Game of Thrones: The Long Night Review

   

Well, we're halfway through the final season of Game of Thrones. It's been a fun season so far. The first two episodes were developmental episodes for the characters we have been watching for years. Last night's episode; however, focused on action. I had mainly positive things to say about last night's episode, but there were negatives. I do not believe this to be the best Game of Thrones episode to be honest. That title still belongs to "Battle of the Bastards" with an honorable mention going to "The Rains of Castamere."

     I thought there would be more character deaths in this episode to be frank. The biggest death we got was either Jorah Mormont's or Theon's. I would give the bigger death to Jorah's because he had many ties to the characters especially Daenerys. He went out in a heroic way, defending his queen until his final moments. I'm so glad they brought his character back for these final two seasons. Theon's death was also very bold and powerful. I loved how the producers had him fighting for Bran when earlier in the series, they were at odds with each other. It was a tremendous redemption moment for Theon, so I was satisfied. Speaking of Bran...WTF? What purpose does he serve to the show like seriously? He transforms into the Three-Eyed Raven only when necessary. He did jack shit in last night's episode. I even think Theon was like, "I'm dying for this shit?" I thought Bran had something up his sleeve to kill the Night King because they have been building them up as having a confrontation, which they did, but Bran had nothing. So strange. It's fine. I would have rather seen Arya come out of nowhere like a badass and kill the Night King, anyways. I cheered when she stabbed him. I knew they were setting her up to do something big in this episode, but I didn't know it would be literally saving everybody who was still alive.

     Melisandre made her reappearance in this episode. I'm glad they brought her back. She was definitely an MVP in this episode. Though none of her powers really proved effective in the long run, she fulfilled her purpose. One of my favorite scenes from the episode is at the end when she takes off her necklace and dies from her old age. From a character that was so ruthless and despicable, I finally realized yesterday that she did mean well this whole time. But let's talk about Lyanna Mormont getting bitch-slapped by that giant. At first I was like "That's it? She dies like that?" No. She gets up and faces the giant and as it crushes her bones, she stabs it right in the eye. Bra-frickin-vo. She was such an underrated character, and her reading every one that was in a room with her will always be a highlight of the series for me. She will be missed. Oh, yea and Beric Donadarrion died. Ok. Whatever. I really had no attachment to him anyways. I liked that he sacrificed himself to save Arya, but meh. Other than that, I really wished that more big deaths would have occurred. I know they're probably saving a lot of them for when Winterfell fights Cersei's army, but still. These were White Walkers. They're more powerful than men as seen time and time again. I thought they could have at least killed Gendry and Podrick. I like those characters a lot, but for story purposes, I feel like it would have made sense. Gendry just had sex with Arya an hour ago. He would have been fine going out.

     A scene that I liked that did not involve main characters dying were when Arya was sneaking through the library, trying to avoid the White Walkers that lurked in there. The scene had me on the edge of my seat with suspense. I probably would have pissed my pants in that situtation. It just goes to show you what a machine Arya is. Another scene I loved was when Jon is running through the courtyard and Daenery's undead dragon is just flopping all overWintefell's structure as he's breathing fire at everyone. I loved how the viewer could only see darkness and then blue fire lights it up. Such beautiful cinematorgraphy. It reminded me of when Jon was observing all the chaos going on around him in "Battle of the Bastards."

     Ok. Things I did not like about the episode besides the lack of character deaths included the lighting. I thought my TV was the problem because I had to turn the lights out in my room to see what was going on, but no it was supposedly just how the episode turned out. I wish they would have turned the brightness up a little especially during that first battle scene on the field since it was barely lit in the show, itself. I probably would have enjoyed the episode a little more if that problem hadn't been a thing. Something else I hated was the amount of time that Daenerys and Jon were in the air. Good God. I literally kept looking at my phone thinking "Ok. This has to go somewhere because I am bored with these two." Aside from Jon running around the courtyard in that amazing scene I talked about earlier, Jon (like Bran) really did jack shit this whole episode. He failed to kill the Night King before he raised his victims. He did not even try to help Sam as he was screaming like a mad man as wights and White Walkers are crawling all over him. He didn't do anything on the dragon in the air. It was just not a great episode for Jon. I'm expecting him to do something in the final battle with Cersei, though. If he doesn't, then what a big letdown for his character arc.


     Was this the best episode of Game of Thrones? No and honestly it's not even close in my opinion because "Battle of the Bastards" was groundbreaking especially that one take shot that happened during it. Oh my God. That was extraordinary and one for the history books. This episode was very good, but the detractors I talked about really brought the episode rating down in my opinion. I will give "The Long Night" a 7.5/10. This season is halfway over already. Can you believe it? I am expecting next week to be a very calm, slow episode which is fine because I think we all need it with all of the action we witnessed on this episode.

Thank you for reading my thoughts on the "The Long Night!" What did you think of the episode? Di you like it or not like it? Leave a comment!

Survivor 40: All Winners Wish List

     It has basically been confirmed that Season 40 of Survivor will feature a cast of all winners, the people who have played the game before and have come out victorious. Redmond, an insider source revealed on Reddit that the current theme was an all champions edition of the show's milestone 40th season. Though the season is not supposed to premiere until 2020, there have been numerous cast wish lists going around, but I have not revealed who I want to see. I will give my 10 winners that I want to see return again; this will not be in any particular order.


1. Richard Hatch- Winner of Survivor: Borneo (Season 1)

Richard Hatch

     It is long overdue for the return of one of the most infamous villains of the show's history. Richard Hatch won the first season by forming the first alliance of the show that would be the framework for every season after. He used his social and strategic game to further himself in the game by telling his alliance who to vote off every week. He won by a 4-3 vote in the Final Tribal Council. Hatch returned to compete on Survivor: All Stars where he placed 14th due to him being a former winner. He was slated to return for a number of seasons, but he could not leave the country due to tax evasion. Hatch has stated on Twitter that he would love to come back for another go round. How could you not do an All Winners season without the first winner in the show's history?

Denise Stapley

2. Denise Stapley- Winner of Survivor: Philippines (Season 25)

     Denise is one of the most underrated and underappreciated winners this show has ever seen. She was eligible to go home every single week due to her having to go to every single tribal council, the only winner to do so. Using her social game, Denise was able to wedge herself into alliances, so that she could remain safe. She blindsided big game threats in Artis and Jonathan, and faced the Final Tribal Council, where she was praised for driving the flow of the 39-day game. In the end, Denise won in a 6-1-1 vote, where she was praised in being one of the strongest women the show has ever seen. I need to see Denise return for another chance. She has the brains and the brawn to win for a second time.

Michele Fitzgerald

3. Michele Fitzgerald- Winner of Survivor: Kaoh Rong (Season 32)

     Michele is a very controversial winner. Every body views her season as "the season Aubry lost." I thought Aubry deserved the win as well, but Michele played a pretty decent game. She was able to get into an alliance after being put on the bottom, and she won the last immunity challenge. Her likability won her the game, and in a game like Survivor, likability plays a huge role in a winner. At the end of the game she won in a 5-2-0 jury vote at the Final Tribal Council. I don't know if Jeff will let Michele back on the show because he hates her as a winner, but I want to see her again. She needs to show that she is a force to be reckoned with because she showed in Kaoh Rong that she could be a dangerous player.

Earl Cole

4. Earl Cole- Winner of Survivor: Cook Islands (Season 13)

     Many casual fans probably forget Earl, but the super fans of the show will never forget Earl's calculated gameplay. Many people say Yau-Man was the best player of that season, but it was Earl. Earl managed to lead an alliance to take out the "bro alliance" of that season. Due to the jury's bitter disdain towards runner-ups Dreamz and Cassandra, Earl won the game in a 9-0-0 vote, becoming the first black man to win and rightfully so. Earl has expressed many times his desire to return to the show if the time was right. I don't know if the time is right for him. I hope we get to see Earl be underestimated by the other winners out there.

Sandra Diaz-Twine

5. Sandra Diaz-Twine- Winner of Survivor: Pearl Islands (Season 7) and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains (Season 20)                                                               Who is the queen of Survivor? Sandra Diaz-Twine. The first and so far only two-time winner recently made a return on Survivor: Game Changers where she placed 15th after controlling the pre-merge portion of the game. Sandra played passively when she needed to and she played "loud" when she needed to. On her first season, Sandra floated between alliances and planted seeds to advance herself in the game. She won by a 6-1 jury vote. Sandra returned years later to compete in the show's 20th season as part of the villains' tribe. She made nice with the heroes alliance and had a good relationship with the villains (minus Russell) where she found herself at the Final Tribal Council again, beating Survivor legends Parvati Shallow and Russell Hantz in a 6-3-0 jury vote. I believe Sandra is the best Survivor player ever. I do not believe she can retain her crown, but the season would not be anything without her.

6. Parvati Shallow- Winner of Survivor: Micronesia- Fans vs. Favorites (Season 16)

Parvati Shallow

     Speaking of legends of Survivor, we can never forget Parvati Shallow. Parvati went from being a WTF returnee in Fans vs. Favorites, to a respectable social player, to one of the best players the show has ever seen. In her first season she used her social game to form the Black Widow Brigade. As a result she made the Final 2 where she won in a 5-3 jury vote against Amanda Kimmel. Parvati retuned to compete in Heroes vs. Villains where she was deemed to be the biggest threat in the game, but managed to avoid being voted out where she made the Final Tribal Council for a second time, ultimately losing to Sandra Diaz-Twine. It would be a tragedy if Parvati did not return for this season. I think she would have a hard time, but anything can happen.

7. Yul Kwon- Winner of Survivor: Cook Islands (Season 13)

Yul Kwon

     Yul is due for a comeback. He brilliantly outplayed everyone on his season, using his strategic prowess to flip Jonathan to his side where he had the numbers for the rest of the game to get him to the end. People knock on Yul for his "overpowered" idol, but at the time, the rules were the idol could only be played after, and Yul managed to use that to his advantage. Yul won in a 5-4-0 jury vote against fan-favorite and overrated (I said what I said) player Ozzy. Yul is someone that I have wanted to see come back on the show for years. Why production has yet to bring him back, I don't know, but now would be the perfect time for the second coming of Yul, if he is up for it at least.









8. Danni Boatwright- Winner of Survivor: Guatemala (Season 11)

Danni Boatwright

     Talk about underrated. None of the casual, cat lady Facebook people remember who Danni is, but the super fans of the show sure do. Danni was overshadowed by fan-favorite and eventual runner-up Stephenie during this season, but this does not outweigh the fact that Danni deserved her 6-1 win. Danni survived a 6-4 majority where she wiggled her way into the minority alliance before it was too late to get rid of her. She also knew that production was telling the players of other players' strategies, so she kept her strategy to herself to avoid being found out about. Danni was on the short list for Survivor: Game Changers, but was passed over. I would love to see Danni return, and I think she would do very well to be honest!








9. Sophie Clarke- Winner of Survivor: South Pacific (Season 23)

Sophie Clarke

     This is another winner to be on the shortlist of Survivor: Game Changers. Sophie played a quiet game on her season. She only opened her mouth when she saw that her alliance was going to do something that she did not want to do, which is pretty smart in my opinion. People say Coach deserved to win, but Sophie played smarter. Bottom line, cut and dry. She got her alliance to vote out Cochran and Brandon without them realizing it was her idea. Sophie won in a 6-3-0 jury vote, and though a very unlikable winner at the time, has become a fan-favorite in the Survivor community. I want to see Sophie prove to fans that she did not win by accident and that she won on her own merit!







10. Kim Spradlin- Winner of Survivor: One World (Season 24)


     Whenever there's that Reddit question on who the best winner of the show is, I always answer Kim. Though Kim played with the dumbest cast on the worst season of the show to date, you cannot deny she wiped the floor with them all. She controlled her all-girl alliance, and was the spearhead of the elimination order. Everything went her way in the game. Was it boring to watch? Duh, but you can't blame her. She took advantage of her opponents' stupidity and won the game because of it in a 7-2-0 jury vote. I think Kim might have a tough road in an All Winners season, but I have seen stranger things happen on the show.






Thank you for reading my wish list for Survivor 40. I am so excited for this season. I think it'll be one of the best seasons. We can only hope, right? It'll be interesting to see if Season 38 and Season 39's winners will be included in the cast. Should be interesting!

Top 10 Episodes of The Walking Dead

     It's been a week since the season 9 finale of The Walking Dead. Season 9 was such a great season, and it has inspired me to name my top 10 favorite episodes of the series. Some might be controversially placed in your opinion, but my list is not so different from the normal watcher's opinion. Let's get started...

10. Beside the Dying Fire- Season 2 Ep. 13

     Season 2 of series is a controversial season for fans of the show. Some thought the pacing was very slow, and I can see where they are coming from, but I liked season 2 especially after the final aired. "Beside the Dying Fire" brought a whole lot of action to the table, and it was actually a scary episode. A horde of walkers who have migrated from the city attack Hershel's farm. Half the episode is non-stop murdering of the zombies. Two of the filler characters die as well, which was convenient considering they never brought anything to the season. Andrea is split from the group and is saved by Michonne was has yet to be revealed to TV viewers. Also, at the end of the episode Rick reveals to his group that everyone is infected with the zombie virus which puts a nice twist on the severity of the survivors' lives. The episode served as a great conclusion to what I thought was an amazing season. 

9. What Lies Ahead- Season 2 Ep. 1

     The season 2 premiere of the show could best be described as suspenseful. The main group of survivors is on a highway with abandoned cars when a herd of zombies makes its way towards them. The group is forced to hide under the cars as they hope the zombies don't spot them hiding. This is one of the scariest and tense scenes in the show's history. In the midst of this chaos, Sophia goes missing setting up half the season of the question: Where is Sophia? At the end of the episode, Carl is shot by someone off-screen which is off-putting for some viewers. All in all, the episode was spectacular; it gave you everything you want in a tv episode.

8. Days Gone Bye- Season 1 Ep. 1

     The episode that started it all. The series premiere starts with a bang as Rick, the main protagonist is forced to shoot a little zombie girl, showing that no one is safe and that the show was going to be brutal. In a flashback, Rick is shot to where he wakes up in the present day unbeknownst to him that the normal world is gone. The episode provides outstanding acting from Andrew Lincoln and Lennie James. Morgan's character struggles with killing his zombified wife, Rick's wife (thinking he's dead) is dating his best friend, and Rick discovers the city of Atlanta to be inhabited by the dead. The episode really had me invested from minute one and as a result, I have been watching it ever since for the past nine years.

7. Killer Within- Season 3 Ep. 4



     In an episode we all thought would be filler considering it was an awkward point in the first half of season 3, we sure were wrong. The episode kills off two of its regulars that have been on the show since the first season including Lori, the female lead of the show. The prison is overrun by walkers as the group is forced to split up. T-Dog is bitten where he sacrifices his life to save Carol. Lori goes into labor to where she cannot give birth naturally, but by a C-section where she gives up her own life to save her baby's. Carl is forced to shoot his mother before she turns into a zombie. The episode gave us an amazing last performance of Sarah Wayne Callies as Lori as she tells her son to survive the world and beat it. Also, the ending scene where Maggie basically reveals to Rick that Lori died is incredibly emotional. The episode showed that any episode could be a big one not just premieres and finales.

6. No Sanctuary- Season 5 Ep 1.

     After season 4's cliffhanger, Season 5 gives us an amazing season opener. One of the first scenes shows the people of Terminus about to kill Rick and some of his group by bending them over, hitting their heads with a baseball bat, and slitting their throats. It is a very hard scene to watch even though it happens to a bunch of redshirts, but alas the group is saved by Carol as she disguises herself as a walker and sets the place on fire. This cemented Carol as my favorite character on the show. She went from a meek and timid woman to a warrior. Also, the scene where Rick shoots down five of the Terminus members in three seconds is a phenomenal scene. This episode showed that with the show five seasons in, it has the ability to make great content.

5. Too Far Gone- Season 4 Ep. 8

     The viewers waited for this episode to happen for a season and a half. The governor storyline should have been wrapped up in season three, but for some reason, the producers wished for it to go on half a season longer. After two boring episodes of the governor, the battle between the protagonists and the governor comes head to head. After a stand off outside the prison fences, Rick tries to negotiate a truce between the two groups only for the governor to chop Hershel's head off. It's a hard scene to watch considering Hershel was the member of the group who provided everyone with hope for a new future. It was so satisfying seeing all of the governor's minions get killed especially when Lizzie shoots Alicia in the head. So great. I also loved that Michonne was the one to disarm and stab the governor. This episode is one of the best mid-season finales of the show's nine seasons.

4. The Grove- Season 4 Ep. 14

     After a series of boring episodes, "The Grove" provided an episode filled with a dark plotline and incredible acting. Lizzie kills her younger sister Mika to "prove" that the dead and humans are the same and should be treated as such. Very twisted. Melissa McBride provides an unforgettable performance as Carol as she debates on what to do with Lizzie before she kills her. Carol also reveals to Tyreese that she killed his girlfriend in order to stop the illness at the prison from spreading to which Tyreese forgives her. So powerful. This episode is not known as one of the "big" episodes of the show, but it should be. It is not a flashy episode, but that is what makes it so unique about the show.

3. No Way Out- Season 6 Ep. 9

     The episode before this was complete and utter garbage. A cliffhanger in the middle of the season? No sir. This episode; however, made up for it. Jessie and her whole family are killed by the herd as her son starts to freak out. After Michonne kills Ron, his stray bullet goes through Carl's eye. It was a very shocking moment especially for people who do not read the comics. The most impactful scene in this episode though is when the whole town of Alexandria comes together to fight off the herd. Many people consider this episode to be the best in the show's series. I think it's pretty darn great, but just not my top episode.

2. The Calm Before- Season 9 Ep. 15

     This episode has a bit of a slower start to the episode, but the writers did a great job with the buildup. I was on the edge of my seat because this episode was just too good to be true. Alpha disguises herself as an Alexandrian and enters the Kingdom. The fair at the Kingdom was not going to stay cordial for long. A group goes out to defend the Hilltop only to be confronted by the whisperers. At the end of the episode it is revealed that while Alpha was in the Kingdom she captured people and killed them. The main characters find their heads on spikes as a unsettling score plays in the background. It is revealed that major character Tara, Enid, and Henry were among the people murdered. Many fans consider this to be the "Red Wedding" of The Walking Dead. This episode is jaw-droppingly emotional.

1. Pretty Much Dead Already- Season 2 Ep. 7

     Talk about a jaw dropper. This is episode has to be the most shocking episode of TV I have ever seen. After a season of not knowing where Sophia was, the viewers finally got their answer. The subplot at this point in the season was that Hershel's barn was full of zombies because he thought there could be a cure. The Sophia storyline was completely separate from that, but two worlds came together because the whole time, Sophia was in the barn, dead. It was a genius twist to the show. I remember watching the episode and being completely stunned at what I had just witnessed. That is why this is the best episode of the show in my opinion. It took something so simple, but twisted it into something that people would not expect. This is when I truly fell in love with the show, and I honestly do not see any episodes in the future topping this one.

Thank you for reading my ranking of my top 10 episodes of The Walking Dead. What is your favorite episode of the show? Let me know in the comments!