Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 5: The Bells
Showrunners: DB Weiss and David Benioff
Cast: Kit Harington, Peter Dinklage, Emilia Clarke, Jacob Anderson, Lena Headey, Maisie Williams
As much as Game of Thrones is the biggest television event, the second last episode of its each season is an event in itself.
The penultimate episode of each season knows how to completely reset the dramatic stakes of what's to come and often indicates just about how important everything that happened before actually had been.
This is a moment that the show has been building towards ever since its inception. Even for a show that had acquired a reputation for violence and brutal twists, this is the episode that will definitely leave viewers around the world in total shock.
The episode concludes with a scene true GoT fans have alternately anticipated and dreaded since the Season 8 premiered. I don't think it's an overstatement to say it's one of the most ruthless and disturbing episodes ever put on television. There is a solid twist at the beginning of the episode that will change everything we believed in until now. The makers remind us once again that there is no point in betting on any character.
Episode 5 sets Daenerys Targaryen-Cersei Lannister's clash as the Last War of Game of Thrones finally begins at King's Landing. Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and his army join forces to take down Cersei, Euron Greyjoy and his team of mercenaries. But thanks to the support of the Iron Bank, Cersei has her 20,000 sellswords bought and paid for, and all signs point toward Dany's defeat.
However, this episode has a way of making the expected unexpected in the moment. Heartbroken by the losses of Rhaegal and Missandei in episode 4, Dany goes all out as she seems as willing to "burn them all". Need I remind you about Missandei's dramatic declaration at the end of the episode 4 to Dany? Looks like the mother of dragons took it too damn seriously. She has awoken and how!
With Battle of the Bastards and The Long Night director Miguel Sapochnik at the reins for the episode, just brace yourself to witness some of the most gruesome, brutal battle scenes. While his previously helmed episodes largely hinge on violence, this one puts a lot of focus on the violent nature of a single character and the repercussions of it.
But the way the impending doom builds up is outstanding. Strong gusts of wind blowing. Something happening in the sky that you couldn't see. Dust storm rolling through the city. People screaming and running for shelter. And while everybody is worried about how Cersei and her army can be defeated, Sandor Clegane aka the Hound remains focused on completing his "unfinished business" at the King's Landing.
Fortunately, even if the big picture sometimes gets topsy-turvy in this 80 minute-long episode, there are decent number of smaller moments that it brilliantly pulls off.
Having said that, the latest drama on the show will fracture a lot of relationships in the coming episode and could even result into the death of a major character at the hands of another chief character in the show (of course, you know who I'm talking about).
Rating: 4/5
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