S08.E03: The Long Night

[YaddaYadda]

I found the ending 100% anti-climactic. 

And way to send Ghost to die off screen.

[Raachel2008]

R.I.P. House Mormont.

Arya for the win, that was awesome.

The first 10-20 minutes were some of the best I’ve ever seen.

The music was kinda of.. distracting? The music should always add something and in some cases I think it was just a nuisance.

Melisandre redeemed herself as did Theon. Alfie Allen is such a fine actor.

I’m kind of surprised Jon didn’t have more to do, and I get why he decided to go after the NK.

While I’m glad some of my faves are alive, how absurd is that so many of them are alive. The crypt end game was ridiculous. All of the people whose names we know survived - Sansa, Tyrion, Misandei, Gilly, Little Sam and Varys all alive? As if.

Nice Tyrion/Sansa scene.

I think we can all agree that Jaime is the valonqr.

[Leila6]

12 minutes ago, onyxrose81 said:

So there was no point to Jon’s storyline at all was there?  I’m shaking with rage tbh.  

Im sad for Dany because Jorah and also Theon.  

 I can’t even be happy about Arya because that seemed to come out of nowhere.  

This sums up my feelings. We’re to believe that Arya got past all those white walkers with literally none of them seeing her or stopping her? What, did she fly through the trees? Total bullshit. 

And on a book note, I guess the Prince That Was Promised prophecy is also total bullshit? God, what’s the point? Fuck it.

[GrailKing]

17 minutes ago, Eyes High said:

Sansa/Tyrion? Called it. That hand kiss was pretty swoony for a show that’s not that great at romance.

I’m surprised they went all Attack on Titan on Lyanna Mormont. Pretty badass death all things considered.

I thought Sansa and Tyrion were going to end it when they pulled out the Dragon Glass daggers.

[SeanC]

18 minutes ago, anamika said:

Arya taking out the NK seems to be a GRRM thing - D&D knew about it three years ago.

That would point to the opposite conclusion.  D&D's big powwow with GRRM over the remainder of the series was after the production of Season 3.  D&D's comments made it sound like this was something they came up with themselves (actually, it sounds like they did pretty much all this by themselves, which would also explain why the whole Azor Ahai prophecy basically doesn't seem to have any relation to this).  And it's pretty likely that there isn't a Night King in the books, anyway, at least not anything like this.

[anamika]

Jon cutting his way through the dead towards Bran and the NK.

Small Arya sneaking through with her Valyrian steel dagger. It makes perfect sense for Arya to get him. The only way - trickery, speed and deftness.

She spend two seasons with the FM learning these skills? What's the point otherwise?

Jon and Dany did their part - dragons taking out a lot of wights, trying to kill the NK, fighting on foot etc. 

But Arya saved the world.

If this is the end of the AOTD of course. I am still finding it hard to digest that this apocalyptic threat is taken care of in one episode.

2 minutes ago, SeanC said:

D&D's big powwow with GRRM over the remainder of the series was after the production of Season 3. 

The quote from Benioff was - "For god I think it was three years or so, I dunno, we have known that it was Arya who is going to deal the fatal blow"

I don't think we should connect timelines to their vague remembrances on when they knew. They knew - and it was probably from GRRM.

Edited April 29, 2019 by anamika

[Spartan Girl]

Nice touch with Drogon landing to curl up beside his grieving mother.

Give Emilia an Emmy.

[tangerine95]

I love that Arya killed the NK but I'm not sure I love that the long night storyline is over so soon.I feel that after all the build up he should have been the final villain and actually made it to KL.I love Cersei and she's a more compelling character but it does seem kinda underwhelming after fighting literal death.Guess I'll judge after seeing how they deal with it tho.

[HeySandyStrange]

21 minutes ago, Eyes High said:

Sansa/Tyrion? Called it. That hand kiss was pretty swoony for a show that’s not that great at romance.

I’m surprised they went all Attack on Titan on Lyanna Mormont. Pretty badass death all things considered.

I've always liked Sansa and Tyrion together, do if this episode indicates they're endgame (assuming they survive) kudos. The actors gave believable chemistry.

The battle was amazing. The way they built the tension, was amazing.

I'm glad Greyworm and Meisandei made it out. Really sad about Jorag, Theon, Lyanna, and all the rest.

I will say, as cool as it was that Arya took out the Night King, I felt like it seemed...too easy? Too soon to take out the greatest threat in Westeros. 

[Lady Iris]

My neck and head are killing me! Never thought I’d be so happy to see Melisandre. That Dothraki sword lighting scene was gorgeous. It was so incredibly hopeless at the end until Arya BAMF Stark came out of nowhere. Did Bran know that was the weapon that was gonna take out the NK? So much to chew over with this episode. We’ll be feasting on this one for ages.

[CherryMalotte]

6 minutes ago, SimoneS said:

The fact that people couldn't see the episode is why plasma should have won over the led in the tv wars.

You must have been reading my mind - we had a plasma but gave it to my sister in law.  I remarked to the husband that I wish I was watching that one tonight.  I think it would have been a bit 'lighter'.  Maybe this is just their film noir inspired cinematography episode of the season. 

I couldn't tell - did Gendry and Pod pull thru?  

[Enigma X]

7 minutes ago, Ambrosefolly said:

I thought I would be the only that felt that way and I might be a bit more critical. I think that Arya is a Mary Sue in a lot of ways and I kind felt that the Night King himself should have been a bit harder to kill. 

I don’t think that Arya is a Mary Sue. I do think that it was way too easy to kill the NK. I was hoping that taking down of the NK would have been more of a group effort. 

[Affogato]

16 minutes ago, stagmania said:

 It feels anticlimactic. 

Which makes sense. 

[AttackTurtle]

That was incredibly nerve wracking.  

Jorah dying totally sucked.   Sam was kind of driving me nuts as was the Hound until he snapped out of it to help his girl.

I loved the Sansa/Tyrion scenes.   I also loved Missandei telling Sansa off.  That was long overdue.

In hindsight, Arya killing the Night King was building up throughout the episode, but I was still shocked when she popped up.   

So what does Jaime do now?  

I’m really happy that Davos survived.   I’m still wrapping my head around this one.

[anamika]

10 minutes ago, Raachel2008 said:

The music was kinda of.. distracting? The music should always add something and in some cases I think it was just a nuisance.

Yeah, what was up with the music when the NK was walking towards Bran? Strange. First time I was disappointed in Ramin. He should have stuck with Hardhome music everywhere - with the ticking clock.

[Enigma X]

4 minutes ago, HeySandyStrange said:

I'm glad Greyworm and Meisandei made it out. Really sad about Jorag, Theon, Lyanna, and all the rest.

So Missandei is alive? Yay.

[SeanC]

5 minutes ago, anamika said:

The quote from Benioff was - "For god I think it was three years or so, I dunno, we have known that it was Arya who is going to deal the fatal blow"

I don't think we should connect timelines to their vague remembrances on when they knew. They knew - and it was probably from GRRM.

If you look at the whole conversation, he's talking about how they came up with the idea, which is when they settled on it.  Hence, e.g., him talking about why it didn't feel right for Jon to get this moment.  Given that, as I said, the Night King seems most likely to be a show invention, this isn't a moment that is likely from the book storyline.  I'm increasingly certain that most of the stuff about the White Walkers in the show is their own invention.  The backstory given to them doesn't really square with the books, which people have noted for a while; the Night King is a vague repurposing of the book "Night's King" who is used to give the White Walkers an instant-kill.

[Advance35]

The whole episode was relentless.

My heart broke for the Dothraki, when we saw their swords start to die out.

Lyanna Mormont was a badass.  And she would have been unstoppable had she lived to adult hood.

My heart also broke for Theon.  He totally redeemed himself in my eyes.

Loved the moment between Arya and Sansa.  Arya telling her to get to the Crypts and giving her a dagger.  Sansa admitting she doesn't know how to use it and Arya saying "stick them with the pointy end."

Watching Arya run and hide through the halls of Winterfell was harrowing.

It's a shame Tyrion is a Lannister because if he wasn't, I think Sansa might give him a chance.  That and his loyalty to Dany.  I do notice that even when she is being petty and mean (Missandei was not here for it) Tyrion is never anything less then a Gentlemen to Sansa.

I have to admit, I saw chemistry.  Someone posted that the actress that plays Gilly said that she shipped Tyrion and Sansa, I guess we now know why.

When the dead in the crypts started to rise I lost it.

So many thoughts I can't process them all now but I Love that all of my Kings Landing snakes (Varys, Tyrion and Sansa) survived to power grab another day.

Edited April 29, 2019 by Advance35

[YaddaYadda]

3 minutes ago, tangerine95 said:

I love that Arya killed the NK but I'm not sure I love that the long night storyline is over so soon.

Long Night? I'm sure my 7 hour sleep is longer than that long night.

I'm sure it was done on purpose. Decimate Dany's army, make female Tywin the smartest person in the room.

[spaceghostess]

Holy forking shirtballs.

I must collect myself.

[SimoneS]

15 minutes ago, JennyMominFL said:

I think i am the most sad about Hot Dothraki Dude

IKR! It is a freaking crime that a man that hot got killed. 

[GrailKing]

13 minutes ago, SimoneS said:

Arya, you are a fucking badass, much respect!

Lyanna, you went out like the boss that you are!

Jorah, you protected your Khaleesi to end. Rest well.

Theon, you were never my favorite, but you were courageous at the end.

Bran, you are fucking useless!

Jon, why were you yelling at a fucking wight dragons? And stop trying to kill Dany by flying into her.

Drogon, you are a good son!

Rhaegal, I hope you are alive!

Ghost, I hope by some miracle you are alive.

Dothraki, you were brave to the end. 

Qhono, it is an injustice that a man as hot as you was killed and turned into a walker.

Edd, your watch is over!

Sam, you are fucking useless also. You got Edd killed and laid around crying.

Missandei, nice job telling off Sansa, about time someone did.

Sansa was still telling Tyrion the truth, he has divided loyalties, if not Dany and his family, it be Dany and her, so it wasn't mean spirited; just truth. 

What would had happened if Danny followed the plan? Looked like the Dothroki's died either way.

Dany had her Kobayoshi Maru, like Jon.

[Growsonwalls]

1 minute ago, Advance35 said:

The whole episode was relentless.

My heart broke for the Dothraki, when we saw their swords start to die out.

Lyanna Mormont was a badass.  And she would have been unstoppable had she lived to adult hood.

My heart also broke for Theon.  He totally redeemed himself in my eyes.

Loved the moment between Arya and Sansa.  Arya telling her to get to the Crypts and giving her a dagger.  Sansa admitting she doesn't know how to use it and Arya saying "stick them with the pointy end."

Watching Arya run and hide through the halls of Winterfell was harrowing.

It's a shame Tyrion is a Lannister because if he wasn't, I think Sansa might give him a chance.  That and his (kind of hate to admit it) well placed loyalty to Dany.  I do notice that even when she is being petty and mean (Missandei was not here for it) Tyrion is never anything less then a Gentlemen to Sansa.

I have to admit, I saw chemistry.  Someone posted that the actress that plays Gilly said that she shipped Tyrion and Sansa, I guess we now know why.

I think Sophie Turner just has great chemistry with most of the cast. Even when she's adversaries with someone they have chemistry.

Arya running through Winterfell reminded us of how young she is. So when she killed the NW I nearly bent the knee to the TV screen. That was awesome. 

[SimoneS]

Just now, YaddaYadda said:

I'm sure it was done on purpose. Decimate Dany's army, make female Tywin the smartest person in the room.

You are damn sure right about that one.

[Sakura12]

Was Bran just waiting for the badass that is Arya to save him? 

I thought Arya was going to disguise herself as one of the White Walkers and that's how she was going to kill the Night King. 

[anamika]

2 minutes ago, SeanC said:

If you look at the whole conversation, he's talking about how they came up with the idea, which is when they settled on it.  Hence, e.g., him talking about why it didn't feel right for Jon to get this moment.  Given that, as I said, the Night King seems most likely to be a show invention, this isn't a moment that is likely from the book storyline.  I'm increasingly certain that most of the stuff about the White Walkers in the show is their own invention.  The backstory given to them doesn't really square with the books, which people have noted for a while; the Night King is a vague repurposing of the book "Night's King" who is used to give the White Walkers an instant-kill.

Him saying that it did not feel right for Jon to do it is a possible explanation for why it was Arya.

Even if the night king is a show invention, there has to be a way to take them out, some mythology to defeat them which the show has used? Are you suggesting that the entire concept of the Others, how to defeat them, their origin etc. is different on the show?

Why would they invent their own mythology for the big bad when GRRM has told them all this way back around season 3?

[SimoneS]

Just now, Sakura12 said:

Was Bran just waiting for the badass that is Arya to save him? 

Yep, apparently Bran's contribution was to give Arya the knife knowing that she would use it to kill the NK. Whatever Bran.

[HeySandyStrange]

6 minutes ago, Enigma X said:

So Missandei is alive? Yay.

Now that I think about it, I'm not 100% sure I saw her alive at the end, though I thought I did. I just really want her and Greyworm to make it out of this. 

Also, what the hell was Bran's point in all of this? He seemed pretty useless, for all his powers.

Edited April 29, 2019 by HeySandyStrange

[GrailKing]

25 minutes ago, Tachi Rocinante said:

I have a nice TV and it felt like I was watching a VHS tape.

It did not seem to bad to me, it's night time, I could see details. Not overly dark on my set in LR.

I'll check tomorrow on the BR set.

[Lemuria]

I also posted this in the other thread:

It was an intense and scary episode and I really liked most of it.  In the end, though, I found it unsatisfying.  I know this will be an Unpopular Opinion:  I love Badass Arya and I'm all for Gril-l-l Power but there was no set-up for Arya to take down the NK.  In 7-1/2 seasons, nothing.  Not even a subtle hint, versus more than one stare-off between the NK and Jon.

It's one thing to have a twist, where the hints were very subtle but looking back, you can see the signs.  And maybe they slipped right past me, but I still can't see anything when I think back.  

So basically, for me, it ended up being a bait-and-switch, and I hate those.

[raven]

1 minute ago, Sakura12 said:

Was Bran just waiting for the badass that is Arya to save him? 

I actually wondered if Bran saw that was going to happen.  He planted himself specifically outside, where someone trained could sneak around the NK and his fellow wights.  A direct attack was probably not going to work.

[SimoneS]

3 minutes ago, GrailKing said:

What would had happened if Danny followed the plan? Looked like the Dothroki's died either way.

Dany had her Kobayoshi Maru, like Jon.

I don't know what you mean by this, but Dany was damn lucky that Jon didn't kill her so I'll take that for the win.

2 minutes ago, HeySandyStrange said:

Now that I think about it, I'm not 100% sure I saw her alive at the end, though I thought I did. I just really want her and Greyworm to make it out of this. 

Missandei was alive. I cheered when I saw her.

[YaddaYadda]

2 minutes ago, SimoneS said:

Yep, apparently Bran's contribution was to give Arya the knife knowing that she would use it to kill the NK. Whatever Bran.

I think it's worst, because Theon died to protect him and Alys Karstark who was there too.

[joliefaire]

45 minutes ago, anamika said:

Arya : Most valuable player of the game!

That's all.

Goodbye Theon, Jorah, Edd, Lyanna, Ghost and Hot Dothraki Warlord.  

GHOST?  Ghost is fine!

[SeanC]

4 minutes ago, HeySandyStrange said:

Now that I think about it, I'm not 100% sure I saw her alive at the end, though I thought I did. I just really want her and Greyworm to make it out of this. 

She was alive, she was huddled with the mostly-main-character group in the crypts at the end.

5 minutes ago, anamika said:

Why would they invent their own mythology for the big bad when GRRM has told them all this way back around season 3?

*shrugs* Who knows?  Maybe because, as this episodes suggests, they mostly wanted to get the Others out of the way to get back to Cersei?  In any event, very little of what we've seen of the White Walkers in the later seasons seems to have much to do with what we've seen of them in the books, and the Night King is almost certainly a show invention.

Plus, you've got the fact that this ending really has jack to do with any of the Azor Ahai mythology.

Edited April 29, 2019 by SeanC

[Coconuts]

2 minutes ago, CherryMalotte said:

You must have been reading my mind - we had a plasma but gave it to my sister in law.  I remarked to the husband that I wish I was watching that one tonight.  I think it would have been a bit 'lighter'.  Maybe this is just their film noir inspired cinematography episode of the season. 

I couldn't tell - did Gendry and Pod pull thru?  

Pod definitely made it, but no idea on Gendry.

This episode made me wish we would have bought the more expensive TV.

It was far, far less brutal than I expected. I mean, I was going full pessimist (they're all gonna die!), so just losing the Mormonts, Theon (totally disappointed he didn't get a "Father would be proud!" from Bran), Edd and Beric was kind of a relief.

[Leroux]

27 minutes ago, anamika said:

So Dany has pretty much lost her close confidante in Jorah and all her Dothraki. Thankfully Missandei and GW seems to have made it.

I thought Ghost was dead. Rhaegal seems to have made it from the promo for next week.

From the preview for next week, it looks like the North is supporting her campaign? I can see Yohn Royce cheering her. They seem to have appreciated her efforts.

I got the same impression.

Jon told her that they will come to respect her when they got to know her.

Now that she has proved her worth I have no doubt that the north will fight with her as Jon promised.

[go4luca]

Watching all those Dothraki blade flames go out and the silence that followed set the entire episode up brilliantly.

Arya creeping around inside Winterfell - I watched most of that with a pillow covering half my face.

Ghost and both dragons better still be alive.

Can't believe how emotionally drained I feel right now.

Edited April 29, 2019 by go4luca

[chrisvee]

Ghost survived.

[GrailKing]

31 minutes ago, Glaze Crazy said:

Yeah, who gets to clean up that big ol' mess?

Oh... I don't know, but a certain scene of a snow castle comes to mind.

[CherryMalotte]

10 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

Give Emilia an Emmy.

Not taking anything away from Emilia, but Maisie Williams should hopefully be clearing a spot on her shelves for one.  Too early though to speculate though, because Michelle Williams is killing it in Fosse/Verdon - not always sure how they split actresses in series or limited series.

Quote

Dany had her Kobayoshi Maru, like Jon.

Ohhh wow, ten points for a Star Trek reference...and yeah, very true.  

Wait - didn't Arya give Sansa the Valerian steel blade before she went into the crypt?  If she did she was using a dragonglass blade on the NK then.   

[Tippi]

I am disappointed that all this Prince Who Was Promised stuff has apparently turned out to be nothing, at least so far is Jon is concerned.  All this build up that Jon was something special pretty much evaporated with how this played out.  I love Arya, I'm fine with her killing the NK, but it seems to me that Jon should have been involved in the killing somehow. 

Which dragon had the wights crawling all over it?  I hope it survived.

[GrailKing]

31 minutes ago, stagmania said:

I loved that ending in the moment but I’m sitting here digesting and I do not at all like that the Night King went down that easy. And now Cersei gets to be the final big bad and we’re going to go back to fighting over the Iron Throne. From an epic existential battle for the living to petty infighting over who gets to rule who. It feels anticlimactic. 

GRRM always said it be human conflict as the final battle.

Magic for the most part is on it's last leg, and I think each remaining characters have someone planning for their house future.

[chrisvee]

10 minutes ago, HeySandyStrange said:

Now that I think about it, I'm not 100% sure I saw her alive at the end, though I thought I did. I just really want her and Greyworm to make it out of this. 

Also, what the hell was Bran's point in all of this? He seemed pretty useless, for all his powers.

She was alive in the crypts at the end.

[Cammi]

I guess poor Theon shoulda never killed John Wick’s puppy.....

[GraceK]

So Cersei had the right idea all along, She’s sitting pretty in KL with nothing lost, More soldiers and Dany lost a a shit ton of her forces and best adviser and friend and judging by the preview Sansa still doesn’t look happy. At least the rest of the North is starting to come around I hope. 

Is it just me or does it seem like Jon didn’t really do much this episode? And wtf is up with  Ghost? Did they really kill him off offscreen??? 🤦🏻‍♀️ Dany with a sword fighting on the ground with Jorah was amazing. She’s a  badass even without her dragon. Lyanna Mormont taking out a giant before she died was awesome and my heart was in my throat thinking I was gonna see her get eaten . 

Was I the only one who laughed when Jon was rushing to get to Bran and saw Sam crying while he was swarmed by wights screaming for help and just left him? 😂

[GrailKing]

33 minutes ago, SimoneS said:

The fact that people couldn't see the episode is why plasma should have won over the led in the tv wars.

Absolutely, but they couldn't solve weight issues.

I still have my 14 YO Panasonic plasma still looks great.

[voiceover]

One of the biggest takeaways for me was how Arya *earned that NK killing.

Not just some DCMCSaturdayMorningDisneyChannelNickelodeon-grafted-on heroism: See the grrrrrlll power!!

Because I'm bored of that shit.

Pain, loss, suffering, training, defeat, practice, defeat, improvement-training-clever-brilliant ARYA!! 

And still she looked terrified in the crypt.  Courage is not the absence of fear.

[nikma]

7 minutes ago, Tippi said:

I am disappointed that all this Prince Who Was Promised stuff has apparently turned out to be nothing

I think this is great.

[maystone]

I don't really understand why some posters feel that it was easy to kill the NK. Thousands of people died in that battle. Winterfell was destroyed. The plan to destroy him with dragon fire failed. There was nothing easy about trying to kill him. He was always going to be taken out by either dragon fire, dragon glass, or Valyrian steel. And it was one of those that finally did kill him. I'm thrilled that it was Arya who did it, too.

God, there was some beautiful cinematography in this episode, as well as some astounding battle sequences. The story ripped my heart several times. I'm glad that this part of the story is over, to be honest. Time to kill Cersei, people.