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
No one:Melisandre for the whole episode:#GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/pBHZDMUCXKApril 29, 2019
Melisandre after the battle #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/lanjHSJCVeApril 29, 2019
Melisandre's BIG RETURN was to cast ineffective fire AOEs and then die like Bill in Kill BillApril 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
Lyanna died a forkin WARRIOR. Just like her mother. #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/EYTAjuqxRnApril 29, 2019
Lyanna and the Mormont soldiers trying to take down that zombie giant #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/NwS3XKylTUApril 29, 2019
Lyanna Mormont, lived and died a badass 👏🏻 #GameofThrones THE LADY vs THE GIANT! pic.twitter.com/RismXoWsPlApril 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.
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
ok but Drogon mourning Jorah’s death with Daenerys was probably one of the most heartbreaking scenes #gameofthrones pic.twitter.com/jcQe5i5VjAApril 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
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
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
They said no one could kill the Night King and no one did🗡️👑#GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/9QLxvPYaZhApril 29, 2019
Arya in the next episode of GOT #GameofThrones #NightKing pic.twitter.com/4WmDjE1huBApril 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
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.
This shit is so dark wtf. #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/7ros9trDEuApril 29, 2019
My favorite scene from today’s episode of #GameOfThrones ffs why is it so dark pic.twitter.com/mlOAF73pEDApril 29, 2019
Me struggling to watch all the dark scenes in tonight's episode. #TheNightIsDarkAndSoIsMyTV #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/wQ5Y6kFOpvApril 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
Between Game of Thrones and End Game I’ve lost too much this week #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/qmO6eYDdBRApril 29, 2019
Me after Endgame and Game of Thrones pic.twitter.com/avg8Mg1aEiApril 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
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
Can’t be the only one who kind of found that disappointing? #GameofThronesApril 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
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
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
Check out the real casualty from Sunday night: A fair few of the best Game of Thrones theories have fallen by the wayside.
