Succession Finale: Thoughts From Someone Who Watched S3 In Two Days

Succession / HBO

Hand up, I was late to Succession.

Super late, actually.

I watched the first four episodes of Season 1 almost two years ago and walked away thinking it was just OK. The story of the show intrigued me, but I didn’t get a “must-watch” feeling like I immediately felt with Breaking Bad or Game of Thrones.

This past Fall, I decided to give the show another chance. I found that it drastically improved in the back half of Season 1, finding its stride in the final two episodes of the season. I completed Season 2 one week ago, and it blew me out of the water. A tremendous season headlined by an all-time performance from Jeremy Strong as Kendall. He brought so much nuance to a smug character that should be so unlikeable, but Strong had me rooting for Ken by the end of the season.

Fast forward to Friday afternoon when I finished the first episode of Season 3. I had an important life-or-death decision to make. Do I complete seven more episodes to watch the finale on time or go at my own pace and risk spoilers?

A weaker man might have gone at their own pace, but I’m a (mentally) tough specimen. I binged the rest of the season over the next two days and made it in time for the finale.

Who better to give immediate thoughts about the finale than someone with every detail of Season 3 still fresh in his mind?

SPOILER ALERT. STOP READING IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE FINALE.

– It was only a matter of time before the Roy siblings teamed up to face their father. Up until now, Kendall was the only child who went against his father and failed. Shiv made small moves against Logan when he refused to publicly name her CEO (suggesting Logan steps down in “Argestes”) while Roman never went against his father. But once Roman and Shiv showed compassion towards Kendall, the wheels for a team-up were in motion.

– Speaking of Kendall, that entire scene on the dirt road where Kendall confessed to the murder was an acting clinic from Jeremy Strong. The actor has been in the news all week because of the profile in the New Yorker. Frankly, I walked away from the piece thinking that Strong was a genius, not difficult to work with. Episodes like tonight prove that there’s a method to the madness.

– In that same piece, Strong stated how he treats the life and death stakes of Kendall as seriously as he takes his own life. Kendall’s confession to Roman and Shiv perfectly illustrates the debate over Succession‘s genre. Is it a tragedy or is it a comedy? Kendall is pouring his heart out, looking for forgiveness and sympathy for anyone who will listen. He’s hit rock bottom, and desperately needs a life preserver (or pool float) to save him from drowning. And yet all Roman can do is brush it off with humor, saying things like “we’ve all killed a kid, no big deal!” Shiv even supports Roman’s dark humor, saying that they’ve all killed before, too. At this moment, Shiv and Roman are incapable of human decency and compassion because they’ve never felt what it’s like to feel powerless like Kendall. The Roy family name is a suit of armor so there are no life and death stakes like Kendall has faced time and time again.

– Brian fucking Cox!

– The final scene. Holy shit was that terrific to watch. This was the Shakespearean tragedy playing out in real-time. Kendall, Shiv, and Roman were left out of the GoJo negotiations so they decide to finally join forces to take down Logan. They spend the car ride getting their affairs in order, confirming the legality of the clause they prepare to invoke on their father. Logan and Caroline’s divorce agreement granted the children a vote over any change in company control so if Logan sold Waystar RoyCo and gave control to Lukas Matsson, Logan would need a supermajority vote to make it official. The children can invoke the clause to form an opposing majority to stop the deal.

Once again, Logan was three steps ahead of his children. Logan tried to explain why selling the company to GoJo would be good for the children because they can go out and earn their own worth, but they insist on invoking the clause. It turns out he renegotiated the divorce settlement with Caroline to remove the clause, making the Roy children powerless.

Everything about this scene was perfect. Logan always wins (which I’ll talk about later as well) and he will stop at nothing to make sure he comes out victorious even if it means going against his kids. The entire season was one long explanation as to why the Roy children are not ready to become the new face of WayStar. As Logan repeatedly says, he needs a killer. Shiv embarrassed her father time and time again with her words, highlighted by the deal with Sandy and Stewie where she compromised much more than Logan would ever consider. Roman made some key introductions especially with GoJo, but sending the dick pic to Gerri proved he was too immature to be CEO. Kendall is the only one to ever get a semi-nod of approval from Logan thanks to his powerplay at the end of Season 2, but his addictions and mental health make him an unreliable successor to the throne. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to the children that Logan made his own deal. He only trusts himself so the kids were naive to think he would ever consider their opinion.

Roman and Shiv finally experienced what it’s like to get the shitty end of the stick. Roman confessed his love to his Dad and Logan returned the favor by calling him a moron. A moron! A desperate Roman tried to plead to Gerri, but she knows that Logan holds the keys to her future and therefore can’t help her friend. The puppy dog eyes broke me if we’re being honest.

For Kendall, he already knows what it feels like to have nothing so, therefore, why beg for anything? He can’t beat his dad alone and now, he learned it’s tough to beat him with numbers on your side. All Kendall could do was console his siblings since Roman and Shiv can finally empathize with their older brother after the shared experiences of being fucked over by their father.

– Then there’s Shiv, who was a villain lurking in the shadows but stepped into the evil spotlight last week with her threat to Gerri. Shiv thought she could have it all. CEO of Waystar, an obedient husband, power, money, etc. It turns out she’s just as naive and inexperienced as her brothers. Her own husband knew this, too, so it’s time to talk about the man, the myth, the midwest legend himself, Tom Wambsgans.

THE HEEL TURN FROM TOM!

Jesse Armstrong you sneaky bastard! Tom FINALLY took a stand and did something for himself. Shiv deserves all the hate in the world for how she treats Tom. From requesting an open marriage on their wedding night to the meanest dirty talk ever recorded, it’s clear that Shiv married Tom so she could feel like the man of the family, the one who holds all of the power. Shiv doesn’t care about Tom. She proved that many times this season. Tom was most likely going to prison and she couldn’t give two shits.

Tom may look like a doofus, but he understands the one thing the Roy children refuse to accept; Logan always wins. If you side with Logan, he’ll be your best ally. If you go against Logan, he’ll gut you like a pig. Tom literally told this to Kendall at the diner. It’s why Tom offered himself up as the one to fall on the sword for the company. Tom understands that Logan appreciates loyalty so when the company learned no one would go to prison, Logan went out of his way to tell Tom that he’d always remember his sacrifice.

Tom was done riding Shiv’s coattails. It was time to get in the game and cash in his ticket. He alerted Logan of the coup, and Logan will return the favor in the form of power and positing within the company. Neuro and Sporus. Chef’s kiss on the payoff.

I could talk forever about this finale so I’ll try to wrap it up. Tom, Greg, Gerri, and Logan all realize that actions have consequences. They’ve all come from small beginnings. Nothing was handed to them. They can’t afford to take a loss because if they lose, it’s over. It’s why they naturally will side with the winning side aka Logan, and they’ll do whatever it takes to stay in the game.

Kendall, Roman, and Shiv never had to take huge risks because they could always fall back on their inheritance and family name. Kendall learned the hard way about what it’s like to go against the family and now Roman and Shiv got their slices of humble pie. Do you know what happens when Logan leaves you behind? You become Connor Roy, and the blowout from Connor at the beginning of the episode was another example of beautiful foreshadowing. Connor knows to stay on his Dad’s good side because once you cross him, it’s over. Connor knows what it feels like to be passed over for new blood, and if Logan’s maca root and almond butter smoothies work, the remaining Roy siblings will be passed over, too.

Remember, betrayals are always sealed with a kiss.

I can’t wait for Season 4. Jesse Armstrong has now crafted three perfect season finales. He pushed all his chips into the center in each finale, and the payouts were huge. Here’s to King Greg!

What are your thoughts on the Succession finale? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or tweet us, @unafraidshow.

What California’s Fair Play to Pay Act means for South Carolina, Colorado legislation

California Fair Play to Pay Act Colorado and South Carolina NCAA

Governor Gavin Newsom broke the internet this morning when a video of him signing the Fair Pay to Play Act into law was released. The Fair Pay to Play Act was one of the hottest issues of the summer. It led everyone to debate if college athletes should be paid above a cost-of-attendance scholarship. The debate is no longer, at least for college athletes in California. Governor Newsom sat with LeBron James on his hit show The Shop and signed the bill into law.

King James was an ardent supporter of the bill. The Fair Pay to Play Act will give college athletes in California the ability to profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL) and the ability to sign with an agent. Governor Newsom ignored the NCAA’s threat to prohibit colleges in California from participating in post-season championships and signed the bill into law. What will this mean for college athletes in California in 2023 when the bill is set to take effect?

The Fair Pay to Play Act

The Fair Pay to Play Act seeks to accomplish two goals for college athletes attending four-year colleges in California. One goal is to allow them to sign with agents. Pursuant to the bill, the agents must be licensed with the state. The agents must also be fully compliant with the federal Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act. The second goal is to give college athletes in California the ability to profit from their name, image, and likeness.

Under the Act, colleges will be prohibited from upholding any rule that prevents college athletes from receiving compensation for their NIL. Any compensation that is earned will not affect the athletes’ scholarships. Furthermore, the NCAA will not be able to keep college athletes from participating in collegiate sports simply because they receive NIL compensation. The NCAA also will not be able to ban a school from participation because its athletes receive NIL compensation.

However, college athletes do not have a blanket rule to enter into a contract without any consideration for their team’s pre-existing contracts. If an athlete enters into a contract, the athlete must inform the school. If the athlete’s contract conflicts with the team’s contract, the athlete will not be able to enter into that contract. However, the team contract will not prevent an athlete from receiving NIL compensation when the athlete is not engaged in official team business. The Act does not apply to prospective college athletes. The Fair Pay to Play Act will only apply to four-year colleges. However, the California legislature intends to create a community college NIL working group to study the California Community College Athletic Association’s rules.

Podcast Discussion About the Name, Image, and Likeness Bills

How will the Fair Pay to Play Act Effect Colleges in other States?

During his appearance on The Shop, Governor Newsom stated that “the [Fair Pay to Play Act] will initiate dozens of other states to introduce similar legislation.” Governor Newsom could not be more right. Before he signed the Fair Pay to Play Act into law other states had already followed suit. For example, New York state senator Kevin Parker introduced the New York Collegiate Athletic Participation Compensation Act. The New York bill is very similar to the Fair Pay to Play Act, but goes a bit further.

New York Collegiate Athletic Participation Compensation Act

The New York Collegiate Athletic Participation Compensation Act also seeks to give college athletes the right to profit from their NIL without losing their scholarship or collegiate eligibility. The bill prohibits New York colleges from upholding any rule that prevents college athletes from receiving NIL compensation. The bill also prohibits the NCAA from banning an athlete from collegiate participation due to NIL compensation. Likewise, the bill prohibits the NCAA from banning colleges whose athletes receive NIL compensation.

Like the Fair Pay to Play Act, college athletes in New York would not have the blanket ability to enter a contract without consideration of their team’s pre-existing contracts. The athletes will be required to inform their school of any contract they enter into. They would not be allowed to enter a contract that conflicts with the team’s contracts. However, a team contract will not prevent an athlete from receiving NIL compensation when the athlete is not engaged in official team business.

The New York Collegiate Athletic Participation Compensation Act also gives college athletes the ability to sign with agents. The agents must be properly registered and compliant with federal laws. The bill also exempts community colleges and calls for a working group to be created to address the NIL issue for community colleges. The bill also does not apply to prospective college athletes. The New York Collegiate Athletic Participation Compensation Act is very similar to the Fair Pay to Play Act. However, the New York bill takes college athlete compensation a couple of steps further.

The New York Collegiate Athletic Participation Compensation Act Seeks to go the Extra Mile

The New York Collegiate Athletic Participation Compensation Act seeks to go the extra mile by requiring that each college establish a fund for injured athletes. With this provision, athletes who suffer a career-ending injury in a practice or game will qualify for the fund. The athletes would receive the money upon graduation. The amount of compensation would be determined by each school. Perhaps most notably, the bill goes further by requiring that each college share 15 percent of its revenue from ticket sales with the athletes. These are major differences because it requires the schools to make direct payments to the athletes. Hopefully, California has broken the ice so that these additions to college athlete compensation can become law.

Colorado and South Carolina Also Have Plans to Follow Suit

Lawmakers in South Carolina and Colorado have already announced their intentions to follow suit. They both plan to submit legislation similar to the Fair Pay to Play Act in their upcoming legislative sessions. South Carolina State senator Marlon Kimpson and representative Justin Bamberg plan to introduce the bill. The bill will require the biggest colleges in South Carolina to pay $5,000 a year stipends to athletes in profitable sports like football and basketball. The bill will also seek to allow college athletes to receive compensation from sponsorships and autograph signings.

The Colorado legislation was introduced last session by state senators Owen Hill and Jeff Bridges. However, it was too late in the session when it was introduced. The senators plan to re-introduce the bill in the next legislative session. The Colorado bill will also require direct payment to college athletes from schools. Former college athlete Jeremy Bloom is a supporter of the Colorado legislation.

Whether the NCAA likes it or not, NIL Payments are Coming

Governor Newsom did not back down to the NCAA. From the looks of things, other states are not going to either. Whether the NCAA likes it or not, NIL compensation is coming. As Maverick Carter pointed out on The Shop, America is a capitalistic society. College athletes should have the same rights to participate in this capitalistic society like every other student. The Fair Pay to Play Act and other similar legislation seek to give college athletes that right. In light of Governor Newsom’s decision, it will be interesting to see what the NCAA’s NIL working group proposes. The working group is expected to share its findings and decision soon.

Game Of Thrones Series Finale: What I Loved And What I Hated

Game of Thrones series finale

After watching the Game of Thrones series finale, I felt it was only fair to let it breathe for a few days before I made my final judgment. It’s been five days and after thinking it through, I’m mostly satisfied with the ending. I have no problem with how the show ended. However, I have a lot of problems with how the show got to its ending. Here is what I loved and what I hated from the series finale of Game of Thrones.

Loved: Tyrion, Jon, and Davos Walking The Desolate Streets Of King’s Landing

This was a very powerful opening scene. Tyrion, Jon, and Davos walking the streets of a desolate King’s Landing emphasized the destruction caused by Daenerys and Drogon. Everything in King’s Landing was destroyed. The streets were lined with dead men, women, and children. The ash, not snow, blowing in the wind was the perfect ode to the Queen of the Ashes. The horrors on the faces of Tyrion, Jon, and Davos said it all. At that moment, they knew that their Queen was not who she said she was. The merciful Queen who wanted to liberate people died and the Queen of fire and ash was born.

Loved: Daenerys Speech To Her Army

First of all, the imagery in this scene was incredible. When Daenerys walked to the top of the steps, Drogon flapped his wings and it gave the illusion that Daenerys spawned dragon wings. Daenerys became a dragon, who rules by fire and terror. It’s like she became a demon.

HBO

Then, Daenerys gave a truly spine-tingling and chilling speech about the future of the world to the Unsullied and Dothraki. Jon, Tyrion, and Arya no longer believed that Daenerys was going to stop the destruction. Daenerys preached about liberating the world and breaking the wheel. Not once did she say that she would give innocent people a chance to live. With an army and Drogon by her side, Daenerys would destroy every city in the world until there were no more cities left to liberate. Also, her speech was similar to one a fascist leader like Hitler used to give to his Nazi army. It reminded me of General Hux’s speech to The First Order in The Force Awakens.

Loved: Jon And Tyrion’s Meeting

“Love is the death of duty. Sometimes, duty is the death of love.” The theme of the series finale revolved around duty. The idea of duty and love dates all the way back to Season 1 when Maester Aemon’s conversation with Jon at Castle Black. When the time comes to make a decision, will you choose duty or love? That is the concept that both Tyrion and Jon debated while Tyrion was in captivity. Tyrion realized that Daenerys was a lost cause. Tyrion believed she would not stop the fire and destruction. The more cities she conquers, the more innocent people die. For the second time of the episode, someone suggests that Jon has to make a decision to kill Daenerys. Arya implied this as well when Jon spoke with her earlier in the day. This scene set the groundwork for what Jon was about to do next.

Loved: Jon Kills Daenerys

With all of the foreshadowing taken into account in Season 8, Jon killing Daenerys was the logical move. From “love is the death of duty” to both Arya and Tyrion’s warning about Daenerys, Jon killing Daenerys makes sense. Jon Snow is Azor Ahai aka the Prince That Was Promised. Time and time again, Jon thought that killing the white walkers would save the world, but it turned out that killing Daenerys and her version of the Iron Throne was how the world needed to be saved. Daenerys showed Jon her true colors in their final moments. As Jon is in tears thinking about the destruction of King’s Landing, Daenerys is smiling and reliving her childhood about how she always dreamed of this moment. Daenerys always stated that she wanted to break the wheel, but in actuality, she wanted to control the wheel by herself and conquer foreign lands. Even if she tried to be a merciful Queen, she has Targaryen blood and couldn’t fit her urge to rule by fire and fear. Jon brought up a good point by saying what if they’re not the only people who know what’s right for the world. What if there are other people who believe they know what’s good just like Daenerys? Daenerys said that she would be the judge of that. Daenerys became an all-powerful and ruthless ruler, which is the opposite of what she promised to be.

GOT Season 8

In the battle of love and duty, Jon was always going to choose duty. No matter how much he loved Daenerys, he would always choose his family and his duty over Daenerys. Jon always tried to do the right thing. Jon is a Targaryen and in the end, he chose to be a Stark. He was similar to his adopted father, Ned Stark, when he chose duty over love. Ned chose to pretend Jon was a bastard and jeopardize his relationship with his wife, Catelyn, in order to honor the wishes of his sister. Jon killed the woman he loves in order to protect the world and in particular, his sisters and brother, from Daenerys’s destruction.

Hated: The Time Jump

In general, I enjoyed the first half of the episode while having little to no problems. It all made sense. However, after Drogon flew away with Daenerys’s body, my major problems began and it all started with the time jump. A time jump occurred when Tyrion was brought in front of the lords and ladies of Westeros in order to determine his fate. Since when did Game of Thrones jump forward in time without any explanation? Instead, Tyrion’s beard length gave it away that a few weeks had passed since Daenerys’s death. Here’s where I also have a problem. What happened when Grey Worm walked into the Throne Room and learned that Jon killed Dany? I’m expected to believe that Grey Worm, a man who slit the throats of soldiers who surrendered and would do anything for Daenerys, took Jon into custody peacefully as his prisoner? That’s not believable.

Hated: The Entire Scene Where Bran Became The New King

Where do I even begin? Let’s start with Tyrion. Tyrion, who was in shackles the entire time, convinced an entire panel of lords and ladies that BRAN STARK should be the new King because people love stories and nobody has a better story than Bran the Broken. First of all, Tyrion, who once again was in shackles because he was a PRISONER WHO BETRAYED THE PREVIOUS QUEEN, ended up being the person to convince the panel to elect Bran as King. How does that make sense? Why should anyone trust Tryion at that point? Tyrion should be dead, not alive with political influence.

GOT Season 8 Episode 6 Review: The Iron Throne

Then, there’s Bran Stark. He would not have been my first choice for King. If Tyrion only mentioned that Bran should be King because he was the Three-Eyed Raven and the only person who contained the past and future memories of Westeros, I’ll buy that explanation. I don’t particularly like it, but I can at least rationalize that thought process. However, to say that Bran should be King because he had the best story is not entirely true. Bran has a better story than Arya, who traveled all throughout Westeros and became an assassin? He has a better story than Sansa, who went from a meek girl to a powerful, impactful female leader in the North? Bran has a better story than Jon Snow, who died and was resurrected (!!!) and went toe-to-toe with the Army of the Dead? You can’t say that Bran had the best story when all of these other stories are just as good, if not better.

https://twitter.com/JyoungPhd/status/1130306562734645248

Finally, Tyrion’s punishment for his crimes was to serve as Bran’s hand. So Jon was shipped to the Night’s Watch for his punishment while Tyrion gets to live in King’s Landing with all of the wine and women in the world? Seems like a fair trade.

Hated: Jon Was Banished To The North Instead Of Choosing To Live There

I am fine with Jon heading North to live out the rest of his life. Ever since Tormund told Jon that he would enjoy the North just like Ghost in “The Last of the Starks,” the show was leaning towards Jon ending up in the North to end the series. Jon said countless times that he never wanted to take the throne so living his remaining years in the North made complete sense. However, Jon needed to make the choice for himself to live in the North. If Jon had the chance to turn down the crown and choose to live in the North, this would have been much more powerful and impactful to his storyline than what transpired onscreen. Jon’s entire life can be summed up in two words: choices and identity. Jon never felt like he belonged because he never knew his true identity. However, Jon consistently made choices to do what he felt was right despite not knowing he truly was. (Letting the Wildlings pass through the wall, showing mercy towards his enemies, etc.) These two themes collided when Jon made the choice to side with the Starks and choose duty over love when he killed Daenerys. This is why Jon needed to decide his own fate. Tyrion was able to bargain his way out of a true punishment in front of the council. Why didn’t Jon get that same opportunity? In a perfect world, Jon should have turned down the throne and to prove how much he didn’t want to be King, Jon would move North and stay there. That is how I wanted Jon to end up North.

Loved: Jon, Arya, and Sansa’s endings
Hated: Bran’s ending

Jon living in the North, Arya exploring the world, and Sansa as Queen in the North all made sense. Bran as the King of Westeros did not.

https://twitter.com/jonryasneedle/status/1130301368915451904

Hated: Sacrificing Storytelling For Time

This is by far my biggest complaint about not only the series finale but the last two seasons of Game of Thrones. Storytelling was sacrificed for time due to the shortened seasons. Here’s a perfect example. Daenerys burned down all of King’s Landing, killing most of its inhabitants. After this destruction, do you want to know how many scenes Daenerys was in after that? Two. Two scenes for her character arc to end after burning down an entire city and becoming a fascist Queen that leads by fear. Two scenes are not enough time to explain why one, Daenerys snapped and went scorched Earth on King’s Landing and two, the consequences of her actions and how it affects those around her. The last two seasons felt sped up because of the lack of episodes. Had Daenerys’s actions to become the Mad Queen been given time to simmer over a few episodes, Jon’s decision to kill Daenerys would have made more sense than how it transpired in the show. I firmly believe that if both seasons 7 and 8 had 10 episodes each, there would have been less complaints from the fans about the ending.

There you have it. That’s what I loved and what I hated from the Game of Thrones Series Finale. Do you agree, disagree, or have anything to add? Leave your thoughts in the comments or tweet us, @unafraidshow.

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.

Game Of Thrones Season 8, Episode 5 Review: The Bells

Wow. That was a massacre. There’s no sugarcoating it. Just when you think Game of Thrones will zig, it zags. Not enough people were dying? Ok, how about we kill the majority of people in King’s Landing? Will that make you happy? If you had Daenerys winning the Iron Throne in your gambling pools, you are in good shape heading into the final episode. Here’s my review for Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 5, “The Bells.”

Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 5: “The Bells“

Burn them all is right, Game of Thrones Twitter.

-Before the massacre at King’s Landing, there were still some loose ends to take care of at Dragonstone. After his discussion with Tyrion, Varys completed his betrayal of Daenerys by writing letters that state Jon Snow is a Targaryen and the true heir to the Iron Throne. As Jon arrives at Dragonstone, Varys is the first one to greet him. After informing Jon that Daenerys has not eaten or seen anyone since witnessing Missandei’s death, Varys gets right to the point. Varys knows that Jon should be King, not Daenerys. If there’s one thing Varys believes in, it’s the realm. All of his loyalty belongs to the crown and for him to choose Jon over Daenerys speaks volumes. Varys knows that Daenerys is going down a slippery slope and she’s moments away from becoming the Mad Queen. Varys said, “They say every time a Targaryen is born, the gods toss a coin, and the world holds its breath.” Clearly, Varys was right. Even when Jon refuses to become the King, Varys won’t take no for an answer.

Spreading news of Jon’s lineage to King’s Landing will be his way of forcing Jon to take the throne. Our first shot of Daenerys occurs when Tyrion visits her in the Queen’s chambers. Tyrion mentions that someone betrayed her and without hesitation, Daenerys answers “Jon Snow.” Varys might be the one to take the betrayal to the next level, but she’s not wrong. In fact, Daenerys correctly points out that Sansa told Tyrion about Jon’s lineage with the hope that he would spread it to the right people. Varys is the WORST person you could tell a secret and Sansa knew Tyrion would tell him. Once again, Sansa continues to have the upper-hand over Dany as she remains two moves ahead of her at all times. I’ve said Jon is extremely naive before, but the same can be said for Tyrion. Tyrion continues to believe that Daenerys can take the Iron Throne without killing innocent people because Cersei will surrender. Cersei once blew up and killed a crowd of people that included her daughter-in-law. Do you think she will go down without a fight and just surrender? That’s what I thought.

-Varys fate was sealed in Season 7, Episode 2. Daenerys stated to Varys that if he ever betrayed her, Varys would burn to death. That’s exactly what happened as Drogon burned and killed Varys in front of Daenerys, Jon, Tyrion, and Grey Worm. Even when Tyrion said his final goodbye, Varys could only think about the fate of the throne and how Daenerys is the wrong choice. “I hope I’m wrong” were his final words in reference to Daenerys becoming Queen. Varys, you were right. Varys loyalty to the realm is arguably the greatest loyalty that any character has had in the show. RIP Varys.

Heartbreak in Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 5

Grey Worm shared a heartbreaking moment with Daenerys over Missandei’s death. When offered Missandei’s last possession, Grey Worm threw it in the fire. That throw signified Grey Worm’s character turn. There is no more love in his heart. Only hate and revenge will fuel him from here on out.

-In the latest chapter of kissing your aunt, Jon once again can’t passionately kiss Daenerys. Sad! When Jon visits Daenerys in her chamber, Daenerys says something noteworthy. In addition, she asks Jon if she has love or fear. Jon states that Daenerys is his queen and he loves her. When she kisses him, Jon backs away because he can’t love his aunt like on an intimate level anymore. So Daenerys responds with “All right then. Let it be fear.” This further illustrates that Daenerys story is a tragedy. Think about her journey to this point. Her parents were killed and she was shipped away at a young age. All she wants to do is come home, but almost all of Westeros hates her family name. On her way to reclaiming the throne, she lost her husband, best friends, allies, and two children. Daenerys has no friends. All she has is a dragon.

-“I never thought that dragons would exist again. No one did. The people who follow you know that you made something impossible happen. Maybe that helps them believe that you can make other impossible things happen. Build a world that’s different from the shit one they’ve always known. But if you use them to melt castles and burn cities, you’re not different. You’re just more of the same.” – Jon Snow.

https://twitter.com/ThatOhioGuyT/status/1127762997072596994

-Once again, Tyrion begs Daenerys to not attack if the bells ring in King’s Landing because it indicates a surrender. Daenerys agrees but leaves Tyrion with these final words: “Next time you fail me will be the last time you fail me.”

-This will be forgotten because of all the drama in King’s Landing, but I particularly enjoyed the conversation between Tyrion and Jamie. No matter what Jamie and Tyrion did, their bond would never be broken. It’s one of the core relationships of the show. Jamie helped Tyrion escape when Tyrion was sentenced to death and Tyrion returned the favor tonight by freeing Jamie and convincing him to save Cersei and flee King’s Landing. In an episode full of violence and death, at least two brothers were able to say their goodbyes.

-The Hound, Arya, and Jamie all made it to King’s Landing. More on that later!

Drogon’s mood.

-Now THAT was a true display of power. Drogon destroyed the scorpion weapons, the Iron Fleet, and the Golden Company within minutes. Jon, Grey Worm, and the army breached the walls of King’s Landing with ease. After this destruction, Daenerys is perched up on the outside of King’s Landing on the back of Drogon. She hears the bells, which she knows indicates a surrender. As Varys once said, “Respect is how the young keep us at a distance, so we don’t remind them of an unpleasant truth… Nothing lasts.” The past few episodes were building to a decision that Daenerys would have to make. Would she stay the Breaker of Chains or become the Queen of Ashes? Nothing lasts. Daenerys could only be peaceful for so long before her killer instincts took over. Daenerys starts to twitch and focus on the Red Keep. She remembers that she has lost all of her friends and has no love in her heart anymore. Then, it happened. Daenerys fully became the Mad Queen. In the battle of nature vs. nurture, nature won. Daenerys tried to be different than her father, but she could never escape the hatred. You are who you are and no matter what you try to do, nothing can change that.

-Some insight into Daenery’s choice to burn King’s Landing from the Hollywood Reporter.

-The massacre was on. What started out as a fight between soldiers turned into killing any resident of King’s Landing in sight. Daenerys destroyed buildings and innocent people with Drogon as Grey Worm and the army did their damage on the ground. Men, women, and children were not safe. This was BRUTAL to watch and Jon, Tyrion, Sir Davos, and Arya all realized that Daenerys has gone mad and may not be the best person to rule Westeros.

-Before Jamie could enter King’s Landing, he had to fight with Euron Greyjoy, who survived the destruction of the Iron Fleet. Euron and Jamie fought to the death with both characters suffering severe wounds. Jamie walked away limping while Euron was left to bleed out. Euron’s final words were, “I’m the man who killed Jamie Lannister.” If this is honesty hour, I hated Euron Greyjoy’s character. I never understood his purpose and he always felt like an afterthought to me.

-My favorite scene of the night belonged to the Hound and Arya. The duo finally made it into the Red Keep, but time was ticking as the castle walls were falling left and right. Arya wants to continue on in order to kill Cersei, but the Hound immediately stops her. The Hound knows he is going to die and he doesn’t want that for Arya. All his life, the Hound has wanted revenge. Look where that got him. But Arya can still have a life worth living if she so chooses. She can go live in the North with the rest of her family. Killing Cersei won’t solve her problems. When the Hound looked into Arya’s eyes, for the first time since season 1, she was not a killer, assassin, or warrior. Arya became a Stark again.

https://twitter.com/theirmuse/status/1127762569039454208

-CLEGANEBOWL! CLEGANEBOWL!

Finally, after years of teasing us, the writers came through and gave what us fans wanted, which was the Cleaganebowl. The Hound versus The Mountain in a battle to the death is what everyone wanted. Ever since The Mountain was recreated by Qyburn, we knew he was formed with some sort of magical powers and fantasy elements. The Mountain became a monster who always followed orders. For the first time since his reincarnation, The Mountain showed his human side by disobeying orders. I audibly laughed when The Mountain killed that snake Qyburn. The fight was an awesome moment as the castle began to crumble around them. The Hound couldn’t stab The Mountain to death so he decided to tackle him through a wall and fall to their death in the fire. In the end, The Hound finally got his wish. The Hound sacrificed himself to kill his brother, successfully completing his character arc.

-Speaking of character arcs, I’m furious with how Jamie and Cersei died. Jamie and Cersei found themselves trapped in the Red Keep with nowhere to go. Cersei pleaded how she didn’t want her or her baby to die. However, Jamie calmed Cersei down and assured her that all that mattered was their love for each other. As the Red Keep collapsed in the background, Jamie and Cersei hug each other before their section collapses and kills them. The writers opted to have Jamie die in the arms of the woman he loves.

I am mad.

Jamie and Cersei should not have died as equals. I believed that Jamie should have killed Cersei in order to stop her from burning the city to the ground with wildfire. However, Jamie and Cersei ended up dying together that wasn’t at the hands of a major character. (Drogon was the reason the Red Keep fell, but I’m not counting that as a major character killing another major character.) Cersei was pure evil and became a monster, which cemented her as one of the best television villains of all-time. Jamie started off as a brash, cocky and hateable character, but later went on a redemption story that showcased his compassion and likability. They should not have died as equals. Both went on journeys in the opposite direction and yet they made up in the span of a few minutes and died a painless death. (Yes, Jamie was stabbed a few times so he suffered some pain, but he didn’t have to bleed out any more thanks to instantly dying when the roof collapsed.) Some on Twitter are arguing that Cersei died powerlessly. I’m arguing she got the easy way out. I’m still upset.

-After all of the destruction, Arya was still standing in a desolate King’s Landing. That’s when she saw a white horse and rode out of the city. For those who don’t know, a white horse in mythology symbolizes death. Does this mean Arya will die or is she the one who is bringing death to someone else? Is Arya’s true destiny to kill Daenerys?

It’s hard to believe that there is only one episode left in the entire series. Will Jon kill Dany? Will Arya kill Dany? Can Dany be the last one standing? I have zero clues as to how they will wrap up the show next week. See you then.

What did you think about Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 5? Leave your thoughts in the comments or tweet us @unafraidshow.

LeBron James is Winning Big Despite not Being in the NBA Playoffs

lebron james ipromise school springhill entertainment

For the first time since 2005, NBA fans are witnessing an NBA post-season without LeBron James. James started a new NBA chapter with the Los Angeles Lakers last summer. Lakers fans hoped that Lebron James would fill the void left by Kobe Bryant and lift the franchise to its rightful place as an NBA powerhouse. Unfortunately, that has not happened yet. In want many have characterized as a failed season, King James has managed to remain on top with his endeavors off the court. James has always held that he was about more than basketball. He is living up to that showing the world that he is “More Than an Athlete.” James and his business partner Maverick Carter made the Hollywood Reporter’s 50 Agents of Change Empowering Diverse Voices in Hollywood list. LeBron James is winning on so many levels.

The Hollywood Reporter praised James and Carter for their work on the Shut-Up and Dribble three-part docu-series that earned an NAACP Image Award nomination. The Hollywood Reporter also acknowledged James and Carter’s SpringHill Entertainment company for partnering with Octavia Spencer to produce a series about Madame C.J. Walker. With moves like these, King James has managed to remain one of the most talked about NBA players during the post-season despite not making the playoffs. This is due to the fact that King James keeps landing major wins off the court!

First Win- LeBron James’ I Promise School Exceeded Expectations

Last summer, LeBron James opened the I Promise School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. James opened the school to help at-risk children overcome many of the same obstacles he faced at their age. Last month, it was reported that the school is off to a great start. The students have outpaced seventy percent of other students districtwide and have scored in the 99th growth percentile of the evaluation association’s school norms.

King James has much to be proud of. He deserves to be in headlines for this accomplishment. James even earned accolades from former President Obama.

King James is truly “More Than an Athlete” as he continues to demonstrate that he is about more than just basketball.

Second Win – James’ Investment in Liverpool FC is Paying Dividends

In 2011, James made a $6.5 million investment in Liverpool FC earning him a two percent stake in the club. As the club’s value has contiued to grow so has the value of James’ stake. In 2018, James’ investment was valued at apporximatley $32 million. It was recenty reported that James’ stake as grown to apporixmatley $35 million currently. Wow, what a win while sitting out this NBA post-season!

Third Win – James’ Hit HBO Series “The Shop” is the Platform Black Excellence Has Always Needed

Last summer, LeBron James and Maverick Carter debuted the HBO Series “The Shop.” The Shop is totally ingenious. The show highlights the role of barbershops and beauty salons in black culture. Barbershops and beauty salons are more than a place where African-Americans go to get a cut or a style. They are where African- Americans have traditionally come together to discuss sports, politics, or to simply hang out and play cards or chess. In Ice Cube’s 2002 film “The Barbershop,” Cedric the Entertainer’s character, Eddie, likened the barbershop to a country club for black people.

On The Shop, various athletes, musicians, actors, comedians, and others in the entertainment industry gather in a barbershop. Some get a cut while others sit and engage in stimulating conversation. The show is the perfect forum for black excellence to address political and social issues and to tell their side of stories free from unfounded criticisms.

In the latest episode, Seth Rogen, Pharrell Williams, Lonzo Ball, Don Cheadle, and a few others gathered at the shop. James shared his thoughts on Magic Johnson’s departure from the Lakers. Lonzo Ball discussed his lawsuit against family friend and co-founder of Big Baller Brand, Alan Foster. Foster alledgely stole $1.5 million from Ball. James and Ball were both able to tell their stories free from mainstream media criticism. They were able to give their thoughts and points of view without any spin being put on it. “The Shop” is a major win for sports, entertainment, and black culture.

King James has a lot to Smile About Despite not Making it to the Playoffs

LeBron James is definitely winning off the court. James is experiencing much success with the I Promise School and his ventures in Hollywood. It is no wonder that James is still one of the most talked about NBA players despite not making it to the playoffs.

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.

Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 2 Review: The Rightful Queen

Season 8 Episode 2 Game of Thrones

Now, our watch has begun. The moment that has been teased for over seven seasons has finally arrived. The Army of the Dead is going to fight the Army of the Living next week. Before that happens, tonight’s episode of Game of Thrones revolved around one question: If the world ended tomorrow, what would you do? Some chose to drink, some chose to make love, and one man even decided to reveal his lineage to his girlfriend. The latter wouldn’t be my choice, but I’m also not Jon Snow. Let’s get into the Season 8 Episode 2 review.

Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 2: “The Rightful Queen”

HBO

-The Kingslayer is back in Winterfell. The last time Jamie Lannister was in Winterfell, he pushed Bran out of a window after he was caught having sex with his sister. Classic mixup!

-It’s not a surprise that Jamie’s return was not well-received. Let’s not forget that Jamie was responsible for the death of Daenerys’s father and the Stark children’s father. Plus, he had a hand in killing Robb, his wife, and Catelyn Stark at the Red Wedding. This is not an innocent man and despite his plea for mercy, Tyrion could not save his brother. However, it was Brienne of Tarth, the MVP of the episode, who vouched for Jamie and convinced Daenerys and Sansa to spare his life. Jamie saved Brienne a few seasons ago and now it was Brienne’s turn to return the favor. I have a feeling that these two will be saving each other on the battlefield next week.

-Bran and Jamie shared an interesting conversation at Godswood. Jamie apologizes for paralyzing Bran and swears that he is a changed man. When Jamie asks Bran as to why he didn’t tell anyone about their interaction with Cersei in the tower, Bran revealed that it’s not important right now. As much as Bran can be weird, he truly understands the severity of the upcoming battle with the Night King. Unlike Jon Snow, who doesn’t know how to keep things to himself, protecting secrets is right up Bran’s alley.

-Speaking of redemption stories, Theon returned to Winterfell and was welcomed with open arms by Sansa because Theon helped Sansa escape Ramsay Bolton’s fury. Theon informed Daenerys that Yara returned to the Iron Islands to take them back for her so if they survive, they’ll have a place to go. Keep an eye on the relationship between Theon and Sansa. They gave each other an interesting look at the end of the episode. It wasn’t a friendly look, but one of affection towards one another.

-Some smaller moments that caught my eye:

  • Jorah convincing Daenerys to keep Tyrion as the Hand to the Queen.
  • Ser Davos and Gilly showing compassion towards a girl with scarring on her face which reminded them of Shireen, who taught both Davos and Gilly how to read.
  • Jon, Sam, and Eddison’s reunion where they reminisced about the Night’s Watch.
  • Sam giving his family’s sword to Jorah.

-Keep an eye on the power struggle between Sansa and Daenerys. Although Daenerys tries to make peace, Sansa sees right through her. Daenerys only cares about sitting on the Iron Throne and Sansa knows that. She wants the Iron Throne, but Sansa and the North promised to never follow another King or Queen outside of the North ever again. Daenerys doesn’t agree to Sansa’s demands. If both of these women survive, their battle for supremacy has only just begun.

-I’m calling the giant pow-wow between all of the major characters around the table the “Strategy Meeting.” Jon explained how their army cannot defeat the Army of the Dead head-on. That’s a fact. The White Walkers significantly outnumber the army at Winterfell. Jon reveals that the only chance they might have at victory is to defeat the Night King. It’s like the saying “cut the head off a snake and the body will fall.” The Night King is the leader of the dead. If he falls, his army might fall with him.

How can they isolate the Night King from his army? They need bait, and in this case, the bait is Bran. Since Bran became the Three-Eyed Raven, his mission hasn’t been so clear. Now, Bran revealed his purpose. Bran holds the key to the memories of the World. The Night King wants to erase Westeros, which means that all of the people and their memories will fall. As the Three-Eyed Raven, Bran holds all of the memories of the past, present, and future. Not only does Bran possess the world’s memories, but it’s secret as well. If the Night King takes out Bran, the present and the past will disappear. Because of this knowledge, Bran decides to camp out in Godswood alone in order to lure the Night King to him. Since the Night King marked Bran, it will be easy to find him.

Sam illustrated Bran’s logic with an insightful monologue about death and memories. Sam said, “That’s what death is, isn’t it? Forgetting. Being forgotten.” It’s actually a wonderful point about death in general. At funerals, the thought is that although someone dies, their spirit and memories will live on forever. That’s why Bran is so important. He possesses the memories of Westeros.

-As I said last week..

This was bound to happen. Arya has been flirting with Gendry ever since she saw him arrive at Winterfell. Once Gendry teased the idea of Arya as “his lady” back in Season 3, this relationship had to have a payoff. With the battle only a few hours away, Arya wanted to know what it was like to have sex so she chose one of her only friends in the world to take her virginity. If we’re being honest, Arya made a very responsible decision by having sex with someone she trusted for the first time. I feel like a sex ed teacher right now after saying that. “Be safe, kids!” However, Arya still had to be a badass and control the entire situation. That’s who she is and I love her for it. Plus, if you were going to die in a few hours, wouldn’t you want to spend it lying next to someone you care about? Sign me up for that.

-Besides sex, I would also drink my face off in the company of my friends if I was going to battle a White Walker. Tyrion, Jamie, Brienne, Podrick, Tormund, and Ser Davos decided to share one last drink around the fire. Tormund openly hits on Brienne and shares a hilarious story about how he got the name “Giantsbane” after he sucked on a giant’s widow for three months after killing the giant at the age of 10. All of these fighters come from different backgrounds, but they share one commonality, which is they’re all survivors.

-In the most touching scene of the night, Brienne explained how she could never become a knight because it goes against tradition. However, Jamie explains that any knight can make another night. So Jamie makes Brienne a knight, fulfilling her lifelong dream, which moved her to tears. I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t tear up when Jamie and Brienne looked into each other’s eyes with respect and admiration for each other. Unfortunately, I believe that was Jamie and Brienne’s last happy moment together.

-I hope Grey Worm and Missandei survive.

HBO

P.S. There is zero chance Grey Worm survives this battle. He’s dying next week. Book it.

-Before the episode ended, Podrick sang a song titled, “Jenny’s song.” I did not read the books, but this song plays a prominent role in the books. Long story short, this song is believed to be about “The Prince Who Was Promised,” which is Jon Snow.

-Finally, Jon finally had “the talk” Daenerys. Before the dead arrived, Jon was in the tombs looking at his mother, Lyanna Stark, when he is joined by Daenerys. When Daenerys explained that her brother, Rhaegar Targaryen, did not rape Lyanna Stark. Instead, they were married in secret and had a son, Aegon Targaryen aka Jon Snow. Imagine finding out that your “lover” turned out to be your nephew? Excuse me while I go puke in the nearest garbage. Although Dany balked at that idea, she quickly realized the significance of this conversation and no, that revelation was not incest. If Jon is truly a Targaryen, that means he is the male heir and has a true claim to the throne. It was as if Daenerys forgot about all the times she spent kissing her lover. Now, the fight versus the Army of the Dead may not be her only battle on the horizon. Dany may have to fight Jon when this is all said and done. Is Daenerys the Mad Queen?

-My final thought: If you were going into battle, would you reveal a huge secret about your lineage to your lover-turned-aunt before the fight? I want the Mother of Dragons to be razor sharp before the battle. Why couldn’t Jon keep his big mouth shut and tell Daenerys after the battle? Winning the battle is more important than this secret. If one of them dies, then they die. No harm, no foul and most importantly, no controversy. Way to go Jon!

Good luck getting through these next couple of days. I’ll see you next week for the battle.

UPDATE ON 4/23:

So I write these recaps write after show airs on Sunday night. I’m on the East Coast so it’s late, which means I may forget to mention some scenes. I’m kicking myself for not mentioning Lyanna Mormont. When her cousin, Jorah, urged her to stay in the crypts, Lyanna went full badass and promised to be fighting for the North. Forget Dany and Sansa, Lyanna should be the Queen. I would follow this girl into a battle any day of the week.

Also, the crypts are going to play a huge part in this Sunday’s battle. Game of Thrones loves foreshadowing. Throughout this past episode, so many characters reiterated the idea that the crypts are safe and that the women and children will be okay if they hide in the crypts.

WRONG.

There’s a reason why Arya was running the hallways of the castle in the trailer. In the preview for the next episode, the Hound and Beric Dondarrion are walking in the crypts with their swords up, ready for battle. There are a lot of theories on the Interent about the Night King and why he wants to retrun to the crypts. The TLDR version goes like this: Last time in the battle of good vs. evil, Winter fell and was defeated where the castle stands. “The Great Other,” the evil force that is the opposite of the Lord of Light, may be buried in the crypts, which means if the Night King resurrects the dead in the crypts, The Great Other may rise again. Plus, this could mean a dead Ned Stark could fight his family. The dead are already here. See you Sunday.

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.