Mel_Rose

It's only heavy-handed if you know what's coming.

^ *shrugs* I liked the changes. Didn't expect it, but I caught myself enjoying the new Sansa storyline.

7/10 I found it a little too bit too scattered to enjoy properly (I guess it can't be helped as season opener, but still). I had also spent ages lurking on the speculation boards and knew exactly what was going to happen and half of the dialogue, which didn't help. Didn't see the purpose in Missandei/Grey Worm's scene and Brienne's was powerful and beautiful acted but so brief and felt jarring. I really liked the last scene with Mance: he was great; crazy Selyse smiling when he was burning was horrifying; Jon doing the Last of the Mohican thing was touching. (I had completely forgotten how things had happened in the books). I like seeing the characters from different storylines interacting. If I hadn't known that Lancel was a Sparrow, I wouldn't have recognised him at all.

I totally agree with you. Actually I realized that the only reason I was confused about no-Stannis was because I expected Stannis due to reading this forum and people being sure that Stannis will appear. The battle is not over, the synopsis is clear about Stannis appearing in ep.10 but I guess nobody focused on that. If I had no expectations, then I'd have no problem with the ending. It was underwhelming but clearly a "To Be Continued" ending. It was a great episode, I teared up with Grenn and the others reciting the vow and drawing swords; that tracking shot was awesome; overall I loved it and I'm not a fan of battles and fighting.

I used to believe that we'll see Jon's election in the finale, but it seems unlikely to me now. Esp with where Arya's story is, and the Cersei + someone conversations we haven't seen. So I reckon elections might be moved to premiere or early eps of season 5.

That's exactly what I got. There are no discernible reasons that people die when and how they die. As i mentioned in another thread, if one were to stand in Hades, they'd see dead people as far as they eye could reach. A condemnded man is pondering the meaning of life and death.

You mean, it bored you. Wouldn't say that's the same for everyone. Many people I know enjoyed it. I personally liked it a lot.

:agree: on both counts It was horrific, just horrific, the sight of the head and the screams... the ep ended and I was so hypertense I didn't know what to do with myself. So, ahem, well done show.

I think it was similar in the books: she kept getting goatherds coming with their burnt animals, until one them wasn't an animal :( I had the impression that it was LF's plan to cement the argument against Sansa, effectively making her his hostage. If there was any doubt she was involved in Joffrey's death, she could escape the Vale. If she leaves the Vale now, she faces certain death as a traitor. Her hands are tied, she is imprisoned. I liked the episode a lot with the exception of Yara's scene. I am one of those that enjoyed Craster' keep as it provided 2 interesting developments: Bran making Hodor kill, and Jon shining as a leader which will help his transition to Lord Commander. Yara/Asha scene basically told us that Theon is totally Reeked. Perhaps it will make sense that she decides to go for the throne herself in the Kingsmoot, seeing as how her brother is lost. I do like this season's long sequences of one storyline/location. Edit: The way Oberyn is killing it acting-wise I think at the end of ep.8 the devastation of the Unsullied might even equal RW or Ned's death.

I haven't read the last 15 pages of the thread, so don't know if anyone's already suggested it, but I think one of the reasons we saw Craster's keep was specifically to link them to the Others - to see the women chanting "gift to the gods", be reminded about what happens to male craster babies and basically for all of that to lead us to the Others location and revelation about what happens to the babies. In my eyes, the ending (which I thought was awesome) is not a spoiler. A spoiler spoils a plot development: Joff is poisoned, the Freys kill Robb etc. What is the spoiler? An unnamed son of Craster dies/is turned into an Other? I suspect (and of course I could be way wrong) that this information about them might not be in the future books (whose POV is going to show us that?) but it could be info in the World of Ice and Fire book. So it's more like background information available, rather than future plot events. However, the implications of this revelation raises this question: since Craster's boys become Others, what does that imply about Gilly's baby who's currently at the Wall?

:agree:

I gave it a 10. The only thing that bothered me was Shae, but Book!Shae has been annoying for ages now that I'm kinda used to it - it's like having around a family member that you don't like but have to put up with. Love Oberyn and Ellaria's chat with Tywin and Cersei. Loved the wedding. Super-loved the dwarves' play - much better than in the books where Tyrion was the sole target. One skit to offend them all :p It was great to have all those glances at people looking concerned (Varys, Oberyn, Tywin) or humiliated (Tyrion) or enraged (Sansa, Loras) - or amused (Cersei). Great work. Good stuff from Theon and Ramsay and Roose; Selyse and Shireen; Bran's vision. So, in short, excellent episode :)

It prob has been mentioned but many viewers think Stannis is p***whipped since he decided to sacrifice Gendry after one death.I too think it was wrong to make him ask for the sacrifice after one death. It's like Davos said, it's a war, kings die. They should have waited at least for Balon's death. I guess they wanted to end the series with some closure and new direction for the Stannis storyline.

C'mon, it was a budget thing, peaches were expensive at time of filming :drunk:

I gave a 9. Most of the episode I loved: - Robb-Wind (well, not loved, more like was horrified and prob shed a tear, but loved that they showed it) -The Rat Cook story and emphasizing (finally!) the importance of guest right. -Arya and Valar Morghulis and how she saw Robb-Wind -Joffrey being horrible and still wanting to torment Sansa - Seeing Walder Frey again. Ramsay and Reek. - I actually liked the Sansa and Tyrion banter. Might not be book-accurate but I suspect the writers wanted to (mis)lead viewers into thinking that the couple might eventually get along, only to have their expectations come crashing down when Sansa hears about the RW. So yeah, many cool stuff there. I was a bit wtf with Shae and Varys. I really don't get what purpose this scene served. Jaime's return was quite underwhelming as was the finale. I didn't get how they went from "the city is yours" last episode, to "we didnt sack the city". Ehm, so what happened then? I do believe ending with UnCat would have given viewers the same wtf moment that I felt as an unsullied when Season 1 and 2 ended. But hey, whatever.

Since episode 10 picks up right after the massacre, I am assuming it'll go two ways depending on what D&D's plan is: - either someone says something along the lines of "Blackfish escaped in the commotion, nowhere to be found" - or he will be shown (or mentioned) to be a captive along with Edmure.

:agree:

You can't trust the media these days; completely biased, man :drunk:

:agree: Exactly. And that was the reason that I was against people lying outright to friends about whether Robb would die (as to "not spoil them"). The big thing here is not that he dies, but how. Not in a battle or combat, but stabbed by an ally while complacent and unarmed along with wife and mother.

Rewatching it I realised that we'll see no Coldhands probably. He was supposed to lead Sam&Gilly to the tunnel but Sam says he knows it already from a book. Maybe next season, if at all?

Considered giving a 9, but what the heck, if this doesn't deserve a 10 what does? I liked how it focused on only a few storylines. Also, it had a bit of everything: There was some comic relief before the RW. Walder Frey's nod to Robb when Roslyn is unveiled (as in "look what you missed out on"), Blackfish being flirted by some Freys, Arya knocking the old trader out too, Edmure's face when he sees Roslin. I smirked with Daario's arrogance "I'm the greatest whistler". There was some nicely choreographed sword-fighting for those who love that kind of thing, some touching-hands flirtation for those who love that thing. I teared up seeing Rickon and Bran's farewell. I liked seeing Ygritte's face when she realised that she was betrayed and Jon was never loyal to her. I was excited to see the direwolves FINALLY. And then the event ... So an all-round good episode in my view.

Due to different timezone, I woke up really early so I can watch it before going to Pilates class. Let's just say I didn't go to pilates. I was shaking after it ended and still feel saddened. Overall, I found many nice moments: Rickon and Bran's farewell, Ygritte's face upon realising that, although she knew Jon wasn't loyal to the wildlings, he also wasn't loyal to her. Grey Wind dying like that, Daario being so arrogant you gotta smile, some comic relief from the Freys checking Blackfish out, Arya hitting the man to keep him quiet, Edmure's face when Roslyn unveiled, there was some sword fighting and stuff. And lots of stabbing and blood.... From the book, I missed Roslin's tears and the awful music. Got goosebumps when the doors closed and Rains started playing. Didn't get Roose's smile. The RW was great and of course it din't match what I had in mind when reading. Nothing could - even if I had directed it. Some said the scene was lacklustre, but, after it being so hyped, I wonder if it could ever match people's expectations. And besides, reading it first as all of us have done, means that a. we are spoiled for it and b. we have imagined it in the best way possible, with access to internal monologue and feelings. Not to mention that everyone's imagination probably focused on different things that mattered for them. I, for one, never cared for the line 'Ned loves my hair' but couldn't forget Walder Frey's infuriating comments about the apology, such as "oops, we killed your bannermen, you have my apology". So, if I directed it and included one line and not the other, people would be like " but how could you leave out such and such?" You can't please everyone. As far as i could gather from twitter, the Unsullied have lost it :bawl: Final thought : the Unsullied who commented on Sansa and Tyrion's wedding as The Worst Wedding Ever. Care to revise that statement?