa’s First Meeting Wasn’t What We Expected – In A Good Way

After seven years and 2,339 on-screen deaths, winter has finally come in Game Of Thrones. The real pleasure in watching this first episode of the finale series comes – like the last few episodes of last time – from the continuing reunions of long-separated cast members, and the new meetings that show how our favourites form alliances, butt heads and interact. Sansa and Daenerys, notably, are now uneasy allies in Winterfell, and the two political masterminds won’t find it easy to work together.

The Winterfell scene that sees Daenerys, elected King In The North Jon Snow and Sansa meeting in the castle courtyard. It’s a clear nod to the very first episode and the arrival of Robert Baratheon and his queen Cersei, and like that meeting this is a masterpiece in awkwardness. Daenerys, smiling, offers kind words to Sansa both personally and as Lady of Winterfell. There is a //significant// pause before Sansa replies, formal and solemn, with the same words her father once told King Robert: “Winterfell is yours, your Grace”.

Then, on the high table and facing the Lords of the North, there’s a beautiful little flicker as Sansa looks at a speechifying Jon, takes in the admiring glance that Dany throws his way, and comes perilously close to an eye roll at them both. It’s magnificent acting from Sophie Turner. She is furious at Jon for bending the knee, and openly scornful of Dany’s plans for war. Sansa complains openly about the pressures of provisioning an army and Dany’s dragons. Dany shoots back that her dragons will eat “whatever they want” – but later sends Jon to make peace rather than face Sansa herself. “She doesn’t need to be my friend, but I am her Queen,” says Dany.

Read more: check out how the Game Of Thrones cast have changed from the season 1 premiere to now...

Dany may be right to be wary. For all her hatred, Sansa has modelled herself on Cersei, with the same reserve and the same slow, low speaking tones. She’s become accustomed to plotting for survival (“Thank you for all your many lessons, Lord Baelish. I will never forget them,” Sansa said last season). Arya (Maisie Williams) now calls her sister the smartest woman she’s ever met, despite their lifelong feuding. A wrong word could really set Sansa and Dany at odds – something neither of them truly wants.

It could be just another cat-fight, but this feels very different to that sort of exploitative, tokenistic conflict. After seven seasons we understand these characters and we see why they’d be wary of one another. It’s obvious that they have somewhat competing interests. Dany wants to war against the Winter King and then Cersei for the throne; Sansa wants to keep her remaining family, and her people, safe above all. But they’re not so far apart either. Both Dany and Sansa have been sold into marriage with their enemies; they are rape victims; they are killers when they have to be. They are smart, strong and intelligent, and we have to hope that they’ll talk their way out this conflict. But in the meantime it’s going to be juicy.

Of course, this is still Game Of Thrones, so we get a completely unnecessary nude scene as Bronn splashes out on three chatty prostitutes. It’s so gratuitous that it almost has to be the show poking fun at its own reputation. And there is grotesque violence to finish the episode when Tormund, Beric and their men go to help the young Lord of Umber round up his men at Last Hearth and find a horrific surprise left by the Night King and his ghouls.

There’s much to enjoy before that (almost) final shock, however. Dany and Jon go dragon-riding together, and he finally learns his true parentage – though too late to stop him shagging his platinum-haired aunt, of course. Sansa and her (onetime husband, don’t forget!) Tyrion are reunited and he shows her a wary respect that feels right. Theon rescues his sister Yara from uncle Euron’s clutches, and she sails off to retake their home while he heads back to fight at Winterfell. “What is dead may never die…but kill the bastards anyway,” Yara tells Theon. Cersei welcomes the Golden Company to King’s Landing, preparing her own war against the North and never mind about the greater threat – but is disappointed to learn that they didn’t bring their elephants. And there are gorgeous character beats for the Hound, Gendry, Arya and Jaime. Perhaps the most unexpected emotional hit of the episode comes courtesy of Samwell, who meets Dany in what seems like the beginning of a beautiful friendship – only for her to admit that she killed his abusive father and half-brother, and break his heart.

The moral of all these stories is the need for compromise. Dany and Sansa will have to work together, however much it rankles and however worried Sansa is for Jon’s future in the North. Sam, too, will have to overcome any anger he has for Daenerys to serve both her and Jon faithfully. And Cersei must, surely, see reason one day – or be stopped before she destroys everything. Winter is here, but Westeros’ fate still hangs in the balance unless everyone learns to work together, and fast