Game Of Thrones Season 8 Episode 6 Review: The Iron Throne

GOT Season 8 Episode 6 Review: The Iron Throne series finale

Now, my watch has ended. After 73 episodes, Game of Thrones is over. My mind is racing with so many thoughts. Let’s jump into the review for the series finale for Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 6: The Iron Throne.

Game Of Thrones Season 8, Episode 6 Review: The Iron Throne

-The episode opens with Tyrion walking through the streets of King’s Landing, or what’s left of it. Daenerys’ destruction was catastrophic. She didn’t just kill a few thousand people. She slaughtered an entire city. Tyrion, Jon, and Davos all realize that Dany went against everything she said she was going to do.

-The ash falling down in the city as Tyrion, Jon, and Davos walk the streets was astonishing. Storylines aside, the visuals in Season 8 have been spectacular. In the very first episode, we learn that winter is coming and that winter represents the true enemy of the show, which we thought was the white walkers. However, the last episode symbolized that the true enemy was one who caused the ash, Daenerys.

-Grey Worm went awol! Despite pleas from Jon and Davos, Grey Worm continued slaughtering survivors in the street. Grey Worm killing the Lannister soldiers brings up an idea that Jorah Mormont brought up in Season 3. The Unsullied’s strength is their ability to follow orders. Daenerys ordered her army to kill everyone. The Unsullied do not think for themselves. As harsh as it was, Grey Worm was following orders by killing the soldiers who surrendered.

Tyrion Lannister

-As Tyrion explored the Red Keep, we knew where he was going. Tyrion needed to see if Jamie and Cersei made it out of the city. Once Tyrion saw the golden hand, it was a wrap on the idea that they survived. I still have my problems with how Jamie and Cersei died. I did not like how their character arcs ended nor did I like how they died. However, the haunting look that Tyrion had on his face after seeing his dead brother and sister was powerful and devastating. Peter Dinklage will be the favorite to win supporting actor at the Emmys.

-The Mother of Dragons did the damn thing.

-If I was a member of the Unsullied or the Dothraki, I would follow Daenerys into battle any day of the week. Her speech was both motivating and chilling. It’s clear that Daenerys is not going to stop liberating cities. She is going to travel far and wide, destroying everything in her path until every city is deemed liberated in her eyes. King’s Landing was only the beginning. At this moment, a choice had to be made and that choice belonged to only two people, Tyrion and Jon.

Tyrion emphatically resigned as Hand of the Queen and became Daenerys’s prisoner. After Tyrion and Dany left, Jon conversed with Arya, who tells him that Daenerys will always view Jon as a threat because of his lineage. According to Arya, Daenerys is a murderer and she will take Jon out at the right time. Arya is the first one to plant the seed of murdering Daenerys.

Favorite Scene of GOT Season 8 Episode 6

-My favorite scene of the night occurred when Jon visited Tyrion in captivity. Tyrion is direct with his approach. He messed up, regretted believing in Daenerys, and realized she can never truly be the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. On the other hand, Jon is more subtle with his concerns because of his love for Daenerys. Jon knows deep down that Daenerys shouldn’t be the Queen, but he’s too loyal or proud to go back on his oath. When Tyrion presses Jon as to if he would have done what Daenerys did to King’s Landing, Jon hesitates, but we know he would never burn innocent people to death. Jon recited a quote that Maester Aemon (more on him later) once said. “Love is the death of duty.”

Tyrion responds with “Sometimes, duty is the death of love.” In other words, love and duty don’t mix. You have to make a choice. Tyrion has made his choice. He wants Jon to kill Daenerys. Would he listen?

-He listened!

-Before Jon made this fatal decision, Daenerys had a moment in the throne room by herself. All her life, Daenerys had one goal, which was to take back the seven kingdoms, sit on the throne, and bring back honor to the Targaryen name. Daenerys was finally able to touch the Iron Throne, which she couldn’t do in her vision back in season 2. She finally did it. Despite achieving this through destruction and murder, Daenerys lets off a smile. At this moment, Daenerys forgets about the millions of lives she took. Daenerys got what she wanted, but not once has she ever thought about how she would govern as queen. All Dany cared about was breaking the wheel and liberating those in shackles. Daenerys proved she can be a liberator, but she never proved she could govern a nation.

You Know Nothing Jon Snow

And that’s where Jon comes in. Daenerys is oblivious as to what she did. Jon cries about how Grey Worm is murdering innocent soldiers in the street and Daenerys responds by playfully sharing childhood stories. THIS is supposed to be the Queen? Jon begs her to forgive Daenerys, but she states that she cannot grant small mercies. All Daenerys cares about is breaking the wheel. She has no interest in governing a nation. This is when I believe Jon knew what he had to do.

“You are my queen, now and always.” Jon kisses Daenerys and kills her. Goodbye, Dany!

-Instead of barbecuing Jon to death, Drogon burns the Iron Throne, picks up his mother, and flies away. Did a dragon really just solve humanity’s problems by eliminating a throne?

-Up until now, I had very few problems with the episode. However, after Drogon flies away and the next shot is Tyrion in his cell, this is where my problems begin. Why did Game of Thrones save a time jump for their last episode? I’m supposed to believe that Grey Worm just escorted Jon Snow into prison after he killed his Queen? All of the leaders were able to sail to King’s Landing within a few days/weeks and no major problems occurred? Not enough time has been the biggest flaw of Season 8. All of the major storyline decisions, from Daenerys burning down King’s Landing to Jon killing Daenerys, needed more time to develop over the course of a few episodes. It all felt rushed. A time jump hurt, not helped, the story.

Grey Worm to the Dragonpit

-Back to Tyrion. Grey Worm marches Tyrion into the Dragonpit where every senior lord and lady are sitting together. Sansa, Arya, Bran, Gendry, Davos, Brienne, Yara, Gendry, Sam, one of the Martells, Edmure Tully, and Robin Arryn are all present. Tyrion states that Jon’s fate is to be decided by the new King or Queen. It’s decision time. Who should be the next King or Queen? After Edmure and Sam make different claims, Tyrion suggests that the next person to be King should be…

Bran Stark! If you had Bran in your gambling pools, congratulations! The Three-Eyed Raven himself knew he would be king all along and he said nothing. Bran holds the key to all of the past, present, and future memories of Westeros. That’s why Tyrion wants him to be King. Bran accepts and every lord and lady agrees except for Sansa, who tells Bran that the North will remain an independent kingdom. Sansa completed the mission that her brother, Robb, could not do. As for Tyrion, what is the punishment for a man that commits treason and convinces the top warrior on the planet to murder the Queen? Tyrion gets to become the Hand of the King! Bran makes Tyrion his hand in order to make up for all of his previous mistakes.

-Tonight’s winner: Breast milk.

-Jon’s punishment is to rejoin the Night’s Watch. As Tyrion explains his punishment, Jon is still questioning if killing Daenerys was the right decision. Tyrion says to ask him in 10 years. Maybe Game of Thrones: The Sequel can be Jon and Tyrion in a buddy comedy as they are co-commanders of the Night’s Watch.

Time to Say Goodbye

-It was time to say goodbye. Grey Worm and the Unsullied decided to sail to Naath aka Missandei’s home. Brienne finished writing Jamie’s story. And with that, the Stark children once again had to go their separate ways. Sansa is headed back to Winterfell as the Queen in the North. Arya is sailing to the unchartered territory outside of Westeros. Bran is staying in King’s Landing and Jon is headed to the Night’s Watch. In the end, the backbone of Game of Thrones was the Starks. This family drove the show both figuratively and narratively and each member received a somewhat happy ending.

-I appreciated the ode to George R.R. Martin when Sam presented Tyrion with the history book titled, “A Song of Ice and Fire.” If you were to tell me that the final meeting of the minds in King’s Landing would be between Bran, Tyrion, Davos, Brienne, Bronn, Sam, and Podrick, I would’ve questioned your mental health.

-The series ends with a final montage involving Sansa, Arya, and Jon. Sansa becomes the Queen in the North. Ned Stark. Arya sails outside Westeros. Jon arrives at Castle Black to rejoin the Night’s Watch. In a way, these three characters mirror the lives of their elders. Sansa is Ned Stark, Arya is now Benjen Stark, and Jon is Maester Aemon. Upon his arrival at Castle Black, Jon is greeted by Tormund and Ghost (!!!). Then, Jon, Ghost, and Tormund, followed by a large group of wildlings, leave The Wall. Tormund always said that Jon belonged North of the Wall and when the gate closes as Jon exits the Wall, he smiles, knowing that he will be able to start a new life with the Wildlings.

Game of Thrones is Over

Wow. That’s a lot to process. Game of Thrones is over. I enjoyed the first half of the episode. I had problems with the second half especially when it comes to the time jump. Let’s all take a day or two to think about what we just witnessed and reconvene midweek. Sounds good? See you then.

What were your thoughts on the series finale of Game of Thrones? Leave your thoughts in the comments or tweet us, @unafraidshow.

NBA Playoffs 2019: Winners And Losers Through The Conference Semis

The 2019 NBA Playoffs have been a roller coaster of emotions. Wild, dramatic, and exciting are the adjectives that come to mind when describing these last couple of weeks in the NBA. From Damian Lillard’s buzzer beater and the Bucks’ dominance to the Celtics’ dysfunction and Sixers’ struggles, the NBA Playoffs have been must-see tv. Here are the winners and losers so far.

Winner: Kevin Durant

The best player in the 2019 NBA Playoffs has been Kevin Durant. As great as Kawhi Leonard has been, the Durantula has been on another level. Durant is averaging 34.2 ppg this postseason, which ranks first in the NBA. It’s not that he’s scoring buckets at will. It’s how he’s scoring. Durant’s offensive arsenal is never-ending and his wingspan reiterates the fact that his shot is unblockable. Right now, he’s the best player on Planet Earth.

Loser: Kevin Durant’s Calf

Every single fan’s heart skipped a beat. Reggie Miller convinced the world that Durant tore his achilles, but thankfully, it was only his calf. Knicks fans and the rest of the NBA can all breathe a sigh of relief. Please come back healthy, KD.

Winners: The Nuggets and Blazers

It’s never a good thing to lose a playoff series, but the Nuggets / Blazers series will have no true loser. Both Denver and Portland have exceeded expectations up to this point. For my money, Denver has the most complete team in the West, a franchise player in Nikola Jokic, and a budding star in Jamal Murray. No one predicted the Nuggets would be the 2-seed in the West and now they’re one win away from a trip to the Western Conference Finals. On the flip side, Portland is the perfect example of a patient front office. When teams lose in disappointing fashion in back-to-back seasons, the instinct is to either fire the coach or blow up the roster. The Blazers did neither and it’s worked out so far. Damian Lillard firmly planted his flag as a Top 5 point guard in the NBA and CJ McCollum is the perfect Robin to Lillard’s Batman. If the Blazers had a healthy Jusuf Nurkic, who knows how far they could have gone. I firmly expect the Blazers to win Game 6 and set up an intriguing Game 7.

Loser: The Thunder

The Thunder have ended their season in a disappointing first-round exit the past three years. Add in the fact that Damian Lillard sent the Thunder home on a 37-foot buzzer beater and things are not looking so hot in OKC. Is it time to hit the reset button in Oklahoma City? Frankly, I don’t think it’s possible. Westbrook, George, and Adams are all locked up on huge deals for the foreseeable future so it’s almost impossible to bring in a big name without trading one of those three players. The Thunder will have to change their style of play in order to improve next season.

Winner: LeBron James

Whether you love or hate him, the NBA Playoffs miss King James. It doesn’t feel the same without turning on the television every morning to see *insert sports show here* debating if LeBron was great or “just good” in a playoff win over the Toronto Raptors. The tv ratings say it all. LeBron moves the needle, and his absence in the playoffs emphasizes that the NBA needs LeBron more than LeBron needs the NBA.

Loser: The Lakers

The Lakers are not even playing games and yet, they’re still finding ways to lose.

Winner: Kawhi Leonard

Who, what, when, where, and KAWHI. At the top of the article, I stated that Kevin Durant is the best player in the playoffs. Kawhi Leonard is second. For all those who criticized Kawhi and the Raptors for utilizing “load-management” this regular season, you’re looking foolish right now. Kawhi is averaging a ridiculous 31, 8, and 3. In this series versus the 76ers, Kawhi has been a one-man wrecking crew who has been unstoppable at times. I expect a lot of teams to replicate Toronto’s “go all-in the year before a rebuild” strategy.

Loser: The 76ers Roster

Sometimes, you may have all the parts to make an engine run, but they’re not the right parts so the engine stalls. That’s exactly how I feel about the Sixers’ roster as currently constructed. Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris will both be free agents this offseason so at least one of them will leave. However, the root of the problem lies with their two supposed star players, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. At times, Embiid and Simmons are the two best players on the floor. However, both are wildly inconsistent. Embiid is averaging 17, 7, and 3 while Simmons is averaging 9,7, and 4. Those numbers should not be coming from your core talent. Embiid is so gifted to a point where he can be the best center in the league, but his injury history is becoming a serious problem. Simmons is a gifted passer with unbelievable vision, but his inability to work on his jump shot is holding his progression back severely. Embiid likes to play in the post and step out for 3s when necessary. Simmons needs space in the middle to run pick-and-rolls as well as to push the tempo. Unfortunately for the Sixers, Embiid’s style and Simmons’s style are like oil and water. They don’t mix.

https://twitter.com/DanWestPhilly/status/1125967140174036992

Winner: The Bucks

Hats off to the Bucks. I picked Boston in 7 going into the series, and Milwaukee ended up gentleman’s sweeping the Celtics. The Bucks have been the best team in the Eastern Conference all year long led by the MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo. Somehow, Mike Budenholzer is not getting enough credit for the Bucks season as well as Giannis’s transformation from a really good player into an MVP caliber talent. Now, the Bucks are one step away from the NBA Finals

Loser: The Celtics

When the dust settled, it turned out the Celtics could not turn it on when it mattered the most. The Celtics went to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals last season without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. This year, they couldn’t even make it out of the second round with a healthy Irving and Hayward. Injuries and constant dysfunction led to their downfall. Brad Stevens had a bad year and could not manage all of these personalities. Jaylen Brown took one step forward while Jayson Tatum took two steps back. The Celtics completely lacked balance. Kyrie is a top 5 point guard in the league, but it’s looking like Boston should not be his home for the 2019-2020 season. The Boston Slam is over.

Who are your winners and losers of the NBA Playoffs so far? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter @unafraidshow.

Game Of Thrones Season 8, Episode 4 Review: The Last Of The Starks

Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 4

If you were one of the people who complained that not enough main characters died in The Battle of Winterfell, then your prayers for death were answered. Tonight’s episode provided two significant deaths that will send shockwaves throughout the Seven Kingdoms. The Night King may be dead, but the true ruler of Westeros still remains. Cersei reminded us that she’s still top dog on Game of Thrones. Here’s my review for Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 4, “The Last of the Starks.”

Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 4: “The Last of the Starks”

-The episode opened with a tearful goodbye to our fallen heroes from the Battle of Winterfell. Lyanna Mormont, Beric Dondarrion, Theon Greyjoy, Dolorous Edd, and Sir Jorah Mormont were the biggest names who tragically fell last week. Jon led a tearful ceremony that ended with the dead being burned. After the battle of ice and fire, ice may have taken many lives, but fire prevailed in the battle of the dead versus the living.

-If I were apart of the Battle of Winterfell and the living defeated the dead, you better believe I would drink my face off until the sun came up. It was time to celebrate as the remaining survivors joined together for a grand feast full of food, wine, and sex. That’s not the worst way to celebrate defeating an army of dead wights and white walkers.

-Congratulations to Gendry on becoming the Lord of Storms End! If you believe Daenerys did this out of the goodness of her heart, think again. Dany knew that Gendry had a claim to the Iron Throne so what was the best way to make sure he’ll never go for the crown? Make him a lord and give him a lot of land. Good move on Dany’s end, but nothing she does will ever surpass the respect the North has for Jon.

-When did Game of Thrones become HBO After Dark? HBO may have removed adult entertainment from the network, but tonight’s Game of Thrones turned Winterfell into a brothel. It seemed like everyone who was anyone wanted to hook up. Tormund couldn’t win over Brienne, but he won over a Northerner instead. Podrick probably spent the night with a lady. Even the Hound caught the eye of an innocent woman. Love was in the air! Fresh off of becoming a Lord, Gendry professed his love for Arya and Arya expressed her joy with a kiss. However, Arya turned down Gendry’s proposal because she is not a lady. Poor Gendry.

-It turns out the Hound has a soft spot for Stark girls. The Hound is not physically attracted to anyone, but he is attracted to confidence and toughness, which are two qualities that are present with both Arya and Sansa. As the saying goes, tough times don’t last, but tough people do and Arya and Sansa are two of the toughest people alive.

-Although love was in the air for most, a black cloud loomed over Jon and Dany’s relationship. Daenerys abruptly left the party because she knows that the North will always fight for Jon and despite whatever he says, the North will always want Jon to be their true king. When Dany confronts Jon later in the night, the two share a passionate kiss, but that spark quickly dissolves because of their secret. If your true love turned out to be your relative, I’d venture to say that you’d lose that spark as well.

Although Daenerys has always exuded confidence, in her meeting with Jon, we finally saw something we haven’t seen in a while, which was a look of nervousness. No matter how many times Jon says he doesn’t want the throne, the fact remains that Jon has a better claim to the realm than Daenerys. Jon could bend the knee one hundred times and it wouldn’t matter because Jon is the last male Targaryen and nothing is going to change that. Dany begs Jon to keep his lineage a secret, but Jon wants to tell his sisters the truth. Jon’s greatest strength and weakness is his loyalty. Jon is just like Ned Stark. His loyalty may cost him his life just like it did with Ned.

-A relationship that was born in Season 3 finally had its payoff as Brienne and Jamie had sex. Nice *Borat voice*. I’m not trying to take away from a sweet moment, but I find it ironic that the one woman Jamie sleeps with besides his sister (lol) also has short blonde hair. The only difference (besides incest) being Brienne is a good person and Cersei is, well, not.

-I was happy that Bronn returned to the show, but I wasn’t thrilled to see him with the crossbow that Cersei gave him. Thankfully, Bronn didn’t kill the Lannister brothers, but he did use them to get a sweeter deal than the one promised by Cersei. This isn’t the last we will see from Bronn. There was an interesting tidbit from Season 5, Episode 4, where Bronn and Jamie discussed how they would like to die. Bronn wants to die a boring death, while Jamie wants to die in the arms of his love. Sadly, both of these warriors might receive what they want in the end.

-Did you really think Jon wasn’t going to tell his sisters about his true lineage? OF COURSE he was going to spill the beans to Sansa and Arya. Jon couldn’t keep a secret if his life depended on it. It’s like Jon has never been to high school. News spreads like wildfire in high school. Nothing stays private and once a secret hits the hallways, it’s going to spread until every last person knows the truth. Dany might think she can keep Jon quiet, but Jon knows he can never tell a lie. He had to tell Arya and Sansa. Plus, once he told Sansa, you knew she was going to tell someone. That person just happened to be Daenery’s hand, Tyrion.

-Speaking of Sansa, her case for being the one who reigns supreme to end the show is getting stronger and stronger after each episode. Dany wants to go to war right away and move south, but Sansa cautions her and says to let her army recuperate. It turns out that Sansa was right. As Dany weakens, Sansa grows stronger. Dany may be able to win a battle, but Sansa can win a war. An interesting point was brought up in this article in the NY Post. Sansa, not Daenerys, may be the one to take out Cersei.

-Tyrion may still believe in Daenerys, but Varys does not. Varys is a schemer and he heavily teased that he will do anything for the realm and if that means betraying Daenerys for Jon, then so be it. Tyrion also knows in his heart that Jon should be King, but he’s not willing to give up on Dany just yet. Notice how Tyrion mentioned treason with Varys. What happens to those who commit treason? They die. My prediction is that Varys will burn for treason at the hands of Daenerys.

Note: Do you actually believe Varys won’t tell anyone about Jon being a Targaryen? HA. Tyrion revealed Jon’s secret to the man who has “little birdies” everywhere. All of King’s Landing might know about Jon’s lineage before Daenerys battles Cersei.

-Daenerys and the rest of the audience for that matter seemed to forget about Euron Greyjoy and his fleet. However, Euron did not forget about her. Euron reminded us that he is a dangerous force that must be taken seriously when he ambushed Daenerys’ troops and killed her second dragon, Rheagal, with the dragon-killing Scorpion. Not only did Euron kill a dragon, but he also destroyed Daenery’s fleet of ships and captured Missandei.

Note: Game of Thrones rarely kills characters offscreen. We saw Rheagal fall to his presumable death, but is he really dead? I think he is, but do not be surprised if Rheagal shows up next week. Also, do not forget about Yara and the Iron Islands. I expect her fleet to show up to take on Euron.

-My biggest takeaway tonight is this: Cersei has and always been the true villain of the show. The Night King was bad, but Cersei is evil. While everyone plays checkers, Cersei plays chess. Cersei is always two moves ahead of everyone else. Inviting the people into Red Keep was a brilliant move because Cersei knows that if Daenerys burns innocent people alive in order to take King’s Landing, Daenerys will never be accepted as the Queen. It’s a brilliant move.

-I’ve never been more confident in my life that Jamie is going to kill Cersei. Although Brienne begged him to stay with her, Jamie left and said that he is hateful just like Cersei. Jamie had to do this in order to let Brienne go. Jamie is not going to King’s Landing to save Cersei. Jamie is going to King’s Landing to kill Cersei in order to save Westeros. This was my number one prediction coming into the season and I’m sticking with it. Here’s a rough prediction as to how it happens:

  • The Hound and Arya infiltrate King’s Landing and reach Cersei.
  • The Hound fights his brother, The Mountain.
  • Arya attempts to kill Cersei, but is stopped by Jamie.
  • Jamie defeats Arya in a battle but spares her life.
  • When Cersei believes Jamie came to save her, Jamie turns on his sister and kills her.

-I’M NOT READY TO SAY GOODBYE TO GHOST.

-Finally, let’s discuss the second shocking death of the night. The battle is set. Both Daenerys and Cersei want the other to surrender, which we all know will never happen in a million years. Tyrion begs Cersei to surrender in order to stop the violence and save the lives of innocent people. Cersei responds by ordering Sir Gregor to behead Missandei. Game on. Your move, Daenerys.

-Is Daenerys the Mad Queen? After tonight, she’s about to go scorched Earth against Cersei and King’s Landing. She lost her dragon, best friend, and lover. Once again, Daenerys is alone and can’t trust anyone. Right now, all she has in the world is her rage and her dragon. Missandei’s “Dracarys” was a message to both Daenerys and the audience. Whether you like it or not, hell, fire and brimstone are coming to King’s Landing. Get ready for fire and lots of it.

What did you think about tonight’s episode? Leave your thoughts in the comments or tweet us @unafraidshow.

Check out Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 3 Review

Game Of Thrones Season 8, Episode 3 Review: The Long Night

Game of Thrones Season 8 episode 3 review

David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, thank you Game of Thrones for television. Tonight’s episode is why I love television more than most people. We’ve been waiting for this battle ever since Ned Stark said, “Winter is coming.” The Army of the Dead arrived and they were ready to take over the world. However, the Army of the Living said, “Not today.” Here’s the review for Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 3, “The Long Night.”

Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 3: “The Long Night”

-The Battle of Winterfell. HOLY SHIT. I’m still shaking after what I just witnessed. This episode had the impossible task of living up to an insane amount of hype and it came pretty close to doing that.

-So many things to unpack here. I apologize if my thoughts seem jumbled, but I’m still coming down from a high.

-Let’s start with who died for the good guys. These are confirmed deaths.

  • Dolorous Edd
  • Lyanna Mormont
  • Beric Dondarrion
  • Theon Greyjoy
  • Jorah Mormont
  • Melisandre
  • A decent amount of women and children in the crypts.
  • A lot of Dothraki, Unsullied, and Northern soldiers

-Once Melisandre returned at the beginning of the episode, you knew she was going to light some things on fire. Lighting the Dothraki swords was a good move. Watching them charge into battle and get slaughtered was not a good move!

-The Dead’s plan was fairly simple. Let the Northerners charge, gain more soldiers, and then charge at them once the winter winds take over. That worked to perfection as they overpowered the Army of the Living. It’s here where we saw our first major death, which was Edd. I don’t blame Sam for running away after he saw one of his friends die.

-When Jon and Daenerys started to burn the dead, my only thought was “Where is the Night King and his dragon?” Well, it’s clear the Night King was waiting for Jon and Dany to get lost in the storm in order to attack. That worked as he was able to injure one of the dragons. However, I didn’t expect the Night King to fall off the dragon, which proved to me that he can be beaten.

-Why didn’t Jon and Dany take their dragons to the trenches and light them on fire more? It was very nice of Melisandre to light the trenches on fire, but once the dead formed a wall with their bodies and breached the castle, more fire from the dragon’s could have helped!

-Did anyone have trouble seeing in general? I understand that a battle at night is going to lead to chaos and confusion. However, I should not have to adjust my television set in order to see more clearly. At times, I felt I was squinting just to make sense of what was going on.

-Lyanna Mormont, you are a badass. You lived like a badass and you died like a badass. I don’t care if you thought that was a cop out. That was just an awesome moment.

-Another problem I had with the episode dealt with its continuity issues. Game of Thrones is not going to kill a major character offscreen. However, there are multiple times when Jamie, Brienne, and Sam are on the verge of death and the camera pans away from them. We assume they all survive, but the quick cutaway acts as a way to save the character instead of letting the scene play out. If major characters did not die last night, I’m assuming that they will die facing Cersei’s army.

-I absolutely loved the Night King smiling at Daenerys. It turns out that the Night King was more powerful than we thought. Fire cannot defeat him,. I view this is a parallel to Daenery’s quest to become the Queen of Westeros. Fire cannot make you Queen. I don’t see an outcome that ends with Daenerys on the Iron Throne.

https://twitter.com/targsxdemi/status/1122718232241168384

-Goodbye, Jorah Mormont. You were a loyal solider to Khalessi and to be quite honest, Dany didn’t deserve Jorah’s loyalty. Jorah would give his life for Danerys and all she did was put him in the friend zone and banish her from the kingdom.

-The crypts was interesting, but not as climatic as I thought it would be. The dead rising was entertaining and the somber moment between Tyrion and Sansa was touching, but overall, it wasn’t that much of a bloodbath.

-Let’s get into Melisandre and Arya’s interaction. Arya, the Hound, and Beric Dondarrion are forced into a great hall. Beric dies and out of nowhere, Melisandre appears. Melisandre states that the Lord of Light kept resurrecting Beric for a specific purpose and now it was evident what that purpose was. Beric’s job was to save Arya. Melisandre and Arya recongize each other from a previous meeting in Season 3. Arya was the only one to step up to Melisandre and right there, Melisandre sensed that Arya was special. Melisandre saw darkness in Arya and that Arya will shut the eyes of brown, blue, and green people and that they will meet again.

https://twitter.com/davidninoh/status/1122697023847849984

Well, they picked a great time to reunite as Melisandre gave Arya the pep talk she needed. Once Melisandre stressed the importance of killing someone with blue eyes, I knew that meant the Night King. Melisandre quoted Arya’s combat teacher, Syrio Forel. What do we say to the God of Death? Not today.

https://twitter.com/_huntah/status/1122689274527256588

-Theon finally received what he was searching for his whole life, which was acceptance from the Starks. Theon has been running for most of his life. Theon ran away from Ramsay Bolton. He abandoned his sister, Yara when Euron held her captive. He betrayed the Starks and took Winterfell for himself. However, when push came to shove, Theon did his best to defend Bran from the Night King and the white walkers. Bran reassured Theon that he was a good man and that’s all he needed to hear. The Night King made quick work of Theon, but he died as a man with honor.

-Finally, let’s discuss the scene that will be talked about for years to come, which is when Arya killed the Night King. Arya sneak-attacked the Night King, but the Night King caught her in mid-air. However, Arya was able to drop her sword into her off hand, stab the Night King, and dissolve the Army of the Dead. After all of the build-up that made it seem that Jon was destined to fight the Night King, it never happened. I support this decision because it was never Jon’s destiny to kill the Night King. For everyone complaining that Game of Thrones got too predictable, I’d argue the opposite. Arya killing the Night King was a delightful surprise and having Jon kill him in a battle would have been the predictable approach. Plus, Arya fulfilled Melisandre’s prophecy. It was the girl who worked her way up from a little girl to a deadly fighter that saved the world instead of the “Prince Who Was Promised.”

-This episode is going to be very divisive. On one hand, the show’s conclusion will feature humans versus humans for the Iron Throne, which I’m very much in favor of. However, the white walkers were teased as this unstoppable force throughout the entire series. The Night King was the most powerful creature on the planet. The Army of the Dead was so powerful and yet the living defeated this unbeatable army overnight. If that’s the case, then were the white walkers a distraction from the true enemy of the show, Cersei? This may be the case, but I have a feeling that there’s still one more surprise from the dead before this series comes to a close.

See you next week as the fight goes to King’s Landing. Do you know who has green eyes?

What did you think about The Battle of Winterfell? Leave your thoughts in the comments or tweet us @unafraidshow.

‘Avengers: Endgame’ Review: Satisfying Finish To Marvel’s 11-Year Saga

Avengers Endgame review thanos

As Dr. Strange said in Infinity War, “We’re in the endgame, now.” After an 11-year, 22 film saga, Avengers: Endgame has the daunting task of wrapping up this era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only did it succeed in tying together a decade’s worth of characters and storylines, but Endgame delivers a satisfying conclusion that rewards fans for their dedication.

*Note: This review will be as spoiler-free as possible. No major plot points will be revealed. I believe in #DontSpoilTheEndgame.*

Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, Avengers: Endgame picks up where Infinity War left off. Captain America, Black Widow, Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, War Machine, Rocket, and Nebula were the only major heroes who survived Thanos’s snap, which wiped away half the universe’s population. Down and seemingly out, the Avengers receive a much-needed ally in the form of Captain Marvel. The Avengers seek to reverse the damage done by Thanos and bring back half the universe’s population. Sounds simple, right?

The film succeeds in the fact that it answered so many questions that have been lingering throughout the MCU up until this point. However, it’s far from perfect. My biggest gripe is the beginning of the film. The first act of the film sets the scene for life after Thanos and explains how the survivors live in a desolate world. The film has a run-time of 3 hours and 1 minute so the film did not rush at all in terms of giving the appropriate backstory. However, it wasn’t almost too much backstory and not enough planning to defeat Thanos. If this movie trimmed it’s runtime by about 20 minutes and sped up some of the beginning, it would have been perfect.

That being said, once the Avengers picked up Ant-Man and Hawkeye (now Ronin) towards the end of the first act, Endgame begins to hit its stride. The scene in the trailer where the Avengers assemble while wearing the Quantum Realm suits is where this movie took off. The final two acts were immensely entertaining and turned my theater into Yankee Stadium after a walk-off home run with all the cheering and clapping.

What impressed me the most about Endgame was the balanced mix of dramatic and comedic bits. This is a Marvel movie so you’re guaranteed to get a bunch of superheroes using their powers in elaborate fighting scenes, which is awesome. However, I didn’t expect to laugh as much as I did. In particular, Thor’s evolution from a serious, semi-charming god to a witty, fun-loving superhero has been spectacular. Huge credit should go to Taika Waititi, the director of Thor: Ragnarok, for showing that Thor can be much more than a god with a hammer. Chris Hemsworth is a movie star in every sense of the word and this version of Thor is his best work.

I keep coming back to the word, “satisfying,” to perfectly describe Avengers: Endgame. Part of the reason why fans relate to these movies so much is the films’ ability to deal with common themes despite incorporating supernatural elements. The feeling of loss and regret in Infinity War is channeled into revenge and resilience in Endgame, which is felt by not only the heroes in the movie, but the audience in the theater. Endgame ties up many storylines and gives fans exactly what they have wanted for a decade. However, it also poses new questions for the future of the MCU, which is fairly unknown at this point.

Avengers: Endgame will make you laugh and cry, but most importantly, you’ll be rewarded for your patience. I’m not sure where the MCU goes from here, but if there’s one thing Marvel needs from us, it’s trust. After witnessing Avengers: Endgame, trust is exactly what they deserve.

Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 1 Premiere Review: Winterfell

Game of Thrones season 8 Episode 1 premiere review

Before I dive into the review for the Season 8 premiere of Game of Thrones, let’s all take a minute to appreciate that this wonderful show is back in our lives. Game of Thrones won’t be on for much longer so let’s enjoy it while it lasts. Now, we can talk about the episode 1.

Note: I’m a fan so my review of each episode comes from a fan’s perspective. I want to inform you as to what happened, but I also want to provide some entertainment in the process.

Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 1: “Winterfell”

Lena Headey in Game of Thrones / Via HBO

-As expected, tonight’s episode set the table for the Battle at Winterfell, which is rumored to take place in episode 3. Everything done in the first two episodes of this season is all in preparation for the battle.

-Jon is home and he brought his girlfriend, who happens to have a huge army and two dragons! Ask yourself this. If you were living in the North, would you be happy that your “King” bent the knee to a foreigner AND invited her into your kingdom? Jon is naive thinking that Sansa and the rest of Winterfell would support his decision to bend the knee to Queen Daenerys Targaryen. As Lyanna Mormont mentioned, the people of the North elected Jon to be King, not Daenerys. Daenerys will have to prove her worth in order for the northerners to accept her.

-Reunions, reunions, and more reunions! With the Army of the Dead on the horizon, it was nice to see some heartfelt reunions before things take a turn for the worse. Jon and Bran’s hug was a bit awkward considering Bran knows that Jon is Aegon Targaryen, the true heir to the Iron Throne. Tyrion and Sansa, who were once married, had a less than pleasant conversation about their common hatred towards Cersei. However, the reunion that put a smile on my face was when Arya and Jon embraced at the heart tree.

-Sansa has evolved so much as a character. In the earlier seasons, Sansa desired to be married to a king and live a life of royalty. Now, she’s a powerful, independent leader who is about to go toe-to-toe with the Mother of Dragons.

-Arya and Gendry. Did they flirt or did they flirt? Keep a tab on this relationship. (I’m for this relationship, by the way.)

-My predictions for this season.

-In King’s Landing, Cersei is up to her manipulative ways again. When Qyburn gives news that the Night King demolished the Wall, Cersei couldn’t help but smile. Cersei’s plan is to let the Army of the Dead fight Jon, Daenerys, and the rest of the North to the death and whoever emerges victorious will take on Cersei at King’s Landing. So far, so good for this plan.

-Cersei is still cold-blooded as ever as she hires Bronn to kill her brothers, Jamie and Tyrion. In a sick twist, Cersei wants Bronn to kill her brothers with the same crossbow that Tyrion used to kill their father, Tywin. It’s not a secret that Bronn is a fan favorite. However, will that all change if he kills Jamie and Tyrion? More importantly, will Bronn be able to kill his friends?

-Speaking of villains, Euron Greyjoy’s arrogance was on full display tonight. It’s no secret that Euron wants to marry Cersei in order to become King. After acquiring the Golden Company, Euron believes that he should be rewarded for his hard work. What does he want? In his words, not mine, Euron wants to “fuck the Queen.” Well, that’s exactly what he did. Cersei knows that Euron’s fleet is far too valuable to lose so she sleeps with Euron. Brashly, Euron states his intention to “put a prince” in Cersei’s belly. Little does he know that Cersei is pregnant with Jamie’s child. As bad as Cersei is, is Euron worse?

-While Euron was getting it on with the Queen, Theon infiltrated one of the ships to rescue his sister, Yara. When Yara decides to sail back to the Iron Islands, Theon determines that his next move involves traveling Winterfell to fight alongside the Starks. I’m sure the Starks will welcome Theon with open arms and forget about the time he betrayed their family and seized Winterfell.

-Jamie seeing Bran for the first time since pushing him out of a castle and paralyzing him. Awkward…


-In my predictions, I did say that Jon would ride a dragon at some point. I did not expect his first time on a dragon would be to go on a romantic date with Daenerys. I’m sorry Daenerys, but the only one who gets to go with Jon into a cave is Ygritte.

-In the scariest scene of the episode, Tormund Giantsbane, Beric Dondarrion and Lord Commander “Dolorous” Edd Tollett received a sign from the Night King in the form of a zombie child pinned to the wall with severed limbs surrounding him. This is just a small sample of what the Night King is about to do to the Army of the Living.

-Finally, the most important sequence in tonight’s episode occurred between Jon and Samwell Tarly. Sam met Daenerys after Jorah Mormont wished to thank Sam for saving him at the Citadel. However, Sam unfortunately learned what happened to his father and brother, who were both burned alive by dragons after refusing to bend the knee to Daenerys. It’s ironic that Daenerys emphasizes that she is not like her father even though she burned innocent people to death just like the Mad King did during his reign.

Upset with Daanerys and motivated by Bran, Sam confronts Jon about what Daenerys did to his family. Sam reveals that Jon was never a bastard. Jon is the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen and his real name is Aegon Targaryen. As Sam said, Jon, not Daenerys, is the one true King of the seven kingdoms. Jon FINALLY knows his true lineage.

Oh, this also means Jon is in love with and has sex with his aunt.

Was tonight’s episode a home run? Absolutely not, but the pieces of the chessboard are moving into place. The Battle at Winterfell is coming and death will follow.

See you next week.

Game Of Thrones: Best Moments Through Seven Seasons

One of the greatest shows in television in history is taking its final bow. The worldwide phenomenon that is Game of Thrones returns for its eighth and final season on Sunday night. Let’s take look at the best moments and best scenes from GoT.

Ned Stark’s Death

Game of Thrones became Game of FUCKING Thrones after the death of Ned Stark. Ever since this moment, Game of Thrones played by different rules. No one was safe even if you’re a main protagonist and the most famous actor on the show at the time. Ned’s death set off a chain of events that shaped the lives of characters like Sansa and Arya. Did Ned deserve to die? Maybe. Although he was honorable, Ned was naive. The man trusted Littlefinger, who upon his betrayal, told Ned, “I warned you not to trust me.” Whether deserved or not, Ned’s death will forever be the scene that changed the face of the show and frankly, the rest of television.

Blackwater

https://youtu.be/bxKzT7AzK1c

The Battle at Blackwater may not be the best battle sequence in Game of Thrones, but it’s arguably the most important for television purposes. Blackwater showcased how a television show could provide the viewer with a grandiose and extravagant battle sequence that can usually only be seen in films.

Jamie and Brienne take a bath

One of my personal favorite scenes for a member of my Mt. Rushmore of GoT characters, Jamie Lannister. Up until this point, the Kingslayer was brash, cocky, and arrogant. To be honest, it was hard to root for him. Jamie was the Kingslayer who pushed Bran Stark out of a tower and practiced incest with his sister. However, my perspective completely changed when Jamie told Brienne of Tarth the story of why he killed the Mad King. Jamie had to make a choice. He had to keep his oath to the King and watch thousands of innocent people die or break his bond and kill the King. Maybe there’s no right answer, but for the first time all series, the viewer can sympathize with Jamie.

The Red Wedding

The Red Wedding made Game of Thrones must-see TV. I remember the Internet blowing up after this episode. This is when I believe a huge number of viewers jumped on the Game of Thrones bandwagon. Sure, Ned Stark died. One major character’s death is no big deal, but killing the King in the North, his pregnant wife, and the King’s mother all at once?! That’s just cold. From here on out, Thrones had to be watched live in order to avoid spoilers on the Internet.

Tyrion Confession / The Mountain and the Viper

“And I know I’ll get no justice here, so I will let the gods decide my fate. I demand a trial by combat!”

Tyrion Lannister did not kill Joffrey, but he (and the rest of the world) wishes that he did. I can’t blame Tyrion for demanding a trial by combat. His father and sister despise him so a jury was not going to prove him innocent. Instead, Tyrion went for a trial by combat. Although it seemed as if no on would fight for Tyrion, Oberyn Martell stepped up to the plate to take on The Mountain. This was personal because as Oberyn constantly stated in the battle, “I am the brother of Elia Martell. And do you know why I’ve come all the way to this stinking shit pile of a city? For you. I am going to hear you confess before you die: You raped my sister. You murdered her. You killed her children.” If only Oberyn finished the job instead of letting his arrogance take over. He might still have a head!

https://youtu.be/PBIyOYbzvxs

The Watchers on the Wall

This goes against the grain, but the Night’s Watch vs. Wildlings is my favorite battle in the series. Edge-of-your-seat action, nonstop fighting, and an emotional goodbye to Ygritte pushes this battle over the top.

Hardhome

Season Five is memorable for one reason and one reason only, Hardhome. Up until this moment, the true powers of the Night King and the Army of the Dead were unknown. After the massacre at Hardhome, for the first time in the series, the true battle of the living vs. the dead took precedent over the battle for Westeros. THIS is the true enemy. The last scene of the Night King resurrecting the dead to join his army as Jon Snow looks on from his boat is a top five image in the series.

Hold the door

I wish you could see the tears falling down my face as I revisit this episode. Why did Bran have to screw over Hodor? Hodor was so innocent and nice! It’s amazing how many times Bran fucked up in this episode. Although Bran learned how the Night King was created, Bran was marked by the Night King in his vision, which allowed the Night King to find the Three Eyed Raven. The Army of the Dead finds Bran and kills the Three Eyed Raven. When Bran wargs into Hodor to escape, he ends up causing psychological damage to Hodor in the past, which causes him to slur the phrase he hears from Meera in the present: Hold the door. Thanks a lot, Bran.

The Winds of Winter

https://youtu.be/hjtPtTUx_ks

THIS EPISODE RULES. Scene for scene, this is the greatest episode in Game of Thrones history. The bombing of the Sept of Baelor is a masterclass in editing and directing. Cersei might have been shamed in the streets, but she had the last laugh as she blew up the sept, killing Margaery, High Septon, and anyone who wronged her. This diabolical plot raised Cersei into the upper echelon of TV villains. Not to be outdone, the biggest reveal in the show’s history happened later in the episode as the lineage of Jon Snow was finally revealed as he is not the bastard of Ned Stark, but the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen. Jon has dragon’s blood. Plus, Dany sailed East and Tommen gave us the gif of the century. That’s one hell of an episode.

Goodbye, Wall

I love the Night King. There, I said it. Every scene that includes the Night King is meaningful. It doesn’t happen often, but it packs a punch. Hardhome, marking Bran, killing a dragon (!!!), and now, riding a dragon to destroy a section of The Wall solidified the Night King as the most powerful character on the show. The Army of the Dead is coming.

What are your favorite moments from Game of Thrones ? Comment with your thoughts below or join in the conversation on Twitter@UnAfraidShow.

If You Could Only Watch One, Would You Rather See Avengers: Endgame or Game Of Thrones Season 8?

Game of Thrones Season 8 and Avengers: Endgame if you can only choose one

April is going to be an unbelievable month for entertainment. Two of the most anticipated events in film and television history will premiere within 12 days of each other. If you haven’t guessed by now, the two events on everyone’s calendar are Game of Thrones Season 8 and Avengers: Endgame.

The culmination of over a decade of movies and television seasons will come to an end over the next month and a half. That’s a lot of time to invest in two entertainment properties, but Marvel and HBO take up an important percentage of my life. These will be the two biggest viewing events of the year. “Must-see” is an understatement. The longer you wait to see them, the higher the chances it will be ruined for you with spoilers on the Internet. You can’t take that risk.

My question is as followed: If you could only watch one, would you pickAvengers: Endgame or Game of Thrones?

It’s a real catch 22. You can only watch one, and you can never watch the other. You won’t face a harder question all year. As I type out my reasons for each entity, I continue to question myself. It’s that difficult. Let’s break down the reasons to see each one.

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Reasons To See Avengers: Endgame

–11 Year Culmination of The First Three Phases in MCU: The first movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was Iron Man back in 2008. 11 years and 21 movies is A LOT of time to invest in a cinematic universe. You make it this far and you’re just going to give up?

–May Be The Last Movie For A Few Popular Actors: It’s no secret that some of the actors in the MCU may want to move on. Chris Evans has hinted many times that his time as Captain America is coming to a close. Avengers: Endgame might be Robert Downey Jr.’s last time as Iron Man as well. I don’t want to miss their final appearances as superheroes that I have come to love.

–I Can’t Let Thanos Win: How is your last memory of the first three phases of the MCU going to be Thanos snapping away your favorite superheroes? The purple chin middle linebacker can’t get away with wiping out half of the universe’s population and get away with it. Not on my watch. I need to see Thanos fall.

Reasons To See Game of Thrones Season 8

–Final Season: After taking close to a two year hiatus, one of the most influential shows of the 21st century is returning for 6 final episodes. Need I say more?

–The Greatest Battle In Television History: Ever since the Night King and Army of White Walkers debuted on the show, you knew what was coming. A battle between the living and the dead was going to take place. Now, we have finally reached the end. Living vs. Dead. White Walkers vs. Humans. The Night King vs. Jon Snow. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Peter Dinklage said that the battle between the living and dead “makes the Battle of the Bastards look like a theme park.” I’m not prepared for this moment.

–Dragons Doing Dragon Things: I mean… come on. They’re firing breathing dragons. It’s going to bring me so much satisfaction when the dragons torch the White Walkers.

I can’t miss both of these. It’s an impossible decision, but I’ve managed to come up with a reason that makes sense in my head as to why I’m picking one over the other.

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Books.

I’m not a big reader, but both of these entertainment properties are based on books. Avengers: Endgame is based on The Infinity Gauntlet comic series while Game of Thrones is based on A Song of Ice and Fire series from George R.R. Martin. Here’s the catch. The Infinity Gauntlet was published in 1991. A Song of Ice and Fire has not been completed and at this rate, no one knows when the final two books will be finished. Although both the movie and TV series step away from their original source material at times, the major story arcs in the books are similar in the movies. So if I had to pick one of these to watch, I’m going with Game of Thrones Season 8 because I could read The Infinity Gauntlet comics and even though it would be a disappointing ending, at least it would be an ending. I can’t get that right now with Game of Thrones unless I watch the show.

I’m choosing Game of Thrones. What’s your decision? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter @unafraidshow.

How Many Championships Does Bryce Harper Have To Win To Justify His Contract?

Money money money money, money. This past week, Bryce Harper, MLB’s top free agent, signed a record contract worth $330 million over 13 years. This contract became the largest contract in pro team sports history, breaking the previous record of Giancarlo Stanton’s $325M deal. That is a lot of money for one player, but that’s […]

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Five Ways To Fix The Oscars and Increase Viewership

the oscars academy awards black panther a star is born

The Oscars will always be the most prestigious ceremony for films. The actual ceremony will never be in trouble. However, it’s the television broadcast that needs to be fixed. Movie fans will always tune into the show no matter what the circumstances are surrounding the length of the broadcast or the host of the show. The challenge is figuring out how to attract the average viewer to tune into the show.

Last year’s ceremony had its lowest ratings in the modern era with 26.5 million viewers. To fix the ratings problem, the Academy decided to implement new changes to the broadcast, but the upcoming ceremony has been plagued with problems for months now ever since the Academy announced and later, scrapped the proposed award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film. Then, the entire Kevin Hart controversy left the show without a host. Now, the Academy announced it will hand out a few awards such as cinematography and film editing during commercials as a way to keep the broadcast under 3 hours. Much to the surprise of no one, it has been met with serious blowback.

Luckily, I have a few ideas on how to fix the Oscars.

1. Start Earlier

Why does the ceremony have to start at 8 PM EST? The Super Bowl, which is usually the highest watched program in the United States ever year, starts at 6:30 EST. Why can’t the Oscars start earlier as well? The average length of Oscar ceremonies since 2010 has been 215 minutes, with telecasts ending between 11:43 PM and 12:19 AM. That’s ridiculous for any telecast. Most viewers are in bed by then on the East Coast. Starting the ceremony at 7 PM EST and ending at 11 PM would be ideal for all viewers.

2. Stream The Ceremony Globally

We are currently living in the digital streaming age. Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon produce critically acclaimed films and television while livestreams on social media skyrocket in popularity. Why not take advantage of the digital age? Imagine if the ceremony was streaming on a platform like Twitter or Instagram in addition to ABC. This would encourage more interaction between viewers on social media. Television ads would still sell. Money would still come in. This would be just another way to view the show.

3. Introduce New Rising Star Categories

The popular film category was an example of “right idea, terrible execution.” Popular films can get nominated for Oscars cc: Black Panther. Adding popular, box office hits to the ceremony is smart, but there are better ways to implement them into a ceremony. Take the BAFTAs (England’s Academy Awards) for example. Two categories featured on the show are Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer and the EE Rising Star Award (voted for by the public). If the writing category were added to include all writers, popular stars like Bradley Cooper or Bo Burnham might receive their Oscar moment. The rising star award at the BAFTAs was won by Letitia Wright for playing Shuri in Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War. If Wright won that award at the Oscars, it would give Black Panther a monumental Oscar win and leave many fans happy.

4. Announce Every Category On The Broadcast

As mentioned above, the ceremony will air categories during commercials. This is not a good idea. This is the Super Bowl for the film community. Although these categories are lesser known to the public, they are extremely respected positions in the film community. By not airing certain categories on the show, the Academy is stating that these awards do not matter. Ask anyone who has ever made a film. Cinematography and editing are two of the most important aspects of a film. Reward these gifted men and women with the ability to have their moment in the sun on live television.

5. Raise Salary For Host

Hosting the Oscars used to be a highly-sought out job. Now, it seems as if everyone far and wide are running from it. The pressure to succeed and deliver ratings as well as the low-pay for a huge workload has led to many entertainers avoiding the gig entirely. Jimmy Kimmel said that he made $15,000 to host last year’s ceremony despite ABC charging millions for a 30-second commercial. The Academy should work with ABC to significantly increase the salary for the host, which my lead to more entertainers saying “yes” to the gig. Months of work and insane stress should be counteracted with a fair, 6-figure payday.

Tune in on February 24 at 8 PM EST to see if any of my rules are implemented into the broadcast!