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Ferrum Aeternum

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  1. Ferrum Aeternum
    This is making up for those two decades of no playoffs in Seattle.
  2. Ferrum Aeternum
    This cannot be repeated enough times. Her core is self-centered and vindictive, and has been for very nearly the entire storyline. Add on all the tragedy that befell her in very short order toward the end, and you get this. ETA: I gave it a 10/10 because it was an amazing episode of television.
  3. Ferrum Aeternum
    9/10, one of the best written episodes in years.
  4. Ferrum Aeternum
    I know it wasn't perfect but this was my favorite episode of the series thus far. The presentation and execution of the KL stuff was mind-blowing and for me crossed beyond mere "great GoT" into the realm of "great television." Highlights of the episode: - Baelorgeddon. I mean, I've got no words. Total game changer with supreme spectacle and emotional impact. I wasn't expecting to take the erasure of Margaery as hard as I did. - Dark Queen Cersei, the First of Her Name was a twist I probably should have seen coming, but didn't, and I absolutely LOVED it. True wickedness that's been years in the making, unleashed in full now that her children are gone and Maggy's prophecy fulfilled. The sky is the limit for the evil that this character can do. - Tyrion Lannister, Hand of the Queen was an awesome moment. Qyburn, Hand of the Queen was even better. - Of all the surprises in this episode, the least surprising was Arya checking old man Frey's name off the list (Frey Pie was a wonderful touch, btw). It was no less satisfying even for that. - The KING IN THE NORTH scene could have floundered, given it was a callback to a very similar scene from S1, but here it worked fantastically with Lyanna Mormont taking on a proxy of the Wylla Manderly role from the book. A number of nice asides to book readers in this episode. - Tower of Joy and the Jon reveal was fine, felt a bit rushed. Probably my own massive expectations getting in the way. - AT LONG LAST Daenerys sails west!!! It doesn't even feel real
  5. Ferrum Aeternum
    I thought about giving this a lower score, but really with the exception of Dorne I enjoyed it. So, I'll give it a 7. Davos scenes were great - really all the Night's Watch stuff unfolded well. Didn't expect to see Jon rezzed in this episode and thus wasn't disappointed. The Mel reveal was shocking but not surprising, given what we already know or infer about the character. Hopefully it wasn't just done for shock value and will lead to some worthwhile conclusion. Best part of the episode though was Brienne and Pod's rescue of Sansa and Theon. True, the disappearing hounds bit was laughable - but apart from that it was an exciting action sequence with a moving resolution. I 'bout got choked up for real when Brienne pledged her sword to Sansa. Dorne, though - what a hot mess. A flaming bag of feces. An abject failure spanning more than half a season and concluding in the most unsatisfying way imaginable. I can't fathom what direction D&D will take this plotline to try and salvage something watchable out of it.
  6. Ferrum Aeternum
    First 10/10 of the season. That was crazy good television.
  7. Ferrum Aeternum
    9/10. Loved it for the most part. No LSH didn't bother me; I think D&D want to keep that card available to play next season as there will be fewer opportunities for Big Reveals and other such events than there were this season. Positives: - Qyburn going all frankenGregor had me cackling. The actor does such a fine job of conveying Qyburn's...enthusiasm for his work. - All the stuff with Mance, Jon and Stannis was superb. The decision to make the change from "Stannis! Stannis!" to the more subtle reveal of Stannis and Davos riding in to an especially thunderous Warrior of Light musical cue was a fantastically bad ass moment. Mance's refusal to kneel, Jon's words in his defense - it was all outstanding. The later scene with the funeral pyre of the black brothers and the wordless glance between Jon and Melisandre was excellent as well. - Brienne and the Hound - yes, I realize what a major departure this was from the book. I don't care. It was a fantastic scene that made perfect sense in the context of the story. - Daenerys chaining Rhaegal and Viseryon - This scene affected me more than I thought it would. Emilia Clarke's acting this season has been uneven and at times very wooden, but I felt she nailed the importance of this pivotal scene perfectly. Negatives: - I thought the Bran action scene was a bit lackluster and confusing. Leaf tossing fireballs registered high on the WTF-o-meter. Bloodraven reveal was OK but I expected more dramatic/scary makeup and prosthetics. As another poster implied, he just looked like an old man sitting in a throne made out of roots. The mystery is still there but could have had greater impact. I had no issue with Jojen's death as the book makes it quite clear that he's a goner anyway. - This is just a personal nitpick, but I've been waiting since Charles Dance was first introduced as Tywin in S1E7 to hear him disdainfully utter the line "Wherever whores go." Dammit! And obviously, excising the Tysha bit from Jaime/Tyrion's interaction made that entire sequence (and Tyrion's story going forward) a lot less interesting than it could've been for reasons previously discussed in this thread.
  8. Ferrum Aeternum
    9/10. Superb episode all around with the exception of the Dany/Daario scene, which felt forced to me. They just don't have believable chemistry. Tyrion's scenes with Jaime, Bronn and Oberyn were phenomenal, and the final scenes at the Eyrie (which I've been looking forward to as much as any in recent memory) did not disappoint in the least....well, OK, I'd like to have heard "only Cat" but it was still great television.
  9. Ferrum Aeternum
    Very solid episode, 9/10. I didn't mind any of the deviations from the book, and in fact the sequence at the end with the WWs was one of the coolest things I've seen on the show (no pun intended :p). The only thing that fell flat for me were the scenes at Craster's, particularly mustache-twirling Karl. Drinking from the skull of Mormont? C'mon, that's pure cartoon villain shit and was unnecessary. Everything leading up to that was outstanding. Dany taking Meereen was handled deftly without feeling rushed, Sansa/LF, Jaime/Tyrion and Jaime/Brienne were great, Marg/Tommen was well played with Ser Pounce stealing the show. Regardless of how poorly I think the scenes at Craster's were handled this week, I'm now very interested to see how that plotline is resolved. Will Jon meet with and speak to Bran? It's certainly looking that way.
  10. Ferrum Aeternum
    I gave it an 8. Not an action-heavy episode but very well written with some excellent scenes. The show has gotten so much better in how it presents expository dialogue. Highlights: - Sansa's escape was well-handled and dramatic without getting silly. Essentially it's exactly what I envisioned from the book. - Tywin/Tommen/Cersei was an excellent scene all around. I know opinions vary on this, but I think new Tommen was a great casting choice. - Tywin/Oberyn was a fun exchange that made a lot of sense. - Pod/Tyrion was so incredibly well-played by both actors. I was surprised at how it affected me emotionally. - Dany the breaker of chains was fine, although as an audience member it made me want to scream WHERE ARE YOUR DRAGONS? Lowlights: - Damn you, Cersei/Jaime scene! Why have the gods cursed you with such inept directing? - New Daario still doesn't register with me and I'm not sure he ever will. He's dull as fuck and he and Dany's "flirting" interplay comes across as forced in a manner not often seen in this series.
  11. Ferrum Aeternum
    8/10. Very good, not perfect. Better than last season's premiere for sure. Loved Oberyn's introduction and his scene with Tyrion. I approve strongly of the direction they've taken with this iconic character. I can't wait to see what he gets into next, which I believe is the point. The Arya/Hound stuff was fantastic. The decision to have her take direct revenge on Polliver (rather than the book's focus on the Tickler's torture litany) was a great change for television. Also, "What the fuck's a Lommy?" might be the funniest line ever uttered on the show. :lol: Sansa/Dontos was rushed and confusing, but that's to be expected seeing how Dontos hasn't spoken a line in nearly two full seasons. Interesting that D&D at first eliminated the character and then decided to bring him back, once they figured out Sansa's story doesn't work all that well without him. Jon's stuff at the Wall was very good. Three cheers for the return of Alliser Thorne and Janos Slynt! New Daario is gonna have to grow on me. I wasn't impressed at all.
  12. Ferrum Aeternum
    This was a solid but unspectacular episode; a good way to end the season, though it was missing the punch of a really big event or two. Still, what was done was generally done well, so I gave it an 8/10. Liked: - Both Arya & Hound scenes were fantastic. Arya being our witness to RobbWind made an awful bit that much worse; the look on her face was heartbreaking. Her revenge on the Frey men was a good way to show her first real kill, and in no way is meant to be a substitute for killing Polliver later (remember, she still has to get Needle back). - Bran & Co. at the Nightfort was excellent; best Bran material in a very long time, and provided some nice momentum for his story headed into next season. - Roose & Walder was darkly amusing; glad to hear the Blackfish escaped, though I wish we could've seen some of his heroics on screen. - Best Ramsay/Theon scene thus far. - Asha (Yara) got a cheer for standing up to Balon. Sure it's a departure from the books, but I liked it. Of note - Gemma Whelan has finally grown on me in that role. Only took her a season-long hiatus to get it right, I suppose. - Davos was great in every scene. His scenes with Shireen and Gendry were heartwarming and funny. He also salvaged the scenes with Stannis & Mel that could've been superb if they'd stuck closer to the source material. - I enjoyed all the King's Landing material with one exception (see below) Didn't like/indifferent: - What was up with Sansa giggling and joshing around with Tyrion? I guess the point was to show that she was warming up to him a little before the hammer dropped on her via the RW news, but...it felt jarring to me. Weird scene. - Did Ygritte really have to shoot Jon three times? The whole scene felt a bit unnecessary but Jon getting feathered like that stretched the bounds of credulity for me. - Stannis continuing to defer to Melisandre over Davos at every turn is frustrating. This seemed the perfect opportunity to get Davos some real equity in that dynamic. - Dany's Mhysa scene was ok, I guess. I get the "white saviour" angle people are bringing up, but it's likely all that happened was they did a call for extras in Morocco and those are the folks they got. Don't see how this is the producers' fault. As to the scene itself, it played out pretty much how I pictured it would. The music definitely added some oomph although the crowdsurfing got a bit silly after the first moment or so.
  13. Ferrum Aeternum
    Riveting, powerful television. The RW scenes were incredibly tense and dramatic, with a payoff just as horrifying as what I'd imagined, despite any changes. The rest of the episode was outstanding as well; it's fairly incredible how much they managed to pack into an hour! A few minor nitpicks here and there but nothing to get hung up about - 10/10.
  14. Ferrum Aeternum
    Fantastic episode, miles ahead of the last two weeks. 10/10.
  15. Ferrum Aeternum
    IMO it hasn't been the lack of action and epic moments that's bogged down the last two episodes, but rather the interpersonal stuff that has been presented just hasn't been very interesting compared to what we're used to seeing. Contrast with Episode 5, which only had one true WOW moment (the Hound & Beric) yet was riveting all the way through - even the "slow" stuff - due to superior writing, direction and performances in those scenes.
  16. Ferrum Aeternum
    Ha, so much this. I forgot to address Ygritte in my comments, but good grief has she ever gotten boring. At this point in their relationship, you'd think she'd be past mocking every fucking word out of Jon's mouth.
  17. Ferrum Aeternum
    I gave it a 7/10; at best a mixed bag and in retrospect about on par with last week. Despite a few standout scenes, the remainder of the episode seemed filled with overlong, somewhat awkward bits that did little to convey any forward momentum in most of the storylines. Liked: The bear and the maiden fair - One of the most memorable scenes from the book was translated in a believable and visceral fashion here. Gwen Christie continues to nail her portrayal of Brienne perfectly, and damn if Jaime's heroic moment didn't bring a single teardrop to this cynical eye. Locke (who's turned out to be a great villain and admirable stand-in for Vargo Hoat) was great as usual, although a part of me hoped that somehow he would end up in the pit himself by the end. And of course, Bart the Bear did an awesome job too. :) Daenerys and the slaver - Great work on all fronts. The slaver had some fun reaction faces, but in all honesty he had more guts than I would've being in that close proximity to the dragons! I also liked these bits because it's important to show Daenerys having a motivation to hang around in Essos, i.e. liberating all the slaves she can. This will help in future seasons when folks wonder why the fuck she hasn't already sailed west. Gendry and Mel - Maybe it was a little weird for them to be sailing out of King's Landing (though not really, who in KL knows either one of them?) but it provided some beautiful shots and was a nicely played scene to set things up for later. No complaints at all. Tywin & Joff - The symbolism of Joff demanding a meeting with his powerful grandfather while sitting the Iron Throne couldn't be lost on anyone. Even so, Tywin dominated the room simply with his presence, and Joff, who rarely backs down, did exactly that. More setup, but well done. Jaime/Roose - My regards. Also liked Jaime's banter in his scene with Qyburn and Steelshanks. Tyrion/Bronn - Typically excellent work from these two. Tyrion/Shae - Not a particularly exciting scene but a necessary one. Good stuff. Didn't like: There weren't any particular scenes where I disagreed with the subject matter (not even the Theon scene). Rather, a general complaint. Many of the scenes just felt bloated and far, far too long. - The Talisa/Robb sequence I had no problem with, until it dragged on for what, 5 minutes? What could have been a cute and fun scene with a nice reveal (Talisa's pregnancy) dragged on until it became a chore with only butt-shots for redemption. - Did we really need a 3-minute story about wights from Osha? I think everyone gets the drift about those guys by now. At least now we have the definitive reason why she's so paranoid about heading north, and thus why she doesn't trust the Reeds. I still can't quite figure out how they're going to split she and Rickon off from the others. - The aforementioned Theon scene would have worked fine for me had the setup with the whores been handled more quickly. I actually got so bored during this scene that I checked the time on my phone, which I never do while watching this show. Again, no problem with the subject matter (I believe the next time we see Theon, he'll be full-blown Reek, and it's important to know how he got there else the transformation wouldn't make sense). General comments: I still think the series is giving Edmure extreme short shrift; he barely had any lines in this episode. By the time the RW gets here, non book readers may be wondering what the big deal is. Next week's preview looks brilliant. Hopefully after two weeks of decidedly slow-burning setup, things finally start to roll downhill.
  18. Ferrum Aeternum
    This was my least favorite episode of the season, but wasn't awful by any means. 8/10 and still better in my opinion than episodes 7 and 8 of last season. Liked: - The entire Wall climbing sequence, start to finish. Some very convincing tension on the way up, and those end shots were magnificent. - Varys/LF round (???). These scenes never fail to deliver and this one might have been my favorite yet. - Tywin/Olenna. A fun exchange between two power players. - Theon/Ramsay. Not for the squeamish (obviously) but Iwan Rheon is nailing this psychotic character dead-on. And the revelation that he was in all probability "that fucking horn-blower" from S2e10 shouldn't surprise anyone! - Three words for Roose Bolton: cold fucking blooded. McElhatton doesn't need leeches and all that crap to come off creepy as book Roose - he's got it down pat with expressions and voice inflection. - Freys, Robb & Tullys. Lame Lothar sighting! Edmure and the Blackfish were great. This season has needed more of them and I hope they're more prominent in the next few episodes. - Handling Sansa's discovery of the wedding plans offscreen was a smart move, IMO. The LF voiceover was great (poor Ros though, just as I was starting to warm up to her...). Didn't like: - Pacing in this episode was all over the place, in contrast to the past three where it was near-perfect. Several scenes felt either rushed or too long. - Nothing particularly wrong with the Sam/Gilly scene or the Bran/Reeds scene, but starting the episode off with these two quiet (and let's face it, somewhat forgettable) scenes was a mistake in terms of hooking the viewer. - BWB handing over Gendry was sloppy in execution. I had assumed Thoros and/or Beric would talk him into going with Mel rather than allowing him to be taken by force. As it was, they come across as little more than greedy thugs. I did like Arya's confrontation with Mel, especially Mel's slightly freaked out reaction.
  19. Ferrum Aeternum
    Superb episode. Not my favorite, but I couldn't find any flaws so I gave it a 10. - Hound vs. Beric was absolutely epic. Best fight scene in the show thus far by a mile. - Crazy Selyse scene was great. Loved seeing Stannis express remorse for his infidelity with Mel, Selyse's deluded encouragement of it and Stan's incredulous reaction & general awkwardness around her. Very well done and the best Stannis scene since he and Davos on the ship in 2.08. - Shireen's Patchface song was a nice nod to bookreaders. Loved the scene with her and Davos in the dungeon too. - Jaime/Brienne was powerful and again wonderfully executed. - Speaking of executed, the entire Karstark subplot resolution was deftly handled, although I thought it might have fit better as the end scene. - Tywin/Tyrion/Cersei was just fucking brilliant. This show is humming on all cylinders right now.
  20. Ferrum Aeternum
    Same. It is my favorite scene in all the books and they nailed it. Everything else tonight was great too. Favorite part aside from the final scene was the look of mad twisted joy on Iwan Rheon's face when he pulls the bait-and-switch on Theon. That look told me he'll be perfect for his role. Oh, and I gave it a 10/10. Duh. :P
  21. Ferrum Aeternum
    10/10. Superb television with plenty of laughs to go along with some genuine tense moments. Maybe D&D need to direct more episodes? Random thoughts: The "Meereenese Knot" reference by Tyrion was an awesome nod to book readers! Actually even though that scene was this week's typical silly GoT naked chicks extravaganza, even it was well done thanks to Tyrion's "sales pitch" to Pod. If I were writing the episode, Stan & Mel's conversation would have gone differently, although Mel's deadpan reaction to Stan's goofy "I want you" line was comedy gold. Gold, Jerry! At least now the viewing audience knows that shadowbabies aren't an unlimited-use deus ex machina. I have to say I'm enjoying not knowing what the hell is going on with Theon's arc (apart from the identity of "Boy"). Quite interested to see where this is going. The chase scene was fantastic (and I'm sure cost a fortune in stunt men and horses). The Blackfish is as ideal a casting as could possibly be done - bravo Clive Russell, and of course Nina Gold. Astapor scenes were again hilarious and riveting. Dany's arc is my favorite thus far this season. LOL'd hard at the small council meeting. Some great comic timing! :lol: Even with my skin crawling at knowing what was coming next, I fist-pumped at Jaime saving Brienne with the Sapphire story. And while I like Locke well enough as a Hoat replacement, I did miss "Thapphireth??" I think this episode may have set the record for intelligent, non-sex related backstory exposition. Loved Barry & Jorah talking Rhaegar, especially the inclusion of Jorah's fan favorite line. So yeah, this was great. And judging by next week's preview it looks like we're due for no less than three explosive, epic scenes in that episode! Should be killer!
  22. Ferrum Aeternum
    Very strong episode. Loved the Reeds, Thoros, and especially the QoT. Diana Rigg is perfect for the role as far as I'm concerned. Theon's scenes were disturbing as they should have been - and "boy" looks like he'll be fantastic in his...future role. :devil: Forgive me for not understanding all the consternation about the infamous character assassinating Cat scene. Basically all she said was that she momentarily felt bad for wishing Jon dead and in her guilt thought she might be able to accept him among her own, and then when he got better, she went right back to business as usual. Hardly a ruination of either book or show Cat. . I didn't miss it, and I doubt Godric did either. The simple fact of the situation was that she wished ill on Jon and then he caught the pox. A devoted believer in the supernatural (as Cat is) might believe her prayers had been answered, so to speak, and feel intense guilt in retrospect. So she made the sevencatcher as a "motherly" gesture in a moment of doubt, then came to her senses once Jon recovered. As to her statement at the end to Talisa about this all being her fault, Azad's explanation above captures my opinion pretty well:
  23. Ferrum Aeternum
    Good stuff, some ups & downs but overall a solid opener that I'd put about on par with last season's. 8/10.
  24. Ferrum Aeternum
    Not yet.
  25. Ferrum Aeternum
    This poll need to go to eleven. That was pure epic joy to behold!!
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