Recap

Game Of Thrones Season 8, episode 4 recap: The battle for the King’s Landing begins


HBO's 'Game of Thrones,' Season 8, Episode 4, Emilia Clarke stars as Daenerys Targaryen
Emilia Clarke stars as Daenerys Targaryen. Pic credit: HBO

Welcome to the Season 8, episode 4 recap of HBO’s Game of Thrones — where even more destruction occurs as Daenerys heads towards King’s Landing and Tyrion finds out a big secret about his queen.

I’m not crying, you’re crying

To be honest, I didn’t cry much in last week’s episode of Game of Thrones. I think I expected the carnage, I had worked hard to meet it head on and deal with it stoically.

So, when Episode 4 shows Ser Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen) on his funeral pyre, I wasn’t expecting the tears. Nor was I expecting the ugly crying when poor Sansa (Sophie Turner) wept over Theon (Alfie Allen) and gave him the Stark pin. That girl deserves nice things, can someone give her something nice already?

Jon Snow (Kit Harington) gives a moving speech about how the North will never be able to repay their debt to those who died at the Battle of Winterfell and the pyres are lit.

Gendry gets a title but loses the girl

Now that the dead are dealt with, it is time to celebrate at Winterfell. At first, no one is really feeling it at the grand feast but then Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) tells Gendry (Joe Dempsie) that he is a bastard no more and can claim the Baratheon stronghold as his own and everyone is ready to play drinking games.

While it seems like a wonderful thing for Daenerys to do, of course, it has a sting to the tail. After all, if Daenerys gives Gendry an official title than he will be too thankful to ever consider opposing her.

As for Gendry, well, he just can’t wait to tell Arya (Maisie Williams) because he figures, between them, they could probably give being a lord and lady a red hot go.

Arya, says no.

Because … Arya.

It seems she has another mission in her sights. And, without her explicitly saying so, I am guessing she is determined to wipe another name off her kill list. So, she joins the Hound (Rory McCann), who also has undealt with carnage in King’s Landing by way of Cleggane bowl, and they ride out of Winterfell.

Meanwhile, Sansa is giving Gendry the sexy side eye now that he has an official title.

Jon and Daenerys finally have that discussion

It’s been a busy time since Jon told Dany that he was a Targaryen too. Now that the dust has settled, it’s time for an awkward conversation.

Surprisingly — or not — that conversation starts with heavy petting. However, it isn’t long before Jon remembers he is copping a feel of his aunt and backs off.

Once more, Jon is too damned honest for his own good. Although, I am totally backing him on this one. While he should have lied to Cersei in Season 7 of Game of Thrones when negotiations were to be had, in Episode 4 of Season 8, I am glad that Jon stood his ground and told Dany that family comes first, no matter how much he loves her.

Because it totally revealed Danerys’ true personality to Jon.

Regardless, though, Jon is just and still maintains that Daenerys should be queen. And, even though he maintains that he doesn’t want to step up and take the iron throne, Dany kicks him to the curb unless he promises to keep his real identity secret from his siblings.

And, as Variety points out, this will likely lead to further conflict in the remaining episodes of Game of Thrones.

https://twitter.com/KeeperOfThePlot/status/1125225145331793920

Jon totally tells his siblings about his parents

While Jon struggles momentarily with whether or not he wants to continue getting laid by Dany, he ends up telling Arya and Sansa who he really is. Arya really doesn’t seem to care one way or another since she still has a kill list to deal with.

Sansa, on the other hand, who doesn’t really like Daenerys anyway, is conflicted. And, while she has promised she won’t tell anyone his identity, she certainly lets Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) know that there might be someone else.

And, stepping back into his smart pants in this week’s episode of Game of Thrones, Tyrion works it out immediately.

He tells Varys (Conleth Hill) and, as Varys says, having eight people know isn’t a secret anymore, it’s information and you can just see his eyes light up at the prospect of Jon sitting on the iron throne.

Because if there is one thing that can be counted on, it is that Varys is the only person that will do everything within his power for the people of the realm.

This causes conflict between him and Tyrion, who believes that Daenerys is the one who should rule. However, you can just see that Tyrion is already considering the fact that he isn’t scared of Jon like he is of Daenerys.

They discuss marrying the pair off to fix the problem but they both know that Daenerys won’t do it because she wants to be the queen, not a queen.

Daenerys is conflicted

Even without the conversation between her and Jon, viewers can see the conflict between Daenerys’ head and her heart. Being a Targaryen, incest isn’t even a part of the equation. However, power is. And, this is where she and Cersei (Lena Headey) are so alike.

Daenerys wants power more than anything. Sure, she wraps it up in a prettier package than Cersei by saying she does everything for the good of the people but, really, the endgame for Dany is power.

Which means that you can see things starting to unravel in Episode 4 of Game of Thrones Season 8.

However, I will give her credit for her trying her hardest to keep her sh*t together.

But, when Tormund (Kristofer Hivju) started talking out about how freaking awesome Jon Snow is, I really thought Daenerys was about to burst a blood vessel or something.

Euron Greyjoy causes a ruckus

While Sansa wants the armies to rest a while before Daenerys marches to King’s Landing, Dany disagrees and the army heads South.

As soon as I saw Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel) hold Grey Worm’s (Jacob Anderson) hand, I knew sh*t was about to hit the fan. However, when Daenerys’ dragon got hit with crossbow bolts, I was almost expecting it to be a dream.

But, no. Daenerys has only got one dragon left and I am pretty sure that all that “not being like her father” talk just went out the window as Daenerys works out a way in which to legitimately burn King’s Landing to the ground.

Luckily — for Daenerys, anyway — this happens during negotiations between her and Cersei and Cersei has Missandei beheaded right in front of Daenerys.

Speaking of ships…

Are you Team Tormund or Team Jaime when it comes to Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie)? Well, for those that were hoping for monster babies with the pairing of Brienne and Tormund need to sit down and drown their sorrows for Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) was victorious and managed to deflower Brienne.

Their love burned fiercely but, as with fire of this type, burned out quickly when Jaime decided it was time to head back to King’s Landing.

I suspect it is because he wants to kill his sister but he told Brienne it was because he is a horrible person. He then left Brienne to ugly cry in the snow.

Bronn turns up with that crossbow

Earlier this week, someone posted to Facebook about how many characters died in the same manner in which they killed others.

For example, Ned Stark (Sean Bean) beheaded a member of the Night’s Watch and ended up beheaded himself. Olenna (Diana Rigg) poisoned Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) and suffered the same fate later on.

So, when Bronn (Jerome Flynn) walks into Winterfell with a crossbow I lost my sh*t.

If Jaime and Tyrion were edgy while they made negotiations with the man who is only interested in gold, then I was positively shaking in my shoes. Long story short, though, Tyrion promised Bronn High Garden if Bronn didn’t kill them.

Bronn is now sitting back and waiting to see who will win because he will get a castle regardless, now.

I hope Jaime passes him on his way to King’s Landing and kills the bastard.

T*ts and Dragons Meter

Image of Daenerys Targaryen in front of flames
Emilia Clarke stars as Daenerys Targaryen in HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones.’ Pic credit: HBO

2 out of 5 for t*ts. In an episode where there was plenty of sex to be had, there was actually very little nudity. HBO, you need to pick up your game, this could have been a glorious sexposition episode.

1 out of 5 for dragons. For the number of dragons now left alive. Too soon?

Game of Thrones Season 8 returns with Episode 5 on Sunday, May 12 at 9/8c on HBO.

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