Everything You Might Have Missed From “The Last Of The Starks”
Compared to the Battle of Winterfell, episode four of the final Game of Thrones season wasn't exactly action-packed. There was a lot of talking and traveling and emotional goodbyes, but the point of the episode, titled "The Last Of The Starks," was to set us all up for the final battle for the Iron Throne.
Emilia Clarke said that the fifth episode of the final season is going to be the craziest of them all, so we can expect a lot of big things to happen. Check out all the little details you might have missed in the latest episode because some of them are definitely going to matter later.
Daenerys Is Wearing Red Now, Which Is A Big Deal
This latest episode shows Daenerys switch up her white fur outfits for something a little more colorful. Everything Daenerys wore in episode four featured red tones, red scarves, and red fur. The change is important because red is the Targaryen house color and represents blood and fire.
Now that her time in the north is done, Daenerys looks to be embracing her Targaryen lineage as she fights for the throne. That's not entirely a good thing though because Cersei is also wearing red throughout the episode as a nod to the House of Lannister.
The Hound's Unfinished Business Is Killing His Brother
During the episode, we saw The Hound head off to King's Landing where he told Arya he had unfinished business. Earlier in the episode, he told Sansa that there was only one thing that would make him happy. From those two clues, everyone is expecting a Clegane brother showdown (which has been named Cleganebowl).
If you remember, The Hound's brother is the half-man, half-monster that protects Cersei called The Mountain. The Hound has always hated his brother and during their mini-reunion in season seven, he promised to execute him as soon as he had the chance.
Euron Is A Kraken Who Grabbed A Dragon From The Sky
The death of the dragon Rhaegal at the hands of Euron is especially symbolic. He is from the House Greyjoy and their house pike shows a picture of a Kraken, which is a legendary sea monster. The weapon used to kill Rhaegal is also designed to look like tentacles.
While no one was happy to see Rhaegal go, the death was done is a way to make it seem like Euron was a sea monster who grabbed the dragon from the sky with his powerful tentacles. Euron might just seem like a leather-clad crazy guy, but he might be more powerful than we think.
Missandei's Final Words Are A Fiery Warning
Our hearts were collectively broken when Missandei was captured and beheaded right in front of Greyworm and Daenerys. Before her death, Cersei gave her the option to say a final word. Of all the things she could say, Missandei decided to yell "Dracarys."
The word might sound familiar because it literally means "dragonfire" in Valyrian. It's the same word Daenerys uses to command her dragon's to breathe fire. Missandei knew she was approaching death and rather than plead to her capturer, she basically told Khaleesi to light King's Landing up.
Arya Is Heading Off To Fulfill The Rest Of Her Prophecy
In season three, Melisandre met Arya and told her that "Brown eyes, blue eyes, green eyes. Eyes you'll shut forever." Arya shut her first set of eyes in season six when she killed Walder Frey as revenge for the Red Wedding. The same prophecy inspired Arya to go after the Night King and his blue eyes during the Battle of Winterfell.
This leaves everyone wondering who has green eyes and will be next of Arya's list. Well, the close-ups of Cersei Lannister in episode four show that she has emerald green eyes. With Arya off to King's Landing, most people believe she'll once again save the day.
We Are Reminded That Daenerys Also Has Green Eyes
There were a ton of close-ups in the latest episode and all the ones of Daenerys are a timely reminder that she also has bright green eyes. While the Starks and Daenerys fought alongside each other in the Battle of Winterfell, it's obvious that they don't exactly get along.
If Cersei's green eyes aren't shut by Arya, there's a chance that the young Stark girl ends up killing Daenerys. The theory has more stock now that Arya knows Jon is the true heir to the Iron Throne.
Euron Doesn't Trust Cersei's Pregnancy Anymore
In the latest episode, Cersei told Euron that she was pregnant but made it seem like the baby was theirs. In reality, we know that she's been pregnant since last season and the baby is Jaime's. Tyrion knows that too, which is why he pleaded with Cersei to save her child's life.
The only problem for Euron is — how would Tyrion know about the baby when he was halfway around the world while he and Cersei started hooking up? You can see the look of doubt and anger in Euron's face. We'll see how he takes being the step-father to a baby born from incest.
Speaking Of Cersei's Children, She's Only Supposed To Have Three
If Cersei is indeed pregnant then it throws a wrench in her prophecy. In season five, we saw a flashback where a teenage Cersei learned her future from a witch named Maggy the Frog. The witch told Cersei she would have three children with golden hair and "golden shrouds," meaning they would all die.
All three of Cersei's children so far have been blonde thanks to her Lannister heritage, and all three have died. The prophecy has been true so far, so it's likely that her fourth pregnancy won't come to term.
Cersei Isn't Supposed To Die By Arya's Hands
The final part of Cersei's prophecy is that "The valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you." Valonqar is Valyrian for "little brother" which could refer to either Tyrion or Jaime.
That means it might not be Arya who ends up shutting Cersei's green eyes forever. It might be Tyrion or Jaime, both of who will be in King's Landing next episode. Even better, one fan theory says it could be Arya wearing the face of Tyrion or Jaime.
Arya's Archery Skills Will Come Into Play
Arya has always favored archery since the first season when she hit the bullseye and overshadowed Bran's archery lessons. She honed her skills while with the Brotherhood without Banners and in the latest episode, Gendry found Arya hidden away from the banquet and practicing her archery skills.
Arya is obviously skilled with a bow and arrow but it has never been a weapon that she has killed with. Her final moments practicing foreshadows that a bow and arrow might be her weapon of choice to close those final green eyes.
Since Season One, Arya Was Never Meant To Be A Lady
In episode four, Gendry joined the growing list of guys who were friend-zoned after he proposed to Arya and she denied him. When Gendry asked Arya to be the Lady of Storm's End, she replied "That's not me."
Fans of the show might have guessed that Arya would deny the proposal, but her response is actually a throwback to season one. In the fourth episode, Ned Stark tells Arya that she will grow up to be a lady and give birth to princes and princesses. Little Arya responded to her father by saying "No, that's not me."
The Filmmakers Left In A Massive Mistake
Eagle-eyed fans quickly noticed that something seemed out of place in the banquet scene. When Tormund is hailing Jon Snow's bravery in the battle, a Starbucks cup can be seen sitting on the banquet table in front of Daenerys.
Unless Seattle's finest coffee has managed to spread to the Seven Kingdoms, the coffee cup was just a massive movie mistake that the filmmakers missed. Fans waited two years for this season and with all that time and a budget of $15 million per episode, the filmmakers still couldn't catch an obvious mistake.
Bran's Wheelchair Is From A Past Targaryen
During the banquet, Tyrion compliments the ingenuity behind Bran's wheelchair. In response, Bran says it's the same wheelchair that Daeron Targaryen built for his crippled nephew more than 120 years ago. Daeron was the eldest son of King Aegon and was also known as the Boy King.
We know Bran is the Three-Eyed Raven and is said to be "living in the past" but his constant connections to the Targaryen family could become important later on.
The Opening Credits Show A Different Winterfell
Every week, the opening credits for Game of Thrones have changed a little bit. Last week, the credits reminded us all that Cersei has a major weapon that can take down a dragon and that obviously came into play this week.
Episode four's opening credits showed a different Winterfell than we've seen before. The inside of the castle is ravaged and outside the walls, we can see the remains of the trenches and piles of bodies from the Battle of Winterfell burning.
The Prophecy Might Foreshadow Sansa's Rise To The Throne
For Cersei, the scariest part of Maggy the Frog's prophecy is that a "younger and more beautiful" woman will cast Cersei down to become queen. The obvious choice for this mystery woman would be Daenerys, but she keeps playing into Cersei's hand and failing miserably.
The only other woman left in the seven kingdoms who is cunning enough to know Cersei's next move is Sansa. Thanks to the time the two spent together in the early seasons, Sansa never underestimates Cersei. She was also the only rational person who suggested resting the army before heading to King's Landing.
The Episode Also Reminded Us That Sansa Can Kill
While Sansa might have been pretty useless in the crypts during the Battle of Winterfell, she's not incapable of killing. Episode four showed us a touching reunion between Sansa and The Hound where she told him the brutal way she killed Ramsay Bolton.
The scene tied up some loose ends between the two but reminded us that Sansa has the ability to kill when necessary. As she told The Hound, she's no longer a "little bird."
Tyrion Has Played That Drinking Game Before
During the feast at the start of the episode, Tyrion ends up playing a drinking game with Jaime, Brienne, and Podrick. The game ends up revealing Brienne has never been intimate with anyone, and leads to the most anticipated hook up of the season.
Fans might recognize that game from elsewhere though. Tyrion first played it with Bronn and Shae in season one, and he tried (and failed) later to play it with Greyworm and Missandei.
There Was No Justice For Ghost
For the first part of the episode, fans watched as Jon said teary goodbyes to his closest friends. Jon gave big hugs to both Samwell and Gilly, and embraced Tormund for a few seconds too long as the Freefolk headed back up north. One very important character he didn't say goodbye to though was Ghost.
Jon asked Tormund to take Ghost North with him because Direwolves should roam free. While we all appreciate the sentiment, the least Jon could have done was give Ghost a pat on the head for being such a good boy during the Battle of Winterfell.
Jon Should Have Known Sansa Would Share His Secret
Jon made a big decision by telling Sansa and Arya about his true lineage, but not before he swore them both to secrecy. At first, Sansa questioned how she can swear her secrecy before knowing the information, and Jon tells her because they are family. Yet, he turned around and revealed that they actually aren't family.
Sansa has proved in the past that she knows how to keep a secret, but her decision to reveal Jon's lineage to Tyrion might have been because her promise wasn't based on the truth.
The Episode Showed That The Dragons Were Weak
It really shouldn't have been a surprise that Rhaegal was shot down during the episode. An entire scene early on was devoted to showing how weathered both Rhaegal and Drogon are. Drogon's face is covered in wounds while Rhaegal's wings had multiple holes in it.
Sansa warned Daenarys not to go south until the troops were healed but Daenerys felt confident that her dragons were enough manpower. Obviously, the Mother of Dragons should have tended more to her children.
Arya's Advice To Sansa Might Have Sounded Familiar
When Arya and Sansa part ways at the beginning of the battle, Arya hands her a dragonglass dagger. Sansa admits that she doesn't know what to do with it and Arya simply replies, "Stick 'em with the pointy end."
Thrones fans might recognize the line from the second episode of the first season. Jon gives Arya her first sword, Needle, and gives her the exact same advice on how to use it. The line is so iconic that the show actually named a season one episode after it.
Edd's Last Words To Samwell Echoed Season Three
Edd Tollett survived the Fist of the First Men, the Battle of Castle Black, Hardhome, and the Night King's attack of the Wall, but sadly he died during the Battle of Winterfell. He was eventually killed by a wight after telling Sam that he needed to get up from the ground and keep going.
It might have seemed like a frivolous line but it harkens back to season three when Edd and Grenn stopped fleeing from a White Walker attack and encouraged Sam to get up and continue on.
We've Seen Wights Fling Themselves Off Of Walls Before
The Battle of Winterfell became extra intense when the Army of the Dead breached the walls and started flinging themselves into the courtyard of the castle. The move is a nod to Jon Snow's face-off against the Night King at Hardhome.
At Hardhome, the Night King made thousands of wights fling themselves off a cliff, crack their heads up, and continue running. The move was when Jon decided to retreat from fighting. The wights tried to do it again at Winterfell but for those inside the castle, there was nowhere to retreat.
Theon's Death Was Foreshadowed In Season Two
In the final episode of season two, Theon took Winterfell from Bran but the Bolton's arrive to seize it back. Theon tries to rally his troops for what he called "the Battle of Winterfell" with a rousing speech. He tells his men "We die bleeding from a hundred wounds, with arrows in our necks and spears in our guts."
In the episode, Theon ends up being betrayed by the men and no battle takes place. Little did he know, in the actual Battle of Winterfell, he would die a heroes death with a spear in his gut.
Arya Got Her Best Fighting Moves From The Faceless Men
Arya made a big deal to Gendry about getting the weapon she wanted and in her first fight scene with the wights, we could see why. The double-ended staff was eerily similar to the weapon she would constantly train and fight the Waif with throughout season six.
The choreography for Arya's fight against the wights also featured a triumphant moment when she stops a wight by holding her staff above her head. The first time she stopped the Waif's staff was in the exact same position.
The Dothraki Wight Was Qhono
When the Night King resurrected all the fallen corpses, some major characters were shown opening their eyes, including a Dothraki soldier. That soldier was Qhono, who was actually the one Dothraki who took Daenerys prisoner at the very end of season six.
Qhono later went on to serve as part of Daenerys' guard but he was never entirely friendly. You definitely wouldn't want to end up in a fight with the wight version of Qhono.
Ned Stark Was Secretly There During The Battle
No, we're not talking about Ned Stark's dead corpse running around in the crypts — we're talking about his sword. Ned's extra large sword was named Ice and was forged with Valyrian steel. After his death, the sword was reforged into two smaller swords. While the swords have changed hands over the series, they are now wielded by Brienne and Jamie.
The two were fighting side-by-side throughout the battle protecting Winterfell. Ned would surely be proud.
There's A Lot Happening With The Dagger Arya Used To Kill The Night King
In the biggest shock that Game of Thrones has served us in a long time, Arya ends up killing the Night King with a Valyrian steel dagger. For devoted viewers, the dagger might look familiar. The dagger first appeared in season one when an assassin tried to use it to kill Bran.
The dagger fell into the hands of Catelyn Stark and it was then taken by Littlefinger. Littlefinger returns the dagger to Bran in season six, who says he doesn't want it and gifts it to Arya in the exact same spot she'd use it to kill the Night King. Bran clearly knew what he was doing.
Arya Unknowingly Practiced That Move
Arya looked to be dead and gone when the Night King had her by the throat. In the most epic way possible, she drops her dagger from her left hand and catches it in her right hand to deliver the final blow. The ambidextrous move first appeared in season seven when Arya was training with Brienne. The two came to a draw when Arya flipped the same dagger from one hand to the other.
The move is also a nod to actress Maisie WIlliams, who is right-handed but committed to playing the character left-handed as it is in the books.
The Night King's Death Mirrors His Creation
The show's creators, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, knew that the Night King's death had to be full of symbolism. They also knew for three years that it was Arya who would kill him. In the post-episode breakdown, the creators said the only way to kill the Night King was with Valyrian steel in the "exact spot where the Children of the Forest put the dragonglass blade to create the Night King."
If you remember the flashback scene that showed the Night King's recreation, it takes place beside the Weirwood tree.
Melisandre Reminded Arya Of Their First Meeting
After Arya and the Hound escaped the wights inside the castle, Arya comes face to face with Melisandre for the first time since season three. In their first meeting, Melisandre tells Arya that she sees "a darkness" in her. Melisandre also says, "Brown eyes, blue eyes, green eyes. Eyes you'll shut forever."
The Red Woman repeats the line to Arya, in particular, the "blue eyes" part. Arya picked up on the hint and runs off to defeat the one with blue eyes, the Night King.
The Episode Title Was Referenced In Season One
The episode title "The Long Night" first appeared in Game of Thrones lingo in season one. After Bran's fall from the tower, a scene is shown where Old Nan is recounting Bran's favorite "scary story." In the totally fictional, definitely not real story, Old Nan mentions a time called the Long Night and how it was the first instance where the White Walkers had tried to terrorize Westeros.
Little did Bran know at the time, but he'd be reliving the Long Night for himself in just a few years.
Theon's Final Moments Connect To The Books
Theon Greyjoy's character ends his ark during the Battle of Winterfell. Knowing death is certain, Bran calls Theon by his name and tells him that he's a "good man" which causes him to shed a tear.
In the last published chapter written from Theon's perspective in George R.R. Martin's books, he returns to the Weirwood tree and asks it to let him "die as Theon, not as Reek." It appears that Theon got his wish.
Davos Was Following Jon Snow's Orders To Kill Melisandre
When Melisandre arrives in Winterfell, Ser Davos goes to meet her and we see him pull out a dagger. Many of us thought that it was simply Davos' chance to get revenge, but he was actually preparing to follow Jon's orders.
The last time Melisandre was in Winterfell, she had admitted to burning Princess Shireen alive and Jon subsequently banished her from the North and said if she returned, she would be "hanged as a murderer." It was Davos who promised Jon that he would carry out the sentence.
Melisandre And Beric Use The Same Spell
Melisandre showed up just in time to light up the blades of the Dothraki in the most epic fashion. Part of her spell included the Valyrian phrase "āeksiō ōños" which translates to "Lord's light."
We know that the phrase is the same spell that Beric uses to light up his sword because the actor, Richard Dormer, has confirmed it. The only difference is that Beric doesn't need to say the spell out loud, probably because he'd been brought back to life so many times that the Lord of Light knows what he's trying to do.
Why Does Arya Say That To The God Of Death?
One of the most iconic lines to come out of the episode was when Melisandre asked Arya "What do we say to the God of death?" and Arya replies "Not today." We all collectively went wild after that but Arya had spoken the exact line before.
During her training with Syrio Forel, he asks her the same question and she gives the same response. Arya was just a little baby learning how to fight at the time, but the lesson proved worthwhile years later.
House Karstark Is Gone Forever
You might not have realized it but Alys Karstark was part of the group sent to protect Bran. She was standing alongside Theon as they headed out to the Weirwood tree. Theon and his guard put up a pretty impressive fight against the wights (using exclusively flaming arrows) but we saw them all butchered one by one.
We can assume since Theon was the last one standing, that Alys Karstark died defending Bran and the Karstark House is officially gone.
Arya Might Be The Prince Who Was Promised
Melisandre's role in the series is being a follower of the Lord of Light and producing a prophecy about "The Prince That Was Pomised." The prince (or princess) is supposed to be a savior who saves everyone from the Long Night and the Night King. Going into the Battle of Winterfell, many thought it was Jon Snow or Daenerys who was the Promised Prince, but now people are questioning that it's Arya.
As we know, it is Arya who ends the Long Night by defeating the Night King. She was also saved by Beric, who also served the Lord of Light.
Where Is Ghost?
The most important character who returned to Winterfell in season eight was Jon's direwolf Ghost. Ghost has come in to save the day more than a few times and he was shown on the frontlines of the battle awaiting the Wights. He was at the front of the charge with the Dothraki and since we never saw him again, he was assumed to be dead.
Well, good news! He's alive and kicking. In the trailer for season eight, episode four, he's seen once again at the front of the crowd. We're not sure how he survived but we're not complaining.
Rhaegal Also Managed To Somehow Survive
The final scene of the episode shows Drogon comforting Daenerys over Jorah's death, but we didn't see dragon #2 AKA Rhaegal since it decided to fight its undead brother mid-air. Most viewers assumed since Rhaegal wasn't in any final shot that he died, but by the looks of the episode four trailer, he's alive and well.
We're not sure how Rhaegal managed to survive, so we'll see if, going forward, Rhaegal remains aligned with Daenerys or if he's basically turned into Jon's dragon now.
