Game of Thrones Season 8 … it’s on.
If I had to sum up my feelings about Episode 1 in one line reading, it would be Cersei’s “shame about the missing elephants” reflection, post-Euron tangle.
I didn’t hate Episode 1, but it felt anti-climactic.
Let me back up a bit.
Here’s what you need to know about me, as a GoT fan: I never watched the first 3 seasons of the show. After the social media hullabaloo of the Red Wedding season, I decided to read the books instead. Yes, I am that person. I fell in love with the ASOIAF universe and decided to watch the show in order to see how the story would unfold. I am a (book) Jon Snow ride-or-die. He is a Messianic Cinderella character. He is the hero-on-a-journey par excellence, and I have been HERE FOR IT since 2014. I am convinced (and this is not a spoiler, by the way) that he will die before the final chapter, but that is part of the journey too.
The show has done an okay job with Jon’s story arc, which is probably why I’m still watching. It does not help that Kit Harrington is becoming less, not more, compelling as time goes on. Watching S8E1 last week, I realized that I have largely stopped caring about most of the show’s version of my other favourite characters. I am glad the show is ending, and all I hope is that they will respect the spirit of the books in wrapping up the story. There are prophesies, OK? They must be fulfilled. I want, nay, NEED to see Lightbringer. And if Cersei dies by anything other than her brother’s hand, I will burn the Great Sept down all over again.
So that’s my investment in GoT. I think it’s pertinent information for a (wannabe) recapper to share.
My immediate reaction to S8E1 was “um, boring.” I was pretty nervous by the 30 minute mark, and getting positively antsy at 43 minutes in. But then we got that long – LOOOOOOONG! – overdue reveal of Jon’s true parentage (to Jon himself), and the goosebumps were their own reward. Still, not an exciting episode overall. It’s a short season, so this annoys me more than it should. This show spends so much time positioning its various characters and “setting up the action” that I … zzzzzzzzzzzzz.
But I have been sitting with my feelings for a few days as I write this post, and I think I have figured out why this episode felt underwhelming to me. There were a lot of reunions in it that should have resonated more deeply and felt more satisfying. Sansa and Tyrion. Arya and the Hound. Arya and Gendry. Jon and Arya. Jon and Creepy Bran. Jaime and … well, you know.
[Speaking of which, let’s just pause here because – what the hell? Why is Bran so goddamn creepy? I have scoffed at the theories that Bran = Night King because, honestly, that’s not the vibe I get from GRRM as a writer but now … I mean, yeah, maybe they’ve got a point. Maybe it’s going to be as hokey as that. But, ugh, I was rooting for you Bran. And now you’re just a creepy weirdo forever waiting in a courtyard to Deus Ex Machina all over this plot.]
Anyway, back to my reasons for being underwhelmed by Episode 1. Here’s the thing: the Night King plot and the “game of thrones” plot are not a natural fit. It takes a LOT of narrative room, so to speak, to weave them together in a way that feels organic and balanced. The show doesn’t have that room, not at this stage. The Night King is almost at Winterfell – how can we remain invested in any other plot except that? Who cares what Cersei or Euron do? Who cares what Sansa thinks about Dany, or what the northern lords think of Jon? It’s irrelevant. The show has built up the Night King into this seemingly unbeatable force (now with a White Dragon!), to the point that you have to start questioning if the human side even stands a chance. It has thrown off the axis of the story. And the human side is not exactly being shown at its best. So much distrust. So much pettiness. My husband (who doesn’t watch the show) joked that the story will end with the zombies killing everyone and I was, like, … eh, sure, why not. Because, at this point, I feel like the humans kinda deserve it.
Some other quick thoughts:
- Dany’s non-reaction to (a) news of the zombification of Viseryon, and (b) Jon riding Rhaegal was so incredibly odd and out-of-character to me. Mother of dragons, hear me … do not much of anything.
- Sansa has almost completed her transformation into Cersei 2.0. If this was, say, season 4, it would be a good thing. Now … she’s gotten good at a game which is about to become irrelevant unless people get their s**t together and figure out the zombie situation.
- I am genuinely intrigued about Arya’s motivations and the choices she will make in the episodes ahead. Is she a Stark? A faceless assassin? For whom is she willing to fight to the death?
- Why is Theon Greyjoy still on this show? He better take down half the Night King’s army single-handedly because otherwise I want those 2 minutes of my life back.
- None of the remaining characters would make good kings/queens, not for the average Westerosi anyway. Except Ser Davos. The Onion Knight continues to be the most level-headed, pragmatic, and honest man in the seven kingdoms. Had Melisandre not meddled, I think Stannis Baratheon would have made a decent king with Davos as his Hand.
- But, seriously, what the hell is going on with Bran?
I assume that, by now, everyone has a pet theory about how GoT is going to end. With the first episode of season 8 in the bag, and only five more to go, let’s take the opportunity and share our predictions, shall we? Here’s mine: the Night King will be defeated (because GRRM is not a nihilist, I don’t think) but not without a ton of casualties, naturally. Jon will die. Dany will not be queen. I was inclined to favour a resolution that would see their child – look, I know it’s incest and everything, but it’s Targaryens we’re talking about and also PROPHECIES, PEOPLE, PROPHECIES! – on the throne (eventually), but I don’t think there is enough time left on the show for that to happen. So, now? I don’t know.
I guess I can see Tyrion winding up king, perhaps with Sansa as queen – especially if we get an eleventh hour reveal of a second secret half-Targaryen. Picture it: Tyrion kills Cersei, which is probably the surest way into Sansa’s heart. Tyrion is revealed as a son of the Mad King (via an affair with Joanna Lannister) – a younger brother of Rhaegar, older brother of Dany. With Jon and Dany out of the game, Tyrion and Sansa could be the second pairing of Fire and Ice. Am I 100% committed to this theory? Eh, no. But it’s not the wildest thing I’ve read on the subject this week.
But Ser Davos should definitely be the Hand, because Ser Davos is the best.
Ok, your turn now: tell me how you think GoT will end in the comments.
I am so with you on Theon! Why is he still here?!
Here is my prediction:
Jamie will kill Cersei, then Bronn will kill Jamie.
Arya will try to kill Dany, but Sir Jorah will stop her by sacrificing himself; Arya will kill Jon by mistake and flee in grief. She will later marry Gendry and they will rule Westeros, with Sansa as Hand.
I think the Night King is Viserys and he’s coming for Dany. He can ride a dragon, after all….
I haven’t figured out where Lightbringer is in all of this, but I want it. I also want Khal Drogo to return, if only for a minute.
Davos is awesome. I will cry if/when he dies.
Nooooooooo! Davos cannot die.
The only ending that will satisfy me is if Westeros falls and any human survivors flee to Essos until the end of the long winter. I want prophesies to mean nothing, or to be referring to a still-in-the-future time. Hodor messed me up and I became an anarchist.
I will accept Arya becoming truly no one, or maybe returning to the House of Black and White. I will accept Jon warging into Ghost to experience his remaining life as a direwolf (have we seen Jon warg on the show?).
Also: if Tyrion is the Mad King’s son I doubt it was an affair, more likely rape.
You and my BFF are on the same page. She is team Everybody Dies.
You might be right about the Mad King. On the other hand, I am starting to wonder if the theory that Bran turned Aerys mad has some merit. Because Bran.
Jaime will definitely be the brother to kill Cersei, not Tyrion, as she fears.
And Tyrion is a Targaryen, but a product of rape. (Our three Targaryens all had their mothers die in childbirth so Dany better be careful; she may wish she was barren after all.)
I rather thought the three of them would somehow rule together, the three headed Dragon and all, with a dragon for each, but of course one is lost now – maybe one of them will die but return as the Night King did to rule? Or maybe Jon is actually still dead…
The timing seems wrong for Viserys to be the Night King, but I’m sure they could shoehorn that in somehow if they wanted to.
I’ve read the books too, hope GRRM finishes them so we can see what happens in his full vision.
Well, I probably won’t be able to watch this last season until it is out on DVD, but I couldn’t resist reading your thoughts!
I had so many good theories (in my opinion, hehe) that were based on the books and which the show killed. Like Tyrion being a Targaryen … I honestly don’t think that can still happen now, so late in the game. And with one dragon being dead/zombified. As the Septa would say, shame!