Game Of Thrones Season 7: 9 Ups And 2 Downs From 'Eastwatch'

Downs...

2. Sam At The Citadel

Sam's storyline has been a bit of a problem for the last couple of seasons, though this year it's been for a rather different reason. Whereas before there was a complete lack of screentime to make it worth investing in, this year he's had the screentime, but is already leaving the Citadel behind.

This isn't totally unforeseen, as there was never going to be enough time for him to become a Maester, but his sudden departure doesn't feel like a great move right now.

We've sat through watching Sam on a long slog to get there, endlessly emptying chamber pots and disgustingly scraping off greyscale, and for what? We already knew about Dragonglass, the Rhaegar reveal is something he completely ignores, and curing Jorah - while great - wasn't the point of going there.

He's not leaving without some scrolls, so there is still a chance he'll make a key discovery about the White Walkers and/or Valyrian steel, but it feels a little like being short-changed so far. Jim Broadbent has been a wonderful presence on the show, but ultimately his character has been a little pointless (hopefully we'll see him again), and for a location with a lot of potential for both knowledge and intrigue, the Citadel's felt a bit wasted.