Game of Thrones

[Stakesarehigh]

It’s interesting. And it poses a bigger question for me..why must someone become the NK/NQ?

Like if someone like Bran is telling me someone has to take that spot to protect the winter cycle I would ask why....what’s the downside if someone doesn’t.

They just faced the gravest threat to mankind ever, and barely slipped past it (thanks to a Hollywood ending). What could be worse than that, which would necessitate someone taking that spot? Logic would say that the new NK/NQ would just come down some winter with another gravest threat to mankind.

I have a struggle with what could possibly be worse than that if they didn’t replace the NK.

To me it would've maybe made more sense to have the NK with a bit more a purpose. I and another poster were discussing the Mass Effect trilogy (nerdy I know) but as I thought on it sometimes man needs a common enemy to keep them from destroying each other (or a reset), or in the case of mass effect and possibly to a degree GOT the herd needs thinning for the betterment of mankind long term.

The Targaryen dynasty was nearly destroyed by man, the Starks depleted by man.

Just makes more sense if the NK was a balance and not such a big bad.

And it feels to me if we're going to spend another series on it there's obviously more to it

 

[Orlando Eagles]

To me it would've maybe made more sense to have the NK with a bit more a purpose. I and another poster were discussing the Mass Effect trilogy (nerdy I know) but as I thought on it sometimes man needs a common enemy to keep them from destroying each other (or a reset), or in the case of mass effect and possibly to a degree GOT the herd needs thinning for the betterment of mankind long term.

The Targaryen dynasty was nearly destroyed by man, the Starks depleted by man.

Just makes more sense if the NK was a balance and not such a big bad.

And it feels to me if we're going to spend another series on it there's obviously more to it

Good points. I guess after all I’ve seen for 7+ seasons it feels like the “NK is here for balance so man doesn’t destroy one another” thing was not very effective. They were destroying the shit out of each other for a long time now.

So tell me I have to take dragonglass to the heart to protect man and take things back to the wonderful utopia things were before the NK went south? That’s a hard sell.

 

[Proud_Okie]

I'll agree with many here that are upset if the NK's death is truly the end of the winter story. I don't think it will be though. There would be too many plots destroyed as many have pointed out. Just like Berik was brought back many times to save Arya, Jon was brought back for something.

I think the real enemy being Cersei is also more smoke screen. It will be important and more important characters will be lost in it but the ultimate battle might come from within group after that battle is won. Or perhaps one of the characters, say Dany, is about to die and in order to keep them alive, Jon, puts dragon glass through her heart. By some turn of events, I'm seeing either Jon, Dany, or maybe even Cersei becoming the new NK/NQ restoring the winter cycle. Least likely I am thinking is Jon though because he was brought back by fire. But the overall result is the reset button is hit on everything.

As a side note. Why doesn't everyone just shove dragon glass in their heart before they die? Or are the COTF and Weirwood trees needed to make this work out right? Benjin had this happen and he didn't lose all that was good within him.

I'm starting to lean that way, too. Jon will stab Dany through the heart and she becomes the Night Queen.

 

[rsw626]

ref arya:

when arya and melsandre met. the Red Priestess tells her, “I know you., arya replies, “You said we’d meet again. You said I’d shut many eyes for good and you were right about that, too,” to which Melisandre replies, “Brown eyes, green eyes, and blue eyes.”

she’s already killed Walder Frey and Meryn Trant, both of whom have brown eyes.

cersei and daenerys have green eyes.


One of Two People Will Kill Cersei on ‘Game of Thrones’ & We Have Proof

Daenerys, like all Targaryans, has purple/violet eyes.

 

[Guy Incognito]

Daenerys, like all Targaryans, has purple/violet eyes.

In the books, yes.

In the show, no.

Also worth noting, I remember reading somewhere that Melisandre doesn't give this quote to Arya in the books.

 

[chf]

Forgive my naivite on the subject. While I understand there's more to cinematography than just color-grading, I would have thought it started with actually being able to see what the fuck you're looking at.

Sure, taking off the lens cap is certainly job one.

 

[chf]

I saw it (maybe not quite the clear) 2nd viewing. It was noticeable


the people complaining have valid point, because first viewing when the wave of undead attacked, all I could see was wave of gray, looked like a dust storm killed everything

I guess it depends on what kind of clarity you're expecting. With the way a LOT of action shows have been shot in the last 10 years, sometimes it's really hard to even tell who is hitting whom (I'm looking at you non Paul Greengrass Bourne cinematographers), and that's in scenes shot in DAYLIGHT.

For a LONG time most night time scenes were actually filmed in the daytime, and then processed to look like night in post.

Advances in cameras/lenses have made low light stuff easier to do. Even then, in a LOT of tv shows, you'll see them light the background (they did some of this in the latest season of Punisher), so you'll get this glow that seems to come from nowhere that makes it possible to pick out trees and whatnot in the background.

I read up a bit on this specific episode, after the discussion yesterday, and they didn't want to do those things BECAUSE it would look fake and staged. So they actually shot available light.

So if you were expecting to see the facial details of each individual zombie warrior, you were going to be disappointed. They wanted the battle to look chaotic and put you in the middle of the chaos.

I'm thinking that a LOT of people were saying that they couldn't even make out who was who in the battle. I never got that personally, I could always see enough to figure out who was a zombie and who was a good guy. Even though they had a LOT of action in the frame, they kept the shots fairly steady (no crazy Bourne style camera moves, no breaking the action axis etc)

But apparently a LOT of people's mileage varied considerably.

Too bad because the actual cinematography (framing, focal length etc) was really really good. I'm glad you got a chance to watch it a second time and see more.

 

[ElTexan]

The NK is just an ominous characterless threat. There was no way this fight would be the ultimate resolution. That would truly be bad writing.
We predicted the NK would be dispatched in episode 3, and then the true overall arc, the battle for the iron throne would resolve the series.
It’s plainly obvious that’s how it had to end.
This isn’t an 80s horror movie. It’s an 8 season long epic of political intrigue.

 

[ElTexan]

Besides Arya (and even she might have satisfied her bloodlust by now), does anyone in the north have any compulsion to go fight Cersei?

Jon defeated NK
Sansa killed Bolton and Littlefinger.
Wildlings def don’t give a fudge.
The northern houses don’t want a southern Prince anyway.

What am I missing? That Jon bent the knee? Heck, even he has new info that calls that into question.

 

[chf]

That guy Tywin hired re-worked the steel, which is not the same thing as forging new Valyrian steel. That guy was also the only person in Westeros with the ability to re-work Valyrian steel.

melting down and making two blades where there was one is pretty much forging by definition. He didn't break the 2 hander into 2 pieces and weld new hilts on the shards.

But yes, no making Valyrian steel from scratch.

 

[Sparhawk]

I guess it depends on what kind of clarity you're expecting. With the way a LOT of action shows have been shot in the last 10 years, sometimes it's really hard to even tell who is hitting whom (I'm looking at you non Paul Greengrass Bourne cinematographers), and that's in scenes shot in DAYLIGHT.

For a LONG time most night time scenes were actually filmed in the daytime, and then processed to look like night in post.

Advances in cameras/lenses have made low light stuff easier to do. Even then, in a LOT of tv shows, you'll see them light the background (they did some of this in the latest season of Punisher), so you'll get this glow that seems to come from nowhere that makes it possible to pick out trees and whatnot in the background.

I read up a bit on this specific episode, after the discussion yesterday, and they didn't want to do those things BECAUSE it would look fake and staged. So they actually shot available light.

So if you were expecting to see the facial details of each individual zombie warrior, you were going to be disappointed. They wanted the battle to look chaotic and put you in the middle of the chaos.

I'm thinking that a LOT of people were saying that they couldn't even make out who was who in the battle. I never got that personally, I could always see enough to figure out who was a zombie and who was a good guy. Even though they had a LOT of action in the frame, they kept the shots fairly steady (no crazy Bourne style camera moves, no breaking the action axis etc)

But apparently a LOT of people's mileage varied considerably.

Too bad because the actual cinematography (framing, focal length etc) was really really good. I'm glad you got a chance to watch it a second time and see more.

Agreed 100%.
After viewing the episode a 2nd time with adjusted settings, everything was much clearer.

However, you only see an episode for the first time once.

If you didn't know how to set your TV up correctly or have Movie mode or brightness jacked up, the first viewing could easily be deemed subpar. When viewed correctly, yes, the cinematography is wonderful. I just wish I had known the first time around.

I didn't have a problem with who was who. I couldn't see what was going on between Jon/NK on their dragons. Missed the whole cape/broken jaw/claw slashes/etc.

I had more issues with the writing than the cinematography, though one didn't exactly help the other.

 

[chf]

As for Arya face-swapping with Theon, where'd she get the Theon face at a moment's notice? A Amazon drone? FacesRUs?

No. Just no.

 

[ElTexan]

Poll: What will Jamie do?

I predict he will go back to Cersei, and Jon will have to convince Dany to let him.

He dies protecting Brienne in the big battle although she’s on the opposing side.

 

[ElTexan]

Prediction: Euron bends the knee to Cersei, possibly to ask her hand in marriage. She murders him right on the spot.

 

[ElTexan]

As for Arya face-swapping with Theon, where'd she get the Theon face at a moment's notice? A Amazon drone? FacesRUs?

No. Just no.

He’s dead, like, right there.

 

[PatsFan2003]

I guess it depends on what kind of clarity you're expecting. With the way a LOT of action shows have been shot in the last 10 years, sometimes it's really hard to even tell who is hitting whom (I'm looking at you non Paul Greengrass Bourne cinematographers), and that's in scenes shot in DAYLIGHT.

For a LONG time most night time scenes were actually filmed in the daytime, and then processed to look like night in post.

Advances in cameras/lenses have made low light stuff easier to do. Even then, in a LOT of tv shows, you'll see them light the background (they did some of this in the latest season of Punisher), so you'll get this glow that seems to come from nowhere that makes it possible to pick out trees and whatnot in the background.

I read up a bit on this specific episode, after the discussion yesterday, and they didn't want to do those things BECAUSE it would look fake and staged. So they actually shot available light.

So if you were expecting to see the facial details of each individual zombie warrior, you were going to be disappointed. They wanted the battle to look chaotic and put you in the middle of the chaos.

I'm thinking that a LOT of people were saying that they couldn't even make out who was who in the battle. I never got that personally, I could always see enough to figure out who was a zombie and who was a good guy. Even though they had a LOT of action in the frame, they kept the shots fairly steady (no crazy Bourne style camera moves, no breaking the action axis etc)

But apparently a LOT of people's mileage varied considerably.

Too bad because the actual cinematography (framing, focal length etc) was really really good. I'm glad you got a chance to watch it a second time and see more.

Yes I could tell the difference between a white walker and someone who wasn't... But considering this is the battle of all battles where many heroes could die it would be nice if you could tell who the hero was. That did get better as the episode progressed.

Unless they were dragons and they all looked the same.

 

[Sparhawk]

Where does Bronn fit into all this now?
And how will we get to CleganeBowl?

 

[Cyder]

Poll: What will Jamie do?

I predict he will go back to Cersei, and Jon will have to convince Dany to let him.

He dies protecting Brienne in the big battle although she’s on the opposing side.

I think Jamie dies, Arya takes his face and uses it to get close to Cersi to kill her

 

[Sparhawk]

He’s dead, like, right there.

I would imagine harvesting a face is not speedy.

I thought it was pretty clear from Arya's training that taking a face was more like a ritual and took proper time to clean/wash/remove the face.

We don't know how long from Arya dispatching the waif that she took her face and hung it up. There was fresh blood on the ground and blood dripping from the mask, so maybe it is possible to just shuck the face off, but there has to be something else involved with getting the face to look normal. Of course, the writers could just gloss over this.

 

[ElTexan]

I would imagine harvesting a face is not speedy.

I thought it was pretty clear from Arya's training that taking a face was more like a ritual and took proper time to clean/wash/remove the face.

We don't know how long from Arya dispatching the waif that she took her face and hung it up. There was fresh blood on the ground and blood dripping from the mask, so maybe it is possible to just shuck the face off, but there has to be something else involved with getting the face to look normal. Of course, the writers could just gloss over this.

We’re not going to pretend this comes down to “it takes three hours for the dilithium crystals to recharge, captain.”
It’s magic. This isn’t a hinderance to making the scene I wrote-out, the one that actually puts on screen the skills she has acquired ...as opposed to the Vin Diesel ending the writers gave us.