Game of Thrones never fails to have an eventful episode 9 and season 6’s The Battle of the Bastards was no exception. On this week’s The Cast Beyond the Wall, Daniel, Austin, and myself break down the the highly anticipated battle sequence and whether or not it lives up to some of the other series climactic battles.
Jon Snow has seen white walkers at Hardhome, defended the Wall outmatched a hundred to one, and even been brought back from the dead, but that doesn’t make him any less a Stark. Leading up to the Battle, Jon scrapes together a strategy and ignores Sansa’s advice not to go into battle. Sansa on the other hand continues to withhold the crucial info about Petyr Baelish’s armies from the Eerie. Have Ramsey and Littlefinger compromised the elder Stark or was this just a rookie mistake?
Despite the title of the episode, this week also featured the biggest set piece we’ve ever seen in Mereen. Danerys rides Drogon and decimates entire ships from The Masters’ fleet while Dario leads a full fledged ground assault with the Dothraki horde. Following the flawless victory, Theon and Yara Greyjoy arrive and request independence for the Iron Islands if they support her claim. We take a moment to discuss the issues with the season’s continued abbreviation, particularly as it relates to Mereen. Has Dany’s time to cross the Narrow Sea FINALLY come? For the sake of my sanity, let’s hope so.
The Battle of the Bastards may contain not just one, but two of the finest action set pieces the series has ever seen, but I make the case that it lacks the magical secret sauce that makes Game of Thrones special. Austin and Daniel on the other hand were enamored by the undeniably impressive spectacle.
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Caleb Masters is a lifelong film and pop culture enthusiast with more than 10 years of experience in writing, podcasting, and content creation. When he’s not running The Cinematropolis or hosting The Cinematic Schematic podcast, Masters hosts The Cast Beyond the Wall, a House of the Dragon podcast, and serves as an active member of the Oklahoma Film Critic’s Circle where he currently serves as Vice President. He also loves video games. Follow him @CMastersTalk on Letterboxd, Instagram, or X.
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