So the first episode of Game Of Thrones season 8 has just gone to air and yes, there are spoilers in this post episode discussion. Please watch the episode first before reading this.
Going into this episode I was quite excited. Game Of Thrones has been off air for some time now and HBO has been taking their time to release this season. I surely have missed this TV show and I feel that fans have been expecting quite a bit out of this season, especially since it’s meant to be the last one.
One thing that definitely impressed me about this episode was the production value. I’ve said it before in the past when writing about this show, but honestly, the production value, from the costumes, to the special effects, is beyond what you tend to usually see on television. In this episode there was a scene where Daenerys and Jon rode two of the dragons and the special effects in this scene truly did blow me away. The dragons have been good in the past, but this scene was quite extended.
There were a few things in the episode that were very interesting. Jon and Daenerys are now together and their armies are united. Jon and Daenerys, seem to be getting along quite well, but as we see throughout the episode, Daenerys, through her actions, has picked up a couple of enemies. Sansa is one of the first to make a fuss about the new Queen when she mentions the food shortage, but she’s quickly ignored and Jon does nothing. Daenerys later mentions to Jon that she had a problem with the way Sansa behaved and things aren’t look too good there. The other major thing was when Daenerys told Samwell, that she essentially burnt his family alive a couple of weeks ago and she said it as if it was no big deal. These two events seemed to me at least, that Daenerys is starting to look like a bit of a cruel ruler. Which probably isn’t good for her popularity, burning people alive isn’t great. Remember, it was something that the mad king did many years ago I believe.
The second interesting thing about this episode was Samwell revealing to Jon who his parents were and what his proper title is meant to be. Apparently Jon is now the rightful king. Jon in this episode through his conversations with people is portrayed as merciful and just. Which are traits that are popular for rulers to have and it’s in contrast to how Daenerys is currently being portrayed. I am thinking that there is going to be some tension between the two characters in the coming episodes. Especially if many important people in this new group start seeing Jon as the one who should be leading.
The final point of interest I’d like to mention is what was happening at the wall. We see Tormund and a funny comment about his blue eyes. But it’s later as more is explored in this scene that we see some kid get burnt there. The jump scare from the scream scared me a little. But to be honest, with this scene, I know it is meant to have some meaning to it. But honestly, I don’t know right now. Maybe I missed something? Or we’re not meant to know yet? Let me know in the comments if you have theory about it because I do not as yet have a clue.
Overall with this episode, I was very impressed. Happy to see the show back on air again. It’s always something interesting when it comes to Game Of Thrones. What did you think?