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[Poll] How would you rate episode 806?


Ran
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How would you rate episode 806?  

522 members have voted

  1. 1. What's your rating from 1-10, with 10 being the highest/best?

    • 1
      153
    • 2
      54
    • 3
      40
    • 4
      37
    • 5
      40
    • 6
      23
    • 7
      54
    • 8
      50
    • 9
      32
    • 10
      39


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A number of people here are wondering why Arya has turned explorer and sails West at the end, but this was foreshadowed in Season 6 Episode 8 when Arya was in Braavos.  While tending Arya's wounds from the Waif, Lady Crane invited her to join her theater group but Arya rejected that offer:

LADY CRANE: Where will you go? 
ARYA: Essos is east and Westeros is west.
But what's west of Westeros? 
LADY CRANE: I don't know.
ARYA: Nobody does.
That's where all the maps stop.
The edge of the world, maybe.
I'd like to see that.

And so, with her business in Westeros settled, she did! 

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6 hours ago, CrypticWeirwood said:

Thanks, care to elaborate? If that's too much trouble, you could give individual 1–10 ratings to these:

  • ____ Cinematography
  • ____ Lighting
  • ____ Visual effects, including CGI 
  • ____ Production design (unified visual appearance)
  • ____ Opening and closing title sequences
  • ____ Sound editing and mixing
  • ____ Original musical score
  • ____ Costume design
  • ____ Make up and hairstyling
  • ____ Writing 
  • ____ Directing
  • ____ Leading actor (Kit Harington)
  • ____ Leading actress (Emilia Clarke)
  • ____ Supporting actor (Peter Dinklage)
  • ____ Supporting actress (Sophie Turner)
  • ____ Ensemble cast (everybody as a team)

Those don't necessarily have to “average out” to your final rating.

Honesty, there are some things on your list that I think are consistently excellent throughout the series: the opening sequence, cast, music, cinematography, and visual effects/CGI (the latter two having been particularly impressive in recent seasons).

The bits with Drogon this episode were highlights for me, both visually and emotionally. After several years of investment in these characters in the books/on screen, I was really wanting to *feel* the big character moments of this finale. For example, Dany’s death by Jon’s hand: I know it was a culmination of 8 seasons of both characters’ struggles and growth, the final (inevitable?) showdown of two rapidly diverging moral paradigms. I am an emotional viewer—tears almost always come easily for me (sometimes embarrassingly so in shared company/public settings); however, I felt *nothing* for Dany or John. It was as if I had a checklist on a clipboard and could check the scene off as “completed” and move on to the next. It was only when the beautifully rendered, grieving CGI dragon gently nudged and then lifted his mother away that I felt moved. It was the one emotional beat that landed for me the whole episode.

In trying to understand why I couldn’t connect in particular with this finale, right now my best explanation is a combination of poor writing and, to a lesser extent, poor direction. Even within the show’s internal logic, almost nothing made sense, from the characters’ actions, to the exposition-heavy dialogue, to basic logistics (time passing/character movement/size of surviving armies/etc.). It all seems so passive: the plot points happening to the characters rather than the characters taking action themselves. As a result, I never could forget—even for a moment—that I was watching a TV show; I truly hoped to be transported, even as I was at times during the flawed but nonetheless harrowing and poignant 3rd and 5th episodes of this season.

Ultimately, I gave this one a rating of 1/10 because the stronger components cannot compensate for the weak writing, confused direction, and hollow emotional beats. Maybe it’s most telling that I always rewatch an episode at least 2-4 times during the week of the original airing, often starting the second watch immediately after the first viewing. I have no desire to revisit the finale for the time being, and this all makes me a little sad.

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I give it an 8. There were some silly moments and the Bran as king twist didn't quite work for me simply because Bran has been such a useless, non-entity character in the past two seasons, though the basic idea is solid. The rushed pacing also skimmed over some important things; Sansa's "the north must be free" moment deserved more time and space than that. Overall, though, I'm very pleased. The finale worked thematically and emotionally for me; I teared up a few times, including at Drogon's discovery of Dany's death, Jon and Arya's goodbye, and Brienne writing in the White Book for Jaime. I thought Jon's ending was absolute genius; the secret fantasy prince exiled to the wall after being broken, but getting the freedom to discover and be who he really is. Arya's ending works for me, Sansa's does too (though again, I wish she'd had more to do this episode and season), and I enjoyed the ending Small Council scene. Compared to just about every TV show I've seen with a huge expansive cast and many plotlines (except the Wire), this was a well done and fitting ending.

And something else... I've been following this series now for 15 years, basically through my teenage years and entire adult life. I am truly grateful to have some closure on this story. No, this season wasn't perfect, and I wish the White Walkers hadn't been such an anti-climax and some more questions had been explained relating to the weather, why the Others were invading, etc.... But it feels good to have an ending to this story. So, thank you sincerely to Dan and David, the other writers, the cast, the crew, and GRRM for delivering an ending, and in my opinion, a good ending.

 

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3 minutes ago, Uffington Horse said:

I am an emotional viewer—tears almost always come easily for me (sometimes embarrassingly so in shared company/public settings); however, I felt *nothing* for Dany or John. It was as if I had a checklist on a clipboard and could check the scene off as “completed” and move on to the next. It was only when the beautifully rendered, grieving CGI dragon gently nudged and then lifted his mother away that I felt moved. It was the one emotional beat that landed for me the whole episode.

I did feel for Tyrion. The despair he felt was palpable when he realized that his final betrayal and caused his siblings' death (certainly Jaime's at least), and likely caused his own as well. Your heart went out for him, more than for Jon and Dany. All his scenes were convincing and moving for me.

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7 minutes ago, CrypticWeirwood said:

I did feel for Tyrion. The despair he felt was palpable when he realized that his final betrayal and caused his siblings' death (certainly Jaime's at least), and likely caused his own as well. Your heart went out for him, more than for Jon and Dany. All his scenes were convincing and moving for me.

This was definitely true for me as well, and something I forgot to write about in my post. Tyrion (and Dinklage) was fantastic in this episode; a nice change of pace after a couple seasons of him generally being a frustrating character (not to mention ADWD Tyrion...).

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1 hour ago, Astrotherapist said:

A number of people here are wondering why Arya has turned explorer and sails West at the end, but this was foreshadowed in Season 6 Episode 8 when Arya was in Braavos.  While tending Arya's wounds from the Waif, Lady Crane invited her to join her theater group but Arya rejected that offer:

LADY CRANE: Where will you go? 
ARYA: Essos is east and Westeros is west.
But what's west of Westeros? 
LADY CRANE: I don't know.
ARYA: Nobody does.
That's where all the maps stop.
The edge of the world, maybe.
I'd like to see that.

And so, with her business in Westeros settled, she did! 

Wow, nice find!

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A 3. So much potential, but disappointing for the budget/hype.

Tyrion baby, why did you not try to kill her yourself on that stage. What would anyone care what you have to say, Lannister traitor imp.

Once again proved as the worst hand ever. Remember when Tywin reminisced about his time as the hand and how he was better than his successor.

Jon, again the whole arc as targaryen was for naught, they did it again. Worst possible king ever, spineless, does not want it, good hearted but not strategy or consideration for what can happen. Honor means not to stab your queen/lover/family in surprise and treachery. You would have to fight in the open or even a trial or banishment. 

Bot: I am not Bran. I don't care. I can't and won't be Lord. Then: why do you think I'm here despite this being your surprise suggestion. 

Greyworm goes away without killing anyone, because fanservice and convenience.

Bronn in the council, wow!

What night's watch?! Just banish some criminals to beyond the wall to live with the wildlings.

 

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I gave it 7 though as always with the past couple of seasons or so the more I think about it the worse the rating would get if I waited longer.  When thinking about the show as a whole I never considered not watching it like other shows I've enjoyed but drifted away from.  So, though I've been disappointed in the last couple of seasons execution writing I'd give the series an 8.5. 

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8 hours ago, Chris is my name said:

Wonder if Martin's sales will suffer from the HBO product, or by others believing they have the ending?

I don't think so. Book readers would buy the book no matter what, we need to read a better story than this show storyline(even if i'm afraid we could get some disappointments on the way), i've waited so long and no way i ain't going to read it.  Plus in my opinion people that never have read the books(or started after the show was available) are going to start now that the show is ended and want/hope to know more about this marvelous story(at least it was before the last 2 seasons). 

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I thought the ending was merely adequate. It was probably the worst season overall, but I was reasonably satisfied with the last episode. I'm just hoping we get novels that are able to fulfill the promise that was the beginning of the series. 

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9 hours ago, lakin1013 said:

Wonder if Martin's sales will suffer from the HBO product, or by others believing they have the ending?

There is a massive, massive can of worms hidden in that simple statement!

For me personally, I don't really care if the books end the same way as the show or not - the magic of GRRM's writing is in the journey. It's like the ancient Greek plays that were based on myths everyone knew - because the audience knew the eventual outcome, they could focus on the quality of the character arcs and language. In this age of obligatory plot twists and police procedural shock resolutions, we've lost that essential quality.

But that's just me.

There will be readers who will buy the sequels regardless of the TV show.

There will be readers who have got bored or died whilst waiting regardless of the TV show.

There will be readers who boycotted the TV show as they await the books.

There will be readers who hated the show but are intrigued by reports that the books are so much better.

There will be TV watchers who enjoyed the show and will buy the books - from GoT thus boosting multiple sales - BUT will they read them?

Whilst there are tons of legitimate criticisms of the TV showrunners, these forums and elsewhere are also packed with viewers who lack basic comprehension skills. I think that a lot of viewers don't have the capacity to read the books - the books are too long for their attention spans, the language is too difficult and the characters too nuanced for those conditioned in the culture of 2D goodies and baddies. Thus, sales might be boosted by thousands of books bought and left on bookshelves.

I have no doubt that sales of the first volume, GoT will be massively boosted. Sales of the next 4 will be more modest unless loads of people buy the 5-volume set before giving up at the prologue of GoT. Sales of tWOW will be boosted by heavy marketing so that those who have read the first 5 volumes won't overlook it, but it would be quite odd if people who never read the first 5 but saw the show simply dive into tWOW.

My main point, therefore, in answer to the question is that sales can be measured easily enough, but how many more people will READ the books is much harder to gauge.

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13 hours ago, Ser Not Appearing said:

Why is there a NW, really, and is Jon the commander or did he just pass through or what? He did change to black, so ... maybe in the watch but exploring north? But what's the night watch doing?

I took things that the NW is basically a penal colony now.  That and a place for those with limited options to find a place to belong.

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7 hours ago, Dynas said:

Sam Tarley - Reach (Davos states the lords who rule it are gone)

There appears to be a bottomless trove of incompetence easter eggs laid by D & D:

Sam representing the Reach (I suppose because of the Citadel/Oldtown?) even though he skipped out on his training and stole secret texts? And isn't he still bound to the NW anyway?

Even worse, moments later they remind us that Bronn is in charge of Highgarden and also Lord Paramount of the Reach! Why wasn't he at the council??

They must take us for absolute fools.

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12 hours ago, Dynas said:

Writing. 

GoT was more a historical drama in a make believe world than a Fantasy show IMO. 

Agree.  A historical drama with a bit of magic and/or fantasy tossed in at the edges.

12 hours ago, Dynas said:

When you have one of the best writers (IMO) in recent history for 5 seasons, then you have to go to D&D hollywood style writers with very little on their resume (other than GoT) it become very apparent that the writing is why is thrived.

To Clarify - are you referring to GRRM?  Or some other writer(s) on the GOT staff?

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31 minutes ago, Chris is my name said:

Sam representing the Reach (I suppose because of the Citadel/Oldtown?) even though he skipped out on his training and stole secret texts? And isn't he still bound to the NW anyway? 

I thought Sam was called 'Grand Maester'. That doesn't make complete sense since the Maesters weren't massacred or anything in Oldtown, but I suppose the intention is he's a Maester to Bran who, as king, can bend the rules. He could technically succeed Maester Aemon at Castle Black but what's the point with just a Lord Commander and two lonely saps left in the NW? It does make sense for him to succeed Pyrcelle and Qyburn as Bran's Maester, but yes it does mean breaking his NW vows officially, assuming Jon has the authority to release him from them.

Dunno where he got to in that council meeting, but Bronn is part of the Small Council as Master of Coin (being now the richest person in the whole kingdom).

Edited by House Cambodia
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While the writing and storyline throughout season 8 was sub-par, abysmal even and i would give it a rating of close to zero, the last episode was actually really good. All was tied together well. I gave it an 8. To me it had a similar feel as the first few seasons - more story, it flowed with greater authenticity and had less shock for its own sake. 

However, I suspect there would've been a lot of GRRM input into the last episode in the way that there would have been extensive discussions on how the story was to end. So well done.  

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I'm not going to rate it. I feel like it's the best we could have hoped for given the dumpster fire the showrunners have turned the series into. 

As far as the STORY goes I really liked the ending and it mostly ended how I have always wanted it to. So, I'm biased there.

As far as the SHOW goes, it was rushed. Since the series has ended up the way it has because of HBO and the showrunners, I don't think I could've gotten a better ending. I don't think they were capable of delivering that. That isn't a compliment to them either. Quite the opposite. 

It was still emotional. I've been involved in this series since S1 E1. I'm not going to throw my hands up and get butthurt about it. It could've been worse. And to be honest, I expected much worse.

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