Should these scenes have been cut from Game of Thrones season 8?

Tyrion and Sansa, action heroes

Speaking of characters improbably surviving the Battle of Winterfell, you may remember that no one with a name died in the crypts after the dead Starks rose from the grave. The best moment of that scene was probably when Tyrion and Sansa were hiding behind a statue, clasping hands and accepting that this might be the end.

In the script, things happen a little differently. After that moment, we cut to Missandei hiding with Gilly and Baby Sam behind the statue of Lyanna Stark. Despite Gilly’s attempts to silence Baby Sam, he cries out and attracts the attention of a couple of wights. But before the dead men can attack, they fall to the floor. “Tyrion and Sansa stand behind the deanimated wights, dragonglass daggers in hand,” the script says. “She stuck him with the pointy end.”

Should it have been changed?

I don’t like this at all. Making Tyrion and Sansa improbable action heroes would only call attention to the other improbable parts of that episode. Don’t get me wrong: I enjoyed the Battle of Winterfell, but the show does itself no favors by giving us unearned heroic moments. Neither Tyrion nor Sansa seem like the kind of characters who would do this. I think it feels cheap and pandering.

Also, if you’re going to have characters surprise us with their martial acumen, don’t Gilly and Missandei seem like far better candidates? Those two grew up in much harsher conditions.

Although granted, this does explain the strange way that scene was edited, with Tyrion and Sansa leaping out from behind the statue and then just hiding out with another group of survivors. Their attack on the wights was probably supposed to happen between those two bits.