(This review contains
spoilers for episode 8)
Well after five years of
buildup, we can say winter is finally here. Not in terms of snow and
ice – we've already seen plenty of that – but in terms of its
deadliest element: the mysterious White Walkers. “Hardhome” is an
episode where not a whole lot happens. The Winterfell and King's
Landing subplots are merely stalling for the finale, but this is made
up for in Meereen and north of the Wall, where Game of Thrones
reaches some key turning points. This is an episode that's every bit
as crucial as “The Rains of Castamere”, but whereas that episode
is notorious for its twist ending, “Hardhome” deals with plots
that we've seen being set-up since day one. The Lannister and
Targaryen destinies become intertwined for the first time in almost
twenty years while the White Walkers give the Stark words a
terrifying vindication.
The
meeting between Tyrion and Daenerys was an interesting one, because
it fundamentally changes the course of the story, yet neither
character behaves any differently to how we've expected them to.
Tyrion gives dry commentary while drinking heavily (Daenerys cottons
onto his vice pretty quickly) while Daenerys gives more speeches on
how she's going to tear the oppressive Westerosi hierarchy asunder.
I
think it's time to be brutally honest: I'm not much of a fan of
Daenerys Targaryen. I can see why people love her so much (her
character arc, her pets, her compassion mixed with her coldness) but
personally she just doesn't do much for me as a character. Maybe I'm
just jaded because her subplot has been cut off from every other
storyline for years, and the only reason I care now is the
introduction of Tyrion, a character I find much more interesting.
Maybe it's because her grandiose speeches feel somewhat hollow given
how there's still no guarantee that she's suppressed the
counter-revolution against her. As I said before, how can she be
expected to rule Westeros if she can't keep the peace in one city?
Another
reason Daenerys's reputation feels hollow is that one of her greatest
assests (her dragons) are too dangerous for her to handle. They're
the ultimate symbol of her family's power and yet she has to keep two
of them locked up with the third has gone AWOL. I'm just not
convinced that she's as much of a badass that the series wants her to
be. Again, I'm not saying she's objectively a bad character as I can
see why people would love her. It's just that on a personal level of
character investment, Daenerys (along with her entire court) is way
down at the bottom for me along with Bran Stark, but that's another
story. I can appreciate that Tyrion and Daenerys meeting is a turning
point for the series, but for me it's Tyrion that makes it
worthwhile.
The
other event of note is of course the White Walkers' attack on
Hardhome. This is preceded by a Night's Watch delegation to broker
peace with the wildlings. The meeting goes fairly well given how
they've been at each other's throats for centuries, but this only
makes it all the more tragic when the entire population are converted
to the White Walkers' army. In the past we've seen characters cut
down in their prime and used as red herrings to fool the audience
about where the story might be going. In this case, instead of a
person it's an alliance between two sides that gets shot down. The
episode does give some little character touches that work to sell the
horror of the White Walkers' plan, when their humanity is taken away
to become part of their army. A wildling warrior being eaten alive by
zombified children was a particularly effective way of showing this.
The
battle itself is filmed very well. The use of fog and smoke gave the
scene an eerie quality and also worked well in the initial stages of
the assault. At the start it seemed as if Hardhome was being attacked
not by an army, but by the forces of nature. In one sense that's
exactly what the White Walkers are, but this contrasts with their
perverse recruitment of the dead to their cause. I liked the use of
practical effects for the skeletons as they attack the gates. The
screams on the other side giving way to silence was one of the most
chilling scenes I've ever seen. On the other hand, Wun Wun's casual
trampling of his enemies gave the scene some nice comic relief while
also showing our heroes aren't totally outmatched.
The
White Walkers are also given a face in the form of the Night King,
who proves to be as frightening a villain as any we've seen without
having to say a word. His silence contrasts with the human villains
we've seen. Tywin Lannister, Littlefinger, hell even the Boltons (to
an extent) can be bargained with. The political ties and agreements
we've seen (like the Boltons' alliance with the Lannisters) are based
on the concept that one side needs something from the other. The game
of thrones itself is based on diplomacy and using other people's
needs to your own advantage.
But
as people like the High Sparrow show, the rules of the game are
changing. More absolutist figures are becoming more prominent, who
don't care about compromise or negotiations and only want to pursue
their own goals to the end with a single-minded determination. The
Night King seems to represent the zenith of that philosophy; he only
wants to conquer the world (it appears) and why bother with
negotiations when you can turn your own enemies to your side once
you've killed them?
The
silence as the stragglers sail away from Hardhome encapsulates this.
It contrasts with the very human arguments in the tent before the
assault; hundreds of clamouring voices all turned to one purpose. The
march of the dead on Westeros looks inevitable and the game of
thrones seems pretty trivial now.
No comments:
Post a Comment