Writers: David Benioff & D.B. Weiss Director: Alex Graves
Synopsis:
Spoiler
Circumstances change after an unexpected arrival from north of the Wall; Dany must face harsh realities; Bran learns more about his destiny; Tyrion sees the truth about his situation.
Recap!
-- Edited by DonalNoyesArm on Saturday 14th of June 2014 12:35:17 AM
I'm rewatching the episode now, and my first thought is thank goodness I didn't see the "Previously On" my first time through. That would have ruined it. The Starks are making a comeback! All four of them are poised to truly come into their own in season 5. I expected many things, but I never suspected Arya would leave the Hound to die a lingering death, that Brienne would meet up with Arya, and that Arya would refuse to join her and run off to Bravos instead. What a wonderful series of twists.
Dany's scene was heartwrenching. So much for Breaker of Chains. And Tyrion! I'm so proud of him, taking care of business before he goes. I didn't expect Varys to become his traveling companion. I would love to see the adventures of Tyrion and Varys. I just hope Varys has a good Plan B after leaving everything behind in King's Landing. I loved the moment of decision in his eyes when he heard the bells tolling. It reminded me of the scene between Tyrion and Varys about bells before the battle of Blackwater. And I guess Tyrion has done Cersei a great favor, and Loras Tyrell and even greater favor. The question is whether Cersei will find a way to oust Margaery before she marries Tommen. And whether Jaime is doing anything more than using Cersei. And whether Cersei will turn back into a cold bitch now that she doesn't need Jaime's help with Tywin.
Stannis was a surprise. I expected him last week. Lol. I like the discussion between Stannis and Jon. I guess the good thing about Stannis is that he is willing to give respect when respect is due regardless of station. And Mance Rayder's refusal to bow was laudable. I enjoyed that he was true to his principles, beaten or not.
I need to rewatch. Sandor kicked ass, so did the Mance/Tormund scenes. The "three-eyed raven" looked different than I imagined him while reading. I wish there was more Jamie/Tyrion and Tyrion/Varys exposition during the escape, but LOVED when Varys hesitated and just got on the ship.
That was an absolutely PACKED episode, pretty much the most solid finale since season 1 methinks.
Quick observations:
You'd think the show was out of money after the battle on the wall, but we still got to see Stannis' CG army come in and kick ass AND that sweet wight skeleton fight...how great was that?
Mance was finally back, and I found he was really great in his scene with Jon in the tent.
Arya and Brienne would've been the best of friends if fuckin' Sandor didn't come in and spoil the fun.
Speaking of Sandor, his performance was amazing, I was heartbroken for him.
You wanted to be mother of dragons and breaker of chains Khaleesi? Well, your ex-slaves wanna be slaves again and your dragons are mis-behavin'!
REWATCH IS IN ORDER!!!!
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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
DAT CAVALRY ATTACK.
Gonna comment more later, right now I'm too pumped over Mance vs Stannis and Brienne vs The Hound to process anything else.
I usually don't like finales because they feel too much like checklists, but this checklist was pretty damn good.
Loved a) Jon's scene with Mance b) Stannis , I've missed him so much!( cgi was great too) Laughed out loud at the wilding charge and defeat infront of him and just kept walking Ha ha ! c) Jon's fairwell , to Gren and Ygrytte (sniff) d) Qyburn's set up scene. e) Cersie standing up to her Daddy. f) Danny chaining her babies (reminded me of the first time you leave your child at nursery school .. you know it's for the best, but you want to run back and grab them ) g) Mel staring at Jon through the flames (nice touch ) h) Any scene with Tormund :D i) Skeleton fight scene (reminded me how far we've come since Jason and the Argonauts ) J) The Children ! (though I would of liked a closer shot of her and shooting fire bolts, ha ha! Bad ass! k) Brienne and Arya and the Hound, Oh my! ALL of it fantastic, from the girls swapping sword names to Rory's first look at her (his face ! Priceless) to the epic fight scene and Arya's too calm face taking everything thing in leaving him to rot.. Fab! l) Then we get to Tyrion .. all panned out well as expected , bar a couple of great one liners missed from the books, loved the Jamie and Tyrion farewell. m) The music playing as Arya sailed off to Bravos and her destiny.....
Didn't like .a) Mance. Sorry , fans of the actor , but he just isn't my Mance and I can't get past that. b) Listing Danny's fucking titles AGAIN! That's a minute that could of been added on somewhere else ! c) Jojen's death ... No! Just No! d) The three eyed crow... He is described so particularly and THAT was not him ... very poor make up dept! e) Certain someone missing , I kept checking the amount of time left , hoping ... but alas no. Overall great season finale , now to wait another year! Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
-- Edited by YvyB on Monday 16th of June 2014 06:12:39 AM
A rewatch is in order. I wasn't a fan of the pacing, tell this story arc and finish then move to the next, etc. Didn't hate any one scene, they all were really good.
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"If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt." - Dean Martin
Cavalry charging woods doesn't seem like a good idea to me, but hey, as longs as they break th wildlings right??
And was so Stannis was so Stannis, i loved his old grumpy self.
Tyrion's scene was better than the books, and i'm glad they cut the "whatever whores go!" crap.
I wasn't a fan of the pacing, tell this story arc and finish then move to the next, etc.
Yes, this is what I dislike about finales. I always end up liking the middle episodes more.
But anyway, Jon & Mance were terrific together. I love these brutally honest scenes. "Grenn came from a farm". Aaw, I laughed. I'm starting to really, really like Kit as Jon. And Mance's care for his people is really touching. I love how it's never presented as a weakness but as his strength.
The charge scene was beautiful. THANK YOU for that Hinds & Dillane scene, however brief, I've been waiting for it ever since they were cast. These two fine men should work together more, and that goes for their characters as well. Mance's "all the same, we do not kneel", yes yes goooooood, Stannis asking Jon for his advice and then taking it yesss even better. Now let's get all these people in one room until they sort things out and become best friends.
Ygritte's burial was a beautiful scene as well, tho I'm gonna channel my inner Don here and ask when the hell did he build that wooden bed/pyre for her all by himself, out in the woods?
Liked Meera fighting the wights, teared up when Jojen was dying and Meera had to finish him off before the wights came but didn't like the elfish child and her silly firebolts at all.
Now, on the three eyed-raven, to answer something Yvy said below. Yes, in the books he looked a bit more mystical and more tree than man, however I thought it was the only logical thing the show could have done, since he'll be having scenes in the future obviously. You can't create a make-up that's so complex to recreate so many times, because you cannot afford the time and/or the resources. It's one of the reasons Tyrion still has a nose on the show. Anyway, I was looking forward to his appearance, but hated the Gandalf approach with the voice and "the hour is late" blah blah blah no. Try harder next season, please.
Dany's scene was sad, and this is coming from someone who hates her bloody dragons. But loooved watching her deal with the old slave and with the poor peasant. And of course, her reaction is to lock her only children in a dark basement. Has the thought of taming and training them never crossed her mind? Oh wait, she's been too busy with trying to save everyone, even the people that don't want saving. God, I hope that woman never reaches Westeros.
The Hound and Brienne's scene was the shit. I freaked the fuck out. Another great case of rooting for both combatants at the same time. That fight was gruesome enough but the kicking in the privates part...TWICE. LOL, that was a gutsy move and I adored every minute of it. And I laughed at Podrick "I was watching you, thought you might need help" She DID, you useless twat, where the fuck were you?!
Arya & The Hound was all levels of cruelness and I don't want to comment on it.
And of course....Tywin in the loo. Haha take that, ye bastard. A memorable death worthy of songs, just as he would have wanted. I'll miss Charles Dance, but I had enough of that character to last me a lifetime.
Ygritte's burial was a beautiful scene as well, tho I'm gonna channel my inner Don here and ask when the hell did he build that wooden bed/pyre for her all by himself, out in the woods?
HE BUILT IT BECAUSE HE LUURVED HER!!!
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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
There were some disappointments and a few things that bothered me in the episode. The first big disappointment for me was that Arya was never reunited with Nymeria. That was one of the things I had really hoped for this season, and now she's off across the Narrow Sea. I guess if she returns to Westeros to complete her list, it's a possibility, but I'm disappointed that her only link to her past and her family is the tool she uses to kill people.
The second disappointment was that I had hoped there was time for Jorah to rejoin the mercenary group before Stannis hired them to go back to Westeros. It would have been awesome for him to turn up in Stannis' army. Instead, Jorah and his sweaty v neck belong in the missing persons thread.
And Stannis' army relates to one of the things that bugged me about this episode. One of the greatest challenges advancing armies face is the logistics of supply lines. Stannis had it right when he said he couldn't feed and house the Wildling army. But honestly, how can he feed and house his own? Certainly Castle Black's larder isn't sufficient. Maybe Stannis plans on raiding some villages in the north? I guess we're supposed to overlook that and the use of the Little Finger teleportation system by his army.
The other thing I disliked were the Bran and company scenes. Jojen is to weak to continue, and yet Bran makes him climb a hill to look at their destination just so that he can climb back down again to actually get there. And then his sister leaves him behind to stumble and fall as they approach the tree. The zombie fight itself felt lame, like a scene out of Army of Darkness. Hodor was unable to do so much as throw a zombie off his back without Bran's help. Arms came straight up out of the ground and somehow dragged Jojen backwards...is there a tunnel under there or something? I like zombie movies because they're gross and funny. This was neither, and felt out of place. I did like the zombies flying to pieces once they crossed the threshold into the cave.
And that leads to the third disappointment for me. I had real hope Benjen would be under that tree, regardless of whatever else was under there. That was a lot to hope for, I know.
Finally, I loved the Mance scenes, not because of Mance himself, but because of what happened in them. The exchange between Mance and Jon about Grenn and Mag was perfect. Jon was clear that Grenn the farm boy was every bit as big a loss as Mag the giant king, last of his bloodline. And Mance standing up to Stannis and holding fast to his principles was flawless. "We do not kneel." Plus Stannis' interaction with Jon Snow...so good. I'm curious about the fate of the Wildlings now that they've surrendered. Just as I said above, you can't have 100,000 men just camping on either side of the wall without stealing every bit of food from surrounding farms and villages to keep them fed. Stannis has an interesting decision ahead.
The charge scene was beautiful. THANK YOU for that Hinds & Dillane scene, however brief, I've been waiting for it ever since they were cast. These two fine men should work together more, and that goes for their characters as well. Mance's "all the same, we do not kneel", yes yes goooooood, Stannis asking Jon for his advice and then taking it yesss even better. Now let's get all these people in one room until they sort things out and become best friends.
I just loved it! I cannot believe we got those four in once scene to be honest. Nevermind the "we do not kneel" or Stannis telling Jon that Ned was an honorable man and asking what would YOU do. See as a king he assessed the situation, and realized automatically Jon knew more about Mance than any of them did. Asked for an opinion and did NOT ignored or dismissed it out of hand. That was his first act as a king at the Wall. Blown away at the acting.
Sorry but Hinds is terrible. He doesn't seem to have a hold on this role and acts poorly. I wasnt impressed with his Caeser and even less so as Mance. Hinds is the new Benedict Cumsonhersnatch.
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"If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt." - Dean Martin
Sorry but Hinds is terrible. He doesn't seem to have a hold on this role and acts poorly. I wasnt impressed with his Caeser and even less so as Mance. Hinds is the new Benedict Cumsonhersnatch.
No no, you're just wrong. I was going to argue why Hinds is one of the most authentic actors out there, but if you didn't like his Caesar then I'll leave you be, there can be no reasoning.
My issue with Hinds is that I expected the King Beyond the Wall, who united a gazillion warring wildling tribes to leave some sort of an impression on me. But Hinds just...well, he might as well have been an extra up until his Stannis scene, which was pretty good, but could have been played as well or better by many other actors.
TormundsWoman wrote:See as a king he assessed the situation, and realized automatically Jon knew more about Mance than any of them did. Asked for an opinion and did NOT ignored or dismissed it out of hand. That was his first act as a king at the Wall. Blown away at the acting.
Yes this. I might just be able to trade Stannis on the Iron throne for Stannis & Mance on the Iron bench, Westeros's first duumvirate.
My issue with Hinds is that I expected the King Beyond the Wall, who united a gazillion warring wildling tribes to leave some sort of an impression on me. But Hinds just...well, he might as well have been an extra up until his Stannis scene, which was pretty good, but could have been played as well or better by many other actors.
If I didn't know that was Ciarán Hinds, I'd be like. Who is that nobody?
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"There's no cure for being a cunt." Bronn "King Stannis is my god." Davos "Who the fuck is Jon Snow?" Locke
you are making me cry people. You all seem to forget that Mance was written that way in the books and the show respected that, remember Jon Snow thought that Tormund was the King beyond the wall, just because Tormund is bigger and louder and younger. Wait, in the show Mance is more manly than book Mance (playing sweet music all the time).
Is not impressive enough that this quiet man had the balls and the brain to unite all that mess the tribes were? I don´t understand, what he needed to impress? better clothes? be younger, more handsome? behave whimsical and despotic like all the others? He would had never earned the respect of the wildlings behaving like "a king". He´s a leader not really a king beyond the wall. That makes him double awesome in my eyes. The wildlings are the most civilized people in all Westeros, the show just failed to tell about them.
So fuck the kings.
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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 ;).
Is not impressive enough that this quiet man had the balls and the brain to unite all that mess the tribes were? I don´t understand, what he needed to impress? better clothes? be younger, more handsome? behave whimsical and despotic like all the others? He would had never earned the respect of the wildlings behaving like "a king".
ANDREA GETS IT, come here and let me lick your face! This is what's amazing about Mance as a character and Hinds as an actor (even though he has a much more commanding presence than book-Mance). He's not supposed to look like a leader or act like any of the other leaders in the show. He literally asks that guy if he "could trouble him for some food" to offer Jon. He's supposed to be played as a humble man so I don't think the show downplays him in any way and I think Hinds knows exactly what he's doing with the character.
Andrea is spot on. I think the show completely nailed both Stannis and Mance, seeing them in the scene was something unique and i really hope next season with get a scene with only the two of them. In the books Stannis mentions talking to him and leaving with a good impression but it's "off-screen
I absolutely agree what kind of character Mance (even how he is portrayed ) is supposed to be ... but Hinds doesn't do it for me ... at all . Sorry but that's the way I feel . His stroke face just pisses me off ! Also , I would have liked him to play the harp. Yes!.
Delane however IS A GOD !
I don't care how he's portrayed in the books, and frankly, I'd rather not know. I just know that you won't be leading anything without some character trait that inspires people to follow you. And I don't see what that trait is in Mance's case. I don't know whether the issue is casting or writing or acting, and it doesn't matter which it is. He's an utterly forgettable character. I wouldn't follow his directions to the bathroom.
Thought the finale was one of the best in the entire series, I really enjoyed it.
My only complaint is those annoying fast cuts during Brienne vs. The Hound, so fucking irritating. They did the same shit with The Red Viper vs. The Mountain, I agree with Elio it can spoil your enjoyment cause you don't have a clue what's happening half of the time.
Thought the finale was one of the best in the entire series, I really enjoyed it.
My only complaint is those annoying fast cuts during Brienne vs. The Hound, so fucking irritating. They did the same shit with The Red Viper vs. The Mountain, I agree with Elio it can spoil your enjoyment cause you don't have a clue what's happening half of the time.
Agreed, I liked how Neil Marshall let fight scenes play out in static camera angles in Ep9, I rather prefer that method of letting the choreography be exciting on its own instead of rapid cuts.
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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
Thought the finale was one of the best in the entire series, I really enjoyed it.
My only complaint is those annoying fast cuts during Brienne vs. The Hound, so fucking irritating. They did the same shit with The Red Viper vs. The Mountain, I agree with Elio it can spoil your enjoyment cause you don't have a clue what's happening half of the time.
Agreed, I liked how Neil Marshall let fight scenes play out in static camera angles in Ep9, I rather prefer that method of letting the choreography be exciting on its own instead of rapid cuts.
Bingo! Neil's duel featuring Thorne and Tormund was way better than both of those scenes.
Enjoyed it more being somewhat fucking sober. The Hounds begging for Arya to "do it" and the emotion Rory put in that scene absolutely killed me. I think I'm still crying. It's over. I'm done. Kill me. Go on do it. My saddle stinks of butchers boy.
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"If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt." - Dean Martin
The Hounds begging for Arya to "do it" and the emotion Rory put in that scene absolutely killed me.
I would never have thought that the guy that just seemed like a tall, burnt thug in S1 grew to be one of the most nuanced characters in the show. Rory 4 Lyfe!
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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
Donnie, da fuck?, you scared me to death with the swedish cookie.
Ok I liked Mance, Jon, Stannis scenes most of all, also the hound and Brienne, and mah Varys going away and that expression in his face (I always want more Varys). The dialogue between Jon and Mance was really good too. And Kit Harington improved his acting quite a lot.
I´m amazed because I didn´t hate Dany scene,s even the girl´s acting was ok. Feels weird!
Didn´t like Arya at all, she had that dead stare the entire season, I knew she wouldn´t help the Hound. Also, her shot at the end was not the best choice for last shot, imo, but I didn´t mind. Final episodes are hard.
The skeleton thing was the worse for me but for a moment I thought it could be some kind of tribute to something until a skeleton arm stabbed Jojen repeatedly, then I and I don`t think that was the intention. That was a terrible death for Jojen and I didn´t even care for the character that much. Just that part tho, not when sister had to finish him, god that was sad. And then treeman was so cheap and silly little Puck there, wut. But it´s ok, I guess they´ll do better next season.
I do think Tyrion´s last moments were a bit rushed... something in the acting was off to me but both actors are so good that didn´t bother me much, well Tywin death was a bit meh but he´s dead, that´s good to me. I´m glad Tyrion and Jaime were ok at the moment of the separation (didn´t like the outcome in the books at all).
Oh and I`m really glad for some famous books lines D&D didn´t include, I hope they´ll skip more next season.
Wasn´t the best episode but I didn´t like most of the episodes that much. Maybe some characters that shouldn´t be there means nothing to non readers, but I think D&D are having fun placing those characters that shouldn´t be there to have people talking till next season. Couple of bitches.
So I was the only one that laughed at stabbed Jojen?
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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 ;).
DAT CAVALRY ATTACK. 
)
While you typed that I was making my check list !!!!
And of course, her reaction is to lock her only children in a dark basement. Has the thought of taming and training them never crossed her mind? Oh wait, she's been too busy with trying to save everyone, even the people that don't want saving. God, I hope that woman never reaches Westeros.
I'll miss Charles Dance, but I had enough of that character to last me a lifetime.
I was going to argue why Hinds is one of the most authentic actors out there, but if you didn't like his Caesar then I'll leave you be, there can be no reasoning. 
Also, her shot at the end was not the best choice for last shot, imo, but I didn´t mind. Final episodes are hard.
. But it´s ok, I guess they´ll do better next season.
