(Photo by Helen Sloan/HBO)
Earlier this month, HBO announced its month-long “Iron Anniversary” – a celebration marking 10 years since Game of Thrones premiered on the service on April 17, 2011. The premium cable network/streaming giant has also recently announced a slew of Game of Thrones spin-offs that will keep fans of George R.R. Martin’s dragon-filled tomes and the original TV adaptation satisfied for the next 10 years. At least. (First in line: a prequel taking us back 300 years from the events of Thrones to a very turbulent period for the Targaryens called House of the Dragon.)
Listen Now: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | TuneIn | Google Podcasts | Radio Public | Deezer | iHeart | Art19
So, we’ve got fire and ice on the brain this week. Which was a perfect reason to go back in time ourselves – just two years, mind – to the time when the very last episodes of Game of Thrones arrived on HBO: an, um, turbulent period for fans of the series, many of whom began season 8’s six-episode run with expectations soaring and ended it in a state WTF disbelief. Story arcs felt rushed, they complained, and characters were taking very out-of-character turns; meanwhile, even the best moments were marred by questionable creative choices. (How much better would “The Long Night” have been if we could have actually seen it?).
Just how much did fans dislike the final season? Its Audience Score sits at just 30%, and critics were only slightly more generous, with their reviews combining to form a Tomatometer score of just 54% – the only Rotten score for any Game of Thrones season. (And it was a big drop from previous years: Every other season is Certified Fresh with a score of at least 90%.)
But was season 8 really that bad? Did a few wrong moves overshadow a whole ton of awesome moments? Was Bran really that terrible a choice for the Iron Throne? That’s what we’re asking in the latest episode of podcast Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong (A Podcast from Rotten Tomatoes). Joining hosts Jacqueline Coley and Mark Ellis this week is Andres “Ace” Cabrera, co-founder of YouTube channel First Cut and co-host of podcast The Meaning Of. Will he be House Rotten Tomatoes… or tear that Tomatometer score down like some suddenly unhinged dragon queen laying waste to a city and all the innocent civilians who dwell there? Tune in to find out.
Check in every Thursday for a new episode of Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong (A Podcast From Rotten Tomatoes). Each week, hosts Jacqueline and Mark and guests go deep and settle the score on some of the most beloved – and despised – movies and TV shows ever made, directly taking on the statement we hear from so many fans: “Rotten Tomatoes is wrong.”
If you have a suggestion for a movie or show you think we should do an episode on, let us know in the comments, or email us at rtiswrong@rottentomatoes.com.
Meet the hosts
Jacqueline Coley is an editor at Rotten Tomatoes, with a focus on awards and indie coverage but with a passion for everything, from the MCU to musicals and period pieces. Coley is a regular moderator at conventions and other events, can be seen on Access Hollywood and other shows, and will not stand Constantine slander of any kind. Follow Jacqueline on Twitter: @THATjacqueline.
Mark Ellis is a comedian and contributing editor for Rotten Tomatoes. He currently hosts the Rotten Tomatoes series Versus, among others, and can be seen co-hosting the sports entertainment phenomenon Movie Trivia Schmoedown. His favorite Star Wars movie is Jedi (guess which one!), his favorite person is actually a dog (his beloved stepdaughter Mollie), and – thanks to this podcast – he’s about to watch Burlesque for the first time in his life. Follow Mark on Twitter: @markellislive.
On an Apple device? Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Apple News.
(Updated: 5/14/19, 6:45 a.m. PT)
It’s not an easy thing to be the lowest-scoring Game of Thrones episode of the series’ history, but Episode 5: "The Bells" 49% has done it.
Five seasons had passed before an episode of the series got a Rotten score, and then another two passed before it got another with season 8’s “The Last of the Starks,” which, critics complained, was “anticlimactic” and “a huge letdown.” And now another.
The series’ eighth and final season is struggling relative to its predecessors. With its latest episode at 49% on 68 reviews (updated) following the previous week’s 57% score, season 8 dropped to 73% on Monday — every other season is Certified Fresh at 91% or higher on the Tomatometer. The final episode will have to score an 89% or higher for the season overall to qualify for Certified Fresh status. It is now mathematically impossible for the season to be anything but the lowest-scoring season of the series.
There were no dancing Starbucks cups derailing Sunday’s episode, but plenty more to complain about, according to reviews.
(Photo by Mark Davis/Getty Images)
UPDATED: “Absurd,” author George R.R. Martin wrote in a vehement denial of a statement actor Ian McElhinney made to a Saint Peteresburg, Russia, fan convention that books six and seven were written but shelved until after the series concluded. (See the video here, starting around the 32-minute mark.)
McElhinney who played Ser Barristan Selmy in the series dropped that bomb at Epic Con in April, revealing/purporting that Martin has already finished writing the final two books of the Song of Ice and Fire novel series that the hit TV show is based on.
“He struck an agreement with David [Benioff] and Dan [Weiss], the showrunners of the series, that he would not publish his final two books until the series has completed,” McElhinney said at the con. “So [if] all goes well, another month or two, we might get books six and seven.”
Martin responded to the video: “No, THE WINDS OF WINTER and A DREAM OF SPRING are not finished. DREAM is not even begun; I am not going to start writing volume seven until I finish volume six … HBO did not ask me to delay them. Nor did David & Dan. There is no “deal” to hold back on the books. I assure you, HBO and David & Dan would both have been thrilled and delighted if THE WINDS OF WINTER had been delivered and published four or five years ago… and NO ONE would have been more delighted than me.”
Still, if you don’t like the way the show ends, there’s always the option to read the author’s take on it — whenever the books arrive. (And those people who have been dragging on Martin online about finishing the books still seriously need to apologize — that’s still bad form.)
Armed with that information and before you set your expectations about the finale, read on to find out what critics had to say about “The Bells.”
“For viewers who have stuck around for eight seasons of the HBO fantasy series, all that’s left after the penultimate episode is ash and a bad taste.” — Kelly Lawler, USA Today
“For a battle that’s been years in the making, that was more than a little disappointing.” — Paul Dailly, TV Fanatic
“The penultimate episode of Game of Thrones, ‘The Bells,’ has too much to do and too little time for people to stop and explain how they’re feeling. As a result, everything is big.” — Dave Gonzales, Thrillist
“Sorry. But no. I just didn’t buy that. Any of it.” — Michael Deacon, Daily Telegraph (UK)
Read more: Game of Thrones’ Penultimate Episode: Hell Hath No Fury Like a Dragon Queen Scorned
“Dany got a raw deal.” — Glen Weldon, NPR
“It’s understandable that she would act rashly as a response. But the show doesn’t actually set that up. Instead, it presents us with mounting evidence that she’s suddenly inherited her father and brother’s mental illness, with no prior symptoms.” — Anne Cohen, Refinery29
“I don’t want to spend too much time second-guessing the show runners here, but I saw a bunch of people carping on Twitter as soon as the episode ended that this turn of Daenerys’s is unearned, and I have to say it felt that way to me too.” — Mike Hogan, Vanity Fair
“The Thrones series finale will have to do a LOT of repair work to make me understand what the hell happened to Dany, the woman who once locked up her dragons for months because one of them accidentally killed ONE child.” — Huw Fullerton, Radio Times
The show’s perverse desire to dumb down its characters just to fill out inorganic plot beats is maybe the biggest overall problem with this final season. — Clint Worthington, The Spool
“Drawing out aspects of the character which have been there in more than just her gene pool but hidden in the gestalt complicates a picture that is much more fun to leave a little less novelistic.” — Daniel D’Addario, Variety
“In doing so, the thing that GoT is actually pushing is a debate about Dany’s morality, bringing that question into the foreground of the show after letting it sit quietly in the background for so long.” — James Hibberd, Entertainment Weekly
“It’s like Jamie Lannister stabbed the Mad King in the back, and the writers of the show stabbed Jamie Lannister in the back!” — Jeremy Jahns, JeremyJahns.com
“I still greatly enjoyed ‘The Bells,’ the penultimate episode of this last-minute-bungled series, because anytime there’s a lot of killing, it translates to minimal dialogue, a blessing at this point.” — Julianne Escobedo Shepherd, The Muse/Jezebel
“Game Of Thrones has always been a show to cast a realistic eye (magic and dragons not withstanding) on how people treat each other when power is in play, and there were multiple examples here. Just not all of them worth our while.” — James White, Empire Magazine
“Sure, there was something wonderful and terrible to behold as she and her Drogon rained terror down on King’s Landing, but all those pyrotechnics — and the resulting ash — couldn’t obscure how mechanical this drama has become.” — Ellen Gray, Philadelphia Inquirer
Read more: Game of Thrones’ Final Season Is Officially Its Worst, According to the Tomatometer
“There was so much that could have worked here, so many emotional pay-offs and beautifully shot scenes – and it was all let down by how little work was put into earning those moments.” — Sarah Hughes, Guardian
“The cinematic pyrotechnics to accompany this grim symphony were occasionally repetitious but overall extraordinary.” — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic
“The CGI was spectacular.” — Neela Debnath, Daily Express (UK)
“In general, this episode was beautifully executed and really well-acted, with a lot of clean action and intelligent cross-cutting between set pieces. But it felt so hollow to me, the narratives stakes entirely obliterated, once Daenerys made her move.” — David Sims, The Atlantic
“The acting was spectacular. The effects were stunning. But that prowess was in service of a story that was extremely obvious in some ways (Dany becoming the Mad Queen, something fans have predicted for ages) and absolutely illogical in others.” — Lenika Cruz, The Atlantic
Read more: All Game of Thrones Episodes, Ranked by Tomatometer
“I’m going to err on the episode working in a vacuum and rate it as positive if middling, but just as this week has come to make last week’s loathsome in hindsight, next week’s final hour will provide the final details to really evaluate this ending.” — David Crow, Den of Geek
“I wish I could go back to living in a world where Game of Thrones was still a great show, something I recommended to my friends, colleagues and my cab driver. But now, I feel like sinking into the ground, embarrassed for ever promoting or defending it.” — Soumya Srivastava, Hindustan Times
“Just because the outcome wasn’t surprising, that doesn’t mean the result wasn’t spectacular.” — Jeremy Egner, New York Times
“Game of Thrones should end the same way it did its best work – surprising us. Or perhaps surprising us about the way it’s surprising us.” — Hillary Kelly, New York Magazine/Vulture
“Whatever the thinking, the result is clear: Game of Thrones marches towards its final episode a lame duck.” — Nick Hilton, Independent (UK)
“The only character I care about survives, so I’m good. Beyond that, this episode is full on chaos.” — Leona Laurie, Geek Girl Authority
“It is sufficed to say that the beautifully shot swarming of King’s Landing and pitiful death of Cersei may stand as the pivotal and most recalled episode of Game of Thrones ever – no matter how things shake down next week.” — Dominic Patten, Deadline Hollywood Daily
“Maybe that’s the core truth revealed by ‘The Bells.’ There may just be too many arcs in this show for these final episodes to feel truly earned as an ending, too many threads that were just destined to never connect.” — Myles McNutt, AV Club
“I loved it and hated it and I think it could have been the perfect culmination of everything this show ever set out to do, if only they’d earned it.” — Erik Kain, Forbes
“By the end of this 90 minutes, as the ash settled, it is difficult not to feel one was looking at the charred remains of an era-defining television show’s integrity.” — Hugh Montgomery, BBC.com
“‘The Bells’ stands as one of the most artful, poetic, and upsetting installments in Game of Thrones history, as the true cost of war hits home in a devastating and visceral way.” — Laura Prudom, IGN Movies
Did you agree with the critics? Tell us in the comments!
Game of Thrones season 8 finale airs Sunday, May 19 at 9 p.m. on HBO.
The coffee cup that stole Game of Thrones‘ spotlight on Sunday night might have dominated the conversation on Twitter, but it looks like most of the first critics to review “The Last of the Starks” either missed the cup’s cameo or were too enthralled with that dramatic dinner scene to care.
In a statement released later, the network said: “In response to inquiries from those who saw a craft services coffee cup in Sunday night’s episode of Game of Thrones, HBO states, ‘The latte that appeared in the episode was a mistake. Daenerys had ordered an herbal tea.’”
News from Winterfell.
The latte that appeared in the episode was a mistake. #Daenerys had ordered an herbal tea. pic.twitter.com/ypowxGgQRl
— Game of Thrones (@GameOfThrones) May 6, 2019
(Photo by HBO)
Update: By Tuesday, the cup was scrubbed from the scene in the streaming version.
Despite the cup’s explosion on the Twitter-verse, with the controversy trending under “Starbucks cup” (though HBO indicates the cup was a craft services item), critics weren’t distracted by the contemporary set piece in last night’s episode. Instead, some critics were captivated for positive reasons, but many others — not so much.
The eighth and final season of Game of Thrones 89% is not faring as well as its predecessors. Granted, the season just passed its halfway mark, but it’s still scoring about 10% lower than any season before. After Sunday’s “The Last of the Starks,” season 8 is hanging in the 80th percentile — every other season is at 91% or higher on the Tomatometer. Still, season 8 is well on its way to being Certified Fresh. (The final two episodes would have to have dancing Starbucks cups to fully derail the season.)
Last week, “The Long Night” drew criticism for its darkness, the lack of consequential deaths, and that the battle literally lasted only one night. At 74%, it became the second-lowest ranking Game of Thrones episode ever. But now, it appears that title will be taken by episode 4 — and that now-infamous Starbucks cup.
(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for AFI; HBO)
This week’s “The Last of the Starks” is even lower on the Tomatometer, currently at 63% with 63 reviews so far (updated at 2:45 p.m. PT on May 6). And that’s despite a cameo by the series’ showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff (pictured above at a 2018 event and in costume in the episode) in the feasting scene. The only episode ranked lower than these two most recent installments is season 6’s “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken“… and it’s Rotten.
Read on to find out what critics had to say about season 8 Episode 4: "The Last of the Starks" 58%.
(Photo by Helen Sloan/HBO)
Odd oversight of letting in a Starbucks cup cameo… — Dominic Patten, Deadline
Well, at least no one will complain about the darkness in this latest “Game of Thrones” episode. — Verne Gay, Newsday
Last week was an emotional rollercoaster and tonight took us off the track! — Jamie Broadnax, Black Girl Nerds
Maybe we don’t have a hero on this show anymore, at least not in the game for the Iron Throne. — Dave Gonzales, Thrillist
Read more: Sex, Death and Relationship Drama Feature in Game of Thrones‘ ‘The Last of the Starks’ Top Moments
(Photo by Helen Sloan/HBO)
Not every character- or plot-based story decision feels earned, but at least the rapid momentum toward the series’ end has kept the eyes of Game of Thrones somewhat on the present, however volatile and fatal it may be. — Steve Greene, indieWire
Character-driven errors were committed and the war for the Iron Throne ignited in a highly emotional and often devastating episode — have there ever been so many tears and kisses and hugs on this show? — James Hibberd, Entertainment Weekly
The Jon/Dany conflict cuts to the heart of Game of Thrones‘ biggest problems in its final few seasons – in its zeal to set up these foregone conclusions, they’ve had to roll back significant character development to do so. — Clint Worthington, The Spool
(Photo by Helen Sloan/HBO)
We’re only a week past the deadly Battle of Winterfell, and Daenerys has already reached the sixth stage of grief: world domination. — Kimberly Roots, TV Line
This is an interesting episode because Daenerys is so bad in so many ways throughout, and yet she’s also clearly not as vile as Cersei. — Erik Kain, Forbes
Holding within herself the power for acts of desperation, grasping need, human connection, and inhuman cruelty, Cersei represents the show at its most painfully complicated. She’s back in full force for the show’s last two episodes — just in time. — Daniel D’Addario, Variety
It’s obvious now from the conversation among the characters and the closeups of Clarke, Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa Stark, and Lena Headey, who plays Cersei Lannister, that the battle for the Iron Throne will come down to these three women. — Robert Rorke, New York Post
(Photo by Helen Sloan/HBO)
For the first time, I know who I’d like to see on the Iron Throne at the end: Sansa. I think she’d be a great Queen. I want to see Tyrion at one of her sides and Arya at the other. Maybe it’s time to place my bets? — Leona Laurie, Geek Girl Authority
I’m afraid Jon Snow — sorry, Aegon Targaryen — is going to somehow stumble his way onto the Iron Throne. Yes, I do mean accidentally bumbling his way onto it, like he bumbles absolutely everything else, and everyone will just yell, “King in the south!” If that happens, I’m going to riot. — Tasha Robinson, The Verge
Read more: All Game of Thrones Episodes, Ranked by Tomatometer
(Photo by Helen Sloan/HBO)
As has been the pattern for two seasons now, the episode was filled with lapses in logic that were too irritating to ignore, plus a plague of idiocy on the part of most of its supposed heroes. — Kelly Lawler, USA Today
It was a bad week for the Dragon Queen, the latest in a fairly regular string of tragedy and indignity that began roughly when she started hanging out with Jon and doesn’t suggest much in the way of a happy ending. — Jeremy Egner, New York Times
As impressive as last week’s spectacle was, none of it felt as engaging as this week’s smaller moments of politicking and intrigue – of Tyrion and Varys contemplating treason. — Stephen Kelly, BBC.com
I suspect that when we all look back on the final season of “Game of Thrones” with the benefit of some hindsight (and when some of us are not in the position of speed-writing recaps late on a Sunday night), the pacing of these final six episodes is going to seem at least a little off… But in the moment, I was delighted to see all of these characters loose and wonderfully, vitally alive. — Alyssa Rosenberg, Washington Post
Game of Thrones airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO.
Given the immense anticipation leading up to episode 3 of HBO fantasy juggernaut Game of Thrones 89%, the assumption was that the battle against the Night King’s army at Winterfell in “The Long Night” would be unequivocally epic. But you know what they say about assumptions.
Critics and fans hung on for two relatively mellow first weeks of the final season. It was fine that the premiere, “Winterfell,” was mostly filled with character reunions and episode 2, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” favored sentimentality over conflict, because everything was building to the #BattleofWinterfell (though that hashtag had been seen before).
Alas, not everyone was blown away by the latest battle at the Stark ancestral home, as demonstrated by the episode’s unusually low (for the series, that is) Tomatometer score: 75% with 92 reviews so far (at 1:20 p.m. PT on April 30).
(Photo by HBO)
Some critics were pleasantly surprised by the episode’s unexpected twists, others were utterly disappointed and lamented the return to the pursuit of the Iron Throne. Many critics found the battle “brutal and emotionally exhausting” — but in a good way! But more than a mere few — 23% if you do the math — as well as some vocal fans on Twitter, found it less-than-thrilling at best, and a “betrayal” at worst.
“The Long Night” is the lowest-scoring of the season’s three episodes so far, and if it stays that low, it would be the second lowest-scoring Game of Thrones episode ever (it recently dropped below season 3’s “The Bear and the Maiden Fair“). To put that score into context, however, that’s still higher than popular recent box office superhero fare like Aquaman (2018) 65%.
Read on to find out what critics had to say about Season 8 Episode 3: "The Long Night" 74%.
Did “The Long Night” live up to your expectations? Tell us in the poll below.
(Photo by HBO)
Fighting an army of the dead is never easy, but Daenerys and Jon’s output was so pitiful here that I worry their alliance might not make it to the final conflict with Cersei. — David Sims, The Atlantic
After bridging the trenches, the wights started climbing the walls. So it was up to Gendry, Jaime, and the gang to fight them all off one by one — a project that was manifestly futile from the start. Still, it gave Brienne a chance to save Jaime’s life, so that was nice. — Michael Hogan, Vanity Fair
What was most striking to me was that while the men were busy having existential crises in the middle of a bloody battle (I’m looking at you Clegane), women were getting shit done. — Anne Cohen, Refinery29
Cersei is a winner because she knows, every time, that she can just hang back and let other people do her dirty work, then sip her wine and chuckle to herself about how everybody else did the dirty work for her. — Todd VanDerWerff, Vox
Read more: The 11 Biggest Moments from “The Long Night.”
(Photo by HBO)
The episode stands in as the ultimate representative of one of the ways “Game of Thrones” has seen itself, as the staging-ground for ultra-violent action whose stakes are the fate of the world. — Daniel D’Addario, Variety
Perhaps the hour’s been built up too much, or maybe events were too foreshadowed; we knew that mankind would prevail, if only because it’s got to fight amongst itself a bit more before Thrones’ six-episode season is through. — Clint Worthington, The Spool
It’s hardly a roller coaster ride, but that’s actually why this might be one of the better battle-focused episodes of “Game of Thrones” to date; it makes every moment of dread feel truly lived-in, lets each character beat scattered between the battles sink in. — Liz Shannon Miller, indieWire
“The Long Night” was unique in that it’s the one Game of Thrones episode I will never watch again, under any circumstance. I do not need to relive that. If television could give you PTSD, this would have done the job. — Shane Ryan, Paste Magazine
I’m satisfied, but my eyes need a rest. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic
(Photo by HBO)
I know the night is dark and full of terrors, but does that mean the episode has to be so literally dark? — Clint Worthington, The Spool
The long-gestating Battle for Winterfell is difficult to follow, occasionally even impossible to discern, and ends the most existential threat the series has built up over the course of its run with a “one good hit kills them all” solution that feels more than a little cheap. — Andrew Bloom, Consequence of Sound
The scenes were often so dark that it was impossible to see the action unless it happened to include fire (thanks a bunch, Drogon and Melisandre). The editing was sloppy at times, and it was hard to tell who was where and how they got there. And despite the high death count, most of our major characters still made it out alive, an illogical outcome considering the enemy. — Kelly Lawler, USA Today
What spectacle! The deus ex machina of Arya’s attack satisfied in both its culmination of a seasons-long build (her development into a master killer) and its tension-exploding suddenness. — Daniel D’Addario, Variety
At nearly the last possible moment of the longest Game of Thrones episode ever, she saved Bran and all humanity from the Night King in one of those moves that would certainly land her a slot in The Avengers if they were making any more Avengers movies. — Ellen Gray, Philadelphia Daily News
Read more: All Game of Thrones Episodes, Ranked by Tomatometer“
(Photo by HBO)
So, in summation, the Battle of Winterfell dead include: Dolorous Edd, Lyanna Mormont, Jorah Mormont, Beric Dondarrion, Theon Grejoy, Melisandre, and the Night King. — Kimberly Roots, TV Line
Everything in “Game of Thrones” these past seven seasons led us to these cataclysmic 80 minutes, the sum total of all our fears and theories. A shrug wouldn’t do at all, but only a physical, convulsive reflex — our own yawp into the night, as if to say that TV at its wild, most ambitious best really can make dreams come true. Or nightmares. This one certainly did. — Verne Gay, Newsday
With three episodes remaining in its eighth and final season, “Game of Thrones” has defeated its most powerful and threatening villain, the Night King… It was as grand and almost as fatal as we all predicted, sure, but it also ended the White Walker threat forever with one tidy blow. — Kelly Lawler, USA Today
If you asked me whether “Game of Thrones” is a genuinely great show, after “The Long Night,” I’d have to answer: not today. — Alyssa Rosenberg, Washington Post
Tensions were inevitably high throughout the second installment of the final season of Game of Thrones. Last week’s episode felt like a nostalgic, sentimental who’s-who of the series, and for a few critics, this week’s episode was much the same. But “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” was just as invested in the sexual tension between several Thrones characters as it was in their competition for said throne.
Some critics reveled in the exchanges and relationships. Others expressed simmering impatience after a second episode focused more on conversation than action. According to Jeva Lange for The Week, “Game of Thrones‘ final season has gotten off to a surprisingly slow start, by which I mean there has only been one horrifying mutilation in the show’s first two hours.” Meanwhile Paul Dailly of TV Fanatic thinks the season is “trying to live up to the tremendous hype” by “honoring the past as the series reaches its conclusion.”
With 60 reviews so far, the score for “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” has settled at 88% — slightly lower than the premiere’s 92%, even though it had nearly double the number of reviews.
(Photo by Helen Sloan/HBO)
Itching for a rehash of last night’s episode? Check out our list of highlights from “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.”
Curious to see where “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” ranks among other Game of Thrones episodes? Check out our “All Game of Thrones Episodes, Ranked by Tomatometer” — of more than 60 episodes, only one has turned up Rotten and more than 20 sit comfortably at 100%.
See what critics had to say about Episode 2: "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" 87% below.
“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” the second episode of Game of Thrones‘ eighth and final season, is more concerned with delivering big moments audiences have been yearning to see between characters than action-packed sequences, and it should make fans of the show nervous. — Dave Gonzales, Thrillist
“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” still managed to be satisfying in the same way last week’s opener was satisfying… They are our characters and this is our epic. — Verne Gay, Newsday
One takeaway at this stage is that Game of Thrones doesn’t plan to leave any fan wondering about how one character might feel about another. But the downside is that at this point, a third of the final season’s action has been stalled in this sort of character-driven-but-not-really-consequential drama. — Liz Shannon Miller, IndieWire
(Photo by Helen Sloan/HBO)
This episode of Game of Thrones beat us over the head with warnings that our remaining favourite characters (all gathered at Winterfell) are perhaps just a week away from their final minutes of screen time, cheerfully mentioning their own impending deaths with alarming frequency. — Anna Leszkiewicz, New Statesman
This episode had the definite sense of being the calm before the storm. Even more so than the first episode. By the end, everyone is just waiting. Much of the conversations were light-hearted and blessed with that wry Thrones‘ humour, but the tension was there. It’s going to make the battle that much more intense. — Jack Price, Stuff.co.nz
Hey, everyone’s pretty sure they’re going to die anyway. — AJ Willingham, CNN.com
Gendry and Arya were courting in last week’s episode and tonight the two got hot and heavy. Arya took the initiative immediately, and it’s almost as if Arya had been waiting for this moment for a while. She says, “we’re probably going to die soon, I’d like to know what it’s like before it happens.” — Jamie Broadnax, Black Girl Nerds
Fans are probably still high over the Arya-Gendry hookup when something far more joyous happens: Brienne finally becomes an actual knight. When she says that tradition is why women can’t be knights, Tormund gives her some Wildling wisdom. “Fuck tradition,” he says. “I’m not a king, But if I were, I’d knight you 10 times over.” — Kimber Myers, The Playlist
Jon, standing before Lyanna Stark’s crypt, tenderly whispers to Dany the real story of Rhaegar and Lyanna’s love—and somehow doesn’t realize that her reaction to learning his parentage, after Wha?, will not be Ick! or We’ll figure it out! but How dare you be the rightful heir to my throne? — Sarah Larson, New Yorker
(Photo by HBO)
The script, from Bryan Cogman, is full of moments that perfectly encapsulate the characters as elucidated throughout eight seasons or so of development. These are characters who have grown together, have complex relationships with one another, and who know that by the time the snow settles on the battlefield that their friends won’t be around to hang out with anymore. — Ron Hogan, Den of Geek
In last week’s premiere, most of the runtime went toward putting the pieces in place for the forthcoming episode-long Battle of Winterfell. The second episode, “Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” expanded on that table-setting, giving characters room to breathe, talk, and canoodle. It also highlighted the biggest problem Game of Thrones has this season: the utter lack of chemistry in its marquee relationships. — Jeva Lange, The Week
We can stop worrying now, because this week’s Game Of Thrones returned to greatness. The final season’s second episode, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” focused on what has always been the driving force of the show and what has always made it great, the characters and their relationships. — Michael Walsh, Nerdist
Sentimentality was the order of the day; these characters know it could be their last living night and don’t want to leave certain things unsaid, or in the case of Arya and Gendry, undone, but the episode managed to somehow feel both drawn-out and rushed at the same time. — Sinead Brennan, RTÉ (Ireland)
Just to make it simple, here’s a list of everyone who drank to forget their current life status: Tyrion (+10), Podrick (+10), Jaime (+10), Tormund (+10), Arya (+10), The Hound (+10), and Beric (+10). — Julia Alexander, The Verge
An episode does have a name after all: Episode 2: "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" 87%. The name highlights one of our favorite moments from the newest season 8 episode of HBO’s Game of Thrones, which aired on Sunday night.
(Photo by HBO)
We’ve seen a bit of this in the trailer. Arya (Maisie Williams) says, “I know Death. He’s got many faces. I look forward to seeing this one.” What we didn’t know is that she was showing off in front of Gendry (Joe Dempsie).
Persuading him to stop trying to convince her not to fight, Arya starts throwing daggers at a post. They land in a staggeringly perfect formation, and Gendry – well, if he wasn’t aroused by her presence before, he’s clearly sputtering over this display. So no, Arya’s whole “I know Death” speech wasn’t the highlight here. The highlight was Gendry’s worshipful response.
(Photo by Helen Sloan/HBO)
Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) apologizes to Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) for trying to murder him. Bran gets it, though: The Fates had their way so that Bran could be this all-seeing wizard of uncomfortable stares. Jaime appreciates that Bran didn’t rat him out for that tower push, but what’s next? Bran will not confirm or deny that there is an afterwards. And for that, we think he’s being a bit of an asshole – the conversation was a highlight, but Bran is being a bit of a dick (more on that later).
(Photo by Helen Sloan/HBO)
There’s that word again, but let’s give a nod first to the scene in which Ser Jorah (Iain Glen) stands up for Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) and, it becomes apparent, suggests that Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) make nice with Sansa (Sophie Turner). Daenerys takes his advice. She visits Sansa, is surprised by Lord Royce’s (Rupert Vansittart) respectful greeting, and has that awkward “I’m going to try diplomacy” smile on her face – it makes everyone uncomfortable, but then Sansa, truthspeaker, diffuses that weirdness by telling Daenerys that she was as mistaken about Cersei’s true intentions as Tyrion was. (Deflect blame much, Dany?) Daenerys likes it when people are honest, so a point to Sansa. Then, Daenerys notes how Jon Snow (Kit Harington) has derailed her own plans to take the Iron Throne. She loves him, she says. Point to Daenerys. But, really, who’s keeping score? Daenerys and Sansa are having a real moment – kicking and screaming inside probably, but real.
(Photo by Helen Sloan/HBO)
Give it up for Theon (Alfie Allen), showing what repentance means (and that Sansa has some power in the room with the queen). Sansa is clearly moved by seeing her father’s former ward again – man parts or no.
(Photo by Helen Sloan/HBO)
Jon’s reunion with Edd (Ben Crompton), Tormund (Kristofer Hivju), and Beric (Richard Dormer) is like a little amuse-bouche before the war. Tormund: “The big woman still here?” Yes, Tormund, the big woman is here. Will they consummate their thing?
(Photo by HBO)
So, the meeting of all of the principal characters (minus Cersei and Euron) at Winterfell had a few spectacular moments within it.
First, “He’s tried many times with many Three-Eyed Ravens.” The “many Three-Eyed Ravens” part is baffling: This is a position that needs to be filled every few thousand years? I thought I’d read my histories, but the idea of “many Three-Eyed Ravens” is news to me. And Bran doesn’t know “because no one’s ever tried”? Is the Three-Eyed Raven only seeing the past these days?
Daenerys follows Ser Jorah’s advice and publicly declares her faith in and need for Tyrion. Haven’t we all felt like Tyrion at some point in our careers? Sometimes you just need a little PDA to make everything right.
Theon steps up with a pseudo-apology to Bran, telling him he took the castle from him, so now he’s willing to face the Night King with Bran to make amends. Good luck with that, Theon. (We have the sinking feeling that we’re about to get a lesson in just deserts.)
“We’re all going to die,” Tormund says, which gives voice to that sinking feeling. “But,” he says casting a glance over at his lady love, Brienne, “at least we die together.” New world order question: Tormund’s behavior is “creepy,” not “romantic”? I try to put myself in Brienne’s shoes – they’re big, that’s all I have to say.
Finally, Tyrion insisting that Bran tell him his story is hilarious: “If only we were trapped in a castle, in the middle of winter with nowhere to go.” Tyrion surely knows that Bran may not make it – clearly Tyrion is thinking about his future book deal.
(Photo by Helen Sloan/HBO)
A friend summed up the black experience in the Seven Kingdoms: “Can we talk about Winterfell’s reaction to black folks comin up in there!!?!” Though I feel Grey Worm’s (Jacob Anderson) intent when he asks Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel) if she wants “to grow old in this place” and then also her wish to see Naath again, I also kind of feel like the Seven Kingdoms needs to be integrated. I wish she might have said something along the lines of “I think we need to bring Naath to the Seven Kingdoms.” Too bad about those dead wights walking.
We need a vacation in Dorne to remind us what multiculturalism is. (Here’s hoping the prequel mixes it up lots more.)
Jon and Sam are on the ramparts having a – Wait, what? Where the hell did Ghost come from? Don’t try to distract us with clever dialogue from Edd. A direwolf just magicked up in here at Winterfell! That was a reunion we were waiting for, and it occurred off screen? Was there an online short we missed? “A Ghost’s Journey”?
#GameofThrones Ghost showing up in this episode like pic.twitter.com/GWLD8lbamu
— TAMARA (@Bts_ARMYXOXOX) April 22, 2019
(Photo by HBO)
“Seduced” may be a strong word to describe how Arya asked Gendry to have sex. She kind of insists that he service her before they maybe possibly die because of his shoddy blacksmithing skills on her new spear. Kidding. Honestly, it was a powerful female moment: She stated the facts plainly (they may all die) and said what she wanted (to have sex before that happens). He was free to participate or go on his way. And that is what consent looks like, folks.
(Photo by HBO)
This episode has been a lovefest between Jaime and Brienne. She vouched for him when the council would have tossed him out, imprisoned him, or straight-up executed him. He scored points with viewers in telling her, “I’ll be honored to serve under your command – if you’ll have me.” Then later – facing an uncertain night with a dead foe – he gets into his cups and knights her. Brienne’s moist eyes reflected all of us in that moment. (If not you, then you have a black heart and only watch for boobs and zombies.)
Pod – maker of sympathetic faces, singer of songs. ♥ him! Tormund – a suckler of teats. We’ll leave that there.
“In the name of the Warrior, I charge you to be brave. In the name of the Father, I charge you to be just. In the name of the Mother, I charge you to defend the innocent. Arise, Brienne of Tarth, a knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” Ser Jaime said, dubbing her with a sword.
The one-on-one Ser Jorah had with little she-bear Lyanna Mormont (Bella Ramsey) went exactly as expected, with him trying to convince the tween Lady of House Mormont to retire to the crypt: “You’re the future of the House.” She, absolutely refusing: “I pledged to fight for the North, and I will fight.”
Then, you know, Sam (John Bradley) interrupts to give Ser Jorah his family’s Valyrian steel sword, Heartsbane.
Jon’s in the crypt making brooding look good, when Daenerys comes in. “Who’s that?” she asks. “Mom,” he (essentially) says. He tells her the story of Lyanna and Rhaegar, and Daenerys is not exactly happy to have her lover be another contender for the Iron Throne. But before she can get pissed, horns blow and they dash out and nod to each other on the ramparts before, we assume, dashing off to mount dragons Drogon and Rhaegal.
Dracarys, motherf—ers.
"DRACARYS" – The final season of #GameOfThrones premieres tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/go9V3Y6LZ9
— Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes) April 13, 2019
Florence + The Machine are the latest musical act to contribute to the Game of Thrones phenomenon. Have a listen in the video above.
What was your favorite moment from the episode? Tell us in the comments.
Game of Thrones airs on Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO.
An episode has no name. We haven’t yet found out what it’s called, but we do have a trailer and now these new images just in from episode 2 of season 8 of Game of Thrones. Tyrion’s drinking again — seeing Jon riding Rhaegal must have been a blow (Tyrion’s so in love with Daenerys, of course). What do you think? Got any theories based on these? Tell us in the comments!
In the world of Game of Thrones, conventional wisdom would suggest Daenerys Targaryen has proved herself a fair and just leader, powerful, and compassionate, but firm. Others may see it that Jon Snow, aka Aegon Targaryen, truly is the rightful ruler by Westeros tradition, given that his father was the uncrowned king of the land Rhaegar Targaryen, killed before he could reveal his legitimate marriage to Jon’s mother, Lyanna Stark. Or maybe possession really is nine-tenths of the law, and Cersei Lannister, who in no other way is the legitimate ruler, should continue to reign.
Why bother watching season 8, when you can read our hot takes on who should sit the Iron Throne?
(Photo by Helen Sloan/HBO)
Some in Deanery’s shoes would be content to rest on their laurels: She has two dragons and a rightful claim to the throne – case closed. But Daenerys has gone above and beyond to earn her place on the Iron Throne. She’s endured personal losses (her dear dead Drogo, their unborn child, her dear undead dragon) and inspired audiences over and over again with moments of strength and steeliness. Most of all, across seven seasons of city-hopping and army-charring, she’s proven a master strategist and builder of alliances, bringing together groups as disparate as the Dothrakis and the Unsullied to form a formidable force as she moves towards what’s rightfully hers.
(Photo by Helen Sloan/HBO)
Don’t dismiss Tyrion Lannister as the Miss Congeniality of Thrones’ remaining contenders. He may be likable and gentle-hearted – at least in Westerosi terms – but he is also the shrewdest political mind left, a key skill to have in a place that gets so stabby. He’s in many ways one of the series’ ultimate survivors, managing to make it to adulthood despite his family’s unbridled hatred of him, and working his way to Daenerys’ side (the likely winning side). It should be noted he’s also part of the reason there’s still a throne for the series’ aspirants’ to sit on at all, stopping the destruction/sacking of King’s Landing not once but twice – and earning his scar in the process.
(Photo by Helen Sloan/HBO)
One key to good leadership is growth, and few characters have grown quite as much as Jaime. After all, the wounded, chisel-jawed hero who has slowly won your heart over seven seasons was not so long ago the sister-bonking cad who pushed Bran out of a tower in the final moments of Thrones’ first-ever episode. It’s been a “journey.” Throughout that journey, we’ve seen Jaime develop a number of the traits that would steer him well as king (but perhaps make his reign somewhat short): a developing sense of selflessness, a propensity for mercy (it was to be a painless death for Olenna), and an eye for talent in people, as demonstrated by his connection to Brienne.
(Photo by Helen Sloan/HBO)
If Game of Thrones were a particularly bloody and blindside-filled season of Survivor – Outwit! Outslay! – no one could compete with Cersei’s case at final Tribal Council. Just look what she’s both achieved and been through on her little island of King’s Landing. No one has suffered as much: she’s lost, what, all of her kids; her glorious long locks; her dad; her lover/brother/Hand; and been paraded through the streets totally naked (shame!). And she arguably pulled off one of Thrones’ most stunning strategic moves in the destruction of the great Sept of Baelor. Sure, you can admire all those fresh-faced and ambitious kids in the North, forming unlikely alliances and proving themselves in battle as they seek to usurp her, but sometimes staying in power is harder than taking power. For holding on so tightly – and never dropping a drop of red while doing so – Cersei deserves to maintain her place on her throne.
(Photo by Helen Sloan/HBO)
We learned in season 7 that Jon has the strongest claim to the throne, given that his dad was Rhaegar Targaryen, whose marriage to his mother Lyanna Stark was legit, but he also has Thrones’ ultimate mic-drop argument: He died and came back. Who else among these would-be throne-sitters can top that? (Berric Dondarrion isn’t really in the running.) Or say that they led a successful defense of The Wall against attack by the Wildlings? Or that they later forged a key alliance with those same Wildlings – an alliance that could prove key to defending everyone against the oncoming White Walker invasion? No? No one? We’re listening… As if that wasn’t enough, Jon has proved himself the bravest of Thrones’ lead contenders. Recall when he went beyond the Wall. Or when he stood, sword raised, circled by enemy forces in the Battle of the Bastards? And it’s not just cocksure bravery and resurrections that have us rooting for Jon. He’s a sharp mind, too, and one who puts ego aside to “bend the knee” for love.
(Photo by Helen Sloan/HBO)
Sure, Jon’s survived the Wall, epic battles and, well, death. And Arya has been dodging swords and arrows all across the continent for several years now. But Sansa is the Stark offspring who has survived in arguably the most dangerous places in all of Westeros: under Cersei’s roof, under Littlefinger’s thumb, and in Ramsay Bolton’s bed. The once-naïve wannabe princess has had to grow up very quickly over seven seasons of Thrones, and her developing understanding of how the world really works and a growing skill to move within it have led her safely and triumphantly back to Winterfell. Also, if ruling the Seven Kingdoms requires a strong ability to deal with toxic men, Sansa should be your top pick: Not only did she manage to outlive a spiteful Joffrey, she escaped the physical and mental clutches of Ramsay and Lord Petyr Baelish, before killing both in wonderfully satisfying fashion.
(Photo by Helen Sloan/HBO)
A girl has no name, perhaps, but she is a strong contender for the throne. More than any other Stark – living, at least – she has had to fight for her life, time and time again, and prove her skills in deception and combat (who else can go toe-to-toe with Brienne, as she did?). Arya’s racked up quite the lethal résumé in her journeys through Kings Landing, Braavos, Riverrun, and beyond: She can fully disguise herself, thanks to skills picked up with the Faceless Men; she’s developed a ruthlessness – sorry, Hound! – that will serve her well when ruling over a court of would-be usurpers; and she’s executed some of Thrones’ biggest moves, chief among them her delicious, crusty vengeance against the House of Frey. “They’re already here, my lord…” Chills.
(Photo by Helen Sloan/HBO)
If we’re going to consider other Starks for the Iron Throne, why not also the god-like all-seeing Three-Eyed Raven? Voted “Most Likely to Know About His Surprise Birthday Party” among the Stark kids, Bran’s childhood physical agility has given way to supernatural mental acumen now that he’s in his teens. He’ll foresee any and all plots against him, he can time travel to take lessons from the greatest rulers in the history of Westeros and beyond; with his all-seeing eye, he can find more dragons in the east and train them based on the methods of the best dragon riders ever; and he was a kind and sweet child and still seems so at heart. Honestly, other than his unsettlingly detached demeanor — which is far sight better (pun intended) than some of the crazies that have sat the Throne recently — Bran may actually be the very best choice to rule.
(Photo by HBO)
You may not think Thrones’ own Ol’ Blue Eyes has much of a claim, given that we haven’t seen so much of him over the shows’ seven seasons and that we don’t actually know too much about his motives. But when we have seen him, he has almost always outsmarted the living. Case in point: In season 7’s mammoth battle north of the Wall between Daenerys and her dragons and Jon’s forces against the White Walkers and wights, he saw an opportunity in battle to take out Viserion and then resurrected the beast as a Wall-felling ice dragon. So, he’s smart. He’s strategic. And he’s patient, another key quality for a good ruler. He has waited some 8,300 years for summer to end, after all.
Game of Thrones season 8 premieres on Sunday, April 14 at 9 p.m. on HBO.
