Game of Thrones Season 8 TV Review

Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
Season 8 - 6 episodes (2018)

Watch Game of Thrones on Amazon Video with Amazon Prime - Get a free HBO 7-day Trial
Created by: David Benioff, D.B. Weiss
Starring: Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Kit Harington, Sophie Turner, Lena Headey, Maisie Williams, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Aidan Gillan, 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 scale and scope of the story is staggering, fully realized with a large ensemble cast.

Verdict
How can you not watch the final season of this epic story? At the conclusion of the show, this journey was undeniably worth it.
This season at times felt like a recap. There are a lot of smaller moments I would have liked to see to build the big payoff moments this season has. This season has a few specific story points to wrap up and it does just that, but the criticism is that it doesn't do much more than that story wise. This direction and the look of this season is phenomenal. Was there ever a way to sufficiently conclude such a sprawling story? That's a difficult task, but this series is more than the final season. The character development and arcs in this series are at such a huge scale, and I was happy with most of those arcs, in concept at least.
Watch it.

Review
If you want to read my episode by episode recap, click here. While I will have a spoilers, those will be clearly marked and hidden.

I feel a certain sense of loss, the type you feel when it sets in that no more books or episodes of a property will be made, or at least when the main story has concluded. Game of Thrones has ended. It was a fun journey as I watched these characters grow and the actors grow up. It's been nearly ten years.

I read the first four books before the series ever began. The first three books are great, the fourth was more of a chore and I didn't finish the fifth. I picked the fifth back up when the show started but didn't get far, and picked up where I left off when the show caught up to the books, but it didn't take.

My Game of Thrones TV series interest had begun to wane around season four. The cast and lore had just gotten so large that you needed a list of the characters. Episodes often felt like a clip show as each one tried to cram in all the characters. I never abandoned the show, but my enthusiasm had decreased. Season six changed that, refocusing the story. In season seven all of the stories began to converge.

Season 8 felt a bit uneven, but my complaints are mainly due to the pacing. There just aren't a lot of small scenes to build up the big moments. This season movies quick, showing us highlights, and that hurts the story.
The conclusion felt a bit safe. Quite a few characters are still alive and it almost feels like misguided fan service. A more daring conclusion would have had fewer people alive. There are always going to be characters you wish had a more defined ending when the cast is so big, but having fewer alive would also help that. This season was easier than most in that I didn't have to frequently Google characters to determine their significance.
I do like the symmetry of where the show began and how it ends character-wise, but what's going to prevent a quest for the throne to happen again? Right now, it's not much more than we know better. History does repeat, and maybe that is inevitable.

I wasn't disappointed with the finale. It wrapped up all the story lines and provided a few surprises too. This season just felt truncated, but as a capstone to the series it got us to the end which was it's job. I'm content with how things ended up, though I had a few gripes along the way. The concept of what happened to these characters is fine, though the expression lacks for many.
I watched this show weekly as it came out since 2011, and while I'd like to watch it all from the beginning now that I know how it ends, that's a tall order. If would be fun to watch the very first episode again since there was plenty of symmetry. This has been an intricate and demanding series with plenty of characters playing all kinds of games. Few series ever reach such epic proportions and manage to capture the pop culture spotlight as this did. For nine years I was captivated by the quest for the throne. On this day that story ended. Now I wonder, will the books ever conclude or is this all we'll ever get? If the books do conclude, I can't wait to see what changes.

The series was never really about who would sit on the throne, it was about the journey each of these characters endured. That's what I'm going to remember about this show, the character arcs. While I feel like there are a few too many still around, we've lost a lot over the years too.

Spoilers! Spoilers!
 

Jon Snow ends up as the Commander of the Night's Watch. He was sent to the wall in the first season, became the Commander, then flirted with being a King. He ends in the same spot. I feel bad for Jon. He sacrificed for the good of the realm. How does he go back to the wall after all he's done and experience? His arc might be the most tragic, as death would have freed him from that. What will he even watch from the wall? He's got to build that force up from nothing while repairing the wall, but is there anything to repel at this point?

Sansa ends as the Queen of the North. It's where she always wanted to be but her reasons are drastically different.

Arya is off the explore the unknown. That's cool, but what happened to the assassin we envisioned? She was a faceless man and used that trick just once that I recall. I expected her to assume identities much more than she did. It's just an easy out for her character.

Bran is king, and that makes a lot of sense as far as logic. He's the most knowledgeable character on the show. Won't he have to pass on his power at some point?

Daenerys was Queen of the seven kingdoms for only a short while. The truncated nature of the story does her the most disservice. She wants to free the lands from tyranny, but she free King's Landing by killing them unnecessarily. The show never really addresses the split in her thinking. She killed innocents after they surrendered. The ones that fought for Cersei fought due to a lack of choice. They served those in power, it didn't matter who. The show went all in to make her a threat and it's just clumsy. I get why Daenerys leveled the city, but that doesn't quite square. Rage and vengeance isn't acceptable. I think the show's intent was that Daenerys wants to liberate everyone, but that's going to cause a lot of innocent casualties.

Tyrion is the hand to the king. It's a role that was surprising when he first got it and still surprising that he kept it. It's a flat conclusion for Tyrion.

Bron may be the biggest question mark. What qualifies him to be the treasurer? He's a sell sword, nothing more. Th'at's a forced conclusion.

Varys death was forced. As much double dealing as he's done, it just seems strange he got caught even if Tyrion did have a hand in that.

Jamie's pull back to Cersei seems dictated by forced symmetry. Jamie shouldn't have gone back to her. He should have died in battle. Cersei goes out with a whimper. I was hoping she'd die with the city, but she flees. She doesn't even have a plan. This is the woman that blew up a place of worship to defeat her foes. I wanted her to remain at King's Landing hoping she could defend it so her unborn baby would have a place to live.

The conclusion overall falls flat. All of the houses will vote on who will rule. I get Sam's suggestion of a true democracy wouldn't work, but I also didn't like how the show handled it. It wasn't the time for comedic relief. How it ended could have been helped by the setup. Bran's reign is a rule of sacrifice and knowledge rather than might and brawn. Ruling by force doesn't work so they'll try a new way.

In a hundred years a war for a crown may happen again, and I like the idea that history will repeat but the show didn't communicate that idea.

Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 6 The Iron Throne

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

Watch Game of Thrones on Amazon Video with Amazon Prime - Get a free HBO 7-day Trial
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 6 - The Iron Throne
Daenerys certainly seems to be written on a path where she's unlikable, labeled crazy, and must be dispatched.

I'm guessing Arya might be involved in that. I'm also predicting Daenerys's actions at King's Landing will be the catalyst for Jon Snow to halt his unwavering loyalty to her as Queen. The city surrendered and Daenerys leveled it with dragon fire. A mystery party may also come forward about Jon, who knows.

This is it. This is the end of Game of Thrones. Some how it doesn't quite feel ready to conclude. There is a fair amount of story left, but this season has been very fast and this episode is poised to be another one that moves quickly.

That's my biggest complaint with this season, it just seems a bit quick. This is a show that made note of how long it took to travel and it built the characters between those moments. This season travel is instantaneous, and while I understand the plot needs to move, we've been robbed of these character building moments.

 I feel like the opening theme song visuals should be changed since King's Landing doesn't exist anymore.

Tyrion is walking through the rubble... and bodies. Tyrion knows what this implies. It's not a good way to start a rule in Westeros.

Tyrion is headed to the Red Keep alone, despite Jon's protests. Does Tyrion want to see if Jamie and Cersei made it out? It seems that way. He finds them, and as we saw in the previous episode, they didn't make it.

Grey Worm is sentencing people to death when Jon stops him. You can't kill prisoners.
Grey Worm states he is following orders of the Queen, kill all who follow Cersei. It's about to go down between Jon and Grey Worm when Davos intercedes. What does the Queen have to say?

Jon and Arya are making their way to the Red Keep, but they no longer seem welcome.
Daenerys is looking a bit more imposing dressed all in black.

Grey Worm is named Master of War. Does that mean she's not done with war? Apparently not, she's going to liberate everyone. The way she liberated King's Landing was killing everyone, so I think she may get some push back on that.

Daenerys states Tyrion freed his brother, an act of treason, but Tyrion replies she slaughtered a city. The play on words is plain. Tyrion relinquishes his role as Hand to the Queen. He's taken away, giving Jon a wistful look. This train is moving and I don't think talk is going to stop Daenerys.

Arya finds Jon and explains that Jon will always be a threat to Daenerys. Arya knows a killer when she sees one.

Jon visits Tyrion. Tyrion asks Jon if there is life after death, but Jon hasn't seen it. Tyrion is resolved to his fate. Jon states the war is over, but Daenerys didn't sound done fighting.

Jon's trying to defend her but Tyrion calls him out. Jon wouldn't have burned the city to the ground. While Daenerys has killed evil men before, King's Landing wasn't evil men.
Love and duty are at a crossroads.
Tyrion can't convince Jon to oppose his Queen. Tyrion points out Jon's sister's won't bow the knee. While Tyrion and Sansa can't choose who rules, Jon can.

Daenerys finally gets the Iron Throne. This has been her arc since the first season. She's joyous, but Jon isn't. He questions the fact soldiers are being executed and Daenerys claims it's necessary.
Daenerys claims she tried to make peace, but that's only half the story. The city fell and Daenerys didn't stop. Jon wants a world of mercy, but Daenerys plan seems to be to murder everyone and then start with mercy. That's not how mercy works.

Daenerys wants to build a new world with Jon. Jon claims she is his Queen... well now, that's a shocker. Jon stops her reign. How is Jon going to live through this when people figure it out?
What's the dragon going to do? Somehow it knows what happened, realizing the instant it happened.
That's the end of the Iron Throne. It's certainly symbolic if not a strange thing for the dragon to do. The dragon scoops Daenerys up and flies off. That might be the last we see of them.
Jon could have had it all, but did what he thought was best.

Tyrion is brought before the council. It consists of all the familiar faces, most of them last seen in Winterfell. Even someone from Dorne I believe. They're all the heads of the great houses. Some time has to have had past, but Grey Worm is the one that brought Tyrion, so what's the deal here? Jon is a prisoner and Grey Worm is ruling the city. Seemingly it's known what Jon did. I'm surprised they just kept him prisoner. The Unsullied will not free Jon. I find it hard to believe they haven't killed him already.

Tyrion is surprised a King or Queen hasn't already been named. All the most powerful people are present. The Black Fish begins to make a claim, but Sansa exerts her dominance.
Samwell proposes some kind of democracy. He's ridiculed for such a silly suggestion. It's odd to try and insert comic relief at this point.

Tyrion is asked his pick and he talks of the strength of stories. He suggests Bran, the one who keeps all of history to lead them into the future.
When Tyrion poses the question to Bran, Bran responds, "Why do you think I came all this way?"

Almost everyone is in agreement, except for Sansa who states the North will remain independent. It has a certain amount of symmetry. Bran is the one that started a lot of this when he stumbled upon Jamie and Cersei. Here he is as the King. It was the conquest of power that put Bran in that role.
Bran wants Tyrion as his hand. Bran doesn't want the kingship, Tyrion doesn't want to be hand, so it works.

The Unsullied want justice. Bran sends Jon to the Night's Watch. Another bit of symmetry. Jon ends where he began. That's a hard fate after all he's been through. I assume he'll be the commander, though there can't be many men left there.

Arya is heading West of Westeros, where all the maps stop.

Brienne writes the history of Ser Jamie Lannister. It's a history she'll never be a part of, though she is a King's Guard as Jamie was.

Samwell is a Maester. He presents Tyrion with a book, A Song of Ice and Fire. Davos and Bronn are on the small council. I'm guessing Brienne is the Captain of the Kingsguard. How did Bronn become the Master of Coin? They're rebuilding the city.

 

Jon is greeted by Tormund at the wall. Jon made it back North after all where he's also reunited with Ghost. Sansa is a queen, as she always wanted, but she took a much different path than she ever imagined. Arya sets sail West.

I wasn't disappointed with the finale. It wrapped up all the story lines and provided a few surprises too. This season just felt truncated, but as a capstone to the series it got us to the end which was it's job. I'm content with how things ended up, though I had a few gripes along the way. I watched this show weekly as it came out, and while I'd like to watch it all from the beginning now that I know how it ends, that's a tall order. If would be fun to watch the very first episode again since there was plenty of symmetry. This has been an intricate and demanding series with plenty of characters playing all kinds of games. Few series ever reach such epic proportions and manage to capture the pop culture spotlight as this did. For nine years I was captivated by the quest for the throne. On this day that story ended. Now I wonder, will the books ever conclude or is this all we'll ever get? If the books do conclude, I can't wait to see what changes.

The series was never really about who would sit on the throne, it was about the journey each of these characters endured and it was a many marvelous journey.

Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 5 The Bells

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

Watch Game of Thrones on Amazon Video with Amazon Prime - Get a free HBO 7-day Trial
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 5 - The Bells
Episode four was putting us in the lane to the conclusion. The Winterfell and Daenerys crew made it to King's Landing in record time.

I have to wonder if Arya will be the one to end Cersei. The fact I think that means it may be misdirection, could mean it is that easy.

Jamie had just a bit of happiness with Brienne before his compulsion for Cersei led him South. Don't think he'll outlast this one.

Daeneyrs is already a bit jealous of the loyalty Jon inspires, and Cersei's murder of Missandei is going to put Daenerys on a warpath. That's only going to widen the divide between her and Sansa. That's after one of her dragons is killed. She's down to one.

Everything is moving just a bit fast as we dive headfirst into the conclusion.

Varys is writing a letter about the one true heir, Jon. While Tyrion has chosen Daenerys and will stick with that choice, Varys states he's bound by what's best for the seven kingdoms. To whom is he writing? There aren't many allies left unless he's writing to Dorne. Then again there are other cities in the world, but they don't have much stake in Westeros.

Varys is talking to Jon about power and rulers. Jon's vehement that Daenerys is his Queen. Jon gave his word, and it's going to take something big to force him back on that word. Daenerys isn't speaking or eating after the last episode. It seems the group is at Dragon Stone.

Tyrion reveals to Daenerys what Varys is up to, though Daenerys assumes Jon is the one that betrayed her. Shows how much she knows. Jon is bound by his word, good or bad. Except, Daenerys spells it out, that she holds Jon at fault since he told Sansa despite her wishes. Daenerys is facing threats all around. She's already concerned about loyalty and with these secrets swirling, that could lead her to rash decisions.

Varys hears soldiers marching towards his door and knows exactly what's going on. What will be his fate? He's made it this long, through good and bad rulers. Will this be his downfall, doing what he thought was right? Varys only hopes that he deserves his punishment and that he is wrong about Daenerys. That's a man with conviction. He's going out like a champ. No pleading, no unnecessary violence, just resolve. It's death by dragon, but I have to wonder how Jon felt about that. Jon's quick to give Daeenrys leave to do as she pleases, but Jon can't be in favor of the punishment. I get setting an example, but does she have people to spare? Varys could have been useful with a delayed sentence.

Daenerys is shifting blame to Sansa. Is Daenerys going to kill everyone that stands against her? There won't be many people left if that's the case.
She makes a move on Jon and he pulls away. Jon has the loyalty of the people, Daenerys has fear. With Jon no longer interested in a romantic relationship with his aunt, their tryst may be done.

Daenerys will not let Cersei exploit her. Tyrion is arguing to spare King's Landing, but Daenerys is ready to go full steam ahead. She agrees to stop if the city surrenders, but you have to wonder how much vengeance will get in the way. Tyrion won't live to make another mistake. This presumably leads Tyrion to ask the smuggler Davos for a favor. We assume Tyrion wants to smuggle himself out, but that's just an assumption.

Arya arrives at King's Landing. She tells the guard she's there to kill Cersei. The Hound tells the guard to let her in. That could end the war and save a lot of blood.

Tyrion calls off another set of guards to speak with Jamie. This very well could be their last conversation. If Tyrion releases Jamie, that may be the end of Tyrion. Jamie is convinced to run away with Cersei, but there's no way he'll convince her.
Tyrion is trying to save bloodshed. He's willing to sacrifice his life for tens of thousands.

The city is readying for war. Arya is marching down main street to the castle. I'd bet even money she reaches Cersei. What happens then?

What does Cersei think? Does she think she can win? Tyrion is confidant she won't, but we haven't heard Cersei's plan. Does she think human shields she's filled the city with will suffice?

The city gates are closed. Jamie doesn't make it in, but Arya and the Hound do.

Daenerys is charging the Iron Fleet head on. That seems like a bold move that shouldn't work, but it seems to be quite effective after all. I guess last episode when a dragon died from a ballista equipped boat was just an anomaly. Really, that shouldn't be a surprise. The ballistas don't turn quickly, so surprising them from behind is effective.

The Golden Company also goes down quite easily. There really aren't many King's Landing forces left. Even the wall is destroyed. At this rate, team Daenerys will be able to charge right up the castle stairs. The dragon is a one creature wrecking tool... as it should be. The problem is it's hasn't been up until this point. Will there be anything left of King's Landing? Does Cersei have a back up plan?

Right now Cersei is hoping for one good shot, but she's unaware that the ballistas are gone, the Iron Fleet is gone, the walls are breached, and the Golden Company is down. If she has a backup plan, the show is playing coy because from what we're seeing, Cersei is done.

Her soldiers, faced with Jon and his army as well as a dragon throw down their swords. It's the smart move.

This battle is over and the show runs the clock on whether the bells will ring to signal surrender. If they don't ring will Daenerys rain fire? Eventually they do. Daenerys is victorious, but Cersei is still in the castle. Daenerys takes off, who will she attack? The answer is everyone. The innocents and the surrendered. Grey Worm leads the attack on men that surrendered, but Jon remains immobilized. He's trying to stop them, but Daenerys and Grey Worm's vengeance has made this an unfortunate attack that violates the conduct of war. Maybe there aren't any rules in war, but this is reign by fear, and when that's the case people will always want someone like Jon on the throne.

It looks like King's Landing will be nothing but dust. Winterfell won't be clamoring to kneel to Daenerys after this. Also, why doesn't Daenerys take down the castle first, just to dispose of Cersei? Is it so we get Jamie and Arya in the castle to confront Cersei? Something's going to happen there.
Also, doesn't the Hound have to meet the Mountain?

This isn't just fighting, this is blood lust. Soldiers are murdering the innocent. This might be the thing that spurs Jon to place a claim on the throne. Even he has his limits and I have to imagine this is close to it. He's forced to kill one of his own army to protect an innocent.

Jamie is on his way to save Cersi when Euron stops him. It's awfully convenient for timing and location. That's a knock down drag out kind of fight. It just keeps going. Euron was underdeveloped. From the books I thought he'd be this cool pirate type, but in the show he's just a pompous jerk. It's crazy to think this show just doesn't have enough time when we're eight seasons in, but that does seem to be the cast just a bit.

The castle is falling. Cersei refuses to believe it. I wondered if the show would pull some kind of twist out of thin air, but it doesn't seem like it and I appreciate that. It's happening as it should. The focus isn't on who wins this battle, but the repercussions of how Daenerys won.

What a rousing speech from the Hound. He talks Arya out of her quest. What he said is true. Cersei is as good as dead. That and he's been seeking vengeance his entire life.

Gregor the Mountain and Sandor the Hound face off. Not even the Queen's orders are enough to stop Gregor. It's Clegane Bowl. Will we finally see his zombie face? That's a yes. How will Sandor kill a man that's already dead? What a fight.

Jamie makes it back to Cersei. Someone needs to end her. A falling rock isn't personal enough. Their escape is blocked by rubble. I'm glad she doesn't get to escape. Cersei is begging for the life of her baby, but I don't see that happening. It's the end, the only question is what gets her. And it was falling rubble, but with her cool demeanor finally breaking, that makes it a bit personal. We got to see her defeated emotionally.

Arya is running through the city, but she lacks the resolve we usually see in her. I'm guessing mostly for effect to give us a view from the street.
Arya isn't looking to good, but I refuse to believe this is how it ends for her. Her arc has been too good. Now she's leading survivors to an escape. Well, she was. That was short lived.

Jon calls the men to fall back. This city is done. Is this going to claim the lives of more main characters that the Battle of Winterfell?
The entire city is crumbling, fire is everywhere, but we're not seeing any Daenerys shots. How does she feel about leveling an entire city and killing innocent people? Is she grinning or crying?

A nice way to end it, Arya finding a horse and riding out.

I'm guessing next episode comes down to who actually sits on the Iron Throne. No doubt there will be fall out all around from how Daenerys handled this battle. She killed innocents. Even Jon is going to balk at that regardless of how much he's attracted to his aunt.

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

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

Watch Game of Thrones on Amazon Video with Amazon Prime - Get a free HBO 7-day Trial
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.