Sunday, August 29, 2021

Winter Was Coming...And Then It Didn't...I Take a Look Back At Game of Thrones (Part 8)

 The Last of the Starks...oh and the show I guess...(Spoilers Because DUH!!!!)



Daenerys Targaryen brings her entire army and entourage (including both Drogon and Rhaegal) with her to Winterfell to help in the preparation of the defense of the North from the likes of the White Walkers and the Army of the Dead.  Arya is blown away by the sight of the Dragons, as well as the feelings of joy and surprise at finding both Gendry and The Hound being among the group with Dany.  Though Dany is initially caught off guard by how cold and afraid of her the North is, the sight of the Dragons makes everyone realize she is the real deal.  Jon and Bran finally reunite, but Bran interrupts an icy meeting between Sansa and Dany by informing the new arrivals that the Night King and his army have breached the wall and the Dragon Viserion is now his undead minion.  While hosting a meeting between the Northern Lords, Dany's allies and the Vale Knights, the topic of Jon's abdication and the lack of resources cause a great deal of friction in the halls, but Dany has no intention of leaving and settles the arguments for now.  The young Lord Umber is sent back to The Last Hearth to bring the rest of his people southward.  

Cersei and Euron welcome the arrival of the Golden Company in Westeros and meet it's leader, named Harry Strickland, though Cersei admits she's a little perturbed that the Golden Company did not ferry their war elephants to fight for her.  She keeps her promise on Euron's end and agrees to marry him, with the two sleeping together that night.  She also sends Qyburn to recruit Bronn to head to the North to kill Tyrion and Jaime for betraying her and offers him Lordship of Riverrun if he succeeds.  While all this is happening, Theon manages to save Yara and take a part of Euron's fleet to escape.  However, the siblings part ways as Theon tells Yara he is headed to the North to fight for Winterfell while Yara heads to the Iron Islands to retake them in Dany's name.  

Davos, Tyrion and Varys comment on how a marriage between Jon and Dany would unite the North and the rest of the Seven Kingdoms, though they fear that Dany would dominate the relationship between them.  Jon and Dany take a leisurely fly to a secluded and hidden waterfall somewhere in the North and Jon and Dany give into their passions once more.  Jon and Arya later have their reunion, but it isn't as completely positive as either had expected as Arya is curious as to why Jon trusts Dany as much as he does and Jon is surprised that Arya is defending Sansa.  Tyrion and Sansa also have a reunion, but Tyrion is unable to convince Sansa to side with him on trusting Dany.  

Samwell is brought before Daenerys for thanks in helping save Jorah and offers to give him anything he wishes.  Sam simply wishes to be pardoned for stealing the Tarly's family sword, called Heartsbane, from his father and brother.  Dany is unfortunately the one to break the news to Sam that his father and brother are dead and Sam runs away to be by himself.  Jon and Sam have their reunion, where the topics of Sam's father, Jon's relationship with Dany and ultimately Jon's true identity come to the forefront.  Jon is revealed by Sam to be Aegon Targaryen and has a more legitimate claim to the Iron Throne than Dany, though Jon isn't willing to believe it.  While Jon debates his internal issues, Winterfell is caught off guard by the sudden and unexpected arrival of Jaime Lannister.  

The defenders of The Wall that survived (Beric Dondarrion and Tormund specifically) meet up with a few survivors of The Night's Watch at The Last Hearth and find the deceased young Lord Umber, who has already been turned into a Wight.  The group decides to flee to Winterfell to warn the Starks of the incoming swarm of the undead.  

Jaime is put on trial by Dany and Sansa for basically being a Lannister, though Jaime holds his own when asked about why he came alone and insists that though Cersei broke her vows, he would honor his own.  Brienne vouches for Jaime to Sansa and Dany ultimately relents to curry favor with Sansa.  Jaime finds it difficult to find a place for himself at Winterfell, ultimately apologizing to Bran for pushing him out the window and offering to fight under Brienne (not with her or commanding her as he would have beforehand).  The Night's Watch and Tormund finally arrive at Winterfell and warn Jon that the Dead would be at Winterfell by the end of the day and Jon decides to help brace Winterfell for the end.  

Dany berates Tyrion for his multiple failures as her Hand of the Queen and threatens to fire him from his post, but chooses not to after Jorah speaks up to him.  Jorah also suggests to Dany to try to befriend Sansa again, but she fails to appeal to Sansa's emotional side by proving to be unrelatable to the Stark Woman's issues.  Dany is surprised that Theon and a few of his own Ironborn arrive and even further shocked that Theon pledges to fight for Sansa and not for her.  

In a war council meeting, Jon organizes the main defense of Winterfell, with the Dothraki Cavalry leading the charge.  Bran reveals that the Night King will be coming to destroy him as he is now the keeper of all of the world's memories.  Theon volunteers to protect Bran.  Jon and Dany would ride the Dragons to torch the Wights while the rest of the castle defends itself as long as they can.  Any who were unable to fight will be sent to the Crypts of Winterfell during the battle (we'll cover that).

Once everyone knows their parts to play, everyone breaks for the rest of the day to contemplate life and do the things they feared they would never get to do.  When Brienne tells Tormund she can never be knighted as a woman, Jaime declares that she has done more than most Westerosi Knights have ever done and knights her himself.  Arya and Gendry bond after he completes smithing the weapon she asked him to make and tells Gendry she wants to know what sleeping with a man feels like and the two make love. Sam bestows upon Jorah the Tarly sword to fight with (as it is Valyrian Steel and can kill a White Walker). Jon finds himself looking at the crypt of his mother Lyanna Stark and Dany comes down to see him, and confides that she never understood why so many people loved her brother Rhaegar if he kidnapped and raped Lyanna.  Jon tells Dany the truth, hoping to renounce his claim immediately, but Dany fears Jon means to fight her for her claim.  But any talk of this is halted when the Dead arrive at Winterfell.

Before the Dead make their charge on Winterfell, Melisandre arrives and bestows the gifts of the Lord of Light to all and gives the Dothraki flaming swords and heads into Winterfell to aid in it's defense.  Davos is about to attack her, but she assures Davos that she will be dead before dawn regardless of who wins.  The Dothraki charge into the darkness, but are utterly routed by the undead.  The defenders of Winterfell are ultimately forced back into the castle to defend themselves, but start to take heavy losses, including Lyanna Mormont, Lord Commander Edd of the Night's Watch and Beric.  Beric dies defending Arya to atone for his betrayal of her and Arya gets an idea of what she must do from Melisandre.  

While in the Crypts, Sansa informs Tyrion that their marriage could never work out because of his loyalty to Dany and Missandei is forced to come to the defense of Dany when Sansa starts trashtalking her. While waiting for the battle to end one way or the other, the dead within the tombs of Winterfell start coming to life and he innocent women and children (plus Varys and Tyrion) are forced to fend off the dead.  

Jon and Dany lay waste to the Undead while on their dragons, but the Night King neutralizes their Dragon advantage with one of his own, despite being knocked off his dragon.  Dany attempts to burn the Night King, but he is unaffected by the fire.  When Jon races to challenge the Night King, he raises his arms and brings Winterfell's dead to life as his own minions and the battle resumes harshness.  While Dany and Jorah fend off Wights and Jon distracts the Night King's Dragon, The Night King finds Bran in the Godswood and seeks to kill him.  All of Bran's defenders, including Theon are killed, but the Night King is struck down by Arya before he can kill Bran.  With the death of the Night King, all of the undead die for good and many more on the side of the living die, including Jorah and Melisandre.  The bodies of the dead are put on a pyre, with Sam burning Edd, Dany burning Jorah, Sansa burning Theon, Jon burning Lyanna and Arya burning Beric.  

A celebration feast is held where Dany decides to play politics and wins more support for herself by legitimizing Gendry as the son of Robert Baratheon and naming him as the Lord of Storm's End while also toasting Arya as the hero.  Gendry departs to propose to Arya, but she turns him down by telling him the life of a Lady wasn't for her.  Tyrion, Brienne and Jaime drink together until Tyrion gets too close and personal and Brienne departs.  Jaime follows her back to her room and the two sleep together.  Dany's political maneuvers fail as Jon is praised more and more as a hero and a true king and she leaves the party.  Jon and Dany attempt to come together again, but Jon is very uncomfortable with sleeping with his Aunt.  Dany pleads with Jon to keep his heritage a secret, fearing it would destroy them. Meanwhile, Jaime and Tyrion share drinks at a nearby inn where they encounter Bronn.  Bronn informs the two that Cersei has ordered him to kill them, but reminds Tyrion that the dwarf would double anyone who ever offers him something to kill him.  Tyrion schemes to name Bronn as the Lord of Highgarden in Dany's new regime, which manages to keep both Lannister's heads.  

Dany continues to slip away from her faculties when she debates with Sansa the urgency to head down to King's Landing to deal with Cersei.  Dany only wins out when Jon supports her, much to both women's frustrations.  When Sansa and Arya corner Jon in the Godswood, Jon ultimately confides in them the truth about his heritage.  Arya does not betray her brother's trust and leaves with the Hound to head south and finish her kill list by killing Cersei while the Hound intends to kill his brother.  Sansa, however, immediately informs Tyrion so that word could get around and Jon could be named King instead of Dany.  Varys informs Tyrion that Jon has the stronger claim and admits he fears that Dany may not be the leader they think she is.  While on route to King's Landing, Rhaegal is shot down by one of Euron's scorpions and Dany is forced to hide out on Dragonstone while Jon marches with the remainder of her armies marching on land.  Missandei is captured by Cersei.  Upon learning that Cersei won her first battle with Dany, Jaime leaves Brienne and heads down South to be with Cersei.  

Cersei schemes to use the people of King's Landing as meat shields to prevent Dany from attacking her directly and informs Euron that the baby she is carrying is his.  Cersei then agrees to a parlay with Tyrion and Dany.  Tyrion pleads with his sister to do the right thing, insisting she isn't the monster she's acting like.  Cersei is at first willing to accept that her brother is trying to help her, but she ultimately refuses to submit and beheads Missandei in front of Dany, which begins her deep slide into the infamous "Targaryen Madness".  

Varys schemes to try and have Jon assume command of Dany's armies, but is rooted out by both Jon for his refusal to take up the throne and by Tyrion who rats his old friend out to remain in Dany's good graces.  Dany has Varys burned alive by Drogon and then threatens Tyrion would receive the same fate when she learns that Jaime has been captured while riding south.  Tyrion manages to convince Dany to call off the battle by insisting that when the Bells of King's Landing ring, it would signal that the city was ready to surrender.  But knowing his life was already likely forfeit, Tyrion heads to the mainland and frees Jaime, telling him that Jaime is the only reason he is still alive.  The two brothers embrace and Jaime continues, promising to take Cersei and leave for Essos with what little Lannister fortune remains.  

Jon once again refuses to make love to Dany, prompting her to decide that she cannot rule with love and must rule through fear.  Once the battle begins, Dany and Drogon utterly obliterate Euron's fleet and all of Cersei's Scorpions.  She also destroys the walls of King's Landing and helps her armies overwhelm the Golden Company and the Lannister forces that remained.  Seeing the battle as lost, Cersei signals for the Bells to be rung and for her men to surrender.  Overwhelmed by her personal paranoia and fears, Dany gives into her madness and begins to destroy King's Landing and it's citizens, sparing no one but her own forces.  Her Dothraki and Unsullied then proceed to slaughter the populace, with the normally level-headed Greyworm consumed by grief over Missandei's death.  Even Jon loses control of his own Northmen, who proceed to terrorize and rape the people of the city,  Jon does his best to protect the people, but he and Davos ultimately decide to get as many people out of the city as possible.  

The Hound and Arya finally make it into the Capital City as it falls into complete chaos with Dany's attack.  Knowing he would not be leaving the Red Keep alive, he convinces Arya that living a life of vengeance isn't worth it when you have people who love you and tells her to flee the city and save herself, insisting that Cersei would die at the hands of the Dragon or the Dothraki.  Arya departs and proceeds to help the terrified people of King's Landing flee, while the Hound has his confrontation with his older brother.  Cersei and Qyburn lose control of The Mountain, who proceeds to fight with his brother until both tumble off the castle and into the inferno below them (but not before the Mountain cracks Qyburn's skull open and Cersei flees for her life).  

Jaime manages to row himself to the dungeons below the Red Keep so he could meet Cersei and help her escape, but he encounters Euron.  Euron taunts Jaime by telling him he could kill another King by killing him and the son of his that Cersei carries, compelling Jaime to fight him and kill him, but not without sustaining major wounds.  Jaime limps his way into the castle and finds Cersei.  The duo try to make it back to the boat, but the castle collapses around them.  Jaime promises to keep her safe, but the two are ultimately crushed by falling debris during Dany's attack.  

After the bloodshed had finally come and gone, Jon leads Davos and Tyrion back into the city and find Greyworm murdering their Lannister prisoners and Greyworm declares that Dany has allowed them to do this.  Tyrion leaves to seek out his brother and sister and finds their corpses, weeping uncontrollably.  Dany addresses her men and gives a fascist speech about conquering the world from "Winterfell" to the uncharted lands beyond the Dothraki Sea, with Jon realizing that Dany would use this victory to annihilate all enemies in her way, including Sansa and Arya if she felt it was needed.  Tyrion resigns as her Hand in front of her and Dany has him arrested.  As Jon watches Dany head into the ruined Red Keep, Arya insists that Daenerys has to die, but Jon is unsure if he can let another loved one die.  Jon then proceeds to Tyrion's holding cell, where the last Lannister in the world tells Jon that they should have known Dany would always act like this and that she was always like her father and his own father in being another power hungry tyrant.  Jon says his farewell to Tyrion, but the former Hand of the Queen warns Jon that Dany would kill Sansa and Arya if she sees them as enemies.  

Dany makes her way to the Iron Throne and relishes simply being in it's presence for the first time in her life.  She is about to sit in it, but finds Jon in the room with her.  Jon tries to appeal to the goodness he saw in Dany, but she tells him that destroying King's Landing was the right thing to do and that this would be the dawn of a new era for the entire world.  Both realize they are still in love with each other and come together, with Dany tempting Jon to rule by her side and they could make the world a better place.  As the two passionately kiss, Jon thrusts a dagger into her heart and she collapses to the ground dead.  Drogon, upon seeing his "mother's" corpse, loses himself in anger and scorches the Iron Throne, melting it into nothing before scooping up Dany's body and flying off, leaving Jon to grieve alone.  

Several weeks pass and Tyrion is summoned before a council of Westerosi Nobles at the Dragonpit.  Robin Arryn, Yara Greyjoy, "The New" Prince of Dorne (whoever that is), Yohn Royce, Davos Seaworth, Gendry Baratheon, Brienne of Tarth, Edmure Tully, Samwell Tarly, Sansa, Bran and Arya Stark are all present as is Greyworm.  The Nobles and Greyworm spray threats at one another, with Yara demanding Jon's head and Sansa threatening to have her own army destroy the Unsullied before they could get near him.  Davos tries to broker a peace, but no one is in the mood for peace.  Tyrion learns that no one has ruled in King's Landing since Dany and Cersei died and that they were there to figure out who should be King.  Sam toys with the idea of popular sovereignty (much to the comedic delight of those present), while Edmure tries to name himself as King, but Sansa kindly tells her Uncle he wasn't cut out for it.  Tyrion suggests that Bran be named King, establishing a Noble Hierarchy where no King or Queen's children would inherit the throne and another council of nobles would meet here when Bran dies to continue.  Everyone but Sansa agrees to this, as she insists that the North would become and Independent Kingdom once more (even though there is literally no reason for them to at this point, but Idk just get to the ending).  Bran names Tyrion as his Hand, informing him and Greyworm that this would be reparations for not only his own mistakes but those of his family as well.  The last question is ultimately about the fate of Jon.  

Tyrion informs Jon that his death or acquittal would result in a war, so Bran has declared that Jon would be sent back to the Night's Watch, though Jon points out that the Night's Watch is no longer needed.  Tyrion and Jon bid each other one last farewell before Jon sets off for Castle Black.  It turns out to be a Stark Sibling farewell, as Arya reveals she will be leaving to learn what is west of Westeros, Sansa will be headed North to become Queen of the North and Bran will remain in King's Landing as King.  The siblings bid each other goodbye and separate.  Jon returns to Castle Black and finds Tormund and Ghost waiting for him.  Jon ultimately accepts living with the Wildlings and heads beyond the wall with them, while Bran has his first Small Council Meeting (Tyrion as Hand, Davos as Master of Ships, Brienne as the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Sam as Grand Maester and Bronn as Master of Coin), Sansa is crowned a Queen and Arya sets sail to see what lies beyond all known maps.  

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The End?

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