Jon and Arya Reuniting
This was one of the more heartwarming yet brief reunions of the season premier. After their embrace Jon was also reunited with Arya’s sword, Needle.
She admitted to having used it only once or twice. Jon isn’t very smart, so it’s entirely possible that he believed her, but he seemed to have a knowing look on his face like he was aware of Arya’s little fib.
This was also not the first or last time that family ties will likely play a role in season eight. Jon jokes a bit about Arya defending Sansa by calling her older sister the smartest person she’s ever met.
It’s clear in this moment that Arya is much more mature than she was the last time Jon spoke with her. She’s all about protecting her family. Now, she’s much better equipped to protect the ones she loves than at the beginning of the series.
At the end of the scene when Jon reassures Arya of his familial loyalty to Sansa, the little sister drops a crucial line, “Don’t forget that.”
It doesn’t sound as much like a reassurance as it does a threat. Her face, in that moment at least, also doesn’t read like someone who is happy to see her brother again after many years. We’ll see how this will factor in now that Jon knows he’s half Targaryen
