Best & Worst TV Series 2019 Year-End Review

Best of 2019

I watched eighty TV seasons and mini-series this year. Here are my top 11 for the year. I didn't watch any seasons that fell into the 'worst' category this year. This is based simply on what I watched this year, not on what was released this year.
Check out the previous year-end reviews.

The Top 11 of 2019:

The Umbrella Academy (2019-)
Season 1 - 10 episodes (2019 February 15)

Watch The Umbrella Academy on Netflix 
Created by: Jeremy Slater
Starring: Ellen Page, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher, Mary J. Blige, Cameron Britton, Adam Godley, Colm Feore
Rated: TV-MA
Watch the trailer & more information
Plot
A disbanded and dysfunctional family of superheroes reunite after their adoptive father, who trained them to save the world, dies.
Verdict
This show has a great vibe. It's the end of the world, but the siblings are busy arguing with each other. That's the tone of this show, comedy against a dire backdrop. The story is engrossing with mysteries and reveals in equal measure. Be forewarned, this does end on a big cliff hanger. Most of the characters are well developed. The stylized production is really well done and the soundtrack is simply amazing. I rarely binge a show non-stop, but I couldn't stop watching this.
Full review

Babylon 5 (1994-1998)

Watch Babylon 5 Season 1 on Amazon Video Season 1 - 22 episodes (1994)
Watch Babylon 5 Season 2 on Amazon Video Season 2 - 22 episodes (1994-95)
Watch Babylon 5 Season 3 on Amazon Video Season 3 - 22 episodes (1995-96)
Watch Babylon 5 Season 4 on Amazon Video Season 4 - 22 episodes (1996-97)
Watch Babylon 5 Season 5 on Amazon Video Season 5 - 22 episodes (1998)   
Created by: J. Michael Straczynski
Starring:  Bruce Boxleitner, Mira Furlan, Richard Biggs, Stephen Furst, Andreas Katsulas, Peter Jurasik, Jerry Doyle, Bill Mumy, Claudia Christian, Michasel O'Hare
Rated: TV-PG
Watch the trailer
Plot
In the mid 23rd Century, the Earth Alliance space station Babylon 5, located in neutral territory, is a major focal point for political intrigue, racial tensions, and various wars over the course of five years.
Verdict
What this show does is so impressive. It's like a novel in how the first seasons setup the great war while still developing these characters. It's a space opera and I mean that as a compliment. It's a broad story that balances a galactic war with characters that grow and develop almost every episode. This tackles tough issues, and it's hard not to like these characters by the end. Their personal journeys are so intriguing and they change so much by the close of the show. The writing is top notch.
At first I thought this was a knock-off Star Trek, quitting half way into the first episode, but I went back and it becomes so much more, telling a story much bigger than Star Trek ever managed. This show is so entirely underrated.
Full review

The Office (2005-2013)

Season 1 - 6 episodes (2005)
Season 2 - 22 episodes (2006)
Season 3 - 25 episodes (2007)
Season 4 - 19 episodes (2008) 
Created by: Greg Daniels, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant
Starring: Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Rainn Wilson, B.J. Novak, Mindy Kaling, Ed Helms, Craig Robinson, Ellie Kemper
Rated: TV-PG
Watch the trailer
Plot
A mockumentary on a group of typical office workers, where the workday consists of ego clashes, inappropriate behavior, and tedium.
Verdict
I really thought this show might not be as good as I remembered or the first season would be bland, but from the beginning this show is so funny. A big part of it is that I can relate. I work in an office. Few shows make me laugh as much as this show.
While it does lose some appeal once the story gets broader, I forgot Jim and Pam were a thing from the beginning. A lot of plot points I thought happened after the show started declining were there early on.
The series has a normal that it drifts from and comes back to. I didn't like when Jim transferred, but that doesn't last long. Season 4 is the first time I checked the time on an episode to see when it would end. It's the episode where Michael drives into a lake.
It really is one of the funniest shows, with these disparate personalities interacting and reacting  This is at it's best when things are just slightly awkward. There's a great understated hilariousness to that and the show lost that as Michael did increasingly dumber things. Once Michael left, it was never quite the same.
While this lasted nine seasons, I only watched the first four in this session.

Love, Death & Robots (2019-)
Season 1 - 18 episodes (2019)

Watch Love, Death & Robots Season 1 on NetflixCreated by: Tim Miller
Starring: Scott Whyte, Nolan North, Matthew Yang King
Rated: TV-MA
Watch the trailer & more info
Plot
In this animated anthology series for adults, the shorts span the genres of science fiction and fantasy to horror and comedy while presenting a variety of animation formats from traditional 2D to photo-real 3D CGI. Each segment is about ten minutes long, created by different teams of filmmakers from around the world.
Verdict
This is a fun watch. Each ten minute episode provides a quick idea, some only half an idea, but I loved every bit of it. Even the episodes I didn't like as much, are over soon enough. Some of the CGI is just crazy good. There are a lot of episodes that are really neat. Even if you aren't a fan of sci-fi, this isn't always heavy on the science. I like that this isn't a show that asks me to remember a lot or watch a dozen episodes for a conclusion. It's easy, fun, and I want more. This contains eighteen unique ideas, and some of these worlds are ripe to be revisited. I hope this gets a second set of stories.
Full Review

Flight of the Conchords (2007-09)

Season 1 - 12 episodes (2007)
Season 2 - 10 episodes (2009)
Watch Love, Death & Robots Season 1 on Netflix 
Created by: James Bobin, Jemaine Clement, Bret McKenzie
Starring: Jemaine Clement, Bret McKenzie, Rhys Darby, Kristen Schaal
Rated: TV-MA
Watch the trailer
Plot
Bret and Jemaine are Flight of the Conchords, a folk-rock band from New Zealand living in New York City in search of stardom.
Verdict
I'm a big fan of What We Do in the Shadows, and this has been on my watch list for a long time. This is very indie with the band breaking into song at least once an episode. The humor is understated, but very clever. In the first episode they sing a song about a girl  "so beautiful [she] could be a waitress" or "a part time model."
I love how subtle the humor is. It's ridiculous, but the actors downplay it. You could miss it if you aren't paying attention. Rhymnocerus and Hiphopotamus are amazing rap names.
It's great in the way it presents humor and the songs as well. Very enjoyable, very funny.

Chernobyl (2019)
Mini-series - 5 episodes

Watch the trailer 
Created by: Craig Mazin
Starring: Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, Emily Watson
Rated: TV-MA
Plot
In April 1986, an explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics becomes one of the world's worst man-made catastrophes.
Verdict
From the very start of this series I loved it. It's an amazing story that's true. That fact gives this an extra impact. The production design is fantastic, the directing is effective, and the writing that serves as the foundation is excellent. It's absolutely amazing and a must watch. It follows the Chernobyl disaster from the beginning through the perspective of a scientist and bureaucrat. The series does everything right, presenting this story while also urging the viewer to do their own research. While Chernobyl is an incredible event, this series does an incredible job of portraying that story. I watched each episode as it aired, and watched a second time before the next episodes. That's how good this is.
Full Review

When They See Us (2019)
Mini-series - 4 episodes

The Boys Season 1 Review

The Boys (2019-)
Season 1 - 9 episodes (2019 July 26)

Watch The Boys with Amazon Prime // Buy the comic
Created by: Eric Kripke, Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen
Starring: Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Dominique McElligott, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford
Rated: TV-MA
Watch the trailer

Plot
In a world where super heroes are commonplace, they are syndicated, monetized, and marketed by a company called Vought International. Privilege and power have corrupted the super heroes who abuse their powers. A clandestine group of normal human vigilantes arise to counter them.

Verdict
I love the premise. It's a deconstruction of super heroes and the series does a great job with pacing episodes and the overall arc. Super heroes have the celebrity and influence that puts them above everyone else. In this world that power went to their heads. They are above the law and know that. It can be over the top and crude, but that feeds the narrative. Hero worship is misplaced.
There are large questions in play at the end of the first season that aren't resolved, but they are secondary to the main plot.
Watch it.

Review
Based on the comic by the same name, this has already been renewed for a second season.

This premise feels accurate. Super heroes cross boundaries. They are celebrities, influential, and not unlike entertainers. Of course they can also be corrupt. That kind of power gives them ample opportunity for exactly that. The supes in this world are beyond corrupt.

The Seven - Starlight, A-Train, The Deep, Queen Maeve, Black Noir, Homelander, Translucent

This season follows two stories. Starlight is a new recruit of The Seven. The top super hero company, seemingly one of many companies.

Starlight discovers that being a super hero is about public image and increasing your following. The other supes aren't the paragons she revered as a child. Her first interaction with another supe is The Deep who is every male in power thinking he's owed something. Supes are drunk on power, unstoppable and uncontrollable. The Deep is the punching bag of The Seven, the least powerful and frequently inept.

Homelander and his fans.

The leader of The Seven is Homelander. While the character seems off at first, his development is a surprise. With each passing episode we see who he truly is. What the show did with this character is really cool. The facade he uses to fake it with the media isn't just hiding his indifference.

Karl Urban play Billy Butcher.

Hugh is a normal human dealing with a loss caused by a super hero. Eventually Hugh and Starlight's stories merge. Hugh is approach by Billy Butcher who has a vendetta against the supes. Hugh is accidentally roped into that plot because he has access to the supes.

The pacing is great, slowing revealing more information each episode while providing plenty of surprises. Black Noir is one of The Seven that doesn't get much screen time and never speaks. With the tone of this show I was expecting some sort of joke with that, but it never appeared. I did like the Homelander tells Noir he's doing a great job when we've seen him do nothing.

I'm excited for season two. With the prevalence of super hero movies and the cookie cutter plots, this was a welcome subversion.

Big Little Lies Season 2 Review

Big Little Lies (2017-2019)
Season 2 - 7 episodes (2019)

Buy Big Little Lies on Amazon
Created by: David E. Kelley
Directed by:  Jean-Marc Vallée
Starring:  Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, Meryl Streep, Alexander Skarsgård, Adam Scott, Zoë Kravitz
Rated: TV-MA
Season 2 trailer

Plot
The second season reflects on the aftermath of the homicide investigation in season one while exploring the entanglements of the "Monterey Five's" personal lives.

Verdict
The fact this season isn't horrible is a victory. This season isn't as good as the first. It raises some interesting points that just don't travel far, but the driving force is a custody battle resulting from the aftermath from the first season's homicide. Meryl Streep joins the cast and does a great job, but I couldn't help but wonder what this season is really about. I didn't want all of the plot points wrapped up with a neat bow, but the comparisons or connections never quite materialize.
While I enjoyed the season, it's uneven.
Watch it.

Review
This wasn't originally intended to get a second season. The source material wrapped in season one. After the success of that season, HBO decided to push for a second season and it's an impressive and very different season. The fact this season isn't a huge drop off is a success by itself.

The driving force isn't a murder investigation and cross cutting police interviews. The driving force is Celeste's mother-in-law who threatens a custody hearing to determine what happened to her son. There's plenty of drama along the way with a bankruptcy, new relationships, and an affair intertwined.

The first season wrapped everything up while the second season leaves a season three wide open, though as it stands a third season may not even happen. It just feels a bit cheap. The big reveal I thought might happen in season 2, one teased numerous times, is left as a cliffhanger that may never be resolved.

I really liked Ed and Madelaine's arc. It was rather understated compared to the rest of the plot as their marriage becomes increasingly strained. This season compares marriages and relationships and all of them are different. Despite an affair Ed and Madelaine have the best relationship by the end of the season.

At the outset this season seemed to be about mothers while the "Five" were dealing with what happened. Meryl Streep plays a real piece of work, but her quirks/strategy didn't quite payoff.
I wondered if this season would be them skirting suspicion but that doesn't play a part. There are a few story lines hinted, but they don't progress. At times this season doesn't seem to know where to go. Bonnie is having a difficult time coping with the events of season one and her mother shows up for no good reason, but that arc felt forced.

After the first episode, I figured the kids and their teacher would play a role but that teacher just shows how entitled Renata is. Renata goes bankrupt and her character never quite belonged in the show. She's part of the group, but her struggles of being entitled and rich don't connect. When she ends up bankrupt I didn't really care. She's a terrible person and we're shown that time and again. The show could at least make her terrible as a means of coping or defense, but that's not it. It's all the more strange since Renata is a female CEO. Her entitled manner just doesn't fit.

Nathan and Ed have a contentious relationship and Ed, and Nathan's wife Bonnie, at one point seem to be quite close but that doesn't go anywhere. Nathan and Ed's disdain for each other at times is funny, but I don't think that's the intent. There's a comparison to be made between Ed and Nathan and how Madelaine views them, but I can't give the show credit for actually exploring that.

After the second episode I really liked the writing and characterization, an extension from season one, but too many arcs felt like padding. Too many plot points just didn't materialize.

Meryl Streep does a great job as the unlikable Mary-Louise. She wants to know the truth behind how her son died. She's quirky and that began to seem like an act. She doesn't want to believe her son was terrible.She's in turmoil, but the show doesn't quite make that engaging. She's a villain and she should have a bit of sympathy.

The last episode begins to question nature versus nurture in regards to Mary-Louise, Perry, and Celeste, but it just introduces the idea and leaves it.

This season hits a lot of the same points time and again. I never found the season less than enjoyable, but it also doesn't travel very far. This season could have been fewer episodes and still made the same points. It easily could have expanded one some of the plot arcs introduced, but doesn't. I wasn't disappointed, but this also slightly squanders the premise.

Fleabag TV Review

Fleabag (2016-)
Season 1 - 6 episodes (2016)
Season 2 - 6 episodes (2017)

Watch Fleabag with Amazon Prime Video

Created by: Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Starring: Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Sian Clifford, Olivia Colman, Andrew Scott
Rated: TV-MA
Watch the Season 1 trailer
Watch the Season 2 trailer

Plot
A dry-witted woman, known as Fleabag navigates life and love in London while trying to cope with tragedy. Without a filter those that don't avoid her are rejected when trying to help.

Verdict
Incredible show. It's well written, blending comedy, drama, and truth. It taps into those feelings everyone has but don't voice. The protagonist is dealing with grief and a terrible mother in law figure while trying to deal with her business and a love life. The kicker is that she's a horrible person, selfish and unsympathetic. That makes this intriguing to watch. It's a fantastic show.
Watch it.

Review
The series is adapted from Waller-Bridge's award winning play.

The show is fascinating because the main character is not a nice person. The episodes are quick, and it's funny at how outlandish Fleabag is. She doesen't have a name. She's selfish and mean to everyone, but there is truth to a lot of her interactions. The arc to the first season has quite a twist.

Fleabag breaks the fourth wall frequently, but it's not annoying. In the second season the priest notices, asking her where her mind went just now. It's just a neat trick. Other characters don't seem to notice, but maybe the priest just gets her.

There's a lot of truth in the show. It's authentic. Fleabag chews out a hair stylist for messing up her sister's hair. It's an overreaction, but then she's confronted with the reference picture which is exactly the haircut received.

Fleabag is someone trying to make the best of a bad situation. The catch is she put herself in that situation. The writing is amazing. All of these characters have a drive and are developed. It's bold with how it feels like Waller-Bridge is writing about her/her character's insecurities. There has to be an overlap there.

In the second season she falls for a priest. There's a huge roadblock there for that romance, but media has conditioned us to expect couples to get together. The show plays with that expectation.

Each season is relatively short with half hour episodes. That's all the time this show needs. Any more would just feel like filler. Anything else Waller-Bridge creates I'm going to check out.

Chernobyl HBO Mini-series Review

Chernobyl (2019)
Mini-seris - 5 episodes

Watch the trailer
Created by: Craig Mazin
Starring: Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, Emily Watson
Rated: TV-MA

Plot
In April 1986, an explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics becomes one of the world's worst man-made catastrophes.

Verdict
From the very start of this series I loved it. It's an amazing story that's true. That fact gives this an extra impact. The production design is fantastic, the directing is effective, and the writing that serves as the foundation is excellent. It's absolutely amazing and a must watch. It follow the Chernobyl disaster from the beginning through the perspective of a scientist and bureaucrat. The series does everything right, presenting this story while also urging the viewer to do their own research. While Chernobyl is an incredible event, this series does an incredible job of portraying that story.
Watch it.

Review
I knew about this HBO series early as I listen to writer Craig Mazin's podcast Scriptnotes. This series is incredibly well made. It's clear HBO didn't short change any aspect of this. While I'd say the third episode is the weakest, it's still very good. The episode has the challenge of bridging the introduction of the event with the lead into the conclusion.
This series is so good, that I watched each episode twice as they aired. It doesn't always film things as you would expect. There are a lot of choices that are creative and different in how we see this story unfold. The fact it's based on fact is fascinating. After the first episode I spent a lot of time on Wikipedia reading about the actual event and looking at Chernobyl now, thirty years later.

Even from the first episode this show has really neat creative details. We don't see the blast, we see a flash of light from a window. Then the shock wave happens. We watch crews and employees try to determine what happened, knowing radiation is killing them. They have no idea. That's what makes this so tragic, so many people walked into a death trap and didn't know it.

Everyone wants to pass the blame. The radiation meters are maxed out, and the people in charge are content to report that as the radiation level, knowing it's much higher. While the heads of Chernobyl are quick to state it's under control, it's not. The first episode is a slow plodding march into utter destruction and death.
Lagasov is the scientist that we'll follow through the series, and he knows just how bad the situation is. Convincing the government of that is difficult. People want to protect themselves or are too scared to believe the truth. They think they're too big to fail. Russia is spreading misinformation to spare the country embarrassment.

Lagasov and Shcherbina.

The second episode might be better than the first. Again, the directing is so good. The writing is just as good. Lagasov explains to Shcherbina how nuclear reactors work, a neat narrative trick to explain to the viewer what's going on. That explanation is used by Shcherbina when a Chernobyl engineer tries to argue with Lagasov. It's not just knowing the truth, you have to be forceful and use it as a weapon in the same way Russia uses lies as a weapon.

A scene accentuates the irradiated clothes nurses are removing from first responders. The focus is on the ever growing pile of clothes being discarded. It's something you don't see filmed in such a way, and that's why the directing is notable. It's different, but has an impact.It slows down the action allowing us to reflect on what's happening.

Russia must send it's men to die to fix this situation. The ending of this episode is incredible, relying on the sound of a radiation detector. The scene is preceded by Shcherbina's rousing speech to get men to volunteer for such an enviable task.

While episode three feels weaker than the others, it also shows us the magnitude of what this story is, and what it represents. We're shown the effects of radiation on people. This episode is moving away from the event to the after effects.
No one can figure out how the reactor exploded. It was considered impossible.

Episode four jumps ahead in time. After four months, they still don't know how to clean up the mess. The radiation kills humans and fries electronic circuit boards. Remote controlled units just don't work. The only answer is men on thirty second shifts.
A large portion of this episode takes place away from the reactor. The stakes feel lower because of it, but that doesn't lessen the emotional impact. It's almost forced emotion, with what we see. Cities are deserted and pets are left behind. The animals are ignorant of what's going on and what's to come. It's not that different from the people.

Mazin stated at one point the series was six episodes, but that felt too long. The pacing of this show is excellent. It's a great piece of writing and episode five is the trial to determine who's to blame. While the Chernobyl engineer Dyatlove made a lot of mistakes, those mistakes were also based on assumptions about the reactor Russia built cheaply. There is a cost to lies and that's what this series explores.

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 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.

Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 3 The Long Night

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 3 - The Long Night
Episode two teased the battle of Winterfell that didn't come, but I bet it's in this episodes. Bran will be used as bait to lure the Night King into a trap, but will destroying him destroy every white walker? That seems a bit easy, but from a show standpoint Daenerys and Cersei still have to face off so I get the show wants that moment and needs to remove that hurdle, but one fall and they all fall seems underwhelming.

We got a great moment with Brienne, Jamie, and others. It's a payoff the show has been building since season one. I expect more of those this season.

Jon admitted to Daenerys that he's Aegon Targaryen. She doesn't like that much.

We're half way through the final season. Three episodes left, and this episode is a full hour and a half.

This episode is a beast in so many ways, but man what an episode. It's intense, wild, and I loved it. While it's visually dark, much darker than anything you'd usually see, it creates a mood. It puts you in the moment. Admittedly the pictures in this post do it a disservice. While dark, it didn't inhibit my understanding. Also the music and music queues in this episode are really strong. My only concern now is, can the rest of the season live up to this episode?

We start with Samwell as he receives dragon glass dagger. The troops are arming for battle, and the music is ominous. This is doing a great job of setting the stage. They're staring into the darkness, waiting... waiting...

Melisandre rides up. What's she been doing? She's casting some kind of spell that sets the soldiers blades on fire. Again, from where did she come? I'm sure she's an emissary of the Lord of Light and required to show up, but still. Davos isn't happy to see her but Melisandre assures him she'll die before Dawn. Davos wants to kill her for killing Shireen, Stannis Barantheon's daughter.

Melisandre shared a moment with Arya back in the day, basically predicting Arya's faceless men phase. Arya added her to the list.

If you're going to fight white walkers, the presiding theory is to light your

The Dothraki charge ahead blades ablaze and at least one of them sees a giant or something huge. The rest of Winterfell can't make out what's happening in the distance, but the flaming swords are extinguished one by one rather quickly. Then a few Dothraki and Jorah return. Though none of them had dragon glass. Seems like a big mistake using blades that won't kill the undead. What was the point of them heading out first? Just fodder?

Jon and Daenerys prior to dragon riding.

The white walkers are a tidal wave until Daenerys' dragon cuts through them. Jon somehow thinks he can sneak right up on the Night King while riding a dragon, but then a cold mist obscures all sight and Jon loses him.

Arya sends Sansa to the crypt, handing her a dragon glass dagger. Sansa doesn't know how to use it and Arya tells her to stick them with the pointy end. Jon gave Arya that same advice back in the first season.

That's a horde of white walkers.

Team Winterfell is just smashing zombies left and right and it seems endless. especially with the mist. The good dragons can't see.

A retreat is inevitable and the Unsullied are left protecting that retreat. They're outnumbered and outgunned as it is. The episode does a great job of capturing the insanity and bewilderment. We know just enough of what's going on, and that's not much.

Melisandre working the magic. The Lord of Light had some players in this battle.

A moat of fire for the castle.

The plan was to retreat all along it seems, They had retractable bridges over trenches that Daeneryes was going to light with her dragon, but then her dragon can't see in the mist and is lost flying in circles. Arrows aren't enough, and no soldier can't reach the trench with a torch. That's why Melisandre is here, to bring the fire.

Tyrion in the crypt

We get a break in the battle by going to the crypt. Tyrion opines he wish he could see so he could make a difference. After all, he was instrumental in the Battle of Blackwater. Sansa drops some truth, if they could make a difference they wouldn't be in the crypt.

Bran is here to tell everyone they're exactly where they need to be. He saves Theon from an awkward apology. Then he wargs into a bird. I forgot he could even do that. We see through Bran the Night King riding a dragon. He lifts his hand and one by one walkers begin jumping on the trench. It's going to be a bridge of bodies. Smart move. It's also proof that the Night King has some kind of telekinetic control over the walkers.

Jamie and Brienne on the Winterfell castle walls fighting the good fight.

The walkers have no problem forming a dead body pyramid and scaling the wall. That makes it easier to fight, but there are just so many of them that Winterfell gets overrun.

Samwell has been bailed out twice, I'm getting tired of that.

Lyanna Mormont is stone cold. It's easy to like her, thirteen going on forty. She gets rocked by a backhand from a giant and that doesn't slow her down. She gets up and charges. The giant easily grabs her and begins crushing her, but then on the brink of death Lyanna stabs the giant in it's only good eye. She's a character that had very little screen time but made a huge impact. It's fitting she gets to go out bringing down a giant.

Arya in the castle trying to stay alive.

Arya enters beast mode. She needs a spin off. Then she looks death into the face, managing to live for at least a few more minutes. She ends up in a library where walkers are shambling around. Who knows what they're doing. It's intense, but what's the point? She can't fend them off as she's hurting. The episode is stacking the odds against her. She's grossly outnumbered. I'm guessing the Hound will come into play. He and Arya have a bond.

The Hound's fear of fire comes up in a big way. Is he done for this episode? Beric is urging him to fight, and he's not having it. Just a note, I'm not sure anyone of note has been killed which is a surprise with the bloodbath this has been.

Beric and the Hound stumble across Arya. Beric doesn't make it, the Hound pulling Arya away. The Lord of Light brought him back many times for a purpose. as Melisandre tells Arya, "That purpose has been served."

"Not today." We say to the god of death. Arya runs off, but to where? This episode is intense!

Daenerys has been surprisingly ineffective. We've got three dragons above the mist and the blue flame from the dead dragon looks fierce.

The Night King silently laughing on the inside.

We get a dragon fight with the Night King and Jon riding. Daenerys steps in while dragon riding to shut that down. The Night King is knocked off the dragon and Daenerys finishes him off with her dragon. How about that. Is that the end of the Night King? Jon is going to confirm and to his, mine, and everyone else's surprise dragon fire doesn't do a single thing to the Night King.

Jon's going to attack him because why not. What else can he do in a field alone with him? The Night King motions, bring it. Except that motion really means all the dead bodies in this field get up and defend me. Jon isn't going to kill the Night King right now. All those dead bodies are getting up. Their friends, allies, and countrymen are rising from the grave. It's round 2.

Sansa and Tyrion in the crypt.

Back in the crypt... yes a crypt... where all the non fighters are holed up to stay safe, those dead bodies in the crypt are getting up. Are we going to see Ned Stark?
We're two thirds in to this episode. Are we going to see the conclusion of this battle? What is going to turn the tide? Will the tide turn?
Everyone in the crypt is dying. Sansa and Tyrion together vow to fight.

Theon and crew are loosing arrows to protect Bran. If Theon dies it will be a good death, but what is Bran up to? Theon makes a hero's stand and dies a hero's death.

Daenerys and Jorah on the battlefield, outnumbered.

Daenerys saves Jon and lands and her dragon is swarmed. That's just brutal to see the dragon go down like that. Why land? Shouldn't the dragon's skin be thick enough to resist daggers? Daenerys is thrown off and of course Jorah is there.

Jon is on his way to Bran and saves Sam. Quit saving him. It's just raining bodies literally. I'm going to need a full episode to decompress and tally who's dead and alive after this. I'm glad I get a week in between episodes. I need it after this episode.

The Night King's hype crew on their way to see Bran.

I'm not sure the tide will turn. This might just be a grave yard. If it is, what do the other three episodes matter? The only thing that can turn this is Bran. That's my call, but can he?
Is this episode going to be titled "Everyone Dies."

Arya leaps

The Night King loses

OH MY GOSH. From out of nowhere... Stunning. On the brink of death, and this episode even called it. We were told what would happen and we didn't even know. WOW.

Destroy the Night King and all his minions die. I thought that would be cheap, but this episode works it where that ending felt earned. Kudos. Arya kills the Night King.  I'm loading this episode again.

Everyone in the episode is as stunned as I am when the walkers all fall down. What one liner will Bran utter? Apparently he's saving that for the next episode.

How can the finale top this? Melisandre drops her magic necklace and finally dies of old age. This was her purpose? I don't get it, but it's a great visual to end this episode on.