Kuhn

[6.3/10] Ehhhhh. I used to really look forward to Fionna and Cake episodes, because they gave us a fun spin on the familiar, but now they just feel tired, and it seems like the show has run out of gas on the concept. I liked Finn’s resignation to the weirdness that Ice King basically writes fan fiction about them, and seeing the gender-flipped versions of characters like Abra-Ca-Danielle and [spoiler]The Queen of Ooo[/spoiler] is pretty fun, but the main story didn’t really work for me.

I have to admit, I raised an eyebrow when “real Fionna” showed up. [spoiler]I kind of like the reveal that she’s basically a cosplayer, and dressing up like her hero gave her confidence -- a sweet story. But all the references to Fionna and Cake being a TV show or something, making them real in some way, just feels like too much for something that should stay a fun lark for the show rather than something to try to fold into the mythos somehow.

Overall, the episode is mainly fine, and there’s some amusing enough Ice King antics, but I’m just kind of done with Fionna and Cake concept, and I think this development is a sign that the show doesn’t have much further to go with the idea.

Best lines
I’m waiting for an old friend - Bran
You left me for dead - Hound
I also robbed you - Arya
I’ve always had blue eyes! - Tormund
Whatever they want - Dany
but
It had its moments - Sansa

They need wheelchair ramps in Winterfell. They left Bran in the courtyard overnight!

Parallelism between Season 1 Episode 1 and Season 8 Episode 1

1. S01E01 Winter Is Coming. S08E01 Winterfell.
2. Opening shot of the King and Queen arriving with the same soundtrack called "The King's Arrival."
3. S01E01 Winterfell showed grass but S08E01 it’s covered in snow.
4. The kid from the beginning was climbing on trees to get a good view, similar to Bran climbing the castle to get a good view. He was made to look similar to Bran in the Pilot.
5. Arya being a kid watching the King coming, compare to her letting a kid get a good view of the Queen coming.
6. S01E01 Jamie is arriving at Winterfell taking off his Golden Lannister Helmet and showing his blond hair, clean shave, and everyone staring at him. S08E01 Jamie arriving in Gray cloaks and taking a hood off to show darker hair and a beard and no one except Bran noticing him.
7. Both episodes ending with Bran and Jamie, except this time Jamie looks terrified.
8. Both episodes have amputated limbs from the white walkers spread out in a gory way to send a message.
9. Scenes in the Winterfell crypt except instead of visiting Lyanna Stark they are seeing Ned Stark.
10. S01E01 Cersi and Catelyn Stark talk about their kids possibly getting married while looking at them from a distance. S08E01 Varys, Tyrion, and Davos talk about Dany and Jon while looking at them from a distance.
11. S08E01 The reunion of Jon and Arya at the Godswood (weirwood tree) is similar to S01E01 Ned and Catelyn at the Godswood.
12. Incest between visiting monarchs and Bran watched both lewd acts. Bran controlled the staring scene from Drogon. Another interpretation is,
13. Dragon and riders can have personality. Drogon’s emotional expression is essentially warning Jon that this is all smoke and mirrors (as Varys noted earlier, nothing lasts). The “real” Daenerys is not the flirty kissy-face girlfriend joking about eloping; Daenerys’s true nature, underneath the playfulness, is reflected in Drogon’s intensity and focus. That’s who she is, and Jon shouldn't forget that.
14. S08E01 brothel scene with Bron is similar to S01E01 Tyrion’s scene and it is both interrupted with someone walking in.
15. S01E01 Catelyn: "Where's Arya?" "Sansa, where's your sister?". Sansa: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ S08E01 Jon: "Where's Arya?" Sansa: "Lurking somewhere."
16. S08E01 Sansa (Current Ruler of Winterfell) saying “Winterfell is yours, Your Grace.” to the arriving monarch (Daenerys Targaryen). S01E01 Ned (Former Ruler of Winterfell) “Guarding the North for you, Your Grace. Winterfell is yours.” to Robert Baratheon.
17. S01E01 Robert Baratheon to Ned "I have a son, you have a daughter, we shall join our houses." S08E01 Arya (Stark) and Gendry (Baratheon).
18. S08E01 Sansa being more than wary of Daenerys, similar to Catelyn in S01E01 was of Cersei. She is exactly like her mother (Catelyn) in the greeting.
19. S01E01 Robert asking Ned to be his Hand of the King in the crypts is similar to Sam in S08E01 telling Jon he is the king in the crypts (Hinting Sam might become Jon's Hand of the King).
20. Sam and Ned both share a few similarities; Sam is the smarter one in their duo, Sam and Ned's fathers/brothers were burned alive by Targaryens.
21. Jon/Robert - great warriors, “brothers” to Sam/Ned, and both seeking for the iron throne but also both doing it for reasons beyond wanting the throne (protecting the realm / saving Lyanna and removing the mad king).
22. S01E01 Ned’s farewell to Jon he says “the next time we see each other, we will talk about your mother. I promise.” In S08E01 Jon is staring at Ned's tomb while Sam tells him about his real parents (Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen).
23. S01E01 Jon is distraught over his identity crisis as a bastard. In S08E01 Jon is distraught over his identity crisis as a king.
24. In S01E01 Cerci tells Jamie to kill Bran. In S08E01 Cersei tells Bron to kill Jamie.
25. In S01E01/S08E01 Arya is jumping into Jon's arms as he lifts her!
26. S01E01 A child is “dead” and crucified to a tree. Child attacks brothers of the nights watch. A brother goes south (then executed by Ned Stark). In S08E01 a child is crucified to a wall. Eddison Tollett (Edd) witnesses, and he goes south to warn others. Side note: Opposite of what brother of the Night's Watch did from S01E01: safe to say he won’t be executed by Lord of Winterfell considering he was one of the reasons the current Lord of Winterfell is alive after himself being executed.
27. S08E01 Daenerys "The North is as beautiful as your brother claimed, as are you." Similar to S01E01 when Cersei said "Hello, little dove." "But you are a beauty".
28. S01E01 The last time Jon and Arya spoke, she was given her sword Needle and jumped up on Jon to hug his neck. S08E01 Arya jumps up to hug his neck, then shows Jon that she still has Needle.
29. If Cersei taught Sansa anything, it's not to blindly trust a beautiful queen coming into Winterfell and promising to protect her and fulfill her wildest dreams.
30. S01E01 The whole family standing in line for the king. S08E01 The remaining Starks and their advisers waiting for the queen and Jon
31. In S01E01 Jon Snow gets a pet Direwolf (Stark), in S08E01 Jon Snow gets a pet Dragon (Targaryen).
32. S01E01 Surprising return of and the existence of dire wolves south of the wall shocking the northerners. In S08E01 The return of and existence of dragons also shocking the northerners.
33. The arrival at Winterfell, the only person that rode in both caravans, was The Hound. In S01E01 the hound wore his trademark dog helm, but in S08E01 he wore nothing. It seems to symbolize his transition away from The Hound and to being himself, Sandor Clegane.
34. In S01E01 Ned kills the deserter and tells Bran "the white walkers been gone for thousands of years." Bran in S08E01 says we don't have time; the white walkers are coming.
35. S01E01 Robert and Ned are standing in front of Lyanna Stark's tomb. In S08E01 Sam and Jon are standing in front of Lyanna Stark’s tomb.
36. S01E01 lady of Winterfell (Catelyn) reading a letter by candlelight. S08E01 The lady of Winterfell (Sansa) reading a letter by candlelight.
37. In S08E01 When Sansa and Tyrion were discussing the wedding at Joffrey. Tyrion said "Last time we spoke was at Joffrey's wedding" "Miserable affair" Sansa said "It had its moments" recalling Joffrey's gruesome death and being satisfied by how it went down. Recalling "fondly" in this instance would be sarcasm. In S01E01, Sansa thinks of Joffrey fondly because she wants to be queen.
38. S01E01 Sandor Clegane comes to Winterfell with the Bastard Joffrey Baratheon. S08E01 Sandor Clegane comes to Winterfell with the Bastard Gendry Baratheon.

Foreshadowing (from different Seasons/Episodes.)

01. S03E05“ “Let’s not go back. Let’s stay here a while longer,” Ygritte tells Jon. “I don’t ever want to leave this cave, Jon Snow.” S08E01 “We could stay a thousand years. No one would find us,” Daenerys says to Jon.
02. Sam is suggesting rebelling against the Targaryen because they burned his father and brother alive. Similar to when Robert's Rebellion, began when Rhaegar Targaryen, allegedly abducted Robert's betrothed, Lyanna Stark.

This is an honest, spoiler-free review coming from your average fan (not a critic):

I just saw this new marvel film, and I have to say... it's no where near as bad as the critics make it out to be.

Yes there is a lot of dialogue. But it gives the characters a chance to shine and for scenes to breathe.
People call this film dense. I would disagree. Yes there is a fair bit of plot and history told, however I would say that other mcu films have simply much simpler plotlines most of the time.

There are moments when things are just about to become exciting, and then it is interrupted with more dialogue which instantly kills the suspension.

There are a number of plot twists in this film, and some unexpected things happen that I wouldn't have seen coming.

This film has a slow burn, but sometimes that's a good thing. Would I have liked more action? Yes. Was I unhappy with the action we do get? No.

I will admit, going into this film I was expecting a masterpiece, and while I wouldn't quite call it that, its definitely a well-made film, marvel or not.

Oh. And expect to have to do some reading at the very beginning. Kinda reminds me of a classic Star Wars opening crawl.