Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 1975

The Best Moments From GAME OF THRONES’ Seventh Season

Warning: Did you see the headline of this post? Seven bloody hells it is nothing but spoilers for Game of Thrones seventh season, so if you aren’t caught up on the show and want to avoid them, it’s best to not march through the opening of this protective wall.

..

Game of Thrones‘ seventh season hasn’t been universally embraced by everyone (myself included), but even then an up-and-down season of the show is still better than most things on television. Especially during a year when every episode featured at least one “holy s***” moment, and usually a lot more.

So while we’ve already turned our gaze to the show’s eighth and final season, we needed to take some time to appreciate season seven’s best, most exciting, most heartwarming, and most shocking moments.

And there were a lot of them.

Arya Fully Avenges the Red Wedding

Season seven’s first scene might have been its most satisfying, with Arya doing the seemingly impossible and bringing winter to the house responsible for the Red Wedding.

Lyanna Mormont Readies to Fight

Our favorite little lady didn’t get as much screen time this season as we might have hoped, but watching her stand up to Lord Glover about why even the daughters of the North should train to fight the White Walkers, herself included, was a great reminder of why we love her no nonsense attitude.

Daenerys Returns to Home to Dragonstone

It might have been a very (very) long walk from the beach to Aegon’s famed table, but finally having the Mother of Dragons away from Meereen and fully a part of the game in Westeros was long overdue.

Arya and Brienne Duel

One and only one complaint: this sequence didn’t last 45 minutes.

The Loot Train Attack

Oooooh, so that’s what dragons can do. This entire sequence might be the single most impressive battle ever filmed in television history, a truly stunning display. Not to mention Bronn shot a freaking dragon with a scorpion bolt.

Randyll and Dickon Tarly Die Brave But Brutal Deaths

Oooooh, that’s also what dragons can do (when their owners are blind with rage). Shout out to Randyll Tarly for proving he wasn’t total garbage in his final moment, and also to poor Dickon who showed he was much braver than you ever would have guessed from someone with such a stupid name.

Euron’s Surprise Naval Attack

How did he know exactly which ship had his targets on? Who knows! But that didn’t take away from the strange beauty of watching a fiery nighttime naval attack from a deranged emo pirate.

Olenna Tyrell Goes Out in Style

Dying at the hand of your mortal enemies isn’t ideal, but if you have to go go out in style, like Lady Olenna did when she confessed to Jaime that it had been her who poisoned Joffrey.

Gilly Stumbles Across the Most Important Annulment Ever

Sam is going to get all the credit, but never forget it was Gilly who found out Rhaegar and Lyanna had been legally married, making Jon Rhaegar’s trueborn son and rightful heir to the Iron Throne. Arguably the biggest revelation in show history, and all because Gilly loves old useless trivia.

Samwell Tarly: Book Thief

The Citadel is a maddening place full of crusty old maesters and their bead pans, where you need a special library card to find any books that can help. We don’t normally condone stealing books, but Sam was justified this one time.

Hot Pie!

Hot Pie! HOT. PIE. Best moment of the season? Some might say no, but they would be wrong.

Sam Cures Jorah’s Greyscale

Forget that the maesters have been sitting on a cure for one of the world’s worst diseases, or that Sam was capable of performing surgery with zero training, and just enjoy that Jorah was saved.

The Hound Buries the Dead

More than just being an awesome easter egg for book readers, grave-digging Sandor Clegane showed that real personal growth is possible for anyone when he buried the father and daughter he had stolen from years earlier. It was a sad moment, but also one of the season’s most humane.

We Found Gendry, and He Has a Warhammer

“Where’s Gendry?” Turns out he’s been busy mastering the weapon his father Robert Baratheon made famous when killing Rhaegar Targaryen. Gendry was gone for way too long, but it turned out the wait was worth it.

Cersei Gets Her Revenge on Ellaria

It’s not often Cersei is completely justified for being evil, but Myrcella was totally innocent when Ellaria Sand and the Sand Snakes poisoned her. Oberyn would never have killed a child, so Ellaria really had it coming when Cersei kissed Ellaria’s daughter Tyene goodbye.

Jon Shows Daenerys the Cave Drawings on Dragonstone

A powerful reminder of how the First Men and Children of the Forest stopped the White Walkers together made for a powerful scene. Plus, whoever made those cave drawings was really good. Those White Walkers were fantastic.

Reunions Reunions Reunions

Stark siblings, Bronn and Tyrion, Davos and Gendry, Sansa and Hot Pie (Hot Pie!), Brienne and the Hound, Tyrion and Podrick—season seven brought characters with long, meaningful relationships back together again and it was great.

Jon and Drogon Make a Connection

Game recognize game, and dragon recognize blood of the dragon, even if his name is Snow.

Zombie Polar Bear Attack

“Zombie Polar Bear Attack” sells itself.

Tormund and the Hound Pitch the Best Buddy Cop Series Ever

Give these two a six-season order right now.

Daenerys Saves the Day at the Frozen Lake

Even supersonic ravens and dragons flying at the speed of a 747 can’t erase how awesome it was to see a dragon save some of our favorite characters from a full-fledged zombie attack.

Arya Kills Baelish and Reunites With Sansa

They didn’t make it easy on us, but the Stark sisters finally worked through their problems and exacted revenge for all of the horrible betrayals Littlefinger had committed against their family. Him trying to talk his way out of the situation even after his throat had been slit was also one of the best moments of characterization we’ve ever seen.

The Night King Kills Viserion

It’s real tough to top a blue-eyed ice demon bringing down a dragon with a magical ice javelin and then recruiting him into his army of the dead for pure awesomeness.

The Night King Rides Viserion and Brings Down the Wall

Unless you follow that up by having him ride that dragon to bring down the Wall and bring the dead into Westeros.

Jon and Daenerys (Who Don’t Yet Know He’s Her Nephew) Get Intimate

They don’t know what they did was gross, so we’ll let them have it for now. Even if not all of us understand why some of you were rooting for an aunt and her nephew to hook up. Maybe you owe Jaime and Cersei an apology right now? Unless you’ve always been okay with that. In which case Jon and Daenerys knocking boots was probably your favorite moment in show history.

The Army of the Dead March on Westeros

Daaaaaamn. Seven seasons of waiting for the White Walkers to pass the Wall and it finally happened, and it was insane.

But what about you? What great moment from the season did we forget about? Let us know in the comments below.

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON IN GAME OF THRONES?

Conleth Hill insists that Varys is not a merman.
Could Cersei become a Night Queen?
RIP Littlefinger, a real player in the Game of Thrones.

Images: HBO

Kermit the Frog’s New Voice Actor Makes His Muppets Debut

In the fall of 2016, Steve Whitmire was fired from the role of Kermit the Frog by Muppet Studios, for a variety of (mostly boring) reasons, like refusing to have a Kermit understudy. This news wasn’t announced to the public until July of this year, when they announced that Matt Vogel has taken over the role. And now, we finally have our first performance of Vogel as the most iconic Muppet of all, on the Muppet YouTube Channel’s “Muppet Thought of the Week,” which you can listen to down below:

For many of us who grew up on re-runs of The Muppet Show and VHS copies of The Muppet Movie,  creator Jim Henson will always be THE voice of Kermit the Frog, and everyone else is “the other guy.” Nevertheless, for the past twenty-five years or more, the voice of the beloved amphibian was Steve Whitmire, who was a veteran Muppet performer before inheriting the role of the green guy after Henson’s death.

All in all, Vogel sounds pretty close to what you would expect Kermit to sound like, and if I hadn’t known better, I would have thought it was still Steve Whitmire doing the voice. Of course, neither Vogel nor Whitmire ever sounded enough like Jim Henson to me to be completely pitch perfect, but Jim Henson was a tough act to follow, so I’ll cut both voice actors some slack.

Of course, the true test of any Kermit is that first time he sings “The Rainbow Connection.” We eagerly await that performance.

What do you think of the new Kermit voice? Is it jarring, or can you even tell the difference? Be sure to let us know your thoughts down below in the comments.

Images: Muppet Studios

Perhaps these stories will interest you:

LORE Podcast’s Amazon teaser
Wonder Woman epilogue teases Justice League
Every Stephen King film ranked

Breaking Down Everything from GAME OF THRONES’ Season Seven Finale

When the world’s most popular show wraps up its penultimate season with the series’ longest episode ever, and ends it with some hot/weird Targaryen aunt-on-nephew action, along with the Night King riding an ice dragon, breaking down the Wall, and marching his army of the dead into the Seven Kingdoms, that requires an extra special, super-sized edition of Nerdist News Talks Back‘s Game of Thrones–only discussion, All Kings Considered.

Oh yeah, you better believe we used up our whole CGI budget to have some blue dragonflame…or was that a blue ice…flame? Either way, we got it!

Jessica of House Chobot, Host and Protector of the Set, called her most loyal Nerdist bannermen–and bannerwomen–to help her break down everything (and we mean everything) from the episode. She was joined by managing editor Alicia Lutes (who recapped the finale), senior editor and host of The Dan Cave Dan Casey, producer Jason Nguyen, and Mothership writer Amy Vorphal.

After discussing their mixed reactions to the episode and the entire fun but uneven season, the gang discussed one of the most pressing issues facing Westeros: why did Sam steal Gilly’s annulment thunder? Slightly more important: what are the limitations to Bran’s powers, and what does that mean for the show’s endgame? And did we have to see the secret marriage of Rhaegar and Lyanna to understand it?

They also explained the significance behind Jon’s real name, Aegon, what might have been going on with all doom-and-gloom Tyrion during Jon and Dany’s personal love boat moment, and how much more complicated things can get between an aunt and nephew who are already sleeping together when they find out he has a better claim to the Iron Throne than she does (even if he is too dumb to know when to lie).

Not to mention what happens if she gets pregnant with his baby. Whose ready for a Cersei baby vs. Daenerys baby showdown?

Additionally, tune in to find out why Ned Stark had no idea Robert’s Rebellion had been built on a lie and why that means he is still the greatest man who ever lived–even if his sister was kind of an a-hole when she gave Jon the same name as Rhaegar’s poor son who had just had his head caved in by the Mountain shortly before Jon was born. That’s creepy and mean.

The Nerdist Snow-icide Squad also headed north to where the Night King is finally heading south, after his undead dragon breathed…uh…what was that exactly? Ice? Blue flame? Well, it was something that’s for sure.

But did the episode do anything to change their minds about the “Bran is the Night King” theory? And if he’s so powerful, why did he need Sam to tell him where to look for really important events? Can he at least look to find out if Beric and Tormund survived the Night King’s attack on Eastwatch?

Speaking of the Night King, what might a future dead dragon vs. live dragon fight look like? And what was his backup plan to get around the Wall if he hadn’t acquired a dragon? Will we find out in the books, and will it be via the famed Horn of Joramun?

Either way, the White Walkers did make it through, so with only six episodes left in the entire series, are we looking at six episodes of nothing but battles between the living and the dead?

The gang also bid adieu to Littlefinger. But where did he rank among the games best players, and did the show earn his end after the strange Arya/Sansa conflict this year? Plus, what’s next for them, the Vale (ugh, Robin Arryn), and even Littlefinger’s face.

House Lannister wasn’t forgotten either, including Jaime’s newfound loyalties (and how long they will last), Cersei’s brother-murdering bluffs, her mini-reunion with Tyrion, and whether she is really pregnant or not. Mark me: no!

But they also had time for all things Greyjoy too, especially Euron. Did he ever fit in this season, and how will he fit into the story in the final season? Does Theon pose any real kind of threat to him?

And what about Bronn and Podrick? The chances of ever getting Cleganebowl? Qyburn’s fascination with the wight’s severed hand? And especially Arya’s proud warrior surrogate parents, Brienne and the Hound?

Finally, what was everyone’s final verdict on the season? Did the absence of George R.R. Martin hurt? Was it too fast? Lacking in character development? And are they going to make us wait too long for the final season?

And, of course, what might happen in season eight?

Like we said, Game of Thrones‘ biggest episode ever required one of our biggest breakdowns ever.

But remember, while All Kings Considered will be going back to the Citadel to start reading prophecies and White Walker killing techniques until we get closer to season eight, you can still tune into Nerdist News Talks Back  live every weekday at 1:00p.m. PST on Nerdist’s YouTube and Alpha channels.

What did you think of the season seven finale? Talk back to us in the comments below, because there’s a whole lot to talk about.

Still need more Game of Thrones?

Maybe Tyrion made a deal with Cersei.
How the internet reacted to the season seven finale.
HBO’s debuted a new Game of Thrones behind-the-scenes series.

Game of Thrones images: HBO

Did Tyrion Cut a Deal with Cersei in the GAME OF THRONES Finale?

Halt! This post is dark and full of spoilers for the Game of Thrones season seven finale, “The Dragon and the Wolf.” If you haven’t watched it, turn away and head back to the Citadel to complete your homework.

The Lannister siblings have never been at peace with each other. Jaime and Cersei may have a certain, uh, understanding, but Tyrion‘s been on the outside since birth. Cersei hasn’t been a fan of her younger brother since his arrival caused their mother to die, and she’s only found more reasons to hate him as time’s passed. But, Cersei and Tyrion shared a moment in the finale. Maybe it’s because Cersei’s desperate to cling to the few family members she has left, or maybe it’s because Tyrion brought an enticing option to the table and is now working with Cersei behind Daenerys‘ back.

I noticed the Tyrion and Cersei team-up theory posited on Twitter and on Reddit by ndotny, and it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility. Tyrion’s never cared for his sister and has thought about killing her multiple times, but he’s never followed through. Cersei could have uttered a word to the Mountain in “The Dragon and the Wolf” and ended Tyrion’s life, but she didn’t. They’re still family, and with Cersei playing up her supposed pregnancy, Tyrion was inclined to show kindness. He also mentioned how he truly loved her children.

But maybe not Joffrey. Because, obviously.

Cersei may not actually be pregnant, but she’s using the possibility to her advantage. She’s been placing her hands on her stomach at key moments to ensure the gesture is noticed. While she probably intended to use the whole carrying-a-baby thing to maintain her control over Jaime, it also came in handy useful with Tyrion.

Think about it. As far as Tyrion knows, Daenerys can’t have human, non-reptilian children and that means no heirs. When it’s not clear who’s next in line, wars happen. Westeros has had an abundance of fighting already. Tyrion wants the world to be a better place, and he likely wants that to last longer than the reign of a single ruler. Tyrion also knows Cersei isn’t going to help with the undead problem for selfless reasons. Saving her entire realm from the Night King’s army isn’t enough for her to send the Lannister army to help. There has to be something in it for her.

Something like ensuring her child will have the most powerful seat in kingdoms.

Like basically all the characters in Thrones, Tyrion has to weigh a pile of unsavory options. He has to consider the good of the many versus the good of the few several times a day. To get Cersei out of the way and to stop her from scheming against Daenerys, I could see him making an executive decision without consulting Dany and promising Cersei that her child will be the heir to whatever Daenerys leaves behind.

This theory also explains why Tyrion was creeping outside the door while Dany and Jon were embracing their inner dragons. I don’t think any sort of jealousy caused him to lurk. What if it’s because he was concerned about their hook-up leading to a baby and therefore causing his agreement with Cersei to fall apart? Like Jon pointed out, maybe the witch who told Dany she wouldn’t birth any other children was an unreliable source (hey, good job, Jon for having a single smart comment).

If you want to fit this puzzle piece into the existing Westeros framework, you could say that Tyrion will be the third treason from Dany’s visions in the House of the Undying. She was to know three treasons: “once for blood and once for gold and once for love.” Blood and gold are believed to have happen, but the love part? If it’s not romantic love, that could be tied to Tyrion. Emphasis on could.

Of course, after giving Jon a hard time for not lying, Tyrion could have told Cersei whatever he thought she wanted to hear and not mean any of it.

Do you think Tyrion went behind Dany’s back? Visit the comments and let us know if you think this theory holds water.

Ready for more Game of Thrones?

Here are our biggest burning questions for season eight.
A ranking of every power player on the show.
And here’s a magical rundown on the history of The Wall.

Images: HBO, Tumblr/Di, Black Panther Storm

7 Details You Missed in the GAME OF THRONES Season Finale

Warning: this post is dark and full of spoilers for everything that happened on Game of Thrones‘ season 7 finale. And we mean everything! Watch the episode before going any further, or at least read our recap first.

The long night has come, and we don’t mean the invasion of the White Walkers and the destruction of the Wall. Although, not cool Night King! Not cool. It’s also very uncool that we may have to wait until 2019 to see the final six episodes of Game of Thrones, and last night’s extended finale set the stage for a glorious endgame. Today’s Nerdist News is breaking down the seven details you may have missed from the season finale!

Join host and Eastwatch’s final commander, Jessica Chobot, as she runs down the episode’s biggest revelation: Jon Snow’s true name! Aegon Targaryen isn’t just the eleventh of his name, he’s also the rightful heir to the Iron Throne! The very first Aegon Targaryen united the seven kingdoms with his dragons and sisterbrides. And as we saw last night, Jon consummated his relationship with his aunt, Daenerys; which means that the family tradition is alive!

Lost in that moment of revelation was the fact that Sam just became Bran’s “guy in a chair.” That unexpected duo now holds the power to shake the foundations of Jon’s alliance with Daenerys once they reveal the truth. And between the two of them, Sam and Bran may have the best chance yet of thwarting the Night King’s army. But Sam still doesn’t know about Daenerys burning his father and brother alive. Sam may not have been close to them, but we can’t expect him to be pleased about their fate.

Cersei’s betrayal of her new alliance with Jon and Daenerys means that we could see elephants on the show next season. Yes, elephants! Cersei’s new mercenaries, the Golden Company, use elephants in their campaigns. These powerful pachyderms may not be a match for dragons, but they can still cause a lot of havoc on the battlefield. Although the impact of Viserion the ice dragon may prove to be even bigger. If Viserion is truly like an ice dragon of legend and lore, then his breath may be “a chill so terrible that it can freeze a man solid in half a heartbeat.”

For years, we’ve predicted the Cleganebowl between the Hound and the Mountain, and we finally saw the two Clegane brothers together again in the finale. The Hound pretty much promised that he’d return to take out his grotesque and slightly undead brother, whom he immediately recognized. Perhaps the most unlikely moment of all was Theon leaving his inner Reek behind to rally support for his sister, Yara. If Theon succeeds in freeing Yara before Euron can ferry over the Golden Company then that may keep Cersei’s master plan from going into effect.

That brings us back to Tyrion. Our favorite half-man was behaving somewhat out of character last night when he seemed upset by Daenerys and Jon’s romantic time together. Tyrion can’t possibly know their true connection, and he’s never really seemed to have any romantic feelings for Daenerys. So why was he acting so strangely? We think that Tyrion may have cut a deal with his sister that may be seen as a betrayal by the Dragon queen. We have seen Tyrion react badly to some of Daenerys’ moves this season, but would he really betray her in favor of his murderous sister? We’ll find out next season!

What do you think about the season finale of Game of Thrones? Share your thoughts below!

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON IN GAME OF THRONES?

Conleth Hill insists Varys isn’t a merman.
Could Cersei become a Night Queen?
R.I.P. Littlefinger, a real player in the Game of Thrones.

Images: HBO

Evangeline Lilly Shares Look at Hope Van Dyne’s ANT-MAN AND THE WASP Costume

About a million Marvel movies are hitting theaters in the coming year, but as far as I’m concerned, we can fast forward to July 2018 for Ant-Man and the Wasp. The upcoming addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) will see Evangeline Lilly‘s Hope van Dyne suit up alongside Paul Rudd‘s Scott Lang for an urgent mission. To which I say, about damn time.

Production on the movie began in early August, and Lilly just took to Twitter to share the first look of herself in the Wasp costume. I am Here. For. This. Even if the costume is missing the helmet in this shot.

I am honoured to be on set today playing #TheWasp on what would be Jack Kirby's 100th birthday.
.#ThankYouJackKirby #AntManAndTheWasp pic.twitter.com/EBsV8jTK34

— Evangeline Lilly (@EvangelineLilly) August 28, 2017

This image is far superior to the peek we got at art of the Wasp’s ensemble by Andy Park on a banner at D23 Expo.

#D23 1st glimpse at Wasp #AntManandtheWasp I LOVED concept designing & painting her! I'm there Fri at MarvelStudios booth. Who's going? pic.twitter.com/7SooZzF6gA

— Andy Park (@andyparkart) July 11, 2017

I mean, the concept illustration is lovely, but seeing Lilly as Wasp is something else. Especially since her suit seems to have received some upgrades since we first got a glimpse of it in Ant-Man‘s mid-credits scene in 2015.

Lilly shared the preview because she’s on set filming during what would have been Jack Kirby‘s 100th birthday. Kirby co-created the character of the Wasp with Stan Lee. The photo’s a more than fitting tribute, and if you don’t agree, let me introduce you to Lilly’s Wasp arms:

#Wasp ready arms.

THE GIFTED Explains New and Familiar Mutants with an Inside Look

This fall, Fox and Marvel are bringing the world of the X-Men to television with The Gifted, a new drama series that follows a family that is forced to join the mutant underground. While there are certainly a few familiar faces in the cast, most of the characters were created for the series. Now, a new behind-the-scenes video is breaking down the mutants of The Gifted as they try to survive after the X-Men and the Brotherhood are gone.

The video offers the best look yet at the mutant abilities of Lauren (Natalie Alyn Lind) and Andy Strucker (Percy Hynes White), the brother and sister duo who reside at the heart of this show. Both Strucker children appear to have forms of telekinesis. However, Andy’s powers can only tear objects apart while Lauren can use her mind to bring molecules together. Their father, Reed Structer (Stephen Moyer), works with the government to prosecute mutants. However, Reed and his wife, Caitlin (Amy Acker), side with their children when their secret is revealed.

Perhaps the most significant addition to the show is Lorna Dane (Emma Dumont) aka Polaris, the young woman who is Magneto’s daughter in Marvel’s comic book universe. The video briefly shows off Lorna’s magnetic powers, as well as the abilities of her friends in the underground network of mutants. That includes a new character named Eclipse (Sean Teale), as well as Thunderbird (Blair Redford) and Blink (Jamie Chung). But unlike her appearance in X-Men: Days of Future Past, this version of Blink doesn’t have a good handle on her teleportation powers yet.

The video also briefly touches upon Jace Turner (Coby Bell), Reed’s former friend who is hunting down the Struckers for the Sentinel Services, a new ant-mutant government agency. Whether Jace has any hidden layers remains to be seen, but we’ll learn more when The Gifted premieres on Monday, October 2, on Fox.

What did you think about The Gifted‘s new mutants? Activate your secret talents and share your thoughts below!

Images: Fox/Marvel TV

GAME OF THRONES’ Remaining Power Players, Ranked

Editor’s Note: This post contains major spoilers for Game of Thrones’ season 7 finale. You’ve been warned! 

As we stand here in the wreckage and destruction wrought by “The Dragon and the Wolf,” the season seven finale of Game of Thrones, it’s about time to take stock of who exactly holds the power in the Seven Kingdoms and what that tells us about the final season coming our way in 2019 (most likely). Because after the Stark team-up we’ve all been waiting for, the X-rated allegiance that (we guess) Benioff and Weiss were waiting for, and the utter wildness of all that went down in the longest episode of the series, ever, we’ve been left reeling. But how exactly has that changed the balance of power in Westeros?

Let’s take a look at where everyone’s power stands heading into season eight.

14. Lord Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish

Really, he shouldn’t even be on this list—Littlefinger is no more and the world rejoices! No more power plays, snake tongue, or ephebophilia. Unless he comes back in the Night King’s army, we’ve finally seen the last of the ladder-climbing creep that was Lord Petyr Baelish. BYE, YOU SNAKE. NO ONE MOURNS YOU.

13. Theon

After making pretty much every bad decision that he possibly could and betraying the Starks—not to mention living in a hellish nightmare as Ramsey Bolton’s Reek—last season Theon finally began his inevitable redemption arc by rescuing Sansa. Coming face-to-face with Jon in the penultimate episode set up what was a truly stirring moment for the finale: when Jon said that he forgave Theon, and it inspiring him to go rescue Yara. That led to some classic toxic masculinity where Theon earned the respect of Yara’s crew by getting the shit kicked out of him. Maybe there’s hope for the Iron Island’s most despised son yet.

12. Varys

What has Varys even been doing this season? There was a time when you could happily argue that Varys was the most important player in Game of Thrones. A man dedicated solely to the good of the Seven Kingdoms, he did some serious power moves at the end of last season, but has been rather lacking over the last seven episodes. Step it up or die, Varys. You’re on thin ice, you merman.

11. Tormund and Beric

These two. These two lovely boys. They both played a part in Jon Snow’s short lived beyond the wall “Snowicide Squad” and thus were integral in bringing the wight to King’s Landing. Though it looked as if their time may have been up in the season finale, we think that these two have likely got more important roles to play. If they survive, they’ll be the messengers who let the rest of the world know that the Wall has fallen and winter is truly here. You can do it boys. We believe in you.

10. Tyrion Lannister

He’s been a huge power player this season, with his position as Daenerys’ hand granting him untold reach and responsibility. After all, it was his plan that brought the houses together in King’s Landing to try and unite the living to battle the army of the dead. But with the newly consummated Targaryen relationship, and Cersei making false promises after his council, it looks like the rogue Lannister may finally be losing his grip.

9. Euron

Everyone’s favorite impeccably dressed cheeky pirate of the seas—who also happens to be a brother-murderer and kidnapper—made some serious power moves in the final episode of the season. Though it at first seemed like he was the coward we all assumed him to be, it turned out he’d actually just been scheming with his future boo, Cersei Lannister, and ran off to bring back the Golden Company to fight in the Lannister war. Alas, this secret pact drove Jaime to finally cut ties with Cersei, creating an entirely new enemy for this terrible twosome, so things are unlikely to end well for old Euron.

8. Cersei

Ruthless and cold, for a short while it looked like the lion queen may have been hardcore enough to truly rule the Seven Kingdoms, even if it was only from the ashes. For a moment in Sunday’s finale it even seemed like she’d come to her senses and was ready to play her part in the great war. Alas, it was but a trick. With Jamie finally deserting her—and hopefully teaming back up with Brienne—it looks like her sociopathic ways may finally cause her downfall in season eight. As the first snow fell on King’s Landing, the likelihood of Cersei surviving the winter dropped dramatically.

7. Jaime

Well, well, well. After two seasons of squandering what seemed to be some great character growth, Jaime finally cut ties with Cersei and rode out of King’s Landing as the first snow began to fall on the Red Keep. This was a huge moment for Jaime, though he probably should’ve killed Cersei for good measure. Who knows where he’s off to, but we hope he’s ready to ride off into the sunset with Brianne after killing a whole bunch of wights, obvz.

6. Daenerys Targaryen

The dragon queen is starting to look like quite the proper ruler, though another inexplicable dalliance with an ally—in this case her sexy northern nephew, Jon Snow—will likely cause her some kind of trouble. With two dragons and the rightful heir to the throne by her side, it’s likely Dany could do some serious damage in the wars to come as long as her longing for power doesn’t drive a wedge between her and Jon we mean Aegon.

5. Jon Snow/AEGON MOTHERFREAKIN’ TARGARYEN

With the proper reveal that Jon Snow is Aegon Targaryen—the true heir to the Iron Throne—things are really looking pretty great for ol’ Ned Stark’s (fake) bastard. That he’s in love with his aunt and also technically dead means that things might still take a bad turn for the King in the North, especially after Sansa’s effortless power moves at Winterfell.

4. Bran

He spent most of the season being a total odd ball and keeping every secret except for those about his sister’s sexual assault (so chill, Bran). We were starting to wonder what the point of ol’ Brandon Stark was, but in this final episode he took part in two of the biggest reveals the show had to offer, dropping receipts on a terrified Littlefinger and doing a very creepy voiceover about Jon’s true lineage as Jon slept with his aunt. If fan theories are true and Bran is really the Night King, he’s also the most powerful player in the game! Go you, Bran!

3. Arya

After escaping King’s Landing and becoming a totally badass assassin/Faceless Man, Arya climbed many fan ladders to become a firm favorite over the course of the past seven seasons. However, after deciding to return to Winterfell, things seemed to take a decisively frustrating turn due to her constant friction with Sansa. But as many of you eagle-eyed Thrones-fans spotted, all was not as it seemed. When Arya slit Littlefinger’s throat at the behest of her sister, the world breathed a sigh of relief. As it now stands, it looks like Arya could be standing by her sister’s side in the inevitable war to come—possibly as her Hand after Jon takes his rightful place? Sisters are doing it for themselves in Westeros at last, y’all.

2. Sansa

Over seven seasons we’ve seen her go from petulant kid to traumatized survivor to arguably one of the best players of the Great Game that Westeros has ever seen. Alas, this season she was mostly wasted in superfluous sibling drama, one that many fans found to be incredibly contrived. Well guess what? It was! Yes, this season’s finale had one of the most satisfying moments of all as it was revealed that the sisters were working together to rid the North of Lord Baelish in absolute fire fashion. Now that the Stark siblings are firmly reunited as a pack, Sansa’s in strong stead for the wars to come.

1. The Night King

This guy has an Ice Dragon and just knocked down the wall, so the real winner of this season is clearly the Night King, who may or may not be Brandon Stark. As his army of the dead marched south following Viserion’s takedown of part of the Wall at Eastwatch, there’s no question in anyone’s mind just who, exactly, is the most powerful player in Westeros.

So who are you rooting for next season? Ride your badass ice dragon into our comments and let us know!

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON IN GAME OF THRONES?

Conleth Hill insists that Varys is not a merman.
Could Cersei become a Night Queen?
RIP Littlefinger, a real player in the Game of Thrones.

Images: HBO

Marvel Teases SECRET EMPIRE Finale with the Return of [SPOILER]

Warning: Massive spoilers are ahead for this week’s Secret Empire #10. Turn back now if you don’t want to know what’s coming!

Ever since the original Captain America, Steve Rogers, was revealed to be a Hydra sleeper agent, many fans have wondered how Marvel’s iconic hero could possibly be redeemed. During Secret Empire, Hydra Cap has gone off the rails and ordered the deaths of Rick Jones and the entire city of Las Vegas, in addition to delivering a killing blow to Black Widow. Those are pretty unforgivable offenses, but Marvel may have a way out after all. As revealed in today’s New York Times, the real Captain America is coming back–and he’s pissed!

This will take some explaining, so bear with me, non-comic book fans. The whole Hydra Cap angle began when Kobik–a sentient Cosmic Cube in the form of a little girl–was manipulated into changing Steve Rogers’ past so that he was an agent of Hydra from the very beginning. However, the recent issues of Secret Empire featured a version of Steve who was lost in a dreamscape and barely remembered who he was. That incarnation of Cap was the remnant of the original, and he was last seen pleading with Kobik to restore him to reality.

If Hydra Cap was never actually Cap, then that’s Marvel’s “get out of jail” card for Steve Rogers. Note that Cap’s return also features his most iconic comic book costume, which he hasn’t worn since Marvel’s heroes were given outfits inspired by their Marvel Cinematic Universe designs. Artist Steve McNiven is joining writer Nick Spencer for the final issue of Secret Empire, and if the following image is any indication, real Cap will prove his worthiness very quickly by using Thor‘s hammer against his evil double.

Secret Empire #10 will be released on Wednesday, August 30.

Are you excited to see classic Cap back in action? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Ready to make yours Marvel?

Find Avengers: Infinity War secrets in this poster.
Dress up with Marvel jewelry.
Enjoy Civil War in LEGO.

Images: Marvel Comics

Wes Craven and Linda Blair Teen Witch Thriller Finally Comes to Blu-ray

Sometimes something just sounds so beautiful, so perfect, you can’t help but wonder why it took so long to come into your life. That feeling sums up our reaction to the news that a lesser known Wes Craven film (!) about a teen witch (!) starring Linda Blair (!) and Fran Drescher (!) is finally coming to Blu-ray in October, just in time for Nerdoween.

This news comes to us via the horror aficionados at Birth.Movies.Death, who shared that this 1978 film from the late, great master of horror is everything we could ever want. You might recognize Summer of Fear (also known as Stranger in Our House) as one of young adult author Lois Duncan’s best-selling thriller novels, among I Know What You Did Last Summer, Killing Mr. Griffin, or Down a Dark Hall. (If you read and enjoyed R.L. Stine‘s edgier teen series Fear Street, you would have loved Lois Duncan.) But even if you know the title, Summer of Fear was a made-for-TV movie that has never been released on home video, so many Wes Craven/teen witch genre fans will be seeing this for the first time.

Also starring Jeremy Slate and Jeff East, Summer of Fear features a young Linda Blair as Rachel, a teenage girl whose mysterious and charming cousin Julie (Lee Purcell) moves in with her family after her parents die in a car crash. “Julie enchants everyone in the family and appears to be a loving relative, but Rachel knows her cousin is up to something creepy…something like witchcraft!”

The Summer of Fear Special Collector’s Edition includes a Blu-ray, DVD, and VOD (iTunes, Amazon Instant, Google Play, Vudu, YouTube) release on October 10, 2017. Special bonus features include an exclusive new interview with Linda Blair, director commentary by Wes Craven, a poster and still gallery, and the original trailer.

Love weird, obscure, or cult horror movies?

Check out Kyle Anderson’s weekly column, Schlock and Awe.
Our six favorite Wes Craven films — did yours make the list?
Why do we love horror? An analysis.

Images: Doppelganger Releasing