Games Of Thrones Season 7 Finale: What 'The Dragon And The Wolf' Really Means
Alliances made, allegiances broken and a MAJOR death.
Surely, there was no way the Season 7 finale was going to outdo the tense thrill-ride of 'Beyond The Wall'? Surely, there was no way we'd all be forced through another emotional mangle and left with hearts filled with joy and fear and sadness all at once?
If you believed any of that, it would all have evaporated very quickly as the exceptional finale started to click into gear. We got to see resolutions to huge storylines, new alliances made and broken, devastating changes of allegiance, romance, death and more reunions than Friends Reunited. And on top of that came a season-closing finale that will have rattled the dust off your bones.
In short, the episode delivered in spades - unless you happen to be one of those people who actually likes Gendry and will now be wondering where the f*ck he is again - and there were enough huge ramifications to make sure every fan's brain will be filled with speculation until the final season airs in about 18 months.
So what did it all mean? For the final time this season, let's break down the meaning of every wave caused by 'The Dragon And The Wolf'...
15. The Hound's Paternal Instincts
Occasionally, Game Of Thrones gifts fans some genuinely heart-warming moments. They're rather few and far between this season, obviously, but they're still around, and seeing The Hound talking to Brienne - with a sort of begrudging admiration between the two - sparked one such moment.
In their exchange, Brienne effectively apologises for trying to kill The Hound as her attempt merely to protect Arya - he says that's all he was trying to do too. In there, there's a definite flash of paternal affection, and it all makes the inevitable reunion of Arya and The Hound at Winterfell all the more hyped in season 8.
And it's quite wonderful to see confirmation that The Hound genuinely did care, for all of his spiky indifference.