Last night, Game Of Thrones aired the second episode of its final season, the emotional and subdued "A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms." A "calm before the storm," the episode featured many brilliant character moments, particularly for Jaime, Brienne, Dany, Arya, Tormund, Jorah, ...basically, everybody left standing in Winterfell. With strong writing from Byran Cogman, it's likely that this one will go down as a fan favorite, when all things are said and done. Yet next week's episode may very well one up it, given all the hype surrounding the coming War For Dawn.
In the promo clip, many characters can be seen in the midst of battle. Grey Worm and the newly knighted Ser Brienne are in the thick of the fields, which suggests stacked odds to say the least. The Hound and Beric Dondarrion appear to be fighting together inside of Winterfell, to a mysterious end. Both Theon Greyjoy and Jon Snow appear to be in the Godswood, after the former pledged his allegiance to Bran Stark and vowed to defend him from the Night King; is this, perhaps, an indication that the Bran-as-bait plan worked?
Regardless of whether or not the Night King and his army fall, it's likely this episode will bring the end of many a fan favorite, especially given how "A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms" wrapped up many character arcs in a satisfactory, yet bittersweet fashion. Given all we've heard about this battle's production, it's likely going to be among the greatest in cinematic history. Shot over a grueling fifty-five nights by Thrones veteran Miguel Sapochnik, the Helms-Deep inspired battle will last the duration of this episode. It's only a matter of days before we find out who survives the Long Night.
Watch the brief trailer below.