Writers: David Benioff & D.B. Weiss Director: Alik Sakharov
Episode preview:
Spoiler
Tyrion enlists an unlikely ally. Daario entreats Dany to allow him to do what he does best. Jon’s warnings about the Wall’s vulnerability fall on deaf ears. Brienne follows a new lead on the road with Pod.
I thought we were getting trial by combat. And Little Finger is so disturbing. I don't want to know what happens next. Can I just scrub that entire plotline from my brain?
Is anyone supposed to have any doubts about who will win trial by combat? Really? The Mountain vs. Oberyn? THE MOUNTAIN VS. OBERYN? What a let down. If anyone had any doubts, The Hound reminding us how awful his brother is should have eradicated them. This show telegraphs like that way too often. They have to take the person who's about to die and make them so, so, so much worse. But I'm glad the Mountain is going to get his.
Things that were so awesome (besides everything):
- Braavos in the credits (didn't notice last week when I was on the road)
- Armorless hound
- Jaime and Tyrion
- Bronn and Tyrion
- Oberyn and Tyrion
- Dany "commanding" Daario (bow chicka wow wow)
- HOT PIE CAMEO (with moar wolf bread)
- Jorah succeeding in changing Dany's mind
- Sense of humor Mel admitting she's mostly a fraud
I just didn't like this one. Only good scenes were Jon vs Alister and all of Tyrion. Boring episode and the end made me laugh at how terrible it looked.
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"If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt." - Dean Martin
I actually didn't like Jon vs Alister. I've had enough of "look at what a brilliant commander I am now, if only I could command" versus the stupidest fucks in the seven kingdoms. We got the point. Get on with it.
Bronn and Tyrion's scene was amazing. I'm sure I'll find more to like on rewatch.
I know BaS, but I think it was written well and acted better than all the other scenes save Tyrions. Really this was a piss poor episode, reminiscent of the rubbish we got in most of S3. I am so done with the Hound and arya and Brianne and Pod.
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"If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt." - Dean Martin
Why they HELL no Eyrie on the map? They must've misplaced the computer model!
Probably what it is is there is not enough time in the intro to show all locations, but why show the Dreadfort ( and smoking Winterfell....AGAIN?) Oh well, silly things upset me.
Oberyn and Tyrion's scene was amazing and a standout this episode, great storytelling and the actors expressions, wonderful.
I squealed like a when I saw HOTPIE, and aww the direwolf bread! Nice to see Brienne and Pod putting their heads together and working as a team.
Creeperfinger alert! Aww OSHA would have a field day with that open moondoor......jeez at least put a warning sign!
Gonna rewatch in HD with more impressions.
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"Robert was never the same after he put on that crown. Some men are like swords, made for fighting. Hang them up and they go to rust.” -DN
I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say i liked the first dire wolf bread. Oberyn+Tyrion scene was great complete with the baby story...also I got the warm fuzzies back to reading the book when Sansa builds the snow castle. It was a picturesque scene as written.
-- Edited by sid on Monday 19th of May 2014 02:31:20 AM
Probably the first time I disagree with my dear Rygar this season, but this was probably my favorite episode of the lot. I thought it was fantastically well paced, acted and shot, at least right until the last bit where Lysa fell, it would have been better if they used a wider shot or something. It was also he first time I really loved Arya and the Hound. Their scene with the dying man, and the one after that, they were both terrific. So much honesty and vulnerability. Brienne, Pod and Hot Pie were so sweet I was jumping in my seat. I'll probably comment more in the other thread, but I'll just say that I'm amazed how much they're improving on the book material here. Everything flows much better in their storyline, and they have great chemistry. Luuuved Jorah's lines this season. But is it me or is Dany pitching him and Daario against each other a bit? Bronn and Tyrion was good, Oberyn and Tyrion was even better. What an amazing scene. Pedro Pascal is a revelation to me. I LOLed at Melisandre and Selyse. Don't know if I'm right or not, but to me that scene was something like "phhhhf, these powders are all lies, I use them with everybody else but not with you, oh can you please pass me that blue vial and sit here and inhale the vapors for a bit?" But you'd better stay away from my Shireen, guuuuurl. What else? OH! Petyr and Sansa bwahaahahahaaha I LOVE LF SO MUCH IT HURTS MY SPINE. Hatergs gonna hate, Littlefinger be littlefingerin'.
I liked some scenes and was indifferent to others. I liked that Jaime talked about Tyrion´s speech (which I didn´t like and thought it was out of character) and was a bit sarcastic about what he said :"I thought you were a realist" or something like that. Yep, that I thought too Jaime.
Loved scene Tyrion-Oberyn. Pascal is really great and man he doesn´t look older than PD, come on.
Scene with Bronn was good too "I like me more", the perfect motto for him.
Crazy Lysa will be missed, that was a great actress. And all the rest was good or meh (mostly Dany meh)
Only one important thing to say: yes, to you, ginger bitch, don´t mess with mah baby Shireen . (Also didn´t know she was Sebastian Koch lady for years).
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"I´d not prolongued the chewing up, Doc. Nor the being spat out. Not go out a cunt. It´s the dispatch I find inglorious. The whole delusory fucking self importance.". Al Swedgin ;).
Probably the first time I disagree with my dear Rygar this season, but this was probably my favorite episode of the lot. I thought it was fantastically well paced, acted and shot, at least right until the last bit where Lysa fell, it would have been better if they used a wider shot or something.
Thought something similar but that shot must have been really difficult, if you use a wider shot you lose the focus on the person too much. Tricky to choose the lense, matter of taste I guess.
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"I´d not prolongued the chewing up, Doc. Nor the being spat out. Not go out a cunt. It´s the dispatch I find inglorious. The whole delusory fucking self importance.". Al Swedgin ;).
Many scenes just felt redundant and poorly executed. Especially the reintroduction of Gregor and Mel's scene. Not to mention the terrible CGI snow and death.
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"If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt." - Dean Martin
I've completely changed my mind about Oberyn. I was thoroughly unimpressed with him when we first met him, and now I absolutely love him. He's a lover, a fighter and a family man with a big brain and principles. Does it get any better? Well, okay. I do wish he had brought a change of clothes... So yeah, Oberyn can't live long. He's too awesome.
BUT I have no doubt he will easily kill the Mountain using brains rather than brawn. It's clear that nobody stands a chance fighting toe to toe against the Mountain. What he needs to win is to not play the Mountain's game. He needs to use projectiles or poison or some other equalizer. But I'm sure he will, and he will get the revenge he seeks. It's almost too predictable. But what happens next between Oberyn and the Lannisters is what interests me. Will he succeed in taking down Tywin before being killed himself?
The scene with Melisandre made so many things click into place for me. She openly admits that most of the Lord of Light Show is trickery. It made me think back to the scene with the Brotherhood where she is so amazed at Beric's repeated resurrection, and it also tied into the warlocks in Qarth. Magic has waned for so long that these people are reduced to cheap magic tricks to make people believe in what was once very real. And it has faded into the stuff of legend, just like the Wall and White Walkers riding giant spiders. But now it's becoming a real force in the world again. Thoros says words that have presumably been meaningless for centuries, and Beric is resurrected. The warlock in Qarth can suddenly create copies of himself to murder his enemies. It's no longer smoke and mirrors, and it seems that Melisandre is as awestruck as everyone else. She has such a certainty about her, but I wonder how much of what she's doing is trial and error. She raises real questions for me about the apparently capricious nature of magic in this world.
And damn right, she'd better not hurt Shireen. I'm trying to imagine a scenario for why Selyse and Shireen are sailing into battle with Stannis that is not absolutely horrifying. I'm not having much luck.
Half the episode was in Tyrions cell and they were the best parts, the brotherly love shone through with Jaime, Bronn basically saying goodbye ( no hard feelings buddy ) was great. But Tyrion and Oberyn, was the highlight, Oberyn's retelling of their first meeting and Tyrion's face...hearing such a story of how he was regarded as a monster and hated since birth by Cersei...amazing.
I had no issue with Arya's and Brienne's scene, Arya showing mercy and yet be lightning quick with her needle was a delight. And Brienne's scene was great for A) HOT PIE OWNS YOU and B) her single scene nuked 75% of the bloat of her book storyline...if anything it made me tip my hat towards D&D for doing what is best for adaptation instead of pleasing book fundies.
The only two weaker ones was the check-in with Melly Sanders.....but her trivia that most of her "magic" is bullshit was fun....and poor Jon Snow is the Roger Dangerfield of the nights watch...."No respect I tells ya!"
Loved Creeperfinger at the Eyrie, didn't even notice CGI snow, maybe my low res file didn't make it obvious. *shrugs*
-- Edited by DonalNoyesArm on Monday 19th of May 2014 04:13:06 PM
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"Robert was never the same after he put on that crown. Some men are like swords, made for fighting. Hang them up and they go to rust.” -DN
It's weird that she would tell Selyse that after the scene where Selyse's brother (?) was burned, and Selyse talked about seeing his soul rising in the flames or whatever. So yeah...you fell for it, dumbass.
But Ry, with and like that, it might be worth getting taken.
Al Swearengen wrote: A lot of filler leading up to the pivotal book moments.
In the books, pivotal moments are preceded (and followed) by "filler" too. Those 5700 pages are not only Episode 9 material, they're also Nimble Dick, Marillion, Jalabhar Xo and Left and Right. But right, when we're talking about the books that's not filer, it's "world building".
Good thing this is a thread where we judge the show on it's own.
The scene with Melisandre made so many things click into place for me. She openly admits that most of the Lord of Light Show is trickery. It made me think back to the scene with the Brotherhood where she is so amazed at Beric's repeated resurrection, and it also tied into the warlocks in Qarth. Magic has waned for so long that these people are reduced to cheap magic tricks to make people believe in what was once very real.
Interesting point! You know what puzzles me? How can she be *that* amazed at Thoros's powers. Yes she uses lots of tricks but lady, you made a fucking shadow demon that killed a human being miles apart from where you and Stannis were. That one obviously wasn't a trick (I think?!) so how the hell....
Oh well, I doubt the books or the show will ever explain how her magic truly works, but that shadow baby gives me a brain cramp every time I think about it.
Al Swearengen wrote: A lot of filler leading up to the pivotal book moments.
In the books, pivotal moments are preceded (and followed) by "filler" too. Those 5700 pages are not only Episode 9 material, they're also Nimble Dick, Marillion, Jalabhar Xo and Left and Right. But right, when we're talking about the books that's not filer, it's "world building".
Good thing this is a thread where we judge the show on it's own.
The difference is George's filler is far more engrossing than the malarky D & D comes up with.
It's weird that she would tell Selyse that after the scene where Selyse's brother (?) was burned, and Selyse talked about seeing his soul rising in the flames or whatever. So yeah...you fell for it, dumbass.
But Ry, with and like that, it might be worth getting taken.
Yeah but the shadow baby was real.
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"If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt." - Dean Martin
There's no denying that, Ry. Could she have made a shadow baby ten years earlier? Somehow I doubt it. There's definitely an element of the timing of all these different magical forces being revived. She doesn't need cheap parlor tricks anymore to convert people to her religion, and I hope she comes to realize that. I think Thoros of Myr is playing it straight and has many followers. Of course, Mel can't exactly run around bragging about murderous shadow babies and leeches either, so Thoros has an advantage. He appears to use his power for "good."
-- Edited by Black as Snow on Tuesday 20th of May 2014 05:58:27 PM
I haven't figured out whether the dragons are a product of magic coming back or whether they're a cause. The warlocks' powers were strengthened with proximity to the dragons, so they don't really fit in with other types of magic.
Ooh, I usually avoid posting in the Unsullied threads! But I just want to add that if I recall correctly, Thoros was totally a fake, according to Gendry. He used to fake the sword fire. I'm just bringing this because Mel was/ is not the only one who used to fake things. I won't add anything else because I can't figure out what is spoiler or not!
-- Edited by TormundsWoman on Wednesday 21st of May 2014 09:46:57 AM
excited for this one!
...stupid hiatus! 
And Little Finger is so disturbing. I don't want to know what happens next. Can I just scrub that entire plotline from my brain?
Someone's cruising for a bruising.
when I saw HOTPIE, and aww the direwolf bread! Nice to see Brienne and Pod putting their heads together and working as a team.
. (Also didn´t know she was Sebastian Koch lady for years
).
I'm trying to imagine a scenario for why Selyse and Shireen are sailing into battle with Stannis that is not absolutely horrifying. I'm not having much luck.
and 
like that, it might be worth getting taken. 
