Who lived, who died and who saved the day during 'The Long Night' on 'Game of Thrones'
They weren’t kidding about the night being dark and full of terrors. The much-anticipated, almost-apocalyptic Battle of Winterfell unfolded entirely in the post-sundown, pre-sunrise hours, certifying that it will go down in the Westerosi history books as “The Long Night.” Not coincidentally, that’s also the title of the third episode of Game of Thrones’s final season, and it’s a plus-sized installment — the total running time was 82 minutes, over an hour of which was battle footage — that took the word “dark” a little too literally. Complaints about not being able to see who was doing the killing — and, more importantly, who was doing the dying — were rampant on Twitter.
Dear people making TV shows,
THE VIEWERS AT HOME WOULD PREFER IF THEY COULD SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING ON SCREEN STOP MAKING EVERYTHING SO DARK.
Sincerely,
Everyone watching tonight’s #GameOfThrones #GoT #BattleOfWinterfell— With Courteous Passion, Nic (@CloneNic) April 29, 2019
Me trying to see through the dark this entire episode of #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/BkVffOKwSS
— Kayla Schmidt (@get_schmidty) April 29, 2019
Article says GOT is dark because the show’s creators wanted it to be realistic.. ITS A SHOW ABOUT FLYING DRAGONS AND ZOMBIES, NO ONE IS HERE FOR REALISM - GIMME SOME LIGHT https://t.co/nPPGOUYL2b
— Casey Neistat (@CaseyNeistat) April 29, 2019
Scenes from next week's #GameofThrones #got twice the dark! pic.twitter.com/MoV61ltr8T
— Atrox13 (@_atrox13_) April 29, 2019
Let’s thank R’hllor that there was enough light for everyone to see the moment that clinched the Battle of Winterfell for the good guys: Arya’s finishing move that reduced the Night King to so many ice particles. With his White Walkers overwhelming the army of the living, the undead general strode confidently towards his true prey: Bran Stark, aka the Three-Eyed Raven, aka the living memory of Westeros.
Just before he could skewer the seemingly helpless Bran, Arya leapt out of the shadows with her Valyrian steel dagger at the ready. She wasn’t fast enough to take him by surprise, though; he caught her in midair and she dropped her weapon ... but not very far. Her other hand shot out, grabbed the falling dagger and ran it through the Night King’s body — a finishing move that originated during her Faceless Men training but will now forever be known as the “Stark Special.” Although, as some fans noted, Arya’s not the first person to employ that particular trick.
ARYA WITH THE HAND SWITCH!!! pic.twitter.com/Ahxbpn6mJh
— MICHAEL ARMSTEAD (@rmstead_) April 29, 2019
Arya really did the Night King like that... #GameOfThrones #AryaStark pic.twitter.com/Qh9ZvIX4kz
— Nancy (@slightecho_) April 29, 2019
Arya killing the Night King side-by-side with Rey’s similar move from @StarWars.#GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/vRVEiY4BA9
— Lights, Camera, Pod (@LightsCameraPod) April 29, 2019
But it didn’t make her moment of triumph any less awesome.
Arya killing the Night King... #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/oBRNGlAurh
— Bail E-A (@Bail_Skywalker) April 29, 2019
Arya Stark rejoining the gang next episode #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/Mupa6k8dY3
— Hodor Rewards (@HodorRewards) April 29, 2019
I'M SORRY THE NIGHT KING CAN'T COME TO THE PHONE RIGHT NOW WHY??????
CAUSE HE'SE DEAD#GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/wevq67eKKD— gab ARYA STARK ? ? (@barb13lle) April 29, 2019
ARYA STARK
🔸NO ONE
🔸GODDESS OF DEATH
🔸FROM THE STARK HOUSE
🔸KILLS KINGS OF NIGHT #GameOfThrones #BattleOfWinterfell pic.twitter.com/rSaHf20TkI— León (@imsebastianleon) April 29, 2019
Arya’s bold gambit ensured that “The Long Night” ended with most of the major players still living and breathing as the focus of the battle shifts from the Night King to Queen Cersei. The survivor list includes everyone from Jon and Daenerys to Brienne and Jaime to Grey Worm and Missandei. (Animal lovers take heart: even if you didn’t see them in the battle’s immediate aftermath, the previews for next week’s episode confirm that both Rhaegal and Ghost are alive as well.)
And yet, there are some popular personalities who won’t live to see who gets to sit on the Iron Throne. Here’s our ranking of the episode’s big deaths in terms of emotional impact, along with some fond words of farewell.
6. Dolorous Edd
And now his watch has ended. Jon and Sam’s buddy from their Night Watch days died so that young Tarly could live. It’s a shame he’s gone, but dying for a brother-in-arms is probably a better end than freezing to death alone on the Wall.
RIP Dolorous Edd. Your incomparable pessimism will be missed pic.twitter.com/Y9CswEzIlo
— Kaleigh Guthrie (@kguthrie30) April 29, 2019
Its an awful thing to find a brother dead, Lord Snow~Dolorous Edd, ACOK
and now his watch ends RIP pic.twitter.com/88XaUYMWDs— dina (@jonsarya) April 29, 2019
5. Melisandre
Not for nothing, but she told us upfront that she wasn’t going to survive the long night. Reappearing just in time to light a literal fire under the Winterfell army for the fight ahead, she took her leave of this world at the exact moment the sun came up, removing the necklace that kept her young and falling to the frozen ground. Her former nemesis, Ser Davos, watched her as she died, his expression not one of grief or anger ... just sadness
Well damn. Melisandre keeps her promises. Jon Snow never saw her in the North again, and she died at dawn. That's integrity for you @MBuhari
— Leto I Atreides (@zvko_) April 29, 2019
Unpopular opinion but: Without Melisandre, the Night King would still be alive, because Arya would not have thought to go kill him! #GameOfThrones #GOT
— Mr McC 👌🏻 (@_mikeymccarthy_) April 29, 2019
After all that, Melisandre really just got up and died of old age.
— Sivan Mehta (@MehtaWrldPeace) April 29, 2019
4. Theon Greyjoy
Despite Bran’s proclamation that the former Reek is a “good man,” we’re not ready to forgive Theon for his many transgressions over the course of the show. That said, he did race towards certain death with admirable bravery. Call it a draw.
theon running at the night king knowing he's gonna die bc he would give his life to protect bran, his BROTHER BC THEON IS A GREYJOY AND A STARK #gameofthrones pic.twitter.com/9SDtYIMufi
— sing me my dunce's tune (@catharted) April 29, 2019
Alfie Allen really brought #TheonGreyjoy to life
Over the course of the show, he’s had this ability to make us feel so many emotions towards Theon
Alife is an absolutely brilliant actor and it’s been a privilege watching him on #GameOfThrones
What Is Dead May Never Die. pic.twitter.com/hNojs7jqn6— Nas (@TheSunCameOut) April 29, 2019
Theon pic.twitter.com/C30ziuw0WL
— Demi-god (@nabeeldenero) April 29, 2019
3. Beric Dondarrion
Armed with Westeros’s equivalent of a lightsaber — as well as a 1-Up mushroom — Ser Beric was always one of our favorite supporting players in the game for the Iron Throne. And we only liked him more after he lost his immortality: with permanent death suddenly around every corner, he became a better fighter and a braver man.
THE LORD OF LIGHT KEPT BRINGING BACK BERIC DONDARRION BECAUSE HIS ROLE WAS TO SAVE ARYA — THE GIRL WHO WOULD DELIVER THE FINAL BLOW.
MELISANDRE KNEW IT. BRAN KNEW IT. BERIC KNEW IT. RIP TO A REAL ONE.#GameofThrones #DemThrones pic.twitter.com/0biqY9iNtm— Denizcan James (@MrFilmkritik) April 29, 2019
Beric is a real team player. He can finally rest knowing he did his job. #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/SitKAlT1Jb
— Henry Riles (@HenryPRiles) April 29, 2019
We don't give enough credit to Beric for fighting with *one* eye do y'all know how important depth perception is??? #GameofThrones
— doug dimmadome (@wrrrdz) April 29, 2019
2. Jorah Mormont
He’s survived Dothraki challengers, the Siege of Meereen and Greyscale, but brave Ser Jorah fell at last before the sun came up on the ruins of Winterfell. You can’t say he didn’t go down fighting, though, swinging his sword to protect his queen and one true love, Daenerys, until the very end.
Jorah fought valiantly.
Jorah fought nobly and Jorah died.#JorahMormont #Jorah— Michel Hovel (@michelhovel) April 29, 2019
#JorahMormont 💔💔💔💔 pic.twitter.com/jgthJwvbOX
— ? (@S_JA10) April 29, 2019
Jorah Mormont really died in the friend zone #demthones pic.twitter.com/5R7GUdQyCy
— Savage to Green Bay 🙏🏾 (@AYOITSDREWW) April 29, 2019
1. Lyanna Mormont
Like it could have been anyone else. Despite her young age, Lyanna proved herself every bit the knight that her first cousin, Jorah, was by single-handedly taking on the zombie giant rampaging through Winterfell. Even as he crushed her body, he couldn’t crush her fighting spirit — with her final breaths, she stabbed him through the eye with dragonglass. True, she later rose and died again courtesy of the Night King, but that first death is one for the history books.
Lyanna Mormont summed up in 1 image #GameOfThrones #ForTheThrone pic.twitter.com/6nlmOaw7u8
— MOVIEDEATHS (@MOVIEDEATHBLOWS) April 29, 2019
My niece is named after Lyanna Stark but I will now be telling her she’s named after Lyanna Mormont because of her bravery.
— Ashley Cruz (@cruzash11) April 29, 2019
Build Lyanna Mormont a statue in the courtyard of Winterfell 😤
— Braden Sullivan (@SullivanBraden) April 29, 2019
Game of Thrones airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO.
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