How Would You Rate Episode 109?

[CelticKnight]

Absolutely loved it.

I think the entire scene revolving around Ned's execution was handled even better than in the books. You could just feel Ned being battered and broken, forsaking everything he believes in and stands for to save his daughters...only to get executed. Definitely got chills there.

[Roose Bolton's Onesie]

The first episode that I've truly felt deserved a 10, largely due to the final scene; such a powerful ending.

Edited June 13, 2011 by Proodle

[SFA-OK]

I gave this episode 7 out of 10.

It was all right, I think, with those things I always seem to be bugged about in any show. For instance, whereas I liked the fighting scene including Ser Jorah, I didn't like that his sword - after cutting a man in the face - was completely clean when he shoved the blade back in the scabbard.

I noticed that as well. It didn't bother me too much.

I find it a little strange how fans are rationalizing the exclusion of the battle scenes by saying it doesn't add to the story. It IS part of the story! It makes everything else more important.I think it's just an odd way to tell a story by excluding key parts that shape the plot of the books and then summing up the excluded parts in a matter or a minute or two in the show. Personally, I'm not asking for a 10,000 man fight scene that goes on for 30 minutes, but something more substantial is needed.

I thought they did handle Tyrion's battle scene pretty well, but to exclude both scenes was strange. The Whispering Woods scene was just awful.

As far as the budget goes, I don't think anyone is asking for LOTR-type battle scenes, just something more substantial than what is being shown, which is pretty much nothing. For example , is it too much to ask for 100-200 soldiers on screen at a time? I think that would be sufficient if filmed right. I'm just starting to find it a little ridiculous how there is always literally just 20-30 people in any given scene. I guess 50 million dollars doesn't go as far as it used to!

[gogorath]

I missed the battle scenes as well and while I laughed at Tyrion getting knocked out, i'd have rather seen that and some of the whispering wood.

I also loved the episode.

I find it odd that I seem to have a fairly unpopular opinion. Why is it if you liked the episode you can't have possible disliked that they excluded the battle scenes and if you missed the battle scenes, you must hate the episode?

[Kilroy]

To everyone who thought they got shafted on battle scenes.

1. Battle scenes take a lot of money to do right unless you want them to do it ala Sharpe's series battles which were 20 of the same guys on rotation to make it look like more men.

2. This is the second to last episode so they were quickly approaching or have approached their budget for the season.

3. Only readers of the books would feel any sort of shaft from not "seeing" those battles. Everyone else was fine with it and non-readers (my friends who have never read the books) thought it was awesome regardless of battle scenes.

So in short would it have been cool to see more battles? Sure. Was it absolutely necessary and should I be incredibly pissed, so much so that I'll never watch the series again? No. That would just stupid. Besides next season has a larger budget and since there will be all sorts of battles next season I'm sure you will see at least portions of those battles.

I gave it a 10/10 because it was just that good.

[Renasko]

I can accept the battle scenes not being featured. Shame Grey Wind is totally absent. Would've been cool seing him running back with the riders, covered in blood and filth. But I'm a realist, so can get over it. :thumbsup:

Episode couldn't have been any better, really, so a second 10/10 in a row, from me. I've warmed to the show.

[WillWork4NinjaPowers]

Forgot about missing out on Grey Wind. That and seeing Kingslayer captured were what I would have liked in place of part of the tent scene.

Master Aemon, the more I think about his scene, the worse I feel for him.

[Ser Warpechowski]

I give it a 7. Robb speech was lame and totaly unnecessary. The battles could have been done properly and without that much money.

[Daenerys]

Getting tired of saying this, but it's yet another 8 for me (although closer to 9 than 7). I thought all the warring/battle/strategy parts felt rushed and muddled. Initially I was upset about them cutting out the battles entirely, but on later reflection I'm OK with it. No question there's where the budget and 10 episode limit comes to bite you, and the time and money can be probably better used elsewhere. Frankly I'd rather see no battle scene than a cheesy, empty, under-budgeted one, and it's the characters in the books that hook me much more than the action sequences. I do think they could have found a way to show a bit of Jaime's capture in the Whispering Woods without breaking the budget, it doesn't need huge armies in it to be effective, and it could have been a great scene. I thought Aemon did a great job with his reveal speech, Walder Frey was just about perfect, and Ned's death was handled well. And just enough nudity to not be distracting, bravo on that.

[Swordfish]

The character's name is Jon, not John. You are pissing about details but can't remember the name of one of the leads. While those names sound identical, their derivations are totally different. Making that mistake whilst nitpicking elsewhere seems a bit out of line.

unlike making that kind of criticism while also accusing the other person of nitpicking you mean?

Your objectivity is..... in need of a booster shot.

Some people don't like aspects of the show, i don't know why you seem bound and determined to take that so personally.

I didn't need to see the battles per se, but as others have mentioned, the battles had significant importance, and none of that was conveyed in any way. I think they are missing out on a lot of the nuances that made the books so great, and I think that's sad.

I get the limitations of the medium, and ten episodes, but that hardly makes it any better.

And tot op it off they straight up Gimli Tyrion in the battle? WTF? He's comic relief now? Is this obligatory with adaptations of dwarves in fantasy now?

[Daenerys]

Episode poll ratings (minimum 100 votes, top and bottom 5% thrown out):

Epi | Title                                   | Rating | 6.........7.........8.........9.........10
----|-----------------------------------------|--------|-------------------------------------------
101 | "Winter Is Coming"                      | 7.9    | ********************
102 | "The Kingsroad"                         | 8.2    | ***********************
103 | "Lord Snow"                             | 7.9    | ********************
104 | "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things" | 8.2    | ***********************
105 | "The Wolf and the Lion"                 | 8.8    | *****************************
106 | "A Golden Crown"                        | 8.8    | *****************************
107 | "You Win or You Die"                    | 8.2    | ***********************
108 | "The Pointy End"                        | 9.2    | *********************************
109 | "Baelor"                                | 8.9    | ******************************

Overall series average - 8.5

EDIT: Ratings went up slightly, I adjusted.

Edited June 14, 2011 by Daenerys

[malarky1231]

They dragged on during the scenes I thought were passable, but they skipped over a lot of the scenes I thought were absolutely necessary. The first half took painfully long to build up, and it isn't till the sixth season when things start to pick up.

Example, they should have focused on Bran's relationship with Rob more, included Green Forks, and more of Whispering Wood. What it did not need was a scene between Cersei and Robert, LF's brothel scene, or any of Roz's scenes. Less the tent scene in EP09 and the extra scenes between Varys and LF. There's plently that could've been cut out, and plenty more that could have been added in. Details like Tyrion paying Tysha a gold copper, Catelyn's harrowing ascent up the Vale, and LF's infamous quotes are absent as well. The show could've been much better imo, but there's room for potential. We'll see how these actors grow into these roles, especially the child actors. It'll be interesting to see how they age each year, both emotionally and physically. One thing that struck me odd was how slow the plot was. four books later, and only two years have past. Characters don't age much, but on the show they will, since it's one book each year at best.

[SerArthurHeath]

I retract my comment regarding army size- in the book Jaime had thrice the troops of Robb! However this does not affect my feelings on how poorly depicted the Whispering Woods and the entire middle 40 minutes of the episode were in general

[Imp]

I'm in the would've been cool to show the battles but they're not really necessary camp. Better to have no battle than a badly done one imo.

Gave it an 8. Final scene was amazing, but a lot of the rest of the episode felt a little rushed & disjointed to me. That's my main beef with a lot of the eps though.

[Jazzer32]

IMHO, worst episode so far (by worst i mean - differs most from the book). There are few things i do not like:

1. No Roose Bolton (he should be commander of army that attacked lannisters), also northern army is bigger than 2,000 in that battle (and wasn't destroyed, just retreated with small casualties)

2. Not enough explanation about battle of Whispering Woods (we who read the books will know, but average viewer will be puzzled)

3. Also, In conversation between Jon and Aemon, Aemon refers to Mad king Aerys as SON of his brother Aegon , actually he is GRANDSON (that bothers me more than "missing battles")

Edited June 14, 2011 by Jazzer32

[PreciousLittleBird]

Gave it a 9. Simply because Shae was awful.

The ending scene was so moving. Cannot wait to see next weeks reactions im truely going to cry.

Sansa and Ayras reactions were amazing.

Sean Beans speech.

Jofferys arrogance and smugness.

The little details.

I loved watching everyone is the background.

When Ned got an apple thrown at him. How the Hound helped him up. That was a nice honourable touch.

How the POV was of Ayra. Made me cry.

Poor Ned!!!

[walrus]

IMO the people giving this episode a perfect 10 are just as delusional as the people saying it was the worst episode ever and quit watching the series. Some scenes were absolutely spot on and wonderful and others were handled clumsily at best if not all together botched. Overall, I'd say the episode probably falls at around a 6 or 7 but add a point or 2 for the emotional impact and the near flawless way the final scene was, er, executed.

[gogorath]

IMO the people giving this episode a perfect 10 are just as delusional as the people saying it was the worst episode ever and quit watching the series. Some scenes were absolutely spot on and wonderful and others were handled clumsily at best if not all together botched. Overall, I'd say the episode probably falls at around a 6 or 7 but add a point or 2 for the emotional impact and the near flawless way the final scene was, er, executed.

I get what you are saying, but I disagree a bit. I mean, there's someone floating around that wishes the series hadn't been made. Would anyone want to lose the scenes we've gotten just because we didn't have the Green Fork? A 10 is more reasonable than a 1.

I would have loved a battle (I would have actually skipped over the Green Fork and done the Whispering Wood as it would have framed the whole situation better as a Stark win going into the endgame).

But I can't really deduct that much for an omission. There was still content there, and it was good. It's not like my screen went blank for five minutes or I simply hated the replacement plot. Would it have been better with Jaime Lannister slicing through people to Robb until he's finally subdued while Grey Wind rips out throats? Of course. But it didn't come close to ruining the episode.

Honestly, I think if people are that tied to individual plotpoints or details, they should consider not watching. I can't imagine they enjoy much at all. I mean, I have a list of six or seven large things I would have done differently, but I still thought it was one of the best things I've seen on TV this year.

[Bronn Stone]

IMO the people giving this episode a perfect 10 are just as delusional as the people saying it was the worst episode ever and quit watching the series.

Whoever said a 10 must be 'perfect'? The scale may be linear and not logarithmic. 'Ten' may just be shorthand for 'higher than the 90th percentile'

[malarky1231]

4th episode was the worst. 2nd was bad too. This one's just underwhelming