When enough people make false promises, words stop meaning anything. Then there are no more answers, only better and better lies. Compared with the rest of Season 7, the plot progression of this finale was pretty slow, but this only ensures that we get a full taste of the mayhem that ensues inside. The Dragon and the Wolf is a very dramatic season finale, jam-packed with twits, revelations and one of the tensest scenes in the show's history. Apart from some deception involving Cersei, however, this was a generally more satisfying than shocking finale, but the spectacular final scene does direct us towards a more hectic final season in the future, one that will be defined simply by the living fighting the dead. In summary, the future looks dark and devastating.
The King's Landing scenes were brilliant, laying out the tension beforehand as Daenerys' mighty army surrounds the capitol. We've never seen so many main character congregating in one place before, and it's incredibly exciting to see Cersei surrounded by her enemies. The use of the Dragonpit as the meeting place is a masterstroke and has symbolic resonance in that it brought about the demise and reputation of the Targaryen Dynasty - perhaps a wound that Queen Cersei wants to add salt to. But, when Daenerys arrives late on her massive dragon, it's a massive slap in the face, proving that the Dragon Queen certainly has talent for entrances. Internal conflicts ensue, and there's a lot of superb interactions between characters. Bronn and Pod are reunited and get a chance to enjoy a drink together. The Hound and the Mountain face off in the Dragonpit and Euron gets a chance to jibe at his nephew, Theon, informing him that he still has Yara captured. The all-important moment though is the demonstration with the wight. Jeremy Podeswa does well to show this scene, and it turns out to be more intense and convincing than I first thought. It's great to see Cersei genuinely frightened by something for once - whether she's plotting with or against her former enemies, you can't help feeling she's been convinced of the threat. Jon, as usual, points out the importance of the meeting and states that the war between them is pointless when the dead are coming south. It's interesting to note that Daenerys does not mention the death of her dragon - this could be because she feels she'll lose her pride in front of the person she most despises, or simply because it wouldn't strike much hope in anyone's heart. When Cersei refuses, it's up to Tyrion to change her mind. Possibly the best conversation of the season goes to the Lannister siblings as they confess, unreservedly, their animosity towards one another. Lena Headey and Peter Dinklage should be commended for their performances in the scene as they emulate how the characters feel for each other. Tyrion informs his sister that whilst he did harbour hatred for her and his father, he would never have harmed her children - he loved them. That's a poignant moment for his character, because despite everything - all the lies and the hatred that the Lannister built up around them - Tyrion never once questioned his sister's flaws. The fact that Cersei doesn't order Ser Gregor to cut him down there is proof enough that family still trumps everything else in her life, and even though Tyrion is a monster to her, she still couldn't murder him. In the North, we have possibly one of the most satisfying developments since Ramsay was eaten by his own dogs, or even back to when Joffrey was poisoned at his own wedding. Either way, Littlefinger's demise has all the hallmarks of being pivotal in Game of Thrones' history of deaths. It was clear in the last episode that Sansa and Arya had difficulties - that has always been clear since the first episode. But, when you've got a brother, who's all-seeing and all-knowing, it's not very difficult to discover the truth. Though Littlefinger still attempts to push the sisters against each other, Sansa is now in the know. The twist is incredibly unexpected and Aidan Gillen's transformation is instant. He's always been known as a slimy worm, always choosing his path carefully, for the sake of his own survival and the enjoyment of seeing others fall. Now, to see all his bad deeds and all his questionable decisions thrown back in his face, there's nothing more pleasing. Arya may have slit his throat, but it was ultimately all three Stark siblings that passed the sentence as they ended the life of someone who was more dangerous alive than dead - and he was the first person to play the game of thrones. Back in King's Landing, it at first seems as though Cersei has agreed to cooperate and intends to send troops north to help battle the White Walkers and their dead. But, under further consideration, Cersei reveals to Jaime that she intends to do nothing other than continue to thwart her enemies. Apparently, Euron's exit from the Dragonpit meeting was pre-arranged, and he was already sailing to Essos to pick up the Golden Company. Naturally, Jaime is pissed off, seeing as his sister has fallen into utter madness. Once again, Cersei is given the option to kill a sibling as Jaime decides to leave the capitol anyway. But, as is the makeup of her character, she can't kill a member of her family. The atmospheric shot of Jaime leaving on horseback is stylishly shot, and leads us into a beautifully haunting montage of snowfall at King's Landing. Jeremy Podeswa has really outdone himself here. Possibly the largest revelation of the episode comes from Jon and Daenerys as their relationship swells to unimaginable boundaries. In Wintefell, as Sam and Bran discuss their findings concerning Jon's heritage, the King in the North himself has grown to more than like the Dragon Queen. As they travel on a boat to White Harbour, Tyrion's face says it all. We are given a much-needed explanation on the true ties of Jon Snow, and a flashback to Rhaegar and Lyanna's marriage is evidence enough for Jon's strong claim to the Iron Throne. But, whilst reinforcing the information we are already aware of, we are equally disturbed by the fact that Daenerys and Jon are consummating their love for each other, even though they are Aunt and Nephew. Whilst their sudden attraction for one another can easily be explained in the events leading up to this moment - especially their time on Dragonstone - the consequences of their love-making could be fully revealed when they return to Winterfell. Needless to say, despite everything else, the biggest was yet to come. At Eastwatch, Tormund and Beric await the inevitable at the so-called end of the world. In spectacular fashion, as is expected on this show, the Night King has arrived with his army, and his newly-revived dragon - Viserion. Seeing the Wall - the incredible structure that has been monumental in protecting the realms of men, and has been featured in pretty much every episode of the show since it began - fall is heartbreaking. Whether Tormund and Beric survive this relentless onslaught from Viserion's fire is hard to tell, but the end result is quite obvious - the Night King has broken the spell placed on the Wall thousands of years ago, simply by melting it. More than a highlight of the episode, this is the show-defining moment that everyone has been waiting for. Nothing could be more unprecedented than this, even in this unpredictable show. To conclude, whilst Season 7 has opted to speed things up in all corners of the world, the sentiment and style of its execution is unchanged. All the main characters are still in danger (even more danger now really), and all the conflicts continue to bubble up within each of the key players. I haven't mentioned Theon much, who has finally regained his composure and willpower to try and save his sister - this is another great development that is overshadowed by the sheer enormity of the events already happening. The character moments may be few and far between, but the writers continue to show that they care about them, and they care about their journey to the endgame. Season 4 and Season 6 are still better in my opinion, but Season 7 will forever be remembered as the season that brought us the ice dragon, and the first proper battles involving dragons. Here's to more of those next year (I hope). 9.5/10
1 Comment
8/10/2022 10:09:02 pm
Çok güzel bir konu teşekkür ederim. Kemer transfer: https://www.alanyagroup.com/kemer-airport-transfer/
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorA very passionate Welsh nerd... Archives
October 2017
Categories
All
|