[BOOK SPOILERS] Nitpick without repercussion?

[aFeastForDragons]

So what happened to Jaime's escort from Harrenhall?

It was just him, Brienne and Qyburn coming through some resedential district with no guards.

[Leto Atreides]

Arya has forgotten all of sword dancer training. She's just a regular little girl on the TV show.

[teemo]

My reaction to this whole episode is that I can't stop hearing a Seinfeld episode in my head:

Elaine: Oh, it's a lot of just fancy-shmancy stuff. You know what it's like? It's like a big budget movie with a story that goes *nowhere*.

Jerry: Huh.

Elaine: I mean, this move is no good, Jerry. It's just taking up a lot of my time. And I...will not stand by and allow him to perform this move on me, when a perfectly good move is just sitting in the barn doing nothing!

I mean, I guess it would be fine to watch Dany crowdsurf if there weren't so many other appealing options. After last week I really felt like the unsullied deserved something more hopeful.

Nice! I agree. Some people are like, "well, it's GRRM's fault because it's his scene and duh, it's going to come across as cheesy." Erm, no. For one thing, that doesn't have to be the season closer. Another, there are other ways to write the scene that don't involve crowdsurfing.

[Holdfast]

I'm over Pod. There was a sweetness about him in the books that made you feel kind of protective and hopeful his storyline would work out.

Screen Pod has been boring this season and too much time has been wasted on him and his ridiculous storyline about an emerging Kings Landing superstud, and now a probable drunk in the making, just like Tyrion.

Why the writers would spend so much time creating this new Pod over getting other characters right (eg Sansa, Stannis) when excellent source material already exists to make their job easier is beyond me.

[Cas Stark]

Nice! I agree. Some people are like, "well, it's GRRM's fault because it's his scene and duh, it's going to come across as cheesy." Erm, no. For one thing, that doesn't have to be the season closer. Another, there are other ways to write the scene that don't involve crowdsurfing.

Whatchatalkinabout? You didn't like Blonde Targaryen Jesus body surfing in the massive swirling crowd of not blonde people? LMAO.

Wasn't Blonde Jesus riding a horse in the book? What can you do, it was so over the top I had to laugh, all it was missing was stigmata or a halo.

[Daenerys Must Die]

I think the writers have a hard-on for Daenerys' character and it's annoying. Don't get me wrong, I like Dany, but every scene this season just screamed 'Look how awesome she is!'

In some cases it's warranted, like Slaver's Bay, but.. bah, she's just annoying.

I have NO idea why but for some reason this made me think of something South Park would make fun of..

I'm no fan of Dany but I pride myself on at least being pretty objective towards her storyline and scenes. I told my friends (Unsullied) that I was watching with last night that I was hoping for something really awesome at the end of the episode and they basically agreed after seeing the end of last season as well as the first - The episode was pretty talky as it is so it needed a strong ending and I found myself pretty embarrassed to be watching that abomination of a scene with two unsullied friends who (both big Dany fans BTW) basically said "that's the weirdest & corniest thing ever.. is she supposed to be an allegory for Jesus or something?"

/facepalm

Also Gendry taking a row boat to Kings Landing - actually just kind of funny.. I mean if you haven't looked at a map maybe you'd think it's just a day or so away but Davos did say "keep the shore on your left" which implied Gendry is supposed to stop at some point to find water/food or w/e but all the Dragonstone stuff was rushed so I shouldn't just single that out.. that poor guy will still be rowing in season 5.

[Pinkie Baelish]

They should have had Gendry row to one of Salladhor's galleys. Any reason to get the actor to play Salladhor Saan onscreen is fine with me,

[DeShawn]

Worst episode of the entire run so far. I am thinking the people in charge give no shits about the serious readers. They seem to do re-writes or skim over things if it suits them. And Tyrion is the Pope apparently, can do no wrong. Crown him. Dragon girl too, complete white wash.

Stannis is a weak fool who is completely controlled by Melisandre and is a power hungry madman. If you aren't producer's favorite characters you get fucked and your story assassinated. Straight talk.

Oh and John Snow looked extremely weak. Damn that was terrible terrible terrible. Couldn't stand that shit, crying like a baby. Give me a damn break.

[Centrist Simon Steele]

There is plenty to nitpick, but overall the I suppose this episode was all setup for next season, which is what this show has always done.

Of course, Dany crowd surfing to that awful "tribal" song made me want to never watch this show again. That was sickening in how lame and stupid it was. Felt like Legend of Seeker or something.

[teemo]

There is plenty to nitpick, but overall the I suppose this episode was all setup for next season, which is what this show has always done.

Of course, Dany crowd surfing to that awful "tribal" song made me want to never watch this show again. That was sickening in how lame and stupid it was. Felt like Legend of Seeker or something.

It's really shocking to me that before everything was wrapped up no one said something like, "hey, this looks stupid as shit. let's change something."

[Centrist Simon Steele]

It's really shocking to me that before everything was wrapped up no one said something like, "hey, this looks stupid as shit. let's change something."

I know right? The last two seasons had awesome endings with Dany, and I know they wanted to continue that but it just didn't work here. I am not a LS fan, but she totally should have ended the season.

[Nami]

the way the whole Dany scene was recorded it was just weird

the crowd surfing was just the icing on the cake

[Kraken's Kiss]

Something that really bothered me was when Varys told Shae that Tyrion was one of the only men capable of saving the realm (or something like that). It made me cringe. I really hate how much they have purified his character this season. I loved reading his stuff in the books, but could hardly recognize him in the show.

[Pinkie Baelish]

Something that really bothered me was when Varys told Shae that Tyrion was one of the only men capable of saving the realm (or something like that). It made me cringe. I really hate how much they have purified his character this season. I loved reading his stuff in the books, but could hardly recognize him in the show.

Except that completely fits in with Varys' views on Tyrion. Why else would he go through the trouble of sneaking him out of KL? So that he can provide advice to Aegon when Aegon takes the 7 kingdoms.

[DeShawn]

I am on record saying I hope for Dany's world to get fucked up soon on tv. I hope they are trolling and we see some balancing soon because this is wild. They look super biased and need to bring the balance back. No one should look like a Saint 100% of the time.

But I have see no evidence of any changes. They love who they love.

[Raksha the Demon]

Sigh. What a comedown after the intensity of The Rains of Castamere. Disjointed, too many threads and none of them really major game-changers.

Tyrion and Sansa are BFF's now; and Shae is Sansa's other BFF and protectress. (why would tough, working class Shae become so loyal to Sansa; was it ever shown why Shae would feel such empathy and protectiveness for her? I guess the directors want us to think it's because Shae is such a swell person). TV-Sansa is growing farther and farther away from the book-character I found interesting; and not just because Ms. Turner has shot up a few inches and become a young woman. (the book dynamic between Sansa and Tyrion was tense and heartbreaking; Tyrion trying to be nice and protect his young bride and hoping to crack her shield and get to know her; Sansa defending herself the only way she knew how from emotional and physical intimacy with her unwanted Lannister husband. But on the show, they're laughing and planning pranks together. Maybe, in a deleted scene, there was a slumber party with Tyrion, Sansa, Shae, Bronn, Pod, Tommen and Cersei; with pillow fights and giggles.)

Tyrion and Cersei being civil and rather kind to each other - ugh. Like other posters, I'm tired of soft, subtle Cersei; she's not a silky-snake, she's a lioness, and she hasn't shown her claws since Season 1 (where she was still too soft, but she did bring down Ned and order the destruction of the Stark retainers).

Alas, Poor Stannis. He's a worse wet blanket than he ever was in the books. At least we got to see more Shireen bonding with Davos (Shireen has been very well used in the show; wish we'd seen more of her and less of Shae).

Why does Ygritte come after Jon but Ghost does not? Why did the directors allow Jon to whine?

As for the last scene, with Daenerys being embraced and adored by the slaves; it didn't bother me too much; I liked the physical choreography of the last moments; but it did seem like the scene was kind of tacked on to give the season an inspirational ending. And, um, what's happened to the Dothraki? Does our Khaleesi have any Dothraki left?

On the plus side - the scenes with Arya, half-conscious in the Hound's arms, seeing the Stark banners burn and remaining Stark adherents being killed, and then the horrible sight of Robb-Wind, was well done. And she finally murdered someone, it's about time! I wish we could have seen her protracted grief for her mother, her dream through Nymeria's eyes, and the Hound's attempt (cut off by Arya) to offer comfort; but I doubt that's gonna happen.

And I loved seeing Maester Aemon again.

Hopefully the dragons will be bigger next season!

[Le Cygne]

Tyrion and Sansa are BFF's now; and Shae is Sansa's other BFF and protectress.

Last season Sansa was so careful what she said around the Lannisters, including Tyrion. She didn't trust any of them. Why would she trust one of their maids? It's like she hasn't got a care in the world. Why would they strip a major character of all dignity and sense?

The only explanation I can come up with is they like big contrasts. If she goes from miserable to really miserable, we won't know she's been hit so hard by the death of yet more of her family? I think they underestimate the audience quite a lot.

[Valar Morghulis Not Today]

Nitpicks:

- Thought Jon/Ygritte's scene could have been in last weeks - and where was Tormund?

- Stannis seemed too easily swayed (please, as if Davos (however much I love him) is the only person he can use as an envoy). Plus kind of gives away his future movements - which came as a surprise in the books.

- Jamie should not be in King's Landing yet! I was looking forward to his reunion with Cersei, yet it was a disappointment as doing it now could never have the same impact as the books. Makes some future actions questionable (if they happen as per the books).

- Cersei and Tyrion shouldn't be spending so much time together.

Still, I loved the episode despite it not having things I'd have expected and the nitpicks above.

[Sansa in the North]

You know, the vast majority of changes they've made from the book to the show haven't bothered me. There's usually an understandable reason as to why they changed it, so I let it slide.

But I am FURIOUS about what they're doing with Shae! Varys' conversation with her in this episode had me fuming. What's that? Ooh, she would kill to protect Sansa? She really truly loves Tyrion with all her heart? Bull. They're making her look like a good person, and like a victim. I really wonder how this is going to impact Tyrion strangling her to death when she betrays him... it's going to make him seem like a monster, and make her seem like some poor innocent girl who was stuck in a bad situation, not the manipulator she is. Er, was.

Well the way I read it, Shae actually was a victim by the end and it was pretty monstrous of Tyrion to kill her, because she was a sex worker he PAID to deceive him so it was kind of naive of him to think that she loved him and would be loyal to him. But I agree with you, totally! That was what was great about Shae's character in the books, for me. She wasn't some "hooker with a heart of gold", she was just selling her body to get ahead in the world and doing everything in her power to struggle out of a life as a camp follower. So when a high-born lord took her up she went willingly and when he had taken away all the payment he had given her in the form of jewels and a house and made her work as a maid to his wife she began to have doubts. And when he was no longer in a position to help her she betrayed him. And it wasn't nice of her. She wasn't a nice person. The "my giant" quip was downright mean. But it was what she thought she had to do to survive and advance. And THAT demonstrates the plight of the common people better than anything we've seen on the show so far.

So TL;DR - Book Shae wasn't a nice person, but she was a good character. She felt real and offered us good insight into what life is like for the commons in Westeros. Show Shae is a Prostitute With a Heart of Gold TM, and it's just.. I don't know... :ack:

[David Selig]

Except that completely fits in with Varys' views on Tyrion. Why else would he go through the trouble of sneaking him out of KL? So that he can provide advice to Aegon when Aegon takes the 7 kingdoms.

Varys did it because Jaime forced him to do it.