Game Of Thrones Season 8: 9 Ups And 2 Downs From 'The Long Night'

1. Miguel F**king Sapochnik

Game of Thrones Miguel Sapochnik
HBO

Miguel Sapochnik is Game of Thrones' best director. At this point, it isn't even close. He's already more or less proven that but, just incase there was any doubt, he's back after taking Season 7 off to give us a timely reminder.

Sapochnik recently revealed that he told the showrunners he could only work on Season 7 OR 8, not both, and they decided to wait until this year instead. Thank Christ they did, because it's difficult to imagine anyone else pulling this off.

Sapochnik has directed two previous battle episodes: Hardhome and Battle of the Bastards. The Long Night is the unholy union of them. It takes the sheer horror and White Walker focus of the former, and merges it with the jaw-dropping scale and suffocating action of the latter, but puts both on steroids. To direct this level of action, with so many people, and yet also tell a story driven by characters, that's so full of emotion? How on earth do you even begin to pull that off? I guess that's a question for him.

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NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.