A War of Ice and Fire
Game of Thrones, Season 8, Episode 3 Review
Again, I have to apologize for this. You’d think with how much I love Game of Thrones, this would be the highest priority. But then I worry that I won’t write it right, stuff piles up, and this happens.
More to the point, I needed a couple of days to process what happened. The show had been building up to this moment since the very first scene. Then HBO said that this was going to rival the Battle of Helm’s Deep in the Lord of the Rings films. That this was going to be the longest continous battle in television history. Game of Thrones had a lot to ride on. The question is, were they able to live up to the hype?
The short answer is, yes and no. To better explain, let’s head back to the start of “The Long Night”.
As stated last episode, the army at Winterfell can’t win a head on fight. Numbers aside, the enemy has no fear or rational thinking. The plan is to lure the Night King to Bran, then Jon and Daenerys will swoop in on Drogon and Rhaegal and kill him.
Right away, things don’t go the way I expected when Melisandre shows up. I had a hunch that she would show up, but instead of bringing a couple thousand Red Priests as help, it’s only her.
I wanted to see the Red Priests play a role in the Great War since they talked about fighting the darkness. In the end, though, I had to settle with Melisandre lighting all the Dothraki’s swords on fire, which was awesome.
For a brief moment, I thought that things would work out as the Dothraki charged at the enemy. Then I remembered that this was Game of Thrones.
This is what I thought when I saw the Dothraki’s swords go out one by one:
Then the plan falls apart when Daenerys charges into battle anyway. We all get where she’s coming from, but she has a history of letting her emotions get the best of her.
When the Wights appear out of darkness, I thought it was like watching a wave of evil crashing on a shore. It was terrifying to watch, but it would have been scarier if we could actually see them!
I don’t know if they wanted to make the moment even more terrifying, but it was pointless if we couldn’t see a thing. I hope HBO fixes that in future releases. Thank god we had Drogon and Rhaegal to light it up. But then the dragons and their riders got caught in a snowstorm the Night King created.
From that moment on, the battle turned into a scene from hell. Fires burning in the distance, the dim lights, and the snow looked like ash. That was a good way to use the low lights; it conveyed a sense of terror, a feeling of true hopelessness.
When faced with despair, the cast reacted in different ways, but the one who took it best was Arya Stark. She was by far the best fighter in the episode, killing dozens of wights, sneaking past them, and being a master assassin. Then the one moment when she almost gave up, all it took was Melisandre reminding her what Syrio Forel said.
What do we say to death? Not today.
There were plenty of awesome moments in this episode, but aside from Arya proving she was co-mvp, the biggest was the fight against the Night King. In the series’ lore, the last time the world had seen dragons fight each other was in the Dance of Dragons 150 years ago. The fight, while short, didn’t disappoint, and the heroes almost beat the Night King.
Then we saw that it was all a red herring. As it turns out, not even dragonfire can stop the Night King, and seeing him just smirking in the flames scared me. A LOT. Then when I saw Jon chasing after the Night King, I thought, like many people, that this was it. the fight between Jon and the Night King that we had waited for all this time.
As much of a buzzkill that was, I have to give the show props for making the Night King smart enough to not fight Jon. Jon would need one hit to end him, and with him pinned by Viserion, that wasn’t happening.
Despite all their efforts, it looked like the Night King was going to win. The heroes were on their last legs or too far away from Bran to save him. Then I realized something: we hadn’t seen Arya in a while, and I realized what was about to happen.
A master assassin only needs one moment to strike. And while the White Walkers were focused on Bran, Arya reminded us what we say to death: not today.
Just like that, it was over. With one lightning stike, Arya had slain the Night King. It’s ironic that she used the blade that had caused her family so much.
I hereby dub Arya “Arya Stark the Nightkiller”.
As the credits rolled, so many thoughts raced through my head. I loved seeing Arya become the Nightkiller, but it also felt a little anti-climactic, and disappointing that we didn’t get an epic sword fight between Jon and the Night King. Then again, this is Game of Thrones, and Game of Thrones is all about taking the medieval fantasy and throwing it on its head. So, it makes sense, in a way. And it cements Arya Stark as one of the best assassin’s in fictional history.
So in the end, was this the battle that HBO promised us? It did live up to the hype at times, but it was also hindered by the poor lighting, and the ending seems anti-climactic. But let’s not forget that while the White Walkers were always going to be a major plot point, they weren’t going to be the end all for the show. This show has always been about one thing: the Throne and who sits on it. And while I may have some issues with the episode, I will not deny that I was entertained from start to finish.
Valar Morguhils
I Give “The Long Night” A 3/5. Fix the darn lighting already, and give me the head of Cersei
Stray Observations
- Just once, couldn’t we just let Ghost fight in a battle? For god’s sake, we don’t even see him again
- A lot of people agree that the “tactics” the living used were idiotic.
- I’m almost tempted to just bail on the show now that the White Walker’s are dead. Only thing keeping me here is the hope of seeing Cersei dead.
- RIP House Mormont, Beric Dondarrion, Melisandre, Dolorous Edd, Qono, and Theon Greyjoy. You didn’t die in vain.
For the Throne
Talking about the Trailer for the Final Season of Game of Thrones
Eight years. Tens of millions of fans the world over. A show that helped define a decade of TV. A story that can stand among the greatest in the history of mankind. In just one month, its the beginning of the end for Game of Thrones.
But before we do all of that, I want to talk about the trailer for the final season and what I think it could mean for the characters, while reflecting on how far they’ve come for the GoT Final Season
Arya Stark
Arya Stark is, and has always been, a fighter. From the beginning it was clear that she was not meant to live the kind of life that society expected of her. She’d rather swordfight with the guys than knit or that stuff.
Season one onwards, Arya went through a trauma conga line, losing her pet wolf, her father, mother, and brother, sometimes right in front of her. Seeing all this trauma forced Arya to grow up fast. With the help of the Faceless Men, Arya’s become a skilled fighter and assassin. Not going to lie, watching her kill Walder Frey and most of his sons was a satisfying moment
In the trailer, Arya claims that she looks forward to seeing this new face of Death, most likely meaning the White Walker. As good a fighter as she is, though, she’s never been in an actual battle before. Given how the first shots in the trailer are of her covered in blood and sweat, running through the darkened halls of Winterfell, I fear she may be in over her head.
Arya Stark is a survivor, but not even she may be ready for the White Walker. But remember what Syrio Forel told her all those years ago about they say to Death: “Not today.” Whatever comes next, she’ll go down fighting.
Bran Stark
You can barely even recognize the bright and energetic young boy that Bran Stark was at the start of the show. He lost the use of his legs thanks to Jaime throwing him out of the tower, and was ready to give up on life. Then he discovered his warging and greenseering powers, which gave him a new purpose in life.
After journeying Beyond the Wall, Bran trained under the Three-Eyed Raven to become his successor, and it shows. The experience of viewing so many past events has left him with few emotions. When Sansa tearfully hugs after seeing him for the first time in years, he didn’t even react.
Even so, I think that Bran still cares about his family. He certainly cares about the well-being of mankind, as he seems to be ready to use his powers to fight the White Walkers. I only hope that he can make it through the Long Night that is to come.
Jaime Lannister
There is no getting around it: when viewers (and book readers) first met him, Jaime Lannister came off as an arrogant pretty boy. Who was also in an incestuous relationship with his sister. While he is pretty arrogant, it’s not unjustified given his skill as a swordsman.
The events of the show, though, took him down several pegs. Losing to Robb Stark and enduring captivity at the hands of the Northerners, and then getting his hand cut off by the Boltons stooges. It humbled him a lot. It also revealed that he’s not as bad as everyone thought.
His infamous betrayal and killing of the Mad King was explained in a way that was not only understandable, but could even be justified. The events of the show, particularly his friendship with Brienne, steer him to becoming a man who keeps his promises. It’s this new outlook that leads Jaime to finally leave Cersei out of disgust for her actions. And I think that it’s about time.
As we see in the trailer, Jaime has kept his promise to fight for the living. Alongside the Northerners, Unsullied, and Dothraki he’s fought against, no less! And from the look of things, he’s going to be fighting right in the middle of the war against the White Walkers. He’s still one of the best swordsman in Westeros, but I fear that he’ll be vulnerable fighting with one hand. Jaime’s already come this far, but this fight may be his last.
Cersei Lannister
I’m going to be blunt here: I want Cersei to die. I’ve only been watching the show for two measly years. Other fans have had the show’s entire run to hate her; two decades if they started out reading the books. She is one of the few fictional characters that I loathe with every fiber of my being.
Cersei has always been a bad person, but she’s somehow gotten even worse during the show’s run. We could devote an entire list of all the horrible things she’s done, but near the top was blowing up the Sept of Baelor and killing hundreds of people. Not even the threat of the White Walkers is enough to curb her selfish narcissism. She plans on sacrificing half of Westeros to the Army of the Dead if it means she can keep her throne.
It seems that she’s holding true to her intentions in the trailer, remaining in King’s Landing where her only allies left are Qyburn, her Queensguard, and Euron. Euron seems to have hired the Golden Company like they planned, so she’s going to sit in King’s Landing and drink her wine while Westeros fights for survival.
Cersei Lannister’s managed to outlive most of her enemies and allies, but with Jaime gone, she has so few left to her. A lot of people are hoping to see her die, but the Mad Queen has cheated death before. I still hope she dies, though.
Rhaegal and Drogon
Considering how they’re dragons and not humans, it can be easy to forget how Drogon and Rhaegal are as much of characters as the rest of the cast. Since they hatched at the end of Season 1, the two dragons have grown from adorable little lizards into young adults ready to fight and die to protect their mother, Daenaerys.
The dragons are nigh unbeatable opponents, but as everyone learned last season, they’re not invincible. Viserion’s death at the hands of the Night King was a shock to the audience and to those present to witness it. If Daenaerys is mourning the loss of one of her children, then imagine how her two remaining dragons must feel.
Viserion’s death would have been the first time the dragons would know what it means to be truly powerless. They can wipe out entire armies, but they couldn’t save their brother. Now that brother has been reanimated as a wight to serve the Night King. They must be furious.
The two dragons are seen several times throughout the trailer, driving home the point that they will play a major role in the Great War. Both of them seem eager to fight, but will they be able to defeat their own brother, if necessary?
Daenaerys Targaryen
Daenaerys Targaryen has come so far since Season One. Gone is the timid girl who cowered under the yolk of her abusive older brother. In her place stands a proud Queen who’s determined to take back the Iron Throne, and will use everything she has to do so. At least, that’s how it was at first.
Since she arrived in Westeros, Dany’s learned of the ancient evil that’s threatening to overrun all of Westeros, and that she may be one of the people prophesied to save humanity. Now she’s seen the White Walkers, and watched as one of her beloved dragons was slain like it was nothing. Not even she can fight them alone, and will stand with those she once fought for the sake of the Seven Kindgoms.
The trailer seemed to be vague about how she will fight in the Great War, but it is certain that she will fight. Whether she will survive, though, is another matter entirely. People are saying that either she or Jon will end up dying in the fight against the White Walkers. And that doesn’t even bring up the elephant in the room..
Jon Snow
From the Bastard of Winterfell to the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch to the King in the North. Jon Snow has been through a lot over the show’s run, and has come into his own as a leader. More than anyone, he knows how dangerous the White Walkers are and what is at stake, and has devoted himself to defeating them. But there are things about Jon that not even he knows.
The end of Season Six confirmed the longtime fan theory that Jon was actually the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen. The end of Season Seven built on that even further by revealing that Lyanna was never kidnapped. She and Rhaegar had fallen in love and secretly gotten married. Jon’s no bastard: he’s the rightful King of Westeros.
As shown in the trailer, Jon is going to be fighting on the front lines alongside his allies. If anyone can defeat the Night King and save the Seven Kingdoms, its Jon Snow. Even so, fans are worried that Jon may end up giving his life in order to save Westeros from an eternal winter. That, and there’s the fact that he and his aunt Dany are in love with each other. And that’s just history repeating itself.
In Conclusion
At this point, I think it’s fair to just put every character left alive on the chopping block. As we have seen in Game of Thrones, no one, not even a main character, is safe from death. And now death is at the gates of the living.
There are plenty of other characters that I did not have time to cover in this, but I had to limit this to the ones who were most prominent in the trailer. Whatever happens in April, history will be made.
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