Ghost714

I could not agree more, even if the Wights aren't still harrying them, just the battle alone should have scared the piss out of them, with everything they saw. But no its just a lovely stroll back to the Wall. No sense of impending doom, or present danger at all. It's like this has happened to them a score of times, so they just shrugged it off. Sam seems a bit terrified, but not as much as he should. Makes zero sense.

Me to, they nailed the fact that she is a bad liar, and everything else was great like always with Sophie. I think since last season she has done an amazing job, and she really pulled that scene off.

What's wrong with it? In that situation, that's exactly what Shae would do. It would have been out of place if she didn't. I have no problem with these things in the show, as long as it makes sense, and it's in character, and doesn't take a bunch of precious time, and that took no time at all to show. In the books Tyrion and Shae are always having sex and stuff, and they didn't show them doing that at all really last season, so it was over due. At least they held of the slurping sounds this time haha.

What was up with Mormont telling Rast to take care of Sam? He knows that Grenn and Dolorous Edd are friends with Sam, why not have them watch Sam? You know....like they were already doing? I don't know why they didn't just have Rast die on the Fist. I mean, are they going to have Rast try and kill Sam, opposed to Chett? And if so, they could have done so without Mormont telling him to watch Sam. Are they trying to show that Mormont wants Sam dead, because if not Rast is the last one for the job, especially when you already have two established friends doing it willingly. Just seemed weird and forced to me.

"Blackwater" did have the lowest ratings of the season, for the initial airing of the episode, but according to the Wiki, it was 3.38 million US views, not half a million. That's because of memorial day, and there was some NBA basket ball shit on to, I dunno what it's called I hate basket ball. However, the Blackwater episode has done really really good on the rewatches, from people with On-Demand and DVR's. Also tons of people have watched the episode when they replay it through the week. I was a little pist about that though, I was sure this would be the episode to get over 4 million US views on the initial airing. Why didn't they play the Blackwater episode this Sunday? They could have had a week break inbetween the 8th and 9th episodes, and the ratings would have been much higher. I mean it still did really well considering the holiday and stuff, but I still think they should have pushed the episode back. HBO kind of took a leap of faith giving them the extra money for the Blackwater episode, I just hope they didn't screw it up by playing the episode last Sunday. Watch, now next time when they ask for more money, HBO will be like, "fuck that, last time we did that the most expensive episode got the worst ratings". I hope that does not happen. The show has been so close this season to hitting 4 million, I just really hope the finale can get there, or higher. On a side note, I was looking at the ratings for the show the Borgias, and it only gets around half a million US views every episode. So compared to that show on Showtime, Game of Thrones is killing it. I am curious though, how is it they can have like a thousand horses in every scene on the Borgias, but Game of Thrones can hardly ever use horses, even when they are terribly needed? Game of Thrones has like 7 times more viewers than the Borgias, on average, so surly Thrones would have a much bigger budget right? I just don't get it, and it's not like the Borgias only spends their budget on horses either, they have pretty good sets and stuff. Can anybody shed some light on this?

Are you truly that naive? First off, that "aging Maester" was trying to kill her. Secondly, Melisandre asked Cressen if he wanted to go through with his folly, she gave him a chance to not drink it, and he did it anyways. That's his fault, not hers, she basically told him it would not kill her, but it would him, and he did it anyways. How is the hell is she to blame? Yes Melisandre did kill Renly and Ser Cortnay Penrose, what of it? They were rebels, they committed treason, a crime punishable by death, and Melisandre did what her King wanted her to do. Rattleshirt deserved to die, and she made it to wear Mance could live. Everybody wanted Mance to live, Jon, Stannis, everybody. However, Stannis's code could not allow him to live, so Melisandre figured out a way around that. A great man got to live, and a horrible man was taken out of the world, how is that evil? Even Mance said they burned the man that they had to. What was needed to be done, was done, except this way Mance got to live. Melisandre then comes up with a way of saving Jon's sister, using Mance. There was nothing evil about that. Do you truly think Rattleshirt didn't deserve to burn for his crimes? Seriously? In Melisandre's POV chapter in ADwD, we get to read her thoughts, and be in her head, and we truly see that she honestly cares about stopping the Others and saving the entire world. She is willing to do what it takes to achieve that goal, and there is such a thing as a "necessary evil". People in power must always be willing to choose the "lesser of two evils". It sounds harsh, but she believes those things are necessary, and given the proof she has seen in her flames, how can you fault her for making those choices. Even if she was wrong, the proof she see's is still very convincing. When it comes to Edric Storm, It may seem harsh, but If I had the proof she did, and if I truly believed it was necessary to sacrifice a child to save the world, then I would do it in a heart beat. So I applaud Melisandre for being able to make those decisions, and for being able to do what it takes to "make it happen", and save the world. I am not saying to make that decision on a whim, but given the evidence Melisandre had, I don't fault her for making that sacrifice.

What manipulations? And just because she believes that R'hllor is the one true god, that does not make her evil. Everything Melisandre does is to achieve her goal of stopping the Others and saving the world, how can that be "evil"? Sure she may be wrong about some things, or she may be right, but either way that doesn't make her evil. She is willing to make necessary sacrifices for the greater good, some of those things may be "bad", but she believes them to be neccisary. Given the evidence she knows, I don't blame her for her decisions. People in power have to be able to make neccisary sacrifices. That's not evil, it's a "necessary evil".

Are you kidding me? Tyrion did not hold Stannis off until the calvary got there. Did you miss the part of Tyrion saying "fuck me", as like a thousand guys came charging at his small band of troops? Had Tywin and Loras been three minutes later, all of Tyrion's men would have been slaughtered, including Tyrion himself. Same goes for in the book. Stannis would not make a horrible King, it's because he used Melisandre to kill his brother that makes him so good. Stannis will literally do what ever it takes to fulfill his duty, which is sitting the Iron Throne. Renly was a Usurper by all the laws of Westeros, because he lost. Your not a rebel if you win, but Renly did not win, so he was a rebel. I am not saying Stannis would make the perfect King, but he sure as hell would not be a horrible King. Nobody can be a perfect King, because nobody is perfect, but Stannis would make a good fair King.

I really hope your right, and that is what they are doing, but I am worried they are making the Stannis to unlikeable. So even if they do give him a face turn, I don't see that many people starting to like him, like with the books. Right now they are going so heavy handed with the black and white characters, its going to be an unbelievable transition when these characters start doing the opposite. I don't see many show watchers changing their opinions of Stannis in particular.

The people who have actually read the books know that, not the people who only watch the show. It would not have been so bad, had Varys told the story, but he didn't, and now all the non book readers most likely think Stannis is evil. And that's my point, they are doing so many things to make Stannis look evil, it wasn't just this episode. This episode was just when they made Stannis look really evil. Most book readers start off not liking Stannis, and thinking he would make a bad King, but as the story goes on, many of us changed our minds and we started to like Stannis, and thinking he would be a good King. I don't see that happening at all for the people who only watch the show. D B Weiss has actually said Stannis would make a horrible King, and it's very obvious his personal opinion of Stannis is reflecting in how the character is written. I don't agree with that at all, they should let the viewer deside for themselves on how the feel about Stannis. The show writers own personal opinion should not reflect in the character when doing an adaptation. They need to stop this black and white bullshit, and make the story with grey characters, like they are in the books. That's probably the biggest thing that sets aSoIaF apart from most fantasy, it's characters are not black and white, even the "good guys" do some fucked up stuff. That's one of the reasons why people like the books so much, and the show is screwing that up.

I know it looked cool, having Stannis be that badass, but I hate what the are implying for the character. You said it yourself, Stannis looked "possessed" and "deranged". The show is making it out to seem like Stannis was unstoppable, but not because he is a naturally skilled swordsman or anything. They are making him seem unstoppable, "because he sold his soul to the devil", and that's why he couldn't be killed. This is backed up by the show having Varys say, "the dark arts have provided Lord Stannis with his army's and paved his path to our door. For a man in service to such powers to sit on the Iron Throne, I can think of nothing worse." I really hate them doing this to Stannis's character, he is not evil, and he did not sell his soul to a "demon"(Melisandre), to win the Iron Throne. Melisandre is also not evil, we learn this as the story goes on. I don't know how the show is going to come back from this, that's a major "butterfly effect" IMO, and I am afraid the show will continue to make these two characters black, instead of grey. Even when the show gets to ADwD, I am afraid they will still make these two characters "evil", and that's bullshit IMO, the story is much better with grey characters. I personally believe that, even though Stannis and Melisandre are "grey" characters, overal I would still consider them as "good guys". Just like how Arya has killed in cold blood, but she is still in the catagory of "good", when looking at the big picture. When we first meet Stannis and Melisandre, most of us though they were "bad", but as the story progressed, we learn that's not the case. So I am worried that, even if the show wants to start showing these two characters as not being evil down the road, like in the books, they won't be able to, because they have made them to unredeemable, and to unlikeable. If that makes sense.

Yea why haven't they shown Emily Diamond this season, she is probably the hottest of the whores. However Armeca(the whore on Bronn's lap) does have a pretty nice body, and unlike you, I just laugh everytime I think of her kissing that guy, after blowing that dude. I think that scene really showed the truth about old time brothels, and how gross the must have been, and that was a high class whore house to.

Does anybody think Joffrey or Cersei ordered Sandor to take out Bronn, but he desided not to after actually seeing Bronn was what he claimed to be, a "hard man", like Sandor himself? Or was Sandor just testing Bronn for himself, trying to see what kind of man he would be fighting with soon? Or was Sandor just wanting to kill someone? I could see it being the first option, there would be a lot of motive for wanting to take Bronn out of the picture in the show. He is in charge of the City Watch, and he actually spends time with the men, earning their loyalty. Also, Bronn isn't a fraud, he is everything he claims to be. So even if Cersei put someone else "officially" in charge, the men would probably still listen to Bronn, and think of him as their Commander(similar to Skahaz mo Kandaq with the Brazen Beasts in ADwD, even when "demoted", he was still in charge of his men). So I can see why Cersei would see the need to have Bronn killed, and not just demoted. I would like it if that was the case, because it would be interesting knowing Sandor didn't kill him out of some weird twisted respect for a fellow "real killer". I loved how Bronn got up, and didn't back down from Sandor, while keeping his hand on his knife, that scene was so badass. Bronn's knife at his lower back is so cool, it just really fits the character, and I thought it was a really great touch having Bronn shoot the guy on fire running at Sandor, that was one of those truly great moments in television, and this episode was full of moments like that.

Without them showing Sansa meeting with Dontos in the godswood, and him "planning to take her home", it was a little weird that she didn't go with Sandor. Especially because he said he would keep her safe and take her home to Winterfell. I mean right after that, Sansa said you won't hurt me, as a statement, so of she didn't think Sandor would hurt her, then why not go with him? I liked seeing Stannis as a total badass, despite it being out of character, but at the same time I didn't like it. They showed Stannis kicking ass non stop, and he never got hurt, and he wasn't even wearing a helmet. I don't like how they are making him seem invincible because he "sold his soul to a demon". I really didn't like it when Varys was talking to Tyrion, and he said, "the dark arts have provided Lord Stannis with his army's and paved his path to our door. For a man in service to such powers to sit on the Iron Throne, I can think of nothing worse, and tonight I believe you are the only man who can stop him". They are making Stannis seem like the evil monster, and Tyrion the galant white knight, and it's ridiculous. Stannis isn't evil, and Tyrion is not the perfect hero come to save the day. They are both suppose to be grey characters, and it would be much more interesting if they were actually like that in the show. Grey characters fighting grey characters is much more interesting than this black and white shit. Stannis is not evil, and neither is Melisandre, I don't get why they are making them out to be. And what I really don't get is that GRRM wrote this episode, and yet there are still these black and white characters. I mean it was dumb for Dan and Dave to do it in all the previous episodes, but for GRRM to do it also... That's just baffling to me, I really do not understand it. Don't get me wrong, I loved this episode, and I think it was the best of the series. Sophie Turner has gotten so tall and beautiful, and she did so freaking good this episode. Sophie Turner's facial expressions were so good when she said, "I'm sorry, your Grace. You're right, I'm stupid. Of course you'll be in the vanguard. They say my brother Robb always goes where the fighting is thickest. And he is only a pretender". She totally schooled Joffrey in that scene. I can't express how much I loved it, and how good she did. I also really liked the dialogue between Sansa and Tyrion. (Sansa) "I will pray for your safe return my Lord." (Tyrion) "Will you?" (Sansa) "Just as I pray for the King's" And she gave the slightest of smiles as she said "just as I pray for the King's", I was truly cheering for Sansa. It was hilarious how Joffrey was having Sandor talk to Tyrion, and Tyrion was having Lancel talk to Sandor, and Sandor talk to Joffrey. I definitely believe the Bronn and Sandor stand off was GRRM tossing the fans a bone. Both of them where so badass. (Sandor) "your just like me... Only smaller" (Bronn) "and quicker, ehh?." Gods those two were badass.I loved how Bronn shot the guy on fire coming at Sandor. They both had such good lines. Who was the guy that walked in and sat down with Sandor? I also really loved the lines between Tyrion and Bronn. (Bronn) "don't get killed" (Tyrion) "nor you my friend" (Bronn) "oh, are we friends now?" (Tyrion) "of course we are. Just because I pay you for your services doesn't diminish our friendship" (Bronn) "enhances it, really" (Tyrion) "oh enhances. Fancy word for a Sellsword" (Bronn) "been spending time with fancy folks" Truly golden. And what was up with Cersei's corset/breastplate thing? It was as useless as boobs on a breastplate...ok I am done...(I know the saying is "useless as nipples on a breastplate", but Cersei literally had boobs on hers)

I loved Shae and Sansa together in this episode. To me, there was so many people tied for best performance of the episode. Sophie Turner was amazing, as was the guys playing Bronn and Sandor, and Stephen Dillane was such a bad ass, what a cool different version of Stannis.