This week’s premiere of the penultimate season of Game of Thrones raked in ratings worthy of a crown: 16.1 million viewers across HBO, video-on-demand (VOD) and streaming.

Those numbers make the episode the most watched premiere in HBO history, with the total 16.1 million representing a 50% increase over last season’s debut of the George RR Martin-based series.
The show also garnered strong reviews. For instance, CNN's movie critic, Brian Lowry, said: "If the season premiere is any indication of what's ahead, this season's arc is likely to again demonstrate that when it comes to lording over the TV universe, this one-for-the-ages drama is no pretender.”
He also said that the episode "exhibited a sense of urgency and purpose that past openers have sometimes lacked".