Since it was such a pivotal episode I thought I would share some quick thoughts about season 8 episode 3 of Game of Thrones.
It was a great intense battle! It was important to set the tone of the battle by having it shot in low light. But I do feel like they could have bumped up the brightness just a little bit.
It is always difficult to pull off a big battle and keep everyone satisfied. But I felt like the directors and writers did a good job in keeping things separated enough to hold our interests.
Having the dark setting did make for some pretty cool shots, such as the moment when all the swords were lit up by the red witch, and then extinguish by the army of the dead very quickly. I also loved the lighting of the trenches.
The scoring of this episode was superb! The music moved the story so well and created the right mood for every moment.
I’m glad they did not go too crazy when it comes to killing off a bunch of people. The characters we lost felt right. It was hard not to get emotional when watching Jorah’s death. It was also nice to see that Theon gave his life in a heroic way.
I’m sure everyone’s favorite moment was the demise of the Night King. It was simply spectacular! In the end it was very fitting. Arya’s training really pays off big! Did Melisandre always know that Arya was going to be the one? And having it be Littlefinger’s dagger from season 1 that was used in an attempt to kill Bran was perfect.
I don’t believe it’s necessary for us to know the full backstory of the Night King, but I still wonder what the connection was with Bran? It might just be the fact that they both have been transformed by the old Gods? I’m okay with not knowing, because in the end it’s not important for this particular series. Maybe we will learn more in the books or HBO prequel?
A few side things that I liked about the episode: Lyanna Mormont sacrifices herself to kill the giant. Tyrion and Sansa’s moments in the crypts. Varys making sure some of the woman and children were safe.
Overall I felt like it was an excellent 80 minutes of television! Not everyone will be happy, especially since this dark menacing evil is now dead after one episode, but personally I would have hated it if they dragged it out too long. It’s now time for us to focus on who will sit on the Throne. We have three more episodes left and I have a feeling that a box of tissues will be very necessary for the final 3.