Game of Thrones

[smeags]

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[SD]

And so it begins

[Munson]

No...now it ends.

Holy shtein at the cold open. Good episode served to catch us up on where everyone is. The downside to showing us everyone is such short time with some of the characters. Wanted to see Bran more, etc.

Don't like Arya going south. Want her going North to meet up with the rest of the family. Hoping she hears the news of Jon being KITN and goes back.

[Eagaholic]

One of GOTs weaker eps imo, though the first ep of the season gets a bit of a pass if it follows a previous year that ended without cliff hangers.

With how much time they invested in Arya's training -  which was mostly about fighting or walking around the docs blind or poisoning people - and almost nothing about face changing -  it was dumb how Arya was supposed to be able to impersonate Walder, with his voice, height, talking mannerisms etc. 

The actor playing Euron isn't well cast imo but his writing is good. I guess he's off to get Tyrion's head.

Jorah's not looking too good. Maybe he can give gray scale to the Night's King and the AoD.

One of the great strengths of GOT is the 1:1 character arcs like Brienne/Jamie or Arya/Hound. It looks like another good one is developing with Jon and Sansa. Sam's doing  great avoiding a FML attitude - but won't his father be not far behind looking for his sword? Another piece I hope the don't just drop is Septa Unella's wineboarding.

When Mel took Gendry she looked into Arya's eyes and said "we'll meet again," and Mel was on Arya's list. Looking forward to that meet up. MAybe Arya kills her and someone like Thoros brings her back.

Great piece with how the Lannister soldiers were humanized for Arya. As a group, it became a nice variation on the POV theme that GOT does so well. 

[phattymatty]

With how much time they invested in Arya's training -  which was mostly about fighting or walking around the docs blind or poisoning people - and almost nothing about face changing -  it was dumb how Arya was supposed to be able to impersonate Walder, with his voice, height, talking mannerisms etc. 

Ha yeah I said the same thing then my girl was like um there's dragons in this show.

Honestly throughout all of GOT, the thing that is most unbelievable to me and bothers me the most is that dude found that girl's little toy horse in a giant field covered in snow.

[QB Eagles]

Another piece I hope the don't just drop is Septa Unella's wineboarding.

I can't imagine why they'd have to return to that. Although I can't say I expected them to return to the house the Hound stole from.

Honestly throughout all of GOT, the thing that is most unbelievable to me and bothers me the most is that dude found that girl's little toy horse in a giant field covered in snow.

Finding Dany's ring in the grass in a random place on the continent was kinda far out there too.

I thought it was okay tonight. A few cheesy moments (the Sansa vs Jon public disagreement seemed contrived) but nothing that made me say "come the farg on". I liked the character building moments with the Hound and Arya the best.

[Eagaholic]

Another piece I hope the don't just drop is Septa Unella's wineboarding.

I can't imagine why they'd have to return to that. Although I can't say I expected them to return to the house the Hound stole from.

Honestly throughout all of GOT, the thing that is most unbelievable to me and bothers me the most is that dude found that girl's little toy horse in a giant field covered in snow.

Finding Dany's ring in the grass in a random place on the continent was kinda far out there too.

I thought it was okay tonight. A few cheesy moments (the Sansa vs Jon public disagreement seemed contrived) but nothing that made me say "come the farg on". I liked the character building moments with the Hound and Arya the best.

For Unella, I'd rather them have some sort of ending, even if it is just a mention in passing, like she didn't last as long as Cersei thought. Otherwise it's just poor form in writing, especially when a key character has repeatedly made a vow (Cersei's face will be the last thing Unella sees).

As for finding Dany's ring, that actually was well done. They were tracking her and saw the lines the Dothraki horses made when they converged from the hills and rode in a circle around her. Jorah went to the center of the circle and saw the ring there. I think Dany knew this when she dropped the ring. We've seen an number of examples where riders circle around someone to intimidate, farg with, subdue (Yara and her clan around Theon, the Dothraki, and even the scene where young Ned yells at Liana to back off as she rides around him).

[Eagaholic]

Ha yeah I said the same thing then my girl was like um there's dragons in this show.

This is actually the key to the whole show for me. I don't really like the fantasy genre. GOT is the exception for me because of their uncanny ability to induce a suspension of disbelief. It is so good that I'm willing to tell the part of mind that says this isn't real to shut up so I can be taken away with the story. That's why little things bug me that disrupt this. Like tonight Dany's wig had like 3 diffreent sets of braids in the Dragonstone scene. Or like when for example the stonemen were dropping into and climbing up Tyrion and Jorah's boat in Valyria, even through the fight scene I don't think the boat rocked one inch. When there are blunders or stuff looks obviously fake, the farg up just derails that suspension of disbelief and brings it back down to earth.

[Eagles_Legendz]

Jaqen in the beginning of season 5 transformed from a large old black man into himself.  I don't particularly like the idea that it can happen at all but there's precedent in the show.

[smeags]

great opening scene, the rest seemed to be all setup.

oh but also, frozen giant zombies are coming !

[Eagles_Legendz]

I also know why he exists as a character and suspect he'll have an important role to play but if Sam just disappeared I wouldn't complain.

[Munson]

Lol I thought the Sam montage was hilarious, even if it was a bit out of place for this show.

But yeah him going to the Citadel all but assured that he was going to be vital in the fight against the dead.

I'm kind of disappointed that the breakthrough was just him finding more dragon glass, I was hoping he'd find some old forgotten secret about valyrian steel or some other way to fight the dead or etc.

[SD]

They were looking for a way to defeat the walkers, dragon glass is the way. He found the mother load. Dragon glass is just as valuable against walkers as valyrian steel.

My only complaint was the opening scene was way too predictable.

Most underrated character on the show is Lyanna Mormont. What a little bad ass.

[Eagaholic]

My biggest curiosity this year is if there's an important link between the Iron Bank and The House of Black and White. I mean, how could there not be? They are both ancient and neighbors in Braavos and two of the most powerful organizations in he world. The Iron Bank is he major control of finances even in Westeros (as Tywin says 'We all live in it's shadow and almost nobody realizes it') and are owed gazillions by the crown. The HBW are assassins and charge astronomical sums for very high value targets. Makes sense that they do secret business. What if they have been training Arya all along knowing she'd take out Cersei and Tywin (though now dead, obviously) and she is something of a pawn? How will the Iron Bank get its money back before the long winter and all it brings? I wouldn't be surprised if LF was or will become involved with them.

[Munson]

I feel like it's def been implied, maybe just in the books, that the Iron Bank hires Faceless Men sometimes. I don't know if it's that elaborate of a ploy, but I def expect the Iron Bank to show up again this season. With Tywin dead and Stannis dead they're gonna want to make sure Cersei understands that they need their money now.