Not Enough Of Our Main Characters Died

Published April 30, 2019 · Updated July 6, 2022

Hi Hosts!

My name is Luke (from St. Louis, MO) and I’m a big fan of the show and you guys are by far the most detailed and insightful GoT podcasters out there. I have a couple of responses/questions regarding “The Long Night”.

1. I’d like to address the criticisms regarding the fact that the episode was “too easy” for the living and not enough of our main characters died. Firstly, I think it’s important to see how the deaths that did occur will affect the main characters. Sam, after convincing Edd and Jon to let him fight, will be haunted by Edd laying down his life to save him. Jon will be deeply hurt we he finds his black brother and right hand man Edd has died, in addition to Theon who was like a brother to him. Sansa, who clearly had immense feelings for Theon, will also mourn. Dany’s closest advisor and likely the man who loved her the most died protecting her, and couldn’t even mutter his final “I love you”. How will the Hound be affected by the death of Beric Dondarrion? While we might not have had strong feelings for these characters who have fallen, the other characters certainly do. Secondly, I feel like if a single main character had died (i.e. Brienne, Jaime, Sansa, Grey Worm, etc.) this episode would have been labelled as the show’s best ever. I think people hold this show to a different standard of death counts, so the fact that it’s being judged so hard on this is something that should be noted. Also, the living in no way got off easy: the Dothraki and Unsullied are decimated and I think Rhaegal is severely injured. How will Dany’s power dynamic change now that most of her forces are gone? Will Jon or Sansa make a play? If anything, this episode makes me anticipate the next three even more.

2. I wanted to ask you guys about Bran. What did and didn’t he know? I’m assuming he knew that it would be Arya that would kill the Night King, since he gave her the Catspaw (which was sort of confusing when it happened). What else do you think he had planned out? Do you think he mentally influenced anyone to be in the place that they were (i.e. Theon?). Let me know what you think.

Keep doing what you do and I can’t wait for the next three weeks’ podcasts.

Valar Morghulis,
Luke

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