The sixth season finale of Game of Thrones lived up to the expectations and then some. I was initially unhappy when I saw that this episode was nearly an hour and a half long. That changed as soon as the first scene began.
The set up to the trial in the Sept of Baelor was out of character for the series in terms of the musical composition and the utilization of fades as an editing device. I knew immediately from the calmness of Cersei’s face that this finale would not be a repeat of season five’s humiliation.
The juxtaposition between her staring out at the Sept and the trials contained within it was very Coppola-esque. Her master plan went off with as much success as Michael Corleone’s vengeance at the end of the first Godfather film. The difference is that, in The Godfather, the religious imagery of the christening is intended to represent innocence. The purity of the child is a contrast to the evil within Michael. In “Winds of Winter,” Cersei is far from pure or innocent, but so is the religion of the sparrows. It is corrupt and cruel.
I have previously made comparisons to the sparrows and real-world cults. The treatment of Loras in this episode also works as an indictment of religious practices or pseudo-psychology that attempt to turn gay and lesbian individuals away from their desires.
Editing and musical composition are also key elements that help us to understand the second part (finally) of the Tower of Joy scene. I did roll my eyes when the powers that be decided to make it nearly impossible to hear what Lyanna calls the baby. The cut to Jon Snow’s face, and the soaring music, however, left no doubt.
Speaking of Jon Snow, Littlefinger’s attempt to appeal to Sansa by belittling her adopted brother’s name is his biggest miscalculation ever, particualrly considering the conversation between brother and sister that occurred earlier in the episode. Littlefinger is losing his touch, but that look he exchanged with Sansa afterward makes me think he is even more dangerous now that he feels he is losing power and influence.
Continuing with the massive amount of characters killed off in this episode, we must talk about Walder Frey. Good riddance. No more of his stereotypical dirty old man in a senior home full of nurses behavior for us. I am sure we’ll still get some of that from Sir Bronn. Arya finally got her revenge for the red wedding. She is actually getting somewhere now that she has left the faceless men behind.
The episode did leave me with the impression that “Winter is Coming” will turn out to be a somewhat ironic line. Sansa tells Jon that a White Raven flew in from the citadel, and winter has arrived. Really? Considering all that has transpired, I think winter came a long time ago. Also, there are only thirteen more episodes of this winter slated to transpire.
The scene with Danaerys naming Tyrion Hand of the Queen is my new personal favorite scene of hers. I like these two working together. They bring out an honesty in each other that they rarely share with anyone. Okay, Tyrion shares a lot with many people, especially after drinking, but the same can not be said of Danaerys. I wonder if the final thirteen episodes will see Danaerys and Cersei duking it out in some way. That would also perfectly set up a brother against brother scenario for Jaime and Tyrion.
I will end with my favorite scene of the episode, and that was Davos confronting Melisandre. It was the moment I had been waiting for all season, and it was perfect. Davos said it all in exactly the right words: “If your god commands you to kill children, he is evil.” I fear that letting Melisandre live is a mistake. She is too powerful to just ride away and never be heard from or seen again.
I guess we will find out next season, or the following season for sure, how all of this will play out. Tonight the show finally set-up the end game. It reached that point where a veteran series has to start shedding storylines, and characters, to become a little leaner and wrap itself up. Here’s hoping that each of the next thirteen episodes can be as memorable and exciting hours of television as “Winds of Winter.” Until 2017, winter is over.
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I thought about the Godfather comparison as well, but in the end I felt it came down more like the sledge hammer assassination of collected Mafia in Godfather III than the beautifully executed montage of Godfather I. I liked this music but agree with you it set a new tone. Your description of how the Series is paring down sub-plots and unnecessary characters is very apt. As great as The Sopranos was, I never had a feeling of it bringing a story arc to conclusion, more like they simply ran out of gas. Game of Thrones despite the huge cast of characters does have a certain feel of integration and direction unusual for long form television. I would attribute it to the novel, but they’ve now clearly gone beyond.
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I completely agree about The Sopranos. It bounced back and forth between compelling story lines but did not have a clear endgame. That was obvious well before the series aired its non-conclusion of a finale. I don’t think Game of Thrones is headed in that direction. This show has a definite end-point the way Breaking Bad did. I wonder if, similar to that series, the high point of the action will occur a couple episodes before the finale, with the remaining 1-2 episodes being more like an epilogue.
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