Spoiler alert!
We open on a scene where the characters are seen to be labouring under the pall of doom with an expression of uncertainty about their future. We can’t help feeling that there could have been more light to make the scenes clearer and pronounced in terms of visuals.
Strategies are made as to how they will wrestle away the white walkers but the plans start to fizzle out within minutes of their execution. The tone of the episode creates the dooming tension as the armies take position.
We see Red Woman making her presence felt by summoning fire over the swords of the Dothraki Army. And this scene is laden with VFX as thousands of arakhs are ignited and raised.
We see Dothraki army decimated within seconds of their charge, leaving the dragon queen fuming and springing onto her dragon to deliver a fire mow-down over the Whitewalker army.
The white walker army has started to break in beyond the Winterfell Gates and Ramsey queen is struck by the giant White Walker. Another brilliant piece of CGI imagery and forced perspective as the gigantic man lifts up the girl and she stabs his eye with the Dragon Glass weapon, finishing him off.
Here we see Arya flailing and fighting off the army of the undead with her impeccable sword skills, inspiring even dispirited Klegane to join in the battle.
Dragon Queen unsuccessfully attempts to defeat the Night King by burning him and makes a shoddy escape after learning that the Night King is unaffected by the attack. Her Dragon narrowly escapes the Night King’s throw of weapon.
Jorah lays down his life trying to protect Targaryen Queen which is what he always wished to do for the woman he was tragically in love with.
Theon Greyjoy’s redemption right before he rages through towards his inevitable death is another cathartic scene.
Seconds before the Night King is ready to slash off Bran with his armour, Arya comes flying and delivers a fatal blow that decimates the entire army of White Wakers, reducing all of them to mere ashes.
The episode saw massive fire effects, dragon flights and crowd simulations, making it one of the most crucial episodes of the season.
Stay tuned for more VFX breakdowns of the episodes ahead.