Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 4 review: An emotional rollercoaster
The episode featured carnage in the air, turmoil in the sea and more than a few ultimatums being passed around.
After the battle of Winterfell, the latest episode of Game of Thrones aimed to pick up where it came to an abrupt halt — interpersonal relationships. In the previous episode titled ‘The Long Night,’ we saw the Night King and his minions vanquished to dust and after the episode, the undead seemed more like a side quest instead of an ultimate battle. The fourth episode of Game of Thrones carried on the trend of what the show is all about to its basest form — who should rightfully sit on the Iron Throne.
The episode began in a sombre fashion with those who have survived ‘The Long Night’ burning the dead. This scene was intentionally played out as some of the most titular characters lost their lives and it was the creators’ intention to focus on them since some of the deceased had been around from the first season.
After the dead were burned, the living down at Winterfell took to boozing and frolicking and basic merriment at one of the castle’s great halls. In this scene, we saw the north folk including Tormund Giantsbane celebrate Jon Snow and this caused visible concern to Daenerys Targaryen as her sole intention is to rule the Seven Kingdoms without any opposition.
In a bid to appease the people in the great hall, Dany makes Gendry a Lord and ruler of his family’s ancestral property. Naturally, this goes down well and they cheer him on. However, since the beginning of the episode, Gendry’s main attention is Arya and after he is made Lord, he approaches her and tells her he loves her. He then promptly proposes marriage and asks her to be his Lady. Even though Arya wants to say yes, she reluctantly states that she is not a ‘Lady’ and refuses his proposal. This quite visibly shakes Gendry up.
Brianne of Tarth, Jaime and Tyrion play a Westerosi type of ‘I have never’ drinking game and at that moment it is known that the first female knight is a virgin. This quickly follows up with Jaime taking her to bed in a romantic manner when he says he hasn’t slept with a knight before. This prompts Brianne to reply that she hasn’t slept with anyone before. The scene is quite cute and it will appease many of the fans who have long been shipping the pair.
After the party, Jon finally says it out loud that he has no interest in the Iron Throne and tells Dany repeatedly that he didn’t bend the knee just to sit on the throne. However, Dany doesn’t seem convinced and she reminds him that even though he may not want to rule, it’s the people of the kingdom who ultimately decide who is worthy to rule the Seven Kingdoms. She provides an ultimatum to Jon saying that he cannot tell anyone else about him being the rightful heir to the throne.
The council comprising of Dany, Jon, Sansa, Tyrion and others gather to formulate their offence plan to tackle Cersei and the discontent between Sansa and the Dragon Queen is ever increasing. The tension in the air is so thick that it can be cut to shreds with a butter knife. However, at the time they all agree to serve Dany.
Later on, the Stark clan meet in the Godswood and they want to address the issue of Danareys after which Jon divulges the secret of his true heritage through Bran. Sansa then tells Tyrion about it who later informs Varys. So, the number of people who know about Jon’s true identity is ever increasing.
At Kings Landing, Cersei, the manipulative genius that she promises Euron that if they win the war, he can rule by her side. She also explicitly implies that the child in her womb is his. This manages to sit well with him.
Khaleesi’s fleet sail to Kings Landing with Dany riding her trusty dragon Drogon. We also find the injured Rhaegal flying side by side. However, just before reaching Cersei’s stronghold, the green dragon is shot from the sky in what may be the season’s most gut-wrenching death. He is first speared through the chest and then a spear plunges through and through his neck, prompting him to plummet to the depths of the sea.
Upon seeing this, Dany is visibly upset and flies closer to land, just to witness Euron Greyjoy and his army of ships keeping their bows at the ready to take down the other dragon. In a twist of fate, Dany manages to manoeuvre through the onslaught of spears to recoup with her army. This infuriates Euron and he launches a barrage of spears onto Dany’s forces at sea causing a huge loss of lives and ships.
The scene that follows is Greyworm frantically searching for Missandei who is later revealed to have been captured by Cersei’s armies. Being the brilliant strategies she is, Cersei has made all the city folk at Kings Landing enter the gates of the castle. This is down so that Dany takes mercy on the kingdom and not set them ablaze with her only dragon.
In the last scene of the episode, we find Dany with a small band of troops including Greyworm heading to confront Cersei who is standing on the wall of her stronghold with the captured Missandei (at the edge), Euron Greyjoy, and the Mountain.
Both sides envoys, Tyrion and Qyburn march towards each other to lay down the rules of negotiations which is promptly refuted from both ends. Cersei then asks Missandei if she has any last words and in an emotional scene, she screams the word ‘Dracarys’ before the Mountain chops her head off.
This prompts Dany and Greyworm to look on helplessly; after which, the former toughen herself up and indicates that in the next episode, things are indeed going to go down.