Notes and Nuggets: "Game of Thrones" Season 8, Episode 4

When you were growing up, did you ever guess that as an adult you’d be glued to a TV show about dragons and ice zombies? Because I sure did! (Never mind – most of these things are gone!) Here are my thoughts on the last season of Game of Thrones. Um, spoilers!

· I wonder what Daenerys whispered to Ser Jorah at the funeral pyre. Also, I still have no idea why Sansa is so upset about Theon – he tried to kill your family!

· The last three episodes combined came in at three hours and forty minutes. Episode #2 (1 hour) was completely devoted to the hours leading up to the Battle of Winterfell, episode #3 (1 hour 20 minutes) was the entire Battle of Winterfell, and this episode (1 hour 20 minutes) spent the first half on the day after the Battle of Winterfell. Anyone else feel like the pacing is off? There’s only two episodes left! They couldn’t have trimmed off some of at least the second and fourth episodes to speed the pace? Take 20 minutes out of episode #2 (as good as it was to see the characters come together, we didn’t need an hour of it), then take the first 20-30 minutes of the Battle of Winterfell – have the episode end with the Dothraki lights going out. Keep all of the Battle of Winterfell in episode #3, then end with the funeral pyres. Start episode #4 with just ten minutes of character meet-cutes…which we just did two episodes ago! Then you can tell even more story during the run-time. I feel like this show is dribbling beyond the arc with :05 left on the shot clock.

· One thing I did like, though, was when Gendry became titled. Favorite moment: When the camera goes to an overhead shot of everyone in the hall standing up to toast him, except for the Hound, who is still eating.

· Why do they keep taking shots at Jon’s height this season? Sure, the jokes are funny, but they came out of nowhere and didn’t really become a thing until this season. Who did Kit tick off?

· I did like the acting all around when Tormund was calling Jon a king at the head table – especially the “I don’t belong here” look that Daenerys has before leaving, as well as Varys in the background

· Look closely in the background while the Hound is talking to Sansa: Podrick walks by with a lady on his arm, and they come across the woman the Hound just scared away. They all talk for a moment…then Podrick walks off with two ladies on his arm. Podrick!

· Looking for dead weight? I don’t think we needed to see many of the scenes with the Hound. If we just cut right to him riding out of Winterfell, would anyone have thought that was out of character? I also think we could have cut the Brienne scenes playing the drinking game – you could have started with Jaime coming to her door and saying “You weren’t drinking.”

· You have to keep the Gendry scene, though, because his proposal to Arya was great. The funny thing was, as he was asking for her hand, you knew she wouldn’t accept it, no matter how much she cares for him, since she’s definitely not a “lady”. Very good scene.

· Okay, this has to come out somewhere, so we might as well put it here: I hate the fact that Jaime and Brienne got together. Yes, I know it serves a larger purpose (more later), but I think that’s such an easy out (boy + girl = lovers). This isn’t just a problem with this particular pairing – I hated when David and Maddie got together on “Moonlighting”, and I really hated it when Mulder and Scully hooked up on “The X-Files”. In all three examples, the relationship is between peers. Can’t their relationships be based on mutual respect? Why does it have to fall back on love? Jaime was, at least at this point in time, a better person than he was before based on the example put forth by Brienne. He was transformed just by being around her. Prior to the Battle of Winterfell, he volunteered to serve under her (in the front lines!), and was the one to knight her. Isn’t that an even more powerful story if he ISN’T looking to bone her?

· The Jon and Daenerys scene was well-done, although I’m still surprised neither of them brought up that they probably shouldn’t hook up since they’re related and all (different times!). Thought it set up the exact resolution it needed to: If you pledge your loyalty to the queen, you obey her command to keep your heritage a secret. In fact, I don’t completely understand why (outside of storyline reasons) Jon felt he HAD to tell the rest of his family about his secret at all. Why do they have to know, especially if you’re not going to do anything with this knowledge (RIGHT?!?!)?

· It’s not that Daenerys dissed Sansa’s call to rest the troops in the war room – it’s that she went out of her way to diss Sansa. If she’s opposed to wasting time anyway, why even ask Sansa for a timeframe? Daenerys is digging her own grave here.

· I love how Jon makes the remaining Starks SWEAR not to tell anyone else about his heritage…and just a couple scenes later it’s a topic of conversation between Tyrion and Varys

· I said in my review of the first episode that Bronn being charged to murder Jaime and Tyrion would damage the storylines, and this showed exactly why. These three (or any combination of the two) are at their best when they are on equal footing just hanging out. Putting Bronn on higher ground damages some of the best relationships in the series. This is probably the best of all worlds given the situation (we don’t want to see them fight it out, and Bronn taking the money and running would be positively un-Bronn-like), but it still hurts interactions that were worth looking forward to. I do like how Tyrion and Jaime were thrilled to see him and thought it was a social call right up until Bronn almost broke Tyrion’s nose – that part was right in character.

· Also thought Bronn’s words on cutthroats becoming lords were intriguing. How many great leaders across history got there because somewhere along the line people on their side killed more people on the other side? Reminded me of the Odin scenes in Thor: Ragnarok.

· Have no idea what the Hound’s unfinished business is – excited to find out more. Really have no idea why Arya isn’t expecting to come back to Winterfell – excited to find out more.

· Yes, that was a pretty crappy goodbye Jon had for Ghost – that dog saved your life and you can’t even pet him? But I loved the goodbye between Jon and Sam. “You’re the best friend I ever had.”

· Tyrion mentions that the past twenty years were all due to Robert Baratheon loving someone who didn’t love him back. Somewhat true, but doesn’t cover everything. Sure, that’s the reason for Robert’s rebellion, which begot Cersei on the throne and Daenerys trying to take over. But it didn’t make a difference regarding the Night King (unless we’re sweeping the fantasy elements under the rug). And wouldn’t someone have tried to get rid of someone called the “Mad King” at some point anyway?

· When Tyrion says that in a Jon and Daenerys marriage Jon would soften her worst impulses, it reminded me of the might-have-been Rey/Kylo Ren First Order from The Last Jedi

· So…you CAN marry your aunt in SOUTH Westeros?

· The story goes that when the producers of the show were about to pull ahead of the written story, they visited George R. R. Martin to find out what he had in store. He told them of three big surprises: Stannis sacrificing his daughter (which didn’t feel like a surprise to me – wasn’t her name Chekov’s Gun?), how Hodor got his name, and a third one yo be revealed this season. I wonder – was it the death of Rheagal? Because that totally came out of nowhere – and it completely shifts the balance of power in the upcoming war.

· This is a fantasy world based on medieval styles. So why does Euron dress like a steampunk? I keep expecting him to ride a coal-powered dirigible or something.

· Lots of Varys this episode, which was very interesting to see. Is he the hero of the show? Remember, he helped turn in Ned Stark in season one. Did he change, or is this a continuation of his same character? The man serves the realm no matter who rules – you have to respect that. One other question: Didn’t Melisandre tell him he would also die in Winterfell?

· Funny to hear Tyrion and Varys talk about how Jon being a man would help sell the new rulers to the lords – I guess they’re big Biden fans

· Varys had all the good points, but it didn’t change Tyrion. “I believe in our queen.” With all he’s been through and how she rewarded his service you can’t really blame him.

· Don’t really understand why Jaime chose that moment to leave for King’s Landing (except for the fact that he just hooked up with Brienne – story!). And are we sure he’s going to fight FOR Cersei?

· I find Qyburn really unsettling (which I think is the point), and I think it’s because he shows too much old man chest with those robes. It’s like he took a shower, wrapped a towel around himself, and left for work.

· Where the heck is the Golden Company in all this? Two episodes left, people!

· Really noticed the Lannister bunting around King’s Landing in this episode. Actually made me think, though – how did we get there? Obviously Cersei is a Lannister, but she is where she is because she was Robert Baratheon’s wife, and the mother to the other “Baratheon” kings Joffrey and Tommen. Does nobody else really have a better claim than her (without having to fight a war)? Or did everyone just give up and hand her the Iron Throne (which was my interpretation)?

· Sure, Tyrion keeps underestimating his sister. But note: this is also the second time Cersei had Tyrion dead to rights (the first being the meeting after the Dragon Pit last season) and didn’t pull the trigger. Is she all talk about killing him?

· Love the calm way Cersei told Missandei “If you have any last words…now’s the time to say them.” Total player move.

· Daenerys’s personal bodyguard died fighting the dead, her best friend died by the hands of her arch enemy, and she’s boinking her nephew. Now it’s personal!

· Weird episode – feel like a lot happened, but also nothing happened. Giving it six out of ten hot dogs. Note for next week: Pick up the pace, fellas!