In Polite Fight, we examine the cinematic storytelling of our favorite TV shows, sometimes even fighting over them—politely, of course.
Much like the episode itself, Gus and John’s “Battle Of The Bastards” breaks down into two parts, the marquee Stark-Bolton showdown and the happenings in Meereen. Gus proposes we track the Winterfell battle through three key moments, namely the points where Jon Snow’s death seems inevitable. Meereenwhile, Daenerys’ throne room continues to be a cinematically rich environment as the mother of dragons returns. Thrones keeps finding subtle new ways to manipulate the room’s color and the staging to articulate the power dynamics as they play out in the great pyramid. A tip of the hat to the commenters whose insights (and jokes) are featured in today’s video, including imgiovanni, Wolfman Jew, and Anonymous37.