Dragons, spirals and spears: 3 burning 'Game of Thrones' questions we have after the Season 8 premiere
It may have required an almost two-year wait, but the Game of Thrones season premiere finally got around to answering such major fan questions as: “When will Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen get to take a magic dragon ride?” and “Where is Jaime Lannister going anyway?” With five episodes left to go until the series wraps up for good, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss couldn’t resist adding some new details for us to obsess over. Here are the top three burning questions we have after watching “Winterfell” again… and again… and again.
What happened to the Westeros map we knew and loved?
Written by Dave Hill and directed by David Nutter, “Winterfell” announced that Game of Thrones was boldly marching into new territory right up front in the opening credits sequence. The ever-changing map of Westeros featured its most extensive overhaul yet, starting with the now-broken Wall through which a Viserion-riding Night King led his White Walker army at the end of Season 7. Their path south from the Wall to Winterfell — notably passing by House Umber’s Last Hearth homestead on the way, which foreshadowed one of the Season 8 premiere episode’s the last scenes and our last burning question — was charted by gray tiles that flipped to icy blue with every zombie step. (Watch the opening credits below.)
As noted by The Verge, the other big innovation with this version of the credits sequence is that audiences got to venture deep inside the various landmarks the all-seeing astrolabe showed us. Hence, Winterfell literally opens up before our eyes to reveal its dank, dark crypts — the location where Samwell Tarly sets off a seismic truth bomb before the episode ends. As teased by one of the many Season 8 trailers, these labyrinthian corridors will also be the place where the normally unflappable Arya Stark encounters a foe that makes her scared enough to run… for her life. After leaving Winterfell, our next stop is a deep dive into the depths of King’s Landing, followed by an upwards climb to the majestic Iron Throne, making its first-ever appearance in the opening credits, as a reminder of the prize that awaits the (unlikely) survivors of the looming war between human and zombie-kind.
GoT's opening credits features the Iron Throne for the first time!
It's the beginning of the end of Game of Thrones.#ForTheThrone #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/sIpViCnscZ— Milo Xyloto (@miloddelavega) April 15, 2019
As Twitter obsessives pointed out, the map isn’t the only thing that’s seen some between-seasons changes. Freeze frames reveal that the astrolabe has all-new symbols as well, which refer to such major events as Robert’s Rebellion — which arguably started this mess in the first place — as well as the apocalyptic Red Wedding.
exCUSE ME BUT THIS IS THE RED WEDDING:
THE TWINS.
THE LION.
THE DEAD WOLF WITH ARROWS STUCK IN ITS BODY.
THE FLAYED MAN HOLDING A WOLF’S HEAD AND A DAGGER.
NOT IN THIS HOUSE. #GameofThrones #ForTheThrone pic.twitter.com/klv3XxSErj— rosie 8 ︽?︽ (@imsorrytony) April 15, 2019
But the freshly engraved symbol that’s really thrown the internet into a tizzy is the inclusion of a fourth dragon alongside Dany’s three children, suggesting that the show’s cast of flying reptiles is about to grow by one. Additional evidence is furnished by a comet that can be glimpsed alongside this now-quartet of dragons, a reference to the Red Comet of legend that heralds the rebirth of dragonkind.
The Red Comet and four dragons??? #GameofThones #GameofThronesSeason8 pic.twitter.com/z1ytKidV1S
— Amanda Horswill (@mandyjhorswill) April 15, 2019
There was a comet with a long red tail on the day Danaerys became the mother of dragons. #GOTS02E01 #GOT8 #GOTrecap pic.twitter.com/qlOf9CixDV
— Erwin Dondie (@erwinracasa) April 13, 2019
What weapon has got Arya and Gendry so excited?
Based on the Twitter reaction to their flirty interaction last night, Arya and Gendry have instantly become Westeros’s one true pairing. It does make sense: Besides the fact that their fathers — Ned Stark and Robert Baratheon, respectively — were best buds, these two share such common interests as the science of weaponry and the art of feeling alone in a crowd. But before any romantic sparks can burst into flame, they’ve got to help bring about the Night King’s downfall, which requires an interesting weapon for interesting times.
I know I’m a weapons geek, but this is how Arya will kill the Night King. #GameofThrones Also, I ship Arya and Gendry. ?????? pic.twitter.com/ypL8PpvtBk
— Kasey #WomenWonWomenLead 🌊AF (@Kasey_AF) April 15, 2019
Arya has sketched out exactly what she has in mind, and while we aren’t privy to a lingering glimpse at her design work, fans have interpreted what Gendry saw based on what they already know about Arya’s fight training and combat preferences. Besides her ever-present sword, Needle, the former Faceless Assassin is also currently in possession of a Valyrian steel dagger, a high-class weapon that the lower caste Gendry can’t help but tease her about.
Arya Stark's diagram depicts a missile weapon imo, dart or javelin. Trailers show her using this as a short spear in melee combat, though I'm certain this will be thrown or launched at some point during this season.#aryastark #gameofthrones pic.twitter.com/3QHjOnA7wM
— Fomo Crypto (@FomoCrypto) April 15, 2019
Skipping reading anything on what weapon Arya is having Gendry make. Seems like we already saw it in the trailer a month ago, no? #GamefThrones pic.twitter.com/19je16P7Ov
— Jolie Lash (@jolielash) April 15, 2019
Despite his good natured ribbing, Gendry seems genuinely impressed with what she’s invented: a weapon that will incorporate zombie-killing dragonglass as an appendage that can be removed and attached to one of the staffs since she’s so skilled at swinging. That would give her the option to ditch close-quarters combat in any situation where she’s outnumbered (or just overwhelmed) by White Walker opponents.
What’s up with that burning symbol?
Alas poor Ned Umber! We knew him... kind of. The young leader of House Umber became Season 8’s first casualty, killed by White Walkers in his own home of Last Hearth. And his murderers left a cryptic message behind, one that hearkens back to the early days of the show, as well as the early days of Westerosi history. Theories about the exact nature of the spiral shaped calling card that the Night King’s forces designed have been bouncing around Twitter since the episode ended.
Am I the only one who thinks that Ned Umber looked like a Targaryen sigil on that wall? 🤔 #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/fF9ycmqzPL
— Eduardo Blasco (@eduardojblasco) April 15, 2019
#GameofThrones #GOT
Nobody:
Ned Umber: pic.twitter.com/ONfYEPvqWh— thiccolas bigliore (@NickIsThatMe) April 15, 2019
Ned Umber was like #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/15K2TqSxU0
— Westeros Watch (@WesterosWatch) April 15, 2019
Personally, we like the theory that The Ringer is advancing, namely that the White Walkers are referencing the Children of the Forest, the earliest residents of Westeros. We first saw this spiral message in the series premiere of Game of Thrones, so it’s no accident that it’s reappearing as the endgame approaches. One of the longstanding theories amongst fans is that the forest children may have created the White Walkers or may even be the White Walkers. Either way, this really is a case where the past comes back to haunt the present.
Isn’t it just the symbol from the Children of the Forest? I didn’t see a dragon in the symbol behind the dead Umber boy. pic.twitter.com/lx19kS2Bj5
— G. Baby ? (@__kahlilah) April 15, 2019
The Last Hearth - the seat of House Umber, and the first location reached by the Army of the Dead - was designed in a specific nod to a crucial visual motif that we see throughout the show: the Spiral #GoTS8 pic.twitter.com/CLE217JvaN
— Ghost (@Albino_Direwolf) April 15, 2019
i don’t think the ned umber art installation was supposed to resemble dany’s sigil lol. it’s the same spiral that they’ve been making since season 1 pic.twitter.com/crrqv5Fmr0
— Doc McCuspins (@such_A_frknlady) April 15, 2019
Game of Thrones airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO.
Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:
'Game of Thrones' premiere has truth bombs, emotional reunions and dragon flying lessons
Shop 'Game of Thrones' gifts for everyone in your House, because the final season is coming
How 'Game of Thrones' greatest music was created, from the main theme to 'Rains of Castamere'
Want daily pop culture news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Entertainment & Lifestyle’s newsletter.