New HBO Series: Game of Thrones

[Sugar Ape]

That was pretty fucking awesome. Was wondering if the dragon Jon Snow was on survived as it was hard as fuck to follow that scene, but it shows the two of them in the preview for next week.

 

 

[aws]

Great TV except for the first 20 minutes or so being way too dark. Had to turn the brightness to max just to have some idea of what was going on.  

 

Hope there are still two dragons fighting fit because there should be fuck all army left.  

 

Hound v Mountain and Arya v Cersei showdowns on the way. 

[ZonkoVille77]

https://www.reddit.com/r/asoiaf/comments/bihii3/spoilers_extended_reactions_game_of_thrones/

 

[Numero Veinticinco]

12 minutes ago, ZonkoVille77 said:

https://www.reddit.com/r/asoiaf/comments/bihii3/spoilers_extended_reactions_game_of_thrones/

 

I stopped at the comment that asked where the Unsullied were. Do this people even watch?

[Numero Veinticinco]

21 minutes ago, aws said:

Great TV except for the first 20 minutes or so being way too dark.

I watched it early in the morning when it was still dark so it was fine (plus... HDR) but I had an issue last week when I had the blinds open and the sun was shining. Couldn’t see dick all. That said, it was pitch black in the middle of the night. It needed to be dark. I think it set the scene perfectly, because it gave the sense of tension. That first part was full on tension. 

[aws]

27 minutes ago, Numero Veinticinco said:

I watched it early in the morning when it was still dark so it was fine (plus... HDR) but I had an issue last week when I had the blinds open and the sun was shining. Couldn’t see dick all. That said, it was pitch black in the middle of the night. It needed to be dark. I think it set the scene perfectly, because it gave the sense of tension. That first part was full on tension. 

I'm bound to watch it again later this week so will try the darkroom  approach.  

[karl1987]

53 minutes ago, aws said:

 Hope there are still two dragons fighting fit because there should be fuck all army left.  

 

 

Both survived and are shown on next weeks episode preview.  Even Ghost survived.

[Welsh]

How the hell did Ghost survive?!

[karl1987]

17 minutes ago, Welsh said:

How the hell did Ghost survive?!

Who knows, but that's defo him standing behind Sam on the preview video above at the 18 second mark when Jon and co are going out to burn all the dead bodies.  

 

Im hoping now they've freed some of the CGI budget by  getting rid of all the dead that they are now  gonna include some epic wolf scenes in the coming battles.

 

 

[Welsh]

Crazy isn't it haha, goes in with the dothraki, they all die but Ghost makes it out alive.

 

I'm disappointed with how quick the Night King was killed off and I'd like to know more about him but it was a great episode none the less.

[karl1987]

Wish they had Bumped Sam off in last nights episode though.  Even Jon couldn't be arsed trying to save him last night.  Don't see what his character has to offer anymore.

[karl1987]

3 minutes ago, Welsh said:

Crazy isn't it haha, goes in with the dothraki, they all die but Ghost makes it out alive.

 

Must have followed Jorah out.  He somehow survived that Dothraki charge aswell.

[3 Stacks]

I just thought it was weird. The Night King dying just like that was anti-climactic. And it's not entirely the show-runners' fault but the battle was almost too daunting and spectacular.

 

I don't think they could create a realistic outcome with the sheer size of it. It's like the battle beyond the wall in season 7 where everyone should have obviously died but you have to really suspend disbelief. So many characters that survived realistically should have died, they were surrounded so many times. Not that it wasn't good, it was just kind of a head-scratcher.

[ZonkoVille77]

Like all art, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and every cunt is entitled to their opinion.

I thought the writing for the characters and the story has been shite so far this season and last if I'm honest (and I know what's fuckin shite because everything is fuckin shite). Maybe I'm being too precious and expect so much more.

 

Pros of EP3:

One of the all-time most incredible episodes of any TV show ever. If you don't take it too seriously then it was really fun. The score, effects, tension, effects, etc. Some kind of closure for characters assuming this is it and there's not any more twists to be had (possible). The very dark scenes were excellent for tension and emotion. Genuine shit yourself moments. Dothraki being wiped out so quickly in the dark was unexpected and a wow moment. 

 

Cons of EP3 (some of these can possibly be answered in the next 3 episodes and I'm just being an impatient cunt):

- Disney-like plot armor. From a show that was never afraid to kill off characters we still have too many of the main still ones alive which feels more geared towards fan service rather than expanding the entire plot. You'd have expected far more to have perished, especially Sam who isn't known for his fighting yet outlived Ser Jorah.

-  So is Cercei the main villain in the end? No issues, but why waste so much time and effort and budget on the NK and the WW? Now we're back to humans fighting over the throne it just seems like the NK and the WW were an unnecessary distraction or side plot. Surely it can't have been just that? (books could resolve this if he ever completes them).

- The NK was just so underwhelming in the end. We never knew his motivations beyond wanting an ‘endless night’. We never heard him speak at all and we never really see much of him in battle. What’s the point of giving him a Big fuck off weapon if he’s not even going to use it? Why did the white walkers return? Why now specifically? What did their body part sculptures mean?

- Was the wall really nothing but a giant ice blocker to keep dead out? It was hugely built up that 'Winter is here', but for what, only one battle between the living and dead and the NK and WW die? The long night wasn't really that fucking long after all. Mmmm.

- All the mystery and all the theories behind who the white walkers are and what they want means fucking nowt now it seems.

- Dany and Jon looking like doing fuck all other than trying to stay holding onto the dragons. 

- Bran warging into crows and then chilling and doing nothing much else. For someone with his skills you'd expect a bit more?

 

I'm just bitterly disappointed with the way it has gone with the plot. As I said, I'm probably being too precious at the moment and the last 3 will tidy it all up. As it stands it's gone a bit too "Hollywood big action" and the great dialogue scenes are now too few and far between.

 

Opinions, eh?

 

[3 Stacks]

To me, the only thing I got out of that episode re. the White Walker and Night King storyline is that Bran, their greatest enemy, must be the physical manifestation of the lord of light which Melisandre etc... worship. Or he/other 3 eyed ravens work/have worked with him, either or. Goes with the whole ice and fire rivalry. I like that theory.

[Chris]

Seeing a lot of talk about budget. 

Why should we, as TV viewers, give a shit about how the producers spent their money? 

[KMD7]

24 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

To me, the only thing I got out of that episode re. the White Walker and Night King storyline is that Bran, their greatest enemy, must be the physical manifestation of the lord of light which Melisandre etc... worship. Or he/other 3 eyed ravens work/have worked with him, either or. Goes with the whole ice and fire rivalry. I like that theory.

Never thought of that. Good post

[Ben Sherman]

It's a tv show based on a fantasy novel. Good must beat evil in the end or what's the point. Enough evil shit in the real world.

[Bobby Hundreds]

1 hour ago, 3 Stacks said:

To me, the only thing I got out of that episode re. the White Walker and Night King storyline is that Bran, their greatest enemy, must be the physical manifestation of the lord of light which Melisandre etc... worship. Or he/other 3 eyed ravens work/have worked with him, either or. Goes with the whole ice and fire rivalry. I like that theory.

There's a theory bran wargs into the night king in the past and gets stuck in there like with hodor and corrupts his mind. The night king has to wait until bran is born to attack winterfell so he can kill bran and stop him warging into his mind. Obviously he fails so bran might do this in the next episodes.  Bran is also the old fuck stuck under the tree. The 3 eyed raven is bran, bran being one eye, the old guy being one and the night king the other. Or some shit like that.

[Pidge]

A good ol' trinity reference.  Classic.

[mattyq]

Epic tv and an amazing spectacle; will have to watch again in the dark

But the writing... thought the quality slipped a lot in the last Series and it hasn't got any better

It's obviously still brilliant viewing but left with the feeling 'is that it?'

[Megadrive Man]

3 hours ago, ZonkoVille77 said:

-  So is Cercei the main villain in the end? No issues, but why waste so much time and effort and budget on the NK and the WW? Now we're back to humans fighting over the throne it just seems like the NK and the WW were an unnecessary distraction or side plot. Surely it can't have been just that? (books could resolve this if he ever completes them).

 

 

 

 

I think its to show how pointless war is.

 

You've fought against a non human enemy to save your own civilization, only to then go immediately straight in to a war with your own civilization!  

[Ne Moe Imya]

3 hours ago, ZonkoVille77 said:

Like all art, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and every cunt is entitled to their opinion.

I thought the writing for the characters and the story has been shite so far this season and last if I'm honest (and I know what's fuckin shite because everything is fuckin shite). Maybe I'm being too precious and expect so much more.

...

 

I'm just bitterly disappointed with the way it has gone with the plot. As I said, I'm probably being too precious at the moment and the last 3 will tidy it all up. As it stands it's gone a bit too "Hollywood big action" and the great dialogue scenes are now too few and far between.

 

Opinions, eh?

 

 

Agree with almost every word of this.

 

As an action movie, it was a great hour and a half. As the climax of an epic 8-series journey, it was RIDICULOUSLY stupid IMO.

 

So I know there are different opinions on this, but for my money one of the main themes, if not the central theme of GOT was how incredibly short-sighted it is of humans to ignore existential threats (climate change, for example) while we squabble amongst ourselves. That, and the willingness to introduce real drama into a lengthy saga by removing all concept of "plot armour" (as seen in Ned Stark's death, the Red Wedding, etc).

 

All of that is undone in a single stroke in this episode. Instead of showing how foolish it is of Cersei to split with the main group and lie in wait for after the battle with the Night King, she now looks brilliant for doing so as she's in a much better position to win the throne.

 

Oh, and the willingness to kill off your main characters? Out the window as well. Who was the most important person who died in this massive battle that seemed to have killed at least 80% of the population of Winterfell? Theon? Jorah Mormont? NOT A SINGLE ONE of the central characters died. Not Jon Snow, not Danaerys, not Bran, not Tyrion, not Sansa, not Arya, not Jaime Lannister, not Brienne, not Grey Worm, not even Varys, Gendry, Podrick, Sam, Tormund or Missandei.

 

And now the show has to completely switch gears because the central conflict of the entire series is up and done in one meaningless-feeling battle so that we can switch to a new central conflict that feels utterly petty by comparison. Of course it feels utterly petty by comparison, because that was the entire point of the first 5 seasons of the show!

[Pidge]

Think my biggest issue with the writing is the way the Others have all been intrinsically tied to the Night King.  If they all die when he dies, why didn't he die when Leaf died (I guess he killed her, didn't he)?  Why couldn't they have gotten involved and given some characters a scrap to go out on (they've made wights before as well, why is that suddenly just the Night King's job)?  Haven't watched the preview so there are still question marks over Tormund and Brienne for me, would have been good seeing them try and tackle one, possible with Jaime landing the final blow.  Or Beric, the sword works against the wights, but a walker shattering it into a fiery explosion and wights mobbing him after? 

 

All that Valyrian steel in play, but only one blade used...

 

I'm getting carried away, I just feel they fully committed to the big bad guy trope and it's made for a worse story.  The character isn't in the books at all (might be, but GRRM's been coy whenever asked, that I've seen at least), so I don't know whether there's even a good explanation for him.

 

Also, is it just me or did every single scene with Jaime go the same way?  Stand on battlements and look around with concern...

 

The Dothraki moment was really dumb, but very effective.

 

and where were the Knights of the Vale?  Did they leave and I missed it?  Thought the fat-headed fella was sure to die.

[Ben Sherman]

I think the Knights of the Vale were on foot with Brienne but I could be wrong. Maybe they were sent off as an insurance if things went tits up.