If we’ve learned one thing over eight seasons of “Game of Thrones,” it’s that happiness will never last long in Westeros. After the literal and figurative darkness of last week’s battle-heavy episode, tonight’s “The Last of the Starks” begins in mourning with a few sad moments, but this is a mostly sunny 80 minutes compared to “The Long Night.” Well, except for that last 20 minutes.
Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) cries over Ser Jorah (Iain Glen), while Sansa (Sophie Turner) weeps over the body of Theon (Alfie Allen). The loss of life is great, but at least Ghost made it, so this will not turn into “John Wick: Chapter 4.” Jon Snow (Kit Harington) is making a speech that is far better than we’ve seen in the past from him.
After that initial sadness, there’s plenty to make “Game of Thrones” characters and its fans happy. Gendry (Joe Dempsie) is rewarded for making a bunch of weapons, and Daenerys legitimizes him as Robert Baratheon’s son and lord of Storm’s End. It’s a new day in Westeros, and Daenerys has decided to be a benevolent queen again, though it’s more about optics than kindness. There will be no burning people alive today.
Ser Brienne (Gwendoline Christie) plays a Westerosi version of “Never Have I Ever” that somehow ends in her in bed with Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), and everyone is happy except Tormund Giantsbane (Kristofer Hivju). There’s no nudity or actual sex scene between Jaime and Brienne, cutting away like this is a PG-13 movie. I like this new “Game of Thrones,” one that doesn’t need to seduce the audience with boobs. Whether the showrunners have gotten woke or are simply responding to criticism, they’re finally treating their female characters with dignity (for now). After eight seasons, we get women who take off their own shirts, rather than have them torn off by men.
The female empowerment continues with Arya’s storyline. Gendry (Lord Gendry?) proposes to Arya (Maisie Williams) and makes the audience swoon, but he miscalculates with his “Be the Lady of Storm’s End.” Arya wants more than being a Lady, and she lets him down as easily as she can. Though I’ve been rooting for these two crazy kids, this feels truer to Arya and her arc than a happily wedded ending ever would.
Meanwhile, Daenerys witnesses everyone’s love for Jon, and she grows uneasy at the thought of him being both her nephew/lover and her rival. She declares her love, once again, and begs him not to share his secret with Sansa and Arya. She turns cold when he refuses to obey. The show has been pointing toward the dangers of Daenerys and her all-consuming desire to be queen, but “The Last of the Starks” is the first episode to make how ill-suited she is to rule very, very clear to the audience. When Sansa asks for time for the soldiers to rest, she refuses, and Jon allies himself with her, rather than with the Starks. This episodes’ writers, showrunners D.B Weiss, and David Benioff, don’t give us the satisfaction of seeing Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) tell his sisters the news about Jon, instead of delivering it off-screen. This episode was already 80 minutes; another 45 seconds wouldn’t have wreaked havoc.
Bronn (Jerome Flynn) arrives, looking for a bargain that’s better for him than the one that Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) offered. Jaime offers him Highgarden, the former Tyrell castle, and it’s enough to keep Bronn satisfied . . . for now. Meanwhile, The Hound (Rory McCann) and Arya meet again on the road south to King’s Landing, looking to avoid company while on their way to finishing their business. I’d rather have the quiet, character-driven moments of this episode than the chaos of “The Long Night” any day of the week.
But sandwiched between last week’s Battle of Winterfell and what is likely to be the Battle of King’s Landing next week, we get a lot of discussion of what makes a good leader. Sansa couldn’t keep Jon’s secret quiet, and she told her ex the truth almost immediately. Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) then told Varys (Conleth Hill) like this was an episode of “Real Housewives of Westeros.” But this isn’t just about gossip, even for the former Master of Whisperers. He and Tyrion debate who should be the rightful ruler – Daenerys or Jon – and whether it matters how they arrive at the best one. Sure, the magic of dragons and the White Walkers might have been what made “Game of Thrones” the giant show it is today, but at its core, the series has always been more about power and who should wield it. Anyone disappointed with the quick dispatching of the Night King last week didn’t understand what the show was really about.
But the Daenerys vs. Jon question all seems like a moot point when Daenerys arrives at King’s Landing with the unrealistic speed that is now the show’s norm, and shit gets real. Within moments, Euron (Pilou Asbæk) kills one of Dany’s only two remaining dragons, Rhaegal, with the glee he’d normally reserve for a sale on eyeliner. With Rhaegal down (with what seems like far too little difficulty), most of Daenerys’ advantage goes with him, leaving her and Cersei on a more even playing field. Euron’s crossbows destroy a few ships, giving his forces the chance to take Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel) prisoner.
“I’m here to free the world from tyrants,” Daenerys says when Varys warns her against razing King’s Landing in retaliation. “That is my destiny. And I will serve it, no matter the cost.”
These aren’t the words of a good queen; they’re the words of someone bent on power and vengeance. Tyrion defends her, but Tyrion’s track record has been terrible for a few seasons now, reinforcing that #TeamDaenerys may not be the best bet. Back at Winterfell, his brother isn’t making better choices as he runs out on Brienne, hoping to save his sister. Jaime’s redemption has been one of the show’s more interesting arcs, but this looks like a case of one step forward and two steps back for him.
At King’s Landing, Tyrion tries to bargain with Qyburn (Anton Lesser), which goes nowhere. He approaches his sister, begging her and appealing to her sense of protection for her unborn child. He tells her that sees the good in her, but Cersei cannot. Jaime’s issue may be that he cannot forgive himself, but his sister doesn’t see the good in herself because there is none. At her command, The Mountain (Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson) steps forward and kills Missandei and her dreams of a beach vacation with Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson) in a single stroke. The look on Daenerys’ face is fury and grief, and it’s clear that she’ll destroy all of King’s Landing as revenge for the death of Missandei and Rhaegal.
In following Daenerys over the seasons, “Game of Thrones” has often seemed like it’s been devoted to her rise as the inevitable queen of the Seven Kingdoms. However, Season 8, particularly “The Last of the Starks,” pointed toward the show being her villain origin story, with each tragedy further galvanizing her desire for power and need for revenge, as well as her lack of fitness to lead. With just two more episodes to go, will the series redeem her or pit her against Jon and the Starks? I’d tell you to tune in, but no one can miss an episode at this point in the “Game.”