Yet, compared to expectations-and what we've seen on this show with the Red Wedding and Sept of Baelor-the Battle of Winterfell played it comparatively safe. And, like the deaths of Robb and Ned Stark, it seemed appropriate for Game of Thrones to kill Jon or Dany halfway through the final season. Most considered anyone but the most important players to be goners after the Battle of Winterfell.
People had death brackets prepared which listed every person they thought would go. Martin wrote, "There are no happy endings," but the Battle of Winterfell certainly seemed to have one. But there was no major "what the fuck" moment. Jorah died, Theon died, and so many others we've known from the beginning. Who could forget the heartbreaking death of Lyanna Mormont or the beautiful and tragic conclusion to Jorah Mormont's devotion to Daenerys Targaryen?īut here's the thing I hate to say about the Battle of Winterfell: In some ways, the showrunners played it safe. That is the genius of the Battle of Winterfell, a fight sequence the likes of which we've never seen which also takes the time to focus on these small character interactions. It felt when I was filming that moment that it might be the most memorable moment in my entire time on this show."Īnd it made for a quiet, personal scene in one of the biggest episodes of television ever filmed. They were just stuffed dummies, but it was really an eerie moment, because you're looking at dead human faces and hands, and it can have a visceral effect on you. Autumn has fallen across the world, with winter not far behind. "I was leaning against bodies of people who presumably Sam had known. Season 3 spans several months on a world where the seasons can last for years at a time. We felt battle scarred," Samwell Tarly actor John Bradley told me of that scene. We had been filming for a long time and we felt like it had really been starting to take its toll on us. From there, the episode generously weaves dozens of narratives throughout the fray, occasionally taking time for quiet, sweet moments like one shared between Tyrion and Sansa, or a close-up of Samwell's face as it seems like all is lost for the humans. It opens with a silent tracking shot beginning with Samwell Tarly's shaking hands as he decides to fight for the living and continues to linger on each character as they prepare for battle. And what a battle it was: 83 minutes of non-stop action, beautifully shot and choreographed, with the tension brilliantly paced throughout.
And all of it helped build the hype for the climactic battle that Game of Thrones has been working toward for a decade: The battle between the living and the Night King's army of the undead. For a notoriously secretive show, cast and creators of Game of Thrones were unusually talkative about the incredible lengths they went through to film the Battle of Winterfell. It seems like we've been hearing about last night's episodes for months now. Game of Thrones' Daniel Portman Has Big Pod Energy