sadfascist

No, what we're saying is that "Blackwater" met and greatly exceeded any reasonable expectations we could have for a budget-constrained adaption of an unfilmable story. And we are saying that, while each individual part may not be perfect, the whole is greater than the parts. Taken within the context of the show (and especially within what is an otherwise lackluster season), GRRM and Neil Marshall delivered an episode that riveted me from the first sweeping shot of Blackwater Bay, all the way through the last note of the closing credits. Did I wish there were more extras? Yes. Did I wish Stannis wore a helmet? Yes. Did I wish Sansa sang a song for the Hound? Yes. But none of it mattered because even if all those things had been true, "Blackwater" could not have been more epic than it already is. A pitch-perfect roller coaster of suspense, terror, awe, exultation, and catharsis. This was a tremendous episode. GOT's finest hour.

i have my issues with this episode, and others, but on the whole there probably has not been a more faithful adaption of a book to film than Game of Thrones. Bravo HBO, D&D, GRRM, and everyone else who helped make this happen. A fantastic conclusion to a fantastic first season--I trust there will many more to come.

Seems like we're just going around in circles now. All I can say is the people defending no battles in this episode will have no right to complain if the next episode ends with NO DRAGONS. Perhaps we can just hear the dragons make some noises instead, along with a dramatic Dany reaction shot and an appropriately epic music score. That would sure save HBO a lot of $$$.

Except that both of the film adaptions of Henry V (by those incompetent hacks Kenneth Branagh and Laurence Oliver) did in fact show the battle of Agincourt. As they should have. Seriously, this was about the worst example you could have picked. To be blunt, that's nonsense. In this very episode there was a SEVEN MINUTE LONG drinking game scene. Seven. Minutes. The entire Arya/Syrio/Trant/stableboy sequence in the last episode (the one GRRM wrote) was five minutes. Dany's total screentime was six minutes, including the introduction of Mirri Maz Duur and the Mago/Drogo fight. And guess how much time you would have had if you added up all of the scenes at the Wall in that episode together? Seven. Minutes. It's legitimate to talk about budget issues. Fine. But don't scold about time constraints when the show itself pisses away time like a drunken frat boy. Cut out the Tyrion drinking game and they could have shown Green Forks AND Whispering Wood AND still have time left over for one more Ned scene. Snake from Dorne: I don't agree with everything you said but this was a righteous rant. Well done ser.

i was going to rate this episode much lower (like a 5), but then I remembered all the awesome stuff that happened in the first half such as Varys/Ned and the Aemon speech and the Twin scenes and the Mormont fight. So 7. The last twenty minutes or so were pretty bad though. No battles, not enough Ned, and the most WTF out of place scene in the whole show (drinking game?? Tyrion sob story?? that stuff belongs in season 2, NOT the climax of this one). Very disappointing.

Goddamn. God damn. THIS is how you write an adaptation. D&D, better be taking notes. The master shows how it's done.

fantastic episode. Would have rated it a 10 except for D&D turning Renly into a character on Will and Grace. Can i confess the best part of watching this episode was the closing credits? Because that was when I realized the season is ONLY half over and there's SO MUCH AWESOME still to come. If this episode was that good, how crazy awesome is episode 8 or 9 or 10 going to be? Yeek!!! :drool: :drool: :drool: