How would you rate episode 504?

[LittleMissTyrell]

10/10

We got the best wall scenes this episode

we get Stannis and Shireen

we get Sansa and Petyr in the winterfell crypts and R+L=J

Jorah and Tyrion scenes were incredible

I don't have anything bad to say about the episode

[marsyao]

I don't understand why they decide to portrait high sparrow and faith militant as cult

[marsyao]

And I do not like the way Ser Laras was protraited either

[DRS]

I give this week a solid Five.

The show is good, the writing has become very average. The epic feel of season one through four is gone. I hope the next few episodes deliver

[Count Balerion]

Season 5, episode 4

I guess I'll go with 8 again. The episode was decent enough, and there were plenty of things I liked and nothing I really hated. But I wouldn't say there was anything epic either; and like the corresponding books, the show has segments where one wonders why they're spending so much time.

KL is moving fast, and the dynamic between Cersei, Tommen, and Margaery is certainly getting complicated and interesting. Cersei seems less idiotic than in FFC, but in the long run her decisions are still stupid. The reign of terror is good, but too long.

Apart from a nice Stannis-Shireen scene, the Wall is a little lacklustre. So is Dorne, despite the amusing banter.

Interesting that they had two different segments giving different points of view about Rhaegar, making one wonder if some 'orrible revelations in 'igh life are in the offing. Even if it was only a shout-out, it was still enjoyable.

Essos good, but short. LF and Sansa continue to mystify. Is he pro-Stannis now? Was Sansa coming on to LF (please God, no)?

[Grail King]

There were two very beautiful scenes in this episode:

- Talk between Barristan/Dany

- Shireen/Stannis

I especially like the talk between Barristan and Dany. I also like how they are starting to refer to Lyanna, Rhaegar and Jon's mother and Margaery was finally not a bitch to just be a bitch but was starting to use her cunning

But it is pity they are overshadowed by some things that absolutely I dislike

"All smiles died"? Really? Does you really need to make LF say exactly those words? I don't really mind it was LF the one who told the story. But please don't let them use those words (who represent for me all the grief Ned felt because of the war, the dead of his sister, ...)

- LF's plan still don't make any sense

- Jon and Mel. While I like Jon made the decision to refuse, it thought this scene was just wrong, gratuitous and distasteful. When I watch tv, I am normally not saying each second a curse word. Which I know I did. What was the point of this scene? What was the point of "You know nothing"? Did Ygritte warg Mel?

- Ellaria. First of all, this entire story line is butchered. Second, I don't feel any desire for vengeance by them. They say it but I did not really feel it.

Lets give it 2

They have been giving him lines that others have said from the first ( hound's scar,we are all lairs better than you, last weeks; you are Sansa Stark daughter of.... and the smiles)

In the Book, Mel did say you know nothing Jon Snow.

Edited May 5, 2015 by Grail King

[ServantOnIce]

Another 7/10 for me . . underwhelmed so far this season

The Goods are Good and the Bads are just horrendous . .

GOOD

1. Jamie and Bronn's excellent adventure. Funny, entertaining, action packed, good acting.

2. Ser Jorah and Tyrion . . good to see them finally interact.

3. Stannis and Shireen . . . good scene, good acting.

4. Jon Snow turning down Mel . . .

5. Cersei and the High Sparrow, good scenes

6. Tommen getting punked by the Faith Militant , Tommen is too weak to be a leader .

7. Sons of the Harpy vs. the Unsuliled in an ambush . . good guerilla tactic battle and good to see Old Man going out Swinging .

BAD

1. Faith militant Nazis . . don't really fit into the story or the world GRRM has built.

2. Carice Van Houten being naked again, tired of seeing her pale behind naked. Can Mel use power other than sexual power?

3. Dormer, again seems to be lost without having sexual power to use, sexual power isn't a woman's only power, yesh Dave and Dan.

4. The scene with Ser Grandfather and Queen Dany . . seemed wooden and out of place. Rhaegar the Minstrel . . yeah right . . .

5. The Sand Snakes and bad acting I.V. She's horrible . . . it made no sense. Jaime and Bronn rowed into Dorne . . so some how the Sand Snakes find out about a Captain who smuggled them in,and have him burried in Sand with Scorpions stinging his face, and he is speared to death. Huh? HORRIBLE

Their acting is horrible, it is bad, again I am also not a fan of the Sand Snakes in the books, but I saw real passion in them, and without Arianne, there is none.

Not a fan of Ser Barristan the old either, he's gone though. Adios!

Four episodes and the roller coaster continues . .

[roryclague]

There were some nice moments in this episode that were unfortunately counterbalanced by more awkward pacing, bad characterization, cliche, over-reliance on tired tropes such as attempts to shock the audience for the sake of shock rather than for story, spelling out certain story and character developments too explicitly when they should be conveyed subtly, and heavy-handed foreshadowing.

For example, now that Stannis has had a sympathetic scene, we know that Shireen is in danger and Stannis is likely to be killed by Brienne. This is the kind of thing that just plays for shock and cheap attempts at gaining sympathy rather than developing Stannis as a character throughout the series so that his death, when it comes, is powerful.

The scene with Mel was just outrageously unnecessary and comical, rather than mysterious and perplexing as her motives should be. The show wants to bludgeon the audience with shock value, nudity, and plot points rather than have faith in the intelligence of the audience to pick up on such things.

I like the show and am by no means a book purist. It isn't the deviations from the books that bother me at all. I understood that the show is the show and the book is the book a long time ago. What bothers me is this unsubtle overuse of tired cliches, unearned attempts to gain sympathy only for doomed characters, shock for the sake of shock, deaths for the sake of shocks, etc.

The Sand Snakes were too cartoonish, there was no intrigue surrounding the rise of the Faith Militant, Cersei's motivations were completely unestablished, their rise was too rapid, and their methods too violent. The destruction of Ser Loras into a cliche is tiresome. Mace is too stupid in the show. Mel is used as an object of lust rather than mystery, Littlefinger's actions make little sense. Sansa's actions make little sense. Tyrion is underused. The only characters allowed to be interesting are Stannis, Jon, and Jaime.

When you want to make room for major characters by eliminating minor characters, why not just wrap up their story rather than kill them for the sake of a cheap shock. It's too easy now to predict which characters are going to die. If there is a hastily set up scene to make a secondary character sympathetic to the audience, they are doomed in a future episode of the current season (by secondary character, I mean anyone who isn't Dany, Jaime, Cersei, Tyrion, Sansa, Jon, or Arya). What was clever in past seasons with Ned Stark and the Red Wedding is now just getting tired. We get it: no one is safe. Okay, so now tell a good story rather than rely on cheap thrills and titillation. I gave a 6, because on the whole I still like this show. It's just that it could be so much more.

Edited May 5, 2015 by roryclague

[TheNorth's1stKnight]

I give it an 8. I'd probably give it a 9 if barristan completely dominated the sons of the harpy like he should have.

Edited May 5, 2015 by TheNorth's1stKnight

[Davrum]

I gave it 8 again. A lot of the dialogue was too speechy and inorganic and the Unsullied fight scene was just dumb, but the rest of it was quite a lot of fun. The Cersei/High Sparrow and Sansa/Littlefinger scenes were the best.

[kn1tt3r]

Overall probably my least favorite episode of this season. Stannis' scene was great, but other than that half of the episode felt very slow and basically covering transitions, introductions or traveling ways. The other half felt very hasty and almost like fast forward (King's Landing, even the Harpy scene at the end).

So yeah, it was a bit unsatisying, but I still liked it kind of. 7/10.

[Shadow Queen Medea]

Not sure how anyone can give this episode a 9...or especially a 10....considering almost every other GoT episode from all the previous seasons. whatever...

[The Killer Snark]

I voted 9, same as I have with every episode this season, which I watched in one go when they were leaked, and there was no real quantifiable rise or fall in quality: with 2 being the weakest and 3 the strongest, but by marginal degrees. I dislike the writing out of Ser Barristan Selmy, and the massive shortcuts they've taken with Tyrion's arc. One wonders by now exactly how many characters D and D are going to leave out of this. But it still was excellent TV. It isn't so much the deviations that are frustrating me a little, because at least the writing is up to par, which it clearly wasn't during major deviations in previous series, but more that the eliminations of major dramatic material from what were already very slow paced books (numbers 4 and 5) are unnecessarily slowing down instead of adding to the pace.

[Hiram McDrogon]

I voted 9, same as I have with every episode this season, which I watched in one go when they were leaked, and there was no real quantifiable rise or fall in quality.

Glad to see I'm not the only one who feels that way - I'm somewhat bemused by the wild swings in votes from episode to episode. I've thought all four were quite good, no amazing episodes yet, no duds either. Solidly enjoyable all the way through.

(Maybe it's because we "cheated" on the watching? The binge-watch does make it a little difficult to distinguish one episode from another.)

[The Killer Snark]

Oh, it definiely did. It just seemed all of one piece to me, pretty much, the odd scene that was a snoozer or the odd scene that was exceptional being made allowance for. I doubt this season will reach the same peaks as season 4 did, but I reckon it will stay at this level the whole way through.

[ummester]

I have seen them all in quick succession also and think the quality is kind of comparable - but I'd still rate them 1 - 7 (most boring) 2 - 8 (ok, but let down by a stupid Disney facial design on Drogon) 3 - 9 (best overall quality of an episode to me, so it seems there is agreement here) 4 - 8 (ok, but the rubber snake looked really bad, and the sand snakes felt cheesy)

Edited May 5, 2015 by ummester

[SerJorahsArmy]

Well I absolutely loved this episode. The best of the series. From other peoples comments and disappointments about this series it confirms my reasons for not reading books untill after TV series/movies are aired and therefore not spending all my time comparing them to the books really enjoying it for what it is.

In terms of this episode I rate it a 9. All of the scenes were well acted and enjoyable. I hate when a decent character like Ser Barristan is killed off but as a Ser Jorah Mormont mega fan if this paves the way for him at least attempt to win Dany back (and I believe that he will be successful) then I'm okay with that.

http://twitter.com/serjorahsarmy

[ummester]

Well I absolutely loved this episode. The best of the series. From other peoples comments and disappointments about this series it confirms my reasons for not reading books untill after TV series/movies are aired and therefore not spending all my time comparing them to the books really enjoying it for what it is.

You raise a good point - I read the books after season 4 and, before doing so, only really had an issue with 1 scene from the show being bad. Now, after reading the books, I am more nitpicky with this season. But, this doesn't mean I prefer the books - just that noting the differences allows me to see the flaws in both.

I wish someone would take the better bits form the show and books and make a better overall version now.

Edited May 5, 2015 by ummester

[Ser Muradin the Small]

Huh, never imagined I'd give an episode a 9, but heeere it goes. 9/10.

Apart from the Sandsnakes doing a weird anime-villain revenge thingy, this episode was very good. Actually liked Tyrion in this season for the first time, maybe because he gets smacked. Shireen and Stannis was very heartwarming, I mean, Ran noted on his review that there was a touching scene but I didn't think it would be this good. And I don't really like Stannis even that much.

SImilarly liked Barristan's history lesson to Daenerys, although I doubt Rhaegar would ever earn money singing in Kings Landing and get drunk-those shenanigans are typically reserved for Robert. Barry's death was quite saddening- despite the bad choreography of the Unsullied soldiers.

Cersei giving power to the sparrows was well done as well. Knowing her book self its difficult not to believe that she'd come up with something so nasty just to screw Margaery.

[kefln]

9/10 - Excellent episode.

The first episode is always a reintroduction, the second and third build the foundations of how things are going to go, by the fourth things start to roll. And that was the case this week.

We had already been introduced to the SOH and the Sparrows, now we can clearly see the dangers they pose to the main characters. Violence and public attacks is a sure sign that all is not safe for those at the top of any government structure.

The pacing was better as well. Each scene had time to take breath.

Dorne: Bronn and Jaime are another great pairing. It was interesting to watch how close to the bone Bronn got with his comments. And it was good that they highlighted how Jaime’s fighting skills are very poor now. This isn’t a show where the hero switches hands and is instantly just as skilled. Jaime isn’t the man he was. Great to see the Sand Snakes, new characters on screen are always refreshing.

KL: Liked the ramping up of the power play between Cersei and Margaery. It shows how desperate Cersei is that she would use such an unpredictable force to destabilise the Tyrells. And poor Tommen, he really is just a boy.

LF and Sansa: Loved the backstory exposition and how it really fitted in with Dany’s and Jon’s sections. The tangled web was revealed for non book readers. Also it was a nice reflection of season one, as it was the same spot that we first got introduced to Ned and Roberts relationship and their shared history. Liked Sansa’s puzzled look at the feather and how she is starting to realise just how important a cog she really is.

Meereen: Dany and Ser Barristan. It was a lovely scene between them. Like a grandfather telling stories. But what happened next came as a shock. Just didn’t see it coming. It was a great send off for one of the good guys. He kicked a** and took names. It was just too soon.

Tyrion and Sir Friendzone was well played. Loved Tyrions comment about not being sober during most of the small councils meetings.

The Wall: Mel and Jon was as uncomfortable as no doubt it was planned to be.

But hands down Stannis and Shireen stole the show. Nothing else needs to be said.