Game Of Thrones Season 8, Episode 3 Review: The Long Night Ends, But Is The Dawn For Real?

I am not the only one feeling this strange combination of restlessness and calmness after watching the episode 3 of Game Of Thrones Season 8 and I say this after talking to a lot of GoT viewers.  The Long Night, as the episode is titled, have made millions and zillions of fans spend their night thinking about the spectacular Battle of Winterfell (This review contains spoilers; you may want to see the episode and come back to it).

Restlessness because, hell, The Night King and his army is dead and calmness, well, strange but again, The Night King is DEAD! The Azor Ahai (Prince that was promised) has been unmasked, a few of our loved characters have bid goodbye, new bonds have established, Winterfell is still standing and so are Dany and Jon Snow, err, I mean Aegon Targaryen. Phew, just so much happened in the 82 minutes of the episode, and covered-up for all the action which was missing in the last two weeks.

This review can’t begin with anyone else but the lady of the hour- Arya Stark- the woman who ‘stuck the pointy end’ into the Night King’s frozen flesh, shattering him into pieces of ice. Can you believe it? I couldn’t when I saw that li’l Arya, from Season 1, grow into this fiery assassin, with no face, take down the King of dead in one strike! What a moment that was! The background score added just the right amount of drama to uplift the simplicity of the scene- THE END OF THE LONG NIGHT!

Arya Stark’s heroic act also somewhere proves that she is Azor Ahai- The Prince, in this case the Princess, who was promised to be, by the Light Of God. Melisandre, the Red priestess who makes an eerie comeback in the beginning of the episode through the dark, to guide the living and do something good, for a change- her mission to find Azor Ahai, the prince who would bring the dawn to the long night by stabbing the Night King- which is exactly what Arya did.

The episode, though a little dark and difficult to gage who is dying and who is killing at some places, was a roller-coaster ride of emotions. The first 20 minutes, have no action, but trust me when I say, your heart will be pacing at a great speed in those 20 minutes and that my friend, is called superb storytelling! It successfully builds up the tension, takes the momentum to another level with beyond the clouds fight between dragons, bloodbath at ground zero between the living and dead, and surpasses expectations with its end- mind you, the Night King dies in less than a half a second, no drama no bangs and still it hits you and hits hard!  

Here are some of my favourite moments from the Battle of Winterfell:

The way Arya’s journey started on the series- a young girl, a rebel, fearless and raw and the way she fought the Battle of Winterfell, in the 3rd episode- what a character build-up, kudos to the directors, who have moulded Arya Stark into the assassin she is today. Arya and Melisandre’s interaction at the castle, where she reminds Arya of who she actually is- A Girl with no face! The moment when Melisandre reminds Arya what do we say when the God of Death comes knocking and young Stark replies, “Not Today”, before disappearing into thin air- all this forces you to think hard! Not to forget the moment where feisty Arya hanging in air, at the hand of Night King, stabs him to end the war and bring the dawn!

The midair fight between Rhaegal, Drogo and the undead Viserion was treat to the eyes. It did keep you at the edge thinking which one of the two living-Drogo or Rhaegal will be hit by the Night King this time but to our surprise, it’s the Night King who falls off his ride. There is a sequence between Viserion and Rhaegal, beyond the clouds, when the two get into a fight- visually the scene was a 10 on 10.

Emotional, and heart-breaking- Ser Jorah Mormont bids us goodbye. Right from Season 1, he has stood by Danny, come what may and till his last breath, did the same- protected his Khaleesi from the dead, when she needed him the most and dies in her arms. His end was heroic and also gets you teary-eyed as the Dragon wraps Danny and Ser Jorah in his wings, expressing grief.

Seeing the young Lady Lyanna Mormont charging towards the Giant Wight as she screams and decides in her heart that she will take this monster down- was another epic moment in the episode. She uses brains with bravery and stabs the dragon glass right into the Giant’s eye, sacrificing her life and killing him. This surely gave the fearless girl a right and justified heroic death.

Man of few words, Bran Stark, now the three-eyed raven, speaks up as Night King approaches towards him. He says thanks to Theon Greyjoy, who was protecting him at the Weirwoods, and tells him he is a “good man” taking us back to Season 2, where Theon took Winterfell from Bran, slashing Sir Rodricks neck, right in front of Bran. However, a changed Theon keeps his words and protects Bran till his last breath.

Overall, the Battle Of Winterfell, the Long Night will leave you thinking for a long time. You will be in trance. While many may mourn the deaths of Ser Jorah Mormont, Theon Greyjoy, Dolorous Edd, Lyanna Mormont, Beric Dondarrion, others will celebrate the end of Night King. But along with all these emotions, the lingering thought in my mind is- Is the Dawn for real? Or will we see a Wight strolling through the snow at King’s Landing, at the end of the series?  

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