Save for Cersei Lannister, the power players of Westeros have descended on Winterfell for what is shaping up to be the biggest TV battle scene ever filmed.
Two episodes in, and Game of Thrones season 8 has already sent the Internet alight with its meme-worthy content and gut-wrenching reveals. We may have known that Jon Snow was really Aegon Targaryen in disguise, but he didn’t. Ditto for Danereys Targaryen, who was so busy in her quest for the Iron Throne that she annihilated half of House Tarly without batting an eyelid. Spare a thought for young Sam, dear readers.
But perhaps the biggest talking point of last night’s installment, aptly titled “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” involved Tormund Giantsbane, Thrones‘ resident comic relief character. Blinded by his love of Brienne – sorry, Ser Brienne – Tormund provides a detailed account of his lineage, including how he wound up with the title ‘Giantsbane.’
A quote from last night’s episode, straight from the man himself:
I killed a giant when I was 10. Then I climbed right into bed with his wife. When she woke up, you know what she did? Suckled me at her teat for three months. Thought I was her baby. That’s how I got so strong: giant’s milk.
And sure enough, Game of Thrones fans are freaking out, leading to all sorts of hilarious reactions on Twitter, some of which are included below for your viewing pleasure.
TFW you learn how Tormund earned the nickname "Giantsbane." #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/fTnr0Oye1f
— Josh Wigler (@roundhoward) April 22, 2019
https://twitter.com/NikkiCiri/status/1120194799334612992
Nobody:
Tormund: tells story about how he killed a giant and pretended to be the widow’s baby #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/wXpH2V3mDw
— Sedona (@kath_aye) April 22, 2019
Can we just take, like, 5 seconds to discuss why Tormund thinks "I killed a giant when I was 10 and suckled at a giant's breast for three months!" is a sexy pickup line? I know some people are into Brienne/Tormund but I just want her to give him this look forever #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/MWViZYtVTc
— Tasha Robinson (@TashaRobinson) April 22, 2019
https://twitter.com/Mlle_Charlene_/status/1120235172241211392
https://twitter.com/kulepenn/status/1120241532852953088
It’s a pretty significant departure from George R.R. Martin’s source material. In A Song of Ice and Fire, a wayward Tormund sought warmth from a sleeping giant and “cut open her belly and crawled up right inside her.” Yikes. Let’s just hope his giant DNA serves him well when the Army of the Dead arrives at the gates of Winterfell.
Game of Thrones returns to our screens this Sunday with the super-sized (and so-far untitled) 8×03. It’s the big one; the kind of TV episode that forces your phone into flight mode. And we… can’t… wait.