Discussing the Children

[Westeros]

As we’ve done for the previous episodes this season, Linda and I have filmed a video of our discussing the episode, focusing on various aspects including providing insights into the history and background of various details, as well as our views on various aspects of the episode. We’ve placed the video in our episode guide, but you can find it below:

For those of you in the UK, you can also see our appearance in the final Thronecast episode of the season—as well as Iwan Rheon (aka Ramsay) and Natalia Tena (Osha) with her band Molotov Jukebox—over at Sky’s website.

Visit the Site!

[tyrell19]

Really enjoyed the video! Will you guys ever do similar videos for the books?

[Joshua Faust]

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[Palladinho]

Why didn't they make Stannis' army yell his name? Would it really hurt to give us 100% Stannis for once?

[Abaddon]

Why didn't they make Stannis' army yell his name? Would it really hurt to give us 100% Stannis for once?

Yeah, I loved that in the books, but honestly I think it would have sounded cheesy in the show. I really liked the way they did it and I think it did a good job of economically translating the book scene to the screen.

I'm far more disappointed with the lack of Tysha, and the inclusion of the absurd "Shae tries to stab Tyrion" that they then required to justify why Tyrion would murder Shae (and also turn it into arguably self-defense instead of the darker turn we got in the books). The lack of the army yelling "Stannis" doesn't remotely compare.

Anyway, a very good review, I think really on-point. Overall, a great episode, and probably the 2nd best finale, despite a few disappointments.

[Here Shaggydog]

Yeah Tyrion saying Shae instead of Tysha when Tywin asked him "who?" When Tyrion said he loved her was laughable. That made me lose some respect for the writing. He just murdered Shae, then he says he loved her, stupid and not believable at all.

[The Dragon has three heads]

I can see why they did certain things.

Except blood raven.

I cannot abide what they did to blood raven.

A half dead corpse god>>>>>>kindly old man.

NO.

[Palladinho]

Tysha is such a huge part of who Tyrion is... Wtf producers.

Was anyone pissed at the Hound 'losing' to Brienne as he fell off the cliff? I'm pretty sure in the books he would absolutely thrash her.

[Abaddon]

Brienne of the show is a better fighter than in the books. It worked for me, as long as I don't try to compare it to Book!Brienne and Book!Hound.

[Palladinho]

I mean the Hound did fight against Valyrian steel and actually grabbed it, and we saw Brienne using the terrain to her advantage but this scene still annoyed me. Hound is the best fighter in the books imo, can kill men while he's drunk and has huge size as well as speed. But not a huge issue. I hope the show 'brings him back' sooner than later as they're doing with some parts of the story.

[Adhara]

I really don't think at this point Tysha and her story, are needed.

Show! viewers understand that the trauma of his life, trial, and life-long rejection, have scarred Tyrion's soul.

Shae in Tywins bed, another shock.

Revenge.

Tysha, at this point, is not weighty. We understand the trauma of being an Imp

If Tyrian had lamented Tysha every few episodes,

there may have been board gnashing of teeth that D&D are over-playing his past,

while non-bookers would be yawning at another Tysha re-hash..

No-one wins in a Song of Ice and Fire..

[Woman of War]

The most touching memory of Tysha we got in the books was when Tyrion lay wounded, alone and nearly dying after the battle of Blackwater, all those sweet and painful memories about how she had truly wanted him and yet it had all been a lie, so he thought. A highly emotional chapter. The show did not show us Tyrion's agony in the same way, there was the real Shae coming instead of lost Tysha. And how should the show have done it otherwise!? Tyrion talking to himself, crying Tysha's name in a fever? They decided for the very real Shae instead of Tysha's ghost looming over the story.

Just like they decided for one very real son of Davos, a person in the story we actually saw dying instead of four sons, in theory more horrible. But they were never really presented to us, while we could mourn the one we knew.

[Alex21]

I really don't think at this point Tysha and her story, are needed.

Show! viewers understand that the trauma of his life, trial, and life-long rejection, have scarred Tyrion's soul.

Shae in Tywins bed, another shock.

Revenge.

Tysha, at this point, is not weighty. We understand the trauma of being an Imp

If Tyrian had lamented Tysha every few episodes,

there may have been board gnashing of teeth that D&D are over-playing his past,

while non-bookers would be yawning at another Tysha re-hash..

No-one wins in a Song of Ice and Fire..

D&D changed everything in Tyrion's relationship with Jaime, Tysha was important in the very moment of Tyrion's escape and Tywin's death. In my opinion that was a mistake, as well as the omission of the Winter Horn and Mance's wife and son

[PatrickStormborn]

The worst part about the lack of closure for Tysha is that D&D are essentially saying "yup, she was a whore", and that's all there is to her character.

[Newstar]

The worst part about the lack of closure for Tysha is that D&D are essentially saying "yup, she was a whore", and that's all there is to her character.

After 4x10, I was reminded of TV Shae pointing out back in Season 1 that no woman who'd just narrowly escaped rape would immediately jump into bed with another man of her own apparent volition. It seemed as if she was never intended to be anything but a prostitute in the show.

[Beric175]

There's an EW interview with Michelle Fairley that should put a nail in the coffin of LSH, which is just as well, since the character does next to nothing at the end of book 5 and killing nameless Freys in the name of revenge for the Starks is something the Brotherhood without Banners can well achieve on their own. It's just not that enticing for an actress like Fairley to be playing a silent murder machine that kills characters the audience won't care about. Brienne can still run into the Brotherhood without Banners but it probably won't be with Stoneheart and they'll force her into getting them Jaime.Lannister or maybe that part of the story won't be in there at all, since it's entirely possible that Jaime replaces Oakheart in the Dorne plot.

[Steelborn]

There's an EW interview with Michelle Fairley that should put a nail in the coffin of LSH, which is just as well, since the character does next to nothing at the end of book 5 and killing nameless Freys in the name of revenge for the Starks is something the Brotherhood without Banners can well achieve on their own. It's just not that enticing for an actress like Fairley to be playing a silent murder machine that kills characters the audience won't care about. Brienne can still run into the Brotherhood without Banners but it probably won't be with Stoneheart and they'll force her into getting them Jaime.Lannister or maybe that part of the story won't be in there at all, since it's entirely possible that Jaime replaces Oakheart in the Dorne plot.

Except that LS is more than a silent murder machine.

[Beric175]

well, that's up to debate.

[Frey Pies]

Except that LS is more than a silent murder machine.

We don't know that yet.

[PatrickStormborn]

We don't know that yet.

Last time we saw her, she was holding her son's crown... And the first time we encounter her, she was looking for Arya.

There's a lot more going on in her mind than just "murder my enemies". That's certainly a component, but she also wants to find her children.