Game of Throne Season 8 Episode 2 - A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Weâre two episodes down and still being set-up for episode 3, the battle between the dead and the living. As far as episodes go, this one was better than the first, in that, the characters and their dynamic are more clearly defined.
I loved Brienne and Jaime in this episode. I also liked Tormund and I hope all three make it out alive (unrealistic, I know) One of the absolute highlights of the episode was Brienne being knighted by Jaime. You could see how much it meant to her.
Missandei and Greyworm are most certainly doomed. Theyâre probably the healthiest ship on the show. They are both devoted to D@ny and fiercely loyal but for the first time, we saw them contemplate a future just for themselves. Neither is happy at Winterfell, they arenât accepted and they can see it. They want a life for themselves, away from the Seven Kingdoms.
The scene in the great hall where Podrick was singing, was oddly reminiscent of Lord of the Rings where Pippin was singing. The two scenes are vastly different in terms of treatment and mood but the songs were very similar.
Arya and Gendry. Okay, I know that a lot of people were uncomfortable with the scene but I actually liked it. It was Arya taking control, deciding what she wanted. In that regard, it was one of the more healthy love-making scenes on the show.
And since, weâre talking about couples, Arya and Gendryâs feelings are largely conveyed through looks and banter and D&D managed to do that in two episodes. Now compare that with Jon and D@ny and their dynamic, while one can see that D@ny is clearly invested, itâs hard to get a glimpse of Jon where he doesnât look constipated. The Arya and Gendry scenes further illustrate that the writers and directors do know how to write and direct romantic couples, so the fact that Jon and D@ny donât look like one, is likely done on purpose to let the audiences know that thereâs something not quite right between these two.
Now, onto Jon, Sansa and D@ny.
Jon wasnât present for much of the episode and even when he was, he didnât actually contribute a lot. He spent most of the time avoiding D@ny and only met her when she found him in the crypts.
This episode made it abundantly clear just how much of an outsider D@ny is. She is way out of her depth and she has no clue how to navigate these waters. Itâs downhill for her from the very beginning of the episode. It also sets up Sansa as her clear adversary, she is everything than D@ny isnât.
Letâs look at the Jaime scene. D@ny is bent upon roasting him alive and doesnât listen to Tyrion when he says that if Jaime rode all the way North, knowing full well about his reception and still chose to do so, means that he can be trusted. D@ny refuses to listen to him and actually berates him, her own Hand.
Now, contrast that with Brienne standing up for Jaime. Sansa has cause to hate Jaime and yet when Brienne defends him, she agrees to trust him because Brienne does. Her advisors opinions are important to her and she actually listens to them. I loved that once decided, Sansa just gets up and leaves, not waiting to be dismissed and not caring what anyone else got up to. Itâs a power move and I loved the attitude.
This even comes up when D@ny comes to meet Sansa later and wishes that she could trust her advisors the way Sansa trusts hers. Also, I love Yohn Royce for staying until dismissed by Sansa, he doesnât give 2 shits about D@ny, he doesnât move till Sansa nods to let him know that itâs okay.
That entire interaction is so telling. For the first time, D@ny is trying to make an effort, clearly because Jorah advised her to and it still doesnât go her way. Itâs important to watch Sansa in this scene. She is unmoved and unimpressed when D@ny starts listing all their similarities. When D@ny asks why theyâre at odds with another, Sansa opens her mouth to respond but D@ny cuts her off and says Jon. And this is where the scene shifts. There is a disdain in Sansaâs voice when she says that men do stupid things for women, when theyâre in love, theyâre easily manipulated. D@ny replies that she gave up her active quest for the Iron Throne and came North to fight the AotD. You can see Sansaâs face, her entire expression shifts, there is a relief, a lightness there that wasnât present earlier. This, in my opinion, is our most clear clue that Pol!Jon is real and that Sansa realises that not only did Jon heed her advice but he also learned to be smarter. It also makes it obvious to me that Jon and Sansa do harbour feelings for each other.
What we see after that exchange is Sansa putting on a front. She laughs to dispel the tension and put D@ny at ease. Not for long though, the tension is back and thicker than before when D@ny essentially says North will no longer be independent. Even after hearing how hard fought their freedom was.
Theyâre interrupted by Theonâs arrival, another scene that further demonstrates that while D@ny may be âqueenâ, Sansa is the one most people look to. D@nyâs expression when Sansa and Theon greet is heartbreaking actually. She yearns for admiration and love from those around her and doesnât get it. And here is Sansa, not a queen, not even a regent, sheâs not special in any form and yet those around her are loyal to her not out of fear but out of love and respect.
In the crypts, when Jon tells D@ny that heâs Aegon Targaryen, she immediately thinks of Jonâs claim to the Iron Throne. It doesnât matter that just a few minutes ago, she was madly in love with this man and trusted him. She doesnât take the news well at all.
The scene where theyâre discussing battle strategies, Sansa and Jon are framed next to each other, Arya is right next to Jon, it would not have been hard to include her in the frame and then you could say that they were framed as a family unit and yet that didnât happen. Itâs worth noting that Brienne and Jaime are also framed as a couple. This is no accident. It was also telling that Jon didnât interact once with Sansa. In fact, he canât bring himself to look at her and makes sure to seat D@ny in the middle, almost as if heâs putting space between him and Sansa. Now, why would he do that if all he felt for her was brotherly love?
