What did you think of the second episode of Season 08, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”? Leave your feedback here and let us know! We’ll share your thoughts and discuss your reactions in our next episode!
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Great Podcast Guys!
Great Podcasts Guys! One reunion that occurred to me that wasn’t covered in the show episode was Ser Jorah with the head of House Mormont of Bear Island (Lyanna). He was granted a pardon after his banishment from Westeros. A brief greeting when he rolled up with Dany would have been good. That too was a long time coming that started before the show was even in the picture. I understand she wasn’t even born at the time of banishment, however it’s more of a house reunion thing in my mind. What are your thoughts?
I guess we can assume such a reunion happened before the encounter we did see in this episode. We just didn’t get to see it. Though given the amount of exposition we’ve had in these two episodes you’d think it could’ve been accommodated.
This is for episode 67 “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”
This episode was great in my opinion. It took the time to slow things down and give each scene the time to develop.
I wonder if Arya’s bittersweet ending will be to become the Lady of Storm’s End and raise a bunch of kids with Lord Gendry.
I wish that the preseason trailer did not show Jamie fighting for the Stark’s. That sort of ruined the tension of the scene. At no time did I really think that Jamie was in any danger.
As a Veteran I felt like they did a good job of showing the prebattle tension. Hurry up a nd wait is a military mantra that has existed forever and waiting is always the hardest part. This made me think about the soldiers waiting on ships to load landing barges on 6 June 1944 or the Marines right before Guadalcanal (August 1942). I am sure some people got drunk, some found lovers, and some traded war stories to make them feel brave. It was a good example of the human experience that few people have today.
Death comes for us all but knowing that you are storming some beach tomorrow or that you are trapped in a castle waiting for a siege to begin. The terror, the need to break the tension somehow. The fear of will I perform my duty well, will I let my friends downs. Will I die?
I think the show did a good job of showing that there is some kind of plan to defend Winterfell. Not the plan I would have used but a plan nonetheless. Burning pitch and flaming moats I can get behind.
Now I am prepared for spectacle. Now lets see some dragons battle each other. Blue Fire Vs Red Fire.
Thank you for your service, Brian. The preparations for battle felt very real.
Does Beric block the Hound?
Roberto & Abe: I’m glad you’re back!
I wrote some notes from 8.01 but I didn’t pull the tiger fast enough.
The only one no one has covered: Wasn’t Strikland the Vice Principal on “Back to the Future”?
From 8.02: Dany has a baby bump! I predict Jon Snow bites it and his baby becomes heir to the Iron Throne.
Was Arya’s first choice Sandor? It seems she moved on to Gendry after she and The Hound were interrupted!?
Is Theon and the Iron Born “B” team really who we want protecting Brann?
Thanks for a great podcast!
Bill O in NY
That’s TRIGGER, not tiger. They got left behind with the elephants!
One more thought: When Jon tells Dany about his parents she immediately thinks of her claim to the throne. My thought would be: “I’ve been sleeping with someone with the same last name??” Jon must be thinking something similar as he slips away when everyone else is settling in for the night and Dany is giving him the eye.
Human Connections on Eve of Battle
I LOVED this episode. It was full of wit and human connections. I laughed & cried. Brienne & Jaimie, Arya & the Hound, Arya & Gendry (that weapon!), Tyrion & Jaimie, Tyrion & Bran (what did Tyrion learn?), Sansa & Theon, Sansa & Dany, Jorah & Lyanna (spitfire), Jorah & Sam, Davos & Gilly with the young girl (throwback to Shireen who taught both to read), the cast of characters drinking wine around the fire, appearance of Ghost! Jon & Dany didn’t have the connecting everyone else had which is too bad but understanding. Looked like Jon was avoiding Dany for most of episode! They will have much to discuss if they both survive this battle. Concerned about the crypts and the plan with Bran. Will the dead in the crypts help or hinder the living? Where is the Night King? Are they underestimating The Night King or is the Night King underestimating them?
Side note: Read a theory that Tyrion knew that Cersei wouldn’t send her army but believed Jon about the army of the dead so Tyrion orchestrated the mission of obtaining the wight (For Dany to see) & going to King’s Landing, thinking he still had to convince her to support the effort (Dany hadn’t shared her support to Tyrion after that battle)! I believe that may be true since he is very clever & knows his sister. Favorite moment: Brienne being knighted- she wins the week!
Great dialog rich episode! Lot of interactions, realizations and dynamics
Raven Fluids leaving feedback for Game of Thrones Season 8 E2!
Overall: 87 out of 100
I think the great thing about this episode is the rich back history and relationships each of these characters have
up to this point. You could feel those dynamics shifting around as the dialog is going and the episode plays out;
especially through the character’s eyes. Overall it’s setup with the last 20 minutes having a slight stalling affect, however
the interactions balance that out for the most part.
Lots of different ways characters who either haven’t met before (or having reunions) are interacting and building rapport while dealing with their situation waiting for the Army of the Undead to attack.
I think overall the dialog was very well done, as well as the long awaited hookups and some characters become fully realized, however there was a couple of things for me
where D&D chose shock value instead of Canon that didn’t sit well. I elect Ser Brienne of Tarth as the winner of this week’s Game of Thrones.
She has fully realized her life’s dream, saved Ser Jaime’s life and she will get to fight along side him to the death.
The Good:
Arya has always been my favorite character. Arya and Gendry finally get it on! She looked pretty surprised Gendry’s Baratheon bastard reveal and description of the undead army.
her new staff reminded me of her with her teacher in the first season.
Then again her whole faceless training was done fighting death (waif) except there’s no face to gain from a victory. Her battle scenes could be intense if she intends on using that dagger too.
Ser Brianne of Tarth! Finally realized! That had to be a life goal. You could see it in her eyes. Although in my mind she reached that long ago.
I guess titles still mean something to some of these characters regardless of the looming existential threat.
Great dialog and acting defending Jaime’s honor.
Great dynamics over who is ruling (between Sansa and Dany) with the arrival of Theon and Sansa hearing Brienne’s pleas for saving Jaime and Sansa asking Dany about the North after the Battle.
Lyanna and Ser Jorah arguing over her going to the crypts. I was hoping for some type of interaction from the two of them the first episode.
I loved the dynamics and respect they had for each other regarding battle preparations.
Three Eyed Raven and Jaime had a few things going on there for me. It was pretty clear that Brandon wasn’t really there anymore.
I loved Jaime’s eyes with the remark ‘How do you know there is an afterwards?’
Sansa and Dany: beautifully progressive natural flowing dialog. They postured as rulers and lapsed quickly into relatives.
A great way to relay to us how both Jon and Dany are in love.
Confirmation Cersei is pregnant. Makes you wonder about her saying ‘Good’ about the Army of the Undead breaching the wall. Tywin did say she thought she was a lot smarter than she is.
Is Cersei not thinking about how anyone who is defeated by the Army of the Undead becomes a member of the Army of the Undead.
Tormund tackle of Jon and asking for Brienne. I loved how he was trying very hard to woo Brienne and she doesn’t know how to react to it.
I loved the promise Grey Worm made to Missandei, however I would be surprised if either of them survive the war.
The Bad:
The Men of the Nights Watch and the Wildlings somehow manage to go from being in back of the Army of the Undead to arrive at Winterfell before the Army of the Undead by a day.
If the Night King really is after Bran (because he is the memory of the entire world) wouldn’t he be making a bee line from Bran right after breaking down the wall?
John unveiling his lineage to Dany and not reiterating to her that it doesn’t matter to him. Dany seemed to feel her rule was being tested by both
Sansa and Jon this episode. He should have picked up on that and quickly told her (as the horn was blowing)
‘I have told you in the past titles don’t matter to me; conquering the Night King and the Army of the Undead are all that matter to me.’
Instead, nothing is said creating a little bit of tension, which quickly dissipated a little bit as the enemy is advanced to the gates of Winterfell.
The Unknown:
Did Cersei listen to Jon and rework her weapons with Dragon glass? If she did, where did she get it? I hope Qyburn equipped that giant
cross bow with dragon glass pointed bolts. How else could the Blue Dragon or the Night King be defeated?
Does Dragonfire have any effect on White Walkers?. We already know regular fire doesn’t (Hardhomme and the Hold The Door). Does the Night King get more powerful with the more undead he has? His Army certainly but does he himself gain more dark magic?
Now that Brienne has been knighted, will she die on the field with honor with Jaime or survive? What will her life goals be now if she does?
I actually see her ending up with Tormund. How about you guys?
What can we make of Jon not addressing Dany? Was it just a stupid oversight by not giving Dany assurances he doesn’t want to be king or
does he want to rule?
Does Jaime love Brienne besides respect her?
What did Tyrion and Bran discuss?
My prediction is the battle will take place over at least two episodes with a cliff hanger connecting the two. What do you both think?
What effect is Green sight having on this situation if any?
Everything I Love About This Show
I missed out on getting my thoughts in for the first podcast, but I listened to it and loved it. Great podcast!
I loved this episode. The premier was good, but I had a few problems with it. The dialogue didn’t feel very organic, the scenes were rushed and there wasn’t enough attention given to the threat of the White Walkers. This episode corrected all of these problems.
Everything surrounding Jaime and Brienne was excellent. It’s refreshing to see Jaime interacting with people other than Cersei and Bronn, and I thought that NCW did a fantastic job. His scenes with Brienne were all excellent. I believe that these two have one of the best relationships in the show.
I loved all of the scenes where characters just talked about things while waiting for certain death. It was very atmospheric and the episode nailed the tone. There was a fitting amount of discussion on the White Walkers (especially in the Arya/Gendry scene), and there was a perfect amount of humour. Tormund’s story was hilarious and I enjoyed every second of it.
Brienne getting knighted was the best moment of the episode. It was the perfect culmination of her story and seeing her smile so happily afterwards was great. Now I just pray that she will make it out of the upcoming battle alive.
Some other notable scenes: Sansa exposing Dany in their conversation was terrific. Davos being reminded of Shireen was really sad. Tyrion and Jaime’s interactions were as great as the ones from season 4. Dany feeling threatened by Jon’s revelation could lead to some problems down the road. Also GHOST!!!!
I did not like Bran’s random reveal that the Night King is after him. This should have been established beforehand so it doesn’t feel as cheap now. The reveal doesn’t work because the Night King seems sloppy. He should have killed Bran in season 6 when he was being dragged by Meera if it’s so important to kill him.
My death predictions for next episode: Beric, Jorah, Pod/Brienne, Grey Worm/Missandei, Tormund, Gendry and Edd..
I had to Google “NCW + GOT” to figure out who you were talking about. You already called him “Jamie” once and you continue to call her “Briennne”.
Oh no, I’m sorry about that. I got lazy because I wasn’t entirely sure how to spell “Nikolaj Coster-Waldau”, plus I really rushed myself to write this up haha. Thanks for the feedback though, I won’t make that mistake again.
No problem! Thanks for your comment. I almost teared up when Brienne became a “Ser”!
Great comments Aaronic!
Hey Aaronic! Welcome back my friend! Do you think there’s a functional (tv show storywise) tie to death with character realization?
Example:
Characters fully realized:
Jaime (fully changed from personality we witness the first season),
Ser Brienne (fully realized a while ago and finally acknowledged as a knight last episode)
Sansa (fully realized as Lady of Winterfell since Ramsay’s death)
Arya (fully realized as a faceless fighter since last season)
Ser Jorah (once back at Dany’s side; fully realized)
Any of those have no where to go but either victory or death.
Whereas other characters who we don’t quite get the full sense of their realization most likely need to live to see that:
Quick examples:
Cersei – thinks she is fully realized, however as Queen she is less wise or smart than she thinks she is (Tywin’s observation) so her hubris needs to be fully realized. To me, that can only come from the horror of realizing all too late that she should have heeded Jon’s words about reworking her weapons to defend her kingdom and people properly (as she is being torn apart by the armies of the undead or roasted alive by the Night King).
Dany – She said in the past she wanted to ‘break the wheel’ in Westeros, and she has freed all her people, however she still wants to queen and her interactions with Sansa make that clear. That’s been a mixed message for me for a while. If she wants to be queen then what specifically is being broken by her being absolute ruler?
What are your thoughts about character fate based on them being fully realized?
That’s a very interesting question Fluids, and it’s really got me thinking.
I believe that character realization does have significant role in determining which characters could be killed off in a TV series. Your examples were great at proving your point that there is a defined link between realization and death, and I think that having a character’s primary conflict being resolved prior to their death is a very good method of storytelling. You see it quite frequently in other shows. I think it’s most noticeable in “Lost” which had a common theme of completing a character’s story arc once they were fully realized by letting go of their baggage.
The only thing that makes me doubt the reliability of using realization to judge if a character will die is that this show has so frequently gone against common storytelling tropes. It’s more or less the spirit of the show for characters to die before they are fully realized in certain aspects (Robb, Stannis, Oberyn), and I think that’s one of the more fascinating aspects of the show. But with things wrapping up in just a few episodes, will the show keep this trend going? It’s a question that I don’t know the answer to. For example, The Hound isn’t fully realized yet but I still feel that there is a decent chance that he could die in the next episode. But will this show take such a big risk and deny us of Cleganebowl? I don’t think so, but I still think that it’s possible. And that’s one of the reasons I’m so excited to see what happens in the next episode. The show has always thrown curveballs at us and I’m curious to see if it can do it once again. Sunday can’t come fast enough!
Some really good bits, the knighting of Brienne being the highlight for me. It’s bothering me that no one has mentioned the disappearance of Littlefinger. Like in one of those old soaps when an actor leaves and they just never mention that character again. I’ve always preferred the intrigue rather than the action in the show, so I’ll probably prefer this episode to next week, especially as there’s going to be a big old body count of named characters. And the amount of times they mentioned how safe the crypts will be? You know that’s going to be an absolute wipeout.
‘You know that’s going to be an absolute wipeout.’ Agreed! A crypt full of generations of dead Starks being animated then attacking everyone alive inside of there. Talk about a setup right?
I honestly can’t believe this didn’t occur to Jon after Hardhome.
Great podcast this week. I think we all agreed that episode two was spot on with it’s focus on the characters in this wild story. Couple of things to ponder…Melisandre has stated the fire burns within her; she is known to sacrifice people; in earlier season, she talked about the litebringer; in last season she talked how she must die in Westeros. Do you think she will help save them from Night King and his Dead Army by being sacrificed with a sword in her fiery heart? I realize she isn’t there yet, but maybe she is on her way. Also, Uncle Benjen told Bran in season 6 that the Night King will come for him and when he does, Bran will be ready. So, even though their combat plan seems to have many holes in it, perhaps Bran will be ready. I believe Theon will die a hero; if not in this battle, before the show ends. Last thought regards Yohn Royce. He is constantly speaking quietly with Sansa. What’s going on there?
Hold on to your seats, Sunday is only a few days away!
Great Podcast Guys!
Great Podcast Guys! Every point was hit. Great points Lynne, how to Melissandre work back into the picture? Is it through Cersei? Has she switched sides? Yohn has been in the background a while. Not sure where his story is going.