featuring

RICHARD DORMER as BERIC DONDARRION / PAUL KAYE as THOROS OF MYR / JOSEPH MAWLE as BENJEN STARK

RICHARD RYCROFT as MAESTER WOLKAN and VLADIMIR FURDIK as THE NIGHT KING

beyond the wall / dragonstone

As Jon Snow and his ranging party travel through the lands beyond the Wall, Gendry Baratheon complains about the bitter cold and asks Tormund Giantsbane about life as a wildling, who later confides with Jon about the foolhardy nature of their mission. Meanwhile, Jon discusses his difficult negotiations with Daenerys Targaryen. 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, Jon and Ser Jorah Mormont chat about their relationships with their fathers, Eddard Stark and Jeor Mormont. They say that their fathers were good and honorable 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 sword  Longclaw but Jorah tells him that he is not worthy to bear his father's sword and adds that his father gave the sword to Jon, and gives his blessing for Jon and his future children to keep it. As they continue onwards, Tormund then confides in Sandor Clegane about his infatuation for Brienne of Tarth, who is nearly as tall as Sandor. He jokes about having "monstrous" babies with her. Jon and Ser Beric Dondarrion then discuss how they’ve both been resurrected by worshipers of the Lord of Light. Beric 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. In the distance, Sandor then sees the mountain from the vision he had in the flames and steers the group in that direction.

Meanwhile, at Dragonstone, Daenerys discusses Ser Jorah, Khal Drogo, Daario Naharis and Jon Snow with Tyrion Lannister. A concerned Daenerys says that they're heroes who all do stupid, brave things in attempt to “out-do each other.” Tyrion notes that all the men she's named have all fallen in love with her. Daenerys dismisses this about Jon, then claiming that he is "too little" for her, then immediately apologizes when she realizes she's accidentally insulted Tyrion's height. Daenerys recognizes that Tyrion is no coward. The two then turn their attention to the topic of their impending meeting with Cersei. When explaining that fear is all Cersei has, Tyrion asserts that it made the Lannisters' power brittle. When Daenerys mentions that Aegon the Conqueror made it far on fear, Tyrion tells Daenerys she needs to be different from who came before her if she wishes to break the wheel. The negotiations with Cersei will be difficult and he cautions Daenerys that his sister will likely try to provoke her. He lightly admonishes her for losing her temper and burning Randyll and Dickon Tarly, but Daenerys says it was necessary. Tyrion believes Daenerys acted too hastily instead of exploring other options and giving the Tarlys time to think. He wants Daenerys to defeat her enemies, as he believes in the world she wants to build. The subject turns to her succession and Tyrion notes that she’d told him that she can't have children. Daenerys requests to set this discussion aside until after she wins the throne.

Later on, beyond the Wall, while trudging through a brutal snowstorm, Jon Snow and his party sight a massive polar bear with blue eyes in the distance. The snow bear, that is fast approaching them, turns out to have been resurrected by a White Walker. The monstrous creature charges at the group, instantly mauling and killing three of their hunting party. Ser Beric manages to set the snow bear alight with his flaming sword but it continues to attack, forcing Thoros of Myr to get in its' way when it attacks Sandor Clegane, who is too terrified of the flames engulfing the beast even to defend himself. Thoros is unable to break free of its jaws until Ser Jorah kills it with a dragonglass dagger. Beric then cauterizes Thoros' wounds with his flaming sword.

Later, while navigating through a mountain range, 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 Walker with Longclaw, causing most of the wights associated with him to disintegrate themselves upon his death. The rest of the group manages to capture the only unaffected wight. The creature unexpectedly screeches for help, which echoes throughout the canyon. Sandor slaps his gloved hand over the wight’s mouth, but it wrenches its face away when its mouth skin tears off into the glove. 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 is the fastest. Before leaving, 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 eventualy reaches Eastwatch's outer gates but collapses from exhaustion. Ser Davos Seaworth and several guards attend to him as Gendry tells him to prepare a raven for Daenerys. Davos then orders to bring the maester to tend to Gendry.

The following morning, at Dragonstone, Queen Daenerys receives the raven’s message sent from Eastwatch-by-the-Sea requesting a rescue beyond the Wall. Tyrion implores Daenerys not to fly off with her dragons in order to save them. He informs her that the most important person in the world cannot travel to the most dangerous place in the world. Tyrion further insists that Jon and his companions knew the risks of their mission and that if Daenerys dies, everything they've done will be for nothing and all will be lost. He asserts that she cannot win the throne or “break the wheel” if she is dead, adding that sometimes the hardest thing to do is nothing at all. Daenerys counters that he told her to do nothing before and she lost. Dissatisfied with his advice, Daenerys leaves with Drogon, Viserion and Rhaegal to the lands beyond the Wall in order to aid Jon Snow and his ranging party. A distraught and helpless Tyrion watches the dragons fly off in the distance.

Beyond the Wall, Jon and his company awake to find that Thoros of Myr has died from his wounds. Ser 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 by the White Walker’s resurrection abilities. The horde of wights circling the frozen lake watch while the hunting party’s captive wight struggles under its hood and restraints. A cautious Ser Jorah proposes killing the wight but Jon counters that they need to keep it as evidence. Ser Beric then suggests that Jon kill the Night King, who has just arrived on horseback along with four other White Walkers. Provided they've now seen that killing a Walker has destroyed the wights it controlled, it is the assumption that killing the Night King might destroy them all. Beric 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.

beyond the wall / eastwatch

Later on, a 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 that the ice, which has hardened overnight, is strong enough to support their weight. In their ever-increasing numbers, the horde then attacks the group's position. 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 then 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 then arrives with her dragons, who attack the wights with dragonfire. Hundreds of wights are burned to ashes while others collapse under the ice that has been 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. Within moments of their retreat, Jon climbs out of the ice and regains Longclaw. Jon is then quickly spotted and pursued by a large horde. Before the wights can finish off the King in the North, Jon’s long-missing uncle Benjen Stark makes a surprise arrival 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 and devoured by the undead. Meanwhile, once safe at Eastwatch, Daenerys sends Drogon and Rhaegal to scour the surrounding mountains looking for Jon. Peering down from the battlements of the Wall, Daenerys then sees a wounded Jon approaching on horseback. He is quickly placed on board their ship to tend to his wounds.

Once they’ve set sail in the Narrow Sea, Jon 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 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 together. Jon thanks her for her support and addresses her as his queen. 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. They gaze into each other's eye for a few moments – but Daenerys suddenly pulls her hand away telling him to get some rest as she leaves the room. Meanwhile, back at the frozen lake, hundreds of wights use several large chains to drag Viserion's corpse out of the water 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.

*Episode descriptions from GOT Wiki