Game of Thrones almost featured an incestuous relationship that’s impossible to comprehend.

While the series has featured the relationship of brother and sister Cersei and Jaime Lanniser as well as nephew and auntie Daenerys and Aegon Targaryen (otherwise known as Jon Snow), George RR Martin – author of the book series A Song of Ice and Fire - originally planned on Arya Stark falling for her half-brother Jon Snow, who is later revealed to be her cousin.

When Martin was prepping the outline for his book franchise, he described how the character, played in the HBO series by Maisie Williams, would have fallen for Snow (Kit Harington) after joining him on his journey to the wall alongside mother Catelyn and brother Bran.

It read: “Wounded by Lannister riders, they will seek refuge at the Wall, but the men of the Night’s Watch give up their families when they take the black, and Jon and Benjen will not be able to help, to Jon’s anguish. It will lead to a bitter estrangement between Jon and Bran. Arya will be more forgiving… until she realises, with terror, that she has fallen in love with Jon, who is not only her half-brother but a man of the Night’s Watch, sworn to celibacy.

Game of Thrones season 8 episode 1 callbacks and Easter eggs Show all 13 1 /13 Game of Thrones season 8 episode 1 callbacks and Easter eggs Game of Thrones season 8 episode 1 callbacks and Easter eggs Excited youngsters The season eight premiere was loaded with many references to the show's very first instalment, "Winter Is Coming," which aired in 2011. The episode began with a nameless young boy, scrambling around the castle of Winterfell to get a better view of Daenerys' oncoming army. It served as a reminder that Bran did the same when King Robert Baratheon, Cersei Lannister and company visited all those years ago. HBO Game of Thrones season 8 episode 1 callbacks and Easter eggs "Winterfell is yours, Your Grace" When Sansa, the Lady of Winterfell, greets Daenerys, she repeats the same line her father said to King Robert back in the Pilot episode: "Winterfell is yours, Your Grace." HBO Game of Thrones season 8 episode 1 callbacks and Easter eggs Joffrey's wedding The season premiere had several character reunions, one of which included wedded couple Sansa and Tyrion who haven't seen each other since Joffrey's dramatic demise at King's Landing in season four. "It was a miserable affair," Tyrion says, to which Sansa replies: "It had its moments," clearly recollecting Joffrey's choking face. HBO Game of Thrones season 8 episode 1 callbacks and Easter eggs A visit to godswood Jon Snow assumes the role of Ned Stark in this episode and visits the weirwood tree-filled godswood and Stark family crypt much like his "father" did back in the Pilot. It was a nice touch that it was the latter where Sam Tarly told his friend of his true Targaryen heritage. HBO Game of Thrones season 8 episode 1 callbacks and Easter eggs "Once or twice" The season eight premiere marked the long-awaited reunion of Arya and Jon who haven't shared a scene since the first season. When Jon notices Arya still has Needle in her possession, he asks - unaware of her status as a Faceless assassin - whether she's ever had to use it. "Once or twice," she says. HBO Game of Thrones season 8 episode 1 callbacks and Easter eggs Cersei wants elephants You may have noticed that Cersei spent a large chunk of her scenes disappointed that The Golden Company representative Harry Strickland arrived from Essos without any elephants in tow. As mentioned in George RR Martin's book series, the mysterious group of mercenaries do indeed own elephants; they were probably left out of the series due to budget restrictions. HBO Game of Thrones season 8 episode 1 callbacks and Easter eggs The crossbow Qyburn hands Bronn a crossbow after filling him in on Cersei's wishes: she wants him to use it to kill her brothers, Jaime and Tyrion. For those who don't remember, this is the same weapon that Tyrion used to kill their father, Tywin, with - a murder that Jaime seems to have forgiven Tyrion for. HBO Game of Thrones season 8 episode 1 callbacks and Easter eggs Jon goes chasing waterfalls While not a direct callback, the scene in which Jon and Daenerys enjoy a smooch in front of the waterfall will remind viewers of his previous romance with the wildling Ygritte, with whom he consummated his feelings while lying in a waterfall cave. Viewers will remember how that relationship ended - and following Jon's discovery that he's the true heir to the Iron Throne, and Daenyers' nephew, it seems this love affair could be just as doomed. HBO Game of Thrones season 8 episode 1 callbacks and Easter eggs "M'lady" Arya finally catches up with her oldest friend, Gendry, this week - and he's still as obsessed with status as ever before. At one stage, he calls her "m'lady" - a nod to the same nickname he gave the clearly rattled Arya five seasons ("don't call me that," she tells him). Only this time, it comes with added flirtation. HBO Game of Thrones season 8 episode 1 callbacks and Easter eggs The Silence Euron Greyjoy tells his prisoner Yara that he doesn't want to kill her as she's the only one he can speak to considering all his sailors are mutes. This is a reference to George RR Martin's book series - his ship is called The Silence as its crew consists of sailors who have had their tongues cut out by their paranoid captain; he's fearful they'd conspire to usurp his rule. HBO Game of Thrones season 8 episode 1 callbacks and Easter eggs Cameos It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia fans will be happy to know the season eight premiere featured a brief cameo from Mac actor Rob McElhenney as one of Euron's guards that Theon butchers while saving Yara. McElhenney is good friends with creators David Benioff and DB Weiss. Silicon Valley actor Martin Starr also appeared in the same scene. Instagram Game of Thrones season 8 episode 1 callbacks and Easter eggs The Night King's symbol The symbol that goes up in flames after Lord Ned Umber is found impaled to a wall surrounded by severed limbs recalls the same pattern left behind by the Night King on three separate occasions throughout the series: in the show's opening scene, when Jon finds the remains of horses remains assembled in a similar way and again in Bran's visions. Many fans also think it bears a striking resemblance to the sigil of House Targaryen, which lends credence to the theory that the White Walker leader could actually be the true heir of the Iron Throne. HBO Game of Thrones season 8 episode 1 callbacks and Easter eggs Things come full circle for Jaime The end of the episode was a huge callback to the end of the Pilot episode, which infamously saw Jaime Lannister push Bran Stark out of a window after he catches him having sex with his sister, and King Robert's queen, Cersei. No characters have had bigger evolutions on the show than these two and this moment seems to hammer home that exact fact. As he looks at Bran, removing his hood much in the same way he took off his helmet all those years ago, it’s easy to sense his regret over past actions. HBO

“Their passion will continue to torment Jon and Arya throughout the trilogy, until the secret of Jon’s true parentage is finally revealed in the last book.”

Instead, Arya and Snow have a strong familial bond. Going by how well Williams and Kit Harington play that in the series, viewing their relationship in a romantic light is a very strange prospect.

Viewers in China were left furious after six minutes of the episode – which broke HBO records – was censored by tech corporation Tencent.

The final season of Game of Thrones continues every Sunday and you can watch the brand new season eight opening title sequence here.

You can find our extensive ranking of every character – from worst to best – here

Game of Thrones season 8 episode 2 photos Show all 14 1 /14 Game of Thrones season 8 episode 2 photos Game of Thrones season 8 episode 2 photos Varys (Conleth Hill), Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) and Ser Jorah (Iain Glen) HBO Game of Thrones season 8 episode 2 photos Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and Samwell Tarly (John Bradley) HBO Game of Thrones season 8 episode 2 photos Gilly (Hannah Murray) Game of Thrones Season 8, Episdoe 2 HBO Game of Thrones season 8 episode 2 photos Gilly (Hannah Murray), baby Sam, and Samwell Tarly (John Bradley) Game of Thrones Season 8, Episdoe 2 HBO Game of Thrones season 8 episode 2 photos Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) Game of Thrones Season 8, Episdoe 2 HBO Game of Thrones season 8 episode 2 photos Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) Game of Thrones Season 8, Episdoe 2 HBO Game of Thrones season 8 episode 2 photos Ser Davos (Liam Cunningham) Game of Thrones Season 8, Episdoe 2 HBO Game of Thrones season 8 episode 2 photos Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) Game of Thrones Season 8, Episdoe 2 HBO Game of Thrones season 8 episode 2 photos Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) HBO Game of Thrones season 8 episode 2 photos Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) HBO Game of Thrones season 8 episode 2 photos Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) HBO Game of Thrones season 8 episode 2 photos Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson) and Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel) HBO Game of Thrones season 8 episode 2 photos Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) HBO Game of Thrones season 8 episode 2 photos Lyanna Mormont (Bella Ramsey) HBO