Warning: This here post is dark and full of spoilers for the Game of Thrones season seven finale, “The Dragon and the Wolf.” If you haven’t watched it, turn away and head back to the Citadel to complete your homework.

Season seven of Game of Thrones has moved at a pace faster than even the speediest of messenger ravens, bringing all our favorite characters to the final legs of the paths they’ve been traveling for years. Some of these conclusions have come together in ways we’d deem completely natural, and others… less so. You can choose for yourself which of those categories the final Jon and Daenerys scene in the finale, “The Dragon and the Wolf,” falls into. Ahem.

The reunions I’ve been longing for the most, however, are those among the Stark siblings, which have happened in rapid succession in this season. Sansa, Jon, Bran, and Arya have all come home to Winterfell to find each other. Alas, they didn’t reconnect by staying up late, raiding the kitchens, and regaling the others with stories about how bad they’ve each had it. Could you imagine?

Bran: “I was indirectly responsible for killing Hodor.”
Arya: “I learned how to cut off people’s faces after they die and wear those faces.”
Sansa: “One word: Joffrey.”

They’ve all changed; they’ve all survived. Bran’s the Three-Eyed Raven, Sansa is trying to lead, and Arya is a killer. They were never going to hug out their feelings, but they did present a strong Stark front in “The Dragon of the Wolf,” which was just what I needed from the trio in season seven—especially after all of Arya and Sansa’s dumb, forced tension. Here’s why they’re the MVPs of the finale:

United They Stand (Figuratively)

When the Starks confronted Lord Baelish, they played to their strengths, figuring out how to complement each other with their eclectic talents. Sansa led the charge as the Lady of Winterfell and the person who knew Littlefinger the best, but overall, they stood as equals to protect themselves, their home, and the North from Baelish’s manipulations.

Lessons Learned

Sansa embodied the line “the student has become the master.” She’s watched Littlefinger betray, cajole, dance, and do whatever he needed to do to stay alive and stay near someone in power. It took Sansa a while to turn a wary eye towards him; she seemed to be falling for his lies throughout season seven despite being aware of how he operates.

However, Sansa not only turned the tables, she did so with dramatic flourish. The Stark daughter left no wiggle room for Littlefinger, no chance for him to slip out of his lethal sentence with flowery words and platitudes. Yeah, she probably should have handled him sooner, but…

The Catspaw

Watching Arya use the catspaw dagger against Littlefinger was quite satisfying, wasn’t it? Her wearing the Valyrian steel weapon into the room was the biggest clue that she wasn’t the one in trouble. Arya carried out Littlefinger’s execution, and since she’s smart, I’m sure she saved his face to use at a later time.

Knowledge Drop

Bran’s role as the Three-Eyed Raven means he can see any events in the past and present. It makes him a powerful player, and I’m thrilled he shared information to help push Littlefinger out of the picture. He knew about how Baelish pushed the conflict between the Starks and Lannisters and screwed Ned; Bran made Littlefinger uncomfortable by repeating his words.

That wasn’t all. Bran’s decided to reveal the truth about Jon’s lineage. Thanks to Gilly (way to not give her credit for the marriage find, Sam), Bran knew to look for more and witnessed the marriage of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. Then, he met baby Jon, a.k.a. Aegon Targaryen.

Keep on dropping those knowledge bombs, Bran.

Who would you crown as queen or king of the Game of Thrones season seven finale? The Starks, Tyrion, someone else? Tell us in the comments.

Need more Game of Thrones?

• A farewell to Littlefinger.
• Our burning questions about the season seven finale.
• Cersei might become the Night Queen.

Images: HBO, Tumblr/Huffledove, Kim, Mohammed