This Detail In The ‘GOT’ Opening Could Answer A Major Question About The White Walkers

Game of Thrones knows how to keep you on edge.

In the Season 7 premiere, we were treated to the ominous sight of the army of White Walkers — including at least three giants, marching South. And then we got The Hound's vision in the flames, which doubled down on the threat: he saw a fortress at the sea, where “the dead are marching past.”

Right — we can reasonably assume that the castle by the sea is the Night's Watch fortress Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, where Jon Snow just sent Tormund Giantsbane and the other Wildlings to stand guard. (So they're going to have a rough time of it.)

But it still begs the question — how do the White Walkers get past the wall?

The Wall goes all the way out into the sea, and we know the Walkers can't just walk over water from Season 5's "Hardhome." Remember?

Well, the answer might have been hidden in the show's opening credits the whole time.

Buzzfeed pointed out the possibility on July 22. Look at these two shots of The Wall from the first episode of Season 6, and then last week's Season 7 premiere.

Season 6, Episode 1

Season 7, Episode 1

Do you see it? Look at the sea to the right of The Wall.

It looks like it's almost completely frozen over.

Well, crap.

So the wights could pretty much just walk across it. And I doubt it would be some hilarious, Benny Hill-style slip-n-slide event.

That bodes really terribly for poor Tormund and the Wildlings.

They're going to bear the initial brunt of whatever attack the Walkers throw at them.

It also means that Sansa Stark's confident talk about focusing on Cersei Lannister and Archmaester Ebrose's lecture about how The Wall has stood through all of history, is all kind of moot. I mean, yeah, technically The Wall will stand, but it's kind of useless if the Walkers can just stroll right around it.

Jon Snow better call up Daenerys Targaryen about that dragonglass real fast. Looks like he's about to need it.