Game of Thrones: Tower of Babble Breakdowns

Julian and Dan recap season 8 of Game of Thrones.

Here we are at last: Journey's End. After nearly a decade of plots and betrayals, wars and magic, politics and prophesies the Song of Ice and Fire has come to an end, The final season has been nothing if not controversial, but still represents the culmination of a series that captivated countless fans around the world, and has irrevocably influenced all our lives. This has been a transformative experience both for us personally and for pop culture in general. We truly appreciate the tight, vocal community we've stumbled into and look forward to finding new and better ways to engage with you all. Tyrion searches for, hoping never to find, the remnants of his family; Jon comes to terms with the devastation of King's Landing; Grey Worm protects Dany's interests, with the unflinching Iron Fist of a zealot; the Mad Queen proclaims her final solution; Tyrion abandons his role as Hand of the Queen; Dany finally reaches her ancestral throne; Tyrion helps Jon see an unpleasant reality; and Jon Snow, the Prince who was Promised, sacrifices his true love to protect the realm. All things must end, as all men must die, and yet.. The road goes ever on and on...

The penultimate episode of each season is typically cataclysmic and, being the final season, S8E5 really took this trend and ran with it. While this will likely prove to be one of the most divisive and, to some, unforgivable episodes, it was nothing if not surprising. I don’t wanna get into it here, but the condensed nature of this season is having some serious repercussions. Dany is betrayed once again, the Northern army camps outside King’s Landing, Tyrion pleads for one last chance at peace, Arya and the Hound infiltrate the capital, the Lannister brother share a solemn farewell, Qyburn tries to protect his Queen, the Iron Fleet burns in Blackwater Bay, The Hound finally faces his fraternal nemesis (foe if you’re into alliteration), the Lannister army surrenders to the invaders, and the bells of King’s Landing ring desperately for salvation, before all hell breaks loose… Arya struggles to survive the calamity, the Northern army gives in to their bloodlust, a wounded Jaime comforts Cersei, while the city without honour crumbles, as Daenerys Targaryen, first of her name, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons, burns them all.

With the Long Night averted we all needed an episode to decompress, surviving characters included. The episode opens with the aftermath of the battle as the remaining characters light funeral pyres, hail the victorious dead, and prepare their depleted forces for one last fight. Jaime and Brienne play a drinking game, Daenerys recognizes Gendry’s usefulness, Tormund challenges basically anyone to a drinking contest, Dany demands Jon keep his true name secret, Sansa forswears herself in front of the Heart Tree, Arya reunites with the Hound, Tyrion defends Dany’s leadership qualities, the Northern armies honour their promises to Dany, Varys hatches a desperate plot, Cersei is offered a final chance at peace, and Dany is punished for her clemency.

As far back as the Season 1 prologue the White Walkers have been an omnipresent and insidious undercurrent of the series; while the Great Houses squabbled over precedent, weddings, trials, and subterfuge, the Army of the Dead was slowly building power in the North. Now their time has come. The Long Night, the Battle for the Dawn, the greatest battle sequence ever put to film, call it what you will the episode delivered an intense and harrowing experience. From the final fiery charge of the Dothraki, to the iron will of the Unsullied foot, to the relentless, merciless onslaught of the Army of the Dead, the episode is filled with the epic battle sequences we’ve come to expect from director Miguel Sapochnik, as well as some intimate character moments in the face of insurmountable odds. This is Day battling Night, Hope in the face of Despair, Life vs. Death… Ice and Fire.