GOT season six (spoilers galore)

[TheLeviathan]

Yeah, I'll agree it was a weaker episode.  It's clear Sansa is going to call on Baelish and the Vale to bail them out.  I also am not sure what role the Hound has going forward, besides to hopefully kill MountainStein.

 

And what the hell did Arya think was going to happen?  The Faceless Men would let her waltz out of Braavos?  She's going to have a target on her back the rest of her life most likely.

[jimmer]

Natalie Dormer is a fantastic actress.  She more  than holds her own whenever she is on the screen.

[gunnarthor]

 

Yeah, I'll agree it was a weaker episode.  It's clear Sansa is going to call on Baelish and the Vale to bail them out.  I also am not sure what role the Hound has going forward, besides to hopefully kill MountainStein.

 

And what the hell did Arya think was going to happen?  The Faceless Men would let her waltz out of Braavos?  She's going to have a target on her back the rest of her life most likely.

Yeah, I'm not quite sure how she survived that.  It looked like the first slash gut her pretty good and then she got stabbed three or four more times in the stomach and thrown off a 20 foot bridge.  I know she's tough but the Mountain would have been like, "wait, time out.  Let me catch my breath."

 

I assume now that Arya is going to stay in Braavos and take out the faceless men but I've been so wrong on her storyline I should probably stop guessing.

[Mike Sixel]

Arya has learned nothing in all the years of training as a fighter. Nothing. What a waste. Why have we spent so much time on a character that has not grown at all. Awful. Stupid and awful. I assume that Theon is going to save her, as part of the redemption of his character.

 

And Sansa is still useless, my theory that this is really a story about women taking over the world took a huge hit last night when Sansa did nothing of value at all. Ugh, just ugh.

 

 

Not one character showed any glimpse of growth from their original incarnation years ago. What a stupid waste of time for all of them. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Not one character showed any glimpse of growth from their original incarnation years ago. What a stupid waste of time for all of them. 

I disagree that no character has grown since the inception of the series. Arya and Jaime made huge strides through the first few books.

 

The problem is that now they both appear to have stalled out and possibly regressed in some cases (how Jaime handles Blackfish will be interesting).

[Mike Sixel]

I don't know, Arya still can't fight, still doesn't know when she's about to be stabbed, tries to buy her way back and doesn't hide from the faceless? She has been pretty much useless since she got to Braavos.

 

Jaime? Hard to say........I was more talking about the Starks, who still seem wimpy or stupid or unable to lead.

 

If this is all Arya is, there were far more interesting tales to tell, imo.

 

At least we didn't watch Benjan move Bran across the North for 20 minutes, I guess.

 

Loved the return of the Hound.....

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

I don't know, Arya still can't fight, still doesn't know when she's about to be stabbed, tries to buy her way back and doesn't hide from the faceless? She has been pretty much useless since she got to Braavos.

Oh, I don't disagree with that part of the argument. My only comment was that Arya advanced considerably as a character leading up to her arrival in Braavos (and was intriguing for some time after arriving).

 

But yeah, I'm not sure what the hell is going on with the character lately. My interest has dwindled in her as other characters have stolen the spotlight.

[TheLeviathan]

The problem with Arya is that she may have learned more than we know, but because they didn't show us that it leaves the impression that she just basically took a beating for awhile and learned very little.

 

When Jaqen H'ghar said she had "many skills", I couldn't help but ask - which ones?

[TheLeviathan]

Also, holding anyone to the standard of Diana Rigg is unfair.  Only Charles Dance has held his own in her presence.  She's one of the most captivating people on the show IMO.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

When Jaqen H'ghar said she had "many skills", I couldn't help but ask - which ones?

Ditto. I said to myself "well, that's nice... wait, what skills?"

[Mike Sixel]

Ditto. I said to myself "well, that's nice... wait, what skills?"

Mostly being a stupid stark apparently. I had hope when she betrayed them, and grabbed her rapier. Now? Blah.

[gunnarthor]

 

Also, holding anyone to the standard of Diana Rigg is unfair.  Only Charles Dance has held his own in her presence.  She's one of the most captivating people on the show IMO.

Well, yeah.  Dance and Rigg had some of the best scenes together (I also loved the Varys/Littlefinger talks).  But it's just so jarring to watch that it distracts me to the point of complaint.  

 

But in fairness to the show, the general casting has been remarkable for what is really just (at the end of the day) a silly show about dragons and killing people.  Dance, Rigg, Bean, Glen, Pryce, Headey, Dinklage, etc have been spot on perfect.  Margeary is one of the few casting choices that just didn't work (IMHO - others obviously like her).  

[TheLeviathan]

Yeah, I wouldn't place her among the mistaken cast choices.  Kit Harrington, however, probably tops my list.  There's just no emotional range.

 

I think the show doesn't get enough credit, especially from former book readers.  It was nigh impossible (in fact, Martin claimed that was part of the point!) to adapt the series.  That they have, and done as well as they have, is nothing to scoff at.  It's easily the greatest achievement in fantasy television in terms of scope.

[PseudoSABR]

The top two stills are from Season 5, which is well interesting if not a coincidence.  Of course nerds everywhere are on the case, and already have theorized that Arya is some how playing everyone (link from buzzfeed). 

[jimmer]

Fantastic find!

[TheLeviathan]

 

 

The top two stills are from Season 5, which is well interesting if not a coincidence.  Of course nerds everywhere are on the case, and already have theorized that Arya is some how playing everyone (link from buzzfeed). 

 

I don't know about the bi-polar theory, but the other one makes a crap load of sense.  I've just become much more intrigued with Arya again.

[PseudoSABR]

 

I don't know about the bi-polar theory, but the other one makes a crap load of sense.  I've just become much more intrigued with Arya again.

I'd be disappointed if the bi-polar theory turns out to be true; though it remains a possibility and does make some sense--the Waif is Arya when she's actually given up her identity.  Still too much like Fight Club for my tastes.

[TheLeviathan]

 

I'd be disappointed if the bi-polar theory turns out to be true; though it remains a possibility and does make some sense--the Waif is Arya when she's actually given up her identity.  Still too much like Fight Club for my tastes.

 

Yeah, it'd just be the wrong kind of twist for this show.  Arya being manipulative and smart in goading the Waif out to a confrontation is much better storytelling.

 

Plus it would actually show off some of those vaunted skills we've heard so much about!

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

Mostly being a stupid stark apparently. I had hope when she betrayed them, and grabbed her rapier. Now? Blah.

 

Not quite so certain about stupid.  This was the girl that decided to name her protector to get more out of him.  Keep in mind she's playing a girl who is what, 12?  I expect a level of stupidity there just for her age.  I think her character has shown a remarkable ability to adapt. 

[Mike Sixel]

 

Not quite so certain about stupid.  This was the girl that decided to name her protector to get more out of him.  Keep in mind she's playing a girl who is what, 12?  I expect a level of stupidity there just for her age.  I think her character has shown a remarkable ability to adapt. 

 

Is she 12 on teh tv show? I thought she was older there, but not sure.

[TheLeviathan]

1.  So, yeah, I'm still not sure what skills Arya brings to the table or what that whole storyline accomplished.  Someone help me out.

 

2.  Cersei's rumor?  Was there something i missed with Qyburn and the kids earlier?

 

3.  Good stuff with Jamie, he really shined this episode.

 

4.  Felt like the Mereen stuff was a bit weak

 

5.  I like the idea of the Hound and the Brotherhood joining the North.

[Mike Sixel]

I was not impressed with that episode......

 

The Arya story still seems like a waste of precious time.....

 

My son thinks Cersei plans to burn King's Landing, or something, based on the visions of Bran

 

Riverrun was both the best, and typically annoying, part. At least we totally understand that jamie is a sociopath who will kill everyone just for the love of 1 woman.....but the two Tulley lords, could they be more stupid? 

 

Mereen was very week.

 

That part was good, better than most of the rest of the story.

[Mike Sixel]

I just want the white walkers to make it to Lannister territory, is that too much to ask?

[TheLeviathan]

I hope with all the different plot threads starting to come together that the story-telling improves.  The show was at it's best when it basically had 3-4 locales it was focused on.  With this season trying to do somewhere around 10-12 it's made it seem too fragmented.  By the end of this season we'll have hopefully come back much closer to 3-4.

[PseudoSABR]

The pacing in this episode, and writing in general, was not very good, and honestly I think many of our complaints lie there, and not with the character development or plotting, per se.

 

1.  To what extent Arya always intended to lead the waif to the dark room where she had hidden Needle I don't know, but they really didn't need to stretch it out over a whole episode and kill off the actress-lady.  I think Arya will be far more skillful from hear on out, as the need to drag on that plot-line is over, over, over. 

 

2.  I thought of few things: a) they know Tyrion is alive they discovered a crap load of wildfire c) Gendry has been found, and his identity revealed.

If Cersi is found guilty for incense, maybe she brings the legitimacy of her son down with her (has Tommen not thought about this possibility?), and Gendry plays a role.  

 

3.  Jaime was cool, though I didn't really believe Edmund Tulley would give up Riverrun and the Blackfish to save his Frey son whom he's never met and been reared by his enemies.  I understand that Jaime might let the Tully army march North for the Battle of the Bastard, but that should have been the narrative if that's what ends up happening. (Too much trying to hide the ball).  And Blackfish dying off screen? Wtf.  (The Waif died off screen too, but at least that made some sense).

 

4. The joke scene in Mereen was horribly executed - could have been fun, but bleh.  Deux-machina-Dany shows up. Ugh.

 

5. I don't think there's narrative time to accomplish it, but it would be nice if Arya somehow got back to Westeros in time to rally the BWB to fight for the North.

 

[TheLeviathan]

I think the pacing is a reflection of balancing too many storylines that, as yet, don't have a place in which they meet.  The books were plagued by the same issues.

 

I'm glad the Arya thing is over, that conclusion made this whole process feel like a waste of time.  And they could've fixed it with a freaking montage showing her skills.

[Mike Sixel]

The pacing of the Hound's story was slow.....but it was a good story, with possible growth (and real consequences for not doing what he knew was right).

 

Arya? Years of nothing happening, show us some shots of her really growing in skill, as Levi suggests. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

Unimpressive episode but I feel it was an important episode. Forward progress continues to be made, though it hurt this episode because the progress wasn't particularly engaging.

 

If they had played with the timeline a bit, shuffled the Arya stuff forward, given more time to the Mereen invasion/return of Daenerys (instead of just having her show up and then cut scene), stretched the Riverrun siege into something more exciting, the episode could have been better.

 

But, overall, I wasn't too disappointed in it. If I was binge-watching season six in one sitting, the episode wouldn't have bothered me at all. As a standalone episode, though, it was kinda weak.

 

The episode felt like it was in too much of a hurry. Which isn't the worst thing after the show dragged its feet for 2-3 seasons but they had some chances for exciting moments (Blackfish, Arya fight) and passed over them. Or they gave us a tease of things to come (Daenerys) and then punted on it, saying "we'll handle that next episode". The Mereen invasion took up all of 3-4 minutes of screen time. For such an important event, that's... pretty weak.

 

The more I think about it, the more this episodes screams "we're up against our budget, cut out the expensive bits and save that money for the end of the season".

[TheLeviathan]

I think that's exactly it Brock.  I've heard next week's battle was a massive expense that drained a major portion of their budget.  I hope it pays off in entertainment value.

[Mike Sixel]

 

I think that's exactly it Brock.  I've heard next week's battle was a massive expense that drained a major portion of their budget.  I hope it pays off in entertainment value.

 

spoliers!

 

jk.....

 

But I did not watch the previews, never do.