16 details you might have missed in Game Of Thrones Season 8 Episode 2

The latest Game Of Thrones episode titled A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms aired last night, and it was an emotional episode. We got to see the characters bonding with each other on the eve of the war against the White Walkers. If the first episode had a lot of reunions, the latest one could be said to have had a lot of goodbyes as we are not sure how many people will survive the Battle of Winterfell.

As usual, the episode was filled with some exciting details and callbacks. You can also check our analysis of the first episode if you missed that. Without wasting any time, we’ll take a look at the details you might have missed in Game Of Thrones Season 8 Episode 2

1. Opening credits get updated

In the first episode, we saw an updated opening credits video, and it showed the damaged portion of the Wall and also took us to the Last Hearth for the first time, and we even got to see the interiors of Winterfell and The Red Keep. For the second episode, almost everything remains the same, except for two tiny details.

If you look closely, you will see that Last Hearth significant by blue tiles, which indicates that the castle has fallen. In the first episode, the blue tiles were approaching the Last Hearth and we know what happened by the end of the episode.

The second detail shows us the preparation that’s going on at Winterfell. In the new opening credits video, we can see trenches being dug all around Winterfell. We saw the same happening during the episode as everyone was working overtime to be fully prepared before the White Walkers arrive.

2. A reference to the Valonqar theory

The episode started with a trial being held for Jaime Lannister, and it seemed that things weren’t going well for him as almost everyone seemed to hate him, especially Daenerys as he was responsible for the death of her father. Tyrion tried to intervene, and Daenerys didn’t spare him as well. “Perhaps he trusts his little brother to defend him, right up to the moment he slits my throat,” said Daenerys when Tyrion tried to defend Jaime, and this line can be considered as a reference to the Valonqar prophecy.

Valonqar is the High Valyrian word for “little brother“, and this is what the prophecy says in the books, “And when your tears have drowned you, the Valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you.”

The show had removed this part of the prophecy that was made by Maggy the Frog in season 5, during a flashback scene involving Cersei Lannister. Even though the prophecy isn’t related to Daenerys, the words that she spoke referred to it.

3. This goes beyond loyalty

Things weren’t going well for Jaime at the start of the episode. When he was asked why he was abandoning his family now to fight for the very people against whom he had been fighting all this time, Jaime looked towards Brienne before saying, “Because this goes beyond loyalty. This is about survival.”

This line by Jaime was a direct reference to the scene involving Jaime and Brienne from the season 7 finale, when Brienne told Jaime, “Oh f*ck loyalty. This goes beyond houses and honour and oaths. Talk to the queen.”

4. Widow’s Wail

Brienne came to defend Jaime Lannister and thanks to her, Jaime’s trial came to an end, and that’s when Grey Worm gave Jaime his sword back. If you look carefully, it’s Widow’s Wail, which used to be Joffrey’s sword and it has been with Jaime since Joffrey’s death. So it wasn’t surprising to see the sword with him, but it’s possible that some people might’ve forgotten about it or not have realised that it’s Widow’s Wail and we will speak about the sword once again in the same article, and that’s why I included it in this list.

5. Recreation of an Arya-Gendry scene from season 2

Gendry was working in the forge, when Arya came to check if her new weapon was ready or not and the scene must’ve reminded a lot of fans about an Arya-Gendry scene from season 2 as it was filmed in an identical fashion. Take a look at the pictures below for a comparison.

6. I always pictured myself dying in my bed

While speaking with Jaime, Tyrion spoke about his preferred choice of death. We had last heard him talking about the same thing way back in season 1, when he and Bronn were captured by the mountain clans from the Vale and when Shagga asked Tyrion how he would like to die, Tyrion replied, “In my own bed. At the age of 80. With a belly full of wine and a girl’s mouth around my cock.”

7. Ice is finally back in Winterfell

Ice was the Valyrian steel sword that belonged to House Stark, but once Ned Stark was arrested and later executed with Ice, Tywin Lannister got it melted into two new Valyrian steel swords – Oathkeeper and Widow’s Wail. Jaime gave Oathkeeper to Brienne so that she could fulfil the promise Jaime had made to Catelyn Stark and after Joffrey’s death, Widow’s Wail was used by Jaime.

Now that Jaime has reached Winterfell, both the swords which were created from Ice are back home, and they will be used to protect Winterfell against the Army of the Dead.

8. A reference to Princess Shireen

During the episode, we got to see a young girl with burn marks on her face that resembled Shireen Baratheon’s Grayscale covered face. Davos used to consider Shireen as his daughter, and she had helped both Davos and Gilly in learning to read. So when they saw a girl with the burn mark on her face, it reminded them of Shireen and it was an emotional scene.

9. A look at the war strategy

During the episode, we got a chance to see all the major characters together while they were discussing the war strategy and we got a glimpse of their battle plan.

We will have the Arryn and Stark forces on the left side, with Brienne leading them. We have already seen Brienne and Jaime standing in the front with the Arryn soldiers in the preview for the 3rd episode.

The Unsullied and the Dothraki will be present at the centre, and the remaining Stark forces will fight on the right side. Inside the castle, Lyanna Mormont will lead her soldiers and will ensure that people remain safe if the Wights enter Winterfell. We can also see a tile that hasn’t been marked. It’s possible that it represents the remaining soldiers who might guard the Crypts.

We also know that Theon will be present in the Godswood to protect Bran Stark.

10. Sam the book-stealer

In the latest episode, Samwell again mentioned that he had stolen a considerable number of books from the Citadel library and he said the same thing when he met Daenerys in the first episode of this season. It appears that those lines have been added to the scenes as comic relief, but they aren’t as harmless as they sound to be. At least for Daenerys Targaryen.

Everyone might have a nice laugh when Sam mentions about the stolen books and might wonder what harm can a book cause, but a book at the Citadel has ensured that Daenerys lost her claim to the Iron Throne. Just as the episode is about to end, Jon drops the bombshell on Daenerys and tells her that his real name is Aegon Targaryen and that he’s the legitimate son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark.

When Daenerys asks him how he came to know about this piece of information, he says that Bran saw it and Sam confirmed it as he had read about their marriage in the Citadel. It’s important to remember that this piece of information wasn’t a part of any book that was stolen by Samwell.

Archmaester Ebrose had given the diary to Samwell, but I have included the point to highlight the fact that even a book is more than enough to destroy Daenerys’ claim to the Iron Throne. So, when Sam mentions book stealing in the same sentence along with killing a White Walker and a Thenn, it is equally significant.

11. I have a son. You have a daughter

Way back in the first episode of season 1, Robert Baratheon told Ned Stark, “I have a son. You have a daughter. We’ll join our houses.” At that time he was referring to Joffrey and Sansa, but it turns out it actually foreshadowed a relationship between Arya and Gendry. Fans have been speculating about this since a long time, and the latest episode confirmed that the fans had correctly guessed the possibility of a romantic relationship between Arya and Gendry.

12. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

This is one of the most emotional scenes from the latest episode, and it also makes a big reference to the series of prequel novellas written by George R. R. Martin, which are known as the Tales of Dunk & Egg. These three novellas, which are set 100 years before the events that are happening in Game Of Thrones have been compiled and published as a book titled “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.”

The novellas narrate the story of Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire Egg, who would go on to become King Aegon V Targaryen, while Ser Duncan would become the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. It’s also interesting to note that Egg’s older brother was Maester Aemon.

What makes it even more interesting is the fact that Duncan the Tall is Brienne of Tarth’s ancestor. So when Jaime Lannister knighted Brienne in the latest episode and called her A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, it was an excellent reference to her legendary ancestor Ser Duncan the Tall and who knows, in the end, if the Iron Throne isn’t destroyed, Brienne might become the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.

13. I wish you good fortune cousin

I think that fans of Lyanna Mormont should start praying immediately as there’s a high chance she might die in the third episode while fighting against the White Walkers. I am coming to this conclusion after watching her scene with her cousin, Jorah Mormont.

Jorah tried to convince Lyanna to stay in the Crypts where it would be safer. However, the badass leader of House Mormont refused to hide and told Jorah that she pledged to fight for the North and she would fight at all costs.

She then left, and while leaving, she said, “I wish you good fortune cousin,” and looking at the past seasons, it’s definitely not a positive thing to say. Let’s take a look at the scenes where we have heard this line.

Arthur Dayne to Ned Stark: “I wish you good fortune in the wars to come.” Result: Arthur Dayne died.

Mance Rayder to Stannis: “I wish you good fortune in the wars to come.” Result: Mance Rayder died.

Benjen Stark to Bran and Meera in season 6: “I wish you both good fortune.” Result: Benjen Stark died.

I hope that she survives episode 3, but it seems highly unlikely at the moment. The only exception is Jon Snow, as he said the same thing to Daenerys in season 7 when he was leaving Dragonstone to capture a Wight. He almost died when he fell inside the frozen lake while fighting the Wights and he has already died once. So that might be a reason why he didn’t die after saying the same line and don’t forget, he has the plot armour as he’s one of the central characters in the show.

14. Jenny of Oldstones

Towards the end of the episode, Podrick sang a song named Jenny of Oldstones, and this is the first time we are listening this song in the show but the book readers have read about it, and the song might have a special significance as it is thought to be connected with the Targaryen dynasty and the Azor Ahai prophecy. You can read our detailed article about Jenny’s Song to know how it might foreshadow Jon-Daenerys’ fate. Here are the lyrics to the song:

High in the halls of the kings who are gone
Jenny would dance with her ghosts.
The ones she had lost and the ones she had found
And the ones who had loved her the most.
The ones who’d been gone for so very long
She couldn’t remember their names.
They spun her around on the damp old stones
Spun away all her sorrow and pain.
And she never wanted to leave
Never wanted to leave.

15. A season 7 reference to Jenny of Oldstones

We listened to Jenny of Oldstones song for the first time in this episode, but it definitely isn’t the first time we are hearing her name. Back in season 7, Bran had sent letters throughout Westeros to warn people about the Army of the Dead and once such letter reached the Citadel and during that scene, we had a reference to Jenny of Oldstones.

A maester referred to her as a “Charlatan who claimed descent from the Children of the Forest.”

16. There are a lot of White Walkers

The episode ended with the White Walkers arriving at Winterfell and there’s a high possibility that many fans must’ve have missed a huge detail because the scene was very dark. If you increase the brightness and look carefully, you can see an endless line of White Walkers!

So far we have only seen 4-5 White Walkers accompanying the Night King, and this is the first time we are going to see all the White Walkers together, and it’s a bad sign for our favourite characters. We have written about this in detail over here.

If you think I missed any important detail, do let me know in the comments section.

First of all, WHAT AN EPISODE! 

It is as if we all had been waiting for this our entire lives, and it has finally happened. Right from Episode 1 of Season 1, we had been hearing the words. Winter is coming! Well, it did come in Episode 3 and how! The death, the destruction, and the grit of the fighters. It was all so emotionally draining and overwhelming, I can’t even!

But before I come out of what I just lived for close to 90 minutes, let me relive the best and worst moments of Episode 3, one more time.

The Best Moments of Episode 3

The Return of the Red Woman

Melisandre came back to Westeros, one last time, just as she had promised in Season 7. As she slowly rode down on her horse, cloaked in red, it was clear she knew what her purpose was. And as she touched a Dothraki’s arakh, and said the incantations, the arakh burned fiercely. As all the arakhs in the Dothraki horde burned, it was a moment of silent appreciation for her magic as I watched in awe.

The Two Dragons

Two dragons flew in the skies above Winterfell with two riders on their backs. One was dressed in all white with silver hair flowing. The other wore black and had black hair to match. As the dragons danced their dance, breathing fire, it was so beautiful to watch! The background score elevated the scene like nothing else. And it was so pure and unadulterated!

Daenerys saving Jon

As Jon and Dany watch the living prepare for the great battle, the tension between them is palpable. Dany as good as tells Jon that he is a dead man already. But as Jon, the brave fool that he is, runs towards the Night King, Longclaw drawn, the Night King slowly starts raising both his hands.

All the dead around Jon start opening their blue eyes. As the dead get up, the Night King walks away. Though Jon cuts and slashes at the wights with Valyrian steel, we know it’s a lost cause. But then Dany riding Drogon comes along. Drogon breathes fire, wights burn, Jon is saved. And they have a moment when they both look into each other’s eyes. It lasts only a second but speaks volumes. Doubt, uncertainty, questions, and love.

Sansa and Tyrion

Sansa and Tyrion had a political marriage. But they did manage to come to trust and respect each other at some point in their awkward marital life. In the third episode, both of them are in the crypts of Winterfell. But it’s not too long before even the crypts filled with wights.

As they stand together sheltered for a moment from all the chaos, they look back at their sham of a marriage. And Sansa admits he was the best of ‘them all’. Well, if Tyrion’s competition was against Ramsey, well, well. But, the moment was an acknowledgement of the respect that Sansa and Tyrion share and a little bit of friendship too in the face of impending doom.

Arya using her weapon

Right from the first episode of the season, we knew Arya wanted a dragonglass weapon and had the design in mind. In the third episode, we saw her finally use it. And Arya Stark once again proved what a strong woman she is.

No longer a girl now, her swiftness and agility with the staff-like weapon was a treat for the eyes. As she somersaulted and jumped, ducked and dodged, she took down wight after wight. The look in her eyes, the grit on her face, it all exuded so much strength! Way to go Arya!!

Arya, the saviour!

Arya indeed was the Hero of Episode 3. She had not one, but two amazing moments in the third episode. And this one happens towards the end. The Night King and his team of White Walkers are in the Godswood. Theon has died trying to save Bran. And Bran is sitting with his deadpan look on his wheelchair under the weirwood tree.

The Night King is this much close to drawing his Ice Sword and driving it into Bran to kill all memory of the world. And then Arya comes out of nowhere, dagger in hand. But the Night King, with his instincts and strength, is quick to turn around and grab her before she can strike. The dagger falls from her hand. It falls, falls, and time almost stops.

Then, with a swift motion, she catches the dagger and plunges it into the Night King. As he disintegrates into a thousand pieces of ice, it’s as if death itself is defeated. And Arya stands there, taller than everybody else. What a moment! Definitely the highlight of the episode.

Lyanna, oh dear Lyanna!

Well, this was a sad moment. But done really well! Lyanna Mormont did well. She did very well. As she took charge and shouted commands, she was a picture of strength packed twice over in every inch of her short, petite stature. But when the wights breach the Winterfell walls, chaos ensues and with the regular wights, comes the wight Giant.

Not one to back down, Lyanna stands her ground even as the Giant grabs her and lifts her, his fingers crushing her body. Death is certain. But before that, she sticks the dragonglass into the Giant’s bright blue eye, taking him down with her. You were very brave, Lyanna!

The Worst Moments of Episode 3

Bran letting Theon die

So Bran, the Three-eyed raven, the memory of the world, the guy with the deadpan look, already knew that Arya was going to kill the Night King. Remember how he gives her the Valyrian steel dagger in Season 7 as he tells her that she needed it more than him? So he knew Theon was only going to be a pawn in the larger scheme of things. He could have totally asked Theon to run for his life and live. But instead, Bran goes “You are a good man”, and lets Theon literally run into Death. Not cool, Bran!

The dragon reunion

Ever since Viserion went over to the dark side and got himself a pair of blue eyes, I had been waiting to see what would happen when he came face to face with his brothers and mother. It finally happened in the third episode. And it was not pretty. The dragons biting and snapping at each other broke my heart. And the scene was a blur of flames, smoke, and fog so that it was borderline obscure. And it ended before anyone could comprehend what was happening. Could have been handled better.

Jorah’s death was too drawn out

Jorah was at the head of the Dothraki horde that ran into the Undead Army first. The Dothraki had their flaming arakhs, Jorah had his Valyrian steel sword. As the flames got extinguished, and only a few retreated, one can’t help but wonder how Jorah survived! A few scenes later, Jorah saved Daenerys from a wight attack and in a classic dramatic style took one blow too many before finally collapsing. “I am hurt”, he stated the obvious before dying.

Edd, what a pointless end!

The third episode saw another death. Edd had proved to be a loyal friend and a capable fighter. He deserved better than a wight stabbing him from the back. And that too just after he saved Sam’s life. Poor Edd, what a pointless end for you! He deserved a better death. Something like killing hundreds of wights by using some cool fire trick, and then dying, probably with a curse on his lips instead of “Oh Sam”. But now his watch is ended.

After a lacklustre first episode and a neither-here-nor-there second episode, the third episode packed a punch! Still reeling from the aftermath, I suddenly realised that we have only three more episodes to go, and still a lot of ground to cover. With this powerful episode, my hopes from the next episode have soared high and high!

In Game Of Thrones season 8 episode 3, which was titled The Long Night, we got to witness the biggest battle in cinema history, and it didn’t disappoint a bit. We witnessed a stunning battle in Winterfell that left us shell shocked and it had a twist at the end that surprised everyone.

As usual, the episode was filled with callbacks and exciting details, and we will take a more in-depth look at these details that you might have missed in this article. So without wasting any time, let’s take a look at these details.

1. Sam, get up!

We saw that it was virtually impossible to stop the tsunami of Wights and it became tough for Samwell and others to keep on fighting and Sam fell. At that time, Edd urged Sam to stand on his feet.

This is a callback to season 3, where the surviving members of the Night’s Watch are marching back to the Wall after the While Walkers ambushed them. While walking back, a tired Sam falls and Edd and Grenn urge him to get up and start walking if he wants to survive.

2. Melisandre used the same Valyrian words used by Beric to light his sword

Melisandre made a dramatic entry at the start of the episode, and when she chanted “āeksiō ōños,” which means “lord’s light” in Valyrian, suddenly all the Dothraki Arakhs were covered in flames. She used the same words once again later in the episode when she lighted the trenches on fire.

It’s interesting to know that Beric Dondarrion uses the same Valyrian words to light his sword. The only difference being, Beric doesn’t need to speak those words. He just needs to think about it, and his sword catches fire. We know this because the actor talked with Insider during the season 8 premiere, where he shared the information.

3. Stick ’em with the pointy end

This has to be one of the most iconic quotes from the show. When Jon Snow gifted Arya the Needle, he told her to use it by sticking ’em with the pointy end. Over the years Arya has trained a lot, and now she has become a deadly assassin, and it was her turn to give some advice.

When Arya gave Sansa a Dragonglass dagger, Sansa said that she didn’t know how to use it and Arya replied by saying, “Stick ’em with the pointy end.”

4. Callback to Arya’s training with Waif

Arya used her new weapon against the Wights once they entered Winterfell. She deftly used the Dragonglass staff and used it to kill a lot of Wights. While fighting against them, she used a move that is a callback to her training with the Waif.

When the blind Arya was training with the Waif, she used the same move to block an attack by the Waif.

5. Qhono became a Wight

We have been seeing Qhono since season 6 when the Dothraki captured Daenerys and were taking her to Khal Moro. Daenerys burned all the Khals alive in Dosh Khalen, and when the Dothraki witnessed her coming out of the fire unharmed, they became her followers. Qhono was one of them, and he played a prominent role when she finally reached Westeros.

During the episode, we saw the Dothraki charging towards the Army of the Dead, and it hardly took the dead any time to wipe off the Dothraki horde. Some of them managed to escape, and we saw them running away from the Wights, but it turns out Qhono wasn’t one of those as he got resurrected as a Wight later in the episode.

6. Lyanna Mormont killed the Wight Giant in the same place where Wun Wun died

During the Battle of Bastards, Wun Wun broke through the doors at Winterfell, but he died when Ramsay drove an arrow right through his eye.

In episode 3, we saw a Wight Giant break through the Winterfell doors, and he was taken down by Lyanna Mormont when she drove a Dragonglass dagger through its eye. It is interesting to note that the Wight Giant died at the same place where Wun Wun died.

7. Daenerys was protected by Valyrian steel sword of House Tarly

In season 7 Daenerys gave Randyll Tarly and his son Dickon a chance to bend the knee but both of them refused, and she sentenced them to death by burning them alive.

Tyrion had counselled her that it would be better if she kept them as her prisoners but she refused to let them live and now during the Battle of Winterfell, it was the ancestral sword of House Tarly that saved her life.

Samwell Tarly had given Jorah Mormont Heartsbane, which was the Valyrian Steel sworn that belonged to his house and in the end Jorah used the same sword to defend Daenerys from the Wights.

8. Is there going to be a battle in the Godswood?

Back in season 1, Catelyn Stark called Robb, Theon, Maester Luwin and Ser Rodrik to the Godswood to share some important details about the attempt on Bran’s life and how it might be the work of the Lannisters.

At that moment Robb says, “They come into our home and try to murder my brother. If it’s war they want,” before he’s interjected by Theon, “If it comes to that, you know I’ll stand behind you.”

A sensible Maester Luwin asks a simple question to them at that time. “What? Is there going to be a battle in the Godswood?”

It turns out we did get to see a fight in the Godswood, and it’s a beautiful callback to the scene from season 1.

9. Alys Karstark is mostly dead

During the episode, we saw that Alys Karstark joined Theon and the Ironborn to protect Bran Stark in the Godswood. Though we didn’t see her dying, there’s no doubt that anyone survived once the Night King entered the Godswood.

10. Arya and Melisandre’s reunion

During the episode, we saw for the first time that Arya was scared for her life as it was almost impossible to kill all the Wights and even she had to run away.

It was at this moment when Arya met Melisandre and Mel reminded Arya that she was going to shut many eyes forever and it included Brown eyes, Green eyes and Blue eyes. This is a callback from season 3 when Melisandre met Arya for the first time, and she told Arya that they would meet again.

Melisandre also asked Arya, “What do we say to the God of Death?” This was something that Syrio Forel had taught Arya, and when she heard that line, she knew what had to be done, and she ran to finish the battle once and forever.

11. Arya Stark’s Kill List

All these years everyone was wondering the reason why the Lord of the Light was resurrecting Beric Dondarrion, and that question was finally answered during the Battle of Winterfell. It turns out that his sole objective was to ensure that Arya Stark stayed alive as she was the one who would kill the Night King, and end the war against the dead.

Even Melisandre had a significant role to play in helping Arya kill the Night King. So it turns out the two people whose purpose was to ensure that Arya Stark killed the Night King, were a part of Arya Stark’s kill list. We are glad that Arya didn’t go through with her kill list when she saw both of them.

12. Arya sneaks up on Jon and the Night King in the Godswood

During the season 8 premiere, we saw that Jon Snow was standing in the Winterfell Godswood and Arya Stark sneaked up on him, and Jon was surprised and asked her, “How did you sneak up on me?”

Turns out Arya did the same thing once again in the latest episode as she sneaked up on the Night King at the exact spot and managed to kill the Night King and end the Battle of Winterfell.

13. Arya’s signature dagger hand-switch move

Arya Stark pulled out one of the biggest surprises we have seen on the show so far. Right when the Night King had reached Bran’s location, it seemed that everything was lost as no one could come to protect him.

Jon was stuck with the undead Viserion as it had blocked Jon’s path, while Daenerys was trying her best to stay alive. Arya sneaked up on the Night King, and for a second it appeared that her plan had failed, but she quickly switched her hands and drove the Valyrian Steel dagger in the Night King’s chest, thus killing him and all the White Walkers and Wights.

We have already seen Arya use this trick in the past. In season 7, when Arya sparred with Brienne, she used the same hand switch trick against Brienne and it appears that Arya was practising this move since a long time and it helped in defeating the Night King.

14. Arya stabbed Night King in the same spot where Children of the Forest drove in Dragonglass to create him

During Bran’s visions, we found out that the Night King was created by the Children of the Forest when they drove a Dragonglass dagger right through his chest.

Arya used a Valyrian Steel dagger to kill him by stabbing him in the same spot.

15. Night King died in the same spot where Bran gave Arya the dagger

Here’s another interesting detail that you might have missed. In the last season, Bran Stark gave Arya the Valyrian Steel dagger saying that it would be wasted on him.

This scene is significant as Arya received the dagger which would help in defeating the dead and another interesting thing is that discussion happened at the place where Arya killed the Night King with the same dagger.

16. The dagger that was meant to kill Bran, saved his life

Back in season 1 a Catspaw assassin was sent to kill Bran Stark, and he was given a Valyrian Steel dagger to do the job. However, Catelyn Stark and Summer saved Bran’s life.

This set into motion a chain of events that lead to a lot of death and destruction all across Westeros and now, right in the end, the same dagger that was supposed to take Bran’s life was used to kill the Night King and thus it ended up saving Bran’s life.

17. The Long Night

The episode was titled The Long Night, and it’s interesting to note that once Game Of Thrones gets over, we will get to watch a prequel which will focus on the Long Night. So far HBO hasn’t finalized any name for the prequel, but George R. R. Martin likes to call the prequel “The Long Night”.

Here’s the full synopsis of the prequel by HBO:

“Taking place thousands of years before the events of ‘Game of Thrones,’ the series chronicles the world’s descent from the golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour. And only one thing is for sure: from the horrifying secrets of Westeros’ history to the true origin of the white walkers, the mysteries of the East to the Starks of legend … it’s not the story we think we know.”

18. Melisandre is the 3rd person to die of old age

This is just a random detail, but it seemed to be fun, so I have added it to the list. Game Of Thrones is known for the way it kills its characters and people can get killed in some unexpected ways in the show.

What’s unusual is that a character survives long enough to die of old age and so far we have seen only two people who died of old age in the show: Hoster Tully and Aemon Targaryen. Now Melisandre joins this illustrious list of people who managed to stay alive in the show and die a natural death. Let me know if I missed any other character who had a natural death.

So these are the things that you might’ve missed while watching Game Of Thrones Season 8 Episode 3: The Long Night. Please let me know in the comments section if I have missed any detail.

Game Of Thrones Season 8 finally aired last night and the fans weren’t disappointed. It’s been almost 600 days since season 7 got over and the fans had to wait a really long time to watch a new episode. As expected, the episode had a lot of details that were hidden in plain sight and many callbacks to the earlier seasons, especially the pilot episode, where Robert Baratheon visited Winterfell and asked Ned Stark to become the Hand of the King.

So let’s take a look at these details that you might have missed while watching Game Of Thrones season 8 premiere.

1. New opening credits

Season 8 started with new opening credits and we can see that the Wall has collapsed and also got to see Last Hearth, along with a tour of Winterfell and the Red Keep. It’s the final season and now all the important characters have come together and as a result we saw only 3 places, rather than traveling all across Westeros and Essos during the opening credits.

However, that’s not the only thing that has changed in the opening credits. Even the details that we have been seeing all these years on the Astrolabe have changed. Let’s take a look at it.

In the first image, we can see the undead Viserion taking down the Wall and we can also see the Wights waiting for the Wall to collapse.

The second image depicts the Red Wedding. We can see the Twins in the center, and a Direwolf hangs from the arch. On one end we can see a flayed man holding the head of a Wolf, which indicates Robb Stark, while on the other end, a Lion holds a Tully Trout in it’s mouth. So that represents Tywin Lannister who planned the Red Wedding.

The last image shows 4 dragons with the Red Comet in the background. It shows us the birth of the dragons, with Daenerys being represented by the largest dragon, while the 3 smaller ones are Drogon, Rhaegal and Viserion.

We are then taken to King’s Landing, where we can see the map of Westeros that Cersei had commissioned in season 7.

2. Bran climbing the walls of Winterfell

The episode starts with a young boy who wants to take a look at Daenerys’ army that’s arriving at Winterfell and he manages to climb on the top of a tree to get a good view.

This is a callback to the scene from the pilot episode where Bran had climbed on the walls of Winterfell to get a better view of Robert Baratheon’s procession arriving towards Winterfell.

3. The King’s arrival

We then get a good look at Daenerys’ Dothraki and Unsullied armies and a familiar soundtrack starts playing. The last time we heard the same music was during the pilot episode when Robert arrived at Winterfell.

4. Arya standing outside the walls of Winterfell

During the episode we saw that Arya was standing in Winter Town, that’s just outside the walls of Winterfell and it’s a callback to season 1, when Arya did the same thing.

5. Jon Snow greets Bran Stark

The moment Jon sees Bran, he rushes towards Bran and plants a kiss on his forehead. This is a callback to the scene where Jon said good bye to Bran while leaving for the Wall. Bran was in coma and Jon visited his room and told him, “We can go out walking beyond the Wall if you are not afraid.” When Catelyn Stark told him to leave the room, Jon kissed Bran on the forehead and left.

6. Winterfell is yours

Daenerys is given a cold welcome by the Sansa Stark, who is the Lady of Winterfell and she greets her by saying, “Winterfell is yours, your grace.”

During the season 1 premiere, the then Lord of Winterfell, Ned Stark welcomed Robert Baratheon by saying, “Guarding the North for you, your grace. Winterfell is yours.”

7. Jon and Arya hug each other

Jon and Arya have an emotional reunion and when Jon sees Arya standing right behind him, he goes hugs her by picking her off her feet.

During the 2nd episode of season 1, Jon gifted Arya a sword and then Arya hugged him Jon the same way she hugged him in the latest episode.

8. A possible reference to Ed Sheeran’s character

Ed Sheeran made a guest appearance as a Lannister soldier during the season 7 premiere and after that everyone was guessing whether his character was alive or if he died fighting against Daenerys’ forces. The latest episode might have given us a clue. While in the brothel, one of the character talks about a Lannister soldier named Eddie, who’s a ginger and came back with his face burned right off and has no eyelids now.

There’s a good possibility that Game Of Thrones sneaked in a reference to Ed Sheeran’s character in the latest episode.

9. Cersei’s deadly plan for her brothers

During the episode, Qyburn came to meet Bronn and offered him chests filled with gold as an advance payment for killing Tyrion and Jaime Lannister. He even handed him the crossbow that Tyrion had used to murder Tywin Lannister.

10. Cersei is drinking Wine

During the season 7 finale, Tyrion went to meet Cersei to convince her to join forces to fight against the White Walkers. She had refused to drink wine and Tyrion realized that she was pregnant. However, in the latest episode, Cersei is drinking wine and when Euron touches her belly and says, “I am going to put a prince in your belly,” Cersei suddenly gets emotional and there are tears in her eyes. Does this mean that she has miscarried and is no longer pregnant?

11. Jon rides a dragon named after his father

Jon Snow finally did what the fans had been waiting to watch since season 7. Daenerys named her dragons after the 3 important men in her life: Drogon (Khal Drogo), Viserion (Viserys Targaryen), Rhaegal (Rhaegar Targaryen) and we know that Jon Snow is Rhaegar Targaryen’s son. So fans had been theorizing that Jon would ride the dragon that was named after his father and that’s what happened in the latest episode.

12. Reference to the Jon-Ygritte cave scene

After flying on the dragons, Jon and Daenerys had a romantic moment in front of a beautiful waterfall and Daenerys told Jon, “We could stay a thousand years. No one would find us.”

This mirrors what Ygritte had told Jon when they made love in the cave. “Let’s not go back. Let’s stay here a while longer. I don’t ever want to leave this cave, Jon Snow.” I hope that there are no further similarities and that Daenerys doesn’t die during the season.

13. As you wish, milady

Gendry and Arya finally had a reunion in Winterfell and while speaking with Arya, Gendry called her Lady Stark. Arya immediately requested him to stop calling her by that name and Gendry replied by saying, “As you wish, milady.” Arya looked at him with a serious face and then gave him a rare smile.

This is a callback to the scene from the 2nd episode of season 2 when Arya revealed her identity to Gendy. He was shocked to find out that Arya was a high born girl and immediately responded by saying, “I should be calling milady.” When he saw that Arya didn’t like it a bit, he further teased her by saying, “As milady commands.”

14. Robert Baratheon’s wish might come true

In Game Of Thrones pilot, Robert and Ned went to the crypts to pay respect to Lyanna Stark and over there Robert suggested marrying Joffrey and Sansa. “We’ll join our houses. I have a son, you have a daughter.”

This never happened but it turns out, his wish might come true as we saw a connect between Arya and Gendry. So it’s highly possible that Arya and Gendry might get married if they survive till the end of the show.

15. Ned Stark’s words came true

In the second episode of season 1, Ned Stark made a promise to Jon Snow before leaving for King’s Landing. He told Jon, “The next time we see each other, we’ll talk about your mother. I promise.” We know that Ned couldn’t fulfil that promise as he was executed by King Joffrey.

However, in the latest episode, Ned Stark’s words came true, but in a way which we never expected. After returning to Winterfell, Jon visited Ned Stark’s tomb in the crypts and at that time Samwell Tarly came to see Jon and revealed that he was Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen’s legitimate son and that made him the heir to the Iron Throne. So Ned Stark’s words did come true but not in the way we expected.

16. We got to see Last Hearth for the first time in the show

Game Of Thrones finally took us to Last Hearth, which is the castle of House Umber. The castle is close to the Wall and that proved deadly for the people who lived there as the White Walkers destroyed the castle and turned everyone into Wights. We know that as we could see blood on the floor but there wasn’t a single person in the castle, except Ned Umber, the Lord of Last Hearth.

17.  The Night King’s artwork

Over the seasons we have seen the White Walkers leaving behind some mysterious symbols and in the latest episode, the Night King did the same when he killed Ned Umber and used him and body parts from other dead people to create a similar symbol.

We only know that the symbol is related to the Children of the Forest, who were responsible for the creation of the White Walkers and we hope that the final season reveals the meaning of these mysterious symbols.

18. The Wight from the season 1 premiere

During the Game Of Thrones season 1 premiere we were introduced to the White Walkers, when 3 rangers of the Night’s Watch went beyond the Wall for ranging. A brother of the Night’s Watch came across a symbol that was created using the bodies of some Wildlings, when he turned around, he saw a young girl who was pinned to a tree trunk.

The Night King did the same thing once again during the season 8 premiere with Ned Umber.

19. The ending of season 1 premiere

The first episode of Game Of Thrones season 1 ended on a shocking note when Jaime Lannister pushed down Bran Stark from the tower, as Bran had seen him making love with Cersei. Luckily, Bran survived and he managed to become the Three-Eyed Raven and now he knows everything and he knew that Jaimie Lannister was on his way to Winterfell and he was waiting in the courtyard for Jaime to arrive.

“I’m waiting for an old friend,” said Bran to Sam, when Sam found him in the courtyard and the next day Jaime did enter Winterfell and he ensured that no one noticed him but it’s difficult to stay hidden if the Three-Eyed Raven is keeping an eye on you.

A shocked Jaime turned around to see Bran staring at him and the episode got over. So, just like season 1, even the season 8 premiere ended with a scene between Jaime Lannister and Bran Stark.

If you think I missed any important detail, do let me know in the comments section.