Game of Thrones

[Innermind]

I dunno ...

(without giving details)

That was some seriously disturbing shit. You just sat there praying it wasn't really happening and it did happen in arguably the most gut wrenching uncomfortable way....

Even the so called "reward scene" designed to pick you up after it wasn't at all satisfying. It felt like an uncomfortable distraction doing its best to take your mind off one of the most horrifying things ever on TV.

I am not certain there was really a need for the show to do that storyline in quite the fashion it did.

SPOILERS FOLLOW------



I believe the makers handled it well... they made it horrifying & disturbing without being over-the-top in your face by actually visually showing the pyre. The audio of Shireen was quite enough... the young actress did a masterful job of conveying her anguish with screams as the camera was focused on the parents faces instead of the child.

Could you imagine the uproar from fans/the public if the makers actually did the scene with added visual effects of a flaming pyre with a squirming/moving body as the flames begin to engulf the lower half of the child? Yikes!

Implied horror (without actually showing the horror) is quite an effective technique.

 

[WizardHawk]

Since this is just TV and not real life I guess I just wasn't nearly as bothered by this as some of you are/were. I'm not saying I didn't sit there with hope it would be stopped at the last second, but this comes nowhere near Ramsey to me. Not within miles of that dirt bag.

I'm a bit confused by the whole story line with Dany. Her most trusted advisers and part of her top guards were murdered by this masked bunch and after there isn't much in the way of ramping up protection or digging into who's behind it all. They just carry on and go right to the gladiator pit stuff.

Don't get me wrong, who doesn't love to see the dragon scenes.

After the big fight last week and the dragon this week, what do they have in store to be the cake topper to this season final coming up? Will it be as bad of a taste in our mouths as the red wedding? Or will we have any happy payoffs?

 

[calsnowskier]

Since this is just TV and not real life I guess I just wasn't nearly as bothered by this as some of you are/were. I'm not saying I didn't sit there with hope it would be stopped at the last second, but this comes nowhere near Ramsey to me. Not within miles of that dirt bag.

I'm a bit confused by the whole story line with Dany. Her most trusted advisers and part of her top guards were murdered by this masked bunch and after there isn't much in the way of ramping up protection or digging into who's behind it all. They just carry on and go right to the gladiator pit stuff.

Don't get me wrong, who doesn't love to see the dragon scenes.

After the big fight last week and the dragon this week, what do they have in store to be the cake topper to this season final coming up? Will it be as bad of a taste in our mouths as the red wedding? Or will we have any happy payoffs?

In past seasons, episode 9 was the big episode, not 10. This season looks like it was episode 8.

That said, we have not had any MAJOR deaths yet this season (unless you consider Barristan a MAJOR death). We are over-due for a big send off.

 

[Cave_Johnson]

I dunno ...

(without giving details)

That was some seriously disturbing shit. You just sat there praying it wasn't really happening and it did happen in arguably the most gut wrenching uncomfortable way....

Even the so called "reward scene" designed to pick you up after it wasn't at all satisfying. It felt like an uncomfortable distraction doing its best to take your mind off one of the most horrifying things ever on TV.

I am not certain there was really a need for the show to do that storyline in quite the fashion it did.

It wasn't necessary. At all. As some have said the reason for that scene was clearly to make Stannis not as likable and to show that there aren't many truly good people on the show. The problem is Stannis already came off that way. He killed his own brother and already burned several others including family members alive. They just had to write the burning scene because they made the mistake of showing that touchy-feely moment with Stannis and Shireen at the wall a few episodes back and they felt they had to compensate.

In addition, the scene made no sense. A couple leaches full of a base born bastard's blood can kill three kings (allegedly) but you have to give a trueborn daughter the Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru treatment to win one battle? Melissandre says that leaches won't work and she must be burned because "there is only one way" but we've already seen that there are SEVERAL other ways, leaches being one of them ( and vagina monsters another).

Doran Martel sending his only child and his best piece of leverage back to King's Landing doesn't make any sense either. If King Tommen ordered his sister back to the Capital there would have been a decree of some kind. Why Doran just takes Jamie's word for it is a mystery to me. There are a million other things that make no sense about what is happening in Dorne but it's just not worth getting into.

Also, they made Ser Meryn a pedo ( more shock value, woo hoo) with the likely intention of making Arya seduce him before she kills him next episode. Already cringing about that one. That's not a spoiler BTW, just speculation.

Fighting pits scene was cool, but I'm not sure why the Harpies wasted time stabbing random people in the crowd if they were ultimately after Dany or why they waited until the fighting was over before trying to sneak an assassin in. Seems like you'd do that while the fight was going on to ensure your target would be more enticed with the action. Also, good job spreading that greyscale around Jorah.

Finally Jon promised Stannis he would return his ships to him. Yet they clearly ditched the ships by coming ashore on the north side of the wall? They left from Eastwatch on the south side, why not dock there? Was it just so we could see that little douchebag kid giving Jon the stink eye again? Even if they didn't really ditch the ships, still not sure why they came ashore so far north.

Really gotta wonder about who proof reads these scripts at this point, so many changes just don't make any sense.

 

[Cave_Johnson]

Since this is just TV and not real life I guess I just wasn't nearly as bothered by this as some of you are/were. I'm not saying I didn't sit there with hope it would be stopped at the last second, but this comes nowhere near Ramsey to me. Not within miles of that dirt bag.

I'm a bit confused by the whole story line with Dany. Her most trusted advisers and part of her top guards were murdered by this masked bunch and after there isn't much in the way of ramping up protection or digging into who's behind it all. They just carry on and go right to the gladiator pit stuff.

Don't get me wrong, who doesn't love to see the dragon scenes.

After the big fight last week and the dragon this week, what do they have in store to be the cake topper to this season final coming up? Will it be as bad of a taste in our mouths as the red wedding? Or will we have any happy payoffs?

Just my opinion here, but it will be like the Red Wedding jumped in your mouth and took a shit. And then that shit took a shit and lit it on fire.

 

[Tharvot]

It wasn't necessary. At all. As some have said the reason for that scene was clearly to make Stannis not as likable and to show that there aren't many truly good people on the show. The problem is Stannis already came off that way. He killed his own brother and already burned several others including family members alive. They just had to write the burning scene because they made the mistake of showing that touchy-feely moment with Stannis and Shireen at the wall a few episodes back and they felt they had to compensate.

In addition, the scene made no sense. A couple leaches full of a base born bastard's blood can kill three kings (allegedly) but you have to give a trueborn daughter the Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru treatment to win one battle? Melissandre says that leaches won't work and she must be burned because "there is only one way" but we've already seen that there are SEVERAL other ways, leaches being one of them ( and vagina monsters another).

Doran Martel sending his only child and his best piece of leverage back to King's Landing doesn't make any sense either. If King Tommen ordered his sister back to the Capital there would have been a decree of some kind. Why Doran just takes Jamie's word for it is a mystery to me. There are a million other things that make no sense about what is happening in Dorne but it's just not worth getting into.

Also, they made Ser Meryn a pedo ( more shock value, woo hoo) with the likely intention of making Arya seduce him before she kills him next episode. Already cringing about that one. That's not a spoiler BTW, just speculation.

Fighting pits scene was cool, but I'm not sure why the Harpies wasted time stabbing random people in the crowd if they were ultimately after Dany or why they waited until the fighting was over before trying to sneak an assassin in. Seems like you'd do that while the fight was going on to ensure your target would be more enticed with the action. Also, good job spreading that greyscale around Jorah.

Finally Jon promised Stannis he would return his ships to him. Yet they clearly ditched the ships by coming ashore on the north side of the wall? They left from Eastwatch on the south side, why not dock there? Was it just so we could see that little douchebag kid giving Jon the stink eye again? Even if they didn't really ditch the ships, still not sure why they came ashore so far north.

Really gotta wonder about who proof reads these scripts at this point, so many changes just don't make any sense.

As a book reader, I can tell you Doran Martel has a plan, which hopefully will unfurl in a monologue or some sort this next episode. As far as Ser Meryn goes, there was a preview chapter involving Arya that follows this storyline pretty well.

I was confused a bit about Jon returning too. Not about the ships, which I assume are over at Eastwatch where he first got them, but because they were north of the wall and had to be let in the gate...I'm guessing the producers did this just for the scene with Ser Allister on top of the wall letting them in.

 

[Tharvot]

Just my opinion here, but it will be like the Red Wedding jumped in your mouth and took a shit. And then that shit took a shit and lit it on fire.

Yeah, if it's what I suspect it will be...gonna suck.

 

[Edonidd]

Yeah, if it's what I suspect it will be...gonna suck.

If it is what we are all pretty sure it will be, it will clear up a lot of speculation by book readers. One of the biggest theories was that after that person was killed, a certain other person would do something about it. But that certain other person is not there in the show, so they can't be reacting in that certain way. And the other big speculation is that after that person we all expect to be killed, is killed there is a certain power they have that might let them keep living. Except in the show that certain power hasn't been established or even hinted at, so it would feel more like dues ex machina.

God that was exhausting.

 

[Tharvot]

If it is what we are all pretty sure it will be, it will clear up a lot of speculation by book readers. One of the biggest theories was that after that person was killed, a certain other person would do something about it. But that certain other person is not there in the show, so they can't be reacting in that certain way. And the other big speculation is that after that person we all expect to be killed, is killed there is a certain power they have that might let them keep living. Except in the show that certain power hasn't been established or even hinted at, so it would feel more like dues ex machina.

God that was exhausting.

Hahaha, I was able to sort it out.

I don't think anything will be resolved but we will be left with the biggest goddamn cliff hanger ever and then cut to black.

 

[Edonidd]

Hahaha, I was able to sort it out.

I don't think anything will be resolved but we will be left with the biggest goddamn cliff hanger ever and then cut to black.

Sort of what I expected. But at least we only need to wait like 10 months to find out how this cliff hanger turns out. I bought Dance with Dragons at midnight the day it came out, and had finished it by about noon. And it looks like we still have at least a year before we find out how that cliff hanger ends. And hell, I think he left Brienne in a cliff hanger in Feast of Crows like 10 years ago if I remember correctly.

 

[WizardHawk]

I'm not sure the show can do anything that creates the shock value of the red wedding again. I'm not saying they can't do far worse things, but for those not reading the books the red wedding already showed you what happens when you get any kind of attachment to any one character or story line. I can't think of a single character or line that could be extinguished that would have that kind of impact again.

Any of the remaining Starks? no, not really. Jon? Lots of great entertainment value in his rise, but I don't expect him to be there at the end of the series. Dany? Who doesn't love seeing people burned alive, but I'm not sure she's all that lovable of a character. Tyrian? Only Lannister worth a piss, but he too is expendable.

 

[Tharvot]

Sort of what I expected. But at least we only need to wait like 10 months to find out how this cliff hanger turns out. I bought Dance with Dragons at midnight the day it came out, and had finished it by about noon. And it looks like we still have at least a year before we find out how that cliff hanger ends. And hell, I think he left Brienne in a cliff hanger in Feast of Crows like 10 years ago if I remember correctly.

Jaime too. We can cheat a little by looking at who has signed on for all 7 seasons of the show I suppose, but that certainly doesn't even guarantee anything because they could just be doing flashbacks or something.

Either way, I'm excited to see the last episode and will be chomping at the bit for the next season...and with a tremendous amount of luck, the next book next year.

 

[calsnowskier]

While I think Dany will win the game, thus making her "safe", I don't list her as one if the few characters that will cause "outrage" if killed.

Tyrian is such a cool character that I think he is almost un-killable. Almost like Daryl on TWD.

The other, as mentioned, is Jon. However, he is not half the character Tyrian is (pun intended). I think he is needed to keep the Wall and White Walker lines alive. No way Sam can carry that storyline.

 

[Edonidd]

I'm not sure the show can do anything that creates the shock value of the red wedding again. I'm not saying they can't do far worse things, but for those not reading the books the red wedding already showed you what happens when you get any kind of attachment to any one character or story line. I can't think of a single character or line that could be extinguished that would have that kind of impact again.

Any of the remaining Starks? no, not really. Jon? Lots of great entertainment value in his rise, but I don't expect him to be there at the end of the series. Dany? Who doesn't love seeing people burned alive, but I'm not sure she's all that lovable of a character. Tyrian? Only Lannister worth a piss, but he too is expendable.

ComedyTragedyCharacteristics

He has definitely written a comedy, not a tragedy. Which by classical definition means a happy ending, not the modern definition of comedy = funny. We all know the good guys are going to win at the end of the day. And he has set up Jon, Tyrion, and Arya to be the good guys from the start. Those 3 are all safe through the end. GRRM likes to play with conventions, and it could be the biggest bait and switch ever, but I would be incredibly surprised if any of those 3 were killed off. And Dany still has way too much to do to be killed yet, if at all.

 

[WizardHawk]

Well I certainly wasn't attempting to predict any actual character leaving. I'm simply saying even those, which are the only ones worth caring about in the series, would no longer shock me to see leave given that red wedding. It made me numb to even seeing Stannis buring his child alive to further show us how much under the spell of melisandre he is and how there is no one safe from him sacrificing them for his end goal.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

I am getting less and less excited on Sundays for the night's episode.

I'm there for the duration mind you, but I'll probably not read Book 6. No point as it will have no meaning.

 

[Edonidd]

I am getting less and less excited on Sundays for the night's episode.

I'm there for the duration mind you, but I'll probably not read Book 6. No point as it will have no meaning.

Georgy Boy said he is trying his hardest to get book 6 out before season 6. Or at least before season 6 is done. Which would still give it the punch it deserves. But then again George RR Martin saying hopefully before season 6, most likely means 2027, at the earliest. So I won't hold my breath. But yeah, book 7 is going to be completely spoiled for all of us. And for all the complaining non book readers did about spoilers, you can bet they wouldn't return the kindness and hold their tongues if you wanted to wait and read book 7 first.

 

[RegentDenali]

The matter of greyscale and Stannis daughter hasn't been explained well in the TV series and that's caused a lot of confusion.

Even though she was technically cured of the disease, it's permanent damage was still there on her face. Many in Westeros consider even children who survive it to be "unclean" and could still spread it. It's why even the kids who survive it are sent to live in isolation or killed.

It's not the main reason she was killed, but it was a contributing factor in why she was deemed more expendable, compared to if she had never caught the disease.

 

[calsnowskier]

Quick question for bookies, and to avoid spoilers, I prefer a yes/no answer...

Was the Stannis daughter scene in the books as well?

 

[Hornsstampede2.0]

I suspect the goofy and somewhat useless storylines from Dorne do the "shock and twist" ending

The sand snakes have been exceedingly boring.... Dorne politics are fairly reasonable...and Jamie/Bronn have served as some comedic duo homage to old comedy adventures

It almost has its fans fast forwarding through those parts. It could be a standard set-up.

GoT goes out of its way to lull you to sleep on certain things then pull out the rug with "WTF???" moments.

The Dorne storyline would be a perfect place to pull a finale cliffhanger stunner out of the blue sky.