Game of Thrones S08E06: The Iron Throne

Tyrion walks through the destruction of King's Landing to the Red Keep, following the path he told Jamie to follow for him and Cersei to escape, where he finds their bodies and begins to cry. Their demise was quick in 'The Bells' so for more time to be spent of these important character deaths was nice, and while I've never fully comprehended Tyrion's relation ship with Jamie and Cersei respectively, his loss garnered sympathy.

Jon and Ser Davos find Grey Worm executing prisoners in the streets under order of Daenerys and Jon tries to stop them, but Davos intercedes telling him that they should talk to the Queen.

Atop the remains of the Red Keep Daenerys addresses her army, the Unsullied and the Dothraki, and thanks them for giving her the Seven Kingdoms. She anoints Greyworm her Master of War, and tells her army that the war is not over - they will not lay down their spears until they have liberated all the people of the world. Tyrion and Jon watch on in fear at her speech, and Tyrion approaches her. She accuses him of freeing Jamie, and he tells her that she slaughtered a city and he throws his hand of the king pin down the steps of the Red Keep. Daenerys orders her guards to take him and she follows after them. Jon goes to take his leave when Arya approaches him, warning him that he is a threat to Daenerys and she believes she will kill him.

Jon visits Tyrion where he is being held and tells him that he can't justify what Daenerys has done but that the war is over. Tyrion assures Jon that Daenerys is not done fighting, and explains that on her journey mostly evil men have died and she has been cheered for it so much that she can no longer see herself as anything but good and right. She thinks she is destined to build a better world for everyone, so of course she is willing to kill anyone who stands between her and paradise. Tyrion reminds Jon that he is the shield that guards the realms of men and that he always done the right thing, no matter the cost, to protect people and asks him who the greatest threat to the people is now. Like Arya, he tells Jon that he's dangerous to Daenerys. Jon tells him that will be her decision, as she is the Queen. Tyrion reminds Jon of his sisters, asking him if he sees them bending the knee, and tells him he needs to choose now whether or not Daenerys will be Queen.

Jon passes Drogon on the way to meet Daenerys in the throne room, and she is admiring the throne as he enters. She starts to tell him the story her brother used to tell her about the throne when she was a little girl, but he interrupts her, angry about the execution of the Lannister prisoners in the streets, and the children she burned. Daenerys says she tried to make peace with Cersei and that Cersei tried to use their innocence against her. She tells him that the world they need won't be built by men loyal to the world be have, and that's it's not easy to see something that's never been seen before. She tells him that they know what is good, and he asks of the others who think they know, and she tells him that they do not get to choose, but that they they can do it together. As they kiss he stabs her and she dies. Drogon flies in, examining Daenerys' lifeless body, before burning down the Iron Throne. He picks her her body and flies away. Unlike others I have actually enjoyed Daenerys' character arc this season, but her death here is a bitter end to her overall character story. While Jon makes the most sense to have killed her, the scene is made a little less fulfilling because the pairs love story has never been fully believable, and the fact that Daenerys' love for Jon is what essentially kills her is also a bit painful when both Arya and Tyrion convinced Jon that she would kill him. I also thought Jon could have used a little more convincing by Daenerys, perhaps through a mention of his sisters.

Some time after an imprisoned Tyrion is removed from his cell by Greyworm and taken to the Dragon pit where are the heads of the houses of Westeros are gathered. Sansa asks where Jon is and Greyworm responds that King's Landing belongs to the Unsullied now and they will decide what happens to their prisoners, and Sansa tells him that it would be in his best interest not to harm Jon as they have thousands of northmen waiting outside. Yara supports the Unsullied in Daenerys' absence, but Arya tells her she'll cut her throat if she talks about killing Jon again. Ser Davos intervenes, offering the Unsullied land, but Greyworm demands justice. Tyrion says that Jons fate is up to the King or Queen, and in the absence of one, perhaps they, the most powerful lords and ladies in Westeros, should choose one. Edmure Tully starts to talk about himself, but Sansa tells him to sir down. Samwell suggests a democracy, which is laughed off. They suggest Tyrion wants the crown, but he says he would not be a good King considering the amount of people that want him. He says that a good story unites people, and that no one as a better story than 'Bran the Broken'. Bran asks them why do they think he came all this way. Everyone agrees, except Sansa, who maintains that the North will nevermore bend the knee to another King and will remain an independent kingdom. Bran tells Tyrion to be his hand, but he doesn't want to accept, and Bran says that neither did he. Greyworm demands Tyrion be punished, and Bran says that he will spend the rest of his life fixing them.

Later, Tyrion informs Jon that he will he sent to the Night's Watch to ensure peace between the Unsullied and the North. Jon asks Tyrion if what he did to Daenerys is right because it doesn't feel right to him, and Tyrion tells him to ask him in ten years. He says goodbye to Sansa, Arya, and Bran before he sails for the Wall; Arya reveals she will be travelling West of Westeros, where all of the maps stop. At the same docks, Greyworm and the Unsullied sail for the Isle of Naath, Missendei's birthplace.

At first small council meeting with Bran as King, Bronn has been appointed Master of Coin, Ser Davos Master of Ships, Brienne head of the Kingsguards, and Samwell as the Archmaester. Jon returns to the Wall and is reunited with Torment and Ghost, later he and the Freefolk head north of the wall.

Game of Thrones S08E05 Review: The Bells

At Dragonstone Varys writes numerous letters informing those that receive them of Jon's true lineage.
Jon arrives at Dragonstone to console Daenerys and is greeted my Varys, who expresses his concern about Daenerys to Jon. He tells Jon he would be a good ruler, to which he replies that Daenerys is his queen. Tyrion informs Daenerys of Varys' betrayal, but she laments that Jon betrayed her by telling Sansa, who in turn betrayed him by telling Tyrion, and Tyrion by telling Varys. Tyrion reasons they are all trying to help her and share her interests for a better world. Varys is sentenced to death and he lets Tyrion he hopes he is wrong about Daenerys, before he is set alight by Drogon. Varys' fate seemed sealed last episode when the master of whispers started to openly express his concern at Daenerys sitting on the Iron Throne. It's unfortunate, though, since he has been a long time supporter of hers - going back to the very first season. His sudden distrust in her ability to rule is a injustice to his character, spoiling what could have been an otherwise fitting end for him.

Later Daenerys confronts Jon about Sansa's betrayal, and tells him Varys is an example of what will happen if people find out the truth about Jon. She tells him that the people of Westeros love him more than her and that she has no love - only fear. Jon tells him he loves her, but as she makes advances he pulls away, to which she responds: alright then, let it be fear. Tyrion begs Daenerys not to burn King's Landing to the ground and informs her that if they surrender the city will ring the bells. She nods in agreement and tells Greyworm to return and lead the Unsullied army and to wait for her signal. She informs Tyrion that Jamie has been captured trying to get into the city, and warn him that the next time Tyrion falls her it will be the last time.

Upon arriving at the army's camp Tyrion finds an imprisoned Jamie and tries to convince him to sneak into King's Landing and talk sense into Cersei. Jamie doesn't believe that he will be able to, so Tyrion tells him to take Cersei and escape into the dungeons of the Red Keep and take a dingy on the beach to Pentos. He promises to Tyrion that he will, and that he will also try and ring the bells to inform Daenerys of their surrender. Tyrion isn't concerned of the repercussions of letting Jamie go as long as it stops her from killing all the innocents in King's Landing he is willing to risk his life. While   trying to use Jamie to talk sense into Cersei isn't the worst plan, it's tedious here because Tyrion has been trying to talk sense into Cersei for the last season. His conversation with Jamie here just echoes the one-sided discussion Tyrion had with her at the end of 'The Last of the Starks', which was ultimately fruitless. As Daenerys has pointed out his love and faith for his family has resulted in him making mistake after mistake for as long back as season six's 'Stormborn'. It's made that much more difficult to understand since Tyrion has no reason to love Cersei or want her to live, and while Tyrion has always shared a brotherly bond with Jamie, I've never felt Game of Thrones did a good job at developing this relationship (both characters' subplots ensuring there was entire seasons where their characters didn't even interact). The same can be said for Jamie and Cersei, and this conversation between Jamie and Tyrion becomes even more tedious not knowing Jamie's true intentions once he is reunited with Cersei.

At King's Landing citizens are hoarded into the Red Keep as it defences, the Iron fleet lead by Euron, and the Golden Company, prepare for Daenerys attack. Aria and The Hound manage to enter before the gates are shut, while Jamie is locked outside. Riding Drogon Daenerys decimates the Iron fleet and burns down the entrance to King's Landing from behind allowing Jon, Ser Davos, Greyworm, and the Unsullied army to attack the city. In the Red Keep Qyburn tries to convince Cersei to flee, but she is adamant it will not fall. When Jon and the armies reach the Lanister army guarding the Red Keep they throw down their swords in surrender. The people yell for the bells to be rung - and they are - but Daenerys continues to burn the city to the ground. This prompts her armies to continue their attack on the city despite Jon's protests. Daenery's decision to show King's Landing no mercy is not a surprising one, as I think her transformation into 'The Mad Queen' has been well alluded to throughout the series. Her decision does seem ill-timed though. Had she attacked immediately following Missendai's beheading in 'The Last of the Starks' that would have made more sense, but allowing her to retreat to Dragonstone for several days does make her decision less impulsive (which is something Daenerys has always been shown to be), and therefore it makes less sense. The idea of the Bell's tolling, while a nice motif, also strikes wrong since they have never been mentioned or used  in Game of Thrones before, and nice Cersei did not give the order for them to ring, nor did we see anyone (maybe Jamie?) ringing them, their effect becomes convoluted.

Unable to enter the Red Keep Jamie goes to shore to find the dingy Tyrion spoke of and enter through the dungeons up to Cersei. Euron washes ashore, the pair fight, and Jamie is fatally wounded, but not before he kills Euron. It's a frustrating fight because ultimately you don't care and it's delaying Jamie's reunion with Cersei. Euron has been a vastly under-utilised character brought in far too late in the series for anyone to truly care about and only there to help bolster Cersei's threat against Daenerys.

As the Red Keep begins to collapse The Hound convinces Arya that Cersei won't leave the city alive so she should save herself if she doesn't want to end up like him - wanting revenge all his life and having that as the only thing he cares about. She thanks him and runs. In an overall disappointing episode, this was a stand out moment. Arya, whose motivations for eight seasons has been to kill Cersei, decides not to when given the opportunity for no reason whatsoever other than she might die in the destruction of King's Landing or end up like The Hound (who Game of Thrones tried to convince us was actually a good man for a very long time).

Qyburn finally convinces Cersei to leave the Red Keep and he and The Mountain accompany her escape but they are stopped by The Hound. Cersei orders him to stay by her side so he can shield her from falling debris, but he ignores her to face off with his brother. Qyburn interjects and The Mountain throws him into what remains of the Red Keeps walls, killing him. Cersei brushes past The Hound and him and the Mountain fight. Both are ultimately killed when The Hound throws himself and the Mountain of the Red Keep into the flames below. This fight has long been awaited on Game of Thrones, and for what reason I don't know. Qyburn's revived version of The Mountain has been shown to be virtually indestructible, and the feud between the characters never fully explored.

Jamie finally finds Cersei as the Red Keep continues to crumble around them. He takes her down to the dungeons but the tunnels leading to the dingy have been blocked by rubble. Cerise tells Jamie she wants their baby to life, and pleads with him not to let her die, not like this. He whispers to her, 'nothing else matters, only us', as the roof falls on top of them. As mentioned before I've never felt Game of Thrones did a good job at developing Jamie and Cersei's relationship, but was holding out for a final scene between them that might shed some more light onto their torrid relationship. Unfortunately this was not the case, as they held each other and succumbed to their rather unsatisfactory deaths.

Game of Thrones S08E04 Review: The Last of the Starks

After saying goodbye to those that died in the battle against the White Walkers with funeral pyres, those who survived celebrate at a feast at Winterfell. As Gendry leaves the feast to find Arya, Daenerys calls out to him, revealing she knows him as Robert Barartheon's son, and names him Lord of Storm's End in a move to secure his loyalty to her. Gendry finds Arya practising archery and asks for her hand in marriage, which she declines.

Jamie, Tyrion, Brienne and Podrick play Tyrion's drinking game, and afterwards Jamie follows Brienne to her quarters where the pair make love.

After the feast Daenerys finds Jon in his room and tries to reconcile their relationship after the revelation of their heritage by trying to convince Jon to never tell anyone. Always the honourable man though, Jon is insistent that he must tell Sansa and Arya.

The following day at the war council Daenerys is eager to move their armies to King's Landing, while Tyrion continues to caution against any irrational decisions, and Jon agrees that if they wait Cersei out the people of the city will rebel against her, while Sansa is adamant that their armies get rest after the battle of Winterfell. Jon and Ser Davos plan to take the King's Road with the Northern troops with the remaining bulk of the Dothraki and the Unsullied, while a smaller group return to Dragonstone with Daenerys and her dragons. Jamie decides to stay at Winterfell with Brienne.

Sansa, Arya and Bran take Jon to the Godswood to caution him against Daenerys, and tell him that they don't trust her. There he feels compelled to confess the truth about his true heritage.

That night Jamie and Tyrion are confronted by Bronn, who reveals Cersei has sent him to kill them, but admits he knows that Cersei is on the lovely side, so he has come to them to ensure he gets a better offer from those he thinks will win the war, and Tyrion offers him Highgarden.

Arya, on horseback, approaches The Hound as he rides out of Winterfell heading for King's Landing. They both have unfinished business and don't plan on coming back, and they leave together.

Tyrion tries to convince Sansa that she should trust Daenerys, as he needs them to be allies, and she reveals to Tyrion Jon secret.

Tormund farewells Jon, telling him he and the free folk are returning to the true North, and Jon offers him Ghost, who he thinks also belongs there. Sam and Gilly also say goodbye, revealing that they are pregnant.

As Daenerys returns to Dragonstone her ships are attacked by Euron's Greyjoy fleet. Rhaegal is killed, and her boats are destroyed - Tyrion, Varys, and Grey Worm wash ashore - but Missandei is captured and Euron takes her back to King's Landing.

Varys speaks candidly with Daenerys after the attack and tells her, like Tyrion earlier, that she risks becoming what she swore to defeat if she attacks the Red Keep and kills thousands of innocents to get to Cersei. Tyrion suggests that they wait for Jon and the armies to arrive at King's Landing and demand Cersei's surrender, offer her her life in exchange for the throne. Later, Varys reveals he no longer trusts Daenerys to be the best ruler of the realm.

Back at Winterfell under cover of night Jamie prepares his horse to leave and is confronted by Brienne. She tries to convince him that he's a good man and that he doesn't need to return to King's Landing to try and save and ultimately die with Cersei. He tells her that he is not a good man, and that he has Cersei are both hateful and rides away.

At the walls of King's Landing Tyrion, accompanied by Daernys, Varys, Grey Worm and a small group of Unsullied, tries to convince Cersei to surrender for her unborn child. She ignores him and has Missandei killed by The Mountain atop the walls of the city.

Game of Thrones S08E03 Review: The Long Night

As the armies fighting for Winterfell prepare for the arrival of the dead on the battlefield Melisandre arrives on horseback and uses magic to light the Dothraki's swords on fire. Jorah leads them to the dead, but their flames are quickly extinguished, before he and a few others retreat to the battle line. The dead attack and despite Jon and Daenerys using Rhaegal and Drogon to set them on fire, the Night King shrouds the battle in clouds of darkness, making it difficult for them to see. Edd is killed saving Sam. What remains of the armies retreat behind the trenches, and Melisandre again uses magic to set them alight, in the dragons' absence.

Due to their insurmountable numbers the dead eventually push through the barricade and start breaching the walls of Winterfell. Lyanna Mormont is killed by a giant, but not before she takes it down with her by stabbing it in the eye. See Beric pleads with a distraught Hound to join them in the fight, but he is reluctant to until he sees Arya fighting. Arya tries to hide from a hoard of white walkers in the library of Winterfell, and Beric and the Hound come to her aid - Beric sacrificing himself so she and the Hound survive, barricading themselves in the great hall where Melisandre is hiding. I was hoping for more of a significant death from Ser Beric considering how many times the Lord of Light resurrected him. Furthermore, these chase scenes seemed highly illogical considering the magnitude of battle going happening at Winterfell - as if there would be any places in the castle isolated from the fight.

During a dragon back fight between Jon, riding Rhaegal, and the Night King, riding Viserion, the Night King falls to the ground, but Rhaegal is badly injured and also falls with Jon. Daenerys uses Drogon to burn the Night King, but he is immune to its flames, and she flies away when the Night King throws a spear at them. Jon chases after the Night King trying to prevent him from reaching Winterfell. The Night King catches him doing so and raises those who have already died in the battle from the dead, including the tombs of those who lie in the crypt beneath Winterfell. Daenerys returns with Drogon to save Jon from the dead, and and he picks up the chase of the Night King, but Drogon is set upon by white walkers and Daenerys is thrown to the ground in the fray. Having heard Rhaegal's wails, Jorah arrives to protect her. As Jon makes his way through Winterfell he encounters several other characters fighting against the dead, in a supercut of scenes beautifully scored by Ramin Djawadi's 'The Night King' which rivals his excellent 'Light of The Seven' from the season six finale, 'The Winds of Winter'. It's a cool and dramatic sequence, and the stakes are raised exponentially with the Night King raising more dead, but it's also tarnished with some silly character decisions (Daenerys allowing Drogon to be swarmed by white walkers; Jon confronting Viserion), and lessened by the fact that there were no significant character losses despite the insurmountable amount of foes they face (no one on the ground at Winterfell, or in the crypts, perished).

The Night King arrives in the Godswood and Theon is the only man left standing between him and Bran. He charges at the Night King, who grabs his spear, snaps it, and stabs Theon with it. Theon's death was expected, with his redemption arc completed this season by saving Yara from Euron in the premiere and returning to fight and die for the Starks, but it was emotional nonetheless, with Bran's parting words to him, 'Theon, you're a good man', giving him a cathartic finale.

As the Night King approaches Bran, Arya jumps out of nowhere and attempts to stab him with the valyrian steel dagger (which she did not give to Sansa). He grabs her by the neck and she drops the dagger - before catching it with her other hand and stabbing him in the stomach, killing him and all of the other white walkers in the process. Arya's defeat of the Night King was a cool and surprising moment, but I didn't find it particularly fitting. Up until this very battle Arya hasn't even had any experience with the white walkers, so for her to save the day doesn't seem particularly earned, whereas for characters like Jon and Bran, or seven hells, even Sam, it would have been a well deserved character moment. It also puts to question her potential role in Cerise's defeat, will the writers be willing to give Arya that sought after honour as well?

Jorah falls with the white walkers, succumbing to his stab wounds sustained trying to protect Daenerys. Jorah was never going to die any other way, one of the few loyal and honest characters on Game of Thrones until his end. It's unfortunate that he wasn't given more to do since returning to Daenerys' side late in season seven, particularly since one of the series' other most loyal and honest characters, Brienne, received so much screen time and fulfilling character moments in the last episode.

The episode ends with Melisandre fulfilling her prophetic death by basically killing herself, she walks out of Winterfell, takes off her necklace, ages dramatically and falls into the snow and dies. Again, a rather disappointing end for such a contentious character. She was surprisingly instrumental in this episode despite being absent for more than a season, but her character motivation was always so strongly linked to the prophecy of the prince who was promised - a battle she will not be apart of or witness - so to have her act so selfless throughout The Long Night seemed out of character, as was her decision to die.

Game of Thrones S08E02 Review: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

With Jamie arriving in Winterfell alone - without the Lannister army Cersei promised to help fight in the looming battle with the White Walkers - Daenerys holds a small council meeting to determine whether Jamie is trustworthy and if he should be aloud to stay and help with fight. Daenerys chastises Tyrion for believing his sister, just as Sansa did in last week's episode, and rightly so - it seems a like a very odd mistake for him to make, even with Cersei using her pregnancy as a way to convince him of her commitment to helping defeat the dead. Nevertheless, Jamie really dies want to fight for the living and there are some nice callbacks to the 'beyond loyalty' conversation he had with Brienne in the season six finale that helped convince him he needed to finally question Cersei, as well as Bran repeating 'the things we do for love' line from the series' first episode in which Jamie fatefully pushed him out of the Winterfell watchtower. It's fitting then that Brienne convinces Sansa of Jamie's honesty, although a just as convincing argument for Sansa would have been remembering what happened to her the last time she refused to trust her. An obviously distracted Jon, agrees with Sansa, and an also obviously perturbed Daenerys allowed it. She may be their Queen now, but the Starks still outnumber her. Of course, Jamie always has the option of telling the true story about his nickname as 'The Kingslayer', which Tormund amusingly gets wrong as 'The Kingkiller' later in the episode, but I've always loved that it's a little known fact in Game of Thrones (only Brienne, and perhaps Tyrion, know the truth), and Jamie earns that much more respect as a character that he has never tried to earn people's trust on his road to redemption by telling this story. Speaking of that road, later in the godswood of Winterfell Jamie apologises for pushing Bran out of the Winterfell watchtower all all those ago and asks him why he didn't reveal what Jamie had done. Bran replies that he can't help them if he let them murder him, but when Jamie asks about afterward he ominously replies, 'How do you know that there is an afterwards.' It could be foreshadowing Jamie's end, but I really hope he survives the Battle of Winterfell if only because I want him and Cersei to have one last scene together. His departure from King's Landing at the end of season seven felt very un-earnt and rushed.

Arya questions Gendry on whether or not he's made the weapon she asked him to make last week, to which he replies he's too busy melting down Dragonglass to make other weapons for the army, revealing his reluctance to let Arya fight. Typically, Arya goes into faceless man mode and shows him her throwing skills all while lamenting her eagerness to meet the White Walkers, which Gentry describes as death. Although Arya's story arc has stumbled at times, mostly due to slow pacing in seasons five and six, she's always been one of the most strongly driven characters of Game of Thrones with her list of names, but unfortunately confining her to Winterfell has stifled her and she now seems somewhat purposeless. She later shares a drink with the Hound atop on the walls of Winterfell where he complains that she's too quite and she responds by saying that she's changed. They are interrupted by Beric Dondarrion who apologises for kidnapping her many years ago. As with last week's episodes, having these long separated characters reunite are ripe to garner some interesting character moments - but they continue to feel underwhelming pointless. They happen, but nothing seems to happen within these moments, either. Later, Gendry gifts Arya with her weapon and she asks him what Melisandre wanted with him when he was sold to her by Beric and and the Brotherhood Without Banners. He reveals that he is Robert Baratheon's bastard and that she wanted him for his powerful blood. The talk of her using leeches on his naked body prompts Arya to ask him about how many women he's been with, and she reveals she would like to try sex before dying. Although it was easy to see coming from last week's heavy flirting, this pairing feels wrong on several levels to me. Their age difference, while not exponential, becomes a little creepy when you remember there initial character relationship within seasons two and three in which he was basically a substitute older brother to her. More importantly, it feels out of character for Arya. As mentioned she has always been a very focus-minded individual, particularly now as a man of faces,  and having her suddenly become interested in Gentry and sex just feels like a poor attempt at giving her something to do.

Jorah tries to convince Daenerys of Tyrion's continued value to her despite his mistake in underestimating Cersei, and one has to wonder just how much she will continue to need Tyrion with his knowledge of the Houses of Westeros and politics becoming less important in the grand scheme of events, particularly when she she has someone as loyal and wise as Jorah by her side. He also asks her to make peace with Sansa, which is a hopeful idea if for nothing more than the fact that some critics have noticed that the powerful female characters of Game of Thrones all hate one another. But having everyone be friends does not make for compelling viewing, and neither does it fit with Daenerys or Sansa's characters. It's a brave move for Daenerys to make, even if it was at Joran's behest, to ask Sansa why they are at odds with one another and open a dialogue about what Jon means to both of them, and how she is now temporally setting aside her sites of the Iron Throne to help Jon and the North. It's a compelling argument about what Daenerys is sacrificing for him, even if their chemistry stills rings untrue, but just as Jamie questioned Bran, Sansa questions Daenerys about what happens after, and of course, she still wants to sit on the Iron Throne and rule over Westeros, including the North. They are interrupted by Theon's arrival and he informs them of Yara's return to the Iron Islands to take them back in Daenerys' name, and he expresses his wish to fight for Winterfell if Sansa wants him.

At another council meeting in which battle strategy is being discussed, Bran reveals that they can lure the Knight King to Winterfell, specifically the godswood, by using him as bait. Theon offers himself and the Ironborn to defend Bran as reparation for taking Winterfell from him. Theo's redemption is something I've want to happen this season, and after recusing Yara from Euron last week this seems to be happening, but much like Bran's omnious statement to Jamie, you can't help but think that Theon will make the ultimate sacrifice to protect Bran. It would be a great sense of symmetry after every thought he had killed him for so long, I just hope the pair of them get to have a deeper conversation about it while they're waiting for the Knight King. Similarly, I hope there's an opportunity to delve into his and Sansa's relationship more. Although the age difference if similar to that of Arya and Gendry, there were minimal scenes of the pair of them together in the first season and what they've both been through, particular at the hands of Ramsey, gives them a strong bond - not necessarily a romantic one, just one that could provide more worthy character moments as the series draws to a close.

Those as Winterfell unsuccessfully try to get some rest before the battle, Tyrion and Jamie sit drinking in front of a fire in the great hall and Tyrion laments, in another callback, that he always wanted to die in his bed with a belly full of wine and a women's mouth around his cock. The statement feels odd coming from him now, in a surprising revelation of character growth. Jamie tells him that whoremongering is still an option for him to which he replies its not - at least he still has his drinking habit. They are joined by Brienne and Podrick, and then by Sir Davos and Torment, as they all try to keep warm while contemplating their imminent deaths. When Tyrion tries to comfort them by reciting how many battles they've all been in and won, Torment asks why Brienne is not a knight. Jamie tells the group that any knight can make another knight and offers to knight Brienne. She
graciously accepts. It's a well-earned moment for the character, but in a series in which knights are mostly known for being rapers and pillagers, and are nicknamed 'Kingslayer', and not necessarily honourable and just, it seems like an odd moment to be emotionally invested in.

In the crypt Jon is brooding in front of Lyanna Stark's grave and he reveals to Daenerys that he is Lynna's and Rhaegor's Targaryen son, Aegon Targaryen, making him Danery's nephew. She is understandably bewildered and is suspicious that Bran and Sam are the only ones that knew this secret. If it's true, she tells him, he'd be the last male heir to House Targaryen, and he'd have a claim to the Iron Throne. Although he obviously loves her and would renounce his title for her (he pretty much did as much when he agreed to be the Warden of the North), it will be very interesting to see what action Daenerys will take with this new information. Would she be willing to kill Jon to ensure her legacy and seat on the Iron Throne?

True Detective 3.3 Review: The Big Never

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After being informed that the Purcell's have received a note stating that Julie is still alive Hays and West re-examine their investigation to see if they can uncover something they have missed. Mainly, why did Will and Jamie tell their father that they were going to meet the Frankie Boyle when, after interviewing him, he informs them that he had never made concrete plans or met up with the Purcell's outside of school. What were the Purcell children doing and who were they meeting? They return to the Purcell's to look through the children's possessions again they find a map, along with some handwritten notes with messages: 'It's alright', 'I'm always here', 'Don't listen', 'I'll always keep you safe'. The messages were in a sketchbook found in a Hoyt Foods bag, where Lucy Purcell previously worked two years ago on the chicken line. Coincidentally, Hoyt Foods also runs the Ozark Children's Outreach Centre, which has put a reward out for Julie's safe return to her family, causing a lot of false tips for the case (although, it turns out, the companies board cleared it with the count prosecutors office).

Later during another search party West finds dice to a game they believe Will was playing, and a bag of toys, as well as the site of Will's murder before his body was moved. The site is near a farmhouse the original search missed as the farm road wasn't on any maps. The owner tells them that he already spoke with the police, and that in addition to seeing Will and Julie multiple times, he also mentions a black man and a female driving around in a brown sedan. Be refuses to let them search the property without a warrant. West and Hays take the toys back to the Purcell's to identify, but neither recognise them despite having their children's prints on them, in addition to a set which they couldn't get a match for. West spots a family photo album that he hadn't seen before, as Tom had only taken it out since the children had been missing. Inside is a photo of Will's first communion, him posed with his hands in prayer the exact same way his deceased body was posed.

In 1990 the deposition continues, but now it is West recounting the events above in 1980. Hays and Amelia visit the Walgreen in which Julie's fingerprints were found. Hays expresses how tired he is with the case being in their lives, but Amelia suggests that she uses her book as an excuse to find out more information about Julie from the police. Hays goes to Walmart to shop with the kids while she does this, and Rebecca goes missing, causing him to panic. Amelia returns home giddy with success but Hays is angry as he doesn't want it in their lives any longer.

West visits Tom Purcell to ask how him how he feels about the case being re-opended and the discovery of Julie's prints, and we learn that Lucy has passed, perhaps a suicide, and that Tom is five years sober. Tom then asks West to pray with him. He alter leaves a message with Hays and work, whom he hasn't seen in nine years, telling him he wants to meet. They meet at a bar and he asks Hays to become a detective again under him, as he is in charge of re-opning the Purcell case.

In 2015 Hays and his son Henry visit the Doctor about his memory loss and it is all but confirmed that he has Alzheimer's, but he tells Henry he will kill himself if he is put into a home. He continues his interviews with Elisa and she throws him off guard with testimonies of witnesses who claim they were never questioned by police during the initial investigation. Some of these witnesses also claim to have seen the brown sedan the farmer mentioned driving around Devil's Den they day the Purcell's went missing, as well as the black man. Later in his study as he is trying to record things to remember Hays has visions of Amelia who implies he is worried about them finding something he left in the woods, and she tells him to finish it.

Rating: 3.3/5

True Detective Season 3.2 Review: Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye

Having found Will's body and fearing the worst about Julie, Hayes and West start following every lead possible. They talk to everyone who works with Tom Purcell at Wilson's Bodyworks where they make parts for schoolhouses, they talk with the Purcell's extended family, where they find out that Tom's mother thinks Julie might not be his child. Most notably they talk to Dan O'Brien, Lucy's brother who presumably drilled that peep hole in Will's closet. But all of these leads turn up nothing.

It's only when Hayes invests the help of his future-wife Amelia after an emergency town meeting that they get a lead. Armed with a picture of the mademade dolls that were left near the site of Will's body, a young friend of Julie's reveals to Amelia and later Hayes and West that he believes Julie was given one of the dolls on Halloween.

After a convincing Star Wars lightsaber impersonation from Hayes, he and West take it to their superiors, specifically Greg Larson, who Hayes believes foolishly squanders their only lead by reporting it on the news, which interrupts his unofficial date with Amelia.

Following a lead from a Vice Cop, Hayes and West track down a man with a prior conviction in regards to who is going by an alias, but while he's violating his parole, he has a credible alibi.\

The pair get called back to the Purcell home where a note has been delivered:

Much like the detectives throughout its second episode, True Detective leaves its audience frustrated and almost bored as Hayes and West trudge through a series of unfulfilling leads in Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye.

Rating: 2.5/5