'Game of Thrones' Season 7 Episode 3 Review: Fire meets Snow!

Fire finally meets Ice and it is a thousand times better than what HBO did to announce the Game of Thrones season 7 premiere date. 'The Queen's Justice' is equal parts "When Jon Snow Met Daenerys Targaryen" and "Cersei Strikes Back".

​

It is very difficult to keep calm when you see that the first thing that goes down in the third episode of season seven of Game of Thrones is the banter between Tyrion Lannister and Jon Snow. The Bastard of Winterfell and the Dwarf of Casterly Rock play a game of words discussing their road to the present. This marks a change in tone and pace. The wisecracks coming from Tyrion and Jon recap six seasons and will bring smiles, remembering what the characters have gone through over the years. 

The dragons fly by and that brings Jon out of his "I-have-White-Walkers-To-Worry-About" mood and gives him the first reality check of life in the South. 

Jon Snow walks into the court of Dragonstone and the dance of Paso Doble begins. 

Missandei's introduction of Daenerys with all the titles included meets with a not-so-fitting response from Ser Davos Seaworth when he is introducing the King in the North. The funny parts end there and we are talking business. Daenerys expects Jon to bend the knee since his ancestor, Torrhen Stark, pledged his loyalty to Aegon the Conqueror. While doing so, she also asks him to not judge her by the deeds of her father. That's Jon's cue. Since he is not his father's son, literally, he is not willing to bend the knee. The back and forth of a recap over what the other one has gone through plays out like a dazzling display of the Spanish dance, with Jon and Dany alternating the role of bull and the fighter. 

Jon is not looking to rule. His concern is the people standing against the Army of the Dead. But his struggle to convince the rest of the world about the bigger war to be fought when the long night comes continues. This, even with Dany who has THREE DRAGONS, has seen the power of dark forces while trying to save Khal Drogo's life in season one, she's the UNBURNT for god's sake, but sure White Walkers and the Night Kings are still a myth!

The power game gets interrupted when Varys brings the news of the Dornish army and the Greyjoy's defeat at the hands of Euron. Jon asks, "Am I your prisoner?" "Not yet," Daenerys replies.

Tyrion, as always, is the smart man. He finds a middle way to get both Jon and Dany on the same page. Jon needs Dragonglass. Dany has it, but doesn't need it. So if that is offered to Jon, Dany has an ally and Jon has his weapons. Win-win for now.

The scene that follows this mediation is worth watching. I'd restrain myself from giving the details but I will say this, the tension, the chemistry and the filming of the scene deserve its own article!

While Jon is in the South, another Stark reunion takes place at Winterfell, Meera and Bran finally arrive home. Much like Jon, Bran too has difficulty explaining the concept of the Three Eyed Raven to Sansa. But boy, that guy knows how to push the wrong buttons from the beginning. Had to climb that bloody tower, and now had to bring up Sansa's wedding to Ramsay Bolton!

In the Old Town, in the latest episode of Samwell Tarly's version of Grey's Anatomy, Jorah is cured. Archmaester Marwyn appreciates Sam's method and rewards him by not suspending him from the Citadel. Glad that happened. We wouldn't want Sam to go Qyburn's way, now would we?

'The Queen's Justice,' like I said before, is about Cersei getting revenge. Euron brings the Sands and Yara to King's Landing to a hero's welcome. That maniac on the screen is good TV. Hats off to Pilou Asbaek.

Ellaria and her daughter are now Cersei's prisoners. There is a recap of episode 10 of season five when Ellaria kisses Myrcella to send her to her maker. But Cersei, with Qyburn by her side, scales new heights of evil to make the killer of her daughter suffer.  

The justice spree doesn't end there. This is Khoon Bhari Mang: Cersei version for Westeros in this episode. Next up is Olenna Tyrell. But the price the Lannister siblings of King's Landing pay is a bit much. This is why the battle scene at Lannisport feels underwhelming when Grey Worm takes the Rock. What's cooking you ask? Go back to how Robb Stark bamboozled Jaime during the Battle of the Whispering Woods in season two. Casterly Rock is the price for Olenna so that Dany cannot come to rescue her.

Olenna, the queen of foreshadowing, talks about how Cersei could be the end of Jaime. Right before she reveals the name of the real murderer of Joffrey Baratheon. That will set the wheels running in Jaime's brain!

Look out for this

1. Jon Snow leaves no opportunity to remind viewers of his true lineage

2. Dany's line, "You better get to work, Jon Snow," will remind you of Ygritte

3. Was that a sweet nod to The Walking Dead by Tyrion?

4. A certain visitor from Bravos shall make fans in the Sherlock and Game of Thrones Venn diagram very happy.

5. Baelish, the whisperer, parts words of wisdom

6. Melisandre foreshadows Varys' death

Game of Thrones Season 7 airs in India on Star World and Star World HD every Tuesday at 11 PM.