Game of Thrones Season 7 has come to an end and we have a lot to say about everything that happened. We share our thoughts in a roundtable with Fangirlish!
Game of Thrones Season 7 might have been the shortest season so far, but it still packed a major punch, so much so that I’m still trying to parse out all my feelings about everything that happened with the characters we love (and love to hate). Littlefinger is dead (YASSSSSS!), Ice Viserion and the Night King have struck down the Wall (*CRIES*), and Jonerys has happened (lots of mixed feelings all around because Emilia and Kit are HAWT, but also, incest…).
Our friend Lizzie at Fangirlish had the ingenious idea to do a roundtable to reflect on the highs and lows of Season 7. She developed ten awesome questions, then invited Katie and I to participate. And we all had A LOT to say.
Read below for my contributions to the roundtable along with Katie’s responses. Lizzie has also given me permission to share her thoughts. (The full “Game of Thrones Season 7 Roundtable” post includes 8 contributors, so definitely check it out HERE for more insights and flails.)
Game of Thrones Season 7 is over. Describe your overall feelings about the season in one gif.
Funmbi:
Katie:
Lizzie (Fangirlish):
What was your favorite thing about Season 7? Your favorite storyline? What worked for you? What did you want to see more of in Season 7?
Funmbi: My favorite thing about Season 7 is getting so many more confirmations of R+L=J. At the end of Season 6 when Bran returns to the Tower of Joy and we go from witnessing Baby Jon’s birth to seeing the fully grown man becoming King in the North, you just know this is a major shift in the Game of Thrones world. He who was considered last has now risen to the very top! And throughout Season 7, Jon Snow = Jon Targaryen is reaffirmed. There are more subtle nods, like the almost instant chemistry with Dany (they interpret this as a romantic connection instead of a familial one, but it’s the Targaryen way!) and Drogon recognizing Jon as a familiar. Then there are the explicit confirmations, with Gilly (and Sam) reading High Septon Maynard’s journals and Bran going back in time to witness Rhaegar and Lyanna’s true love and Jon’s legitimate birth. Truth be told, I wanted so many more Rhaegar/Lyanna flashbacks. Though we’ve barely met them, these two are so central to the Game of Thrones world. With only six episodes left, it seems imperative that we understand why Rhaegar/Lyanna made the choices they did.
Katie: The reunions! It was great to see the Starks back together! Then in the finale the characters who hadn’t seen each other in years were able to share some screen time, too. I loved the Hound/Brienne moment when they’re talking about Arya. He looks so proud of her! I also liked that Podrick and Bronn saw Tyrion again…and that Jaime/Brienne reunion! She put shook the honor back into him fast.
We’ve waited for those moments for a long time and the pay off was incredible.
Lizzie: My favorite thing about Season 7 was all the reunions we got – I mean, I’d only been waiting for the Starks to reunite for like seven seasons. I also loved that everything seems to be coming together to finally form an endgame, Jon and Daenerys, Jaime and Cersei, the Wall… which, of course, means I’m going to spend the hiatus worrying, but it’s good that we can finally glimpse the end of this story that we’ve been following for so long.
My favorite storyline was the Jon/Daenerys one, not necesarily the romance part, but two very similar people coming together and in a way learning from each other and seeing the common goal. That’s always been what Game of Thrones does best, the interpersonal relationships. That’s where I think the season really succeded – and also what I wanted more of.
Because, yes, I’d like to have seen more of that, the little moments. We got the big, of course, reunions, but I’m greedy. Every second of these characters (that have been apart for so long) together is a second I cherish.
What was your least favorite thing about Season 7? Your least-favorite storyline? What didn’t work for you? What did you want to see less of?
Funmbi: My least favorite part of Season 7 is everything dealing with Euron. I despise that man, I despise that he still has Yara, and I despise that he’s able to taunt Theon, so much so, he reverts to Reek. I realize we don’t see that much of Euron, as is, but whenever he’s on screen, he’s doing his level best to make everyone else’s life hell. UGH.
Beyond that, as others mention, the quick pacing of Season 7 is totally disjointed from previous seasons. The fact that in “Eastwatch” we can travel from Dragonstone to King’s Landing and back, then to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea in like 15 minutes gives me major whiplash. However, with the end of the series being right around the corner, we really are in a (controlled) free-fall.
Katie: The pacing was sooo fast this season. I feel like some things that were pretty important probably got pushed to the side. The Jon/Dany connection felt very rushed to me. Also, the ravens were being super lazy in every season before this one. JS.
Lizzie: That Arya and Sansa storyline. Sure, the pacing was a mess and there were many instances, particularly during “Beyond the Wall,” the weakest episode of the season, where I just wanted to shakre common sense into the characters – and into the writers, but nothing made me as angry as that nonsenseical girls will fight sister vs. sister thing. Why? If they’d at least done it all to trick Littlefinger, I could have sorta lived with it, but we already have confirmation that wasn’t the case, and that just makes me so, so angry.
The othe thing that didn’t work for me – probably because the pacing was so off and badly explaing, was how fast Jon and Daenerys went from I dunno to omg I love you. Why did we get just seven episodes this season again? I would have been happy with 10.
Well, that and that brilliant idea to go capture a wight, because, come on, Jon is honorable to a fault, but he’s not stupid.
As for what I wanted less off – the Sand Snakes, Theon and Yara, Euron, the Cleganes, literally anything that took away fromt the main characters, the main storylines. We don’t have time for peripheral characters. It’s time to get down to business.
Favorite relationship this season. Use gifs.
Funmbi: Jon, Dany, and Drogon, because being able to call them the Mother and Father of Dragons (even if only in my own mind) elevates my whole life.
Katie: Arya’s dagger and Littlefinger’s throat.
Lizzie:
What was your favorite episode? And your least favorite? Why?
Funmbi: My favorite episode has to be the finale. In “The Dragon and the Wolf” so many things I’ve been waiting for to come to fruition and it’s PHENOMENAL. We learn that Sansa, Arya, and Bran have been working together this whole time to take down Littlefinger and his death is one of the most satisfying moments of the entire series. Bran and Sam (actually Gilly!) do the Lord’s work by uncovering the legitimacy of Jon’s birth (AKA Aegon Targaryen), plus we get such a lovely Rhaegar/Lyanna flashback. I’m a Jonerys shipper, so the sexy times at the end of the episode give me life. Jaime FINALLY leaves Cersei, something I never believed would happen until it did… here’s hoping he makes his way to Brienne in the North!
My least favorite episode is probably “Beyond the Wall.” I enjoy watching Jon and his team bond on their excursion, plus we learn some important things like kill the White Walker, kill it’s sire line. However, when I think about the cost/benefit analysis of going beyond the Wall to get a wight, the payoffs are practically nil. Even with the wight, Cersei still plans to doublecross Dany and Jon. The demonstration achieved nothing. And for all that, we lose Viserion and probably Uncle Benjen (for good)…? Nah, I can’t believe anyone ever thought this would be a good plan.
Katie: I think my favorite episode was the season premiere, “Dragonstone”. The reason is strictly the cold open. They knocked it out of the park and set the tone for the rest of the season.
“When people ask you what happened here, tell them the North remembers. Tell them winter came for House Frey.”
I STILL GET CHILLS!
All the episodes were so strong. I don’t think I have a least favorite…
Lizzie: Favorite is harder than least favorite, because my least favorite was, WITHOUT A DOUBT, “Beyond The Wall.” There was just so much that didn’t make sense in that episode, starting with everything that Arya and Sansa said to each other, continuing with the idiotic idea to kill a wight in the first place, without forgetting the actual mission and how it developed.
I’m going to say my favorite was probably “Spoils of War,” which I think is a common answer. It just had so many good moments, from Arya coming home, to the final awesome battle, to Littlefinger’s face when Bran was all causal with his ‘Chaos is a ladder’ thing.
However, I will say that, for such a short season, Game of Thrones really managed to have outstanding moments I will be rewatching during the long hiatus in every episode, so in that regard, they won.
If you had to pick one MVP for Season 7, who would it be and why?
Funmbi: Drogon is the REAL MVP! He always comes through for his Mom, and this is evident in “Spoils of War” where he, practically singlehandedly, destroys the Lannister/Tarly gold and supplies. Then he takes out Qyburn’s supposed dragon-killing machine (the Scorpion) and protects Dany when Jaime (idiotically) tries to spear her in the back. In “Eastwatch,” Drogon gingerly enourages the remaining Lannisters/Tarlys to bend the knee to his Mom. In “Beyond the Wall,” Drogon kills thousands of wights (with his brothers), then flies the entire group away from danger while dodging the Night King’s ice spear (RIP Viserion)! I have a strong feeling that Drogon will continue to be front and center in Jon/Dany’s attempts to stop the Night King and then take the Iron Throne.
Katie: Bronn. I mean, without him Jaime Lannister would be pretty crispy right now.
Lizzie: It’s gotta be Sansa Stark, the ‘slow learner’ that went from my least favorite character in a show filled with characters I detested, to someone I felt sorry for, and then someone I pitied to someone I admired, and now to possibly one of the strongest characters this show has, with such a defined growth arc. It’s beautiful.
Pick one scene for Season 7 that you’ll re-watch during this hiatus. Use gifs and/or video.
Funmbi: There are so many OMG/EPIC scenes, especially the Season 7 finale, but if I have to pick one, it’ll be Dany and Drogon completely decimating the Lannisters/Tarlys. That’s one hell of a way to reintroduce Westeros to dragons!
Katie: Either the opening scene with Arya as Walder Frey or the convo between Tormund and the Hound beyond The Wall! That was so funny and makes me smile just thinking about it.
Lizzie: The whole of the dragon pit scene had so much in the way of personal interactions that I think I’ll need at least 39 more re-watches before I fully get everything that was happening there.
Best decision of Season 7 and Worst decision of Season 7. Explain.
Funmbi: Best–Killing Littlefinger. This guy has been scheming and ruining lives (especially Stark lives!) with impunity for years. As I’ve said, his death, on his knees and snivelling, is one of the most satisfying moments in Game of Thrones history.
Worst–Making us think that Sansa and Arya hate one another. Does the ends justify the means? Maybe…I have to think about it because the moment Sansa turns to Littlefinger, and we realize he’s the one being accused, is a wonderful surprise. But I really didn’t like being in the position of thinking Sansa and Arya were falling prey to Littlefinger’s machinations, especially since it made us question allllllll of Sansa and Arya’s character development over the seasons. *sigh* I really hope the writers have had enough of pretend-sabotaging female relationships and we can see Sansa and Arya continue to defend and support one another.
Katie: Best decision: Finally taking out Baelish! I’ve been waiting for that since he held a knife to Ned’s throat back in season one.
Worst decision: Dany taking ALL THREE dragons to save Jon from beyond The Wall, and not a single one aiming fire at the Night King.
Lizzie: Worst is easy: that thing where they went beyond the wall to catch a wight, that was just …not smart. Not plot-wise, not of the characters we’ve come to expect better of, not story-telling wise. Just, no good. Best decision? Getting rid of Littlefinger indeed, and finally having Jaime leave Cersei. Both these things took way too long, and yet they were both inevitable, and I’m glad they finally happened.
What was your favorite quote of Season 7?
Funmbi: “When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives.”–Sansa Stark, quoting Ned Stark
Because House Stark totally survives and thrives in Season 7. Plus, the Stark pack is about to expand, and this is the only way anyone will make it out alive–TOGETHER.
Katie: “Tell Cersei. I want her to know it was me.” — Lady Olenna Tyrell
May her snarky heart rest in peace.
Lizzie: “I’m not gonna swear an oath I can’t uphold. Talk about my father if you want, tell me that’s the attitude that got him killed. But when enough people make false promises, words stop meaning anything. Then there are no more answers, only better and better lies. And lies won’t help us in this fight.” – Jon I’m-too-honorable-to-live Snow.
Speculate a little – where do you think the show goes next? How do they close off all these storylines? And, what is the thing you’re most looking forward to seeing in Season 8?
Funmbi: In Season 8, I think we’ll get more Rhaegar/Lyanna flashbacks to see the extent of their knowlege about the Prince Who Was Promised prophecy, their deliberate choices, and their love which set the series (as we know it) in motion. (Hopefully, we’ll also figure out why Rhaegar decided to name two of his sons Aegon…)
I think Jon and Dany will arrive at Winterfell and learn that R+L=J. I don’t expect the incest thing to be that big of a deal (it’s the Targaryen way!), but the issue of who will sit on the Iron Throne will cause some discord. However, I think it will all be resolved when Dany realizes she’s pregnant (*EEP*).
Bran, of course, knows the Night King and Ice Viserion have destroyed the Wall, so the Army of the Dead is here. And truth be told, I don’t know how this war can be won. A lot of people will die. But I’m hoping that all of our faves, Jon/Dany/Tyrion/Sansa/Arya/Bran/Gendry/Brienne/Jaime/Tormund/Dondarrion/Sandor Clegane/Samwell/Jorah/Drogon/etc.etc.etc. can bring all of their skills and talents together to kill the Night King and save their world. It’s the only way we can win!
I’m looking forward to finding out who the Prince Who Was Promised really is. I think most people believe it’s Jon or Dany… but wouldn’t it be cool if it was someone we never expect? I’m also very excited about the prospect of learning who Cersei’s valonqar is.
Katie: I’m most looking forward to The Hound and The Mountain having their epic showdown. It’s been a long time coming, and I’m desperate for Sandor to win.
Beyond that, I think we’ll see Dany and Jon become proud parents and whatever deal Tyrion made with Cersei that probably stemmed from him playing the “Dany can’t have kids” card, will all go out the window.
Oh! And I want to see Jaime in the North and his redemption arc.
Lizzie: Well, for one, Daenerys is pregnant FOR SURE. The army of the dead is coming for Winterfell, so the big battle is taking place there. I get the sense Jaime dies protecting one of the Starks – ironic if it’s Bran, and kinda fitting. I also think, in the end, it will be Tyrion taking care of Cersei. I don’t think we get a straight up happy ending, though I hope at least some of my favorites survive and go on to be happy.
I’d like a full Stark reunion, and I’d love to see Jon with Arya, and Gendry with Arya. That’s truly what I’m most excited about.
What are your Game of Thrones Season 7 feels? Do you agree/disagree with our thoughts and speculations? Share all your thoughts with us in comments!
