The premiere of Game of Thrones Season 8, titled "Winterfell," was generally well-received upon its debut, though it was later subject to retroactive criticism as the series finale approached. Critics largely viewed it as a necessary, albeit slightly slow, "table-setting" episode that focused on emotional reunions rather than heavy action .
The episode currently holds a critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and an 8.7 initial user rating on IMDb , which later dropped to approximately 7.6 following the controversial series finale. Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 1 Review: Winterfell Game of Thrones Season 8 - Episode 1