The silver lining to only having seven episodes was the increased frequency of massive battle sequences, which used to only come once a season. Longer episodes sure (most by 10 minutes, the finale by 30), but fewer chapters overall to tell a story that would usually be spread out over 10.
Thrones was now more of a traditional TV show than the celebration of audience contempt that we'd all grown to love (despite its knack for traumatizing us).Įnter Season 7, which not only continued to feel more "TV," but also ramped up the fast travel (to a degree where the only way to get past the geographical gaps was to ignore them completely) because there were now fewer episodes. David Benioff and Dan Weiss were now finishing the story in a markedly different fashion than Martin would - despite some overall plot beats being the same.
That vibe, plus some lingering complaints about "fast travel," made Season 6 land in a much different way than other Thrones seasons. Fully untethered from GRRM's pages, Season 6 would proceed to hand out happy moments and payoffs like they were pocket candy. It was the happiest season of Thrones to date, capped off by the exceptional episodes "Battle of the Bastards" and "The Winds of Winter." Still though, the run almost felt too rewarding given what the show, and story, had been up until that point. This would be the first time that a major fan theory had the possibility of being confirmed, one way or another.
We'll be keeping a close eye on Daenerys in the next episode, to see if her decision-making betrays her heroism or villainy.So then, all eyes were on Season 6. There must be a reason why the showrunners placed Jon's paternity conversation before the battle took place logically, if it wasn't going to affect the battle's outcome, it would have probably taken place afterward. We may get to see the answer in the upcoming battle. We may not need to hear the answer from her lips. Will she turn on Jon out of selfishness? Will she defer to his rightful claim? Or will she find some middle ground? And then the horns sound (three blasts for White Walkers), which cuts short any sort of resolution. Daenerys is at a loss for what to say, as is Jon. Jon Snow displays some masterfully poor timing when he reveals to Daenerys, in the crypts of Winterfell, that he is actually a Targaryen, with a stronger claim to the Iron Throne than her.
Check out our review of Season 8, Episode 2 for additional insights. Here are some of the most interesting Game of Throne theories headed into Episode 3. It's difficult to say what will happen next, which is exactly what the show was going for. They pretty much made it so that anyone and everyone could die next week, and the show could carry on without them. The show tied up loose ends and rounded off plot arcs. But before that, we got to see Starks, Targaryens, Lannisters, Baratheons, Unsullied, and even a Greyjoy do some much-needed soul searching and reflecting before waging a battle for humanity. Next week, we will get the most expensive, most ambitious battle scene ever committed to film. The second episode of Game of Thrones' final season was a slow, but necessary interlude. For Episode 2, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, start with our review, then get a look at how the show just fulfilled two major fan character ships, how Jaime and Brienne made history, where Jon's direwolf Ghost has been, what Arya asked Gendry to make, the meaning behind the crossbow Qyburn gave to Bronn in Episode 1, and a theory about the Winterfell crypts.
Game of Thrones Season 8 is now underway.