Game of Thrones

[smeags]

maybe hodor has stark blood ? the father's side of course. I mean how else could it happen ?

[smeags]

[Yeti]

I'm with Susquehanna, if this thing starts going "Dark Tower" I'm out

[QB Eagles]

I've liked this show because it's an HBO show and has traditionally had HBO quality. Great writing, high drama, fascinating characters, good direction, complex themes, amazing plot twists, and so on. I'm a Wire guy, a Sopranos guy, a Deadwood guy. The action, special effects, magic shooting all over the screen, and other superhero/Walking Dead style shtein does very little to entertain me. Usually they only stand out in my mind when they look bad (Dorne choreography, Lysa falling through the Moon Door, Dany riding her dragon). I'm a snob like that.

The show was never The Wire, but my perception is that GoT has slid further down the scale toward Walking Dead quality since the start of Season 5. It's still a good show, but it seems dumber than it was the first four seasons. Part of this is the writers having to quickly pen whole new content now instead of cherrypicking the best parts from 5 very long books, but the writers are still intelligent guys. Quite frankly I think they've intentionally dumbed it down a bit for the broader audience they have now. Most of the people who regularly watch the show can't name more than five main characters, so there's a limit to how subtle they can be without making half the audience scratch their heads and flip over to the CW.

It has to get far worse for me to give up on it. Time travel and multiverse crap on this show might be enough to do it. I also think it could go the other way and improve quite a bit from Season 5; the Hodor angle is a good one and there are some other great things potentially being set up that can return the show to its former heights in my mind. Nothing so far in Season 6 has stood out as being particularly amazing or particularly disastrous.

[Eagles_Legendz]

They referenced Bran getting out of the tree.  That's going to happen this year which means they're definitely not going down a multiverse arc.  That's just not something I can see with the story. 

I think the start of season 4 was great because of Joffrey's death & Oberyn.  Other than that, season 2, 3, &5 all had table setting starts.  On a personal level I'll put the first three this year up against those.  I'm optimistic about the arc going forward as character locations start condensing (which it has to do as the series starts to see a finish line).

[Eagles_Legendz]

That being said, I do agree last year was probably the weakest season (that or season 2).  So I don't fully disagree with that sentiment.  I think it's not coincidental that last year came from the weakest source material.  I actually think it's a blessing they're ahead of the books because I think GRRM fell down a hole he can't recover from at this point.  But it could go either way I suppose - we'll see.

[QB Eagles]

I actually think it's a blessing they're ahead of the books because I think GRRM fell down a hole he can't recover from at this point.

I'm nearing the end of ADWD. I think it's much improved over AFFC, which was the weakest by far. First three are still the best.

He went totally out of control with the scope. He did say there won't be any new POV characters in the next book, so even he realizes he has to start reeling this thing in.

I still don't give a farg about Meereen though. I think I see the outlines of the big twist he is setting up there, but it's just not that interesting. Show Meereen wisely cut out most of the book Meereen content, but somehow I give even less of a farg about show Meereen.

[Eagles_Legendz]

I agree that ADWD is better than AFFC.  Much better.   Still a ways off from the first three though.  He just expanded the scope too far and I'm not sure he knows how to wrap his arms around it again.

The show's issue right now is Meereen still sucks even though it's much much better than the books in my opinion.  This will be the last year we have to deal with it though and it'll get infinitely more interesting when Dany reunites with Tyrion (guessing around episode .  Also, Dorne is an abomination, and Arya has been repetitive for a season+.   I think Arya will wind down her training soon and be reunited to the many story & Dany will announce she's going to Westeros with Tyrion by the end of the year (and I think we won't be getting much Dorne time at all), so the biggest issues on my end I think should be alleviated over the course of the season.

[Munson]

I actually enjoyed AFFC and ADWD....well, what I read of them. Skipped Brienne's chapters and Jaime's after his like first two. Maybe not having those made my read a lot faster and more enjoyable for AFFC.

ADWD was pretty good too, though the repetitiveness got a little old sometimes. Where do whores go? And Dany basically does nothing the entire book, then shtein goes down, and then she's walking through a field.

As for the show....I would have to probably put S1, S3, and S4 ahead of S2 just based on everything that happened in those seasons, but I still really love Season 2. The combo of Tyrion in power in KL, Arya and Tywin's scenes together, and the intrigue of Robb and his war, etc....quality season.

Season 5 was definitely the worst, but the last 3 episodes might have been 3 of the best of the series, and there were some cool moments in the earlier episodes (Like Tyrion+Jorah seeing Old Valyria, the reveal to Jorah that his dad died was a cool little moment too).

I don't think they go multiverse with Bran...in the books in Theon's chapters can "hear" Bran through the heart trees, but it's always written off as the wind.

[QB Eagles]

I don't think they go multiverse with Bran...in the books in Theon's chapters can "hear" Bran through the heart trees, but it's always written off as the wind.

Mormont's raven also says "Jon Snow" at one point.

Jaime's chapters were actually some of my favorite in AFFC. He's really weary of all the bullshtein.

Brienne's chapters (don't worry, I'm not giving anything away) start out completely aimless and mostly terrible, but there are highlights. Brienne V has a monologue that is one of the best in the whole series. Brienne VI really makes you feel the emotional hell that two major characters have been through. Nothing much happens in those chapters other than talking, but it's heavy. I do think some of the things from those chapters will end up in the show this season.

I thought the Cersei chapters were the toughest to get through. It's just the same paranoia over and over. She wasn't as relatable as the other POV characters, who are sympathetic even when the reader can recognize that they are royally farging up (like Cat or Theon). I thought it would be refreshing to hear her side, but it was just tedious.

[Munson]

I don't think they go multiverse with Bran...in the books in Theon's chapters can "hear" Bran through the heart trees, but it's always written off as the wind.

Mormont's raven also says "Jon Snow" at one point.

Jaime's chapters were actually some of my favorite in AFFC. He's really weary of all the bullshtein.

Brienne's chapters (don't worry, I'm not giving anything away) start out completely aimless and mostly terrible, but there are highlights. Brienne V has a monologue that is one of the best in the whole series. Brienne VI really makes you feel the emotional hell that two major characters have been through. Nothing much happens in those chapters other than talking, but it's heavy. I do think some of the things from those chapters will end up in the show this season.

I thought the Cersei chapters were the toughest to get through. It's just the same paranoia over and over. She wasn't as relatable as the other POV characters, who are sympathetic even when the reader can recognize that they are royally farging up (like Cat or Theon). I thought it would be refreshing to hear her side, but it was just tedious.

Yeah true...could have been the three eyed raven trying to get through to Jon.

I only skipped Jaime's and hers because of the possibility of them being in this season.. I think I skipped a couple of Cersei's too towards the end, but yeah they were definitely a little...weird. The lesbian relationship out of nowhere was nice I suppose haha. I read AFFC thinking the Iron Islands story wouldn't make the show much at all, but it looks like they're setting up to have at least part of it. I wish we had Victarion but I get the feeling Yara will be taking most of his story over. Could totally see Euron sending her to make an alliance with Dany. I hope we get more out of the Damphair too, was bummed he wasn't mentioned by name last episode.

[Munson]

Great episode tonight.

Loved everything at the Wall. Jon and Sansa reuniting was a great moment. I know they didn't interact at all when we saw them in S1, but just the idea of two House Stark children coming together for the first time since they all separated in Season 1 was very fulfilling. The Pink Letter was a nice touch. Major LOL at Tormund giving Brienne the eyes. Love Sansa being the one talking Jon into it, she's determined to take what is hers.  Brienne telling Davos and Mel she finished off Stannis, and looking at Mel like she wanted to kill her right then and there...awesome.

farging Ramsay ugh. So bummed that's all we got of Osha. Knew it was coming when she was eyeing up that knife though. Ugggggggggggh. Rickon is farged.

Kings Landing was interesting. Did not expect to see Kevan and Lady Olenna reconcile that quickly with Cersei and Jaime. They'd be an interesting power dynamic against the sparrows and the Faith Militant if they can hold it together. Loras is farged. I feel like he's going to ask for a trial by combat and commit suicide by combat. Dude seems to not want to live anymore. Not really sure what's going on with Tommen.

Loved seeing the tension between Tyrion and Mes/Grey Worm. Love that they are pushing back against him and his decisions.

Dany was badass. Took out all the Kahl's and united the Dothraki under her. Love that she was the one with the plan, and didn't simply get 'rescued' by Jorah and Daario (or Drogon, though i was pretty convinced that's what was going to happen)

Poor Theon. I really do feel bad for him at this point. I'm glad Yara is at least accepting him back. Kingsmoot should be interesting.

Robin's still a piece of shtein I see, and a useless one at that. I don't know why Littlefinger had to go through that charade though, unless he thought Royce was going to really challenge him over the Sansa stuff hard.

[Susquehanna Birder]

The long look at Dany's firey boobs was nice.

[smeags]

im with munson, jon and sansa was big. to see you're not alone.

also, im with Sus. 

[phattymatty]

can someone remind me why the dothraki people didn't already consider her the queen? I feel like she did this whole walk through a fire and not burn routine just a few years ago. did they all just forget and now are like oh yeah that.