“One costume can tell you as much about someone’s journey as another character having six costumes,” Emmy-winning costume designer Michele Clapton says in a new interview in which she breaks down her thought process behind the design for Daenerys’ white fur coat. Plus, the brilliant Game of Thrones sound editing team for season 8 has been nominated for three Golden Reel Awards.
Michele Clapton recently spoke to TV Guide about her work on Game of Thrones, offering us a sample of the fascinating insights available in her book, Game of Thrones: The Costumes, which hit bookstores last month.
In the video below, Clapton specifically discusses Daenerys’ much-loved white coat, which debuted in the season 7 episode, “Beyond the Wall” when Daenerys rescues Jon and company from the White Walkers. Clapton explains that the coat design was born out of practicality, that “if she’s riding a dragon to the North, she should be warm,” but that it evolved from there to reflect Daenerys’ self-perception at that time.
“It’s the first time she’s performed a completely selfless task, because it’s usually for her own gain — and on this occasion, it was actually for her love,” she says (which I must say is an interesting take on Daenerys’ modus operandi). “So, I loved this idea, as I developed this costume, that it’s almost [as if] she sees herself as this savior, this angel. And so when she arrives and descends on this dragon, she is this sort of angel of mercy. I think it just said so much about her mental state at the time, how she saw herself.”
In other news, the MPSE (Motion Picture Sound Editors) has nominated Game of Thrones for three Golden Reel Broadcast Media awards, which celebrate excellence in sound editing.
The sound team for the episode “The Bells” is nominated for Best Dialogue/ADR in an episodic long form program:
Supervising Sound Editor: Tim Kimmel
Supervising ADR Editor: Tim Hands, MPSE
Dialogue Editors: Paul Bercovitch, John Matter
The team for “The Bells” is also nominated for Sound Effects/Foley:
Supervising Sound Editor: Tim Kimmel
Sound Designer: Paula Fairfield, MPSE
Sound Effects Editors: Bradley Katona, MPSE Luke Gibleon
Foley Artists: Jeffrey Wilhoit, MPSE Dylan Tuomy-Wilhoit
Foley Editor: Brett Voss, MPSE
Lastly, music editor, David Klotz, is nominated for music editing in “The Long Night.”
If you want to remind yourself how beautifully music was utilized in that particular episode (or if you just need a nice cry), enjoy this clip from Game of Thrones Live:
You can read the full list of nominees at MPSE.org. Winners will be announced at the 67th Annual Golden Reel Awards on January 19, 2020.
The Mad Queen!
🧝🏻♀️
Ten Bears,
Edit: Muh Kween!
Thank you Ms Clapton for this Frozen costume. And I love Mr Benioff and Mr Weiss.
I had the great pleasure of seeing the Concert Experience twice… in Portland in 2017 and at the Hollywood Bowl in September (the closing show). It was extraordinary both times.
Got the costume and photo books, but haven’t even had the chance to sit down with them yet. Ahhh, crazy life.
Well deserved. Brilliant season from start to finish from Mr. Benioff and Mr. Weiss and the entire cast and crew. I’ll always be grateful.
“ an interesting take on Daenerys’ modus operandi” More like inaccurate…
shelle,
”It’s the first time she’s performed a completely selfless task, because it’s usually for her own gain — and on this occasion, it was actually for her love,” she says (which I must say is an interesting take on Daenerys’ modus operandi). “So, I loved this idea, as I developed this costume, that it’s almost [as if] she sees herself as this savior, this angel. And so when she arrives and descends on this dragon, she is this sort of angel of mercy. I think it just said so much about her mental state at the time, how she saw herself.”
I can see “this savior, this angel.” Not so sure about the “angel of mercy” part. Nor do I understand what Dany’s “modus operandi” refers to.
Also, if she was going on her rescue mission “actually for her love,” then it’s not really a “completely selfless task,” is it?
Sorry. I am NOT criticizing Michele Clapton. Her work has been amazing. I just don’t quite understand what she means. 🙄
mau,
I agree. Mr. Benioff and Mr. Weiss delivered us an end that I never thought would ever be possible. The amount of brilliance fascinate me every day.
“Mercy” seems to be a key theme for GRRM. Dany’s most selfless moment was when she swooped in on Drogon as the Angel of Mercy to save Jon and his crew. But what did “Mercy” get her? First, it put the entire human population at risk. If she didn’t fly over the wall, the NK would have never got his hands on Icy Viserion. The wall may still be standing. Sansa and the Notherners never seemed to care that Dany put everything on the line for Jon. Eventually Dany turns against “mercy” and burns KL to the ground. Dany says something like, “Let mercy be for the next generation” The Hound schools Arya that Mercy will get her killed. Westeros is just not a very compassionate place. Ned was being merciful in his mind giving Cersei a chance to flee. Mercy and compassion seem to send people to an early grave in Westeros. It’s a sad thought and quite depressing. It probably is reality that those who have a heart are the most vulnerable, but what an awful place it would be to live if no one was compassionate or had mercy. How fitting is it that Arya’s name in the Winds of Winter sample chapter is “Mercy”.
Dany’s coat does give her an angelic look as the article describes. It’s a shame that she had to change to a demonic look by the end after she gave up on mercy.
Ten Bears,
Just totally disagreed that the rescue was her *first* selfless act. And the “angel/savior” symbolism in the coat is fine, but it’s not as if she knew she’d wind up doing that in it…it’s just a pretty coat. xD
I guess I agreed with Michele in my thought that Dany swooping in was her most selfless moment. Yes, I can see your point that she’s saving the man she loves, but she’s putting absolutely everything she’s worked for at risk. She may not realize she’s putting her dragons at risk though. Tyrion speaks the words of wisdom when he advises her to do nothing. You may be right that if Jon wasn’t on the mission, she may have stayed home and did nothing. But for Dany, she’s not very selfless. Up til then, that was her most selfless moment. I will give you that it wasn’t totally selfless, but for Dany it was very selfless. Most of the time, she was just thinking about what she had to do to eventually sit on the IT.
It wasn’t selfless. Put a bloke in that situation and one might say he was thinking with his dick.
The nearest thing to selfless that I can bring to mind is locking up the dragons after Drogon killed a child. But it was the two innocent dragons who suffered most, and she contained them in a thoughtless and inhumane way. With an entire city at her disposal, she could have found a nicer place for them. She could have had Daznak’s Pit converted into an enclosure.
Episodic Long Form – Dialogue / ADR:
For me GoT, Chernobyl, True Detective or Peaky Blinders should win. Either one I’m fine with.
Episodic Long Form – Sound Effects / Foley:
GoT or Peaky Blinders for me.
Episodic Long Form – Music / Musical:
GoT or GoT or GoT. Well it seems I want GoT to win.
Episodic Short Form – Sound Effects / Foley & Episodic Short Form – Music / Musical:
Mr Robot.
Congratulations to the sound department for their nominations! Music and background effects are so important to story telling.
I loved Dany’s clothing throughout the series but the last two seasons were the most beautiful to me. This white fur coat does suggest the appearance of an angel and whether MC’s theory is accurate or not is a moot point. Dany / EC looked stunning.
Grandmaester Flash,
”It wasn’t selfless. Put a bloke in that situation and one might say he was thinking with his dick.”
That’s right. If the genders were reversed, a guy would’ve been following the Second Rule of Dex’s three rules for picking up women in The Tao of Steve (2000): “Do something excellent in her presence.”
P.S. Donal Logue won Best Actor at Sundance for his role as Dex in “The Tao of Steve.”
Here he is, explaining the Second Rule (Do something excellent in her presence).
at 1:13
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeVXdIzDM34
By the way, contrary to the apparent shallow premise (unambitious slacker’s formula for picking up women), the movie wasn’t misogynistic at all. It was intelligent and well-written. It was directed by Jenniphr Goodman and starred her sister Greer Goodman, who both co-wrote the screenplay.
Ten Bears,
It’s sad that there has to be a disclaimer that confirms a movie isn’t misogynistic these days to appease people. Damn toxic feminism and misandry!
Misogyny according to the Oxford English Dictionary is “Hatred or dislike of, or prejudice against women”.
That’s what I’ve always understood, but people seem to be using the word to mean something else these days.
Grandmaester Flash,
Yep. That word gets overused more than “literally”!
The last episode of Mr. Robot was an all timer. What a brilliant season its been.
Ten Bears,
She probably means “for another person”.
Everything she’s done so far was for herself.
I, for my part, don’t understand the parenthesis:
“which I must say is an interesting take on Daenerys’ modus operandi”
Does it mean that people are so accustomed to see her as a hero, as a savior as M.C. says, that they don’t understand she went North for Jon? Had it not been for Jon being in danger there, she wouldn’t have gone. M.C. knows this, as she used all the inside information for making the costumes.
In season 8 Daenerys called the entire war “Jon’s war”. It’s clear who she was fighting for.
The costume was unbelievable. I remember though E.C. complaining that she was very cold in Island because it’s not warm!
Jack Bauer 24,
Thank you, that makes me excited. Currently me and my partner are watching supernatural last season. Only 1 episode and we are done and need to wait till 2020 for new episodes. Then back to mr Robot. But because of all the Christmas fuss (I like the season but damn what do I hate the whole pressured visited) I expect that we maybe can watch Thursday episode 10, and episode 11 Sunday night. Then the final on Monday, I really hope we have time to watch it Monday, else it takes next Friday until we can watch the final itself.
Damn and I see that lot’s and lot’s of shows will end this year and next that I watch. I had already the affair, GoT this year which I liked the ending. Gotham that ending not so much, big little lies if there will not be a third, did I missed a show that I watch that ended this year hmm not that I can think off. End of the fucking world I still need to watch the second and last season. Supernatural, mr robot and homeland 3 shows I will miss once it’s gone. And Modern family and will and grace, both I will be happy that it ends, especially Modern Family.
And then I will start some new shows, like HDM, but that only after I finish some shows with my partner that are finished, still some finished shows I want to see with him. And I want to read the books before watching the show, but I’m still currently waiting till I finish Feast and Dance (wanted to end the show first, I finally got time to watch till episode 3, tomorrow episode 4 and maybe the rest, finally a day to watch it), and then I still have fire & blood to read, have been on my shelf since a couple of months. And then the question is, will I finish that first before winds of winter is out.
I didn’t care much for the ending of Gotham either. I can’t wait for the final season of Homeland, it’s back in Feburary. One of my all time favorite shows. HDM is pretty good, I’ve seen a lot of the book readers upset with the last episode because
. But I’m really enjoying the final season of Mr. Robot. Can’t believe the finale is Sunday. It’s a double episode finale. I also watch Vikings. Been watching it since it premiere back in 2013, one of my favs. It’s also airing its final season now. I just got done binging See with Jason Mamoa, it was pretty good. I’m also pretty excited about The Witcher this Friday on Netflix!
Right. I wanted to make it clear that “The Tao of Steve” is not about a guy who deceives women to bed them and then callously discards them because he dislikes women. It’s a lighthearted movie.
Besides, his “three rules” come back to bite him when professes to be genuinely interested in a woman who’s aware of his “formula” – and she blows him off, figuring he’s just trying scam her.
I learned a new word from that movie:
The two of them have a prior scene in which she accuses him of staging a campsite mishap to get into her tent, and he fires back that she’s being solipsistic.*
* solipsism (noun) : “extreme egocentrism; also, a theory holding that the self can know nothing but its own modifications and that the self is the only existent thing.”
Grandmaester Flash,
(Cont. from 8:35 pm)
Here’s that camping scene from “The Tao of Steve.” It’s got a theological discussion + the “solipsistic” argument.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHnDIlObAJo
It’s not really a “spoiler” in case anyone’s interested in watching the clip or seeing the movie.
Jack Bauer 24,
Same with me with Gotham, I expected more for the last season, more strange storyline or something.
As for HDM I have it on my list.
Yes homeland is brilliant can’t wait. The season ended brilliantly. My favorite season is season 6.
Yes I also watch Vikings, but for me it’s not really the last season. Because part 1 airs this January with 10 episodes. Then again waiting one year till part 2. 2021 is the final episode.
I can’t wait for the ending of Mr robot. And the same time I really don’t want it to end.
Arya: Her killing the Freys is a very memorable scene, it’s amazing this scene. Great start of the season. Her meeting the Lannister men is also a great scene. It shows both side of the war. Arya meeting again with Hot Pie and going back north where she meets with Nymeria again. I love that scene, shame that we didn’t see the wolf pack again. Her return to WF is amazing and her sparring with Brienne, love that scene.
Sandor: Sandor scene in the first episode is one of my favorite scenes of the show. Him burying the dead is an great character development scene.
Winterfell: Jon pardoning the Karstarks and the Umbers, him stating that he is going north is a powerful scene, leaving his sister to rule and he has complete trust in her.
The wall: I found the scene at the wall with Bran a bit rushed.
Kings Landing: Cersei showing that she keeps her emotions in, she becomes colder than usually. Euron is better than he was in season 6. Cersei’s revenge was brilliantly done and acted, here again I loved Ellaria, once again we see the Ellaria from season 4. I disliked the scene with the Iron Bank, it was told that Braavos was built from slaves, there’s no way they make money of slavery.
Samwell: I found the introduction a bit disgusting and unnecessary. Him working with Jorah is amazing, I love this part of his story here, greatly done.
Daenerys: Her arriving home is powerful, but somehow it doesn’t feel powerful as I want it to be, probably just a fault of my own. I love that she arrived in the storm and we get a story about her birth, her scene with Varys is powerful. I dislike Ellaria in episode 2 about murdering Myrcella. The scene with Mellisandre was perfect. The attack of Euron on the fleet was an amazing scene, a great skirmish battle. The arrival of Jon is one of my favorite scenes of the season. That scene was brilliantly done. And the taking of Casterly rock was beautiful. The old paintings of the WW against humans and CotF was amazing, the field of fire was thrilling. Jon and Theon meeting was also powerful.
Highgarden: One of my favorite scenes of the season. Ollena’s ending is one of the most powerful of the show.
Special mentioning: That scene with Bronn remains brilliant where he hears Dickon’s name. Brilliant scene.
Special mentioning 2: Sorry for saying to many times the word brilliant.
kevin1989,
Natalie Dormer news:
“Penny Dreadful: City of Angels”
https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-first-look-at-penny-dreadful-city-of-angels-teases-1840508406
“…Dormer plays Magda, a chaotic demon who can take on the form of anyone she chooses. According to the actress, we’ll meet at least three of her human forms over the course of the first season—and it may take us a while to figure out which non-Dormer actors are also playing her part. Even though Magda is an “agent of chaos” and antagonist who’s lost faith in people, Dormer said there are a lot of complex layers to the character that she’s excited for people to see. Especially when she’s alongside her sister, Santa Muerte (Lorenza Izzo), the Holy Angel of Death who still believes in humanity.”
Ten Bears,
I remember Showtime had a show called “Penny Dreadful” with Eva Green. I love that woman. I…love…that…woman.
The show was kinda meh, though and was cancelled after 3 seasons. It had some interesting episodes, but Josh Hartnett was in it too, and I thought he was awful. Not that I’m a fan of his in general, but his acting was pitiful in that show.
“it’s actually about the displacement, gentrification, and racial discrimination that the highway’s creation represented—viewed through the lens of a Mexican-American detective trying to solve a murder. Star Lin Shaye previously told io9 Logan was inspired to make the show after the election of future-impeached president Donald Trump.”
This version of “Penny Dreadful” sounds quite different. Actually, it sounds kind of terrible. I really don’t need yet another reminder of how shitty Trump is. I think we all already knew that and that horse has been beaten to death.
Mr Derp,
”I remember Showtime had a show called “Penny Dreadful” with Eva Green. I love that woman. I…love…that…woman.”
Oh God, yes! Eva Green !!! The only thing I liked about the original Penny Dreadful. I remember an amazing seance scene she did in one of the early episodes.
She was stunning in “Casino Royale” (2006)
.
She was also [insert adjective] in Bertolucci’s “The Dreamers” (2003), and truly was “a dame to kill for” in “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For” (2014).
She would have been a fabulous Red Priestess on Game of Thrones…
Ten Bears,
I really would love to see Dormer in a new show. Personally I couldn’t get into Penny dreadful the original series, even when Eva Green is brilliant with her acting.
kevin1989,
You just had to use the b word, didn’t you…
Ten Bears,
Yea, I wasn’t a fan on the way things ended with her in Casino Royale, but I did like that movie. That one and Skyfall are the really good Daniel Craig movies, while I think Quantum and Spectre left much to be desired.
Don’t forget about 300 Part 2. It’s a terrible movie, but also proves that Ill watch anything as long as Eva Green is in it.
I think she would’ve been a pretty good wildling. IMO, she plays crazier characters better than normal ones.
Mr Derp,
Brilliant of me right? 😁😂
kevin1989,
Literally
season 7 episode 5 till 7. I finally watched it in my free time.
The reach: Jaime wakes up and saved by Bronn. I really love Bronn here how he tells Jaime he wants his castle. The scene with Daenerys burning the Tarly’s is horrific, Daenerys scariness is showing, but the thing I love with this scene is EC acting, you can see that even Daenerys herself fears what she just did but that there was no going back the moment she uttered the words, she had a choice here, going through with this horrible act or stop it and she is show as weak, both are awful but the last would have made sure she lost the war at that moment. She needs to show the power to the people, here her decline really started.
Dragonstone: Tyrion talking with Varys about Daenerys is also one of the best scenes of the season, it shows how both fear Daenerys but are naïve to think they can control her. The plan to go north of the wall still remains awful, but they needed to make a way to get the wall done and make sure Dany and Cersei know the war is real, even when I don’t like this way, I understand why they did it, it ensured many pieces that needed to be put into place in just one episode (the next) the return of Jorah is heartwarming.
Going to Kings Landing: Davos is my favorite part of episode 5, fermented crab, how could you not love the onion knight? The Jaime Tyrion scene is also a great moment.
Eastwatch by the sea: The Magnificent seven are ready.
Samwell: For me episode 5 was a letdown for Samwell, not perse for his character he made a big step forward by leaving Oldtown, but Oldtown for me seems like a half baked storyline. He was only there to save Jorah and get a marriage certificate? Oldtown itself is not really that interesting in the show. But I love he took things into his own hands.
Winterfell: I really don’t like this storyline in episode 5 till 7. The whole rivalry between Arya and Sansa doesn’t feel like it make sense or in character, Sansa again acts like she is naïve and not smart, she still falls for LF until the end of episode 7, and this scene is filmed and written to shock the audience (see we’re not going after Arya but LF), I don’t like the way they wanted to fool the audience here, do they really though we would think Arya would die here? Especially with rewatch this scene feels not that great. It’s maybe personal but I rather wished they went with “The sisters made a plan together” and that we saw this plan on screen and we knew beforehand that they had LF in a corner. I would have loved to see a storyline where we knew Sansa and Arya were working together and seeing LF trying to scheme his way and being outplayed throughout the whole storyline. His death itself was perfect for me. And the end scene with the WF storyline was one of my favorites. The sisters have respect for each other. When the snows fall, and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives.
Beyond the wall: Back to the rest of episode 6. For me I still think this episode is underrated. Yes the plan is stupid, and I personally didn’t like the WF storyline here. And the timeline with Daenerys could have been done better. But what we got here is still something that I love in a show like GoT. It starts with many characters making bonds together. Jon with Jorah, Sandor with the hound (my favorite), Gendry getting his betrayal behind him (stop winging). The build up on the lake itself I still feel, death is just right on the other side of the water. The battle itself with the dead after Sandor fucks up feels horrific and for me more excited than what the Long night brought. I love the bear at the beginning. The rescue of Dany felt amazing and powerful and that powerful feeling was shattered once Viserion died. The emotion of the dragons felt real. (And Sandor with his wight abuse). The boat scene with Jon and Dany feels for me real and a perfect ending of the episode. End it all ends with White Dragon. Which takes down the wall at the end of the season as a big cliffhanger.
The dragonpit counsil: the build up to that moment was brilliantly done, and was only exceeded by what came next the counsil itself. Cersei defending her unborn child. Jon being honest. Qyburn being creepy. And Tyrion Cersei scene is powerful it was excited but also emotional.
Betrayal of Cersei: This scene is also powerful. How far Cersei will go to keep her power (for her unborn child), she even betrays Jaime.
Theon: Him finally taking some courage back was amazing and Jon stating he is a Stark. This scene made me really feel a lot.
Jon=Aegon: Revelation while we see him having intercourse with Dany is powerful. It shows that this love will not last and that it was doomed from the beginning.
My favorite moment of the season (and high on my list for the show): Winter has arrived everywhere in Westeros, even oldtown. (It’s a shame that season 8 it seems like it’s already summer again even when the WW are still at large. Which diminish this scene a bit for me but still one of my favorites)
How do I rank the seasons:
S4 > S1 > S3 > S6 > S2 > S7 > S5
Only season 8 left. Which I will watch tomorrow after work, and Friday before work. Maybe I can watch the first 3 the next 2 days. It has been a great watch till now, can’t wait for the last season.
Mr Derp,
Luckily this conversation doesn’t turn bittersweet.
Mr Derp,
https://pa1.narvii.com/6435/f80e51443c67ed9597b9258ce31e378dc73d6a44_hq.gif
Jack Bauer 24,
If you want to see a brilliant mini-series from start to finish, I suggest Catch-22. It’s the definitive war series, should be shown in schools, and it’s my new definition of “brilliance”. Just Perfect!
With this take of season 8 I will do it a bit different. Instead of writing per episode I write it per storyline. First the war against the White Walkers combined with Jon’s revelation and the afterparty of that battle (first 3,5 episode). Then I talk about the war against Cersei combined with Dany’s decline in that part. (Cersei in episode 1, Bronn and the south in episode 4 and episode 5). And third about the fall of Daenerys. (First part of episode 6) and last the epilogue (second part of episode 6).
The North vs the White walkers:
The first 3,5 episodes contain a lot. We start with a beautiful introduction of Daenerys arriving at Winterfell, it mimics the first episode of the show with the arrival of Robert Baratheon. This time instead of Arya we see a boy trying to see the new queen first hand. Even the music resembles the arrival of Robert Baratheon. For me this introduction serve both as something good, and something of a flaw. It gives us a sense of nostalgia of where the show begins the last season starts where the whole show started which gives at least me a good feeling when starting the last season. The problem that this has for me is that unconsciously I compare both the introduction of Daenerys and Robert Baratheon of both episodes, and for me the introduction of Daenerys felt pale in comparison to the introduction of Robert, with my rewatch I still got goose bumps with the arrival of Robert, but I did not with this introduction, I felt the Nostalgia, but not the feeling that brings me goose bumps. Back to the scene. The North is being introduced to the dragons in which Daenerys smiles. First time watching I thought this was more of an arrogant look of Daenerys in which she tries to scare the North, but I think I thought of that wrong, I think it has more to do that she doesn’t feel welcomed by the northerners, but her dragons feel like home, her children, the smile is more proud than arrogant. The introduction of Daenerys and Sansa is an amazing scene where the two show how they think of each other.
Daenerys introduction to the North doesn’t go as she though it would go; they don’t love her at first sight even if that’s what Jon promised. They don’t show her the love and respect that Sansa gets from them. And I understand the North in this; they fought for freedom to be free, not to be back getting to tell what to do by a king or queen sitting on a seat far away, especially not the daughter of a man they feared. If only Jon didn’t bend the knee that soon, I think the North wouldn’t be that stubborn, if they sensed that Daenerys will help them even when the North would be an independent ally, I think in the end they would respect Daenerys more if she did get there as an ally instead of their ruler.
Arya meet up with Jon is a great scene for me; you see that they love each other. But you also see both have grown into different people than they were in episode 1×01 and 1×02. Looking at Arya and her bond with Sansa which shows here, shows how she grow as a character.
Sansa telling Tyrion he isn’t as clever as he thinks he is, is also a great moment of the past, he told that to Cersei. It also shows that Sansa is less naïve in the end than Tyrion is.
Arya getting her dagger ready to end the NK. Here it’s already known to the viewer that Arya will be the one.
Sam’s scene with Dany remains one of my favorite scenes of the season. It’s filled with emotion, and shows both characters to which they have become. It also shows that even that Sam hated his father, deep down he still loved his father. But in the end it was his brother’s dead that got to him, Dickon (Bronn’s laugh) was never mean to Sam like his father was. This resulted in Sam telling Jon the truth. He is the rightful King of the bloody seven Kingdoms.
The Last hearth scene shows us who the WW are, and that even when they are evil, they don’t just kill their enemy, it goes deeper than that, they hate the CotF for what they have done. It shows also a very funny scene with Thormund and Ed: I have always had blue eyes. For me personally, and this is not a critic on the episode but more personal. I wish they sticked with the first idea that was written, that we would see the WW take the castle, a scene like that I would rewatch over and over. But for me going with the “Jump scare” of Ned Umber coming back to live, only works 1 time for me. While seeing the White Walkers self in action also benefits the story. It could make us feel we see the WW more in the season, and let us feel “We’ve seen enough of them”. And it also doesn’t make sense that Ed would be at Last hearth instead of going directly towards Winterfell.
Episode 1 ends with Bran meeting with Jaime, which is the rightful way to end episode 1, when looking at the end of 1×01. This scene continues at the beginning of episode 2. Jaime is being put in front of Daenerys and it’s beautiful what we see here with Brienne coming to Jaime’s defense, and that Sansa trusts Brienne completely. It also shows how Jon looks at it: Every man counts. It also shows even when Dany hated her brother and knew he was lying about things, the stories he told, rooted inside Daenerys. For me it’s only a shame they didn’t go deeper with that, how Daenerys felt about her past with Viserys and that not all was bad. But in the end this scene is perfect.
Arya in episode 2 is a wonderful thing to see, her “I know death” scene was perfect, her telling she will not be with some old man with her last night, and her making love to Gendry all feels great for the episode that serve as the last day/night before the WW attack.
Bran has 2 big moments with the Lannister Brother’s. His first with Jaime is very powerful. It shows how far Bran has become the 3ER and that he already forgave Jaime. We also see him in the plan to defeat the WW. For me this plan is on purpose “not that great” because there was little to no time, and I think Bran does something I wish had been on screen that this was his plan, it feels like he want to get the NK out of the shadows by giving the NK false sense of security. And for the 3ER what is 20/30.000 soldiers against the defeat of the NK? It’s just speculation, but this would make sense why he installed this bad plan, that Bran had a big part in the defeat of the WWs. Later we see Bran with Tyrion talking about something. Was this his intentions for the plan?
The Brothers had also had their moments together, which was short because Jaime saw Brienne, the one he really wanted to spend his time with. Brienne and Jaime’s moment is amazing and shows us the bond that had been growing between them.
Jon meets with Ed and Thormund is a wonderful scene, is there even one scene with Thormund that isn’t great?
Daenerys and Sansa have their own little appointment, in which we see these 2 powerful women playing each other for their own goals, and can we say that in the end even one won? Or is it more that they both lost because there was no compromise in the end? And in the end Daenerys lost more, she lost the sense that people cared about her the moment Theon enters and showed Daenerys he only saw her as a queen, but Sansa was the one for who he went back, he will fight for her personally because he cared about her. All at the same time when the ones she care about are busy with their own family members, Jorah with his niece, Grey worm with Missandei. At the same time that Jon ignores her. In which at the end she finally got to know why, which shocked Jon when she only concerned about the throne, not that they were related. Which ends the episode with the arrival of the White walker.
The highlight of episode 2 was for me the firepit scene. Which started off with one of the most funniest scene of the show, giant’s milk, I really hope Jon didn’t drank that way up north in season 3. To one of the most emotional scenes of the show. The Knighting of Brienne of Tarth, as thormund states, he knights her ten times over. Which ends with the beautiful voice of Daniel Portman as Pod, which we see all the characters in preparation of the WW battle.
The battle itself begins with an amazing introduction, which Samwell. His shaking is how I would feel. The arrival of Mellisandre. The attack and defeat of the Dothraki with their flaming arakhs. I really love this introduction. We see how this upsets Daenerys and shows that she care for her people. But Jon sees the bigger picture, which he sees later in the episode by not saving Sam and let Sam fetch for himself. The NK needs to go down. There’s so much to tell about the episode, but I will not high light every single scene. I loved Mellisandre’s scenes all, the lighting of the trench, her talk with Arya, and her death was very beautiful and peaceful. I loved how it was Arya to be the one to kill the NK. The dragonbattle above the sky is one of the most beautiful scenes I ever saw. The sky was a great contrast to the rest of the battle. I loved how the NK got defeated and the moment to it. Jorah died how he always wanted to die. What I didn’t really like was some small things. The “did Jaime and Co die or will they live” over and over again. Lyanna’s death. It felled to perfect. GoT is always messy, I wish the giant would have died more by accident, that she sticked the sword in his cheek (Which would have killed him also). And for me the episode was too long. I was battle fatique halfway through, and I had that every time I rewatched it. And it’s a shame that I need to watch an episode in 2 parts when it’s in fact one big episode. And the other thing looking back, for me personally I really feel that having more time with the WW in episode 1 and 2 when they were the shortest ones would really have helped. A scene where they took Last Hearth, show us how they take a castle fast and maybe how Ned tries to escape by fails, that would have added to his scene in episode 1. And maybe a scene in episode 2 where we would have seen some wights in some sort of Camp towards winterfell (with Thormund and co), it would have solved the rushed problem with the battle against the WW storyline in season 8. But I have peace with it that this is not what we got.
Episode 4 starts with the pyre scene which is very emotional, later we got a more uplifting scene, the feast which ends the WW storyline. Gendry being named lord of Storms End but got his dreams shattered when Arya won’t be with him, davos talking about Mellisandre and seeing another side of Mellisandre in the end, Jon getting praised while Daenerys is alone, the drinking game is all fun until Tyrion fucks up with his questions. My favorite moment in episode 4 is when Thormund shows his heart have been broken towards Sandor Clegane who is not so amused to be the one that needs to hear this. But I disliked the Sansa the hound scene, I see now why people dislike it, it’s not a scene that I enjoyed watching.
The night ends with Jaime and Brienne making love (a day later when they fought together). And a desperate Daenerys pleading to Jon to keep his mouth shut. This shows both that Daenerys is scared to lose it all, Jon and her throne (which is for her home) but also the thing that Varys fears later, she will bend him to her will.
All with all I liked these 3,5 episodes that was about the WW treat with minor things I didn’t like. It’s time now to watch episode 5 and 6 for the rest, the battle against Cersei, the fall of Daenerys and the epilogue.
The book title rings a bell but it’s so long ago I can’t remember it very well. I think it was something along the lines of if one suspected one was going mad then one couldn’t really be mad, but I am raking the old memory for something from 40 and a bit (a very big bit) years ago.
On a completely different tack, has anybody seen any of “The Witcher”? I only listened to a short bit of the audio book of one of the short stories (the one about the Str—–a) and have seen two episodes of TW television show. The spider thingy was a bit like some of the space monsters in the “Quatermass” shows I watched on TV in my girlhood (they scared me then) but otherwise I thought the two episodes were reasonable and so far I don’t mind Henry Cavill in his Daenerys wig. I really haven’t seen HC in many things so haven’t any preconceived ideas about him. I had to get my head round the story taking place in more than one timeline but once I realised that I could make sense of it.
Dame of Mercia,
I only played the first witcher game, in a while I will play the second and third. After that I will read the books after that. I read that the show is pretty close to the books and fans of the books are pretty excited about it except for one thing: Triss. I can see where they come from when I watch the game and I read online that the game portrayal of Triss was very close to the books. It’s a bit like giving the Targaryens brown hair instead of silver. Gerald has a thing for red heads. (Personally I wish that they would have given the actress a red dye).
But like HDM I will put this show on my list for later. And with the Witcher even more (with the big chance that Netflix will be bankrupt next year which I really don’t hope)
War against Cersei:
For this I first need to go back to episode 1. We beginning with Euron taunting his niece. He goes then to Cersei, and let her meet with Harry Strickland, who? The commander of the Golden Company who forgot his dragons. I think Cersei expected those Elephants to breath water out of their trunks to battle the dragons is my guess because she seems very upset, luckily Euron was there to make her night (not really if we see how she looks after it happened). Luckily for Theon Euron finally bedded his queen. He finally could rescue his sister fast style, and off she goes back to the Iron Island holding it for Dany. (I still wonder how she did get it back with almost no army, when Euron’s man are still defending the Iron Islands, I think she learned something of Ramsay, 20 good man can win a war).
We also have Bronn in episode 1, that mirrored episode 1×01 with Tyrion in the brothel. And he is going to kill Jaime and Tyrion because Cersei ordered it. This storyline is not really a favorite of mine, especially not how in the end Jaime is back with Cersei, but later more on that.
Back to episode 4, it starts with the war counsel to discuss the battle against Cersei. And I have to say that I fully agree with Sansa (which later shows she was right), they should have waited maybe a couple of days at least. If she would have listened, Rheagal would have been fully healed when they arrived at Dragonstone, and Dany wouldn’t be distracted and would have noticed Euron’s fleet (she didn’t saw him because she was fixed on Rheagal), and it would result in Missandei not being death, but later more on that.
We then visit the godswood where Bran is telling Arya and Sansa about Jon’s parentage. Unfortunately this scene was cut and Sansa didn’t kept her promise to Jon and told Tyrion about Jon’s parentage, which was a catalyst for the horror in episode 5.
I dislike the Bronn/Tyrion/Jaime brothel scene. Why was this in the season? Just to give Bronn something to do? And why would Jaime going back to Cersei an episode later when he knew Cersei wanted him death?
Arya and the hound are going south to kill the queen and his brother. Jon is getting to leave south, and we knew here he will end up north of the wall in the end. Sansa stating that she would have gladly see Cersei getting killed. (Personally I think she could better have hoped Cersei would have won, the dothraki and Unsullied are more of a problem than the Lannister army).
Then we skip a couple of weeks. Dany arrives at Dragonstone. Rheagal is killed. Euron is some powerful archer if he could make sure 2 bolts after each other would hit Rheagal and kill him. This scene gets less watchable every time I see it.
Then we skip to Missandei already at the capital in chains with Cersei, feels a bit short to me, this is the only conversation we get with the 2? Back on dragonstone Dany is preparing to attack the city, don’t get me wrong, but I think Daenerys should have attacked right at that moment as she stated. The casualties would have been lower. Only the ones in the Red Keep. Daenerys wouldn’t have lost he mind like she did an episode later. And if she just burn the top of the tower, maybe a lot would have survived in the Red Keep. Then we see Tyrion and Varys talking about Dany becoming her father.
Jaime leaving Brienne the way it did was horrible to watch, in a good way for me. It shows how Jaime is broken and can never be healed whole, and Brienne is broken at that moment. But for me a bit rushed, they are a couple, and just one scene later they are not. Even Lancel and Cersei together got more screentime.
Episode 4 ends with a very powerful scene for me. Not perse the stand-off itself and the killing of Missandei. For me what stood out here was Tyrion talking to his sister, and Cersei could kill him even when it would have been smarter if she would have. Dany didn’t have her army yet. Jon is still on his way. She could have killed all the people including Dany herself at that moment by just storming outside with her army. Putting all the bolts towards drogon and fire at the same time, he would not have survived the way he sits there confortable. And if they would be gone, Jon would never succeeded with his army later. It was Drogon who made it possible that they could win. And I wonder if this was Cersei being stupid at this moment, or if this was more personal for Cersei that she couldn’t kill Tyrion while looking at him.
Episode 5 starts 2 weeks later. We skipped over Varys plans, over the decline of Daenerys, which both could have been amazing television and the best part of season 8 in my opinion. But there was no time for it. Instead we skipped to the moment Varys let his intentions known by telling Jon Snow he wants Jon for king. Which for me doesn’t really make sense. But this result into Tyrion telling Daenerys that Varys conspired behind her back and he gets the fire treatment. And for me the question is, was Daenerys right to do this? Personally I would say yes, he did treason and she state in season 7 what would happen when he would do that.
Later Daenerys meets with Jon which she opted that if she can’t get love, she will install fear. Which she let known further when they discuss how to take back the Capital, in which Tyrion tells Dany if the bells ring, that the city surrendered and she can take the city without bloodshed and fire.
After this we witness a very beautiful last moment between Jaime and Tyrion, in which we feel the brotherly love, which for me brought a tear to my eye. Jaime goes along with the plan to ring the bell to save the city, but his concern is really Cersei. (Really the man who murdered his king to safe the people don’t care about the people? Ok seems we never knew Jaime at all)
Then the action begins, we see Daenerys going to peaceful route, killing the soldiers, the GC, the scorpions, the ships, but not the people. This scene feels powerful for me and scary how much power the dragons have. But then the bells ring and I still wonder what really happened here, what made her turn to the people of Westeros, it’s a wonderful scene acted by EC. Then the horror starts, Daenerys burns everything in her way, not just her goal the red keep, but first she goes on a rampage on the neighborhoods around the Red Keep, burning every living thing on her way even children. While we also see Jon struggle with his own man joining the Unsullied who kill innocent people in Kings Landing. What I loved in this scene is in fact Cersei, who finally sees that she has lost.
In another part we see Arya and the hound entering the horror that happened in the city, which the 2 depart when Sandor tells Arya too choose live instead of death. While he walks away to his death she walks away to live. For me the Clegane bowl wasn’t really that interesting this time around. While at the same time Arya’s journey through Kings Landing remains the favorite part of the episode for me. Her not being able to save the mother and daughter from death, while barely surviving herself in the end and riding away on a white horse. Very beautiful scene.
In another part of the city Jaime battles Euron in one of the least interesting battle of the show, more I won’t say about this, but it was boring for me. What I love is Jaime’s ending with Cersei where we see them both die and being crushed by the ceiling. That scene still gets to me to see a woman like Cersei losing her mind, not because she is afraid that she will die, but that her child will die. This shows me the only good quality of Cersei. It still gives a tear to my eye. And here ends the second part of the season, the defeat of Queen Cersei Lannister, first of her name. And another “villain” bites the dust just before the end. While another takes her place: Daenerys Targaryen who have become a true dragon.
This second part was very rushed, it skipped over crucial scenes that would serve as important explanation scenes with Daenerys decline, Cersei as an enemy, we we’re show less than the bare minimum in my opinion. Only one episode to go. (I really love the close still of Tyrion walking inside Kings Landing with the burned gates)
Mr Derp,
I’m glad you didn’t cast GoT!!!!
Actually Mr Derp, it was Ten Bears’ casting thoughts that I had reservations about. Not that Ten Bears isn’t entitled to an opinion and I often enjoy reading his (I hope he’s a he now I’ve said ‘his’) comments on this website.
Mr Derp,
”…Don’t forget about 300 Part 2. It’s a terrible movie, but also proves that Ill watch anything as long as Eva Green is in it.”
———
Lena Headey vs. Eva Green. ‘Nuff said. 😍
Out of curiosity, which of my casting thoughts did you have reservations about?
Eva Green as a Red Priestess? Or (going back years) India Eisley as Lyanna Stark?
P.S. Yes, I’m a “he.”
Ten Bears,
My English ears found Vanessa’s (from “Penny Dreadful”) not-English accent annoying – though Melisandre did have a foreign accent in GoT. I can’t imagine anyone except Carice van Houston now in that part.
I watched the last episode; first we have the rise and downfall of Daenerys Targaryen.
We start the episode with a beautiful/horrific scenery of Tyrion, Jon and Davos walking inside the ruins of Kings Landing where the horror is so real that they even missed a burning man walking by. We start of by following Jon in which we see him witness the execution of the Lannister prisoner and it shows us the Tyrant Daenerys have become. Then we follow Tyrion who looks for his brother and sister, him finding his siblings brought a tear to my eyes, at that moment a part of Tyrion died.
The Tyrant ways of Daenerys is even more showed the scene later where we follow Arya to where Daenerys arrives in a very beautiful artistic version as a real dragon. Here its show how far Daenerys will go, she will liberate the whole world by killing its citizens. This scene ends with Tyrion finding his courage to defy his queen, who would have guessed that that will give him a place in a dark cell, or not as dark as we see later. Then Arya makes a very smart notice to Jon: Daenerys is a killer. It seems she thinks Jon didn’t know that after she murdered half a city. I think her head got hurt an episode before.
Then we get a very strange scene, Jon visits Tyrion in which Tyrion tells Jon to kill Daenerys. What I found strange here is Jon. One moment he says he can’t forget what Daenerys has done and that there is no excuse. A moment later he defends her that Daenerys had her reason for what she did. So which is it?
Drogon being buried under the ashes and showing himself is very beautiful scene for me, in which we find our self at the throne room where Daenerys almost touched the Iron Throne. Here we witness a Daenerys who is happy to see Jon (a day after she though he betrayed her?), she let Jon know that she will not back down and she is the only one who knows what’s good, this pushes Jon over the edge and finally put his knife in her. Another lover dies in his arms. Who would want to life after that, not Jon, he welcomed death when Drogon enters the Iron Throne and almost blasts fire towards Jon when he notices his mother is death, luckily Drogon unintentionally burns the Iron Throne instead. And here the evil object is destroyed which results in the defeat of the big baddie, oh wait that was another franchise. This part of the story ends the moment Daenerys is being taken by Drogon and flies east.
The epilogue:
Then the story continues weeks later. And we witness a council that talks about the future of Westeros. I won’t go deep into this scene, but for me it doesn’t feel earned, that’s the only thing I want to say. I like what it tries to do, and I like that Bran is king in the end, but somehow I don’t feel this scene. The only thing I loved in this scene was my dear Arya.
Then we meet Jon who doesn’t really seem to be alive mentally. We see Grey worm saying goodbye and sailing to Naath. And then we get the goodbye of the Stark Siblings together. This for me didn’t give me any feeling at all, strangely. Luckily that changed an scene later. Brienne filling in the White book. That scene was the one that made me feel the most the whole season. Greatly done this scene. Then we witness a counsel scene, which for me feels off. Don’t know why.
Then we end the show in a scene that I very much liked, I have to say the end scene is amazing. Seeing Jon entering Castle Black meeting with Ghost and Thormund, Arya taking command of the ship and seeing Sansa being crowned give me goose bumps. And then the show ends with Jon as King Beyond the Wall, roaming the North, in which he finally is free of Duty. And I like very much where the Starks end up in the end. And hereby I end my journey of GoT for the how many times is it? Even when I didn’t love it all to its full extend, I still loved it. I will lay the show to rest for a while, maybe 1 or 2 years before I resurrect it again to enjoy it once more.
How do I rank the seasons in the end:
S4 > S1 > S3 > S6 > S2 > S7 > s8/S5
With my re-watched I liked season 7 much more than season 8 and I thought it had less plotholes/rushed moments etc. But I couldn’t really say which season I liked more, season 5 or 8. Both were better in other parts. Still that doesn’t mean that I dislike this 2 season. Not at all, I loved all the seasons and there isn’t a single season I would put the label “bad” on it. It’s just that I found the other seasons even better.
Only 2 continue errors that probably were talked about already. Season 7 ended with whole of Westeros being buried under snow, even Oldtown and the red keep. In season 8 it was very sunny there even when the WW were not defeated it was already sunny. And at the end of episode 5 we saw that the whole ceiling collapsed and buried Jaime and Cersei. And in episode 6 those parts were intact again. Call it nitpicking, but it’s still a continue error.
I also watched the deleted scenes of season 8. And I understand why they cut the scenes of episode 1 and 2. But for me I can’t understand the scenes they cut from episode 3. The Greyjoy ambush would have been my favorite scene of the episode, reminded me of season 1 the introduction of the WW treat. And the Sansa saving Missandei scene served also a very important moment. In which the dagger would be explained (which was now a plothole of some sort) and it served as a great conclusion of the feud that started at the beginning of episode 4 with Sansa and Missandei. And I wished they kept the deleted scene of episode 4 in the show, where the bond between Missandei and Daenerys is being seen, which would have served greatly for the moment later when Missandei would be killed by Cersei.
Sorry for the long posts.
kevin1989,
I also wonder why Grey worm who was shown at the beginning of the episode that somebody who fight for the Lannisters will be executed and they won’t keep prisoners. Keep Tyrion and Jon prisoner for weeks. Why didn’t both get their throats slit the moment Jon killed Daenerys and Tyrion was the one that put him up to it. There is just no logical explanation for it.
At the same time I have to say that I really enjoyed Daenerys walk towards the Iron throne with the music and how it was filmed. D&D are great directors I have to say.
And the acting of Emilia Clarke is just amazing in the final. Same for Kit Harrington. His scene where he killed Daenerys is just amazing, the way he is angry at her about the burned children, that really gave me goosebumps.
Ten Bears and Mr Derp, your pin-up girl (or one of them) will be on something on the BBC next year. I’m not sure whether the link will work – sometimes if a link is truncated it defaults to the front page. In that case (if you want to see the page) type in “Radio Times” and “The Luminaries” in Google or search engine of your choice.
When is The Luminaries on TV? What’s it about and who stars …
No – it’s come out as ordinary text rather than a hyperlink, sorry.
Dame of Mercia,
Interesting! I have that tome sitting on my bookshelf, making me feel guilty for not reading it. I keep thinking, ‘one day’. I’ve never shied away from big books before (one of my favourites is 800 pages long) but for some reason this one daunts me. Maybe I’ll just cheat and watch the show, if I like that, I’ll read the book.
Dame of Mercia,
It looks like she’ll be playing a brothel madam back in Victorian times. She was born to play those types of roles, so I’ll probably check it out. Thanks for the info!
My impression of Dany’s white coat was that it made her look like a White Walker. After she turned out to be the actual villain all along, that seemed to be a good interpretation.
“Then Arya makes a very smart notice to Jon: Daenerys is a killer. It seems she thinks Jon didn’t know that after she murdered half a city. I think her head got hurt an episode before.”
Dany slaughtered the *entire* city after it surrendered, because that’s what a megalomanic will do when given exclusive access to a nuke. The more I reflect on how well Dany was built up to that moment, the more respect I have for how well GRRM set it up, and how well B&W pulled it off. I believe this fueled the hateful response from some of the audience afterwards: GRRM and B&W fooled an awful lot of viewers into believing she was going to be the final hero, when she was really going to be the final villain all along, hidden right there in plain sight.
Arya was telling Jon that Dany will kill *him*, and sooner rather than later, because he’s actually Aegon VI Targ’, The Rightful Heir, and thus can be used by anyone who wants to oppose Her Satanic Majesty’s absolute (and soon to be universal) rule. Arya knew she could not say so in as many words, because (with apologies to Ten Bears) even Arya would have had trouble escaping that many Unsullied and Dothraki after uttering such treasonous thoughts.
Penny Dreadful was amazing, and I’m sorry they ended it when they did. It elicited from me the same response that Game of Thrones did. During the first map sequence of the latter, it contained the credit, “Based on A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin.” I thought, “Wow, that’s a really pretentious title for a story; this had better be damned good!” When Penny Dreadful introduced Dorian Gray as a recurring supporting character, I had a similar thought: “If you’re going to use a character created by Oscar Wilde himself, the writing had better be cracking good!” I’m happy to say each series completely vindicated my high hopes.
Great observation! Michele couldn’t have known the outcome, though, could she?
“It’s the first time she’s performed a completely selfless task, because it’s usually for her own gain”
Sure. Because ending slavery is such a selfish thing to do. 🤦🏼♀️
oh my god oh my god oh my god – the costume and art book just arrived! These are magnificent! Not really sure where to start…..(got these at Amazon, about half the price. I usually by from my indie, but they weren’t going to be caring them) These are so cool!!!!!
Can we genuinely say it’s inaccurate? I tend to agree with you but unless we ever get the final book I doubt we will ever know what goes through Dany’s mind as she finally becomes the Mad Queen.
You could argue she did that because she wanted people to follow her…