Game of Thrones Series 6: sponsored by Clarke Excitement Vacuum vs. Dinklage

[The Merse]

There is no fucking way they are wrapping this up in just one more season, unless it's more or less constant heavy action and absolutely no filler at all, which based on their efforts of late will not be the case.

Where has this idea of S7 being the definitive answer to the question of the final season come from? Benioff and HBO were quoted as saying 7-8 seasons a few times a couple of years ago, and since then with Variety just this year -

In an exclusive interview with Variety, showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss said they are weighing wrapping up the Emmy-winning saga of Westeros and the battle for the Iron Throne with just 13 more episodes once this sixth season is over: seven episodes for season 7; six for the eighth and potential final season.

Clearly an abbreviated S7 and S8 would be all killer, no filler, so whilst there might only be those 13 episodes, I wouldn't be surprised if a couple were feature length and at least a full 2 seasons worth of 10 episode action was crammed into those 13 episodes.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Having now watched the episode (I've long since given up caring about spoilers in this), I thought the Arya thing was actually very well done. Everything in Meereen was fucking awful (as per) despite Dinklage's best efforts.

A Man must be a bit bereft though, in that big temple all on his own.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Also, Elliott Carver has stitched Tommen up like a kipper, the only question is whether dear old Margery has outsmarted him (probably not, she's a bit useless really).

That'll obviously end up with Cersei and Margery needing to be on the same side vs the Corbynistas.

[SvN]

This sums up the problem with the Ayra stuff much more eloquently than I could.

Personally I just think people are let down with Arya's portrayal. We've seen Arya be smart, be clever and crafty way before she even knew what the faceless men were. I remember in season 2 how well she hid her gender and identity after Yoren instructed her to hide it after leaving King's Landing. Only two people found out her gender and none found out her name.

And now we go to season 6. She is older, more seasoned and has been learning an assortment of skills from an order of assassins near mythos in their regard.

Just about everytime we've seen her we've seen Arya be smart, vicious, determined, pragmatic, etc.

Then we see her strolling around town completely carefree and then getting stabbed and tossed into a canal.

Wtf. Really? The reason so many people, who are being minimized and criticized as tinfoil hatters, made theories and ideas about what happened episode 7 is because we just could not wrap our minds around Arya's careless behavior in episode 7, her previous cautious behavior in episode 6, and then what happened to her last night in episode 8.

Now some are saying Arya was planning to lure the waif to the cave, but got stabbed first, but if that was the case she would have been much more prepared for anyone speaking or getting close to her, especially when the assassins shes trying to avoid are from a cabal of face changers.

Imagine if when the old woman approached her for the stab, Arya quickly dodges the knife slash and only sustains a slight nick, then disarms the Waif and tussles with her for a second before running and leading her to the cave. Then we see her spring her plan and kill the Waif in the dark.

This Arya would have been the Arya we've known and watched all these years. Instead we get Arya getting caught out, thrown into a river and stumbling into the home of an actress who just happens to be as skilled at suturing wounds as the nurse from Daredevil because she used to get stabby with her boyfriends. Really? It just sounds like such an asspull. She takes all these wounds, and then has a James Bond Casino Royale chase scene with the Waif acting as The Terminator after jumping from a two story building.

Our expectations of Arya being shattered along with this development just left a lot of people(including myself) very disappointed with this episode.

[Jimmy Floyd]

You could argue that the process has been her de-'smart'ing over a period of time, rather than training up - she's slowly realised that she doesn't want to be no one, she doesn't want to be A Girl, or indeed a boy, and she's gradually realised that she's a Stark and will stay a Stark, and the whole thing has reinforced her Stark identity after years away from the Starks, culminating in that line to A Man at the end. Could have done with a really clumsy direwolf image in the screenplay somewhere to back up my argument, but oh well.

That aside, it's just a holding pattern to keep the character somewhat in business and the actor in work, and we get to see Braavos which is quite a cool setting.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Bronn and The Hound were great, rest was a bit bleh.

That quote that SvN posted sums the Arya stuff up very well too.

I also assume that when we go back to Mereen the masters will have been defeated by the Dothraki/Drogon but we wont have seen shit which is bullshit.

Oh and purely based on the title of the next episode, it should be a cracker.

[Alan Shearer The 2nd]

Didn't think they'd actually go with that for a title.

Preview for anyone who hasn't seen it-

[phonics]

Am I an absolute monster or would most people not care that much about a 'wife' he's met once who we only got to marry as a way to off his family and all their mates and a child he's never seen?

Edmund sold out the only people alive that care he exists.

[Alan Shearer The 2nd]

I'm assuming it's mainly his son he's concerned about.

The Blackfish dying like that is a shitter though, don't even get to see him kick some arse a la Stannis.

[elth]

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Tyrion trying to bond with Grey Worm and Melisande

I *hated* that scene. Hated every second of it. Was desperate for it to stop.

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Somehow they took Dany out of Meereen and made it even more boring by having it focus on the two least interesting characters in the whole show - the two utterly dull ex-slaves. Varys and Tyrion's pointless bants aside, Meereen is where plot goes to die. It's bad in the books and it's unwatchable in the show IMO.

[elth]

It's the fact they had Arya poncing about in the last episode, completely oblivious to the obvious risk, openly allowing herself to get stabbed in the gut. They could easily have written a scenario with a similar ending but her at least staying true to her character.

It's the showrunners freelancing again. GRRM hasn't written (at least not publicly) how Arya gets out of Braavos yet so they made it up and, surprise surprise, they've utterly made a mess of it.

[elth]

Am I an absolute monster or would most people not care that much about a 'wife' he's met once who we only got to marry as a way to off his family and all their mates and a child he's never seen?

Edmund sold out the only people alive that care he exists.

I actually think it's the people in Riverrun that makes him yield the castle. He realises if Jaime assaults it everyone will die, and he's not willing to sacrifice his people for a lost cause. The war's over, he lost, and the Blackfish's stubbornness isn't a good enough reason to get all his men killed. He's going to live in exile at Casterly Rock either way, Riverrun will fall either way, the Blackfish will die either way - the only question is whether or not he makes Jaime siege his castle, destroy whatever's left of his lands, and annihilate his men along the way.

[Bernanke]

Man, the 4Chan-leak has been 95% true so far. I know at least one character who's going to bite the dust in the last episode.

That's what I get for "not caring about spoilers".

[Jimmy Floyd]

The two obvious questions are 1. What was Qyburn alluding to (the actor who plays him is so good), and 2. Where is Varys off to.

[Bernanke]

I'm fairly sure the Qyburn-thing hasn't been brought up in the show before, and I can see it being two things:

1. Wildfire
2. Tyrion

Leaning towards the first one.

[randomlegend]

Just watched it, really didn't think it was that bad. It has nothing on some of the season 5 dross.

[Lewis]

That episode preview makes it look like Littlecock and the Knights of the Vale will be rolling in at the last minute.

'But whose side are they on?'
*leg drops Jon Snow*

[Browning]

The WIldfire would make no sense because they were originally making it for Cersei before Tyrion took over, so it's hardly a "rumor".

[Bernanke]

The WIldfire would make no sense because they were originally making it for Cersei before Tyrion took over, so it's hardly a "rumor".

Not that Wildfire. The rumour was that the Mad King had the entire city lined with caches of it, I think they singled out the Sept of Baelor as one of the main places.

[ItalAussie]

The two obvious questions are 1. What was Qyburn alluding to (the actor who plays him is so good), and 2. Where is Varys off to.

I thought the answer to #1 is so obviously wildfire that it barely counts as a mystery.

The second one is a bit more of a puzzler. I'm currently leaning towards Dorne, because they're literally the only Westeros house from which Dnaerarerys could expect any support at all.

EDIT: Well, that or the Iron Islands, but they're coming to Dnaerearys to save her a trip.

[Browning]

Not that Wildfire. The rumour was that the Mad King had the entire city lined with caches of it, I think they singled out the Sept of Baelor as one of the main places.

Oh ok, I should have known that.

[Disco]

Varys has disappeared you say? I wondered when they were going to get around to this, the last series is going to have to be full to bursting.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Have I missed something with wildfire? I'm sure you're all right but I can't remember any other references to it in this series, other than Bran's dream thing which I thought was to do with the Mad King.

[Bernanke]

As dull as the story there has been this season, I actually think King's Landing could have a really strong ending.

According to the prophecy, Tommen should bite it soon enough, and that might set off Cersei. We also had this in Dany's vision from S3:



Cersei will level the city.

[Bernanke]

Have I missed something with wildfire? I'm sure you're all right but I can't remember any other references to it in this series, other than Bran's dream thing which I thought was to do with the Mad King.

Jaime revealed it in this scene I think:

[phonics]

What prophecy?

[Bernanke]

What prophecy?

"The king will have 20 children and you will have three. Gold will be their crowns . . . gold their shrouds."

[phonics]

Has she killed them all except Gendry at this point?

[ItalAussie]

Varys has disappeared you say? I wondered when they were going to get around to this, the last series is going to have to be full to bursting.

I'm fairly confident they've jettisoned that entire plotline from the books. Varys seems pretty much all in on Danaeryaereys.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Has she killed them all except Gendry at this point?

Yes.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Hopefully Varys has gone to Dorne for a multi-episode attempt to win the support of the Sand Snakes.

Said no one ever.

[Bernanke]

Top episode that.

[elth]

The kind of episode that makes you forgive all the nonsensical garbage they fill up 6/10 episodes a season with.

[SvN]

The sequence at the start of the battle where it followed Jon was just incredible. As was the part where he was suffocating under the bodies.

It's a shame that Littlefinger saving the day ended up being predictable, but it was still satisfying seeing Ramsey beaten to a pulp.

[Bernanke]

Just read that the scene with the horses charging at Jon isn't CGI. They had 40 actual horses rushing towards him at full speed only to stop and break away in the last seconds.

[SvN]

I thought the CGI at the start with Daenerys and the dragons was absolutely superb by the way. Last week's episode showing none of the interesting bits makes more sense now.

[Vim]

The part where he was suffocating genuinely scared me, at least now I know what I have a fear of.

Like SvN said, the part when the camera was following Jon at the start of the battle was amazing.

Tyrion as a filter to Dany to keep her away from her Mad King urges also worked really well, great to see them working together.

[Alan Shearer The 2nd]

Tyrion also happening to mention the wildfire the Mad King had all over the city...

[Lewis]

That was like when Stone Cold got his mojo back during the Invasion.

[John]

That was shit hot. Predictable as hell, I predicted one very specific beat after the third episode, but the battle itself was like Saving Private Ryan with axes. The bit at the beginning with Jon running at the cavalry and the shakycam stuff just focusing on him as everything goes bonkers around him were probably the best television action has ever been.

The writing around that was the same shoddy crap they've been doing all year though, selling out character for the sake of a nifty twist. Why wouldn't Sansa tell Jon that she's sent away for the support of the Vale (for which she can fuck right off, incidentally), other than to set up that moment when she arrives with Littlefinger and the Knights do the standard tardy saviour bit? The Mad Queen spent all night pissing around in her temple while the city was burning, seemingly so that it could be light outside when she went for a chat on that cliff.

The CGI was generally flawless, but there were two shots in Mereen, one of a dragon burning a boat and the one where the dragons smashed out through that wall, which looked quite poor.

Still, the battle was fucking good.

[Lofty]

It was a decent episode but Dany is so boring, it's always 'use the dragons' or 'contrived plot device that prevents use of dragons'.

At least a bit more thought goes into the other arcs.

[Vim]

Sansa not telling Jon about Littlefinger's help made no sense, but hey. I guess every big battle needs to have a third army coming in to save the day. Nothing beats Gandalf showing up at Helms Deep, obviously, but they always try to.

[GS]

That was fucking incredible.

[Alan Shearer The 2nd]

Despite the flaws in some of the writing, I do like some of the hidden touches like House Umber's sigil being a giant and Tormund Giantsbane biting out Smalljon Umber's jugular.

[Lewis]

'Daws' almost won the day with his MINDGAMES as well. Stupid fucking Jon Snow.

[Bernanke]

Also, who'd have thought the Mother of Boredom would have one of her best character scenes with Yara fucking Greyjoy?

[ItalAussie]

Outstanding episode. Worth the cheaper episodes they needed in the lead-up to have the money to do it.

I was discussing it with a friend, who reckoned that Sansa keeping quiet about the backup army made sense if she had some uncertainty over whether they would be able to make it in time. Which would explain why she seemed so tense the evening before in her argument with Jon. She couldn't have him waiting for a Plan B on the battlefield that might never arrive. I'm kind of willing to accept that explanation, as everyone involved would largely be acting sensibly in their position.

[John]

If she'd told him when she first sent the message then the battle plans wouldn't have been drawn, and they could have waited as long as was necessary. They shat the bed for the sake of the underdog story and the late arrival of the rescue party.

[Mazuuurk]

Since the England game went to shits I watched this instead. Pretty good.

Some stuff about/from the books (no spoilers for TV show):

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I was kind of wondering where the whole Littlefinger - Sansa thing was headed when he married her off to Ramsey instead of one of the Knights of the Vale like he at least intends to in the books, but now it seems it all kind of came together in the same outcome anyway somehow (or I mean, I assume, since most of this hasn't happened in the books yet)

Apart from that, Sansa is starting to become a bit of a badass. I also think Denaerys wasn't as insufferable this episode as she has been all season, all though I kind of hate it when she puts on her "badass look" and waits 3 seconds too long to say something.

Next episode will most likely end with:
- Denaerys sailing off to Westeros
- White walkers walking around close to the wall or something, giving it the old staredown
- Bran having some vision (100%) confirming R&L=J
- Sam meeting Ser Friendzone in Oldtown?
- Cersei burning down the sept of Baelor
- Arya showing up in White Harbour...?
- Varys meeting with someone in Westeros, most likely in Dorne


Another book-, but not TV-show spoiler:

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*I assume Ser Friendzone is merged with the Jon Connington character from the books ('cause I'm sure the latter also has greyscale?), and that that other random Targaryan kid that shows up in the books is just not really important to the whole story, which is kind of nice because I thought it was a little stupid in the books when they introduced him

[Mazuuurk]

If she'd told him when she first sent the message then the battle plans wouldn't have been drawn, and they could have waited as long as was necessary. They shat the bed for the sake of the underdog story and the late arrival of the rescue party.

Agreed, it seemed retarded to not say anything. Only a plot device I reckon.