WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for HBO's latest episode of Game of Thrones.
In "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," the entire Game of Thrones cast was preparing for the end. The army of the dead is on its way to Winterfell, and it's highly unlikely all, if not most of these characters will survive. What the different defenders of mankind choose to do with their last remaining hours shed insight into the hearts of these characters that we've followed for, some of them, seven seasons.
The Hound and Beric Dondarrion choose to share a drink. Sansa and Theon share a meal (and a look -- what's going on there?). Arya and Gendry, after years of fan shipping, have sex in what you might think that would be the most memorable scene of the episode. Arya rarely gets to have any happy moments on this show, after all, and here she is taking ownership of her sexuality on what she thinks could be her last night alive.
And yet, there's a scene that's even more memorable, more significant and more intimate, one between Jaime Lannister knights Brienne of Tarth.
Lady Brienne
Brienne's introduction on the show was as a warrior. She fought her way, quite literally, to be on Renly's Kingsguard. After Renly's murder, Brienne pledged to return Catelyn Stark's daughters safely back to Winterfell. Brienne is defined by her loyalty, which makes her an exceptional ally.
It is through her pledge to Lady Catelyn that Brienne came to know Jaime Lannister. Catelyn charged Brienne to take Jaime to the Lannisters to trade him for her daughters, and over the course of that journey and the many turns it took, Brienne and Jaime got to know each other, leading to Jaime gifting Brienne with his Valyrian steel sword, a weapon she names "Oathkeeper." Brienne's service moved from Catelyn to Sansa upon Catelyn's death, and she has made herself useful in Sansa's service as well. Like Catelyn, Sansa has complete trust in Brienne, to the point where Sansa says if Brienne vouches for him, Jaime can stay and fight in Winterfell.
Brienne has been mocked repeatedly by many characters on the show. She's been called a beast multiple times, a word that somehow both describes her greatness as a warrior while putting her down for her physical appearance. She's been made fun of and underestimated her entire life, which is made abundantly clear both in creator George R.R. Martin's novels and on the show. She's never felt like a proper "lady" of her house, but was destined to be called one because women in Westeros aren't allowed to be knights.
Brienne and Jaime's History
Though they were initially at odds with each other -- being someone's captive will make you want to steal one of their swords and fight on a bridge -- Brienne and Jaime forged a bond through shared trauma. When the Brave Companions captured them, Brienne, as a woman, was immediately in danger. It didn't take long for the men to take her into the woods to attempt to rape her, something Jaime warned would happen, but it doesn't make Brienne fight for her dignity any less fiercely.
Through Brienne's screams, Jaime told their leader Brienne's family is wealthy and would pay handsomely for Brienne to return to Tarth unsullied in her virtue. This marked the beginning of a turn in Jaime's character. For once, he wasn't acting out of love for Cersei -- he spoke up because something heinous was being done to a good person. Of course, minutes after he negotiates for Brienne's virtue, Locke cuts off Jaime's hand.
Now it was Brienne's turn to save Jaime, using the only effective method of getting Jaime to do something (if you're not Cersei). She did what people had done to her as fuel to reignite Jaime's will to live; she taunted him. She called him weak for whining and crying when he should be eating to get his strength up for revenge later. This was exactly what Jaime needed to hear. Had she not done this, he wouldn't have made it to the Boltons.
This established a true intimacy between Jaime and Brienne. The fact that they've saved each other's lives means they are more comfortable being open with each other. Though they've never shared a romantic encounter, there's no denying that they have chemistry and share a deep bond.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
The best gift anyone could have ever given Brienne is the title of "Ser Brienne." As a knight, Jaime has the power to bestow the title on others, and on what is likely his last night alive, he uses this power for his most trusted friend, Brienne of Tarth. The scene where he knights Brienne as a knight of the Seven Kingdoms is so intimate because he's fulfilling her greatest desire. In comparison, even though Arya and Gendry have sex, we know that Arya's greatest desire involves murder, not love.
Brienne kneeling to receive Jaime's knighting is a surprisingly intimate moment as well. Considering she has heretofore knelt for those she serves, Brienne doesn't take kneeling, nor her duties, lightly. Though earlier in the episode she's confused by Jaime's earnestness, she obviously trusts him and would follow him into battle -- but now, it's Jaime who will be following her.
Brienne's knighthood is a culmination of everything she's done in the service of the realm and all those emotional moments she and Jaime have shared. It's the best send-off for these two characters. The battle at Winterfell is going to claim a lot of victims. But if Brienne dies, she will die as Ser Brienne, and if Jaime dies, he'll die as more than just the Kingslayer.
Airing Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO, Game of Thrones stars Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister, Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister, Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen, Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark, Maisie Williams as Arya Stark and Kit Harington as Jon Snow.