S08.E03: The Long Night

[lucindabelle]

Melisandre redeemed herself. She was always on the side of preventing the long night; she just picked Stannis incorrectly.

does this make Arya azor azhai then? And what about the bit about the Kings blood? I mean we saw Arya bleeding but she’s not the daughter of a king.

drogon!!! Love him. Rewatching last 10 minutes can say gendry gillie and baby Sam all definitely alive.

[Hoo]

Lots of food on the ground for the remaining dragon.

[millennium]

The Night King and the Army of the Dead amounted to a shaggy dog story.   All the build-up, all the speculation, who is the Night King,  what is his endgame? ... all put to bed with a punchline rather than a truly satisfying resolution.

I'm glad Arya was the one to do it but it was too sudden and simplistic for a storyline that has stretched out over nearly a decade.  It felt premature.

That said, the art direction in the Night King's final scene was beautiful, the cold blue hues mixing with the fiery orange background.  

Lyanna Mormont's final act of bravery was greatly appreciated, because for a moment there I thought the giant was going to bite her head off.  Didn't want to see that.

I am sorry to say goodbye to Mellisandre.   I always enjoyed her.

The very best part of this episode is that it contained not a moment of hammy Urine Greyjoy. 

[Law Mom]

Thoughts on rewatch:

By my count the Dothraki army was wiped out in 38 seconds. I think this was really important because everyone instantly knew this wasn’t going to go as planned.

For those complaining about how dark it was, I did find it easier to see when I watched it again after dark. At 6 PM it was still light out and much harder to see the screen. It had to be done at night though because there is no way they could have filmed this in daylight with hundreds of extras in full makeup. Logistically impossible, or at least impractible.

I still don’t get the point of Bran warging into the raven. I think maybe it was he could watch the entire battle but that’s just a guess.

Raise your hand if you said “Stab ‘em with the pointy end” and “Not today” out loud.

The fact that Sam kept not dying adds credence to the theory that he will write the Song of Ice and Fire. He needed to be up top to witness what happened.

One of the creepiest moments for me was when the dead made themselves into a bridge over the fire trench.

The silence in the library scene was very effective. Also, who knew Winterfell had a library?

Melisandre didn’t die before dawn as she predicted, technically.

Beric died his final death in a crucifixion pose.

I disagree that Sansa was being ungrateful. The USA helped GB win WWII; we didn’t colonize them afterwards. Plus she wasn’t cowering. She only went into the crypt because Arya insisted.

I’m not surprised the Night King survived dragonfire, but I was kind of expecting his armor to melt and him be more naked.

In the Dany/Jorah scene, I kept waiting for Dany to hide in the fire.

When the dead came back in the crypt, I was hoping the little girl with the scar would do something brave. But nothing, the little coward.  Haha shame on me she’s like 5.

Loved Missandei’s sick burn.

I’m guessing Arya must have a wee Baratheon in her belly,

Does this mean that winter is over?

[childeroland]

8 minutes ago, lucindabelle said:

Melisandre redeemed herself. She was always on the side of preventing the long night; she just picked Stannis incorrectly.

does this make Arya azor azhai then? And what about the bit about the Kings blood? I mean we saw Arya bleeding but she’s not the daughter of a king.

drogon!!! Love him. Rewatching last 10 minutes can say gendry gillie and baby Sam all definitely alive.

I'd guess they're just treating Azor Azhai as an in-universe myth. They already had Jon rising from the dead and Cersei's prophecy, and maybe they'll do some version of the valonquar, so maybe they're limiting the number of prophetic events on the show.

[Lady S.]

1 minute ago, lucindabelle said:

And what about the bit about the Kings blood? I mean we saw Arya bleeding but she’s not the daughter of a king.

Well, maybe not king's blood but royal bastard Gendry did exchange some fluids with her the night before. (Or we can just count the KsitN because she is Robb's sister and descended from all the Stark kings before him.)

[Kanner]

Before the battle I never expected Sansa to fight, even though Jon called for everyone to pick up arms. Why would she listen to Jon about this danger?  She hasn’t before. I had no issue with her going to hide. At least, unlike Sam, she knew where she would be a liability. 

When she arrived in the crypts, I literally said “‘Do your thing, girl.”  I thought she would help with morale and comfort. But she did nothing and even hid with a weapon when her people were dying. 

In an episode when people left and right were facing horror but still standing strong until death, it is very glaring. 

I keep on thinking about what Arya said to Sansa last season. What would you say to little Lyanna Mormont “I was just a child.”?

just to be clear, my issue is not that she gave into fear and didn’t try to help her people emotionally or physically. It’s that she considers herself the best leader and then does this. 

Now if in the next episode she owns her non-actions, I will give props. 

[DigitalCount]

4 minutes ago, Lady S. said:

Well, maybe not king's blood but royal bastard Gendry did exchange some fluids with her the night before. (Or we can just count the KsitN because she is Robb's sister and descended from all the Stark kings before him.)

Lol, I was gonna say. She might not be the daughter of a king, but she might very well be the mother of one.

[ShellsandCheese]

18 minutes ago, Law Mom said:

I disagree that Sansa was being ungrateful. The USA helped GB win WWII; we didn’t colonize them afterwards. Plus she wasn’t cowering. She only went into the crypt because Arya insisted

This is such a simplistic view of history that it demands correction. The US did not help GB win WWII. The US formed an alliance with GB, The Soviet Union, China, and the other allies to defeat the axis powers. It wasn’t just the US and GB against the bad guys. Also, for what it’s worth most of the heavy lifting in Europe was done by the USSR. Had they not managed to hold out during the siege at Leningrad or not stopped Germany’s advance into the USSR - it likely would have been have been game over. 

As for Sansa, there are lots of ways Sansa going into the crypt could have played out and the version presented onscreen was not favorable to her. She offered no real comfort or reassurance to people she wants to be her subjects. And then even though she had dragon glass, she hid while other defenseless women and children were killed by wights. I’m sorry but a true leader would have done more.

Edited April 29, 2019 by ShellsandCheese

[Dobian]

That was epic, I was glued to the screen the whole time.  I knew Arya would be the one who would win this thing, it had been prophesied on the show.  And Lyanna Mormont will go down in legend.  How great it is that a one-off cameo of a kid who is the leader of a house would be so popular that she would get her own heroic death and kill the white walker giant in the biggest battle in GoT history!  And so long Jorah, I will remember you fondly.

Edited April 29, 2019 by Dobian

[dirtypop90]

6 minutes ago, ShellsandCheese said:

This is a simplistic view of history that demands correction. The US did not help GB win WWII. The US formed an alliance with GB, The Soviet Union, China, and the other allies to defeat the axis powers. It wasn’t just the US and GB against the bad guys. Also, for what it’s worth most of the heaving lifting in Europe was done by the USSR.

As for Sansa, there are lots of ways Sansa going into the crypt could have played out and the version presented onscreen was not favorable to her. She offered no real comfort or reassurance to people she wants to be her subjects. And then even though she had dragon glass, she hid while other defenseless women and children were killed by wights. I’m sorry but a true leader would have done more.

Since when does Sansa want the people to be her subjects? She wants independence for the north. I never took that to mean she wants to rule. She wanted Jon to remain KOTN. Those people were Jon’s people and are now Dany’s.

[VCRTracking]

ARYA MOTHERFUCKING STARK.

Also RIP Lyanna Mormont, Giantkiller.

I really did get emotional when both Theon and Jorah died. Bran telling him he was a "good man" and Jorah saving the queen he loves.

So Cersei's plan actually paid off.  Dany no longer has a Dothraki army and she now has one uninjured dragon.

Edited April 29, 2019 by VCRTracking

[Machiabelly]

4 minutes ago, VCRTracking said:

ARYA MOTHERFUCKING STARK.

Also RIP Lyanna Stark, Giantkiller.

I really did get emotional when both Theon and Jorah died. Bran telling him he was a "good man" and Jorah saving the queen he loves.

So Cersei's plan actually paid off.  Dany no longer has a Dothraki army and she now has one uninjured dragon.

Lyanna Mormont. But agreed

[Delete]

It would have been more believable if Arya took the face from one of the white walker dudes and then revealed herself to Bran after she shanked the NK. 

Cersei gets MVP for not sending her troops and letting the North do all the heavy lifting. 

Edited April 29, 2019 by Barbara Please

[Law Mom]

8 minutes ago, ShellsandCheese said:

This is a simplistic view of history that demands correction. The US did not help GB win WWII. The US formed an alliance with GB, The Soviet Union, China, and the other allies to defeat the axis powers. It wasn’t just the US and GB against the bad guys. Also, for what it’s worth most of the heaving lifting in Europe was done by the USSR.

Gee, thanks for the history lesson. Let me make the point clearer. Dany, the North, the Unsullied, the Dothraki, the Wildlings, the Night Watch, some Lannisters, and probably some more groups formed an alliance to defeat a common enemy. That doesn't mean that a weaker member who had more to lose should give up rule to a stronger ally out of gratitude.

[loki567]

Man, I'm glad this is the final "big battle," episode because this shit is boring and hard to see. I can easily watch an episode with all my favorite characters drinking and telling stories. Give me  more than 30 minutes of one barely distinguishable army fighting against another barely distinguishable army and I'm sad I didn't get some sleep. 

[VCRTracking]

1 minute ago, Machiabelly said:

Lyanna Mormont. But agreed

Oops! Fixed it.

[DarkRaichu]

That was kind of a letdown

I expected so much more death.  WTF, and I thought I put too many characters alive in my speculation here.   My only wrong prediction was Theon, I mean c'mon!!

It was too dark and I could not tell what's going on most of the time.  I just trusted the plot armors would protect the mains and I was mostly correct.  They could not even let kill Pod !!

Jorah got his glorious death (I said it in last week thread) but Theon was wasted.  But worse, Bran let him die as he must have known that Arya was coming in about 10 seconds.  And what was the point of those Ravens he wrag into?

Jon yelled to a dead dragon, c'mon! That should have been either Jon killed a dragon OR the dragon unleashed blue fire on Jon...  And make it a cliffhanger to see if Jon survive the blue fire (he would survive but it would have been 100% better than yelling at the damn dragon)

And the Dothrakis were going to fight ice zombies with steel swords ??? C'mon! They could NOT have known Melissadrei was going to come and lit the sword.  As good as the visual effect of 1000s swords being lit, this was a  freaking poor plotting on the  showrunners' part

When the show was lit properly, it looked great.  The dragon fight above the cloud was top notch

Wasn't NK a Targ?  That would explain his fire immunity

Where did Gendry go? Did he die because he was too weak to fight? You know, "no boom boom before big fight !!"

So, it looked like the Dothrakis were wiped out and the Unsullied were 80% gone.  At least from from what I could see

Arya got the kill, which was cool.

Now that I think about it, why didn't they put a bunch of booby traps around Bran??  He was the bait afterall.  Again, they did not know NK was immune to fire

Is Ghost officially dead? He was with Jorrah & Dothrakis but I did not see him coming back to Winterfell afterwards

[Andromeda]

Just a quick note to give props to the composer. Lots of new themes and awesome use of old themes,  like Melisandre's when she walks out to die. Ramin Dwajadi adds so much to this show! 

ETA: The Dothraki weapons (Arakhs)  looked obsidian to me. 

Edited April 29, 2019 by Andromeda

[Hoo]

41 minutes ago, Law Mom said:

Does this mean that winter is over?

I don't think so.  I don't think the Night King caused the winter.

[ShellsandCheese]

8 minutes ago, Law Mom said:

Gee, thanks for the history lesson. Let me make the point clearer. Dany, the North, the Unsullied, the Dothraki, the Wildlings, the Night Watch, some Lannisters, and probably some more groups formed an alliance to defeat a common enemy. That doesn't mean that a weaker member who had more to lose should give up rule to a stronger ally out of gratitude.

Plot point: Jon already bent the knee; nobody is asking the North to give up rule out of gratitude. The person who was named KITN already did that prior to battle. In real life, the sovereignty of countries fighting for the allies was only going to be threatened if they lost. In other words, can we stick to show and not try to compare it to real life historical events (other than the ones that GRRM took inspiration from) because the comparisons don’t really work. 

And if the North had smart and capable leaders (I’m not including Jon, because he bent the knee and doesn’t want to rule or lead anyway) they’d have already approached Dany with an alternative agreement that would have been beneficial to both. Although, I’m guessing most of the Northern lords are dead at this point though. Or Sansa could have had a useful conversation in the crypts with Tyrion or even Messendei, to learn more about Dany and she if she could find a common thread or leverage that could be used to bargain for Northern independence but that didn’t happen either. 

[Andromeda]

All the time Arya spent in Bravos training to be the handmaiden of death,  to grant the gift of death,  and instead,  she used what she'd been taught to kill Death itself.  A great character arc. 💀 

Edited April 29, 2019 by Andromeda
Because Arya's name is not Aryan.

[Dobian]

30 minutes ago, VCRTracking said:

I really did get emotional when both Theon and Jorah died. Bran telling him he was a "good man" and Jorah saving the queen...

I hadn't mentioned Theon.  Great character arc and a noble finish for this character.  He was awesome.

[BadAssRobinArryn]

What I definitely didn't like about the episode: The lightning during many parts of the battle. I can understand it being literally and figuratively dark, but when you have big problems recognizing anything, it goes too far.

What I definitely liked: Arya being the one to kill the Night King.

What I'm unsure about: The Night King already dieing. It came as a surprise, but I think that threat has been resolved too easily. I'm aware it came with great losts. But the way it was done reduced the NK to being just a danger for the North, when he should have been a danger for everyone.

[VCRTracking]

Ranking in terms of enjoyment I would say Battle of the Bastards is still my favorite. Second Hardhome, Battle of Castle Black, and Blackwater. Winterfell wasn't too dark for me as some was complaining but the tenseness and terror made it not fun. The moments I like about it are with Arya and Lyanna.

[steelyis]

2 hours ago, Conan Troutman said:

I don't see it. Could he betray her? I guess. But for Cersei? Why? What could he possibly gain that would lead him to do that? Most likely, those signs are simply to show (inner) conflict that has to be resolved, not foreshadow a huge plot twist. 

Exactly! Why would Tyrion betray Dany and the North after what they all just barely survived? Dany's dragons and army saved his life. The North saved his life. A Stark saved his life. He owes them everything and a Lannister always pays his debts.

What did Cersei do except sit on the Iron Throne back in Kingslanding safe and sound, sipping wine while everybody else literally saved the world?

Jack. Shit.

It would be complete character assassination if they have Tyrion side with Cersei.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

RIP House of Mormont - at least you both went out like the bosses you were.

I really thought Jorah would wheeze out one last "khaleesi" with his final breath. I hope Dany picks up his sword and brings it back to Sam. Sentimentality aside, there's no need for a sword made of Valyrian steel to go to waste!

No surprise that Arya saved the day (although I was yelling, "LISTEN TO THE HOUND AND GET THE FUCK OUT OF THERE!" while she was still trying to fight off the army of the dead).

Loved that Arya saved the Hound earlier in the episode with her flaming arrow and then seeing her fighting with every last bit of strength was what rallied him to push aside his fear of fire to try to help her.

I also loved that so many people who used to be on Arya's list (the Hound, Beric, the Red Woman) ended up helping her in the battle.

During the first ten minutes of the episode, every time the camera gave us a close up of any character with a name, I thought, "Awww, I'm going to miss you when you die in the next 1-75 minutes!" I was surprised that so many of the characters survived.

4 hours 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. 

One of the press releases I saw said that it took them 11 weeks to film this episode. I can't imagine how physically and emotionally draining that must have been.

4 hours ago, Leroux said:

 Arya should be the ruler of the seven kingdoms. 

Arya is a badass, but she has expressed no interest in ruling. She doesn't want to be confined to meetings and politics when there are people she could be stabbing!

4 hours ago, Lola82 said:

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

Arya: You said we'd meet again.
Melisandre: And here we are at the end of the world.
Arya: You said I'd shut many eyes forever. You were right about that too.
Melisandre: Brown eyes, green eyes, and blue eyes. What do we say to the god of death?
Arya: Not today.

This was a reference to when Arya and Melisandre met in S3.E6:
Melisandre: I see a darkness in you. And in that darkness, eyes staring back at me: brown eyes, blue eyes, green eyes. Eyes you’ll shut forever. We will meet again.

Quote

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.

BoB was definitely easier to see because it took place during the day. I get why this episode's battle took place at night, but I was having a hard time figuring out who was who because it was so dark.

3 hours ago, Stardancer Supreme said:

Yo. In all this time on the show, the Night King never said a word.  Has he?

Does this count?

3 hours ago, Macbeth said:

As Lyanna Mormont said 1 Bear Island knight fights with the strength of 12 men.

So true. And Lyanna fought with the strength of twice that!

3 hours ago, Andromeda said:

Wow, what an episode. I can't believe that was a TV show. Much more engaging and impressive than most movies. Emmys so, so needed! Just the sheer scope involved in putting all of this on screen astounds me.

Someone in the cast or crew said that this season they were essentially making a whole movie for each episode. After seeing this episode, I totally agree.

4 hours ago, QuinnM said:

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.

Ha, please send them to my house! I was squinting at the screen and trying to figure out who was fighting too much during this episode!

2 hours ago, Ladyrain said:

I don't remember where I recently read this, but since Bran is the three eyed raven, he possesses the history of the entire world and the only way the NK could gain true dominance is to wipe out the history of all that came before.   I'm not sure that even makes any sense, but that's what I read, and it least it gave me and answer, of sorts.

It was said in last week's episode:

Bran: [The Night King] wants to erase this world, and I am its memory.
Sam: That's what death is, isn't it? Forgetting. Being forgotten. If we forget where we've been and what we've done, we're not men anymore - just animals. Your memories don't come from books. Your stories aren't just stories. If I wanted to erase the world of men, I'd start with you.

[tennisgurl]

"What do we say to the god of death?"

"Not today."

Oh yeah baby, Arya Stark handled that shit like a boss! So no one could defeat the Night King? Well...

So the Night King was a load bearing boss, and when you take him out, all his mooks go out too? Seems like a bit of an anticlimax, but I enjoyed it none the less. It was still a very epic act, it really did feel like a movie, with a very cinematic feel to it, and while it was too dark for my taste, it did have a lot of really great shots in it. 

The ice zombies building bridges over themselves to get over the fire was really creepy. They did certainly act effectively like an eerie horde of monsters. I do wonder, and maybe this a stupid question to ask about an army of the undead, what was their grand plan anyway? They clearly were going for something (or at least the Night King was) with their weird symbols and circle motif, what was their deal, actually? Just take over the world and...go sledding? 

More people lived than I expected, but I guess we needed people to keep the story going for a few more episodes. Most of the people that could be players in future KL episodes are still around, but enough people died to still make it a memorably feels filled episode. RIP Theon, Lyanna, Jorah, Deloris Ed, Beric, and even Mellisandre, who got a surprisingly lovely send off. 

While Mellisandre has done terrible things, I do think that she really did mean well and thought it was all for a greater good, and when she achieved her goal of helping to defeat the Night King, she was ready to die. I admit, I've always liked her a lot, with her creepy eyes and her love of throwing out creepy information that she shouldn't know and then just peacing out. 

Awwww poor Dany. She loses Jorah, and she is still mourning one of her babies. At least she got some dragon cuddles! Good boy...

Even more so, poor, poor Theon. I kind of knew he was doomed, but it was still hearbreaking to see him give his life to try and protect the home that he turned away from. At least he died after making peace with himself and the people in his life, doing right by them, and Bran telling him that he was a good man. Alfie Allen really is a hell of a good actor. 

The Mormonts didnt just fight with the strength of 12 men, they fight with the strength of 12 giants. House Mormont might be gone, but holy hell did they go out fighting.

The Sansa and Tyrion scene was really great, and a nice bit of continuation of their weird relationship. "You were the best one." "That is absolutely terrifying." 

Edited April 29, 2019 by tennisgurl

[VCRTracking]

I really do love Arya using the Valyrian steel dagger in the same she got from Bran.

[Lady S.]

8 minutes ago, VCRTracking said:

I really do love Arya using the Valyrian steel dagger in the same she got from Bran.

There's an even older Godswood callback.
 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

This is the body count with three episodes left! Do you think we’ll end up being able to yell, “BINGO!”?

[MJ Frog]

I'm exhausted. If you can make me feel I was there in the battle, then you've done your job well. Also, the music was amazing.

[paigow]

Is Grey Worm dead? Looked like a LOT of Unsullied zombies.....

[30 Helens]

2 hours ago, BadAssRobinArryn said:

What I'm unsure about: The Night King already dieing. It came as a surprise, but I think that threat has been resolved too easily. I'm aware it came with great losts. But the way it was done reduced the NK to being just a danger for the North, when he should have been a danger for everyone.

I have always felt that the zombies were the weakest part of the show, so I’m glad that’s been resolved and now we can move on. The best battles are yet to come: Sansa vs Dany, Hound vs Mountain, Cersei vs... everyone?

[mojoween]

These first two eps have been so refreshing with no King’s Landing and especially no Cersei.

Four episodes of rebuilding Winterfell would be a-ok, heh.

[penelope79]

Loved the episode, but I could barely tolerate the anxiety! I was all: “No Jaime, nooooo... Brienne, be careful! Arya get the hell out of there! Dany, where’s Dany? No, Jon!!!” and so on, screaming at my tv with both hands on my face.

Anyway.

Arya was phenomenal, no doubt about that. You go, girl!!! 

BUT, as Bran pointed out on different occasions, we should not forget that “everything that happened before led to that moment”. Therefore, Arya killed the NK, but she managed to get there because she wasn’t dead yet. And she wasn’t dead yet because Beric and The Hound saved her, because outside the castle all the people involved in the battle bought the time needed to get out of the castle and so on. Rather than “oh wow, Arya saved the day, everyone else was so useless!”, I’d say that Arya saving the day was the peak of a common effort to win the war. My opinion, of course.

Littlefinger’s dagger is the king of the Cechov’s guns: it was there in Season 1 to kill Bran and, in Season 8, it actually killed the NK. 🙂

For some reason, I always liked the idea of Sansa/Tyrion: this episode reminded me that. Facing the death together, they really look like a couple for the first time.

As I expected, the “political” battle will give closure to Game of Thrones more than the Great War. Which is fine. (Still, disappointed in the NK: if I were him, I would have headed to King’s Landing; at the end of the day he was almost easy to kill).

To sum up, characters still alive: Jon, Dany, Tyrion, Sansa, Jaime, Brienne, Arya, Gendry, Podrick, Grey Worm, Missandei, Varys, Tormund, Davos, Sam, Gilly and The Hound. Did I forget someone? Hence, Tyrion was right: they were not ALL about to die. An unexpected great news, even though we lost the whole Mormont house (so sorry for Jorah and Lyanna).

Are the 2 remaining dragons both ok?

Edited April 29, 2019 by penelope79

[Morrigan2575]

Got on Twitter this morning my timeline is split between Arya is the best! and Holy Crap why was tht so dark? I couldn't see shit! LOL

[Morrigan2575]

2 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

This is the body count with three episodes left! Do you think we’ll end up being able to yell, “BINGO!”?

"G" is your best shot at it. 😁

[BadAssRobinArryn]

50 minutes ago, 30 Helens said:

 Hound vs Mountain, 

This is a fight I'm not interested in at all, because I hate the Mountain. And not in the way I'm supposed to hate him but in the "why is this one note character still around" way. At least the White Walkers had the potential to bring the realm together.

[terrymct]

7 hours ago, Growsonwalls said:

HOLY SHIT. I THINK AFTER THAT EPISODE ALL OF WESTEROS NEEDS TO BEND THE KNEE TO ARYA STARK, SLAYER OF NIGHT WALKERS.

HONORARY KNEE BENDS TO LYANNA MORMONT, SLAYER OF GIANT WIGHT WALKERS, THEON GREYJOY, WHO DIED A HERO'S DEATH, AND SIR JORAH, WHO DIED DEFENDING THE WOMAN HE LOVED.

I can't process who might or might not have survived this episode.

The only thing that got the Hound past his fear of fire was wanting to protect Arya.  

Oh, and the Lord of Light remains a bit overhyped, mostly support.   The role of that god was essentially to provide protection for Arya in the form of Beric.  Melisandre could light fires.   That said, no other gods really helped.  

I’m glad that no recognizable Starks rose from their graves.  

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I was trying to figure out why Melisandre was able to light all the Dothraki swords so quickly but it seemed to take forever for her to light some flammable wood.

[Coxfires]

That was bloody epic, and deserves to be seen in a movie theater

Melissandre lightning the Dothrakis swords was visually stunning. The battle was messy as it should have been and I don't mind at all, because real battles aren't proper and organized

House Mormont deserves all the honors. Lady Lyanna went like a boss. And Jorah...Dany breaking down in tears, yeah I expected it but still...

Theon was absolved and died knowing he earned forgiveness...We also miss Alfie Allen who has been nothing but exceptional

And Arya saves the day, saying Not Today to the God of Death! Not Jon, not Dany, no fierce relentless little Arya. When Melissandre told her "Blue eyes" I knew, but add the fact that it was with the dagger Bran gave her with the move she used last season.... I don't care what people say I loved loved it.

Tyrion and Sansa...beautiful 

On another note, I am surprised by the low death toll amongst the named characters. None is safe yet, but I was expecting a greater reckoning

Edited April 29, 2019 by Coxfires

[Advance35]

Quote

When she arrived in the crypts, I literally said “‘Do your thing, girl.”  I thought she would help with morale and comfort. But she did nothing and even hid with a weapon when her people were dying. 

In an episode when people left and right were facing horror but still standing strong until death, it is very glaring. 

I keep on thinking about what Arya said to Sansa last season. What would you say to little Lyanna Mormont “I was just a child.”?

just to be clear, my issue is not that she gave into fear and didn’t try to help her people emotionally or physically. It’s that she considers herself the best leader and then does this. 

Now if in the next episode she owns her non-actions, I will give props. 

But look at what happened to Lyanna.

There is no door prize for bravery and honesty.

At present, Sansa's dream is to have House Stark independently rule a part of the entire continent, Dany's existence and Jon bending the knee, have turned that dream into ash.  If she wants any power or clout in the North she'd be better served sticking to her guns and hoping that the North, like Kings Landing, is a "What have you done for me lately group."  

[Coxfires]

1 minute ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I was trying to figure out why Melisandre was able to light all the Dothraki swords so quickly but it seemed to take forever for her to light some flammable wood.

Need to recharge the magical batteries?

[terrymct]

5 hours ago, Black Knight said:

He's a one-note actor.

(trimmed)

All Sansa can do is whine about Dany, and I was thrilled when Missandei smacked her down.

Trimmed your comment, but it was good overall.  

Agree wholeheartedly about Kit Harington.  He mainly broods and not always well.  His beard and hair carry him often.  Emilia Clarke has gotten much better this season at showing subtlety and I’m not sure if she’s getting better or her material is.  The “My dragons!!!” era was terrible.  

I think Melissandei misinterpreted what Sansa was saying.  The problem for a potential marriage to Tyrion would have been his devotion to Dany, not Dany herself.  Dany is his sole thought now, unlike how he would have or could have served a leader in the past.   

[Morrigan2575]

11 minutes ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I was trying to figure out why Melisandre was able to light all the Dothraki swords so quickly but it seemed to take forever for her to light some flammable wood.

I think because she was afraid and not fully concentrating

[thuganomics85]

And so falls The Night King and the White Walkers!  From someone they probably never would have predicted: Arya "Freakin" Stark!  They actually did a pretty decent job where I forgot all about her since her last scene in this episode was so long ago, so her coming out of nowhere was great.  Jacquin and Ned would both be so proud in their own way!

So, as I suspected, none of the real main players bite it yet, but there is still a sizable bodycount.  I had a feeling that Dolorous Edd was doomed after he mention how he, Jon, and Sam were the last of the Night's Watch left in last week's episode.  As for Beric, it seemed clear he served his purpose already.  As for Lyanna... well, at least she went out like a total boss.  She certainly did the Mormonts proud!  Melissandre also shows back up to help and then die, but at least she had her moment.

And then there is Theon and Jorah, whose deaths probably carry a bit more weight since they've been here since the beginning.  I'm glad Theon was able to go out as a hero and Bran said the words that he needed to hear before his death.  He has done so many awful things in the past, but I'm glad he rose above it at the end.  As for Jorah, he was probably always destined to die defending his "queen", and went out the way he probably wanted to.  Poor Dany though.  Between him and the majority of the Dothraki going out, she has lot a lot of her allies.

Surprised both Grey Worm and Missandi are still around.  And good old Tormund!  I was kind of worried about him honestly, but that bearded bastard can not be underestimated.

Overall, the technical aspects of the episode were impressive, but they really made things too dark to really enjoy it.  It was still enjoyable, but the show has done better in the past.

Definitely interested that it seems that the White Walkers are truly done for, and that it will be Cersei who is the final villain.  Granted, she might not have ice powers, but Lena Headey's smirk can probably still chill people to the bone!  Of course, I suspect it might be all the infighting that could due everyone else in, especially if Jon brings up that he's actually a Targaryen to others.

[terrymct]

21 minutes ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I was trying to figure out why Melisandre was able to light all the Dothraki swords so quickly but it seemed to take forever for her to light some flammable wood.

I think it was supposed to be because she kept getting distracted from her chant by the wights coming at her.  

Omg when Lady Mormont’s eyes opened and were blue.  I’m glad that’s where it stopped.  I was afraid we’d see her get chopped up.  

[Coxfires]

7 hours ago, LadyChaos said:

Wow! Assume much! Just because you don't like Jon, doesn't mean that he won't be on the throne and that most of us couldn't see he was doing all that he could while THEY WERE ALL FAILING!

Yeah I don't understand all the hate,  and I don't even like Jon! People talk about a plan, but how do you plan when you are ournumbered, cornered, fighting friggin undead people who can get back up again and again? 

It was a Last stand from everyone, they were going down fighting knowing their chances to win were next to nothing, and praying that the dragons would kill the NK while limiting the deaths. Jon, Dany, everyone gave all they could within their capacities.

[Drogo]

4 hours ago, Law Mom said:

Dany, the North, the Unsullied, the Dothraki, the Wildlings, the Night Watch, some Lannisters, and probably some more groups formed an alliance to defeat a common enemy. That doesn't mean that a weaker member who had more to lose should give up rule to a stronger ally out of gratitude.

Except that every group you mentioned swore fealty to one Queen, so they're not "allies" they're subjects.