GOT season six (spoilers galore)

[TheLeviathan]

 

spoliers!

 

jk.....

 

But I did not watch the previews, never do. 

 

Oh, sorry!  Figured that came with viewing the episodes.  Either way you knew the Northern battle was coming.  How it turns out I have no idea, but the producers have talked about this being their largest battle scene of the show, blowing Hardhome and others out of the water.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Oh, sorry!  Figured that came with viewing the episodes.  Either way you knew the Northern battle was coming.  How it turns out I have no idea, but the producers have talked about this being their largest battle scene of the show, blowing Hardhome and others out of the water.

 

Ha, no really, I knew it was coming. Not an issue at all. 

 

I suppose next you'll tell me a major character dies......

 

Do people think the Stark matriarch is returning?

 

btw, somehow, the Arya stuff makes the three eyed rave stuff look exciting......whomever is writing the Arya parts does not have a good grasp of what the audience wants to see, imo.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

btw, somehow, the Arya stuff makes the three eyed rave stuff look exciting......whomever is writing the Arya parts does not have a good grasp of what the audience wants to see, imo.

It's weird. The show largely passed over the Arya "holding pattern" we suffered through in the books (her seemingly endless circle with Riverrun and the Hound) but then proceeded to drag out her story in Easteros, adding a different holding pattern there.

 

It's as if they know we want to see Arya return to Westeros and kick ass but either didn't care or didn't have the energy to make her voyage toward the series' end game interesting. Instead, they just let her circle the drain for awhile and then plan to plug her back into the main story thread when it's convenient (which appears to be now).

 

The easiest fix for the problem would have been to speed up her exit from Easteros and then reunite her with Caitlyn in Westeros, which instantly brings them both back into the fray we care about.

 

Having her meet Brienne would have been another acceptable solution. The story needs to continue aggressively merging storylines. That doesn't mean Caitlyn needs to join Sansa/Jon or anyone else but we should start seeing character storylines merge at nearly a one per episode pace. Having 5-6 small groups of allies makes every storyline more exciting, even if those small groups don't merge into one supergroup right off the bat (or at all).

[TheLeviathan]

Caitlyn?  Am I missing something?

[Brock Beauchamp]

Caitlyn? Am I missing something?

Did something happen to her in the show and I forgot about it?

[TheLeviathan]

 

Did something happen to her in the show and I forgot about it?

 

Are you talking about Arya's mother?

[Brock Beauchamp]

Are you talking about Arya's mother?

Yeah. I thought the show completely passed over her post-death storyline but maybe I'm forgetting something.

[PseudoSABR]

 

Yeah. I thought the show completely passed over her post-death storyline but maybe I'm forgetting something.

They did.  I think the confusion is calling her Caitlyn rather then Lady Blackheart.  

[Brock Beauchamp]

They did. I think the confusion is calling her Caitlyn rather then Lady Blackheart.

Ah, right.

[TheLeviathan]

I don't think Stoneheart is back in the show at any point. I could see Arya and the Hound reuniting.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I don't think Stoneheart is back in the show at any point. I could see Arya and the Hound reuniting.

It's possible she never returns and that might be the right decision but we may not be done with her yet.

 

I could easily see it going either way. Her little roving band of misfits could easily be a force in the coming war for the north.

[TheLeviathan]

Either way that isn't much of a story merge since one isn't really happening.

 

Unless Brienne, stoneheary, jaime, the hound, and Arya come together. That has some book elements.

[Mike Sixel]

Is Breinne going to have to kill Jamie at some point, do we think?

[gunnarthor]

 

Is Breinne going to have to kill Jamie at some point, do we think?

No, I think Jamie will die b/c of something Cercei does.  Perhaps the wildfire under the city?  I have no idea what that thing she was whispering to Qyburn was about but I wouldn't be surprised if she's the reason King's Landing gets burned so maybe she's thinking she can release the wildfire under the great sept?

 

 

[Brock Beauchamp]

I always expected Jaime to be forced to make a choice between Tyrion - and what he knows is right - and Cersei - and what he knows is wrong.

 

I expect the character to die at that moment or switch alliances.

[TheLeviathan]

I could see him sacrificing himself for Brienne also.  It's hard to tell what will happen to the south once the war in the North starts really raging.

[PseudoSABR]

So much for the loyalty of hounds. (No Ghost either...).

[Mike Sixel]

Since the Starks are always stupid, do we now know John is a stark? How about just once, a leader isn't stupid? I mean

, awesome battles, and great character stuff. But come on.

[gunnarthor]

Yeah, seemed like another stupid death to piss off the viewers.  I was surprised on how bored I was with the big northern battle.  You knew the Vale was going to show up and it seems like Sansa should have maybe mentioned that to Jon.  Oh well.

 

The scenes with Dany were far better.  Obviously, the show is fast forwarding a lot of stuff to finish the show but watching dragons burn ships makes me smile.  

 

I do wonder if Davos is going to kill Mellisandre next week.  

[Mike Sixel]

the battle scenes were great. They showed how awful war is. But, we all knew the Vale was showing up, so the suspense was gone, really. That was a bummer. I almost wish Jon had just died and stayed dead this time. So stupid it made me annoyed with the show. Like, really annoyed.

 

I will miss Ramsey....great actor, and super smart character. As I read on line, how did the stupid Starks ever rule the North over the much smarter Boltons all these years?

 

What, exactly, are the Greyjoys going to be if not pillagers? Why would she "agree" to not being true to who she and her people are?

 

All in all, a great technical episode, some good lines, but maybe I'm just burned out on the who they are using stupidity to move the plot ahead super quickly.

[TheLeviathan]

My wife and I also couldn't understand why Sansa wouldn't just tell Jon about the Vale.  

 

As for the Boltons and the Starks - the Boltons didn't have loyalty because they used cruelty rather than honor as the basis for their relationships.  Who would you rather bend the knee to?  Someone who may not be as smart, but is far more trustworthy or guys that will flay you at a moments notice?

 

It's nice to see Mereen finally over.  The dragons are in combat, Tyrion is acknowledged for his good advice, and she has the three greatest battle weapons in the known world at her command.  (Khalasar, Unsullied, dragons)  Very good stuff.  

 

I thought the battle was good and most of all - it was nice to see Sansa finally get a win.

[Mike Sixel]

Why didn't anyone try to fight the dragons? They hung in the air (how?) "forever" over 1-2 boats.

 

And, good point on the cruelty vs honor thing. Ok, how come no one else beat the Starks? 

 

The other problem was the it was an entirely predictable episode. 

[TheLeviathan]

 

Why didn't anyone try to fight the dragons? They hung in the air (how?) "forever" over 1-2 boats.

 

And, good point on the cruelty vs honor thing. Ok, how come no one else beat the Starks? 

 

The other problem was the it was an entirely predictable episode. 

 

For me the tension came in just how much of Jon's forces were going to get slaughtered before the Vale arrived.  They dragged it out for a long time.  Plus - this show has only given us cruelty for so long I was resisting the urge my brain was giving me to expect the worst the entire time.  

 

I also thought about archers hitting the dragons, but i think there was a shock factor at work.

 

The Starks established themselves through Bran the Builder.  Winterfell was the most secure fortress in the North and he was known for his feats of architecture.  They rallied allies to their cause through military victories over a very, very long period of time.

[Mike Sixel]

 

For me the tension came in just how much of Jon's forces were going to get slaughtered before the Vale arrived.  They dragged it out for a long time.  Plus - this show has only given us cruelty for so long I was resisting the urge my brain was giving me to expect the worst the entire time.  

 

I also thought about archers hitting the dragons, but i think there was a shock factor at work.

 

The Starks established themselves through Bran the Builder.  Winterfell was the most secure fortress in the North and he was known for his feats of architecture.  They rallied allies to their cause through military victories over a very, very long period of time.

 

Except there were no individuals to care about on Jon's side anymore.....other than Jon and his two lieutenants, they are all anonymous. For me, it didn't matter how many died, Jon was going to live. Tormund might die, but I'm not sure why anyone would care all that much, and Davos had to live so we can wonder if he's going to kill the Red Woman or not. Also, now Littlefinger is the most powerful Northern leader.......maybe.

 

Something is really lacking, for me, in this season. Honestly, Sandor Clegane's story is the best of the year for me right now.....and King's Landing is at least interesting and unpredictable. 

 

It was much more interesting when it was smaller, and about the characters and their schemes. I love the fights and battles.....but something is missing for me this year. I think they are skipping too much ..... if archers and a hundred boats can't fight 3 dragons, how will a couple of magical beings and a bunch of zombies?

[jimmer]

Loved last night's episode.  Loved how Ramsay finally bit the dust.  Loved the conversation between Dany and the Greyjoys along with Tyrion's conversation with Dany. 

 

Jon was Jon.  He truly knows nothing, but he has honor, he is loyal and he is brave. I applaud those qualities. I have no problem rooting for characters like that.  Often your strengths can also be your weakness.  Ramsay found that out.

 

The nights of the vale coming in led by my favorite character in the show.  Can't wait to see how the leadership of the North turns out.

[gunnarthor]

 

 

 

And, good point on the cruelty vs honor thing. Ok, how come no one else beat the Starks? 

 

 

 

Start at 1:45 for the answer to that question.  

[TheLeviathan]

 

 

Start at 1:45 for the answer to that question.  

 

By the way -  I can't recommend these videos enough.  They are brilliantly done and highly informative and entertaining.  And you can find them all on youtube.

[TheLeviathan]

 

It was much more interesting when it was smaller, and about the characters and their schemes. I love the fights and battles.....but something is missing for me this year. I think they are skipping too much ..... if archers and a hundred boats can't fight 3 dragons, how will a couple of magical beings and a bunch of zombies?

 

I would agree, when the central characters were all in basically three places (The Wall, King's Landing, and Essos) it was a better show.  But they tried to follow the books and the books just spun the story in too many directions.  I think the clunkiness of this season (I would agree, it has been clunky) has been trying to weave too much together too quickly.

 

But think of the alternative, if they had dragged everything that happened this season over two seasons, wouldn't you feel that to be a detriment as well?  So I kind of blame the book's pacing for this more than anything.  But the show didn't patch that problem well, I agree.

 

Here is something to look forward to now: The Greyjoys, Tyrion, Dany are all in the same place.  Jon, Sansa, Littlefinger, Sandor (likely), Arya (likely), Davos, and Melisendre are all in the same place.  So a lot of those stories that were jumping around have converged.

 

Also, are we setting up a scenario with 5 queens?  Sansa, Elia Martell, Asha Greyjoy, Margaery Tyrell, and Dany joining forces at some point?  That certainly seemed to be an underlying connection for the Greyjoy-Targ alliance.

[Mike Sixel]

As you know, I have been predicting it will be the women who rule in the end.......and if Sansa marries Littlefinger and somehow runs that show....it will look that way.

 

Her speech of "don't you think I know anything" was a glimpse of what she could be. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

It's common in fantasy lore that dragons are nigh invulnerable. Firing an arrow at a dragon is akin to spitting on a tank.

 

If Martin is using common fantasy tropes - and it appears he is - even the Greek fire catapults probably wouldn't hurt a dragon (and you can't really aim those things so the fleet was basically helpless against the dragons, even though they were hovering).