Game of Thrones: Season 8, The Final Season (spoilers)

Shadowy assassin works...if there are some shadows. I can buy anything with doorways and passageways and hallways, but I'm not sure managing to approach the Night King in a giant open area surrounded (in a huge circle) by a small army is a situation where stealth is even technically possible.

Mainly, I'm just annoyed they didn't take advantage of any of the really obvious/cool potential explanations for that.

If Arya could suddenly imitate a zombie, wouldn't that seem like a bit more like Deus Ex Machina? Admittedly, it would have been totally bad ass, though...

Also, consider this. If there is a room full of people standing around two people at the center of say, a half circle (The people on the other side of the tree were sort of a non-issue), how fast do you think you could run from the back of the group to the center? There are martial artists that can run pretty quickly while remaining almost totally silent, btw. Let's say it's 4-5 seconds in this example just sort of judging what the distance seemed to be from watching.

Let's also presume she snuck up to right behind the walkers, so perhaps cut off 1 second of distance that way. Now, iff some googly-eyed dweeb suddenly rushed by me, it would take me a good 2-3 seconds to notice her and take at least a second to react. It would be just enough time for a walker to see her, at which point the NK would become aware, after which he would turn around and grab her out of mid-air...

and...scene!

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I think "she can take a wight's face" is the perfect surprise, in that it's something most of us won't have considered, but which makes perfect sense within the rules of that power. I certainly can't think of a reason she wouldn't be able to. Anything too obvious and it's not cool or surprising, but anything not obvious enough and it feels like a cheat. Obviously, this'll vary a little from person to person, but I think that idea satisfies the same criteria as a good plot twist: you won't think of it, but in seems obvious in retrospect.

I honestly don't entirely follow what you mean by the hypothetical where she runs up behind them. I thought he looked well-nigh(t) surrounded, though maybe there was an opening (if so, why?) in the pile of the dead. But to be clear, I'm already granting that she can move quickly and quietly.

Anyway, I dunno that this rises to the level of plot hole, or whatever. I just think any good surprise has to be more than just technically possible, or impossible to disproven. Just seems like a low bar to clear for what's supposed to be one of the coolest and most exciting moments in the show's history. Feels like they left some pretty cool options on the table, but that's just my opinion, for sure.

A path up the center had been cleared by the dead to make way for the walkers and NK, so there was sort of a clear shot from the back with just the white walker group and the NK in the way.

I hear ya though. I think the show runners figured her popping out of the blackness was surprise enough, and it was a pretty cool shot of her emerging and then getting stopped mid-flight.

Ok ok....
Do we need to take this to the Last Jedi thread and continue there?

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I think cinematically, @Yoda, that wight-face would have been tough to pull off. Or maybe you're picturing it this way: we THINK we see one of the dead attacking the NK from behind, are confused for a second, and after he collapses into ice shards, she removes the face?

I get what you're saying, but it adds a step in the process of viewer-realization... and we already saw her do that with Walder Frey. I really LIKED how I felt the second I saw her emerge from the shadows like that, all ninja-like and badass. I literally YELLED "ARYAAAA!" when I saw it. Anything that might have delayed that response in me or confused me would have blunted that delight and joy I felt.

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Thanks @Austruck, @Miss Vicky, and @ynwtf for possible meanings of "cake-smashing." All sound reasonable.

Austruck, thanks for that GOT/Westworld smashup video. They did a nice job there.

@Yoda, I just about choked on my soda when I saw that post about "enjoying some 'Bran-time.'"

And @doubledenim, speaking of Kingslayers, I guess we could call Arya a Kingslayer now couldn't we?

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I interpreted it as his heritage has ruined her party

My fav kingslayer:

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“The gladdest moment in human life, methinks, is a departure into unknown lands.” – Sir Richard Burton

Imagine if one of the final scenes is Cersei drinking a glass of Wine overseeing the beheadings of Jon, Dany, Tryion, Arya and Jamie

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I mean, even though his parents did a good job

and made him a very mannered and well spoken little man, he has really changed into something different. Into his own. With time, he has really been able to stand on his own feet (eh, you know what I mean) and after his complete change to his new lifestyle and status, there really isn’t anyone to help him anymore. No one by his side. Now it’s



I’m sorry. It’s late, things happen. Oh well, goodnight everyone! See you 2 AM tomorrow!

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If you do a rewatch of this past episode, look for this in the opening credits: When they zoom down to the crypts now, at one point the LIGHTS go out! Apparently this wasn't in the opening credits for the first two episodes. I love those credits and their little touches like that!

I'm thinking they have to do it. A little Jaime and Arya on the King's Road banter





Maybe the whole zombie movie scene where Arya eludes the walkers was the prelude to her sneaking up on the NK.

Or it's pitch black and no one can see anything.

I felt like it was easy for her to get past the White Walkers because they literally did nothing the entire episode.



I agree with @Austruck that they wanted quick reaction emotions from the audience. Something like this...

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Suspect's Reviews

The Burlington bar clip is great, I mean they know they're being filmed so it's not totally authentic but still good.

Was this the great, incredible, gorgeous, gigantic, gleaming, huge, enormous, tremendous, absolutely fantastic (did I miss any of the Trump's adjectives?) battle that was better then The Lord of the Rings one? Laughable man! If Gandalf ain't coming from the East at first light on the fifth day, than it can't be better.

Lord of the Ring's 'Battle of Helm's Deep' battle scene took over 3 and a half months of night shoots to finish. Computer software was created specifically for the scene due to the massive crowds needed. Clocking in at 39 minutes long with a full narrative arc, it is almost a movie within a movie.
https://filmschoolrejects.com/battle-of-helms-deep/

Don't know, I'd be hard pressed to pick the better battle. Probably leaning toward Winterfell.

Can we keep this in perspective though? That's a movie, this is a TV show.

And they filmed this one in 55 nights, not upwards of 90 days.
@TheUsualSuspect ... That clip made me cheer and cry all over again. Gosh, now I wish I'd watched the episode with a crowd of people.

That's *precisely* what I meant about the reaction the producers had likely hoped for.

Yeah, I know, but the people that made that foolish statement didn't, so, I'm in the liberty of trying my best to ridicule them. But let's talk facts.They had two years to make this last season. A total of six hours I believe, one each episode. The Two Towers had three hours of film and one years between each film of the trilogy. It was made seventeen years ago, let's compare the technologies now and then? They could have done much, much better, but okay, David Benioff is no Peter Jackson. It took the astonishing 274 days to do the principal photography of the Lotr trilogy.