Earlier this week,Game of Thronescreators David Benioff and D.B.
And he looks tired.
Seeing Ciaran Hinds again was good tonight.
It is also Stannis first impressive moment in thewholeseries.
To date, there is a cult of personality around the middle Baratheon brother that even baffles George R.R.
For show watchers who have always been perplexed as to why…well this is pretty much it.
Stannis saves the Wall and the Nights Watch!
Personally, I still tend to keep Stannis at arms length.
The men of the Nights Watch begged for assistance, and Stannis answered the call.
Nonetheless, the fact remains that Stannis is there because of the influences of Davos morality and Melisandres spirituality.
But all that is for another season.
As Giantsbane told Jon, shes dead and no words will matter.
But his silence in this moment meant so, so much more.
Plus, these were some especially cool looking zombies with the ice having removed the flesh from their bones.
And to crescendo the action set-piece is our first glimpse of a Child of the Forest!
[a gold star to the commenter who can name the reference].
As luck would have it, the Children of the Forest have a remedy for this kind of nonsense.
Yet if one Stark kid got to shine this week, it was invariably Arya.
But their best moment was always destined to be their bitterly sweet parting.
Id even daresay that Arya wanted it too.
That is until Brienne conceded the sword was a gift fromJaime Lannister.
If she had a dog in the fight to come, it was undoubtedly the Hound.
Now,thiswas a knockdown drag-out fight worthy of a boxing promoter.
At least neither has died…right?
Part of me truly believes that Arya cares for the Hound too much to kill him.
Those werent sad eyes, but rather the empty portals of death staring back at the gasping Sandor Clegane.
She is no longer Arya Stark.
There is no going home for this girl even if that home still existed.
It is a beautifully tragic moment.
Only onGame of Thronescan a child giving into despair be treated as a moment of euphoria and triumph.
But if any child gave into the dark side during this finale, then his name is Tyrion Lannister.
The children of consequence in this episodes title are most certainly the offspring of the Rock.
It began early when Cersei admitted to Tywin that the rumors about her and Jaime are true.
Tywin denies her confessions, but he knows.
Deep down hes always known.
Similar to how they probably both know on some level that Tyrion didnt do it.
But as wonderful as this scene is, I am troubled by it for two reasons.
However, more shocking, is the absence of Jaimes complete motive from the books.
Nevertheless, there is an ulterior reason in the text.
Tywin simply put a young Jaime up to tell Tyrion that so Tywins lesson could be well learned.
Tywin hated her because all lowborn women are whores in his eyes.
This is really the moment where readers and now viewers are forced to reevaluate Tyrion.
Is he their hero?
Shae betrayed Tyrion through and through.
BUT this is still a woman that Tyrion has taken in his hands and called his own.
A woman he proclaimed to love.
And he pulled on that necklace until her eyes bulged and mouth would close no more.
Tyrion is not the hero of this story.
In fact, he is more his fathers son than all the other Lannister children put together.
And that is exactly why Tyrion is the one to kill Tywin.
But Tyrion is his fathers son writ small.
Nevertheless, it is at the very least one of the best scenes of the season.
Tyrion Lannister kills his father while he is in the privy.
And in another season they might have even saved Tywins life from the crossbow.
But not this time.
Not after he sentenced Tyrion to death, and not with Shae lying slack-jawed in his bed.
This is an amazing moment for more than just another characters death.
But the dysfunction that makes them so watchable has come at a high cost.
Tyrion knows this better than all the rest.
Still, it is a true shame to lose Tywin in the same season as Joffrey.
We are now tragically lacking in villains we love to hate.
The White Walkers wintry descent cannot come soon enough at this point to kick it back into overdrive.
Only when George R.R.
Martin is the author, it is sure to be as bloody and unpleasant an existence as always.
But lets not think about that.
So endsGame of Thronesfourth season, and for my money, its best one.
Ned Stark has died.
Catelyn and Robb too.
Even his daughter-in-law and unborn granddaughter learned far too soon the definition of Valar Morghulis.
But this season, the winds changed.
And Joffrey died hard and early too.
But that is another feature for another day.
read more: Game of Thrones Season 8 Everything to Know
Rating:
5 out of 5
