Game of Thrones, Season 8 (spoilers allowed)

I’m chalking up the scorpions on the wall being easier to take down to soldiers abandoning their posts as they saw the others destroyed. Makes it a lot easier for one dragon to take them down if no one is there to fire them. Since they weren’t even moving, I’d say they were abandoned.

And the dragon getting killed last week was as much about them catching them by surprise as anything. When they come in prepared and use the sun to blind the soldiers on the ships, the dragon and Dany get the advantage.

 

We saw a return to the competent Tyrion this week. He was so sure they were going to win because he knew exactly how to hit the Iron Fleet and the city.

Of course, he clearly misjudged Dany.

I'm not surprised one bit by Dany's heel turn, but damn if it wasn't hard to watch.

 

Since it has been mentioned yet, Clegane Bowl was about as good as expected.

Also, let’s all bow our heads for creepy qyburn. At the end of the day, he may have been one of the smartest and most rational thinkers in the Westeros. His death was apt.

 

And Tyrion seemed fine with that. Then he ratted Varys out. Not sure how he’s escaped blondie’s wrath.

 

So Euron went out so fittingly for him. Completely oblivious to anything else or simply didn't give a shit. Fan fucking tastic.

And I can't believe I actually felt for Cersei at the end. In the end it was all about her kids. I still wanted Jaime to take her out but that death was fitting.

The whole episode had a Saving Private Ryan feel to it. Just that gritty, raw and real nature of a city under attack. Civilian and soldier both. Jesus. As someone said, Arya running through the streets was as wrenching as anything. Fucking Dany. Mrs. Spartan is not OK. She's pissed. I guess there had to be that realization that she's an outsider who wasn't going to be loved but man what a magnificent character to have gone heel.

And Clegane Bowl lived up. Mother fuck yeah!

 

So, in the end, no real redemption for Jaime. He left someone who loved him and returned to the evil bitch not to stop her but to save her, and in the end it cost him everything. Tragic, but not the full redemption some hoped for with theories of him killing her to end her reign.

 

Dany had such success with the exact opposite approach in Mereen. So she goes crazy, why? Because grief? Its just not particularly believable.

 

Grief and a realization she was never going to be accepted by the people of Westeros. This was the one thing she wanted; her whole motivation. Everything she did was to get the iron throne. She was going to lose it and it's driving her mad.

 

I think they’ve been dropping “Mad Queen” hints for a couple of season. It paid off tonight.

I’ve never viewed GoT as anything more than highly enjoyable junk food. Some have been disappointed with this season (twitter rage!) but I think it’s been highly entertaining.

Great choice to show the city being destroyed from the ground rather than Danys’ view. Much more gripping.

Wonder if Arya might end up killing Dany after living through it.

And as others have said, the Tyrion/Jaime scene was excellent.

 

She saw herself as the conquering hero. Her brother always told tales of them returning and being welcomed with parades in the streets as they returned to their rightful place on the Iron Throne. She was adored as she freed slaves and cities on her path to Westeros, with few stumbles along the way. She was the Mother of Dragons, the Breaker of Chains, and that was enough to win her adoration and loyalty.

But when she got you Westeros, she wasn’t welcomed. There were no parades. She was questioned. She had to prove herself worthy, and having dragons wasn’t enough to prove her worth. There were no slaves to be freed. The people were told stories of savages that were going to kill innocents and rape women. So they didn’t love her; most of them feared her. But Jon, they loved him. He had already proven himself to them. He was a king. And now he was the legitimate heir to the throne. And no matter what she did, he would always be more loved than her.

So all that, plus the death of her best friend, led her to see the only way to rule Westeros would be through fear. She burned the city so the Seven Kingdoms would fear her. It was about revenge against Cersei to a degree, but it was also about sending a message to everyone else.

 

The Tyrion/Jaime scene might be getting Dinklage an Emmy this year.