I think the main problem with this episode, and the season in general, is an innapropriate allocation of clarity, money and importance to certain scenes. The decisions to focus on some things, rather than others have mostly been bad. For example, I don't know if any non-book reader understood anything with the sacking of winterfell. Two minutes of the iron born surrending themselves, two seconds of seeing the troops destroying Winterfell. I understand Ramsay was not cast, and therefore could not be shown, but SOMETHING. There was almost no clarification about Jon and QH. The two character's intentions were not clear. Again, two second conversation ''you must do what is right when the time comes, etc". It's not like in the books it was vague; it was VERY clear. I do understand not including many visions in the house of the undying, because putting them visually would be giving too much away, and people would be confused. This means that the visions they DID show didn't have to be so....long and drawn out. Would have been a lot more dramatic with shorter, faster paced visions; cutting to seeing Dany a huffin and puffin trying to find a way out/way to her dragons. Robb and Talisa getting married in light of the seven was a major dissapointment, thought perhaps it sets the scene for the northermen to not want to follow Robb anymore. They've met him a lot less likeable in the show; I remember in the books I cried A LOT when he died. Dunno if it will have the same effect now... The scene with Varys and Ros was kind of long, though from HBO's standpoint maybe they're trying to keep the intrigue of book readers? We do want to see what role Ros will play. This will only work, in my opinion, if she remains clothed for the remainder of the season. Jaime/Brienne scene was brilliant because it was well acted, but all in all not really relevant to this season. Could have been cut out and shown next season in my opinion. The last scene dissapointed me the most. A lot could have been cut out, to make it more dramatic. Would have been nice to see reactions also from other men of the night watch as they hear the blasts. On the third blasts everyone shits themselves, we see an army of wights and others. Just to REALLY clarify things, we zoom in to see their blue eyes. All we see are blue eyes, because of the blizzard rampaging all around them. AND THEN THAT'S IT! The money saved from doing the CGI this season (they could always do it next!) could have bought: Ghost, maybe a bit more in the house of the undying, like blue flowers mayhaps. Could have perhaps also bought a more dramatic face change, though this I think is too much to hope for. Could have actually scene the destruction of Winterfell happening (through summer's pov), which would have clarified things a lot more. I did really love the Arya/Jaquen scene. I love when she says she needs to find her brother and mother ''and my sister too....I need to find my sister". Teared up a bit. The master Luwin scene with Bran and Rickon were also tearjerking. The scene with Tyrion and Shae was....interesting. I have a feeling that Tyrion doesn't 100% buy the fact that Shae truly loves him. He cries because her response is so perfect....also, where he is money is. Shae's responses and declarations of love to Tyrion remind me a bit of Sansa's automatic, defensive words of priase for Joffrey. I loved the idea of Xaro ______'s vault being empty. Important lesson to be learned. Interesting, too, since Dany's whole claim to the throne is one empty vault so to speak. Is it just me, or did her whole Khalesar come back from the dead? I feared that HBO would want to explain what Valor Morghulis is, and I'm happy that we're left not knowing. It was the same way in the books, I remember having the phrase always on the tip of my tongue (just like Arya did) knowing that it meant something profound, but not knowing. Perhaps on this journey Arya undertakes now, she will finally kill someone as we all know she must?
