Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 4

I have SO MUCH that I want to say about last night’s GOT episode!!!!  SO MUCH!!!  But alas, I also have a ton of work to catch up after being at a conference for most of last week.  On top of that, the Internets is on fire and everyone has pretty much made the same observations that I would make. 

But I did want to make some general points that all tie to the main criticism I see, which is that there’s no consistency to the “rules” of the GOT universe anymore.

First, the rule of consequence is no longer certain.  What I mean is, in the early seasons, you knew that EVERY conversation, no matter how seemingly trivial, would have consequence in some way.  Whether it was Arya casually telling Ned “that’s not me,” Robb succumbing to passion and love over duty and honor, or Roose Bolton seeking Robb’s permission to have “his bastard” retake Winterfell, you knew it would all matter even if you weren’t sure how it would matter.

But now, in these later seasons, f*ck if I know what matters and what doesn’t?!  Maybe it’s important that we haven’t heard a peep about Howland Reed, who for almost 20 years was the only living person aside from Ned who knew the truth about Jon’s parentage, and whose children sacrificed so much (literally Jojen’s life) to assist Bran in becoming the 3-eyed-raven, yet who somehow inexplicably did not show up to defend Winterfell even though all the banners had been called (that was a mouthful!).  Or maybe it’s just sloppy storytelling and it means nothing. Maybe it’s important that Tormund told Jon that he belongs in the North as they parted last night… or maybe it was just meaningless chatter.  I feel like I could give infinite examples of this kind of thing…

Second the show is just flat out inconsistent in its “greater meaning,” if there is one.  For seasons we’ve been hearing that the battle between the living and the dead is all that matters… only to learn that it was like 20% of what mattered and the Iron Throne actually matters more.  For seasons we’ve been hearing about the Lord of Light and Magic and the role of the Prince who was Promised in the Wars to Come... only to have almost all of those concepts swiftly die along with the Night King.  Maybe Cersei’s famous “power is power” line really does sum this all up!

Third, the details just don’t seem to matter anymore.  From the Starbucks cup on the table to the “jet-packing” across Westeros, the showrunners just seem anxious to get it all over with so they can move on to their next project.  This makes me so sad because if they show kept the pacing and attention to detail of the first 6 seasons, the experience would be so much richer and rewarding.  The big moments of the show just don’t payoff in the same way when the small moments are off.

All of these issues lead me to wonder whether David Benioff and Dan Weiss were the right people to bring the show to life after the underlying source material was no longer available.  I almost wish they had hit pause to figure it out with George RR Martin rather than to do it themselves.  They just don’t seem to have the rich understanding of the characters that is required to create their storylines as opposed to merely interpret them.

I hate to be that nerdy nerd who gets on a high horse about a mythical universe but let me be that nerdy nerd for a hot minute.  A few episodes ago during one of the Behind the Episode interviews, David Benioff referred to Dickon Tarly as Sam’s older brother.  I almost jumped out of the chair because EVERYONE knows that Dickon is not Sam’s older brother; he’s his younger brother. Does this matter?  Why yes, it does!  This teeny tiny detail actually matters because it colors everything we know about Sam.  As the oldest son, Sam was actually meant to be the heir and future Lord of Horn Hill.  However, upon coming of age Sam was told by his father Randall that he was not worthy to inherit Horn Hill and the family Valyrian sword Heartsbane.  Randall ordered Sam to disavow his inheritance by joining the Night’s Watch, thereby paving the way for Sam’s younger brother Dickon to be the future of their family.  Thus, the fact of Sam’s joining the Night’s Watch was a huge injustice and sets the stage for Sam’s entire arc of learning to manage his fear in the shadow of his abusive father.  When Sam steals Heartsbane in Season 6, he is reclaiming something that should rightfully be his.  Why does that matter?  Because before the Battle of Winterfell he gives Heartsbane to Jorah as a tribute to Jorah’s father Lord Commander Mormont, who was Sam’s mentor and true father-figure.  Jorah uses Heartsbane to defend Daeny to his death.  That gift would mean nothing without that nerdy nerdy backstory that the creator of the show seemed to have completely forgotten!

Anyway, that’s my take… I hope the last 2 episodes totally turn me around and make me eat my words!