In praise of Gwendoline Christie
I'd just like to take a moment away from complaining about Season 8 to praise Gwendoline Christie. She was given a character who wasn't very believable in the books, I mean in the books, she was just something that GRRM used to play with his ideas about chivalric ideals and the woman-warrior characters so common in the Fantasy genre.
But in Christie's hands, the character stopped being a front for a writer's ideas, and became a completely believable and loveable person who was worth watching every moment she was on screen. In a show that's chockablock with terrific acting* and spot-on casting, she's been a standout, and without much screentime to work with. Her Brienne has been the embodiment of the ideals of chivalry, without ever losing the sympathy of the modern audience, which is a hell of a trick once you think about it.
I hope she gets some love at Awards Season, and if not, I hope she keeps doing stellar work until she's Judi Dench's age.
* Emilia Clarke excepted. I don't blame her for this season, but really.