‘Game of Thrones’ Season 7 Episode 3 Recap: The Queen’s Justice

Game of Thrones Season 7 Episode 3
Liam Cunningham and Kit Harington in ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 7 Episode 3 (Photo: Helen Sloan / Courtesy of HBO)

The much-anticipated meeting between Ice and Fire finally occurred in HBO’s Game of Thrones season seven episode three. Titled ‘The Queen’s Justice’ and airing July 30, 2017, episode three begins with the arrival of Jon Snow (Kit Harington) at Dragonstone. He and Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) greet each other and have a friendly exchange, acknowledging they’re both still standing. Tyrion introduces Missandre (Nathalie Emmanuel) who asks for Jon Snow’s weapons. He and his men hand them over without a fight and then watch as Dothraki lift their boat and take it away. Ser Davos (Liam Cunningham) makes small talk with Missandre as they walk toward the castle, quickly discovering small talk is not her forte.

Tyrion asks after Sansa and informs Jon Snow he never consummated their marriage. Tyrion wants to hear the tale of how he went from the Night’s Watch to King in the North, and Jon wants to hear how a Lannister became the Hand to a Targaryen. Just then a dragon flies low overhead and Jon Snow and Ser Davos hit the ground in shock. Jon watches them circle the castle before he continues his journey up the stairs to meet the Mother of Dragons.

Melisandre (Carice van Houten) and Varys (Conleth Hill) watch Jon Snow’s approach, and Melisandre proclaims she’s brought ice and fire together. Varys wonders why she isn’t greeting Jon Snow on his arrival and she admits she made terrible mistakes and didn’t part on good terms with the King in the North. She reveals she’s ready to leave and Varys believes that’s a good idea, suggesting she shouldn’t return to Westeros. She tells him she’ll be back to die there, adding, “Just like you.”

Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) is seated on the throne as Missandre lists off her lengthy titles. Ser Davos simply says, “This is Jon Snow. He’s King in the North.” Daenerys calls Jon Snow a lord, and Ser Davos corrects her. She recalls Torrhen Stark bent the knee to her family and swore fealty to House Targaryen in perpetuity. That should mean Jon Snow needs to bend the knee, but he refuses. She wonders if he’s breaking faith with her family. She apologizes that her father was an evil man and asks Jon Snow’s forgiveness, suggesting he not judge her by her father’s sins. The best centuries of the Seven Kingdoms were when the Targaryens sat on the throne and the Starks ran the North. She’ll name him Warden of the North if he bends the knee.

Jon Snow seems to consider his words carefully, replying that he believes if she’s not guilty of her father’s crimes, that also means he’s not beholden to his ancestor’s vows. She asks if he noticed her dragons and the Dothraki, and wonders why she needs his help. Jon Snow questions why she hasn’t stormed King’s Landing, suggesting that means she doesn’t want to kill innocent people. That puts her above Cersei in his eyes.

Daenerys takes offense when Jon Snow calls all the so-called kings and queens children because they need to pay attention to the enemy in the North: the Dead. The Army of the Dead is on the march. He asks Tyrion if he believes him when he says he’s seen the Night King and the White Walkers. They can’t be allowed past the Wall or everyone will die.

Daenerys wonders if Ned knew Robert Baratheon sent assassins to kill her in her crib. She reveals her history of rape and betrayal but adds that faith has kept her standing. She believes in herself – not myths or legends. She approaches Jon Snow and tells him she was born to rule the Seven Kingdoms. “You’ll be ruling over a graveyard if we don’t defeat the Night King,” says Jon.

Ser Davos claims destiny has made Jon Snow the King in the North. He’s a bastard who united the North and worked with the wildlings, adding that everything she doesn’t believe in he’s fought against. He even says Jon Snow has taken a knife in the heart for his people, and Jon Snow throws him a look and cuts him off before he can continue down that path. Tyrion knows they need to throw in together to defeat Cersei, but Jon Snow refuses to bend to her because her claim rests only on her father’s name and his father fought to overthrow the Mad King.

Daenerys again declares she’s the rightful Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and that means he’s in open rebellion. Varys arrives and whispers in her ear. She excuses Jon Snow and Ser Davos, and Jon asks if he’s her prisoner. “Not yet,” answers Daenerys.

Varys informs her Ellaria, the Sand Snakes, and the Greyjoys are all dead or captured and only two or three ships were not sunk.

At the site of the brief but brutal battle, Theon (Alfie Allen) is pulled onboard a ship and he tells the captain his sister was taken by Euron. The men know Theon didn’t try to save his sister and leave him on the deck, alone.

Meanwhile, Euron (Pilou Asbaek) rides through the streets of King’s Landing while the people throw fruit at Yara Greyjoy, Ellaria, and Ellaria’s only surviving daughter, Tyene. Euron teases Yara about Theon jumping overboard as he pulls her by the neck through the crowd.

Euron rides into the castle and stops before Cersei (Lena Headey) on the throne. He presents her with Ellaria and Tyene who are chained together. He tells Queen Cersei he’s brought her justice for her murdered daughter. Cersei proclaims Euron is the greatest captain on the 14 seas, and he says the only reward he wants is her. She promises him his reward but not until the war is won. Cersei speaks to her people, telling them Euron will lead their navy.

Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and Euro whisper insults to each other, with Euron asking Jaime if Cersei likes it gentle or rough. Jaime’s furious but Euron walks away before he can respond.

Cersei meets with Ellaria and her daughter in the dungeon, recalling how Ellaria screamed as Oberyn Martell died. Cersei talks about her only daughter and how much she loved Marcella, pointing out what a great beauty Ellaria’s daughter is while Ellaria tries to speak through her gag. Cersei admits she lies awake thinking of ways to punish Ellaria for killing Marcella. Crushing her skull was one option, but that’s too fast. Instead, Cersei uses the same poison Ellaria used on Marcella and kisses Tyene. Cersei describes how Ellaria will be forced to watch as her daughter dies in this cell. Ellaria will never leave the cell and instead will stay there and watch her daughter rot and turn to dust.

Cersei visits Jaime and he’s been drinking. He tries to get her to stop kissing him but then gives in.

Next up for Cersei is a meeting with a representative from the Iron Bank. They want their gold back and she swears she’ll repay the Lannister’s debt.

Tyrion and Jon Snow brood together outside, with Jon upset he’s a prisoner on this island. He’s angry they took his ship because he’s certain the dead are coming for them all. They argue about bending the knee, and Jon Snow admits he was told by all his advisors not to answer a summons from the Mad King’s daughter. Tyrion says both she and Jon protect people from monsters and that after just one single meeting, Daenerys won’t head north to fight an enemy she hasn’t seen and doesn’t know. Tyrion doesn’t believe that’s a reasonable request and then asks Jon if there’s something he can do to help him.

Game of Thrones Season 7 Episode 3
Emilia Clarke in ‘Game of Thrones’ season 7 episode 3 (Photo: Helen Sloan / Courtesy of HBO)

After his brief meeting with Jon, Tyrion tells Daenerys that Jon Snow needs dragonglass because it can be used as weapons against White Walkers. Tyrion wants to believe Jon Snow is wrong but isn’t convinced. Tyrion admits he believes him because Jon was told by his advisors not to come but he came anyway. “Give him something by giving him nothing,” says Tyrion, telling her to let him mine the dragonglass. Daenerys wonders about Ser Davos’ statement about Jon taking a knife in the heart, but Tyrion dismisses it as fantasy.

Daenerys and Jon have a one-on-one meeting outside as her dragons fly overhead. Daenerys is determined Cersei won’t stay on the Iron Throne and rule the Seven Kingdoms, and she hasn’t changed her mind about which lands belong in that kingdom. However, she will let him mine the dragonglass and will even provide the manpower to do so. Jon Snow asks if she believes him about the Night King and the Army of the Dead and Daenerys doesn’t answer.

Checking in on Winterfell, Sansa (Sophie Turner) discusses building up grain stores because they may need to feed much of the North. She looks over other aspects of the fortification of Winterfell as Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen) tells her she’s meant to be a leader. Their talk is interrupted when Bran arrives!

Outside Winterfell near the old tree, Sansa informs Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) he’s the Lord of Winterfell now but he says he’s the Three-Eyed Raven and can’t be the Lord. He can see everything that’s ever happened to everyone, but he must learn to see better and has to be ready for that. He can’t fully explain it to Sansa and apologizes for everything that’s happened to her. He remembers the snow falling and that she was beautiful in her wedding dress, something he wasn’t there in person to witness. She excuses herself to head back inside while Bran remains by the tree.

At the Citadel, the Archmaester (Jim Broadbent) and Sam (John Bradley) examine Jorah (Iain Glen) who’s now free from greyscale. He says it hurts less, and the Archmaester thinks the infection is no longer active. Neither Jorah nor Sam confess to having undergone the procedure, with Jorah saying it was just the rest and the climate. He’s no longer infectious, so Jorah’s free to leave.

Sam, of course, is in trouble. The Archmaester reminds him he was forbidden to treat Jorah because he could have been infected. He then tells Sam he should be proud because Jorah is alive because of him.

Back at Dragonstone, Daenerys wants to destroy Euron’s ships using her three dragons. No one can stop them, but Tyrion insists she can’t go with her dragons. Tyrion admits Cersei knows full well the Unsullied are on their way to attack Casterly Rock, and he believes she’ll have 10,000 men there and will be ready for battle.

The scene switches to show the Unsullied launching their attack against Casterly Rock. Tyrion describes what he believes will happen as on the screen we see it all unfold. The gates are impenetrable and many men will die, but Tyrion adds that while his father built the castle, it was up to him to build the sewers. He knows all the secret ways to get in including a passage from the sea that leads to under a guard tower. While the Unsullied keep the men busy defending the front of the castle, 10 men sneak in and open the gates. The battle is brutal as the Unsullied are outnumbered with less weapons and armor. But, Cersei’s armies fight out of fear while the Unsullied fight for their freedom and for the person who gave it to them. The Unsullied triumph and take Casterly Rock.

As they fight in the castle, Euron’s ships attack the Unsullied’s ships. It’s revealed most of the Lannister army is not actually in Casterly Rock. Instead, Jaime leads the army to Highgarden. They easily take that castle, piling up the dead Tyrell army and stealing the Tyrell gold to pay back the Irion Bank. Lady Olenna (Diana Rigg) asks Jaime if her men fought well, and he says as well as to be expected. Jaime admits Casterly Rock isn’t worth much so it’s fine Daenerys took it because it’s been emptied of anything valuable.

Lady Olenna wants to know how Jaime will kill her, wondering if he’ll use Joffrey’s sword to end her life. She admits to doing unspeakable things to protect her family and House Tyrell but adds that Cersei did things she wasn’t capable of imagining. She calls her a monster but Jaime doesn’t think that way and believes that ultimately she’ll build a peaceful world. Lady Olenna knows Jaime loves Cersei and that Cersei’s actions are out of his control. “She’s a disease. I regret my role in spreading it,” says Lady Olenna.

She asks again how she’ll be killed, and Jaime describes several suggestions Cersei made on how to do the job. Instead, Jaime will allow her to drink poison and die in her room without any pain. She drinks the poisoned wine and as she dies she describes Joffrey’s death in detail and admits she’s the one who poisoned him. She also confesses she didn’t realize it would be that awful and then tells Jaime to make sure he tells Cersei she’s the one who killed Joffrey.

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