Jaime Lannister’s Coming Troubles Highlight Game of Thrones Episode 2 Images

We’ve got a fresh batch of images from the next episode of Game of Thrones. It’s still incredible we’ve got only five more of these things left. The new photos are all set in and around Winterfell, where the majority of the action in the season 8 premiere took place.

The last shot in the premiere was, for our money, the most potent of the entire episode. It was focused on two characters who lives intersected catastrophically in the pilot episode—Jaime Lannister and Bran Stark. Their first encounter came when Jaime pushed Bran out of a window in Winterfell, paralyzing him. He did this because the then able-bodied little Stark had been spying on Jaime and his sister Cersei making love (she was married to Robert Baratheon at the time).

Fast forward to the season s premiere. Jaime, a changed man, one sword hand short, has just arrived at Winterfell. His journey north marks a betrayal of his sister. Cersei demanded that Jaime stay with her, along with his men, in King’s Landing. Let the animals up north fight the dead, and the Lannisters will deal with whoever’s left. Instead, Jaime set off to defend living and align himself with Jon Stark and Daenerys Targaryen. The first person he sees? Bran, now a man—sort of—wheelchair bound thanks to Jaime. Jaime looks haunted and shocked at seeing Bran. Bran looks as he always looks now—like he was expecting this reunion. In fact, he said as much to Samwell Tarly in the last episode.

The photos speak to some uncomfortable moments for Jaime ahead. If he thought he’d be greeted in Winterfell as a reformed Lannister and hero, he was sorely mistaken. He’s got few friends here (Tyrion being his most reliable), and a whole bunch of people who would like to see him dead. The trailer for episode two hinted at Dany’s long-standing fury at Jaime. He got his nickname “Kingslayer” after he murdered her father, Aerys Targaryen II. One would think Dany understands she needs all the help she can get—but this is Game of Thrones, after all, and vengeance is one emotion always in abundance.

Speaking of Samwell Tarly, his brewing beef with Dany was one of the more intriguing twists in the premiere. We’ve got a new image of him sitting with Jon Snow, who he’s just told is not only the rightful ruler of Westeros but Dany’s nephew. We’ve got not one but two photos of Gilly below, Sam’s main squeeze and an important player in her own right.

There’s a lot of palace intrigue in Winterfell right now, and the timing for the drama just isn’t great. The Night King is getting closer every second, while our heroes are still fighting about the past.

Check out the photos below: