No matter from any point of view, everyone's attention to the third episode will not be inferior to this season's finale. It carries too much about "ice and fire", "life and death", "time and feelings", " Waiting and Farewell".
(Before reading this article, it is recommended to read the "Clue Sorting" post I posted yesterday. " Game of Thrones" S8E3 Clue Sorting: The true face of "Death", the Xiong family is full of loyalty , I put the memorial for the deceased mainly there... …)
Since this episode is too controversial, I will briefly talk about the main conclusions first, and then start the analysis——
1. The screen is too dark.
This is due to the fact that the game of Game of Thrones is too "realistic" . Careful friends should be able to find that the night scene of the show will always only have two tones, one is gray and black, and the other is dark red... Because the dimension There is no "light" in Stroh's world, and almost all night scenes use candlelight and firelight textures ... This episode is still the same as the Battle of Winterfell.
So, we really want to thank Melisandre (and the "Lord of Light" who empowered her) for not only illuminating the hope in the dark night, but also the struggling eyes of countless viewers.
2. Too many bugs.
To borrow a word from my friend, "The essence of the Battle of Winterfell is to assassinate the city, not to defend the city." All participants in the battle are "dead warriors" who can be sacrificed. As long as the Night King is beheaded at the end, victory is won. Even if the army of the dead is wiped out, it will be a failure.
Therefore, there is no problem with the general direction of the strategy in this episode, but unfortunately, there are quite a few problems in terms of tactical use and actual effects ... It's okay to watch the excitement, but if you really want to get serious, you have to frown.
3, poor perception.
This point is somewhat related to the other points, but it can be said that it is taken out alone, largely because the audience's expectations for this episode are too high.
For example, the "dead man", the atmosphere of the last episode was very good, and in the end, there were not many characters who were too important to die in this episode . Although we understand that there are too many unnamed heroes sacrificed, the audience's emotions are sustenance. In terms of characters, it seems that Eddie, Lyanna, Berry, Theon, Jorah and others are not enough...
4. Hasty ending.
Most of the episodes show how powerful the Legion of the Dead is and how invincible the Night King is, but in the end he easily died in the hands of Arya, and all the other ghosts and ghouls around seemed to turn a blind eye, even if the "water" "Dancers" walk silently, is this really okay? Is the Night King just finished like this? Are there any secrets related to Bran's "Three-Eyed Raven"?
In fact, complaining about "The Night King's lunch is too casual" is the same as complaining about "Jon and Long Ma paddling in the war", but it is still "protagonist thinking" at work , which was once the most "opposed" thinking of Game of Thrones, and there are no rules Who has to be unique... The real question is, is the "ice and fire" that runs through the entire show over? If there will be additional explanations in the next three episodes, that's okay to say, otherwise it's really anticlimactic...
To sum up, in addition to the poor plot logic and poor visual experience, the third episode is first-class in terms of character characterization, camera usage, scene design, and soundtrack (especially music).
Let's start to analyze the content of this episode in detail~ I roughly divided this episode "Battle of Life and Death" into three stages .
Stage 1: Battle outside the city
The long shot at the beginning of the episode is excellent, showing the tense combat readiness in Winterfell through the perspective of Sam and Tyrion in turn , and then illustrating the human side's formation from the inside out.
The personnel distribution I mentioned in the last episode has changed, mainly because Eddie, Sam, Sandor, Berry, Gendry and others all joined Tormund's right-wing phalanx, Bai Ling was in the cavalry phalanx, Sansa and Arya and the two are watching/supervising the battle at the top of the city.
Melisandre , who was on a single horse, was waiting for Winterfell first . She added the flame buff to the Dothraki cavalry's scimitar enchantment and then entered the city (it can be seen that the dragon crystal weapon has not been allocated. everyone?).
Regardless of whether there is a problem with the formation outside Winterfell , the light cavalry phalanx sprinting directly towards the ghoul army is not sensible . It can only be said that the horse people feel that they are full of strength... In addition, in the cavalry phalanx and no The catapults between the Scarecrowers' phalanxes only played a partial role at this time, and nothing could be done afterwards.
The flames of the cavalry regiment were quickly engulfed by death and darkness , probably the most terrifying scene in the episode, with only a handful of people such as Jorah escaping back.
Seeing this scene, Daenerys is about to rush to the front line immediately. The Dothraki and the Unsullied are her trump cards . After all the capital, how can she stand still in the future? She left immediately despite Jon's dissuasion, and Jon, as a "wingman", had to keep up - that is to say, the plan of "two people and two dragons" to ambush the Night King went bankrupt, and the entire battle plan was not implemented from the beginning, The creators also made a special explanation after the event (throwing the pot).
One of the best shots of the endless ghouls in the dark rushing out to hit the defense .
The Unsullied phalanx of the central army was the first to be impacted, and the left and right flanks were also in close contact with the army of ghouls . Human beings suffered heavy losses in the first battle. If the two dragon flames hadn't attacked in time, the defensive formation would soon collapse .
Jon observes that the Legion of the Dead is simply sending the ghouls to the front, while the White Walkers are watching from behind, and the Night King is nowhere to be seen —until a foggy storm suddenly blows in the air (this one is in the hard times). also appeared).
Most of the dead army was hidden in the storm, and Jon and Daenerys, whose vision was blocked, collided in the air... At the same time, Arya asked Sansa to hide in the tomb, and Eddie tried to save Sam Sacrifice in the melee under the city.
The ghouls were on a tear, and the left and right flanks began to retreat as planned. The gates of Winterfell were wide open, allowing the northern army and the valley reinforcements to enter the city. The Unsullied Legion, which was the main pressure, covered the retreat of the friendly army.
This order can also be regarded as "more work for the able", because the Unsullied are the only legion of the many armies on the scene that have the ability to form a defensive formation and stop the enemy (this is also the virtue of the Unsullied's long-standing reputation).
Helpless , the dead army did not know the fatigue and fear, and quickly harvested the front-line soldiers. In order to stop the loss in time, Gray Worm had to break the bridge and gave up the remaining comrades-but due to the dense fog and storm brought by the Night King, Dany Liz couldn't see the ignition signal, and the rockets at the top of the city couldn't ignite the trenches...
Under the cover of everyone, Melisandre once again made a powerful display, igniting the entire moat, and after a while, the army of the dead surrounded Winterfell (why are the fortifications such as trenches no longer fully prepared).
After Sansa came to the tomb, Tyrion couldn't help thinking that he would be different on it (maybe it really works), Sansa told him that it was no use to go, and talking, the old couple chatted with sparks coming.
In the face of Tyrion's "joke" proposal to "combine", Sansa clearly refused, not to say that Sansa must hate her husband, but because of the existence of Daenerys, it is better for the two to keep a distance .
Hearing these ear-piercing words, Missandei couldn't sit still: You still treat the "Mother of Dragons" as outsiders, but without her, everyone would have to die.
To be honest, apart from the assassination scene at the end of this episode, this is the scene that has the most influence on the subsequent plot. It means that there are still rifts and unstable factors among allies who have experienced the battle of life and death together.
Stage 2: City Civil War
The light of the fire in the trenches is a signal that the plan is about to move on to the next stage (although the retreat outside the city was planned, but the loss is too great).
After a brief exchange with Theon, Bran "leaves" into the Raven to fly away to lure the Night King to the Godswood.
The Night King, who was summoned by Bran, had no doubt that he was deceitful, or that he didn't care about the other party's plan at all, and began to command the ghoul army to fill the trenches with his body.
At this time, Jon, who had returned to the head of Winterfell, and Daenerys, who was in another place, both saw the situation outside the city, and also saw the Night King high in the sky. The two drove Rhaegal and Drogon to chase the night . King.
Therefore , the "City Wall Defense War" and the "Dragon Air Battle" were carried out at the same time.
The defensive battle on the ground once again exposed Winterfell 's lack of preparation and materials . I think when the Dragon Cave Conference was held, King's Landing could afford thousands of barrels of asphalt (not to mention wildfires), so he could burn how he wanted to. , and the city head of Winterfell, except for some insignificant dragon crystals, does not have any other decent fortifications.
In addition to withdrawing the archers and letting them go to a higher place to shoot arrows, the defenders can only rely on manpower to carry out pure hand-to-hand combat on the wall ... Jaime and Brienne's teamwork to kill the enemy, Jorah's rescue of Sam all happened in this scene.
When the ghouls continued to break through into the inner city, Sandor had lost his fighting spirit - this time, he should not be afraid of fire, but he felt that resisting "death" was meaningless, and he gave up ...
Until Berry gave him a boost: Arya. When she retreated to the city before, Arya saved Sandor's life by shooting an arrow. If she had any reason to fight, Arya did count as one.
After the city gate was breached by the giant corpse soldiers, the rate at which the dead army rushed into the inner city surged, and the giant corpse soldiers also easily destroyed the dragon crystal that could have stopped them, and the gate of Winterfell opened wide in an instant (the defensive measures in the city) It can only be counted as "100-level", and the scale of this war is "10,000-level").
Bear Island's gate reserves were quickly depleted, and Commander Lyanna Mormont perished with the Giant Corpse at the last minute. The frontal defenses in Winterfell collapsed, and a large number of ghouls poured into the city.
The battle inside and outside the city is just a delay, the key to victory and defeat lies in the air - unfortunately, Jon and Daenerys combined are not as scheming as the Night King, they wanted to attack, but was ambushed by the Night King , Daenerys almost got hit.
Seeing that one hit was missed, the Night King was not reluctant to fight, and quickly escaped the one-on-two situation and returned to the low altitude. The Dragon Warriors could only continue to chase after their butts.
At this time, the living and the dead in Winterfell were completely mixed together, and it evolved into a melee of catching and fighting. When someone came to beg to open the door of the tomb to escape, as the highest authority on the scene, Sansa did not order to let them in, and the cry for help disappeared after a while...
I have to say that Sansa's choice is correct. The tomb is full of old and weak women and children who are incapable of fighting. Once the door is opened, everyone will die.
Through Arya's behavior, it can be understood that there are also dragon crystal weapons inside Winterfell, and they have long been prepared for "indoor warfare" .
The next scene in the library of Winterfell will turn "Game of Thrones" into "The Walking Dead" in seconds. Even though Arya, who has already lost her strength before, is not an opponent of "corpse sea tactics", she can only flee for her life in embarrassment. .
At the critical moment, Sandor and Berry's assistance also arrived in time. In order to save and cover Arya, Berry was injured and died one after another.
"The Lightning King" finally ushered in and completed the mission given to him by the "King of Kings", and he, who should have died in Jiuquan long ago, can rest in peace.
The third and most important thing that Melisandre did when she came to Winterfell was to interpret and convey the mission of these "Lord of Light" warriors. The same words, in different environments, have a distinct meaning. different meanings.
Under the cover of Melisandre and Sandor, Arya, who was "powerful", hurried away to go to her inevitable mission.
Stage Three: Beheading
As Winterfell was breached, more and more ghouls rushed to the Godswood, and the Iron Seeds led by Theon began to defend as Bran's escort.
There is a question here. Before , Arleigh Karstark came to the heart tree with Theon, and the costume was also one of the guards, but there was no camera behind it. I don't know if it was life or death...
After the Night King landed at a low altitude on the "Ice Corpse Dragon" Viserion, the first thing he did was to burn down the city wall (Winterfee was much more fragile than the Great Wall of Despair) , and let more ghouls enter the city to open up the way for him. The road to the Godswood.
Jon, who was chasing the Night King, also "captured" the target, and the two broke out in an air battle again. Due to Daenerys' surprise support, the Night King accidentally fell to the ground, but Jon did not escape the result of falling to the ground.
The Night King, who appeared alone in the open field, had nowhere to run. It was a godsend. Daenerys seized the opportunity to burn the Night King with dragon flames... As a result , people are not afraid of ordinary flames, but also of magic dragon flames.
Some people say that the Night King was once a Stark, and some people say that the Night King should be a Targaryen... But no mortal body will have "physical resistance" + "magic resistance" to this level, it should be Say, the Night King is the Night King.
After the Night King threw the javelin again to force Daenerys and Drogon away, he set off towards the Godswood . Jon, who fell to the ground, still did not give up the "decapitation goal"-Dragon flame was no good, he could only use the Valyrian steel sword Tried it.
It's a pity that the Night King, who was aware of it, pulled up all the corpses on the battlefield in an instant, including Eddie and Lyanna who were killed in the previous battle... Jon, who couldn't catch up, had to start over.
At this point, all the living outside Winterfell were dead, and the resistance inside the city was not enough, and then the White Walkers slowly followed the Night King into the city.
So far, the Legion of the Dead has used its own advantages to completely crush the human side. Although it was originally a one-sided scene, the poor performance of the opponent made it easier for them to win ...
By the way, the Night King's "group resurrection" did not only pull up fresh corpses on the battlefield, but even the old corpses in the tombs of Winterfell were revived together . The Stark ancestors."
Since the cemetery is a "Jedi" with the gate closed, the left-behind people who lack soldiers are completely lambs to be slaughtered. Fortunately, there are not many corpses in the cemetery that are really capable of moving, and the speed of the dead inside is still not as fast as outside ... Shan Shan Sha and Tyrion are here once again to "share weal and woe".
In order to save Jon, who was about to be overwhelmed by ghouls, Daenerys once again helped him by expelling the dragon and breathing fire, and escorted him to the Godswood .
But Drogon, who fell to the ground, was inevitably besieged by ghouls. This injury was much worse than being stabbed by a spear in the Meereen Arena. Drogon, who was in pain, couldn't help but fly away from the ghouls. Daenerys accidentally fell to the ground, It was all Jorah's escort that she survived.
All the Ironborn were killed, leaving only the wounded Theon to guard Bran, but the ghouls and the White Walkers had already surrounded them in three layers...
At the last moment before the Night King came to the Heart Tree, Bran, who had been seducing him, finally regained consciousness. He rarely thanked the kind brother in front of him: Theon, you are a good person, thank you.
At this time, the others were too busy to take care of themselves, and Jon, who was rushing to the Night King, was held back by Viserion (he didn't even save Sam, who was in critical condition in order to "behead")... Theon looked around, no matter how he looked. , the battle was lost .
But for Theon, it was no regrets to get Bran's forgiveness and affirmation. Theon, who was no longer a demon, launched a final charge against the Night King, and died with the honor of the Stark family.
It's far-fetched for Arya to be able to silently approach the Night King , even though Jon said here in the first episode that she "walks without a sound", even with the keel-hilt dagger that Bran gave him here... ...but being able to slip under the eyes of ghouls and white ghosts is too dreamy, after all, the Faceless can't be invisible... After the Night King was dealt with, all the White Walkers shattered in an instant, and the ghoul corpse dragon returned to the dead.
As for why the Night King had to deal with Bran with his own hands, I can only say that he is too "ceremonial" . I think in the sixth season, he also insisted on cutting off the previous Three-Eyed Raven with his own hands... It was he who caught Ye With the only "human-like" weakness of the king, human beings can turn defeat into victory.
But looking at the entire life-and-death battle, the human side can be said to be a complete failure . The original plan was not ideal, and it was not executed at all when it started. The whole army lacked reasonable and effective command. " and "Assassin" have done their best, but their other identity should be "General"... If Melisandre hadn't woken up Arya, Winterfell would have no chance of winning.
In addition, the rhythm of the whole battle is also very confusing . At the beginning, the efficiency of the ghouls engulfing the cavalry is terrifying. Before and after the city was destroyed, they suddenly fought with the living people back and forth. Some "hero units" were particularly resistant to construction. It is common sense that a person like Sam cannot survive to the end on the battlefield, and can only be interpreted as "a powerful halo"...
Taking a step back, even if the defeat on the frontal battlefield was planned, Winterfell was still "hiding soldiers"... This was also a victory that depended on luck and fate.
end
The great "Battle of Life and Death" has come to an end. Even if there is further development in the future, it should not be as tragic as this episode. It's time for the survivors to lick their wounds.
Jorah has suffered too much while guarding Daenerys, and it's all based on a belief... When the ghouls fall in pieces, he can finally die peacefully in the arms of his lover and dragon.
Melisandre completed all the missions, and in accordance with the arrangement of the "Lord of Light" and the agreement between Winterfell and her , she took off the collar on her neck before sunrise, and after revealing her own body, she quickly returned to the dust, and her The gods are united.
"A Song of Ice and Fire" has been sung here, and then it will return to the theme of the series "Game of Thrones".
It is a little embarrassing that the struggle for power and profit between people is smaller than the battle of life and death in ice and fire ... I just hope that in the remaining three episodes, there will be a convincing reversal or ending Bar.
I know that after watching the third episode, you must have too much to say, including questions about the logic of the plot, the experience of perception, who lives and who dies, the picture is too dark, etc... Me too……
But for now, I'll just be patient and finish the "clue arrangement" of this episode first. After reading this article, it will help you better understand the content of this episode-in addition, about the "dead characters" in this episode. The word "commemorative" will also be mainly included in the following text, which is hereby explained.
[There will be spoilers below, please note. 】
1. Melisandre's home
After the end of the sixth season "Battle of the Bastards", due to the fact that Melisandre burned Princess Shireen to death, an angry Davos asked Jon to execute her. Jon, who was in a complicated mood, finally chose to exile, but " You shall never return to the North , " he said.
Davos also added: If you dare to come back, I will kill you with my own hands .
Varys also told Melisandre to leave Westeros and not come back after Daenerys and Jon met in the seventh season.
But Melisandre wouldn't listen, because her fate was already doomed .
Therefore, after Melisandre enters the city at the beginning of this episode, Davos will greet her with an angry face. If the red-robed woman does not speak, the Onion Knight might really cut her sacrificial flag first...
Melisandre came to Winterfell to help in the battle, she knew she wouldn't live until sunrise, and she proved her worth.
After the battle, Melisandre took off her necklace and turned into ashes in the snow...
The red-robed girl finally completed the mission given to her by the "King of Light".
2. Crash teaching of weapons
Jon gave Arya the sewing needle before leaving Winterfell.
For the little girl who has never played a sword, the only thing Jon, who is pressed for time, can teach her is to "stab the enemy with the pointed end."
Now, this scene is played out again between Arya and Sansa.
The difference is that Arya gave Sansa a dragonglass dagger, which Sansa didn't use after that.
3. I didn't leave you this time
Eddie and Glenn once left Sam before the "Battle of the First Men's Fist", nearly killing him.
When the remnants of the Night's Watch retreated afterwards, Sam felt disheartened and bored...
Eddie didn't deny this, he also told the truth very clearly: we left you, because everyone had to die with you...
After that, Eddie followed Glenn to build up the weak Sam and let him live.
When "Melancholy Eddie" was hardly happy, the problem of his poisonous tongue never changed——
Even before the war started, he did not forget to complain about Sam being slow and slow.
But this time, instead of leaving Sam, Eddie saved his life ...
even sacrificed his life.
Perhaps, Eddie, who is "duplicitous", has always been haunted by that incident...
4. Couples who are not husband and wife
In the third season, Tyrion and Sansa were forced to marry by Tywin's "order"... Sansa was unwilling to commit himself to the dwarf Lannister, and Tyrion was unwilling to hurt the scarred lady Sta. gram.
So Tyrion promised that he would never sleep in his wife's bed as long as Sansa didn't want to.
When they got to the tomb during the war, the two clever and wise people really sparked so much that Tyrion joked that he wanted to "recombine" .
As a result, Sansa immediately interrupted his thoughts: it is impossible for the two of us. But now the main reason is not that they are a Stark and a Lannister, but the existence of the "Dragon Queen".
When the tomb was in chaos, the two thought it was the last minute, and in this situation, Tyrion almost couldn't help it... Sansa still politely let him kiss his hand.
Having said that, looking at the seven kingdoms now, and considering comprehensively from the aspects of character, origin, emotional foundation, etc., the person who is the best match for Sansa is really Tyrion ... Why don't you two get together? Not divorced anyway...
5. Take one as a hundred
Before the Battle of the Bastards, Lyanna Mormont agreed to send troops to help Jon in the name of the head of the family. The specific number of troops sent was 62...
But don't think too little, " all the men of Bear Island can be one to ten ".
This sentence should be correct, as long as you look at the performance of Lyanna herself, she tried her best to die with the giant ghoul before she died in battle...
Not to mention that one is worth ten, the reputation of "one is worth one hundred" is also worthy of. As expected of a girl hero from Bear Island and the North.
6. The face of "Death"
In the third season, when Melisandre took Gendry away from the "Brotherhood Without Banners", an angry Arya couldn't help but jumped out and scolded the red-robed woman. Melisandre looked back and saw the "darkness" in Arya's eyes. "…
She said something about the future, about death, about goodbye.
All these words come true in this episode.
After that, Arya resented the "Flash King" who sold Gendry to the Red Lady, and called Berry Dondarrion a "traitor".
Berry is also very helpless. The "King of Light" is his only god. If the servant of the "King of Light" wants to take away the ox, he must do so, and he cannot refuse God's order ...
At the same time, Berry has always wondered why the "Lord of Light" wants to pull him back from the world of death again and again. Whenever he thinks he has found his mission, he always finds that it is not yet time...
For Arya, the "Lord of Light" is not her god (at least not the only god).
So, who is your god?
"die."
"The Faceless" believes in the only true God in the world, and death looms over everyone.
In order to help and cover Arya, Berry was seriously injured and died. Arya's resentment against him has long since vanished, and now there is only sadness and reluctance...
But as Melisandre said, this may be Berry's last and true mission.
"What should I say in the face of death?"
This is a question that Arya's first mentor, Sirio, told her, and it was the best teaching he gave Arya.
The answer is "the hour has not come".
Now in Winterfell, shrouded in "Death", Melisandre said those words again, and Arya, who was once panicked, woke up like a dream—
I will not lose to "Grim Reaper". I am "death".
7. Theon goes home
For the so-called "honor" and stupid pride of the prince of the Iron Islands, Theon betrayed Robb and took Winterfell for "Father" Balon.
For this, he did not hesitate to threaten Bran, who had always regarded him as his younger brother, scolded Maester Luwin, who was close to his elders, beheaded the elder Roderick, and burned two innocent boys...
Theon regretted it long ago, but he felt that it was too late and he could only make mistakes.
In front of Rams, who had deceived himself, he expressed his sincerity and regret: ... I made the wrong choice, it was too late, my real father lost his head in King's Landing.
Since then, all Theon's experience has been his atonement.
In this episode, Bran, who becomes "The Three-Eyed Raven," makes his (almost) human-like emotional expression for the first time: what you've done brought you here, where you're going, where you're home.
Even if he didn't say that, Theon would fight for Bran until the very last moment... but there is nothing more comforting to Theon than his brother Bran's forgiveness.
After the Legion of the Dead surrounded the two, even Bran couldn't help saying to him: Theon, you're a good man, thank you.
This scene is the only tear I have in this episode, and it is also the tear I cried after watching it once, thinking about it again...
Theon Greyjoy, who felt that he had "no more regrets", picked up his spear and rushed forward. In front of him was the Night King who was threatening his life, and behind him was his younger brother who needed to be guarded . He was not afraid at all.
Theon of Winterfell, home.
8. The lore of "Death"
Arya's performance in this episode can be said to have brought out all her life's "martial arts" , such as saving the "Hound Dog" by archery in the city head, which shows that she has been good since childhood and has received the "Skilled Archer" of the Brotherhood " Superb archery directed by Angie.
In addition, when Arya swung the custom-made long stick-type weapon , I finally realized that this was clearly the "dog hitting stick" she used when she was a blind girl on the streets of Braavos and was being trained by her sister in the Black and White House. "Well……
The difference is that now this long stick has also been improved to be disassembled for use.
In addition to the "Faceless" martial arts, Arya has never forgotten the "Water Dance" given to her by Sirio. Her flexible and silent movement has helped her many times , such as when she fought with Brienne. .
Especially the keel-handled dagger that Arya played with, which ended in a "tie" at the beginning of the competition and came to an abrupt end.
Now, we finally see the second half of this move...
Which "Death" took away the "Death" in the long night? Anonymous.
9. Work for you
Jorah Mormont was once lost and became a "spy" by Daenerys' side in order to return to Westeros.
But after gradually falling in love with Daenerys, everything is different ...
Especially when she saw Daenerys reborn from ashes, Jorah was the first to kneel down and became the first follower and loyalist of the "Mother of Dragons".
For Jorah, Daenerys is both the monarch he will give and the love he will never get.
This love has long transcended the self-interest level of "needing to be rewarded". Jorah has had many opportunities to leave Daenerys or be forced to leave, but he has ignored them.
It may be the best ending for Jorah to die in the arms of Daenerys.
Goodbye, love.
PS: The official drama review is still in the next article, see you tomorrow!
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