[Poll] How would you rate episode 509?

[The Eunuch]

I rated 9.

The first part with Stannis was horrifying, now I hope Ramsay will flay Stannis, Melisandre and Selyse. The Daznak part was amazing, different from the book but still scary and then epic! Dany on Drogon was so well done. Now I want episode 10 so badly!! :drool:

How can so many people rate this episode "1"?? It's just ridiculous. Stannis fans are delusional...

[TheMountianNick]

Man, I only liked Stannis when he was burning people I didn't know. ... and babies.... and killing his brother. That always made him the Mannis to me.

Anyways 9/10

been a book fan before the series began but I love the show more now. They've done the impossible and made the two worst books (plain BAD books btw) interesting.

[David Selig]

You gave a 9 to a pathetically written piece of dreck yet you call others delusional? LOL.

[TheMountianNick]

Yes, stannis fans are delusional.

You strung yourself up to a carriage with no wheels. He's always been a turd. Coward. Hides behind a false idea of what honor is.

Edited June 9, 2015 by TheMountianNick

[TheMountianNick]

David. Let's see some of your writing? Always love when people complain about bad writing yet can't even post on a forum in complete sentences.

Edited June 9, 2015 by TheMountianNick

[Consigliere]

4/10

A rather poor follow up to Hardhome. Jon and co. just had a battle against the WW, a stare down with the NK, and new found knowledge of Valyrian steel being another effective weapon against the WW. But none of that is even mentioned in this episode. Instead we get sulky Jon and staring Olly. The pit scene was the best part and even that was not great. Stannis allowing Shireen to be burned was poorly set up and came across as nothing more than shock value. Dorne has been very consistent this season - utter rubbish from the beginning.

[David Selig]

David. Let's see some of your writing? Always love when people complain about bad writing yet can't even post on a forum in complete sentences.

This is a silly argument. Do you have to be a chef to know when the food you eat is terrible? Of course not.

I am a terrible writer, that's why I sensibly picked another career. Never claimed otherwise.

Edited June 9, 2015 by David Selig

[JSPR_G]

I gave it an 8. It could go up once (and if) we learn more about the Sons of the Harpy, though. Who they are and why they're killing the masters.

It bothered me that Daenerys never was in real danger. I hope there's a reason why they threw spears to Drogon but not to Daenerys. I guess not. Well, that's television..

Dorne scenes are actually quite okay as long as the Sand Snakes aren't involved. Although if this won't be of real importance for the rest of the story it's quite a waste of screen time. Because some other storylines feel too rushed. Stannis burning Shireen, for example. I expected this to happen for a long time and it was a really powerful scene, but they should've spent some more time to show that this could be the only way to get out of their dire situation. Great scene, though. Kerry Ingram was amazing. I really needed some time to recover before watching people cheer in a stadium. They should've put another scene in between.

[Lord Freypie]

what was so disappointing about the fighting pit scene, can someone explain that to me?! loved it

- imagining so many harpies could enter the pit (nobody thought about searching if people carried masks ?)

- random killings for no reason (aren't the harpies supposed to be political enemies attached to Mereen's traditions, why are they killing random spectators here to celebrate Mereeneese tradition ?)

- fight choregraphy is subpar (if at least far better than sand snake scene, it's still a bit pale compared to Hardhome, or any episode of Spartacus)

- enemies sometimes look like they are waiting in line for the previous one to be killed

- pauses for melodramatic moments nobody exploit

- one heroic moment for each protagonist, so the cast is happy

- illogical defensive movement (let's go to the middle of the arena where we are sure to be surrounded, instead of staying in a more closed space)

- unsullied supposed to be trained since childhood looking as useless as ever this season against slavers not supposed to have any training

- harpies looking good at throwing spears at the dragon, but none thought about throwing them on say unarmored Dany before

Some people also criticized the CGIs but for me they were as decent as expectable from a tv show.

Edited June 9, 2015 by Lord Freypie

[ovis alba]

Not sure what to vote exactly, but I didn't like the episode:

- Dorne just seems like such a waste and I feel it's getting worse with every episode, I just wanted to skip the Sand Snakes slapping each other scene when it came up

- the leadup to the Shireen burning to me just was way too flat, nothing from that gave me a good sense of real desperation, to me that is something they would have had to build up much better for the outcome to actually have the sense of desperate measures that it should have, and that includes also the placement of the scene within the episode. Cutting from that scene to the cheering arena with Daario flirting around cheapend the impact of that scene way too much for my taste

- Jon coming back was in general ok, but they should have included Olly angrily looking towards Jon at least once more, because there might be someone left in this whole wide world that didn't get it the first 5 times that Olly is not happy with Jon

- Also didn't really like the pit scene too much, I never like it when people (especially people that should be the center of people attacking) can basically stand there and have a little chit-chat or have a little romantic moment with their dragon, while everyone politely stands back for the moment to not disturb the scene. the fact that her fully white dress is basically still completely white afterwards is kind of typical for that (I mean seriously I can't even eat spaghetti with tomato sauce without a stain on a white shirt :blushing: )

- I also don't know how I feel about the apparently at least starting battle around Winterfell next week, by placing that Shireen burning diretcly before that battle, I feel like they removed basically all the emotional involvement for the viewer because people don't care for either of the sides anymore (at least that was the response I had from all the people I watched with). I simply doesn't seem to matter who wins anymore, they are all horrible anyway.

So overall an episode that I feel should have been great with a huge emotional impact for the viewer for the Shireen scene alone, but at least to me the whole episode around it couldn't deliver a good enough "frame" to make that moment stand out.

[Esa1996]

I don't read the books so I don't know what side of the wall he was supposed to be on?

What side were they supposed to arrive at?

If they had a brain they would've sailed south of the Wall and walked to Castle Black on the south side. There'd be no gate barring their way even if Ser Alliser had wanted to keep them out. They would have been safe from the Others for the entire walk too. In the show they apparently sailed to the Wall, but instead of doing the sensible thing and walking west on the southern side of it, they decided to place their lives on the line and walk on the northern side.

[Esa1996]

what was so disappointing about the fighting pit scene, can someone explain that to me?! loved it

Personally I found it to be very good. There are some things that poked me in the eye though. Dany flying on Drogon looked awful for one. Would've been better to show it from the ground, not from atop the dragon's back. Also, the Unsullied are meant to be EXTREMELY good fighters, at least in terms of technicality at least, as they've been trained for around 6+ hours a day since they were still well under 10 years old. In the show they are just cannon fodder to be killed.

Edited June 9, 2015 by Esa1996

[Dolorous Gabe]

By far the worst episode of the show yet. Cheap emotional manipulation through inconsistent characterisations. Myriad gaps in logic. It's just bad storytelling on every level.

There was literally zero reason for the decision to burn Shireen. None whatsoever. If it were to happen, the situation should be in extreme desperation and have absolutely no alternative. They had an alternative, which they even established. Turn back for CB along with Davos. Added to this, having any scene after it was insulting both to the viewer and to Shireen, whose elevation as a character compared to her book counterpart has been a major positive for the show previously. It was like they were telling us "yeah that was horrific and sad, wasn't it. Now here's some fighting and a dragon and a khaleesi riding a dragon to finish on. That's better, right?". They're treating their audience like morons, their story with complete disregard and their characters with disdain.

And this doesn't even begin to touch on how lacking the rest of the episode was in narrative sense. No reason given as to why Jon and co. decided to abandon ship and walk through the haunted forest to the wrong side of the wall at CB, halfway along said wall no less. Dorne's rapid resolution rendered the whole thing even more ridiculous and pointless than it already seemed. The Meereen pit sequence was clumsy and senseless. I guess marrying a Meereenese noble and opening the fighting pits didn't work after all. So many questions linger over wtf has been going on in Meereen.

My previous worst rating was a 4. This one gets a well deserved 1/10 from me.

I've never been close to being a Stannis fan and I gave last week's good episode an 8.

[vividox]

After sleeping on it another night, I'm changing my rating from a 6/10 to a 7/10.

Edited June 9, 2015 by vividox

[shavedquaithe]

3

Didn't mind Shireen being killed - gotta feed the god. Melisandre and Stannis both have great poise and menace. I'd rather evil characters with poise and menace than "good" characters that behave like lost socks.

Dragons are fucking boring. Dany is a panto step-sister at best elevated wantonly to leading role.

Hizdahr should have been more violently and cruelly slaughtered.

I bet Jorah stinks like wet fucking towels but he has a strong archaic brow and interesting skin tone.

Jon Snow looked like wet sheep that got overlooked on Valnetine's day and Olly is a piece of proletarian shite should be sent back to fucking Londonderry.

Also, Arya is great but I doubt Cat of the Canals would've balked at poisoning the insurance salesman.

Edited June 9, 2015 by shavedquaithe

[robasp2]

Funny to see how Daenerys fans were angry with Drogon.

"Wtf? Dany had to be saved? they ask.

Seriously what would you have wanted?

SoH rise up.

Everyone runs around stabbing.

Dany sits very cool in her chair watching her nails

Finally a harpy comes to her.

She doesnt even look at him, she whistles out. Drogon appears. "How may I be of service?" It asks.

"Jump up and down on one foot. I would like to show everyone I fully control you...and Oh when youre done roast these people , fetch a saddle and bow down here. I would like to take a ride.. Chow"

*brainless dany fans cheer as the "powerful queen" begins her journey*

^This is a funny way to convey what Dany fans demand these days.

I would be ok if they hated the choreography or stunts or the plot holes in the ep or any fuckin thing. And yet they say "Wtf? Dany had to be saved?

Edited June 9, 2015 by robasp2

[Balerion's Whiskers]

I was so satisfied at having my desires fulfilled that I was willing to overlook any lousy SFX. Some of us have been waiting for this for more than a decade.

The next big thing will be Dany finally landing in Westeros and burning some stuff while flying Drogon. Hopefully, that includes Elaria Sand.

Been waiting for that dragon ride seems like forever...yes, it wasn't 'big screen' effects and it didn't go down exactly like the books but we saw a Targaryen ride a dragon! (which is exactly what Tyrion was thinking at the time too)

[JonCon's Red Beard]

Funny to see how Daenerys fans were angry with Drogon.

"Wtf? Dany had to be saved? they ask.

Why would we be angry with Drogon? Does Drogon writes the show? :dunno:

The whole scene is about Dany actually saving Drogo and herself. They made it look like Nice Guy Knight Jorah saving her Lady Khaleesi.

[Skulb]

Mad Men doesn't have any misogyny, unlike Game of Thrones (TV version). That's a big reason it's better.

There isn`t a single sympathetic person in GoT so how can it be "misogynistic" when everyone gets treated the same? There`s just no pleasing brainwashed feminists is there? You`re hypocrites is what you are, demanding special treatment while calling that equality. Why isn`t Mord, Gregor Clegain and any number of other creeps in GoT "man hating"? Why isn`t it "man hating" when men in series like this lose their minds just because some tart flashes a tit at them? Man you just annoy me massively with this crap...

[whodafockcares]

A bit late mayhaps, but a 7 for me.

Shireen burning is totally fucked up and definitely not pleasant to see. But at the same time, it does make things more interesting for Stannis now, story wise. It's obvious that he didn't want to do it, but he had to. The internal struggle and guilt can clearly be seen on his face when Shireen is getting burned, screaming for help. Things were looking very dire for him and he was desperate to get back on track. I don't see Stannis as a completely evil person. He loves Shireen, but his resolve in achieving his objective (the Iron Throne) just tops everything else, including his family. Pragmatic is perhaps not the right word to describe him, but he is the kind of person who does things that he believes need to be done, even reluctantly and unwillingly. If having to kill his brother and sacrifice his daughter will help him achieving his objective which he believes will provide a greater good for the realm in the future, he will do it. Such a sad, complicated situation for him.

Not sure if book Stannis will do the same. I hope not, though.

Daznak Pit is alright. Not bad and not very impressive either. Many cliche Hollywood moments (Jorah's spear throw, Jorah and Dany's sweet reunion, SoH had countless chances to throw a spear at Dany yet they decided to throw them at Drogon instead, etc). Yet, they are necessary for the plot, so yeah. Dany riding Drogon is a little underwhelming to be honest, but it's still a great feeling to see it. Been waiting for years to see that scene. :)

Don't give too much crap about what's happening in Dorne really. Braavos is just alright. Can't recall Meryn Trant is a pedo in the books, though. But whatever, nobody really cares.