History Recap / GameOfThronesS8E1Winterfell

** When Jon and Dany descend after their flight, they stop by a waterfall, alluding to the scene of the cave behind the falls where Jon and Ygritte had TheirFirstTime. Dany says: "“We could stay a thousand years", which is pretty similar to what Ygritte said then: "I don't ever want to leave this cave, Jon Snow. Not ever."

** When Jon and Dany descend after their flight, they stop by a waterfall, alluding to the scene of the cave behind the falls where Jon and Ygritte had TheirFirstTime.

* AwfulTruth: How Jon feels about Sam's revelation that he is secretly the heir to the throne; to him, his entire life and sense of identity (as the illegitimate son of Ned Stark) being founded on a lie, even a lie that was done to protect him, is not an easy pill to swallow.

** When Daenerys arrives at Winterfell, Sansa greets her with "Winterfell is yours, your grace," much like Ned received Robert back in the very first episode, even if the [[PassiveAggressiveKombat tone]] is entirely different.

* EvolvingCredits: The ''Game of Thrones'' credits have been overhauled for Season 8 after the Wall has fallen. Usually the credits track the castles and huts from the North to the South and East and the ends with the Wall. Here it starts with the broken section of the Wall, and follows the winter and cold spreading southwards, into the castle of Last Hearth, and then into Winterfell and its tunnels, all the way to King's Landing. Unusually for the credits, where before they showed models of the castle exteriors with gears and knobs, this time they go inside, showing Winterfell's great hall and then into the Red Keep all the way to the Iron Throne (which is where the opening credits close).

* NotSoDifferent: When Sam asks Jon if he would have killed like Daenerys would have, Jon points out that he has also executed people for rebelling against him. Sam counters that he has spared people for the same.
* NotSoSimilar: When Sam asks Jon if Daenerys would be willing to surrender the crown for the sake of the people, much like Jon did, Jon can't bring himself to answer.

** Jon not only bends the knee, but does so to House Targaryen, the house that killed the previous generation's Warden of the North. The Northern Lords, and Jon's own family, are furious.
** So you brought a huge army to help defend your castle and wage war in whats gonna be a '''very''' long and harsh winter? You also brought a lot more mouths to feed.

** As Sansa points out, feeding an enormous army ''and'' two dragons is going to stretch Winterfell's meager supplies well beyond the breaking point, and additional help isn't likely to come from the south, either. The war won't matter if they starve or freeze to death in the process.

* EvolvingCredits: The ''Game of Thrones'' credits have been overhauled for Season 8 after the Wall has fallen. Usually the credits track the castles and huts from the North to the South and East and the ends with the Wall. Here it starts with the broken section of the Wall, and follows the winter and cold spreading southwards, into the castle of Last Hearth, and then into Winterfell and its tunnels, all the way to Kings' Landing. Unusually for the credits, where before they showed models of the castle exteriors with gears and knobs, this time they go inside, showing Winterfell's great hall and then into the Red Keep all the way to the Iron Throne (which is where the opening credits close).

** Cersei has Qyburn hire Bron to kill Tyrion and Jaime, and specifically instructs him to use the same crossbow Tyrion used to kill their father to do the deed.

* WasItAllALie: Jon is horrified to learn that his "father" lied to him all his life to protect him from Robert Baratheon's murderous wrath. He starts questioning who he is -- he was a Snow and a Stark-- and how much of what Ned taught him was true.

* RealityEnsues: Jon not only bends the knee, but does so to House Targaryen, the house that killed the previous generation's Warden of the North. The Northern Lords, and Jon's own family, are furious.

* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: Sam thinks that Jon would be a better king than Dany would be queen, especially since his claim is more legitimate. Jon doesn't quite agree because he doesn't want to be king in the first place.

* RefugeInAudacity: Euron manages to talk his way into Cersei's bed through unrelenting arrogance, a trait which she admits she admires.

* BigSisterInstinct: Inverted; Arya and Sansa are Jon's younger siblings, as far as they know, and both are worried about Dany using him. Arya says as much when she explains Sansa is worried that Dany threatens their family, and Jon tells her ''he'' is family; she gives him a hug and tells him to never forget that.

* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre:
** Arya tells Jon that Sansa is worried about protecting her family from Dany. Jon replies he ''is'' family, and she hugs him and tells him to never forget that. Which means Sans will always look out for Jon.
** Sam thinks that Jon would be a better king than Dany would be queen, especially since his claim is more legitimate. Jon doesn't quite agree because he doesn't want to be king in the first place.

* WhatTheHellHero: The Northern Lords are furious at Jon for relinquishing his title as King of the North.

* AwfulTruth: How Jon feels about Sam's revelation that he is secretly the heir to the throne; to him, his entire life and sense of identity (a bastard, Ned Stark's son, a Stark) being founded on a lie is not an easy pill to swallow.

* ImpliedDeathThreat:
** Arya tells Jon that she and Sansa are fighting for their family, and when Jon retorts that he's family too, Arya sorrowfully replies that he shouldn't forget that, with the clear implication that she ''would'' fight ''him'' if he did. Jon's expression makes clear that he didn't miss Arya's meaning.
** Daenerys tells Jon that Sansa should respect her as a queen, and leaves the phrase lingering. Later in the episode, she herself tells Sam what happens when someone doesn't bend the knee to her.

'''Samwell Tarly''': You gave up your crown to save your people, would she do the same?

* BrutalHonesty: Daenaerys does not dodge the difficult part of her job, and looks Sam in the eye and tells him that she executed his father and brother. Mercifully, she leaves out the method.

* CompositeCharacter: Euron Greyjoy takes on aspects of the the Kettleback brother and Aurane Waters, two suitors who Cersei has physical and emotional affairs with during ''Literature/AFeastForCrows''. Kettleblack is the uncouth lord whose low manners Cersei is both attracted and repelled by, and Aurane Waters is the roguish admiral of dubious loyalty.

* DeathByIrony: Qyburn hires Bronn to kill Tyrion and Jaime, and he's given the same crossbow Tyrion used to murder Tywin to add that extra bit of irony to their deaths.

-> '''Sansa Stark''': Did you bend the knee to save the North, or because you love her?

-> '''Samwell Tarly''': You gave up your crown to save your people, would she do the same?

* BrutalHonesty: Daenaerys does not dodge the difficult part of her job, and looks Sam in the eye and tells him that she executed his father and brother.

** Daenerys tells Jon that Sansa should respect her as a queen, and leaves the phrase lingering. Later in the episode, she herself tells [[spoiler:Sam]] what happens when someone doesn't bend the knee to her.

* NotSoDifferent: When Sam asks Jon if he would have killed like Daenerys would have, Jon points out that he has also executed people for rebelling against him.

* YourCheatingHeart: Cersei cheats on Jaime with Euron.

** Arya tells Jon that she and Sansa are fighting for their family, and when Jon retorts that he's family too, Arya replies that he shouldn't forget that, with the clear implication that she would fight ''him'' if he did. Jon's expression makes clear that he didn't miss Arya's meaning.

* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: Young Lord Umber is discovered to have been impaled to a wall by the Night King, with several human arms pinned in a pattern around him.

* AwfulTruth: How Jon feels about Sam's revelation that he is secretly the heir to the throne, to him, his entire life and sense of identity (a bastard, Ned Stark's son, a Stark) being founded on a lie is not an easy pill to swallow.

** The episode ends with [[spoiler:Jaime]] and Bran, much like the very first episode ended, which was also the last time the two characters met.

* EvolvingCredits: The Game of Thrones credits have been overhauled for Season 8 after the Wall has fallen. Usually the credits track the castles and huts from the North to the South and East and the ends with the Wall. Here it starts with the Broken Wall, and follows the winter and cold spreading southwards, into the castle of Last Hearth, and then into Winterfell, and its tunnels, all the way to Kings' Landing. Unusually for the credits, where before they showed models of the castle exteriors with gears and knobs, this time they go inside, showing Winterfell's great hall and then into the Red Keep all the way to the Iron Throne (which is how the credits close).

* JumpScare: The corpse of young Lord Umber pinned to the wall turns out to be a wight, which suddenly starts screaming after laying dormant for a couple minutes. Beric sets it on fire.

* NotSoDifferent: When Sam asks Jon if he would have killed like Daenerys would have, Jon points out that he has executed people for rebelling against him.

** This is Bronn's reaction when Qyburn mentions one of the women he was bedding will be dead of pox in a year. Qyburn doesn't mention which one.

* UndeadChild: The young Lord Umber becomes one by the end of the episode.
* WeAreStrugglingTogether: It's clear right off the bat that none of the three remaining Starks are all too happy about the alliance with Daenerys's forces, and each of them shows it throughout the episode in their own way. Daenerys herself is none too happy with the perceived lack of respect, at least from Sansa.
* WhatTheHellHero: The Northern Lords are furious at Jon for relinquishing his title.

* CallBack: When Jon and Dany descend after their flight, they stop by a waterfall, alluding to the scene of the cave behind the falls where Jon and Ygritte had TheirFirstTime.

* TravelingAtTheSpeedOfPlot: Somehow the allied armies got to Winterfell on foot several days before Jamie caught up on horseback.

* MoeGreenSpecial: A few sailors on Euron's flagship meet this fate as Theon mounts his rescue of Yara.

* EasyLogistics: Averted. Sansa points out that Winterfell's food reserves might not be enough now that Daenerys brought her armies and dragons there
* InternalReveal: Sam tells Jon about his true parentage and status as the heir to the Iron Throne.
* JumpScare: The corpse of young Lord Umber pinned to the wall turns out to be a wight, which suddenly starts screaming until Beric sets it on fire

* YouHaveGotToBeKiddingMe: Bronn's reaction when Qyburn walks in with an offer right in the middle of sex.