Game of Thrones Episode 7 Instant Take: “The Dragon and The Wolf”

Published August 28, 2017 · Updated March 18, 2020

Game of Thrones Episode 7 Instant Take: "The Dragon and The Wolf"

Game of Thrones Episode 7 Instant Take: “The Dragon and The Wolf”

The Game of Thrones Season 7 finale, “The Dragon and The Wolf” made up for all the jetpacking, miraculous survival and improbable action of the series. It felt like a real throwback: All lives were on the table, and dread loomed in each passing minutes. Justice was served; dickless crotches were smashed, and incest blossomed like a fiery rose. Get our instant reactions here and tune in Tuesday for the Deep Dive.

Game of Thrones Episode 7 Summary: “The Dragon and the Wolf” is the seventh and final episode of the seventh season of HBO’s fantasy television series Game of Thrones, and the 67th overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Jeremy Podeswa.

The episode’s plot includes a negotiation between Cersei and Daenerys, and a rift between Cersei and Jaime; Theon rededicates himself to Yara; Sansa and Arya unite against Littlefinger; Jon Snow is revealed to be the child of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen; Jon and Daenerys’s romantic relationship comes to fruition; and the Army of the Dead penetrates the Wall.

“The Dragon and the Wolf” received positive reception from critics who listed the meeting at the Dragonpit, the full revelation of Jon Snow’s lineage, Cersei’s lack of cooperation to defeat the White Walkers, Aidan Gillen’s final performance as Littlefinger, and the demolition of the Wall as highlights of the episode. The pacing, however, was met with mixed reviews, and Rhaegar Targaryen’s physical portrayal in a flashback sequence was criticized for being too similar to his brother Viserys Targaryen. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 12.07 million in its initial broadcast, making it the highest rated episode of the series. The title of the episode refers to the sigils of House Targaryen (the Dragon) and House Stark (the Wolf) and their newfound alliance.

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