Postcards from Westeros No. 2

It can’t all be dragonfire and battles, we suppose. 

Game of Thrones returned for its 7th season Sunday with expectations higher than ever, following a strong, forward-moving Season 6. It seemed like we were in for something bombastic in the premiere, titled “Dragonstone,” after the ancestral home of Daenerys Targaryen, one of the series’ more fiery characters. But while Thrones moved at a speedy pace last season — and now has just 12 episodes remaining in total  — the episode played out like the slow-moving and exposition-heavy premieres of seasons past. And there isn’t really time for that, not anymore. 

Sure, viewers were treated to an opening scene soaked in the blood of the entire Frey family. But they also sat through an almost agonizingly unsubtle Ed Sheeran cameo, monologues from minor characters and overlong meetings. And even Arya’s mass murder felt like an unnecessary extension of a better scene in the Season 6 finale. Who knew the epic story of Westeros had this kind of time? 

Our major players were mostly stalled in their seats of power. Jon confirmed his status as a great leader by not executing children for the sins of their parents (and promoting gender equality on the battlefield). Cersei dipped her toe in the water of an alliance with Euron Greyjoy. Dany arrived at Dragonstone and took a quick tour. We were reminded of the locations of most of the armies and characters while standing over a large map of the continent. It was very educational. 

But still, Thrones has often found as much greatness in its smaller moments as it has in wildfire explosions and murderous weddings. Sam, who arrived at the Citadel hoping to learn the secrets of destroying the White Walkers but ended up doing menial labor, highlighted this best.

Read the full review of Season 7, Episode 1 here.

And here's a point by point breakdown of what you missed in the premiere.

Meanwhile, as you bide your time until Episode 2:

-The stars of Game of Thrones had a ball celebrating the premiere. See the photos, and hear the behind the scenes details in our Straight Up Hollywood podcast. 

-Speaking of photos, here are 29 first look shots from Season 7. 

-GOT has won 38 Emmy Awards through the years, but the show was noticeably absent from the nominations announced Thursday. Find out why.

-Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa Stark, hopes she can use the Season 5 rape controversy to bring real world solutions. Here's how.