5 Thoughts on Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 5: Cersei and the Mad King Don't Look So Bad [Spoilers]

Here are five thoughts from last night’s thrilling episode of Game of Thrones. This story includes spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 5. 

Daenerys went Mad Queen

While this wasn’t the story I preferred them to tell, it was well executed. D.B. Weiss and David Benioff did an exceptional job building Daenerys into a character that could truly go either way over the past two seasons. With just one episode left, there is no time for Daenerys to convince the Seven Kingdoms she is anything like the person she said she was. In fact, she proved she is more of a monster than Cersei and her father ever were. The path to killing her, which would have to include her dragon, isn’t clear. But we can’t rule out Varys here. The notes he was writing at the beginning of the episode have to pay off. Daenerys just burned an entire city, yet her biggest war yet could take place next week when we can bet on who will end up on the Iron Throne. Sansa, Tyrion, Arya, Bran, and, yes, Jon will not be calling her “queen” ever again.

Cersei and Jamie went out right

The many visuals of the fire, devastation, and destruction will be what is remembered from the penultimate episode. But the moment with Jamie and Cersei at the end, should not be far behind. Look, the audience has been waiting a decade for someone to kill Cersei. Many wanted that someone to be Jamie. And neither happened. She instead died, we think, from the falling rocks next to Jamie. The story they told here was the right one, however. She went out with only Jamie, as his last words explained. They are the only love story this show story has ever had. Game of Thrones has received an abundance of criticism for rushing things and not following through on earlier storylines. After watching this scene occur, Jamie and Cersei dying like that, with no other options, is absolutely them following the direction this has been heading now for eight seasons.

Did Bran alter it?

The final battle has concluded. And it was a yet another battle where Bran had no impact. Or that’s at least how it seems. Approaching the finale, Bran’s abilities remain as much of a mystery as who the Yellow King was before Nic Pizzolato showed his scars. It has not yet been said if Bran can alter events, see the future, or is anything more than the world’s memory. The prediction here is that he can, in fact, alter the past and present. Which is why Ned turned around in the flashback. For some reason, Bran warged for 45 minutes during the Battle of Winterfell. That must be explained next week. We should be in store for one more bombshell from Bran. Perhaps, he reveals he helped defeat the Army of the Dead and has a solution how to do the same to Daenerys and Drogon. That discussion with Tyrion (you know, the one they cut us out of) also has to have some meaning, right?

Jon Snow has been minimized this season

Okay, so what is up with Jon Snow? Never before has a final season focused less on its focal point. Jon has had very little impact on the events thus far including the war he has been warning Westeros about for years. As explained last night, his eyes screamed like someone who no longer has a choice. He doesn’t want the Iron Throne (is it still standing?), he needs it. At this point, any other ending than Jon ruling would be a colossal failure. This is the story of Jon Snow, and that is what the next 80 minutes should prove.

Now what?

And … we are on to the end. There is far more that needs to explained than can be fit into one episode. Outside of who wins and what happens between Jon and Dany, there are several other key points that just cannot be ignored. One is the future of Arya. Her time in the North may be up, and a future with Gendry likely isn’t going to be revisited. Where exactly does that leave her? The White Walkers were defeated, but are they never going to be a threat again? What is north of the Wall now? What is left of King’s Landing? Is Drogon the last of his kind? Does Tyrion have a place? Is Sansa just going to be the Lady of Winterfell?

Clearly, the fans deserved more than six episodes, but next week should be as anticipated as an episode has ever been.