Game of Thrones Episode 4
Director – David Nutter
Cast – Kit Harington, Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Sophie Turner, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Maisie Williams
Rating – 3/5

After that chaotic and spectacular third episode, Game of Thrones took a turn for the boring and the dull with its latest episode, The Last of Starks. To be fair, the last 10 minutes were quite thrilling in true Game of Thrones fashion but that’s not really something to applaud when the entire episode stretches out to one hour 14 minutes. Conversations dragged on while important scenes were cut short before we could even get to the good part. Characters either did awkwardly uncharacteristic things or were utterly predictable in what were supposed to be moments of great suspense. All in all, this episode was one the biggest disappointments of the season so far. But hey! At least we could see all of it without needing to squint or adjusting brightness levels on our screens.

Watch the Game of Thrones season 8 episode 4 trailer here:

The first 20 minutes tried hard and failed at first, getting you to weep for the dead with Jon Snow’s mediocre speech, and then again at getting you into the celebratory spirit of the survivors of The Long Night. The scene dragged on with not much to take home except how much Daenerys Targaryen hates that Jon is the popular one at school. But then, didn’t we know that already? Then while a castle full of men and women break into an awkward orgy that neither we nor The Hound wants any part of, our aunt and nephew duo decide it’s finally time to talk family business.

The Daenerys-Jon conundrum comes up several times not just between the two but also with a dozen other characters as well. The discussions between Varys-Tyrion, Tyrion-Sansa and Varys-Tyrion again were long and tiresome but the one scene that needed a little more time was cut short just when it was getting good. After making his sisters pinky promise not to share his secret with the world (which Sansa ends up breaking anyway), Jon finally allows Bran to reveal the big truth to the last of Starks. However, the scene fades into another right before we could watch Sansa and Arya’s reaction to it. While a teary-eyed Sansa does talk to Tyrion about it, we do not get anything at all from Arya the next time we see her.

Another scene got a similar snip of the scissors when Tyrion gets knocked out once again before a battle, just like he did in the first season at the Battle of Green Fork. However, this one might deserve some forgiveness as it followed some important moments of the episode. The Greyjoy fleet’s ambush, the dragon going down, the spears breaking apart a ship in mere seconds were quite enough to prove how the rest of it would have gone for Dany’s army.

In a moment of predictable fan service, the makers decide to let Jaime and Brienne go at it. To be honest, I really appreciated their relationship for its more platonical quality and for the understanding that it’s about two people who are bonded through their great respect for each other. They are soldiers in arms and they make each other better. And all seven gods know how much Jaime needed her for his redemption arc on the show. Now I am all for Brienne owning her sexual desires and disproving that a woman who is a hero and a warrior can also wish for more. However, I also wish the two were left in that precious little room, right by the bonfire where he knighted her and she smiled through her tears. I wish she could have this night with someone else, someone who is not Jaime (and also not Tormund though).

Now I can already hear an echo of a chatter coming our way. With the way the episode ended, surely millions will say that this is marks the show’s return to its roots. The dark, unpredictable end of Missandei might find a lot of mentions but that was not really true Game of Thrones at all. If at all this episode reminded one of the early seasons, it was the moment when a spear lodged itself into Rhaegal’s throat right as Dany arrived at King’s Landing. In just a couple of seconds, the dragon goes down and the tiny fleet also gets wiped out. Dany’s hopes of sticking a superhero landing turned to dust.

But who didn’t see Missandei’s end right when Cersei put her in chains? Did anyone in their right minds think that she would spare her? Back in season one, Ned Stark’s death was a shock because a) he was the protagonist b) he had put his pride aside for a life of shame after confessing treason c) it would have been disadvantageous to Cersei to have him killed. But guess what? Sadistic boy Joffrey did it anyway. But on today’s episode a) Missandei was an easy target and a tertiary character b) she and her queen was full of pride and making threats to Cersei and c) Cersei has no reason to spare her life. She has already outnumbered the Targaryen fleet, brought a dragon down and has a layer of innocents protecting her from dragonfire. She has a clear upper hand in this situation now and to think she would not kill Missandei for the kicks would be just plain stupid.

When we first realised that the Night King’s army will be fought with in the third episode itself, I was quite relieved. Thankful that we would get the good ol’ Game of Thrones-y scheming, plotting, battles and dramas in the final three episodes. But I guess as we bid goodbye to White Walkers, witches, and dragons, it’s not just Westeros that is losing all magic, but the show as well.

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