This week marks the release of Mortal Kombat 11, the latest entry in NetherRealm's brutal fighting series. Even after nearly a dozen iterations, Mortal Kombat remains one of the most beloved franchises in gaming, and its newest installment is perhaps the most ambitious yet, featuring an expansive roster, a wealth of customization options, and a time-bending story--orchestrated by the first major female antagonist in the series' history, Kronika--that unites past and present versions of characters.
The narrative in particular is one of the standout elements of the game. "Watching the character interactions between young and old selves [is] a highlight, and with the exception of a somewhat flat Sonya Blade, the solid performances are endearingly sincere with some unexpected moments of introspection," GameSpot's Edmond Tran wrote in our Mortal Kombat 11 review-in-progress.
Ahead of its release, many other outlets have also begun publishing reviews of Mortal Kombat 11. We've collected a sample of them below to give you an overview of what critics have to say about the highly anticipated fighting game. For an even broader look at its reception, be sure to check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic.
Game: Mortal Kombat 11
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch
Developer: NetherRealm
Release date: April 23
Price: $60 / £50
GameSpot -- 8/10
"MK11 isn't just a sequel for series fans and NetherRealm devotees, it's a gateway into the realm of fighting games for anyone who has a passing interest in watching ruthless warriors beat each other silly. Streamlined mechanics keep the act of fighting furiously exciting no matter what your skill level, and comprehensive tutorials encourage you to dig into the nitty-gritty. There's a diverse roster of interesting characters and playstyles, and the story mode is an entertaining romp. The unfulfilling approaches to the game's dynamic single-player content and progression may feel like they've totally whiffed (at least at this early stage), but Mortal Kombat 11 hits where it matters." -- Edmond Tran [Full review-in-progress]
IGN -- 9/10
"It's a rare fighting game that hits just about every note as strongly as Mortal Kombat 11 does. Everything from its methodical and deep combat to its fantastically absurd story mode and its rock-solid netcode, right down to its extraordinarily comprehensive tutorial is absolutely exceptional. It's only when you get into its drawn-out progression that it trips up: the keys to unlocking Mortal Kombat 11's rich vault of customization options are locked behind the frustratingly gimmicky and grindy barriers of the Krypt and Towers of Time. This series continues to prove that there's real fighting depth beyond its notoriously gory Fatalities, and this one in particular stands out as a spine-ripping good time." -- Mitchell Saltzman [Full review]
GamesRadar+ -- 4/5
"Mortal Kombat 11 struck a rare chord in me where, even after playing twenty hours in a few days, I want to go back and play more. I doubt I'll be next in line to compete at EVO, but as a casual player who enjoys putting extra time in--I love what NetherRealm Studios has put together." -- Aron Garst [Full review]
US Gamer --3.5/5
"There's a lot to love in Mortal Kombat 11. It's a fantastic fighter with a roster of 25 varied characters, tons of customization options, beautiful graphics, and one of the best story modes in a fighting game. It's a shame that modes like the Krypt and Towers of Time inject annoyance and tedium into what was an excellent experience. The progression is complex and obtuse, when it should be easy and straightforward. MK 11 could been an all-time best, but it's just a contender." -- Mike Williams [Full review]
Hardcore Gamer -- 3.5/5
"Mortal Kombat 11 is the most beautiful game NetherRealm Studios has ever developed that's backed up with familiar combat honed to perfection over the years. The story may stumble towards the end, but overall is the best narrative ever included in a NetherRealm game thanks to an excellent combination of comedy, emotion, and character-driven moments. Mortal Kombat 11 provides a solid if unremarkable cast of characters to choose from and plenty of ways to customize them. It's just a pity that much of the activities and rewards revolve so heavily around grinding and microtransactions." -- Kevin Dunsmore [Full review]
If you're a member of Amazon Prime, then you undoubtedly take advantage of Prime Video, which allows you to stream a plethora of movies and TV series, including Amazon's original content. The upcoming month of May has plenty of stuff to check out, including a highly-anticipated new series.
The majority of Amazon's movie releases come at the end of the month, but there is plenty to look forward to before then. Suspiria hits the service on May 3, and the remake was a bit polarizing with critics and fans. GameSpot's review by Rafael Motamayor said, "While the dance sequences will make your skin crawl, and Tilda Swinton can do no wrong, the truth is that this film is simply boring."
However, May 31 is when most of Amazon's new content drops. If you're a fan of Jason Voorhees, get ready to binge a bunch of movies. All but two films in the original franchise are coming at the end of the month. Sadly, Jason X and Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter did not make the cut, but you can watch Jason ride a boat for an hour then hang out in New York City for a few minutes in Jason Takes Manhattan. If you're more into comedies, then make sure to check out Planes, Trains & Automobiles or The 'Burbs, heading to Amazon the same day.
Also on May 31 is the release of the highly anticipated first season of Good Omens. Based on the Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman novel of the same name, the Amazon original series follows an angel and demon who have become fond of life on Earth and team up to stop the coming apocalypse. However, they've lost the Antichrist, who is supposed to bring Armageddon, so the two set out on a journey to find him.
Below, you'll find the full list for what's coming to Amazon for the month of May. If you're interested in more stuff coming from streaming services, check out Hulu's list for May.
The new month is almost upon us, and Hulu users are probably looking for some new content to watch on the streaming service. Luckily, Hulu has revealed what's coming for May, and there are plenty of movies and TV series for you to check out.
On May 1, Hulu will be releasing a bunch of movies, many of which you've probably seen and want to watch again. Sacha Baron Cohen's Borat comes to the service that day, and in the 2006 mockumentary, Cohen plays the titular character, a Kazakhstan TV host who heads to America to learn about the country's culture and to marry Pamela Anderson. Other movies of note are the 1994 Kevin Smith film Clerks, the sci-fi thriller Twelve Monkeys, and the '80s classic Wargames. Shaquille O'Neal plays a magic genie in Kazaam, and you can see it for yourself on May 1 as well. Something you can never see is Sinbad playing a genie in the movie Shazaam because it doesn't exist.
If you're looking to binge-watch a TV series, Hulu has many options for the month. On May 4, the first half of Season 6 of Comedy Central's Drunk History comes to the service. On that series, comedians under the influence of alcohol tell stories from world history and actors reenact the stories, which includes many drunken ramblings.
On May 14, Season 15 of The Bachelorette premieres on Hulu. On that show, a person who wants to be on TV takes other people who want to be on TV on a series of dates and eliminates them one-by-one until only one camera-hungry person remains. There is also Bobby Flay's Barbecue Addiction Season 4 coming on May 15. While I've never seen the series, I'm sure it's about one of two things: chef Bobby Flay cooking different types BBQ or a personal dive into Flay admitting his deep love of BBQ and getting the help he needs.
Hulu will be pulling a bunch of movies from its service on May 31, including Waterworld, which no one will miss. But if you're looking to watch a really expensive movie about people in the ocean and see Kevin Costner with gills, you might want to watch it sooner rather than later. Also leaving the service that day are Office Space, Small Soldiers, Edward Scissorhands, and more.
Below, you'll find the full list for everything coming and leaving Hulu in May. Mark what you're looking forward to on your calendars and please, watch Office Space again.
Coming to Hulu in May
Available May 1
Anger Management (2003)
Bait Shop (2008)
Billboard Dad (1998)
The Big Kahuna (2000)
The Birdcage (1997)
Black Rain (1989)
Borat: Learning of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation Kazakhstan (2006)
Breakdown (1997)
Bully (2001)
The Burrowers (2009)
Catacombs (2007)
Cecil B. Demented (2000)
Center Stage (2000)
Chocolat (2000)
Chuck & Buck (2000)
Clerks (1994)
Dazed and Confused (1993)
Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (1999)
El Pantra (2018)
The English Patient (1996)
Fair Game (2010)
Fatal Attraction (1987)
Flashdance (1983)
The Green Mile (1999)
Ground Control (1998)
Happy Endings (2005)
Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)
Hardware (1990)
Harsh Times (2006)
Hoodlum (1997)
Hunt for the Skinwalker (2018)
Imagine Me and You (2005)
Julie & Julia (2009)
Kazaam (1996)
The Krays (1990)
Kygo: Stole the Show (2017)
Laddie: The Man Behind the Movies (2017)
Larger than Life (1996)
The Landing (2018)
The Last Animals (2017)
Le Divorce (2002)
The Lucky Ones (2008)
Made (2001)
Major League (1989)
Man of the House (2005)
Mermaids (1990)
My Five Wives (2000)
New Guy (2002)
Nick of Time (1995)
The Night We Never Met (1993)
Passport to Paris (1999)
Possums (1998)
The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper (1981)
Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)
Rollerball (1975)
Rollerball (2002)
Shaolin Soccer (2001)
Show of Force (1990)
The Sicilian (1987)
Slow Burn (2000)
Spirit (2002)
Star Kid (1998)
Steak this Movie (2000)
Switching Goals (1999)
The Time Machine (2002)
The Toybox (2018)
Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her (2001)
Thirteen (2003)
Twelve Monkeys (1996)
Twice Upon a Yesterday (1999)
Under Siege (1992)
Wargames (1983)
Welcome to Mercy (2018)
Zombieland (2009)
Available May 2
Dies Irae: Complete Season 1 (DUBBED) (Crunchyroll)
Available May 3
Into The Dark: All That We Destroy: Episode 8 Premiere (Hulu Original)
Don't Believe the Hype: Complete Season 1(Complex)
Everything's For Sale: Complete Season 1 (Complex)
Jobs Unlisted: Complete Season 1 (Complex)
Price the Hype: Complete Season 1 (Complex)
The Yellow Handkerchief (2008)
Available May 4
Drunk History: Complete Season 6A (Comedy Central)
Painkillers (2018)
The Clovehitch Killer (2018)
Available May 6
Crash (2005)
Unicorn (2018)
Available May 7
My Hero Academia: Complete Season 3A (DUBBED) (Funimation)
Available May 8
Hillbilly (2019)
Available May 9
Action Point (2017)
Available May 10
Dinosaur 13 (2014)
Available May 11
Marvel's Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D: Season 6 Premiere (ABC)
Above Majestic (2018)
Driver X (2018)
Funny Cow (2017)
One Million American Dreams (2018)
Swimming With Men (2018)
Available May 12
Claws: Complete Season 2 (TNT)
Available May 13
Angels of Death: Complete Season 1 (DUBBED) (Funimation)
Available May 14
The Bachelorette: Season 15 Premiere (ABC)
The Romantics (2010)
Available May 15
Big Bad BBQ Brawl: Complete Season 2 (Cooking Channel)
Bobby Flay's Barbecue Addiction: Complete Season 4 (Food Network)
Epic Games has another Marvel crossover event on the way for Fortnite: Battle Royale. Much as it did last year to tie in with the release of a major Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, some kind of event or game mode will debut in Fortnite later this week. A tweet from the game's account with the hashtag #FortniteXAvengers quotes the "Whatever it takes" tagline of Avengers: Endgame and gives a release date of April 25, the day of the first public screenings for the movie.
Most intriguingly, though, the image shows a Fortnite character holding Captain America's iconic shield. That suggests this event could revolve around giving your battle royale participants some gear from the Marvel movie franchises as new pieces of equipment. This would presumably be entirely separate from the Battle Pass that lets players earn new gear.
The last crossover event with Fortnite coincided with Avengers: Infinity War. That game mode allowed you to equip the fabled Infinity Gauntlet and transform into Thanos, but it was so powerful it got nerfed almost immediately. The community had suggested that the limited-time mode Infinity Gauntlet could come back for Endgame. This teaser doesn't confirm the return of that LTM to the game, but it does at least show that Fortnite isn't letting the conclusion of the Infinity Saga pass by unnoticed.
Meanwhile, Fortnite is preparing for its next big seasonal changeover with runes that have appeared around the island. Over the weekend they began slotting into chambers in a giant vault underneath Loot Lake, heralding the arrival of something. We'll just have to wait to find out what.
The steady stream of post-launch content for Assassin's Creed Odyssey has made the already massive open world game into one of Ubisoft's largest titles to date. With the upcoming Fate of Atlantis expansion, you'll now be able to take a break from the world of Ancient Greece and venture out into a new setting that goes even further with its admiration for Greek mythology. Just ahead of the first episode's launch on April 23, we played through the 8-10 hour DLC, which focuses on the mysterious Atlantis and its larger connection to the Greek underworld.
Following The Legacy of the First Blade expansion, casting a light on one of the earliest assassins in the series, The Fate of Atlantis puts its sights on the fabled lost Isu civilization--otherwise known as the first civilization--which was referenced heavily throughout the main story. In order to access the first episode, titled Fields of Elysium, you'll first need to finish the Lost Tales of Greece quest Heir of Memories, which acts as a prelude. In Fate of Atlantis, Alexios/Kassandra will unlock a secret portal in the Atlantean ruins on Thera island, transporting the protagonist into the realm known as Elysium--the first of three entirely new areas to explore throughout the new story.
Odyssey's post-launch content has built upon a continuous story, introducing new events and plot details that seem to set the stage for what's to come in the series moving forward. The DLC's director, Hugo Giard, reflected on how much it has grown since launch.
"I think we're up to about eleven title updates at this point, and each of them has brought in the usual bug fixes, but a lot of quality of life improvements," said the director. "It's been a lot of fun. Recently we gave players five different slots for gear loadouts, and it's great to see all that stuff go out along with the new entries in the Lost Tales of Greece series. I was involved in making some of those story packs, including [The Heir of Memories], which leads up to this DLC. This has been the most successful AC I've had the chance to work on, and I think it speaks directly to the support that we've given to the game post-launch. I think it's a great way to move forward [for the series]."
In Elysium, your mercenary-turned assassin will rub shoulders with Greek demi-gods and humans co-existing in what appears to be an idyllic world. However, it quickly becomes clear that there's trouble in the so-called paradise, and you'll have to pick a side in the ensuing conflict between the humans and the gods, with both sides seeking control of the realm. Throughout the episode, you'll engage in side-quests, take part in objectives that have that weaken the Greek god Persephone's influence over Elysium, and witness some unexpected encounters with some familiar faces.
The first episode scales gameplay back to fit a more confined setting. With key characters at odds with one another and several regions under occupation, the larger objective in Elysium is to pit each side against one another to suit your needs. Occasionally, the general gameplay can fall back into the tedium and trappings of a familiar open-world title, leading to periods where you have to clear out some by-the-numbers missions and wear down progress meters to see the next story beat. However, the smaller scale of the world makes for a more interesting and digestible space to dive into. In this way, the first episode of Fate of Atlantis comes across in similar vein to classic AC games, and there's a sense of cause and effect from your choices that feels meaningful for the larger story.
The new location is made all the more interesting by Elysium's dreamlike mystique. Set in perpetual daytime and with a lush landscape surrounded by an enclosed row of cascading waterfalls, the new area is otherworldly and mysterious when compared to the familiar Greece, which made exploring all the more enticing. It's easily Odyssey's most visually pleasing and exciting location to explore, which is saying a lot given how rich in detail Ancient Greece was. Though Elysium is set in a more enclosed space when compared to the expansive size of Ancient Greece, it will allow you to get more accustomed to the area as you make your moves and dismantle the power structure.
Throughout Elysium, you'll encounter soldiers and elite guards from the first civilization, all of whom possess magical skills and buffs that make them more powerful than the average foe in Greece. One of the more challenging enemies in the realm are the imposing Collasi, statues that only attack once you've caused too much chaos in certain areas. Breaking from their docile position, the Collasi are aggressive and highly durable enemies, utilizing both laser attacks and heavy weapons. Though it's often better to use stealth and finesse your way around encounters to avoid them, you're still free to use brute force if you want--you'll eventually gain powerful abilities and loot that can even the odds. Some of your current skills, such as Battlecry of Ares, can be upgraded with first-civ power to amplify their effectiveness, allowing you to wield powerful weapons and conjure up Isu projections to fight off the new enemies.
The role-playing aspect of Odyssey is one of the game's strong suits, and it still plays an important role in Fate of Atlantis. Choices made throughout the first episode will carry over into the next installments, which could potentially lead to some unexpected moments with returning characters. However, the reception Ubisoft received from the second episode of Legacy of the First Blade prompted the developers to be more mindful of the type of situations they to put players in. At the mid-point of the story in the last DLC, you were placed into an intimate relationship with another character, regardless of whatever choice they made prior, resulting in many within the AC community to speak out in protest. This is something that the developers kept in mind while forging the Atlantis DLC, which--as far the first episode goes--keeps most romance options flexible and not necessary for the larger story.
"We make no secret of the problems that arose from the second episode," said Giard. "I think we dealt with it correctly [in the following updates], but it was disappointing that happened none the less. But at the end of the day, I thought the [story arc] was really fun to be able to see the first Assassin and the Hidden Blade. We weren't disappointed by it in any way shape or form, but we are more mindful of that going forward."
The Fate of Atlantis gets off to a pleasant start with its first episode. While The First Blade story arc felt more like a side-story, The Fate of Atlantis comes across as an endgame event, offering up a solid opportunity to use some of the more high-end skills and weapons against some challenging foes. Though the first episode doesn't introduce anything particularly new or innovative, it does set the stage for some interesting events and places to come. It's been fascinating to see how Odyssey as a game has changed since launch, and the new expansion could prove to be an exciting turning point for the story at large.
Episode 2 of Game of Thrones Season 8 continued setting up for the final four episodes of the season. It mostly laid the groundwork for the giant battle at Winterfell we know is coming as the army of the dead and their White Walker leaders march south from the Wall. Most of Episode 2 was close moments as characters prepare to fight, and maybe die, when the White Walkers arrive.
Among the big character moments were reunions between Sansa Stark and Theon Greyjoy, and Arya Stark finally hooking up with her pal Gendry. The most emotionally resonant scene, though, was the one between Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth. Both characters have been through a lot, and while they haven't seen each other in quite a few seasons, their influence on each other has been tremendous. In Episode 2, we finally saw the culmination of their relationship.
While drinking and waiting for the army of the dead, Jaime knighted Brienne. That was huge for Brienne personally--it was something she'd wanted her whole life. But the scene was also a big deal for another reason: it makes Brienne the first woman to be made a knight in Westerosi history.
There are other women warriors in Westeros as well, of course--the show is full of them. Oberyn Martel's daughters, the Sand Snakes, were formidable and deadly fighters. The women of Bear Island are expected to learn to fight to defend their home, thanks to the fact the place suffers from relatively frequent raids from Wildlings and Ironborn--and the former lady of Bear Island, Maege Mormont, served as a commander in Robb Stark's army before she was killed in the War of the Five Kings. Yara Greyjoy is accomplished with a sword, as well as a highly respected Ironborn fleet commander. And Meera Reed's martial skills allowed her to keep Bran Stark alive north of the Wall.
And there are a bunch of famous warrior women throughout the history of Westeros. Some of the most notable are the women of the Targaryen dynasty. Aegon Targaryen gets credit for conquering Westeros and establishing the Targaryen dynasty, but he had help from his sisters, Visenya and Rhaenys, both of whom also rode dragons into battle. Visenya in particular was noted for wielding a sword in battle, but both women were noted warriors.
Even with all those precedents throughout Westerosi history and throughout the show, though, women who fight are fairly uncommon in most of Westeros, as any scene with Brienne has made clear throughout the run of the show. And even among the famous women warriors, none have ever actually been anointed as knights before.
But there's no actual reason that women can't be honored as knights, except patriarchy. While there's no precedent for Jaime to knight Brienne, no rule or law says it can't happen. It's an added bonus that it's Jaime Lannister, a man who finally seems to be attempting to really live up to knighthood's chivalric code thanks to Brienne's influence on him, who does the honors. After all the pair have been through together, Jaime giving Brienne the honor she deserves is a perfect fulfillment of the arc of their relationship.
As the forces of the living spent one final night drinking, loving, and reminiscing at Winterfell in Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 2, the lovable Podrick Payne sent us out with a song. Unlike "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" or "The Rains of Castamere," it was one that we haven't heard before in the show. And for book readers, it came as a pretty big surprise. Here's why it mattered.
"Jenny's Song" isn't one of the most important songs in Westeros (to be fair, neither is "The Bear"), but it does come with a sad story attached, not to mention some interesting context from the books.
The song concerns Jenny of Oldstones, whose story isn't so sad in and of itself. Long before the events of the series, a Targaryen prince broke off his betrothal with a daughter of House Baratheon to marry Jenny, a common girl, instead. Jenny's Song is just one of the songs allegedly written about her, and it's referenced several times throughout the books, particularly in book 3, A Storm of Swords.
It's said Jenny was friends with a woods witch--like the one Cersei visited in her Season 5 flashback--who she brought to court with her. The witch allegedly prophesied that the Prince that was Promised, a hero of legend, would be born from the line of Prince Aerys Targaryen and Princess Rhaella Targaryen, who were brother and sister. After hearing the prophecy, their father, King Jaehaerys II Targaryen, had his two children (Aerys, who would become the Mad King, and Rhaella) married to one another. From that union came the characters we know: Prince Rhaegar and his siblings Viserys and Daenerys. So the prophecy may yet be fulfilled.
Book readers learned about the song in book 3 while Arya was still hanging out with the Brotherhood Without Banners. The Brotherhood occasionally visit an unnamed woods witch known as the Ghost of High Heart, and she always requests that their minstrel, Tom of Sevenstreams, sings her Jenny's Song in exchange for information. She weeps as she hears it, leading to speculation that the Ghost is the very same woods witch Jenny brought to court with her so many years earlier.
King Robb Stark and his mother Catelyn also discuss Jenny's Song during an emotional scene in the same book, mere chapters before the Red Wedding takes place. As both characters hurtle unknowingly toward their violent murders, they linger at the ruins of Oldstones and discuss the nature of life and death. "There's a song," Robb remembers. "Jenny of Oldstones, with the flowers in her hair." Catelyn replies, "We're all just songs in the end. If we are lucky."
That line can easily be read as a succinct summary of the overarching theme for the entire series, especially when you consider the books' overall title, A Song of Ice and Fire. It's been speculated as well that after all is said and done, Samwell Tarly will go full Bilbo, retiring at the Citadel to write his own account of the series' events, which he'll call A Song of Ice and Fire.
As a side note, there were some lines in this episode that seem like foreshadowing in that direction, when Sam spoke during the war council where Bran explained that the Night King wants to "erase this world." "That's what death is, isn't it? Forgetting--being forgotten," Sam said. "If we forget where we've been and what we've done, we're not men anymore--just animals."
In the after-episode featurette this week, Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss said they wanted to feature a new song that hadn't been heard outside the books before. As the books have only ever revealed snatches of the lyrics, they had to make a bunch of them up. Here's the full song, though keep in mind, these lyrics aren't canon to the books:
High in the halls of the kings who are gone
Jenny would dance with her ghosts.
The ones she had lost and the ones she had found
And the ones who had loved her the most.
The ones who'd been gone for so very long,
She couldn't remember their names
They spun her around on the damp cold stone
Spun away all her sorrow and pain
And she never wanted to leave
They danced through the day and into the night
Through the snow that swept through the halls
From winter to summer then winter again
'Til the walls did crumble and fall
And she never wanted to leave.
And here's a weird "lyric video" featuring the credits version of the song, sung by the band Florence and the Machine:
It's notable as well that fans have speculated that Rhaegar Targaryen himself wrote Jenny's Song, although nobody in the books seems to know for sure. Rhaegar rather famously was a skilled composer and minstrel in addition to being a formidable warrior and apparently quite a hunk. Dany even notes as much--in this very episode, and in fact, right after Pod's rendition of Jenny's Song ends. That may be a coincidence, but who knows? It may not be.
As Game of Thrones barrels toward its ultimate conclusion, it was nice to take a quick break from all the build-up and foreshadowing to enjoy a reference to the books on which the series was once based. Whatever happens in the final four episodes, we'll always have Jenny's Song.
We're two episodes into Season 8 of Game of Thrones, and the army of the dead has reached Winterfell, where Daenerys Targaryen and her armies and the united forces of the North prepare to fight them. We got a big sense of the battle plan in Season 8's second episode, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. While the armies are arrayed outside the walls of Winterfell to fight the army of the dead, Bran Stark is going to the Godswood to try to lure out the Night King.
Meanwhile, there are a bunch of people sheltering at Winterfell who aren't able to fight, like Gilly, who has to look after her son, and other women and children. As we heard in the episode, the plan is for those folks to hide out in Winterfell's crypts. Daenerys ordered Tyrion to hide out there as well, to protect her Hand of the King, who isn't really that helpful in a fight anyway.
That sounds like a good plan--the crypts of Winterfell are stone and underground, and represent the toughest place for an invading army to penetrate. But while it seems like a good idea to put defenseless or high-value personnel in the crypts where they'll be safe, there's one theory that suggests it might be the most dangerous place in the entire castle.
The crypts are a good place to hide from a regular army, but the army of the dead is a different matter. That's because of the particular power the White Walkers possess--they can raise the dead, and we've seen them do it at scale. The Night King raised the entire population of Hardhome as wights in the wake of that battle. And where are all the dead folks in Winterfell? That's right: the crypt.
We've already seen a bit of evidence that would back up the theory that the Night King is going to sic the bodies of Ned Stark and his family on the folks hiding in Winterfell. First and foremost is a line featured in the tease for Episode 3, in which Daenerys remarks, "The dead are already here." Given that we saw the approaching army of the dead at the end of Episode 2, it seems like Dany wouldn't be restating the obvious just for effect.
That same tease also features a shot of Arya Stark running through the crypt--and not just because she's in a hurry. We haven't seen Arya seem scared of anything for quite a while, but she looks absolutely freaked out in that clip. Given Arya's history, it's hard to think of anything that would scare her more than facing the reanimated bodies of her family coming to life to kill her.
We have a sense of which dead relatives might be down there to terrify Arya. Littlefinger brought Ned Stark's remains to Catelyn and they apparently made their way to back to Winterfell, although at this point he's likely just a skeleton. Lyanna Stark, Jon Snow's mother, is buried there as well. As for Robb and Catelyn, we're not sure exactly what happened to their bodies, but they're probably not in the North; since they both died at the Red Wedding, they likely were disposed of at the Twins someplace. That's at least what happens to Catelyn in the books.
The spookiest potential Stark wight, though, is Rickon. Killed in the Battle of the Bastards, Jon explicitly said he meant to lay the youngest Stark to rest in the crypt beside Ned. Rickon's remains are still probably relatively fresh, too. While a wight of Ned would be upsetting to Arya, it likely won't actually look like her father, especially without a head. But a wight of Rickon will be recognizably, horrifically, her brother.
It's tough to speculate much more about what might actually happen if and when dead Starks start climbing out of their tombs. Loosing a bunch of dead in the crypts would probably mean the end of anyone who hides down there, and that could cost the entire battle. With Arya in the crypt, there might be a chance of fighting them off, but it's hard to see a win in that situation.
Could this be the Night King's play that allows him to take down Winterfell? Is this what Bran was talking about when he suggested to Jaime that the living might not make it out of the battle? We're stuck waiting until Episode 3 to find out.
In the fifth-to-last Game of Thrones episode ever, Season 8 Episode 2, the Starks and Targaryens and everyone loyal to them prepared for war. That now includes Jaime Lannister, a character who, somewhat ironically, now officially rivals Bran for most pronounced character arc. Few others have changed as much as Jaime Lannister, and this episode highlighted that at every opportunity, from his long-coming apology to Bran, to his historic knighting of Ser Brienne (how weird is that to read?).
But as satisfying as it was to watch the former Golden Lion mull around Winterfell with his tail between his legs, Season 8's second episode was yet another filled with build-up and anticipation, the promise of something monumental waiting just over the horizon. That something is now one week away, but it's not just the Battle of Winterfell we have to look forward to: Dany and Jon didn't get to finish their conversation in the crypt, and that's arguably even more important. It's the story behind the story, and it's always been the series' real heart.
When you think about it, the conflict between Jon and Dany--the one caused by her increasingly alarming lust for the Iron Throne--should be easy to resolve. Where their conversation ended, I can hear what should have been the next line in my head: "But I don't want the Iron Throne." For Jon to respond in any other way would be untrue to his character; he's always been reluctant to accept power, and quick to give it up once he gets it. That Jon wants the crown least despite having the best claim would probably make him a decent ruler, but the Jon we know was likely about to tell Dany she can have it before they were interrupted.
Leaving that resolution as an open question throughout the upcoming battle was a fantastic narrative choice. It will add even more tension to what will surely be a fraught episode, one in which we're rightfully expecting many (or maybe all) of our favorite characters to die impaled on White Walker spears. But it also leaves room for something to change; Dany has been acting increasingly unhinged, lashing out at Tyrion and exhibiting an alarming unwillingness to consider any alternative to her absolute rule. More than one character has expressed concern that Dany is more like her father than her supporters would prefer to admit, and if she goes full Mad King or does something extreme in the coming battles, Jon might begin to view it as his duty to claim his birthright.
Whatever happens there, this episode provided plenty of other wish fulfillment for longtime Game of Thrones fans. Let's start with the obvious ones: Arya actually getting together with Gendry is huge, while Jaime knighting Brienne fulfilled their relationship as well, although in a very different way. Both of these pairings are longtime fan ships, and it wasn't long ago that it seemed unlikely either of these relationships would ever lead anywhere. It was a little bit jarring to see Arya Stark in this new light, but what better sign that we're nearing the end of this story? And although I don't really expect anything romantic to happen between Brienne and Jaime at this point, in retrospect this was perfect. We should have seen it coming.
There were some less obvious bangers as well, huge among them Pod's little performance. When Pod started singing, book readers may have gasped as they recognized his opening words from a song referenced several times in the third Song of Ice and Fire book, A Storm of Swords. It's described as a sad song, always sung softly, and Arya only catches snatches of the lyrics. It's not necessarily important to anything, really, but it's something those of us who read the books before the show ever premiered never thought we'd actually get to hear.
The song brings to mind all kinds of thematic context from that book, from a terribly sad old woman weeping as she recalls the days of her youth, to weighty conversations between the doomed King Robb and Catelyn Stark in the chapters leading up to the Red Wedding. Hearing Pod's surprisingly dulcet tones (yet another of his secret talents apparently) belting out that morose tune was somehow one of the most emotional moments yet in Season 8.
This episode also revealed something of the Night King's motivation, which has been a question since the very first scene of the show's first episode. According to Bran, the White Walkers are heading south so the Night King can kill him. "He wants to erase this world, and I am its memory," the weirdo formerly known as Brandon Stark claims. That still doesn't tell us why, but it's something.
As we head into the final battle of Winterfell, a plan has taken shape: The non-combatants will cower in the crypts (which might not be so wise if the theory about the Night King resurrecting all the corpses stored down there turns out to be right) while the army of the living holds off the dead long enough for Bran to lure the Night King to the Godswood. What happens next is anyone's guess--although what happens after that will likely be where Game of Thrones' real climax takes place.
We've seen a lot characters reunited in Season 8 of Game of Thrones, but there was one you might have missed in the season's second episode. It briefly saw the return of Ghost, Jon Snow's direwolf--but nobody made a big deal of it, and you might have missed it if you blinked at the wrong moment.
Ghost pops up briefly in the episode as Jon and the rest of the fighters at Winterfell are preparing for the attack of the army of the dead. You can spot him in the background while Jon, Samwell, and Dolorous Edd are discussing the coming White Walker invasion, and what Sam is going to do during the battle. Unlike major reunions between characters like Arya and Gendry, Sansa and Theon, or Jon and Bran, Ghost returned to the show with very little fanfare, especially for someone who's been gone for a long, long time.
In fact, it's been more than a season since Ghost was on the show. Last we saw him was at Castle Black in Season 6. Ghost helped guard Jon's body after he was murdered by his Night's Watch brothers in the Season 5 finale, but we haven't seen much of him since then. The assumption was that he was hanging around Winterfell, since that's where Jon headed after Melisandre resurrected him, but Ghost didn't take part in the Battle of the Bastards.
The absence of the direwolves from the show is less a story consideration and more a practical one. The creators of Game of Thrones have discussed the fact that the direwolves are a very expensive addition to the show, in terms of special effects budget and work. The show usually has to choose between dragons or other special effects and the direwolves, and the wolves tend to get the axe, story-wise.
Ghost is not the only direwolf still in circulation, either: in Season 7, Arya Stark's former direwolf, Nymeria, found Arya in the woods as she was traveling to Winterfell. It was a very brief meeting between the former companions, and Nymeria headed back into the woods with her pack of wolves soon afterward. It may well be that we've seen the last of her, and Nymeria will get to live out her days being the North's queen of wolves.
But Ghost's return probably hints that we'll be seeing more of him, at least in the third episode of the season, which promises to include the huge and involved Battle of Winterfell. And it really wouldn't be that surprising to see Nymeria show up again, as well, since we know the Starks and their direwolves have an intimate, occasionally magical connection. Hopefully the next time we see Ghost, he has a more important role in the scene than just filling in the background.
One of the more serious reunions of Game of Thrones Season 8 has been the one between Arya and Gendry. When they met up again at Winterfell in the premiere episode of the season, they hadn't seen each other in years. Not only was it nice for the two friends to find each other again, but it helped rekindle an item that has long been on fans' wishlists: a romantic relationship between Arya and Gendry.
Arya hasn't made a lot of friends over the years. Most of her relationships have been of the revenge-fueled kind, as she's hunted down the various people who have wronged her and the Stark family. Occasionally, though, Arya makes friends, like she did with Hot Pie and Gendry, two of the kids she fled King's Landing with way back in Season 2. Gendry, in particular, was really important to Arya--and losing him in Season 3 was part of what drove her to become the super-assassin we see in the show in Season 8.
Gendry and Arya got very close during their time on the run together. When Gendry decided to join the Brotherhood Without Banners in Season 3, they had an especially emotional moment, with Arya begging him to come with her back to Winterfell. Gendry told Arya he had no family left, to which Arya replied, "I could be your family." Though it wasn't meant to be at the time, it was clear the two youngsters felt a lot for each other. And there was that moment when Arya caught Gendry with his shirt off and definitely felt some serious ... effects.
Fans have been "shipping" Arya and Gendry ever since. That's the internet term for when a fandom imagines and talks about a romantic relationship between favorite characters. Arya and Gendry haven't seen each other since Season 3, though. When they were separated, back when they were with the Brotherhood Without Banners, Gendry got sold to the Red Witch Melisandre and carried off to Dragonstone, and Arya was spirited off by the Hound before making her way across the Narrow Sea to Braavos. Gendry escaped Dragonstone to avoid being made a sacrifice for his Baratheon blood, but the two have been apart literally for years.
That long separation hasn't done much to reduce how much fans hope to see them together, with plenty of fanfiction written that brings the two characters together. They even have their own hashtag: #Gendrya, one which got a jumpstart in the Season 8 premiere.
It's worth noting, however, that this isn't really a thing in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire books on which Game of Thrones is based. Arya and Gendry were younger when last they saw each other--around 9 and 14, respectively. They were separated when Gendry joined the Brotherhood Without Banners, and Beric Dondarrion made Gendry a knight. He was last seen in the fourth book, A Feast for Crows, at the Inn at the Crossroads, where he saved Brienne of Tarth's life.
And for fans who haven't been thinking about #Gendrya for several seasons, the hookup in this episode might have felt a touch weird. That's because Arya is the youngest living Stark, and viewers pretty much watched her grow up on the show--so a sex scene might be a bit jarring. Arya is 18 at this point in the show, though, and while we don't know Gendry's exact age, the books put him at five years older than she is, so 23. In real life, Arya actress Maisie Williams is 22, while Gendry actor Joe Dempsey is 31.
It's been almost seven years since fans started dreaming of the angriest Stark finding some happiness in a relationship with the bastard blacksmith who just wants a family, and now it's finally happened. If they stick it out, their relationship fulfills an ambition that dates back all the way to Season 1 and Ned Stark talking with his pal King Robert Baratheon: the linking of the Stark and Baratheon houses.
The second episode of Season 8 also paid off another major fan ship, but maybe not quite in the way fans hoped. That's the longstanding relationship between Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth, both of whom have influenced each other for the better during their long, fraught, and originally antagonistic relationship.
Brienne first met Jaime back in Season 3, when Catelyn Stark charged her with returning him to King's Landing in return for the release of her daughters, Sansa and Arya Stark (she didn't know Arya had already escaped King's Landing and was on various adventures elsewhere). Though Jaime was relentlessly insulting, his time with Brienne and her intense sense of honor had a serious effect on him--especially after she saved his life on more than one occasion.
Jaime turned Brienne from hating him when they shared an intimate moment in a bathtub and he explained how he got his Kingslayer nickname: he stabbed the Mad King Aerys Targaryen in the back because the king was planning to blow up King's Landing using wildfire, killing everyone, loyalist and rebel alike. Brienne came to understand Jaime, while Jaime found the better part of himself because of Brienne's example and her dedication to her cause.
Both have warm feelings for each other, but unfortunately, Jaime is forever dedicated to Cersei no matter what happens--a fact he has lamented being unable to change about himself. But back in King's Landing in Season 4, Cersei called out Brienne for being in love with Jaime, and many fans have definitely been hoping something more might come of the pair's feelings.
Episode 2 doesn't have a hookup between Brienne and Jaime, like Arya and Gendry get, but it does have what feels like the culmination of the arc of their relationship: an abiding mutual respect. That comes when Jaime uses his status as an anointed knight to give Brienne a knighthood. It's a huge deal--Brienne is getting everything she ever wanted in that scene, and the fact that Jaime is the one who takes it upon himself to finally give her what she's earned shows how much they mean to each other.
Too bad all these intense moments of love and friendship are coming under not-great circumstances, though--Arya and Gendry might have finally elevated their relationship and Jaime and Brienne might have a complete kinship, only just in time for any or all of them to get murdered by invading White Walkers.
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