‘Game of Thrones’ Refresher: A Complete Recap of Season 7 (Plus Video Recaps)

Game of Thrones Season 7 Recap

HBO Game of Thrones Season 7 Recap

At last, our watch has ended. Game of Thrones is returning to HBO on Sunday, April 14 with Season 8, the highly celebrated final season. The show is incredibly intricate, with many threads and character stories interwoven in its complicated plot. If you didn’t have time to watch all of Season 7 again before the show premieres, then it will be helpful to remember the most important parts that happened at the end of the season. Here’s a look at how Season 7 of Game of Thrones closed out the story. At the end of this story you will find video recaps too.


Before the Last Episode

Some big things happened in Season 7. Arya and Bran finally returned to Winterfell, to find Sansa acting as regent for Jon Snow. Arya and Sansa worked together to reveal Littlefinger’s treachery, with Bran bearing witness against him. And Littlefinger was executed for treason.

Bran’s very cold now that he’s the three-eyed raven, however, and that’s disturbing to his sisters.

Olenna, just before Jaime made her drink poison, confessed that it was her and not Tyrion who poisoned and killed Joffrey. But on his way back to King’s Landing with all that gold, Jaime was attacked by Dany and her dragons and the Dothraki. Bronn saved Jaime’s life when he made a desperate attempt to kill Dany, no doubt seeing visions of the “Mad King” as he tried.

Jon’s Battle & Viserion’s Demise

In the penultimate episode of Season 7, Jorah gifted Jon Snow with Longclaw (although I felt bad for Lyanna Mormont, who really should be the one who gets Longclaw.) And then Jon and company ventured north of the Wall. His group included Jon, The Hound, Gendry, Thoros, Beric, Tormund, and Jorah. While on their journey, they encountered a terrifying undead bear before finally being herded onto a rock and surrounded by White Walkers.

HBO

They sent Gendry on a run to Eastwatch to get help.

Interestingly, the Arrowhead Mountain where they did their battle was the same place where the Night King was created by the Children of the Forest.

arrowhead mountain

HBOThe mountain that looks like an arrowhead.

HBOWhite Walkers birthplace.

We also learned that if you kill the White Walker who animated the wights, then all the wights he controls dies.  That led Jon Snow and Beric to decide that killing the Night King will kill everyone. But will it?

During their battle, Thoros died.

And then there was the moment that Dany arrived with her three dragons, straight into the heart of the battle. It was beautiful for a time. Seeing those dragons lay waste to the wights was like seeing a million spiders set on fire…  And then the Night King’s new weapon appeared. It seems he had battled dragons before because he was mega prepared. Very calmly, he ignored Drogon who was closer and aimed for Viserion. The poor dragon was just preparing to let out more fire when he was hit in the neck and died a horrific death, his brother trailing behind trying to follow him.

Then Jon tried to run after and kill the Night King to end the war forever, just like Jamie tried to kill Dany. And both were knocked by someone into the water and seemed to disappear beneath it. Benjen appeared and saved the day.

HBO

The Night King and the White Walkers then dragged little Viserion out of the water. He put his hand on Viserion’s face and he opened his eyes — blue eyes now. It’s confusing, because the only others he’s touched have been the babies. He touched their faces to turn them into White Walkers, who have far more independence and thought than wights.

After the battle and Viserion’s death, Dany visited Jon Snow on the boat. They both apologized to each other. He for convincing her to come and the terrible price that she paid. She apologized for her arrogance. And they made promises to each other. She would help him, and he would bend the knee.


Viserion Destroys the Wall

Poor little Viserion was completely under the Night King’s control by the end of the season. Beric and Tormund were on the wall when the Night King made his approach.

HBO

Undead Viserion, in all his battered glory, took down a magic-infused wall. The way it affected that ice wall, it was likely not just really super hot fire. It had to be fire imbued with the same magic that animates the dead and that the Children of the Forest used to make the very first White Walker (the Night King.)

And the army waits.

HBO

The Truth of Jon & Dany Is Revealed

By the end of the season, we also got to see Lyanna and Rhaegar’s wedding. Unfortunately, this also included learning about how Jon and Dany were related, right as they finally made their love connection that fans had been waiting on. That was awkward.

Jaime also finally freed himself of Cersei after learning that she planned to betray Jon and Dany against the White Walkers, leaving them to fend for themselves. Cersei and Euron Greyjoy are plotting together, and Jaime has had enough of that.


Season 7 Video Recaps

If you’d like to watch a full recap of all seven seasons, check out the videos below:

Then check out this recap:

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