A still from Game Of Thrones 8. (Image courtesy: Hotstar)
Highlights
- King's Landing changes completely after Daenerys is done with it
- Jon Snow and Tyrion see the worst of Daenerys
- Arya was in King's Landing when the city was attacked
(SPOILER ALERT)
The episode starts with Lord Varys writing a letter to an unknown person revealing Jon Snow is Aegon Targaryen, the true heir to the Iron Throne, when one of his "birds" come to inform him that Daenerys Targaryen is refusing to eat. Lord Varys then meets Jon Snow at Dragonstone, Daenerys Targaryen's ancestral home, and he tells him to accept the throne when the time comes. At Dragonstone, Daenerys tells Tyrion that she believes that Jon Snow betrayed her by telling his sisters about his real identity. She also blames Tyrion for telling Lord Varys, who is later executed for not being able to contain the secret and rebelling against his queen.
Daenerys is hell bent on burning the city and ending the war for good but Tyrion persuades her otherwise. She accepts she'll call off the attack if Cersei's followers abandon her. She also tells Tyrion that Jaime was stopped while he was trying to cross the line and warns him that the next time he fails her, will be the last time.
Arya enters King's Landing with the Hound, with the intention to kill the Queen.
Tyrion meets Jaime and tries to convince Jaime to return to safety but before that he wants Jaime to ring the bells in King's Landing and open the gates, signalling surrender. Jaime is concerned that Tyrion would be executed but he tells his brother that if Daenerys gets the Iron Throne without killing innocents then she may show him mercy. Before parting ways, Tyrion tells Jaime that he is the only family he ever had as he never treated him like a monster.
It's the beginning of the new day and the last war.
Amidst the hullaballoo, Arya and Jaime go ahead with their plans but Jaime is locked out of the Red Keep while Arya and the Hound enter the city. Outside King's Landing, the Unsullied and the Dothraki wait to attack the city while Tyrion hopes that Jaime will play his part and the attack will be called off.
At sea, Euron Greyjoy is ready to attack with Qyburn's Scorpion and awaits Daenerys' arrival. This time Daenerys is prepared. She manoeuvres Drogon, who reduces the Iron Fleet to ashes. Daenerys burns down the gate of King's Landing signalling the beginning of the siege. The Unsullied and the Dothraki invade killing the soldiers of the Golden Company while Daenerys, atop Drogon, burns down the perimeter of the city. From her castle, Cersei witness' the destruction awaiting one "good shot" which will kill the dragon but Qyburn tells her that all the Scorpions have been destroyed and the Iron Fleet is burning. However, Cersei is still hopeful.
Cersei's army surrenders at the sight of the dragon and all eyes are fixed on the bell. After 30 intense seconds, the bells ring signalling the surrender of Cersei's army. Despite the surrender, Daenerys burns down part of the city killing several innocent people to Tyrion's horror. Grey Worm initiates an attack on the defenceless army, which Jon Snow disapproves. They also launch an attack on the citizens as Jon is completely shocked by the turns of events.
Daenerys then launches an attack on the castle, which falls under Drogon's fire and Cersei abandons her spot to move to a safer place to wait out the storm. At the foot of the castle, Jaime and Euron fight and though Euron initially almost fatally injures Jaime, he kills him. Euron's final words, "I got you... I'm the man who killed Jaime Lannister."
Arya Stark arrives at the castle only to find it empty and at the brink of complete destruction. The Hound asks Arya to leave and find a safe place while he will try to complete her mission. They part ways and Arya thanks him for everything. As Cersei heads to safety with a handful of her trusted people, the Hound confront them.
The Hound kills the remaining soldiers and confronts the Mountain, who smashes Qyburn's face into the wall killing him in a fit of rage. Cersei leaves quietly while the much-awaited The Hound vs The Mountain takes place. The Hound reveals his brother's severely mutilated face. The Hound sticks a sword right through the Mountain but he survives without evening flinching. Yes, the Mountain is insanely strong. He beats the Hound into pulp. The Hound stabs the Mountain several times, including directly in the eye but to no effect. Eventually, he drags his brother with him into the fire and ending both their lives.
Arya walks through King's Landing, looking at the terrible state of people after the madness and destruction Daenerys brought upon the city. She struggles along with the citizens to keep herself safe from the raging fire.
Jon orders everyone to fall back as the ashes settle, we get a glimpse of Arya, injured, running to save herself. As a tower almost collapses on her she meets a woman who saved her during a stampede earlier. Though the woman dies Arya tries to save her daughter but Drogon continues to incinerate the city and though Arya escapes, she is horrified to see what remains to the city and charcoal bodies, which were once alive. Arya finds a horse in the midst of all the destruction and escapes.
Jaime meets Cersei and leads her to a safe place but they are eventually trapped. The walls of the castle collapses on them as they hug each other.
Is this the end of Cersei Lannister?