Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 4 The Last of the Starks

Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
Season 8 - 6 episodes (2019)

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Created by: David Benioff, D.B. Weiss
Starring: Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Kit Harington, Sophie Turner, Lena Headey, Maisie Williams, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau,  Gwendoline Christie 

Plot: 
HBO's fantasy drama series adapted from George R.R. Martin's book series A Song of Ice and Fire follows the civil war of kings and usurpers in Westeros who wish to sit on the throne. The ticking clock signaling the end are the undead White Walkers descending from the North. The scale and scope of the story is staggering, fully realized with a large ensemble cast.

This is the final season of the series, though HBO is planning a prequel series.

Review: Episode 4 - The Last of the Starks
What an episode three was, we got the Battle of Winterfell, and I was surprised at how many people survived. The show had been building to that moment, and I only hope the rest of the season isn't a let down. It will be hard to match. After you've beaten the White Walkers, is Cersei really going to be that intimidating? The answer is yes.

Arya may be the instrument that ends everything. She was crucial in this battle, and she has a lot of animosity towards Cersei.

I was concerned episode three was going to end exactly as it did which seemed too easy, but the episode earned that ending. I wasn't disappointed at all. Will episode four look at what happens after the Winterfell Battle and tally the dead? Will we move towards King's Landing or wait an episode?

Cersei charged Bron with killing Tyrion and Jamie, and we still have to address that Jon is a Targaryen. If the previous episode was too dark, you'll enjoy the varied settings in this episode. There are only two episodes left now.

This episode opens with Danerys mourning over the body of Jorah. He's the reason she's alive. He scarified himself for her, though there was no other way he was going to die in this show. He loved her and we knew he's offer his life.
Sansa mourns Theon. He saved her life and sacrificed himself for Bran as a means to right his wrongs. There's a lot of bodies, though not many named characters.

Jon delivers a rousing speech in their memory. This battle was history, like the tales we've heard in all the books of Westeros. This is a new tale, a new book.

We see a lot of bodies of people that were presumably, Ed Tollet, or definitely, Lyanna Mormont, revived as white walkers but they look quite normal here. Do people revert or is this just a lapse due to ease of filming?
It's a powerful scene, but it also underscores how few named characters died in the battle. For a show that always seemed like most would die by the end, it makes me wonder what's in store yet. I suppose we've saving all of that for the final episode.

Gendry may have some feelings for Arya. Daenerys calls him out, asking him to confirm his father is Robert Baratheon. Is this some kind of power play on her part? She states Gendry should be lord of Storm's End. She makes him a lord, as the son of Robert Baratheon. It's a nice arc for him, but why? I could buy it more if it was in part to his iron smithing, forging so many weapons and arming the armies, but as Tyrion surmises, Daenerys has created a lord loyal to her until the end.

Tyrion's making the rounds during the feast. Davos wonders about Melisandre, Bran is Bran, Tormund drinks too much, and Arya is toasted as a hero.
You have to wonder, they seemed to be on the brink of out of food before the battle, but not they feast.

You see the gears working. Sansa wonders what power play Daenerys will make. While Daenerys hears about Jon's exploits and wonders about the following he has, Jon died and came back, that's sure to get you a few points in the loyalty department. People follow Jon due to his character, they follow her because of her dragons. If people knew the truth about Jon, they'd want him to rule. Jon has given his word to kneel, but he just doesn't understand that is unacceptable to most people.

The feast is a lot of fun. Plenty of flirting and drinking games. It's a respite before a battle we know is coming, but it's a well deserved moment.

We get The Hound almost apologizing for what happened to Sansa, but she reassures him. What happened to her made her who she is.

Gendry is smitten, he asks Arya to marry him as the Lord of Storm's End. That doesn't seem like it would suit her, and she politely declines.

What is Jamie's game with Brienne? This seems like fan service for the shippers. It's all but setting up something between them. They had a contentious relationship before, but here is Jamie shedding clothes claiming it's hot in the room. This was all set up with the drinking game where Tyrion asks Brienne if she's a virgin and she storms off. What is this? I suppose in many ways Brienne is the polar opposite of Cersei. That might be part of it. Brienne is one of the most noble characters.

Jon and Daenerys start kissing, but it stops short. He's a Targaryen and she wishes she didn't know. She presses him to ignore it and never tell anyone. If people know they will press him to take what's his even if Jon doesn't want it.
Jon feels compelled to tell Sansa and Arya, but Daenerys cautions him. She claims Sansa wants her gone. This is a test for Jon. Where does he split between honor and love?

Winterfell plots for King's Landing. The balance of armies is less than ideal now. Daenerys will be content with nothing less than the Iron Throne.
Tyrion is sure the people will overthrow Cersei when they see the odds. Sansa wants to postpone, to give the soldiers a chance to recover.There's a lot of tension, a triangle between Daenerys, the Starks, and Jon.
They have won the Great War, and now comes the Last War. Daenerys is set on being Queen, but is it for a title or for what's right for the Seven Kingdoms?

Arya admits Jon did the right thing by kneeling to Daenerys and getting her army, but she doesn't trust her. It's here that Jon admits to Sansa and Arya what Bran already knows. He's not a Stark.
While Jon swears Arya and Sansa to secrecy, I don't think they will want to keep that promise. It's a note in their favor.

Jamie and Tyrion are swapping stories when Bron barges in. Of course they're alone. Where is everyone else? Awfully convenient. Bron is working an angle. He wants to make sure he comes out winning either way.

The Hound is riding towards King's Landing. Arya joins him, stating she doesn't plan on coming back. They both have unfinished business down South. Certainly much more variety to scenes this episode.

Tyrion is singing Daenerys's virtues to Sansa, but she's distracted. I'd guess it has to do with the information she now has about Jon. She reveals to Tyrion there is another option for ruler of the Seven Kingdoms.

Tormund is taking the free folk back home. Jon asks him to take Ghost back as well. The dire wolves seemed much larger in other seasons, I don't know, maybe not. Jon wishes he could return too, but it's not in the cards. Goodbyes all around as Sam is heading somewhere.

Tyrion knows about Jon. He tells Varys who states that with eight people knowing it's not longer a secret. The eight are Sam, Bran, Jon, Arya, Sansa, Tyrion, Varys, and Daenerys. Jon has the better claim and that trumps what Jon wants.

On the way to Black Reach, we get a HUGE surprise. One of the dragons is shot multiple times. It's the one Daenerys is NOT riding, which is convenient. That hurts the chances of victory, down to just one dragon now. I did NOT see this coming. The dragon got pelted three times which seems like crazy accuracy. It's a very sad moment, even if it is a dragon. Those are Daenerys's children.

It's the Iron Fleet and of course, Euron is the one shooting. You know, there is no way they could reload that thing as fast as he fired those shots. Oh, each boat has a dragon killing cannon. Still that accuracy is beyond belief.
Daenerys is MAD! Nothing happens to her as the giants arrows miss. She flies away and the dragon cannons fire on the boats. It's doing massive damage. The Daenerys navy looks to be done. There were a lot of boats and very few people on the shore.

Cersei is spinning her webs in King's Landing, and somehow she got Missandei. How'd that happen? Cersei is packing King's landing with civilians to thwart any attacks. Attacks will kill many innocents.

It's the last season and Varys and Tyrion and moving pawns around the board still. Varys believes Jon may be the best ruler. Someone who doesn't want the throne usually is.
Tyrion is pushing for them to rule together. Tyrion is backing Daenerys and staying loyal. Varys is bound by the greater good.

Jamie is headed to King's Landing despite Brienne's pleas. What a time for Jamie to pick Cersei when he's finally found a shred of happiness. That pull is unimaginable, but he's addicted. He's knows she's terrible, and he's choosing death as some sort of penance. He rode to Winterfell to spite Cersei, why ride back?

Daenerys asks Cersei to surrender. We all know the answer, but for appearances sake it must be done. With Cersei, nothing can be trusted. Cersei demands Daenerys surrender on the spot. If not Cersei will kill Missandei. This is kind of cheap. The show has built the Grey Worm-Missandei relationship with no real reason why, and this is it. The show set us up specifically for this fall.

Tyrion approaches Cersei directly and the archers nock arrows. Tis but a tease. He addresses her, appealing to the future safety of Cersei's child. It's to no avail. Cersei has Missandei killed as Daenerys's rage grows.