Dragonstone (Game of Thrones episode)

For other uses, see Dragonstone (disambiguation).

"Dragonstone"
Game of Thrones episode
File:Game-of-Thrones-S07-E01-Dragonstone.jpg Daenerys Targaryen, and her loyalists, arrive at Dragonstone
Episode no.	Season 7 Episode 1
Directed by	Jeremy Podeswa
Written by	David Benioff D. B. Weiss
Featured music	Ramin Djawadi
Original air date	July 16, 2017 (2017-07-16)
Running time	59 minutes
Guest appearances
Jim Broadbent as Archmaester Marwyn Pilou Asbæk as Euron Greyjoy David Bradley as Walder Frey Anton Lesser as Qyburn Richard Dormer as Beric Dondarrion Paul Kaye as Thoros of Myr Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm Ellie Kendrick as Meera Reed Ben Crompton as Dolorous Edd Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson as Gregor Clegane Tim McInnerny as Robett Glover Daniel Portman as Podrick Payne Rupert Vansittart as Yohn Royce Bella Ramsey as Lyanna Mormont Richard Rycroft as Maester Wolkan Lucy Hayes as Kitty Frey Ed Sheeran as Lannister soldier Thomas Turgoose as Lannister soldier William Postlethwaite as Lannister soldier Megan Parkinson as Alys Karstark Harry Grasby as Ned Umber Neil Fingleton as giant wight Ian Whyte as giant wight Paul Ward Brendan Morrissey Eamonn Draper William Nevan Wilson as Baby Sam James Robert Wilson as Baby Sam Kate Dempsey

"Dragonstone" is the first episode of the seventh season of HBO's fantasy television series Game of Thrones, and the 61st overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Jeremy Podeswa.

In Dragonstone, Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) and Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), along with her loyalists, arrive and explore the abandoned castle. At the Twins, Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) wears the face of Walder Frey (David Bradley) and poisons the remaining Freys involved with the Red Wedding. In King's Landing, Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) and Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) treat with Euron Greyjoy (Pilou Asbæk) who attempt to create an alliance. In Winterfell, Jon Snow (Kit Harington) pardons the lords of Karhold and Last Hearth, and Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) warns Jon of Cersei's impending wrath. At the Citadel, Samwell Tarly (John Bradley) begins his training as a Maester, and sends a message to Jon about the dragon glass beneath Dragonstone. At the Wall, Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) arrives and is taken south to Castle Black, and the Brotherhood Without Banners, including Sandor Clegane (Rory McCann) continue their journey north to the Wall.

Plot

At the Twins

Walder Frey (David Bradley) throws a feast for all Freys who were present at the Red Wedding. He toasts them with Arbor Gold wine, and while the wine is being drunk he lists the crimes the Freys committed. After the wine, which turns out to be poisoned, kills all the Frey men present, Walder takes off his face to reveal Arya Stark (Maisie Williams), who tells Walder's young wife that the North remembers, and that "Winter came for House Frey".

Arya comes across a friendly group of Lannister soldiers, they talk about their families and share a rabbit and blackberry wine with her. She tells them she is on her way to King's Landing to kill the Queen to which, after briefly looking shocked, they all laugh, believing Arya to be joking.

Beyond the Wall

The Night King and the Army of the Dead (which includes three dead giants) are marching south. Bran and Meera arrive at the Wall and are greeted by Dolorous Edd and the Night's Watch, who are initially skeptical of Bran and Meera's identities. Bran tells them that he knows Edd was at Hardhome, and the Fist of the First Men, that he has seen the Night's King, and that the dead are coming. This convinces Edd, who has his men bring them inside.

At Winterfell

Jon Snow (Kit Harington), the new King in the North, addresses the families of the North. He orders that all Northerners, man woman and child are to be trained how to fight. He sends Tormund and the Wildings to man the abandoned Nights Watch fortress Eastwatch, which is the most likely place the Night King will attack. In addition, the castles of the Umbers and Karstarks are near the area, raising the question of what to be done about the castles since both families betrayed the Starks and fought for the Boltons. Sansa suggests that the Umbers and Karstarks be stripped of their titles and the castles awarded to loyal families. However, Jon refuses to take away homes that have been in their traditional allies' possession for centuries, especially since all of actual traitors are dead. He forgives Alys, the daughter of Karstark, and Ned, the son of Umber and they swear an oath to House Stark. He also asks the lords to begin searching for dragonglass.

After the meeting, Jon and Sansa have a brief argument, with Jon frustrated that Sansa effectively undermined his authority. Sansa responds that she simply does not want Jon to repeat their father's and Robb's mistakes. Cersei sends a message to Winterfell ordering Jon to bend the knee. While Jon is initially dismissive of the threat since the Lannisters have never sent an army so far north, Sansa warns him that Cersei is the type of woman who will stop at nothing to achieve her vengeance.

Later, Littlefinger attempts to ingratiate himself with Sansa, telling her that he only wants her to be safe and happy. Sansa coldly rejects his advances. When Brienne asks Sansa why they haven't sent him away, Sansa points out that they still need the Knights of the Vale to bolster their forces.

In King's Landing

Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) discusses the impending threats with Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). Jon has declared himself King of the North to the north, the Tyrells have begun to rebel in the west, the Martells have broken away in the south, and Daenerys is leading her fleet in from the east. This leaves the Lannisters completely surrounded. Jaime points out the lack of allies after hearing the news of Walder Frey (Arya) poisoning his own men, to which Cersei reveals that she has considered a new ally, Euron Greyjoy (Pilou Asbæk). Euron arrives in King's Landing with the iron fleet and proposes to pledge the iron fleet in the service of Cersei in exchange of her marrying him. Cersei denies the proposal stating Euron cannot be trusted to which Euron sets off to bring the Queen a gift to acquire her trust.

At the Citadel

Samwell Tarly is shown learning to become the Maester for the Night's Watch, though he also spends much of his time performing the Citadel's menial chores such as serving food and cleaning chamber pots. He assists the Archmaester as he performs an autopsy on a corpse before requesting access to the restricted area of the Citadel's library since nobody at the Citadel believes him about the White Walkers. The Archmaester admits that he believes in the existence of the White Walkers, but is confident that the Wall will repel the White Walkers like it always has and denies him until he is a fully trained Maester. Sam steals a set of keys to the library from a Maester in the night and takes several books from the restricted area.

In one of the books from the restricted area, Sam finds a map of Dragonstone which shows where a large quantity of dragon glass (obsidian) is located underground. Knowing that Jon will need the glass to fight the White Walkers in the north, he quickly sends a raven to him.

Later, as Sam is collecting empty food dishes from the chambers of the sick, he is stopped by Jorah Mormont, whose entire arm has been infected with Greyscale. He asks Sam if Daenerys has arrived in Westeros, and Sam tells him that he hasn't heard anything.

In the North

The Brotherhood Without Banners, along with Sandor "The Hound" Clegane, take shelter in a deserted home familiar to Clegane. There, they find the remains of the father and daughter that used to live there, and Sandor observes that they committed suicide to avoid starvation. Afterwards, a bitter and regretful Sandor asks Beric why the Lord of Light keeps resurrecting him, while letting innocent people die needlessly. Beric admits that he does not know the reason either.

Thoros of Myr asks Sandor to observe the flames of a fireplace, which will give him the answers he seeks. Sandor looks into the fire and receives a vision beyond the Wall and the Army of the Dead, which makes Sandor regain his belief in Gods.

Later that night, Sandor buries the skeletal remains of the residents of the deserted home, mournfully admitting that both of them deserved better.

At Dragonstone

Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) and her fleet arrive at Dragonstone, the Targaryen's ancestral home in Westeros. She enters the abandoned castle where she takes down a Baratheon banner before marching into the war council room with her Hand Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) close behind.

Production

Writing

The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss.

"Battle of the Bastards" was written by the series' creators, David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. Elements of the episode are based on the forthcoming sixth novel in the A Song of Ice and Fire series, The Winds of Winter, which author George R. R. Martin had hoped to complete before the previous season of the show had aired.

Casting

Ed Sheeran was brought to the show as a surprise for Williams.

On March 2017, it was announced that musician Ed Sheeran would be appearing on the show. According to Benioff, they've been trying for years to get Sheeran on the show as a surprise for Maisie Williams, who is a fan. Sheeran stated that the scene, "Nothing exciting happens in this scene, we just have a conversation and that's kind of it."

External links

• "Dragonstone" at HBO.com
• "Dragonstone (Game of Thrones)" at IMDb
• Template:Tv.com episode