(Book spoilers) Positive Nitpicking Thread for E10, Mother's Mercy

[Zared]

Not really sure where to put this, but just want to say I actually enjoyed the finale ep, not a nitpick, but It's positive. Which I was surprised about, seen as I stopped watching the show on I think the second ep of season three.

I will say I liked the way the ep ended, not as good as in the book, but it was well done and it will have shocked a lot of unsullied.

[Valar Morghulis Not Today]

The whole of the walk of shame. I loved the scene so so much.

Ah in the UK we don't get a "previously on...", that trolling sounds epic.

Also, liked that they kept in Jamie wanting to tell Myrcella about being her father even if I haven't liked the whole Dorne story thread.

Arya is still the best character on screen.

Also agree that Daario is really good but only in scenes where Dany isn't also present.

[jet199]

An ... interesting episode. However it produced the funniest "CHRYS WATCHES GOT" of the season.

[sj4iy]

I attempted, twice, to make this thread. So thanks to the OP for getting it up, since my attempts were not posted for whatever reason.

I liked:

1. For the Watch. I liked this version better than the Pink Letter, which always seemed OOC for Jon, anyway, considering that he knew that Arya wasn't at Winterfell.

2. The Walk of Shame. I felt bad for Cersei. I didn't even feel for her in the books, but I did feel for her here.

3. Arya gets revenge. Really, really gruesome, but I think it illustrates the danger of becoming a vigilante assassin.

4. Stannis meets Brienne. I liked this moment, since it perfectly illustrates both of their personalities...it also leaves us on a 'is he dead?' cliffhanger. My personal opinion is that she didn't go through with it.

5. Tyrion and Varys. Loved their little talk. Can't wait to see what Tyrion does.

6. Jon and Sam. Kind of sad that we will probably never get this between them ever again, but I appreciated it here immensely.

[Hiram McDrogon]

I attempted, twice, to make this thread. So thanks to the OP for getting it up, since my attempts were not posted for whatever reason.

...

4. Stannis meets Brienne. I liked this moment, since it perfectly illustrates both of their personalities...it also leaves us on a 'is he dead?' cliffhanger.

Stannis's face when admitting to Renly's murder - as he thought back to what was I suppose the moment he doomed himself - and then his last words, "Go on, do your duty" - absolutely perfect, and the more I think about it, the more interested I am in what if anything is happening with Brienne and Stannis.

Not sure why you couldn't open the thread. I waited forever before even trying, assuming that it would come - maybe my thread pre-empted your second attempt.

Another moment: "There's not going to be a siege, your grace" - maybe the most surprising moment for me this season, when I realized this story was going to wrap up much, much faster than I expected. And then there was Sansa's face watching this man Littlefinger had assured her would rescue her get cut down, with Sansa serving as audience surrogate.

I'm starting to think Stannis has had the most impressive one-season arc since Ned back in Season 1. Or maybe Jaime in Season 3.

I enjoyed Daario's interviewing of Tyrion. "So mainly, you talk?"

Varys's interesting little line: "You need to learn which of your friends are not your friends", given in advice to a man new in town charged with the mission of sorting the place out. What was Littlefinger's line to Ned back in Season 1?

[RhaenysBee]

Yeah thanks for making this thread! I myself tried to post one too but it seems like it was sucked in by a black hole.

Soooo all the stuff I loved:

- Stannis's demise from the first to the last moment

- battle scene from the top of the old tower

- Theon and Sansa

- Jaime going 'Luke, I am your father' on Myrcella

- myrcella's death

- Sam and Jon.

- Jon's beautiful death

- melisandre and Carice's acting

- selyse suicide

- Daario Jorah Tyrion debated about who is going to look for Daenerys

- Daenerys's hair

- dothraki riders

- Arya killing meryn trant

- qyburn with cersei

- Lena's acting

- Robert strong

- getting Varys back

- just the general epicness of all the cliffhangers

[aFeastForDragons]

The Walk of Shame was brilliant.

Stannis read to fight and die even if it was utterly stupid writing.

Stannis killing two men and only getting wounded after presumably taking out hundreds of Bolton soldiers first before he retreated into the forest.

The Benjen tease to readers.

Emilia Clarke finally did a scene without cringe or atrocious acting/facial expressions.

Thats about it unfortunately.

[Pangaea]

Positive:

*The season is over.

[Follmann]

Stannis can take a full head on cavalry charge

But since he ended up in the woods, cavalry can't survive a Stannis charge.

[Eldric Storm]

I think it's funny how people on here assume Stannis is dead.

[Mother of Mini Dragons]

The Walk of Shame was executed to perfection.

I loved Drogon and Dany's interaction.

Happy to see the Dothraki again. I missed them.

I have to agree with everyone tooting Stephen Dillane's horn. He was excellent in this episode and all the other ones, but he brought everything in each moment in this last episode and as much as what Stannis did to Shireen was totally vile, he gave Stannis so much humanity in this one.

Sansa choosing to die as herself if that's all she can do and her and Theon taking a leap of faith.

[sj4iy]

Stannis's face when admitting to Renly's murder - as he thought back to what was I suppose the moment he doomed himself - and then his last words, "Go on, do your duty" - absolutely perfect, and the more I think about it, the more interested I am in what if anything is happening with Brienne and Stannis.

Not sure why you couldn't open the thread. I waited forever before even trying, assuming that it would come - maybe my thread pre-empted your second attempt.

Another moment: "There's not going to be a siege, your grace" - maybe the most surprising moment for me this season, when I realized this story was going to wrap up much, much faster than I expected. And then there was Sansa's face watching this man Littlefinger had assured her would rescue her get cut down, with Sansa serving as audience surrogate.

I'm starting to think Stannis has had the most impressive one-season arc since Ned back in Season 1. Or maybe Jaime in Season 3.

I enjoyed Daario's interviewing of Tyrion. "So mainly, you talk?"

Varys's interesting little line: "You need to learn which of your friends are not your friends", given in advice to a man new in town charged with the mission of sorting the place out. What was Littlefinger's line to Ned back in Season 1?

Well, I tried night before last after the episode...the forum crashed shortly after, so I guess it ate my post. I then tried again yesterday morning, to no avail.

However, as long as it gets put up, I don't care who does it ^^

[Les Météores D]

The acting was great overall, something weird happened because I really liked the Drogon/Dany scene (ok 90% thanks to Drogon)

-Cersei confession and the walk: I hope J. Pryce stick around for a while

-Vary/Tyrion was great even if I was hoping something else

-all Stannis scenes

-Myrcella/Jaime: salvaging Dorne somehow (ok not really but still good)

-the ending: each stab was shot with fire in the background and the last one with the ice/blood/black+Stark theme was visually stunning

(I skipped/turned away when Arya killed Trant: too gory for me)

[DemiNymph]

I'm loving Sansa's clothes. She may have to do the displeasing task of her wifely duty every night but Ramsay sure knows how to keep his wife in good threads.

[robasp2]

Loved Arya's fight.

The badass vs realism balance was quite good.

Glad it was not a classic hollywood frail girl beats 50 wrestlers :D

[Woman of War]

I quite liked the episode:

To begin with the high in my least favorite part, Dorne: I liked Myrcella. The young girl in love, fragile and yet so grown up with her desastrously awkward daddy (what must Doran have thought - THAT one is the kingslayer???!!!) and Tyene so helpful with the napkin - Mummy, I just saved your ass when I gave them the antidote, thank me later. Well, at least I hope so.

I lovedlovedloved Spain. I have been there to Andalucia, they could have done more to honor that extraordinary location.

Mereen was a nice preparation for what will come: Tyrion's great moments. At first I did not like Varys jumping in as deus ex machina but then it would have been too unbelievable that Tyrion succeeds all by himself since given the speed of the story there would not be much room for failure and learning - basically a problem with most characters, and if it is Sansa who fails in Scheming Fast Track Lessons there is an outcry among some fans.

But now I am looking forward to great Tyrion-Varys dialogues. We need Tyrion's thoughts spoken aloud since we cannot read them. And please, scriptwriters, make him as complex and conflicted as in the books, bring back his fascinating book self. You have stolen some of the best scenes from Dinklage! Give him something to show what Tyrion can be. Or are you saving up the surprises for me, presenting me more of one of the best characters in literature scripted for a great actor like Dinklage? Do it for my birthday, will you ;)

People may have trouble to deal with the despair in Jon's last moments. I don't. First reason is I am convinced that he will be back somehow. Second we will be riding towards the finale next season and the night is darkest before dawn. People complain that the show has been made easy to digest for a broader audience - does that mean they should have given us an ending like in the first series, Jon rising like Dany did? Now that the ride gets rough people complain about "no hope"! Difficult to digest? Chew harder!

Sansa's escape? Ok. But why did she drop the corksrew and did not lock the door behind her?Finally Reek became Theon again and the Thelma and Louise moment was great. No way they are both dead.

Arya: well done, very much in the spirit of her chapters and no one should complain about the overuse of sex. Arya actively used sex herself for manipulation in the Mercy chapter while they avoided that in the show.

Dany - they left out my favorite sentence: "you are the blood of the Dragon, you can make a hat!" That is Woody Allen at his best! But what do you need a straw hat for in Northern Ireland, fortunately she did not need an umbrella.

Lena Headey!!! And her body double!!! The Walk was so well done, Lena's acting cannot be praised enough. Cersei's face when she was inside the walls and when the mystery kingsguard carried her - that woman is not broken, maybe an even greater antagonist has been born.

Stephen Dillane!!! I have praised him in another thread already. He was gone so sudden and only after that I realized what I will miss. And I am no Stannis fan. But Dillane WAS Stannis. Every movement, every facial expression. So good you simply don't see him act, he was just there, Stannis, full stop. Extraordinary! Emmy please!!!

And I liked how the show did a lot to give Martin the opportunity to write the story himself, even at the expense of having too many cliffhangers and maybe annoying some of the audience, not fulfilling instant reward expectations.

That is not me though, I liked the episode.

Damn, I feel so clumsy writing in English :blushing:

[Hiram McDrogon]

Damn, I feel so clumsy writing in English :blushing:

Nah, it's good. Absolutely nothing to worry about.

[Woman of War]

Thank you :)

[Howlin Reed]

I think for me it was those moments of realization for certain characters that caught my attention.

Melisandres reactions and realizations: Using her face and body language to emote. Subtlety and restraint instead of overreaction. I would expect nothing less from her.

The deliciously quick turn from preening Stannis and his armor and looking confident or proud before the battle to the horror of her realization that she has indeed been incorrect in her assumptions all along.

That slow drain of color and excitement to the abject pallor and fear of "ohhhhhh shit, let me just slink out of here real quick like when she realized that everything for Stannis was dissolving like a shadow assassin. That slow burn after the gut punch was then reinforced but replaced by her utter defeat, guilt, and shame as evidenced by her wordlessness once she got back to the Wall.

Couple that with Davos disbelief and restrained rage from his own realization of her realization and it was very well done all the way around.

Jaime and Mycella: When Jaime realized that she had already figured out that he was her father and then that she was not only ok with it but very happy about it. The look of relief on his face was priceless. Then within seconds it all falls apart. Again, we go from a high to a low in mere moments.

Tyrion and Varys conversation: This, coincidentally, was about the only good bit of dialogue in this ep to be honest. They both realized how much they have in common and that they not only need each other for their plan but have genuinely missed each other. I love the way Varys speaks without really saying anything directly. There is inference and innuendo in everything he says. Those two are so good together because they immediately pick up on what the other is saying without having said anything.

Stannis (and Brienne): The most important realizations: Stannis seeing it all deteriorate so quickly. The house of cards just fell all at once. Stephen Dillanes acting was superb. It was very similar to Carices in that he used mostly his face to show a range of emotion.

Finally, Stannis knowing that he is dead, having that final moment of reflection about his poor decisions, and ultimately handling it with his usual hard-headed aplomb and giving the best line in recently memory: Go on, do your duty. The single word duty then triggers Briennes reaction since it is something she believes in and is driven by as well. The realization that Stannis was just a man and not the monster she presumed he was and that he died honestly--possibly even honorably.

The question remains: Did it temper her decision? ;)

[nyser1]

Ramsay will be pissed. If potentially having a younger brother stirs his anger, a demon is about to be unleashed upon the North. It is known.