'Thrones' finale Sunday, wrap-up show Wednesday
HBO's shortened seventh season of "Game of Thrones" ends at 8 p.m. Sunday with "The Dragon and the Wolf," an 80-minute episode that promises to unite many of the show's long-estranged characters in King's Landing, where babyfaced hero Jon Snow (Kit Harington) will attempt to convince the tyrannical Queen Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) that a mythical army of the dead is real - and a real threat to everyone in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros.
This season has lacked logic - especially last week's bordering-on-ludicrous zombie hunt - but it has delivered spectacle on a scale that few television shows can match, on top of the show's usual delicious dialogue. The fourth episode, "The Spoils of War," stands apart thanks to the impressive sight of Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) unleashing her dragon's fury on the Lannister army. That episode also saw Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) reveal her surprising sword skills to sister Sansa (Sophie Turner), who might just find herself at the pointy end this weekend.
Sunday, I look forward to Cersei reuniting with her brother, Tyrion (Peter Dinklage), whom she hasn't seen since he killed their father in the Season 4 finale. That was also the last time two of Westeros' biggest, boldest warriors, Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) and Sandor "The Hound" Clegane (Rory McCann), encountered each other. She bit off his ear and left him for dead after a brutal battle; dare I dream of a rematch?
If you're still hungry for more after Sunday night, you can join the superfans celebrating the finale at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30, with WBEZ hosts Greta Johnsen and Tricia Bobeda of "Nerdette" and Peter Sagal of "Wait, Wait ... Don't Tell Me!" They will conduct a live taping of their "Game of Thrones" recap show at The DANK Haus German American Cultural Center, 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago. Festivities will include show-themed snacks and beverages and, if you so desire, fan costumes. Tickets are $25. Visit wbez.com/events for more information.
• Sean Stangland is a Daily Herald multiplatform editor. You can follow him on Twitter at @SeanStanglandDH.