Game of Thrones [The TV Show Only; Please No Spoilers Based Upon the Books]

And... we’re back!

Some of the dialogue was predictable. And I knew who the hooded rider was. But overall... awesome. A good primer on where everyone is, what everyone’s intentions are, and where things may go from here. I didn’t want it to end.

Can’t wait until next week!

Good episode - lots of reunions desired by fans - Could use less Euron, ugh.

jcocktosten posted:

Good episode - lots of reunions desired by fans - Could use less Euron, ugh.

In one sense, I agree about Euron. I hate him. But it seems he may have a bigger role to play in how this all ends. I don’t fully see where any of the Greyjoy’s fit in, to be honest. But, it does seem they’ll all have a part to play. And hating Euron... to some extent it’s like wanting less Joeffery. Not saying he is as bad as Joeffery, necessarily. But he isn’t less interesting than Joeffery. (It isn’t like Cersei who is a horrible person, yet a more complex and interesting character whom I enjoy watching on screen for her interesting-ness.)  The show may simply need uncomplicated despicable characters, too. 

Loved some of those reunions. Especially the very last one. 

The pieces on the board are starting to gather.  When you only have four locations in the opening sequence (The Wall; the Last Hearth; Kings Landing; and Winterfell), the show is starting to tighten up.

Smart move for Cersei to welcome Euron into her bed; now she has plausible deniability that the child she is carrying is Jamie's.  Not that I think she's going to live long enough to deliver it.

Sansa being worried about feeding the Army is a nice nod to the logistics that most shows never consider.  How do you feed, quarter, transport, and equipment southern armies for combat operations in the North?   Ask the Germans in WWII about that. 

Makes you appreciate how easy the Night King has it.  He doesn't have to worry about feeding, quartering or clothing his troops.  Every battle he fights adds more soldiers to his army, while reducing the enemy.  Frankly, the Army of the Dead is pretty much invincible.  Unless you kill the head honcho, then everybody else dies.    

Fantastic table setting episode in my opinion.  Hold on to your seats, next week its about to get real.

Love the show, but I vote for a change in the thread title since the current HBO content is way ahead of the books and has little chance of revealing anything in the parallel universe of the books.

I'm wondering if the books will eventually arrive at a similar conclusion as the HBO series or how it might diverge.

The final books will never be written.

I think that George RR Martin has written himself into a corner with the last books with far too many open and expanding plot lines, and is neither interested nor motivated nor contractually obligated to complete them. 

He's been living the good life as a wildly successful writer (not that I blame him at all) and he isn't getting any younger.

He really should just hire a team of writers to finish up the novels for him, and just attend high-level meetings to work out the final plots and goals.

Quite an episode.

Rothko posted:

Quite an episode.

Awesome. 

This one was very disappointing.  

The dragons being ambushed by a fleet is about as realistic as the US battleships ambushing the Japanese planes on December 7, 1941.

Cersei not killing Tyrion is completely irrational and against her character.  Didn't she just hire Bronn to kill him and Jaime?  And there he is, standing right below the gates.  And while she's willing to send a message by killing Missandei, she isn't willing to kill Tyrion?  Does he just turn around and walk away.

And Jon Snow tells his sisters his big "secret" which, as Varys points out, is no longer a secret but is information.  And Sansa immediately blabs; so much for the power of her word.

Really, I was tempted to turn off the tv.

Rothko posted:

This one was very disappointing.  

The dragons being ambushed by a fleet is about as realistic as the US battleships ambushing the Japanese planes on December 7, 1941.

Cersei not killing Tyrion is completely irrational and against her character.  Didn't she just hire Bronn to kill him and Jaime?  And there he is, standing right below the gates.  And while she's willing to send a message by killing Missandei, she isn't willing to kill Tyrion?  Does he just turn around and walk away.

And Jon Snow tells his sisters his big "secret" which, as Varys points out, is no longer a secret but is information.  And Sansa immediately blabs; so much for the power of her word.

Really, I was tempted to turn off the tv.

I wasn’t as disappointed as you. But it definitely felt like “Ok. We need the following things to happen in episodes 5 and 6, so let’s do everything to set those episodes up, irrespective of ultimate storytelling quality.”

Looking forward to next week, though. 

Love the Starbucks coffee cup on the table.  Can we call this 'product placement'?

That's kind of funny.  For a show that places such a strong emphasis on production values, it was humorous to see a Starbucks-like cup (it wasn't actually Starbucks apparently) on the banquet table.

Mistakes like that get made; things happen all the time in movies, shows, etc.

This season has been disappointing, so far. 

At this point, the characters have become tired and predictable; the story-line implausible; the script weak; and editing very poor.   (We waited two years for this?)

How many shots of Tyrion pouting, Danaerys glaring, and Cersei scowling must we endure?

Frankly, I don't care how it ends; I just want it to end.

I wanted Cersei to yell down at them, "I fart in your general direction!"

Well... that was dull.  

PH

SPOILER ALERT:

Well that puts this great show in the impossible position of trying to get redemption or revenge in one episode. It was kind of like--what exactly have we been watching Daenery for years for? Notice there was no close-up or even a full frame view of her during the rampage. While I don't know what to make of this penultimate episode I still put this as the third best mini-series after The Wire and Battlestar Galactica.

I said eight years ago they'd never be able to pull this off, and with all those kids actors that often don't turn out well as adult actors and the very large cast that would have to be available year after year, I really didn't think they'd be able to keep it together.  Add in often great cinematography, special effects and smart directing it's a series that should stand near the top of similar efforts for a long time.

I actually thought that episode was a bit weak-sauce. Too much slow motion, too much repetitive shots, especially in the second half. <spoiler alert> I expected the last word of the episode to be “Daenerys Targaryen”. I would put at least even odds on Arya doing a twofer. And, “you know nothing, Jon Snow” seems super appropriate here. I was also saddened by Tyrion turning in Varys. But, still enjoyable. A lot has to happen in one episode. 

Overall, it is hard for me to rank this vompared to other TV dramas. But, in terms of entire runs, the only TV drama I’ve seen that I would put even near GOT is The Americans. Which did actually land the plane nearly perfectly. 

sunnylea57 posted:

I wanted Cersei to yell down at them, "I fart in your general direction!"

I'm with Gig and Rothko in the disappointed camp. The writers seemed to be in a big hurry to end this series.And the belief suspension required is off the scales. Gregor with a sword through the head?

And that is not the way I wanted Cersei to die. Something much slower and far more painful. I am assuming she is dead, which may not be the case.

steve8 posted

I'm with Gig and Rothko in the disappointed camp. The writers seemed to be in a big hurry to end this series.And the belief suspension required is off the scales. Gregor with a sword through the head?

And that is not the way I wanted Cersei to die. Something much slower and far more painful. I am assuming she is dead, which may not be the case.

The Mountain is undead. This knife action and the Mountain's state of existence is pure H.P. Lovecraft. Martin is a fan.

Cersei is dead, and not making viewers/readers happy is the way it goes in Martin's world.

steve8 posted:

sunnylea57 posted:

I wanted Cersei to yell down at them, "I fart in your general direction!"

 

Turns out I wasn’t the only one with this thought. Funny Or Die did a video. Do a search for it. 

I am catching up as I could not watch the last 2 episodes when we were in Portugal -I largely know what happens and sort of dread watching but . . .

I really don't get the surprise about Dany burning King's Landing - from both the books and show - to me this has seemed fairly obvious - watching episode 4 - it was clearly going to happen - her entitlement which was always there has only gotten greater as the show has proceeded.  Perhaps its just me, but when I re-read the books I normally skip all Dany chapters as I simply can't stand her or her story line

Scenes with Jon in episode 4 clearly show what her reaction is going to be in episode 5 - so all this talk about D & D not earning the payoff and ruining her character etc. seem like a lot of BS to me. Are the last 2 seasons rushed?  Of course - but I am of the camp of giving them a break. I love the books (as I love most good fantasy series) and what they have done making the world care so much about it is an amazing feat as far as I am concerned.

Other than their absolute disdain and abuse of the dire wolves 

Ok, I will admit the shooting of Rheagar was totally lame

All caught up now.  Last episode was beautifully filmed and scored.  Best moments - anything involving Sandor Clegane and Arya.