Best episode of the season?

[ricardoromell]

"Bad Pussy" was all kinds of wrong ! You can expect Ser Bronne to say "no thank you madam ! Keep your std's for the whole of dorne"

Episode 8 for me.

[Eucratides_Megas]

"Lord Celtigar saw this episode and declared it admirable. If I had shown him the contents of my privy, he would have declared that admirable as well and given it a 10/10 on IMDB" -----BookStannis, too busy preparing for the real Battle of Winterfell to give a fuck.

[TheRevanchist]

Episode 8 for me was easily the best. I thought the same for last season too (The Viper and the Mountain being the best episode in the season).

On the first three seasons, the ninth episode was the best.

The best episode in the entire serie? Easily, 'The Rains of Castamere', which might just be the best episode I have ever seen in any show.

[TheRevanchist]

Hardhome was weak.... not an once of substance. Just a sword fight against ice zombies. I suppose if you watch GoT for 'action' you got what you wanted, but the battle of blackwater was far more interesting for me since it wasn't watching the 'hero' of the story with his plot armor run around killing zombies. If I wanted to watch that there is this show called the Walking Dead I could check out.

Otherwise I fully agree with the OP- minus the Stanis being alive part. B. of Tarth isn't known for her kindness. She is sour and jaded because she is always 'treated like a women'.

Fully agree that the Battle of Blackwater was better than Hardhome. Still, I thought that Hardhome was great...and kind of unexpected.

[bravosi42]

Huh? When does that happen?

I just assumed she and Pod were lurking around the edges of the battle until it was over.

thats too much of a sensible interpolation of how she gets to the scene. if you are going to fit in round here you can't be doing that...

[bravosi42]

hardhome, mother's mercy, dance of dragons, unbowed etc,7, 5, 3,1,2.

paced it like a tactical 1500m race; could have done wotha. bit more oomph in the early stages, but the plot mechanics didnt really allow for that.

[bravosi42]

dp

[TheRevanchist]

Also, can someone tell me how it is possible that Ramsey and his thousands of soldiers forgot to find (and then execute) Stannis? Despite that he was wounded in the battle. How they won the battle but then didn't care to find Stannis. Who was quite easily to be found as it was shown by Brianne.

Awful writing in that aspect.

[bravosi42]

Also, can someone tell me how it is possible that Ramsey and his thousands of soldiers forgot to find (and then execute) Stannis? Despite that he was wounded in the battle. How they won the battle but then didn't care to find Stannis. Who was quite easily to be found as it was shown by Brianne.

Awful writing in that aspect.

he wasnt exactly riding around on a white horse....

[shaggy_rick]

and Stephen Dillane's performance - Wow

:agree:

Thus far I can aggree with you. For the most part the other actors were very good as well: Carice, Lena, Sophie, Maisie, Kit, ...

BUT: Due to all the inconsistencies and plot holes for me this was the worst GOT episode ever, and probably the reason I might quit the show.

• Jon is portrayed as an incompetent Commander and leader, a broken and depressed man, unfit to lead upcomming fight for the dawn. So Show-Jon really deserved to die, and shouldn't come back!
  • Jon bitching about how his brothers dispise him because he let the wildlings through the wall. So he knows he has a problem with his brothers! But who is he saying this to: "He raised his hands, and they all stood up at once. Tens of thousands - the biggest army in the world" ??? To Sam. He is not even shown to try to communicate what happened at Hardhome to the rest of the Nights Watch!
  • After sending the wildlings to the gift Jon does nothing to prepare the Watch for the Wight Walker attack. NOTHING! He could do a number of things to prepare the Watch:
    • organize an expedition to Dragonstone to collect dragon glass
    • rebuild and man the other castles at the Wall with the wildlings
    • send letters to demand all Valyrian steel swords in Westeros for the Wall
    • educate his brothers about the White Walkers and the Wights. How are they to be killed - WWs with dragon glass and Valyrian steel, Wights with fire.
    • collect material for the defense of the wall (wood to make fires, ...)
  • Instead Jon is having a depressed chat with Sam and has already given up the fight!
    • Sam: "What you're gona do?" Jon: "I wont to hope the don't know how to climb the wall"

      Sam: "But - the dragon glass?" Jon: "No one is ever getting that back now. It wouldn't have mattered anyway, unless we had a mountain of it." (he already forgot about Dragonstone, which Stannis had told him in the show)

      Sam: "But - you killed a White Walker" Jon: "With Lon Claw" ... Sam: "How many valyrian steel swords are left in the seven kingdoms?" Jon: "Not enough."

      Are these the words of an heroic leader who is determined to save humanity? No! He is depressed, not intelligent, and has already given up. Why should he be brought back?

• Sam realizing the wall and the north (and if you think it further Westeros!) is lost, and wants to save his ass and abandon his friend Jon Snow.
• Melisandre suddenly loosing her faith in the Lord of Light, after some sellswords leave Stannis, when just a moment ago R'hollor had delivered the wheather change. If she is a true believer, she should be confident that R'hollor will decide the battle against the Boltons anyway. But she abandons Stannis, and it's not clear why?
  • Maybe she saw a depressed Jon Snow in her fire, who has already decided that they will stand no chance against the army of the dead? Maybe this mad her think: that's the hero. That is Azor Ahai!
• Stannis is shown to be the worst battle commander ever. Instead of doing something clever about the new situation, he just decides to march his army into certain death. No scouting, no clever strategy or tactics, just drawing his sword and dying with some dignity.
• Cersei confessing to HIGH TREASON by telling that she slept with Lancel while Robert was still alive! After Robert's death this might be just adultery, but while the King lives and she is his consort this would have been a much more serious crime. Why would she confess that, when she deliberately holds back the truth about Jamie and her kids?
• Sansa and Theon will escape, but the way the showed it they should be dead! Even if they survive the jump, they sould be severely injured and walk VERY SLOW! Ramseys army is just returning to Winterfell and they will see Myrandas body immediately. Thus - Ramsay would start a hunting party the next minute, and Sansa and Theon would stand no chance. I can't think of a resolution that will not be rediculous:
  • Brienne and Pod saving them by slaughtering Ramsay and his 20 good men? Brienne is still in the woods with a dead Stannis.
  • Littlefinger coincidentally arriving with his vale army just in time to protect them?
• Dorne: Elaria poisoning Myrcella while Trystane is sent as a hostage to Kings Landing? Why does she even bother to take the antidote? Once Doran knows she is dead. Doran only believes in second chances, no third chances! And if Doran was in on the plan - it would be absolutely stupid the let Trystane go.

Overall the acting was very good or at least ok, but the writing is just so bad that I lost all my enthusiasm for the show. Last year I couldn't wait for season 5 to begin. Now I am fine that it is over, and I can live without season 6.

[TheRevanchist]

he wasnt exactly riding around on a white horse....

He was leading his army though (like actually being in the first row, something that for reasons known to anyone, he did also in Blackwater). I also guess that a lot of people know his face (he wasn't exactly Mr. Anonymous). I guess that the priority of Ramsey's ninjas would be killing Stannis. Especially when they won the battle so easily, I doubt that they would go killing a bunch of nobodies but not look for Stannis.

[TheRevanchist]

:agree:

Thus far I can aggree with you. For the most part the other actors were very good as well: Carice, Lena, Sophie, Maisie, Kit, ...

BUT: Due to all the inconsistencies and plot holes for me this was the worst GOT episode ever, and probably the reason I might quit the show.

• Jon is portrayed as an incompetent Commander and leader, a broken and depressed man, unfit to lead upcomming fight for the dawn. So Show-Jon really deserved to die, and shouldn't come back!
  • Jon bitching about how his brothers dispise him because he let the wildlings through the wall. So he knows he has a problem with his brothers! But who is he saying this to: "He raised his hands, and they all stood up at once. Tens of thousands - the biggest army in the world" ??? To Sam. He is not even shown to try to communicate what happened at Hardhome to the rest of the Nights Watch!
  • After sending the wildlings to the gift Jon does nothing to prepare the Watch for the Wight Walker attack. NOTHING! He could do a number of things to prepare the Watch:
    • organize an expedition to Dragonstone to collect dragon glass
    • rebuild and man the other castles at the Wall with the wildlings
    • send letters to demand all Valyrian steel swords in Westeros for the Wall
    • educate his brothers about the White Walkers and the Wights. How are they to be killed - WWs with dragon glass and Valyrian steel, Wights with fire.
    • collect material for the defense of the wall (wood to make fires, ...)
  • Instead Jon is having a depressed chat with Sam and has already given up the fight!
    • Sam: "What you're gona do?" Jon: "I wont to hope the don't know how to climb the wall"

      Sam: "But - the dragon glass?" Jon: "No one is ever getting that back now. It wouldn't have mattered anyway, unless we had a mountain of it." (he already forgot about Dragonstone, which Stannis had told him in the show)

      Sam: "But - you killed a White Walker" Jon: "With Lon Claw" ... Sam: "How many valyrian steel swords are left in the seven kingdoms?" Jon: "Not enough."

      Are these the words of an heroic leader who is determined to save humanity? No! He is depressed, not intelligent, and has already given up. Why should he be brought back?

• Sam realizing the wall and the north (and if you think it further Westeros!) is lost, and wants to save his ass and abandon his friend Jon Snow.
• Melisandre suddenly loosing her faith in the Lord of Light, after some sellswords leave Stannis, when just a moment ago R'hollor had delivered the wheather change. If she is a true believer, she should be confident that R'hollor will decide the battle against the Boltons anyway. But she abandons Stannis, and it's not clear why?
  • Maybe she saw a depressed Jon Snow in her fire, who has already decided that they will stand no chance against the army of the dead? Maybe this mad her think: that's the hero. That is Azor Ahai!
• Stannis is shown to be the worst battle commander ever. Instead of doing something clever about the new situation, he just decides to march his army into certain death. No scouting, no clever strategy or tactics, just drawing his sword and dying with some dignity.
• Cersei confessing to HIGH TREASON by telling that she slept with Lancel while Robert was still alive! After Robert's death this might be just adultery, but while the King lives and she is his consort this would have been a much more serious crime. Why would she confess that, when she deliberately holds back the truth about Jamie and her kids?
• Sansa and Theon will escape, but the way the showed it they should be dead! Even if they survive the jump, they sould be severely injured and walk VERY SLOW! Ramseys army is just returning to Winterfell and they will see Myrandas body immediately. Thus - Ramsay would start a hunting party the next minute, and Sansa and Theon would stand no chance. I can't think of a resolution that will not be rediculous:
  • Brienne and Pod saving them by slaughtering Ramsay and his 20 good men? Brienne is still in the woods with a dead Stannis.
  • Littlefinger coincidentally arriving with his vale army just in time to protect them?
• Dorne: Elaria poisoning Myrcella while Trystane is sent as a hostage to Kings Landing? Why does she even bother to take the antidote? Once Doran knows she is dead. Doran only believes in second chances, no third chances! And if Doran was in on the plan - it would be absolutely stupid the let Trystane go.

Overall the acting was very good or at least ok, but the writing is just so bad that I lost all my enthusiasm for the show. Last year I couldn't wait for season 5 to begin. Now I am fine that it is over, and I can live without season 6.

All, fair points.

The more I analyze this episode, the worse it looks.

[dbunting]

My favorite episodes have been the wall Ep 9 season 4 I think, The red wedding, and Hardhome. I am not sure why but for me the battle of black water didn't have the same impact.

[Kabutsu]

I don't think there were any episodes that were consistently good this season. Episode 8 finished strongly, with that half hour at Hardhome, and The Dance of Dragons likewise, with Shireen and Daznak (even if the Shireen moment didn't make much sense for it to happen in the show or currently in the books). Episode 1 was probably the most consistent episode (probably because Dorne hadn't been introduced yet) and it also ended strongly with Jon's talk to Mance followed by Mance's burning. Episode 10 was very inconsistent in my opinion. I loved the Reek/Theon and Sansa moment, and Cersei's walk of shame (as well as the introduction of Ser Robert Strong - they had to include that "holy vow of silence" line). For The Watch was good simply to see my unsullied friends' reactions (the amount of "NOOOO JON SNOOOOOW" messages I saw shortly after the end of the episode was incredible :lol: ). However, I hated the way they handled Stannis and the anticipated Battle of Winterfell. I was hoping that the battle would take place during the second half of Episode 1 or 2 next season, and that if Stannis, Roose, and/or Ramsay were to die it would be in an epic combat scene. But nope, they have Stannis' forces obliterated in minutes with no real detail of what happens, followed by Stannis crawling through the woods and killed by Brienne of all people.

I'd have to say Episode 8 had the best moment, with the epic battle at Hardhome, but that Episode 1 was the most consistently good. Overall I'd say this season was second worst (in my opinion I'd say it goes, from best to worst, 4-1-3-5-2). Still better TV than pretty much anything else out there though, it's just that Game of Thrones can and has been so much better.

[Wouter]

Hardhome. This episode was not only great, that fantastic, long sequence from the titular place exceeded the books (where the place is only mentioned in dialogue and by letter). The new characters (Loboda, Karsi, Wun Wun) were great, existing characters were used well, it looked terrific and you could really feel the panic and despair. And then the resurrection - great moment. Best of all the episodes, so far.

All in all, in spite of missing beats like the Dornish storyline and the paperthin excuse to get Sansa to Winterfell, it was an excellent season.

I'm looking forward to TWOW and S6. I fear S6 will come earlier though, and the ending of the entire story may well be completed in show-form only given how much work Martin still has and how slow it is going.

[shaggy_rick]

I forgot to mention Alliser Thorne:

• First (Ep. 9) they let Jon arrive at Castle Black on the north side of the wall, without a good reason. They should have landed at Eastwatch and traveled on the south side. The only reason was to have the "dramatic" scene with Thorne standing up on the wall, Jon looking up, and the viewer fearing that Thorne might deny them through the tunnel.
  
• But then Thorne gives the command to let Jon and the wildlings through the tunnel. So in this moment he accepts Jons command, and accepts the fact that the wildlings are now on the south side by his own decision.
  
• Then in Ep 10. Thorne decides to lead the stabbing "For the Watch" because ... Jon let the wildlings through the tunnel. Wait a minute didn't Thorne himself let them through?
  

So they create a plot hole (Jon arriving on the north side) just for a dramatic scene in Ep 9 which betrays a character's (Thorne's) motivation for the final scene of Ep 10. :bang:

[Tolsimir]

Well there was nly one good episode this season, which is Hardhome.

[Not a kneeler]

Actually, this was my favorite episode because it meant the season was over. This has been the bleakest season ever, but after this, things should improve. That's what I tell myself. We knew from day 1 that FTW was coming which cast a pall over any expectations we may have had that some resolution to some of the plot lines would occur. Apparently D&D did see fit to resolve two of the cliffhangers GRRM left us with in Dance. Stannis lost the battle of Winterfell and Mycella died in Dorne. Whether George will do the same in some different manner I have no doubt.

So let's grit our teeth and wait 9 more months until season 6 pops over the horizon. Maybe Winds will be out by then. I hope.

Just be glad this season is behind us.

[robasp2]

8 > 9 > 10 > rest of season 5

Is my oder.

[FantasyFan73]

I have to be honest, for me season 5 was the weakest season, i felt the producers replaced good dialogue with shock tactics, and never really got into the dorne arc.

I also found the prison scene with bronn and tyenne odd (yes it introduced us to poison, but it seemed a contrived way to get breasts onscreen more than anything).

Having said that i loved hardhome, so that would get my vote.