What I’m Watching: Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones: Season 8, Episode 4 “The Last of the Starks” (B+)

After the epic battle against the dead from the previous episode, this extended hour felt almost uneventful, though something has to be saved for the final two installments. Some processing time was definitely necessary, and the splintering of forces I had expected in the wake of victory against an enemy presumed unbeatable didn’t happen en masse. Instead, Tyrion and Varys began conversations that everyone is thinking about even without the knowledge of Jon’s true identity regarding whether Daenerys is indeed the best ruler for the Seven Kingdoms. Telling his sisters was inevitable even though Daenerys asked that he not share it with them, and having Bran be the one to tell them likely make the news all the more resounding. Arya not trusting her and Sansa not liking her are different things, but they’re both important factors in why Daenerys may not succeed as a leader. It wasn’t a surprise that Arya turned down the newfound lord’s proposal since she has no desire to be a lady, and she may still be the one to kill Cersei. Jaime being pulled to fight after he and Brienne tried to start their life together was equally unavoidable, and he too is going to be a powerful player in the final fight. The second dragon was easily felled by Euron, who may now have impregnated the queen, and the fact that we only saw one other major death in this hour indicates how skillfully Cersei is willing to play the game. Taking Missandei prisoner and then executing her when Daenerys and her army were watching was cruel but purposeful, and I, like so many others, are immensely intrigued to see what’s happened next. Though this review is late and the next one will be too, I’m preempting my watching of any other shows to make sure I view each hour of this one before anything gets spoiled for me.