Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 3: What you missed during The Long Night
By Callum Gunn
Breaking down and analyzing The Long Night, here is what you might have missed in Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 3.
Caution: There are spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 3.
The Battle Of Winterfell, or more fittingly, the Battle For The Living, has come and gone in an episode none of us were prepared for. Especially the ending. Arya freaking Stark, you absolute legend! Amongst all the excitement and chaos in the last episode of Game of Thrones, there were plenty of details you might have missed, and we have them all right here.
From all the Easter eggs, callback, hints and tricks, there was actually quite a lot in “The Long Night.” If you spotted anything not listed below, be sure to share with everyone what you spotted by leaving a comment.
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OK then. Let’s get to it. Let’s take a look at what you might have missed in Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 3, titled “The Long Night.” Unsurprisingly, now that we know the ending to the episode, there was a lot of call back and hints associated Arya.
Melisandre and Arya stare off
Melisandre showing up just before the battle began was a bit of a shock. Some fans predicted she would show up, although I don’t think anyone expected her to appear alone. A lot of fans were expecting her to turn up with an army or something.
Anyway, when she did show up and entered Winterfell, she and Arya locked eyes with one another. Melisandre was at the gate and Arya was on the battlements. The two staring at one other lingered for some time. At first it was nothing, but now it’s clear. Melisandre knew what Arya would soon do.
Melisandre predicting Arya would kill the Knight King
I’ll say it again. Arya freaking Stark, you absolute legend! She took on the Night King and Melisandre predicted it way back in Season 3. When, what felt like the final moments of the living, Melisandre told Arya “Brown eyes, green eyes…..and blue eyes,” Arya realized she was destined to kill the Night King.
This was the same prophecy she told the badass Stark back in Season 3. Although none of us realized its significance back then.
“Stick them” and “Not Today”
There were once again callbacks to the very first season of Game of Thrones. “Stick them with the pointy end” and “Not today.” Both involved Arya, again not a big surprise now that we know what happened. The first was Arya giving Sansa the dragon glass dagger. The other was just before Arya set off to kill the Night King.
Arya’s kill shot was shown in Season 7
Remember when Arya practice-dueled Brienne in Game of Thrones Season 7? Although it ended in a draw, Arya got the upper hand by being able to easily switch the hand that wielded the dagger. In a way, when the Night King caught Arya mid-air, she was able to get the upper hand on him and ultimately defeat him by being able to switch hands easily.
Hardhome resurrection
Focusing on Jon now and there was a Hardhome call back you might have missed. The Night King decided to do exactly what many of us predicted, raise the dead, and when he did, it screamed “Hardhome.”
Everything that happened in that Season 5 episode of Game of Thrones played out last night. From how it was the two characters facing off with one another when it happened, to the way the dead rose, etc.
The fallen wights
Speaking of the resurrection, while you may have noticed that it was like Hardhome, you may have missed that not everyone rose up. Lyanna Mormont, Eddison Tollett, and many other familiar faces rose up, but there were some bodies that remained on the ground.
The episode finally gave us the limitations to the Night King’s powers. He couldn’t raise the wights that had been killed by the dragonglass or valerian steel.
Bran knew how it would end
Bran was pretty much useless last night. He did literally nothing. However, he didn’t have to do anything. Because Bran had already done everything he needs to do. Arya killed the Night King with the dagger that Bran had given her.
Why did Bran give it to her? Because he knew what would happen.
Next. Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 2: What you missed during A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. dark
OK. So, first of all, what did you think of the episode? Do you have a favorite moment? Is there anything you spotted that was a major call back, Easter egg, etc? Drop a comment just below sharing your thoughts.
Game of Thrones continues on Sundays at 9/8c on HBO.