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How would you rate episode 406?


How would you rate episode 406?  

719 members have voted

  1. 1. What's your rating from 1-10, with 10 being the highest/best

    • 1
      3
    • 2
      2
    • 3
      5
    • 4
      4
    • 5
      5
    • 6
      20
    • 7
      42
    • 8
      127
    • 9
      290
    • 10
      220


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A plump 9. Awesome episode, one of the best of the entire series.



For the trial alone it did deserve a 10. But because we are among fans, I allowed myself to lower my vote because of small nitpickings.

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There was. It was right on top. You could see the horns.

Ok, I just watched it a third time in better light and with pause and *now* I can see it. Still, that was my only issue with that part of the Mereen scene, and Drogon clearly passed over the boy before flaming and the goat herd didn't look upset, so I assumed it wasn't a child anyway, so it was a pretty minor issue anyway.

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I wrote my critique before reading any comments. Kind of funny the comment directly before mine directly contradicts my argument. I believe parts of it didn't flow well but others do. Tomato-Tomato, I guess.

Edit: grammar

To be fair I watched the episode sober for once. My judgement might be clouded.

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I found this to be a very strong episode overall -- not quite at the perfect "10" level from start to finish of a Baelor or a Blackwater, but very gripping entertainment. I rated it a 9.



What worked for me:


  • Have to mention Peter Dinklage's extraordinary performance in the number one slot. His acting in this episode was as strong as, or stronger than, any performance that we've seen in the series to date in my opinion. I can't imagine any serious fan of this show not being emotionally impacted by his delivery. He was simply perfection.
  • Liam Cunningham gets my number 2 slot: both in his scene with the Iron Bank and with his old running buddy Salladhor, he totally stole the spotlight. It's about time this season that we got to see (be reminded of) what he can contribute when Davos gets some time at center stage. Now, perhaps the show will afford Stephen Dillane the same opportunity?
  • Coming in at number three is Conleth Hill's throne room dialogue with Pedro Pascal. It's a crime and a shame when an actor of Hill's caliber is so chronically underused. I've really been missing Varys this season, so I was thrilled with this scene, and I didn't particularly care that it was a non-book creation. I like these little periodic glimpses into Varys' mind.
  • Number 4 is Alfie Allen's Reek. I don't particularly like Reek in either book or show form, but there's no doubting Allen's acting chops in portraying him. His completed transformation from Theon to Reek has been mind-blowing to behold.
  • Finally, at number 5, I have to give a nod of acknowledgement to Gemma Whelan, for a rousing delivery of the Iron Born's call to arms speech on the way to the Dreadfort. If show Yara is missing the spark and the humor of book Asha, I'm convinced it's down to the way the writing depicts the character, and not Whelan's acting.


What didn't work for me:


Very little but minor quibbles this week, which include the fairly clunky progression of the Dreadfort invasion / Dreadfort retreat, and a less than gripping Dany segment in Meereen.


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Gave a 9 in this one.Should have been a 10 not for the Asha rescue attempt which didn't exactly excite me.Theon having turned completely to Reek was very good,Davos scenes as well and of course the trial was fabulous.


Edited by Daenor
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voted 9 for Tyrion's trial and Peter Dinklage's "confession" what an actor! Also found Alfie Allen's descent into "Reek" really moving and believeable... great makeup job on his scarring btw even if the storyline of Asha/Yara's rescue left me perplexed as to it's purpose... Also thought the visuals were fantastic: Titan of Bravos, Drogon and the goats, cannot wait until next week to finish up Tyrion's storyline.


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I wrote my critique before reading any comments. Kind of funny the comment directly before mine directly contradicts my argument. I believe parts of it didn't flow well but others do. Tomato-Tomato, I guess.

Edit: grammar

I agree. I didn't feel there was a very good 'flow' during the first half of the episode: from the light and almost comedic Saan/Davos scene into the rousing monologue by Yara, some underwhelming fighting then a very WTF flight.... I liked how intense the Reek/Ramsay scene was, but it was spoiled at the start by the confusion over flight of the Iron Born.

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I rated it a 7. Although the trial was great start to finish, no complaints there, superb acting- the first half not so much. If the episode had only been the trial, would have been a 9 or 10.

+Trial
+Tywin, Tyrion, Jaime acting and scenes
+Ending with the cliffhanger of "Who will be the champion on each side, did Tyrion really just declare a trial by combat?"

I enjoyed that the show made it a point to bring back everyone who Tyrion has publicly humiliated in past seasons (Trant(?), Cersei, Pycelle). The first time you watch the show or read the books, it's very easy to sympathize with Tyrion and feel that all of his problems are because he's a quoted "ugly" dwarf. However, when re-reading the books, I couldn't help but notice all the times that Tyrion can't resist making a smart remark to people he should be allies with. It's not smart to antagonize the future King you will have no power over (Joffrey), and he should have known his time as Hand of the King was short-lived and depended on Tywin being off at war. Pycelle was loyal to the Lannisters (Tywin/Cersei), and I think Tyrion should have supported Pycelle more. Fighting against your own powerful family is not smart. I think he should have shown more loyalty to his family.

There's no guarantees he would have won his father and sister over, but he made himself look incredibly guilty. He dug himself his own grave with all his quips, jokes, insults, threats, socially unacceptable behavior, and Cersei seized the chance to push him into it.

- Asha/Yara's failed Theon rescue attempt. We see her plan this rescue attempt last season, she doesn't appear until episode 6, and then it fails? Lame.
- Stannis. If there are 2 things that hold this character back, it's his unpopularity and the fact that he is brittle and will "break before he bends." I don't know why he sails all the way to Braavos to tell some financial guys that he needs money because he deserves to be king, and then expects them to hand him over some cash. Davos does prove his worth here again.
- Endless Theon/Ramsay scenes. I don't see the point of Theon's story arc and the sexposition/torture-position? scenes. We get it, last season was pretty clear, he loses his manhood and is a completely broken human being. Can something besides more torture and sex torture happen with these characters?

Edited by Dragon Queen
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- Endless Theon/Ramsay scenes. I don't see the point of Theon's story arc and the sexposition/torture-position? scenes. We get it, last season was pretty clear, he loses his manhood and is a completely broken human being. Can something besides more torture and sex torture happen with these characters?

That's the nature of their relationship. It's all torture. Whether it be mental or physical, it's always torture. Asking to stop with the torture scenes is asking to cut Theon and Ramsay out of the show. At least this one introduced how Moat Cailin will happen, advancing their plot a bit.

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There was. It was right on top. You could see the horns.

It's best for me to check my expectations - it was clearly only a goat that was enveloped in flame and carried off and the goat skull couldn't have been more evident - unless one was expecting something else.

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I gave this episode a 9.

I would have given this episode a ten if it hadn't included the Theon-bathtime scene, which just wasn't to my taste.

The Yara filler was pretty pointless but I guess we have to see the Greyjoys sometime. The scene with her and Theon in the kennel had my blood pumping. Amazing acting and directing. Much better than the Craster's Keep filler.

The Hizdahr and Dany scene was my favorite. Great acting, great scene, and love the casting.

Very cool that we got to see some of the workings of the IB. I loved that Davos in that scene, and Jaime in the Tywin scene, both question what will happen once there are no Lannisters left. Foreshadowing anyone?

Peter Dinklage was on par at the trial. Varys's snappy answer to Tyrion's question - meow! Obyern's questions made me chuckle. Shae's "confession" made me raise my eyebrows. And hell yes to Tyrion's plea. Give me more episodes like this please, HBO!

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