Game of Thrones Season 8 Review Part 6: "The Bells"

Warning: This series contains spoilers for the final season of Game of Thrones

While I don't usually watch recaps, the one for this episode is notable. Apart from summarizing the situation- Cersei is holed up in King's Landing and refuses to surrender; Daenerys' allies wonder if Jon might be better; and a few characters are going to King's Landing for their own purposes- it ends with a montage of quotes about the Targaryens, as if to foreshadow the turn Daenerys takes in this episode.

The episode begins in Dragonstone, with Varys writing a letter about Jon's parentage when one of his "little birds"(i.e. child spies) knocks on the door and informs him Daenerys isn't eating. Varys replies that they can "try again at supper," implying that he's planning on poisoning Daenerys' food. The little bird whose name is Martha, worries that the soldiers are watching her, but Varys says it's their job, and the greater the risk, the greater the reward. He tells her to get back to the kitchen before she's missed.

Jon arrives two days ahead of the Northern armies, which crossed the Trident, and Varys informs him that Daenerys hasn't eaten, left her chambers or seen anyone since Missandei and Rhaegal's deaths. Jon is worried about her, and Varys is worried about everyone else, bringing up the saying about how every time a Targaryen is born, the gods toss a coin. Jon tells Varys to get to the point, and Varys replies that they know what she's about to do. Jon considers it her decision, since "She is our queen," but Varys wants the right ruler on the Iron Throne, and is more certain that Jon is the right choice than Daenerys. After a long pause, Jon replies, "I don't want it." Varys goes off on a brief spiel about how he's served kings and queens who are different in private than in public, and Jon will rule well, unlike Daenerys. Jon cuts him off with "She is my queen" and walks off as Tyrion watches.

Tyrion goes to Daenerys, informing her that Varys betrayed her. Daenerys realizes that Varys knows because Tyrion told him, Tyrion learned from Sansa and Sansa learned from Jon. Daenerys realizes that multiple people in her inner circle betrayed her, and concludes that Sansa used Tyrion as part of a plot to undermine her rule. The writers clearly intend for Daenerys to be seen as paranoid, but it's hard to fault her when her advisors are acting against her.

That night, Varys burns a letter and removes his rings as he hears footsteps approaching. Grey Worm arrives with manacles, and Varys immediately realizes what is going on. The men lead Varys out to the coast, where Daenerys, Jon, Drogon and Tyrion are waiting. Tyrion admits that "It was me," although Varys probably could figure out who sold him out. Varys can only nod and express the hope that he's wrong and deserves his punishment. He says goodbye to Tyrion, and Daenerys sentences him to die. Drogon then burns Varys alive. Considering that Varys was plotting against Daenerys before the war was won, it's hard to fault her for having him killed.

Inside, Daenerys gives Grey Worm Missandei's slave collar, the only possession she brought with her to Westeros, and he throws it on the fire. Jon comes in and Daenerys asks to speak with him in private. Daenerys blames him for telling Sansa, but Jon says, "I don't want it" yet again.  Daenerys bitterly observes that Jon is more popular in Westeros than she is, and she is feared, not loved. Jon says he loves her, but "you will always be my queen." Daenerys asks if she's only Jon's queen, and after a kiss that gives her the impression that the answer is yes, Daenerys decides that she should be feared.

Tyrion tries to convince Daenerys that the people of King's Landing are not her enemies. Daenerys, however, believes that she is showing mercy to future generations by stopping Cersei regardless of the cost. As Daenerys gives the Unsullied the order to sail for King's Landing and join the Northern armies, Tyrion begs with Daenerys to accept any surrender offered, which will be signaled by ringing the bells.

Recall Season 2, Episode 9, "Blackwater." As Davos's ships approached King's Landing, he heard the bells tolling, but noted that they had never meant surrender, and ordered his men to prepare for battle. Amazingly, this isn't even the worst instance of the late series contradicting earlier episodes- just one of the more obvious cases.

Daenerys orders Grey Worm to wait for her outside the city, and he excuses himself. Tyrion bows and starts to leave, but Daenerys informs him that Jaime was captured trying to reach King's Landing. She also tells him that this is his last chance, and he must not fail her again.

At the camp, Davos states that the rear guard will arrive by daybreak, and when Tyrion mentions how Daenerys wants to attack now, Jon insists on waiting for daybreak. Tyrion asks Davos, "the greatest smuggler alive" for a favor, one that Davos is sure he won't like.

That night, Sandor convinces a guard to let Arya past, since if she kills Cersei, the war will end. He goes to talk to his captain and they ride off as he leaves.

Elsewhere, Tyrion clumsily tries to converse with the Unsullied in their native tongue, but is told they speak Common. He pulls rank to get some private time with the prisoner, which gets him into the tent.

Apparently, Daenerys' men found Jaime because of his golden hand, which Jaime didn't think to remove. Jaime is planning to go back to die with Cersei, but Tyrion plans on helping him escape so he can convince Cersei to surrender, a course that will save a million people, "innocent or otherwise." Jaime then makes his most infamous line of dialogue- "To be honest, I never really cared much for them. Innocent or otherwise."

Think about it for a moment. This is the man who, as Kingsguard, killed the king he was sworn to protect when the king was planning on burning everyone in King's Landing alive, and endured the sobriquet of the "Kingslayer" for decades. He'd once asserted that he'd saved half a million people, which was worth breaking his oath. And now, he claims he doesn't care about the smallfolk.

Tyrion doesn't refute this. Instead, he points out that there is one innocent Jaime cares for, the same one Cersei cares for- Cersei's unborn child. Jaime's confident that Cersei will never give up, since Daenerys' armies are depleted and two of her dragons are dead. Tyrion counters that he knows the city well enough to be sure that it will fall, and Jaime is convinced he'll die tomorrow.

Tyrion proposes that Jaime escape with Cersei to the underground passage, sail to Pentos and start a new life. Finally convinced, Jaime agrees to ring the bells and open the gates but points out that Daenerys will have Tyrion executed. Tyrion hopes that Daenerys will show mercy if he helps her win the throne without bloodshed, and if she doesn't, his life is a good trade for tens of thousands of innocents.

In one of the final season's most emotional moments, Tyrion, starting to choke up, describes Jaime as the reason he survived his childhood by virtue of being the only one who didn't treat him like a monster. The two brothers embrace, knowing they'll never see each other again.

Day breaks, and the defender of King's Landing- the Lannister army, the Golden Company and the Iron Fleet- prepare for battle, the smallfolk take shelter and Arya and Sandor seek out Cersei. Jaime, disguised by a hood on his head and a glove on his golden hand, seeks out Cersei for his own reasons. Tyrion reminds Jon to listen for the bells and call off his men if he hears them. The soldiers lock the gates to the Red Keep, and Jaime tries in vain to wave his golden hand to order them to open up.

After a long and tense moment, Drogon attacks and easily destroys the Iron Fleet, succeeding where he failed when he had his brother and ships with him. Drogon then takes out the ballistae on the outer walls, blows a hole in the gate and incinerates the Golden Company, proving that all the talk about the strength of Cersei's forces meant practically nothing.

Cersei is informed that all the defenses she expected would thwart Daenerys have failed. She still believes she can win, but eventually, the order is given to ring the bells and surrender. Daenerys pauses... then attacks the city anyway. Daenerys' forces begin slaughtering soldiers and civilians alike, while the Northern forces join in the carnage. Jon saves a woman from being raped by a Northern soldier by killing the rapist, then tells the woman to hide.

Jaime encounters Euron, who picks a fight with him despite Jaime wanting to save Cersei, claiming that Jaime will become a legend if he kills another king. Euron taunts Jaime about having had sex with Cersei, and the battle is joined.

Drogon begins attacking the Red Keep and Qyburn begs for Cersei to evacuate to Maegor's Holdfast. Cersei tearfully consents to follow Qyburn. Elsewhere, Jaime and Euron's clumsy and badly choreographed fight ends with Euron stabbing Jaime, and Jaime then finishing off Euron. Euron quips that Jaime killed another king, but is mortally wounded now.

Inside the Red Keep, Sandor observes that Cersei is doomed, and Arya will likely die, too, if she stays. Arya insists on getting her revenge on Cersei, but Sandor replies that revenge on Gregoris all he's lived for and asks if Arya wants to be like him. Arya accepts his point and thanks him, calling him by name for the first and last time. Some criticize her giving up her revenge, but I actually like her decision to step back and prevent her quest from vengeance from consuming her life.

Cersei, accompanied by Qyburn and the Queensguard, descends the stairs. Rubble takes out a few of her bodyguards and Sandor disposes of the rest before greeting his brother Gregor. Gregor, somehow regaining his self-awareness, walks toward Sandor. He refuses Cersei's orders to stay with her and kills Qyburn for trying to get him to obey. With this, the long-awaited battle between the Clegane brothers, dubbed "Cleganebowl" by the fans, begins.

Sandor manages to remove Gregor's helmet, and upon seeing the rotting face beneath, declares that this is the person Gregor really is.

Cersei slips away, back to the room where Arya was, and meets Jaime, who comforts her and takes her with him.  Meanwhile, Arya tries to escape and Cleganebowl continues, with Sandor throwing himself and Gregor out of the Red Keep, falling to their deaths amidst the flames. Dying while fulfilling his purpose in life and gaining some small measure of redemption in convincing Arya not to follow in his footsteps is probably the best possible ending for Sandor's character arc.

Unfortunately, the same does not go for Jaime and Cersei. Jaime finds that his escape route has been cut off, and Cersei, in tears, repeatedly says she wants their baby to live. Cersei pleads for her life, but all Jaime can do is hold her in her final moments, before the ceiling collapses and kills them both.

Arya, however, finds a white horse and escapes.

On Daenerys

Before I get to the review, I'd like to do a brief reflection on Daenerys. Daenerys has always been ruthless, but her intentions have been good. She's killed countless people, but always in service of her crusade for freedom and justice, or because there was no other choice.

One of the incidents that the creators claim supposedly foreshadowed Daenerys' darker urges- her watching as her brother was brutally killed- completely falls flat as an example. For starters, Viserys was abusive to Daenerys, threatening to "wake the dragon" to keep her in line(admittedly, the creators acknowledge this), and uses her as a bargaining chip to get the Dothraki on her side. Viserys had foolishly  showed a lack of respect for his Dothraki allies, and had made the suicidal decision to threaten Daenerys on holy ground in which weapons and drawing blood are prohibited. At best, Daenerys sticking up for him would have resulted in him causing more trouble later, and at worst, she might have been considered an accomplice.

Daenerys also feels guilt whenever she goes so far and imprisons her dragons when she learns that one was responsible for killing an innocent child. While she has a tendency to view the world in black and white, she can also question that mentality, especially after learning about her father "The Mad King" Aerys II's crimes.

I can see Daenerys executing Cersei after her surrender, but there's no logical reason for her to massacre the innocent, nor adequate precedent for an action this heinous.

On Jaime

Jaime also deserves a special mention. Throughout the show, he was capable of heroic actions, terrible crimes and terrible crimes in the service of heroic ends. His love for Cersei brought out the worst in him, but his relationship with Brienne helped bring his nobler qualities to light.

Over time, Jaime realizes how little Cersei cares for him, especially after he returns from being a prisoner of the Starks and learns that Cersei cheated on him with their cousin Lancel in his absence.  This gets worse after Tyrion tells him about all the people Cersei has slept with, angry over having learned that Jaime and Tywin lied to him about Tysha being a prostitute. His last known canon appearance in A Feast For Crows has him refuse to serve as Cersei's champion(although considering that he lost his sword hand, he may have realized that he'll probably die in the combat and get Cersei sentenced to death).

The show removes the Tysha revelation, which, while controversial, isn't a fatal mistake. I personally think it's still possible to keep it out, since Tyrion already has enough reason to want Tywin dead, and the revelation that Tyrion repaid Jaime breaking him out by killing their father would drive a rift between the brothers. Jaime is slower to abandon Cersei, at least until he learns that she plans to renege on her promise to fight with Daenerys and Jon against the dead, but he does so anyway.

Even as late as this season, Tyrion calls him out on supporting Cersei despite knowing how horrible a person she was, and as I said in my review of the previous episode, Jaime's decision to break Brienne's heart and leave could be pushing her away out of self-loathing and commitment to killing Cersei at the cost of his life.

But that wasn't what happened. Jaime dies, but in a futile attempt to save Cersei, showing that he's learned nothing since the start of the series and all of his character development amounted to naught.

Review

Daenerys and Jaime were the main problems with this episode. Not only is it supposed to be the climax of the series, but it's also the culmination of their character arcs, and this outcome is honestly extremely disappointing.

Additionally, the battle for King's Landing is extremely one-sided, with Daenerys practically winning the battle singlehandedly. She effortlessly destroys the Iron Fleet despite Euron's prior victories against her, and the Golden Company is reduced to practically a non-entity, since they don't even demonstrate why they have the reputation they do. Many people note that in earlier seasons, Game of Thrones was more about the character interactions and storytelling rather than the battles(to the point that Tyrion's first major battle happened offscreen), but even they had better battles than this one.

In short, the penultimate episode is a failure on virtually every single metric that matters for a series climax. I thus give this episode the worst possible rating- a full five melted Iron Thrones out of five.