SciFi Rewatch: Recapping Favorite Old Time Shows

I can forgive the last episode for more crap than I can forgive this one. This one has a lot more to live up to, of course—the very last Game of Thrones coda before the curtain drops. And I wish it had felt more authentic.

To address the big dragon in the room—who will be the next ruler of Westeros—this definitely felt a bit slapdash. In an earlier season, full of political machinations, it would have been someone else. I realize that Tyrion was trying to take the positive aspects of Dany’s “break the wheel” metaphor by switching things up a bit, but would the lords and ladies of Westeros really have gone along with it that easily? (In the show’s defense, I guess, maybe they were sick to death of war and strife. Anything to just start rebuilding already!) But yeah—it was too quick and too simple.

Can I just go ahead and spoil here who the next ruler is? Hopefully anyone reading this has watched the show? It’s Bran. And from a fandom perspective, he doesn’t work because we’re not invested enough in his character. That’s why it doesn’t give us the warm, fuzzy, resolution feelings. And I love Bran! He’s my favorite male character! :P Though to be honest, I’m responding more to the Bran of the books than I am to the Bran of the show.

At the end of the day, I didn’t completely hate the episode. I certainly didn’t go off to sign a petition to have Game of Thrones re-filmed, or talk about the show’s legacy as a complete waste. Some of these character moments still worked for me. (And worked a lot!) Others didn’t…even the ones that I sorta wanted? :P That’s weird.

It is likely that a show like this is impossible to end effectively. Part of its intrigue was always tied up in the never-ending drama, which I suppose is a plus for the show, because most of those storylines didn’t go stale. But I also think that David and Dan rushed the ending for the last two or three seasons, and that worked to the show’s detriment.

Basically, my rewatch of season 8 of Game of Thrones confirmed everything I wrote more immediately after the finale. :P If I were to add something more explicitly, it would be that Essos was a big stumbling block, for both the books and for the adaptation. Alas.

But in terms of what I wanted thematically—a grimdark show about complicated people that left room for hope over nihilism—this final season, this final episode, delivered. So kudos.


( Episode Summary and Thoughts )

Ironic title, isn’t it, when we just had a major, climactic battle in the last episode, and none of the members of House Stark died. Spoiler alert! (And I should be thanking my lucky stars anyway, because I spent the whole time on pins and needles about Sansa. Remember the possibly apocryphal story about how George R. R. Martin’s wife claimed that she’d leave him if he killed Arya? That’s me with Sansa. :P …well, not really, I guess. I’d keep reading, after an appropriate period of mourning! …or watching, she writes in hindsight of having completed the series. :P)

Back on topic here, and of course there is a metaphorical way, this episode, that the Starks lost a member—insofar as he was ever an official one. What’s going to happen as Jon’s explosive secret becomes more public? That’s what one of the major story arcs of this eppy is about!

Otherwise, this is very much a transition episode. We wrap up whatever issues lie between people at Winterfell (which, as a property, is looking good, all things considering. :P) Of course, the big one with lasting consequences into the second plot is the issue of Jon’s secret. It works to undermine Daenerys further, as she pushes the survivors of the White Walkers to make post haste to King’s Landing.

And since we still have half a season left, it’s pretty obvious that Dany can’t just take King’s Landing like that. Well, first of all, should she use her dragons to sack the city? Loads of innocent people will die! Cersei certainly won’t make anything better for them. Has her headspace changed much since we’ve seen her last? (Spoiler alert…no. As D&D reminded us in the “Inside the Episode,” Cersei knew from season one that “if you play the game of thrones, you win or your die.”)

I have mixed feelings about this episode, but I might actually be a bit more forgiving of it than I remember being when it first aired! Hmm. I will delve into my thoughts (plus a lengthy summary of events—final season gave us long eppys, at least!) under the cut.

( Episode Summary and Thoughts )

Another strong episode, I think. It’s very character focused, and it hearkens back, in a whole lot of different storylines, to the Game of Thrones of old. We have capital built up with all of these people who now find themselves at Winterfell; when they interact with each other, often nostalgically about the past, we the viewers feel those connections, too, from watching earlier seasons.

Of course, this episode leads up to a precipice. Most imminently, the fight with the dead (but there’s also that big reveal about kingship and ownership of the seven kingdoms. :o) For me, as a snooty book reader, I have the most difficulty squaring the circle when it comes to the battle with the White Walkers happening so early in the season. I’m still fairly convinced that in the (written and unwritten) books, the fight against the dead is far more important than the fight for the Iron Throne. Here, even though characters like Jon pay lip service to the idea that the dead are more important than the throne, the season itself says that the fight against Cersei is more significant than the fight against the Night King, because the story won’t be over after episode three. Spoiler alert, I guess, but this season is over three episodes long. :P I mean, when I first watched it, I had fantasies about an elongated fight. Maybe the Night King making his way to King’s Landing in order to challenge Cersei directly, er, once he’s done with Winterfell. *gulp*

But I suppose in looking back, I can label myself as a Tyrion? :P Too taken with my own cleverness to realize when I’ve been outplayed, heh. Speaking of which, I come down on the side of the fandom, if there is one, that likes the idea that Tyrion isn’t perfect, at least. His mistakes on the show are often borne out of a sense of idealism, which doesn’t necessarily go punished, either. Because if there’s anything that the first two episodes of season 8 can teach us, it’s that human camaraderie is something to be treasured.

So yeah, there’s a lot going on in this episode, even if we don’t leave the one location (to be fair, most of the characters have now convened there.) There’s a lot to comment on, but I think the last thing I’ll ramble about over the cut pertains to the title. To be pedantic, perhaps, it certainly refers to Jamie bestowing upon Brienne a knighthood. This hearkens back to some of the most medieval-styled lore of Game of Thrones (granted, it turns it on its head by including a woman in this military order.) As a fan, I don’t usually get too swept away by GoT/ASOIAF’s obsession with fighting valor. But it was a nice moment here. Nice, because it was something that Brienne desired and deserved since she was first introduced on the show. Nice because it was Jamie, someone with whom she has a deep and respectful (if complicated) relationship with, who recognized and rewarded her worth. Nice to see the expression on Gwendolyn Christie’s face during that scene, and the support from the rest of the cast present. It gave a human purpose to all of this ritual. It was a character moment. And that remains the strength of the show.

Plus, if I might extrapolate thematically, Brienne was a woman fighting the odds against a system that didn’t want her to be her true self. Now, everyone at Winterfell is fighting the odds against the White Walkers, who want to annihilate them completely. The cards are now stacked! Though we’ll have to wait another episode before we see how it all plays out.

( Episode Summary and Thoughts )

I stand by what I talked about in the last episode; that it was mostly filler. Yes, we needed the set up, but this hour is most definitely the main attraction. Hope is back, in charge, and more evil than she ever has been this season! Callisto joins Ares in flip flopping allegiances in order to get what she wants. We have new guest stars (like one with a certain theme song) who join the roster! There are more callbacks to Hercules and the hinds blood dagger, plus “the rift” between Xena and Gabrielle that dominated all season. Our leading ladies are both tested with what they might do to save the world from Dahak, when the price for action is high.

And, of course, “sacrifice” takes on a new meaning, apart from the villagers who are unwillingly made part of it in order to usher Hope’s daddy into the world.

It’s a tricky episode of television, because it’s one that pits human characters against god characters, and of course the humans are expected to win. Spoilers spoilers. So yeah, there are some eyebrow archy plot moments, mainly having to do with the inaction of the gods. But Xena makes up for it with a strong focus on characters. Who is really keeping track of how many fireballs Callisto should be throwing, when emotionally things are coming to a head between her and Xena? I mention Xena specifically, because while the evil half-goddess Hope is Gabrielle’s child, Xena still bears significant responsibility for creating the villain Callisto became. One might argue—correctly—that she is a more compelling and dynamic character than Hope is, too. Though man, Renee O’Connor was having a blast playing Gab’s daughter. :P

There is some great stuff for Ares, too, just sayin! So much great stuff for all of the characters that they truncated or deleted a loooot of footage. The season three DVD set devotes one entire disc to just this episode and a bunch of special features—all of the unaltered scenes, interviews with several people involved in this particular duology and etc.

The ending packed a punch, and left fans on the edge of their seats that summer of 1998, wondering just what the hell would be coming next. Mission accomplished, season finale. :P

Summary is here, courtesy of whoosh.org.

( Spoilery thoughts )

I meant to get to recapping this back in 2019…woops. Oy.

Also: welcome to my favorite two episodes of the series! :D Though technically, I’m kinda hoping that the season finale will hold up a little better. :/ Or add a little more context. Or make me forget the awful ‘90s CGI (though Hudson Leick’s acting helped in that regard! :D Why get bent out of shape about a spiral wheel and large hands coming out of it when Callisto’s smirk follows, hee?)

It’s been several years since I’ve watched this, but I do think Beth Gaynor on whoosh.org has a bit of a point—part one is largely filler. A pretext for the big showdown that will be part two. And it moved kind of fast, too! Maybe it should have explained more, like what was up with Ares’s shift of allegiance? I have my theories, given the arc of the second episode, but it’s a little more wishy washy here.

But I do still love this episode. It’s the beginning of the culmination of The Rift, so of course we have to bring back the major players from earlier in the season—namely Gabrielle’s daughter, Hope! :o Yeah, I spoiled it. :P But the important thing to show in this iteration of the Hope conflict is that Xena and Gabrielle are largely on the same page again. And perhaps a little more, according to Steven L. Sears’s commentary!

You might also wonder what Callisto is doing in here (and Ares! Plus a lot of extras.) Apparently, Callisto, Ares and Hope all played guest roles in a recent episode of Hercules, which advanced their plotlines a bit. Xena apparently knew all of this through the grapevine because she’s Xena, so she’s basically all knowing. :P But seriously, I think they did their best to do a mini recap for those of us who didn’t watch the other show. There’s no getting around the clunkiness. But luckily, even in this set up episode, there is enough action and gravitas that recounting all of the backstory doesn’t necessarily matter. Just give everyone a quest (and from the title, you might guess what Hope’s ends up being :/) and let’s go! Season finale, part one, whooooo!!! :D

Summary is here, courtesy of whoosh.org.

( Spoilery thoughts )

The final episode before the big, two part season 3 finale! And yeesh, the cast and crew hate it something awful. :P I didn’t think it was that bad! Ridiculous, sure, but not as ridiculous as, say, the last episode, “Tsunami.” Then again, it’s been a year since I’ve watched that one, so. :P

Basically, Xena and Gabrielle go off to visit old friends we’ve never heard of before, members of two recently peaceful villages, who happen to have their statue commemorating that peace stolen from right under their noses. Autolycus shows up as well, because to protect his reputation as the King of Thieves, he has to steal said statue back. The Warrior Princess and the Bard work with him towards this end.

Yes, there’s stupid backstory and yes, there’s bad special effects. But Lucy Lawless, Renee O’Connor and Bruce Campbell have fun together! Or at least that’s how it’s always seemed to me. Maybe it’s because we’re so far removed from the end of the show that I can take the time to appreciate an episode that doesn’t amount to much more than generate some fun scenes between those three. Maybe it’s because I’m a secret hippie peacenik and like the idea of venerating a statue for the end of hostilities. Maybe it’s because of Lucy’s latest hilarious caricature (though it also kinda makes me cringe!) Most likely it’s because I’m taking a deep breath before diving into the final two episodes of the season, which are much more revered. And also my faves of the series, methinks, but I’ll get to those in due time!

Summary is here, courtesy of whoosh.org.

( Spoilery thoughts )

I’m here with the final episode of season seven, but I’ve fallen behind. :/ The final season is officially here! But I haven’t watched episode 8.01 yet. I wanted to get my feelings about the past action sorted out first.

One thing that sticks with me from this episode is not the terrifying final few shots of the season, cos that’s not how I roll. :P Except, of course, to worry about the safety of my faves. But what I’m really thinking about is the use of treachery on the show, and more specifically, in this episode in particular.

And yes, this all boils down to my issues with the Winterfell “gotcha!” plot, which I’ve talked about ad nauseum. I’ll lay out my arguments for the final time under the cut.

Other than that…there’s a lot to recommend this super long episode. Most of it takes place at the dragon pit at King’s Landing, where we’re privy to all sorts of reunions. Like I wrote about the last episode, this one of my favorite parts of the show! The human interactions are incredibly arresting, for the most part. And none moreso, perhaps, than the scene between our favorite, two-handed Lannister siblings. :P A family friend wrote me shortly after watching this, and he hinted that though he’s not emotionally affected by the series like I am, heh, even he could sense the power in this scene. I mean, all you have to do is get Peter and Lena in a room together.

Not nearly as strong a note to end on here, but remember when I “hint hinted” in episode 7.01 when the Lannister soldier talked about seeing the dragon pit? I told you that would pay off! :P

( Episode Summary and Spoilers )

Upon re-watch, I have to admit that I’ve probably been too hard on this episode in the past. The “capture a wight” storyline sounds reductive, but given the parameters of the show it’s really the only option of Team Breathing. Also, as I’ve stated ad nauseum, I really dislike aspects of the Winterfell story this year. But to be fair, in this instance it’s a particular segment of fandom’s response that pisses me off. :P The actual plot in this eppy seems legit. Some stumbling blocks in execution, but still legit.

Seems like every storyline is more or less asking itself the same question—when should we be ruthless and when should we work together? Other than White Walkers vs the living, that issue is still very porous. Plenty of human characters are still facing distrust and personal agendas.

I guess in that vein, it’s kind of soothing that several characters are banding together to find a black and white monster to convince others of a black and white problem. And it leads to a lot of reunions, too! Huzzah!

( Episode Summary and Spoilers )

Lots of reunions this episode. :P People who haven’t seen each other for significant amounts of time seeing each other again. Also, one huge introduction, which some parts of fandom have been clamoring to see for a long, long time. It is sort of foretold in the title of the book series, after all. :P

The women continue to rule the roost as well. There is one particular scene where a trio of women is at the bottom of the food chain (complete with sexist epithets being thrown at them), but the person on TOP of that food chain is also a woman. Dany, Olenna and Cersei all get some pretty kickass monologues. Sansa is freaked out by something, but over all she’s also at the top of her game. And Melissandre, though perhaps personally defeated, maintains faith in the bigger picture.

The human war remains unpredictable, and we’re taking slow steps with the undead war, too! And despite the drama, we even get a scene of camaraderie between strangers via Jorah and Sam. But the crux of this episode’s success lies upon the introduction between ice and fire. I thought it went well, for my part.

( Episode Summary and Spoilers )

Hello, hello! We are approximately seven weeks away from the start of the eighth and final season of “Game of Thrones.” Reaching the endgame here.

In recapping season seven, I may spend a liiiitle bit of time speculating about possible spoilers for the upcoming books (aided by Linda’s commentary at westeros.org) but I don’t mean to make it a big staple. Suffice it to say that the show and the books are largely two different animals by now. I’m more keen to comment on the show.

Like many season openers, this one casts a wide net, even as the characters slowly grow closer in proximity to one another. There’s a little bit of recapping past events and foreshadowing future ones. Since it’s very character driven I tend to be on board, though I have a tiny quibble to pick in the Sansa story. :/ Alas, compared to developments later in the season, this barely deserves notice.

But let’s stay on track here! Our first non-ten-episode season starts out strong. We get the character beats, and also some very direct reminders about the impending danger of the White Walkers. Winter is coming. :P

( Episode Summary and Spoilers )