Shirley
Da 5 Bloods
On the Record
I May Destroy You
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Following several episodes of setup, "Hardhome" blends a sharp script with spectacular blockbuster action to offer viewers a powerful, game-changing payoff.
Let's talk about something pure and good. Namely, Tyrion Lannister's gold-plated advice.
Though it may seem "trendy" for Game of Thrones to hop on board the zombie wagon, it's important to remember that George R.R. Martin began writing this story back in the 1990s... before the zombie trend of this decade emerged.
This was an episode that played to showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss' strengths and avoided some of their weaknesses.
Well then. That was by far the coolest episode of The Walking Dead I've ever seen.
When Jon was giving his speech, I had already started taking notes on this thematic throughline, and knew it was at the heart of the season's goals.
"Hardhome" is an important hour of course-correcting, a thematically-united installment that truly shines when it reaches its central spectacle.
...every so often, something so momentous occurs that you can't get your mind off of it, and seven days can give you the time to ruminate enough that the occurrence takes root in your brain and blooms into a wonderful memory.
The Hardhome was extraordinary.
"Hardhome," while not the season's best episode at a holistic level, was a return to fine form.
This ending was a Game of Thrones highlight, and we're still a week out from the purported season five climax.
It's an undeniably rousing speech, and one that heralds what could be an optimistic, life-affirming ending for the series.
Last night's Game of Thrones was a welcome return to form.