Dawn... GoT S8 E4 Refresher Review

Emilia Clarke and Kit Harington in their roles as Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow. Photo credit: Los Angeles Times

"We beat those icy f*cks!" HAR! (as the novel version of Tormund Giantsbane would commonly say to finish his statements). Is there a better way to sum it up though? Davos talks about R'hllor briefly and asks what the purpose was in any of this, in his mind the Lord of Light asked many to sacrifice their lives and for what, a battle that came and went, a long night that never was. It's not that Davos doesn't believe the things that he has now seen, he simply questions why... a similar sentiment shared by many fans and people in general who doubt links between Gods and men. The sad truth of the matter is, whether we are wrong or right in whatever we believe, we never get to know why, and in a way Davos breaks the fourth wall in this moment and relates to us fans.

That's the pro-HBO take. The anti-HBO writers take is that in the post GRM novel seasons, the why has often been less clear and sometimes utterly baffling (like when Jon decided to go beyond the wall to capture a wight in season 7 and prove their existence to Cersei... I don't care what argument you use that made no sense other than HBO wanting to create an undead dragon). Anyways, I've learned to just live with it and try and make the most of these rushed and confusing moments in season 7 and 8. I've learned to live with the accelerated pacing, which reminds me of the accelerated play clock in Madden for the gamers out there. The same pacing that put Varys all around the world in consecutive scenes and had Jon traveling at light speed made its way into episode four, it kind of had to if HBO is going to finish this thing in three episodes, and while that's unfortunate, it's another sad truth we must accept.

Now that I've mentioned all structural issues, I'll get back to where Tormund left off, beating those icy f*cks! I loved the opening burial ceremony and Jon's speech that came with it, he was kingly, which was a common theme in this episode and almost every season of game of thrones, Jon is kingly by nature. Dany has begun to notice along with everyone else, and even worse she realizes that she does not fit in Westeros. It isn't her true home, despite what she has come to believe, and Jon seems to steal the thunder she once summoned at will in Essos. Even when she tries to do something nice for Gendry, everyone in room is hoping she won't burn him alive and is genuinely surprised when she doesn't. When Tormund talks all of Jon's great feats over the seasons we only half-remember that Dany has also bested death and overcome many odds in her resume. Sure Dany could have mentioned these accomplishments and miracles to Jon's faithful followers, but it wouldn't have done her any good, it just would have seemed desperate for attention... like in college when you have two drunk guys telling stories and they try and top each other on dumb things they've done... or exes comparing their current lives. 'Hey guys, I've walked through fire and I ride dragons all the time! Yeah me over here. No to your left, your other left.' She would have seemed like a five year old after the new baby sibling is born. Metaphors aside, it's a problem, and with the effort HBO is putting into this Dany-Jon controversy, you know the solution won't be as simple as, 'hey let's just rule together,' because little issues like who's the rightful heir to the throne of an ancient kingdom are never simple when it comes to new couples, especially when incest is involved. I mean who hasn't been in this situation at least once in their life, right? Well, minus the incest part, and every other part, but I guess what I'm saying is relationships take time to build. There's a give and take, compromise, and even power struggle at times... the early stages together usually test these aspects of a couple and whether there's a future. It isn't going great for these two hard-nosed lovers so far, but things could be worse... just ask Gendry who literally broke the number one rule of dating, never say 'I love you' after the first night together, come on dude... or Brienne who was basically a quick rebound for Jaime before he relapsed into his Cersei addiction. One quick word on this, I wasn't shocked by it. In the books, Jaime loves Cersei more than anything else in the world, it's almost a sickness. He cares for Tyrion as well but not much else, not even his children when they die. Although Brienne does teach him a great deal, I'd say he comes to admire and respect her more than love her. I certainly think it would be unrealistic for the two of them to live happily ever after in Winterfell, a place Jaime hates, so I'm glad they didn't go that route. These relationships will all likely have a hand in the fates of our characters.

This brings us to Sansa. She has been most-hated since day 1 by many fans, even behind Joffrey for some. As time goes on we do feel sorry for her but now personally I'm just confused by her actions. I get that she learned from Littlefinger and Cersei never to trust anyone, I even get that she hates Targaryens because the Mad King burned her uncle and grandfather, but if she learned so much from her past you would think she learned something about judging a person's character. I'm not necessarily team Dany but she is a strong woman who deserves her props. Sansa has also become a strong woman and overcome adversity to become the Lady of Winterfell. The two should praise each other and celebrate their triumphs as females in a male-led world, but instead they cannot stand one another. I just do not get Sansa's inexplicable hatred for Dany, the one person who might be able to take down Cersei, another strong woman she hates (but for good reason this time). Am I wrong here? Maybe I just don't understand women and never will. Anyway, Sansa's loose lips immediately let out the secret of Jon Snow's claim to the throne, and chaos immediately ensues behind the scenes.

When leaving Winterfell, we were left with a few interesting developments. Some were for the fans... the Hound and Arya back together on the King's Road seeking vengeance on Cersei and the Mountain for example. Or Bronn's FDR-style new deal with the Lannisters. Once again out for himself and only himself, Bronn bets on Dany and her dragons, somehow flipping Cersei's offer for Highgarden like a used horse salesman would, that one probably didn't land. I love this guy, he never disappoints. Finally, Tormund and Ghost's exit from the show... possibly. You never know in Thrones and I'm not ruling out anything, even a Night King return or some sort of trouble up North, but it may be safe to say that Tormund and Ghost will survive the bloodshed. In some ways this brings joy, but the people won't be happy with how Jon gives away his pup, a solemn nod. Even Air Bud got some emotion out of his owner, but what does this mean for Jon? This has been a rare theory I've loved and followed throughout GoT, the relationship between the Starks and their Direwolves. The bond seems to tie their fates as one throughout the series, let's recap. Sansa's wolf Lady is the first to die, along with Sansa's innocence, which made her weak. This happened somewhat unfairly, like all of her arranged marriages, and I feel the wolf represented this part of her personality. Nymeria, like Arya, is lost in the wild and grows to become a strong warrior on her own. The person she becomes needs no one, although many are willing to follow her. Robb's Grey Wind is the largest and strongest, but it is butchered by arrows at the Red Wedding. I don't have to tell you how that worked out for Robb. Rickon's Shaggydog is hunted and killed, so Ramsey (the greatest hunter in the show) decides play a game with him where he guns him down like he would prey. Lastly, Bran's wolf Summer is the most intelligent of the litter, but he dies in that cave with the original Three Eyed Raven. Weirdo Bran points out to Meera that Brandon Stark died in that cave too, because he became the Three Eyed Raven upon leaving. Everything syncs up, so how does HBO connect the fates of albino pup and his bastard owner? Is it that Jon belongs in the North (which is what he says about Ghost), foreshadowing that he should not travel to King's Landing? Or will Jon soon join up with a different ferocious ginger in the South? I'm not one for bold theories, but I hope they stick to this theme and don't blow it this late in the series.

I do have a couple predictions though. My first is Varys' impending doom. The Red Woman already foretold it last season, and Dany warned him not to be treasonous behind her back. Varys didn't listen too well or didn't take enough notice when she burned Randyl Tarly, he might be next. I also think Missandei's death has sealed Cersei's fate. Side note, I wasn't impressed with the writing in this scene. Everyone manages to swim to Dragonstone except Missandei? Euron doesn't even seem to sail towards their ships and yet he plucks her from the ocean and returns to King's Landing before Dany and Grey Worm ever discuss battle plans. It was all rushed and coincidental. A part of me thought Cersei might somehow survive this final season once it began, but now I see no way this happens. It also might mean that Dany will never be Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. Her rage has now taken hold after the deaths of Viserion, Rhaegal, Jorah, and Missandei. She may come at Cersei full force, even if she kills the people of the kingdom in the process. Tyrion remains key in this outcome. Cersei cannot seem to kill him and Dany cannot seem to ignore him, so can Tyrion save the day? We'll find out soon as episode five is supposed to be another epic, described by actors as five times that of 'The Long Night.'

P.S. shout out to Euron... that dragon kill was dope! I praised Bronn for almost taking down a dragon, but this man has done it. Euron has become a great villain, not quite like Joffrey or Ramsey or even Cersei, one's you love to hate. I thoroughly enjoy him, even if he's likely to die.