s07e01 - Dragonstone

[QueenofThrones]

I gather by "home" Arya simply meant Westeros. Also she has 2 people left on her list - Cersei and The Mountain. Until they are dead, she is still on a mission...

Melisandre (the red woman) is also on Arya's list.

Good point, I had forgotten. Was it because she planned to kill Gendry? Technically speaking she didn't actually manage to kill anyone Arya knew (which is her usual criterion).

I suspect if Gendry does come back (my only evidence being that the actor was at the premere), mabye Arya will remove Melisandre from the list. Not htat she doens't deserve to die, just that Arya does seem to have a code wrt who is list worthy.

[Combat Boots]

Seemed to be waiting for this season for ages the first episode for me ticked every box completely.

[Crispy Shireen]

I enjoyed the episode. My favourite scene was probably the long shot of the night king leading his army of wights and GIANT WIGHTS Gonna be so epic when the NK invades, I hope he also has some giant ice spiders hidden up his sleeves Euron was cool, I have a bad feeling that the gift he was talking about was Tyrion and hes gonna bring him back to Cersei. Lena Headey said in an interview that she was horrible to one character in particular this season so maybe she meant Tyrion.

Dany returning to Dragonstone was cool, but why didn't the Lannisters take the castle after Stannis was defeated?

Enjoyed seeing Arya as Walder Frey, but that combined with her line about going to kill the Queen got me thinking... In the trailer we see a shot of what looks like the Hound using Needle. Maybe it's Arya as the Hound? And isn't the Mountain on her list? Could we get Cleganbowl but with Arya as the Hound???

[Dark Archer]

Dany returning to Dragonstone was cool, but why didn't the Lannisters take the castle after Stannis was defeated?

if you remember back to S1 Robert Baratheon mentioned that Daenerys was amassing dothraki warriors , to which Cersei shrugged off any impending threat, saying "even children know the dothraki never cross the narrow sea" & so later with Stannis defeated & Robert long dead, the strategic significance of Dragonstone is largely overlooked.
Just like the Iron islands it's not self sufficient in producing food for the inhabitants & requires ships to supply any garrison that would be stationed there.
The Lannisters lost all their ships when the Ironborne invaded them & Tywin Lannister was focusing all millatary efforts to keep control of the seven kingdoms with the help of Tyrell finances thus Dragonstone would be a financial inconvenience & no help to the Kings / Lannister cause to secure the seven kingdoms