[The following article contains spoilers for the Season 8 premiere of Game of Thrones.]

The Long Night has begun for Game of Thrones fans, as the first episode of the final season of Game of Thrones premiered on Sunday, April 14.

The episode kicks off with a brand-new intro, showing the massive hole in the wall blasted by the now Ice Dragon, Viserion. The sun device is noticeably dimmer than usual and the images in the crown dial have been altered slightly to include new images. What they are and what they mean, I’m not currently sure. Then, the map focuses on the inside of the structures of Winterfell and King’s Landing, something that has been done externally, but not internally.

The story begins with Daenerys Targaryen, played by Emilia Clarke, entering the northern city of Winterfell with Jon Snow (Kit Harington) as well as an army of Unsullied warriors, Dothraki, and Danny’s two grown dragons. However, the residents of the North are not too keen on having a southern ruler and they make it abundantly clear that the Mother of Dragons has long way to go to earn their trust. But Jon is also in the dog house, especially after being crowned the King in the North only to bend the knee to Danny, a thing Jon done only for the greater good.

Certainly, some of the biggest highlights of the episode are the reunion scenes that happen throughout. The most heartwarming ones are when Jon sees his siblings Bran (Issac Hempstead Wright) and Arya (Maisie Williams) after being apart for so long. The last time they were together was after the first few episodes of Season 1.

Arya herself has two other reunions that have are on both sides of the affection scale, with one being heartwarming and sweet, the other met with utter contempt. The sweet one was with her good friend, Gendry (Joe Dempise), the last of the late King Robert Baratheon’s bastards. Then they were interrupted by Sandor Clegane (Rory McCann) a.k.a “The Hound,” who she left to bleed to death at the bottom of a steep cliff. They have a complicated relationship to say the least and with the army of the dead on its way, how they resolve their issues will be interesting to say the least.

But the real heart of the episode comes from Jon and Danny’s building (yet now slightly uncomfortable for the audience) relationship. Last season, the audience had finally learned who Jon’s parents were. Unfortunately, they were given this confirmation while he and Danny (now his confirmed aunt) were getting intimate with each other.

In this episode, we see Jon sticking up for her and even being the first person besides Danny to ride a living dragon. But near the end of the episode, Jon learns from his friend Samwell Tarly (John Bradley) not just the truth of his parents, but also how ruthless Danny can be to her enemies, in this case Sam’s father and brother. Whether Jon accepts his true lineage or not, what Sam told him about Danny’s ruthlessness is going to have an impact on their relationship.

Ultimately, this was a set up episode getting us ready for the real action to come. The characters that hadn’t seen each other in a long time are back together, they’re right where they need to be. It’s a good set-up for what is to come in future. The moral and ethical drama that is going to come when Jon and Danny discuss their future, the tensions between characters because of their past actions and allegiances is going to be brought up and of course, the White Walkers.

All of the pieces are now in place and the board is set. Now, let the true games begin.