Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 1: Thoughts

[Contains Spoilers]

Before I begin with the reaction, here is a little something about how I got to watching Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 1 first hand on television. If you wish to jump directly to the episode reaction, skip the next two paragraphs.

My first encounter with Game of Thrones was when my then boyfriend had told me about it. He had shown me the last scene of the first season where Daenerys Targaryen (totally googled the spelling - my go to spelling is danaerys targarean) had survived the funeral pyre with her dragons hatched. He had been so hyped about it but his enthusiasm had failed to seep into me that time and my indifference to the show managed to carry me on throughout Season 1 to Season 7 (technically). In 2016, I managed to find the whole book series on sale, so I decided I'd go the print way of finding out what the hype was all about. I had had to live through some of the big spoilers though - Joffrey dies, Jon dies and is resurrected, Battle of the Bastards happens and Tyrion Lannister is a badass. I didn't care much for it. I read the books hoping I would know more than the show watchers did by the end of it all. I couldn't have been more wrong. The one thing that the book managed to surprise me with was the death of Ned Stark. I was in denial the entire time. I mean Ned Stark was played by Sean Bean. How could they let Boromir die once more? Wasn't it redundant? That was my first lesson in never letting my guards down and expecting the unexpected. In June 2018, I finally managed to watch the series. It was perfect timing. The other GoT fans had settled down from their Season 7 excitement, Fire and Blood wasn't out yet and Season 8 seemed far off. I didn't have anyone spoiling my enjoyment with their speculations. It was good fun while I watched it then I forgot all about it. I was looking to relish the final season, for sure, but I was not at all prepared to getting all worked up for the new season. Then they dropped the Season 8 trailer and the season premier date. And I started listening to Game of Thrones podcast and rewatching it. And everything came down to the final 6 episodes, the first one is what I am going to talk about just below.

I am a book reader through and through, and I'm very new to the "streaming something online" fiasco. I have never been swayed well enough to give anything a chance (for more than a few episodes). I have been quite afraid of dedicating my attention and my time to something that will definitely leave me wanting for more. That's why I don't read any book which is a part of an incomplete series. (All Lord of the Rings were already out and Harry Potter happened a lifetime ago). I came to read the five books of Song of Ice and Fire by mere chance. But chance or no chance, I read them and then I watched the show. I came to watch the show 2 years after I finished the books because I found them in my friend's hard drive. And I came to watch them online because the hard drive didn't have all the Season 6 episode. Okay, now that I have done enough prattling, let's get on with the reaction.

I had never watched any series live on TV before and I was feeling excited. The first thing I noticed was how crisp the resolution was. I was not used to watching the series in such a high definition at all and that felt unnerving. Second, the title sequence was mind blowing. I have been re-watching the series the past few weeks and I was quite used to skipping through the credit sequence in each episode. Of course, I've spent much time reveling in the awesomeness of it in many seasons in the past but I had grown used to the old ones. And this new one took the incredibleness to the whole new level. I was trying so hard to hang on to the details of everything and yet wanted it to be over so that the episode could start already. Another thing I couldn’t shake off was that the visuals were just too dark on tv (although it did get better on subsequent watch online).

Daenerys’ army rolling inside Winterfell with her and Jon riding side by side was something we had seen in the trailer already. Arya failing to call Jon this early in the episode saved the grandeur of this much awaited reunion from falling flat on its face. And then the Hound and Gendry come along which made me realise, shit this girl knows every one of the allies. And then I noticed how warm the Unsullied finally looked. Missandei looked warm too alongside Grey Worm. My dislike for Daenerys continued on when she sat on that horse with that smug look after her dragons sent most of the northerners willy nilly (like a city girl showing off her pets to the countrymen, “look what I've brought with me, you bitches!”). Then we go to Sansa giving a hug to Jon that looked like a mum hugging her son while side-eying her future daughter-in-law. That stank-eye was one of my favorite scenes in the episode. Sansa and Daenerys then try (and fail) at small talk when Bran busts in (to remind us all that there are only 6 episodes so hurry the fuck up).

In the next scene in the great hall of Winterfell, we see Lady Mormont have a sass session and Jon give honor speech all the while Sansa and Daenerys continue to side-eye each other. Then there’s the usual dumbfuck northerners not understanding the urgency of the situation, Tyrion speaking up, mentioning Lannister army coming to join them soon (with zero conviction) and Sansa's face of utter disbelief. And Sansa asking the question I've been asking the whole time - how the fuck do you feed mouths? And Daenerys being annoying as fuck (stank eye game on). Then we move on to Gendry being efficient and useful as hell, Sansa and Tyrion reuniting (if you may call it that), and Sansa saying what everyone knows - Cersei is a lying treacherous bitch and Sansa stating what everyone is thinking, “I used to think that you're the cleverest man alive” (Such a sick burn!). Then we see Bran watching from the courtyard, he later mentions that he is waiting for an old friend (Now, my watch begins). Arya and Jon finally reunite and share their admiration for each other’s weapons. Jon -  *on Needle* Have you ever used it?, Arya - “Once or twice” (lol).

Then we go to King’s Landing and I was bloody glad for a pinch of Lannister red and the Red Keep. My delight was instantly squashed by the smug Cersei face (and I cannot wait for this bitch to die screaming). We see the Golden Company arrive and then get a boring Greyjoys screen-time. This Harry Strickland fellow seems to be a bit too boring in the instant take; I need to see him and this infamous band of sellswords in action (not against the good guys obviously). And questions about this scene - is the Golden Company mute? Why is Cersei so adamant about having elephants? What good can elephants be when at war with dragons? In the next scene, Cersei hires Bronn to assassinate her traitorous brothers (one or both) using the same crossbow that Joffrey held dear and the same crossbow that Tyrion used to murder Tywin. Alright, my instant reaction was - like fuck, he’s going to be lured by gold to kill the only real friends he’s managed to make in his entire life, then I got scared - was this the moment that I would start hating Bronn, one of the unexpected characters that I like in this show, then a realisation hit me - Bronn is bloody going to die, isn’t he? He’ll either die trying to kill the Lannister men or he’ll die trying to protect them. But then of course, I could be wrong. Next scene - Euron dressing while Cersei is still moping about elephants (like seriously?) And she is drinking wine (I knew she wasn't pregnant!) Euron having his moment and his look after Cersei’s "You're not boring, I'll give you that”. Lastly, what do I read from that expression after "I'm going to put a prince in that belly"?? What is this woman’s deal? Anyways Little Theon rescues Yara easily where I smell a trap and decide Theon is going to die too.

We leave King’s Landing, back to Winterfell where Ser Davos, Tyrion and Lord Varys (my favorite characters!) are conspiring to get Jon and Dany together (as if Tyrion doesn’t know already). Side note - I really don't like Dany's outfit. And next we know, JON SNOW BLOODY FLIES! And that cloak looks mighty inconvenient for dragon riding but oh the visuals are to die for. And the dragons land north of the wall somewhere I suppose (where do they land?) where it looks safe now that the dead have crossed the wall. And lol for Dany appearing to be surprised to see the waterfalls as if she couldn't see it from a mile off and we get the stank eye Drogon is giving to Jon for making out with his mommy. Arya reunites with the Hound and Gendry - at the same time (how convenient) where the Hound shows his admiration for her by saying she is a cold bitch. With Arya giving this weird/cool weapon order, she is going to be a walking talking armoury and I like it. In the next scene, Jon chats with Sansa about the usual trust stuff and I noticed his way of saying "matter"' has changed. Boy spends some time down south and he loses some of his accent. Also Sansa sees past what most people can in that she asks Jon if he bent the knee for the people or for love. I like Sansa (unlike most people).

Emotional rollercoaster begins now - Samwell Tarly is such an adorable man. I like how awkward he is in front of this new queen but then everything goes downhill when he finds out he ain’t got no family left down in Horn Hill (except for his mother and sister, that is). Is he now to be the Maester of the Night’s Watch (but will there be a Night’s Watch now that the wildlings are on the good guys’ side and the war has come to the doorstep?) or Maester of the Citadel or the Lord of Horn Hill? Anyways, he runs out to find Bran who drops the “It's time to tell Jon the truth” bomb on him (What? This early? But I guess it only makes sense since time is running out). So he goes and does as the Three Eyed Raven bids (this is where we find out Bran is out in the cold waiting for an “old friend”). In the crypts of Winterfell, Sam manages to rock Jon’s world by “I'm not talking about the King in the North, I’m talking about the King of the bloody Seven Kingdoms” Just Wow. Too much emotions (for Jon).

I check the time elapsed and think, “Here’s the last scene - here we go, someone's gonna die here” and then Tormund shows up and I go, Fuck, not Tormund! Tense moments follow and lol "Stay back he's got blue eyes" and "I'VE ALWAYS GOT BLUE EYES”(I gave a nervous giggle). Side note - who holds on to their larynx every time this Dondarrion guy opens his mouth to speak? It must hurt so much with a voice like that, it’s cool and unique, yes but I couldn’t live with the man and not go crazy. Then we get the scene from the trailer where we had seen Tormund, Dondarrion and Dolorous Edd, and thought, yess these guys are alive. But at this point I had given myself up to the “anything can happen” set of mind. Anything can happen any moment, especially in the final scenes and we are near the Wall territory. Anyone can die, and there ain’t nothing we can do about it. I was thinking there’s going to be a scuffle, at least, if not a battle. But we get the Umber boy nailed to the wall with the art thingy around him and while they're chit-chatting FUCK, THE BOY OPENS HIS BLUE EYES and I scream “PEECHHE TOH DEKHO!!!!!!!!!!” And the frigging screech!! Stuff for nightmares. They burn the undead boy, no one dies but it is frightening as fuck.

I thought it was the end of it when we come back to Winterfell and a hooded figure is entering Winterfell. It could be bloody anyone, why is the security so bad? Can anyone just go into Winterfell as long as they’re living? I mean can anyone even be sure they’re living? (smh). The person takes off his hood and it's the damn Kingslayer! Fuck and he's bloody happy to be here until....he sees Bran eyeing him like a bloody cake. Now his watch has ended.

Next episode: More drama and politics on Jaime standing on trial in front of Dany. More stank eye between Sansa and Dany. Possibly Dany finding out about her finding out about being aunty to her lover. Arya’s death monologue and Tormund telling Jon winter has come. (Question : Have Dondarrion and Edd survived? I bet we start from that scene next week. )