Like JS said, they were just testing the defenses. The wildlings don't know for sure how many men man the wall.

The fat one

I'm so glad Rose Leslie is gone. Talk about a terrible actor and person.

I didn't think they would waste episode 9 on "testing defenses." But it was good overall. Just not up to par, I think. I loved the mammoths though. So snuggly cute.

Black as Snow wrote:

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It was a good episode, but somehow I expected something more epic.

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 YES! THIS!

It was exactly like the book from what a remember with different things or people here or there.

So after a rewatch, I like the episode more. My expectations are not as high. Alliser Thorne acquitted himself well after all his arrogance in the preceding episodes. What a great role for that actor. Tormund is a total BAMF. Loved his fight to the bitter end. And some excellent deaths for quite a few characters. Two of Jon's friends...I liked Grenn. I wish they had done more with his character before his death. I never cared for Ygritte, but her death scene was so good. The way Jon smiles at her, and you're not quite sure whether you see the same happiness returned in her face as that arrow pierces through her...it was perfect. They love each other despite the cruel circumstances, and it's a beautiful moment. Him cradling her body in the middle of a raging battle isn't so great.

Did everyone think of Emma Peele/Olenna when Maester Aemon spoke of the amazing woman he once knew. He abdicated the throne after hitting that? Silly Aemon.

To me, this was really Sam's episode. I loved him parsing the Night's Watch oath at the beginning. He missed his calling. And he's finally become a man. It was clear that Jon had come into his own, but Sam's transformation is unexpected and welcome. I can't wait to see what's next for him.

Looking ahead, if Jon Snow's plan works, I'll be completely disgusted. All the tribes have come together for the sole purpose of fleeing south, and Jon thinks they'll go home if Mance Rayder dies? That's nonsensical.

Ok, I'm better now.
This felt like 15 minutes, wtf. Without giving anything away, I expected to see Jon and Mance meet this episode, so like I said in the book thread, I was very surprised the episode ended on a cliffhanger basically. And something I think it's very odd that we didn't see and maybe the episode's only somewhat major fault is Mance's absence. I will never understand how you can cast Ciaran Hinds and use him so little. Oh well.
Other than that, I thought the episode worked great. And I'm glad in a way that with it being separated into two episodes it gives you the feeling of a trench war (a bit), because the action from the books is even more drawn out.

Some really good acting from Kit. Hell, good acting from everyone. Owen Teale - who *is* this man and why haven't I seen him before? This dude is excellent! When I saw him fighting Tormund I squealed like a happy pig. Thank God they didn't kill each other. Or did they? Maybe Ser Alliser will live. Loved his scene with Jon atop the Wall as well. And speaking of scenes atop the Wall, "Light these fuckers up!" FUCK YES, EDD HAD THE WALL. Favorite moment of the episode. The scythe was very cool too. Was that something they invented for the show? I can't remember but such a cool touch.

Pyp and Grenn. Grenn, you went like the badass that you are. Cried when he starting saying the vows.

Styr and Jon's duel was SO good. That was a shout to Donal Noye at the end, did you see that Don? The hammer of death!

I also loved the little scene in the kitchen, with the pan and the big meat chopper. Was that Hobb fighting back? Yessssssssssssss you can get inside Castle Black but no fucking wildlings in the kitchen.

I feel like watching this again, right now.

Cosca wrote:

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... sometimes you just want to see a motherfucking Giant shoot a huge fucking arrow at a guy and sending him fucking flying off the top of a massive wall of ice.

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 Well, a giant had to do it because even a fantasy warrior can't.

 

Right George?

Atreyu wrote:

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Cosca wrote:

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... sometimes you just want to see a motherfucking Giant shoot a huge fucking arrow at a guy and sending him fucking flying off the top of a massive wall of ice.

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 Well, a giant had to do it because even a fantasy warrior can't.

 

Right George?

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 The Wall proved too damn short. Some even complained it was too high. I wish I could see their faces now!!!!

I have to say, I was worried this would be another "The Evil Dead" gratuitous gore episode like Blackwater and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't. Great episode. Great exposition, loved the camera moving from different parts of Castle Black, up the wall, down the wall, from scene to scene to scene. I actually had a tear when passed. And my poor ! But , I'm sorry to see him go. Never ever expected that.

I bet Ciaran Hinds is top dollah.

JapieQ wrote:

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 I also really wish Sam would have died this episode instead of Pyp or Grenn.

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 WUT. I get Grenn but who the hell cares about Pyp? *just happy because that means more Edd for me *

Rygar wrote:

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Mance needs to die. Or be recast.

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 You'll eat your words, just you wait. Hinds can do no wrong. The show will do Mance justice at some point, I hope.

Grenn and the others at the gate was great, though i think they shouldn't end at a cliffhanger, at least show jon reaching the wildlings or something.

Well , WOW! , well, I for one was not looking forward to this episode at all , thinking , it's all going to be man fights ,yawn , long shots of cgi ... But SEVEN HELLS It was amazing !! It was soo intimate , I was caught up in the foray and so many Oh My ! Moments.

I shouted "SHIT" when the giant shot the man threw the roof , clapped hands at the woolly mammoth, squealed with delight at the scythe.. filled up at ,Sam and Gilly's kiss, Pip's death, Ygrettes death... the watchers on the wall chant and Gren... oh Gren .

Some good one liners too usually Edd ! This was Sam's episode as much as Jon's, but what about Thorne ! WoW! That man's fit for his age !!
Loved the 360 shot inside the tower and the CGI was great! I laughed at myself when I couldn't work out who Jon needed with that key ... Doh! They just haven't featured the wolves enough for my liking but I know it's expensive.

(I 'm sorry you didn't share our joy Japie ) I really really liked this ep. As for Mance , it was right he wasn't in this one . not yet.,

((Macha I'm going to try and find a link for you , to watch Thorne and Ned ... when they were much much younger .))

Ginger Minge !!

The one thing that's still nagging me is Mance's plan. First, he attacked one of the few fortresses along the Wall that is even manned. Jon Snow told them which are guarded and which aren't. If the end game is to get your 100k men south of the Wall, why not pick a tunnel under an abandoned fortress? Second, why light a massive forest fire behind your forces? Why let the Night's Watch know you're coming? Send a warged bird with a message for your forces south of the Wall instead. Then attack without warning. The forest fire also gives them nowhere to retreat, and will presumably advance towards them, leaving their forces with no cover. The only positive I can see tactically is that the smoke might obscure the Wildlings' movements. The problem with that is that the Wildlings need to breathe. So I'm dubious about Mance's whole approach here. I wonder whether his ego and his need to best his former brothers hasn't gotten the better of him.

One thought did occur to me about defenses for the next wave of the Wildling attack. The Night's Watch should have lined the tunnel with the dead, so that the Wildlings would have to battle through 100 or more zombies to get to Castle Black. That would have been a great force multiplier once the gate was successfully pulled from its hinges. But instead we get Jon Snow, the lone hero, heading North to miraculously stop 100,000 people whose only hope of survival is getting to the other side of the Wall. If his plan works, I'll be completely disgusted. Really? All the tribes are going to go home if Mance Rayder dies? That's nonsensical. Jon left his wolf, his sword and his brain behind.

YvyB wrote:

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Well , WOW! , well, I for one was not looking forward to this episode at all , thinking , it's all going to be man fights ,yawn , long shots of cgi ... But SEVEN HELLS It was amazing !! It was soo intimate , I was caught up in the foray and so many Oh My ! Moments.

I shouted "SHIT" when the giant shot the man threw the roof , clapped hands at the woolly mammoth, squealed with delight at the scythe.. filled up at ,Sam and Gilly's kiss, Pip's death, Ygrettes death... the watchers on the wall chant and Gren... oh Gren .

Some good one liners too usually Edd ! This was Sam's episode as much as Jon's, but what about Thorne ! WoW! That man's fit for his age !!
Loved the 360 shot inside the tower and the CGI was great! I laughed at myself when I couldn't work out who Jon needed with that key ... Doh! They just haven't featured the wolves enough for my liking but I know it's expensive.

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 I was gonna write my thoughts but Lady Y pretty much nailed it verbatim.

Black as Snow wrote:

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Second, why light a massive forest fire behind your forces? Why let the Night's Watch know you're coming?

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This was actually not that dumb an idea, Mance attracts attention to the north, all the men huddle up on the wall to throw stones and the "castle" is left understaffed so Thormund and the cannibals could easily take the caste, burn the lift and basically leave all the Black Brothers to die on The Wall since they can't go down anymore.

 

But as always this show leaves all the logic behind when there's a skirmish and a little kid can make that lift go up and down with the wave of a finger. This was one thing that made the episode very weak, the constant movement of people going up and down with that stupid lift which made it feel like there was never a real threat at Castle Black, and in the end there wasn't because those "savage wildlings" aren't worth jackshit in a battle versus 20 scared shitless crows since they can't even reach the halfway point in that stupid castle to open the gate or burn the lift.

 

JapieQ wrote:

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But as always this show leaves all the logic behind when there's a skirmish and a little kid can make that lift go up and down with the wave of a finger.

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 The lift is operated by a counterweighted winch system, all Olly was doing was operating the large switch. Personally the elevator is silly, the nights watch should use a nice icy waterslide to go down faster.

I´m thinking about it since sunday and maybe I should open a thread called GoT Party Poopers (where I´ll be mostly alone, I know) but there´s always the freedom to fly over my comments so I wont feel guilty.  A guy at IWC? said it better than me, although he wasn´t talking just about this episode but I feel the same as him in general. If you are interested is the first comment of "Kingofthorns".

But ok, I saw the same as you, it was fun, there were giants and mammoths and great shots and the poor impaled guy that flew through the roof and the sky and ended up being "asado a la estaca" in the courtyard and lotsa other cool things and all that but I`m with oldfart Jap here. It was too much to tell too little and the too much wasn´t all that good. The misuse of Ciaran Hills baffles me to no end. The two best actors this show has (Dillane and Hills) are wasted.

I know some of you like this guy whatshisface who directed this and the other battle. I don`t like him, I think he´s just a good cinematographer. But he´s good for the spectacle episodes fosho (with little money poor guy) and the Wall and beyond have lots of weird stuff to play with. Sure, that´s not bad at all but to me this also confirmed that not much happened in this season, feeling I had since ep 4 maybe.  I said I wouldn´t  bitch about the show this year because I thought  D&D were speeding  things up and cutting all the shit from the last two books. But they are not doing it or just too little, maybe with Tyrion and Sansa´s arc.  I think they are stalling and stretching and even abusing of some storylines that went nowhere (Arya, the Hound, Theon, Ramsay, etc) and the wandering is not all bad if at least you give some character development as  a fair exchange but they lost that at some point, imo.  And I really  can´t figure out how they´ll do to wrap up  the whole thing in just one more episode. I really hope they blow my mind with  episode 10, i´m not the speculating kind so I´ll just wait. 

Anyway, who cares, I enjoyed a few things too this season,  some of them very much, I`m just thinking that when they started to deflate the last books  to adapt them to the tv show, they noticed there´s not much substance in them and for that I can´t blame D&D, there must be a lot of plotlines they don´t know how to close because most of them are a mess in the books or boring as hell. Still, although I don`t think Gurm is a great writer at all, D&D are not better than him.

Will keep watching because there´s characters and actors I really love but like the guy at IWC? said:"I feel like I'm starting to watch a string of events happening one after the other rather than listening to (or watching) a story". And he also said the same happened with the books too and I agree. But most of all I want to keep watching because D&D will finish ASOIAF and that´s enough for me and I even loved lotsa episodes in these 4 seasons.
out

Tir Airgid wrote:

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 (unlike many of ye i've always loved her and i ship her with Jon since the start, ok??? )

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 You and both, Tirvy!

http://happyplace.someecards.com/got-recap-season-4/if-game-of-thrones-took-place-entirely-on-facebook-season-4-episode-9/

oh and one of the funniest ones yet!

-- Edited by DonalNoyesArm on Wednesday 11th of June 2014 12:27:51 PM