Entertainment Gists

Game of Thrones: The Bells Review

Published

7 years ago

13th May 2019

Warning: contains spoilers about episode 5 of series 8.

Is it clutching at straws to suggest that, given the increasing criticism swirling around the final series of Game of Thrones, its creators David Benioff and DB Weiss have been engaged in a cunning meta-game with its audience? After all, a key theme has been the danger of believing in false idols: what has the jarring conversion of Daenerys from wannabe People’s Princess to rabid megalomaniac been about other than that? But perhaps the show itself has also been subject to a surfeit of devotion.

An entertaining fantasy series raised to the level of global news event, it was always likely to buckle under the weight of the expectations – and the theorising – placed upon it. Certainly, last week’s episode inspired a fan backlash that felt dangerously decisive: from the anger at the cursory slaughter of one of the only significant black characters, Missandei, to the now boiling-over irritation at its increasingly rushed pacing, there was a real sense of betrayal in much of the ensuing commentary.

Sadly, this penultimate instalment confirms that Game of Thrones may be about to end its once illustrious existence in ignominy, alongside its diminished protagonist, the Queen of Dragons. Indeed, it’s possible that the show, for all its years of once careful world-building, may come to be remembered for her altogether ruinous decision in this episode – to lay waste to King’s Landing and its citizens, despite their surrender to her, as signalled by the bells of this episode’s title. Abjectly deranged as it is on her part, it is a narrative turn that speaks even more of Benioff and Weiss’s own wrong-headedness.

In the lead up to that fateful moment, as Dany is gearing up for her assault on Cersei Lannister and the Iron Throne, we see other key characters finally, definitively sacrificed to the show’s scrambled plotting. Firstly, there’s Tyrion, who in the episode’s opening minutes, dobs in Varys to his queen after he hears the ever-crafty eunuch, armed with the knowledge of Jon’s true parentage, unsuccessfully trying to persuade Mr Snow to pursue his ruling claim. Tyrion then apologises to Daenerys for his “mistake” in having shared this revelation with his old conspiratorial buddy.

That’s right: we are meant to believe that the Imp genuinely thought he could divulge such pivotal information to a man known as ‘The Master of Whisperers’, without there being consequences for the mistress to whom he is still loyal. It is just the latest humiliating degradation of a character, who was once the show’s Machiavellian lynchpin, into an unguarded fool. Varys is promptly despatched by Drogon’s flames, but it is Tyrion who is truly left burnt by the script.

Once this was a show that intelligently delineated a senseless world; now, truly, it is just nonsense

And talking of convenient stupidity, there is poor Jaime – who last week, of course, decided to backtrack on his whole redemptive narrative arc to leave new flame Brienne of Tarth behind and come to his twisted sister-lover’s aid. Now we find him captured by Dany’s forces, after apparently deciding he could simply ride back into the citadel through enemy lines – not even bothering to conceal his signature golden prosthetic arm in the process.

Anyway, it’s all fine, because Tyrion manages to sneakily release him so he can try to persuade Cersei to give up the ghost. In what turns out to be a farewell scene between the brothers, we hear Jaime claim he cares not a jot for the potential obliteration of the citizens of King’s Landing – despite his life having been defined by his killing of the Mad King, Aerys Targaryen, in their defence all those years ago. But then, within an instant, he is also converted from his belief that there is no point trying to persuade his sister to stand down, into deciding that this is exactly what he will do. Once this was a show that intelligently delineated a senseless world; now, truly, it is just nonsense.

But all this is nothing compared to Dany’s full-throttle transition into her father’s demented daughter – a twist that was not unpredictable, based on her trajectory in recent episodes, yet now it’s happened, still feels thoroughly unearned. Her hardening into an unconscious tyrant, prepared to sacrifice innocents in her delusional belief that her quest for power served a greater good, was not beyond the bounds of credibility. But to turn her into a full-blooded psychopath, who ignores the capitulation of her potential subjects, and wilfully destroys them instead? After her clear obsession with being some kind of saviour figure? It feels like a complete ceding of characterisation to the necessities of creating an admittedly spectacular final set-piece. It also means that the scenes of mass slaughter, as the denizens of King’s Landing are variously burnt to a crisp by Drogon from above or slaughtered on the ground, are particularly nauseating. Game of Thrones has never been less than Grand Guignol gory, of course, but this simply comes off as a cynical, concluding reiteration of its USP.

And what a shame that, in the final reckoning, the show doesn’t give Cersei Lannister anything like her due. For most of the episode, she is stuck surveying the encroaching havoc from her tower – and then, when that edifice crumbles, she is denied the kind of climactic showdown that her profound villainy has always merited. In the end, despite long-time fan predictions, neither Jaime kills her, nor Arya: the latter is seemingly set up to do so, but reneges on her kill-list mission at the last minute on the advice of long-time love-hate buddy The Hound, who persuades her there’s more to life than revenge. Instead, the Lannister matriarch apparently dies alongside Jaime, as they are crushed trying to escape the castle through an underground tunnel. It is an unceremonious, and frankly uninteresting, end for one of the show’s most compelling characters.

There is one more episode to go, and possibly something to play for. But, by the end of this 90 minutes, as the ash settled, it is difficult not to feel one was looking at the charred remains of an era-defining television show’s integrity. Or have we fans, like the dopey faithful Jon Snow (who barely merits a mention at this stage, with his off-the-peg nobility and single furrow-browed expression) always been blinded by a sense of loyalty that it simply never merited? Benioff has declared he plans “to be very drunk and very far from the internet” for next week’s finale. Some of his audience may feel the need to follow suit.

Related Topics:Daenerys Game of Thrones Jon Snow The Bells

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Josh2Funny’s Album Has Fans Talking — But Should He Stick To Music Or Skits?

Published

3 weeks ago

10th September 2026

manlikeakoh

Josh2Funny’s Album Has Fans Talking — But Should He Stick To Music Or Skits? 😂🎶

Nigerian comedian and content creator Josh2Funny has taken his comedy game into music, and Nigerians are definitely having something to say about it.

The comedian released his 15-track album, “On Behalf of Josh,” on July 10, 2026, but instead of fading away after release, the project has continued to generate conversations on X.

And the big question now is:

Should Josh2Funny continue with music or go back to skits? 😂

Fans have been divided. While some listeners openly criticized the album and told him to return to comedy, others found songs they genuinely enjoyed.

One X user joked:

“Josh2Funny stopped doing skits and started music, Everybody wan chop this music money 😂”

Another simply said:

“This Josh2Funny Album no enter make he just go back skit abeg 😂”

But then came “Lembe.” 🔥

The track caught fire on X and eventually became a trending topic in Nigeria. The #LembeChallenge also gained momentum as creators began jumping on the song.

Josh2Funny later announced ₦1 million for winners of the challenge, giving the song another major push.

And it didn’t stop there.

‘INTERNATIONAL’ FT. ICE PRINCE ALSO TRENDED

On another day, “International” featuring Ice Prince generated its own buzz on X.

One fan even called it their favourite song from the album, while praising the collaboration. The post itself pulled thousands of views, showing that people weren’t only talking about Lembe.

From album criticism to trending songs and challenges, “On Behalf of Josh” has kept Josh2Funny’s name in the conversation.

Whether you love the album or think he should return to skits, one thing is clear:

Josh2Funny has succeeded in getting Nigerians talking. 😂🔥

So, let’s settle this once and for all:

Should Josh2Funny continue with MUSIC 🎶 or return to SKITS 😂?

Music or Skits? Drop your answer! 👇

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RUAN-Badkid.96: The Unfiltered Voice Recommitting African Sound to Truth

Published

3 months ago

9th July 2026

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RUAN-Badkid.96 is a Nigerian recording artist whose music refuses to live inside a single genre. Blending Afrobeat, Afrofusion, trap, hip-hop, melodic rap, R&B, and global influences, he creates records that move effortlessly between raw street energy, soulful storytelling, and infectious melodies. Whether delivering hard-hitting bars, emotional love songs, or rhythm-driven African records, his sound is defined by authenticity rather than limitation.

Inspired by both African culture and international music, RUAN-Badkid.96 embraces the confidence and ambition of global hip-hop while staying deeply connected to his roots. His lyrics explore love, heartbreak, betrayal, friendship, social injustice, hope, and the everyday realities of life. He doesn’t create music to follow trends, he creates music to reflect truth, emotion, and human experience.

Behind his fearless image is an artist who believes in kindness, equality, justice, and genuine human connection. His appearance may be intimidating, but his message is rooted in compassion and authenticity. Every record carries a piece of his journey, proving that strength and vulnerability can exist in the same voice.

For RUAN-Badkid.96, music is more than entertainment, it’s a language, a testimony, and a lifelong mission to connect with people through honesty, versatility, and unforgettable sound.

Entertainment Gists

Meet the Man Who Turned Hype Into a Science: Emmy Blaq, Nigeria’s G.O.A.T. of Hype

Published

4 months ago

5th June 2026

Usman Oladuntoye

If you have ever been at a Nigerian event and found yourself on your feet before the main act even stepped on stage, there is a good chance a hype man was responsible. But not just any hype man. Emmy Blaq, born Ikechukwu Emmanuel Chima and raised in Auchi, Edo State, has spent the last few years quietly becoming the most talked-about name in that profession, and the Nigerian press has taken notice. Punch, Vanguard, The Guardian Nigeria, The Nation, and Independent Newspaper have all sat down with him, and every conversation leads back to the same thing: this man does not just make noise; he makes moments.
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With over 1.7 million TikTok followers, 23.6 million TikTok likes, a viral “Wife Material” challenge that landed on Pulse Nigeria’s top ten social media moments of 2021, and an international performance at the Cameroon International Music Festival that Cameroonian media described as electrifying, Emmy Blaq is not building toward something. He is already there. The G.O.A.T. of Hype is not a title he gave himself and hoped would stick. It is one the rooms keep confirming every single time he grabs the mic.