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"Felt like a bad fan fiction" – The best reactions to Game of Thrones season 8, episode 5

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By Bradley Russell published 13 May 2019

The most talked about Thrones episode ever?

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Game of Thrones season 8
Image credit: HBO
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Bloody hell. Game of Thrones season 8 gave us the series’ penultimate episode and, while certain plot points may have split fans, it’s inarguable that it gave us some of the show’s most iconic moments. From major deaths to battles seasons-in-the-making, here’s how the mild-mannered fans of Twitter treated Game of Thrones season 8, episode 5. Warning: Spoilers within!

The whispers are no more

The first, but most certainly not the last, named character to die in The Bells, Lord Varys went out on his own terms. Those terms, admittedly, were quickly jotting down a note and perishing in a blaze of fire and brimstone, but it could all be part of a long game to show just who the ruler of Westeros should be.

Varys died doing what he loved: snitching #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/TksJMZypYKMay 13, 2019

R.I.P to Lord VarysFirst of his nameKing of the Messy Bitches Who Live For DramaMaster of WhispersFather of SpidersLord of the Tea Trees and Shady PinesThe One True Protector of the Realm#GameOfThrones #TheLastWar pic.twitter.com/hLj0T0yqOwMay 13, 2019

They killed my fave this week so let me rant a bitHow the fuck does Varys, the master of whisperers, whose one job all these years was to get on top of information, died because of a basic ass gossip 😖🚮#GameOfThronesMay 13, 2019

Varys since he knew what was coming...#GoT #DemThrones pic.twitter.com/eecVelV3XxMay 13, 2019

Let it burn

Hey, speaking of fire and brimstone, Dany made good on her angry, angry facial expressions last week by, welp, burning down half of King’s Landing. Women, children, and Lannister soldiers (who had already given up. Hasn’t the Mother of Dragons read the Geneva Conventions?!) were burnt to a crisp, with the likes of Arya only getting out of harm’s way just in the nick of time. Of course, there was more than one Pikachu Face in response.

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  • Peter Claffey as Dunk in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 5 A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms fans think episode 5's brutal battle is "unlike anything we've seen in Game of Thrones"
  • Peter Claffey as Dunk in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 5's IMDb score puts it in the top 5 best Game of Thrones episodes ever

#GameOfThrones Dany: Burns something every season slowly descending into the Mad QueenGoT Fans: Yaay 👏🏽Dany: Burns Kings LandingGoT Fans: pic.twitter.com/XzovDzeJtpMay 13, 2019

if u say that its shit writing to turn Dany crazy... you haven't beem paying attention #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/MXlyrOQVkVMay 13, 2019

The writers of #GameofThrones with Dany's character development like - pic.twitter.com/Tc6JdFOxuSMay 13, 2019

Dany rejoining the Starks after taking down King's Landing like pic.twitter.com/UYBxkvmhTcMay 13, 2019

Euron vs. Jaime

Maybe not the mano y mano fight we were expecting from this episode, but the two clashed nonetheless on the beaches of King’s Landing. It was a brutal, visceral scrap, too, with both getting their licks in. In the end, though, Jaime came out on top – even if he was mortally wounded in the process.

This might be the first time I've actually felt disappointed in a #GoT episode. For example, I get that Euron and Jamie had beef, but a fight to the death in that moment made absolutely no sense. #DemThronesMay 13, 2019

Pettiest award goes to Euron, clearly can see they about to die but would rather pick a fight and tell a man he fucked his chick. 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/cBZ4UccdmDMay 13, 2019

Euron Greyjoy has to be the worst character in the entire Game of Thrones run. That guy had no depth & pretty much served no real purposeMay 13, 2019

Episode 6 preview , Euron’s elephants finally arrive. #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/DYyVqXaP5vMay 13, 2019

Cleganebowl, baby

Finally. Words can’t really do this one justice; it’ll surely rank up there as one of the show’s finest moments when the dust (and ash) has settled. Not since The Viper vs. The Mountain has the audience been so enthralled by the twists and turns of a Thrones fight.

When you realize the poetic justice wherein The Hound takes The Mountain into the Fire to end it all.#CleganeBowl #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/mCq4oIPOpYMay 13, 2019

Cersei walking past Sandor & Gregor during #CleganeBowl #GameofThones pic.twitter.com/qj8K3vIndgMay 13, 2019

I don’t care about anyone’s opinion on the episode, this scene was outrageous #GameofThrones #CleganeBowl pic.twitter.com/MIhy2zEeWBMay 13, 2019

The mountain finally taking off his helmet #GameofThrones #CLEGANEBOWL pic.twitter.com/DXwjyNhF5WMay 13, 2019

Bricking it

Is this Game of Thrones season 8’s most divisive scene? Almost definitely. Cersei and Jaime seemingly met their ends as the walls collapsed around them. No Arya revenge kill, no Jaime mercy kill, just Cersei hugging her brother and the world falling on top of her. Ouch.

Cersei died from bricks fam. The night king died in ep.3 so Cersei could die from bricks.May 13, 2019

Those bricks got their revenge on Cersei for what she did to the septs bricks pic.twitter.com/HFjNUDK5AnMay 13, 2019

all that Cersei buildup and she died from poor infrastructureMay 13, 2019

#gameofthrones Fans, writing theories: Arya should use the skills she learned from the Many-Faced God to kill Cersei while wearing Jamie’s faceDirectors writing about her long awaited death being caused by fucking ROCKS: pic.twitter.com/PrYQck50nJMay 13, 2019

A bad taste in the mouth

For some, this season feels a lot different to what came before. Maybe it’s the six-episode runtime, or how everything is packed full of Moments and Cool Stuff That Happened, yet a lot of Thrones fans aren’t too happy and the tide is turning on Game of Thrones season 8.

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I guess these dudes are good at adaptations but horrible at actual writing? Way to ruin a great series. Felt like bad fan fiction. #GameofThrones #got pic.twitter.com/zpzw5MIAMJMay 13, 2019

I never thought I would put #GameofThrones in the same category as Lost and Dexter in terms of terrible last seasons, but I think it's too late now. This is awful, lazy writing and whoever the fuck directed that should never direct anything ever again.May 13, 2019

Disappointed! Confused! Crushed! What were the writers thinking?!?!?😱🤦🏻‍♀️😡 #GameofThronesMay 13, 2019

Game of Thrones deserved more than eight seasons and squeezing everything in like this makes me question the writing. It feels rushed, inconsistent and not up to standard relative to previous seasons. A lot of character development thrown out the window.May 6, 2019

Discover if the majority of our Game of Thrones theories have gone up in smoke after this episode, along with half of King's Landing.

Bradley Russell
Bradley Russell
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Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

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