Game of Thrones’ “Beyond the Wall” episode wrecked my emotions

Season 7 of Game of Thrones has been filled with incredible highs and baffling lows. And with only one episode left in the season, plenty of threads are still dangling. While season 7 has been very strong overall, “Beyond the Wall” featured the show’s strengths and weaknesses on full display.

Note there are spoilers ahead

Before we get into what made last night’s episode such a rollercoaster, I’d like to focus on Tormund. Specifically, how the show used him to pull off such a devastating bait and switch.

When the episode begins, Tormund immediately becomes the focal point. In the quieter moments, he’s full of humor, wit, and gusto, ready to tackle the wights and have giant babies with Brienne, who he’s crushed on since they met in the North. (Unfortunately for him, the feeling isn’t mutual. Yet.)

As they continue traveling beyond the wall, Tormund pesters the Hound (his new BFF) with questions, generally getting under his skin—but in a charming way. The way the episode focuses on Tormund is a classic Hollywood tactic: Endear a popular character to the audience and then kill that character off.

It seemed as though Tormund’s early spotlight meant he was headed for the grave, but HBO had other ideas. As Jon and his band of brothers are in the thick of battle, Tormund is dog-piled by a bunch of wights. But just before he could get dragged under the ice—something, I might add, that happened to Jon Snow—the Hound saves the day. See? They are BFFs.

Tormund, who has become a fan favorite in Game of Thrones, came this close to death. It would have been a devastating turn of events considering how well-liked he is by audiences. But the episode wasn’t without significant loss.

Just as Tormund is saved, Daenerys swoops in with her dragons, reigning hellfire from the sky. It just so happens, however, that the Night King is an expert at killing dragons. Casually, he picks up a huge ice spear and hurls it at Viserion, killing him in one blow.

Article source: https://www.technobuffalo.com/2017/08/21/game-of-thrones-beyond-the-wall-episode-wrecked-my-emotions/