With the Night King defeated, Daenerys Targaryen's (Emilia Clarke) sights have returned to the Iron Throne. Even in the midst of drunken revelry, Daenerys is concerned about the loyalties of the survivors of "The Long Night." It's back to politics as usual in Westeros, which often means promising castles and positions of power to influential people and even newly minted heroes like Gendry Baratheon (Joe Dempsie). While Daenerys will still have to defeat Cersei if she hopes for her appointments to mean anything, the choices she makes in Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 4 could mean a rebalancing of power in Westeros, beginning with the surprising return of the House of Baratheon.
"You're Robert Baratheon's son?" Daenerys asks Gendry early in the episode. It's not a promising start, with Daenerys quickly bringing up all the ways the Baratheons wronged her family. But she doesn't have revenge on her mind, this time.
"I think you should be lord of Storm's End," Daenerys tells Gendry, who protests that he's a bastard and therefore not a lord.
"You are Lord Gendry Baratheon of Storm's End, the lawful son of Robert Baratheon, because that is what I have made you," Daenerys replies. Ser Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham) leads a toast in Gendry's honor.
But only Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) calls out the subtext of Daenerys' decision. "A fitting reward for a hero," he tells Daenerys. "And as lord of Storm's End, he will be forever loyal to you."
Where is Storm's End?
Unlike Dragonstone, which once belonged to the Targaryens before Robert Baratheon seated his brother Stannis on its stone throne, Storm's End has so far gone unseen in Game of Thrones. Located in Shipbreaker Bay, to the south of King's Landing and Blackwater Bay, Storm's End has been the seat of Baratheon power ever since it was captured by Orys Baratheon, a commander in Aegon Targaryen's army, which invaded Westeros hundreds of years before the events of Game of Thrones. It is an intimidating fortress, which held strong against a siege by House Tyrell during Robert's Rebellion, which overthrew the Targaryens and put the Baratheons on the Iron Throne.
The last lord of Storm's End was Renly Baratheon, who died all the way back in Game of Thrones Season 2, in the early days of the War of the Five Kings. Since then Storm's End has been unoccupied by a Baratheon lord, its ownership uncertain after Stannis, the last of the Baratheons was killed attacking Winterfell.
With Storm's End under Gendry's rule, it could once again be a tactical stronghold for Daenerys' reign, in part because it's an important buffer between King's Landing and Dorne, which might stand against Daenerys, even if she successfully defeats Cersei.
The other new lord announced in Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 4 is far less likely to prove advantageous to Daenerys.
Where is Highgarden?
Highgarden is the ancestral home of the Tyrells, located in a region of Westeros called The Reach. West of King's Landing and Storm's End, north of Dorne, Highgarden is less a tactical redoubt, suitable for war, and more a center of trade and commerce. But ever since Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) poisoned Olena Tyrell (Diana Rigg), Highgarden has belong to the Lannisters. Now, one Lannister plans to sell it off to save his own skin.
In Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 4, Tyrion promises the castle to Bronn (Jerome Flynn), a deal he'll have to present to Daenerys as diplomatically as possible. Bronn, who was promised Riverrun by Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) in exchange for killing Jaime and Tyrion, threatens the Lannister brothers, but ultimately decides to cast his lot in with Daenerys.
"What's double Riverrun?" Bronn asks Tyrion, invoking Tyrion's promise to pay Bronn double whatever anyone might offer Bronn to kill him.
"Highgarden. You could be lord of The Reach," Tyrion says, over Jaime's objections. "You have my word."
"I'll come find you when all this is done," Bronn says. "Until then, don't die."
Since Tyrion is Hand to Daenerys, his promise has all the weight of her future reign behind it, even if Daenerys doesn't yet know the bargain that's been cut with a notorious sellsword and cutthroat.
The new lords of Highgarden and Storm's End could indicate the shape of Westeros after Daenerys Targaryen takes the Iron Throne. But first, she'll have to win.
