Thursday, February 19, 2026

Moments of positive emotion in Game of Thrones

"Tell them the North remembers. Tell them winter came for House Frey." It was one of the first and finest victories to come in many seasons.

Ned is in the tower in Dorne and we jump-cut from the baby to present-day Jon, understanding he isn't shamed by some random lowly mother. But even then, I didn't realize the full weight of his lineage, which leads me to my next point...

Sam clarifies that Jon isn't a bastard at all -- Rhaegar annulled his prior marriage and ratified the new -- but the rightful heir to the Seven Kingdoms, and the merging of the two noblest dynasties in Westeros. They're noble for different reasons, granting Jon two angles of nobility.

A few deus ex machina moments: the Lords of the Vale arriving at the Battle of the Bastards, Daenerys arriving at the frozen lake in the far north, Daenerys arriving when Jon is surrounded during the Long Night, Jon's cavalry arriving just as he's ambushed by Ramsay's in the Battle of the Bastards, Jaime spiriting Tyrion away before his execution

Jon's resurrection, obviously -- almost too obviously

Arya ending the Long Night, obviously -- almost too obviously

Robb riding back to his mother with Jaime in tow; a critical emotional lift for the Starks after Ned's fall

Anytime the northerns shout "The {King/Queen} in the North! The {King/Queen} in the North!"

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