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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.

My 7 Favorite Moments from Game of Thrones, Season 4

How does a show like Game of Thrones keep people coming back season after season, regardless of how many characters they may kill off? With incredible acting, an A-List Hollywood movie budget, and raising the stakes. After the infamous end to Season Three with the Red Wedding, the War of the Five Kings seems like it’s over. Yet the storm of betrayal and intrigue remains as strong as ever.

Four days remain until the final season of Game of Thrones premieres, and we continue our week of thrones with my seven favorite moments from Season Four of Game of Thrones. There were actually a lot of scenes I like this season, so picking one was hard.

#7- Drogon Snaps at Daenerys, “Two Swords”

Anyone who’s ever been a parent can attest to the fact that it can be hard at times. Now add in the fact that those kids are dragons, and you’ll see what it’s like for Daenerys Targaryen. While spending family time with her dragons, they started fighting over an animal carcass. When she tries to calm them down, she’s shocked when Drogon angrily roars at her.

We’ve seen Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion grow up with Daenerys. Through that, we can see them as characters in their own right. But this scene serves as a reminder that to Daenerys, and to us, that they are still dragons. They have the power to burn countries to the ground if they were to go berserk.

Maybe I’m over analyzing things, but could this moment be a metaphor about the dangers of letting power get out of control? Or they were just going through their rebellious teen phase. Either way, Dany was taking no chances; she locked Rhaegal and Viserion up in the Pyramid of Mereen at the end of Season Four, and they stayed there for some time.

#6- Sansa Finally Plays the Game, “The Mountain and the Viper”

After finally escaping King’s Landing and the grip of the Lannisters, Sansa ends up in more trouble when her Aunt Lysa threatens to kill her after Littlefinger kissed her. When Littlefinger kills Lysa and is made to stand trial, Sansa reveals her true identity. At the same time, she lies and says that Lysa killed herself in order to protect Littlefinger, which ends up working.

Sansa was subjected to inhumane physical, mental, and emotional abuse at the hands of the Lannisters. Her trauma wasn’t without fruit, though, as she learned to master a very important skill to surviving in Westeros: how to lie. No longer a pawn, Sansa becomes a player in the Game of Thrones in her own right. When you see where she stands at the end of Season Seven, she’s done pretty well, and this is where she started. Thank heavens that the difference between her and Cersei is that she has a conscience.

#5- Bran Meets the Three-Eyed Raven “The Children”

Ever since he got pushed from that tower and crippled, Bran Stark learned that he had powers that most people lacked. He could control the minds of others and could see into the past. After traveling Beyond the Wall and fighting through the Wights, Bran came to the cave that was home to the mysterious Three-Eyed Raven that had been appearing in his dreams since Season One

The Three-Eyed Raven was one of the biggest mysteries on the show: who was he, and what did he want with Bran? As it turns out, Bran had a greater destiny than anyone could imagine. Under the Three-Eyed Raven, Bran learned to master his powers as the new Three-Eyed Raven. With the White Walkers upon humanity, Bran will play a major role in the Great War. On my part, though, I just thought that this was a great example of the “young hero meets wise old mentor” trope. And even if Bran never walks again, he gets a wheelchair; he can rock that Professor Xavier thing!

#4-Tyrion Snaps, “The Laws of Gods and Men”

Tyrion Lannister is one of the best characters in the show, but he’s also gotten some of the worst treatment from people. His resentment to his father and sister had been simmering long before the show started, but then they accused him of killing Joffrey and put him through a kangaroo court. The straw that broke the camel’s back came when they forced his former lover, Shae, to falsely testify against him, finally causing him to snap. And by God, it was glorious!

Some of the best performances come from real-life experiences, and Peter Dinklage has plenty to draw from. In a 2003 interview, he admitted that he grew angry and bitter over his dwarfism, but learned to not let that drag him down. When he, as Tyrion, says he’s been on trial for that all his life, I could tell Dinklage was speaking from his past.

And the anger in his speech! I could practically see the venom he was spitting out at everyone. The look in his eyes as he silently disowned his father, and then the credits playing the instrumental version of “The Rains of Castamare”. It was one of the best moments in the entire show, hands down, and if Peter didn’t win an Emmy for it, then it’s their loss.

#3-Tyrion Kills Tywin

You should notice a trend in these lists by now: a lot of my favorite scenes revolve around the death of a character that I hate. I’m not ashamed to admitting a great deal of satisfaction from watching jerks get their just desserts. And since I already discussed the scene on this post’s counterpart, I want to say why I loved seeing Tywin bite it.

I do not condone murder as a solution, but I can at least understand why some people may be driven to it. Like Tyrion said, his father had been wanting him dead his entire life. He knew Tyrion didn’t kill Joffrey, and he did nothing to save him. While Westeros may see it as kinslaying, Tywin was going to do the same thing. It was justifiable, and Tywin had already committed many atrocities in his life. Most recently was organizing the Red Wedding.

It’s funny: for all his power, Tywin dies at the one time he’s vulnerable: on the toilet.

#2- Battle of Castle Black “The Watchers on The Wall”

Jon Snow’s story may have been slow throughout Season Four, but the penultimate episode brought it to a climax with the Battle of Castle Black. After four seasons of build-up, Mance Rayder and the Free Folk army launch an all-out assault on the Wall. Despite being outnumbered a literal thousand-to-one, the Night’s Watch holds them off, thanks to the efforts of most of the named cast in the Night’s Watch. Except Janos Slynt, who was as useless as they come.

The penultimate episode of each season of Game of Thrones has always been the climax. As the show has gone on, it’s gotten steadily more ambitious with its battles. And it shows in this sequel to the amazing battle in “Blackwater” back in Season Two. They even had the same person directing this episode. Thankfully, every season since then has had at least one epic battle on par with this. The Battle of Castle Black raised the bar on warfare on TV, and the final season will, hopefully, continue that trend.

#1- Joffrey dies, “The Lion and the Rose”

Since I’m a latecomer to the show, I was able to binge through the first few seasons. Meaning I wasn’t able to endure the headache that was Joffrey Baratheon for years on end like some other fans did. That said, when I saw him die, I could understand how the fans celebrated the end to this three year-long headache

And the way Cersei reacted! Even if I didn’t know the truth before hand, I knew that Cersei was stupidly jumping to conclusions by saying Tyrion did it. And eventually, her stupidity would end up killing hundreds of people over the next few seasons. Her reaction would be funny if it didn’t lead to so much pain in the end.

Do you agree with my picks? What were your favorite moments from Season Four? Let me know in the comments below.

For my list of favorite deaths this season, click here.

My 7 Favorite Moments from Game of Thrones, Season Two

Whereas Season One saw the breakdown of order in the Seven Kingdoms, Season Two of Game of Thrones starts off with the drums of war already playing. And heads are going to roll like there’s no tomorrow.

While Season One was good, I think Season Two is where Game of Thrones began to find its foothold and define what it was. With a second season, the story began to be bolder in what it tried to adapt from the books, and it was made all the better for it.

With six days left until Season Eight, let’s go back and look at my 7 favorite moments from Season Two of Game of Thrones.

#6- Purging of Robert’s Bastard’s, “The North Remembers”

It’s an open secret in King’s Landing that Robert Baratheon was not a faithful husband. King Robert often visited taverns and brothels to sleep with any pretty girl in a futile attempt to fill the hole made by the fact that he lost the woman he loved to a Prince. As a result, he ended up having at least a dozen bastard children, who all had a better claim to the Iron Throne then Joffrey. To keep his throne secure, Joffrey ordered the Gold Cloaks to kill every one of Robert’s bastards in King’s Landing.

I was disgusted by the fact that Joffrey was willing to murder babies simply because they existed, but I couldn’t help but smirk at how his PR would take a huge hit. He was already on thin ice for killing Ned Stark and starting the War of the Five Kings, but this made him sink even further. Most importantly, though, is the fact the bastard that mattered the most, Gendry, slipped through Joffrey’s fingers. Hopefully, he will live through Season Eight and become the next Lord of the Stormlands.

#6- Jon and Ygritte’s First Meeting, “the Old Gods and the New”

How can we forget the fiery Ygritte, Jon Snow’s first great love? While scouting for the location of the Free Folk’s camp, Jon Snow’s group gets attacked by Free Folk scouts. They kill all but one, only for Jon to be shocked to find out it’s a woman. Despite attempting to kill her, Ygritte manages to lead Jon away from his group, leaving them alone together as night falls.

From the moment they first meet, Ygritte was aware that Jon found her attractive, and uses that to mess with him on several occasions. By Season Three, the two had fallen in love with each other, which made their separation all the more heart-breaking. On a meta note, their actors, Kit Harrington and Rose Leslie, got married in June 2018. Assuming they don’t split up in the future, it will be like Jon and Ygritte getting their happy ending. Plus, if they ever have kids, this will make for one heck of a story on how they met.

#5- Brienne of Tarth introduced, “What is Dead May Never Die”

After fleeing King’s Landing in the wake of Robert’s imminent passing, Renly crowns himself as King of the Seven Kingdoms, on the basis that he’d be a better king than his brother Stannis. Next time we see him, he’s already amassed a huge army and secured an alliance with the Reach by marrying his boyfriend’s sister, Margaery Tyrell. Said boyfriend then gets his butt whooped by a mystery knight. Imagine everyone’s shock when it’s revealed that Ser Loras was beaten not by a man, but a woman: Brienne of Tarth.

Westeros has had its fill of strong women, from Olenna Tyrell to Daenerys Targaryen. Only a few have taken up a sword in battle, and Brienne’s one of the best. Despite being looked down on for her gender, Renly was right to recognize her for her skill as a warrior first and foremost. Since then, Brienne has proven to be among the best fighters in the series, even beating the Hound in combat. When the White Walkers invade, she’ll be fighting there on the frontlines

#4- Riot in King’s Landing, “The Old Gods and the New”

Just when people thought Joffrey reached the pinnacle of pointless cruelty, he lowered the bar yet again. While returning to the Red Keep, a mob of commoners starts throwing insults at Joffrey. When he gets hit in the face with manure (which, admittedly, most people would be pissed at), Joffrey loses it and orders his guards to “kill them all”. This leads to a full scale riot in King’s Landing as Joffrey’s guards are nearly overwhelmed by the mob.

This moment reinforces the fact that, even if he was Robert’s son, Joffrey is not fit to be King of anything. King of fictional morons, maybe, but I doubt that all the Patrick Star’s and Homer Simpsons would put up with him either.

This scene filled me with a mixture of disgust and shock. We all knew that Joffrey was an idiot, but no one thought he’d be dumb enough to start a city-wide riot. Adding on to the list of trauma she went through, Sansa was almost raped by some of the rioters while Joffrey refused to look for her. When Joffrey eventually died, I felt no pity for him whatsoever.

#3- “The Queen Mustn’t Know”, “What is Dead May Never Die”

After being made Hand of the King in his father’s abscence, Tyrion had found himself undermined by his sister at every chance she got. Realizing that someone on the Small Council was ratting on him, Tyrion comes up with a clever way to find out who the mole is. He tells each member of his plans to wed Myrcella Baratheon, but gives a different man for each one. When Cersei predictably gets mad at him, she inadvertently gives away her informant: Grand Maester Pycelle.

This exchange shows off how Tyrion Lannister is one of the smartest people in the Seven Kingdoms, and why he’s one of my favorite characters. Tricking three members of the Small Council, two of which run the biggest spy networks in the show, is an insanely impressive feat. Even Varys is willing to give him props for what he did, saying “Well played, my lord Hand”.

The icing on the cake to all this is that pissed Cersei off beyond belief, and I find that extremely funny.

#2- The Battle of Blackwater, “Blackwater”

I couldn’t choose just one moment from this episode, so I just picked the whole thing.

The culmination of the events of the entire season, the penultimate episode saw Stannis Baratheon launch an all-out assault on King’s Landing in order to take the throne he saw as his (No one cares that Daenerys is still alive, I guess). With Joffrey incapable of doing anything helpful, it is up to Tyrion to lead the outnumbered defenders of the city. Stannis’ forces came close to breaking through the gates, with Stannis himself making it onto the ramparts. In the end, though, the arrival of the armies of Tywin Lannister and House Martell force him to retreat.

This episode marked the first time Game of Thrones ever attempted a large-scale battle, making it one of the most ambitious undertakings in the history of TV. With a good portion of the series cast, and the inclusion of hundreds of extras, made for an episode on par with a Hollywood blockbuster. The best part, though, is that this is just a taste of what was to come in future seasons. And Season Eight is looking to have battle scenes on par with the Battle of Helm’s Deep from Lord of the Rings. I can’t wait!

#1- The White Walkers Are Real, ”
Valar Morghulis”

After the climactic battle that occurred in the last episode, what could Game of Thrones possibly do to top it for its season finale? Set the fans up for even crazier moments. And this was the moment where we finally saw the face of the true enemy.

As Samwell Tarly and the other members of the Night’s Watch are out scouting, they are terrified when their Brothers blast their horns three times, heralding the approach of the Wights and White Walkers. As Sam is left behind, he is terrified to see a horde of Wights advancing on the Night’s Watch encampment. It gets worse. At the head of the undead legion, riding a zombified horse, is a White Walker.

We had only caught brief glimpses of the White Walkers. This would mark the first time that we had ever seen a White Walker in its entirety; not even the books had done this. And they are like something straight out of a horror film. Their gaunt and icy appearance, those supernaturally blue eyes, and a language that sounds like the cracking of ice. This is the evil that the Seven Kingdoms would eventually have to face, and it is absolutely terrifying to see.

Do you Agree With My Picks? Here are my Picks for Biggest Deaths of Season Two.