Short Summary is an original series in which I write brief reviews of movies, TV shows, video games, books, and more. Spoiler alert, just in case!

“Beyond the Wall”

… What is even happening on this show anymore?!

I say this for both the pros and cons of “Beyond the Wall”. After it finished airing, I could only react with repeating the phrase “What the fuck?” in total panic. A lot happened, and a lot almost happened, both being very important for this penultimate episode. Even then, that’s a gross understatement.

The episode mainly focuses on the Magnificent Seven as they group up and have some pretty great conversations as they trudge through the snow. My favorites were the interactions between the Hound and Tormund and Jon and Jorah. The fact that the former two can relate when it comes to Brienne, albeit in extremely different ways, is hilarious. As for the latter two, I thought that their exchange was welcome and meaningful. All of those characters received great development in that traveling scene alone.

But they eventually come across a small, isolated group of wights with a white walker at the helm. The action and tension are both ramped up as our heroes execute an ambush and actually succeed in capturing a wight. Now I don’t understand how killing a white walker suddenly kills all of the wights around him. The episode “Hardhome” would have been so much different if this news was introduced two seasons earlier.

Regardless, the mission is done… until a freaking polar bear zombie attacks and gravely injures Thoros. The entire undead army isn’t far behind and surrounds the group, and the episode becomes a prolonged Mexican standoff. The wights can’t advance and our group can’t run due to the fragility of the ice around them. The undead could stay there for eternity, yet the living characters will starve or freeze before they can get the wight to King’s Landing. In fact, Thoros dies during the night, and Jon burns his body. We’ll get to any other casualties here in a second.

However, it’s a funny mistake by the Hound that causes everyone to realize that the ice has hardened and frozen again. The wights start to storm in, and our heroes our in seriously dire straits. Tormund nearly dies, which would have been awful!

Before anyone else’s life can be threatened, Daenerys swoops in with ALL THREE of her dragons, though she only comes away with two. Apparently, it was Viserion that gets shot down by an incredible javelin throw from the Night King. The whole group gets away on Drogon except for Jon, who fights off wights to allow their escape. Jon survives because of Benjen’s unexpected appearance, and they get a painfully short reunion after all these years. Yet Jon rides away as Benjen sacrifices himself, just as Jon was prepared to do for Daenerys. Dang, that right there is why House Stark remains my favorite house in Game of Thrones.

Now I say that I still love the Starks, and I have since the very first episode. However, Arya has been ruined for me. I would have been fine with her showing Sansa contempt due to their past and even because she supports Jon over Sansa. Yet when Arya threatens her own sister’s life, she’s going against everything her character and her house stands for. I don’t care if she’s supposed to be a heartless, badass assassin. I feel like she’s officially gone too far. Ned told her himself that Starks must look out for each other. Hello?? Also, Tyrion continues to be wrongfully ignored, which drives me crazy.

All problems with this episode aside, I freaked out at the Night King BRINGING VISERION BACK and many other aspects. I continue to stay positive and enjoy this show because it remains one of the best on television. The season 7 finale seems to be set up as a ceasefire on all sides as Jon brings the wight before Cersei in King’s Landing. What on earth is going to happen next?