S08.E03: The Long Night

[ShellsandCheese]

I loved the beginning with Melisandre lighting the swords of the Dothraki. That was pretty damn cool. 

Also, even though Arya was the one to bring down the NK. The North would have been toast without Dany’s army’. I really hope people show her some appreciation. 

Edited April 29, 2019 by ShellsandCheese

[NeenerNeener]

Now I understand why the cast is bitching about that being an absolute death march of a shoot. I think I read somewhere that it took 58 nights to film that sucker.  Did Jon's dragon survive, or not?

[Leroux]

If it wasn't for Arya, they all would be dead. In the end, it wasn't Danaerys or Jon

 Arya should be the ruler of the seven kingdoms. 

[JTMacc99]

Maybe Ghost read the room and hung a left when the Dothraki went straight. 

12 minutes ago, easypeasy said:

That's my girl.

That’s exactly what I was thinking. 

[Twopper]

4 minutes ago, ferjy said:

I was actually expecting a lot more. Although I'm not quite sure who survived.

I think I will have to watch this again, and I will turn the brightness up so I can see better.  Those really dark scenes are hard on my old eyes.   But wow!!!

[Law Mom]

And all the Emmys go to...

That was seriously spectacular. When a TV show makes you FEEL something, the apprehension, the fear, the sense of loss, not like you are watching it but like you are living it, that is something special.

[Morrigan2575]

3 minutes ago, Leroux said:

Theon, Theon, Theon !!!!!!

My heart broke off at his sacrifice. Bran words to him.   His death, all of it. 

Theon, a real hero. 

The tear, the fucking tear, knowing he was dead but charging the NK anyway.  I can't tell if the tear was because of Bran's words or because he knew that he was going to die but, damn that killed me.

ETA: anyone else have to change TV settings twice to get a good visual? This was so freaking dark

Edited April 29, 2019 by Morrigan2575

[Hiacios]

1 minute ago, MVFrostsMyPie said:

This episode made me realize that I would have survived with anyone dying, except for Arya and Tyrion and Brienne and Sansa. Like, the rest I would have been sad over, but not surprised about. Surprisingly, I would have been the least heartbroken over Jon or Dany. 

Arya's time will come. 

[UNOSEZ]

10 minutes ago, BitterApple said:

Damm, Lyanna AND Jorah?! I was expecting one or the other.

Forget the amazing battle scenes, Tyrion and Sansa absolutely ripped my heart out tonight.

They gotta find a way to make it work... Forget what missandei said... 

[Timetoread]

Useless fucking Sam!

[Neurochick]

The episode should be called: Don’t Fuck with Arya Stark.

But seriously, they dragged that shit out too long.

[FormerMod-a1]

I loved Jon psyching himself up to try to get the wight dragon, knowing he'd probably fail.  I also loved Drogon comforting Dany.

[Conan Troutman]

10 minutes ago, ShellsandCheese said:

Not all. But probably most. 

Yeah, a couple Dothraki came running back along with Jorah after that disastrous first strike (I thought they would've managed to kill a couple thousand wights at the very least, but boy were they worthless). What's-his-face was among them, but died inside WF and was raised later. 

Edited April 29, 2019 by Conan Troutman

[quickjessie]

No way will I nitpick this.  It was just too damn good.  This is TV people - not the "big screen".  And that right there was some epic television.  

On the edge of my seat for most of the show and it was well worth it.  Arya - you are my idol.  Biggest regret = losing Lady Mormont.  Such a badass that one.  

[catrice2]

Lyanna is dead and the useless Sansa is still around??!!!  WTF??!!   She was a badass until the end.  I still had hope she was lying on the ground just bleeding until the blue eyes! 

So this means Greyworm and/or Missandei are not making it out of the next three episodes.  Other than Jorah and Lyanna everyone else was pretty much disposable to me. 

Still don't know why everyone loves Jon Snow...he was pretty useless in this battle too.  

I cannot understand why Dani could not love Jorah!!! 

[LittleIggy]

Lady Mormont was badass to the end. I’ll miss her. Good luck to Bella Ramsey in her future endeavors.

Arya for the win! When something needs to be done, send in a woman. I kept yelling at Bran to wake the fuck up and do something. 

So only once dragon left? ☹️

Varys holding the little girl’s hand down in the crypt was sweet.

[SourK]

I feel like I don't even know what I watched, or who's still alive. Battle episodes are not my fav, but I think this one was paced well in so far as they broke up the stabby parts with slower parts in between.

5 minutes ago, rozen said:

This was great and all...but what the hell was Bran's plan? Seriously? He sat there warging into some ravens watching w/ surround sound as the Night King came to murder him? I honestly expected the Night King to strut up and suddenly bend the knee to our new Sith Lord Bran. 

I know the plot demands Dany take enormous losses to make her battle for the throne harder, but wtf was sending the Dothraki to their doom with no support? Literally why? 

I love how Clegane was ready to let all these suckers die until he saw his baby Arya was in danger. He snatched her up like a unruly kitten and booked it!

Yeah, when he was just sitting there while Theon & the redshirts defended him, I was like, "He'd better be warging a way to win this battle!" And then it just nothing. Or maybe it turns out it was something next week.

I had other nitpicks -- like, maybe, when the dead people are all standing still by the side of the trench, it would be a good time to toast them with some dragon fire. Or, maybe, if Melissandre can light the fires and that's the reason she's going outside, she should run instead of walking slowly.

I also felt bad about the Dothraki for the same reasons... just send them into the dark by themselves and watch while they all get killed. And somehow Jorah comes back. What I'm telling myself is that, in a normal battle, the Dothraki would have cut down a lot of the enemies and the army who stayed behind would have attacked the ones who broke through the line, but because they all got slaughtered right away it looked dumb.

[MVFrostsMyPie]

Just now, Hiacios said:

Arya's time will come. 

It's weird that you're so sure about it. 

[hypnotoad]

So yeah my cat is still watching GoT! I barely know what to say about this episode. Arya for the win. I did love Sansa and Tyrion in the crypt. I was screaming when Dany landed that damn dragon ... thank goodness he is okay. I hope John's dragon is too. Oh and Ghost.

[Quickbeam]

I got really tired of people dying to save Sam. And RIP Lady Mormont.

[Traveller519]

I'm.... Not sure how I feel about the Night King already being dead. On one hand it was the overarching theme of why we were telling this story, hence the prelude. On the other hand, we're all fall more invested in the political drama of the seven kingdoms.

In either case. Incredible episode! We were all invested the whole way through 

Edited April 29, 2019 by Traveller519

[Lemuria]

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.

[The Companion]

Arya Stark! Amazing. 

I am sure I will have all the thoughts tomorrow but for now I am gonna revel in Lady Mormont and Arya Stark being amazing. 

[Lola82]

Damn I missed the whole exchange about eye colors. Can somebody please fill me in?

I respect the amount of work that went into shooting this battle but it was not my favorite. Too hectic, too dark, just a lot of noise and shots jumping from one to another. The Battle of the Bastards was more impressive IMO.

[AimingforYoko]

12 minutes ago, rozen said:

This was great and all...but what the hell was Bran's plan?

Well, he did give Arya the dagger.

[Popples]

2 minutes ago, hypnotoad said:

So yeah my cat is still watching GoT! I barely know what to say about this episode. Arya for the win. I did love Sansa and Tyrion in the crypt. I was screaming when Dany landed that damn dragon ... thank goodness he is okay. I hope John's dragon is too. Oh and Ghost.

Your cat: All hail Hypno-Bran!

Edited April 29, 2019 by Popples
Cat not car

[Macbeth]

Jorah, Lyanna and Jeor Mormont - All hail Bear Island.   Legendary bad-ass warriors. 

[rozen]

Just now, Lemuria said:

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.

Agreed. Imo, this only tolerable if it's set up to explain why A Man allowed Arya to go on this vengeance spree instead of turning her into a face on the wall. She must be on track to be the greatest Faceless (Wo)Man the world has ever seen if she's reached the level of taking out the freaking Night King. Otherwise A Man and a cart full of gold could have solved this whole mess eons ago.

[AuxArx]

Still worn out from the whole thing, but did anyone else find it hard to see?  Pretty murky, I thought, but maybe it's just my old eyes.

I had a feeling if the head dead guy was killed, it would be all over, but I guess they needed that special knife to do the deed.  Sure took 'em long enough!

Gotta go lie down now...

[UNOSEZ]

7 minutes ago, MVFrostsMyPie said:

This episode made me realize that I would have survived with anyone dying, except for Arya and Tyrion and Brienne and Sansa. Like, the rest I would have been sad over, but not surprised about. Surprisingly, I would have been the least heartbroken over Jon or Dany. 

I was scared for Dany on that Hill with Jorah... 

[Popples]

1 minute ago, Lola82 said:

Damn I missed the whole exchange about eye colors. Can somebody please fill me in?

Back in like Season 3, when the Brotherhood sold Gendry to Melisandre and Arya got angry, Mel held her face and told her that she sees the eyes Arya will shut forever, brown, green, and blue. Night King had blue eyes, and Arya shut them.

[Lemuria]

3 minutes ago, SourK said:

it would be a good time to toast them with some dragon fire.

If I recall correctly, they did.  I could have sworn at one point, I saw dragon fire, a bit in the distance, come down from an almost invisible dragon and sweeping across the front lines of the AoTD.

[enoughcats]

4 minutes ago, NeenerNeener said:

Did Jon's dragon survive, or not?

Spoiler

I counted two dragons up in the sky , but I'm not sure when that happened late in the show

[Growsonwalls]

I thought Jon was the most useless this episode. Well besides Sam and the people in the crypt who admitted they were useless. At least Dany tried killing the NW with her dragon fire. 

[EyesGlazed]

Oh God I watched this episode with my hand clutching my own throat the whole time.  That was amazing.  I'm a mess.  How on earth am I going to go to work tomorrow?  

RIP Jorah, Theon and Lyanna, you all had the deaths that you would have chosen.

AND ARYA SAVES THE DAY!  I fully expected it to be Jon Snow, and thank you Show for upending that old trope!  The Night King didn't see that one coming either heh heh.

[TaurusRose]

9 minutes ago, Quickbeam said:

I got really tired of people dying to save Sam. 

This.

Edited April 29, 2019 by taurusrose

[QuinnM]

19 minutes ago, aquarian1 said:

Arya!  Even with the convo with Melisandre I didn't pick up on the "blue eyes" thing right away.  

The first time they had the exchange blue eyes were in the middle of the list.  This time it was the last one list, with punctuation.

[dizzyd]

Are we down to just 1 dragon now? I had no tears for Jorah or Theon. And Lady M went out like the badass she is. I was worried running around with Arya. Should have known better, not fucking today!!!!

Edited April 29, 2019 by dizzyd

[dirtypop90]

Can someone explain to me what the  hell Dany and Jon were supposed to be doing? I guess they got the Night King off his dragon. But it was off to me that Jon’s little sister was fighting for her life, the other totally unprotected in the crypts, theon’s watching his little brother, and he was having a joy ride.

Edited April 29, 2019 by dirtypop90
Typo

[sumiregusa]

The big villain of GOT: Cersei fucking Lannister. I mean....okay?

[Brn2bwild]

10 minutes ago, Timetoread said:

Useless fucking Sam!

At one point he was weeping.  Is Gilly dead?

[sweetcookieface]

That was (largely) incredible. My heart started pounding a minute into the episode, and didn't stop until the end. I think the best parts were the moments of stillness, with the mounting sense of dread. Case in point: the opening, when everyone's just waiting in formation, in silence and darkness. And the eeriest image of the entire episode for me was the shot of thousands of Dothraki soldiers, identifiable only as dots of light, riding into the darkness, and quickly being extinguished.

There were two things that bugged me in the episode though:

First... the darkness! I know the events took place at night, but I didn't like that I had to spend so much time straining my eyes just to figure out what I was watching. At one point I gave up and just stood a couple of feet away from my tv.

Second, the number of times I had to suspend disbelief. I lost count of how many times I saw characters overwhelmed by wights, only to somehow come out of it unscathed. And whenever Dany used dragonfire, it should have also burned her soldiers to a crisp (since it's such an indiscriminate weapon). It was especially egregious when Jon was surrounded, and the dragonfire somehow managed to kill all wights within a one foot radius of him, without Jon sustaining any injuries. (Unless they're alluding to his Targaryen blood giving him some immunity, but I don't think so.) Which brings me to a related point... I'm a little sick of how the dragons have become a bit of a deux ex machina, swooping in at the last moment to save impossible situations. (Of course the one time dragonfire would have made sense - when the Army of the Dead was still en route to Winterfell, and not intermingled with the human population - they didn't use them for some reason.)

Anyway, those are minor quibbles in what was an otherwise impressive episode of television. I can't wait to see it again (hopefully with better light).

I think the biggest shock of the night for me was Grey Worm surviving. I really want a happy ending for Grey Worm and Missandei, so hopefully those two crazy kids make it. The deaths were otherwise fairly predictable: Theon, Jorah, Dolorous Edd, Beric, Lady Mormont (her death was the only one that shocked me). Did I miss anyone?

I didn't see Arya coming at the end. The face-off between Bran and the Night King was so long and drawn out that for a minute I thought Bran was going to warg into him. I'm still processing, but I think I like Arya being hte one to kill the Night King (arguably a bit fan-servicey, but less predictable than Jon).

Finally, I don't know what's going on with me, but after shipping Sansa/Theon last week, I'm kind of feeling Sansa/Tyrion this week. 

[QuinnM]

4 minutes ago, AuxArx said:

Still worn out from the whole thing, but did anyone else find it hard to see?  Pretty murky, I thought, but maybe it's just my old eyes.

I did send an email to the folks that set up my home theater to say ‘nice job I apparently am the only person that can see Game of Thrones’.  The tech emailed me back to say that he uses GoT to set the specs.  So I’m very lucky.

[CletusMusashi]

As usual after a big battle episode, I have to ask: what was their plan?

Before Melisandre showed up randomly, were they just going to send out all the Dothraki with regular, non-wight-killing swords?

Or was the original plan to maybe shoot them from a distance with fire arrows? Thanks a bunch for changing that plan there, Red.

[TaurusRose]

3 minutes ago, Growsonwalls said:

I thought Jon was the most useless this episode. Well besides Sam and the people in the crypt who admitted they were useless. At least Dany tried killing the NW with her dragon fire. 

Why am I not surprised that you thought that?  I saw Jon do plenty of fighting on the ground and it was good to see Dany do some fighting.  She should be able to fight and protect herself if she wants to rule.

[Lemuria]

9 minutes ago, Quickbeam said:

I got really tired of people dying to save Sam.

Especially as he refused to go into the crypts and insisted on fighting.

[GodsBeloved]

1 hour ago, Lillith said:

The two I didn't see were Podrick and Ghost did they make it?

It may be my heart eyes for Pod but I could have sworn I saw him inside the walls but never saw him fall. Not sure about Ghost tho they best not have touched a hair on his furry head or Imma go Arya Stark on their asses.

Edited April 29, 2019 by GodsBeloved

[Artsda]

12 minutes ago, NeenerNeener said:

Now I understand why the cast is bitching about that being an absolute death march of a shoot. I think I read somewhere that it took 58 nights to film that sucker.  Did Jon's dragon survive, or not?

55 nights in freezing cold temperature.

[MissLucas]

1 minute ago, dirtypop90 said:

Can someone explain to me what they’ll Dany and Jon were supposed to be doing? I guess they got the Night King of his dragon. But it was off to me that Jon’s little sister was fighting for her life, the other totally unprotected in the crypts, theon’s watching his little brother, and he was having a joy ride.

Waiting for the NK to come after Bran and then trying to take him out. When Dany lost her cool after the Dothraki were wiped out that plan went haywire. But since the NK was dragon-fire resistant it didn't matter. 

[Sakura12]

Cersei: We have the Iron born pirates and The Golden Company.

Dany: We have an Arya.