Game of Thrones (Season 8), Episode 3: 'The Long Night' Review

A Potpourri of Vestiges Review

By Murtaza Ali Khan

Just finished the 'Battle of Winterfell' episode of Game of Thrones titled 'The Long Night' and all I can say right now is that it left me cold and not in a good way by any means imaginable. Seriously it can't get any worse... how can you take all of us for fools, Team GoT? No wonder even George R. R. Martin isn't pleased either with how the show is coming to an abrupt end. Clearly the show runners have lost the plot in desperation to end it all in a jiffy.

I never felt this underwhelmed after watching an episode of Game of Thrones... what a pity that it took 55 nights of shooting. 

Game of Thrones makers seem to have lost all respect for time and space. It’s unimaginable to see utter disregard. Of course, it’s nothing to do with the source material. George R. R. Martin’s books have it all sorted (at least the ones that are already out). I feel he had a great shot at winning the Nobel Prize in Literature with his amazing saga but it appears that money is more important to him after all. Otherwise why would a writer allow someone to ruin his creation like this? I mean not only his involvement in the television series stalled the progress on his books it also has rendered the upcoming ones useless, more or less.


The episode has disappointed me so much that I lack the motivation to even write a full length review like I had written for the first two episodes of Season 8. But I would be remiss not to appreciate Miguel Sapochnik's direction. No great battle scene can be created without studying what Peter Jackson and team achieved in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers' and in particular the Helm’s Deep battle sequence from which Sapochnik also took inspiration from for Battle of the Bastards. And let's not forget that in the past he gave us the series' best battle laden episodes viz. Hardhome and Battle of the Bastards. Sapochnik's direction in 'The Long Night' is yet again brilliant but since the episode fails to do justice to the Game of Thrones saga (how the White Walkers were first introduced and gradually the enigma surrounding the Night King was built) it somewhere fails to create the same impact of those episodes directed by him earlier. Also, the visuals are too dark and the inter-cutting between scenes too fast that often one fails to appreciate the action that unfolds on the screen. Perhaps, we could have got a better payoff if two feature length episodes were dedicated to the Battle of Winterfell instead of just one. 


Now as revealed by the episode 4 teaser the action next shifts to King's Landing where the decisive fight for the Iron Throne will take place. Episode 5 will be directed by Sapochnik again and so it is quite possible that we will see another major battle in that episode before the things finally begin to wind down in the sixth and final episode.

If you are in India you can watch the latest episodes of Game of Thrones on Hotstar.

Readers, please feel free to share your opinion by leaving your comments. As always your valuable thoughts are highly appreciated!


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