‘Game Of Thrones’ Season 7, Episode 3 Recap: Jaime Gives Olenna Poison, Olenna Confesses She’s Joffrey’s Killer

After two weeks of fairly mundane episodes in which Game of Thrones re-established the myriad story-lines that have been brewing for the past seven years, this Sunday’s episode made some real progress. The episode even began with one of the most anticipated moments in the entire series.

Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen finally have met. At the beginning of the episode, Jon Snow and his trusted advisor Ser Davos arrive at the shores of Dragonstone to ask Daenerys’ permission to mine the area for dragonglass, one of the few materials that can kill the white walkers. Daenerys, of course, has summoned Jon so that he can pledge his allegiance to her.

Their first meeting is all any GoT fan could have asked for. Jon is unwilling to kneel to the Breaker of Chains because of their families’ combative history and because the imminent threat from the north is far more pressing. Daenerys is quick witted and strong, reciting the quick version of her struggle to power.

The two almost come to blows but luckily Varys steps in and interrupts the squabble. But unluckily, he whispers to Daenerys the news of her failed mission to Dorne. Jon retreats to his room where he is not yet a prisoner, according to the (kind of) rightful heir to the Iron Throne.

Speaking of Daenerys defeat in the water, Euron Greyjoy arrives at King’s Landing with the gifts he promised Cersei Lannister. He has captured Ellaria Sand – who happened to have killed Cersei’s only daughter – and one of the Sand sisters.

Cersei exacts her revenge, taking them both to a dungeon and french-kissing poison into the mouth of Ellaria’s last living daughter. It is likely the last we see of both characters.

Back at Dragonstone, Jon and Tyrion have a conversation about the politics of the King in the North’s conversation with the Mother of Dragons. Tyrion, who happens to like Jon a lot, promises to bring up the dragonglass mining operation the next time he speaks with Daenerys.

He does and Daenerys tells Jon, somewhat reluctantly, that she’ll allow him to take all the Dragonglass he wants. He still refuses to call her his Queen.

Back in Jon’s home of Winterfell, Bran returns and is embraced by Sansa, who has been put in charge of the North. While Sansa is overjoyed to see her brother, who now happens to be the true heir to the Winterfell throne, he doesn’t seem so happy to see her. He isn’t unhappy to see her but rather his transformation into the Three-Eyed Raven (“I don’t know what that means,” Sansa tells him) has made him somewhat cold and aloof.

In order to prove himself, he tells her that he has seen her wedding night – it was snowing in Winterfell and she was wearing a white dress, pretty much the only two details any person anywhere could have guessed.

While audiences everywhere were still recovering from the nauseating treatment Sam Tarly gave to Jorah Mormont in order to cure his case of greyscale, we learn that Jorah has in fact recovered. As a reward for his ground-breaking treatment, the Arch-Maester tells Sam to copy a pile of old scrolls onto new paper. The punishment is far better than being kicked out of the Citadel.

Finally, we see the continuation of Daenerys’ war plan play out while Tyrion narrates. Greyworm and the Unsullied storm Casterly Rock where they are shocked to find far fewer members of the Lannister army than they expected. They take the Lannister stronghold with ease – we also happen to learn that Cersei has quite a large debt to pay to the bankers of Bravos.

The reason Casterly Rock was so easy to take was because Jaime Lannister had lead his family’s troops to Highgarden, where the head of House Tyrell, Olenna Tyrell, is waiting to die.

Jaime tells her that while Cersei imagined a million violent deaths for Olenna, he will give her a painless poison instead. She drinks it dutifully and informs Jamie that it was she who killed the young tyrant Joffrey Baratheon, not Tyrion, as Jaime had previously suspected.

Jaime is shocked and the episode ends.

Game of Thrones returns to HBO next Sunday at 9 p.m. EST.