SPOILERS for last night’s Game of Thrones

In Game of Thrones Ep. 5.7, “The Gift,” it started to get REAL. Many book readers have been complaining about how fast some storylines are moving, and the derivations from the books for certain other storylines, but I’m really happy about the progress. It was high time that we saw certain characters meet up and certain other characters finally get that smug look wiped off their faces. Sh-t is also getting real because after five seasons of hearing “Winter is Coming,” winter is finally upon us. It’s starting to get COLD. And the winter will last for years, if not decades. Think, like, Ice Age kind of winter. So here are some highlights, in no particular order.

Sansa’s marriage sucks & Theon is still the worst. What I enjoyed is that Sansa still has some fight left, even though she was being locked up in her bedroom and only interacting with Ramsey and Theon. Her life is definitely the worst and she’s looking for a way out. So she asked Theon to help her and light a candle in the high tower, per Brienne’s instructions. Except Theon just went to Ramsey and told him everything and that old woman (“the North remembers”) got flayed. Now I think Sansa is just going to kill Theon at some point. I also liked that Sansa got some jabs in there to Ramsey, pointing out that a “trueborn” Bolton heir is in a better position than Ramsey’s sketchy “now you’re my heir, I promise” speech from Roose Bolton. What else? Now Sansa knows that Jon Snow is Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch.

Sam got his V-card punched. I thought it was going to be a more Jon Snow-intensive episode, but we only got a little bit of Jon Snow at the beginning, as he left with the ginger dude. No one at the Night’s Watch is happy that Jon Snow has left. Then the story became about Sam. Sam said goodbye to his mentor and friend, Maester Aemon Targaryen. It’s sort of refreshing to see a beloved character die of old age, right? In his last moments, Aemon remembered his brother, The Mad King, when they were children. Then as soon as they burned Aemon, some Night’s Watch brothers tried to assault Gilly and Sam tried to defend her (and got his ass kicked) but Jon’s direwolf Ghost had to come in and have the final word. Then Gilly took Sam to his room and cleaned him up and then she banged him. I enjoy the fact that now that Winter is upon us, some of the Night’s Watch rules are sort of forgotten. That whole vow of chastity? Whatever, man.

Hey, bro, let’s kill your daughter. Stannis – the one true king – is having a tough time now that winter is coming. Horses are dying, men are dying (or leaving? I think I missed some dialogue there). So Stannis’s Red Witch, Melisandre, is all “You know what would help us beat the Boltons? We could kill your daughter!” Thank God Stannis has one line he won’t cross – he won’t kill his daughter for her blood, to win a war or whatever.

Tyrion is a survivor. When it looked like Jorah and Tyrion would be separated in the gladiator clearance sale, Tyrion fought to stay connected to Jorah. Literally, he fought! That was a cool scene. And seriously, when is the Greyscale going to start affecting Jorah?

Dany still wants to bang Daario. Even though she’s engaged to WhatsHisGuts (I’m not looking up his name, I hate that guy), Dany still wants Daario on the side. But Daario is all, “Hey, why don’t you marry me instead?” Honestly, Dany’s whole scheme to ingratiate herself in Meereen by marrying Dude-face is poorly thought out. She might as well marry a dude who is a legendary fighter, who loves her and who is good in bed. Why not? She’s the Queen. Get yours, Dany.

Tyrion is The Gift. He really IS the gift. Both Iain Glen and Peter Dinklage were on point in those scenes. Jorah slaughters a bunch of fights because he knew he had to get in front of Dany. And Dany is still pissed at him – she was about to order her guards to grab him, possibly kill him when he told his “Khaleesi” that he brought her a gift. Then Tyrion steps out… “I am The Gift.” I got chills!!!!! To see those two characters – Dany and Tyrion – in the same place… WHOA.

This is everything. Dany’s costume was totally based on Solange’s weddding gown.

Who wore it better? Solange Knowles or Daenerys Targaryen? #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/QMks0lQ5fT

— Stephanie Freedle (@Steph_Freedle) May 25, 2015

The High Sparrow and the Queen of Thorns. Last week, I said that I could watch a whole hour of Arya washing dead people. This week, I could have watched a whole hour of Dame Diana Rigg (the Queen of Thorns) and Jonathan Pryce (the High Sparrow) talk about their knees and hips. Those two actors were AMAZING in that scene.

Queen Margaery is a mess. Seriously, how awful was Margaery’s jail cell that she looked like that? And I liked that Margaery is all “I know who did this to me, bitch” to Cersei. Cersei looked SO pleased with herself, because Cersei is absolutely the dumbest political figure playing the “game of thrones.” She’s incapable of planning three steps ahead.

Cersei finally gets the smug wiped off her face. The High Sparrow was all, “Oh, by the way, you know how you banged your cousin and got him to kill your husband? FAIL, bitch.” I’m so glad they moved this storyline along – it was a great payoff for all of us waiting for Cersei’s terrible decisions to come back to bite her in the ass.

The GoT hair & wig team had a great episode. Did you notice how many women were supposed to have “wild” hair? Sansa had no f—ks to give about making herself pretty, Dany had her sex wig on while she was banging Daario and they really made Queen Margaery look like she was a matted mess.

Photos courtesy of HBO/Game of Thrones.