[Poll] How would you rate episode 704?

[Gomagoti]

This was good (gave it an 8) way better than the first 3 despite more teleporting across the continent. mainly because dragons.

[Jordan La Cabra]

I'd say an 8, and I'd go further by saying it was the best episode of the season.

One particular highlight was when Jon told Theon that the Queen wasn't at Dragonstone and it cut away to the impending battle scene at Highgarden. There's been a couple of really nice cut-aways so far this season.

Low point of the episode was the Stark reunion between Arya, Sansa and Bran. I know Bran is no longer Bran, but the awkwardness between the three just felt more like bad acting and bad dialogue as opposed to intentional awkwardness between the trio.

[Samwell_Tarly]

45 minutes ago, StepStark said:

 

 

Oh but all those 10s that people regularly give are realistic and objective?

Its all a matter of perspective sir, its not objective its a subjective view. 

45 minutes ago, StepStark said:

 

What a hypocrisy, to say the least. Even last week there were people who rated episode 3 with 10. So how are those people going to rate episode 4? 20? 100? LOL!!! I don't get all this whining of show lovers, you always seem to feel like victims somehow, even though the show is clearly overrated as hell. I have hard time understanding 10s even for this episode, because the episode had very serious issues, even in the battle scene (but the battle was very exciting and well done in general), but okay, for the sake of argument let's say that this is an episode that deserves 10. But what about all the previous episodes that received all those 10s? Doesn't that actually prove that the show has been hugely overrated for quite some time? This episode that contains the best action scene in the show's history clearly proves that the show is overrated, because retrospectively all those previous "perfect scores" look ridiculous.

This is ridiculous, if we had all the episodes then we could but we need a bigger scale. How do the now look ridiculous, please explain? For example you go sky diving and you say its the best day of my life, next week you to a bungee jump and you say this is the best day of your life. You wouldnt think back and be like that sky diving was so over rated and ridiculous. We have been given a scale from 1-10 and thats what people are using. 

[Samwell_Tarly]

For me this is what I've been waiting for, for a long time.....

There were no boat loads of shit dialogue, just plenty of good well thought out scenes. I have been disappointed with the first few episodes but this completely nailed it.

It was only a matter of time til Daenerys had, had enough and bring her dragons into play. The tension and build up to this was amazing.

Not really going to go into detail about the episode but definitely one of my 3 favourites by a country mile!!!

10/10!

[Jordan La Cabra]

13 minutes ago, Samwell_Tarly said:

There were no boat loads of shit dialogue, just plenty of good well thought out scenes. I have been disappointed with the first few episodes but this completely nailed it.

It was, as you say, a great episode. Definitely the best of the season so far.

I agree for the most part about what you say about the dialogue, but do you not think the Arya arriving in Westeros and her banal conversations with Sansa and Bran (poorly written and poorly acted out) slowed down the pace momentarily? It definitely peaked again quickly after that, but that section was boring.

I have a real feeling the Starks in Winterfell are going to be the boring arc of the season. We have a great character like Littlefinger there, who is being wasted following Sansa around and now smiling weird smiles in Arya's direction. They need to get the life back into LF, because he is the only thing that could save the story at Winterfell, as Sansa, Arya and Bran have zero chemistry.

 

[falcotron]

6 hours ago, xjlxking said:

It's usually the haters that can't seem to understand that this show can't follow the books with the limited screen time available.

Bah, limited screen time is no excuse. The books for this part of the story don't exist, so it shouldn't take more than 0 minutes for this entire season. In fact, just turn off your TV and look at the blank screen for 0 minutes, and you've got a 100% faithful adaptation. Why can't HBO just release that? It would certainly save on budget!

Personally, I care more about whether the show is enjoyable than whether it's identical to the books (which I generally like much better, but it's not like they're sacrosanct scripture), even before we got to the point where the books don't exist. So I'd rather watch the 48 minutes of this actual episode than the 0 minutes of the faithful adaptation. But real true book snobs should try it the other way.

[RedShirt47]

An impressive 9 for me.

Some good character moments with Sansa & Arya, Jon & Dany, Jon & Theon.

Some great action scenes, the fight between Brienne & Arya was quite good but the battle was excellent. There was real peril there, I thought Bronn was a goner. Didn't think they'd kill Jaime but the chance is there. Team Dany has had some major loses recently so it's about time team Cersei lost a major player or two.

Bran's "Chaos is a ladder" was a nice moment, the look on Littlefinger's face.

[Ser Graymax]

This episode really needs two ratings, one for the first half and one for the second.  The first half was probably the most boring ever, slow and plodding dialogue and for the first time I really did not like Arya and her stupid grin.  Maybe she could duck well and maybe even defeat Brienne through stealth but never stand up to her like she did.  Something besides her chest needed to be kicked. 

I think we all know who is going to die by that Valarian steel dagger.

Bran and his electric wheelchair, well, it looked that way.

Obsidian cliffs around Yellowstone may have been better for the dragonglass scene than that cave.

The second half was nothing more than brilliant and spectacular.  Danny learned how to ride bareback from the Dothraki but could she really hold on to a dragon?

Didnt she need that food in the supply wagons?  Why burn them?

Were there 3 dragons there or only 1?  I thought only 1, where are the other 2?

was Tyrion telling Jaimie or Danny to run?  Protecting his brother or his "queen"?  Either?  Both?

Do Bron and Jamie survive drowning despite all that heavy armor?  Sure was deep water that close to shore.  Tune in next week or so.

 

First half, my lowest rating ever,a 4.  The second my highest, a 10 but since I can only give one score it has to be a 9.

 

Edited August 7, 2017 by Ser Graymax

[Ser Quork]

A 7/10 which is the highest I've given it for a long time and it was for the Field of Fire.  Loved the VFX for Drogon and the carnage he wreaks.  It was exciting and well-paced and gave due consideration to the horror that such a beast could unleash and the understanding of why the kings of old would have bent the knee!

 

[Nerevanin]

9. So far the best episode of this season.

[Samwell_Tarly]

33 minutes ago, JordanJH1993 said:

It was, as you say, a great episode. Definitely the best of the season so far.

I agree for the most part about what you say about the dialogue, but do you not think the Arya arriving in Westeros and her banal conversations with Sansa and Bran (poorly written and poorly acted out) slowed down the pace momentarily? It definitely peaked again quickly after that, but that section was boring.

I probably disagree to honest, I thought the part in Gods wood when Bran confirms she has a list as this has been laughed off twice now in season 7 and its time they take her seriously, hence the fight scene between Brienne and Arya was to show everyone she means business and shes got the skills to look after herself. For the first time things did flow and pace was maintained along with no shit riddles from little finger. 

33 minutes ago, JordanJH1993 said:

I have a real feeling the Starks in Winterfell are going to be the boring arc of the season. We have a great character like Littlefinger there, who is being wasted following Sansa around and now smiling weird smiles in Arya's direction. They need to get the life back into LF, because he is the only thing that could save the story at Winterfell, as Sansa, Arya and Bran have zero chemistry.

I agree massively with this, Bran has a role to play well into season 8 but Sansa and Arya? Personally Sansa's story line is finished now shes returned home to Winterfell. Arya as much as she is a badass and a really likeable character, i dont know how she is going to merge with the main story line. One thing just like Jon that annoys me was how she was just able to leave the House of Black and White just like Jon left the NW without real question or addressing of the issue. 

[Gaz0680]

 

1 hour ago, JordanJH1993 said:

It was, as you say, a great episode. Definitely the best of the season so far.

I agree for the most part about what you say about the dialogue, but do you not think the Arya arriving in Westeros and her banal conversations with Sansa and Bran (poorly written and poorly acted out) slowed down the pace momentarily? It definitely peaked again quickly after that, but that section was boring.

I have a real feeling the Starks in Winterfell are going to be the boring arc of the season. We have a great character like Littlefinger there, who is being wasted following Sansa around and now smiling weird smiles in Arya's direction. They need to get the life back into LF, because he is the only thing that could save the story at Winterfell, as Sansa, Arya and Bran have zero chemistry.

 

Zero chemistry? After like one two minute scene between Arya and Sansa, then another two minute scene with the 3 of them in the Godswood?

I thought there was good chemistry between Maisie and Sophie. Both actresses performed that scene perfectly in my opinion, although it could have been written much better.

There was less chemistry with Isaac, but that's partly because of the way Bran is now written. He's basically a God-like being, all seeing but has lost touch with his humanity in many ways.

Arya is written differently nowadays. She is less of a free spirited tomboy like the early seasons and more controlled and calculated, way less prone to emotional outbursts and her manner of speech is more blunt. Basically, she uses the least amount of words she needs to in order to make her point, similar to the Hound or Jaqen Hagar. She's no longer the excitable, free spirited chatterbox of season 1.

The reunion with her and Sansa was great. It was awkward, but at the same time it should have been awkward. The two sisters were never that close and they had been separated for years and both had suffered and been messed up a lot in that time. The way that conversation played out was fitting.

As for boring, that would have been the useless conversations with Missandei and Davis or the non-existent chemistry with Emilia and Kit for a forced romance the writers will shove down our throats constantly for the rest of this season and well into next. I'd take those Winterfell scenes 100 times over the cringeworthy ones with Jon and Dany.

Edited August 7, 2017 by Gaz0680

[Balerion's Mother]

5 hours ago, storm.131 said:

9.  I had to take a point off for two very stupid things:

- Daenerys burning the supply wagons.

- How deep was that lake near the shoreline???

I totally agree with your second point! Moments before he is riding his horse in said water only a meter from the shore and it wasn't even ankle deep. Then all of a sudden it is like the ocean...

Is he sinking because he is in armour and got a heavy as all F#@! gold hand? Poor guy. 

[Jordan La Cabra]

5 minutes ago, Gaz0680 said:

 

Zero chemistry? After like one two minute scene between Arya and Sansa, then another two minute scene with the 3 of them in the Godswood?

I thought there was good chemistry between Maisie and Sophie. Both actresses performed that scene perfectly in my opinion, although it could have been written much better.

There was less chemistry with Isaac, but that's partly because of the way Bran is now written. He's basically a God-like being, all seeing but has lost touch with his humanity in many ways.

Arya is written differently nowadays. She is less of a free spirited tomboy like the early seasons and more controlled and calculated, way less prone to emotional outbursts and her manner of speech is more blunt. Basically, she uses the least amount of words she needs to in order to make her point, similar to the Hound or Jaqen Hagar. She's no longer the excitable, free spirited chatterbox of season 1.

The reunion with her and Sansa was great. It was awkward, but at the same time it should have been awkward. The two sisters were never that close and they had been separated for years and both had suffered and been messed up a lot in that time. The way that conversation played out was fitting.

As for boring, that would have been the useless conversations with Missandei and Davis or the non-existent chemistry with Emilia and Kit for a forced romance the writers will shove down our throats constantly for the rest of this season and well into next. I'd take those Winterfell scenes 100 times over the cringeworthy ones with Jon and Dany.

I know that the three siblings shouldn't have been making jokes and playing games with each other as if all was normal. Maybe it was more the dialogue that they had to work with was poor. It just didn't seem natural, to me, even for a season that was meant to be unnatural. Something I had also noticed in last week's episode with the dialogue between Jon and Daenerys.

You say there is no chemistry between Kit and Emilia, but I think it is the material they are working with that is causing it, coupled with the fact we all know this relationship is being forced upon the show. Last night, the exchanges between them in the caves seemed a bit more natural, also when she asked him for advice on her next move. I just can't fathom the idea of the two of them ending up with some romantic scenes. It's going to be so forced and contrived.

Jon is backwards and shy when it comes to women, which made Ygritte perfect for him because she was so forwards it made up for the two of them. Daenerys was shy and reserved initially with Drogo, but it didn't take long for her to come out of her shell with him. Then when she saw Daario, she seemed like she wanted him from the moment she laid her eyes on him. With Jon, if they do pursue it, it's going to be a slow burning relationship which will only lead it to be more contrived, in my opinion. It would have nearly been better if she looked at Jon the way she did towards Daario right from the start.. But this whole stolen glances, Jon touching her arm and Davos accusing Jon of liking her just makes it all too cringeworthy.

[Balerion's Mother]

1 hour ago, JordanJH1993 said:

It was, as you say, a great episode. Definitely the best of the season so far.

I agree for the most part about what you say about the dialogue, but do you not think the Arya arriving in Westeros and her banal conversations with Sansa and Bran (poorly written and poorly acted out) slowed down the pace momentarily? It definitely peaked again quickly after that, but that section was boring.

I have a real feeling the Starks in Winterfell are going to be the boring arc of the season. We have a great character like Littlefinger there, who is being wasted following Sansa around and now smiling weird smiles in Arya's direction. They need to get the life back into LF, because he is the only thing that could save the story at Winterfell, as Sansa, Arya and Bran have zero chemistry.

 

Yeah the starks are stark boring. I don't like shows that are "Captain Obvious" but geez give a little and actually have a discussion rather than lots of dumb looks and silence. What is going on with LF and Sansa?! It is frustrating me. 

Bran needs to spill the beans on so much...um like "By the way guys, Jon is actually Lyanna's son and he's a Targ!".

Where is ghost? Why haven't they discussed Rickon? Can't someone send a raven to Jon to say Bran is alive? So much left unsaid and then other times, we get captain obvious and it's a little difficult to not scream at the TV (i.e. S 10 Ep 3!!!). Don't get me wrong I love the show but I just want to see more depth in characters. This Kevin Costner style under-acting is not doing it for me. But this Episode was a 10 out of 10 all in all because something significant finally happened and I just loved the lead up to that scene with Jamie and Dany!!!

[StepStark]

1 hour ago, Samwell_Tarly said:

Its all a matter of perspective sir, its not objective its a subjective view. 

This is ridiculous, if we had all the episodes then we could but we need a bigger scale. How do the now look ridiculous, please explain? For example you go sky diving and you say its the best day of my life, next week you to a bungee jump and you say this is the best day of your life. You wouldnt think back and be like that sky diving was so over rated and ridiculous. We have been given a scale from 1-10 and thats what people are using. 

And yet when one day you welcome your own child to this world, then everything else pales in comparison. But rating a show isn't the same as experiencing your own life, is it? Rating a show should be more cerebral, but you obviously disagree, because you say that it's "a subjective view". Tell me then, what does it mean even? Are you okay with anything then, because anything can be subjective? If someone rates every single episode 10, are you okay with it? And also, if someone rates every episode 1? Because by your logic, you should be okay with both, because it's a subjective view, right?

And really, you need a bigger scale? How wold that solve this problem, I wonder, because even on scale 1-100, there'd be people who rate many episodes with 100. And what about the other end of the scale? By your logic, we would need to go below zero too.

So please, try to bring some perspective into commenting and rating. Perspective other than your pure subjective pleasure at a given moment, that is. That was my point, that perspective was and is missing from many of those 10 ratings. Because if you can't even imagine how a 10 episode should look like in a show with this budget and this setting and this source material to draw from (regardless of whether you read the books or not, by now you should be aware of the story that is the basis for GOT), then you're seriously lacking a perspective.

[Gaz0680]

13 minutes ago, JordanJH1993 said:

I know that the three siblings shouldn't have been making jokes and playing games with each other as if all was normal. Maybe it was more the dialogue that they had to work with was poor. It just didn't seem natural, to me, even for a season that was meant to be unnatural. Something I had also noticed in last week's episode with the dialogue between Jon and Daenerys.

You say there is no chemistry between Kit and Emilia, but I think it is the material they are working with that is causing it, coupled with the fact we all know this relationship is being forced upon the show. Last night, the exchanges between them in the caves seemed a bit more natural, also when she asked him for advice on her next move. I just can't fathom the idea of the two of them ending up with some romantic scenes. It's going to be so forced and contrived.

 

Yes, dialogue has been one of the weaker facets of the show since Season 1. There has been moments of good dialogue, but also a truckload of mediocre to very bad dialogue.

As for the writing in general, it has definitely declined since the earlier seasons, so yes, I believe the main actors have worse material to work with now in general. The material could also certainly be making some of the acting appear worse than it actually is.

[Jordan La Cabra]

2 minutes ago, Gaz0680 said:

Yes, dialogue has been one of the weaker facets of the show since Season 1. There has been moments of good dialogue, but also a truckload of mediocre to very bad dialogue.

As for the writing in general, it has definitely declined since the earlier seasons, so yes, I believe the main actors have worse material to work with now in general. The material could also certainly be making some of the acting appear worse than it actually is.

I know they didn't literally copy and paste the dialogue from the books, but it is still no shock that the dialogue and general writing has appeared to suffer since they ran out of book material. Certain scenes have still been brilliant, of course, like the 'Hold the door!' moment and the Battle of the Bastards, but I imagine - I may well be wrong, of course - that these scenes are going to appear in the books at some point, so aren't completely a creation of the TV show writers.

[Gaz0680]

17 minutes ago, StepStark said:

 

So please, try to bring some perspective into commenting and rating. Perspective other than your pure subjective pleasure at a given moment, that is. That was my point, that perspective was and is missing from many of those 10 ratings. Because if you can't even imagine how a 10 episode should look like in a show with this budget and this setting and this source material to draw from (regardless of whether you read the books or not, by now you should be aware of the story that is the basis for GOT), then you're seriously lacking a perspective.

Sorry StepStark, but Samwell_Tarly was right. It IS subjective.

The perspective is also subjective.

Until we have tv and movie reviews/ratings being done by robots instead of humans using standardised computer calculations and following detailed, specific criteria with appropriate weightings attached to them, they will NEVER be objective.

Give any human being that same list of criteria and their own personal biases WILL come into play in rating the tv show/movie overall and for individual criteria (acting, directing, plot, characters, lighting, sound, etc), even if each individual criteria is broken down further with their own extensive description or criteria on how to score it.

Edited August 7, 2017 by Gaz0680

[StepStark]

2 minutes ago, Gaz0680 said:

Sorry StepStark, but Samwell_Tarly was right. It IS subjective.

The perspective is also subjective.

Until we have tv and movie reviews/ratings being done by robots using standardised computer calculations and following detailed, specific criteria with appropriate weightings attached to them, they will NEVER be objective.

Give any human being that same list of criteria and their own personal biases WILL come into play in rating the tv show/movie.

That's why I said that one should try to bring some perspective, and it goes without saying that I had some objective perspective in mind. Now of course, nothing is completely objective and that's why it is fun to debate different opinions, but it doesn't mean that anything can pass. If "everything is subjective" then you're essentially subscribing to absurdist point of view where nothing makes any sense because even sense is subjective. So just to be clear, I'm not denying that there will always be some subjectivity to every rating (and I'm definitely NOT advocating for robots!), but that ratings rooted only in subjectivity shouldn't be taken seriously.