Game Of Thrones Season 8 Breakdown: What 'The Long Night' REALLY Means

11. Melisandre Raised The Fiery Hand A Different Way

Melisandre's return was always on the cards, even if her track record for prophecies wasn't exactly stellar up until her departure in season 7. And while there are questions over how she managed to just walk through the Dead Army (or around it peacefully) to get to Winterfell, she did play a disposably important part at the start of the battle (and a much more important one later).

With the suspicions that she might be bringing the Fiery Hand - a thousand strong army of Red Temple guards - to the fight hanging heavily in the air before the episode aired, it was good to see SOMETHING in its place, even when that turned out not to be the case.

In place of that army, the "Fiery Hand" literally became Melisandre's fiery hand, as she gave the Dothraki flaming weapons that would work for a grand total of about 17 seconds in battle. At least she then made up for it by lighting the trench outside Winterfell, but even that didn't exactly last and ultimately she ended the episode by walking out of Winterfell and dying, her purpose apparently served.