And Nymeria helped underline to Arya how far she’s come from her roots, even if Hot Pie couldn’t. Given Arya’s decision to turn back from her vengeance mission to King’s Landing and instead go help her family at Winterfell, that reunion with Nymeria seems to signal a significant return to her Starkish roots, which was teased in her dramatic exit from the House of Black and White in Season 6. Nymeria’s re-emergence in “Dragonstone,” however, is a hopeful one. But his death was lost in Hodor’s larger tragedy, and Bran has yet to come to terms with any of it yet. To lose him should have gutted the Stark kid.

Summer’s vital role as Bran’s substitute legs in the books cannot be overstated.