I see complaints from people that this episode was boring, did nothing to further the plot, was just setup, etc. To me this is ridiculous - this episode is crucial if next week's is going to be as good as they're saying it will be. Next week is the spectacle, this week was the heart.
GoT in its first few seasons often had episodes where most (or all) of the screentime would literally just be various characters talking with very little action, and that's what made the show. Because then when the characters die so brutally, it actually hurts, and our characters were real, flawed and complex people, changed by their experiences and relationships. It's what makes every scene of this saga so compelling to watch. And now there will be little or no more of this in Game Of Thrones; we have four eps left, one of which is the Battle Of Winterfell and one of which is the finale. We can assume that we're going to be seeing a hell of a lot of action over the next four weeks, so this episode was the last chance for our characters, who have all travelled to the farthest reaches of Westeros and Essos and all the way back, to do what is the only natural thing for them to do on the last night of their lives: sit and drink and talk. And it was goddam beautiful. It's thanks to this episode's time spent with characters that next week's episode is going to hurt so much, when we see some of them fall at the hands of the Night King and his army.
So many beautiful moments came from this: Davos' heartbreak at seeing the strong little girl with grayscale and remembering his Princess; Theon finally coming home; the reunion of the Night's Watch brothers, all still with one mission in mind; Jorah showing his worth to Dany and receiving his own Valyrian steel sword for his service to Westeros; Pod's unwavering support to his mentors and good heart; Tyrion's self-doubt but honest loyalty (and love for wine); Arya and Gendry finally together on what could be their last night; Missandei and Grey Worm planning their life together; Arya, the Hound and Beric contemplating their fate; and finally pretty much any interaction Jaime had with another character, finally rounding off his redemptive arc in the most poetic of ways (Jaime and Brienne are golden in their scenes together) and paying off 8 years of character development, bad choices and a good heart. Everything here feels earned, natural and necessary. This may be the last episode we spend hearing many of the characters speak their hearts and minds, and to me it feels like the conclusion of many of GoT's greatest characters arcs and plots. It's not even fan service; it just feels right.
I also have to give huge praise to the scene in the crypts with Jon and Dany at the end. Mirroring last week's scene down there brilliantly, with the camera now focussed on Dany as she hears the news (credit to Emilia Clarke there). Interesting that this scene came shortly before the battle and in the same episode that Dany admits she really does love Jon - it'll be interesting to see if this has any repercussions next week. Also this episode is hardly without excitement. The comedy is very well placed and made me laugh unusually hard for GoT (again, just so it hurts more when next week takes some of these guys from us), and the tension in Winterfell as Jaime arrives is tremendous. Furthermore, the way this thing builds and builds until the dead arrive on the rise beyond Winterfell, you can literally feel time ticking away as the characters accept their fate. It's haunting to watch, and I honestly believe that it'll all pay off in the most explosive, epic and painful way next week and in the weeks to come.
This episode is not filler. It's not boring if you care about the characters. It's not simple. It's not even slow even though it never leaves Winterfell and all takes place in one day and night. It's perfect character drama and the calm before the storm. It's a beautiful conclusion to years of journies, ordeals, betrayals, heartbreak, wars, oaths and reunions. And if it weren't for this episode then next week would just be another Thrones battle - but this is the Battle Of Winterfell, and everything and everyone is at stake. This is probably Game Of Thrones' last great character piece and it's a joy to see such talent come together and pay off their years of hard work and incredible storytelling. We'll cry even more tears because of it.
GoT in its first few seasons often had episodes where most (or all) of the screentime would literally just be various characters talking with very little action, and that's what made the show. Because then when the characters die so brutally, it actually hurts, and our characters were real, flawed and complex people, changed by their experiences and relationships. It's what makes every scene of this saga so compelling to watch. And now there will be little or no more of this in Game Of Thrones; we have four eps left, one of which is the Battle Of Winterfell and one of which is the finale. We can assume that we're going to be seeing a hell of a lot of action over the next four weeks, so this episode was the last chance for our characters, who have all travelled to the farthest reaches of Westeros and Essos and all the way back, to do what is the only natural thing for them to do on the last night of their lives: sit and drink and talk. And it was goddam beautiful. It's thanks to this episode's time spent with characters that next week's episode is going to hurt so much, when we see some of them fall at the hands of the Night King and his army.
So many beautiful moments came from this: Davos' heartbreak at seeing the strong little girl with grayscale and remembering his Princess; Theon finally coming home; the reunion of the Night's Watch brothers, all still with one mission in mind; Jorah showing his worth to Dany and receiving his own Valyrian steel sword for his service to Westeros; Pod's unwavering support to his mentors and good heart; Tyrion's self-doubt but honest loyalty (and love for wine); Arya and Gendry finally together on what could be their last night; Missandei and Grey Worm planning their life together; Arya, the Hound and Beric contemplating their fate; and finally pretty much any interaction Jaime had with another character, finally rounding off his redemptive arc in the most poetic of ways (Jaime and Brienne are golden in their scenes together) and paying off 8 years of character development, bad choices and a good heart. Everything here feels earned, natural and necessary. This may be the last episode we spend hearing many of the characters speak their hearts and minds, and to me it feels like the conclusion of many of GoT's greatest characters arcs and plots. It's not even fan service; it just feels right.
I also have to give huge praise to the scene in the crypts with Jon and Dany at the end. Mirroring last week's scene down there brilliantly, with the camera now focussed on Dany as she hears the news (credit to Emilia Clarke there). Interesting that this scene came shortly before the battle and in the same episode that Dany admits she really does love Jon - it'll be interesting to see if this has any repercussions next week. Also this episode is hardly without excitement. The comedy is very well placed and made me laugh unusually hard for GoT (again, just so it hurts more when next week takes some of these guys from us), and the tension in Winterfell as Jaime arrives is tremendous. Furthermore, the way this thing builds and builds until the dead arrive on the rise beyond Winterfell, you can literally feel time ticking away as the characters accept their fate. It's haunting to watch, and I honestly believe that it'll all pay off in the most explosive, epic and painful way next week and in the weeks to come.
This episode is not filler. It's not boring if you care about the characters. It's not simple. It's not even slow even though it never leaves Winterfell and all takes place in one day and night. It's perfect character drama and the calm before the storm. It's a beautiful conclusion to years of journies, ordeals, betrayals, heartbreak, wars, oaths and reunions. And if it weren't for this episode then next week would just be another Thrones battle - but this is the Battle Of Winterfell, and everything and everyone is at stake. This is probably Game Of Thrones' last great character piece and it's a joy to see such talent come together and pay off their years of hard work and incredible storytelling. We'll cry even more tears because of it.