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shapinglight) wrote2019-04-17 12:43 pm
shapinglight) wrote2019-04-17 12:43 pm
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Game of Thrones Season 8 Ep 1
Hello.
I realise I haven't posted in over a month, and that it'd be a bit much to come back, put up a Game of Thrones review and disappear again, so I'll try not to do that last thing. I don't know what's happened to me really. I just have this vast reluctance to post at all, and I don't know why, beyond that feeling like I have nothing interesting to say is a big part of it. :(
Spoilers behind cut.
I re-read my reviews of season 7 before writing this, and so far (though obviously it's too soon to tell), there're are no particularly egregious examples of people/information moving around a vast land with no public transport system at absurd rates of speed.
Well, maybe the raven messages are coming a bit fast (Cersei seems to know what's going on at the Wall very quickly, for instance), but then again, we don't know how many days/weeks have passed since the end of season 7. It must surely have taken Jaime Lannister at least a week to ride from Kingslanding to Winterfell, mustn't it?
As for what happens in the episode, it was mostly scene-setting. Jon returning to Winterfell and meeting Arya and Bran for the first time in years, the Starks meeting Dany for the first time, Tyrion meeting Sansa also for the first time in years (so many years, in fact, that I'd forgotten they used to be married), Arya meeting the Hound and Gendry ('the first time in years' goes without saying), Cersei continuing to live in some sort of dream world, where the events in the north can't touch her while slumming it with Uncle Eurine, Theon rescuing Yara (which looks like tidying up really - Theon will be important going forward, I think, but Yara won't, so she's being tidied off the scene).
Then there were the two big revelations - both of which I'd thought might be saved till later in the series, or might have happened differently than they did.
Firstly, there was Dany and Jorah going to thank Sam for saving Jorah's life, only for Dany to realise he was related to the two men she executed so horribly in what was her worst scene in season 7- definitely one of those scenes - of which there have been quite a few over the course of the series - that make you think twice about Dany being a just and merciful queen. Jorah has always believed she will be one ("You have a gentle heart," he told her, and possibly still thinks), and Tyrion hopes she will be. But there are some worrying signs.
If Dany had apologised to Sam and admitted she was wrong to kill his brother, I might think differently, but she didn't do either. She obviously still feels she was within her rights to do it.
If she had apologised, or at least expressed regret, the other revelation in the episode might not have happened - Bran talking Sam into telling Jon his true parentage. This is about as close to revenge on Dany for his brother's death as Sam will ever get, which is pretty close, though he may not have been thinking in those terms when he did it.
Jon was shocked, needless to say. But Dany's reaction will be more interesting. I suspect Jon may decide not to tell her, and Sam will end up blurting out the truth in front of everyone. But if Jon does tell her - probably because he's baulked at having sex with his aunt again and she insists he tell her why- and she believes him, I don't think she's going to take it well.
Well, you wouldn't, would you, in her place? She's spent years working towards getting her throne back and suffered a lot along the way. But she put her destiny on hold to help save Winterfell from the White Walkers and has lost one of her beloved dragons in the process (don't think she looked quite horrified enough when what has happened to Viserion was revealed). If Jon turns around and says, "Actually, I'm the rightful king, not you," she's not just going to step aside, even if (technically) he has a better claim.
Mind you, she probably won't believe it anyway, despite Jon getting on so well with the dragons. After all, Jon doesn't have white hair, and whether or not he's combustible has yet to be tested.
In fact, when she finds out, she may well be so cross that she sets fire to him just to see what happens.
Maybe the series will end with a big aerial fight between Dany and her dragon and Jon and his, they'll all die, and Cersei will become queen of the entire world.
Or Sansa. She could definitely give Cersei a run for her money.
Trivial stuff (or not that trivial, I suppose):
The dragon flight sequence looked fantastic. No wonder it's taken them two years to make this.
Tormund and the others finding the dead child-lord and him turning into a horrible screaming zombie was very well done and genuinely creepy.
ETA: the gratuitous female nudity scene with Bronn and the three nice young ladies was a little bit different to usual, in that the three girls were so clearly way more interested in discussing outside events than they were in doing their jobs. ;)
I realise I haven't posted in over a month, and that it'd be a bit much to come back, put up a Game of Thrones review and disappear again, so I'll try not to do that last thing. I don't know what's happened to me really. I just have this vast reluctance to post at all, and I don't know why, beyond that feeling like I have nothing interesting to say is a big part of it. :(
Spoilers behind cut.
I re-read my reviews of season 7 before writing this, and so far (though obviously it's too soon to tell), there're are no particularly egregious examples of people/information moving around a vast land with no public transport system at absurd rates of speed.
Well, maybe the raven messages are coming a bit fast (Cersei seems to know what's going on at the Wall very quickly, for instance), but then again, we don't know how many days/weeks have passed since the end of season 7. It must surely have taken Jaime Lannister at least a week to ride from Kingslanding to Winterfell, mustn't it?
As for what happens in the episode, it was mostly scene-setting. Jon returning to Winterfell and meeting Arya and Bran for the first time in years, the Starks meeting Dany for the first time, Tyrion meeting Sansa also for the first time in years (so many years, in fact, that I'd forgotten they used to be married), Arya meeting the Hound and Gendry ('the first time in years' goes without saying), Cersei continuing to live in some sort of dream world, where the events in the north can't touch her while slumming it with Uncle Eurine, Theon rescuing Yara (which looks like tidying up really - Theon will be important going forward, I think, but Yara won't, so she's being tidied off the scene).
Then there were the two big revelations - both of which I'd thought might be saved till later in the series, or might have happened differently than they did.
Firstly, there was Dany and Jorah going to thank Sam for saving Jorah's life, only for Dany to realise he was related to the two men she executed so horribly in what was her worst scene in season 7- definitely one of those scenes - of which there have been quite a few over the course of the series - that make you think twice about Dany being a just and merciful queen. Jorah has always believed she will be one ("You have a gentle heart," he told her, and possibly still thinks), and Tyrion hopes she will be. But there are some worrying signs.
If Dany had apologised to Sam and admitted she was wrong to kill his brother, I might think differently, but she didn't do either. She obviously still feels she was within her rights to do it.
If she had apologised, or at least expressed regret, the other revelation in the episode might not have happened - Bran talking Sam into telling Jon his true parentage. This is about as close to revenge on Dany for his brother's death as Sam will ever get, which is pretty close, though he may not have been thinking in those terms when he did it.
Jon was shocked, needless to say. But Dany's reaction will be more interesting. I suspect Jon may decide not to tell her, and Sam will end up blurting out the truth in front of everyone. But if Jon does tell her - probably because he's baulked at having sex with his aunt again and she insists he tell her why- and she believes him, I don't think she's going to take it well.
Well, you wouldn't, would you, in her place? She's spent years working towards getting her throne back and suffered a lot along the way. But she put her destiny on hold to help save Winterfell from the White Walkers and has lost one of her beloved dragons in the process (don't think she looked quite horrified enough when what has happened to Viserion was revealed). If Jon turns around and says, "Actually, I'm the rightful king, not you," she's not just going to step aside, even if (technically) he has a better claim.
Mind you, she probably won't believe it anyway, despite Jon getting on so well with the dragons. After all, Jon doesn't have white hair, and whether or not he's combustible has yet to be tested.
In fact, when she finds out, she may well be so cross that she sets fire to him just to see what happens.
Maybe the series will end with a big aerial fight between Dany and her dragon and Jon and his, they'll all die, and Cersei will become queen of the entire world.
Or Sansa. She could definitely give Cersei a run for her money.
Trivial stuff (or not that trivial, I suppose):
The dragon flight sequence looked fantastic. No wonder it's taken them two years to make this.
Tormund and the others finding the dead child-lord and him turning into a horrible screaming zombie was very well done and genuinely creepy.
ETA: the gratuitous female nudity scene with Bronn and the three nice young ladies was a little bit different to usual, in that the three girls were so clearly way more interested in discussing outside events than they were in doing their jobs. ;)
no subject
It struck me just after I posted my review that this is essentially a recycled version of the series opener, all those years ago; mostly set at Winterfell, "Winterfell is yours, your Grace", the army riding in, the Stark children interacting, Jaime and Bran, just a hint of what the whitewalkers are up to... even the title: 1.01 was "Winter Is Coming", now 8.01 is "Winter()fell".
But if Jon does tell her - probably because he's baulked at having sex with his aunt again and she insists he tell her why- and she believes him, I don't think she's going to take it well.
Definitely not. There has to be a reason they really played up Dany's arrogant side here.
Theon will be important going forward, I think, but Yara won't, so she's being tidied off the scene
Which gods can we pray to to change that around?
Also: Yara and Theon bid a heartfelt goodbye and good luck to each other... ON A BOAT. Unless he's going to jump in and swim away again, that scene will be followed by several days of them standing around looking awkward before he can actually leave for Winterfell.
no subject
Thank you. It's always nice to see you too. :)
It struck me just after I posted my review
Ooh, I must read this. I managed to miss it somehow.
You're quite right that scenes in this episode hark back to the beginning of the series. Which led me on to remembering all the Stark children had their direwolves then. Now there's only one of them left (unless Nymeria turns up again). Where has Ghost run off to now?
There has to be a reason they really played up Dany's arrogant side here.
I agree. It'd be incredibly tough for her to stand aside for Jon, no matter what her feelings are about him. On the other hand, the Targaryans have a history of incestuous marriages. Maybe she'll just say they should get married and rule jointly?
Though that sounds too reasonable to be dramatic enough.
Which gods can we pray to to change that around?
It's a shame. However, Yara isn't the one in need of redemption, I suppose.
that scene will be followed by several days of them standing around looking awkward before he can actually leave for Winterfell.
Well, I suppose Theon must still have the dinghy he arrived on Uncle Eurine's ship in. Probably, it's another magical one, like Jon's in season 7, which took him from Winterfell to Dragonstone in five seconds flat.
I think Dany's comment about dragons not doing well in the cold is probably important, don't you?
no subject
I think he's always just out of shot. They should just have Jon intermittently say "Isn't that right, Ghost?" and have a crew member growl a bit from off-camera.
Maybe she'll just say they should get married and rule jointly?
Though that sounds too reasonable to be dramatic enough.
You'd think that for someone who was raised to marry her brother that would be the obvious solution. Problem would be to get goody-two-shoes Jon to go along with it.
I think Dany's comment about dragons not doing well in the cold is probably important, don't you?
Probably; whether it's actually true or if they're just grieving, the dragons are still a bit of an unknown quality - we don't know what they'll do and what they'll refuse to do, how they'll react when faced with their undead brother, how Dany will dare use them after the Night King took one down so easily... Last season was one long list of excuses to not simply use the dragons to press the "I win" button ("Oh, we can't use dragons to attack King's Landing, that would be Wrong"), I expect they'll find some reason to limit their use this season too.
no subject
Heh! Yes, that'd probably work better than having a dog that apparently no one can get to do what it's told. Can't explain Ghost's complete absence otherwise.
You'd think that for someone who was raised to marry her brother that would be the obvious solution. Problem would be to get goody-two-shoes Jon to go along with it.
Yes, going by Jaime and Cersei there does seem to be an incest taboo in Westeros. It just doesn't apply to Targaryans. But Jon hasn't been brought up as one.
I expect they'll find some reason to limit their use this season too.
Probably, or ice dragon or no, they ought to be able to deal with a big chunk of this undead army with relative ease.
no subject
I think you're right, Dany is NOT going to take it well, unless her plan is that they can rule as King and Queen...but I don't see her wanting to share that title.
no subject
Me neither, and even less so after watching episode two.
I shall be slightly miffed, though, if Dany goes all Mad Queen Who Wants To Burn Everyone at the last minute. Okay, so she's done some horrible stuff during the course of the series, but mostly she's not been too bad.
I could definitely get behind Queen Sansa, though.