‘And Now Our Watch Is Ended’
Series Finale discussion and Game of Thrones Retrospective
It is the day after the final episode of Game of Thrones aired and I don’t really know how to feel about it. I was disappointed by the finale and the explanations for some of the big characters and storylines. But at the same time I also liked where some characters ended up and how some stories were concluded. Overall I think I was more disappointed than satisfied but it didn’t make me not love the show or not want to rewatch so I guess I should be thankful. My Dad said it best, ‘you were just expecting more.’ No kidding, sums it up perfect. I was expecting so much more from the explanations and writing. I was willing to look past the lack of depth in the writing from S6-8 bc I was still enjoying the journey of the characters. But now that the ending came in flat it changes things for past episodes and characters like Daenerys.
I actually thought the finale started off strong in the first half but fell off in the last half. What a powerful scene when Tyrion finds Jamie and Cersei’s bodies. Wow, man. Peter Dinklage was amazing in the previous episode selling the shock and awe of Daenerys massacring King’s Landing. We know Tyrion saw himself as one of the common people and felt a responsibility for protecting them however he could while in a position of power. Tough seeing all the destruction of the city and people Tyrion loved so much. Thought Dany’s speech to her army was awesome, a great villain moment for her and I actually felt some dread for the North knowing that would be her next target. Tyrion throwing down his Hand pin was a big moment that cut through her madness for a second but then I thought his fate was sealed, if not by Dany then Bronn. Although w Cersei dead that storyline was kind of done.
So now for the moment where it went off the rails for me, Jon kills Daenerys and Dany didn’t even get to sit on the Iron Throne, kinda poetic but come on no way after all she went through she doesn’t sit down on it. But how they did it was almost a middle finger to some fans of the show. A popular storyline a lot of fans wanted for the final season was for the Prince That Was Promised to be fulfilled with Jon killing Daenerys. It actually happens but in the most unimaginative way possible. Jon stabs her through the heart but not with his sword, with a dagger, that does not turn into Lightbringer. The prophecy was already hanging by the thinnest thread after the Night King was killed but its dead now. 8 Season journey, all the hell Daenerys went through, all the build up throughout the entire show was for nothing. Just to die quickly without so much as a word as a villain for no greater purpose. No redemption or recovery from the madness that caused her to kill thousands of innocent people. Nothing greater happens for the one that kills her. Sucks to say but the end of Daenerys Targaryen’s journey definitely ruins the beginning and middle of it. And the response from Drogon is to leave Jon Snow alone, melt the Iron Throne and fly away with Dany never to be seen again? I was sure we were about to lose Jon and Daenerys in the same scene but wrong again lol to me it was just lazy to have Drogon act completely out of character and allow Jon to survive the scene. The fact Jon is a Targaryen is prob the only defence for it and I suppose it makes sense but still a stretch. And I guess you could say Drogon realized that the Iron Throne was ultimately responsible for Dany’s death as well as so many others so he destroyed it instead of Jon to end all the violence around the pursuit of it. But come on that one is a biiiiig stretch lol really it’s just a lazy way to kill Daenerys w Jon surviving/melt the Iron Throne/get rid of Drogon.
Then we get the absolute dumbest fcking moment the likes of which I never thought we would see on this show. Jon is sent to the Wall so Greyworm won’t be mad… WHAT!?!?! So fcking bad this is just the best or worst example of lazy, bullshit storytelling. First, who gives a shit what Greyworm thinks, do what you have to do to get Jon out and then Greyworm can fuck off. I hate what they did to my boy Greyworm, make him act like a piece of shit the entire episode, happily executing surrendered soldiers and then were supposed to feel happy as he takes the Unsullied to Naath? Ridiculous. But they leave and Jon still goes to the Wall. The Wall. Which only existed to keep the White Walkers away from the rest of Westeros, the White Walkers who are now dead. Relations should be good with the Free Folk too going forward so what the fck are they going to do there. Just disgustingly lazy writing that doesn’t belong anywhere near this show. Thought for sure we were getting a Jon vs Greyworm fight after Greyworm saw Jon holding troops back in Kings Landing. Jon demanding a trial by combat and having Greyworm accept would have been so exciting and great way to end the series. But mashing puzzle pieces together that don’t fit is good too I guess.
Bran is made King which should be impossible for him since he is the 3 Eyed Raven and can’t be Lord of anything but I guess he is back to being Bran again. I don’t even know or really care at this point which is sad but that’s the way she goes. If I forget everything I know about the show, Bran being King is actually prob the best choice. Changing succession to someone chosen by the Lord and Ladies of Westeros is prob a good idea, also gave us a nice opportunity to say a final goodbye to characters we haven’t seen for awhile. Sit down, Edmure. Great moment for Sansa, keeping the North an independent Kingdom and being declared Queen in the North.
Then came my favourite moment of the finale, Brienne writing in Jamie’s good deeds. And now the story of Jamie Lannister, the Kingslayer, is complete. I really wanted Bronn not to get his promised price and to kill Tyrion, would have been such a Game of Thrones moment. But that was a cool scene of the new Small Council and not such a bad way to end the show. I def would have had a different ending but this was someone else’s vision and I accept that. Hopefully if GRRM ever finishes the books he writes a completely different version of the end, would guarantee he sells more books like that. Perfect chance to give all the disappointed show fans, what they want in the books. Lots of fans that haven’t read the books but I’m sure that would change if word spread about a different, more satisfying ending in the books. I’d love to read the books but I refuse to read a word until the pre-order for A Dream of Spring is live.
So that’s it. Finale is done and our watch has ended. The World of Ice and Fire is not done as we have a handful of prequel projects announced. As long as these shows follow the format of the first 4 seasons with lots of depth to the characters and storytelling, they should be successful. But if it’s just CrashBoomBang like Seasons 6-8 then I’d say it will be more of a short term project. But I wish them good fortune in the shows to come, I love this world and want to experience as much of it as I can.
As I said before, my disappointment of the finale did not change my love for the show as whole. Like Breaking Bad, bc of the long breaks between seasons I really invested into the content trying to figure out theories and understand the characters on a deeper level. So instead of just stopping with the finale, I want to do what I did for Breaking bad and say a little bit about each character. I’ll start with the characters that were left in the final episode, then go by Houses after that. Here is the order of characters so you can skip to a specific character if you only want to read a few at a time:
Daenerys Targaryen
Jon Snow
Tyrion Lannister
Arya Stark
Sansa Stark
King Bran Stark
Samwell Tarley
Gilly
Gendry Baratheon
Ser Davos Seaworth
Ser Bronn of the Blackwater
Greyworm
Ser Brienne of Tarth
Ser Podrick Payne
Yara Greyjoy
Yohn Royce and Robin Arryn
Edmure Tully
Daario Naharis
Meera Reed
Jaqen H’Ghar
Hot Pie
HOUSE STARK
Ned Stark
Catelyn Stark
Robb Stark
Talisa Stark
Rickon Stark
Benjen Stark
HOUSE LANNISTER
Tywin Lannister
Jamie Lannister
Cersei Lannister
Joffrey Baratheon-Lannister
Myrcella Baratheon-Lannister
Tommen Baratheon-Lannister
Lancel Lannister
HOUSE BARATHEON
Stannis Baratheon
Shireen Baratheon
Selyse Baratheon
Renly Baratheon
HOUSE GREYJOY
Theon Greyjoy
Euron Greyjoy
Balon Greyjoy
HOUSE MORMONT
Jeor Mormont
Jorah Mormont
Lyanna Mormont
HOUSE TYRELL
Olenna Tyrell
Margaery Tyrell
Loras Tyrell
Mace Tyrell
HOUSE CLEGANE
Sandor Clegane
Gregor Clegane
HOUSE BOLTON
Roose Bolton
Ramsay Bolton
HOUSE MARTELL
Oberyn Martell
Ellaria Sand
The Sand Snakes
Prince Doran Martell
CHARACTERS OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS
Littlefinger
Varys
Missandei
Melisandre
Beric Dondarrion
Thoros of Myr
Syrio Forel
Ser Barristan Selmy
The Blackfish
Yoren
Edd
Grenn
Pyp
The High Sparrow
Hodor
Jojen Reed
Osha
Mance Rayder
Ros
Ygritte
Shae
Khal Drogo
Viserys Targaryen
Grand Maester Pycelle
Qyburn
Meryn Trant
Alliser Thorne
Maester Luwin
Maester Aemon
The Night King and the White Walkers
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Lysa Arryn
Janos Slynt
Walder Frey
Septa Unella
Orell
Karl & Rast
Olly
Brother Ray
Kinvara
The Waif
Randyll & Dickon Tarley
Robbett Glover
Locke
Myranda
Salladhor Saan
Father of the little girl Drogon killed
Ramin Djawadi
D & D
DAENERYS TARGARYEN
– What a legendary performance Emilia Clarke gave us throughout but especially in the final season, she was incredible. Her performance as Daenerys turned this character into a rallying point for females and even males. Khaleesi became a normal term for a strong woman. Woman started dressing in Daenerys styles and carrying themselves with her confidence. Looking at Dany’s story it’s easy to see why so many related to her and why she became a role model for people. Abandoned by the world, abused by her family, rape survivor, widow, lost a child and then liberated all of the people like her that were under the wheel of tyranny. How could you not love and follow someone like that. I would have loved her to stay good and live or die as we loved her but this is Game of Thrones and the madness in her family is real. It makes sense within the show that she did what she did in E5 as much as it breaks our hearts. But for it all to end like it did takes away from the larger than life feel of her journey. The way her journey ended killed the magic for me.
-Her journey did not go how I thought. We met Dany as a frightened, meek individual being abused but slowly watched her turn into strong, confident leader that wasn’t taking any shit from anyone. Eating the stallion heart was a nasty scene but I think it woke the dragon in Daenerys, she was different after that as it was also the first time she had felt support from the people. Expected a bit more of an emotional reaction from Dany when Viserys was killed but at that point after threatening her child, Viserys was already dead to her. I agree with her that Viserys was not a true dragon but I think that molten gold is a bit different and that would have killed any Targaryen but I could be wrong. Daenerys love with Khal Drogo was always complicated for me as a viewer bc it technically started with rape but Drogo has been raised with no concept of rape. In Dothraki culture rape doesn’t exist as women are there to serve men. Having said that, when Daenerys teaches him the right way Drogo doesn’t resist but embraces the changes proving that there is a good heart in there and that he does love Dany. Drogo even agrees to stop his Khalasar from raping women but this is too much change too fast. Sad that Daenerys good nature and Drogo’s willingness to please his love end up costing Drogo his life as the cut he sustained in the fight over stopping the rapes ends up festering bc Dany’s compassion for the witch allows her to be tricked. Even sadder to watch Dany desperately cling to any hope Drogo could survive but finally have to accept she had made a huge mistake and caused all of this.
-I thought Khal Drogo would be a big part of her story longterm so I couldn’t believe when he died but I liked that it forced Dany to step up. The witch that Dany burned was prob who we should feel sorry for but our emotions go with the characters we are connected to, why Walter White/Heisenberg was a fan favourite. So the witch’s double cross pissed me off. But it led to the Dragons hatching and that’s the biggest game changer in the entire show. Those dragons made it possible for the Night King to cross the Wall and gave Daenerys the best chance at ending up on the Iron Throne. But the dragons are a long way from being able to help her take the Iron Throne and she just lost her khalasar. I was def nervous for her travelling around in a desperate state with 3 dragons bc anyone is going to try and exploit Dany’s current situation. Didn’t seem like Qaarth had an army so Dany as def in the wrong place but seeing the warlocks I was worried they would be a multiple season villain esp when they actually successfully stole the dragons. Awful feeling watching that being a fan of Daenerys. But we got our first lesson that the Mother of Dragons is not to be fcked with as she calls out Dracarys and Drogon lights up the warlock. Great scene that showed Daenerys has already grown significantly from that frightened, meek girl we first met in S1.
-Exciting watching her start to accumulate her army and at the same time start to attack the wheels of tyranny. Loved the introduction of Ser Barristan to her Queens’s guard, as he saves her life from the manticore and apologizes for failing her family during Robert’s Rebellion. The scene where she obtains the Unsullied was so great she even had Jorah and Ser Barristan fooled. Just awful to hear what they do to these poor boys to turn them into Unsullied soldiers and then the master just cuts off the soldier’s nipple to make a point. So fcked up. I wasn’t worried when Dany handed Drogon to the master bc after what she saw on the ‘walk of punishment’ I knew what was about to happen, she gets an army of Unsullied and the master gets a dracarys. Significant here is Dany frees Missandei who becomes her translator/advisor and it was great to watch their relationship develop on the show. Dany needed to learn how to be a Queen and how to deal with all the dangers.
-Smart decision for Dany to try and win the Second Sons to her side instead of fighting them bc Daario ends up being a very valuable asset/lover/friend. After killing the other Second Sons captains, Daario leads a team that opens the gates of Yunkai giving the city to Daenerys and making it the second city she has liberated from slavery. Daenerys gets a moment she has always wanted as the people of Yunkai refer to her as ‘Mhysa’ which means mother and they all lift her up and pass her along with their hands, a great honour for Dany. But it’s a sobering moment when Drogon snaps at Dany and she feels actual fear, more worried she is losing control over them as she needs them to have her power. Disgusting scene as they come upon the mile markers to Meereen, 163 children nailed to all these mile markers. Dany couldn’t bring justice to these scumbags soon enough for me. Dany takes Meereen but we see the first example of her vicious side as she replaces the 163 crucified children with 163 crucified masters. I’m sure most of them deserved that fate but as we learned, not all of them did but Daenerys was so eager to deliver her brand of justice that she didn’t listen and that is something that makes her similar to her father.
-I wanted Daenerys in Westeros as soon as possible so her deciding to stay in Slavers Bay to learn how to rule after Yunkai and Astapor fall back into slavery without her there was def frustrating but it made sense. Dany allows Hizdahr to bury his father and that’s when she realizes not all the masters she crucified were evil. She even has a former slave come to her and ask to be able to sell himself back to the family that owned him before as they treated him well but his life without them has been awful. Not exactly the way she thought ending slavery was going to go. Dany has to banish Jorah from her presence after she discovers Jorah had been spying on her so she is taking some hits in S4. But the worst comes when a man brings the burnt bones of his young daughter to Daenerys after she was killed by Drogon, great performance by the actor your heart just breaks for this unknown stranger. This forces Daenerys to chain up Rhaegal and Viserion in a brutal scene, seeing them try to follow Dany and start to screech and cry is awful. Drogon has flown away somewhere and they can’t find him but we see a brief appearance when he flies over Jorah and Tyrion in old Valyria.
-Love the scene of Ser Barristan counselling Dany about her father and why she needed to be careful about dishing out the justice she thought they deserved bc that is exactly what her father did. He also later tells Dany stories about the true Rhaegar that loved to sing, can’t give me enough of that. Executing that former slave that killed the Son of the Harpy, he did break the law but Dany freed him and he really bought into her and what she was doing so it was tough for her to be the one to cause his death. It also opened the door for the Sons of the Harpy to rise up bigger. We see Dany’s vicious side again after Ser Barristan dies and she responds by rounding up some masters including Hizdahr and presents them to her dragons causing 1 to be burned and eaten. She tries to become a better ruler showing compromise by opening the fighting pits and even agreeing to a marriage alliance with Hizdahr. The opening of the fighting pits leads Jorah back to Dany and delivers Tyrion to her so it def ended up a good thing for her. But Dany is still pissed at Jorah so Tyrion manages to convince Dany not to execute Jorah and just banish him again.
-Jorah works his way to the fighting pits again to get an audience with Dany kicking some ass to be the last fighter standing but before Jorah has time to speak he sees a Harpy sneaking up on Dany and nails him with a perfect spear shot. The Sons of the Harpy being threats to Drogon and killing Ser Barristan were some of my least fav moments of the show; they should have been like mosquitoes to them but esp Drogon. But Drogon just takes off with Dany leaving everyone else to clean up the rest. She ends up captured by a Khalasar and thinks her previous role as Khaleesi makes her special but once her Khal is dead she means nothing to them. Only to be forced to live in exile at Dosh Khaleen so no other man can ever touch her. I was wondering how she would get out of it but Dany had a solid plan. Once in the tent I saw where it was going, becoming the ultimate Khaleesi and killing all the other Khals was a great moment. Also loved her speech to the Khalasar declaring them all her blood riders, it echoed the one Drogo gave in S1 about killing the men in their iron suits.
-Awesome scene when Daenerys returns to Meereen to help end the siege and negotiates the terms of surrender…the masters surrender. Cool visual seeing Rhaegal and Viserion break out of the catacombs and join their brother in destroying the master’s fleet. So sweet watching Daario and the Khalasar just crush the remains of the Sons of the Harpy, seemed like shit was gettin cleaned up in Dragons Bay and Westeros was around the corner. Didn’t expect Dany to leave Daario behind but he def would have caused problems for her alliances, couldn’t see Jon being cool with Daario always around Dany. Varys delivers the Tyrell/Dorne army to Daenerys, Yara/Theon deliver the Greyjoy fleet to Daenerys and she can fcking finally head to Westeros with her army. Waited so long for that to happen so to say I was excited for S7 is an understatement.
-When they get to Dragonstone, Dany grills Varys about where his true loyalties lie in a pretty intense scene but Varys has a strong defence for his actions, he doesn’t serve any ruler he serves the people. Dany asks him to tell her to her face if she is failing the realm instead of conspiring against her, Varys agrees and then does exactly what she asked him not to later in S8 so I feel less sorry for him. Melisandre shows up to plant the seeds of bringing Jon Snow and Daenerys together as well as reminding Dany of the Prince That Was Promised prophecy while Missandei clarifies that it could be referring to a man or woman. Having seen it all turns these seemingly non-important scenes into some of the biggest as bringing Ice and Fire together was Melisandre’s entire mission in life so seeing it all come together is def interesting. The first meeting between Daenerys and Jon did not disappoint as she tried to get him to bend the knee and he tried to get her to help in the war vs the dead. I loved Daenerys listing the horrors she had to go through that gives her a right to the throne, not just her name and then Davos firing back with everything Jon has accomplished and establishing it wasn’t bc of a name but bc Jon had the qualities people wanted in a leader and followed him. Loved the scene where Jon leads Dany down to the caves where the dragonglass is to show her the carvings from the Children of the Forest that tell the story of the CotF and the First Men coming together to defeat the White Walkers the first time.
-Man if she had only did in early S7 what she did in S8E5 how different things would be. I was starting to get seriously concerned at how fast Dany’s advantages were slipping away when she finally had enough and took care of business herself. Daenerys attack on the Lannister/Tarley armies in S7, where we finally get a sense of what Dragons can do was def legendary. Watching her light up those wagons was so pleasing they did an unreal job with the CGI for that attack. But when they unveiled that scorpion I had the butterflies goin thinking Drogon was going to be killed and sure enough Bronn is able to smoke him with an arrow. That we were watching his death but huge sense of relief when Drogon shook it off and recovered. For me it was a huge twist to have the scorpion fail but finally a big twist in the good guys favour. I was hoping that would lead to a string of victories for Team Dany but def not as a brutal blow was coming next. Daenerys’s vicious side really comes out when she burns Randyll and Dickon Tarly alive instead of just taking them prisoner for not bending the knee to her. Randyll and Dickon being related to a character we love in Sam makes what Daenerys does mean more bc I don’t know that there would be the same reaction if it was just 2 random people she burned. I think more people would have justified it but bc it was Sam’s Father and Brother they weren’t able to look at it the same. Bran sends a raven to Dragonstone informing Jon and the rest of the Night King moving past Eastwatch, Jon wants to go start repairing the defences but Dany still doesn’t believe him. Tyrion then hatches the ‘capture a wight’ plan and away they go.
-Dany arrives in time to save the ‘capture a wight’ team and I was more than ready to watch the Night King and his army get their asses kicked. So sweet seeing all 3 dragons in action but my enjoyment turned to dread when he went for a spear. Knowing how important the Dragons were to her plans for victory, Viserions death got a huge reaction from me as I was not prepared for it at all. Was so concerned that not only she lost a Dragon but the Night King now had one. Didn’t end up being that big of a deal but at the time it rocked me. Great moment when she agreed to head North to fight the dead. Daenerys gets to meet dumbass Jon at the parlay with Cersei but despite Jon’s best efforts it looks to be a success and Cersei has agreed to help. I couldn’t be excited at Dany and Jon getting together since we learned they are related as it was happening making it ridiculously awkward lol
-When Dany arrives in Winterfell she does not receive the welcome she dreamed of as the Northern people see her as an outsider and try to avoid her. Awesome scene when Dany/Jon go for a dragon ride around the North, “you’ve ruined horses for me,” haha yeah no kidding. Daenerys dialogue being so similar to Ygrittes in the Waterfall scene and them both dying confirms one thing, you need to stay away from caves with Jon Snow lol Jon learns the truth about who he really is and avoids Dany until he has a chance to process it himself so she really has a rough time before the Battle. Def kind of sad to see her by herself while everyone else is with someone and I felt for Daenerys this episode bc Jon kept leaving her and she had nobody to be with before the battle. Tough scene when Daenerys has to break the news to Sam that she burned his Father and Brother alive, great acting from John Bradley. Jorah pushing Dany to develop a positive relationship with Sansa led to a great scene between Dany/Sansa but her obsession with total power and control looked to derail the relationship after getting back on track.
-Then we get Jon’s reveal and I gotta admit I see why she would question Jon’s revelation, def seems convenient for Jon that his brother and best friend found this out and nobody else in the world knows. But Daenerys first concern was her claim to the Iron Throne, not her love for Jon. They left to go get the Dragons together but did not look like they were on the same page. Jon flashed a look like ‘Let’s do this’ and Daenerys responded w what looked like a ‘FUCK YOU’ look lol Dragon fight in the air was so awesome, Rheagal kicked the shit out of Viserion and Drogon tried to finish. Some incredible visuals over the battle field and up above the clouds. But damn that ice storm was frustrating I just wanted the dragons to fn crisp the dead.
-After the Night King was defeated, things get very interesting for her as Jon’s true identity threatens her claim and madness starts to creep in. Fire and Blood. The desire for it is what every Targaryen has to fight to control. 99% don’t but Daenerys prob had best chance of any Targ to control it but 1 significant loss after another has finally broken her resolve. The result was the Massacre at Kings Landing bc at that point Jorah is dead. Ser Barristan is dead. Daario is still in Dragons Bay. Missandei is dead. Varys betrayed her. Tyrion has failed her over n over. Daenerys’s first instinct when dealing with enemies was always Fire and Blood but her advisors always showed her the better way. Daenerys feels like she has nobody left on her side. She watches everyone fawn over Jon, knows he grew up in Westeros and will soon be revealed the trueborn son of Rhaegar Targaryen, true heir to the Iron Throne. To top it off 2 of her children are dead. Isolation is what drove Aerys Targaryen to become the Mad King and now Daenerys has experienced a ton of it. Basically her entire life was isolation until Viserys decided to sell her to Drogo. It got better when she became Khaleesi but has been creeping back in Westeros.
– Daenerys arrived to an empty Dragonstone. Then once in Winterfell she really started to feel isolated as Westeros ppl didn’t trust her so they avoided her as did Jon who was reeling from learning who he really was. After the Battle of Winterfell it’s more of the same. Daenerys mourns another advisor in Ser Jorah and sits alone while ppl crowd around Jon talking about what a great leader he is and why it’s a no brainer to follow him. Then she heads to take Kings Landing and watches her friend/advisor Missandei get executed. After Missandei’s death, Daenerys isolates herself for 2 days without food and only speaks to Tyrion on the 3rd day as far as we know. This was like pouring gas on Daenerys’s Fire and Blood. Tyrion asks her to stop if she hears the Bells but it’s too late. Daenerys sees she is losing everything n its down to, if Drogon dies its over for her. Missandei represented everything Dany wanted to be, Breaker of Chains, a liberator that broke wheels of tyranny, plus having her meant Dany wasn’t ever alone. But she def is now.
– Loved how Dany had Drogon come at the Iron Fleet straight down to make the scorpions ineffective. Awesome visuals destroying the ships. Those scorpions on the wall are just sitting ducks and Daenerys lit them up good. Didn’t expect the Golden Company to get wrecked in 15 seconds lol Shows just how arrogant Cersei is w that stupid fn smirk on her face to start the battle but it got wiped off pretty quick lol We finally got to see why Dragons win wars. Loved watching Cersei’s plans and hopes/dreams literally go up in flames. Then we get to the point of no return. Daenerys n Drogon have destroyed the Iron Fleet/Golden Company/scorpions while the Unsullied/Dothraki/Northmen have entered the city and forced the Lannister soldiers to surrender. She could stop n the Iron Throne is hers. But for how long? How many support her? Daenerys looks at the city and sees the same ppl that would cheer her for killing Cersei, would also be the ones demanding and supporting Jon. Dany is 3 days w/o food at this point, or sleep id guess with how she looked. Mimicking same conditions that created the Mad King. And even in her normal state of mind Dany believes the only way for her to sit on the Iron Throne is for nobody to know about Jon. Now everyone knows so Dany believes it’s a matter of time before her claim is forgotten.
– Incredible acting from Emilia Clarke in this entire episode but esp this scene. You can see her struggling to hold onto control but almost hear the Mad King in her head screaming “BURN THEM ALL!!” thought Dany was goin for Cersei but fuck I was not ready for burning innocent civilians. Daenerys laid it out this season and we all called her bluff but she followed through in the end. Her ultimatum to Jon was: rule with Love and Peace as King & Queen or I will rule as Queen with Fire and Blood. Jon made his choice so Daenerys made hers. Daenerys has never been shown any love from the ppl in Westeros, only fear. Ya know, I think Daenerys almost becomes like Thanos form the Avengers movies in this moment. Daenerys realizes the remaining citizens aren’t going to appreciate her for sparing them, they will be demanding another take her place so better to wipe out the ones that remember the old world and start with ones that only know her new world.
– No advisors left and madness setting in, Daenerys makes the heartbreaking, unbelievable decision to go with her first instinct: Fire and Blood. That was hard to watch, both the innocent people dying & a heroes fall from grace. If Jorah/Missandei is there it doesn’t happen. Visually S8E5 was unfuckingbelievable. The dragon fire was fcking incredible n loved watching it mow through everything, the destruction felt real and the battles were brutal, potentially epic still shots all over. Just hated to see our Khaleesi, Our Queen succumb to the Targaryen madness we all thought she could overcome. But when you see all the shots Daenerys took one after the other over her life and the series, it’s a miracle she held it off for as long as she did.
-I talked about the end of her character in the finale discussion above so I won’t repeat it but can’t help but feel disappointed that Dany’s story going out with a whimper.
Had a chance to do some epic storytelling with what was set up but everything came to a pretty lacklustre conclusion. In the end, Jon’s identity meant nothing and dying a Mad Queen undid all the good in her story. Daenerys Targaryen will still be a great character and it will still be a great journey to watch if you forget the end until you have to watch it but it could have been something much better in the end.
JON SNOW AKA AEGON TARGARYEN
– The role that put Kit Harington on the map and launched his career. I know we will be seeing a lot of him over the years bc he is a great actor. I saw the movie Pompeii that he did, was an awesome movie and Kit crushed it. Esp his sword fighting I couldn’t believe how skilled he was. So whether it’s in another big swords n shield epic or something more grounded, Kit Harington should be around for awhile. His performance as the reluctant hero throughout the series was crucial to its success, kept people coming back as their favourite characters kept dropping. Managed to show vulnerability but also strength in his character which is why I think he resonated with so many. I’m sure it was tough for Kit saying goodbye to Jon, would have been a fun character to play I think.
– Right from the start I gravitated towards Jon as a favourite character and was able to relate to him as a fellow bastard lol when you realize how hard his life has been despite living in privilege, it really becomes easy to root for him. Growing up with your brothers and sisters yet being treated like you’re unwanted by your step Mother would have been brutal and it was for Jon. So brutal that he is willing to give up his life to the Night’s Watch. Great moment when Tyrion enlightens Jon about why it is not a smart idea to kick the shit out of his fellow brothers in training considering the privileges Jon enjoyed as a Stark. Teaching them is the better way, important moment for Jon’s character in learning how to lead. He really had a great relationship with Tyrion that helps make those first few episodes so good. The scene where Jon saves LC Mormont from the wights is huge to prove his worth to Jeor but it’s had to grow on me bc when I first watched I wasn’t a fan at all of the White Walkers/wights storyline. So frustrating when Jon can’t go help Robb in the war vs the Lannisters, I was used to characters like Jon being able to go back so to see him really not go was so shocking but that speech from Maester Aemon helped put things in perspective. As the 1st season progressed I didn’t like that Jon wasn’t involved in the Game of Thrones but his story would get very interesting and make me start to enjoy the White Walker storyline.
-Tough decisions like working with Craster are why not everyone can be leader, Jon will be a leader but he isn’t ready yet. Jon is ready to fight when he sees what is going on at Craster’s Keep but he gets to see why command is so hard when LC Mormont explains that Craster disgusts him too but they work with him bc his location and supplies are crucial to surviving their ranging missions beyond the Wall. Can’t fault him for not kill Ygritte, I couldn’t have either but sucks that it costs the lives of some brothers. Impressive to think that Qhorin Halfhand came up with the plan for Jon to become a spy on the spot and sacrificed himself for it. “Tell Mance, that’s the man who killed Qhorin Halfhand.” Crazy to see how everything worked out, if Jon doesn’t hesitate in killing Ygritte and then chase her, he prob never meets Mance Rayder. Crucial bc Jon had to make him think they had 10,000 at Castle Black to keep Mance’s army from coming full force. This meeting also allows him to start making connections with the Free Folk, paving the way for them to trust and follow Jon.
-I enjoyed the Jon/Ygritte love story despite its tragic ending, hilarious at the start to watch her tease him knowing the Nights Watch have to remain celibate. The cave scene is one of the best moments of the show, if you’re gonna lose your virginity that’s def the way to do it lol the chemistry the audience was seeing and feeling was very real considering they are now married in real life. (Congrats!) Climbing the Wall is 1 of my favourite episodes; the Jon/Ygritte kiss when they finally make it to the top of the Wall is 1 of the most iconic moments of the show just unbelievable cinematography. Orell was 1 of the only people not a fan of Jon/Ygritte, his jealousy was clear from the start so I loved it when Jon finally killed him. Cool that Bran was able to help him via Summer. Tough to see Jon/Ygritte part, I felt for Ygritte bc she clearly just wanted a good man to love her but they are few and far between anywhere in the world and when she finally found one it has to be tragic. Without the threat of the White Walkers, Jon stays with Ygritte but he knew about them so he had to go back. Def shed a tear or two when Ygritte dies in Jon’s arms, she would have made a hell of a Queen, a hell of an anything really. Ygritte is the kind of woman a man wants at his side and Jon the kind of a man a woman wants at her side so it’s easy to see why their love was so strong.
– I remember being annoyed at the S4 trailer bc it made it seem like Jon was going to avenge Robb when he said ‘He was killed by his own men” but he was actually talking about Jeor Mormont. Not that I didn’t want Jon to avenge the Lord Commander, I just really wanted to see Jon join the Game of Thrones to avenge Robb and the Red Wedding. After Robb dies at the Red Wedding, I think most viewers cheering for the Starks were all in on Jon, I know I was. Made all of his scenes so intense bc if he dies, almost nobody left to root for. Made my hatred for Alliser Thorne that much worse, he disliked Jon from the start and just could not leave him alone even after Jon proved himself worthy. Alliser tried to question Jon’s story about becoming a wildling spy but Aemon knew the Halfhand and knows Jon so the truth was clear, Alliser can just shut up.
– But it was a great moment when Jon led the attack on the mutineers at Craster’s Keep, hated those scumbags. Always bothered me that the mutineers somehow made conditions worse for these women than they were with Craster. Just wish Jon didn’t need help to kill Karl who was def a great villain for the short time he had. After defeating the mutineers at Craster’s Keeps it doesn’t get any better with the ones he has to deal with at Castle Black. The only time I ever like Alliser Thorne was during the Battle of Castle Black, he was kicking some serious ass and had some great lines. Would’ve loved to see more of that character but he was def a great heel. The BoCB is def underrated as far as Battles go now that we have had some big, epic ones. It felt gritty and real, the one shot where the camera goes 360 to show all the fighting. WOW. Unbelievable scene. And I could keep listing them off; the Giant’s arrow smoking that guy off the top of the Wall, Jon vs Magnar of Thenn, Alliser vs Tormund thought 1 was dead for sure, death of Ygritte, just wish we could have seen Mag the Mighty vs Grenn and the boys. Chills when Grenn and boys recite their Night’s Watch vows to get fired up to face the giant. Absolutely 1 of the best eps of the series.
– I found Jon’s parlay with Mance tough bc Jon lived up to every fear Mance had about him, Jon betrayed him and Mance was actually a good dude. Now obviously Jon had no choice he can’t abandon the Night s Watch bc of their role vs the Night King/White Walkers bit I was still embarrassed for Jon. Their conversation about all the fallen like Ygritte and Grenn was a nice touch. Did not expect Stannis to show up but man did that shake things up significantly. I enjoyed the interactions between Jon/Stannis and it’s interesting to see Jon’s’ scenes with Melisandre knowing what kind of impact she would have later. Crazy to see Jon turn down becoming a legitimate Stark considering it’s everything he ever wanted but just like staying with Ygritte, the war vs the dead is more important. Lord Commander Mormont would def be proud of Jon. It was so intense watching Jon rise up the ranks in the Nights Watch culminating in that amazing scene when Sam nominates Jon for Lord Commander and Maester Aemon casts the deciding vote. Chills. After the disrespect Janos Slynt showed Jon the new Lord Commander, he deserved to be executed but for a second I thought Jon would show him mercy but he must have thought of Ned in that moment bc Jon did what Ned would have done and finished it. We see that Jon did learn from the lesson LC Mormont was teaching Jon in working with Craster when he reluctantly agrees to send a letter to the Bolton’s asking for help. Brutal. I don’t that I could have done that.
-After Stannis leaves, Jon would turn his focus to where it would be for most of the rest of the series, the Night King and the White Walkers. The revelation that Craster gave babies to the White Walkers and the brief glimpse of their homeland, plus the debut of the Night King was where I started to get invested in the White Walker stuff. Jon being the main character involved in it def helped. Hardhome was 1 of the craziest, best moments of the series bc it was so intense and came out of nowhere. 1 second it’s a filler episode getting the Free Folk out of the path of the Night King’s army and then BOOM a full on battle. The end where the Night King is staring Jon down and lifts his hands to raise the dead might be the top moment of the series, def in the convo. Frustrating as a viewer to know Jon is 100% on the money about forgetting the ridiculous grudges vs the Free Folk and focusing on the Night King yet everyone continues to not believe him and conspire against him. To the point of being killed by his Night’s Watch “brothers.” You almost want to give up watching at that bc what’s the point they just kill everyone good lol this produced the biggest reaction from my Pops. When Alliser stabs Jon my Dad goes ‘Oh No!’ with genuine emotion, then keeps saying it as the stabs keep coming. And he had no idea a resurrection was possible so it made the moment even more intense.
-Melisandre bringing him back works in their world but seemed kinda like a cop out and started to change the, ‘Anyone can be killed’ vibe they had going in the first 5 seasons. I was willing to buy into it bc I loved the character and was too invested in how much story there was left to tell on the show for him. I needed to see him take out Ramsey and I was not disappointed. But damn I totally forgot that his death meant his Nights Watch vows were fulfilled and he was free to go, “My watch has ended.” I could empathize with the guys left behind, would have been amazing to have your friend back but then he’s like, “Fck this I’m out.” Lol obviously can’t blame him but still a tough moment. That letter from Ramsay was so infuriating; the Battle of the Bastards couldn’t come soon enough. Tormund has a great speech to rally the wildlings and I get so jacked when Wun Wun makes the decision for everyone and declares, “SNOW.” Awesome moment. Sansa/Jon trying to rally the Houses that were left was good stuff esp since it introduced us to Lyanna the Giantslayer. At the parlay with Ramsay before the BotB, I couldn’t help but notice the similarity to Jamie/Robb’s confrontation after the Battle of Whispering Wood. Jamie knew he could beat Robb so he challenged him to end the war, Jon knew he could beat Ramsay so he challenged him to win the war. Would have loved to see Jon kill Ramsay with a sword but what we got was much better.
-Battle of the Bastards might be peak of Game of Thrones; it was so fcking good and Jon Snow/Kit Harington fcking shined. The start of it with Jon realizing he fucked up and did what everyone told him not to do so he just takes out his sword to make a last stand and his cavalry just blows by him. Hoooooly shit that was as fcking intense as it gets. The battle reminded me of Braveheart which is the highest of compliments. The scene where he almost drowns in bodies almost feels like you’re in there with him, so uncomfortable as a viewer I loved it. Wish Jon had been written to make smarter decisions but with his history of emotional decisions it did fit the character. I enjoyed each and every one of those punches he delivered to Ramsay. Such a cathartic moment when they finally take back Winterfell and the Stark banner flies again. I don’t know why but man Jon’s ‘King in the North’ scene where Lady Mormont starts it and then everyone else starts declaring and starts chanting, fuck that gets me fired up lol what it must feel like to be Jon in that moment knowing all these men and women believe in you and want you to lead them. Chills don’t even cut it.
-Was on the edge of my seat in S7 watching things build to the battle vs the Night King. It was refreshing to see Jon not falling for any of Littlefingers bullshit and choking him against the wall in the crypt. Jon needs dragonglass, Dragonstone has a ton of it so that is where they need to go but Daenerys and her army have already arrived. Legendary scene when Missandei needs 10 min to say all of Dany’s names and Davos just says, “This is Jon Snow. He’s King in the North.” Lol Loved everything about this scene with the back and forth bringing up all the history between the families. But nobody else really buys that the White Walkers are real yet. Jon Snow was the one that had to hammer home to the other characters and to the viewers; the Game of Thrones doesn’t matter. Only the war vs the dead matters. Dany lets them mine the dragonglass but one of the best scenes between them is in the cave seeing the carvings by the Children of the Forest about how the CotF worked with the First Men to fight the White Walkers 1000’s of years ago. It should have been a really significant moment that Jon was able to touch a dragon bc only Targaryens are supposed to be able to but the importance was never mentioned.
Not a huge fan of the Beyond the Wall stuff trying to capture the wight but I guess it works, they needed to get people to believe and nobody will believe unless they see for themselves. But everybody including the audience seemed to finally accept Jon’s words and focus on the war vs the dead. And then we got it and it was over. No back story, no Jon/Night King confrontation, no big victory for the Night King in battle, no prophecies fulfilled, no connections to Starks, no scenes in their Home, no fights with White Walkers, it was just wrapped up as simple as possible.
-Once everybody focuses on the Night King/White Walkers, the show kills them off quickly and goes back to the Game of Thrones lol makes no sense to me but whatever. So Jon rallies the troops but has no real affect on the end. I was hyped and on Team R+L=J until Jon/Daenerys started to get together, then it’s like ya know what lets pump the brakes here Ned Stark is his father dammit lol shame to waste the potential but it ain’t happening now. Brutal moment for Jon. The Love he wants is now off limits, Ned Stark the man that raised him from birth is not his father and he learns a man that died before he was born is his real father, son of the Mad King Rhaegar Targaryen. Killed by Ned’s best friend, Robert Baratheon. And now Jon has the burden of being true heir to the Iron Throne when we know that’s the last fcking thing he would ever want. Drogon’s reaction to Jon/Dany making out by the cave was hilarious in that it seemed like he knew what the deal was and was judging Jon lol
-Jon did have the best seat in the house for the dragon fight in the air, that was def awesome to see him in the Battle on Rhaegal the dragon named after his father. I loved the realism of how the Night King deals with Jon but I wanted the spectacle. Makes sense that the Night King would not go 1 on 1 with Jon knowing his skills and that he has a Valerian steel sword. I loved when Jon had the Night King in his sights on the battlefield thinking ‘finally I got him 1 on 1.’ And then the Night King just looks at him like, ‘you know nothing Jon Snow,’ and raises the dead so there will be no 1v1 fight. Def a frustrating but brilliant move. Then the Night King has Viserion keep Jon from getting to the Godswood. It was a perfect plan that prepared for everyone but forgot about No one. The speech Jon gives after the Battle of Winterfell before the light the pyres is incredible and one of his top moments, you know why men and women follow him after that.
– More incredible acting from Kit Harington as the Unsullied/Dothraki/Northmen attack the Lannisters who have surrendered and he realizes Daenerys has fallen to the Targaryen madness. They are now the bad guys so Jon stops what slaughter he can and gets them out of there. Jon killing Daenerys was shocking but could/should have been done in a different/better way. I mean to me, if you’re gonna have Jon kill Dany then it’s insane not to tie it to the Prince That Was Promised prophecy and finish with that storyline. After this you think that either Jon is gonna die or end up on the Iron Throne but he goes back to the fcking wall lol can’t say I’m satisfied with that conclusion. Jon going to live in the Wildling North with Ghost is def cool with me but should have got there a much different way. Ghost and his relationship with Jon never really got the proper respect esp towards the end. Wolves’ being tough to CGI was always the reason I heard for downplaying the Direwolves but I think it would have been worth it to find ways to work them in more. I don’t just want to complain bc they did give Ghost some great kills and portrayed him as the badass he is at times so there was some balance. But for Jon in the end his parentage didn’t matter and he wasn’t a part of any prophecies. Could have been so much more, but Jon Snow will live on as an iconic character thanks to Kit Harington crushing his role.
TYRION LANNISTER
– The everyman character of the show that may have enjoyed a glass of wine or two lol Peter Dinklage’s incredible performance throughout the show made Tyrion Lannister feel like a real person. Every show I looked forward to watching Tyrions’ scenes with my favourites being when he was Joffrey’s Hand in S2. He was so, so good in that role. Gave me more reason and made it easy to despise Cersei. His early scenes with Jon are great to go back and watch considering how much has gone on in their journeys since. From there you realize Tyrion is someone that understands and empathizes with the common people, he is not your typical stuck up asshole like most of the rest. Then you learn his story, how his Mother died giving birth to him and his Father and sister hated him for it. Everyone treated him like shit his entire life, except his brother Jamie. You really feel for him when you learn the story of what happened to his first wife. Easy character to root for and one of the only true good people on the show
-I couldn’t figure out whether he was a good guy or a bad guy at first. His actions seemed good but he had a bit of an asshole energy to him so it was hard for me to tell but creating a saddle for Bran made me settle on the good guy side. It was pretty clear that Tyrion didn’t have anything to do with Bran’s assassination so I was hoping he would be freed after Catelyn took him prisoner. Those sky cells would be terrifyingly awful but that scene with the guard was pretty funny. Great moment when Bronn wins the trial by combat and Tyrions freedom, starting a fun partnership between the two and we get the famous line from Tyrion, “If anyone ever pays you to betray me, I’ll double it.” What Tyrion lacks in physical stature he makes up for mentally proved by turning the Hill Tribes from his murderers into his soldiers. Part of the deal is that Tyrion must be with them on the battle field and I bet Tyrion would knight the hammer that knocked him out if he could lol but before the battle we get 2 very significant scenes of Shae being introduced to Tyrion and we get to hear the revolting story of Tyrion’s first wife and what Tywin caused to happen to her. Both Bronn and Tyrion survive the Battle, partly bc this was the battle that Robb sent 2,000 men to die in so he could capture Jamie Lannister. Tywin then sends Tyrion to King’s Landing to be the Hand to Joffrey while Tywin deals with Robb.
-Loved the season when he was Hand of the King, he immediately starts to point out what an idiot Cersei is for letting Ned Stark die which I could hear all day lol Tyrions respect for Ned Stark even after his death proves that we were right thinking Tyrion was a good guy. Absolutely loved him fcking with Pycelle for a season I couldn’t stand that old scumbag. Tyrions plan to test the loyalty of the 3 masters of information was so smart and worked to a T. One of Tyrions only mistakes during his time as Hand was giving Joffey those 2 whores that is one of the worst, hard to watch scenes in the series. In a significant moment, after turning Lancel into his spy Tyrion learns Cersei has been stockpiling wildfire left over from the Mad King’s wildfire plot and also commissioning the Alchemists to make more. Scary to think of Cersei controlling all that wildfire but the knowledge allowed Tyrion to save the city. Even Varys commends Tyrion on his ability to lay the Game of Thrones. Cersei thinks Tyrion sent Myrcella to Dorne to punish Cersei but it was actually the smartest move that only fell apart when Oberyn was killed. Unfortunately Ros pays the price for it, tough scene that gets worse when she begs Tyrion, “Don’t forget about me.” Great acting when Tyrion breaks down after he finds Shae unharmed. Joffrey triggering a riot was one of the best moments bc Tyrions gets to slap the shit out of him and it felt good lol
-But Tyrions crowning moment would have to be the Battle of Blackwater when he helped defend the city from Stannis. I wanted Stannis to win that Battle but I loved Tyrion so it was a conflicting scene lol the Wildfire explosion is in the convo for the best moments of the show. He even got to give a Battle speech to fire up the troops. Got nervous he might be killed when he is attacked on the battlefield but Pod saves the day earning his place for good. Tyrion in a power position was so much fun to watch bc Peter Dinklage can pull off the required tough task of changing Tyrion’s persona when dealing with different people. Tyrion’s tough, nasty side would come out dealing with vermin like Pycelle but then he was back to his funny, endearing self when dealing with decent people. He was guarded and defensive dealing with Tywin. Relaxed and happy when dealing with Jamie. This great performance is why everyone loves Tyrion. His relationship with Joffrey was always interesting in that Tyrion could treat Joffrey in a way nobody else could. You knew something was going to break but it was pretty obvious Tyrion did not kill Joffrey.
-As much as I enjoyed Tyrion in a power position, it absolutely sucked to watch him lose it and have to tow the line in S3. Oh man the smirk Pycelle has on his stupid face when Tyrion wakes up pisses me off so much lol but that as nothing compared to how I felt listening to Tywin spewing his venom at Tyrion for asking to be named Lord of Casterly Rock since Jamie gave up his rights for the Kings guard. Talk about needing a punch in the mouth man Tywin is such a disgusting person. Tyrion can’t do much back to Tywin but dragging the chair across the floor as long and as loud as possible is a great start haha Tyrion becomes Master of Coin and puts it perfectly that he is horrible for the job bc he is great at spending coin but not so good at managing it. True statement. Littlefinger was the previous Master of Coin and thanks to his records Tyrion realizes Littlefinger was borrowing heavily from the Iron Bank and that the Crown was broke and in big trouble. Hilarious to watch Tyrions incredulity at the prostitutes not accepting payment from Pod lol also funny to watch Tyrion ask Olenna for a subdued wedding knowing what a partier Tyrion is. Tywin then drops the bomb that he has to marry Sansa. I really felt for Tyrion here, he knows he would treat Sansa like a true Queen and would be a suitable mate but bc of his height she hates the idea. So he basically has to be like, “Hey. Sorry for being me and that you have to marry a good guy that won’t treat you cruelly.” Def messed up when you think about it. And to make to make it worse Joffrey just has to be the scumbag he is and fck with Tyrion at the wedding. Tyrion solidifies his good character by not forcing himself on Sansa to produce an heir despite relentless pressure from Tywin.
-The interactions between Tyrion/Oberyn were some of the highlights of S4 but the first scene was so great that it set the tone for the entire season. I wish that the Tyrion/Shae love story had room to breathe but the entire time they had been suffocated by King’s Landing. I’d love to see the timeline where Tyrion escapes King’s Landing with Shae and travels to Essos. It was tough; I wanted to see Tyrion have time to love Shae but with everything going on it made perfect sense that they had a scarce amount of time to be together. Shae was just not the kind of woman you can lock down, would have made things a lot easier if she was but that fire was part of why Tyrion loved her. Calling him her Lion, the whole “I am yours and you are mine” connection was so sweet, such a tragic tale. I couldn’t take much more of Joffrey fcking with Tyrion on top of everything else that little prick had done so it was a glorious moment when Joffrey finally died. But still subdued as we knew Tyrion would take the blame and getting out of this predicament would be almost impossible.
-Tyrion knows how much trouble he is in which is why he send Pod away. The trial gave us such a fcking incredible performance from Peter Dinklage, some of my favourite scenes on the show. From being held in the cells to in the trial itself to afterwards leading up to the trial by combat, Peter Dinklage’s masterpiece. When Tyrions finally breaks and lets all the Lords, Ladies and that bitch Cersei know his true feelings about them wishing he had let Stannis kill them all and wishing he really had killed her ‘vicious bastard’ man I was cheering so loud. And then he just delivers his line perfectly, ‘I demand a trial by combat.’ The look on his face knowing that for 1 moment he got one on his father was so great. Then the incredible scene of Oberyn visiting Tyrion and telling the story of the Monster of Casterly Rock, “I said that’s not a monster, that’s just a baby.” I loved Tyrion’s line of, “If you want justice, you’ve come to the wrong place.” But Oberyn’s response just gets you fired up realizing he is gonna fight for Tyrion and seeing Tyrion’s reaction when Oberyn says, “I will be your champion.” Man that entire scene is just awesome. Killing his father was a long time coming but the Shae murder was awful bc you knew they loved each other despite the Game of Thrones tearing them apart. She did him dirty in the end with the trial and sleeping with Tywin so I can’t feel too sorry for her.
-When Jorah kidnaps Tyrion and says “I’m taking you to the Queen,” I thought he had given up on Dany and focused on getting back in Cersei’s good graces so I was nervous. Really loved the scenes between them but esp going through old Valyria when Tyrion finally sees a dragon in Drogon flying over them. Fuck that was so crazy when that stone men just walks into the water and you realize Tyrion/Jorah are about to be attacked. Didn’t think Tyrion would die here but they pushed it as far as they could. I think it’s kind of a stretch for Tyrion to survive the slavers and then make it to the fighting pits but I won’t complain. Glad his story took him to Daenerys so he could do what he does best, drink and know things lol it was cool that Dany immediately recognized that Tyrion would be a valuable advisor, great moment when Tyrion saves Missandei from the Sons of the Harpy. After Daenerys escaped and Tyrion is left to help rule Meereen, he tries to do it applying what he knows from the Westeros Game of Thrones but places like Meereen are much different which Tyrion learns the hard way. Such a cool scene when Tyrion takes the chains off of Viserion and Rhaegal, maybe not who you would expect to do it but someone had to. The scenes between Tyrion/Greyworm/Missandei were such a breath of fresh air for the Meereen story that was kind of spinning its tires without Dany. Daenerys returns to help clean up the mess that has been made in her absence, great moment when she officially makes Tyrion her Hand of the Queen and they head to Westeros.
-The audience loved Tyrion but man the writing was not kind to his character esp when they got to Westeros as Tyrion failed Daenerys with his advice over and over. They lost the Greyjoys, Dorne and the Tyrells almost immediately. His plan to take Casterly Rock was a complete disaster almost costing Dany the Unsullied. Dany did it Tyrions way and almost lost everything, then later she did it her way and got what she wanted. Not a great lesson for doing the right thing but this is Game of Thrones after all. Tough moment when Tyrion had to watch the Lannister men burning alive on the battlefield, some he prob knew personally. Surprised that the burning of Randyll/Dickon didn’t cause him to look at Dany more critically. Of course they gotta have 1 of the smartest characters create 1 of the dumbest plans as Tyrion was the mastermind behind ‘capture a wight’ but it did convince everyone that saw it so I suppose it wasn’t a total failure. I was looking forward to the first Jamie/Tyrion interaction after Tywins death and it did not disappoint. Wasn’t a big fan of Tyrion meeting with Cersei bc I really feel like Cersei’s character would have killed Tyrion the next time she had a chance no matter what. And I guess Tyrion was not a traitor after all, there were lots of theories about Tyrion double crossing Dany and Jon for his family esp at the end of the meeting the way he reacts to the news Cersei is pregnant but he was solid.
-Getting ready for the Battle of Winterfell, Tyrion was part of that legendary scene in front of the fire with Pod, Jaime, Brienne, Tormund and Davos. S8E2 is one of the best non battle episodes of the series and the greatness of that fireplace scene will live forever. What an emotional scene and amazing performance when Tyrion says goodbye to Jamie and we know it is their final farewell. Their brotherly connection made for 1 of the best relationships on the show, I always looked forward to their scenes and the final one was a fitting goodbye. But the reaction of Tyrion as he watched Daenerys ignore the bells and torch King’s Landing might have been his finest hour; you could literally see the crushing devastation filling his soul. His whole life Tyrion was treated the same way the common people were bc of being a dwarf so he understood them and felt he was one of them. But Tyrion had to watch his worst nightmare come true and realize that he brought it on them. The man that tried to protect the people his whole life ended up delivering them to a tyrant. Fcking sad that tyrant turned out to be Dany but that’s how they wrote it. I almost though Jamie/Cersei survived and escaped when I saw the opening but then Tyrion finds them, that was rough.
-After what he saw Tyrion knows Dany has to die and convinces Jon he is the only one who can. Jon kills Daenerys which means Tyrion is free. Bran is declared King on suggestion from Tyrion who will serve as the Hand a role he was born to fill. Would have been cool for Tyrion and Sansa to end up together, but working as Hand of the King to Bran on that awesome Small Council is a great end. I just thought that last joke they tried to fit in about Tyrion not being in the book about the events from Robert’s Rebellion to now was so fcking stupid. Yeah the guy that was Hand of the King, and Hand of the Queen and connected to the story by 1 of the most important families is not mentioned. Someone clearly thought this joke was so funny that they decided to fit it in whether it worked or was fcking ridiculous. Despite that, Tyrion Lannister is a fucking legend and will live forever almost as a real person thanks to the amazing work of Peter Dinklage.
ARYA STARK
– Westeros most dangerous woman. What an arc it was for her character and we literally watched Maisie Williams grow up from an annoying little kid into a beautiful grown woman. Her fire and the defiance Arya showed to traditions expected of women made me a fan of hers from the start. The training with Syrio Forel is some of the best moments of the early seasons and was def effective since people are still talking about Syrio possibly being alive right to the end. Really wondered where her story was going with all the chaos surrounding Ned’s death and then you know they’re heading to the Wall and Arya will be reunited with Jon there. Those scenes with Yoren being threatened then killed and Arya captured were so intense and really solidified the show’s greatness, I was on the edge of my seat bc after Viserys/Drogo/Ned in 1 season I felt nobody incl Arya was safe.
-The attack on the convoy to the wall was bittersweet bc while we lost Yoren; we were introduced to a character that gave me my favourite scenes from Season 2, Jaqen H’Ghar. Arya saves Jaqen from burning to death in the wagon with those 2 other scumbags and that would be the most important thing she has ever done. Can’t express how much I loved the Jaqen/Arya scenes, thought it was so interesting and had my imagination running wild lol but dammit Arya he gave you 3 deaths, anyone and he would kill them. Just say Tywin, Joffrey, Cersei, Boom most of your problems are solved. Always stuck in my craw but I guess she did need the one that got her, Gendry and Hot Pie out of there. I was disappointed when Jaqen said goodbye but figured the coin gave us hope to see him again. The scenes with Arya serving Tywin without him knowing who she was were so great I couldn’t get enough of them, just wish Tywin had learned her true identity at some point.
-Didn’t realize the kind of gold we were in store for when the Hound snatched Arya to take to Catelyn for ransom. Wish that Arya/the Hound could have got there and stopped the Red Wedding somehow but most likely outcome would have been them both dying there with the rest. Still brutal for her to get there just as her family and the Northern army are being slaughtered. I love the laugh Arya gives the vale guards when they find out Lysa Arryn was killed bc even as a viewer it’s like what the fuck if she didn’t have bad luck she would have none at all. Leaves the Hound to die after his fight vs Brienne building the foundation for what would come next. Lots of controversy around the Faceless Men training storyline, good amount of people hates it for being slow, boring and unrealistic at times. I’m kind of on that camp, def think it could have been done better and the stuff with the waif stabbing Arya was the kind of unrealistic you’re not supposed to see in Game of Thrones. I remember the creative gymnastics I did to try and justify Arya allowing herself to be stabbed and then able to survive. My theory was that Arya had become so skilled that she learned how to give her face to another and set a trap for the waif. Then the explanation was it was all real and some milk of the poppy was all Arya needed to survive an open stab wound exposed to sewage water. Lazy, bullshit storytelling and a total violation of what made Game of Thrones what it is. But even with that I still enjoyed some of what they did and was pumped to have Jaqen back, plus it culminated in a great moment for Arya with her, “A girl is Arya Stark of Winterfell, and I’m going home’ line. Meryn Trant finally getting what he had coming was great too but holy shit that was almost too much lol Jaqen’s return was slightly disappointing in that I was hoping he would have more of a mentor role with Arya or we would see him in action again but I get it the focus needed to be on Arya. I also enjoyed the storyline involving Lady Crane; I liked Arya’s interactions with her and felt it was one of the better things about S5.
-Finished her training by finally killing the waif, good riddance but wish we would have seen more of Arya’s training bc most of it was them testing her before they would actually train her. But things needed to get moving and it was so sweet yet disgusting to see Walder and House Frey finally pay for what they did to the Starks and the North. That Frey pie was nasty lol but it felt good the last thing that cnt Walder Frey saw before he died is a Stark smiling down on him. The scene where she uses Walder’s face to kill all the Frey men really confused me bc at first I thought it was a flashback but then realize it’s live but how bc…Oh ok now I see haha fcking loved it. Great acting from Maisie when Arya learns that Jon and Sansa have retaken Winterfell and the Bolton’s are dead. Man when she gets back to Winterfell and it seems Littlefinger has figured her out, I was concerned and thinking she got a little too ahead of herself and took on an enemy she was not ready for. Loved the twist that they were actually setting Littlefinger up for the justice he has had coming to him for a long time. Thought Littlefinger would be the top of her resume of kills but I was def wrong on that haha
– Gendrya! Wasn’t weird at all, Arya is like your buddies annoying little sister, then fast forward 10 years later and she is a grown ass woman and Dayum! #schwing Arya was prob least sexual character in show so was def exciting seeing her explore her sexuality. Forgot she didn’t know Gendry was Robert Baratheon’s bastard, you could almost see her libido fire up lol she def loves Gendry but seems like she wouldn’t have been interested if he was random low born. ‘that’s not me’ thought maybe a life with Gendry might eventually appeal to her. Ned would have def approved of their union.
– If you had asked me to make a list of characters that might kill the Night King, Arya would have been near the bottom. Not bc she couldn’t or shouldn’t, I just didn’t see her story going that way but it does make sense if you break it down. When Arya first met Jaqen, he said he would help her bc she stole 3 deaths from the red god and they have to give them back. The Night King raises the dead to serve in his army so technically the Night King is stealing deaths from the Red God every time he does it. The Faceless Men find and train the perfect soldier for the mission of killing the Night King and giving the deaths back to the red god. When you look at it like that, it not only makes sense but changes how you appreciate Arya’s journey in a good way. Her mission to King’s Landing to kill Cersei is fruitless as Cersei’s fate is already sealed. From the way it was done I thought Arya killed Daenerys but ultimately her killing days were done and she is heading off to see what’s West of Westeros. I would have liked her to end up with Gendry and become a different kind of lady that in turn raises a new generation of women to be strong, skilled fighters as well as being able to take care of the home. But I guess in the end it was true, ‘That’s not me.’ Just like being a domesticated direwolf was not for Nymeria. Never got to see enough of the Direwolves but it bums me out that Nymeria and her pack didn’t come to join the fight at some point. Oh well can’t wait to see what kind of roles Maisee Williams tests herself with next bc I can see it being a mix of both mainstream and independent roles where she has more creative control.
SANSA STARK
– Maybe the character that showed the most growth on the show, she really did grow into being like her Mother. Sophie Turner has crushed this character from day 1 and even when she wasn’t yet getting the respect she deserved for her acting. Bc of what her character goes through she was tested as an actress unlike any other character. Sansa starts out as naïve, snobby girl with dreams of being a Queen that lives a perfect life. That bubble is quickly burst when Joffrey is the King she will be Queen to. Can’t believe we lost Lady so fast that was awful but that was one of Sansa’a first lessons. Her naivety drove me crazy in the beginning bc as a viewer you know she can’t see how bad things will be for her yet she pushes as hard as she can for them. Ned’s death is also the death of the child in Sansa, she is forced to become an adult at that moment bc her life is in serious danger. But right away she proves she will be a player in the Game of Thrones by saving Ser Dontos life getting Joffrey to do what she wants but thinking it’s his idea. In hindsight, it was a mistake not to leave with the Hound but she couldn’t know that at the time. Her scenes with Cersei are underrated I think, so much tension yet there was def some compassion felt by Cersei towards Sansa.
-At the time I felt for her marrying Tyrion bc I know that is one of the last things her character would want, makes it worse that she had built these grandiose hopes up her whole life and Loras fit them perfectly. Yet another thing that was brutally ripped away from her. Also felt for Tyrion as he was everything Sansa would have wanted in a King but all anybody sees is that he is smaller than everyone else and that is how he is judged. The abuse Sansa suffers on Joffrey’s orders is so infuriating I’m ready to come out of my chair lol makes Joffrey’s death that much sweeter but I immediately feared for Sansa as she goes from the frying pan into the fire being “rescued” by Littlefinger. The episodes at the Vale were really intense bc Lysa Arryn was such a wildcard and there was still the ‘Anyone can be killed’ vibe on the show. Littlefinger was unredeemable after handing Sansa over to rape and torture in the form of a wife to Ramsay Bolton. My cousin stopped watching the show for a bit after Sansa was raped bc Ramsay was even more of a vile character in the books and it enraged him too much they would allow Ramsay to do that to Sansa. I didn’t quit watching but it enraged me just the same. For that to happen to her in her home by the people that killed her family, just awful. Loved the storyline of Brienne protecting her despite Sansa’s initial refusal but Brienne leaving her watch for the candle just as Sansa finally gets a chance to light it was another type of moment that Game of Thrones usually avoided. Theon killing Miranda and helping Sansa escape was a great scene but the best was Brienne and Pod coming to save them from the Bolton men that had tracked them down. Brienne pledging her service to Sansa always gets to me.
-Sansa finally has Littlefinger do something useful by having the Vale army save the day in the Battle of the Bastards but has to watch Jon receive the credit and be declared King in the North. Almost looks like Littlefinger will be able to manipulate her again but thanks to her experiences and growth, plus some helpful info from Bran they hold onto the upper hand and deliver the justice Littlefinger deserved. With the coming war vs the Night King, Sansa knows her best chance of survival is figuring out a plan for what comes next and that clearly was keeping the North an independent Kingdom. Would prob have been bad news if Daenerys remained Queen as they def butted heads but with Bran as King it’s a done deal lol wish there was more show to see what greatness Sansa would achieve in this new Westeros but her journey on the show is more than complete and maybe the most impressive on the show. Sophie Turner has more than put herself on the map with Sansa Stark; she is up next in X-Men which looks good so good things look to be happening for her career. I’ll be seeing my first X-Men theatres in a long, long time to support her bc what’s the point in being a fan if we don’t support their other projects too if they look worth it.
KING BRANDON STARK AKA THE 3 EYED RAVEN
–Man what a journey this character went on. Started as curious kid that could climb anything in the first episode but curiosity killed the cat and it almost killed Bran. But Bran climbing up that tower and seeing Jamie and Cersei together kicked off the events that led us to the finale. ‘The things I do for love’ what a way to start a series off by pushing a kid out of a window. Bran surviving gave Littlefinger the chance he needed to start the Stark vs Lannister war. The paralysis put him directly on the path to becoming the 3 Eyed Raven which would be important for multiple storylines. We didn’t have much time to get to know Bran as a character before he was pushed but I had seen enough to where it really bothered me this kid that was so great at climbing couldn’t even walk now. You knew there was something more to Bran with his dreams/visions like the one of water overflowing the walls of Winterfell foreshadowing the coming of Theon and the Iron Born. They assign Hodor to help Bran get around and little did we know how impactful that would be not only on the story but on the fans.
-Theon’s betrayal forces Bran out of Winterfell so that he can begin the journey he was meant to take. Tough to see him part with Rickon but it was necessary at the time bc after Robb’s death, Rickon is the most important Stark. Bran’s journey with the Reeds gets some boring chants but I enjoyed it bc it established important things like the warging and I always thought it was very suspenseful bc Bran was in a position where anything could happen to him. I was def excited they were so close to finding Jon but getting caught by the mutineers was infuriating esp when they were going at Hodor. Glad they got out of there and makes sense they couldn’t let Jon see them but damn I wanted a reunion. Wish we could have had more of Jojen teaching Bran what he could do with his skills. Hated Jojen’s death n thought it changed the vibe of the White Walkers/wights from serious to silly but getting to the cave kicked things up a notch in Bran’s storyline so I was happy to get there.
– But then we lose Bran/Hodor/Meera for an entire season. Disappointing but his story was good and interesting enough that you could pick it up a season later no problem. Loved the exploring the past aspect of the character considering the epic flashback scenes we got none better than the Tower of Joy. Wow that was awesome with maybe the best sword fighting I’ve ever seen on screen. Ser Arthur Dayne the Sword of the Morning is the rare case of being even greater than his legend. But Bran fucked up big time in getting too careless and letting the Night King touch him while in one of these visions. I believe that this event is why Hodor was made to be the way he was bc when Bran was touched, there needed to be a way to save him. So young Wylis was sacrificed and set up to be turned into Hodor to make sure that years down the road he would serve Bran and most importantly, Hold The Door. If Hodor doesn’t do what he does then Bran doesn’t survive to lure the Night King out into the open so Arya can kill him. Best I can do to try and explain it lol The Night King killing the old 3 Eyed Raven was a crazy moment that really put Bran’s mistake into perspective bc there is no more safety net, it’s all Bran now. Then we lose Summer in some total bullshit so I don’t even wanna discuss it. And then we lost Hodor….;( heartbreaking to lose Hodor but what a way to go out, an end fitting of the legend he is. And now we know it’s even greater as he died protecting the future King. Cool to see Uncle Benjen save the day but he was gone again just as quick.
– Then Bran learns the secret that reveal Jon’s true parentage but would also lead to millions of deaths and the subsequent death of Daenerys Targaryen. For book readers R(heagar) + L(yanna) = J(on) theory was 1 of the biggest and most exciting potential storylines that actually had a chance of coming true. So it was a huge deal when we see the scene that confirms this theory as stone cold fact and that Jon Snow is not the bastard son of Ned Stark, but is Aegon Targaryen the trueborn son of Rheagar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. Sam crazy enough is actually the one to clue the 3 Eyed Raven in on an event from the past. Bran has no clue about Rhaegar’s annulled marriage to Elia Martel or marriage to Lyanna Stark but once Sam tells Bran he can go see for himself. This really didn’t matter in the end even though it did have a huge impact on the story. Jon refusing to conceal the truth of his true parentage is 1 of the biggest factors in Daenerys massacring Kings Landing so that was def a huge impact on the story. But now at the end, does anyone even else even know the truth outside of the people that already knew? Jon goes to the wall renouncing all titles and blah blah blah so it’s basically wiped from existence in the show lol I know some people are really lashing out at the criticism for the finale but if you can take something like R+L=J and render it meaningless you fucking deserve to eat some criticism.
-Def hard to stay connected to Bran’s character when he had such cold reunions with Arya and Sansa and an even colder goodbye with Meera. Sucks we never got to see her again. Bran as the 3 Eyed Raven is prob the only way Littlefinger gets taken down bc being able to see the past meant they knew 100% he was a lying snake and could manipulate him into a trap. Really says a lot about the cunning of Littlefinger knowing regulars humans couldn’t take him down it required a magic encyclopaedia man haha ‘The things we do for love’ lol Bran just cant help himself. Great convo btwn Bran/Jamie, Bran wasn’t exactly thankful but also acknowledged it needed to happen. Just really loved the interaction between Bran and Jamie before the Battle vs the dead, great moment when they see each other for the first time since the push. I really thought Bran would be the new Night King when they killed off the original but seems the White Walkers were and are done for good. When the Night King caught Arya I thought Bran was going to stab him and finish it himself. Knew that he wouldn’t just fade into the background and expected something big to happen but can’t say I thought he would end up King. If you think about it he really is the best choice bc he can learn from every past Kings strengths and weaknesses at any time. He will have no heirs so there will be no fight for the throne in his name.
-I just have trouble getting past how adamant Bran was about not being able to take titles and lands anymore but maybe with the threat of the Night King gone he is free to be Bran again. However you explain it, all things considered Bran is someone the 7..oh right 6 Kingdoms can be happy with. Thought Isaac Hempstead-Wright did a great job with the character over the series even though it couldn’t have been easy. Having to be this kind of blank, monotone, emotionless character while not boring and turning off the audience is tough. Didn’t work for some but I know there’s a lot of people that always enjoyed Bran’s scenes, myself I included. His legacy as a character and a meme is more than solid lol
SAMWELL TARLEY
-I think it’s clear by the finale that GRRM thinks of himself as Sam considering Sam delivers the Book, A Song of Ice and Fire to the Small council at the end. Sam has had quite the journey on the show, he has stayed relatively the same yet also showing some growth. When we first meet Sam he is a scared, cowardly boy that just wanted to use his mind as his weapon instead of a sword and at the end he is still very much the same person. He has been pushed into situations where he had to show courage but as we saw with the death of Edd, Sam is still very much the person we met in S1. He refused to stand up to his father even though he had killed a White Walker and a Thenn at that point. Although staring into the army of the dead would be enough to cause anyone to regress and panic so maybe that one we can throw out. But you can see that he is always the reluctant hero wishing someone else were doing it instead.
– When Sam first arrives at Castle Black in S1 I wasn’t sure he would be around long bc he was so out of his element it wasn’t funny. Knowing the Nights Watch was filled with the worst scum, how could Sam possibly survive even with Jon trying to help him. Was happy to see Sam become Maester Aemon’s steward bc I knew something like that would have to happen for him to survive. Plus it started Sam’s path towards the Citadel and becoming a Maester himself. I was always really frustrated with Sam’s acceptance of himself as a coward. I used to be very heavy too so I always relate to bigger characters but I want them to be like me and fight to turn their weaknesses into strengths not accept them. Sam never seemed to have any fight in him when it came to his cowardice, at least not early on. Interesting moment when Sam reveals he feels the Seven have abandoned him and wants to take his Night’s Watch vows in front of a heart tree like Jon. They def became like brothers, Sam is basically the reason Jon wasn’t executed for desertion after trying to leave when Ned was killed.
-Once Sam sees Gilly it’s over for him, he is in love now lol Craster’s Keep is one of the more fucked up places I’ve ever encountered in fantasy so I am glad something good came out of it. Finding the Dragonglass at the Fist of the First Men was one of the most significant moments of the series considering without it they may never have known it can kill the White Walkers/wights. The White Walkers make their presence known in a big way when they attack the Wall in S2 but I am not a fan of this at all. It’s not clear how/why the White Walker let Sam live. I saw a perspective from behind that showed the Walker might not have been looking at Sam but that’s a stretch. Only other one is that they knew he was pathetic and wanted him alive to spread the terror of their coming as this wasn’t a full scale attack just pre-emptive strike. Could work but also a bit of a stretch too. Then to start the next season, it’s not clear there was a battle between the Nights Watch and the White Walkers and it certainly doesn’t seem as big as it was. Sam then looks horrible as everyone fought for their lives but Sam didn’t do his job. I don’t know just didn’t think it properly conveyed what just went on or how significant it was. Then they basically have to carry his snivelling carcass back to Castle Black. Ok we get it he is pathetic, you can let off a bit here and give him some growth lol
-Craster’s Keep finally falls so Sam can get Gilly and Little Sam out of there. They way it was being set up thought we were heading for a moment where Gilly dies and Sam has to take the baby, happy it didn’t go there. Wish Sam could have killed Rast. Man what an intense moment when those crows start filling up the tree until it’s covered in them, you know shit is about to go down. Sure enough the White Walker shows up to try and claim what would have been Craster’s 100th son given to them but Sam fights through his cowardice and actually kills the White Walker. Unlikely first killer of a White Walker but huge bc that let them understand the significance of the dragonglass. Cool moment when Sam meets up with Bran/Jojen/Meera/Hodor at the Nightfort esp Bran’s rat cook story foreshadowing the revenge for Red Wedding. Felt for Sam when he sends Gilly to Moles Town and it gets attacked by Wildlings, you try to do the right thing to protect the woman you love and it ends up putting her directly in harms way. Awful, awful feeling as a man. But she was able to survive thanks to some kindness from Ygritte and show back up at Castle Black. Here is where we really see some fire and growth from Sam who is not taking no for an answer and demands Gilly be let in. She is but their happiness is short-lived as the Battle of Castle Black is about to begin. Sam actually showing some courage and helping his brothers but damn that sucked to lose Pyp like that. At least Sam added another big kill to his resume. And thanks to Janos Slynt, Sam can rest assured he could never be the biggest coward in Westeros lol
-One of Sam’s biggest moments was def nominating Jon to be Lord Commander, what a scene that was with a great speech from Sam. Man I know it had to be done but I don’t know if I could have signed the letter asking for help from Roose Bolton, huge test of Jon’s leadership and if he could make the tough decisions for the greater good. Loved the brief interaction with Stannis who had respect for Sam’s family and even Sam himself it seemed. It was encouraging to see Stannis taking the White Walker threat so seriously and inquiring to Sam about it and how to stop them. ‘You’re losing all your friends Tarly’ oh fuck off Thorne lol was very happy that Jon was able to send Sam to the Citadel to become a Maester bc his days were def numbered at Castle Black with Gilly and the baby. Cool to see Sam’s home and the rest of his family save for his asshole father Randyll Tarley, man it drove me nuts that after all Sam has been through he still won’t stand up to his father but it makes sense in the reality of their world. Still, Sam killed a White Walker and Randyll Tarley would have pissed his pants and died where he stood if he saw a White Walker lol Loved Sam taking the sword but thought it would end up being a bigger deal both in repercussions to Sam and impact on the story. Finally makes it to the Citadel so he can get started.
– So much they could have done with Sam’s character discover old and new magic, secrets but they kept it pretty tied down. Great twist having Sam cure Jorah of greyscale in that it elevates Sam’s character and gets Jorah back in the game but fck me that would have hurt and it gave us one of the most disgusting camera cuts I’ve ever seen lol sucked that the Maesters were making the White Walker/army of the dead threat out to be a joke, if anyone should know how real and dangerous they are it’s the fn Citadel. They have all the stories and info from the original Long Night. Just took me out of the moment. Glad Sam had enough n got out of there. He needed to be in Winterfell to help Jon with this war vs the Night King but once he hooked up with Bran he realized he had a different purpose, to help the true heir to the Iron Throne learn who he is. Incredible acting from John Bradley when he meets with Daenerys and Jorah learning of his Father and Brother being burned alive. You can tell he isn’t happy at the news of his Father but could prob live with it however hearing about Dickon(shut up Bronn) was the breaking point. No way Sam could support Daenerys after that bc he knew his brother was good. I don’t think Sam would’ve been cool with anyone being burnt alive but def not his family. And this clearly lights a fire under him to make sure Jon knows and accepts who he is.
-Hated Sam’s scenes in the Battle of Winterfell bc it was such a regression for his character. Costing Edd his life at this point is just too pathetic and makes me want to dislike Sam. Then he is just crying and flailing about, which is prob more true to reality then him kicking ass but I think they could have toughened Sam up more and not had it hurt the story or battle. Once the battle is won, we learn Sam and Gilly have another baby on the way but if it’s a boy I think they should name him Edd but that’s just me. Sam’s story ends as the Grand Maester to King Brandon Stark living out his life in King’s Landing with Gilly and their children. Can’t think of a better ending for Samwell Tarley.
GILLY
– Great character that could have easily been a throwaway but played her role perfectly. I enjoy a good love story so I didn’t mind watching the Sam/Gilly romance develop. Gilly brings out the best in Sam, from the first time they meet you see a change in Sam and it keeps growing from there. I’m glad Sam never let her down for good and had to see that look on her face. Instead he saved her, little Sam and many others but he couldn’t have done it without her. Shireen teaching her to read is a cool connection to the story and ended up being crucial to the story as Gilly was the one that discovered the annulment of Rhaegar/Elia and then marriage of Rhaegar/Lyanna. Scared she died in the crypts in Winterfell but she is tough. Glad she has a chance for a happily ever after ending with Sam, Little Sam and their new baby.
GENDRY BARATHEON
-If I were a character on the show I would prob be Gendry. Thought that was such an interesting twist that 1 of Robert’s bastards survived to be a skilled smith right in King’s Landing. Followed his story more closely than maybe others did bc of how I saw myself in him, hoped he would end up with Arya eventually if they both made it to the end. Was pissed thinking Melisandre would kill Gendry but encouraged at her line “you will make Kings rise and fall.” There must have been something real to the Lord of Light bc all 3 leeches worked. Seemed like the Lord of Light was maybe more of a good guy than a villain bc when Stannis burned ppl alive he suffered losses but just using leeches he got what he wanted. Thankfully our boy Davos was there to save Gendry from burning which is where it was heading. And then a few seasons later Davos was able to track Gendry down to help with the war vs the dead. So pumped seeing the Baratheon War Hammer in use but only got a tease I wanted much more. Kind of wasted being the messenger to get Daenerys to rescue our crew beyond the wall, I wanted to see him kick some wight ass.
-That would come in S8 when Gendry gets to Winterfell for the Battle vs the dead. Lucky they had a skilled blacksmith like Gendry to turn all that dragonglass into weapons. Unexpected moment when he and Arya finally get together but it was awesome. Gave me hope that they would end up together but not to be unfortunately. Wish we had more shots of Gendry smashing wights during the Battle but that pile of bodies he accumulated was seriously impressive. As the character I would probably be, I am happy Gendry survived through the end lol great journey and I am happy the character introduced me to a great actor.
DAVOS SEAWORTH
–The moral compass of the show. 1 of the characters that gave Game of Thrones the realism it needed to become as popular as it was for so many seasons. Seemed like you were watching a real person, he had a great run on the show. Did not think he would survive the Battle of Blackwater, such a shocking moment when Davos and his son are blown away but equally shocking when we see Davos survived. I enjoyed the scenes with Davos/Salladhor Saan, they were hilarious together and seemed like they had been life long friends for real with years of actual history together. I really thought that working with Stannis would only end in death for Davos but damn if he didn’t survive to the end and get his ass on the new small council lol his relationship and scenes with Shireen were such a breath of fresh air for a show that can def get dark n dreary at times. But they ended up being very important as Davos literacy prob saved his life and the life of everyone at the Wall. Davos being able to read and write was what got Stannis to the Wall to save the day vs Mance. And man what a great moment when he delivers the speech to the Iron Bank that gets Stannis a loan and a new army. They have Shireen to thank for that assist. If Davos had been there when they burned Shireen, it either wouldn’t have happened or he would have died stopping it. When Davos learns the truth and confronts Melisandre, “She was good! And you killed her!” Man what a heart breaking scene, incredible acting from Liam Cunningham. Davos was the perfect advisor for Jon Snow, I was excited when that connection happened. Hilarious when he presents Jon to Daenerys and after Dany’s 1000 names, Davos just says “This is Jon Snow….he’s King in the North.” Lol great stuff. Davos was all about the great speeches delivering another one to convince Dany that Jon was like her and earned his leadership instead of having it given to him bc of a name or title. Didn’t expect Davos to survive to the end but am so happy he did bc Davos was 1 of my fav characters and his journey not ending in death is a great thing.
BRONN OF THE BLACKWATER
–A character that easily could have been a one off became a mainstay for the entire series. As a huge Tyrion fan, since Bronn was helping protect him and keep him on the show I became a Bronn fan. Can’t debut much better than winning a trial by combat and sending the loser through the Moon Door. Underrated fight as it doesn’t get mentioned a lot but it was a good one. Right away Bronn/Tyrion seemed like old friends and had great chemistry on screen but I tried not to get too attached as I thought Bronn was a temporary character that would be killed off at any moment. I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing that Bronn introduced Shae to Tyrion considering how different things would have been if Tyrion went to King’s Landing without her. But as they say, it’s better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all so I’d say it’s a good thing. Bronn’s dumbest moment was def suggesting to Tyrion that Joffrey is a violent sadist bc he is “backed up” bc that led to the awful scene with Ros and the blonde prostitute. Kinda funny that Bronn’s plan to lower crime is to kill all the known thieves’ lol I guess that’s one way. Loved Bronn singing the Rains of Castamere, one of those things that helps make the world real as singing would be one of the only forms of entertainment so you would prob hear it all the time. A Bronn vs The Hound fight would have been unreal but I’m glad it didn’t happen as 1 wouldn’t walk away and we needed both in the story. At the time I still wasn’t fully on Team Hound so I would have been cheering for Bronn to win that one. Still a great confrontation.
-Not only could Bronn use blades but he was a great shot with a bow as he nailed the shot that ignited the wildfire vs Stannis. Also saved the Hound’s life with an arrow. After the Battle he is knighted by Joffrey becoming Ser Bronn of the Blackwater prob to try and swing him away from Tyrions side. Oh how I wish we could have seen Bronn kick the shit out of Meryn Trant and put an end to him right there but was just a tease that would never pay off. Hilarious that Bronn doesn’t understand the concept of borrowing money, “So what if you don’t pay it back?” lol I liked the little exchange with Bronn/Oberyn/Tyrion, those 3 would have had some fun adventures haha Bronn is the guy to help Jamie train his left hand, prob the perfect guy bc Bronn is gonna go hard and force Jamie to get better and come up to his level. To make sure he doesn’t fight for Tyrion in the trial by combat, Bronn gets his castle and lady to marry but man fighting the Mountain is a big ask of somebody. “I like you… I just like myself more.” That quote sums up Bronn perfectly. When Tyrion was arrested for Joffrey’s murder I thought that might be it for Bronn’s character either by going away somewhere or being killed. But it was a good call to keep him around to help train Jamie’s left hand, Jerome Flynn did a great job playing him as the anti-hero, not too good but not too bad either.
-I’m not a big fan of Bronn/Jamie in Dorne so not much for me to highlight but I did enjoy the combat scenes and the ‘bad pussy’ prison scene that everyone hates was fine with me. We get more singing from Bronn and the Sand Snakes are smokin, plus I liked the exchange between Tyene/Bronn they had some chemistry right off the bat. In S7 Bronn managed to actually hit a dragon with a scorpion bolt but it wasn’t powerful enough yet to make the kill. Prob should have died in this ep vs Drogon or saving Jamie but I liked the character and wasn’t going to complain about him being around. When he was sent to kill Tyrion and Jamie with the crossbow that killed Tywin, thought for sure he would kill Tyrion bc we all thought he never would. I think that would have been a perfect Game of Thrones moment to finish the series but surviving the finale and becoming Lord of Highgarden and Master of Coin is a cool end to the character that started as a simple sell sword.
GREYWORM
-Hate what they did to my boy at the end but still a great character that easily could have been nothing. The romance between Greyworm/Missandei caught a lot of complaints from ppl saying it was a waste of time and served no purpose. But I thought it was a great example of what love can do and that it’s about more than sex. Bc of the cruelty exacted on Greyworm he prob thinks that even with his freedom he will never find love. But love overcomes his situation and he is able to find a great love with Missandei despite them never being able to have sex. Great lesson for the world. We meet Greyworm as the first ever chosen leader of the Unsullied and you would think he wants to change his name but bc it was the name he had when Daenerys Stormborm freed him, his name will remain Greyworm. His endorsement of Daario as trustworthy was big for Daenerys and the audience still trying to figure out what the deal is with Daario. Funny how Dany put a quick end to the little game Greyworm/Daario were playing trying not to drop the sword, maybe Greyworm just wanted Daario around to take his money lol we see the beginning of the Greyworm/Missandei romance with her teaching him to speak the common tongue and when Greyworm catches a glimpse of Missandei bathing(thanks buddy lol) Awful moment when Greyworm and the Unsullied are attacked in the streets and Greyworm is almost killed but Ser Barristan does not survive, nice assist at the end to keep the Harpy from finishing the great knight. Nothing Greyworm could have done but tough to tell him that, his first kiss with Missandei def helps. Loved the scenes with Greyworm/Missandei/Tyrion playing games and drinking wine but when it comes to governing Meereen, Greyworm was def more of the expert as it went down exactly as he said it would with the masters.
– Greyworm is in one of the hottest scenes in the show when Missandei comes to say goodbye before he leaves to attack Casterly Rock which is an accomplishment all things considered. Man when Greyworm tells Missandei he will take her to Naath after the battle I was 100% sure Greyworm would not survive the battle but between the two I never would have guessed Missandei would die. Greyworm kicked some serious ass throughout the show but the peak moment for the Unsullied was defending the retreat at the Battle of Winterfell. Thought most if not all were killed except Greyworm but obv wrong on that one. His reaction to Missandei’s death was heartbreaking, Jacob Anderson did a great job throughout portraying an emotionless soldier that had emotion, not easy to do. I hate that at the end Greyworm was so willing to kill surrendered soldiers and was at odds with Jon but now that he will spend his days with the remaining Unsullied protecting Naath, I can be satisfied with his journey.
SER BRIENNE OF TARTH
–Not only one of the best female characters but 1 of the best characters in all of fantasy. Her size makes her stand out but the energy that Gwendoline Christie brings to Brienne makes her truly special. I loved her introduction as this Knight kicking Loras’s ass revealed to be a woman. Then she pledges herself to Renly’s Kings guard and is officially in the story. The back story between Brienne and Renly is very sweet and it’s easy to see why Brienne fell in love with him. If Renly wasn’t gay they would have made a legendary couple. Good thing she was there to see the shadow demon kill Renly so that she knew where to direct her revenge. Great twist to have her join Catelyn Stark’s services ensuring that she stays in the main story. Didn’t realize at the time how significant it would become that Brienne is sent by Catelyn to King’s Landing with Jamie. Not only bc of what it would mean for Sansa/Arya’s stories but it was the beginning of the only real love that Jamie or Brienne have known. Great scene with Brienne proving her skills to Jamie by dispatching the Stark men that were hanging those women. “There is good and evil on both sides of every war ever fought.” Great quote from Jorah and this scene is a perfect example of it. We’re cheering for the Starks but there are still bad men amongst the ranks. Awesome swordfight between Brienne/Jamie but if they don’t do that Locke might not have found them. I loved the singing of the Bear and the Maiden Fair just not who was doing the singing.
-After Jamie’s hand is cut off saving her life, Brienne tries tough love to get him going again and I thought it was kind of harsh but I guess it was exactly what Jamie needed. The scene with Brienne/Jamie in the hot tub is in the conversation for best of the series, absolutely incredible performances but it must have been a treat to watch for Gwendoline Christie she had the best seat in the house for one of the best performances of the series. How could they not fall in love after that, “Jamie. My name’s Jamie.” Brienne vs the Bear was not something I expected to see but if anyone could hold their own against a bear it’s Ser Brienne of Tarth. Awkward scene with a jealous Cersei trying to give Brienne a hard time at Joffrey’s wedding, like mother like son. Jamie arming and armouring Brienne so she can find and protect Sansa and Arya might be the pivotal moment of the series considering how much wouldn’t have happened if Jamie doesn’t do that. Happy he sent Pod with her too, they had a fun relationship that both characters seemed to grow from starting with the first moment of trust when Brienne lets Pod help with her armour. 1 of the best fights of the series vs the Hound even if she prob was in the wrong there but she did what she thought was right.
-It was so maddening having to sit there as a viewer and listen to Littlefinger defend himself as the better choice to protect Sansa and at that point he could still manipulate her so she denied Brienne’s offer of protection. As a viewer you just want to yell at the TV bc you know that Littlefinger is about to hand Sansa over to Ramsay but in hindsight it prob worked out better Brienne wasn’t with Sansa as Ramsay surely would have had Brienne and Pod flayed. Plus it gave us more scenes of Brienne/Pod building their relationship and hearing stories about Brienne that give her much more depth as a character like the story about the dance with Renly. It drove me nuts waiting for her to get the signal from Sansa to smash some Bolton’s so I was cheering loud when she saved the day for Sansa/Theon. The scene where Brienne once again offers her protection to Sansa always gets to me bc so much has happened by that point. Not actual combat but her sparring with Arya in Winterfell is something I could watch over and over that was impressive.
-1 of the best moments of the series is when she achieves her lifelong dream and is knighted by Jamie Lannister. That entire scene by the fireplace is magic. I love that she basically has an entire conversation with Pod without saying a word, Pod knows how much she wanted to be a Knight despite what she said about it. Then there’s Tormund lol ‘Fuck tradition. I’m no King, but if I were I’d Knight you 10 times over.’ It was so great to see how happy Tormund was for Brienne establishing there was real love and affection and it wasn’t just some creepy infatuation. Would love to watch the timeline where they end up together. Brienne kicked ass in the Battle of Winterfell as we knew she would but I really wanted to see her go 1 on 1 with a White Walker. Even tho Jamie relapsed to Cersei in the end, I am so happy he got together with Brienne bc they are a true love. Jamie thinks he loves Cersei that way but he doesn’t, it’s more infatuation or bc it’s the only thing he has known. Jamie’s true love is Brienne and I wish I could see the timeline where Jamie and Brienne Lannister rule at Casterly Rock. Just didn’t like Brienne breaking down and crying like she did, seemed a bit out of character but she did just finally lay down the defences she had up her whole life and allowed someone in so it’s possible I guess. Gwendoline Christie put herself on the map as an actress with this role, can’t wait to see her next projects and how she challenges herself. Great final moment writing Jamie’s good deeds in the book, someday another Knight will fill in her page. Maybe Pod.
PODRICK PAYNE
–A true legend thanks to his night with the brothel ladies and given how they reacted, it’s clear his secret weapon is superior cunnilingus skills lol A talent most men don’t care to have or use which is why the reaction is so great. But anyways…hahaha Pod was a great character from his first scene and another that helped with the realism, seemed like you were watching a real person he was the perfect squire. He got the Tyrion rub that Bronn also got becoming a favourite of mine bc he was not just helping Tyrion but saving his ass! Great coming of age type moment for Pod killing the guy sent to assassinate Tyrion. Prob would have fallen into the background or been killed off staying at King’s Landing so going with Brienne was perfect. Loved watching their relationship develop with great scenes like Pod telling Brienne that it’s an honour to be her squire but the best was Pod trying to cook the rabbit with the fur still on lol ya know maybe you shouldn’t trust him with a big, sharp object. Pod got really good with a sword even besting Brienne during training in Winterfell thanks to Tormund but almost got his jaw broken bc of it, “You’re a lucky man” hahaha Dan Portman’s strong acting meant he never faded from scenes or too far from memory if he wasn’t in a few in a row but his finest moment might have been crushing “Jenny of Oldstones” before the battle. Got serious ‘Pippin from Return of the King’ vibes from that scene but it still stands on its own as a great one. I thought he would perish at the Battle of Winterfell esp after delivering the epic song so I am very pleased he made it through not only the Battle but also the finale to join King Bran’s Kings guard. To me that’s a fitting end to a fun journey of the squire who became a great Knight. Long live Ser Pod the Pleasurer!
YARA GREYJOY
–Very compelling character, grew up with warrior brothers wanting to be one herself but bc she was a woman that wasn’t possible. At least not until Balon lost all of his sons and had no choice. Very awkward introduction with Theon feeling her up not knowing she was his sister lol we know she became a great warrior bc of how Balon talks about her and how her men follow her. When Theon was captured and Ramsay started torturing him, I wanted Yara to save the day so her speech when she gets ready to go after Theon got me fired up but the rescue ended up falling flat. A bare chested Ramsay can defeat and survive unscathed vs the Iron Born’s best killers in armour in close combat lol makes sense Theon wouldn’t go with her but a ridiculously frustrating moment, felt for her going all that way to see her brother was dead while still alive.
-Couldn’t have had a better choice to lead the Iron Islands and be the first Queen. Figured that Euron would get the upper hand and steal the crown but loved Yara/Theon stealing the ships and heading to Daenerys. I wanted Daenerys in Westeros so this development was def exciting, didn’t last long tho. 1 of the most shocking moments in the series when they got ambushed by Euron I did not see that coming. Another moment that wasn’t what Game of Thrones started as bc no way Euron can build that many ships that fast. But I still enjoyed the journey so was willing to accept it. Theon had to bail in that moment but awful that she was Euron’s prisoner. Thought it would be a bigger deal rescuing her but I’m just glad she got away and claimed her position as Queen. Great character and I def enjoyed her journey.
TORMUND GIANTSBANE
– Absolute legend. Definitely 1 of the best characters in the show, Tormund could be funny without taking away from his badassery. From his first scene when Jon thinks he is Mance Rayder, I liked his character and hoped he would stick around at least a few episodes he just had so much charisma. Never dreamed he would last the entire show, def thought they would use him as a big, shocking death. Tormund climbing the Wall with Jon and Ygritte is one of my fav episodes, really wanted to see Tormund come to the good side and stick around. You know it’s funny, Tormund is fan favourite but he did lead the charge to slaughter those innocent families when the Wildlings came to attack Castle Black. Just interesting that people will forgive Tormund for entire villages but not Theon the 2 farm kids.
-Thought for sure he was done at the Battle of Castle Black but loved the twist of having Tormund and the Free Folk ally with Jon. The humour really turned up with Tormund after Jon died and came back, “They think you’re some kind of god, but I saw your pecker” hahahaha I don’t think he ever tried humour that didn’t work, pretty much everything he said was gold. Figured that Tormund would be one of the big deaths in the Battle of the Bastards but instead they gave him a great kill of that traitor Smalljon Umber. I was happy he survived so he could pursue he could pursue, ‘the big woman’ LOL man everything involved with Tormund and Brienne was hilarious, my Dad loved it. And in the end it was proved to be a true love connection and not some creepy infatuation when Tormund is genuinely happy for Brienne when she is knighted. His face when he is clapping for her is genuine happiness. Great acting from Kristofer Hivju. But man that story of Tormund killing a Giant and going to try and sleep with his wife only for her to think he is a baby and suckle him at her teet for 3 weeks HAHAHAHA LOL absolute gold.
-As usual I didn’t think Tormund would make it out of the Battle of Winterfell but once again he proved it will take a fucking giant of a man to kill Tormund Giantsbane. Was sure he would be the one to kill the Giant but if it wasn’t him, I’m def down with Lyanna Mormont. Tormund racked up a body pile with Gendry that would have made Gimli and Legolas proud. Makes sense he would not take the Free Folk to fight Cersei and head home to the real North, they have seen enough fighting and more than done their part. I’m really happy that Jon eventually joined him heading up North. A character that was in an expendable position ended up lasting the show, what a great journey. “You’re the one they call the Dog” LOL
YOHN ROYCE AND ROBIN ARRYN
–Yohn Royce is one of those characters that added so much realism to the show bc of how real he felt. TV shows and movies that are successful always have characters like this in it and the ones that fail usually weren’t able to find them. Rupert Vansittart isn’t a name you think of when Game of Thrones is mentioned but it doesn’t take away from the fact that performances like his are crucial to establish the realism these shows need to be successful. If they had wanted as many seasons as they possible, they could have easily explored the Vale in depth with Yohn Royce and his House as the story it revolves around.
-Robin Arryn. Hard to think of him as anything but that way too old child breast feeding lol nasty. Never had much of a chance to be more than an annoying little shit but once his mother died he def seemed more defeated and easier to be persuaded. Would have been an interesting character to explore if they wanted more seasons.
EDMURE TULLY
– The punching bag if the series if you will lol Tobias Menzies did a great job portraying a character that tried really hard but always came up short or screwed things up somehow. Biggest fck up was trying to impress King Robb Stark and acting on his own causing a chain of events that put Tywin and the Lannister army at Blackwater Bay in time to defeat Stannis. Wanted to be the one to fire the arrow to send his father Hoster Tully on his final journey but screwed it up and Uncle Blackfish had to save the day. That was so awkward lol his face when he sees the Frey girl he is to marry is like he hit the jackpot. Kind of messed up that nobody really cared about where Edmure was or figuring out a way to rescue him after the Red Wedding. Not even Uncle Blackfish, just kind of left to rot until Jamie needed him to take Riverrun. Obviously got things figured out since he was at the final meeting and must be the current Lord of Riverrun. Good for him, despite his huge fck up he wasn’t a bad guy. Def funny to see him get ready for this epic speech to make him King only for Sansa to cut him off cold. Good character, would have liked to see more of his journey.
DAARIO NAHARIS
– ‘Sittin on the Dragons Bay
Watching the tiiiiide roll away
Sittin on the Dragons Bay
Wasting tiiiiiiime
-Daario probably lol
-Last time we saw Daario Naharis he was being instructed by Daenerys to hold the peace in the newly christened Dragons Bay. He must be doing a good job bc we never hear anything from that part of the world again and usually no news is good news. I thought his introduction was great, my Dad right away picked him out of the 3 as the important guy. Didn’t see the twist coming where Daario shows up with the heads of the other 2 guys, thought that was cool. The change in actors didn’t really bother me or phase the character, both guys were good in their own right. He started getting close with Dany and my alpha male energy started to make me dislike him but I checked it bc I’m not a dumb brute lol plus he was a good dude that had her best interests in mind. Just pissed me off the way he rubbed it in Jorah’s face when he knew the guy was broken up about loving her. Great dispatch of Mereen’s champion we didn’t get to see enough of. Daario was a pretty important advisor to Daenerys at times and helped her a lot so I’m surprised we never saw him in the story again but remembering his quote, “all rulers are either butchers or meat,” I think he would have been closer to Mad Queen Dany than on Tyrion’s side. I don’t think Daario would have pushed Dany to attack the civilians with Drogon but def would have to take care of Cersei and anyone loyal to her. Would have loved to see Daario vs Jon Snow after Jon killed her but 1 on 1 fights were def not meant to be in the final season.
MEERA REED
–Badass intro for her character. “My sister carries the weapons,” “I’m better with them. Drop the spear.” I got a kick out of Meera’s instant rivalry with Osha and how they were like 2 veteran alley cats fighting for the same territory lol thanks to Meera we get the story of the Rat Cook out of Bran right after the Red Wedding happens. Def need characters like her to help carry a storyline like Bran’s. Thought she played it great, always with a certain angst on her face like she really didn’t want to be there yet a soldier’s confidence as well. Bran’s warging seems harmless but Meera’s concern let’s us know it is def now. Jojen/Meera tries to warn Bran of the dangers of warging for too long as he would forget his family, his friends, his home, and even himself. Seems like that is exactly how Bran became in later seasons so I thought Bran might have fallen to the villain side but that wasn’t the case. I feared the worst for Meera when the group was captured by the mutineers but thankfully Jon and the Nights Watch showed up. As ridiculous as I thought the skeleton wights were, that was still a sad scene to see Meera not only watch Jojen die but have to leave him there, great job by Ellie Kendrick.
-Def can sympathize with Meera’s frustration of just sitting there doing nothing while Bran enjoys most of his time off in the visions but Leaf does tell her she needs to protect him at all costs. Protect him she does as Meera becomes the 3rd person to kill a White Walker when the Night King attacks the cave with his army. With the time Hodor bought them, Meera gets far enough for Benjen to find and save them. Edd lets them through the Wall and that’s it for Meera when they get to Winterfell. My reaction would be closer to Meera’s if my family and I sacrificed as much as they did for Bran and he just gives a “Thanks,” like he couldn’t care less. Watching her brother die for a cause she doesn’t understand and then to realize it was for someone that doesn’t seem grateful, at least not in the way Meera thinks Bran should be, was def a gut punch. I have to agree with Meera, Bran died in that cave. Wish we would have seen Meera come back for the Battle of Winterfell or for after but it didn’t happen. As much as I wanted Meera to return, when this show started it was rooted in its own reality and in the reality of Game of Thrones, I don’t think Meera would return for anything short of Bran making his way to her himself and apologizing but maybe not even then. No matter how it ended between them, Meera was a crucial part of Bran’s journey and he def wouldn’t be there to be King without her.
JAQEN H’GHAR
-1 of the characters that made me really love this show, after Season 2 Jaqen was one of the characters/storylines that immediately inspired the most thought. Right from the moment we meet him asking Arya for water, you can see this is gonna be someone you need to keep an eye on. When Arya saves Jaqen and the other 2, you’re thinking it’s gonna be something like Jaqen will return the favour at a convenient time or pledges a life debt to protect Arya. But when they meet again in Harrenhall, things totally change for his character. Tom Wlaschiha CRUSHED this role, just has the perfect voice and look for Jaqen. When Jaqen says they owe 3 deaths to the Red God and Arya can say any 3 names and he will kill them…man that kicks things up a notch with a really exciting twist. Adds a fantasy element to the story that doesn’t take you out of suspension of disbelief. As I said when discussing Arya, drives me nuts Arya didn’t say more significant names like Tywin or Joffrey but I guess it’s kind of cheap to kill the big villains like that. Can’t fault the way they did it bc the deaths Arya chose did make sense for the situation she found herself in and she would have been in big trouble otherwise. I love Arya’s little shrug when Jaqen says, “A girl lacks honour,” after she mentions him as one of her 3 names meaning he must kill himself unless she un-names him. Also the face he makes when Arya demands he kill Amory Loch NOW! before Amory exposes Arya to Tywin. Too funny they were great together so I was devastated to say goodbye to Jaqen at the end of S2 but encouraged when he gives Arya the coin to be able to track him down again. After nothing but dead ends and nowhere to go, as much as I didn’t want Arya to leave Westeros I was excited we might be seeing Jaqen back in the story. Instead of being her main trainer or assassin buddy, Jaqen more hung out at the House of Black and White and gave Arya instructions. I was hoping for more from his teaching relationship with Arya but I still enjoyed the journey. Wasn’t holding my breath he would show up again in the final season, good thing lol but doesn’t take away from 1 of the greatest Fantasy characters of all time. Give us a Jaqen H’Ghar prequel!
HOT PIE
– Thought he was going to be a casualty when travelling with Arya/Gendry but was def happy he made it to safety. Really want to try some of that damn cooking bc it looked n sounded delicious. The Stark Direwolf bread he made was so awesome esp the last one. Great that he got a little reunion moment with Arya and was the one to give her the news that her home had been taken back by her family. It would have been cool to have him make a cameo in the final season, not to be but maybe Gendry hires him to be the official chef of Storms End. Hot Pie isn’t getting top billing on the show but was def a fun character.
Ok that should be almost all of people that are still alive in the show. Gonna go House by House and then clean up the rest that don’t fit in the Houses.
HOUSE STARK
NED STARK
–The man, the myth, the legend. Loved Sean Bean as Boromir in Lord of the Rings so I was excited when I found a show with him in a medieval type setting. Right away like most people I connected with House Stark as my favourite, it was easy to picture my family in their shoes. As I’m watching I am really enjoying the interactions of Ned and Robert Baratheon, they have a great dynamic as old war buddies. I was really looking forward to Ned eventually getting to the Wall to hear more about Jon’s mom. Seems like a cruel plan to wait until he takes an unbreakable oath giving up all titles and House rights to tell him he is actually the Targaryen heir to the Iron Throne but it was the only way. Robert would have killed him at any age as Jon would’ve been a threat to Robert and his children. This way there isn’t anything Jon could do about it now even if he wanted to and it finally frees Ned of his burden. 1 burden to another as Ned tries to be Hand of the King and take down the Queen at the same time. You’re just on the edge of your seat wondering if Ned can get into a better position or if all these snakes will take him down. When he finally gets the dirt on Cersei you’re thinking he is finally going to solidify his position when he takes the information directly to fn Cersei lol for 1 of the best men in World he made some dumbass decisions. After his arrest it looks like its set up for Ned to go to the Wall to tell Jon the truth and then Joffrey calls for his head and it’s over. 1 of the most shocking moments in TV history that kicks the show into high gear and makes Joffrey 1 of the most hated TV villains of all time. Changed how you watched going forward bc if they could kill Ned Stark then anyone could be killed. I was immediately worried for Sansa and Arya bc Ned was the only thing keeping the vipers nest away from them and barely at that. You knew that meant war between Starks and Lannisters was def on and only 1 was coming out of it. Great character and even greater twist of killing him off causing chaos in the fantasy world creating a sense of ‘anything can happen’ within the viewer.
CATELYN STARK
–Unlike Cersei, this is a woman who actually does love her children and tries to make decisions in their best interest, not hers. But she is far from perfect as her treatment of Jon Snow clearly shows, man you feel bad for him right for the start. The books really paint the picture of how bad he was treated by Catelyn and Sansa too. What a powerful scene when Catelyn is talking about how all of the misery happening to her family now has been brought on by her bc she couldn’t love a motherless child. You understand how Catelyn feels towards Jon but at the same time come on he is innocent in all this and she should recognize that. I think if she ever learned the truth about Jon it would have been the end of Cat and Ned bc she would have been furious he allowed her to treat Jon that way all these years. Would have been a different story if Cat knew the truth but that is prob why Ned never told her. Only way people would believe the bastard story without question is if Catelyn acted the way she did towards Jon. Cat’s big problem was making big decisions based off of pure emotion that usually backfired big time. Taking Tyrion prisoner got Northmen killed and Ned attacked/wounded. Taking Tyrion to the Vale and having to let him go while still paying consequences for kidnapping him extremely weakened the Stark position. Secretly releasing Jamie Lannister caused a chain of events that lost Robb the Karstarks and led them to the Red Wedding at the Twins instead of winning a battle and taking Casterly Rock. Still though Catelyn did it for Sansa/Arya not a selfish reason, with the girls in Kings Landing with no protection this was the best chance they had to see them again. So while Cersei does everything for power and control and disguises it as love for her children, Catelyn weakens her power position bc of the love of her children to keep them safe and prevent harm from coming to them. Michelle Fairley was so unbelievably good in her role but esp leading up to the Red Wedding bc you can see she knows how much trouble they are in. Robb doesn’t realize it and is trying to be confident but you can see Cat is worried but trying to have faith in Robb’s leadership even if she knows its prob wrong. Things are done a certain way in Westeros and the consequences for breaking them are usually severe. If Ned is alive no way they go near the Twins after Robb married Talisa but with Ned gone and her allies fading away, Cat knew they had no choice but to hope things wouldn’t work out like she feared. Obviously we know they walked into the Red Wedding and Cat had to watch her son die and then die herself with the realization that her entire family could possibly be wiped off the earth. Brutal is the only way to describe the Red Wedding. But what an amazing character they gave us in Catelyn Stark, her journey is def 1 of the best of the show.
ROBB STARK
–So this is the character that I most pictured myself as when I first found the show, my dad is def a Ned Stark type of person in real life and I’m the oldest son. Plus Robb was an easy character to like, Richard Madden did a great job playing him at first as the youth he was but then changing his energy to be more mature and poised as he was given leadership as King in the North. Big moment for Robb calling the Stark banners to march to Kings Landing and then handling the Greatjon’s initial disrespect towards him. Or should I say Greywind handled the Greatjon lol Greywind was prob the best depiction of the Direwolves as he was a big part of Robb’s rule both in this scene and threatening Jamie Lannister. Obviously Robb didn’t always make the best decisions but I don’t rake him over the coals for them like most do. If I was Robb Stark I would have been beyond enraged that in order to rescue my father, 1 of the most honourable, respected people Westeros has known I had to make multiple ridiculous concessions. Just to cross a fucking bridge. Yes I get it, that bridge is the only way to cross so it gives the Frey’s a lot of power where they normally wouldn’t have it but they should have just asked for supplies and a big celebration feast in Winterfell. Demanding not only Arya marry a Frey but the King in the North too!?!? Give me a fcking break. I would have done what I had to do to cross and save my father but after that, I would have dealt with the scum trying to profit off my fathers imprisonment and extort power from me. In hindsight considering things didn’t go too well for either of them after this lol Robb should have listened to Theon’s advice, taken the Twins and crossed the bridge anyways. I know it prob wouldn’t have worked and The Twins had been held since forever but I really think Robb had the generals to take it. I just put myself in Robb’s shoes in that moment and man that would be awful, you desperately want to save your father but you don’t want to ruin your life being forced to marry a random woman.
-But Robb agrees, they cross the bridge and Ned dies anyways. When Robb was hacking away at the tree with his sword after Ned died, I felt that. I can’t give Robb too much praise for the Battle of Whispering Wood bc it cost him 2,000 men. Great plan that landed Robb in a huge power position but I can’t imagine ever being able to send men into a battle I didn’t think they could legitimately win. I remember watching thinking Robb was in trouble going to battle vs Jamie Lannister and then boom they capture him. Did not see that coming, not for a second. Love these, the King in the North! The King in the North! The King in the North! scenes, always sends a chill. Wish the CGI budget could have allowed us to see some fleshed out battle scenes that established the ‘Young Wolf’ in this war vs the Lannisters. First big crack in Robb’s reign is not recognizing that sending Theon to Pyke and trusting Balon Greyjoy is a horrible idea. Def needed to use Cat’s wisdom in this situation. He also ignores Roose Bolton’s advice but his advice is ‘Kill all the Lannister prisoners so we don’t have to feed them’ or ‘let’s flay some prisoners for information.’ What did Roose say, “He ignored my advice at every turn,” well yeah I guess so with those kind of suggestions lol
-then Robb meets his tragic love story in Talisa. Pisses me off bc Robb should have been free to do what he wanted but was being extorted by Walder Frey. Too bad the shadow demon worked and was able to kill Renly, would have made a good king for the realm but most importantly he supported Robb. Stannis names a death leech after Robb and fuck you idiot Stannis, Robb prob would have been fine with Stannis on the Iron Throne. Robb finds out Theon betrayed him and unknowingly unleashes pure torturous hell on him in giving Roose permission to have his bastard Ramsay retake Winterfell. Keeps getting worse for Robb as the Karstarks want Jamie’s head after he killed one of them but Robb needs Jamie as leverage in the war esp with his sisters in King’s Landing. Then the bottom drops out as Robb marries Talisa. Not only does Robb break an oath and an alliance but loses respect from some of his men. Not a fair position Robb was in but there was plenty of time to marry Talisa he didn’t need to rush. I guess he makes emotional decisions just like his mother. Then Robb has to hear about his well thought out plans going a different way bc Edmure can’t follow orders losing them an advantage they desperately needed. Maybe worst of all, Catelyn secretly releases Jamie with Brienne in exchange for Arya/Sansa and the Karstarks are livid. They eventually murder an innocent Lannister prisoner forcing Robb to execute Rickard Karstark losing huge numbers in his army. It’s over after this as it forces him to ask the Frey’s for another favour leaving him at their mercy and they certainly have none. Roose releases Jamie Lannister a few episodes before the Red Wedding so there was some foreshadowing but nothing to prepare you for what was coming. Greywind could sense danger so allowing him to be locked up was the last mistake Robb would make as King in the North. Wish Robb and his Kings guard had put up any kind of fight but really it was a fantastically brutal scene going down as 1 of the craziest twists in TV history. I’m ready to come out of my chair when those cowards walk up to the pen where Greywind is and shoot multiple bolts into him. Heartbreaking when Arya locks eyes with Greywind on the ground dying. But my God was it unsettling and hard to watch them parade Robb’s beheaded body around with Greywinds head callously attached to it. Too cruel for words. Brutal end to the story of Robb Stark but I loved his character and would have made similar decisions just maybe gone about them a different way.
TALISA STARK
–One look at Talisa and it’s easy to see why Robb made the decision to marry her lol but really once you see her personality it’s also easy to see she would make a great Queen. Smart enough to know most men don’t choose which side they fight on and all deserve mercy which makes her a perfect medic and even better Queen. If I was Robb Stark I would have absolutely married Talisa but def would have waited for a better time than to break an oath with an ally in the middle of their war with the Lannisters. Through Talisa we get the story from Catelyn about how all of this misery is her fault bc she couldn’t love a motherless child, really powerful scene. We learn Talisa is pregnant but it’s only a momentary celebration as the Red Wedding is right around the corner. Just gross having Talisa stabbed in the stomach at the Red Wedding, unnecessary but they wanted brutality and certainly did got it. Talisa/Robb was doomed from the start but I would have loved a chance to see Talisa as Queen, Oona Chaplin did a great job making her character unique as there isn’t another one on the show like Talisa.
RICKON STARK
–Could have been one of the most important characters as the show progressed but would have def needed more seasons for that to happen. Just seemed like he was bounced around as an inconvenient plot device they had no idea what to do with until they could kill him. Not the shows fault as I don’t think Rickon has much direction in the books either. Smalljon delivering Rickon to Ramsay was such a downer bc you knew he was dead. Not even gonna talk about how they did our boy Shaggydog dirty. And then he is running away from a guy shooting arrows at him, do anything but run in a straight line man lol sad end to a character that could have changed the game with more seasons and story.
BENJEN STARK
–Oh we hardly knew ye lol man he seems like such a cool character in the first episode I was ready to follow his journey and then he is gone till like season 6. Shows up for 1 episode then gone again. 1 more time to save the day in S7 and that’s it as he dies to help Jon get away. Would have loved more time/seasons to explore exactly what happened to him and what he was doing. From his comments to Jon in the first ep and with R+L=J being confirmed, I think Ned confided in Benjen about Jon’s true parentage. I believe Benjen was close with Lyanna and would have honoured her wishes.
HOUSE LANNISTER
TYWIN LANNISTER
–Tywin might be the only villain on the show that I would have wanted to see turn into a good guy instead of meet an extremely painful death lol but that is all down to Charles Dance and the charm and wit he portrayed Tywin with. The actual character is a vile human that went out of his way to make Tyrions life miserable while at the same time raising him with the Lannister privilege to keep the family reputation intact. The story of Tyrions first wife and what Tywin did to her is just revolting and makes my blood boil. Then add in everything Tywin and his family do as opponents of the Starks and it’s hard to justify wanting to cheer for him but dammit that’s a testament to how Charles Dance CRUSHED this role. Talk about performances that seem like real people and make it possible to establish fantasy worlds like Game of Thrones, this is the best example. I was really disappointed when Tywin died even though I did enjoy watching him squirm and try to lie his way out of it. ‘You’re my son!’ oh yes that you have loved ever so much in your days lol but I think I figured out why I was drawn to cheer for Tywin, he was the best representation for the Game of Thrones. He knew the rules, the oaths, the traditions, the Houses and the order of how things are done in the Game of Thrones. With Tywin around, everyone behaved like a young kid not wanting to get in trouble with their Dad and happily played the GoT. But when Tywin died you saw how the Game of Thrones started to fall apart slowly but surely. Wasn’t a big deal since the Night King and the White Walkers were supposed to be the endgame but they were taken care of and then we’re back to the Game of Thrones to finish off the series. Didn’t see it going that way at all.
-Started with an awesome scene of Tywin skinning a deer while giving Jamie a lecture. Robert dies but Tywin cannot get to King’s Landing immediately as he has his hands full in the battlefield with the Young Wolf and the Northern forces. I would have said the hammer knocking Tyrion out and out of the battle saved his life but this was the battle that Robb sent his 2,000 troops to die in. It was just a massacre. Sending Tyrion to be Hand in his stead is definitely one of the best decisions Tywin ever made lol just wish it lasted longer. But some of the best scenes in S2 are of Tywin’s interactions with Arya and his war council, rob would have been even better interactions if he knew that was Arya. Wish that Tywin had found out before he died that his cupbearer was actually Arya Stark, would have been an interesting reaction. These scenes with Tywin/Arya were always so intense bc Arya could have been busted at any point and basically was by Littlefinger but he didn’t let on he knew. I was waiting for Arya to get some info for Robb that would turn the tide in battle but Tywin would recognize that only his cupbearer could have had the info that would have allowed Robb to get that advantage. Tywin showing what a scumbag he is and leaving his cupbearer Arya to the mercy of the Mountain when he leaves Harrenhall, thank God she escaped right after Tywin left.
-I wanted Stannis to win the Battle of Blackwater in the worst way so Joffrey would fcking get his but then Tywin shows up to smash those plans and defeat Stannis. Such a frustrating moment esp when you learn that Robb planned to avoid this very situation but Edmure fcked it up. He follows that up by demoting Tyrion and running the show his way with an iron fist..or gold fist I should say, he is a Lannister lol just wheeling and dealing people like they are chips on a table, Tyrion/Sansa and Cersei/Loras before any of them can say what. I always have a good laugh at Cersei’s reaction bc she is so smug about Tyrion and then reality sets in. Tywin even gets the last laugh vs the Queen of Thorns as she doesn’t want anything to do with marrying Loras to Cersei but Tywin “convinces” her haha it was so entertaining to watch Tywin play the Game of Thrones and put his pieces in play like staying on Tyrion to marry and impregnate Sansa, trying to establish an alliance with the Tyrells and his ultimate power play revealed to be the mastermind behind the Red Wedding.
-Tywin melting down ‘Ice,’ the Starks great sword, in addition to the Red Wedding was like salting the earth so nothing would grow. The man was trying to wipe the Stark family, name and memory off the face of the earth. So fcked up and the melting down of ‘Ice’ was where I started to look forward to his death. Must have almost drove him mad that his oldest son, one of the most desirable bachelors in the 7 Kingdoms does not want to inherit Casterly Rock to take a beautiful wife and Father many children solidifying House Lannister for years to come. Tywin knows the truth about Jamie/Cersei but doesn’t want to accept it bc he knows Cersei is the only thing stopping Jamie from doing what Tywin wants and that’s a problem he doesn’t know how to fix. So he accepts Jamie in the Kings guard bc while that doesn’t further the Lannister line it does help Tywin retain power and control. Between the Queen of Thorns and the Red Viper, Tywin started season four feeling the heat despite coming off a huge win in the Red Wedding. Never caught that Tywin covers Tommen’s eyes when Joffrey is killed I guess I’m always to busy enjoying the scene lol but that is such a great character move that shows what a cunning player Tywin is. Joffrey isn’t quite dead and Tywin has already turned his attention and support to the next King. I also have to believe Tywin knows that Tyrion didn’t do this but sees it as the perfect opportunity to bring Tyrion to heel. With Tyrion locked up or at the Wall, he can’t embarrass the family or meddle in Tywin’s plans or create new enemies for their House. Joffrey’s death worked out so perfect for Tywin you would have thought he planned it if not for Olenna’s confession. Joffrey was getting harder to control even for Tywin but Tommen is not Joffrey and could be moulded as he was younger. Loved the initial conversation over Joffrey’s corpse between Tywin and Tommen about what makes a good King, dialogue scenes like this are why the show is so great.
-We realize House Lannister is in more trouble than any of the children realize and these strategic marriage alliances are crucial to the survival of their House. No gold left and debts to the Iron bank coming due but Jamie/Cersei are selfish idiots and his hatred for Tyrion blinds him to the fact he is prob the kid with the best chance to further their House. Until they let Tyrion take the blame for Joffrey’s murder that they know he did not commit. I’m sure Tywin would have cooked up some other plan to back Tyrion into a corner so he could get Jamie to do what Tywin wanted. Jamie uses Tywin’s desire to see him in Casterly Rock to buy Tyrions life and get him sent to the Night’s Watch instead of death. But Tywin showed to be the ultimate hypocrite by not only sleeping with a whore but Tyrion’s lover Shae. I think Tywin secretly admired Tyrion and if he had been of regular height, Tywin would have favoured Tyrion over Jamie. But being a dwarf meant Tywin always had hatred in his heart for Tyrion as fucked up as that is. Using Shae against Tyrion in the trial was bad enough but to then also sleep with her is just so messed up its no wonder it pushed Tyrion over the edge. If Tywin doesn’t use Shae then Tyrion goes to the Wall but after that, Tyrion needed at least 1 victory over his father whether he died bc of it or not. Demanding a trial by combat def rocked Tywin for a few seconds realizing either Tyrion was going free or his son would def die. Would have been interesting to see the Tywin/Oberyn dynamic if Oberyn had finished off the Mountain like he should have. Tywin confronted with death in the form of Tyrion and the crossbow was not his confident self, he was rambling and lying and scared. Amazing performance to finish off the character from both Charles Dance and Peter Dinklage. Tywin Lannister killed by his own son, his last conversation with his daughter was extremely tense and confrontational, for a man so obsessed with family and family legacy that’s a heartbreaking death. He was a vile scumbag so I can’t ever feel sorry for him but Charles Dance made you want to root for the character his performance was so good.
JAMIE LANNISTER
– what a character this world gave us in Jamie Lannister that a guy who pushed a kid out of a window in the first episode could have people cheering for him in the end. It was impossible for me to relate to Jamie or really root for him bc of the stuff with Cersei. That was just too gross and it was only when I could put that out of my mind that I could start to connect to the character. Forgetting Cersei, I thought Jamie had one of if not the most interesting journey’s on the show esp when you factor in the Kingslayer story. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau couldn’t have been cast better as Jamie and he played the role to perfection. Early he played Jamie like the arrogant asshole he was until he lost his hand and completely changed the energy of the character. Brienne brought out the best in Jamie and Cersei brought out the worst him and that’s exactly what you saw from the character when he was around each woman. Brilliant acting and writing. As soon as you see Jamie you’re thinking someone should knock this smug punk off his damn horse like look at him with his perfect hair and his golden armour and his blue eyes shining like the stars lol damn you Jamie Lannister. Take away the sister shagging and I think a lot of males would love to be Jamie Lannister. But he just looks like a bad guy in the first season, then you find out he is in love with his sister and yes is definitely a villain haha started the show off with a bang I mean I don’t know how anyone could not watch episode 2 after that ending. “The things I do for love” easily 1 of the most shocking moments to air in the freakin pilot episode. Its clear Jamie is an important character and before Ned Stark is killed you think Jamie is too important to die so I figured Bran would never regain the memory of what happened, at least not until a while down the road.
-Great scene with Jamie basically mocking Jon for volunteering to go to the Wall considering the role Jamie would play in the war vs the dead that he clearly didn’t believe in at the beginning. The audience knows that Ned is wrong about Jamie and what he did to the Mad King but I wish Jamie would have defended himself better bc even Ned would have become a Kingslayer in that moment I truly believe that. Loved how Robert Baratheon changed his tune pretty quick when he asked Jamie what the Mad King said before Jamie stabbed him in the back, “The same thing he had been saying for hours, Burn Them All.”
-The Jamie vs Ned duel after Tyrion was taken by Catelyn was awesome and really intense bc that is 2 important characters engaging in combat where 1 usually dies. Hard to say if the coward that stabbed Ned saved Jamie or Ned, was pretty even. Jamie joins his father in the war vs the Starks/Tullys and they have that amazing scene of Tywin lecturing Jamie about not killing Ned and why they must keep their family name strong and why they must prevail. 1 of the best scenes in the entire show and it is just talking. In one of the twists I def did not see coming, Jamie walks into a trap and is captured by Robb Stark. Not going out on a limb to say this is the turning point in Jamie’s life that would lead to would give him a chance to be a better version of himself. Drops one of my favourite quotes of all time, “There are no men like me, only me.” Oh man that is so fcking great. But you can tell Jamie was using his insults and disrespect to mask how scared he was. His demeanour was very infuriating considering his position and the way he killed his own family so casually. Jamie prob would have lost his head if Catelyn hadn’t released him and we know what the repercussions of that would have been. However trading a warrior like Jamie for 2 civilian girls in times of war is insane but Catelyn really did love her children and wanted to protect them at all costs.
-Right from the start you can sense the chemistry between Brienne and Jamie despite Jamie relentlessly pushing her buttons. If they hadn’t been idiots and started fighting, Jamie might still have a hand. I couldn’t even enjoy their fight bc I was worried they would get caught, which they did. What an unbelievable moment when Jamie gets his sword hand cut off, man that bothered me when I thought about it after. Just knowing what the sword hand meant to a great warrior/swordsman and how Jamie’s reputation and respect was built on his ability in combat. Kinda sucked that when he finally acts like a good guy and does the right thing stopping Locke’s men from raping Brienne, he gets his hand cut off. Locke was such a piece of shit, for what he allows to almost happen to Brienne and what he does to Jamie. So fn messed up tricking him into drinking piss and hanging the hand he cut off around Jamie’s neck, too bad Jamie didn’t get to kill Locke for all that. Everything they do really makes the quick transition for Jamie from heel to babyface easy to accept. Thought Jamie was better than he showed later with his left based off the scene where he steals a sword from Locke’s men and fights them. Man what a scene Roose Bolton sees when a bloody, muddy, dirty, exhausted Jamie Lannister with his sword hand hanging around his neck arrive at Harrenhall. I’m sure the wrath of Tywin Lannister is the last thing Roose wants at that point with the Red Wedding about to go down. Watching Jamie having his wound treated by Qyburn with no pain meds or anything is brutal bc that would have hurt something fierce. But this leads us to one of the greatest scenes in TV history with Jamie and Brienne in the bath as he tells her the true Kingslayer story. If I had to pick 1 scene to bring into a conversation as the best, I might have to settle on that one. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau with his acting masterpiece in that scene, perfectly conveyed a tortured soul that just yearned to be understood and couldn’t fake it anymore. “Jamie. My name is Jamie.” Man that is powerful. Hearing the true story of the Kingslayer from Jamie himself has you on the edge of your seat no matter how many times you watch it.
– Was really happy he went back to save Brienne bc I was afraid of what kind of scene he would get back to. Thankfully he got there before anything really bad happened. Happy to see Jamie back in King’s Landing bc I love the scenes between him and Tyrion, never have enough of them. Also really enjoy his training with Bronn but like I said I thought he was a bit better. But man one of the worst scenes of the series happens after Joffrey is killed when Jamie rapes Cersei in front of Joffrey’s corpse. You can try to call it what you like but that was a woman who did not want sex but it happened anyways. Awful scene completely out of character for Jamie so I try to pretend it never happened. What is in character for Jamie is his support for Tyrion bc Jamie knows Tyrion would never kill Joffrey and the evidence doesn’t point to Tyrion but you can’t tell Cersei that. Cool moment when Jamie keeps his vow to Catelyn as he arms and armours Brienne with the sword forged from ‘Ice’ that would be known as ‘Oathkeeper.’ If Jamie doesn’t do this, so much is different about the rest of the story and not in a good way. He does his damndest to save Tyrion even agreeing to leave the Kings guard and go make heirs in Casterly Rock if they will spare Tyrions life. More great acting from NCW as you can feel his heartbreak and anger at Tyrions stupid outburst demanding a trial by combat that would surely seal his fate. He doesn’t want to lose his brother and you can feel it. Not as big of a fan of the convo about Orson Lannister as everyone else but I def enjoyed it and it made me laugh. Guarantee the last thing Jamie thought Tyrion would do is kill Tywin, maybe the only thing Tyrion could do that would make Jamie forget their brotherly bond.
– One of the reasons season 5 is the worst is the complete waste of time for Jamie in Dorne after they receive that threat from the Sand Snakes. When he finally does rescue Myrcella she is immediately killed making the last season kind of useless. But Jamie’s story kicks back up in season 6 when he has to try and manage the rise in power of the High Sparrow, their confrontation in the Sept of Baelor is fcking great. Their next one on the steps of the Great Sept is just as good and I really thought shit was about to go down but what a shocking moment as Tommen walks out publicly declaring the new alliance between the faith and the crown. Hits keep coming as Tommen kicks Jamie out the Kings guard and sends him to retake Riverrun bc the Frey’s allowed the Blackfish to get it back. The Kingslayer and the Blackfish was a such a great scene, only wish it could have ended in a duel. Man Jamie’s scenes and speech to Edmure make it hard to see him as a redeeming character, hearing it made me angry that after all this time he was still as addicted to Cersei as ever. But it was def effective in convincing Edmure he would save a lot of lives by surrendering bc Jamie wasn’t bluffing. Crazy to think how close to death Jamie was though bc the girl looking at him at the Frey party was Arya in disguise ready for revenge. But Jamie gets back to King’s Landing to find his last son dead and the massacre he killed a King and sacrificed his honour to prevent was brought to a reality by the woman he loved. Oh and she is crowning herself Queen in that moment as well lol damn.
-Hated to see Euron mocking Jamie throughout season 7 but that was why he said ‘ I was that hand,’ to Brienne bc Euron would have never shown Jamie a fraction of the disrespect he did if Jamie was whole. Never thought Jamie would sacrifice Casterly Rock but it made strategic sense and was a huge victory gaining the gold they needed and ending House Tyrell. Loved the final scene of the Queen of Thorns with Jamie, “Tell Cersei, I want her to know it was me.” Lol so badass. But Jamie’s face when he sees the Dragon hammers home why it’s almost a checkmate to have one then you see the destruction. Must have been touch for Jamie to see Lannister men burning at the hands of a Targaryen, a scene he desperately tried to avoid. Jamie really should have died charging Daenerys bc in full armour he ain’t getting out of that water but I like him so I looked the other way but a really stupid scene. Back in King’s Landing, we get a reunion with Tyrion to set up the parlay and it doesn’t disappoint. I think the wight they brought to the parlay had the most effect on Jamie bc not only did he believe but I think he immediately resigned himself to joining the fight for the living. Honestly thought he was going to fight and be killed by the Mountain when Cersei nodded at him but then he let Jamie go and I couldn’t believe it. Iconic image of Jamie leaving for Winterfell as snow starts to fall on King’s Landing.
-1 of the best moments of the series when Jamie arrives in Winterfell and sees Bran for the first time since pushing him out the window, he says so much without saying a word. Great acting. Loved Brienne vouching for him and breaking down how he helped make it possible for them to be there at that moment. The scene around the fire in episode 2 was pure magic culminating with the incredible scene of Jamie helping fulfill Brienne’s lifelong dream and knighting her. Great performance in the Battle of Winterfell and even better performance with Brienne after the celebration lol so happy Jamie/Brienne got together even though Jamie left bc they are really true love not Jamie/Cersei. Jamie is an addict and Cersei is his drug, he has been exposed to this drug for his entire life so it’s almost impossible for him to kick it as he shows. Sad that his journey ends with a relapse but at least he got to experience true love at least once in his life. When Tyrion found an opening in the rubble when looking for them in the finale I thought they survived, would have been a crazy twist.
-In the end I think Jamie Lannister was a good person that did some horrible shit but also some very good things. He just had a negative influence around him his whole life that always brought out the worst aspects of his character. Without Cersei in his life I think Jamie lives as a good, decent man but with her he will do just about anything to stay with her.
CERSEI LANNISTER
-Man I had such an interesting relationship with this character. On one hand, Lena Headey will forever be my Queen Gorgo of Sparta so my first instinct is always to cherish her. But then Cersei is such a vile, snake of a woman that I loathe her with a fiery passion. So it’s very confusing times watching Cersei on screen lol but damn what a treat it has been to experience this character. Despite hating her, Lena Headey and her incredible acting can pull compassion out of the viewer for Cersei. Given some of the things Cersei does in the show that is a monumental task. But 1 thing always said about Cersei that I 100% disagree with is that she loves her children. Maybe deep down she loves them but her actions are 100% selfish. Cersei loves power and control and she puts her children in positions that give her power and control. Trying to fix some of Joffrey’s issues may have created contempt between him and Cersei giving her less control over him not that she has much to begin with. Marrying Margaery is best for Tommen and what he wants but gives Cersei less power and control so she fights it with all she has. If she really loved her children like she says, she would have done everything she could to make the Tommen/Margaery alliance work. And when Tommen kills himself, it’s all about her and what he did to her. I honestly cannot stand this selfish bitch lol
-Right from the start you can sense the fakeness in her dealings with the Starks, putting on a show bc she has to. The marriage to Robert was what really turned Cersei into the bad person we knew her as. Not totally, as losing her mother giving birth to her dwarf brother put hatred in her heart she would never get rid of and that def influenced her character. But the marriage to Robert must have been brutal as she did fall in love with him but he never saw her as anything but a political alliance. Every word he spoke to her was tinged with disrespect and he openly slept with random women and professed his love for Lyanna Stark every chance he got. As soon as they get to Winterfell, Robert demands to go to the crypts see Lyanna despite Cersei’s objections. Any good energy left in Cersei was slowly destroyed by her toxic marriage to Robert. That is confirmed when her only concern after Jamie pushes Bran out of the window is if he will wake up and tell everyone what he saw. I liked the scene between Cersei and Catelyn bc it’s one of the only times we see the good person in Cersei, just 2 mothers talking about their children. Interesting to hear that Cersei/Robert had 1 child that wasn’t Jamie’s but he died of fever as a baby. There were theories that the baby actually lived and was Gendry but obviously that went nowhere.
-Cersei is back to being a vile human when she forces the execution of Lady after the confrontation between Joffrey/Arya/Butchers boy. Any fan that is a dog lover would have Cersei as public enemy #1 after this and I certainly did. Awful moment. Joffrey is def his mother’s son and you get the feel for that from his dialogue when Cersei is trying to counsel him about being King, man I couldn’t stand those 2. Cersei’s paranoia about what Ned is trying to figure out and what Bran will say is starting to show, she can’t play the fake persona we saw in the first episode. Her relationship with Robert is deteriorating faster as he actually strikes her and threatens to do more if she doesn’t do what he says. That slap was probably the day Cersei put the plan to kill Robert in motion. Then dumbass Ned actually tells Cersei to her face that he knows the truth about everything and is going to expose it. How Ned could think Cersei fn Lannister would not do anything and everything she could to get the advantage back is insane. Ned severely underestimated his enemy and it cost him his life. After Cersei gets this news, Robert is killed on his hunt which was set up to happen by Cersei. My heart sank when Cersei tears up the paper declaring Ned the protector of the realm bc you know that she has her power and control back and she can do whatever she wants. And thanks to her, Joffrey is in position to initiate Ned’s death and throw the realm into chaos. Nobody is safe from Cersei’s obsession with power and control.
-Really enjoyed season 2 and Tyrion making Cersei’s life miserable, 1 of the last times she was in a position where she didn’t have great influence to make her plans happen or she would have stopped Myrcella from going to Dorne. The relationship between Cersei and Lancel proves Cersei never really loved Jamie, he was just another person she had power and control over. Conflicting emotions when Cersei is counselling Sansa, there is an underlying sweetness almost like Cersei is talking to herself before she married Robert. But then later she publicly shames Sansa saying the treachery of House Stark frees Joffrey from his obligation to marry her and he pledges himself to another right there. As a viewer I was happy she wouldn’t be married to Joffrey but couldn’t see how she would get out of there. Joffrey was starting to really enjoy physical violence towards her and humiliating her so I was not looking forward to that marriage. After seeing what happens to Ros thanks to Cersei, you really understand that Joffrey is his mother son. Honestly thought the Blackwater might have been the end for Cersei but of course she made it through back into a power position with Tywin back in the city. As much as I enjoyed watching Tyrion make her life miserable, it was just as awful to watch it come crashing down in the finale of S2.
-Life not exactly what she thought after Tywin gets back as she is set for a marriage with Loras. Prob the same fate for Loras if he married Cersei or not, she was not having any long term marriage alliances again. Love the dynamic between Cersei and Tyrion, you can tell Cersei does have love/respect for Tyrion but like Tywin, just can’t bring themselves to show it given what happened to Cersei’s mother. As we saw with Tommen, Cersei is not having an alliance with the Tyrells even though it is in the best interest of her children bc it gives her less power and control. Part of why she reacts with a threat when Margaery calls her a sister, sisters have far less power and control than Queens. Margaery would have been a perfect ally for Cersei if she had been able to see it. When Jamie gets back, she wants nothing to do with him initially bc losing his hand means losing power and control. I mean she even orders the food Margaery wanted given to the poor, given to the dogs instead bc that takes away Margaery’s power and control and gives it back to Cersei.
-Joffrey’s death brought out some more incredible acting from Lena Headey, her panic at him choking and then her rage at Tyrion was so real. Tough scene to watch a mother lose her child despite who those characters were but part of me did enjoy watching Cersei get some of what she had coming. Already addressed the awful rape scene talking about Jamie so I’ll just move on. Her obsession with Tyrion paying for Joffrey’s murder drove me crazy during the season bc you know she is wrong but is pushing so hard. Seems like she might have learned her lesson trying to keep Margaery away from her children but we see later she def did not. Glad that Tyrion got to take the gloves off and tell her what he really thinks when he let her have it during his trial. Cersei has set everything up to make sure Tyrion loses the trial by combat, he does and she thinks she has all the power and control. Tyrion will be dead and she thinks she has Tywin under her control by hanging the secret of her and Jamie over his head, she is on top of the world to end season 5. I’m glad the last time she ever saw her father was a negative moment bc I’m sure that fact crushed her whenever she thought about it.
-Then she makes one of the biggest mistakes of the series and gives power to the High Sparrow and arms the Faith Militant. Tywin would never have allowed even a whisper of that but his body is not even cold and the High Sparrow is already moving in. Converting Lancel is a huge moment that doesn’t seem that way when we first see him again bc it gives the High Sparrow knowledge of extremely valuable secrets along with power and control over Cersei. The reason Cersei turned to the Sparrows is bc she saw her power and control slipping away to Margaery. With Tywin gone, Margaery was in a much better position and Cersei much worse and we see that with the way Margaery talks to Cersei. The respect and fear was gone replaced by defiance and backhanded insults disguised as compliments. Margaery was no push over she just knows how to play the Game of Thrones and with Tywin gone there was nothing to stop her winning Tommen to her side and pushing Cersei out for good. So Cersei in her desperation turns to the High Sparrow and enjoys a short term victory as Margaery and Loras are imprisoned. But the High Sparrow is also after power and control so it didn’t take long for him to turn the tables on Cersei and make his power play. Worked like a charm as Cersei played right into it hook, line and sinker.
-But you can’t even feel good about justice coming to Cersei bc of who is giving it to her. My disgust for the High Sparrow and the Faith Militant is up there with Cersei and they were around for much less time. Really did not like Septa Unella, ‘confess!,’ oh just shut up already lol almost felt sorry for Cersei when Unella pours the water on the ground and Cersei gets down to slurp it up which pissed me off bc I wanted to hate Cersei not see her redeemed. Then we get to the walk of shame or whatever it was called, couldn’t enjoy that bc of who was dishing it out and obviously that’s not the kind of justice I wanted for Cersei. At least it gave us a great meme, ‘SHAME!’ lol and we see that Qyburn’s experiment with the Mountain worked as he rescues Cersei from the walk and carries her to safety. But once that walk happened I was resigned to cheering for Cersei to fuck the Sparrows shit up and then once that happened I would go back to hating her. Her reaction to seeing Jamie back with Myrcella’s body was again not the kind of justice I wanted for her. The prophecy about her children dying was the only prophecy in the show that had any reality or truth to it. Already knowing what happens, it’s interesting to watch everything build up to the wildfire explosion of the Sept of Baelor as Cersei has 1 situation after another where she realizes her power and control is almost gone. The undead Mountain is the only thing keeping her from losing everything. Man yet another moment I can’t enjoy of that sparrow getting his head ripped off bc it was done by my most hated character but it was def a great scene.
-Of course the High Sparrow had an answer for Cersei’s get out of jail free card in the undead Mountain winning a trial by combat, just get rid of it. Watching this live I am trying to think of how Cersei is getting out of this one and there really is no way out for her at this point. Except one. The build-up to the wildfire explosion of the Sept of Baelor was so fcking brilliant it was as close as it gets to perfection. The score with the pianos was just incredible. But again, couldn’t even enjoy the wildfire bath the sparrows got bc my sweet Margaery was there too. Absolutely stunning both visually and for the story, couldn’t believe the Tyrells were wiped out save Olenna but that was coming. With no children left to manipulate, Cersei takes the throne for herself seizing power and control once and for all. Euron is the perfect kind of scumbag for Cersei I just thought he was going after Tyrion instead of Yara and Ellaria. Crazy scene where Cersei gets her revenge on Ellaria by killing her daughter the same way they killed Myrcella but another where I almost felt compassion for Cersei, ‘Why did you do that! Why!’ I think Cersei may have actually loved her daughter as that’s the only one she never really tried to manipulate for her own power and control, at least that we saw. I thought Cersei paying the iron bank with the Tyrell gold and buying the Golden Company would have been a bigger deal but they got destroyed very quickly. I guess it gave her a chance to make her last stand but they didn’t have any impact in battle. Got really nervous when Qyburn got to work on trying to figure out a way to kill a dragon and came up with the damn scorpion. I wanted Daenerys on the Iron Throne and knew the dragons were the only way she gets it so every threat to them got me nervous.
-Olenna got her wish and Cersei knew it was her that poisoned Joffrey so that’s a nice win. Thought Bronn was dead for sure when Cersei talked to Jamie about punishing Bronn for betraying him for the meeting with Tyrion. You know Jamie won’t punish Bronn so I thought Cersei would exact her brand of punishment but glad I was wrong. Surprised Cersei took the parlay meeting and even more surprised she agreed to hold back her armies but I knew she was done helping them for good when dumbass Jon just couldn’t help himself lol I didn’t like Cersei taking the meeting with Tyrion bc I feel there is just no way she would after everything that has happened and if she did Tyrion would never leave that meeting. I honestly never expected her to send the Lannister armies but Jamie did and Cersei not doing it was the last straw for him. Jamie finally leaves Cersei to fight alongside the living in the war vs the dead but I was sure she was ordering the undead Mountain to kill him. Really intense scene. We’ll never know if she really was pregnant but I think I lean more to the side saying she was with Jamie’s child, makes the most sense I think.
-Cersei has a such a smug look on her face throughout S8 I can’t fn stand it lol I mean she is in an ok position but until Daenerys dragons are dead they are still in big trouble as we saw. Finally gives Euron what he wants after he has delivered for her on multiple occasions, they would have been an interesting couple to watch if the show had more seasons. Cersei’s arrogance is on no better display than when she thinks it’s a good idea to execute Missandei, 1 of Daenerys’s closest advisors. In the end Cersei was a ruler just like the son that she tried to reason with in season 1, Joffrey should have spared Ned and Cersei should have spared Missandei. Both mistakes led to their situations worsening significantly and we know now that Missandei’s execution sparked the madness to take over Daenerys. But still I really enjoyed as it becomes perfectly clear Cersei has finally pushed someone too far and they were pushing back and nobody could come to save her. You could see the confidence start to fade from her eyes and the realization sinks in. But still in her arrogance she thinks she can just say thinks out loud and it makes them so, you could sense Qyburn’s frustration in trying to get her to accept reality lol kind of funny to watch her tiptoe around Qyburn’s dead body so Cleganebowl could start. But dammit she did not deserve that moment of finding Jamie and dying in his arms, Cersei Lannister deserved to die right there on that map alone and scared. I’m glad she did not survive the finale but I wanted her death to be much different. Technically she was killed by a Dragon which is not the kind of justice I wanted. Arya using Jamie’s face to do it in the end would have been amazing, credit to Maisie Williams for that one.
-You can’t have a great story without a great villain and Cersei Lannister def gave us one. Lena Headey’s amazing acting throughout challenged us to love her when we hated her and turned up the volume when she wanted us to despise her. As angry as she makes me watching the show, she is one of my fav characters bc of how much emotion she evokes from me. I will def miss rooting against Cersei Lannister.
*We all know the deal so I might as well include the kids with their actual family.*
JOFFREY BARATHEON-LANNISTER
-Hard pressed to find a fan that didn’t hate Joffrey’s guts during his time on the show lol 1 of the greatest villains of all time, this was a guy you loved to hate and did not make you want to cheer for him in the slightest. Exactly what a perfect villain should be. There is a point in the first couple episodes where Joffrey has a really sweet moment with Sansa where he says some very loving words and doesn’t show the evil side of himself at all. That’s why I was so disappointed to hear he was giving up acting bc man he has serious talents and not just for playing a villain. This wasn’t just somebody acting like an asshole, this was an actor perfectly conveying the spoiled brat, evil tyrant King that the audience needed to see Joffrey as. For the big moments to work in the early seasons, the viewer needs to despise Joffrey and they def can’t have people cheering for him. That is all down to the incredible work of Jack Gleeson.
-When we meet him I don’t get a good vibe but we get that sweet moment so I’m thinking maybe I was wrong. But he could care less about Bran and then we get the confrontation with Arya and the Butchers Boy and the Joffrey hate train is rolling lol what a little coward I’m about to come out my chair when he is cutting the boys face but Nymeria had it handled. Can’t believe I’ve seen people comment that Joffrey did nothing wrong and Arya/Butchers Boy were technically in the wrong like you have to be a scumbag to think that. Then his lies have Cersei demand Lady be killed. Joffrey hate train was full steam ahead after Lady but to my surprise it would get much faster. 1 of his first acts as King after Robert dies is to humiliate and release Ser Barristan from the Kings guard which would set the tone for his reign. In 1 of the biggest villain moments in TV history, Joffrey ignores the plans for Ned’s life to be spared and demands his head and it actually happens. Right there you know that Game of Thrones will not be like other shows.
-The scene where Joffrey asks the singer to choose between his finger and his tongue then actually cuts his tongue out was so uncomfortable but worse as someone who loves to sing. That kind of cruelty just took me aback. But he wasn’t even done as he forces Sansa to look at Ned’s severed head on a pike along with several other people she was close with. Brutal scene I couldn’t even imagine having to do that but man I had a feeling it would be awhile before Joffrey saw any kind of justice. And the despicable acts just keep coming as he almost tortures Ser Dontos to death until Sansa manages to save the day, having Sansa beaten and striped in front of the court but most sick of all is ordering all of King Robert’s bastard children killed even the babies. Revolting scene and I had about enough of Joffrey at that point. He was just such a smug, arrogant little fuck during all of it you almost get too worked up lol then Tyrion just has to go get 2 whores for Joffrey and that scene almost makes me want to skip ahead, I’m glad they kept it short. The fact he resorts to violence in a situation like that shows how far gone he is that was hard to watch. Pathetic watching him try to act tough and bull up leading to the Battle of Blackwater, why oh why couldn’t we have got Joffrey vs Stannis in combat haha but as the battle gets closer you see how scared he is start to come out until he finally runs from the battle like the coward he is. Without Tyrion, Joffrey’s blood would be on Stannis’ sword so that really makes it all the more messed up when you realize Joffrey tried to have Tyrion assassinated on the battlefield.
-Sansa would have had zero control over Joffrey in marriage but the switch to Margaery seems like she may have more of a chance to control him. But I think that once Joffrey became familiar with her and used to her, the same behaviour would have come out. His bloodlust was escalating as we saw with how he killed Ros so I don’t think Margaery had a hope of taming him. Tywin knew the problems Joffrey and his cruelty would create. ‘I’m not…TIRED.’ Damn he sounded like such a little brat there it was like a kid talking to his dad, just perfect. Easy to see where the true power lies during that moment. Speaking of being a brat you just want to knock Joffrey out during Tyrion and Sansa’s wedding, I really needed some justice delivered to him. I wasn’t sure how I would get through Joffrey’s wedding with the dwarf show and everything he was doing to Tyrion but then finally justice is served lol I still don’t think it was a bad enough death for him and I wanted someone else to kill him but it was still satisfying.
-What a reign of terror Joffrey had, I was so relieved when it was over I couldn’t stand him anymore. Joffrey will be on of the characters people always think of when they talk about Game of Thrones so I think his status as a great villain will always remain high.
MYRCELLA BARATHEON-LANNISTER
-Could have had so much potential in the story as a character but we never saw much of her outside of the few episodes leading to her death. Myrcellas good relationship with Trystane could have really made her a player in the Game of Thrones considering that would have given her Dorne and its armies. Add to that the last conversation with Jamie, if she survived things really would have gotten interesting. But unfortunately she ended up an innocent victim of the Game of Thrones.
TOMMEN BARATHEON-LANNISTER
–If Joffrey was his mothers son then Tommen is his fathers son bc he is nothing like Joffrey or Cersei. If Tommen had a chance to be raised in a peaceful environment without war like Jamie, he would have grown to be great in combat like his father. But all Tommen has really known in his life is war and chaos esp the last few years so it makes sense he is very timid and easily influenced. Watching the show I would get frustrated with the decisions Tommen would make or things he wouldn’t say/do but it’s easy to forget he is just a kid. Tommen was in such a tough position having to deal with the new threat of the High Sparrow/Faith Militant and the power they had. From what Tommen understands, the King says something and the thing is done but now people are outright defying him and not doing what he wants. Tommen clearly has no clue what to do next and isn’t a cruel boy so violence is not what he wants. High Sparrow knows all this and takes advantage of it and that’s part of why I despise him so greatly. Tommen also has this sexy woman that is now his wife says amazing things to him and is willing to have sex with him and that is every boys dream so he def is not thinking clearly lol easy to see why he was starting to turn away from Cersei it just sucks that meant he embraced the High Sparrow and the Faith Militant more. So shocked when Tommen jumped out the window and committed suicide but made sense that he realized there was only 1 way to free himself from his mother’s control. Heartbreaking. I wanted to see how he would respond and if you would start to gravitate towards Jamie, they def had a good actor for the role.
LANCEL LANNISTER
–Lancel from S1 & 2 and Lancel from S5 & 6 are basically 2 different characters which is what it’s supposed to be I guess but def a great job by Eugene Simon to put in 2 completely different performances. You start out almost feeling sorry for him as he is just a punching bag for Roberts’s jokes and insults, even Ned speaks u and tells Robert to lay off. Although Robert was pretty hilarious, “Your mother was a dumb whore with a fat arse” hahahaha wow. As Ned put it, Robert is too fat for his armour so Robert has Lancel fetch the breastplate stretcher which is right next to the bucket of steam lol Lancel is the one feeding Robert wine when Robert drunkenly misses his thrust and is mortally wounded by the wild boar. Varys believes Lancel was deliberately trying to get Robert drunk enough to make a mistake like that. After Jamie is captured Cersei responds by regularly sleeping with Lancel which would have big time consequences later on. Tyrion figures out that Lancel is sleeping with Cersei and uses it to turn Lancel into his spy and receive very valuable information.
-Lancel fights in the Battle of Blackwater and does a good job for a guy some prob thought couldn’t fight until he gets shot in the shoulder with an arrow and has to retreat inside. Cersei has Lancel retrieve Joffrey and bring him inside but this demoralizes the soldiers. Lancel finally let’s Cersei have it telling her she needs to send Joffrey back out there. Last we see of Lancel for a few seasons is him screaming in pain after Cersei punches his wound. When we meet him again his head is shaved and his attitude is totally different speaking nothing but his religious rhetoric. We learn Lancel has joined the religious cult the Sparrows and leads the charge to enter Littlefingers brothel and expose the High Septon for having sex with prostitutes. Then they drag the High Septon into the street, strip him naked and force him into a walk of atonement. Had no clue at the time how significant this would be but it was the beginning of a very calculated plan by the High Sparrow.
-Once Cersei allows for the Faith Militant to reform, Lancel immediately takes it to 10 carving the seven pointed star into his forehead. Lancel as the Sparrow/Faith Militant guy really made me angry bc he was so content to force his beliefs on people with violence if need be and just so sure of himself when he was in the wrong. Lancel leads the arrest of Loras Tyrell and threatens Littlefinger when he goes to meet with Cersei so as their power grows, the Sparrows grow more bold and confident. The Sparrows and Lancel try to force Cersei out of the Red Keep to meet with the High Sparrow but Cersei “chooses violence” and the Mountain rips one of the Sparrows head off. I was happy to see the Sparrows get punished and Lancel not get what he wanted but again it was hard to enjoy bc of who was dishing it out.
-Then we get to the end as Cersei’s plot to destroy the Sept of Baelor along with all her enemies in King’s Landing starts with Lancel following a little bird down into the tunnels where he is stabbed in the back, paralyzing him. Man the build up with Lancel crawling down the tunnel slowly seeing the wildfire and the candles come into view with that perfect musicals score that raised the intensity so much was fcking incredible. Then the candle hits the wildfire and it’s all over for Lancel, the Sparrows and the Tyrells. Amazing scene. I enjoyed Lancel’s character but was hay to see him dead lol Don’t think it could have been done better and was a fitting end to some great villains. Just hard to enjoy bc it was Cersei getting revenge when she deserved justice as much as anyone.
HOUSE BARATHEON
Stannis Baratheon
-Very polarizing character, some people loved him and some people hated him. I was the minority that fell in the middle, there were things he did that made me like him and things he did that made me think he was a scumbag. In the end I think he was a good man led to the worst version of himself by Melisandre, without her we don’t see any of the cruelty like burning people alive which is the main reason people see Stannis as a villain. But 1 thing everyone can agree on is how Stephane Dillane hit a grand slam home run with this role. His acting made Stannis seem real and when he spoke of events it was like they actually happened to him. Another of the characters that added to the realism of the show and shows like Game of Thrones need to establish the world.
-We meet Stannis as he has converted to the Lord of Light and is burning the statues of the Seven at the command of Melisandre. Love how as Stannis is sending letters about the truth of Jamie/Cersei and their kids around the 7 kingdoms he is still adamant about making sure proper respect is given to Jamie Lannister and the titles he has earned. Good lesson about Stannis’s character. They establish Melisandre is here to stay as not even poison can affect her, def a crazy scene. I wish Stannis had been open to alliances with Renly or at the very least Robb bc that would have almost guaranteed him the throne and it would have given Robb the support he needed to stay alive. But Stannis was in a mindset similar to Dany, anyone that doesn’t bend the knee is an enemy.
-Thought that Melisandre was trying to replace Selyse as Stannis’s wife but that was not her motivation. Her service is always to the Lord of Light and given how things ended up, it seems Melisandre was sent to sabotage Stannis bc her true mission was to bring ice and fire together and that wouldn’t have happened with Stannis on the throne. I enjoyed the brief interaction between Stannis and Renly, wish we had got more but a battle between them would have only hurt their cause. Gotta be honest and say that I HATED the shadowdemon stuff, thought it was way too fake and so out of place for the story. I also thought it would hurt the show from becoming popular with stuff like that in it. Thankfully that’s it for that kind of stuff. When we see Melisandre already full term pregnant it made me roll my eyes but if I hadn’t been so invested in every other storyline the shadowdemon would have made me give up on the show. Esp since they used it to kill an important character that was about to have a big impact on the story. Good thing Brienne saw it so she knew it was sent by Stannis and could exact revenge.
-I was ready for Stannis to win the Battle of Blackwater and shut Joffrey up for good but what a twist the wildfire was, totally flipped the momentum back to the Lannisters. Held onto hope that Stannis could still take the city but Tywin crushed that quickly. 1 of the best episodes of the series, did not expect it to go like that but Stannis leading the fighting at the front shows the viewer why men follow him. Melisandre not being there allows her to have an excuse about being wrong that Stannis would win the Battle and take the throne. Glad we got to see a bit of the relationship between Stannis and his daughter Shireen, you can tell he loves her but is afraid of how the world would treat and judge her for the greyscale. Melisandre delivers Gendry to Stannis and I wish he hadn’t named Robb Stark with 1 of those damn leeches bc they actually worked. Really the only time Melisandre came through on her promises to Stannis. The good man in Stannis comes out in planning to stop Melisandre and release Gendry but then they do the leeches and the Red Wedding happens so Stannis now thinks he caused it and Melisandre will win him the Iron Throne. Would have been brutal to see Gendry burned alive so very relieved when Davos got him out of there.
-Great moment when Stannis and his army run through Mance Rayder and the Wildling army. Burning Mance was a very significant moment in that it set Jon up to be trusted and followed by the Wildlings after he gave Mance a mercy kill. Loved the interactions between Stannis and Jon, Stannis clearly respected Jon and appreciated that Ned backed his cause for the throne. Tough to see Jon not accept being legitimized as a Stark by Stannis but understandable given that he was now Lord Commander. Interesting that Stannis saw Alliser Thorne being a big problem for Jon and advised he is sent to Eastwatch. By this point I was getting impatient for Stannis to march on Winterfell as the Bolton’s were long overdue some justice. The good man in Stannis comes out once again when he grants the Nights Watch use of his fleet to rescue the Wildlings. The scene with Stannis/Shireen when she asks him if he was ashamed of her and he tells her the story of how he refused to accept her fate of succumbing to greyscale, “You don’t belong with the bloody stone men, you are the princess Shireen of House Baratheon and my daughter.” Chills man, chills. Makes what comes soon after that much worse.
-Marching on Winterfell couldn’t have been more of a disaster for Stannis. Brutal winter storms tax his resources and the strength/resolve of his army not at all used to or ready for the cold. Melisandre convinces Stannis they need to sacrifice Shireen to improve their situation so they can take Winterfell. I don’t believe the character ever would have burned Shireen no matter what but he did it and it cost him half his army. Weather improved but what good is it if you don’t have men to fight with you. Then Melisandre abandons Stannis and for me it confirms that she was sabotaging him this whole time. That last stand of Stannis was so depressing, lost the horses so they march on foot and end up in the weakest position possible allowing the Bolton armies to surround and kill them. Doesn’t make any sense how Stannis was able to get into the forest where he died but it’s not worth complaining about. I’ve heard a death scene with more dialogue was filmed but deemed too out of character for Stannis, I might agree with that from what I’ve read about the scene but still would love to see it. Not the way I thought Stannis’s story would go but it was def enjoyable to watch it play out.
SHIREEN BARATHEON
-Such a good, sweet character I refuse to watch the scene where she burns. What a talented actress they found in Kerry Danielle Ingram she did such a great job. I almost feel bad not watching her death scene bc her acting is extraordinary but I just can’t do it. I could watch an entire season of the interactions between Shireen and Davos, they had such great chemistry you would have thought Davos was her Dad. Pissed me off how Selyse treated her and you could tell Stannis didn’t like it either. I think if she would have been a major player in the Game of Thrones if she had lived to see her teenage/adult years.
SELYSE BARATHEON
-She did not seem of right mind at all during any of her scenes, actress did a great job always adding a tinge of madness to her scenes. It really seemed to come out when talking about Shireen. I think never being able to give Stannis a son pushed her over the edge which is why she bought into Melisandre so much. Shireen’s burning woke her up out of her madness but too late at that point as she killed herself.
RENLY BARATHEON
-Would have been such a great king for the realm so it sucked to see him killed. I don’t understand for the life of me how he could see Margaery and not be out of his mind with desire but I guess Renly wouldn’t understand how I could look at Loras and not feel the same. Whatever love is love and I support people whether they love men or women, I just care if they are Good and Renly was def good. What he did for Brienne earlier in life solidifies that. Dumbass Ned should have taken Renly’s suggestion and arrested Joffrey while installing Renly as King but he has to do things by the book not look at what is best so shit hits the fan. Without the shadowdemon I still don’t think things work out better for Renly as I believe despite the numbers advantage, Stannis would have defeated him in battle but maybe not as Littlefinger arrived in their camp to bet on Renly as the winner. Best chance would have been the Baratheon brothers uniting to take the Throne and allow Stannis to rule with Renly as heir but shadowdemon took care of that. Catelyn’s presence and negotiation for Robb had me hopeful Renly would win and could help Robb deal with the Lannisters. King Renly in King’s Landing and King Robb in the North would have been best case scenario I think but this is Game of Thrones and the good guys got taken out. Loved the parlay between Renly and Stannis, both actors did a great job coming off as brothers but Renly was definitely feeling confident with the lines he was firing at them. Def a shame we didn’t get to see more of Renly in the Game of Thrones but he is 1 of the best characters of the early seasons that helped establish the show.
HOUSE GREYJOY
THEON GREYJOY
-Man what a tough life Theon had to live. Taken from his family and forced to live as collateral in case Balon and the Iron islands tried to rebel again. And his whole life he is told he should be grateful for this and told how generous and merciful his captors were. These are people that would kill him without a thought if his father did something they didn’t like. Not saying the Starks didn’t have affection for Theon but I don’t think they would have spared his life if Balon rebelled again. So his real family gave him up and the family he was given to expects him to be eternally grateful that they don’t kill him. Not exactly an easy way to grow up.
-First impression of Theon was that he was just another spoiled rich kid that thought his shit didn’t stink. But easy to see that is not the case as Theon doesn’t get any respect from anyone including Tyrion. And later Robb is quick to remind Theon that he is not a Stark, awkward as Theon is trying to support the Stark cause. Theon helps save the day as Bran is attacked by wildlings but still gets shit for it haha man he can’t win. But we see that Theon is a valuable friend to Robb as Robb calls his banners after Ned is arrested and Theon is a big part of helping Robb lead, he was ready to fight the Greatjon for Robb before Greywind took care of it. Wish Robb had taken Theon’s advice to say fuck Walder Frey and take the Twins, kind of surreal moment considering what would happen to both of them. Great moment pledging his sword and service to Robb as King in the North.
-Theon’s plan to ask his father to support Robb is a good idea on paper but when you factor in the character of Balon it is an idea that would never work. Balon is a bitter, hateful man that yearns to avenge his dead sons and failed rebellion so he would never help a Stark or any other not of the Iron Islands. Catelyn knows this but Robb wants to have faith in Theon and Theon truly has the best intentions when he goes there. But of course he would want to impress his family going back but they couldn’t be less impressed. Balon thinks he is a glorified whore wearing gold and armour he did not kill for and projects his own failures onto Theon. I fcking loved when Theon finally had enough and stood up to his father, was driving me insane to watch Balon acting like he didn’t give Theon away and cause all of this. Theon was in a horrible position there, either embraces his family and betrays Robb or abandons his family and takes his chances with the people that held him as a hostage. Unfortunately he chose wrong and embraced his family although his desire for acceptance was what pushed him too far. The fact his sister Yara is considered a better warrior and leader right off the bat must have been a heavy blow considering he got no respect from the Starks and clearly wanted to be a big deal to his people/family. Felt so bad for Theon.
– But his decision to attack Winterfell and betray the Starks gets rid of most sympathy esp when he has Dagmer murder and burn the farm boys to say they are Bran and Rickon. It helps for Theon’s redemption arc that he didn’t commit the murders himself but he did give the orders so he must assume responsibility. Theon should have listened to Yara and left with her but he didn’t want to be the pathetic figure that everyone kicked around and had no respect for. What a great speech for what he thought was his last stand but he was betrayed by his own men and handed over to Ramsay. The torture was seriously tough to watch as not even Theon deserved that, really uncomfortable scenes. The way Ramsay pretended to be someone else sent to rescue him just to mess with Theon’s head was so fcked up. It’s no wonder Theon didn’t trust Yara’s escape attempt. When Theon asks Ramsay if he he’ll let him go and Ramsay answers, “if you think this has a happy ending you haven’t been paying attention.” Awful scene bc it crushes hope for Theon and the viewer that this will end soon. Crushing his foot and flaying him was bad enough but I can’t believe they had Ramsay castrate Theon that is just so fcking cruel. They build Theon up as a womanizer that has a reputation women love and then that happens to him. Even the scene where it happens with the 2 girls, man what a psychopath Ramsay is. After that I am shocked that anyone could be resistant to a redemption arc as he def paid the price. Hard to watch Theon finally call himself Reek, justice for Ramsay couldn’t come soon enough. It won’t come from Balon though as he blames Theon for his predicament and due to the castration, deems Theon useless now and leaves him to rot in the dreadfort. Awesome moment when Yara declares she will go rescue Theon.
-We see how far gone Theon is when Ramsay tells him about the Red Wedding as Theon is shaving Ramsay with a straight razor and Theon just continues to shave. Theon should have been with Robb and died at the Red Wedding too. Yara’s rescue attempt def wasn’t a highlight of the show I mean a bare chested Ramsay fought some of the best Iron island killers in full armour and walked away fine lol come on. Scene was effective for showing Theon was gone and Reek was all that’s left but not much more. Ramsay having Theon convince the Iron Born at Moat Cailin to give it up was a tough moment to watch. Wasn’t a huge fan of the Iron Born but we know Ramsay will never let them go home and I didn’t want anymore Bolton victories. Incredible acting from Alfie Allen when he is trying to convince the iron born to leave and starts to go back into Reek while trying to be Theon as the general starts to insult Theon and see through his act. But it works and the Iron Born end up all flayed alive. Doesn’t get better for Theon as Sansa is brought to Winterfell and his humiliating state must interact with her, I’m sure every time he sees her he is reminded of his failures. So frustrating when he rats out Sansa’s plan to Ramsay bc you’re cheering for him so bad to wake up and save the day for her. Can’t imagine how awful it must have been for Theon to be forced to watch Ramsay rape Sansa and not be able to bring himself to stop it.
-Happy Sansa was able to get the truth about Bran and Rickon out of Theon so she could start to accept his redemption. Such a great moment that came out of nowhere when Theon kills Miranda, not a plan that has much chance of success but it is a chance. I was so relieved to see them both free from Ramsay but seriously concerned about how they would get to safety. I thought going through the river would save them but it barely bought them time, thank God for Brienne and Pod arriving to smash those Bolton fucks. Powerful scene when Brienne pledges her service to Sansa. Didn’t want to see Theon part from Sansa but makes sense that he would want to go home and serve Yara. Theon once again doesn’t get a welcome reception from Yara as she is furious at losing good men trying to rescue him and thinks he is back to steal the crown from her now that Balon is dead. But in a great moment Theon declares he is there to support Yara’s claim to the Salt Throne. Their Uncle Euron shows up to claim the Throne having killed Balon and having many men under his command. The exchanges between Euron and Theon with the constant insults really made me want a 1 on 1 fight between them. Yara deserved the Throne but the misogyny of the Iron Islands gives the edge to Euron. Loved seeing them go to support Daenerys as that’s the side I wanted them fighting for and it was time for Dany to get to Westeros.
-Can’t believe Yara took Theon to a brothel man that is just cruel but nice to see her get some of the old Theon back into him. Tyrion remembered the old Theon so that was an interesting exchange between the two. I know people blame Theon for jumping off the ship and leaving Yara but that was the only way they both survive. If Theon attacks Euron he might have killed him but the rest would have killed him and Yara, this way Yara was kept alive and Theon was able to regroup and rescue her. Theon did everything he could to avoid Jon Snow and who should be waiting on the beach of Dragonstone but Jon. Could have been ugly but Jon knows Theon saved Sansa and can’t kill him after that. Loved their conversation later when Jon tells Theon he doesn’t have to choose, he is a Greyjoy and a Stark. Theon was back he just needed his leadership moment and he got it on the beach trying to rally the remaining Iron Born to rescue Yara. They really love to hammer home that he lost his dong but at least it worked for something.
-Really thought the rescue of Yara would be a bigger deal and lead to a Theon/Euron 1 on 1 but at least they got Yara out of there and I’m really happy Theon chose to go back and fight for the Starks. Def tears in the eyes when Sansa sees Theon has returned to fight and asks if she’ll have him. Great full circle moment for Theon. Probably had the best performance in the Battle of Winterfell, defending Bran with the arrows and then just crushing wights left and right with his spear. Unbelievably awesome end to his character, he went out with his Boromir moment. Knowing that he will die he still charges the Night King anyways. Being killed by the Night King is a death Theon could be proud of and his last stand at Winterfell was better than anything his father ever did. Laying Theon with so many ups and downs and twists and turns was a monumental task for Alfie Allen but he was more than ready for it. What an incredible journey for his character.
EURON GREYJOY
–Man some people really did not like this character lol I think it was because the character in the books is much different and has much more to him. The character we meet in the show is your typical over confident asshole but we don’t learn or see much more than that. In the books he uses blood magic and does all kinds of crazy shit, would have been fun to explore a character like that but would have required more seasons. I enjoyed Pilou Asbæk performance as Euron, he has a lot of charisma and added a formidable character to the story. Can’t stand Balon so was more than happy to see Euron get rid of him. Once he showed up to the Kingsmoot I knew it was over for Yara. Cool scene of the coronation, helps add to the realism of the world seeing that. The additional elements to his character like blood magic would have been great to help explain how he was able to ambush Yara and Ellaria’s fleet as Yara was one of the best on the seas herself. But still what a scene when they attack, seriously badass moment when Euron comes onto the ship. We know the Sand Snakes can fight and they still got worked. Walking into the Throne room with Yara and Ellaria in chains establishes Euron as a serious force to be reckoned with. Had me seriously concerned that Daenerys already suffered significant losses and she just got in the fight. The little confrontation with Theon/Euron at the parlay had me convinced we were heading towards a fight between them.
-After Euron gets the Golden Company to King’s Landing he finally gets to be with the Queen after some persuasion. He really did deliver on a lot of promises to her so she prob felt she had no choice. Can’t believe they gave him a dragon kill, I think that whole scene was just lazy writing to get rid of Rhaegal so it falls flat for me. Season 8 was sorely lacking in 1 vs 1 fight’s but at least we got one decent one in Jamie vs Euron. I wouldn’t have been happy if Euron killed Jamie but thankfully Jamie survived long enough to be technically killed by a dragon so I’m good lol Euron Greyjoy King of the Iron Islands killed by the Kingslayer Jamie Lannister, I think that’s a fitting way for Euron to go out.
BALON GREYJOY
– 1 of the most un-likeable, unredeemable characters in the show for me. Every time we see him he is just a miserable ass to everyone around him. Balon is one of those guys that can never take responsibility for things going wrong, always an a]excuse or somebody else’s fault. I mean he allowed himself to blame Theon for being a ward of the Starks when Balon lost the rebellion. Theon was an easy target bc he was basically a broken person his entire life with what he experienced. Proved himself to be a true coward when he lets Ramsay disrespect himself, Theon, their family name and the Iron Born. Def a good riddance moment when he dies.
HOUSE MORMONT
JEOR MORMONT
-1 of my favourite characters in the show he was like the Grandpa I never had. If you’re going to go to a place like Castle Black, Jeor Mormont is the kind if leader you hope is there. Loved seeing him choose Jon Snow as his steward, let’s the viewers know Lord Commander Mormont sees the potential in Jon like the fans do. It’s huge that those 2 Nights Watch dead turn into wights when they did bc a guy like Jeor Mormont being able to talk about the dead rising and White Walkers being real means people will listen. Also Jon saving the day gives him more respect and credibility with LC Mormont plus the great moment of receiving Longclaw a valerian steel sword that would be kinda important later on. Jeor is the one that teaches Jon the real threat is the White Walkers and dead to the North not the pursuit of the Iron Throne in the south. Jon repeating this message to everyone that would listen is what got an army together to defeat them and he learned it from Jeor Mormont. Sucks that Jeor tolerated Craster and knew about the sacrifices but I guess without Craster’s help the Nights Watch couldn’t survive their ranging missions. So Jeor had to look the other way for the greater good of the men he was sworn to protect.
-Sucks that Sam had to let Jeor down by not sending any ravens, I think his disappointment is worse than death by wight. The Battle at the Fist of the First Men was so confusing bc we saw none of it yet some of the Night’s Watch guys and Jeor seemed in rough shape. When they get to Craster’s this time, the situation has changed after a battle and his disrespect will not be tolerated. Craster just will not stop so it’s no wonder they finally kill him. But again a case of someone getting justice from people that you don’t want to see give it to him bc Rast, Karl and the rest are just filth. Awful that Jeor Mormont was stabbed in the back and killed by some coward named Rast bc he could have killed every one of them if they were in front of him. Not a great end but left a legacy with Jon Snow and Jorah that reflects the great man, mentor and father he was.
JORAH MORMONT
– King of the Friend zone lol only with Dany , I’m sure Jorah did not have trouble finding a wife or another one if he wanted. But another of my favourite characters Jorah had a really interesting back-story and being involved in helping Dany in her story made it easy to cheer for him. We learn he actually started out spying on Daenerys to people that wanted to kill her but then after being around her fell in love and grew loyal to her cause. Jorah starts out supporting Viserys but it doesn’t take long to see he is an idiot that won’t last in the Game of Thrones and that Daenerys is the real leader in the family. We learn the charges in Westeros against Jorah are true and he did in fact catch poachers on his land and sell the to slavers for money. Without Jorah stopping Viserys from taking them and selling them, those dragon eggs might not have been there to go into the fire with Daenerys so despite being there as a spy his actions always benefited Dany. Jorah gets his pardon but knows Dany is in danger and he is loyal to her now so he thwarts the assassination attempt. I’m sure Jorah hoped that if Dany ever found out the truth, him saving the day would make her forgive his betrayal but it did not initially as we saw.
-Jorah’s knowledge of the world and how things work in different places made him a great advisor to Dany here and going forward. Even though she decided to stay and risk what happens after Drogo dies at least she would know what to expect. What a mind blowing moment it must have been for Jorah to watch this girl walk into a raging inferno with 3 dragon eggs and after the fire burns itself out walks out with 3 dragons. Yeah I think I would follow that person too lol without Jorah, Daenerys def does not survive Qaarth with her dragons I mean she barely did with him there. The knowledge he had to advise her with when she needed it is crucial to her not being manipulated by anyone. Hard to single out his great moments bc as an advisor to Daenerys he had so many small ones and literally his entire body of work as her advisor is part of what solidified Game of Thrones as one of the best shows of all time. Iain Glen’s phenomenal acting throughout is a huge part of establishing and selling the reality of this world bc of how many scenes he has. If his scenes don’t hit a home run then the show doesn’t work bc of how important a character Daenerys is.
-So great when Ser Barristan shows up and can share war stories and bounce advice off each other. Cool to learn King Robert knighted Jorah after Jorah’s performance in the Siege on Pike during the Greyjoy rebellion. Loved Jorah’s point when talking about using slave armies to conquer Westeros that the Unsullied won’t rape and pillage like other armies would bc it’s true. Tough to see Jorah want to be more to Dany but have to watch her romance Daario and it pisses me off how Daario just rubs it in. But Jorah remains 1 of her most trusted advisors until somebody gives Ser Barristan the copy of Jorah’s pardon from King Robert revealing Jorah’s work as a spy for Robert. Dany was not hearing any of Jorah’s excuses and banished him from her and the city. He brought it on himself but that sucked and she prob should have shown him mercy considering he never actually brought her any harm. Man when Jorah kidnaps Tyrion and says, “I’m taking you to the Queen,” they def got me as I figured since he screwed up with Daenerys he would try and get on Cersei’s good side by delivering Tyrion to her. 1 of best acting moments on the show when Tyrion drops the bomb on Jorah that his father Jeor Mormont is dead and you literally watch Jorah’s heart break. He goes through so many emotions and the only line he speaks is, “How did he die?” Great scene.
-that is such a crazy moment when Jorah and Tyrion are rowing through old Valyria and you see someone in the back ground just drop into the water bc you’re kind of expecting something to happen but it still comes out of nowhere. Then realizing they’re stone men and if they even touch you you’re done makes that a really intense scene bc the odds of getting away without being touched is very slim as we saw. If this wasn’t Game of Thrones I would have thought Jorah would find a cure but at the time I thought he was going to die bc of the greyscale. ‘Defeated a Dothraki Bloodrider in single combat’ is pretty good to have on the resume lol loved seeing Jorah kick some serious ass in all the fighting pits and the Games culminating with nailing that Harpy fuck with the spear before he could kill Daenerys. After Daenerys takes off on Drogon and Jorah/Daario go to look for her I was hoping Jorah would give Daario at least 1 good shot bc holy shit dude what is your problem lol and for the second time Jorah sees Daenerys walk out of a raging inferno completely unscathed so there is no hope for Jorah moving on from Dany, only the greyscale can get him to leave her. Jorah’s goodbye where he professes his love for her and Daenerys doesn’t just let him leave but demands he find a cure and return to her. Awesome scene and prob how Jorah was lead to Samwell Tarly the only man that could help him.
-Tough to see Jorah in that condition just covered in greyscale and still at that point I thought Jorah would either take his life or take his chances in Valyria with the stone men. But Sam knows the true job of a master is to try and help if he can, Sam thinks he can so he has to try. Glad they kept the scene short of Sam removing the infected greyscale skin bc I could feel it watching haha and then 1 of the most fcked up scene transitions in TV history and I’m sure the crew responsible just love the reactions to that. Def exciting when Jorah is cured and ready to join the living for the fight vs the dead at Winterfell and a great moment when he finally returns to Dany’s side. Jorah’s interactions with Thoros of Myr are 1 of the things I loved about the capture a wight mission, just makes the show seem real bc it seems like they are talking about real events. Also glad that Jorah was able to talk with Jon Snow and get more information about his father’s death, despite the falling out Jorah still loved his father very much. With Jorah’s counsel Daenerys kept Tyrion as her Hand and had a chance at a good relationship with Sansa after starting out cold bc of the conversation he convinced Dany to have with her. Considering what happened in E5, Jorah’s death in E3 becomes such a bigger moment bc if he is still alive Daenerys does not destroy King’s Landing and kill the civilians.
-Was hoping that Jorah would fight and kill a White Walker with Heartsbane but he did kill a crazy number of wights with it so I’ll take it. Jorah had a great performance in the Battle of Winterfell before he saved Daenerys but what an ending for his character to go out fighting alongside his love, his Khaleesi and then die protecting her. 1 of the MVPs of the episode. Other than falling in love and living happily ever after lol I don’t think Jorah would have chosen a different ending for himself. Beautiful that Daenerys was the one to light his pyre and send him of with a kiss.
LYANNA MORMONT
-Man what a fun character she was and what a great actress they found in Bella Ramsey to hit such a home run with Lyanna Mormont. We first hear of her basically telling Stannis to fuck off in response to letters Stannis sent demanding that the Northern Houses bend the knee to him as King hahah We finally get to meet her when Jon and Sansa are making their Northern tour trying to rally some troops for the Battle of the Bastards. We quickly realize what a firecracker she is when she questions whether Jon and Sansa even have a claim to Winterfell as Starks since Jon is a bastard and Sansa has been married twice. If she only knew what they had been through she def wouldn’t have said that, esp to Sansa. Davos proves his worth once again as he is able to get Lyanna to understand that the real threat is still coming and they need to be united to defeat it. I would take 62 Bear Island soldiers in a heartbeat. Really awesome moment when she stands up for Jon and starts the call to name him King in the North. I love that speech she did a great job. —Very happy that she had a significant role at the Battle of Winterfell, the smarter decision would have been for her to listen to Jorah and not fight to preserve their House. But she is a Mormont and there is no way she won’t be part of the defences. Not even an undead giant could back her down, what a badass moment when she picks up her weapon and staggers back to the giant for one more round. Thought she was about to get a brutal death and then boom right in the eye haha I didn’t want to see her end but that was fitting for her badass character. Lyanna the Giantslayer, the will sing songs of her great deeds as long as songs are sung. Really enjoyed this character and I think we will see more of Bella Ramsey.
HOUSE TYRELL
THE QUEEN OF THORNS OLENNA TYRELL
-Everybody’s favourite Queen that takes no shit from anyone lol what legendary run Olenna Tyrell has on the show, she wasn’t a main character but stole the show in almost every scene she was in. She def falls into the category of characters crucial to establishing the realism in this fantasy world, seemed like they cast Diana Rigg right out of Westeros. From our first meeting with her I was a fan as she seemed to be willing to help Sansa, esp after she found out what a monster Joffrey is. Love her disgust at her own House Sigil and motto. After she is able to hold her own verbally sparring with Varys, you know that she is isn’t just show Olenna is def a player in the Game of Thrones. That’s why she was insistent on an extravagant Royal Wedding when discussing with Tyrion bc for the common people to be willing to play the Game of Thrones there must be parties like a Royal Wedding to bring joy and excitement to their lives. Without those kind of events, the people would grow pretty tired of the Game of Thrones pretty quick and then you get rebellion and uprisings which the Royals obviously do not want. Before Tyrion was Master of Coin I’m sure he would have been all for extravagance but now that money is his responsibility the purse strings tighten lol
-It’s hard to single out specific scenes to highlight bc she is so great every time she is on screen, her dialogue is always on point and delivers realism with every word. I loved her interaction with Tywin bc it was 2 titans of the Game of Thrones coming head to head. It would have been such a great timeline if they could have got Loras to marry Sansa, Loras was everything Sansa wanted in the man she would marry so for tiny moment she has a glimmer of hope but then it’s all crushed. Tywin knows the Lannisters would be on the wrong end of the power struggle if Sansa/Loras happened so Tywin made his moves to stop it in its tracks. Olenna knows when to fight and when to yield and when to be smart. Olenna had to yield on Sansa/Loras bc getting rid of Joffrey was the big problem and that plan was already in motion.
-I didn’t suspect Olenna in Joffrey’s murder at the time but then she confessed to Margaery and my respect for her grew even bigger. Such a dangerous play to kill Joffrey at his own wedding, so much chance to be found out but there were plenty of scapegoats to take the blame. That’s why she is the Queen of Thorns. Olenna tries to go back to Highgarden but the High Sparrow and the Faith Militant change those plans after they arrest Loras. But for the first time we see Olenna in a battle where she is not in a dominant position going up against the Sparrows bc Olenna plays the Game of Thrones but they don’t. So certain things Olenna expects to happen don’t bc the Sparrows are trying to end the Game of Thrones. I loved seeing Olenna operate from a power position so it was tough to watch her be at the mercy of the damn sparrows. Seems like there might be a way out when Cersei realizes they need to be united to defeat the Sparrows and the Lannisters/Tyrells team up to stop Margaery’s walk of atonement but the High Sparrow is one step ahead of them. 1 of the only times Olenna was beaten is this moment when the Crown and Faith come together.
-Was getting nervous the Sparrow would target Olenna and try to lock her up but Margaery’s note got her out of there. But not before putting Cersei in her place one last time, loved that. I’m sure Cersei wanted Olenna in the Sept when she exploded the wildfire but thankfully she was already gone. Desperate for vengeance she turns to Ellaria and the Sand Snakes, who disgust her, but she just wants vengeance at this point. Awesome seeing Varys reveal himself and bring the Queen of Thorns onto Team Khaleesi. Between Dany’s army, Dorne and now the Tyrell forces, I was really excited to see this team take Westeros. But season 7 did not go how I thought as the Lannisters gave up Casterly Rock to take Highgarden and end the Tyrells. Such a shocking moment when Olenna sees the Lannister army approaching Highgarden. But she got 1 last victory as she confessed to Jamie that she was the one who killed Joffrey, “Tell Cersei, I want her to know it was me.” So fcking great. I did not want to see her end but that was fitting for her character. Long Live the Queen of Thorns!
MARGAERY TYRELL
–My sweet Margaery lol one of the few characters on the show that you could classify as ‘Good.’ Can’t really think of a time where she did something bad or tried to hurt another character. Only people she was ever at odds with were characters you could classify as ‘bad’ and people that most of the audience also disliked. Because of her good character I was always cheering for her to win and find a good King to rule with and did not see her death coming at all. Natalie Dormer did a really great job bringing Margaery to life bc she was def seemed as real as it gets. We first meet her as Queen to Renly who can’t consummate the marriage bc he is gay which looking at Margaery is def hard to relate to as a straight male viewer lol but Renly is a good guy so it was easy to root for him. Margaery/Renly reign prob would have led to the best case scenario for the realm as they were 2 legitimately good people. Sucked to see her go from a legitimate good guy to a legitimate scumbag in Joffrey but at least he was still on his best behaviour with her for the most part.
–We see that Margaery learned from her grandmother the Queen of Thorns how to play the Game of Thrones when she stops the procession to give her love to the common/poor people. Watching her deal with a jealous Cersei and sadistic Jeffrey is just brilliant to watch esp when Joffrey is pressing her about sleeping with Renly. The fact that Margaery in such a short time is able to get the people to actually cheer for Joffrey when they go out to wave to them shows what a force to be reckoned with she is. Such a shame Margaery’s wheeling and dealing to have Sansa marry Loras didn’t work, would have def meant big trouble for the Lannisters so they’re lucky they still had their stooge Littlefinger giving them info. As good as Margaery was at the Game of Thrones she still needed work, talking negatively of Joffrey way too freely. But that problem was soon taken care of bc as soon as she became Queen to Joffrey, he was dead. And thank God for that lol great scene when Olenna confesses to not allowing Margaery to “marry that beast.” Def kind of awkward when Margaery has to seduce Tommen but Natalie Dormer did it in a way that worked and didn’t come off as too creepy. Even Cersei recognizes at this point that Margaery is the best choice for Tommen as his Queen.
–For the 3rd time Margaery becomes a Queen, this time to Tommen finally consummating a marriage gonna go out on a limb and say not what she would have planned lol but she is Queen now and def letting Cersei know. It was hard to enjoy tho bc we know that will just make Cersei pissed and do something in response and it’s never good. Trying to get Tommen to convince Cersei to go back to Casterly Rock was def a dumb move and the one that prob inspired Cersei to have Margaery arrested. Man that pissed me off something fierce seeing 2 of my most hated villains on the show teaming up to take out my sweet Margaery. Then Cersei comes to taunt her too fck I can’t stand Cersei haha Really wanted the moment of them breaking Margaery out but this is Game of Thrones and I wasn’t sure what would happen to her. As a big fan of her character those scenes of her locked up are tough to watch I just want her out of there. Once again demonstrating what a serious player she is on this show, talks and acts exactly as they want her to. Margaery can see they only care about power and control by the High Sparrow telling her to just let Tommen put an heir in her regardless of her desires. She does enough to gain her freedom but Margaery shows where her true loyalties lie when she gives Olenna the note with the Tyrell rose on it so Olenna will leave King’s Landing before she too is arrested. I’m sure it was brutal for Margaery to watch Loras’s trial and hear him renounce his House rights and then be carved up by these sick fucks.
–As smart as she is, Margaery rightfully recognizes the situation in the Sept of Baelor is not right with the absence of Cersei and Tommen but of course dumbass Sparrow doesn’t see it. Margaery/Loras probably had no chance of survival where they were but I still partly blame that sparrow filth for holding them there ensuring their death. I was so shocked at not only Cersei’s plan to use wildfire to destroy the sparrows and the Sept of Baelor but to also wipe out the Tyrells just blew me away. I couldn’t even enjoy the demise of the High Sparrow and the Faith Militant bc my sweet Margaery was there. Sucks that she had to die like that but what a great journey she had on the show and it will be one of the reasons to rewatch the show in the future.
LORAS TYRELL
-The first moment on the show for Loras instantly made me a fan and is still 1 of my favourite now that it’s over, unseating the Mountain in the joust. Looked like we might have lost him right there if not for the Hound stepping in to save the day. Cool moment when Loras declares the Hound the winner rather than ride against him after that giving the Hound some love from the crowd he isn’t used to. We see that Loras is gay which makes it harder to relate to him at first but we also see that he is a good guy so it’s easy to relate to him that way. Loras tries to get Renly to go after the Iron Throne even before Robert dies but afterwards it’s a no brainer and they leave King’s Landing to get an army together. We find out just how good Brienne is when she defeats Loras in a sword fighting exhibition for King Renly. Tough to see Loras so crushed after Renly’s death, great acting from Finn Jones. Littlefinger uses the state Loras is in to get them on side with the Lannisters to help win the Battle of Blackwater vs Stannis, a huge turning point in the War of the 5 Kings.
-Too bad a match with Sansa didn’t happen as they had a lot of chemistry in their scenes and I think they could have found happiness and understanding with each other, prob too much of a happy path for the Game of Thrones world. But what a relief for Loras that the marriage to Cersei never went through bc that would have been a literal living hell for him or as Jamie said, she would have murdered him in his sleep. Being arrested for the faith was the beginning of the end for his character as the time in captivity completely broke Loras down to the point of being willing to give up everything he is to make it all stop. More great acting from Finn Jones. Wish that Loras had been able to get out of the Sept before the wildfire explosion as I was fan of House Tyrell and Loras was very important to their survival. Not to be but still a good journey for a great character.
MACE TYRELL
–His obsession with seeing his daughter Margaery become Queen led to 2 dangerous alliances with Renly and then the Lannisters. The Tyrells were in too valuable of a position with their gold and food supplies to rush into any alliance esp with the Lannisters. An alliance with Robb Stark or even Stannis would have been smarter than going with the Lannisters but I guess if they had been able to get Cersei under control it would have paid off big time so maybe it was the right call. Olenna def never has much respect for Mace and his intelligence lol Mace played a bumbling fool but I think there was more to him however he was def the kind of character you would see rise to power in medieval situations due to nepotism and succession. I expected him to be killed as a shocking death at some point but did not think his whole family would go down with him. Mace Tyrell was never going to win the Game of Thrones but he is another character that makes this world real.
HOUSE CLEGANE
SANDOR CLEGANE AKA THE HOUND
–I know the Hound was given to Sandor as a nickname to be disrespectful but I always thought it was an awesome nickname. Another polarizing character in that some still don’t forgive him for the Butchers Boy and some have bought into his redemption 100%. Killing the Butchers Boy def made me want to hate the Hound but I put that killing more on Joffrey bc he ordered it and the Hound has to do what the Prince/King commands. It’s a testament to the acting of Rory McCann that the Hound has become the fan favourite/hero he has considering he is very much an anti-hero. Sandor Clegane has never known empathy and compassion in his life so he doesn’t have much for others and the fact he is able to show what he does is remarkable. Always a reluctant hero but in the end he rose to the task and helped save the day in the Battle of Winterfell but certainly had quite the journey to get there. Had the ultimate exit for his character in Cleganebowl but we’ll get there lol
-Looks like a character you don’t want to mess with as soon as you see him in Winterfell with his fcking badass helmet that thing is sweet. But then he kills Mycah the Butchers Boy on orders and it took me learning more about him in later episodes to get me back on Team Sandor. Hearing the story of how his face was burned as a child after being pressed into the fire for playing with one of his brother the Mountains’ toys def helped understand the character better. Loved his fight vs the Mountain at the tournament esp how he ducked the swing into the bow as King Robert had seen enough. From that moment I was waiting for a rematch and once I learned about the Mountain wanted the Hound to crush him. Sandor was def not used to the adoration from the people, another moment that softens you towards the Hound. Then he leads the soldiers to cut down Ned Stark’s men and its back to hating him again lol but he does save Sansa from potentially bigger trouble than she was already in stopping her from trying to push Joffrey off the ledge hopefully to his death. The Hound looking concerned when Ser Barristan draws his sword when being dismissed from the Kings guard tells you what you need to know about the skills of Ser Barristan.
-Choosing to go back for Sansa on his own and ultimately end up rescuing her from rapists swings things back to Team Hound lol but that really was a heroic move on his part that of course he refused to accept praise for. Man did he have a great performance in the Battle of Blackwater just destroying guys including cutting one in fcking half. Awesome action but eventually his fear of fire overwhelms him and he is done, “Fuck the king’s guard. Fuck the city. Fuck the king.” Ah man that is so great. I think the last time we’re afraid the Hound is a bad guy is when he approaches Sansa before he leaves the city but he just wants to protect her like the good guy he is. In hindsight Sansa def should have left with him but she couldn’t know that at the time although he did save her once. The Brotherhood captures him and this is great for 2 reasons; first it connects him with Arya and second it gives us the awesome fight between the Hound and Beric Dondarrion. At this point I didn’t think he should have to fight for the killing of Mycah so def was hoping the Hound would win but the fire sword had me concerned. Fn great fight and what a shot to finish it.
-Once he gets his freedom the Hound takes Arya hostage so he can get paid and go retire but man I don’t think anyone was prepared for how awesome this pair would be. Funny she thought he was taking her back to King’s Landing but they were actually going to the Twins where Cat and Robb are for the Red Wedding. Big moment for The Hound’s character when Arya gets him to knock out that farmer instead of killing him. Thank God for that distraction as it prob saved Arya/The Hound from being killed at the Red Wedding as they arrived just as it started to happen. Wish that the Hound had been able to get into the hall and help Robb but this is Game of Thrones so he knocked out Arya and bounced. Seeing Robb like that with Greywinds head still gets to me, prob always will. At least we got a bit of revenge and Arya gets her first kill of a man when they smash some Frey soldiers. Heading to the Eyrie we get 1 of the best scenes in the tavern with the Hound/Arya and Polliver/Lannister soldiers with some of the Hounds best lines. “I’m going to have to eat every fucking chicken in this room.”hahahah lol and when Polliver asks him if he is gonna die for some chickens, “Someone is” and then proceeds to destroy them all with Arya gettin to kill Polliver the way he killed Lommy. “What the fuck’s a Lommy!?” HAHAHAHA LOL 1 of the Hounds best for sure. The what was the Hounds last act that could be considered bad, he robs the farmer of his silver after The Hound promised to work for him. The farmer and his daughter took the Hound and Arya in as guest and the Hound robbed him breaking the guest right rule which usually means payback from the gods but interesting that neither got any.
-Then we get the scene with maybe the Hounds best line or at least my favourite, “The greatest swordsman who ever lived didn’t have a fucking sword!?” hahahahahaah lol the way he says it and the look on his face is priceless. Close second, “The greatest swordsman who ever lived was killed by Meryn fucking Trant!? Any boy whore with a sword could beat 3 Meryn Trant’s” hahahahaahah man the Hound was on absolute fire this season. But getting bit is prob 1 of the last things you want to happen in times like these esp far from any actual help and it makes it worse that Sandor can’t take it being cauterized. Finally get to the Vale to learn Lysa Arryn is dead and you can see the Hound like ‘what the fuck you gotta be kidding me’ while Arya hysterically laughs, great scene. Then we get an awesome fight and 1 of the best of the series in the Hound vs Brienne with some great dialogue preceding it. Having seen everything play out I don’t think I would have this fight go down any other way bc everyone ended up in places that made a big difference to the outcome of the story. Thankfully Arya is so spiteful that since the Hound wanted a mercy kill she wasn’t gonna give it to him bc we easily could have said goodbye to the Hound for good in that moment. Not a guarantee he would survive but I knew we would see him again. Really cool twist to Arya training with the Faceless Men and Jaqen is slapping her every time she lies, Arya says she hates the Hound and wants him to suffer and he slaps her. After everything they went through I def think she would have let go of her hate for him.
-The Hounds return is that awesome episode where we meet Brother Ray and the villagers and learn that they found the Hound on the brink of death but nursed him back to health. 1 of my personal fav episodes and if I had to pick 1 single episode to go back and watch it might be this one bc of how great the interaction between Brother Ray, the Hound and the villagers. But damn when those 3 scumbags from the Brotherhood show up I got a chill, you knew something was gonna happen. Seeing unknown riders approaching in those days was usually never a good thing but seemed only 1 that realized it was Sandor. Sure enough they massacre the village but the Hound wasn’t there to either stop the attack or die trying. I was def bummed when Brother Ray and the villagers were gone in 1 episode but it woke the Hound up and gave him a purpose going forward. “Those are your last words!? Fuck you!?” hahahah more gold when he starts catching up the rogue Brotherhood members that killed the villagers. I guess you could say the lord of light was making all this happen showing him the vision of the dead marching past the mountain that looks like an arrowhead so the Hound could meet up with Thoros, Beric and the true Brotherhood and head north to help in the battle vs the dead. Sad when the house they find shelter in was the house Arya/the Hound stayed at with the farmer and his daughter the Hound robbed and the farmer and his daughter are dead. Seems they ended it before they starved to death. You know the Hound is changed when he goes to the trouble of digging graves for the farmer/daughter and trying to say words to send them to the next world.
-The exchanges with Tormund were 1 of the highlights of that expedition beyond the wall; The Hound: “How does she look at you? Like she wants to carve you up and eat your liver?” Tormund: “You do know her!” hahahahah lol and as much as I wanted to see Gendry in action with the War hammer it was awesome to see the Hound crushing wights with it. The highlight of the parlay in the dragon pit was the Hound walking up to the undead Mountain and confirming that Cleganebowl is fcking on, “You know who’s coming for you, you’ve always known.” The downfall of being big and strong is they make you carry the heavy shit like the wight crate haha I was pumped to have the Hound in Winterfell for the Battle vs the dead esp when he commissioned Gendry to make him that badass axe. Biggest thing was reuniting with Arya since she left him for dead, and robbed him as she pointed out. ““You’re a cold little bitch, aren’t you?” man I think the Hound referring to Arya as a bitch instead of a cnt might be the most affection he has shown anyone on the show lol loved the Hound n Beric drinking before the battle, “The Lord of Light is going to wonder why he brought you back 19 times, just to watch you die when I chuck you over this fucking wall.” Hahahahaha I’ll miss the Hound and his quotes.
-the Hound was crushing wights in the Battle until they lit the trenches and that set off his fear of fire and almost took him out of the battle. But seeing Arya in trouble was enough for his survival instincts to kick in and get him back in the fight so Arya could kill the Night King. The it’s off to King’s Landing for what I’m gonna say is the greatest moment of the show in the Cleganebowl. What a moment when the Mountain steps forward on his own to fight Sandor disobeying Cersei’s commands. Then kills his creator smashing Qyburn’s brains in, or out haha seriously the shot of the Hound looking up at the Mountain with Drogon breathing fire flying behind him and the glow of the fires around the castle is one of the best visuals in TV history man that was just incredible. Then the actual fight was great, they were limited bc the Mountain is supposed to be undead but did it exactly how it prob would have gone down in their reality. When the Hound realized the only way he was going to end his brother was to completely destroy his body by falling from the castle, it sucked but what else can he do. But when I realized they were falling into fire my heart broke a little bc Sandor Clegane did not deserve to die in fire but he finally got the vengeance he was looking for. What a character journey they gave us with the Hound and what a performance Rory McCann gave us throughout, 1 of the things that will draw viewers back for rewatches in the future. Great final moment between Arya and the Hound as she calls him Sandor and says Thanks, I think the first time in the series someone called him by his real name. Cheers to Sandor Clegane, now let’s eat every fucking chicken in this room!
THE MOUNTAIN GREGOR CLEGANE
–Seriously fuck the fcking Mountain lol sorry but easily my most despised character that I had to wait so long to finally see dead but Cleganebowl was worth the wait. So we saw 3 different Mountains during the entire run of the show and they all contributed an important quality so if you could somehow mash all 3 together you would have the perfect Mountain lol 2nd one had the height, 1st had the demeanour/meanness and the 3rd had the larger than life physique. But as far as the characters story this is evil incarnate, your 100% unredeemable bad guy. GRRM usually didn’t write characters that were 100% good or bad but the Mountain doesn’t have 1 good story to his history. Only the most vile, disgusting acts you can think committed over and over to innocent men, women and children. After beheading the horse I wanted him dead and I didn’t even know his history yet. The mini fight with the Hound had me waiting for a rematch since it ended and we had to wait until S8E5 to get it but as I said when talking about the Hound, Cleganebowl was worth the wait.
-I didn’t even realize the Mountain was in Season 2 until I was looking at character information after S2 ended. We mostly hear about the Mountain rather than see him until he fights Oberyn in S4E9. Awesome fight until the end I was ready for the Mountain to finally get his but of course he not only wins but gets to taunt Oberyn about the rape/murder of his sister and their children. Fuck it pissed me off that The Mountain didn’t just get a brutal death bc in the books he is screaming so loud all of King’s Landing can hear him thanks to the poison on Oberyn’s weapons. The undead Mountain has some good kills like the guy mocking Cersei after her walk of atonement and ripping that sparrows head off lol but it was hard to enjoy bc I despise the Mountain so much. Thought for sure that he was going to kill Jamie when Cersei nodded at him but he did get to add 2 more deaths to his list in Missandei and Qyburn. I love Missandei so the fact she was killed by that filth the Mountain just boils my blood but the Hound won the Cleganebowl so I’m ok haha what a moment when the Mountain steps forward on his own showing there is still some of Gregor left and we’re getting a legit Cleganebowl. He shot of the Hound staring up at the Mountain on the steps is iconic. Amazing end to what was technically a great character despite how much I hate him. Every great story needs a great villain to rally against and the Mountain def gave us that bc everyone he fought was an underdog against him. A disgusting, vile character but one that I’m glad I got to love to hate.
HOUSE BOLTON
ROOSE BOLTON
-Roose falls into the same category as Tywin in that they are scummy characters but they represent the continuation of the Game of Thrones so you want them around. As with Charles Dance, Michael McElhatton’s performance is so great and full of charisma that you find yourself wanting to root for them but when you get into their story, you see Roose is prob a bigger scumbag than Tywin which is saying something. The story of how Ramsay was conceived is so disgusting and infuriating that once you learn of it you can never look at Roose the same.
– We first meet Roose as an advisor to Robb after House Bolton answered the call when Robb called the banners but his advice to Robb is all vicious like flaying the Lannister officers to extract information. Ned outlawed flaying as Warden of the North much to the chagrin of Roose and House Bolton whose sigil is the flayed man. Roose wants Robb to kill the Lannister prisoners so they don’t have to feed them and also expresses concern at Talisa treating the Lannister wounded, just a scumbag through and through. Roose is the one that delivers the news of Theon betraying Robb and capturing Winterfell and then suggests that his bastard son could take it back so Robb can keep the armies focused on the Lannisters. Robb agrees but insists Theon be captured alive so Robb can question and execute Theon himself. This scene set so many things in motion that at the time you can’t know how significant they are but rewatching it makes that scene really stand out bc you know where it’s going.
-Robb leaves Roose at Harrenhall to go to Riverrun for Hoster Tully’s funeral but Roose is already in the process of betraying Robb with the Frey’s and Lannisters. 1 of the Bolton men Locke is tasked by Roose to find Jamie and Brienne and Locke does which puts the recaptured Jamie Lannister in Roose’s control. But instead of treating him as a prisoner, Roose releases Jamie to get on the same team as the Lannisters as long as Jamie assures Tywin that Roose had nothing to do with losing his hand. Roose then heads to the Twins to complete the betrayal of Robb Stark for what would become the Red Wedding. Since he let Jamie go we know that he is def not on the same page as Robb but couldn’t know just how far the betrayal would reach. Roose makes sure to be seated beside Catelyn so she will recognize the betrayal at the right time. Big bad Roose then runs to hide from the arrows, then runs back when it’s over to deliver the fatal blow to Robb Stark. “The Lannisters send their regards” fuck what a pathetic coward. Watching Walder Frey/Roose celebrate just pisses me off so much esp hearing Roose whine about Robb not taking his shitty advice or how he had been planning to betray Robb since the Lannisters/Tyrells defeated Stannis at the Battle of Blackwater.
-After the Red Wedding, the Bolton’s hold Winterfell and Roose is Warden of the North. Roose is pissed at the torture bc he wanted Theon alive so he could trade Theon for Moat Cailin but Ramsay has better plans. Seeing how Ramsay turned Theon into his loyal slave must have impressed Roose and when it actually work we know it did bc Roose officially makes Ramsay Snow now legitimized to be Ramsay Bolton. As impressed that Roose was he still needed to reign Ramsay in bc Ramsay does not understand the consequences of some of his decisions and how precarious their position is if the Northern families revolt against them. To solidify their position Roose makes a deal with Littlefinger to have Ramsay marry Sansa and that entire sequence just pisses me off so much. I feel like Winterfell is violated with The Bolton’s controlling it but that’s nothing compared to what they do to Sansa. You know Ramsay is a scumbag when even Roose is pissed off at what Ramsay is doing to Sansa at dinner. Tries to put Ramsay in his place by telling him he has a son on the way and the story of how he was conceived. I think that conversation sealed Roose’s fate.
-Roose is definitely getting more frustrated with Ramsay, on one hand Ramsay and his “20 good men” (ugh smh) helped defeat Stannis but then Ramsay also allows Sansa to escape. Locke and his hunting party turn up murdered and Ramsay suggests killing Jon Snow which pisses Roose off more bc that would be that last straw in causing the Northern Houses to revolt. Maester Wolkan announces the arrival of a baby boy and that is the signal for Ramsay to take over. Ramsay stabs Roose in the heart and kills him, almost in the same fashion as Robb. I was definitely shocked to see Roose die but it was his own fault, he should have known what kind of a psychopath Ramsay is and been much more cautious around him. Roose Bolton is up there with the Mountain as far as scummy characters go but I enjoyed him bc Roose understood the Game of Thrones and represented its continuation.
RAMSAY BOLTON
-One of the most sick and twisted characters that we have ever seen on a TV show. I do not like torture and Ramsay’s whole world is torture so from the start he went right to the top of my most hated characters list. Theon was def on my shit-list as well at the time but he didn’t deserve that, nobody does. Iwan Rheon did a great job of being a psychopath but also making him a real person bc it’s easy to get too unrealistic with a psychotic character and then it doesn’t translate to the screen. But Ramsay always had a human aspect to him and that’s down to Iwan Rheon’s performance despite me hating his guts lol
-His psychotic behaviour is established right off the bat pretending to be sent by Yara to rescue Theon. These false rescues are done to break Theon mentally so if Yara actually does come to rescue him, he won’t believe it and sure enough that’s exactly what happens. Was hoping for a miracle and Theon somehow finding a place to hide when Ramsay frees him and before the Bolton men eventually track him down. But he doesn’t and then Ramsay comes and kills the Bolton men still posing as a friend to Theon. “You little bastard.” There was no doubt about who this character was after that. The reveal of the X and that they were back at the dreadfort was so fcked up and I really felt for Theon in this moment bc he knew he was beyond fucked now.
-We realize Ramsay was the one blowing the horn constantly outside Winterfell that pissed Theon off so much bc he starts blowing it to wake Theon up while Theon is tied to the X. Theon’s men must have told Ramsay what Theon said about the horn blower. Then the real torture begins and like I said a loathe all aspects of torture so seeing it just makes me mad. The stuff with Theon’s pinkie is just uncomfortable watching Ramsay give Theon hope when the viewer knows Ramsay would keep going even if Theon guessed Ramsay Bolton. “If you think this has a happy ending, you haven’t been paying attention,” man that was chilling. Clearly Ramsay has a small ding a ling and was jealous of Theon given the next torture he would unleash on Theon and it was the ultimate cruelty. Ramsay even sets it up to get Theon excited by 2 women right before he does it, my god that is sick. Ramsay still taunting him by eating a sausage in front of Theon who just wants to die now but Ramsay is far from done with him.
-The scene where Ramsay is gonna beat Theon until he starts answering to ‘Reek’ is so maddening but sad bc Theon knows resistance is futile so he just gives up and accepts the name. Sending Theon’s “parts” and the contents of that letter are a Ramsay power play that seems like it would be over the top but it works bc Balon folds and abandons Theon for the final time. We didn’t need more proof that Ramsay is vile scum but Tansy, a human being is beyond words. I needed to see justice come to Ramsay but I knew it would be a long time. Really intense scene when Ramsay tries to prove that Theon/Reek is 100% loyal and has Theon shave him while Ramsay tells Theon about the Red Wedding. Despite the betrayal, Robb was a brother to Theon and Theon loved Robb so that was a significant moment showing how much he was broken. Ramsay helps thwart the escape attempt by fighting bare chested against some of the Iron islands best killer sin armour lol ridiculous scene. But it showed that Theon was dead and truly broken. Or so it seemed as he wasn’t broken enough to take back Moat Cailin from the Iron Born for Ramsay who was really getting a lot of wins and it was pissing me off lol and Ramsay gets the win he had been waiting for his whole life, legitimized as Ramsay Bolton who had been seriously impressing his father Roose lately.
-You think Roose likes flaying people with how much he suggests it but holy shit Ramsay’s answer to everything is to flay the person like the Cerwyn’s we hear about. Man not many characters disgust me like Ramsay Bolton. And it would actually get worse, much worse. I knew it was gonna be bad when Littlefinger handed Sansa over to Ramsay but wow that was beyond awful and Ramsay became irredeemable after that in most fans eyes I think. Don’t need to get into the details here but it’s obviously the worst shit you can do to someone over and over making Ramsay Bolton maybe the worst person on the show and that’s saying something. Theon telling Ramsay about the plan to light the candle and having to hear about Ramsay flaying the awesome Northern lady that was loyal to the Starks and helping Sansa had me ready to fight lol then Ramsay gets another ridiculous moment by infiltrating Stannis’s camp with “20 good men” without being seen and somehow release the horses and burns all the supplies, not like those things would be heavily guarded lol but it happens and bc of this the Bolton army crushes Stannis once and for all.
-The victory over Stannis Baratheon impresses Roose to the point that he makes Ramsay a legitimate Bolton and his official heir. But Roose makes the mistake of threatening Ramsay with Roose’s coming child with Walda if Sansa is not found and brought back alive to Winterfell. Ramsay doesn’t understand the consequences his actions will have in the Game of Thrones like killing Starks and trying to rule the North. But that doesn’t stop Ramsay from stabbing Roose in the heart and killing him, then a disgusting scene of Ramsay releasing the hounds on Walda and the baby. I’d had enough of Ramsay by that point and was more than ready for him to get what he had coming. But not before Ramsay is handed another win by the Smalljon in the form of Rickon, Osha and the head of Shaggydog. Brutal scene bc the Smalljon is supposed to die for the Starks defending Robb at the Red Wedding but here he is a filthy traitor and also kills our good boy Shaggydog fuck that pissed me off. I knew Rickon was dead as there is no way Ramsay would ever let him go and I knew Osha was dead when that scene started but it was still messed up how he killed her and then kept using the knife to eat the apple. A true psychopath.
-The letter Ramsay sends to Jon is so infuriating like who do you think you are you little bastard your only hope is for everyone else to the fighting for you. And then at the parlay before the Battle of the Bastards it was easy to see Ramsay was out of his comfort zone of torturing vulnerable victims to dealing with the men on the battlefield. Unfortunately Rickon would be the last victim of Ramsay’s tortures but I knew something like that was coming there was no way Ramsay lets Rickon survive. Dumbass Jon just had do exactly what Ramsay wanted and what Sansa told him not to do but it kicked off 1 of the best episodes of the series and 1 of the best battles ever seen on screen. Battle of the Bastards was certainly an achievement for the Game of Thrones crew and thank God the good guys won bc damn it looked very bad for a bit there until the Vale saved the day. I imagine the Jon’s post-battle conversation with Sansa was kind of like the Wedding Singer, “This is information that would have been useful to me YESTERDAY!!” lol but at least Ramsay lost and finally had the justice he earned coming to him but why they gave him the official kill of Wun Wun I’ll never know bc he does not deserve ‘Giantkiller’ on his resume.
-Jon beating the absolute shit out of Ramsay was so satisfying it could have gone on for day’s lol but the really satisfying part was coming next as Sansa would get the ultimate revenge on Ramsay. Not many villains on Game of Thrones get the death they truly deserve but I think you can say Ramsay would not be on that list as this death is brutal getting chomped to death by his own hounds. And the deaths on this show are usually not delivered by the person that should be or that you want to be delivering them but this is also not one of those as Sansa is exactly who should be delivering justice to Ramsay. Can’t be easy to play a character that does what Ramsay does and is the way he is but Iwan Rheon crushed it as a villain but still keeping the character grounded with a human quality to Ramsay. As far as most hated villains go, Ramsay Bolton was a despicable piece of shit and will always be in the conversation at the top of that list.
HOUSE MARTELL
OBERYN MARTELL
–The Red Viper. Man what a shame we only got him for one season bc this was an awesome character that was a joy to watch in the story. Pedro Pascal absolutely crushed this role and I couldn’t imagine a better performance. The reactions from Tywin and Tyrion hearing that Oberyn will be the Martell coming to King’s Landing and not Doran tells us right away this is someone not to be fcked with. Seeing him in the brothel with Ellaria and then confronting Lannister men including stabbing one in the hand lol meant we were in for a fun ride with this character. It’s Pride month as I write this and given his sexual philosophies in life, I’m sure that Oberyn is a great character to have connected to people that are Bisexual and Homosexual. Oberyn’s first conversation with Tyrion was just awesome, esp my favourite line from Oberyn after he reminds Tyrion of what the Mountain did to Elia Martell and her children, “The Lannisters aren’t the only one’s that pay their debts.” Damn that is a badass line. Joffrey is killed and we get a great Oberyn/Tywin confrontation bc Tywin wants to know if Oberyn collected a debt through Joffrey.
-Tywin offering Oberyn and Dorne a seat on the Small Council changes Oberyn’s tune about being the 3rd judge in Tyrion’s trial, would have been good for Tyrion had he not called for the trial by combat. Oberyn is such a diverse character as we find him writing poetry to one of his daughters before Cersei has a sweet conversation with Oberyn about Myrcella who is in Dorne thanks to Tyrion. Oberyn on the small council was great to watch esp when he refuses to rise when Tywin enters lol despite only having Oberyn for 1 season we did get a lot of great interactions like the one with Varys and Oberyn guesses where Varys is from. The most interested Oberyn looks during Tyrion’s trial was when Tyrion called for the trial by combat bc I think Oberyn knew exactly who the crown would choose as their champion. And when Cersei made it official they were choosing the Mountain, Oberyn went to make it official with Tyrion in a fcking awesome scene that is def 1 of the best of the show. Starts out with ‘The Lannister Monster’ story which is so great, “I said that’s not a monster, that’s just a baby.” Then it culminates with the awesome line, “I will be your champion.” Just a phenomenal scene that is very exciting bc Tyrion now has his best chance to get out of this.
-The Mountain vs The Viper is such an awesome fight with a heartbreakingly brutal finish. Def took inspiration from the Princess Bride and Inigo Montoya with Oberyn trying to get the Mountain to confess, “You raped her! You murdered her! You killed her children!” Perfect strategy to defeat a man the size of the Mountain, Oberyn had him right where he wanted him he just needed to finish but his confidence and cockiness got the better of him. Awful to watch him get tripped bc the Mountain getting his hands on you means you’re dead but was not ready to see Oberyn’s head get crushed like that, so nasty. Worst of all he dies hearing the confession he wanted and dies knowing the same scumbag that did it also gets to kill him. For such a great character he gets one of the worst deaths by far. But Oberyn does get a slight victory as the poisons he wiped his weapons with would have killed the Mountain if not for Qyburn but the Mountain’s last moments of true consciousness were supposed to be extremely painful in the books so it’s a small victory. So much emotion in that scene as you’re up high when Oberyn is kicking the Mountains ass and then crashing down dealing with the emotions that come with Oberyn’s brutal death and at the same time you know Tyrion is next. But that kind of rollercoaster is why this show was so fcking great. Oberyn ‘The Red Viper’ Martell was a legendary character and had a legendary story on the show despite only being around for 1 season. A testament to the writing team and the acting of Pedro Pascal.
ELLARIA SAND (MARTELL)
–Couldn’t have picked a better woman to compliment Oberyn Martell, Indira Varma was able to match energy with a ridiculously strong character which is not an easy thing to do. While Oberyn was on the show the focus was on Oberyn most of the time but she couldn’t just fade into the background and let people forget about her considering what was coming, which she def didn’t. I loved watching Oberyn/Ellaria together so that made it that much worse to see Oberyn die like that, Ellaria’s scream when it happened was haunting. Given the nature of Oberyn’s death, I guess it makes sense for Ellaria to be in a blind rage seeking revenge and not settling for anything less esp since Oberyn was killed by the scum he was seeking revenge against. I just hate that Ellaria targets Myrcella, I want to root for Ellaria but killing an innocent girl is something Oberyn said they didn’t do in Dorne so it kind of goes against him. I think Ellaria decided to stage a coup when Doran arrested Ellaria and the Sand Snakes and forced her to bend the knee without agreeing to avenge Oberyn.
– And that’s exactly what happens as Ellaria kills Doran while the Sand Snakes take care of the guards loyal to Doran and they also kill Doran’s son Trystane. Ellaria sees Doran as weak for allowing the Lannisters to get away with murdering his siblings and won’t see weak men ruling Dorne anymore. Would have been a very interesting twist if there had been more seasons to explore Dorne but Ellaria’s coup put Dorne in a position to support Daenerys, support that she desperately needed at the time. Great interaction between Ellaria and Olenna right after the explosion at the Sept of Baelor, Olenna wants justice and vengeance but then we see Varys who counters with ‘Fire and Blood.’ Fcking awesome scene that gets you ever more pumped for S7 when you see the Dornish sigils amongst the ships as Daenerys heads to King’s Landing.
-Considering that what Daenerys did in S8E5 is close to what Ellaria wanted her to do in S7, makes the scenes in S7 a little awkward esp when you think about it from the characters perspective who are no longer around like Ellaria. But it did seem like a solid alternate plan from Tyrion so I was beyond shocked when Euron crashed the party, killed all the Sand Snakes but 1 and took Ellaria hostage. I bet Euron would have waited an hour to attack if he knew what he was interrupting lol after finally looking like the good guys were gonna roll with some victories I hated Ellaria being brought back to Cersei in chains completely at her mercy, of which Cersei had none esp for Ellaria. Amazing acting from Indira Varma in the scene in the dungeon as she basically only has her eyes to do it with but she told such a story with her eyes alone. In a death almost as bad as her lover, Ellaria has to watch Tyene die and eventually decompose as payback for what she did to Myrcella. But after Daenerys attack on King’s Landing it’s almost guaranteed that Ellaria was killed so she really got screwed by Tyrion’s alternate plan. Ellaria Sand lived a tough life, then a great life and then a really tough life again so her story to me is one of the more interesting journeys on the show.
THE SAND SNAKES – TYENE, OBARA, NYMERIA
–More victims of the limited seasons in that I think their characters and storylines would have been better received if there was time to flesh them out more. We know they are Oberyn’s daughters so they are gonna be badasses with big attitudes and that’s exactly what they are. We meet them extracting information from the captain that smuggled Jamie/Bronn into Dorne and then discussing potential war with Ellaria. Everyone’s hate on the Sand Snakes always seems to center around the aftermath of them getting arrested and Tyene taunting Bronn about “bad pussy” lol I mean it’s not gonna win an Emmy but I didn’t think it was that bad, kinda hot in a way. Eventually Tyene gives Bronn the antidote to the poison he was exposed to via her dagger she cut him with, a lesson learned from her father. When Ellaria’s coup happens the Sand Snakes kill some guards and then kill Trystane 2 on 1 which I thought that made them look weak. Not much they could do in the ambush by Euron but they were able to kick a little ass. Their deaths sucked just like their fathers, Obara stabbed by her own spear and Nymeria hung by her own whip. Tyene is taken prisoner dying the same death s Myrcella as Ellaria is forced to watch. Every Martell on the show had a brutal death now that I think about it. The Sand Snakes take a lot of criticism but I enjoyed their performances and wish there had been more seasons to properly tell their stories.
PRINCE DORAN MARTELL
–Wasn’t around for very long but as with the Sand Snakes, would have loved more seasons to be able to tell Doran’s story. I liked his character as Oberyn’s brother but they def were not alike in how they acted or thought. I’m sure Doran wanted vengeance for Oberyn but what can you do Oberyn lost a fair fight but there was no telling Ellaria that. Doran was interested in securing long-term futures for Dorne by building alliances with decent Lannisters like Jamie and having Trystane represent Dorne’s interest in King’s Landing on the small council. Doran thinks he has Ellaria under control but not even close as she will only accept a plan of bloody revenge, stages a coup killing Doran and those close to him including Trystane. Prince Doran’s’ challenges with his health were prob the reason Ellaria was able to so completely get the upper hand on Doran but he def underestimated her. Good character that helps the world establish its realism, wish we had seen interaction between Oberyn and Doran.
THE CHARACTERS OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS
LITTLEFINGER AKA PETYR BAELISH
-Might be the biggest shit disturber in the history of fantasy bc it’s unbelievable how much bad stuff was put into motion by this scumbag. Absolutely incredible performance by Aiden Gillen you can’t say enough good things about it despite Littlefinger being such a filthy scumbag. Aiden Gillen was able to change expressions and demeanours so much it was impossible to get a read on Littlefinger. Without Littlefinger we don’t have a show as we find out he was the catalyst for starting the War of the 5 Kings and the Stark/Lannister feud to name a couple. Much like Ned, the viewer is not sure what to think of Littlefinger to start and what side he is on. Littlefinger “helps” Catelyn figure out who was responsible for attacking Bran and it was hilarious to see Ned about to kill Littlefinger thinking he was calling Cat a whore but she actually was in the brothel lol we learn Littlefinger was in love with Cat as a youth and def still is which is a reason Ned has trouble trusting him. Littlefinger does give Ned actual good advice telling him to keep his investigation into the Lannisters and what Jon Arryn was doing a lot quieter. Also points Ned in the direction of Gendry which was huge in helping Ned figure everything out but he really needed to listen tot hat first piece of advice but not doing that bc not being quiet about it got him killed.
-The relationship between Littlefinger/Sansa begins way back here at the Tourney of the Hand when he tells her stories about the Mountain’s past and how Loras defeated him. Then we get the first of the amazing interactions between Littlefinger and Varys this one before the Iron Throne. This scene reveals so much about Littlefinger and his motivations and they are similar to Cersei, power and control. What a devastating reign Littlefinger and Cersei would have been. But bc of Littlefinger not being born into a significant House and his small stature, he never had any power or control in his life so everything he does is about the pursuit of it. That is why he manipulates the Game of thrones like he does, these people that look down on him and mock him are now controlled by him and living their lives based on the moves Littlefinger makes. His spy networks make sure he will keep his power and control while seeing any potential threats coming and be able to deal with them accordingly. Littlefinger has no power and control over Daenerys so it makes sense he would support her assassination.
-I think Littlefinger officially stopped supporting Ned after Ned sentenced the Mountain Gregor Clegane to be arrested and executed plus Tywin being called to answer for his Bannerman’s crimes. Littlefinger knew what would happen once Tywin felt targeted and prob sold out Ned right after that. “I did warn you not to trust me,” what a slimy fuck but Ned was crazy to tell Littlefinger the truth about Cersei/Jamie and then trust Littlefinger to back him up when Ned tried to bring them down. Littlefinger tries to get Cersei to go easy on Sansa after Ned is arrested for treason but he obviously has more selfish motivations to establish connections and help himself further down the line. Love the scene between Cersei/Littlefinger when we see where the true power lies and why Littlefinger is so obsessed with gaining it:
Littlefinger: Knowledge is power
Cersei. Seize him. Cut his throat. Stop, I changed my mind. Step back 3 paces. Turn around….Power is power.
Man such an intense scene that shows Cersei is right, power is power. Doubt that Littlefinger will be taunting Cersei about the truth of her children again. Sometimes you think that Littlefinger has a heart but then we hear what a dark, sick, twisted individual he really is with the story to Ros of him selling the prostitute that wasn’t happy being a whore to some deranged pervert who made her life a living hell. But Littlefinger made good on his “investment” and that’s all he cared about. Chilling story. Littlefinger delivers Ned’s remains to Cat, while a nice gesture from Tyrion kind of a slap in the face too considering what Littlefinger did. When Renly dies Littlefinger goes right to work securing an alliance with the Tyrells for the Lannisters, at the same time he is acting as a friend to Catelyn man he is a scumbag. This alliance Littlefinger secures helps them defeat Stannis at the Battle of Blackwater significantly changing the tide of the War of the 5 kings, which he started.
-Once Littlefinger receives his reward, Lord of Harrenhall, for securing the Lannister/Tyrell alliance he clearly has his sights set on Sansa as a wife. Littlefinger is talking about smuggling Sansa out of King’s Landing on his ship when he leaves which you think is a good thing but Ros’s warning about him to Shae makes you reconsider bc she would def know how dangerous he is. Varys discovers Littlefingers plan so Varys puts an alternate plan in place to wed Sansa and Loras but Littlefinger discovers it when Cersei has him spy on the Tyrells which leads to Tywin finding out and immediately marrying Sansa to Tyrion. Fuck that’s why I love this show so many moving parts affecting the other within the reality of their world, the Game of Thrones at its best. Littlefinger showing again what a dark, twisted person he is punishes Ros for revealing his plans to Varys and has her given to Joffrey so Joffrey can brutally torture and kill her. This leads to one of the best lines of the series in a conversation between Littlefinger/Varys, “Chaos is not a pit, Chaos is a ladder.” That analogy provokes some profound thoughts when you really think about it, just great stuff. Sansa def regretting not getting on the ship when she learns of the change from Loras to Tyrion.
-When Joffrey is killed, Littlefinger is the one to help Sansa get out of King’s Landing and we learn he also contributed to the plan to kill Joffrey. Back to the Vale and while Littlefinger is in a great position to gain power and control through Lysa Arryn, she is a huge wildcard that is almost impossible to control. We learn from Lysa Arryn that it was Littlefinger who got Lysa to poison Jon Arryn and send a letter to Cat falsely accusing the Lannisters of it. Littlefinger seems disgusted by Lysa, prob bc she isn’t Cat but she is def not the woman he wants to rule the 7 kingdoms with but Lysa wanted them married yesterday lol had to laugh when she has a septon waiting outside the door ready to go. But Sansa is the woman Littlefinger wants to rule the 7 kingdoms with as he finally makes a move on her but Lysa sees it forcing Littlefinger to act far sooner than I’m sure he wanted to and pushes Lysa out the moon door, “Only Cat.” We know it was more a spontaneous decision bc Littlefinger had no backup plan and no guarantee Sansa would cover for him but she does and Littlefingers power and control grows significantly basically being the guardian to the Lord of the Vale. But it seems like Littlefinger almost scolds Sansa for helping him and trusting him, prob hates himself more then anyone else could. Seems like Sansa was embracing being Mrs Baelish towards the end of S4 but that wasn’t the case.
-Man it’s tough to see Sansa turn down Brienne’s help when they run into her as Littlefinger is taking Sansa to the Bolton’s. Before heading to King’s Landing, seems Littlefinger’s plan for Sansa to be safe/rescued was for Stannis to defeat the Bolton’s and take back Winterfell, pretty bold considering how Littlefinger had helped defeat Stannis at the Blackwater causing significant losses to Stannis’s army. Littlefinger heads to King’s Landing to try and secure an even better position with Cersei as the Warden of the North when the Bolton’s are defeated. So much wheeling and dealing from Littlefinger as he claims the Bolton’s initiated the betrayal of the Lannisters by marrying Sansa to Ramsay on their own. He also delivers his prostitute servant Olyvar to Cersei so Loras can be arrested and broken. But Olenna has almost had enough of Littlefingers bullshit and threatens to reveal his role in Joffrey’s murder should anything happen to Olenna or her family. Littlefinger responds by delivering Lancel and his secrets about Cersei to Olenna so Cersei gets a taste of her own medicine. This takes place in Littlefingers destroyed brothel, I see that as foreshadowing of Littlefingers world start to collapse down around him.
-Littlefinger uses his control over Robyn Arryn to bring Yohn Royce to heel almost having him thrown through the moon door. But having the Vale Lords on his side means Littlefinger can feel solid about having an army behind him which you need to take the Iron Throne. But Littlefinger saying that he was ambushed by the Bolton’s and Sansa forced to marry Ramsay then blaming it on Yohn Royce leaves him wide open to be exposed but at the same time is a huge win as it gets everyone trusting Littlefinger for now. He goes to meet with Sansa to offer the Vale army to her but man he has some nerve just acting like nothing has happened. I def understand why Sansa told him to fck off here but prob not a good idea as they desperately needed men but she came to her senses just in time and the Vale army saved the day at the Battle of the Bastards. This was Littlefingers big power play that he had been building to the entire show bc it could have given him a stranglehold on the North with Sansa as his wife. But he had caused Sansa to be hurt too many times and she was not looking for a life at his side wondering if today was the day he betrays her for more power and control. Without a significant high born woman as his wife to establish and legitimize Littlefingers control, his plans could go no further and he was out of options.
-Littlefinger is stuck in Winterfell bc he needs Sansa to legitimize his claims to power so he must stay there and somehow convince her to marry him. Def not a fan of Jon and the feeling is mutual, fcking loved Jon shoving Littlefinger up against the wall and threatening him in the crypt. Littlefinger goes to work trying to manipulate Bran when he gets to Winterfell but as the 3 Eyed Raven there is no being manipulated and Bran is the only person in Westeros one step ahead of Littlefinger. Bran drops a bomb on Littlefinger, “Chaos is a ladder” which is a Littlefinger quote and that rocks him bc Bran def wasn’t there to hear the quote but it’s not a phrase you hear all the time. People complain saying it makes no sense that Littlefinger didn’t leave after this but that line from Bran wasn’t clear enough to indicate anything and Littlefinger would have started to lose power and control fast without Sansa, he needed Sansa for his plans to work so leaving wouldn’t help him.
-Littlefinger puts his last plan into play when Arya gets to Winterfell hoping to turn Arya against Sansa so Sansa will turn to him. This gives us our last great Littlefinger quote, “Sometimes, when I try to understand a person’s motives, I play a little game. I assume the worst. What’s the worst reason they could possibly have for saying what they say, or doing what they do? Then I ask myself, ‘how well does that reason explain what they say and what they do?” Great quote but it backfires on him as Arya/Sansa use it to figure out his plans and finally bring Littlefinger to justice. Thanks to Bran they just crush Littlefingers lies one after the other and I wish I could have been in Littlefingers head as Bran is dropping bomb after bomb of things that should be impossible for him to know. With his lies and schemes exposed to everyone including the vale Lords, Littlefinger is reduced to a pathetic mess crying and begging for his life. But justice is coming as Arya slits his throat ending the incredible run for Littlefinger on Game of Thrones. Man for a scumbag he was a pleasure to watch and made the show fun to watch live and will continue to make it fun to rewatch all his schemes come together and then fall apart. Aiden Gillen really created a legend in Littlefinger.
VARYS
-Man Conleth Hill put in such a great performance as Varys we were watching a real person from Westeros, every time Varys had a scene it sucked me into the world and made it easy to suspend my disbelief. The entire run of the show it seemed like Varys was on slippery ground and never had a solid position with a ruler he supported 100%, almost had it with Daenerys or Jon Snow but it was not to be. The way Ned treated him at first I thought he was a bad guy but he more you learn about him you realize he is one of the actual good guys on the show. It’s hard to pick out scenes to highlight for Varys bc every scene he was in was so important esp his dialogue early on that helped explain a lot of what was happening and why. We learn that Varys supports putting Daenerys Targaryen on the Iron Throne and knows the truth about Cersei’s children along with what happened to Jon Arryn and who started the Stark/Lannister war. The Varys/Littlefinger struggle for power was so much fun to watch in S1 it’s too bad we got less and less of it as the seasons went on. Varys tried to help Ned but dumbass Ned trusted Littlefinger instead and wouldn’t listen to reason. Varys tried to tell him how stupid and dangerous Ned’s actions were but Ned didn’t care he was all about honour even at the detriment of him and his family. But Varys did manage to convince Ned to confess to treason to save his life before Joffrey put an end to that.
-Loved the interactions between Varys/Tyrion in S2 you could have given me 7 seasons of it they had so much chemistry together and embodied their characters so perfectly. Varys has to deliver the bad news to Tyrion that he is being given no credit for the victory at Blackwater and all of his allies have been removed from power. Varys also reveals to Tyrion that it was prob Cersei that tried to have him killed on the battlefield. Then once Tyrion recovers they have one of the best scenes of the series as Varys reveals to Tyrion how he was cut as a child and how he made it to becoming the Master of Whispers. The story about the sorcerer and the voice answering from the flames is some scary shit no wonder Varys despises any that use or worship magic. Hearing how he had to scratch and claw his way up from the slums to learning how to acquire secrets as they were the real power in the world, gives you much more respect for Varys. When he finally pries off the top of the crate and you see the sorcerer and his mouthed closed up ugh man that looked so fcked up and unnatural it freaked me out.
-Varys recruited Ros to his team of spies and gets valuable information about Sansa and what Littlefinger plans to do, love the ‘feather bed’ scene. In what I believe was their last scene together, we get the ‘chaos is a ladder’ exchange but more importantly we learn Littlefinger learned of Ros’s betrayal and handed her to Joffrey to be tortured and killed. Enjoyed the exchange between Varys/Oberyn, prob one of the only times Oberyn has been left speechless. You could tell Varys didn’t want to testify against Tyrion but knows how to play the Game of Thrones and really had no choice but at least they got to have a small moment. Jamie uses Varys to help get Tyrion out of the city but when Varys hears the bells and realizes Tyrion killed Tywin, he knows his fate is prob sealed if he stays so gets in the boat with Tyrion which made me happy bc I loved their interactions together.
-Crazy to hear Varys talk so passionately about restoring Daenerys Targaryen to the throne bc she is the best hope for the realm considering what would happen at the end. Loved when Varys/Tyrion are out walking at they stop and listen to the preaching of a red priest. 1 of the best parts of S5 and 6 was getting to see Varys and Tyrion work together to deal with the sons of the harpy and help run things until Daenerys returned. Awesome scene when the red priestess Kinvara is brought in to help spread positive messages about Daenerys and Varys is def not a fan but she shuts him down with knowledge of his cutting and what the voice said. That would’ve shut me up too lol Varys puts together the alliance that brought the Tyrells/Dorne onto Team Dany but she isn’t loving Varys just yet. Dany calls him out on supporting many different Kings including her father but Varys has a solid point for everything she says, he really does serve the realm and wants what is best for the people. Although Dany did ask Varys to tell her to her face if she was failing the realm instead of conspiring against her, Varys swore to do so but later did exactly what she asked him not to do. Forgot about that so harder to blame her when she literally asked him not to conspire against her and he did it anyways.
-I think it was the burning of Randyll and Dickon Tarly that caused Varys to think Dany might not be the best ruler after all and is counting on Tyrion to soften the ruthless streak she has been shown to lean towards. During the Battle of Winterfell, Varys proves that he is the good guy I thought he was by taking care of the children in the crypts and keeping them safe. As they prepare to take King’s Landing and Varys grows more concerned at the behaviour he is witnessing from Dany, he learns about Jon’s true parentage and that causes him to go all in on Team Jon. Varys knew that Dany in her current state wouldn’t hold back from burning the city and Jon needed to take action and embrace his chance to be King. Sucks that it had to be Tyrion to reveal Varys betrayal to Dany and cause his execution, Tyrion really supported Daenerys and gave her the benefit of the doubt to the end. “I hope I deserve this,” damn that line stuck with me and man Varys took the dracarys like a champ, dying in Westeros just as Melisandre predicted. Unbelievably awesome run on the show Varys and Conleth Hill should take a bow for his incredible performance, one of my favourite characters on the show and 1 of the best journey’s to watch. It will be very interesting watching Varys support Daenerys so firmly in those early seasons knowing what happens but then watch his support slowly unravel to his final betrayal of her.
MISSANDEI QUEEN OF THE NAATH
-One of the most beautiful women in the planet playing one of the sweetest characters on the show, def a joy to watch the journey of Missandei of Naath. Missandei reminds me of Margaery Tyrell in the sweetness of their characters, I think Missandei would have been a Queen like Margaery in genuinely caring for the common people and making time for them while also understanding the strategy of how to exist in the Game of Thrones. We meet Missandei as a slave interpreter for the Masters and I immediately hoped Dany could free her to bring her on the team so I was pumped when it happened. There was always a strength to Missandei you could sense despite her slave demeanour being very timid and subdued, Nathalie Emmanuel put in a great performance bc you can’t go too far either way or it doesn’t work. If she appears too strong then her slave position doesn’t seem real but if she plays it too meek then it could seem unrealistic when she can show her strength at Daenery’s side. Her performance also helped add to the realism of the show as Missandei and how much knowledge she had made her seem like a real person.
-I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Missandei and Daenerys, they had great chemistry and seemed like long-time friends. I also really enjoyed seeing the relationship between Missandei and Greyworm develop, all Missandei cared about was love and how Greyworm made her feel and I have huge respect for that. The conversations about their homelands was sad, Naath seems like such a beautiful place such a shame some of it was burned when they took Missandei as a child. Greyworm tries to apologize for gazing at Missandei when she was bathing but Missandei assures him there is no need to apologize and she is glad he saw her, inspiring scene that shows there is much more than friendship there for Missandei/Greyworm. Great scene where Greyworm declares Missandei is his weakness bc not seeing her again makes him fear and she kisses him. People complain about the Missandei/Greyworm romance but I thought it told a great story that def wasn’t your typical scenario.
-Cool moment when Tyrion saves Missandei from being killed by one of the Sons of the Harpy. Missandei and all her experience proves very valuable when she has to help Tyrion/Greyworm run the city with Daenerys MIA after flying off with Drogon. Given her experience with the masters, I shared her disgust and frustration at Tyrion trying to play nice with the Masters knowing it would never work. Love the scenes where Tyrion tries to engage Missandei/Greyworm in conversation and then later gets them to play a drinking game, Missandei’s little giggle is enough to launch 1000 ships. Might not have been 1000, but awesome scene when Missandei is on the deck with Dany as the army finally heads to Westeros. Man how blessed were we to get that scene with Missandei and Greyworm being as intimate as they can, happy for my boy Greyworm and happy for us being blessed to see Missandei in all her glory lol
-Hilarious moment when Missandei has to go on forever with Daenerys titles/nicknames and Davos just says, “This Jon Snow, he’s King in the North.” Hahahaha such a great scene. Another one is Missandei/Jon/Davos talking about why Jon is named Snow not Stark and about how they do things in Naath. Conversations like these are about world building and still very important even 7 seasons in. Too bad Missandei got the cold shoulder from the Northerners in Winterfell bc they def would have loved her. I knew the plans to go back to Naath wouldn’t happen but never would have guessed Greyworm would survive and not Missandei. Thought there was gonna be conflict after Missandei hears Sansa not talking favourably about Dany in the crypts during the Battle of Winterfell but Missandei was captured after the ambush by Euron that killed Rhaegal ending all of that.
-Really bugs me that Missandei died back in chains bc she represented everything Daenerys wanted to be. The Breaker of Chains, one that broke wheels of tyranny yet here her best example of that is being executed back in the chains she was freed from. If Luke Skywalker was here he would have told Cersei, “Last mistake you’ll ever make.” And it was, as executing Missandei was what gave Dany a huge shove into the madness that caused her to destroy King’s Landing. As sad as her end was, I loved her character and Missandei’s story was always one of my fav to watch. Once again wanna say I always enjoyed Missandei’s scenes bc of how Nathalie played her, she was a secondary character that always stood out but never overshadowed the primary characters. She could play Missandei quiet/submissive yet also strong/fierce. Exactly what the show needed her to be.
MELISANDRE AKA THE RED WOMAN
–Melisandre is one of the characters that drew me further into the show in season 2 bc of how she was portrayed with such realism and depth that it was easy to buy into her story. Establishing the character early was crucial bc of what was coming with the shadowdemon, if Carice Van Houten doesn’t crush every scene she is in then people aren’t going to be willing to suspend their disbelief for the story esp with that kind of twist. I know for me I thought the shadowdemon was beyond ridiculous but loved watching Melisandre in the story so I just tried to forget it happened and hope there was nothing else like that coming and thankfully there wasn’t.
-Our first scene with Melisandre establishes her as a villain and a dangerous one at that as she has converted Stannis to worship the Lord of Light and is now burning all the statues of the Seven who Stannis used to worship. Melisandre goes all out even having Stannis draw a flaming sword from a statue to symbolize Lightbringer from the Prince That Was Promised prophecy, no wonder Stannis believed it was him. We see just how powerful Melisandre is as she just drinks the poison that Cressen tried to kill her with but nothing happens and Melisandre is just fine. I could feel Stannis’s frustration as Melisandre just keeps saying things like they don’t need ships and don’t worry about armies just have faith lol if she saw a victory in the flames it was bc of an army so she needs to come through asap if I’m Stannis. Wasn’t sure if Melisandre wanted to get with Stannis but that was cleared up when she took off her robe and said she would give him a son haha just not the kind Stannis was expecting but it was def effective. Melisandre didn’t have the same effect on Renly but I knew something bad was coming from her after she took a few good shots from Renly at the parlay. Melisandre revealing an already full term regnant belly was a huge eye roll from me, I wanted to see her give Stannis a son but the shadowdemon was too over the top and kind of a cop out I thought. After Stannis loses the Battle of Blackwater he has about had enough of Melisandre but she saves her ass showing him another victory in the flames.
-Melisandre starts burning people alive that don’t convert or have spooked out against her showing how dangerous she is. Her feud with Davos produced some great scenes like the one where she crosses the line mentioning Davos son and he pulls a knife on her getting him sent to the dungeons. She leaves to go find and buy Gendry from the brotherhood to use his King’s blood for her murders. Love the exchanges between Melisandre and Thoros when she tracks them down. We learn that Thoros was supposed to convert Robert Baratheon back in the day but failed. We see Melisandre shook for the first time when she inspects Beric Dondarrion and Thoros explains how many times he has brought Beric back from death tot the point she says it’s impossible but Thoros def shouldn’t have that power if it was. We also get the exchange with Melisandre and Arya that ends up being very significant with all the eyes Melisandre says Arya will shut and that they will meet again. Cool moment when she explains to Gendry who he is but she ruins that by tying Gendry to the bed and leeching his blood. There were 3 leeches and considering how brutal his death was, I think Robb was the dink leech lol thank God for Davos as he frees Gendry before Melisandre/Stannis can burn him alive. I don’t think the Lord of Light liked the burnings as good things only happened when she used leeches but bad things happened after the burnings.
-The Lord of Light’s grand plan was def to kill the Night King as Melisandre leads Stannis to the Wall to crush Mance Rayders wildling army and give Jon the backup he desperately needed. Then she tries to seduce Jon to have sex with her but it’s hard to get a read on what her true motives were in that scene. Was she testing Jon, was she really into Jon, did she want another shadowdemon with Jon Snow’s face? When he won’t do it Melisandre drops Ygrittes line she always used, “You know nothing Jon Snow.” Melisandre tries to make another burning human sacrifice but Jon’s arrow kills Mance nullifying the sacrifice. That arrow saved Mance but prob condemned Shireen to burn bc she was the last one Melisandre had access to that had King’s blood with Mance dead before the flames could take him. She leaves Castle Black with Stannis and his army as they head to Winterfell before the winter storms strand them at the Wall for a long time.
-But they can’t avoid the storm and are getting absolutely battered by the winter storms and are not prepared for it at all so the men are becoming sickly and some abandoning the army altogether. Melisandre suggests burning Shireen and finally convinces Stannis that it has to happen after Ramsay and his 20 good men destroy their supplies and release the horses. I don’t believe Stannis would have ever burned Shireen but he did see Melisandre’s magic work with the leeches so it might have been possible in his desperate state. After Shireen burns, the weather improves but bc of it Stannis has lost half of his army after they abandoned the camp and took most of the horses that were left. Melisandre also abandons Stannis who will now certainly be defeated as he presses on to Winterfell with what’s left of his army and as we saw, they were defeated and Stannis killed by Brienne. Melisandre arrives back at Castle Black and it ends up being a huge blessing as Jon Snow was just murdered by his own men and is in desperate need of her assistance. Melisandre doesn’t want to try but Davos convinces her to try and to her own amazement it works and Jon Snow is brought back to life. Crazy swing of emotions towards Melisandre, she burns Shireen and you hate her guts but then she brings Jon back to life right after so you have to show some love for her. Damn this show lol
-At Castle Black we also see a big reveal that the sexy red woman we know as Melisandre is just a disguise created by the pendant in her necklace and she is a really an extremely old being. I wonder if all the red priests with that same necklace are also as old as Melisandre is? Powerful scene when Davos finally confronts Melisandre about burning Shireen, we see some regret from her but it’s not enough for Davos and I really thought we might see the end of Melisandre here but Jon chooses to exile her instead. Melisandre ends up at Dragonstone and tells Daenerys she should meet with Jon Snow and hear his tales of what is happening in the North. We also learn from Missandei that “Prince” in the Prince That Was Promised prophecy can refer to either a man or a woman making Dany a fit for it. In Melisandre’s conversation with Varys we learn that her mission this whole time has been to bring Ice and Fire together and after the Battle of Winterfell we realize why it was so important.
-Melisandre ended up having a huge impact on the Battle of Winterfell by lighting the Dothraki swords, then lighting the trenches and finally giving Arya her mission. Never expected her to be involved in the Battle of Winterfell but def not helping the good/living side. After Arya kills the Night King, we can only assume that killing the Night King was Melisandre’s purpose in life as she immediately takes off her necklace which causes her to change into her aged form and she dies. Davos was ready to execute her for returning after he warned her not to but he never got the chance. Kind of wish he had as I wanted to hate her and for her to end up being a bigger villain in the story but her story is incredible now that we know killing the Night King was her purpose. Carice Van Houten was one of the MVPs of the show as her performance has to be crushed to sell the content her character dealt with. Melisandre ended up both a villain and a hero, one of the more complex characters on the show but one that truly makes Game of Thrones great.
BERIC DONDARRION
–1 of the coolest characters on the show with a really awesome story that just keeps getting better. We didn’t have a chance to see what the S1 Beric actor could do but Richard Dormer seems like he was born to play Beric. Another one that seemed like you’re watching a real person and really helped establish the realism the show needed. Would have been great to see his first death vs the Mountain and Thoros attempting to bring him back out of desperation and being shocked it actually worked. But we did get the awesome fight between Beric and the Hound, Beric’s flaming sword is seriously badass and perfect weapon to fight the Hound with. But Beric still loses in epic fashion but is brought back to life by Thoros. Love Beric talking about all his deaths with Thoros and we learn every time he comes back he is less and less of his true self. Beric and the Brotherhood sell Gendry to Melisandre and we don’t see him for awhile as Arya ditches them to head to the Twins with the Hound.
-We meet Beric again when the Hound catches up to the scumbags that killed Brother Ray and the villagers and learn that the Brotherhood Without Banners are heading North to fight in the war vs the dead. They end up in the cells at Eastwatch but join the ‘capture a wight’ party. Great conversation between Beric and Jon about Ned and what the Lord of Light wants with them, they both had important roles to play in the plan to kill the Night King. Thoros is killed by the polar bear on the mission so that means no more returns for Beric his next death is permanent. Beric drops the bomb that the Night King turned everyone so if they kill tNK the entire army drops. They all survive the attack of the dead thanks to Dany and Drogon but Beric ends up at the wall when the Night King and Viserion bring it down and barely makes it out. Beric is at Last Hearth when they find Ned Umber nailed to the wall and turned by the Night King and left as a message to the living.
-All of Beric’s returns have been building to the Battle of Winterfell and making sure Arya survives and can be in a position to kill the Night King. Beric gets the Hound back in the fight and damn I love seeing that flaming sword in action. But the dead are starting overwhelm them including Arya so Beric must sacrifice himself in an awesome sequence to make sure Arya gets out alive. Arya was able to kill the Night King so Beric’s mission was accomplished and his purpose fulfilled. Beric Dondarrion was def 1 of my fav characters and has such a fun story to watch play out. One of the characters that will make rewatches worth it in the future.
THOROS OF MYR
-Awesome character that has a really interesting history on the show I wish we could have seen but its possible one day a prequel series will cover it. Considering he was going to be responsible for bringing a character back from the dead, Paul Kaye needed to crush his performance and he def did bc Thoros was like watching a real person. Actually the first scene Thoros is in he brings Beric back after Beric gets killed by the Hound so the pressure was on right from the start. Loved his exchange with Melisandre, it was important to establish that bringing people back is not common esp the 6 times Beric has been brought back. I was def disappointed when Thoros left the story for a bit as I really wanted to learn more about his character so it was great to have him back when the Hound ran into him looking for the guys that killed Brother Ray and the villagers.
-I def enjoyed Thoros’ interactions with the Hound but esp the vision in the flames and Thoros helping Sandor bury the farmer and his daughter. Thoros was part of the ‘capture a wight’ mission and unfortunately was the big death getting mauled by the polar bear and eventually freezing to death. Thoros talk with Jorah and all the characters that have mentioned it have me dying to see the Siege on Pike and Thoros charge through the breach with his flaming sword. Thoros was a great character that we didn’t get to see enough of but as I said we might get to see more of his story play out if we get other prequels. Some call him the bravest man they ever met, but he was just the drunkest.
‘THE FIRST SWORD OF BRAAVOS’ SYRIO FOREL
– The First Sword of Braavos vs the Hound would have been one awesome fight but I guarantee the Hound would not be laughing at the notion Syrio Forel is the greatest swordsman after it. And I don’t care what anyone says he is alive dammit lol we never saw his death and Arya heard a metal sword clang on the ground which is what Trant was carrying meaning Trant was disarmed and fled like a coward leaving Syrio to use his Faceless Man training to become Jaqen H’Ghar. Obviously this turned out not to be true but man that is a cool theory and really makes things more entertaining when you rewatch from that perspective. Just sucks that we have to accept that Syrio was killed by Meryn fucking Trant. Says something about how great a performance Miltos Yerolemou gave us as Syrio. I’m sure Ned recognized right away just as the audience did that Syrio was the perfect teacher to match Arya’s defiant nature and help her realize she didn’t know as much as she thought she did. So much tension when Syrio realizes that Lannister men have come for Arya and that something bad must have happened to Ned so he refuses to turn Arya over. “”My name is Syrio Forel, and you will now be speaking to me with more respect.” So fcking badass, I was just getting invested in his character so I really didn’t want to lose him but after he refused to release Arya to them his options became, kill them all or die. And even if he survives that fight he still has to go into hiding or stick around and eventually be tracked down and killed. Syrio wasn’t able to survive but was able to buy Arya enough time to escape, “What do we say to the god of death….not today.”
SER BARRISTAN SELMY
–One of my favourite characters and one of the biggest badasses in the Seven Kingdoms. It’s a dime they way Barristan was used and eventually killed off considering how Ian McElhinney absolutely shined as Ser Barristan and brought him to life exactly as he should be. Like Thoros, Ser Barristan is another character with a rich history on the show that would be great viewing if they ever did a prequel covering those times. Barristan, Robert and Jamie talking about their first kills and their war stories was such a good scene that helps establish the realism needed for the show early on. Barristan’s conversations with Ned show that he is also a man that values his honour very highly. Ser Barristan blames himself for Roberts’s death but he isn’t the only one as Cersei makes him a scapegoat removing him from the Kings guard. Sucks to see Barristan be disrespected like that but it is such a fcking great scene with one of my favourite lines on the show, “Even now I could cut down the 5 of you like carving a cake.’ I would have loved to see that.
-I was pumped to have Ser Barristan on Team Daenerys as he would be such a valuable asset that she needed at the time. Hearing Barristan talk about Rhaegar is one of the highlights of the show, brings Rhaegar to life and gives him a presence on the show since we only see Rhaegar very briefly in a flashback scene. Seeing Rhaegar’s story play out is one of the reasons I want Robert’s Rebellion as a TV series and Ser Barristan would be a big part of that. Hearing about their history and views on honour/strategy is why I love the exchanges between Jorah and Ser Barristan, could have given us much more without any complaints. Barristan’s presence at Daenerys side is so crucial to establishing reality to her character and rule. We know what Ser Barristan is capable of enabling the audience to buy into Dany being tough with her enemies as she moves to free all the slaves in Slavers Bay. It didn’t happen overnight as Barristan had to learn to trust her, seen by him protesting Dany’s trade of a dragon for the Unsullied and the use of slave soldiers in general. But Dany knew she would get the dragon back plus an army that she would free of their slavery so going forward they would choose to fight for her. At the time she wasn’t as far from Rhaegar as Barristan thought.
-The last person Jorah wanted to find out about his pardon was Ser Barristan as he would know exactly what it meant and he did. “You will never be alone with her again,” that’s when Jorah really knew he fcked up. It was exciting to have Barristan as Daenerys main advisor after Jorah was banished but unfortunately it wouldn’t last long. We did get the great scene of Ser Barristan counselling Daenerys on where her father went wrong and how she could be better doing things differently, like giving her enemies fair trails instead of her own brand of “justice” as the Mad King had delivered during his reign. Their last scene together was one of the best as Barristan told her of how Rhaegar used to go down into the streets and sing for the common people, world building at it’s finest. Then we get to his death and it just flat out sucks. Ser Barristan had so much more to do in the story but def should not have been killed by a bunch of scrubs, he was way too good for that. Thinking about all his epic history only for it to end like that is disrespect his character.
-Worst part is it seems he was punished for being passionate about the character. Ian McElhinney wrote the writers a letter saying they were making a mistake and outlining everything that would be missing by killing off Ser Barristan but from their own mouths this made them want to kill Barristan even more. Almost laughing at him for caring about the fictional character he was playing. I just can’t imagine getting rid of actors that are passionate for your work I really don’t. Leaves a bad taste in your mouth but everything before that was great and Ian McElhinney truly did justice to Ser Barristan one of the biggest badasses in the history of the Seven Kingdoms.
“THE BLACKFISH” BRYNDEN TULLY
–His arrival on the show immediately brought a new energy to Robb’s reign, almost more of a legitimacy as The Blackfish immediately went to work correcting behaviour around King Robb. He also had the look and energy of someone that had more combat experience than you had been alive and that you wanted on your side. Poor Edmure can’t catch a break and hit the shot light his fathers body up so the Blackfish has to show him how it’s done, immediately someone you don’t want to fck with. I wish Robb had recognized what the Blackfish brought to the table and took his advice about not executing Rickard Karstark but Robb was acting on emotions like his mother. The Blackfish makes sure Edmure knows what is on the line if he refuses to marry a Frey to secure this alliance they now desperately need so Edmure agrees.
-Seriously he was in a handful of eps and just crushed it as an advisor to Robb, if only they had more time but the Red Wedding was right around the corner. The Blackfish knows Walder Frey is an untrustworthy prick but says a lot about his character that he still went with them. Thank God the Blackfish had to piss right before the Red Wedding attack started and was able to escape but what could have been something that had a huge impact ended up being a dud. Edmure had all the authority as the Lord of Riverrun so other than the awesome exchange with Jamie Lannister The Blackfish did not get an ending his badass character deserved. He just decided not to come help Sansa or the living and died off screen. Doesn’t ruin his character for me, he will always be 1 of my favourites. With only a small amount of episodes to appear in, Clive Russell had to crush his performance and he certainly did.
YOREN
-1 of the most underrated characters of the series and 1 of my favourites, Jon def could have used a man like Yoren at the Wall to help him as Yoren was a good friend of Benjen in addition to being a great guy. I enjoyed his interactions with Tyrion they would have been very entertaining together but that’s all put on hold when Catelyn takes Tyrion prisoner. Yoren rides for King’s Landing to tell Ned personally before the news spreads so you know he is a true friend. Ned trusts Yoren to look after Arya when Ned is being led to confess and then be unexpectedly executed. Having Yoren there to look after Arya really helped relax emotions after Ned is killed and everything is left in chaos, his quick thinking to making Arya look like a boy and hide her at the wall was great. Yoren was a character that not only added to the realism of the world but made you eager to invest in it. Such an intense scene when the Gold Cloaks track them down and you realize they aren’t even safe going to the wall. “I could nick this artery in your leg. And once it’s nicked, there’s no one around here knows how to un-nick it.” Man I was nervous after that bc I knew they would come back much stronger and the result wouldn’t be good.
-Loved the conversation with Yoren/Arya about the boy Yoren killed named Willem that had murdered Yoren’s brother, “I buried an axe so deep into Willem’s skull, they had to bury him with it.” Lol damn man. But this was a significant scene bc it is where Arya got the idea to recite the name of every person she wanted to kill before she went to bed as that is what Yoren did with Willem. We get to see Yoren kick some ass but the cowards eventually take him down and Amory Lorch finishes him with a sword to the neck. Chilling how he was left in that position and stayed there. Yoren is an underrated character but will always be remembered as a badass thanks to an awesome performance from Francis Magee.
“EDD” EDDISON TOLLET
–The Last Lord Commander who taught us that people fart when they die, hilarious story of his mom dying and releasing a long, loud fart lol Edd is part of the Nights Watch with Grenn that become friendly with Jon and Sam but you can def sympathize with his frustration at Sam’s incompetence. Edd was very important in helping build and flesh out the Sam and Jon characters as he wasn’t a main focus of the storylines but had a lot of scenes with them. Great moment when Edd is one of the first to volunteer to join Jon’s mission to bring the mutineers at Craster’s to justice. I’m glad they gave him an important role in defending Castle Black from the Wildlings, Edd called for the scythe to be dropped taking out the wildlings on the Wall in an awesome scene. Considering that Edd has had Jon’s back from the start of their friendship, it was big for Jon that Edd supported him for letting the wildlings through the Wall even though Edd wouldn’t have done it if it was his call.
-Giants much like Wookies can pretty much do whatever they want and nobody can stop them. So when a giant says something angrily in your direction, whether you understand it or not, you just back away quietly and go bout your business lol Edd The Teacher again with another lesson for us. He is also at Hardhome when the White Walkers/wights attack, kicks some ass and helps Jon get to the boats and they witness the Night King raise all the dead wildlings to join his army. One of the best episodes and jaw dropping endings of the series. Edd is pretty important in Jon’s survival after he is killed as Edd is there to find Jon’s dead body, release Ghost and then go bring Tormund and the wildlings back to Castle Black. Thanks to the backup from Tormund and the wildlings Edd can arrest the mutineers Thorne, Olly and the rest. After Jon is brought back and after confirming Jon’s eyes are not blue, Edd assumes command as Lord Commander since Jon’s watch has ended with his death. Good thing bc Brand and Meera needed to be let through the Wall to get to Winterfell and Edd allows them to pass. We next see Edd at Last Hearth in a hilarious scene where they run into Tormund, “He has blue eyes!…I’ve always had blue eyes!” hahaha but then that hug between Tormund is so much more than just a random bro hug. Not only do you have all the history of hate between the wildlings and the Nights Watch but Edd personally said he would never forgive the wildlings for killings his friends and brothers. Yet here Edd was embracing Tormund as a brother. Big moment that def gets overlooked.
-Really hate that Sam kind of caused Edd’s death bc they were friends and at that point in the show Sam shouldn’t have been in that state. Plus being killed helping Sam is why everyone said they should just kill Sam but Edd stood up for him and then dies bc Sam is a coward. That sucks. I bet if Edd survived he would have had a ‘put in a good word for me’ conversation with Jon about Sansa lol Tough ending but Ben Crompton did a great job giving us a strong supporting character.
GRENN THE GIANTSLAYER
–The farmer who became a Giantslayer. Became a fan of his right from the start as it seemed he was going to be in Jon’s crew of friends in the Night’s Watch and the had the good guy vibe going for him. Grenn was one of the 3 that helped bring Jon back when he was going to break his vows to join Robb’s army after Ned was killed proving he was a true friend. When Sam is forced to train, Grenn tries to help him out but Alliser Thorne obviously sees through it and puts a bigger target on Sam’s back but Grenn tried to help. The Nights Watch made Grenn train to be a Ranger which was smart as he seems like a perfect fit for it. We learn Grenn is a boob man as he loves the sight of women walking towards him lol Grenn discovers the tablet from the First Men where the first cache of Dragonglass they found was buried and survives the attack from the White Walkers/wights with Edd and Sam. Proves himself to be a good guy again as he attacks Karl when the mutineers kill Craster and Lord Commander Mormont. Unfortunately Grenn doesn’t kill him but he manages to escape to Castle Black with Edd.
-Our boy Grenn is the first to volunteer to join Jon’s mission to bring the mutineers at Craster’s Keep to justice and is there to deliver it as they kill all the mutineers. When the wildlings attack the Wall and Castle Black, a giant goes to the tunnel to try and break the doors down so the wildlings can get through and crush the Nights Watch. Jon tells Grenn to take some men and hold the gate vs a fcking giant, 10 thousand times easier said than done but it had to be done. Thanks to Grenn’s leadership in an awesome moment firing up the men with their Nights Watch vows, Grenn and the men are able to successfully able to hold the gate and kill the giant. It just cost them their lives as none survived including Grenn. We learn the giants name was Mag The Mighty, a King among Giants and last of a line that went back before the First Men. Too bad they all couldn’t be on the same side. Def wanted Grenn to stick around longer but as far as endings go, defending the gate and killing a giant is hard to top haha
“PYP” PYPAR
– The last member of the Nights Watch boys with Jon, Sam and Grenn who has a really tragic story on the show. Jon is complaining about being steward instead of a ranger but Pyp puts him in his place pretty quick. We learn he was singer that refused sexual advances from a Lord and that’s why he lost his freedom and had to be sent to join the Nights Watch. If anyone should be complaining here, it’s Pyp. I could relate to Pyp, an innocent soul that had no time for violence and everything that comes with it. Pyp is there to welcome Jon back to Castle Black after he is shot by Ygritte. I thought that we were seeing some character development from Pyp during the Battle of Castle Black, he started out scared and incompetent and then actually made a kill. The arrow from Ygritte that killed him shocked the hell out of me I couldn’t believe Pyp was gonna die like that. Pyp’s story is very sad, he never should have been at the Wall and then dies in a Battle he was forced into. At least he got to feel like an equal to his brothers for one moment.
THE HIGH SPARROW
-Wow did I despise this man and his followers lol but it was weird bc he was really saying a lot of good things like wanting to help the poor, ending the corruption and debauchery that had plagued King’s Landing for hundreds of years, ending the high born/low born dynamic, pretty much things that you should want for a good well functioning society other than targeting gay people. So it was weird to have so much hatred for the guy but I have finally figured out why he inspired so much negative emotions from me. It was because the High Sparrow and everything he talked about represented the end of the Game of Thrones and all I wanted was for it to keep going so I grew to absolutely loathe him lol In real life, if he learned to accept gay people, the High Sparrow would have been a guy I was a big fan of and would have been fine with as a leader but this is Game of Thrones so I wanted to see that dynamic continue for as long as possible. Jonathan Pryce as the High Sparrow was absolutely incredible and one of the best performances on the show. He made the High Sparrow so real he was able to draw out strong, genuine reactions from me which is why I watch TV/movies. I really loved to hate the High Sparrow.
-It is no coincidence that Tywin’s death coincided with the Sparrows emergence. Tywins life was the Game of Thrones and not many knew it was well as him so his death was a big blow to the GoT continuing and gave the High Sparrow the chance he needed to end it. Tywin would have dealt with the Sparrows swiftly and viciously as he would have known what the consequences of allowing them any power would be which is why we never heard of them before. But with Tywin dead, the High Sparrow knows he can manipulate Cersei and Tommen so he makes his move. First one being to have the Sparrows expose the High Septon for engaging in sex with prostitutes and force him into his own walk of atonement. Instead of using force to respond, Cersei goes to meet the High Sparrow thinking he can help her to control the Tyrells and walks right into his trap. Amazing debut for a character, Jonathan Pryce needs to be in a Quentin Tarantino movie with his mastery of dialogue you just hang on every word when he talks.
-Cersei makes the High Sparrow the new High Septon and also allows the Faith Militant to reform and allow them to arm themselves. Immediately the Faith Militant causes chaos in the streets of King’s Landing as they go around smashing vendors of religious idols and attacking taverns, specifically Littlefingers brothel and they pull no punches attacking both the prostitutes and the clients. Lancel Lannister leads the Faith Militant to arrest Loras Tyrell and then shit really hits the fan when they use Loras to implicate Margaery in false testimony during his trail so they can arrest Margaery too. Cersei thinks she has everyone right where she wants them but the High Sparrow is playing the long game, waiting for his opportunity and he gets it with the information about Cersei’s sins from Lancel.
-The High Sparrows exchange with The Queen of Thorns as he is scrubbing the floor was one of the best in the series one with a lot of tension bc you knew the High Sparrow had the power to arrest her too. But I bet his line at the end sent shivers down Olenna’s spine, “You are the few, we are the many. And what happens when the many stop fearing the few…,” wow man I thought she was in big trouble at that moment. But it was actually Cersei who was in big trouble as her power and control was about to be taken from her in a way nobody had before, the High Sparrow was about to have her arrested. I did enjoy seeing Cersei slowly realize what was happening and then to be dragged away screaming but barely bc of who was dishing it out. All of the Cersei/High Sparrow scenes verbally sparring together were so much fun to watch, 2 incredible actors that became their characters 100% and brought them to life. Making Cersei do that Walk of Atonement prob sealed the High Sparrows fate of a brutal death via Cersei bc it almost made me feel sympathy for her. Which in turn made me hate the High Sparrow even more bc the last thing I want to feel for Cersei is sympathy or compassion lol but it is becoming clear the High Sparrow really has no clue about who he is dealing with or what she is capable of.
-You could cut the intensity with a knife when Jamie confronted the High Sparrow at the Sept of Baelor, I was on the edge of my seat bc I thought for sure that they were going to arrest Jamie bc that might have been their only chance. The High Sparrow thought the sparrows had overthrown an empire but as Jamie famously once said, “The war’s not won.” However we see why the Sparrow is so confident, he got his hooks into Tommen and makes a huge power play to both seize power for himself and to also embarrass the Lannisters and Tyrells. Such a helpless moment for Jamie and Mace Tyrell, they want to crush them but with the King and Queen on his side the High Sparrow wins a potentially long-term victory over them. But the Sparrow exposes his true motivations, he claims to be righteous yet really only wants power and control. This is proven when he confronts Margaery about not having sex with Tommen since she was released and then basically says whether she wants to or not or whether she likes it or not, she should let him put an heir in her so the High Sparrows power and control can extend generations down the line. All disguised as just wanting to serve the gods and do right by them. The High Sparrow has one more Ace up his sleeve and it solidifies his power and control over Cersei and everyone else going forward, the Sparrow has convinced King Tommen to outlaw trial by combat taking away Cersei and anyone else’s get out of jail free card. But the High Sparrow makes the same mistake Ned Stark did and that is underestimating what Cersei will do to survive and hold onto her power and control once she is threatened with losing it.
-The High Sparrow’s monologue about how he became the High Sparrow making shoes for the wealthy and his last night of debauchery was a masterclass in acting and one of the greatest in TV history. Absolutely incredible. Man when he subtly threatened Olenna to Margaery I had just had enough of him by then I couldn’t stand it lol if they had arrested Olenna and we had to see her in a cell like Margaery I would have gone there to free her myself haha Carving that damn star into Loras’s head was an awful scene but they completely broke him. Then comes one of the best of examples of the word bittersweet. Sweet that the High Sparrow and all of his little sparrow parasites got to take a wildfire bath, good fcking riddance. Bitter that it was Cersei delivering the justice and worst of all my sweet Margaery was a victim. She prob wouldn’t have made it far enough to survive but fck them for sealing her fate by keeping her there. I liked House Tyrell so it sucked to see them wiped out. Man for a character that was only around for 2 seasons during the time people said the show took a dip in quality, the High Sparrow was def not one of the reasons and is absolutely one of the brightest highlights. Created such an interesting dynamic being a villain but having seemingly good rhetoric. This character and his group brought out some of the most strong, genuine reactions from me and I will always be thankful for that. Epic journey on the show.
HODOR
–The big lovable teddy bear that was one of the biggest fan favourites and had one of the most emotional deaths of the series. There isn’t a fibre of evil in his body, just a sweet soul that could be treated cruelly in that world but doesn’t have it that bad. Hodor doesn’t technically have freedom but Westeros is not our world and a role helping a crippled boy is a good thing for someone like Hodor. Think of how Gregor Clegane would have put Hodor to use if he found him and it’s not so bad Hodor is helping the Starks. That is mostly what we see Hodor doing, helping Bran move around but he is a crucial part of the story bc you need a character/actor that can pull it off to have a unique twist to the story like a crippled boy.
-Thunder and lightning cause Hodor to have a fit at the wrong time when they are hiding from wildings but ends up being a significant scene bc Bran in desperation to quiet Hodor actually wargs into him. Warging animals is a thing but warging humans is not, so Bran is more powerful than any realize. I believe this plays into what happens to turn Hodor into Hodor but we’ll get there. We see just how sweet a soul Hodor is when he doesn’t even want to take the dragonglass blade that Sam gives him at first bc it’s a weapon. The mutineers capture Bran/Meera/Jojen/Hodor and fuck when they have Hodor chained up and are tormenting him and actually stabbing him with a spear…holy shit that is up there for scenes that get my blood boiling. You love the sweetness of Hodor and don’t want him any other way but with what they were doing I was hoping he would find it in him to start going berserker lol
-In a heartbreaking scene, Bran wargs into Hodor to use him to kill Locke and allow them to escape. But when Hodor is back in his own consciousness and looks at his hands with blood on them and a dead body below, that is rough to see. Great acting from Kristian Nairn in a tough role that didn’t allow for much most of the time but in this moment required a home run and he nailed it. Hodor’s next big moment would be the last as we would learn a significant piece of his history yet also say goodbye in the same ep. Through Bran’s 3 Eyed raven visions we see that Hodor was a regular boy living in Winterfell with his mother until something happened. I don’t think there is an official explanation for how Hodor exactly got to be the way we saw so my interpretation is that is was caused by something happening in the future that required him to be that way and that is when Bran was touched by the Night King. When that happened the Night King had access to Bran and could track him down to kill him, the only way he survives the cave to get to the point where the Night King was killed is if Hodor holds the door. So just as young Ned heard Bran say “Father,” young Hodor heard Meera screaming “Hold The Door” which caused his brain to have a meltdown connecting his destiny to one thing, “Hold The Door.” The Lord of Light or whoever is in charge of the killing the Night King plan had to sacrifice young Wylis turning him into Hodor so they could save the world. Not fair but if he knew it would work, maybe young Wylis would have agreed to jump on the grenade for them with his own free will. That’s my theory anyways.
-And we get to an absolutely brutal goodbye as Hodor lays down his life to hold the door and give Bran/Meera enough time to escape. Unbelievably emotional scene as you realize Hodor is going to die holding the door but also seeing the vision of Wylis turning to Hodor and we realize his name HODOR is actually just ‘Hold the door’ smushed together. What incredible acting from the young champ Sam Coleman for that performance, such a memorable scene and added so much to the intensity when he slowly goes from ‘Hold the door’ to ‘Hodor.’ Got chills just thinking about it. Sucked bad to say goodbye to him but Hodor is an iconic character that got a legendary death and I don’t think you can ask for more than that.
JOJEN REED
–Bran sees Jojen in a dream before he ever meets him so the scene where Jojen walks up to Bran is a little unsettling but Summer sniffing Jojen’s hand and being cool is good enough for me. Jojen is one of the more mysterious characters on the show, we know a little about him but there is so much more that we don’t. There would have been lots of content to explore more of his story if they had wanted to. Jojen is basically the reason why Bran is able to harness his powers or even realize what they are, Jojen has been able to go into the visions already and explains to Bran what he has already seen. More importantly, Jojen tells Bran that he can’t kill the 3 Eyed Raven he sees in his dreams bc Bran is the 3 Eyed Raven. So yeah Jojen had kind of an important role on the show lol in the end it was Jojen’s destiny to die making sure Bran got to the cave to become the 3 Eyed Raven. I hated his death and thought that the silly look of it really took the tone of the show away from actual fear/suspense towards the White Walkers/wights. But it didn’t ruin the character, I really enjoyed the journey of Jojen and Thomas Brodie-Sangster did a great job playing him to the point of leaving you wanting more from Jojen’s story.
OSHA
-One of the characters in the early seasons that helped sell the realism of the show for me, Osha seemed like she was a real person from Westeros with the great performance Natalia Tena gave us. It wasn’t an easy task as she was one of the first to have to start selling the news about the White Walkers moving south for the first time in 1000’s of years, not even Maester Luwin believes her. Love how Theon thought she was an idiot but she is still smart enough to fck with him haha funny moment when Osha is admiring Hodor’s little Hodor, or not so little, “must have giants blood in him.” Lol Osha takes Bran to the tombs when he has the dream about Ned and then they learn Ned was killed. She is also the one to recognize that the Red Comet is a signal for the birth of Dragons which coincides with Daenerys’s 3 Dragons being born. Her character was very important for helping set up the legend and lore in the early seasons. Osha watches Bran’s prophetic dream of water pouring over the walls of Winterfell and Ser Rodrik being killed come true as Theon and the Ironborn take control of Winterfell then executing Ser Rodrik. She already knew Bran was special but now this is something else.
-Another person that Bran owes his life too as Osha makes sure Bran and Rickon escape the clutches of Theon and the Bolton’s. Brilliant plan to hide in Winterfell right under Theon’s nose knowing if they tried to run they would have been caught. After the Bolton’s leave Winterfell destroyed, Osha gives Maester Luwin a mercy kill and promises to get Bran to Castle Black with Jon. Loved the dynamic between Osha and Meera, they would have been a badass team you wouldn’t want to mess with. Given all Osha has experienced, it’s hard to tell whether she is just being over-protective of Bran engaging in magic or if it really is something Bran should avoid. Osha’s passionate story about her husband Bruni and why she won’t go back beyond the wall was awesome and such a good world building moment. Because of this Osha reluctantly agrees to take Rickon to Last Hearth where they will be safe with the Umbers and they were until Jon let the wildlings through the wall. This caused the Smalljon Umber to betray the Starks handing Rickon and Osha over to Ramsay and killing Shaggydog. I knew it was over for her as there was no way she would be the one to kill Ramsay but I’m thankful there was no torture. Would have been nice to see her around to kick ass during the Battle of Winterfell given she the first to say that the focus of all armies should be North of the wall on the dead. Osha was crucial to selling the realism of the show so I’ll always appreciate her character during rewatches but def could have seen much more.
MANCE RAYDER
-I, like Jon, also thought Tormund was Mance during the first meeting at the wildling camp but Ciarian Hines was def the perfect Mance Rayder. I loved the talks between Mance and Jon, about how Mance assembled his army and warning Jon not to betray them. It was a great sell from Jon to gain Mance’s trust, “I want to fight for the side that fights for the living,” def convincing. The threat of the White Walkers coming south was the only thing that could unite all the clans together. I liked Mance right off the bat and never really did anything to make him a villain. He did have the wildlings attack the villages and Castle Black but there are equal heroes and villains on both sides of that battle. Except slaughtering the villagers, that is tough to look past but I guess he technically didn’t order that it’s just what the wildlings do. Mance ordered Tormund and 20 men to attack Castle Black from the south while Mance and the main army hit it from the North, the cue to attack would be “The biggest fire the North has ever seen.” Great build of anticipation for the big battle I was pumped for the Battle of Castle Black.
-We don’t see Mance again until join goes to parlay with him after the Battle of Castle Black. Kind of felt embarrassed for Jon having to go face Mance after Jon betrayed his trust and admit he actually was everything the wildlings like Orell feared he would be. Mance is just such a good dude and legitimately only wants to protect his people but the only way to do that is to get south of the wall and the Nights Watch won’t allow that. That’s why it is hard to feel good about it despite Jon being someone I cheered for from the start but I don’t fault Jon for it either. Conflicting emotional reactions like that are why I love this show and what makes it special. But I still love the conversation between Mance and Jon talking about the Battle and paying tributes to Ygritte, Grenn and Mag the Mighty.
-Stannis arrives and makes quick work of Mance’s wildling army and that is def putting it lightly, it’s a complete massacre. Mance has no choice to surrender but refuses to bend the knee, keeps his pride but it was def a mistake bc they could have used his leadership. It leads to his eventual execution via being burned alive by Melisandre to harness the magic of King’s blood for Stannis and his attack on Winterfell. That scene was getting tough to watch as Mance started to react to the fire getting to him but Jon put a stop to that with an arrow to the heart. Didn’t get enough of Mance Rayder but what we got was awesome and the conflict with Mance’s army gave us some of the best episodes of the series. Mance Rayder is one of the unsung heroes of the show bc if he doesn’t recognize the White Walker threat and start building an army to prepare for it, everyone is lost.
ROS
-Such a beautiful lady, 1 of my favourite supporting characters I was hoping would get a bigger role before that scumbag Joffrey brutally killed her. Ros was a prostitute but Esme Bianco always played her with a confidence and defiance that I knew she was destined for greater things. Ros didn’t allow the clients to walk all over her or disrespect her at the same time as pleasuring them and gaining a popular reputation. Tyrion is together with Ros first, then later with Theon but it seems like Theon is in love with her showing jealousy at her compliments for Tyrion. Kind of a sad scene when Ros leaves for King’s Landing and Theon is clearly heartbroken but even more so now that the show is over and we know everything. I bet if you could show them their future, Ros and Theon would have hijacked that turnip cart and been gone somewhere never looking back. In King’s Landing, Ros starts working for Littlefinger at his brothel which would be the beginning of the end for her. It’s disgusting that a beautiful woman like Ros has to be with that filthy old man Pycelle.
-Ros has to witness unspeakable acts of horror when Joffrey orders all the bastards of Robert Baratheon killed including the babies many of whom are at the brothel with their mothers. It is such a brutal scene for the viewer so it’s easy to see why it affects Ros so deeply. Then we have to hear Littlefinger offer no sympathy or compassion and tell the story of the prostitute he condemned to a literal living hell by selling her to a cruel man for his sick pleasures. I think that is Ros’s, “We’re not in Winterfell anymore Toto,” moment. If she didn’t realize how dangerous this place was then, she def does after Tyrion buys her and another prostitute for Joffrey. 1 of the most uncomfortable scenes on the show I almost can’t watch it, if they took it any further it would have been time for Joffrey to put his dukes up lol but it gets worse as Cersei thinks she is Tyrion’s secret lover so she has Ros beaten and held captive but Ros keeps Tyrion’s secret showing she is a truly good person. But man it breaks my heart when she begs him not to forget her.
-I was happy to see Ros switch allegiances to Varys but worried bc Littlefinger wouldn’t take that lightly at all. Ros tries to watch out for Sansa telling Shae to watch out for Sansa esp around Littlefinger. She also helps spread the legend of Podrick the Pleasurer lol Ros helps Varys figure out that Littlefinger is planning to take Sansa out of King’s Landing but this cost Ros her life as Littlefinger finds out and punishes her by giving her to Joffrey for his cruel fantasies. We see the awful scene of Ros strung up on the bed with arrows all over her body as Joffrey used her for target practice until he killed her. Infuriating scene and end to Ros’s story but I was really disappointed bc I thought we were about to see her become more of a player in the Game of Thrones but instead became another victim.
YGRITTE
-Beautiful, loyal and fierce man Ygritte is everything you could want in a woman. I don’t know that I could have killed her either but def sucks it cost the lives of the 2 brothers he was with. She immediately tries to seduce Jon and the Nights Watch vows are a big target for her lol her comments are hilarious when they are laying together trying to keep warm. Ygritte escapes again but this time leads Jon into a wildling ambush and now he is her captive. But seeing Jon actually kill Qhorin Halfhand changes everything as that is a serious gesture of trust for Jon and this starts the connection between Jon and the wildlings which would be very important down the road. After Jon kills the Halfhand, you immediately see Ygritte get excited that this could be a potential thing between them. Cool moment as Ygritte takes Jon to Mance and they see a giant, Jon’s first time. After getting Mance’s approval, Ygritte and Jon head to climb the wall with the other 20 Mance sent to attack Castle Black from the south. Then we get the cave scene and man I would have asked her not to say anything bc I don’t know that I would have ever been able to leave that cave if she asked to stay. Seems that Jon has similar skills to Podrick lol and I think it’s awesome that Rose Leslie and Kit Harington are married in real life they have great chemistry.
–Climbing the wall is def an adventure as both Ygritte and Jon almost lose their lives but manage to hang on and get to the top. It is one of the greatest cinematic shots on the show when Ygritte/Jon make it to the top of the wall and share a passionate kiss, just majestic. We realize Orell, the wildling warg is in love with Ygritte and thus hates Jon Snow even more than usual. Ygritte’s heart breaks when Jon makes his escape but she catches up to him and puts three non lethal arrows into him not being able to bring herself to shoot a killing blow. It’s a double whammy for Ygritte with the man she loves betraying her and also not being able to kill the man that betrayed her. Not the case for Olly’s parents as Ygritte puts an arrow right through Olly’s father and kills him. That attack on the villagers was tough to see Ygritte, a character I liked doing a shitty thing. But she shows she is not all bad or just a bloodthirsty savage like some of the rest by sparing Gilly and Little Sam’s lives during the attack on Mole’s Town.
-The Battle of Castle Black is next and again Ygritte gets a kill that I wish she hadn’t when she kills Pyp with an arrow but it’s a battle so what is she supposed to do. Comes down to her having Jon dead to rights with an arrow only to hesitate bc of her love for him and Olly puts a fatal arrow in her back and Ygritte dies in Jon’s arms. Heartbreaking when Jon says they will go back to the cave one day and Ygritte answers with her famous line, “You know nothing, Jon Snow.” Sad end to a great love story and character I hoped would stick around for a long time. Rose Leslie did a great job making Ygritte real, so real that the love between Jon/Ygritte came through into their real lives and made everyone hate a kid that was completely justified in killing her lol
SHAE
-Awesome introduction for Shae as we meet her being stolen from another soldier so Tyrion can have her and they hit it off with immediate chemistry, “I want you to fck me like it’s my last night on earth.” Lol could’ve been on that day but Tyrion survived. It’s through Shae’s questioning that we learn the brutal story of Tyrion’s first wife and what a loathsome parasite Tywin really is, that story is just revolting. Tyrion goes against Tywin’s orders and brings Shae to King’s Landing with him opening up all kinds of problems. Shae def didn’t realize what kind of danger she was in, very frustrating to hear her complain about being hidden away and wanting to be out in public. Tyrion was not yet in a position to be able to protect her so she needed to be more patient. So it’s no surprise during the Battle of Blackwater that Cersei started to figure out Shae was not what she said she was, lucky for Shae the Battle turned and Cersei fled. Really sweet moment after the Battle when she looks at Tyrions scars and doesn’t care, he is her Lion. “I am yours, and you are mine.” But Tyrions marriage to Sansa caused big problems for their relationship and was probably the beginning of the end. The jealousy and neglect that Shae felt def made it possible for her to betray Tyrion so completely later on with the trial and sleeping with Tywin. Having Varys try to convince her to leave was not the best decision as that just stoked the fire. Awful moment when Tyrion decides his only hope to save her life is to break her heart to the point so she leaves Westeros forever so he starts saying things he doesn’t mean. Felt bad for both of them, such a tragic love story.
-Tyrion thinks she is gone on a boat to Essos for good but she shows up as a surprise witness against Tyrion in the trial for Joffrey’s murder and absolutely rocks his world telling huge lies to the court. Tyrions speech to break her heart def worked just not the response he expected. After Tyrion is freed by Jamie, he stops by the Tower of the Hand and sees Shae in Tywin’s bed and loses his shit. Shae sees him and grabs a knife but Tyrion uses the gold chains he gave her earlier as a gift to strangle her to death. That was an awful end for Shae and her love with Tyrion, they had almost a Game of Thrones style Romeo and Juliet type of love story. It’s kind of ironic that Tyrion basically killed Tywin bc he wouldn’t stop calling Shae a whore considering Tyrion calling her a whore clearly sent her over the edge. Sibel Kekilli did a great job of nailing the ‘reluctant whore’ character bc that is really who Shae was, she knew her place but yearned for more.
KHAL DROGO
-For a savage barbarian, Khal Drogo presents an interesting character. On one hand with his strength and charisma, Khal Drogo seems like an awesome character to root for. But then you learn the Dothraki culture including raping women, destroying peaceful villages and massacring the innocent villagers, living with no compassion, empathy or mercy of any kind. These are awful things to do and make it hard to root for the character but in reality Drogo was born into a culture that taught this so he knows nothing but that life. To Khal Drogo, those disgusting things they do have been taught to be great, honourable things for a Dothraki. He doesn’t know any other way but it also doesn’t make it any easier to watch him rape Daenerys. However Drogo shows that he can learn, he can change and is willing to embrace the changes that Dany tries with him, he doesn’t just hurt her physically or force her to do things like he did the first time. There has to be love for her in him if he is going to be willing to go against everything he knows. The Dany/Drogo love story is very complex do to Drogo’s barbarian ways at first but turns into something good when Dany teaches him the right way.
-Viserys pushing his luck 1 too many times and pays for it when Khal Drogo gives him the golden crown he has desired for so long, just def not the one Viserys wanted. After Jorah saves Dany’s life from the assassination attempt, this lights a fire under Drogo and he unleashes an epic fcking speech about bringing his Khalasar to Westeros and killing the men in their iron suits and securing for his son the iron chair that his mother’s father sat on. Such an intense speech, still talks about rape and enslaving Westeros children which subdues the excitement but forgetting that it got me pumped up to see the Dothraki in Westeros. So I was fcking blown away when he got sick from the cut, falling from his horse and realizing this character was done, so shocking bc I was expecting Drogo to be a main character. After that crazy speech I was sure he would be around long term and then basically next episode he is dead lol One of the twists that sold me on the show, it sucked but was so exciting bc of the unpredictability. The witch falls in the same category as Olly, she had every right to do what she did but I still hate her for it lol and it was kind of bullshit that she didn’t have any gratitude for Dany stopping the cruelty from continuing but I can’t fault the witch for killing Drogo.
-I love horses so that blood magic ritual bothers me. While the witch had the right to kill Drogo, Rhaego was innocent despite the prophecies so I can’t feel sorry for her going into the flames. I’ve read that the witch burning was part of the reason the Dragons hatched, I never put that together watching it but it makes sense. Too bad we never got to see Khal Drogo in more fights but at least we got 1. Khal Drogo is still 1 of the most popular characters so no doubt Jason Momoa turned in a legendary performance playing the savage barbarian that could learn to change.
VISERYS TARGARYEN
–Viserys being given his golden crown by Khal Drogo kicked off 3 deaths in a row of main characters I thought would be around for multiple seasons in Viserys, Khal Drogo and Ned Stark. I hated Viserys right from my first impression of him fondling his naked sister and was sure he was the villain the show would be built around. Forcing Dany to marry Drogo and then his disgusting, infuriating line, “I would let his whole tribe fck you, all forty thousand men and their horses too, if that’s what it took.” Man I was so pissed off hearing that and not looking forward to waiting multiple seasons for justice to come to him. Viserys would insist on remaining with the Khalasar until Drogo fulfills his part of the deal instead of somewhere safer and that would end up being a huge mistake.
-Walking around like he is already King was not a good plan as Viserys gets angry with Dany for giving commands and draws his sword on her causing Rakharo to choke and restrain Viserys with his whip. Viserys has his horse taken as punishment and is forced to walk alongside the Khalasar losing any shred of respect he had from them. Dany invites Viserys to dinner and he has a fit at being given another order this time putting his hands on Dany but she ain’t having any more of it. At this point Viserys can feel it all slipping away making him desperate and more likely to do something stupid.
-Khal Drogo won’t move on Westeros until his son is born seriously frustrating Varys waiting in King’s Landing for it to happen and obviously Viserys is as impatient as it gets. 1 thing becomes very clear and that is Daenerys has won over the Dothraki people and Viserys chance to sit on the Iron Throne becomes slimmer by the day. He leaves the ceremony trying to steal the Dragon eggs but Jorah stops him and man would things be different if Viserys had sold those eggs. Viserys comes back drunk walking into Khal Drogo’s tent talking shit and I couldn’t see how this would end well but I knew Viserys was the villain they were building around so he had to survive. Telling Drogo he will cut out his unborn son from Dany’s belly and leave it there for him was a death wish I couldn’t believe it. It was one of my most shocking moments watching TV when Drogo poured the gold over Viserys head and killed him. My jaw hit the floor and I did not know what to think about where the story was going. Dany said, “Fire cannot kill a dragon,” but that was molten gold. I’m pretty sure if they did that to her she would die as well. What an unbelievable scene and surprise end to what had been building to a great villain. Harry Lloyd was perfect as the narcissistic psychopath and another character that helped establish realism in the show early on with their performance.
GRAND MAESTER PYCELLE
-One of the best supporting performances on the show and another that goes in the category of helping the show establish realism. It’s hard to pick scenes to highlight bc he was in so many and every one was important, Julian Glover did a great job every time Pycelle was on screen. But Ned was confrontational with him at first and that is all I need to cheer against him lol you can tell Pycelle is covering something up when Ned presses him about Jon Arryn and how he died. Just disgusting that he gets to put his filthy self on Ros but bc of that we see that his frail old man persona is fake and he can move around like normal. Doesn’t ever really lead anywhere but still interesting to know. Also get to hear him talk about the Mad King before he went mad which was really interesting.
-Tyrion proves Pycelle to be the snake he is and a spy for Cersei by planting 3 separate secrets with 3 different people and being confronted by Cersei with the one Tyrion told Pycelle. Loved seeing Pycelle sent to the black cells but you knew Cersei wouldn’t let that stand. And how awful is the fn smile he has on his face when Tyrion wakes up after the Blackwater with all his power gone and Pycelle’s restored. Between that and Joffrey surviving, season 2 left me angry haha wished someone would have smacked Pycelle when he was laughing at Joffrey humiliating Tyrion at Tyrions wedding. Def infuriating to hear him lie about Tyrion stealing poisons to implicate him in Joffrey’s murder, Pycelle actually utters the words, “Tyrion conspired with his wife Sansa to strike down the most noble child the Gods ever put on this good earth.” Hahahahah wow what is he smoking. Great to see Pycelle humiliated 1 more time by Tyrion, cutting off Pycelle’s speech before the trial by combat. Pycelle is the one to inform Cersei that Oberyn coated his weapons with manticore poison and the Mountains’ wounds are untreatable and fatal. Well, fatal until Qyburn speaks up and says he can save the Mountain with unnatural methods and that gets Pycelle kicked out of the lab for good by Cersei.
-Pycelle doesn’t have the influence with Cersei he thinks he does as she won’t make him Hand of the King or the Master of Whisperers. We see Pycelle seemingly making a comeback for power by having access to advise Tommen despite Cersei’s wishes but she would take care of that in the same episode she blew up the Sept of Baelor by having Pycelle assassinated by the ‘little birds.’ Crazy scene to see kids doing that I did not see it going down like that. Figured it would be the Mountain to finally kill Pycelle after all the shit Pycelle was talking about him. Pycelle annoyed the shit out of me but he was def the kind of character you need on this show and as I said was one of the best supporting characters on the show.
QYBURN
–Crazy that we actually meet Qyburn when he is saved by Robb Stark and Talisa when the Northern forces arrive at Harrenhall after it was attacked by the Mountain and his forces. Qyburn stays behind when Robb and the Northern forces leave which allows him to be there to tend to Jamie when Locke cuts off his hand. I always thought Jamie refused any milk of the poppy or drugs bc he was trying to prove he was still tough with 1 hand but reading other reviews I guess it was actually bc he was afraid Qyburn would amputate his arm. Qyburn impresses Jamie with his care of the wound and we learn Qyburn is very skilled but got expelled from the Citadel for performing experiments on living humans but his excuse was the information helped save lives. Back in King’s Landing, Qyburn speaks up to say he can save the Mountain from death after the Mountain is poisoned by Oberyn during the trial by combat. This puts him in Cersei’s good graces and at her side for the rest of the series.
-Unsettling when Qyburn asks to keep the dwarf head that is brought to Cersei due to the bounty she put on Tyrion. Qyburn comforts Cersei after her walk of atonement and is there to introduce the undead Mountain justifying her faith in his skills a Maester. Qyburn investigates and confirms the rumours that there are still wildfire caches leftover from the Mad King’s wildfire plot and they would use this to destroy the Great Sept of Baelor along with most of Cersei’s Kings Landing enemies in an extraordinary explosion of wildfire. At the same time this was going down, Qyburn was orchestrating the assassination of Pycelle by his little birds. Unbelievably intense end to a season. Qyburn creates the scorpion crossbow used to attack the Dragons and he is confident it will be able to kill them, I was so nervous when they revealed the scorpion as I thought if anyone could create a weapon to kill a Dragon it’s Qyburn. I was really shocked when it ended up not killing but just wounding Drogon.
-You could feel Qyburn’s frustration with Cersei during the Massacre of King’s Landing by Daenerys as she just would not snap out of her fantasy world where she just says things out loud and they come true. Finally gets her to leave but they run into the Hound and it’s time for Cleganebowl. Qyburn is killed by the Mountain trying to get him to obey and protect Cersei and not go after the Hound. Wasn’t sure how Qyburn’s story was going to end but being killed by his own creation seems like a fitting end. Anton Lesser did a great job bringing a character to life with a lot of depth to him in that he wasn’t all the way bad and def not all the way good but not in the middle either lol wherever he falls Qyburn def had a big impact on the story.
MERYN TRANT
–Meryn fucking Trant lol I don’t care what anyone says he did not kill Syrio Forel, Syrio is alive and well somewhere. It couldn’t have been fun to portray a character like Meryn Trant but Ian Beattie did a great job bringing us a true scumbag. Trant seemed more than happy to carry out the awful orders Joffrey gave him like beating and stripping Sansa. Then Meryn Trant is too much of a coward or scumbag or both to try and rescue Sansa from being raped by the mob of rioters. Bronn can’t stand Meryn Trant so I loved seeing them almost come to blows bc Bronn would have kicked the shit out of him but Trant was saved in the nick of time and we never got to see it. Of course Trant would testify against Tyrion but Tyrion could not stay silent and just let him bullshit up there haha man what an uncomfortable, revolting scene when Meryn Trant is at the brothel in Braavos choosing young prostitutes and then when he starts beating them it’s right at the line of too much. So much so that during our catch-up my Dad spoke up right before the abuse ended and Arya attacks him saying, “Ok wtf is this.” Thankfully Arya was there to deliver justice and get rid of him once and for all but damn that was nasty. If anyone deserves a death like that it’s Meryn Trant but it’s almost too fcked up to enjoy watching haha
ALLISER THORNE
–‘The asshole at the Wall’ as my Dad so affectionately refers to him lol what a prick this guy was right from the start. Thorne wasn’t as much of a scumbag as Meryn Trant so I’m sure Owen Teale had fun with it as he certainly crushed his performance. Alliser Thorne was one of the rare villains on the show that I wanted to see turn into a good guy, despite his tormenting of Jon there was a hero in there somewhere. But we meet Alliser as he is giving Jon a hard time and setting him up to dominate the other recruits during training which puts a target on Jon’s back. Alliser immediately dislikes Sam and would have def allowed Sam to be beaten to a pulp and prob killed if not for Jon, just sucks that Alliser ended up being right bc helping Sam got Edd killed. You gotta be a real asshole to not like Ned Stark but that’s Alliser Thorne who starts to taunt Jon about Ned’s “confession.” Thorne is sent to King’s Landing to convince everyone there the dead are coming and we don’t see him for a few seasons.
-Immediately causes trouble when Thorne is back in S4 leading the charge to execute Jon for killing the Halfhand and “quite literally sleeping with the enemy.” Thankfully Maester Aemon is there to back Jon up but you know Thorne will hold a grudge. He only allows Jon to go kill the mutineers at Craster’s hoping Jon will die during the raid. But the Battle of Castle Black allows us to see Alliser Thorne as close to a good guy as he would get, he had one of the best performances in the episode. Talking to Jon before the battle with respect almost as an equal was great, def wanted to see more of that Alliser. What a fcking unbelievable speech to rally the troops to fight, “Tonight we fight, and when the sun rises, I promise you, Castle Black will stand! The Night’s Watch will stand!” Chills man, chills.
-Thought either Thorne or Tormund would die during their fight but both survived that really surprised me. “Hold that fucking gate!” Battle of Castle Black def gave us the best of Alliser Thorne. Thorne is defeated by Jon in the vote to become new Lord Commander but I wasn’t comfortable as we know Thorne will not accept Jon’s leadership long-term. Esp as Jon moves forward with the plan to let the wildlings through the Wall to both protect them and keep them from joining the Night King’s army. Jon should have listened to Stannis when he advised Jon to send Alliser to Eastwatch, Stannis knows how dangerous men like Alliser are. Thorne can’t forget all the lives of Nights Watch brothers lost to the wildlings over the years so he would rather leave them to die and join the Night King’s army, too ignorant to look at the big picture. When Jon shows up with the wildlings from Hardhome, Alliser very reluctantly lets them through but that was def the last straw.
-Thorne has Olly lure Jon into the courtyard so the mutineers can all stab him, “For the watch.” Infuriating scene, that was a tough wait for the next season. But we got to see Edd rally the wildings to come bring the mutineers to justice and Wun Wun seriously fck em up. Def frustrating that Thorne died defiant and thinking he was right, he earned more than a hanging but I was happy to finally see justice served that I could enjoy. Alliser Thorne was 1 of the biggest assholes on the show but despite that, we saw a bit of the hero in him during the Battle of Castle Black. I was hoping to see him turn over a new leaf following that but as an antagonist, he was able to draw out strong genuine reactions so I was more than happy to love to hate him.
MAESTER LUWIN
-One of those characters that make you comfortable watching the show bc if Maester Luwin is around things will be ok, he can handle it. Donald Sumpters performance is another one that helped establish the realism on the show in the early seasons bc Maester Luwin was a real person. Maester Luwin counsels Catelyn after receiving the letter from Lysa Arryn blaming the Lannisters for killing her husband that bc of this, Ned should take the job as Hand of the King. A risky, dangerous move but things prob would have ended up worse and fallen apart more severely if Ned hadn’t gone to King’s Landing, as hard as that would be to believe given how bad things ended up. Osha tells Maester Luwin the White Walkers have woken up and are moving but he doesn’t believe they’re real, so if a guy like Luwin doesn’t believe it you can understand why Jon had so much trouble convincing people. When Cersei forces Sansa to write that letter to Robb, Luwin recognizes that they are the words of Cersei and not Sansa.
– Luwin cares for Bran and helps him survive after his fall, I loved the scenes with Maester Luwin trying to teach Bran how to be the Lord of Winterfell and help him accommodate to his condition. Bran asks about his dreams which started around the same time Daenerys dragons were born and Luwin says magic, if it existed left the world a long time ago but the birth of Dragons have brought it back unbeknownst to Maester Luwin. When Theon attacks Winterfell, Luwin gets a raven out to Robb before Theon can stop him and force Luwin to serve Theon as the Lord of Winterfell a role Luwin has sworn to uphold no matter who is in charge. Luwin’s scream when he sees the bodies of what he believes to be Bran and Rickon was awful, makes you really hate Theon. He sees Osha stealing bread and realizes the bodies are not Bran and Rickon, they’re all hiding in Winterfell allowing Luwin to help conceal them. But despite Theon’s betrayal, Luwin has compassion and empathy for him and tries to save him from the trouble he is bringing to himself urging him to join the Nights Watch but Theon is too far gone.
-Luwin tries to intervene when Theon’s men turn on him but Dagmer stabs Luwin and leaves him for dead. Thankfully Bran, Rickon, Osha and Hodor find Luwin so he doesn’t have to die alone. Very sad scene as they say goodbye to Luwin and he gives them his counsel one more time telling them to go North to the Wall and find Jon. I did not want to say goodbye to Maester Luwin, I loved hearing all of the knowledge he had and his interactions with Bran were great. Maester Luwin is def one of the highlights of the first seasons and helped a lot with the early world building.
MAESTER AEMON
–Just like Maester Luwin, Maester Aemon was one of the characters that made me feel comfortable watching the show bc I knew if he was around, things would be stable. Really wanted him to stick around the more we saw of the Wall and how big of a target Jon had on his back. Maester Aemon saw the potential in Jon immediately making him steward to Lord Commander Mormont so he could learn command but Jon can’t see that yet so he is pissed. Awesome scene when Maester Aemon intercepts Jon trying to desert the Nights Watch after Ned was killed and tells him the story of who he really is; Aemon Targaryen who had to sit at the Wall and do nothing while his family was butchered and sent into hiding during/after Roberts Rebellion. That story puts Jon is his place and helps him realize he isn’t the only one that has faced brutal decisions when it comes to choosing between the oaths he took with the Watch and his family loyalties. Jon prob leaves without that conversation so Maester Aemon really saved Jon but he doesn’t stop there. Aemon is the one to have Sam send the ravens all over the Seven Kingdoms asking for help at the Wall and bc of that Stannis shows up to save the day from Mance Rayder’s army.
-Jon would probably be dead once again when he stands before the Watch confessing to breaking his vows with Ygritte and killing the Halfhand. Jon counters saying he obtained valuable information that will help the Watch defend Castle Black from Mance Rayder. But Aemon defends him saying Jon is being truthful about Qhorin telling Jon to kill him and not confessing to anything that hasn’t been done by every member of the Watch at some point. Even Ser Alliser seems to not be a big fan of Maester Aemon which made me nervous for Aemon’s survival as he was very important to Jon’s survival. Maester Aemon also counsels the Watch not to retaliate after the wildlings attack Olly’s village bc that is exactly what they want and Aemon know defending Castle Black is the only priority. Man what a great King Maester Aemon would have been, too bad he dedicated his life to the Nights Watch.
-Loved the interactions and relationship between Maester Aemon and Sam, wish it could have continued longer they were a great team. Sucks that Maester Aemon ended up like that Twilight Zone episode, thousands of books to read and time to read them but now Aemon is blind. Cruel fate but that’s where Sam comes in. 1 of my favourite scenes when they choose the 998th Lord Commander and Aemon casts the deciding vote for Jon. One of our lasts scenes with Maester Aemon was another of my favourites, talking about Daenerys and Aemon lamenting that she is alone and he can’t help her. Wish Aemon could have learned the truth about Jon, would have loved to see his response. Aemon leaves us with 1 of my favourite quotes from the show to Jon, “Kill the boy. Let the man be born.” Fcking love that quote and I apply it to my own life. I was really nervous for Sam and Jon bc Aemon was the last protection from the scumbags in the Watch that hated them. Sad to see the end of Aemon Targaryen but what an awesome character he was brought to life with a great performance from Peter Vaughan, we shall never see his like again.
THE NIGHT KING AND THE WHITE WALKERS
–I have to be honest, when I first discovered the show, I absolutely loved the Game of Thrones part of it but I HATED the White Walker stuff. Couldn’t understand why you would bring something stupid and fake like the White Walkers into an awesome story that seemed real like the Game of Thrones. Also thought their presence would hurt the shows chances to become really popular and grow the audience which is hilarious considering the reaction to the final season lol We see the White Walkers in the first scene after they attacked Will’s ranging patrol and then not again until S2 but we do see the wights they animated that attacked Lord Commander Mormont and Jon helped kill. Thought that scene was dumb during the 1st watch but I like it now. Sam knows only White Walkers can do this so it’s all the proof they need that the rumours are true and the White Walkers are real and starting to move. A Walker comes to pick up one of Craster’s’ babies in a crazy scene even I had to admit was intriguing. But as I said, I didn’t like the White Walker stuff so I didn’t invest in it at all causing the Season 2 finale where the White Walkers and wights march on the wall to have no impact on me other than disappointment. Still wasn’t a fan so I just wanted them to fuck off lol
-Little Sam was supposed to be the 100th baby boy Craster sacrificed to the White Walkers but when Sam/Gilly escaped I def did not expect the White Walkers to chase them down. The Walker thinks just go get the baby and that he doesn’t have to kill pathetic Sam bc there is no chance that he has a dragonglass…OH SHIT! Hahah great scene for Sam, not so much for that White Walker. I was starting to come around at this point but the scene that finally sold me on the White Walkers for good is S4 when the last of Craster’s boys is given to the White Walkers. We not only get to see where they take him but we get the debut of the Night King seeing that he is the one that creates the White Walkers, that made me start to be willing to give the storyline a chance. As I said, I wasn’t a fan of the White Walkers at all and didn’t give it much thought or attention but I had to admit this scene was ridiculously intriguing and it did inspire a lot of thoughts and fun theories. The Night King and the White Walkers being weapons created by the Children of the Forest desperate survive the fight vs the First Men, but weapons that they couldn’t control that killed everything so the CotF and the First Men had to team up to stop them is a fcking cool story.
-I’m happy I had that moment or I would have hated Hardhome missing out on appreciating one of the best episodes of the series. I love how the attack just comes out of nowhere, you think it’s a peaceful evacuation and then BOOM here comes the dead. I loved the intro of the Night King easily recognizing all of his potential as a character and villain but Hardhome kicked that up a notch. Once the Night King sees Jon kill one of his White Walkers he def knows who will be bringing him his dragon. What a chilling moment when Jon and the crew barely escape on the boat and the Night King is staring Jon down as he slowly raises his arms and all the dead with them. I knew the only counter to this scene was Dragons so my worry for their safety went way up. Another scene that inspired a lot of thoughts and fun theories is the vision Bran sees of the creation of the Night King by the children of the Forest. I can’t express how much I loved this explanation/scene bc it explained the Night King/White Walkers in a way that made them feel real and easy to suspend disbelief for. The greatness of the explanation totally changed my enjoyment of the White Walker story in the best way during my rewatch.
-Dumbass Bran thinks he can just wander around the Night Kings army in one of his visions free as a raven until the Night King appears and actually touches him. The 3 Eyed Raven explains how big of a mistake that was bc it ended their protections and now the Night King could find Bran bc of the mark he left on him. He does just that as The Night King shows up with his army having wights kill Jojen, Summer and Hodor while the Night King kills the old 3 Eyed Raven. Ready or not Bran, you’re the 3 Eyed Raven now. Jon is able to kill his 2nd White Walker during the ‘capture a wight’ mission but unfortunately becomes the bait the Night King needs to get him a dragoon. I don’t know why but it didn’t cross my mind that the Night King/White Walkers would be a threat to the dragons, I just loved watching the dragons kick ass until he went for that spear and I immediately got nervous. 1 of the most shocking and dreadful moments on the show was watching Viserion die and knowing that the 3 things keeping Dany in the story just became 2.
-It also didn’t occur to me that not only would Dany lose a dragon, but that the Night King would raise Viserion out of the water, turn him and gain a dragon for his army. Daenerys went from a 3-0 advantage over every enemy down to a 2-1 advantage vs her biggest. I was so confident Dany was about to wreck everyone’s shit at the start of S7 only for it to end with her losing a dragon and the Night King bringing down the fcking Wall with it. The Night Kings plan to get his army past the Wall worked to perfection, amass an army until dragons and magic are back in the world, lure the dragons to where you can get one and then finally take down and get past this massive magic wall. Awesome scene seeing the Wall come down and knowing the war vs the dead was coming to their doorstep. The Night King leave one final message for the living at Last Hearth in the form of a turned Ned Umber pinned to the wall on one of the White Walker symbols. We learn from Bran that the Night Kings goal is to erase the world of men and that starts with its memory, the 3 Eyed Raven so they can use Bran as bait to lure the Night King in and kill him.
-In the Battle of Winterfell the Night King shows he is a great battle strategist himself as he brings in an ice storm to make the dragons useless and then uses his army the best way possible just smashing the full force of them at every defensive position. The Night King loses the battle in the air being knocked off Viserion and Daenerys thinks she has the battle ended with a Dracarys for the Night King but fire will not kill him and he just stands there and smirks. Pissed me off I wanted to wipe that smirk off his face lol whatever victory Jon got in the battle in the air, the Night King gets it back when Jon thinks he finally has the Night King 1 on 1 and tNK just raises his arms and all the dead on the battlefield with them, keeping Jon from getting to him. Such a frustrating scene bc I wanted a fight but it was the smartest thing for the character to do, he has seen Jon in combat and isn’t chancing it.
-The Night King heads into the Godswood to kill Bran and leaves Viserion to make sure Jon is pinned down and can’t get to the Godswood. Perfect plan he must have been a great warrior or at least a great advisor before he was turned into the Night King. Theon charges the Night King to stop him from entering the Godswood but the Night King blocks the spear and stabs Theon through the stomach killing him. The Night King had everyone accounted for so all he had to do was finish Bran off…but he forgot about no one. If you asked me to make a list of people that would possibly kill the Night King, Arya would have been near the bottom which is why it makes the most sense I guess bc I’m sure the Night King thought the same way. Not the way I thought the story with the Night King and the White Walkers was going to go that’s for sure.
-Coming into Season 8 I would have actually put the Night King winning as the 2nd most likely outcome, maybe an ending with only Dany or Jon surviving would have been my most likely. But the way they built the Night King/White Walkers up for the entire show and all the 1000’s of years of history in the show, I thought there would have been more to their end and at the very least thought we would have learned most of their history but we still know basically nothing. I think they are probably saving the explanations for the prequels, that’s def not fair to this story but I hope they do explain everything about the Night King/White Walkers bc I’m dyin to know. But here The White Walkers didn’t even put up a fight in their final battle they just showed up as escorts and then died. Such a badass moment to see the White Walker generals walking off the battlefield into Winterfell, thought we were getting some great fights but we got nothing from them. I was hoping we would see an entire army of White Walkers with how many sons Craster had and I’m sure there were more deals like that happening over the 1000’s of years. We never even learn how they communicated with Craster to make that deal. Lots left on the table imo.
-For characters I started out no being interested in at all, the White Walkers/Night King ended up being one of my favourite storylines at the end and I def fully embraced them. It was fun to think of the theories about their mysteries and stuff like Bran being the Night King. So much more they could have done with the Night King/White Walkers but in the end I can enjoy the journey they took us on with them
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
LYSA ARRYN – Wow what a performance from Katie Dickie she certainly gave us a memorable character, so awkward and cringey when she is breastfeeding her what must have been close to 10 year old son. Another character that helped establish realism bc Lysa came off so crazy that I couldn’t believe someone could be her and their real self. Lysa’s obsession with Littlefinger was stage 5 clinger to the max lol funny she had the septon outside the door ready to go. She was def going to cause big problems for Sansa so can’t say I was too upset about her death but it would have been cool to see her be an ally to Sansa
JANOS SLYNT – Like Meryn Trant, this could not have been a fun character to play but Dominic Carter embraced it and gave us a memorable performance as Janos Slynt the snivelling coward. While he technically didn’t have any role in issuing the orders he def seemed to enjoy carrying out the orders of betraying Ned Stark for Cersei and then murdering Robert Baratheon’s bastards for Joffrey. It was great when Tyrion had Janos sent to the wall but then he immediately starts causing trouble and rallying against Jon so it’s almost worse. Such a pathetic sight when Janos has been trusted to command the troops but runs to hide in the cellar. Thought Jon would have mercy on Janos when he was begging at the end but had to execute him if he wanted any respect as Lord Commander going forward after the shit Janos was talking.
WALDER FREY – after the Red Wedding there was no way Walder or any Frey was getting a House or character discussion despite the amazing performance from David Bradley. This is another character that really helped establish the realism on the show for me, it was as if we were watching a real person. Right away it is clear Walder is a disgusting person not to be trusted but his outrageous demands to allow Robb and the army to cross the Twins and rescue Ned pissed me off so much. After Robb breaks the oath he never should have had to swear, Walder helps engineer and execute the Red Wedding, one of the worst crimes in the history of Westeros. Daenerys: “Hold my beer.” Lol man the way Walder just kept drinking wine during the attack was perfect, his gloating and insulting taunts towards Robb and Catelyn were so infuriating. Great villain. Who finally got his when Winter came calling for House Frey and the last thing Walder Frey saw before he died was a Stark smiling down on him.
SEPTA UNELLA – Wow for someone that only had a few lines, repeated over and over and over lol but still she was able to bring strong emotions out of the audience every time she was on screen bc of the great performance. “SHAME!” will def be her legacy lol but as bad as I wanted justice to come to Unella I hated what happened to her at the end with Cersei and the Mountain.
ORELL – Thought he was another character that felt like you were watching a real person and his story with Jon was one of the few times that a conflict actually built to a 1 on 1 fight, a really good one too.
KARL & RAST – Man I couldn’t stand these two they just looked like a couple of scumbags, Rast had this villainous scowl that stayed on his face the entire time. Karl was such a slimy character he just made your skin crawl. The conditions they created for Craster’s wives were just revolting and really bothered me that things actually got worse for these women. So infuriating to watch a piece of shit like Rast kill a great man like Jeor Mormont and then to watch Karl desecrate the body by drinking out of his skull!? Wow just unbelievable scumbags these guys were easy to hate and I couldn’t get justice soon enough. Just wish Jon didn’t need help to kill Karl but I guess in the reality of the show Karl was more than a formidable opponent and very skilled with a blade. Ghost got the kill on Rast so at least it is proper vengeance for Lord Commander Mormont. Weird to say it but I enjoyed both of their deaths lol
OLLY – Poor kid takes so much shit for being mad about his parents and village being completely slaughtered and for an action that he thought was saving Jon’s life in killing Ygritte. Only thing you can really blame him for is agreeing to betray Jon and actually stabbing him but he was obviously heavily pressured by Alliser Thorne and the other scumbags. It would be tough for a kid barely even a teenager to comprehend Jon’s decision to let the Wildling’s through the wall esp considering everything that had happened to Olly by that point. Could have had potential as a Jon protégé which is where I thought things were heading but after the mutiny and Jon’s return. a death by hanging completed a very tough life for Olly.
BROTHER RAY – Only in 1 episode but man Ian McShane gave us a memorable performance that really helped enhance the Hounds character. Unbelievably disappointing and enraging when I saw Brother Ray hanging from their unfinished sept. Glad the Hound found swift justice for him but really wish he could have stuck around much longer.
KINVARA – Man am I glad she isn’t real bc Kinvara scares the shit out of me lol so intense and had 3 Eyed Raven type knowledge. Pretty sure she is only in 1 scene with Tyrion and Varys nevermind 1 episode but still had a big impact and got a big reaction out of me. Much respect to Ania Bukstein for that great performance.
THE WAIF – Horrible villain but in a good way she drove me nuts. One of the most unlikeable characters on the show I don’t think she had any redeeming qualities or scenes. The waif never liked Arya and was jealous of her from the start making training that much harder for Arya. Couldn’t believe the Waif stabbing Arya was exactly as we saw it, the Waif took the face of an old woman to get close to Arya and actually stabbed her multiple times in the stomach. Arya surviving it didn’t make sense but I was obviously happy she did so she could kill the Waif, cool she did it using the skills she picked up during her temporary blindness just wish we had saw the fight. So basically I liked the result just not how it got there.
RANDYLL & DICKON TARLY
-Randyll Tarly is another performance that I put in with Tywin and Roose in that Randyll makes the Game of Thrones seem real. Randyll didn’t have tons of screen time but James Faulkner maximized every second he had with a great performance. It was so enraging to watch Randyll show Sam zero respect even after Sam went out and earned some during his time at and beyond the wall. Very surprising when Randyll turned on the Tyrells considering how much value Randyll puts on the oaths and honours of the Game of Thrones but if you think about it, he didn’t really have a choice. In the end he refused to bend the knee and paid the ultimate price for it along with his son. Without Dickon it wouldn’t have bothered me too much considering how much of a scumbag Randyll was but Dickon being included changed it completely. Thought Dickon had a lot of potential as a character with Tom Hopper playing him, held his own in the scene with Bronn and Jamie so I was looking forward to Dickon getting more involved. Wanted some interaction between Dickon and Sam without Randyll there to get a sense of what kind of brotherly relationship they had. We got a taste in S6 aroud the table but I was hoping to explore it further making the moment have that much more impact.
ROBBETT GLOVER
–Talk about your ultimate flip flopper lol House Glover has sworn fealty to House Stark and then they don’t, then they do and then they don’t again. Gotta imagine Robbett will have some explaining to do for sitting out the Battle of Winterfell and the Massacre of King’s Landing. I did love his speech declaring for Jon to be King in the North and thought it stood out. Even though Robbett was denying the Starks more than helping them I still enjoyed the character bc seemed like you were watching a real person.
LOCKE – The man that took the Kingslayer’s hand, man is Locke lucky that Tywin never found out what really happened and got a hold of him. You know you’re dealing with a sick, twisted character when Ramsay Bolton greets Locke warmly, let’s just say I was very happy to see Locke killed. Locke was too good at pretending to be good so you almost forget what a snake he is. Almost got away with Bran but a warged Hodor put a stop to that. I feel bad that Hodor was forced to be violent but if it could ever be justified, killing Locke at that moment was a time.
MYRANDA – Played the eager psychopath a bit too well lol man what a perfect match for Ramsay Bolton he prob would have been better off marrying her but everyone around the Dreadfort would not have been. Thought Myranda was going to take on a larger role and be around to create conflict with Sansa for a long time and then BOOM Theon throws her over the side and kills her. Just thought she was just going to lower the arrow, did not see her death coming at all but I was actually relieved for Sansa.
SALLADHOR SAAN – Criminal how few scenes we got with this awesome character, loved the relationship between him and Davos. Salladhor was the one to save Davos after the Blackwater and then help Stannis get to the wall. Now that Davos is on the small council I’m sure Salladhor will be calling in a few favours lol
FATHER OF THE LITTLE GIRL DROGON KILLED – For only being in one scene wow this guy did a phenomenal acting job, made you care about him and his little girl with the emotions he displayed in his body language and voice. Darren Kent is the actor and I thought he deserved a shout out bc that scene always affected me and seemed like we were watching a real person from that world.
RAMIN DJAWADI – Obviously not an actual character on the show but I felt Ramin needed to be highlighted bc his scores throughout the show are a huge part of the reason why Game of Thrones was successful. His masterpiece of the series was probably ‘The Light of the Seven’ that played in S6E10 as Cersei’s Wildfyre plot was unfolding, as close to perfect as you can get. The content of what was happening on screen was tense enough but that damn music just set such an epic tone and pushed you closer and closer to the edge of your seat. ‘The Night King’ his score to finish S8E3 was unbelievable and once again set such an epic tone for what is probably the biggest moment of the series. The Night King/White Walkers could have had a better exit but there couldn’t have been a better score to finish their story. Without it the backlash would have been much worse. ‘The Tower’ his score to the R + L = J reveal with Ned and Lyanna was legendary and exactly what that moment needed. That was also in S6E10, man that’s gotta be a candidate for best episode of the series. I could go on and on bc Ramin Djawadi did such a phenomenal job with the soundtrack but I wanted to highlight those 3 as I thought they stood out as incredible work. Game of Thrones wouldn’t have been the show it was without great music to carry it so I can’t wait to see what Ramin does next his skills should be in high demand.
D & D (David Benioff & Dan Weiss)
– When you take on a show like this, criticism is coming lol but it bothers me that people act like the good on the show is bc of GRRM material and everything bad is what D & D contributed bc that is complete bullshit. It’s easy to sit back after they have done it and say, “Oh anyone could have done it with GRRM’s book material.” but before the show was a thing, nobody was breaking down GRRM’s door to make GoT a TV Show. GRRM himself said he was surprised that out of all his material, someone chose GoT as the one to make a reality bc it would be so hard. But D & D looked at the content, knew they had the skills so they said we can do this and make it great and that is exactly what they did. The fact they had to re-shoot the pilot proves that not only was it not easy to deliver the world we saw on screen but the show was very much the vision of D & D and could not have been done without them. As Peter Jackson learned with Lord of the Rings, not everything in a book can translate to a movie or TV show so it’s about figuring out what works best with the story you are trying to tell while staying as true to the written source material as possible.
-I’m in a weird position of having not read the books but knowing what the characters/storylines are in the books so while def not an authority on it, I think it’s safe to say they did a phenomenal job in the first 4 seasons with what they cut/left in from the books. But once they get closer to where the book stops, things start to come off the rails a bit but I don’t think you can blame them at all. A big opinion amongst book readers that books 4 & 5 were written as filler to extend the series to 7 books so while there is def good in them, they aren’t the goldmines of material the first few books are. D & D signed up saying that they can take the mass of information from GRRM’s books and figure out what out of it would work for TV. They did not sign up to get 1 piece of information and then have to figure out the rest, which is exactly what happened from about S5 on. It is so much more work, stress and pressure to have to figure out the end of all the characters/stories plus all the little details that should have been in the books released by now. ‘Arya kills the Night King and Bran ends up on the Iron Throne’ that is what they had to work with and were looking at a mountain of work to finish this up on top of actually shooting everything. I can understand them being burnt out from the magnitude of the responsibilities of running the most popular show on the planet all the while receiving brutal non-stop criticism and having their hard work attributed to the bad of the show while any good on it being attributed to anyone else. I also wouldn’t hold it against them if they were a little bitter at being dragged through the mud trying to give fans a conclusion to this story while GRRM is praised and can do no wrong yet still hasn’t released The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring being released is prob just that, a dream. They also had other projects they wanted to contribute to, just bc you run a show it doesn’t mean it has to be your whole life, people can walk and chew gum at the same time haha so doubling their workload to fill in the details of these stories was just not in the cards.
-Wrapping this up quick and clean seemed to be their decision as no matter how much work they put into it they weren’t getting anything but criticism. I wish they had been able to give us the deep intricate storylines with epic finishes for all of them but there are only so many hours in the day and sometimes when you’re done, you’re done. I guarantee they saw something close to 80/20 as far as criticism/compliments go and that is probably being extremely generous to the compliments they actually got. Every storyteller has a different style to telling a story, GRRM has his while D & D have theirs and for the first 4 seasons of the show we got the best of both worlds. But people are used to having GRRM storytelling influence on the story so when they passed his material by, the style of telling the story changed and you add that to D & D not having any book information to work with it, it’s easy to see why the later seasons went the way they did. Some amazing, epic moments but also some that needed more build and depth. There were some good finishes to characters/stories and some really disappointing.
-But in the end D & D not only gave us a finish to this story, but without them most of us would have never even heard of the World of Ice and Fire or the Game of Thrones so I have nothing but love for them. I was excited about their Star Wars movies bc they wouldn’t be adapting source material, they will be the ones creating it so we get 100% of their vision. But them bringing in Rian Johnson to consult or whatever is an awful sign and a huge red flag. I can’t say I won’t ever see a Rian Johnson film again but anything to do with Rian and Star Wars or fantasy in general can fck right off. Rian Johnson ignored legend and lore of Star Wars and just did anything without reason, the worst of Game of Thrones ignored its legend and lore and just did shit. The best of Game of Thrones and D & D was when the stories/characters had depth for days and everything they did was deeply rooted in the reality of that world. I’m really hoping we see the best of them and not the worst. But as I said, I have nothing but love and thanks to them for bringing us this amazing show. I don’t agree with everything they said/did, like the Barristan Selmy debacle, but I wish them the absolute best with their future projects and will do my best to support them.
WE SHALL NEVER SEE IT’S LIKE AGAIN
Well I think that is just about it. This was so much longer than I anticipated it being but once I got into it I realized how much amazing content I was forgetting about when you try and just generalize someone’s story. The reason I fell in love with Game of Thrones and this whole world was bc of how deep it went, I couldn’t believe how much history there was in this fake world. It was almost like it had to be real bc how could someone create so much history in addition to a show that already had enough Houses and storylines to worry about nevermind 1000’s of years of history. I knew I couldn’t just skip over or generalize a character’s journey, plus I had a lot to say about certain characters/events that I haven’t had a chance to comment on before so this became a monster lol but man did I enjoy spending some time on each character and remembering their journey and the impact it had on me. Thankfully this is a show that gets better as you rewatch it bc there is so much to notice and pick up on that you didn’t before and a piece like this will be great to compare to and see if my opinions change in later years. It was also the perfect way for me to say goodbye yet stay connected to the show after a disappointing finale.
This show sparked my imagination in ways no other series has before, I spent so much time thinking on the theories and history of the world. As someone that writes/creates my own stories, I so impressed and blown away by the world that GRRM created, this is truly an accomplishment. And to be able to bring this world to life on screen requires more than a village, more like an army but Game of Thrones had one of the best. The crew that helped put this show together deserves so much honour and fame for their contributions but like Varys said to Tyrion, “The King won’t give you any honours, the histories won’t mention you, but we will not forget,” No we will not, every fan that comes into contact with this amazing series will have an appreciation for the unsung heroes of the show. The writers, directors, cast, producers, music, editing, cinematographers, production design, art direction, set decoration, costume design, makeup, art department, second units, sound department, special effects, visual effects, stunts, camera and electrical department, animation, casting, costume and wardrobe, location management, editorial department, transportation department, body doubles, animal caregivers/wranglers/trainers, advertising, social media, catering, cleaning and anyone else that I forgot to mention please blame the head not the heart. So much goes into a show like this and I am forever grateful.
Well I think it’s time to finally wrap this up for good and say good-bye. I want to thank HBO for green lighting this series and giving it their full support the entire way, can’t be overstated how huge that is. There will be epic fantasy TV show/movies in the future but none quite like Game of Thrones and the World of Ice and Fire. Taking the reality of swords and shields vs the fantasy of magic and mixing them together doesn’t always work and rarely becomes as mainstream popular as Game of Thrones was. But when it’s done right you can capture the imagination of the world, Lord of the Ring did it and now you can add Game of Thrones to that list. Quite an achievement for an author that grew up with JRR Tolkein as one of his heroes. GRRM has a chance to have a legacy on the same shelf as Tolkein, he just needs to provide an epic finish to these last 2 books. I’m cheering him on as I’d love to read them but I won’t until the last 2 are done and getting ready to ship. But I will always enjoy watching Game of Thrones and thanks to this vast world GRRM created, there is room for more great shows to come along. Looks like the first prequel we are getting is about ‘The Long Night.’ I will def be watching but considering we are going back to the White Walkers/Night King story they should have given them a stronger finish but still should be very interesting and answer some questions that still remain. There is so much history I want to see it all, give me Valyria leading to the Doom, give me the Age of Heroes, give me Aegon’s conquest. But what I want most of all is Robert’s Rebellion, so much awesome stuff happens in it with characters we are familiar with. You always hear complaining that we already know what happens but to it is so great we have to see it and there are ways to create suspense and mystery without ruining the story. I can’t get enough of this show and world so whatever comes our way, I will be watching. But until then…
“It was the World of Ice and Fire, but now the episodes have run out. It was Game of Thrones. And now its watch is ended.”
