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Game of Thrones: Season 8, Episode 3: The Long Night

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***WARNING: SPOILERS. If you haven’t watched it yet, read on at your own risk***

I don’t know about you, but I am just emotionally wrecked right now. I feel like I’ve just been through the most insane, sad, amazing, tear up your guts, clench your butt so hard your legs hurt kind of emotional roller coaster to ever exist. In true GoT fashion, the middle of the road for the final season of Game of Thrones did not disappoint, and proved to be one of the most horrifically amazing episodes ever. I’m not sure they can top this episode… but I’m sure I’m going to be proven wrong. So, to get you on the same page, let’s dive right into the perfect emotional mess that was episode 3!

We start off with Sam, obviously nervous, shuttering himself through the courtyard of Winterfell: gathering his weapons and then hustling on. The camera pans to Tyrion, who is in the same boat, although it’s a little less obvious that he’s nervous. As the camera follows him, we see Bran being wheeled into the gardens by Theon. Then we move up to the walls, where Sansa is standing firm with Arya as the two remaining dragons fly overhead with Jon and Dany at the ready. We’re moved throughout the entire defending force, from Doth’raki to Unsullied, Brienne to Jorah, and everyone in between. The overall tone just tells you in your gut that some of your favorites are not going to make it through this episode and you just already start to get a knot in your stomach. Dany and Jon are with the dragons up on a high cliff to watch everything below.

As we end on Jorah, waiting with the Doth’raki forces, we see a figure ride out of the snowy night. Davos recognizes it immediately. It’s the red woman. She approaches the Doth’raki and asks Jorah to tell them to lift their swords. She goes to one and holds onto his raised weapon, chants a spell, and after a moment of this, his weapon lights on fire – followed by every other Doth’raki weapon.

We watch from the walls as the fire weapons sweep across the whole of the Doth’raki army, much to Davos’ surprise. We get to see everyone’s reaction, including Eddison as Sam finally finds his place at his side at the front of the line. In true Eddison fashion, he ribs Sam about being late. After she’s finished, the Red Woman rides to the gates and Davos gives the order to open the gate for her. She rides inside and ends up meeting Davos on the catwalks leading up to the walls. She tells him that he doesn’t need to execute her, that she’ll be dead before dawn anyway. He then simply let’s her walk by.

The order is given for the Doth’raki to charge and away they go, lifting their flaming weapons as they ride. They charge off into the darkness as the others watch hopefully.

However, hopes are quickly dashed as we see the flames of their swords go out over the far off battlefield. The camera pans to different characters as they realize what they are watching: the obliteration of the Doth’raki army.

A few lone horses ride back, along with a few Doth’raki on foot. Jorah rides by, wounded, and gives Tormund a spooked look that resonates on the large wildling’s face.

On the ridge above, Dany realizes that her beloved Doth’raki are dying, and she strays from the plan, getting on her dragon to attack now instead of waiting for the Night King. Jon has no choice but to follow her. Everyone is now severely spooked as they know that whatever just obliterated the Doth’raki is coming their way.

In something straight out of a zombie horror flick, the horde arrives in a wave of dead on the remaining forces.

The battle is on throughout all of the different areas and our heroes are quickly overwhelmed.

Podrick goes down.

Brienne goes down.

Jaime comes to her rescue. As he’s slicing the dead off of her, the dragon’s come to his rescue this time – searing the land, and the dead, in dragon fire.

Dany and Jon cross over the battlefield, killing hordes of the dead and giving everyone a bit of hope. Arya and Sansa watch from the wall above the battle.

As they ride through the sky, Jon sees the Night King’s Knights and they swerve to get a better look. Just as they do, a massive wave of cold, cloudy, snowy mess hits them and disorients the dragons, Dany and Jon. The cold swallows up the dragon fire on the ground and begins to spread across Winterfell’s forces quickly.

Up on the wall, Arya almost forces Sansa to go into the crypt and hands her a dragonglass dagger.

Sansa says that she doesn’t know how to use it and Arya is able to spit out what Jon said to her so long ago: “Stick ’em with the pointy end.” Sansa retreats into the crypts with the women as the cold washes over the armies below and the archers on the wall get ready.

In the gardens, Theon and the Iron Born watch with Bran as the cold sweeps over Winterfell.

Jorah is riding through the battle, slicing everything he can. We pan through all of our heroes as they fight for their lives. Edd goes down as as Sam is about to help him, Sam goes down. Edd comes to Sam’s rescue just as a dead thing is about to drive a dagger through Sam’s eye. From the ground, Sam sees everything around him in slow mo, until Edd screams at him to get up and yanks him to his feet.

And Edd is cut down from behind by a dead thing.

I screamed out loud.

The thing lets out a gurgly sound at Sam, who turns and runs as he has no weapon.

Then to the crypt, where Sansa is joining Tyrion, Varys, and the women and children. Tyrion knows that if Sansa has been sent down already, things are not going well upstairs.

Up in the sky, Jon’s dragon is disoriented and ends up slicing through the trees and almost running into Dany. They finally get a little control as the see hordes of more dead running toward the battle.

On the battlefield, the orders are given to fall back as their numbers are being just overrun by the dead.

Inside Winterfell, Lyanna Mormont screams out the orders to open the gates. The Unsullied move to help protect the retreat.

In the garden, Bran watches the dragons as they fly past. Jon lands on the wall, looking out over the battlefield as the remaining soldiers are retreating inside. The dead are getting caught up on the obstacles and taken down by some arrows as they chase the retreating soldiers. The dead are bursting through the defenses. As those retreating run, the Hound is about taken down by a dead, yet Arya saves him.

As the last of the retreating soldiers are through the gate, Grey Worm runs across the bridge and is getting ready to blow the bridge. We get to watch as his Unsullied are swallowed up by the waves of the dead. He finally has to make the decision to blow the bridge and leave the rest of the Unsullied out there. Once he does, the order is given to light the trench. However, the massive winds and cold blow the flames out as soon as they hit the trenches.

On the wall, Davos is desperately trying to give Dany and Jon the signal to let them know where Winterfell is – but they can’t see.

Hordes and hordes of the dead are running toward Winterfell as they desperately try to light the trenches. Grey Worm watches helplessly and finally catches the eye of the Red Woman. She approaches the trenches with the Unsullied to protect her so that she can light the trenches. The dead are attacking all around them, and several almost get her.

She holds a piece of the trench defenses and chants as she watches the horror and those around her cut down.

Finally, the trenches light – just as a white walker launches itself at her.

Dany and Jon see the fire and come to the rescue, much to the relief of everyone fighting. Arya and Davos watch from the wall as the dragons light up the night with burning dead.

Back in the crypt, those waiting down there can hear a little of the battle above them. Varys makes the comment that at least they are already in a crypt. Tyrion voices his concern that if he were out there he could help with strategy. Varys reminds him that he got hurt in previous battles. Sansa tells him that he would die if he were up there and then resigns herself to the truth that there is nothing she can do. Tyrion says maybe they should have stayed married, to which Sansa replies “You were the best of them.” And, in true Tyrion fashion, he replies “What a terrifying thought.” Which elicits a smile from Sansa as the two share a moment together in the middle of everyone else. She tells him it wouldn’t work between them and he asks why, to which she responds “The dragon queen.” After a few moments of talking about where Tyrion’s loyalties would lie, Melissandre gets mad and says how everything would be great if Dany weren’t there – and they’d all be dead already.

In the gardens, Theon and Bran speak for a moment. Theon apologizes for everything he’s done. Bran tells him that everything he’s done has brought him here now, brought him home. And then says he’s going to go now and wargs out. All we see from here are tons of ravens flying off across the battlefield, across the waves of dead being burned by the dragons, and up into the night sky where the Night King waits on his dragon. He reaches out as the ravens fly by and the dead below on the battlefield pause.

Then, to the horror of everyone watching, the dead begin to lay themselves on the flames of the trenches, forming a bridge and smothering the flames in certain areas for the rest of the horde to get across. Quickly, they break through areas of the trench and flood across to the walls of Winterfell.

This part totally reminded me of World War Z, where the zombies just pile on top of each other like ants to get up and over the walls of Jerusalem. It’s exactly what they do here as well.

All too soon, Winterfell is crawling with dead that have burst over the walls. We see all of our favorite heroes trying to fight them off.

Down by the gates, Lyanna Mormont is watching almost helplessly as people are being cut down around her. As she looks around, the gate is obliterated by a dead giant, who slams her to the side and then just thrashes the soldiers around her.

Arya is almost trapped on the ramparts, and finally is able to get away by doing a slick roll over the tops of a stairwell of dead. As she’s trying to escape a really crazy dead, he hits her from behind and she falls, smacking the shit out of her head on a stone wall.

Dazed, she turns to look up at the mass of dead that are stuck in the doorway, trying to get to her. She scrambles backwards as they break through.

Back to the skeletal giant in the courtyard, who is just flinging people right and left, smashing them to bits. Lyanna gets up and sees what is going on. The giant is throwing some of the defensive posts at the soldiers.

Then back up to the ramparts. The Hound freezes and everyone is yelling at him to help. Beric finally gets in his face and tells him to help. The Hound says it doesn’t matter, that they are all dead anyway. Beric points to a valiant Arya Stark, who has been just absolutely savagely slaughtering the dead, and says “Tell her that.” The Hound rushes off to help her.

Back to Lyanna, who is on her feet now and lets out just an insane battle scream and charges the giant.

The giant sees her coming and just snatches her up, lifting her to his face, and absolutely crushing her bones.

We hear the bones breaking and snapping. As she struggles to continue breathing, the life draining out of her, the giant lifts her to his face as if to eat her.

Lyanna screams and stabs the bastard in the freakin’ eye – taking down the giant – as she dies. He falls to the ground, slamming her down along with him.

I let out a yell of triumph as she killed that huge thing, as I was bawling like a baby. She got one of the most heroic deaths ever, and I feel she absolutely deserved one for the warrior she was. Even writing this part right now, I’m fighting back tears.

Ok, ok, back to it – So, now, we see the dragons go up into the mess of the storm, and finally break above the clouds.

Dany and Jon look at each other and then the Night King bursts through the clouds below them, barely missing Dany with the icy blue flames of his dragon. A crazy fight ensues, where Jon’s dragon attacks the dead dragon. It is a crazy fight for several minutes.

Arya has managed to escape and is inside Winterfell’s halls, where dead are roaming. She carefully hides and quietly keeps herself out of their sight as she moves through the library, trying to escape them.

The Hound and Beric are also going through Winterfell’s hallways, trying to find her. She finally takes a book and throws it to get their attention and get them away so she can escape. But they hear the door closing and throw themselves against it, just as the door behind her bursts open with more dead. She takes off running down the hallways.

Back down in the crypt, everyone can hear the sounds of the battle upstairs. Then bangs on the door and men screaming for them to let them in. Begging, pleading, screaming for them to let them in – as the dead scream. Then it is silent.

The Hound and Beric are still stalking through Winterfell’s halls, looking for Arya. They hear noises and get prepared for a fight. Arya bursts through a door, a dead on top of her. Beric throws his sword and kills it and jerks her up off the floor. As he spins her out of the way, one of the dead bit him on the leg. The Hound is fighting off more of the horde. Arya runs toward the Hound, Beric right behind her, and they rush through the halls. As they round a corner, dead burst out and hit Beric. Arya turns to help, but the Hound is dragging her off to help her. Beric is fighting a horde of the dead and breaks through to run with them. Just as it looks like they are almost to a safe spot, several dead burst into an alcove.

Beric rushes them, slamming one into the wall as another attacks him from the side. Arya watches in horror as Beric is stabbed and she picks up an axe to help. The Hound finishes fighting the dead he had as more come toward them. He rushes to where Arya and Beric are, picking Arya up and pulling her away as she screams “no!” since she was helping Beric.

Beric stands and places himself in a doorway, holding off the dead so Arya and the Hound can escape. He is stabbed repeatedly by the dead behind him. I mean it is just horrific.

Finally, the Hound, Arya, and Beric make it through into the great hall. Beric dies in Arya’s arms as a voice behind her tells Arya that he was brought back by the Lord of Light for a purpose and now he has served it. It’s the Red Woman. Her and Arya speak for a moment, with Arya remembering the things that the Red Woman told her – such as she would close many eyes. The Red Woman says yes, brown, green – and blue. This tells Arya what she needs to know and Arya runs out of the hall.

Back outside, the dead have overrun the garden and the Iron Born are doing all they can.

The Night King attacks Winterfell’s walls and Jon comes up, slamming into him on his dragon. In the garden, they watch the dragon fight above them. Dragon flesh on both is ripped and the Night King attempts to kill Jon with his sword. The Night King is flung off his dragon and crashes to the ground. The dragons continue to fight, Jon barely hanging on, and Dany follows the Night King down. Jon’s dragon is seriously wounded and crashes, appearing to be dead – but it doesn’t quite show it, so I’m not going to believe it yet.

The dead have almost overrun Winterfell at this point. Somehow, our favorite heroes, Jaime, Brienne, Podrick, Grey Worm, Jorah and Davos are still standing, still fighting. Jorah hears the dragons and takes off outside.

The Night King stands in front of Dany on her dragon. She gives the order to burn him.

Jon rushes toward them. Both stare in horror as the Night King is untouched.

He smiles up at her and throws his sword at Dany, barely missing her, causing her to take off. Then he stalks toward Winterfell. Jon draws his sword and gives chase. The Night King hears Jon coming up behind him and pauses, turning to stare Jon down. Jon begins to run toward him as the Night King raises his hands slightly.

All around Jon and the Night King, all around Winterfell, the dead – from both sides – begin to rise.

Jon runs, but ends up surrounded by the dead.

In Winterfell, those who are still alive watch in horror as all of the dead are resurrected. We even have to watch as Edd and Lyanna are resurrected as white walkers.

The Night King strolls into Winterfell with his knights.

In the crypt, all of those buried there begin to rise too. Everyone panics and the dead do take some of them as they are running.

Jon is about overrun, then Dany comes to his rescue so he can get inside Winterfell to save Bran. She makes the mistake of landing and a horde of dead come up behind her, attacking, stabbing, her dragon. She’s knocked off and the dragon takes off, trying to shake off the dead. She finds herself alone in the middle of reanimated warriors – saved just in time by Jorah.

Jon slices his way through Winterfell and the mobs of dead. He sees Tormund and Gendry fighting valiantly, Jaime, Brienne and Podrick backed against a wall, doing the same, Sam is knocked down on a pile of dead, killing those he can. He keeps on trying to fight his way into the garden.

Theon and the Iron Born run out of arrows and are overrun. Bran is still warged. Eventually, it’s just Theon left.

Dany picks up a sword and her and Jorah defend themselves.

In the crypt, women and children are being cut down.

Sansa and Tyrion take cover behind a crypt and have another moment between them as they decide to run to where Varys and some women and kids are hiding.

Jon is rushing through Winterfell, trying to keep away from the dragon.

An eerie, slow piano music begins to play as we are taken around Winterfell. We watch as our heroes are overrun again, left on the edge, wondering who will live.

Jorah is stabbed right in front of Dany.

And she kills the dead who stabs him. Jorah continues to fight.

Those in the crypt are being killed by the dead.

Jon tries in vain to make to make it to Bran.

Theon is still defending Bran on his own as the Night King approaches.

Jorah fights and is sliced and stabbed again.

Tormund goes down.

Jaime and Podrick fight against the wall.

Brienne is hurt.

Sam is in a pile of bodies, crying.

Theon is still fighting. Then the dead pause and he turns to Bran. Bran tells him thank for for being there as the Night King stares them both down. Theon knows he’s going to die. He turns to the Night King and charges him.

The Night King catches Theon’s spear, breaks it and stabs Theon through the gut with it. The Night King looks up at Bran as Theon falls to the ground at his feet. Bran looks down as Theon is dying.

Jon is trapped by the dragon and cannot get past.

The Night King approaches Bran.

Jorah is stabbed again several times trying to defend Dany. He still gets up. Dany is terrified seeing his condition.

The Night King approaches Bran.

Jon is still trapped.

The Night King reaches Bran and the two share a couple of interesting looks.

Jon stands up and faces down the dragon – screaming at it.

The Night King reaches for his sword to kill Bran.

A slight wind passes by the Knights who are watching.

As we see the Night King again, Arya flies up behind him.

He turns and catches her by the throat.

She loosens her hand and drops her dagger, making him look up at her hand and the dagger.

The dagger drops and she catches it in her other hand in one swift move, and then stabs the damn Night King in the gut – in the same place the children of the forest placed the blade that created him.

Immediately, he turns to ice and explodes.

Arya falls to her knees. The Knights explode behind her.

As the dragon is about to attack Jon, it explodes.

The dead everywhere falls to the earth.

Jorah falls as well.

Jon gives a tiny smile up at the few who are alive around him in the courtyard.

In the crypt, they gather together and stare out at the dead.

Arya looks at Bran and smiles slightly.

Dany helps Jorah on to his back.

She’s devastated as he tries to talk to her and dies in her arms.

As she is crying over him, her dragon comes down and curls around her and Jorah.

The Hound and the Red Woman appear and head out into the courtyard. She walks past the Hound and toward the front gate, dropping her cape off. As she walks, Davos comes up with his sword to kill her, but pauses.

She takes off her necklace, which quits glowing as it hits the ground. She continues to walk out into the icy field as Davos watched. Before his eyes, she turns to an old woman, then crumples to the ground, dead.

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Posted by on Sunday, April 28th, 2019. Filed under Dark TV, Headline. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

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