[Review] Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 3 - The Long Night: The Ending That Lacked Weight

Just when everyone thought this week would bring two "Endgames," Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 3, "The Long Night," proved that this was not the finale.

"The Long Night" was the third episode of Game of Thrones' final season. Viewers certainly knew there were still three more episodes, but the first two episodes of the season heavily set up this battle with extensive character moments. Almost every character seemed prepared for sacrifice, and several major supporting characters had standout performances in the previous episode, "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms." Consequently, audiences viewed this battle between the living and the dead as the true "Endgame," expecting their beloved characters to meet their demise. However, the production team once again delivered a surprise—among the 22 main characters, only Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen), Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen), and Melisandre (Carice van Houten) died. This was a significant departure from the massacre audiences anticipated. While surprising the audience isn't inherently bad, and a plot differing from expectations isn't a major issue, this was no ordinary battle. This was the battle that had been foreshadowed since the very first scene of the first season, and the Night King had been presented as the ultimate threat to all the main characters for several seasons. This battle was literally a matter of life or death for humanity. In such circumstances, the Night King's death and the casualties of the battle felt somewhat anticlimactic, and the ending of this grand conflict ultimately lacked the weight it deserved.

Undeniably, at this point in the storyline, trying to conclude both this plotline and Cersei Lannister's (Lena Headey) storyline within a mere four episodes was an incredibly difficult task. Moreover, with the Night King possessing an ice dragon and an endlessly growing army of the dead, it was practically impossible for the living to defeat them through conventional means. Thus, watching the Night King reanimate fallen soldiers, and Jon Snow (Kit Harington) single-handedly confronting the ice dragon, I knew this battle could only end in one of two ways: either all the living would perish, or the Night King would be killed. The former was highly unlikely, as the series still had three more episodes to tell; therefore, the latter was almost the only solution, and it was the ending the production team chose.

However, the Night King had always been portrayed as the ultimate villain of the series, with abilities far surpassing any human, so defeating him was not necessarily a bad thing. Ultimately, the production team chose to sacrifice Jorah, Theon, and several minor characters who already had limited screen time in this battle, and Arya (Maisie Williams) ultimately killed the Night King with a surprise attack from behind. While both Jorah and Theon had been present since the first season, their narrative weight was far less than that of Jon Snow, Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), and Arya. Consequently, the sacrifices in this battle seemed disproportionate to the grand war the show had been building towards. While it's true that Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) and the Northern army suffered countless casualties, for the audience and the emotional development of the story, these ordinary soldiers simply don't carry the same weight as a main character. Therefore, this ending may not have allowed the audience to truly feel the grief of the main characters losing loved ones and comrades.

Despite my reservations about the plot's handling in this episode, its technical execution was indeed outstanding, perhaps the only minor quibble being the overall darkness of the imagery. Before this episode aired, many viewers compared it to Season 5 Episode 9, "Battle of the Bastards," also directed by Miguel Sapochnik. However, "The Long Night" differed significantly in that it took place at night, making many scenes difficult to discern clearly. While the dark environment certainly made the army of the dead appear more terrifying and unpredictable, it also had the potential to confuse the audience. Fortunately, the production team skillfully utilized firelight to illuminate the battle scenes, adding to the sense of chaos and danger. For instance, at the beginning of the battle, Melisandre imbued the Dothraki's weapons with roaring flames, and they charged into the enemy lines. Although many viewers criticized this as a foolish strategy, visually, the extinguishing flames of the Dothraki and the endless darkness of the enemy lines truly conveyed the horror of the dead and the apprehension of facing such a massive battle.

As each protagonist faced perilous situations, the Night King finally "descended" from the sky. The production team used various scenes to establish him as an incredibly powerful and terrifying villain. Daenerys first incinerated the Night King with dragonfire capable of reducing humans to ash, but he emerged unscathed from the flames. Then, Jon Snow attempted to strike him down, but the Night King preemptively reanimated fallen soldiers, putting Sansa (Sophie Turner) and Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) who were underground, in grave danger. After this scene, the number of wights dramatically increased, making them virtually unbeatable for the living. At this point, the Night King slowly led the other White Walkers towards Bran's (Isaac Hempstead Wright) location. The production team used slow motion to depict this scene, accompanied by mournful, desperate music. Watching the Night King advance step by step towards Bran, with the wights retreating to the side, I believe audiences would recall numerous iconic villain reveals from other classic films and series, and this scene indeed amplified the Night King's malevolent presence. As the plot unfolded to this point, the living seemed to have no chance of victory, but then the series delivered another surprise—Arya's surprise attack from behind. Just when everyone thought she had finally succeeded in killing the Night King, he caught her with one hand. Of course, the story wouldn't end there; Arya dropped her dagger, caught it with her other hand, and stabbed the Night King, killing him. These events unfolded in mere seconds, yet they delivered a multitude of surprises, undoubtedly keeping the audience on the edge of their seats.

The battle between the living and the dead concluded, with 19 main characters surviving. While this ending once again showcased Arya's heroic side and was certainly thrilling, for some viewers, it felt anticlimactic and rushed. We can only hope that these 19 characters will have better development and resolutions in the remaining three episodes! As Daenerys stated in the preview, they have won the great war, and now the true final war has arrived. As this season finally returns to its core theme of the struggle between the living in the next episode, I believe we will once again witness a true "game of thrones," and characters like Tyrion and Varys will finally have more significant roles.