Game of Thrones Season 7 Episode 2: Quick Rundown

Key takeaways from Episode 2:

Kings Landing

Lord Tarley has been asked by Jamie Lannister to use his extensive military experience to be one of the Lannister’s top lieutenants in the upcoming war. Lord Tarley will eventually call upon his son Samwell to assist in the war. Samwell Tarley will be faced with a heartbreakingly difficult decision. He will have the opportunity to prove to his father once and for all he is not ‘worthless’, but at the cost of betraying his best and closest friend, Jon Snow. But will he? Will blood be thicker than water?

Another intersting point is the conflict in conscience this causes with Lord Tarley being asked to betray his oath to the Tyrells. Will this cause him to pause or even betray the Lannisters?

Outcome of the Battle: Sand Sneks are Kill, There Will Be Hostages

Queen Cersei wants more that almost anything to avenge the murder of her daughter at the hands of the Ellaria, Queen of Dorn, and her Sand Snake daughters. However, what she desires even more than this revenge is to secure her throne and defeat the armies that are planning to march against her. In the sea battle, two of the Sand Snakes were killed and the Ellaria, along with her last daughter, were captured. My estimation on what will happen next:

If Cersei kills Ellaria, Dorne will continue to resist Cersei until the bitter end. To bring the Kingdom of Dorne to heel, she will offer Ellaria an offer she can’t refuse: “You will pledge your undying loyalty to me and swear to support me in my war against my enemies. To ensure your loyalty, I will hold your last living daughter hostage. If you betray me, she will die a most painful and prolonged death after suffering many, many outrages. If you are loyal, in X years I may return her to you, safe and unharmed.”

With this deal, Cersei secures her southern flank from attack, retains a powerful military ally, and fractures part of the Dragon Queen’s alliance against her. Ellaria will reluctantly agree in order to save her and her surviving daughter’s lives.
Whether Euron’s gift to Cersei is enough for her to agree to marry him remains to be seen. But at this point Euron knows Cersei recognizes how important his fleet is, as it can be the deciding factor in this war. Euron may decide to play kingmaker and say “if you don’t agree to marry me, I will give my fleet to the Dragon Queen.” Jamie will undoubtedly be triggered to the Nth degree seeing his beloved Cersei be married off to the Pirate King from the Iron Islands, but this decision is out of both his real and golden hands.

The Starks Soon to be Together Again

Arya has just found out from the ever engorged Hot Pie that her half-brother Jon is now a King. Hearing this she is hurrying to Winterfell. Along the way she runs into one of the Direwolves the Starks adopted back in the very first episode. It is apparent that the wolf remembers her as it lets her live. It likely did not follow her as it felt it could not leave its wolfpack. If it could talk, it might have said something similar to "these are my children and I must lead and protect them now, just as your brother leads and protects the North."

In coming episodes Arya will arrive in Winterfell only to have just missed Jon, on his way to see the Dragon Queen. At least she will finally be home after so many painful years. Soon afterwards Bran will arrive, signaling the first time the children of Ned and Catelyn Stark have been reunited since the very first season.

Littlefinger will pounce and use jolly King Jon’s absence to try to drive a wedge between Sansa and Jon. After watching Jon and Sansa’s repeated public disagreements from the shadows, Littlefinger has all the ammunition he needs to push forward with his latest master plan without getting caught, in order to create a schism between Jon and Sansa.

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