Game of Thrones 8.02 "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" 4/21/19 [SHOW ONLY]

Not having episode titles until after the show airs is apparently going to be a thing this season, but I’m sure a kindly mod will come by and update the title and make it look nice later.

This is the thread for the discussion of the show as its own entity, so no book talk. There’s another thread for that. Open spoilers after the show begins airing. If you have an actual spoiler (like something leaked somewhere), you can box it after warning/describing it to people.

A few of us would prefer that if you want to talk about plot points revealed in “next week on…” promos you warn people that you’ll be discussing that first. Thank you.

Previous thread (with links to previous seasons found within:

8.01 “Winterfell”

Season 8 open book/show discussion thread

That was one of my favorite episodes ever. I hope Tormund got some.

He wouldn’t be the only one. :wink:

Lots of great moments – Brienne being knighted at the top. Also, Tormund telling a story. And everything with Bran (no worries IMO that ominscient Bran is boring Bran… I think he’s the most interesting he’s ever been). I’m glad Sam gave the sword to someone who can use it – they need all the Valyrian steel they can get. I figured the Hound would be a good choice, considering the frickin’ size of that sword, but Jorah has a history with Sam and makes more sense.

Also, someone has to see the problem with hiding in the crypts from the guy who can raise the dead.

I’m just not going to be able to handle it if they put to bed the main antagonist next ep…and then just go back to boring Game of Throning in two weeks.

I don’t give a shit about the GD Iron Throne and wish Jon had said as much. I sure don’t give a shit about Bronn and the crossbow. Don’t give a shit about the Golden Company. Give a little bit of a shit about Dany’s pigheadedness, but don’t want to see the North at odds with her.

I just want to see a running fight all the way to Kings Landing with the Night King and things wrapped up in the last episode without stupid politicking

I couldn’t watch Arya and Gendry. It felt almost as if I were watching my own child. I’m afraid she is far too confident and she’s going to pay for it. Also, Bugs Bunny has spoiled all knighting scenes for me forever because I could not resist saying, “Arise, Sir Loin of Beef” when Breinne was knighted.

No, it looks like the Night King is about to attack Winterfell, but there are still too many episodes remaining. So it’s going to go on for a while.

Fun episode, though.

The Arya / Gendry (Genya? Ardry?) was nice. And ++ with the Knighting of Brienne.
Still unsure what Arya’s weapon will do.
Ok, it is obviously not going to go well next episode for the living (it is only episode 3, and they wouldn’t have them win so soon – Though they can dedicate an episode with fighting Cersei)
Not that it really matters, but I hope one of the books Sam stole confirms Jon’s parents.
And Podrick (well, the actor) can sing.

Brian

This episode was to get us emotionally invested only to break our hearts next Sunday.

Two possibilities to wrap this all up, I think:

  1. The North triumphs next week (or early the following week). Then the last 3 episodes resolving the conflict with Cersei.

  2. The White Walkers triumph next week and send the survivors fleeing South (really, everyone ought to flee on ships to Essos), and it’s a big mess in Kings Landing to resolve as the White Walkers approach with an even larger army.

The interesting thing is the dragons. That’s why I think 1 might be more likely – if the dragons die, then they become dragon zombies, and everyone is totally fucked. And if the dragons don’t die, then they won, almost certainly. It’s hard to imagine a scenario in which the dragons live but the North falls – that would require Dany to flee, which doesn’t seem in character. I’ve heard a hypothesis that the Night’s King might be throwing a feint at Winterfell, and move the bulk of his army around it and attack King’s Landing. But I don’t think there’s enough episodes left for that to happen.

But we’ll see. I’m surprised they’ve actually done so little in the first two episodes, with only 4 to go. I figured this one would be the Battle of Winterfell. But that will be next week.

I wonder if dead Starks will be rising from the crypt during the battle to attack the women and children, and I wonder if everyone was too stupid to consider and plan for that possibility…

There will be tons of me screaming 'Noooooo" next ep

Still don’t know what they plan to do with the dragons. Personally id wait for the attack and then let each come in super low and get one run of dragonfire before sending them and Dany to the Iron Islands.

I got choked up more times than any previous episode I think.
Brienne vouching for Jaime.
Jaimie knighting Brienne.
Sam giving his sword to Ser Friendzone.

Done.

I loved the episode. It was great to see all the characters interacting in their various ways (especially since we know that for too many of them the next episode will be their last). I almost expected to hear someone playing a mournful harmonica like on the last night at the Alamo, and then Pod’s song filled that role. :wink:

I don’t give a shit about the stupid, boring battle scenes. They’ve been the worst episodes of the series. The only reason to watch GoT is the politicking. Everything else is a total waste of my time.

OK, that’s a bit extreme. I just hate the mentality that people being interesting and clever is inferior to huge hordes of faceless extras being killed while the heroes miraculously survive. That attitude has infected and ruined the superhero movies of the past decade. Every one starts with something watchable and then ends with hordes, each ending battle longer than the one before. GoT caught this disease badly. (The Battle of the Bastards? Six against the zombie hordes?) Have Dany jump on a dragon, knock out the Night King, watch the hordes drop dead all at once, go after Cersei. That’s entertainment.

I think after next week ( epic dead vs not-yet battle) it will be about allies becoming enemies, and better natures giving way to ambition, expedience and revenge. I think it will echo post WWII stuff. The big fight is won, evil is defeated, but the fighting is never over.

Although I agree The Fellowship of the Wights was a dumb and boring fight, The Battle of the Bastards is one of my top 3 episodes ever.

This, x100. Right now I love them all and you know a lot of them will die next week.

Looks like I wasn’t the only one a bit unsettled with Arya and Gendry’s scene.