How would you rate episode 404?

[The hairy bear]

I've rated it 6/10. The previous eps in the season have been rated 7, 8, and 5. *

It would have been a solid 8, but I'm taking away one point away for having the bad guys being too plainly and cartoonishly evil (Litlefinger's voice, Karl drinking from Mormont's skull, Throne sending recruits to suicide mission in order to manipulate the election,...) and another one for not taking profit af many opportunities that some scenes presented (IMO, Bienne's farewell or on's decision to go to Craster could have been handled better).

*It would be cool if everyone shared their past votes in the season and not only the current episode, to give persepective. It's very different a 10 from a a poster who has voted every season's episode a 9 or a 10, than a 10 from someone who was giving sixes or sevens.

[ebevan91]

I'll give this one a 7. The lowest rating I've given so far for season 4. Part of the reason is because of the same reason Ran gave, with the whole wildling village thing or whatever (the Jon scene). Most of the scenes were well done, I just think the writer had a brain fart there. And it's not all of the changes that kinda upset me, it's more the fact that we're getting closer to the show overtaking the books, and I think the show is starting to showcase that.

Edited April 28, 2014 by ebevan91

[Jamie Lannister]

A solid 8. I felt like most of the changes and additions here worked really well, including the Night King's teaser and Land of Always Winter. Tommen and Marg developing a very suggestive, "first love" (on his end) kind of relationship, while still suitably creepy, works really well given their new ages, and it looks like it'll be amusing to watch.

Considerate of them to get Dany out of the way quickly too. Thanks Bryan.

Edited April 28, 2014 by Jamie Lannister

[BrettStark]

Its not fair to judge the show on how close it relates to the book. I have read all the books, and I personally want changes. If the show was 100% like the book it would be really boring for me to watch. The changes make it interesting to watch every week because I am not spoiled. People need to judge the show ON THE SHOW itself.

I give this episode an 8, Jon Snow coming in contact with Bran will be very interesting. I kind of like how this is playing out compared to the books.

[Waylin Stark]

I'd say 8.5.

I really liked Margaery meeting Tommen.

And Bran and Jon's stories were really good. I'm enjoying the filler a lot.

And finally the truth about the White Walkers!!!

[Fevre River Warrior]

Great except for Crasters and the story line deviating to poor Hodor being chained up, the Reeds and Bran imprisoned and what happened to Summer? Also why did Jon Snow not know about Ghost being imprisoned there. I did not like the bit at Crasters at all.

Loved the ending with the introduction of what lies further north....and loved all of the rest of the espisode. Ser Pounce!!! Love that cat!

I also really like the new Tommen and them setting the stage early for the Cersei Margaery rivalry. I think he will be a great Tommen.

Sorry to see the Queen of Thorns leaving...hope she is back again.

I gave it a 7 because I disliked the Bran/Reeds/Hodor/Direwolves at Crasters so much.

[Steve Stark]

So it would seem people either really loved it, or despised it. :P

I've been reading the books for years, and if I hadn't seperated the two platforms entirely I think I'd be stressing out about the changes in the show. Fortunately for me, I am able to enjoy the show without always comparing the original work. Of course I do it from time to time, we all do, but overall I prefer to look at it as if it were it's own beast. I enjoy it more that way. It's just good television. A fun show for me to watch and talk about the books with my close friends.

I still think I'll reserve my 9 rating, although I've thought about dropping it to an 8 due to a few things people have mentioned. But the truth is that I enjoyed the episode quite a bit.

[Mother of Mini Dragons]

I gave it a 10! This was just one of THE best episodes, every single moment was good and definitely left me with that feeling at the end of how in the world did an hour just pass? I was on the edge of my seat.

Seriously, Ser Pounce!!!! And of course, the ending was amazing!! This is turning out to be an excellent season!

[Ser Desmond Wine's Bane]

*It would be cool if everyone shared their past votes in the season and not only the current episode, to give persepective. It's very different a 10 from a a poster who has voted every season's episode a 9 or a 10, than a 10 from someone who was giving sixes or sevens.

Yep. Mine are

Ep01 - 8+

Ep02 - 8-

Ep03 - 7

Ep04 - 7+

[C0bR]

Gave it 7, would it give it 5 after thinking it over.

The show has completly lost any sense of timing. The pacing is all over the place. Some good scenes can't really outweigh that bullshit they are making up.

[Hoo]

This episode was a 10, if for nothing else but the fact Jamie's character is just fine, not ruined. :cool4:

[Ser Graymax]

Sorry, another 7 for me.

The show seems to have lost the "spark" it once had.

Just seems like a bunch of scenes tacked together with lackluster acting and dialogue for the most part.

Possibly why some scenes just seem to jump out at you and the others fade to gray quickly.

Then again, maybe its just me.

[Ran]

302 votes in, 7.97 average, 9 median, 8.19 normalized average. Quite the swing.

[AnotherCrannogman]

Ran

Can you list other episode ratings so we do not have to look for them?

[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.

[~DarkHorse~]

9/10 my highest score for Season 4 so far!

The character interactions were great, the twists were gripping and I have little complaints.

The Bran/Jon plot alterations makes for good TV.

Why are people getting their feathers so ruffled? Jon not knowing Bran is alive only serves for character development (so far) and doesn't make drastic changes to the plot. Jon didn't want Winterfell anyway and the absence of Robb's will looks like he won't be KitN....although, there are still ways to make these things happen without the knowledge of Bran and Rickon being dead.

The show can work around this and will put entertainment first, not character development that is hardly eventful. There are many non-book readers that will find this storyline exciting, making Bran and Jon more likable as characters as opposed to their book material which plays out emotional and admirable in the books (as we can hear their thoughts) but boring and uneventful on the screen.

I think the Crasters keep storyline is stealing the spotlight at the moment.

[Ran]

AnotherCrannogman,

Average ratings for this season:

Episode 1: 8.17

Episode 2: 8.33

Episode 3: 6.95

Episode 4: 7.95

[Bonifer Tasty]

One thing kinda irritated me, it's really a small thing and I'm definitely nitpicking, but when Olenna says "back when marrying Targaryens was all the rage", I don't like the "all the rage" line, not fitting for the show at all.

You know, I agree! This was really out of character, to say nothing of how out of time/place it was for anyone to say. To me, although I agree that this is a tiny detail to nitpick, it shows a kind of laziness that is creeping into the writing.

More seriously for me, and the sole reason why I downrated this episode to 6, is that they had Samwell reveal his knowledge of Bran. This really really changes so much. The show is definitely on its own path now - either to nonsense, or to a different story arc. And Jon leaving for Crasters - is he not going to be at Castle Black when Ygritte's invading force gets there? Are they going to postpone the Wildling hit on Castle Black until he's back, leaving the Wildlinds to wander around searching for Castle Black FAR TOO LONG. I mean really, they climbed the wall, how can they have trouble finding it again...did they go THAT FAR south? Why? Lots of messiness here.

I was shocked by the ending reveal, and am unhappy getting the spoiler, but I think i can deal with it. I was also shocked by how bluntly they had Olenna admit to poisoning Joffrey! I mean, for book readers, there was still some small doubt about that... perhpas Littlefinger was lying to Sansa, or misrepresenting things. And now, Margaery is also bluntly exonerated, when part of the fun in the book was being uncertain if she knew the plot. But I can deal with those things too.

Liked Brienne/Pod/Jaime. Liked Meereen takeover, although it was rushed, and I'm a bit sad that the reasons to punish Selmy (and Mormont) were not there. I suppose Mormont's exile will come a bit later, but since Selmy never hid who he was, Daenerys has not reason to doubt him.

Lots to process here. Unsettling, even as I am forced to go on watching the show with greed for more!

[Hodor of House Hodor]

I'm sure this has been thrown out as a possibility, but I'm at work and don't have time to read ALL the replies.

Bran getting captured is PERFECT for the story, and here's why:

- Coldhands shows up and lays waste to the ex-Crows, frees Bran's gang and takes them away, thus being a perfect introduction of Coldhands to the show.

- Jon, Locke and the gang show up and the Keep is in ruins with huddling girls and Ghost protecting them/eating remains of ex-Crows. Jon reunited with Ghost, Jon knows something is off/this wasn't a Wildling raid (girls would be gone), reports back to Castle Black with his first batch of Wildling refugees, causing tension at Castle Black.

- Jon and Bran never meet. If they do, there's no way Jon would let Bran continue on his wild goose chase in the North.

[Queen of Whores]

I'm sure this has been thrown out as a possibility, but I'm at work and don't have time to read ALL the replies.

Bran getting captured is PERFECT for the story, and here's why:

- Coldhands shows up and lays waste to the ex-Crows, frees Bran's gang and takes them away, thus being a perfect introduction of Coldhands to the show.

- Jon, Locke and the gang show up and the Keep is in ruins with huddling girls and Ghost protecting them/eating remains of ex-Crows. Jon reunited with Ghost, Jon knows something is off/this wasn't a Wildling raid (girls would be gone), reports back to Castle Black with his first batch of Wildling refugees, causing tension at Castle Black.

- Jon and Bran never meet. If they do, there's no way Jon would let Bran continue on his wild goose chase in the North.

We've seen scenes of Jon and the Night's Watch charging and battling the mutineers though.