Warning: This post contains major spoilers for episode 4 of Game of Thrones season 8.

It is concerning for me that even after the 4th episode of Game of Thrones, and with two episodes left in the final season, several significant issues still remain to be relatively complicated and unresolved with so little time left. The much shorter episode count (down to 6 from the previous season’s 8), even with the extended runtime, has not done the show any favors.

The terror of the Night King and his undead army have finally reached Winterfell for an epic battle with the North’s ensemble allies in last week’s episode “The Long Night.” The Night King and the White Walkers, who have been continually developed and hyped up as an abominable threat, albeit slowly and carefully, over multiple seasons just to simply die, along with this whole subplot, with a sneak attack in a single episode was an awfully anticlimactic route to take. If anything, the character deserved two episodes at least to fully demonstrate his power.

The further along we go this season, the more rushed it feels most of the time, and it’s glaringly evident in the latest episode “The Last of the Starks.”

THE AFTERMATH

The episode starts in mourning of the fallen friends and comrades from the Battle of Winterfell, which did some house cleaning in regards to the cast. As the characters, and we, pay their last respects to Jorah Mormont, Theon Greyjoy, Lyanna Mormont, Dolorous Edd, Beric Dondarrion, and countless others who died in the hands of the Night King’s army, we see their bodies burn, serving as a final goodbye.

The sorrows are then immediately followed by celebration of victory, as things should be. We see fun interactions between characters for a moment before the next drama hits us again. Tormund’s having too much fun drinking, then gets his heart broken later on. Tyrion, Jaime, Brienne, and Podrick play a little drinking game in what could be Westeros’ version of “never have I ever.”

Daenerys finally makes a move of power, making Gendry a legitimate Baratheon and Lord of Storm’s End. This move of diplomacy is her way of showcasing herself as an appreciative ruler, but she enviously realizes that to the people of the North, Jon is still the true and more respectable leader. In light of this, the writers took it to themselves to clumsily set-up Dany as a possible new villain, what with the sudden gaping hole the Night King has left in the realm of bad guys.

FAMILY MATTERS AND THE WORST KEPT SECRET

Aside from the fact that Jon is very likeable, he has the rightful claim to the Iron Throne, for he is Aegon Targaryen, a fact that we’ve known since last season. Instead of finding some sort of relief that she still has a blood relative alive and well, Dany sees Jon as a threat to the throne, and begs for him not to tell anyone at all. Of course, he tells Sansa and Arya about his true heritage because they are family, and he was raised to be an honorable man by Ned Stark, but not before making them swear it, as in really swear it. This bombshell of reveal doesn’t hold the same weight to us anymore, but to Sansa and Arya, this is the first time they’re hearing of it. Sadly, the pressure to address other matters in the story robs us the luxury of seeing their reactions and the discussion afterwards among the people who actually matter to Jon.

There isn’t going to be any drama without the secret being spilled, however. So for story’s sake, Sansa tells Tyrion, who then tells it to Varys. At this point, as Varys says, “it’s not a secret anymore. It’s information.” We’ll have to wait for now to see how this plays out. Though I have to admit that I’ve missed Varys and Tyrion’s talks with each other.

BAD DECISIONS ALL AROUND

Since the Night King is finally dead, it’s time to go back to the show’s namesake: playing the game of thrones. Daenerys and the Starks hold a meeting to plan their siege of King’s Landing and take the Iron Throne from Cersei. Sansa suggests to let their armies get some rest before diving into another battle, specially after losing thousands of men. Dany aggressively objects, mentioning that Cersei’s forces grows stronger by the hour, in addition to interpreting Sansa’s suggestion as not holding up their end of the agreement.

What’s baffling is Tyrion, who we know as a smart tactician, somehow agrees, a move that goes against everything that was portrayed about his character even when he was already with Daenerys. He truly has changed quickly over the past seasons. As Sansa said, “here I thought you were cleverest man I know.”

There’s also the subject of the romance between Jaime and Brienne, which was the direction it was going for quite some time. To deliver it in such a way that might have come out as pity (they have sex because Brienne admitted she’s a virgin), is just a kick to Brienne’s character, especially after her defining knighting moment in the previous episode. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed their friendship when it was still based on mutual respect and trust, and truthfully, I don’t really mind that they ended up together. But that was a poor way to take their relationship to next level.

The biggest mistake the writers have done is to cram what should’ve been two episodes into one. By the time we get to end of this episode, we are immersed in a totally different part of the story already. But it feels jarring and abrupt because the set-up is weak. The writers have gone away with portraying real time in the show since it went ahead of the books. One moment a character is in one place, then he’s in some other place in the next scene. The sense of time is now heavily delegated through dialogue, as Tyrion mentions that it could be a fortnite before Jon’s army arrives in King’s Landing. But hey, this season only has six episodes, right?

THE DEATH TOLL RISES

A couple more characters die in this episode, as if the death count in the previous episode wasn’t enough. However, the deaths in this one feel very much contrived and forced, used as cheap plot device just to get to next point in the story.

After a hasty decision to invade King’s Landing, Daenerys decides to go back to Dragonstone by sea. While traveling, Rhaegal gets killed almost instantly with dragon-sized arrows, in the silliest surprise attack that just killed any credibility the dragons may have left, by Euron Greyjoy, the K-Mart Jack Sparrow. How could she not have seen a whole fleet of enemy ships at sea while flying with her dragons? Oh right, she simply just forgot about them. Her army gets smaller by the day, now with only one dragon left at her disposal.

In the attack’s aftermath, Missandei mysteriously gets captured and is now a hostage of Cersei. Daenerys aims to bargain for her life and goes straight to King’s Landing, which is now situated in a barren desert for some reason. Tyrion reckons that he can appeal to Cersei’s humanity, believing to spare all the violence for her unborn child. But is she even really pregnant? Perhaps with all the time that passed (it’s hard to tell at this point), surely she must have a baby bump by now? Anyway, Tyrion’s gamble fails, and Cersei signals to the Mountain to behead Missandei after she utters her last words, “Dracarys.”

I hope things turn around for the better in the final two episodes, because it seems like the people that run this show just want everything to be over at this point.