The Long Night (Game of Thrones)

"The Long Night"
Game of Thrones episode
Episode no.	Season 8 Episode 3
Directed by	Miguel Sapochnik
Written by	David Benioff D. B. Weiss
Featured music	Ramin Djawadi
Cinematography by	Fabian Wagner
Editing by	Tim Porter
Original air date	April 28, 2019 (2019-04-28)
Running time	82 minutes
Guest appearances
Richard Dormer as Beric Dondarrion Vladimir Furdik as the Night King Ben Crompton as Eddison Tollett Daniel Portman as Podrick Payne Bella Ramsey as Lyanna Mormont Ian Whyte as giant wight Megan Parkinson as Alys Karstark Staz Nair as Qhono Javier Botet as wight Chris Stapleton as wight Seamus O'Hara Bea Glancy as Teela Lucy McConnell Bronte Carmichael as Martha Eileen McCloskey as a village woman Robbie Beggs Roma Tomelty Claire Connor Logan Watson as Sam Finn Watson as Sam

"The Long Night" is the third episode of the eighth season of HBO's fantasy television series Game of Thrones, and the 70th overall. It was written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. It aired on April 28, 2019. It is the longest episode of the series overall, with a run time of 82 minutes.

"The Long Night" takes place entirely at Winterfell and depicts the battle between the Army of the Dead and combined armies of the living. It marks the conclusion of the conflict between the living and the dead, which was one of the main storylines in the series. The episode's title is a reference to the historic winter that occurred thousands of years ago, in which the White Walkers first descended upon Westeros.

"The Long Night" received mixed to positive reviews from critics and audiences alike, who praised the overall visual grandeur and scale of the battle, Arya Stark's personal storyline, Melisandre's return, and Theon Greyjoy's redemptive arc as highlights of the episode. However, criticism was directed towards the lack of main character deaths, the perceived anticlimactic resolution to the battle, and the premature defeat of the series' main antagonist. The broadcast and livestream presentation of the episode by HBO was also criticized.

This episode also marks the final appearances of Alfie Allen (Theon), Carice van Houten (Melisandre), Richard Dormer (Beric Dondarrion), Vladimir Furdik (the Night King), Ben Crompton (Eddison Tollett), Bella Ramsey (Lyanna Mormont) and Iain Glen (Jorah Mormont).

Plot

The Army of the Living meets the Army of the Dead on the field, but are quickly overwhelmed by the superior numbers of the dead, with nearly the entirety of the Dothraki wiped out and Edd killed saving Samwell. The living retreat behind the castle walls while Melisandre sets fire to the trench around Winterfell to delay the advance of the dead. Jon and Daenerys engage the Night King with their dragons. The dead manage to breach the fire wall and attack the walls of Winterfell itself. The defenders are swiftly overwhelmed and scattered, with Lyanna Mormont dying while killing a wight giant and Beric sacrificing himself to give Arya and the Hound time to escape. Jon is able to knock the Night King to the ground and Daenerys burns him, but he is immune to dragonfire and raises the slain Winterfell defenders to fight for him. The dead in the crypts are raised and begin attacking the sheltering civilians. Daenerys is knocked off her dragon and Jorah is mortally wounded defending her. The Night King arrives at the Godswood for Bran and kills Theon, but Arya ambushes him and kills him with a Valyrian steel dagger, causing the Army of the Dead to collapse. Melisandre, her purpose served, wanders off into the snow, removes her magical necklace, and dies from her old age.

Production

The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss.

Writing

The episode was written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. It is their first script of the season.

Filming

The episode was directed by Miguel Sapochnik. It was filmed in 55 night shoots over 11 weeks, and during harsh weather, at sets in Moneyglass, Saintfield, and Belfast.

Casting

Country singer Chris Stapleton has a cameo appearance as a wight alongside his bass player and tour manager. Stapleton said his management reached out to the show asking if he could be considered for a bit part in an episode and the producers invited him to fly to Belfast to film his scenes.

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the episode has an approval rating of 78%, based on 76 reviews, with an average rating of 8.96/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Winter has come and gone and Arya Stark may officially be the baddest woman in the land, but despite delivering some epic and emotional moments 'The Long Night' leaves quite a few things to be desired heading into the final stretch."

Heavy criticism was focused on the premature defeat of the White Walker threat. Caroline Fromke of Variety wrote "After years of underlining just how huge and terrifying and all-consuming the threat of White Walker destruction would be, plunging back into 'who gets to sit on that pointy chair' will feel very silly." Zach Kram of The Ringer called it "a strangely unsatisfying conclusion to a story line that has sustained the show from the very beginning... it seems like those most central questions will remain forever unanswered."

External Links

• "The Long Night (Game of Thrones)" at IMDb