Fire & Blood... GoT E5 review/finale preview

Jon Snow (Kit Harington), Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), and Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham) look on as they attempt to take King's Landing from the grasps of the tyrant, Queen Cersei. 'The Bells,' Season 8 Episode 5 of Game of Thrones, an HBO series. Photo Credit: The Boston Globe

The words of House Targaryen rang true all throughout episode five of the final season. Fire and Blood. You might remember Varys saying those same words to the Tyrells and the Dornish when aligning them with Queen Daenerys in the first place. Well in this episode, he felt their true power, and as a long time fan of the show (I'm talking book reader and first season live-watcher), I thought the whole thing was glorious... here's why.

As predicted in my last recap (not that it was a hard prediction), Varys was the first to perish in the crushing reign of dragon fire that was 'The Bells,' the second to last episode of Game of Thrones. His treasonous and spiderous ways finally caught up to him, but not because Dany caught him (she was busy mourning and looking worse than a teen ditched on prom night), his old friend and long term ally Tyrion turned him in. Remember their relationship for a moment and think on that... the same Tyrion he risked his own life to save, the same Tyrion he introduced to Dany's cause, and the same Tyrion he always thought had a part in the wars to come. I bet he never thought a portion of that destiny would be giving the spider over to the dragon (I imagine if a spider ever went up against a dragon in the real world it would look something like the result in Thrones), but the writers of GoT have loved these little coincidental ironies in their character's fates. He died similarly to Littlefinger and some may argue the deaths were anti-climatic, but how else do spies die than getting caught in a lie or a coup attempt? Varys says, "the greater the risk, the greater the reward," to one of his little birds at the start of the episode, and that describes both him and Littlefinger to a tee, as well as some others in this show. With all the death that has come from great risk over the course of the series, I wonder if there is a lesson here... but I digress, and we are left to wonder whether Varys actually burned the letter he was writing about Jon's identity or not.

Either way, Tyrion is now thoroughly on the hot seat... literally too. While he has shown bravery during his time as Dany's hand, he has been wrong at almost every turn. I love the guy, but he did a much better job with Joffrey. To make matters worse, he has spoken behind her back a number of times and now he has freed his brother. Honestly, that last part ended up having no consequence on Dany's bum-rush of the capital, it only allowed her enemies to die together. Even so we have to assume she'll find out and be pissed in the finale. Tyrion's best hope at survival might be Davos, remember that he enlisted the smuggler last episode (I originally thought to sneak Jaime away, but Davos is with Jon throughout the entirety of the battle so there must be something else in store here). I applaud the moment between Jaime and Tyrion in the midst of the betrayal. It was one of the best scenes of this season (in terms of acting and writing), and something I've waited for a long time. These brothers have loved each other, risked their necks for each other, and fought against each other. One thing they've never really done is have a true conversation though. Even when Jaime helps Tyrion escape Tywin and even when they meet secretly under the Red Keep. To me, this was the first time they finally opened up, especially Tyrion, who confesses that his brother's love and respect throughout their childhood kept him going. As a fan, you have to understand that this is the last time these two will ever see each other. We find out later that it is.

I pondered how HBO would make the final season surprising over the year and a half break leading up to it. Cersei and the Night King were both villains we knew. They played their cards already and for a show that was all about deception and shock, this seemed disappointing. I never thought the curveball would be Daenerys teamed with a vengeful Grey Worm, and I'll say something many people hate admitting for some odd reason in our day and age, I was surprised. Not necessarily in the moment, because we felt it going this way, but when I took a step back and let the episode really sink in, I was impressed. I love not knowing what's going to happen in TV and film, it's the main reason I watch. I hate predictability in plot and any movie or show I feel is predictable will never wow me or gain my long term interest. I've watched this show again and again from Season 1 to now, and that's because it has the quality and depth to it that fans never get sick of, or at least I don't. The villain we don't see coming is always more exciting than the villain we know, I've said this before and I'll keep drilling it in because to me, it's true. There are some villains good enough to overcome this because they're that evil, and Cersei did that for a time. Ramsey Bolton also held a similar status. For the finale though? We needed something new. I'll admit it. I thought the direction they went was perfectly brilliant (sorry Dany fans). Honestly some people out there probably did see it coming, I mean the Targaryens are conquerors and history does seem to repeat itself right? Cersei reminds us of Harren the Black melting in Harrenhal all those years prior, only she escapes the fire in place of rock. The families of King's Landing being roasted alive like marshmallows as Drogon turns the city into a campfire BBQ, and eventually a graveyard, is haunting and about as murderous as it gets. Dany always said she didn't want to rule over the ashes, but the deaths of her friends and family have changed her. The Mad King was once just (or so they say), and every person has their breaking point. "The Red Keep has never fallen, it won't fall today," Cersei says stubbornly. In the end, it falls on top of her.

Before I get to a more overall look, I want to shout out the Clegane Bowl. Rarely are things this over-hyped for this long (they set the groundwork on this brawl in season 1 when Littlefinger tells Sansa their history), and totally deliver on all of that promise and more. This did. In what reminded me of an apocalyptic Kane vs. Undertaker wrestling match (with weapons), this battle had the billing of a pay per view event, yet it had no purpose other than personal hatred. That same love we saw between Jaime and Tyrion was lost a long long time ago in the Clegane household and only death could satisfy the two legendary figures... to sidetrack, as he tells Arya in the scene before (another one of my favorite moments), vengeance isn't something to admire. Maybe someone should tell Daenerys and Grey Worm before they end up like the Hound, but Arya gets the message. This shows how she has grown from that pig-headed little girl who never listened, to a wise warrior who grew to respect and learn from a friend. Sandor Clegane is past learning lessons though, he's giving them now, and class is in session... which brings me back to the stairway to Hell. Sandor makes quick work of Cersei's Queensguard and the Mountain makes even quicker work of his creator Qyburn in a Frankenstein-like murder (HA! that death was hilarious). As Cersei creeps by like a daughter past curfew, I almost envisioned Michael Buffer say, 'in this corner, weighing in at 245 pounds, he enjoys a good ale and hates a scolding hot fire... THE HOUND! And his opponent, weighing in at 400+ pounds of all muscle and some Bane-venom, his face scares children for breakfast and his hands crush skulls for dinner... THE MOUNTAIN! ding ding ding! All jokes aside, this character arc may have been the most satisfying for me. We have followed the Hound a long time and many of us have come to love his brash comments and disgruntled nature. He may have felt affection for each of the Stark girls in some way or another, but only one thing truly interested him besides drinking and killing, and that was revenge. To do it, he had to overcome his main fear throughout the series, fire, and tackle the undead Mountain into the deepest corner of Hell (which is what Gregor did to Sandor's face all those years ago as children).

The critics have come from all over the world to attack this episode. Makes me think back to a wonderful time where very few people watched this show, it was a lot quieter. I've heard every complaint imaginable, but I won't harp on those in this article or give them much recognition. I actually thought the sack of King's Landing was realistic and bold. The cinematography need not be highlighted (because it is always top notch), but it was phenomenal. The way they focused on the masses, as well as Arya, Jaime, Jon, and a few others was chaotic in all the right ways. We ran the streets with them as fire and blood (those words again) rained all around like the Devil reincarnate. There was blood lust from soldiers, rape, mutiny, carnage, and utter destruction. The magnitude of the sheer force of a full-sized (and angry) dragon was put on display, and all of it was done with filmmaking talent and class. I feel like modern day people watch things like this and never realize how incredibly hard it is to do. I mean with the amount of people it takes to film these scenes (actors and crew), the man-hours, the cohesion and direction, and the money (because that matters too)... episodes like this, 'The Battle of the Bastards,' and 'The Long Night' should be considered marvels of our time for what they have accomplished. Trust me I love the slow plot and character-driven episodes too, more than most, but it should never be overlooked how hard it is to do these gigantic war epics, and how well Thrones has shot them time and time again. It is cinematic, it is genius, and it is historic.

Having said all that, I did have one or two disappointments of my own. The minor disappointment was Euron. I knew he would die, but I didn't really enjoy the backyard scuffle between him and Jaime. I suppose Euron's main adversaries were his family, and with Theon dead and Yara hundreds of miles away Jaime was next up, but I would of almost preferred him taking one last shot at Drogon and the dragon dodging it and eating him (or something of that nature). He was a badass, and Jaime's nonchalant shove and stab move didn't quite scream badass death for me. His dying words were humorous, I'll admit, but I didn't feel the fight served much of a purpose. My major disappointment was Jaime himself. For me, Jaime was the ultimate character in this series. He was written in a way I not only admire, I strive to learn how to do it. We start off hating everything about him in book and season 1, but it's all a matter of perspective. Once we take a look inside his mind in book 2 I believe, and also in his journey with Brienne in the show, we start to understand him. We may not agree with everything, and we realize he is a flawed man, but in a way we come to cheer him on. We want Jaime to change for the better and I know many people wanted him to kill Cersei in the end. As I pointed out last week, he was always addicted to Cersei, and this seemed unlikely to me, but I thought there would be more in store for him than a meaningless scrum on the beach and a death holding the Queen. If anything, it was more true to character the way it ended, I guess I was just hoping for something more fulfilling. I'm not sure what I wanted to be honest, part of me even hoped they might escape because I would of never seen it coming, but they didn't, and only one Lannister remains.

I mentioned Jaime staying true to his character and I feel this has been a common direction the writers have taken with most of their stars (besides the obvious Dany and Grey Worm). You could argue Daenerys always had this rage inside her, as well as the former slave Grey Worm, they just needed great loss to release it, but the other characters were more clear. They stuck to their flaws to a fault in episode five. Jon was loyal, even though he knew Dany lost her way. Varys did what was needed for the sake of the realm, even though death stared him in the face in the form of a dragon. Cersei was stubborn and arrogant, even when her defenses were shattered in an instance. Euron was cocky down to his last breath. Jaime died because he couldn't let his sister go. The Hound let vengeance rule over his life. Tyrion put his family and the people first (above his own life), even though neither ever put him first. Drogon burned and ate humans alive... well I guess that one is to be expected. The only character that was able to change and adapt in the crucial seconds was Arya, she decided to live, rather than pursue Cersei, who had been one of the first names on her list. The others were true to a fault, and often we do realize that people never truly change, not enough at least. It was a sad truth that I saw in this episode, despite how far our heroes and villains have come along the way. The only question left is, was Arya able to overcome her flaws or not? The white horse ending has been widely speculated. Most wondered how a horse could survive the bloodbath... twitter erupted, google searches ensued, theories ran wild, but one theory scared me. What if Arya actually died in that final Drogon flamethrower? Arya attempts to save a life rather than take one, perhaps angering her many-faced God, and may actually lose her life in the process. Although Arya appears in the preview for tonight's finale, we wonder if she walks amongst the Unsullied in purgatory, somewhere between our living world and the afterlife. It would make sense, as the horse she rides certainly resembles Harry Strickland's (the commander of the Golden Company), which died earlier in the battle. If true, this would be a bombshell on par with the Red Wedding or Ned Stark's beheading, one that most fans completely overlooked, but I hope it's just a wild theory. Arya Stark is one of the few characters left I really hope survives this wasteland that is Westeros, and I would be sad to see her go in such a way.

So what's left... tonight will surely have at least one or two more whammies. It has to, it just has to! Is Arya alive and will she close anymore eyes for good? Will we see the last dragon fall, if so, how? Will Jon Snow face off with Grey Worm, or the Queen herself? His aunt and ex-lover. How will Bronn come into play now that Tyrion is his only hope at a life of luxury? Maybe the old tag team will join forces again, fingers crossed. Does Tyrion survive the Game of Thrones (the thing he once described as the only thing he was good at), or perhaps win it? Does Jon, or Dany? What role will Davos play for Tyrion, or how will Sansa and Brienne react in the North? Will the Three-Eyed Raven have importance, or Sam the Slayer? Have we seen the last of Tormund and Ghost, or Jaqen H'ghar to the East, or Yara Greyjoy to the West, or even the Dornish in the South? Who will die, who will live, and who will win?

I'd like to take a final moment to thank George RR Martin and HBO for everything they have done to bring me into this world unlike any other. This journey has truly changed my life. Their storytelling has taught me, humbled me, and inspired me, and I only dream that I can someday create something with as much creative ingenuity myself. Thank you!