First Time Disappointed In Thrones

Published May 6, 2019 · Updated July 6, 2022

Hey guys,

First time, (kind of) long time. Let me start off by saying I’ve really enjoyed listening to your podcast during the course of its run. You give the most interesting analysis without belaboring anything. I find it funny that other Thrones podcasts take double an episode’s run time recapping said episode’s events. Anyway…

I’m writing you for the first time because I feel it’s the first time I’ve had any reason to write. I’ve really enjoyed the show up until this episode. I completely agreed with your disappointment in viewers being overly critical of this and last season. BUT, after tonight’s episode I’m officially in the critic camp. This was just one betrayal too many from D&D. In an effort to avoid writing you a 5000 word email, I’ll list my problems below as concisely as I can.

1) Our main characters are essentially back where they started in season 1. Dany is her father’s daughter, Jamie is the guy who threw Bran out the window, Bran is just a crippled little lord, Sansa still doesn’t know when to keep her mouth shut, Arya is still a girl hellbent on revenge (although I’m still enjoying Arya & the Hound), and Jon is…well Jon is still Jon.

1A) If Sansa had really learned a single thing from all the shit she’s had to deal with, why would she tell Tyrion about Jon? The overarching lesson everyone (characters and audience) should have learned from the first 6 seasons is that the Lannisters–by which I mean Cersei, Tywin, and the power their name holds–need to be obliterated. Everyone who plotted past the point of taking the throne from them is now dead: Renly, Robb, Stannis, the Tyrrell’s, etc. By sowing discontent before the battle has begun, let alone been won, Sansa is making the same stupid and obvious mistake as everyone else.

1B) Dany: So Westeros has two mad queens now…the show has certainly hinted at this a few times, but going this direction with two episodes left seems forced and completely betrays the rest of her story arc. I can’t imagine Dany and Drogon surviving now. Such a shame. Such a shame for everyone in Slaver’s Bay. Without Dany or her dragons, I cant see how they stop slavery from returning.

1C) Bran’s entire story line seems pointless–what’s so important about the three eyed raven? Seriously, can anyone tell me? Jojen & Bran told Sam that the three eyed raven would be crucial to beating the white walkers. That wasn’t the case as Sam knew everything of importance Bran did: R+L=J & the dragonglass. If that’s it for Bran, his only worthwhile moment was at Littlefinger’s trial.

2) The first three episodes, and last week’s “victory” over the army of the dead feel completely empty/hollow after this episode. I’ve always anticipated Cersei being the final villain, hence the show’s title. But who are we supposed to root for now?

4) SERIOUSLY! ANOTHER FUCKING DEAD DRAGON! SERIOUSLY! I’m not a military man, but I have common sense. And my common sense tells me that it makes no sense to leave your HOME BASE TOTALLY EMPTY. Even when Robb Stark marched south, he left a skeleton crew at Winterfell. Where was Dany’s skeleton crew at Dragonstone? To me, this is just incredibly lazy writing. They wanted us to think everything was going good then, SURPRISE. This surprise was forced.

Bottom line, this show is fantasy/a fairy tale. If I wanted to watch a show where chaos reigns supreme, I’d watch the news. The good guys are supposed to win in a fairy tale. You can disagree with me there, but betraying the audience at every turn IS NOT the most interesting way for this show to play out. It may have been intentional–D&D wanted the audience to feel like the Long Night was a hollow victory. But I don’t see how they can wrap things up in 2.5 hours without betraying huge portions of a story that people have invested years of their lives in (both the audience and the show’s characters). What really bothers me is purposeful change in tone that the show took with this episode. It seems like D&D don’t have enough time to accomplish everything they wanted to. Instead of wrapping things up in a gratifying way, they’re forcing things on the audience. I want to end this by saying I HOPE I EAT MY WORDS…but I’m not counting on it. I have loved this show for nine years and hope this is just a blip.

Vallar Morghulis,

Mike

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