The episode might be full of laughs and warm reunions, but this atrocity, this eerie undead fate, is what all of these characters are facing. And then they’re interrupted by a bloodcurdling, eldritch scream from the corpse of the young Lord Umber (Harry Grasby) on the wall surrounded by disembodied arms. When the very much alive Tormund Giantsbane and Beric Dondarrion (Kristofer Hivju, Richard Dormer) encounter their old pal Edd (Ben Crompton), they begin to discuss the Night King and the dire state the world is in. However, the best moment wouldn’t exactly be called “enjoyable.” In fact, it’s downright gruesome, but that’s exactly what viewers have signed up for. While that’s perhaps the most important takeaway from the premiere, the episode has several enjoyable moments to recommend it: Hearing Lyanna Mormont (Bella Ramsey) speak her piece about Jon’s disappointing job performance, seeing Arya (Maisie Williams) and Gendry (Joe Dempsie) bantering after so many seasons apart, soaking in the stunning Northern landscape as Jon Snow takes his thrilling first (and probably not last!) dragon ride, and cheering for Theon (Alfie Allen) when he finally owns up to his responsibility to his sister and his adoptive Stark family. Let the incestuous lovers stew on that tangle. And Sam - one of the gentlest and useful characters on the show - has the ear of Jon Snow, whose leadership the Northerners crave and whose birthright happens to supersede Dany’s claim for the Iron Throne. Daenerys’ power-mad decision may have cowed others on the battlefield to bend the knee, but it has cemented her reputation as a crazed despot for Sam. Although viewers had little reason to love Sam’s family, it’s his reaction to their loss that is creating the stakes. The biggest strength of “Game of Thrones” has always been that the world George R.R. His horrified and stunned reaction is a moment of authenticity in an episode where everyone treats murder cavalierly, and in some cases as if it were a punchline. Set up last season, when Dany literally had Drogon flame Randyll and Dickon Tarly (James Faulkner, Tom Hopper) to death, the price for that hotheaded action is paid in the premiere when Samwell Tarly (John Bradley) learns of his father and brother’s fate. It’s this last detail that is one of the most interesting notes of the episode. Sure, Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) has two armies and two dragons to swell their ranks, but she’s also descended from a crazy king, doesn’t understand Westerosi ways, and has even set those who refuse to accept her as queen on fire. Politics is at the forefront of this talkiness, and it all boils down to how the Northerners are rightfully upset that their elected leader Jon Snow (Kit Harington) has thrown his and his people’s fealty to a scary, peroxide blonde stranger. Oreo’s ‘Game of Thrones’ Main Titles: Here’s How That Scrumptious Cookie Landscape Was MadeĢ021 Emmys Winners List: 'Ted Lasso,' 'The Crown,' and 'The Queen's Gambit' Lead the Night ‘Game of Thrones’ Main Title Designers Break Down Season 8’s New, Dramatic Opening Credit Sequence