Another brick in the wall

Game of Thrones, Season 7, episode 6, Beyond the Wall 4/5.

The night is dark and full of spoilers. If you made it past last week without giving into the temptation of watching the penultimate episode of Game of Throne’s seventh season, you probably needed to live like a hermit for days.

For Beyond The Wall became the second episode to be leaked this season, with stunning spoilers dotting the Internet. And with good reason too. The hour-long extravaganza is quite the thriller, with plot lines either being tied up in neat little bows or stories you thought were a closed chapter being unravelled for the world to see.

One of the most important storylines addressed further in this episode is the growing strain on Sansa and Arya’s relationship. Ever since the younger Stark sister has come back to Winterfell, Sansa’s attitude towards handling their great house, as well as her loyalty to Jon Snow, hasn’t been sitting too well with her. And it has never been more evident. Expect some fireworks in the next episode because there are twists on the horizon.

But lets talk about the scenes happening further up North. Sent on the seemingly impossible — and pointless, if I may add — task of capturing a wight, the rather dysfunctional band of trekkers have obviously set out on a suicidal task.

And — surprise, surprise — Jon, Jorah, Gendry, the Brotherhood Without Banners, and the Hound run into trouble with the White Walkers.

Let’s make one thing pretty clear here. The great ratings that Game of Thrones episodes are garnering are purely for the execution of a rather loose storyline, which seems to have glaring issues that appear only once the initial rush wears off. Jon and the gang’s Scooby Doo-ish standoff with the Walkers is quite exhilarating, and reminiscent of last season’s Battle of the Bastards in bits.

In a continuation from the last episode, characters from the series seem to be able to teleport in and around neighbouring kingdoms. So it’s no surprise when Daenerys, a little weary of Tyrion’s layered advices, sets off from Dragonstone with her dragons.

What ensues then is what elevates the episode and gives it the fanfare it truly, thoroughly deserves. The superior effects and choreography covers up the abject lack of a taut storyline for this episode.

The stage is more than set for things to come to a head in Winterfell, King’s Landing and maybe even Dragonstone. What’s left to be seen is whether the showrunners will actually manage to deliver a complete package this time round. And, well, if the episode is leaked yet again.