Each Monday, the New Republic staff will discuss the newest episode of HBO’s Game of Thrones, which is in its seventh and penultimate season. Join us as we chat about the latest plot developments, cheering for the White Walkers, and that feeling when your sister sneaks into your room and finds all the faces in your leather satchel.

Ryu Spaeth: Let the record show that at the start of this roundtable six weeks ago, Alex Shephard wrote, “Mark my words. Before this season is done, they’re getting an ice dragon.” Alex isn’t here to crow about his lucky guess—he is on vacation in Great Britain, the real Westeros—but in last night’s episode, “Beyond the Wall,” the White Walkers did indeed get their hands on this mythic beast, by means of what was perhaps the most contrived plot twist of the entire series. We will discuss this cockamamie twist in greater depth—in which Daenerys flies her three dragons beyond the Wall to rescue Jon Snow and his ragtag band of bros—but suffice it to say: Holy cow the White Walkers have an ice dragon!

Clio Chang: It pains me more than anyone to say that Alex was right. So I won’t! But honestly, the ice dragon makes a lot of sense. Dany had way too much fire power, even for a Night King vs. Dragons title match. Now the world is balanced.

However, the manner in which it was done has pushed us far into the realm of directors Benioff and Weiss’s fan fic. None of those guys had to go up North in the first place, and the Dany-Night King encounter, across a writhing sea of undead wights, was rushed. George R. R. Martin would never have allowed a raven to get from the Wall to Dragonstone in less time than it takes for me to get to work on the New York City subway. It’s also crazy that the Night King’s arm is as strong as an enormous crossbow, and even crazier that he would use that ungodly bicep to kill Viserion, who is flying, rather than Drogon, who is sitting right in front of him with all the Night King’s enemies conveniently sitting on his back. (Side note: Get on the freaking dragon, Jon.)

I do love that Benioff and Weiss have effectively killed off one of ASOIAF’s greatest theories, which is that Tyrion is the third head of the dragon and will ride alongside Jon and Dany when they take control of Westeros. It never felt quite right to me, and especially now that Tyrion is serving as Dany’s hand. But I do endorse the idea of undead Tyrion riding undead Viserion.