Game of Thrones

[absta101]

Last 2 weeks have been strong.

Tyrion scene was obviously good. Really enjoyed Varys/Oberyn, tho as well as DAVOS. Very good episode overall.

I think this episode is way better than last weeks and probably the best episode of this season. The only parts that let it down are the ramsay/reek parts. I thought this episode was going to end that whole story line but I guess we'll have some more. Ramsay is a really shitty char atm.

[absta101]

Also I agree with Tyrion and Varys/Oberyn producing the best parts of the episode.
Stannis has been disappointing so far, Daavos is basically carrying him.

[quadz08]

Watched the episode tonight. Was really strong. Davos continues to be excellent, Peter Dinklage is super-badass all the time, I am relieved there was no Wall shit in this episode (I love Jon Snow but a break is appreciated) and omg Dany did something non-badass it's a MIRACLE.

[InflatablePie]

Fun fact: this was the first GoT episode in which there was not a single Stark onscreen.

[quadz08]

Huh. So it was.

[xRECKONERx]

THEY HAD ONE JOB

[xRECKONERx]

The positives this week:
- Arya: "What's your name?" Rorge: "Rorge." Arya: "Thank you." *stabs*
- Gendry & Brienne are still awesome, and this week we get a Hot Pie cameo! He sure knows a LOT about pies.
- Daario drops trou. Jorah is like, "Dany stop being a stupid bitch" and she goes "ok"
- Arya & The Hound have a weird bonding moment that actually kind of worked
- Littlefinger & Sansa's scene in the courtyard was actually touching before it got creepy! I didn't even notice his accent!
- Oberyn. More Tyrion Emmy reeltape material. Gorgeous.

The negatives this week:
- Oh, is that a "rule of thirds" storytelling trope I see in the three visitors to Tyrion's cell? Yawn.
- "Nothing is just nothing" has to be one of the worst written, and most poorly delivered lines in the history of the show. That's like something I would've written for my middle school creative writing class.
- Melisandre's whole scene was just... gratuitous and rather pointless. I did like the soft reveal of "lol I use magic tricks to fool idiots into believing this religious stuff" but other than that it SUCKED.
- Everything. About. The Wall. Sucks. Ass. Holy shit. Kit Harrington broods! Alister is an asshole! Sam is fat! More at 11!
- The snowcastle scene felt REALLY rushed and I didn't buy the switch from "Let's make a castle together!" to YOU RUINED IT *SLAP*
- "Only Cat". One job. You had one job to nail that scene. WHY THE FUCK would you go with, "Your sister" instead? IT WAS LITERALLY LAID UP FOR YOU.


This episode was super fucking uneven despite all the crazy shit that happened.

[Untrod Tripod]

it's not game of thrones if I don't say "wow, that's fucked up" at least once

[Venmar]

Meh, I liked the ending scene, didn't have a problem with the "Only Cat" and "Your Sister" distinction.

[hasdgfas]

That was a perfect episode. I'm not sure there's anything I have an issue with. Every scene was great, every line was well-delivered. "Only Cat" is a complete non-issue. "Cat" is not something that the show viewers would understand. Note that this doesn't mean that they wouldn't know that "Cat" is Catelyn, I mean that the Cat-Petyr relationship wasn't nearly as fleshed out in the show as it was in the books. There, it's clear that Petyr's in love with "Cat" from his childhood.

However, in the show, we didn't get as much of that. There's a bit of story about Petyr being in love with Catelyn, but the more important bit of that scene was Lysa's heartbreak and betrayal as Petyr tells her he's not in love with her and pushes her out the Moon Door.

"Your sister" did the job in the show that "Only Cat" did in the books, did it perfectly, and was well-delivered.

Jon continues his growth as a character past the brooding child to a man who has actually lived and loved and understands how life works.

Just fantastic. If I had one complaint, it'd be that it was over too soon.

[xRECKONERx]

I have no clue how that was a perfect episode in your eyes, but more power to ya.

[Venmar]

Don't like how Jon in the show though advocates sealing the tunnel when in the books he says sealing the tunnel is a hindrance that would make them blind (as in no ranging). [Of course i haven't finished ADWD yet, almost halfway, but this was his stance the last chapter i read from him.]

The little things.

[zoraster]

closing off the tunnel seems the more prudent tactical move, actually. You sally forth to disrupt things like siege engines, cut off supply lines, and so forth. Plus you need to do something to break a siege or you'll starve. Generally. But in a situation where no siege engine is capable of denting the Wall, there is no food on the attacker's side (meaning a full assault is the only real possibility, no siege), and so forth, there's no reason to provide a

torpedo vulnerable exhaust port

weak entry point. Furthermore, the only advantage the Night's watch has is the time. They have no chance of a meaningful surprise flank that could disrupt the wildling army. The lack of discipline on the wildling side makes holing up to the benefit of the watch as well as futile attacks on the Wall will only serve to make a diverse and undisciplined army fall apart.

[Aegor]

The positives this week:
- Arya: "What's your name?" Rorge: "Rorge." Arya: "Thank you." *stabs*

I would couple this with the negative of total lack of realism. The dude literally does not move in the seconds it takes for Arya to impale him. Surely he would be more on guard if he were about to kill the Hound?

- Daario drops trou. Jorah is like, "Dany stop being a stupid bitch" and she goes "ok"

The Daenerys scene in this episode was IMO one of the strongest non-Dracarys non-dragon birth one in the entire show. The unfolding of political and moral considerations really resonated with me.

The negatives this week:
- Melisandre's whole scene was just... gratuitous and rather pointless. I did like the soft reveal of "lol I use magic tricks to fool idiots into believing this religious stuff" but other than that it SUCKED.

I am not so sure that this analysis is giving enough credit to the material in the scene. What makes Stannis and Melisandre so compelling in the show is that they are basically free to explore the issues of morality, absolutism, the interplay between religion and state, fanaticism v. devotion, honor, legalism, and more in much greater detail and in a more distilled fashion than any other characters. Melisandre actually believes in the religion, which makes the "magic tricks" comment a bit reductionist in my opinion.

[Korts]

- "Nothing is just nothing" has to be one of the worst written, and most poorly delivered lines in the history of the show. That's like something I would've written for my middle school creative writing class.

To be fair, Arya is an adolescent, over-confident snot with no oratory training or writing experience. It makes perfect sense that when she wants to drop some massive truth bomb, she goes for nonsensical clichés.

[quadz08]

I thought the episode was pretty damn good. Nothing is just nothing is a pretty great line, IMO, and I think came right out of the books, IIRC. I am starting to get tired of "Alliser Thorne doesn't like Jon, you guys, just a reminder," but I assume the breaking point to that will be coming in an episode or two, so I can handle it.

[xRECKONERx]

- "Nothing is just nothing" has to be one of the worst written, and most poorly delivered lines in the history of the show. That's like something I would've written for my middle school creative writing class.

To be fair, Arya is an adolescent, over-confident snot with no oratory training or writing experience. It makes perfect sense that when she wants to drop some massive truth bomb, she goes for nonsensical clichés.

giving bad writing context within a story doesn't make it stop being bad writing

[xRECKONERx]

Also the VP of Tits & Ass at HBO apparently was watching the episode and saw Daario's ass for two seconds and hit the fucking PANIC BUTTON because good lord that Melisandre scene was gratuitous

[Venmar]

I liked the brief Daario scene more than the Melisandre moment myself .

[quadz08]

Also the VP of Tits & Ass at HBO apparently was watching the episode and saw Daario's ass for two seconds and hit the fucking PANIC BUTTON because good lord that Melisandre scene was gratuitous

Yeah that's pretty true. I was like "really, we have to see Melisandre's nipples in this scene? That is important to the story?"

I was rather hoping for a cock shot on Daario, too. Nope.

[absta101]

Peter Dinklage nailed it again in that scene with Oberyn.

[Venmar]

That scene was the greatest, probably the only part of the entire series where I actually got a tiny bit emotional.

[Venmar]

Oh, other than RW and Ned.

[chamber]

If there is an episode to complain about lack of male nudity, this is it. It was quite scene relevant and actually jarring to me when they didn't go there, pulling me out of the scene.

[quadz08]

It was quite scene relevant and actually jarring to me when they didn't go there, pulling me out of the scene.

Totally agreed.