Game of Thrones Review: No One (Season 6 Episode 8)

Well, Game of Thrones, you have done the unthinkable.

You’ve done much in your six seasons: killed tons of people we never expected you to kill, come up with some pretty insane plot twists, and yet, this is, by far, the most surprising thing you’ve ever done.

In Jaime/Brienne, you finally, finally gave us an OTP.

Like everything on Game of Thrones, this OTP isn’t made of candlelight and roses. Instead, it’s made out of two warriors who respect each other, who understand each other and, mostly importantly, who really and truly love each other.

The ship didn’t start in this episode, of course. Many of us have been hoping for a night like this for a while.

For some, it started on that journey to King’s Landing, when Brienne made Jaime see that he was more than his right hand, and he saved her from rape and a Bear. It was cemented on a warm bath where Brienne bared her body and Jaime bared his soul.

But, until now, the ship still felt like the stuff of hopes and dreams. Wishful thinking, if you will.

Not anymore. Not when Pod and Bronn spend a good minute discussing if the two of them are getting it on. Not when Brienne smiles at the sight of Jaime and he has literal heart eyes when he’s talking to her.

Not when Jaime is more earnest when he tells Brienne to keep the sword than he’s been with Cersei in years. Not when he’s been a shell of who he wants to be for two seasons, and in the presence of Brienne, he’s suddenly reminded of that ideal.

Jaime loves Brienne because she looks at him and sees more than the Kingslayer. Because she trusts his word, because she always expects him to be better – to do better.

And Brienne loves Jaime because he sees her and treats her like an equal, not a damsel in distress, but a better warrior than him, a better person.

This is not your regular love story. This is not about appearances. This is the true kind of love, the one that goes deep down.

And I ship it, Game of Thrones. I do. I know you’re not in the habit of letting us have good things, but I don’t care.

Give it to me or not. I ship it. And I’m going down with the ship.

Though, all things considering, it’d be good of you to let us have this one. We haven’t had many things to root for in this show.

Keep them both alive. Leave open the possibility.

That’s really all we ask.

Other things to note:

• All the Starks seem to be getting their mic drop moment this season, and this week, it was Arya’s turn, what with the whole “A girl is Arya Stark of Winterfell and I’m going home” – I figured the show was going here, but I will not deny it was still extremely satisfying to see it play out.
• Considering how quickly the Riverrun storyline went, I’m going to assume Jaime needs to be back in King’s Landing for the finale. Will Cersei really go mad? Is Jaime’s destiny to be the end one ends her? Or is that too much to hope for?
• Daenerys does have impeccable timing, doesn’t she?
• The fact that Tobias Menzies plays Edmure had me wanting him dead long before he betrayed his uncle. But now? I’m not going to shed a tear for him when vengeance on the Frey’s finally comes. Because it IS coming.
• As if I wasn’t ALREADY looking forward to next week, the trailer made it look about 50 times more epic than I expected. The only question I have is, in an episode that is sure to focus on Jon, are we getting the end of that Tower of Joy scene at last?

What did you think of this episode of Game of Thrones? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Game of Thrones airs Sundays at 9/8c on HBO.

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