Game of Thrones season 8 episode 1: Fans react to Jon Snow learning he's Daenerys' nephew Aegon Targaryen
*Major spoilers from the Game of Thrones season 8 premiere*
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Your support makes all the difference.Game of Thrones season eight has finally arrived and with the premiere came a moment that’s essentially been almost a decade in the making.
Although fans only officially learned about Jon Snow’s true heritage when the L + R = J theory was confirmed last season, this new installment - the HBO show’s first in 595 days – saw Snow himself discover the news.
For those who don’t recall, Snow (Kit Harington) is the son of Ned Stark’s sister, Lyanna, and Rhaegar Targaryen, the older brother of Daenerys (Emilia Clarke), making Jon (real name: Aegon) the true heir to the Iron Throne.
The news is revealed to him by his friend Samwell Tarly (John Bradley) who is ordered to do so by Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead-Wright). The unexpected twist to the tale is that Sam does this after learning that Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) murdered his father and brother when they refused to pledge their allegiance to her last season.
Sam’s revelation will no doubt plant a seed of doubt in Snow’s mind regarding his love for Daenerys – especially considering the news confirms she’s Jon’s auntie.
“You gave up your crown to rule your people – would she do the same?” Sam asks Jon, who is suddenly unsure that she’s not too dissimilar from her bloodthirsty father as he once believed.
Learning that he’s not Ned Stark’s bastard but the true heir to the Iron Throne is Snow’s biggest moment on the show yet and will no doubt drive a wedge between his relationship with Daenerys going into battle against the Night King.
With this in mind, viewers obviously had a lot to say about the moment.
Elsewhere, the reunion-heavy episode featured a hilarious reference to last season's controversial Ed Sheeran cameo as well as a terrifying death at the hands of the Night King.
The final season of Game of Thrones continues every Sunday. You can watch the brand new season eight opening title sequence here.
You can find our extensive ranking of every episode – from worst to best – below.
The show will be available on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV in the UK.
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