But the execution of this inherently far-fetched set-up forced some nagging, distracting questions as the action unfolded. In any case, the conceit of having the living end up besieged by the dead on an island in the middle of a lake was intriguing-a way to make this episode’s violent climax different from all the previous ones. There’s no denying, though, the fun of seeing those dragons descending on the dead. It’s not like we need reminding of how cold it is out there. I’m curious why, though, the writers decided to have Thoros survive his initial wounds only to freeze later. (Well, him and the various expendable footmen who went strangely unacknowledged by any of the dialogue.) The fatal encounter with the rotted bear made for one of the spooky highlights of the night, easing both viewers and characters into the land of the dead. Nothing says a character is about to die in battle like them planning for a happy future.įortunately for Tormund fans, and sadly for Brotherhood Without Banners fans if such people exist, the sacrificial soldier of the group turned out to be Thoros. But when he spoke of making big babies with Brienne, I got worried. Tormund-dispensing advice about surviving both the cold and lack of mating material-was the star entertainer of the road trip. The scenes of chitchat between Jon, Gendry, Tormund, Thoros, Beric, Sandor, and Jorah felt like a remedial refresher on the backstories of some characters who’ve been out of the spotlight for some time. This was an extra-long episode, but it’s worth noting that it wouldn’t have been so extra-long with all the exposition foisted upon the snowy expedition. Like the Northern Lords that Sansa fretted about to Littlefinger, Khaleesi has become a weathervane. But the way she pings between trusting Tyrion’s cleverness and then questioning his motives before flying off to use her dragons to kill feels more determined by the needs of the overarching plot than anything we’ve come to understand about Dany herself. But if she really thought Jon’s mission was stupid, why did she sign off on it in the first place? We get it, she’s inwardly conflicted. Would-be heroes are always going off and doing stupid things, complained Dany (can I still call her that?). The show did try to acknowledge the insanity of the mission in the scene between Daenerys and Tyrion, the season’s umpteenth dissection of the tension between waging war with brutal effectiveness or righteous care. If Cersei’s going to cease hostilities with Daenerys, it’ll only be so she can stab her in the back, not because she’s been impressed by a screechy corpse in a bag. So should Tyrion and Jon, the architects of the plan. But by now, viewers know better than to expect a smidge of concern for the greater good from her. The plan to go grab a zombie and present it to Cersei relies on the notion that Cersei might well be persuaded to band with her enemies to fight a common foe. It didn’t help that the premise of the night’s big plot line was built on a foundation brittler than a frozen lake. bagged: trapped, disoriented, and frequently screaming in frustration. To be sure, the cinematography and effects did deliver the goods we’ve come to expect from the previous blow-outs like “Blackwater” and “Battle of the Bastards.” But sitting through the episode, it was hard not to relate to the wight that Jon & co. You could feel the strain throughout “Beyond the Wall,” this season’s battle-heavy blockbuster. Brooksīut Benioff and Weiss’s emphasis on building the show primarily for payoffs is taking a toll on the quality of Game of Thrones in general-consistent logic seems to drive the action less than it once did. The Clocklike Regularity of Major Life Changes Arthur C.
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