Game Of Thrones Season 7: 9 Ups And 2 Downs From 'The Queen's Justice'

1. Things Are Now Really Moving Forward

As is typical with any season of Game of Thrones, the first couple of episodes were largely concerned with setting the pieces back on the board, and maybe moving a couple of pawns around. That's to be expected, but it has also felt a little more frustrating this year, given it's a shortened season (and with an even shorter season to follow).

In a way, it's almost like the showrunners are using that knowledge against us. There's a real mix of fast and slow, which means we don't quite know what to expect or when, unlike the more typical build of recent years.

This instalment uses that to its advantage, and does so in a way that does propel things forward. Jon meeting Daenerys is a huge step towards the endgame - when presumably they'll come together to take on the White Walkers - but there's also Cersei getting another big victory, House Tyrell being wiped out, Jorah fully cured and back off to see Daenerys, and Bran arriving back in Winterfell. All the big pieces are now in play, with some major moves made, and that should only make the rest of the season even better.