#Review: Absolute DESTRUCTION & No Mercy in the penultimate episode of 'Game Of Thrones'

Burn. Them. All

Game Of Thrones' apparent lackluster performance in the final season, according to many can finally be put to rest with what we know Thrones usually for. Brilliance.

Amidst severe backlash in the past couple of episodes of Thrones, one wondered if the show will be able to have a satisfying second-to-last episode of the show's end. Well, to put it shortly first - it did. It so did.

Varys Had It Coming

The moment Lord Varys (Conleth Hill) opened the episode having a conversation with a little girl and writing something simultaneously, it became more obvious than ever - this is going to be the end of him. He betrayed Dany (Emilia Clarke) just like others did and his betrayals also resulted in Missandei's (Nathalie Emmanuel) death. Even though Dany opens the episode as saddened, feeling defeated, not having food etc, her conversation with Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) made it clear - she is in no mood to play any games anymore and she proves that with her no small talk execution of Varys with the simplest Dracarys of em all.

Varys

Tyrion - Doom Awaits You

The way Tyrion's character has been shaping up throughout this season it almost feels like it's a matter of time before Dany just gets rid of him and a fan favorite character dies. It did not happen of course but it just made things easier for Dany as once again - he betrayed Dany by freeing Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). Alas! This was another massive failure for Tyrion and you will know why. 

Tyrion

Arya - What's Happening?

I was left perplexed on how Arya (Maisie Williams) left Winterfell with The Hound (Rory McCann) to King's Landing after her heroic moment of killing The Night King. I did understand the idea of it but it baffled me with how she has a major role to play in between the ultimate war between Dany and Cersei (Lena Headey). And her journey throughout this episode was yet another example of that. Running around the streets of King's Landing almost through the entire episode escaping death several times, it is being hinted that she may have shifted her focus from killing Cersei to killing Dany. Or maybe the makers want us to feel that.

Arya

Once again - Best Supporting Man - Jon Snow aka Aegon Targaryen

Does a mega moment await Jon Snow in the finale? I hope so because just like the Battle Of Winterfell, Jon did not have much to do here at all except two things - follow discipline (duhh!!) and get shocked at Dany's actions.

Jon

Cersei - The Loser (For Now)

The sheer arrogance that Cersei had all these years and even today was smothered into ashes (literally and figuratively) as she and King's Landing was absolutely destroyed by Dany and Drogon. What, however, was the beauty of it was Cersei exhibiting fear. She knows she might as well die any moment and she is begging to live and crying her guts out with a returning Jaime as they try to escape. Their scene ended rather ambiguously and we have to wait and see their fate in the finale. The least I can say is how Cersei is scared as ever and that is fun to see.

Cersei

Bye Bye - The Worst Written Main Character in The Show

Just as badly as Euron Greyjoy was written and dealt with throughout the show, he faced an equally underwhelming death. Not that Jaime killing him was unsatisfactory or unexpected but it was almost as if he wanted Jaime to kill him after the Dragon attack. The so-called fiery and ruthless Euron bids farewell and it did not make us feel anything. Fortunately, it was made watchable owing to actor Pilou Asbaek's amazing performance but otherwise, nothing.

Euron

The Showdown Of The Cleaganes

The much-awaited moment finally arrived when what fans had been expecting for a long time happened - The Battle Of The Cleagane Brothers. Finally having seen The Mountain's post coming-back-from-the-dead's full version, the fight between the brothers began. That sequence had the most beautiful moments of director and cinematographer's brilliance as every fall, thud and punch or kick was coordinated with Arya's struggle to survive the Kings Landing demolition. Also, it was so beautiful to see small throwback to Mountain's way of killing Oberyn as he tried to do that to The Hound too but the latter saved himself somehow. The conclusion to this battle was perfect as both brothers died owing The Hound's push and falling off into fire. There was a sense of poetic justice to them leaving this world together even though the brothers hated each other's guts.

The Cleaganes

Dany - Once A Targaryen Always A Targaryen

All her losses, all her bad decisions and everything else was finally dealt with the ruthlessness of Daenerys Targaryen - The Unburnt. Justifying her Targaryen name, she did not care about burning innocents anymore and just wanted to exercise her supremacy. All the mercy, goodness and likability of Dany took a backseat as she reminded everyone - she is a Targaryen after all. After demolishing The Iron Fleet in a matter of seconds, all Dany needed was her one dragon, Drogon to burn King's Landing into ashes. The moment Dany takes a breather before deciding to demolish Kings Landing entirely was brilliant as that along with Grey Worm's determination told the viewers how they don't care about anything anymore but just revenge and supremacy. Her outburst was perfect story arc for her character as Tyrion, Jon and Ser Davos looked on in shock.

Dany

While many have been some of the best written episodes, this one was one of the best directed ones. And who other than Miguel Sapochnik to do that. The maestro behind Battle Of Bastards, Hardhome, The Winds Of Winter and The Long Night, Miguel proved his brilliance yet again with this episode. In spite of it having constant action and destruction, not once do you feel fatigued by that and in fact paced things up so well. The brilliant direction, coordination of different scenes and the editing made the episode the fantastic fare it was.  

Remembering the Mad King - "Burn Them All".

Miguel

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