[BOOK SPOILERS] Rant and Rave Without Repercussion

[olenna123]

Everyone complaining about Obara's monologue has forgotten that it came DIRECTLY from the books. Get your facts straight people.

Maybe I don't remember the scene well, but in the books wasn't Obara just remembering that? I mean she was talking to her family, are we suppose to believe that they've never heard this before? Does she always start monologuing about random things in front of other people? Also sometimes a good actor can make bad dialogue work. This wasn't the case.

[ummester]

Yes it did. And it was shit in the books too. There was no need to adapt that drivel.

This is a good point - why put the sand snakes in and leave Arianne out? Only reason I can think is because they wanted to age up Myrcella and Tistaine (I could have all the spelling wrong there) - but I don't get why?

I found Arianne was probably the only new book character worth including. Possibly Quentin also, just because his arc is so funny. But I don't get the aging up Myrcella thing, especially when the show is always saying it was to include a more ethnically diverse cast, they could have got a smart/sexy Mediterranean or South American actress for Arianne.

[Mourneblade]

Yes it did. And it was shit in the books too. There was no need to adapt that drivel.

I disagree, in the books there was context, lots and lots of context, here they just dump it on us, with just a scenes worth of context.

[MordredDayne]

My initial thoughts: http://gotgifsandmusings.tumblr.com/post/118081143015/got-5x04-musings

Poor Carol...I wonder if she had a low grade fever this episode? She went from her normal brilliant political maneuvering so to randomly arming The Faith just to get Loras and then encouraging Tommen to hop around the streets. I'm worried about her.

I love the point about how it's the same prostitute who helps the Sons of the Harpy. No doubt she will be an important character. The show just doesn't have enough women who are willing to get naked.

[Mourneblade]

And this episode.... where to begin....I just do not have the energy tonight...

[Mark Antony]

And this episode.... where to begin....I just do not have the energy tonight...

We aren't even halfway done with the season :lol:

[of man and wolf]

And it was just Mel's boobs filling the screen a la male gaze. Didn't even need a person attached to them.

BOOBS, JON! BOOBS!!!

Nice to see Benioff and Weiss haven't lost their touch.

Is that the lovely Eowyn in your avatar? I've been wondering for a while now.

[larastone]

Another thing that bugged me: I hated that it was Cersei's decision to arm the Faith Millitant, rather than something that came as part and parcel of a deal. The move looks completely illogical, rather than a false step she made in her haste to get the High Sparrow onside. More unnecessary plot simplification.

agreed, especially with how extreme the show faith militant is

[Bishop Cruz]

Barristan got jobbed. Fuck this. Not only did the unsullied get owned by a bunch of soft as hell slave owners, Barristan, the greatest living knight, went down like a punk. I have been fine with show changes in the past, even S4 didn't bother me TOO much, but this season has been painful. None of the character motivations make sense, there is no subtlety at all. All in all this looks to be the worst season of the show so far. Which is a shame. DwD and AFfC were slow, but at least they weren't nonsensical. GAH!!!!!!

[Le Cygne]

Is that the lovely Eowyn in your avatar? I've been wondering for a while now.

Yes! And I wish I had just watched LOTR instead.

[Steelborn]

I have to say again. Barristan did not deserve to be killed by underdeveloped bad guys.

GRRRRRM!

[MordredDayne]

Barristan got jobbed. Fuck this. Not only did the unsullied get owned by a bunch of soft as hell slave owners, Barristan, the greatest living knight, went down like a punk. I have been fine with show changes in the past, even S4 didn't bother me TOO much, but this season has been painful. None of the character motivations make sense, there is no subtlety at all. All in all this looks to be the worst season of the show so far. Which is a shame. DwD and AFfC were slow, but at least they weren't nonsensical. GAH!!!!!!

This also means we're not getting a certain bad ass Barristan scene from ADwD. I'm sure they'll give that to some rando character they introduce three episodes from now.

[Nihlus]

We're halfway through the season. Sansa and LF have had almost all the screen time in WF. Theon/Reek has literally said nothing. Great, great choice of time management. Why follow the protagonist of this arc, when instead we can follow show fan fiction?

[Ruin]

Meh...the people butt hurt over the changes in Dorne are going to be butt hurt over the changes in Dorne no matter the performances. I hate the change to Ellaria, and also the decision to make Tyene a ninja or whatever the fuck, but it was just one scene. I have high hopes of a S6 Tyene killing Tommen scene, especially if one of her sisters or her mother gets off'ed. And to be fair, the majority of Sand Snake hate is from butthurt Stark book fans, people who hated AFFC/Dorne plot anyways. So meh.

[Julia Martell]

My initial thoughts.

I will have A LOT more to say about the Sand Snakes stuff, probably on Tuesday. But basically, no just because a string of dialogue is right from the source material doesn’t mean the character is well adapted (Obara is the most fleshed out Sand Snakes, for fuck’s sake), and what kind of morons just swallow in-universe racism uncritically? I ask you...

[sb.69]

Say what you want about Mel in the show, but you have to admit, they're spectacular.

[The Knight in Motley]

Ser Barristan isn't dead. The show might be though, to me at least. Such an underwhelming death for a character that they actually bothered to create a mythos around. Such a waste of a great character and a great actor. And Grey Worm lives so we can have more wondering about his worm.

I thought it was hilarious that they go to the trouble of mentioning the crown's debt, then omit the entire reason for the re-creation of the faith militant. It would literally have taken 2 lines, one in the small council meeting with Cersei mentioning she'd talk to the High Septon and another when she meets the HS. Having it be her idea makes the High Sparrow seem even less in control of the Sparrows. I don't talk to any unsullied directly but they must be confused as to why such a nice old man is in charge of such zealots.

[Julia Martell]

Meh...the people butt hurt over the changes in Dorne are going to be butt hurt over the changes in Dorne no matter the performances. I hate the change to Ellaria, and also the decision to make Tyene a ninja or whatever the fuck, but it was just one scene. I have high hopes of a S6 Tyene killing Tommen scene, especially if one of her sisters or her mother gets off'ed. And to be fair, the majority of Sand Snake hate is from butthurt Stark book fans, people who hated AFFC/Dorne plot anyways. So meh.

Please, continue to use a homophobic slur to defend racist adaptational choices. Please.

[RGBeyondAsshai]

So...

Let's start with the easy stuff.

-Sand snakes led by Ellaria? Giant yawn.

-Jaime looking at Tarth was powerful moment and I'd like to think the whole dying in the arms of the woman I love thing was a reference to Brienne...but it's probably not. Then he spoiled it by saying he was planning on killing Tyrion...which just reminded me no one ever told the Tysha where do whores go story and that in Season 5 the twins have completely forgotten their story lines.

-Cersei would never have sent Tommen to face the faith militant/high sparrow. She is way too protective. And her acting all clever and sane is ticking me off. However, she did rush off Meryn Trant so Arya can cross another name off her list.

-Shireen-- I genuinely enjoyed the story Stannis told her but I have been perplexed by his expressive behavior since start of season. He smiles, he admires...no teeth gritting. Also? Her mother is so going to try and light her on fire.

-Melisandre--Has everyone forgotten about the zombies and ice creatures? Why are we all rushing to leave the wall when the battle was supposed to be at the wall? Also, that actress is really comfortable with her body. Yay Jon for resisting. You know a few things.

Sam Tarly--gets to carry papers for a minute. Hopefully his story isn't completely cut (he could still rush off with Shireen and Gilly after the whole fire thing)

-The Unsullied AND the Second Sons--greatest fighters in the world--get slaughtered by the Sons of the Harpy. Barristan Selmy is killed in an alley by masked slavers. Are they going to do the big slaver battle or no? I'm okay if they don't, that thing took forever. They seem to be going straight to the fighting pits. Man they are really in a hurry to get somewhere-by skipping most of the books.

__Little F is actually leaving Sansa and they are both worried about Papa Bolton. How can he NOT have gotten any info on Ramsay before throwing her in? What could he possibly gain? It makes no sense.

--I have nothing to say about Tyrion and Jorah because at this point, they are just throwing Tyrion in places he generally was and letting him talk for a minute. In a box--I'm in a box, give me wine. On a boat after Jorah kidnaps him--this is a very different boat--but I'm on it and haha I'm going there anyway. PS got any wine? Tyrion is better than this. Talk about rushing.

-Now. My true rant. That is how you tell the story of Harrenhall and the Knight of the Laughing Tree? Actually, they didn't even tell that story. Just the one that had been told throughout the books-Rhaegar crowning Lyanna. In the crypt, where they talked about Lyanna the last time in Season 1--I see the poetry they were aiming for--but the fact that they forgot about R and L for all the seasons in between and then gave this quick recap by LittleFinger chaps my behind. This is an epic story and they're just shoving Rhaegar in there. He liked to sing, remember that guy? Oh and he basically started a war for Lyanna. Really? I just... sigh.

I guess, at least, I'm happy it got some sort of mention.

OH-BUT-I noticed something in Jaime's story. When Bronn mentioned the Dornish horses and Jaime said they had to bury the bodies first. That really sounds familiar, but I don't know if it's from the World Book or ASOIAF... Does anyone know? It obviously didn't happen with those characters, but mentioning the stallions that can run day and night and then making people stop to bury bodies really really rings a lot of bells.

[Pigeon Pie]

The thing I hated most was the beepery D&D made of Ellaria and the sand snakes. There is Sansa's entire storyline of course but then that originates from the beginning of the season, but I especially hate her betrothal to Ramsay.