‘Game Of Thrones’ Season 7, Episode 2 Recap: Back Into Battle

After the sex-less and mostly death-less premiere of Game of Thrones‘s seventh season, which mainly served as a “who’s-where,” the season’s second episode got back to the 38-time Emmy winning show’s most popular tropes.

The episode, titled “Stormborn,” begins with the meeting between Daenerys and her advisors audiences were promised at the end of the premiere. Daenerys, who is always direct, confronts Varys for his apparent lack of loyalty to whatever crown he serves. In an impassioned speech, the eunuch convinces his Khalisi that he will serve her faithfully and notify her if he ever feels she is doing a disservice to her people.

Afterwards, the Red priestess Melisandre shows up at Dragonstone to pledge her allegiance to the new queen. She also spreads word of Jon Snow’s rule in the north and advises Daenerys to meet with him. Tyrion Lannister vouches for Jon and a raven is sent. Also, it is revealed that Melisandre’s Azor Ahai theory is gender neutral.

Back in the north, Jon receives Daenerys’ request for him to come kneel to her. While his people, including the stubborn Sansa, don’t want him to make the trip south while they prepare for war, Jon recognizes Daenerys as a powerful ally. He also learns from Sam Tarly that dragonglass – one of the few ways to kill a White Walker – is abundantly flowing beneath the Khalisi’s stronghold. Sansa is left in charge of the North.

Speaking of Sam, the maester-in-training has taken a liking and a sense of duty to Jorah Mormont and his terminal diagnosis of greyscale. In one of the series’ most grotesque moments, Sam slices off Jorah’s infected skin in order to apply an ointment. In a truly cruel cutaway scene, audiences see Sam reach for Jorah’s skin with a knife and then a goo flowing from a hard crust – only to be revealed as a pie being broken open.

The pie is being eaten by a man sitting behind Arya Stark, who is on her way to slay Cersei Lannister at King’s Landing. The chef behind the pie is none other than Arya’s old friend Hot Pie, who notifies the assassin that her brother is now King in the North. With this, she decides to abandon her mission and head back home – too bad her brother is heading in the opposite direction.

Finally, the season’s first big battle scene came at the end of the episode. Euron Greyjoy, who’s promise of a gift to Cersei was revealed, pounces on Yara Greyjoy’s fleet in the middle of the night. Using the most deadly plank in the history of planks, Euron storms his nieces’ boat, killing her crew and capturing Ellaria Sand – her three daughters are also killed in the process.

The battle ends with a pivotal moment for Theon – or, more accurately, Reek. Holding a knife to Yara’s throat, Euron tells Theon to come save his sister. Seeing the death a destruction all around him, Theon is triggered all the way back to his days as a slave for Ramsay Bolton. Rather than fight Euron, Theon jumps ship and watches his sister’s fleet burn from the water below.

Check a win for Euron and an even bigger win for Cersei. Daenerys, who is struggling with the idea of taking the Iron Throne by force, will certainly want to take revenge once she learns of her demoralizing defeat.

The third episode of Game of Thrones‘ seventh and penultimate season airs Sunday, July 30 at 9 p.m. EST on HBO.