The Long Night

[Merry Prankster]

Season 8 Episode 3  The Long Night, i.e., He Came.  He Saw.  He Shattered.

Overall---Although MP liked the episode overall, he did not like it being filmed entirely at night with the inherent limits on field of vision and murkiness which made the action hard to follow at times.  Still, the focus on individual character feelings and relationships made for some excellent scenes.  Perhaps the price paid for the loss of epic grandeur was worth it.   MP doubts the battle with Cersei will be at night.  Random observations follow.

Most of the main characters survived, a bit of a surprise.  Redemption for Theon and Jorah, and a noble death for Lady Mormont as she took down the giant.  Arya experienced genuine fear for the first time in a long time and the Hound regained his courage to save her.  Tyrion and Sansa?....Maybe?......Nah!

The first 15 minutes did a good job of building suspense, then hope as the Woman in Red appeared and gave flame to the Dothraki swords.  Then the D charged into a wall of death and hope was replaced by despair.

The aerial dragon duels were good but tough to follow.  The Night King was unscathed by dragon fire but succumbed to Valyrian steel?  MP will hold his tongue.

MP really liked the scenes with Jorah and Dany and Arya, Hound and Beric in the castle.  Hiding Arya for the last 30 minutes was a good decision.  The scene with Jon battling Vyserion verged on the ridiculous.

The build up to the Arya/Knight King confrontation was excellent, as Arya snatched triumph from the jaws of defeat and despair.   Well done!  Bran has pretty much become a cypher.  Go
T needs to provide the encryption key for this young man.

On to Cersei and the bloody final battle.  Stay tuned....

[ponytail]

Hey MP! Yes, the show was murky and hard to follow at times. I expected to see more of Brienne after she was knighted, and Jaime. The deaths were big ones, each one falling in a heroic act to save. Loved the end for Melisandre, so fitting. I read somewhere that in the next Westeros series it would be great to follow her as a young girl turning into the woman she eventually became.

Jon and Dani against Drogon. A disaster. Complete and utter humiliation on dragonback and on the ground. Jon was pretty much useless the entire battle. Cool and scary moment when Jon was racing to get to the Night King and he turned and raised the dead around him. Did both of Dani's dragons survive? But for Arya and her timely thrust.... Now how the heck did she sneak through all those White Walkers? It was a wonderful ending for the Night King and one nobody expected. Is she the legendary Azor Ahai?

Very surprised that Grey Worm survived. I would have bet my last Dorito that this was where he fell. Guess we'll have to wait for King's Landing.

Bran, oh Bran. So many questions! Why did he feel the need to warg into those crows? What was that knowing look between him and the Night King all about? What is his purpose now? Will he be just an interesting bystander, or does he have a greater (not necessarily good) purpose?

Now that those pesky white walkers and wights are taken care of, it will be on to the grand confrontation! Can hardly wait! I am wondering, though, how many of their forces remain after all that mayhem. Do you think there will be any face to face confrontations with Cersei, Jaime, Jon, Dani, or Tyrion? And last but not least...will Cersei get her elephants? LOL