Game of Thrones: 8.03 - The Long Night

[Culhwch]

By the way, I think it could have been interesting if Arya had been shown to put on the face of a White Walker to infiltrate through the crowd. Rather than apparently just having got through quietly. though maybe Walkers can tell if someone is alive.

I don't know if that would have been possible, given the way the Walkers shatter when killed - no face to peel off!

 

[Mr Orange]

I don't know if that would have been possible, given the way the Walkers shatter when killed - no face to peel off!

she could have just covered her face in snow and ice...

 

[Judderman]

I think the biggest let down was the end of the NK. there was no explanation of his motives, history or releationship to the world of man. for someone who has been such an integral part of the story since the first episode, I can't quite believe it finished like this - just a boogeyman in the night, nothing else. unless... he isn't finished yet.

also, where the hell did Bran warg off too? this also leads me to believe the Bran/NK story isn't finished.

There was a bit of one episode where they showed how the "Children of the Forest" killed a man and he changed into the Night King. Seemingly to wipe out the rest of humanity. But he didn't work out as they hoped, as I think he was against them too.
But yes, a sudden end. I suppose the fantasy/horror was just a distraction from the real Game of Thrones.

 

[Mr Orange]

yeah I remember that episode, which gave the origin of the first white walker, but we don't know what then turned him into the Night King (i.e. his whole "origin story")

I agree it's a distraction, but it's also an integral part of the story. too integral I feel to get this kind of ending

 

[Culhwch]

Yeah, it did feel like it lacked a little closure. Perhaps Bran's story isn't yet done, and we'll find out more in the next three episodes.

One thing I forgot to mention. Ramin Djawadi continues to hit it out of the park with his score for this show. One of the best in the business going around at the moment, in my opinion.

 

[Dave]

...it's also an integral part of the story. too integral I feel to get this kind of ending

Bran's story isn't yet done, and we'll find out more in the next three episodes.

I agree, but there are indeed still three episodes left. We don't know what Bran did when he "flew away" at the very height of the battle. I hope they will explain it in flashback. I think to be fair to the show runners, the episode was already 182 minutes long, and adding something slower into the middle of those battle scenes would have spoiled them for many who watch purely for that.

 

[Koopa]

I'm not sure how Arya putting on the face of a wight would have helped her. Theirs seem to be more like a beehive mentality, with the Night King their queen. I don't think looking like one would have fooled them, i think it's more of a sensory thing.

 

[ctg]

she could have just covered her face in snow and ice...

I expected that she would have don some big skull and put on rags from zombies to look like them. But I don't know how she could have faked those blue glowing eyes?!? Overall I don't think Arya needed to use her faceless abilities as it was straight out fight. It pissed me off that Hound ended up being such wimp in the heat of the battle, and he needed to see Arya in distress to snap out of it. What happened to that rough, brutal man that he used to be? Did Lord of Light change him?

Also I do wonder what Old Town Maisters are going to say about the battle, NightKing's demise, the fall of the Wall as the only member to witness the events was Sam. Is he going to write about it, or even share the knowledge with the people, who hated him so much?

 

[Al Jackson]

yeah I remember that episode, which gave the origin of the first white walker, but we don't know what then turned him into the Night King (i.e. his whole "origin story")

I agree it's a distraction, but it's also an integral part of the story. too integral I feel to get this kind of ending

I do not remember reading that in the book, in supplementary material? George told D&D that story?
I don't like it. I thought the Others had come before and been driven off, may have come many times over 1000s of years.
Making the NK seemed kind of lame to me.
In the books the main existential threat is The Great Other , tho there is a Night King in Westeros lore, it don't know enough about it,
has the show made the NK the agent of The Great Other?
It is almost like , with this battle , that Sauron was killed at the battle of Helm's Deep.
I am very curious as to where this story goes from here.

 

[zmunkz]

This pretty much nails my current feelings.

Why that surprise 'Game of Thrones' twist was a huge betrayal

Winter came -- then it went.

mashable.com

Underlying story promises have been broken for an ultimately insignificant “twist.”

The question wasn’t really, “will it be Jon?”

The question was, “who are they and what do they want?” Plus a hundred related questions going back to crastor and even ancient history.

 

[REBerg]

Sir J Mormont and the Dothraki didn't know they were going to get fire on their weapons. Were they going to charge off in to the distance anyway? They could have had a scene where Dany complains about the plan to use her cavalry on a suicidal attack

I think Mel neglected to fire up Jorah's sword; but it was already Valyrian Steel, so, no need, right? The flaming Dothraki weapons seemed to serve no purpose other than to provide a doomsnight view of the charge for Jon and Dany.

 

[Al Jackson]

I think Mel neglected to fire up Jorah's sword; but it was already Valyrian Steel, so, no need, right? The flaming Dothraki weapons seemed to serve no purpose other than to provide a doomsnight view of the charge for Jon and Dany.

Yeah it only would have taken a second, "Say Jorah, did the Dothraki even make a dent?"

 

[Judderman]

It pissed me off that Hound ended up being such wimp in the heat of the battle, and he needed to see Arya in distress to snap out of it. What happened to that rough, brutal man that he used to be? Did Lord of Light change him?

I think it just goes back to his old fear of fire? Although they should have had him mention fire rather than not being able to win.

 

[Judderman]

This pretty much nails my current feelings.

Why that surprise 'Game of Thrones' twist was a huge betrayal

Winter came -- then it went.

mashable.com

Underlying story promises have been broken for an ultimately insignificant “twist.”

The question wasn’t really, “will it be Jon?”

The question was, “who are they and what do they want?” Plus a hundred related questions going back to crastor and even ancient history.

I see the article links to another that shows a spinoff for next year called "The Long night". So they decided to keep people interested by leaving some of the White Walker origin questions to another show.

..
It would be an interesting twist if Cersei won the next battle due to the White Walkers destruction of Dany and the Northerners side. Of course it will actually be that she will almost win, but for a late turn in events.

Or Bran somehow destroys humanity and says the Children of the forest have their victory

But as the article says we seem to be seeing traditional good vs evil... unless Dany has some bad still to do.

 

[Ursa major]

Although they should have had him mention fire rather than not being able to win.

Has the Hound (in the TV series) publicly owned up to his fear of fire? (By publicly, I mean to a lot of people, not just one or two, when it couldn't be avoided.)

 

[Judderman]

Probably not. And does Sir Gregor Clegane know? He must have seen the fear since he caused it in the first place. Though he isn't talking to people about it anymore

 

[Mr Orange]

I agree, but there are indeed still three episodes left. We don't know what Bran did when he "flew away" at the very height of the battle. I hope they will explain it in flashback. I think to be fair to the show runners, the episode was already 182 minutes long, and adding something slower into the middle of those battle scenes would have spoiled them for many who watch purely for that.

yeah we'll see if we get any kind of explanation in the last episodes. i'm not hopeful though

do not remember reading that in the book, in supplementary material? George told D&D that story?

no I can't remember it being in the books either. mind you are the books even up to the point that Bran saw it in a vision in the TV show? my mind is slipping on just how far behind GRRM is.

 

[Al Jackson]

yeah we'll see if we get any kind of explanation in the last episodes. i'm not hopeful though


no I can't remember it being in the books either. mind you are the books even up to the point that Bran saw it in a vision in the TV show? my mind is slipping on just how far behind GRRM is.

We know GRRM talked to the show runners twice, in Santa Fe, but it's not clear what even GRRM had in mind since he does not do formal outlining.
D&D used to say the TV story would land in the same spot, but that's no longer clear now.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

We know GRRM talked to the show runners twice, in Santa Fe, but it's not clear what even GRRM had in mind since he does not do formal outlining.
D&D used to say the TV story would land in the same spot, but that's no longer clear now.

Not having formal outlining doesn’t equal not knowing where you’re going

 

[Mr Orange]

Not having formal outlining doesn’t equal not knowing where you’re going

good point Jo I think GRRM knows exactly where he wants his story to go...

hold the door

'nuff said