Last night's Game of Thrones was not without its requisite brutal deaths (RIP Osha and those misogynist Dothraki dudes), but it also gave us something rather unexpected: a lovely family reunion. With Brienne and Podrick by her side, Sansa arrives at Castle Black. There, she warmly embraces her half brother Jon Snow, newly returned from the dead. Even though Sansa readily admits that she was an "ass" to Jon growing up, they take comfort in one another's company.
This moment was a long time coming. Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa, noted in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that, prior to this episode, she and Kit Harington had only shared one scene together, and it was in the show's pilot. "I’m most excited for the fact I get to see Kit and get to act with him," Turner said of her character's latest story line.
The Sansa-Jon team-up is a rare positive development for the Stark children, who have been isolated from each other and suffered a variety of injustices, including injury, death, and rape. Sansa is now adamant about reclaiming Winterfell for their family and succeeds in enlisting a wary Jon.
But let's leave the heavy drama for another time. For now, fans are basking in how delightful it was to see these two together. On Twitter, people celebrated with a variety of GIFs. Kristen Bell makes for an especially accurate embodiment of fans' emotional states.
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The Jon and Sansa hug #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/nJilvO3UZG
— Amanda Smith (@AmandaSmith95) May 16, 2016
Jon and Sansa are together.
— Fangirlish (@fangirlishness) May 16, 2016
NOTHING HURTS. #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/V1W8Ts4omu
When Jon and sansa hugged each other #GOT pic.twitter.com/TNT1eKC8eu
— Fatima ファティマ (@TottaAlshehri) May 16, 2016
Me when Jon Snow & Sansa Stark were finally reunited pic.twitter.com/gjWs8bAZ08
— Megan Clossin (@megan_clossin) May 16, 2016
One Tumblr user highlighted Jon's response to Sansa's question, "Where will you go?"
Another took time to applaud all the feminist moments in the episode, employing Meryl Streep, naturally.
Others unearthed a GIF of Arya Stark hugging Jon in the second episode of the show to parallel the Jon-Sansa moment.
The show never remains this heartwarming for long, so when things get bad again, just stare at this GIF and think of the good times.