Are the people of Winterfell racist?

Listen, no one wants to have this conversation but Game of Thrones decided to go there and so we must.

In the opening of Game of Thrones season 8, a young boy runs through the forest to find a perfect perch to watch an astoundingly impressive army march into Winterfell. We’re treated then, to alternating shots of those riding in the procession (Daenerys, Jon Snow, The Hound, Gendry, Tyrion and so on) and the people of Winterfell who have lined up to see and greet them.

This is all well and good — Arya sees Jon again! — until the camera cuts to Missandei and Grey Worm. At which point, the camera cuts immediately back to the locals, who are all sporting looks of disgust, distrust and general hate. This happens twice. The reaction is not lost on Missandei and Grey Worm, who exchange looks of their own.

Cut, then, to a shot of the locals looking suspicious of Dany and Jon Snow saying, “Northerners don’t much trust outsiders.” Be that as it may, plenty fans on Twitter read the scene loud and clear as “wow the Northerners have never seen black people before” and/or “Northerners are super racist.”

Anyways, then the dragons arrive and everyone, viewers and Northerners, are distracted.

Missandei and Grey Worm don’t appear for the rest of the episode, so TBD how their local immersion is going, but the questions remains: Are the people of Winterfell racist? Are the Starks racist?

Seems pretty conclusive that the people of Winterfell are at least a little bit racist which is the same as being racist. But they’re all extras so let’s move on to the more pressing question: Are the Starks racist?

All the Starks have traveled extensively so one would hope they got over any racism born of their upbringing in the North. And none of our principles have said anything so far so let’s go with no, but they’re on thin ice.

Now, this is a lot to read into mostly looks and you have to wonder, what direction were the extras given? Did David Benioff and D.B. Weiss really think, hmm, you know what we should do with six episodes left in our incredibly popular and historic TV show that also has a dodgy track record with race? Introduce stage direction that maybe implies our heroes are racist. 

It’s possible the direction was just “look distrustful and hateful” and Benioff and Weiss didn’t realize how bookending those looks around Missandei and Grey Worm’s introduction would read. That kind of obliviousness tracks with the show’s history with the subject matter.

Time will tell whether Game of Thrones decides to make a plot point of Missandei and Grey Worm’s reception and, if so, how that goes.