‘The Last of the Starks’ was two Game of Thrones episodes smashed into one. In the first, the aftermath of the Battle for the Dawn plays out and its joyful banter and character couplings remind me of the strongest episode of the season ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.’ In the second, a dump truck full of plot developments unloaded on us to set up the final conflict of the series, the battle for King’s Landing.
I liked ‘The Last of the Starks’ but I have a hard time determining if that’s because I was so cold (puns ftw) on ‘The Long Night’ or not. The show is multifaceted and some of those facets remain great, even diminished.
Jon’s eulogy at the top of the episode was aces and a reminder what both good dialogue and Kit Harington’s acting are like when they’re put to good use. Dany likewise had a good moment naming Gendry the Lord of Storm’s End (even if it was a reminder that the show builds backwards from its moments rather than to them). Of this, the Jaime/Brienne/Tormund of it all was my favorite. The pull-back shot of a tearful Tormund talking to the Hound had me in stitches.
The revelation of Jon’s parentage, on the other hand, was bafflingly cut away from. Not enough time to show the Stark girls reactions? Seriously? On the other hand, I liked how it motivated Dany and bothered Jon. It’s the first time either of them are grappling with it and their scene together where she lays out how it would work was well-written and acted.
Understandably, Dany’s not happy about any of it. I liked the lengths the show went to justify her position, even if Jon has to be an idiot and ruin it all. Dany’s vengeful anger has been done well and not so well by the show but I don’t think you can say Emilia Clarke doesn’t give it her all every time, even if the writing isn’t super strong every time.
Best of all, this conflict gives a reason for my boy Varys to actually say something of consequence*. Turns out, if you actually give him dialogue and motivation, he is a compelling character who represents the smallfolk, a perspective the show has only paid lip service to, a sharp contrast to the excessively empathetic GRRM.
*He still talks about cocks and balls and his lack thereof. Can’t drift too far from the pier, I guess.
It’s become increasingly apparent in these later seasons what kind of broad strokes GRRM told Benioff & Weiss about the end. Cersei’s pregnancy, Euron’s late-stage arrival, and Varys suddenly having a reason to be around are all GRRM ideas heavily remixed by Benioff & Weiss to fit the version of the story they’re telling.
Euron capturing Missandei and killing a dragon, Rhagael in this case, is one such “broad stroke” the books seem to be heading toward that the writers took the basic idea of and made it their own. You could see them be told “Euron comes in to try and usurp the villain crown and even succeeds in gaining/killing a dragon before getting taken down.” The books wrap up magical horns, trippy psychedelia, Lovecraftian horror, and an attack on Oldtown into this plot. The show, well . . .
The extent the show has gone to keep Cersei around makes sense from a structural perspective, especially since GRRM is going another way in the books that doesn’t involve her as heavily. That said, I thought she was screwed the moment she crowned herself in the season six finale and yet here we are three years later. The Mad Queen is the luckiest goddamn monarch in the world.
Tyrion pleads for peace because I guess someone has to and the show needs its Tyrion to be a super softy. There’s a long drawn out wait at the end which really reinforces once more how stupid Tyrion has become before Cersei predictably executes Missandei, which is just a waste of her character to be honest. Then, shockingly, she lets Dany, her last dragon, and token force leave. I mean, this is the woman who has betrayed everyone she ever met including her brother-lover, committed mass murder of the Westerosi religious and political elite, and would have gladly doomed the world to apocalypse but sure, she lets Dany walk away.
I have no idea how they’re going to resolve this plotline. Well, that’s not entirely true. I have BONKERS ideas for how to resolve this plotline, but the show seems consistent in reinforcing that there’s no “there there.” Us in the audience dissected the lore for years but the fact is, the further we moved away from the author’s meticulous plan, the farther we moved from any kind of grand revelations like the Red Wedding or “Hold the door.”
I hope I’m wrong. The trailer holds much back to add effect. But with only two episodes left before the game is over, the odds are long. The books love subtext. The show seems content to wear its heart not only on its sleeve, but festooned to its chest.
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