[Poll] How would you rate episode 706?

[CaptainTheo]

I gave it a 3 - easily the worst episode yet this season, and worst episode to date. The only other episodes I gave a 3 were Battle of the Bastards, and Sons of the Harpy; the latter initially a 5 until it turned out that Barristan was magically dead next episode.

There were only two bits I thought were kind-of cool: (1) Arya being suitably creepy with her faces, and (2) The Night King resurrecting the dead dragon as his steed. Otherwise:

- Everything else Arya made no sense, I thought she acted like a complete moron in this episode, which she started doing in the previous episode. I thought Sandra explained herself perfectly well about being forced to write the letter yet Arya could not let it go and refused to listen. I don't buy the theory that Arya was only pretending this, to fool Littlefinger, because (1) Arya does not know much about LF at this stage, and (2) It's not like anyone's overhearing what Arya is saying. Also (3) Arya started behaving like this towards her sister before she ever saw the letter. I'm quite prepared to believe that it's (4) Arya was killed by the Waif offscreen in the episode 'No One' and this is really the Waif wearing Arya's face. 

- The Winterfell scenes felt like filler. Littlefinger (and Bran) continues to hardly be shown at all, in favour of those boring Stark sisters. Why did Sandra send Brienne away? I thought LF was advising her to keep her close as protection from Arya. Apparently it was so Brienne couldn't protect Arya from Sandra.

- Unlike most episodes, I didn't find the dialogue in the Wight Hunt very interesting at all. The whole thing came across as pretty bland.

- It is again blatantly obvious how all the important characters have thick plot armour, especially Jon. Of the ten who went on the expedition, the three extras are killed off plus Thoros, probably the least important named character there.

- Dany travelling thousand miles in a few minutes with her dragons is a tad implausible.

- For the second time, Benjen ex machina. The writers decide that they won't need him again so they have him killed off this time, even though he could easily have escaped too. There's no suspense when you know that Jon is going to be miraculously rescued again because he's the hero.

[Eggegg]

I've just done a season rewatch and so this is pretty fresh in my mind.

Quite frankly this is possibly the worst episode of Game of Thrones that has ever existed. Episode 7 of this season is pushing it close. But this episode had so many serious 'jump the shark' moments that it felt like it was just another show entirely to the one I had been watching for 6 seasons. 

Everything about it was daft and forced. It felt like there was a checklist of plot points and past grievances that needed to be addressed and so the writers made sure they had a tick against each one, and it didn't matter if they ticked them off in a clever or natural way, they just had to get them done.

The 'walk and talk' sections with the ranger crew in the snow really showed that there is no imagination in the writing staff now. Each member of the crew had to go and walk with another member so that they can have a private conversation that establishes a grievance or past contact. None of it felt natural, it just felt like box ticking. 

But that seems to be the only way the show can get its job done in the limited time it has now unfortunately.

I won't even go into the outrageous silliness of the lake sequences. If you start asking questions about 'why didn't they go back towards the wall', how did they survive on the lake,  can dragons do FTL travel now?.. you'll get yourself worked up and so angry that you'll just explode.

So many fake death copouts that it could be Lord of the Rings. 

And thats not even getting into the Sansa / Arya drama which didn't ring true at all, felt completely forced and turned Arya into some sort of pantomime villain all of a sudden. 

I just feel like the writers havent got  a clue what they are doing and have simply given up. However many people seem to have loved this episode, which I assume means they were able to leave their brains at the door. Something I refuse to do.

1 star.