Before we begin: An obligatory SPOILERS AHEAD! SO MANY SPOILERS!
It’s been nearly two years since “The Dragon and the Wolf,” the Season 7 finale of Game of Thrones, and while you might get one of those “previously on GoT” videos at the beginning of the eighth and final season premiere of the series on Sunday (!!), you might not remember EVERYTHING that happened in recent years.
That’s what this recap is for. Given the breadth of characters and locales in Westeros, it’s extremely hard to remember it all! Here’s a breakdown of the key plot points you’ll need to remember as the final season kicks off.
1. There’s an army of undead White Walkers who have made it past the wall thanks to a freakin’ ice dragon
That’s how Season 7 ended. The Night King chucked a spear through Viserion and killed one of Daenerys’s “children,” and then proceeded to drag him out of an icy grave and revived him. Then, this happened:
The wall that was meant to keep out intruders is now breached. Humanity is in some serious trouble.
Also Tormund, Beric and others were there when the wall fell, so there are some questions as to whether they’re alive.
2. Cersei knows about the Night King’s army, but she doesn’t care
The whole reason the White Walkers now have an undead dragon is because Jon Snow and a band of very brave warriors went to capture a wight. Dany’s dragons eventually saved the group.
That live wight was meant to show Cersei — who said she’s pregnant last season — that she needs to help everyone fight that battle and to cast aside this now-silly grapple for the Iron Throne. She agrees, but she told her brother Jaimie that she lied and that she asked Euron Greyjoy to bring the Golden Company — a group of swords for hire from Essos — to win her the war over the throne. Jaimie leaves her and presumably will join in the fight against the Night King.
3. Jon and Daenerys are now romantically linked
Tyrion Lannister didn’t look very happy about it when the two got together on a ship. But it also turns out that the show’s relationships between family members has continued because …
4. Jon Snow is secretly a Targaryen!
Samwell Tarly is now in Winterfell. He meets up with Bran “the Three-Eyed Raven” Stark and the pair reveal what they’ve learned from time travel and the Citadel: Snow’s real parents are Rhaegar Targaryen (Daenerys’s brother!) and Lyanna Stark (Ned’s sister!), and because they secretly married after Rhaegar’s previous marriage was annulled, Jon “Aegon Targaryen” Stark has a really good argument that he belongs on the Iron Throne. So, um, that’s going to be extremely awkward when Jon and Dany (who are nephew and aunt) arrive at Winterfell and find out.
5. Sansa and Arya are running things just fine in Winterfell
Although there was tension in the North between the Stark sisters, they outsmarted Littlefinger and his behind-the-scenes machinations and eventually killed him. Also, Gendry — the blacksmith who is also a son of dead King Robert Baratheon — is there and he’ll be making dragonglass weapons and maybe some Valerian steel to fight the White Walkers.
Things might get a little dramatic there soon, however, when Jon brings in Dany and huge army that includes Brienne of Tarth and The Hound, who will hopefully at some point face his brother The Mountain in the Clegane Bowl. But how will Arya feel when she sees Sandor?
6. Theon Greyjoy is on his way to save his sister Yara
In arguably the least important storyline of the series, Theon beat up an Ironborn guy to prove himself to he could lead a bunch of his countrymen to take on his uncle Euron, who has captured Yara.
7. Hot Pie is still alive
He’s at the Inn at the Crossroads. And he’s making hot pies.
