Game of Thrones (HBO) - Time to jump on board

After seeing a few pictures from the next episode, I feel even more confident about this.

 

Well, can't say any of that was a surprise...

I mean, I called Jon 5 years ago as soon as I finished reading his last chapter. Chekhov's Red Priest being there and all.

Roose predicted Ramsey would do exactly that in ADWD.

Balon finally took the plunge about 3 seasons too late...

The only surprise for me is Hodor's name. What you talking about, Willis? Wait. Willis? Huh? It's WALDER!!! Oh... that's right. D&D think we're all idiots and would get confused by 2 characters having the same or similar names.

Why is Lyanna older than Ned?!?!?!

I'm taking a wild guess here and Hodor is the way he is because someone knocked him in the head too hard while play fighting. Maybe Benjen? Is that why he took the black? Guilt?

Tyrion Lannister, Ladies and Gentlemen. He gets the best lines.

Spoiler: Math equation / book theory. No. The other one.

I'm beginning to wonder now if A+J does indeed = T. Always seemed a bit too convenient for GRRM.

Is there anyone in Braavos that wonders why that young woman is beating up that poor blind girl?!?! And, of course, we won't get the PAY OFF to Arya's blindness. Heavens no. Seven forbid a damned cat enter the picture...

Still a solid episode overall. But compared to 9/10 of last season, most episodes would be.

By the previews for next week, it looks like we'll finally see a certain Tower. And most likely confirmation of another math equation...

Spoiler: Math equation / book theory. Yes. THAT one.

R+L=J

 

So much to talk about here. I'm really enjoying this season so far. Like you said though, the bar was pretty low after last season.

I guess I was wrong about my earlier prediction of how Jon was going to rise from the flames. It's really weird how they change names.

Good theory about Hodor. "I drink and I know things. That's what I do."

My wife has been saying your first math equation for a long time. I've felt it was just too convenient, but doubt it's too convenient for D & D.

Punching bag of the canals. The canals are a rough place.

I didn't see the preview for next week, but the purpose of Bran's scene to me was to lay the foundation for the second math equation.

I want a giant reanimated body guard.

 

He'd make one hell of a 5 technique.

 

I've had this picture as my computer's wallpaper for almost a year. I found it and put it up as soon as this location was announced as a filming location - long before they actually filmed there, or we knew what was to be filmed there. (Well, we knew. It just wasn't confirmed. I mean... LOOK AT IT! )



I told my wife after that preview, "You know that picture I have on my computer? Next week, you'll see why I'm using it." When she asked why, I told her that oh, pretty much the whole story pivots on what actually happened at that location. Nothing major or anything...

 

Ugh. Poor Shaggy Dog. (Unless they somehow got a hold of Greywind's head. But Shaggy is darker, so probably not).

I was hoping the Umbers were playing coy. "Great Northern Conspiracy" and all that. And the Umbers would have ZERO cause to align with the Boltons (I don't buy the Wildlings excuse). So I'm still holding out hope it's a ruse. But with Shaggy's head? Not so sure. I just hope they don't plan on killing Rickon soley so they can fill their seasonal Stark bag limit...

At this point, D&D are just absolutely trolling the book readers. Give us the Tower of Joy. But screw it up just the same (Would it kill them to have 7 on 3?!?!?!) And then to withhold the one vital piece of info that scene contains? Inexcusable.

Nothing else of importance happened tonight. Sure, Jon's walking away. But most already saw that coming. His vows being fulfilled and all...

Tormund Giantsbane! Nice to meet you, finally. Where were you and who was that imposter in your place the past 3 seasons? Still haven't heard a "Harr!"

 

Summer is still alive albeit not seen on screen for a long time.

 

Still trying to wrap my mind around the Umbers just handing Rickon over.

The North forgets?!?!

It took 2 viewings, but on my second viewing, I realized that the man who plays Ser Arthur Dayne is the same actor who plays Woodes Rogers on "Black Sails." He certainly achieved the goal of making Dayne look like a badass. Which brings me to a huge nit to pick. No. Not the absence of "Dawn." Show only viewers wouldn't care about that anyway. No. Not his dual wielding. It's a common visual media trope.

It's the insinuation that Ned LIED about beating Dayne. Not true... at all. Yes, Ned told his children several times about fighting Dayne. And the point he always got across was that Dayne was the best swordsman he ever saw, and that Dayne would surely have killed him if not for Howland Reed. He never once said he bested him.

Scratch that. 2 nits: That somehow Reed stabbing Dayne in the back was dishonorable. It was a free-for-all fight. Not a one on one duel. If anyone is to blame, it's Dayne for turning his back to an opponent assuming he's out of the fight. I'll go even further. It was all THREE Kingsguard (book cannon) who were at fault. Taking on 7 men for a lost cause. Brave? Sure. Committed? Absolutely. But what, exactly were they trying to accomplish? (Assuming it's Lyanna in the Tower) Did they believe Ned would harm his sister?!?!?! (Or even harm... not going there yet. Spoiler territory)

And why the hell is Jaime team Cersei?!?!?!?!?!

 

I mentioned the GNC in a post above, and I would dearly love it if it went that way.

But I have no faith in D&D.

 

That was some pretty damned entertaining fan fiction!

Entertaining, if a bit easy. Fan fiction because, yeah... ain't NONE of that happening in the books. Oh, where to start...

Sansa and Jon's reunion. Awesome. Won't happen (at least in that way or time) in the books, but nice to see. I appreciated that Sansa confessed to being unnecessarily mean to Jon growing up. Brienne and Pod at the wall? Never.

But I still laughed out loud at Tormund ogling Brienne... and Dolorous Ed giving the "Really, dude? Whatever does it for you, I guess" look at him.

Nit: Why bother with the Pink Letter AFTER Jon's stabbing??? Just so Sansa could be there? Ugh.

NotDaario and Ser Friendzone: NotDaario bores the hell out of me. They might as well have given him a different name because he in no way embodies Daario of the books. I guess the ladies (and some men) might find him good looking, but he has all of the charm and charisma of a dead fish. And the taunting dialogue was just.... why? As stellar as their writing has been the past 2 seasons, I'm surprised they didn't just have Daario tell Jorah to smell his finger. And we get it: Jorah is old. Let's move it along....

Who did Natalia Tena tick off? "Ummmm, yeah. We want you to come back as Osha. You'll have 2 scenes just so we can show the audience what they already know ad nauseum: Ramsey is dangerous."

Little Lord Robyn got tall! Still a helpless dweeb (and probably not long for the world). Ok, so Littlefinger is assembling the Vale to march on the North. Interesting, and will probably play out in the big battle this year, but again: not likely anything that happens in the books... at least not in this context.



So... yeah. The whole King's Landing stuff is probably much watered down and bastardized from where it's going in the books. But should be fun to see it play out just the same.

Which brings me to the big scene...

I honestly don't know how to feel about this. On one hand, it's a badass moment for Dany. On the other? ARGGGHHHHH!!!! SHE IS NOT IMMUNE TO FIRE!!!!!!! STOP IT!!!! I mean, GRRM has repeatedly and consistently stated that A: Targaryans are NOT immune to fire and many have died from burning. And B: Her emerging from Drogo's funeral pyre unburnt was a one time MIRACLE! Yes, she has a higher heat tolerance than most. But she can (and has) been burnt in the books. But hey, Emilia Clark must have waived that alleged "new clause" in her contract for the scene, so... yay!

I'm sure in the books, the end point is the same: Dany unites the entire Dothraki nation behind her. So they just went with this to get there faster.

 

Ray, my theory on the deviations from the books in the TV series, and the delay in WoW, is that GRRM is revising WoW to get on track with where the TV series is headed.

 

I won't dignify that heresy with a response.

(Oh, wait....)

 

I don't know who made this. But it made my day.

https://www.tumblr.com/video/rey-leia-padme/144485520849/540/

I fully support this "ship."

 

Ok, 24 hours to digest. Hold the door...

But we'll come back to that.

There was just something so... META watching Arya at the play. Her reaction to what she was watching so closely resembled my own reaction to the show very often. "WTF? And anger." And that play was an exaggerated version of what the show is to the books: Gross mischaracterizations of events, mockery of characters in both motivations and personalities, shock for shock value - including nudity where it isn't needed (not that I would EVER complain about that... as long as Melisandre keeps her necklace on anyway. But there's a reason "sexposition" is a word now). Even stupid fart and scatological humor where it doesn't exist in the source material. What that play did to Ned is EXACTLY what the show did to Stannis (and Shae, and Asha/Yara, and Daario, and Littlefinger, and ALL of Dorne as well as the Iron Islands).

I'm not sure where this is all going with Arya. Is it a test? And what is it they want to find out? That she'll be a good assassin and kill anyone they ask without question? Or that she won't kill the innocent? Her reactions at the play make it clear she is ARYA STARK. Not no one. As much a jerk as the waif can be, she's not wrong. I think Arya will run afoul of the FM soon. If they're playing their cards true, she cannot pass their test. What happens then? She can run, sure. Go back to Westeros - because of course she's going back sooner or later. But if the FM want you dead, I doubt they'll ever stop coming.

It's been what, 3 days since the last episode's events? (Based on timing of the King's Moot) How in the Seven Hells did Littlefinger get that far north already?!?!?! I mean, it's been a long running joke about "Littlefinger's jetpack," but this is ridiculous.

Urine Greyjoy (I refuse to call him Euron because he's not). I suppose I shouldn't be surprised at this point that D&D would manage to mess that entire story up. I'm convinced now that they never read a word after the first book, and just Wikied a few of the big events. No point even discussing how it differs from the books, because nothing about the Iron Islands resembles the books. No. What really grinds my gears is how it doesn't even make sense within their own version of the story. Just days ago, Yara is telling Theon she never approved of Balon's warmongering... and then goes warmongering at the King's Moot. Kingslaying and kinslaying are abominable acts everywhere in Westeros. But they're not only cool with Urine admitting to killing Balon, but when he says, "let's go kill my niece and nephew," they're just cool with it??? And just how friggin long would it take to build 1000 ships?!?! YEARS???? "We'll have no Queen!" But I'm going to get us a Targaryan Queen. "Oh, that's cool." /sigh It would have been better if they just left Dorne and the Iron Islands out of the story. Those 2 areas on the show are just hot garbage.

We'll skip over Mereen and Dany. Nothing of value happened there. Mildly interesting with the new Red Priestess, but otherwise stuck in neutral.

And finally, we come to Bran. I absolutely cannot WAIT to read about this in the books, because it will undoubtedly be EPIC. I'm sure we got the Reader's Digest version on the show, and even that was good. Just last week I pointed out Summer was still alive. Dammit. Can we please stop killing the wolves?

So here's what I think is happening: Bran isn't having visions. He's astrally projected to wherever or whenever he goes. But it would be an extremely rare, or powerful in their own right person who could see or interact with him. Oops. Hi, Night King. Perhaps Bran COULD interact if he chose to. But by default, not usually.

The Children made the White Walkers? Not sure if this is a show invention or it will also be this way in the books. But for the show's purposes, I'll go along with it. Makes sense. Desperate because they're losing the war against men. Losing their forests. Losing their weirwoods. Being slaughtered. They make a weapon to turn the tide... and lose control of it. Which eventually leads to their needing to make that famous pact with the First Men and ally against the Others.

Poor Hodor. Psychically and mentally damaged due to a link with his future self at the moment of his death in sheer terror. And as a result, only able to speak the last jumbled words he hears. We know this is canon. Maybe not quite the same event will happen in present day, but "hold the door" is certain. And the Three Eyed Raven knew it from the beginning. It was no accident he took Bran to that point in time. If there's any consolation in the tragic life and death of Hodor, it's that the one thing he was always meant to do may end up saving the world.

 

Littlefinger...he's a man who knows how to get things and how to get them quickly.

We weren't able to watch the show Sunday night and couldn't watch until last night. Hodor's death was the most gut wrenching scene in the series for me. What made it even worse was that D & D said GRRM told them this is what happened during a hotel room meeting. I guess I've been naively watching this season with the notion that their fanfic would be relatively spoiler free. That's silly, I know...but my heart still sank when they shared that piece of info. Poor Hodor.

I'm not entirely sure what's happening with Bran yet, but I do agree that he's so powerful that he's able to affect his surroundings. I have to wonder if all the Brans ole Nan confuses him with aren't somehow going to be tied in soon.

The Iron islands could have just been left out. Urwrongtarion. It's all wrong.

A man thinks Arya will ultimately return to Westeros to dispense justice for house Stark. How I'm not sure, but something unpredictable will likely lead her out of Braavos.