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  1. Entertainment
  2. TV
  3. Fantasy Shows
  4. Game of Thrones TV show

"The most intense episode in television history" – The internet reacts to Game of Thrones season 8 Battle of Winterfell

News
By Bradley Russell published 29 April 2019

The Game of Thrones season 8 battle everyone was waiting for certainly split opinions

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Game of Thrones season 8
Image credit: HBO
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Game of Thrones season 8 was always leading to this point. Heck, the argument could be made that ever since the show’s very first scene, the Battle of Winterfell was its natural conclusion. And so it proved. We got everything that made us fell in love with Thrones in the first place: Shocks, deaths, shock deaths, and a battle that left us well and truly fatigued.

What a week it’s been – and Twitter was still in top form at the end of it. Here are the best reactions to Game of Thrones season 8, episode 3: The Battle of Winterfell. Spoilers follow…

The Red Woman returns

The Red Woman was lit AF. Literally. Melisandre returned this week, seemingly out of nowhere and for matters of plot convenience, after a gap year in Volantis. She didn’t find herself over there, but she did find out how to light everything on fire, which is handy.

I would like to thank Melisandre for increasing the lighting in this episode by 100 #GameofThrones #GoT pic.twitter.com/ngIQ5tHaDOApril 29, 2019

— noradominick on April 29, 2019

No one:Melisandre for the whole episode:#GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/pBHZDMUCXKApril 29, 2019

— PRODBYCROOK on April 29, 2019

Melisandre after the battle #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/lanjHSJCVeApril 29, 2019

— joorihan on April 29, 2019

Melisandre's BIG RETURN was to cast ineffective fire AOEs and then die like Bill in Kill BillApril 29, 2019

— RhymesWithFleek on April 29, 2019

A giant sacrifice

Lyanna vs. A White Walker giant. There’s only one winner there, right? Wrong. In one of the episode’s first gut-wrenching deaths, the mini Mormont took to the frontlines and slayed the giant where it stood and fell in the process.

How Lyanna went out pic.twitter.com/V4oegNqXQaApril 29, 2019

— KingJosiah54 on April 29, 2019

Lyanna died a forkin WARRIOR. Just like her mother. #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/EYTAjuqxRnApril 29, 2019

— MandalorianMel on April 29, 2019

Lyanna and the Mormont soldiers trying to take down that zombie giant #GameofThrones  pic.twitter.com/NwS3XKylTUApril 29, 2019

— dapihes on April 29, 2019

Lyanna Mormont, lived and died a badass 👏🏻 #GameofThrones  THE LADY vs THE GIANT! pic.twitter.com/RismXoWsPlApril 29, 2019

— mcqwill on April 29, 2019

So. Many. Deaths.

But Lyanna wasn’t the only one to pour a cold one out for on Sunday night. Theon, Beric, Edd, and Jorah also fell. Fans paid tribute to those who gave their life in battle – while others wondered why there weren’t a few more major deaths. 

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There were a lot of honorable deaths, and an unbelievable Arya but Theon Greyjoy’s last moment has to be remembered. A circle perfectly closed and a goodbye to one of the most influential characters of the show “Theon, You’re a good man” #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/VyN7Ae8N5ZApril 29, 2019

— GeorgiosRallis on April 29, 2019

ok but Drogon mourning Jorah’s death with Daenerys was probably one of the most heartbreaking scenes #gameofthrones pic.twitter.com/jcQe5i5VjAApril 29, 2019

— thronesrings on April 29, 2019

Did you guys notice that Jorah only dropped after he saw all the wights fall...the only thing keeping him going was protecting Daenerys man #GameofThrones #JorahMormont pic.twitter.com/wommDCeyH2April 29, 2019

— ViviOh4 on April 29, 2019

I feel like I'm the only one who was kinda disappointed with the new BIG episode tonight. Last 30 min got a lot better but overall, guess was expecting big deaths. #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/pncmgIxEs8April 29, 2019

— Aiki_Man on April 29, 2019

The Night King falls

Wait, what?! Yep. The Night King problem has been dealt with, and there are still three episodes to go. Whisper it, but it never seemed like Game of Thrones was all that concerned with making the White Walkers part of the finale, but Arya’s killing blow left people disappointed all the same. 

The night king's worst nightmare. Arya and Bran#GameofThrones⁠ ⁠ #BattleOfWinterfell pic.twitter.com/OPsEPqfdruApril 29, 2019

— pavan_krishnaa on April 29, 2019

They said no one could kill the Night King and no one did🗡️👑#GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/9QLxvPYaZhApril 29, 2019

— Mostafa_Rezk55 on April 29, 2019

Arya in the next episode of GOT #GameofThrones #NightKing pic.twitter.com/4WmDjE1huBApril 29, 2019

— Ruoyboy on April 29, 2019

8 seasons to buildup the big bad Nightking and his 4 strong henchmen and he didnt even get a single significant kill (theons death was assisted suicide) and they didnt even see the battlefield, im supposed to be satisfied?April 29, 2019

— Lazizapapi on April 29, 2019

The show is dark and full of terrors

Do not adjust your televisions. In fact, maybe you should. The opening half an hour of The Battle of Winterfell was plagued by blurry battles and dodgy darkness. And Twitter let everyone know about it. 

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This shit is so dark wtf. #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/7ros9trDEuApril 29, 2019

— MatthewACherry on April 29, 2019

My favorite scene from today’s episode of #GameOfThrones ffs why is it so dark pic.twitter.com/mlOAF73pEDApril 29, 2019

— iamAndeesh on April 29, 2019

Me struggling to watch all the dark scenes in tonight's episode. #TheNightIsDarkAndSoIsMyTV #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/wQ5Y6kFOpvApril 29, 2019

— goonerleon10 on April 29, 2019

A gruelling week

Of course, Game of Thrones season 8 wasn’t the only show in town this week. A little production called Avengers: Endgame also broke our hearts and left us emotionally scarred. For many, it’s been the toughest week in forever. 

Endgame Game of Thrones 🤝 Me Crying This WeekendApril 28, 2019

— mediavandal on April 28, 2019

Between Game of Thrones and End Game I’ve lost too much this week #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/qmO6eYDdBRApril 29, 2019

— JClark757 on April 29, 2019

Me after Endgame and Game of Thrones pic.twitter.com/avg8Mg1aEiApril 29, 2019

— betchay_123 on April 29, 2019

WHAT A DAY, after watching both "Got ep 3" and "EndGame" I can say I lost some loved ones.All hail the starks #GameofThrones #AvengersEndgame pic.twitter.com/Ea0ef1TxFTApril 29, 2019

— thebadrdin on April 29, 2019

An epic or a let-down?

Did it live up to expectations? It honestly seems like a 50/50 split out there. Many took umbrage with the fact that everything was wrapped up a little too neatly without consequence, while others revelled in the show’s ability to break us down before building us back up again.

That may just have been THE most intense episode of television in history. I. AM. BROKEN. #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/3fscuvH52JApril 29, 2019

— TheNiceCast_ on April 29, 2019

Can’t be the only one who kind of found that disappointing? #GameofThronesApril 29, 2019

— james_common on April 29, 2019

Wow. I'm not surprised it wasn't good, but it's still disappointing what a let down #GameOfThrones was yikes. No stakes. Nearly every main character survived. Everything was such a stretch, it happened offscreen. Writing, what writing?April 29, 2019

— JennaMichelle29 on April 29, 2019

I wish I was as geeked as everyone else, but I feel like I wasted 80 minutes watching something where only the last 10 or 15 minutes mattered. Man that episode was as boring as I thought it would be #gameofthronesApril 29, 2019

— MusicLoverDani on April 29, 2019

Yes, the battle was boring. Believe it or not, some people don’t like random scenes of poorly lit fighting with absolutely zero real stakes. #GameofThronesApril 29, 2019

— ChrisWDelgado on April 29, 2019

Check out the real casualty from Sunday night: A fair few of the best Game of Thrones theories have fallen by the wayside.

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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