As we head into the endgame, Game of Thrones is finally showing its hand. The big bad to top off the series isn’t the Night King, or even Cersei. It turns out the threat we should have been worrying about all along was the offspring of the Mad King, and the fiery legacy he left behind. The execution of this turning point is questionable, to say the least. I’m not sure I’m as outraged about it as many fans out there, because its groundwork has been laid since season 1. Instead, the show’s biggest issue right now is its attempts to fit so much plot into its last few hours, and the resulting lack of suspense in build up to its huge developments.
Having said that, ‘The Bells’ has so many other highlights that could easily be forgotten amongst all the negative opinions flying around. The direction and cinematography are absolutely compelling, driven by long tracking shots on Arya as she moves through the streets of King’s Landing, doing her best and failing to pull people to safety. It’s not very often we get to spend time with the smallfolk, and in ‘The Bells’ we are lead to empathise with them. To the common people, it doesn’t matter who sits on the Iron Throne. Their lives and families take absolute priority in that moment, and we are right there with them.
These ground level scenes are some of the best of the episode, and push the show into disaster movie territory. The falling ash, fire, and mass panic all directly allude to images of famous apocalyptic scenarios, with the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in particular being an obvious source of inspiration.
The spectacle of the battle scenes is brilliant too, as we see Cersei’s forces obliterated in the most bombastic way possible. The fall of the Golden Company is Game of Thrones in its purest form – setting up a character or plot device to appear meaningful, and then destroying it in the most unexpected way possible.
Finally, we get to Cleganebowl. Intercut with Arya’s own plight on the streets, it is depicted as a microcosm of the chaos and struggle taking place below them, giving it thematic resonance as well as being a thrill to watch.
Although the Hound has been on his own path to redemption, his family has been the sole barrier stopping him from moving forward completely. This seems to be a running theme in ‘The Bells’. He, along with Jaime and Dany, can fight against their inner demons as much as they like, but they will always come back to the siblings and parents who bring out the worst in them. It’s a fairly pessimistic perspective for the show to take, but its all-out commitment to the idea helps to pull it off.
Dany’s descent into Targaryen madness has been teased for a long time, so I don’t find this turning point to be too much of a surprise. The development I find most frustrating is Varys’ change from a manipulative, secretive schemer into a transparent traitor who doesn’t hesitate to announce his treasonous intentions to Dany’s closest allies. Perhaps if this arc had time to unfold over more episodes then it might have been a little more in-character, but otherwise it is a disappointing end to such an intelligent player.
Jaime’s return to Cersei is also a small letdown, though mainly because I struggle to understand what has driven this complete turnaround. The abandoning of Maggy the Frog’s prophecy to let them die as lovers rather than enemies was moving in its own way, but it didn’t quite end either of their arcs in a way that made literary sense given all the foreshadowing we have seen over the years.
It is a tough time to be a Game of Thrones fan right now, regardless of where you land on the spectrum of love for the show right now. In the early seasons we were spoilt with perfectly plotted episodes that stuck fairly closely to the books, and the departure since then has certainly led to a decline in writing quality. But my main issue with season 8 so far isn’t the story itself, but rather the undercooked journeys that link each major plot point. This season has moved at a relentlessly fast pace, leaving few moments for strategising and quiet ruminations.
Regardless of this, I don’t think the production team is getting enough credit for what they have achieved. I still have a lot of fun watching the show, even if it’s not the same sort of enjoyment I got from it back in its early seasons. ‘The Bells’ is a divisive, flawed episode, but I firmly stand in the camp of fans who have so much appreciation for its production quality, editing, master-class acting, and direction. As for whether the writers have fully pulled off Dany’s dark turn – well, I think that’s something that we will only be able to determine once we watch next week’s series finale.
