Beyond the Wall (episode)

"Beyond the Wall" is the sixth episode of the seventh season of Game of Thrones. It is the sixty-sixth episode of the series overall. It premiered on August 20, 2017. It was written by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss and directed by Alan Taylor.

Plot
Jon and the Brotherhood hunt the dead. Arya confronts Sansa. Tyrion thinks about the future.

At Winterfell
See Beyond the Wall (episode)/At Winterfell on Game of Thrones Wiki

The Wight Hunt
At Dragonstone castle, Queen Daenerys Targaryen and her Hand Tyrion Lannister chat in the Chamber of the Painted Table. Daenerys tells Tyrion that she appreciates the fact that he is not a hero because they have a tendency of risking their lives to do dangerous things. She compares Tyrion favourably to "heroes" such as Khal Drogo, Ser Jorah Mormont, Daario Naharis and Jon Snow, most of whom "do stupid things, trying to outdo the others". Tyrion, slightly amused, notes that all of those individuals fell in love with Daenerys, but she dismisses the obvious implication that Jon Snow is in love with her – to which Tyrion sarcastically quips that Jon must be staring so longingly at her because he is so eager for a military alliance. Daenerys remarks that Jon is too little for her tastes, but immediately apologizes when she realizes she's accidentally insulted Tyrion's height. Daenerys also recognizes that Tyrion is no coward. The two then turn their attention to the topic of their impending meeting with Queen Cersei in King's Landing. Tyrion admits that Cersei cannot be trusted and could be setting a trap for them, but that Daenerys will have the Unsullied, the Dothraki and her dragons at hand; if anyone tries to harm her, King's Landing will be levelled in response.

Daenerys wonders whether, given that Cersei will almost certainly be attempting to double-cross them, they should be planning something similar. Tyrion is firmly against any deceit, counselling Daenerys that while she needs a healthy degree of fear to instil respect, she cannot rule through fear alone, as leaders who rule through fear alone like Cersei, Tywin, and Joffrey are hated by their people and forever vulnerable to being overthrown. Tyrion reminds Daenerys about her vision of creating a new society by "breaking the wheel" rather than merely imitating prior rulers like Aegon Targaryen, and cautions her about her temper and impulsiveness, citing the fiery executions of Lord Randyll Tarly and his son Dickon. Daenerys asserts that such an action was necessary, but Tyrion still believes she should have attempted more merciful means of dealing with the problem the Tarlys posed, or at least left them alive long enough to consider her other options rather than having them summarily executed. As Daenerys becomes increasingly agitated in the face of Tyrion's blunt but reasonable remarks, he reassures Daenerys that he supports her vision and ideals. Tyrion also proposes that Daenerys consider a succession plan in the event of a disaster, given that by her own admission, she believes she is incapable of bearing children. She refuses to consider this plan until she has donned the crown, also coldly blaming Tyrion's policy of caution for causing her the loss of Highgarden, Ellaria Sand, and Yara Greyjoy.

Jon Snow and his ranging party travel through the lands beyond the wall on their mission to capture a wight. Gendry complains about the bitter cold and asks Tormund about life as a Wildling. Tormund later confides with Jon about the foolhardy nature of their mission, while Jon discusses his difficult negotiations with Daenerys. Tormund points out that the pride of the Northmen may cost them too many lives, citing Mance Rayder and the Wildlings as an example. While walking, Gendry also confronts the Brotherhood Without Banners about selling him off as a sacrifice to Melisandre. Sandor Clegane sneers that Gendry should be grateful that he is still alive and points out that Beric Dondarrion has been killed six times (not mentioning one of those was by Sandor himself) "and you don't hear him bitching about it". Not entirely sure what to think of that particular revelation, Gendry accepts a drink from Thoros's wineskin.

While walking, Jon and Jorah Mormont also chat about their relationships with their fathers Eddard Stark and Jeor Mormont respectively. They say that their fathers were good and honourable men and did not deserve their deaths. Jon tells Jorah about the brutal death of Jeor at the hands of the Mutineers and that Eddard was beheaded. Jon tries to return to Jorah his father's Valyrian sword Longclaw but Jorah tells him that he is not worthy to bear his father's sword, having forfeited any claim to it when he brought shame into his House. His father gave the sword to Jon, and gives his blessing for Jon and his future children to keep it.

Later, Sandor and Tormund trade jabs about sex. Sandor takes offense when Tormund asks about how he burnt his face. Tormund then confides in Sandor about his infatuation for Brienne of Tarth, who is nearly as tall as Sandor. He jokes about having "monstrous" babies with her, to Sandor's utter bewilderment. Beric and Jon talk about Eddard Stark and how they have both been resurrected by worshipers of the Lord of Light. Beric tells Jon that he is fighting for life because death is the first and last enemy; it is inevitable, but it is human nature to fight it for as long as you can. He warns Jon that they have to work together to fight death and defend those who cannot defend themselves. Jon reflects on his Night's Watch oath about being the "shield that guards the realms of men" and agrees. Sandor sees the mountain from his vision lying ahead and steers the group in that direction.

While trudging through a snowstorm, Jon and his party sight a massive snow bear with blue eyes approaching them. The snow bear turns out to have been resurrected by a White Walker. The monstrous creature mauls and kills three of their company. Beric and Thoros manage to set the snow bear alight with his flaming sword but it continues to attack, forcing Thoros to get in its' way when it attacks Sandor, who is too terrified of the flames engulfing the beast even to defend himself. Thoros is unable to break free of its jaws until Jorah kills it with a dragonglass dagger. Beric cauterizes Thoros' wounds with his flaming sword.

Jorah asks the wounded Thoros about his experience charging with a flaming sword during the Siege of Pyke, and commends his old comrade for his drunken bravery. While navigating through the mountain, they see a White Walker leading a column of Wights marching through the canyon below. The ranging party plants a fire and then ambushes them when the White Walker stops to investigate. Jon manages to kill the White Walker with Longclaw, causing most of the Wights associated with it to disintegrate, while the rest of the group manages to capture the only unaffected wight. The creature unexpectedly screeches for help; Sandor slaps his gloved hand over its mouth, but it wrenches its face away when its mouth skin tears off into the glove, to Sandor and Jorah's disgust. As Jorah pulls out a bag from his jacket and secures it over its head, Sandor and Tormund bind the creature with a coil of rope. In the middle of this, they realize their captive's howls have drawn the attention of a massive host of wights now heading their way, hastening their work.

As the noise of the horde approaches, Jon sends Gendry, over his protest, back to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea to bring news to Daenerys as he's the fastest. Gendry gives his war hammer to Tormund, who hands it to Sandor who has the wight slung over his shoulder. The wights pursue the group over a lake of weak ice, as they flee toward a large stone island jutting out in the middle. One of the party trips and falls behind; a few of the horde tackles him, the combined weight breaks the ice, and they fall through. This causes a chain reaction of breaking ice all around the rock until the horde slows to a stop to avoid the water. Throughout the night, Jon and his comrades wait in the middle of the ice while encircled by the army of the undead. Meanwhile, Gendry reaches Eastwatch's outer gates but collapses from exhaustion and hypothermia. Davos Seaworth, Devan Seaworth, and Edric attend to him. When Davos asks what happened, Gendry tells him to prepare a raven; Davos orders to bring the Maester.

In the morning, Jon and his company awake to find that Thoros has died from his wounds. Beric and Sandor pay their last respects, with the former praying for the Lord of Light to guard them as the latter assures him freezing to death is said to be one of the better ways to die. At Jon's insistence, they burn the body with Beric's flaming sword so Thoros can't be reanimated. The wights watch while their captive Wight struggles under its hood and restraints. Jorah proposes killing the wight but Jon counters that they need to keep it as evidence. Beric suggests that Jon kill the Night King, who has just arrived on horseback; given that they've seen killing a Walker destroyed the wights it controlled, killing the Night King might destroy them all. He then adds that the Lord of Light has not resurrected Jon for no reason, but Sandor reminds him that they have just lost their priest, and Beric is now down to his last life.

After receiving Gendry's message from Eastwatch, Tyrion implores Queen Daenerys, who has donned a cold-weather version of her Targaryen garb, not to leave for the North because it is too risky, insisting that Jon and his companions knew the risks of their mission and that if Daenerys dies beyond the Wall, everything they've done will be for nothing. Daenerys counters that he told her to do nothing before and she lost. Dissatisfied with his advice, Dany leaves with all three dragons to the lands beyond the Wall to aid Jon Snow and his ranging party.

Bored, Sandor hurls two rocks at one of the undead minions, knocking its jaw off. The second however, skids across the ice, and both the party and the undead quickly realize the ice, which has hardened overnight, is strong enough to support their weight, and in ever-increasing numbers, the horde attacks the group's position. Sandor holds them back with Gendry's hammer while Jon and the other members of the ranging party join in, wielding weapons of fire, dragonglass or Valyrian steel. Beric manages to set several of the wights alight with his flaming sword. The ranging party hack and slash at the wights with their blades but are unable to stem the tide. With the group overwhelmed, Jon orders them to fall back to the highest part of the island. Tormund is overwhelmed by several wights and is nearly dragged under the ice, but is saved by Sandor, who drags him back onto the island. The group continues fighting against the wights. One of the Wildlings falls off a ledge and is ripped apart by the creatures, who begin to scramble up the ledge towards the living.

When all seems lost, Queen Daenerys arrives with her dragons, who attack the wights with dragonfire. Hundreds of wights are burned to ashes while others collapse under the ice, which is melted by dragonfire. Jon and his party rush to Daenerys and her dragon Drogon, dragging their captive wight with them, while Viserion and Rhaegal provide covering fire from above. Meanwhile, the Night King obtains an icy javelin from one of his lieutenants and hurls it at Viserion, scoring a direct hit. Viserion is struck in the neck and plunges helplessly into freefall, shrieking in agony as blood and fire pour from the fatal wound. Drogon and Rhaegal cry out for their brother, but are powerless to help him as Daenerys watches in horror and sorrow. Viserion crashes onto the frozen lake, shattering the ice, and slowly sinks beneath it.

As the Night King readies another spear, Jon hollers at Daenerys and company to leave with her remaining dragons before being dragged under the ice by two wights. Daenerys and the survivors of Jon's ranging expedition flee with Drogon and Rhaegal before the Night King can kill them. He hurls the second javelin, but Drogon narrowly dodges it. With the dragons gone, the Night King and his army leave the scene. Later, Jon Snow climbs out of the ice and regains Longclaw. Jon is quickly spotted and pursued by a large horde. Before the wights can finish the King in the North, his long-lost uncle Benjen Stark appears on horseback with his flaming flail. Benjen tells Jon to flee on his horse while he stays behind to buy time for Jon to escape. While riding away on horseback, Jon watches his uncle being overwhelmed by the undead.

At Eastwatch, Sandor carries the struggling Wight into a boat. Tormund and Beric tell him they will meet again but Sandor retorts he hopes not. Davos says goodbye to Gendry, Edric and Devan, saying that he'll see them at Winterfell, with or without Cersei. Daenerys sends Drogon and Rhaegal to scour the surrounding mountains for Jon. Jorah tells Daenerys that it is time to leave but she insists on waiting a bit longer. Before she can leave, they hear a horn blowing signalling a rider approaching. Looking down from the battlements, Dany sees a wounded Jon Snow approaching on horseback. Aboard their ship, Davos and several guards remove the frozen-stiff garments and tend to Jon Snow, who has suffered severe hypothermia and several minor injuries. Daenerys also notes the massive scars on his chest from his previous fatal wounds.

In the Narrow Sea, Jon Snow wakes to find Daenerys watching over him in his chambers. Jon apologizes for the disastrous ranging party and the fact it caused Viserion's death, but Daenerys tells him not to apologize because she now knows that the army of the dead is real. Overcome with emotion, she tells Jon that the dragons are the only children she will ever have, and vows that she and Jon will together destroy the Night King. Jon thanks her for her support, addressing her as "Dany", and Daenerys realizes that the last person to address her by that name was her older brother Viserys Targaryen, who Daenerys remembers as not being a good person. Jon apologizes and asks if "My Queen" would be more appropriate; realizing he is agreeing to bend the knee, Daenerys asks Jon what the Northern lords loyal to him will make of this. Jon assures her they will come to see her for the good person she is, as he already has. Touched by his statement, Daenerys gently takes Jon's hand in her own for a moment. They gaze into each other's eye for a moment – a long moment – but Daenerys suddenly pulls away and tells him to get some rest and leaves him alone.

Later, hundreds of Wights use several large chains to drag Viserion's corpse out of the frozen lake as the Night King and one of his lieutenants watch. When the dragon's corpse is dragged far enough out of the lake, the Night King walks over and places his hand upon Viserion's snout. All is quiet for a moment... and then Viserion's eyes snap open, shining a depthless, icy blue.

First

 * Captured wight

Deaths

 * Thoros
 * Viserion
 * Benjen Stark
 * 1 White Walker
 * 6 unnamed wildlings and black brothers
 * Many Wights

Events

 * Wight Hunt