Tag: game of thrones

Thoughts On Season 6, Episode 5

As usual, thoughts are below the cut to avoid spoilers:

Castle Black:

– it was really, really good to see Sansa comprehensively smackdown LIttlefinger. 

– OTHO, while trusting LF is a bad idea, so is turning away 30,000 knights. Although I think I know why they’re doing that and I feel kind of meh about it.

– Well, the Boars, Gore, and Swords guys are very happy right now!

– And I’m happy that Brienne is going to the Riverlands, because that means LSH!

– I’m more happy that I think Davos is going to White Harbor!

House of Black and White:

– seriously, this much stick fighting was not necessary. 

– I did like the backstory of the Faceless Men coming into the show.

– GRRM did “Mercy” better, and their more farce than Shakespeare version was ironically self-critical, but I think I know where they’re going with it. Batman doesn’t join the League of Shadows, after all. 

Kingsmoot:

– I liked Asha and Theon together, Euron’s speech was not as cool as in the book, and I missed the horn.

Dany: 

– while I don’t really care about Jorah, that was a nice sendoff.

Meereen:

– I thought the discussion with the R’hllorites was very interesting, although I don’t like the Rh’llor = burning unbelievers reductionism.

– I especially liked seeing Varys shaken by the High Priestesses’ knowledge.

Beyond the Wall:

– Well, that was eventful. I still think I’m right about the White Walkers – this version has some major sequencing problems, like the War between the First Men and the Children, and the Pact that ended it, coming before the Long Night, and the Children fighting against the White Walkers during the Battle for the Dawn. However, evil magic turning against its masters is still evil. 

– Bran getting the mark of the Night’s King was interesting, although the whole not ready/dead mentor thing was very very Hero’s Journey in a way that GRRM is more deft with. Hope he’s learned everything he needs, because he’s not getting another chance. 

– Bran causing Hodor’s condition through time I could definitely see; the whole thing about Hodor being “Hold the Door” seems a bit small potatoes.

– Meera killed a White Walker!

– Benioff and Weiss must be tired of dealing with the animal wranglers, because they really are on a direwolf-killing rampage. 

– the whole staging of the zombie movie sequence was very dark and confusingly staged on the TV I saw it on. 

Thoughts on GoT 6×4:

Below the cut as per usual:

Castle Black:

– Loved pretty much everything here. Jon and Sansa’s reunion was incredibly heartwarming, it was great to see Sansa being the political mind behind Jon’s warrior. 

– Brienne being a dick to Davos and Melisandre wasn’t cool. Tormund trying to seduce her with his sensual eating habits was amazing. 

– I like that we really got a sense from this episode where the Northern plot is going, and a sense of narrative momentum. Good. 

The Vale:

– teenaged Robin Arryn is bigger, but just as nuts.

– watching Littlefinger run rings around Bronze Yohn Royce was the most impressive he’s been in seasons.

Meereen:

– Well, I feel more vindicated on my Meereen-is-Reconstruction argument now. Good to see Missandei and Grey Worm having political opinions on slavery and pushing back against Tyrion’s privileged bullshit while Tyrion still had a general point. Still would have worked better if Meereen was actually being besieged. 

Vaes Dothrak:

– oy vey. Daario and Jorah’s scenes were painfully bad.

– this show is making threats of rape against Dany cliched and trite, and that’s fucked up.

– final sequence would have worked a lot better with a 40 foot dragon towering behind Dany.

King’s Landing:

– as with Castle Black, definitely got a good sense of narrative momentum, with Cersei burying the hatchet with the Queen of Thorns and planning to take out the High Septon. 

– Jonathan Pryce is an amazing actor as always, but I feel like his scene with Margaery was lacking in motivation for him. What is he trying to get from Margaery? Just informing on her brother? Not enough to justify this much screen time. 

Pyke:

– well done, and a very unexpected and heartfelt end to that scene.

Winterfell:

– no scenes in Winterfell again? Weird. 

– joking aside, this shit is also getting cliched. We know Ramsay’s evil, you have shown us this over and over again to the point where it’s not interesting any more. 

– can’t wait to see what GRRM has in mind for Osha that isn’t this.

What are your thoughts on “Oathbreaker”? I have some concerns about parts…

So here’s my thoughts

Castle Black:

– I liked that Jon was genuinely messed up by what had happened to him.

– I liked Melisandre’s change of heart regarding the PWWP, and that Jon is being seen as a God is interesting.

– Jon executing his murderers and then leaving the NW very much answers that question, and sets him up to go lead Sansa’s army.

Oldtown:

– well, Sam’s going on a detour to Horn Hill, as expected. Interesting…

Tower of Joy:

– I was a bit underwhelmed by the staging of the fight itself, as I said on twitter. Ending it before we see Jon is a kind of hilarious tease, tho. 

– But Bran’s interactions were interesting…I wonder if we’re building to him going by himself into the past and finding out about Jons’ birth that way.

Vaes Dothrak:

– Eh. Underwhelmed by this whole storyline. 

Meereen:

– Loved Varys’ interrogation of the prostitute from last season. 

– Tyrion’s scene with Missandei and Grey Worm was a total waste of money. 

King’s Landing:

– finally starting to like this storyline, now that I see where things are going. Looks like Cersei and Jaime are planning to use Ser Gregor to assassinate the High Sparrow at either Cersei’s or Margaery’s trial. Definitely see a break between Cersei/Jaime/Qyburn and Kevan and the Tyrell.s

– Parents, tell your kids not to take candy from Qyburns.

Braavos:

– not sure why they didn’t just blend this with the previous scene of Arya getting her ass kicked, but it was good to see Arya learning the lying game, learning to poison by smell, and fight with her ears. 

The North:

– No scenes in Winterfell this week. Certainly no scene that slanders the Umbers by suggesting they’d stoop to Shaggydog murder.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=T_TEMEe9b6o

Video Podcast of HBO’s Game of Thrones, Season 6 Episode 1, “The Red Woman”

And we’re back! Apologies for the first 30 seconds or so where we’re discussing whether we’re recording, obviously we’re a bit rusty – and next week, this’ll come out much sooner than Friday. But here’s what we thought of the episode:

(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)