Game Of Thrones Season 8 Episode 4 Review: Self-Sabotage At Its Finest

Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 4, titled “The Last of the Starks,” in a way had it easy: It couldn’t have possibly been worse than the nonsensical Episode 3, “The Long Night,” which many fans feel betrayed the very core of what Game of Thrones is. With the bar set so low, Episode 4 was always going to seem better in comparison. And sure enough, it wasn’t the worst episode so far in Season 8.

But there’s just something off about the way Game of Thrones’ final conflict–the one between Cersei, Dany, and Jon/Aegon–is taking shape. Jon’s explanation that he has no desire to make a claim to the Iron Throne (which apparently took place offscreen at some point) isn’t good enough for the Dragon Queen, and what do you know? This episode proved Dany’s worst fears right: Now that Jon’s secret is out, there’s already talk of how much better he’d be at ruling.

But why? Is that conversation justified? Jon has proved time and time again that he has what it takes, but so has Daenerys. They’re in the endgame, and now is no time to be sowing inner conflict on your own side. Characters like Sansa and Varys should be smarter than this (although they weren’t smart enough to remember that crypts are full of corpses, so who knows?).

The easiest resolution to this whole conflict would be for Jon and Dany to get married, announce his identity to the whole Seven Kingdoms, and be stronger than ever, together, a united front of Targaryens here to take their rightful seat back. Obviously, it’s Game of Thrones, so it can’t be that easy, but the show hasn’t presented an adequate reason why not. Because Sansa and Arya still don’t trust the queen who sacrificed half her forces to defend their home? Because Varys worries that Dany would wear the pants in the relationship? All this scheming and plotting and self-sabotaging feels contrived, because in this case, there’s one clear path that makes the most sense, and no one’s managed to come up with any adequate justification for why they can’t just do this one thing the easy way.

The blame for that falls squarely on this episode’s writers, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, who also wrote the previous episode (and the next two, which isn’t a great sign for the rest of the final season). It’s clear what they’re trying to do, and it’s clear that they failed at it–because I just can’t figure out why Jon and Dany wouldn’t just make the smart choice, unite the North and South, and usher in a new age of Targaryen rule.

Elsewhere in Winterfell, “The Last of the Starks” was full of fan service–although much of it was misplaced. Ghost showed up for the third time this season, only to immediately be written off the show, without so much as a pat from Jon. The suits at HBO breathed a sigh of relief for the show’s CG budget, while fans cried out at the injustice of Ghost being treated like he’s just as unimportant as Daario F***ing Naharis. Ghost’s casual dismissal was almost as bad as the episode cutting away from Jon telling his sisters his true identity–a conversation fans have been awaiting for decades. Considering how much fan service this season has featured, it’s frankly shocking that we didn’t get to see the rest of that chat.

Jaime and Brienne got together–but only, it turns out, to make it more of a gut punch to her when he went riding back to Cersei anyway. Jaime knighted Brienne in Episode 2, and it was a beautiful culmination of both characters’ arcs, fulfilling their relationship without needing to shoehorn in a romance. This final twist of the knife was, arguably, unnecessary. The fact that Jaime is most likely riding south to kill his sister himself is the plotline’s saving grace–and leaving his intentions ambiguous does a decent job of keeping that tension going.

And another dragon died. Once again, Game of Thrones put cinematic showiness over plausibility, as it’s hard to believe that Dany somehow failed to glimpse Euron’s fleet hiding behind a rock from her vantage point hundreds of feet in the air. The camera was pointed up toward the sky when the fleet apparently came into view of the dragons, which leaves it just vague enough to be somewhat believable. But even if you buy that, it’s insane that no one saw that attack coming in a figurative sense; they know about Euron’s fleet, they know about Cersei’s scorpions (Drogon caught a bolt back in Season 7’s “The Spoils of War”), and they know that King’s Landing and Dragonstone are a stone’s throw from one another. Why wouldn’t Euron be waiting to ambush them?

Losing yet another dragon is a massive blow to Dany, and it hurts even more because it could have easily been avoided. Maybe that’s another case of the writing being bad, or maybe all the greatest minds in Westeros really are just that dumb. Who can say at this point?

With two episodes of Game of Thrones left, it feels safe to say that the show probably doesn’t have many big surprises left. Some fans are disappointed the White Walkers were easily defeated in a single skirmish, while others may still hope that Jon and Dany will make peace with each other and figure out that a united Targaryen front is the strongest, easiest, and smartest way forward. Whatever you think, there’s no denying that this season has been surprising so far, and despite all our gripes, there’s something deeply enjoyable about that.

I believe that with the end in sight, what we’re seeing is what we’re getting: Jon and Dany and Cersei will vie for the Iron Throne, and whichever of them is left standing at the end will get it. It’s going to be exciting, there will be plenty of fire and blood, and at this point nobody can predict what will happen next. I have plenty of complaints with the path we’ve taken to get here, but when it comes down to it, I’m looking forward to seeing how this all ends. Once it does, maybe George R.R. Martin can finally write the rest of the books and finish things his way. Until then, let’s just try to enjoy this for what it is.

The Best Gaming Motherboards 2019

Whether you’re on the red team or the blue team, you need a solid motherboard for your next gaming rig. Here are our choices for the best motherboards for both Intel and AMD systems at every price point.

Game of Thrones Goof: Daenerys Is Definitely Drinking a Coffee in Episode 4

Eagle-eyed Game of Thrones viewers have spotted a rogue disposable coffee cup that has somehow made it into the final cut of the latest episode of season 8, The Last of the Starks.

The wildly anachronistic beverage vessel is easy to miss in a dimly-lit scene where just about everyone on screen is quaffing from some kind of cup, mug, or oversized horn, but it’s there nonetheless; parked directly in front of a slightly dour-looking Daenerys.

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Fans Are Pissed Jon Failed Ghost in This Important Way

Minor spoilers ahead for Games of Thrones Season 8, Episode 4, “The Last of the Starks,” primarily regarding Ghost, Jon Snow’s direwolf.

Game of Thrones fans have pondered the absence of Jon Snow’s direwolf Ghost for two seasons now, but rejoiced when we saw him, though briefly, during “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” and “The Long Night.” Unfortunately, our celebration has been cut short. Though we knew Ghost survived the Battle of Winterfell from the preview of this week’s episode, “The Last of the Starks,” the direwolf’s screen time has now come to an end, or at least it seems — and fans aren’t too happy about it.

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Stranger Things Lawsuit Dropped Just Days Before Going To Trial

The 2018 lawsuit that alleged that Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer stole the idea from someone they worked with in the past has been dropped. Director Charlie Kessler, who alleged that the brothers stole his idea for what they later made into Stranger Things, dropped the lawsuit just 48 hours before the trial was scheduled to start on Tuesday.

His lawyer confirmed this to The Hollywood Reporter. Kessler said in a statement that the Duffer brothers “independently created the show.” As THR mentions, it’s unclear if Kessler was paid for dropping the lawsuit and releasing the statement, but Kessler said the decision to drop the lawsuit was not a settlement. Still, both sides declined to say if any money changed hands.

Kessler initially sued the Duffer brothers on a claim that he pitched them on an idea for a project that takes place on Long Island, New York near an abandoned military base and has sci-fi elements including government experiments.

The Duffer brothers always maintained that they created Stranger Things independently.

Intriguingly, it was believed that secrets about Stranger Things and Netflix’s own business models and other financial details might have emerged if the case went to court.

“After hearing the deposition testimony this week of the legal expert I hired, it is now apparent to me that, whatever I may have believed in the past, my work had nothing to do with the creation of Stranger Things. Documents from 2010 and 2013 prove that the Duffers independently created their show,” Kessler said. “As a result, I have withdrawn my claim and I will be making no further comment on this matter.”

For its part, a representative for Netflix said the company is happy to “put this baseless lawsuit behind us.” Stranger Things Season 3 premieres on July 4.

Avengers: Endgame Passes Titanic With $2.2 Billion, Now Only Trails Avatar

Avengers: Endgame continues to soar at the box office. After a second weekend at No. 1, the superhero movie has now made $2.188 billion worldwide after just 12 days.

Endgame passes James Cameron’s Titanic ($2.187 billion) to become the No. 2 highest-grossing movie in history worldwide. It only trails another Cameron movie, Avatar, which has made $2.78 billion globally.

Endgame made a further $145.8 million in the United States and Canada this weekend and $282.2 million from international markets to reach the new heights, according to EW.

The continued success of Endgame is no surprise. It opened last weekend to a record $1.2 billion worldwide. It’s made $2.187 billion now worldwide after just 11 days, a new record.

Endgame is now just the fifth movie to ever pass $2 billion worldwide. It joins Avengers: Infinity War ($2.048 billion), Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($2.068 billion), Titanic ($2.187 billion), and Avatar ($2.788 billion).

The movie needs to make around $580 million more to catch Avatar. Keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest on Endgame’s box office performance.

For lots more on Endgame, check out GameSpot’s Avenger: Endgame hub here.

Read next: 9 Avengers Endgame Cameos You Might Have Missed

Top New Game Releases On Switch, PS4, Xbox One, And PC This Week — May 5-11 2019

Episode of New Releases aren’t always about committing crimes, but some May video games releases like the PC port Yakuza Kiwami 2 and the Nintendo Switch port of Saints Row: The Third – The Full Package have a good dose of it. For a less criminal experience, you can challenge your friends in Puyo Puyo Champions or leap your way through Ascendance. This week we also get the third episode of Life Is Strange 2.

Puyo Puyo Champions — May 7

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch

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For the uninitiated, Puyo Puyo is played by clearing out four or more little blobs of the same color. If you’ve mastered that mechanic, Champions might be just what you’re looking for. This esports-focused version of the game is all about competitive online multiplayer, but you can also set up local tournaments if you want to battle on the couch.

Yakuza Kiwami 2 — May 9

Available on: PC

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This remake of Yakuza 2 is the first time the game will be playable outside of a PlayStation, and the PC port has plenty of graphics options, including 4K support, plus unlocked frame rates and customizable controls. Otherwise, it’s the same story of Kazuma Kiryu being pulled back into the mob, packed with open-world quests and zany minigames.

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Life Is Strange 2 – Episode 3: Wastelands — May 9

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC

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The Diaz brothers’ story continues this week, and Episode 3: Wastelands sees them traveling through the redwood forests of California with a group of drifters. Sean and Daniel have been loyal to each other since they went on the run after a police misunderstanding, but this chapter will put that relationship to the test.

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Ascendance — May 9 (Switch) / May 10 (Xbox One)

Available on: Xbox One, Switch

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Ascendance is a minimalist platformer, but there’s a special surprise waiting at the end of its colorful levels. Each stage contains secrets too. This adventure has been available on PC for some time, but it makes the leap to Switch and Xbox One this week.

Saints Row: The Third – The Full Package — May 10

Available on: Switch

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As the name implies, this version of Saints Row: The Third contains all previously released DLC. Thanks to the Switch’s portability, you can take all the criminal craziness on the go. This game sees the Saints battling a crime syndicate led by three gangs that dominate the city of Steelport.

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May has just gotten started, and there are many more video games on the horizon this month. Next week, New Releases will take a look at the action-packed Rage 2 and A Plague Tale: Innocence.