[Book Spoilers] End of Season 2?

[Lady Caek]

if they do use the jon and mance 'new cloak' scene it should be without tv viewers knowing about the halfhands instructions to jon. that could be shown in flashback in season 3.

still think ending with sam and the white walkers would be the best bet though.

This. I am sure so many people would either hate or love it. The people who have never read the books will hate it, the people who have will loooooove it!

[Ellis]

I think all of these ideas could work really well but if it were up to me I'd do the "3 horn blast" scene from the prologue of ASoS. They would need to make some changes to the chapter though but I think that would be a cool way to end it since I doubt Mance will be in Season 2 at all.

[Mattyp]

I personally dislike the flashback of Halfhand's instructions idea. It'll lose viewers, and I like how GOT hasn't used any flashbacks, and I hope it sticks to that. I hate flashbacks.

[Aegnor]

I really hate the idea of skipping Halfhand's instructions. Its trying to trick the audience in a cheap way. "You know this character you thought you knew, well watch as he does THIS which you'd never think he would do!" Then a year later "HAHA psych! Got you!" No thanks. There's no reason to do something cheap like that. The scene is powerful enough as it is.

The three horns could be a good ending as well. I can see either one. The only problem with three horns, is that it puts the year long break in mid event. What I mean by that is that season 2 ends with three horns, than season 3 starts with the oncoming white walker attack with just minutes of "in-show time" between. I don't like that. And I don't think the series producers do either. I can't think of any time that they did such a thing before between weeks of the season 1 episodes. The only one that is close is between episode 6 and episode 7 (6 ends with Ned at Littlefinger's knife, 7 starts with Syrio and Arya training right before the Lanister guards come in). And that covers "other" stuff that is happening right after that. This would be just a continuation of the same scene essentially, just with a year long break between.

There should be an indeterminate amount of time between the end of season 2 and the start of season 3.

[The Anti-Targ]

I think the best ending should be the horn blowing three times and then Sam is like "Three blows? But that means... WHITE WALKERS! D:" and that is why it should end.

That would be the most evil cliffhanger EVER!!

As long as they show the puddle of piss forming on the floor (and freezing at the edges) before they pan up / cut to Sam's face.

I know from reading the TWoP forum that some non-bookwalkers have fixated on Sam's line: "one blast for rangers, 2 blasts for wildlings, 3 blasts for [inaudible]", desperately wanting to know what 3 blasts is for. it would be cruel to leave the that question unanswered until season 3. So Sam reprising that line with each blast of the horn, only this time getting to finish the list. Final shot, cut to a close up flash of the face of a white walker. Roll credits.

[mr. peasant]

As long as they show the puddle of piss forming on the floor (and freezing at the edges) before they pan up / cut to Sam's face.

I know from reading the TWoP forum that some non-bookwalkers have fixated on Sam's line: "one blast for rangers, 2 blasts for wildlings, 3 blasts for [inaudible]", desperately wanting to know what 3 blasts is for. it would be cruel to leave the that question unanswered until season 3. So Sam reprising that line with each blast of the horn, only this time getting to finish the list. Final shot, cut to a close up flash of the face of a white walker. Roll credits.

The 'problem' with the White Walker cliffhanger is that it, - like the idea of cutting out Halfhand's instruction - is misleading. It makes it look like the White Walkers are returning (which wasn't the case and will not be for several more seasons/books).

[Mattyp]

The 'problem' with the White Walker cliffhanger is that it, - like the idea of cutting out Halfhand's instruction - is misleading. It makes it look like the White Walkers are returning (which wasn't the case and will not be for several more seasons/books).

Doesn't matter if it's misleading it makes a good cliffhanger! If it keeps the viewers coming back it doesn't really matter too much.

[mr. peasant]

Doesn't matter if it's misleading it makes a good cliffhanger! If it keeps the viewers coming back it doesn't really matter too much.

Unless they come back expecting it, find that the show fails to deliver it, realise it was a cheap trick, get annoyed and leave.

[Yellow Dog]

I think that original ending actually can work - especially if they decide to develop Bran and Rickon's relationship. Think about it:

As they look on at their captured home, Bran decides that they need to go their separate ways, with a slow string instrumental playing in the background while the scene slowly shifts briefly to all the different Stark children (Jon included); showing how far away they are from one another (especially if they have Robb heavily wounded and still recovering at the end) and the unlikeliness that they will ever reunite. Could easily be made into a very poignant scene onscreen.

I just hope they don't go completely insane and end the season without revealing

that Bran and Rickon are still alive. Letting viewers believe they're dead for several episodes would be fine, but making them wait an entire year while we readers rip out our own tongues to keep from saying it is too much.

[Yellow Dog]

Book 2 and 3 SPOILERS below (I can't figure out how to do spoiler tags, someone help??)

In the reply window, click on the down arrow next to "Other styles," then click on "spoiler." It will open a spoiler window you can type in, then click "Add".

[Dennai]

Unless they come back expecting it, find that the show fails to deliver it, realise it was a cheap trick, get annoyed and leave.

It is only misleading if you take to the letter. I don't think any viewer would cry out foul and shake fist to the screen just because instead of an attack of White Walkers he is served for hordes of zombies and Undead polar bears.

[Dennai]

I like mr. peasants idea.

Bloody commnunist...

[mr. peasant]

It is only misleading if you take to the letter. I don't think any viewer would cry out foul and shake fist to the screen just because instead of an attack of White Walkers he is served for hordes of zombies and Undead polar bears.

As an end-of-episode cliffhanger, it would be fine. But as an end-of-season cliffhanger? Not so much; the reason being the viewers would have been strung along and misled for an entire year. See Cliffhanger Copout.

Bloody commnunist...

Huh?? :wacko:

[Dennai]

As an end-of-episode cliffhanger, it would be fine. But as an end-of-season cliffhanger? Not so much; the reason being the viewers would have been strung along and misled for an entire year. See Cliffhanger Copout.

I still can't see your point. Are you saying that viewers would feel misled and cheated because after expecting an attack of White Walkers they are served instead with an attack of their supernatural creations?

If not like they're pulling an Scooby Doo thing and the announced White Walkers are wildling in disguise. We're talking of hordes of human and animal zombies slauthering an army of the Night Watch.

Huh?? :wacko:

It was a pun of your nickname. Peasants can't have ideas of their own. They are only working machines for their lord's pleasure. ;)

[Delta1212]

As an end-of-episode cliffhanger, it would be fine. But as an end-of-season cliffhanger? Not so much; the reason being the viewers would have been strung along and misled for an entire year. See Cliffhanger Copout.

Huh?? :wacko:

While I agree with you on the principle that you shouldn't set up a cliffhanger at the end of a season that is then dropped at the beginning of the next, I don't think that actually applies in this case. If they open with the rangers' death march getting harried by wights and undead animals in the forest, I don't think anyone is going to go "Hey! I don't see any White Walkers, they totally lied!" especially when an actual White Walker shows up to get stabbed by Slayer. You're not getting a full-on White Walker battle, but the White Walkers are in the woods and you get a fairly interesting pay off out of it. I don't think it's actually a case of cliffhanger cop out.

[Francis Buck]

I think the Jon vs Qorin fight is the best way to end season two. It has some action, and you know it's leading up to something interesting, without being overly cliffhangery and leaving the view hanging high. And of course the scene right before that one would be the revelation that Bran and Rickon are alive.

[mr. peasant]

It was a pun of your nickname. Peasants can't have ideas of their own. They are only working machines for their lord's pleasure. ;)

Lol. And I here I thought you figured out that I was Chinese. :commie:

I still can't see your point. Are you saying that viewers would feel misled and cheated because after expecting an attack of White Walkers they are served instead with an attack of their supernatural creations?

If not like they're pulling an Scooby Doo thing and the announced White Walkers are wildling in disguise. We're talking of hordes of human and animal zombies slauthering an army of the Night Watch.

While I agree with you on the principle that you shouldn't set up a cliffhanger at the end of a season that is then dropped at the beginning of the next, I don't think that actually applies in this case. If they open with the rangers' death march getting harried by wights and undead animals in the forest, I don't think anyone is going to go "Hey! I don't see any White Walkers, they totally lied!" especially when an actual White Walker shows up to get stabbed by Slayer. You're not getting a full-on White Walker battle, but the White Walkers are in the woods and you get a fairly interesting pay off out of it. I don't think it's actually a case of cliffhanger cop out.

Let me put it in a food analogy... Imagine you were promised a juicy steak but instead got a cheeseburger. While yummy and awesome, it's not what you were expecting/promised; hence, the disappointment. Likewise, a wight attack is not as exciting as a White Walker invasion. If it was, why not say they are wights in the first place instead of deliberately misleading the audience? While I'm not saying that viewers will jump ship for that alone, it certainly adds reason for them to.

As it is, I'm concerned that the show will gain a reputation for not following through on its promises. First off, Ned Stark, who was marketed and set up as a main character, gets killed off before even reaching the season finale. Then, Daenerys gets dragons - leading audiences to believe she will soon invade Westeros (and finally get involved in the larger story and interact with the other core characters). Only, she doesn't. However, the above two examples were borne from the audience's own expectations rather than anything from the show (and most will realise that), blowing the horn would be an explicit statement that the White Walkers have come back.

[Delta1212]

Lol. And I here I thought you figured out that I was Chinese. :commie:

Let me put it in a food analogy... Imagine you were promised a juicy steak but instead got a cheeseburger. While yummy and awesome, it's not what you were expecting/promised; hence, the disappointment. Likewise, a wight attack is not as exciting as a White Walker invasion. If it was, why not say they are wights in the first place instead of deliberately misleading the audience? While I'm not saying that viewers will jump ship for that alone, it certainly adds reason for them to.

As it is, I'm concerned that the show will gain a reputation for not following through on its promises. First off, Ned Stark, who was marketed and set up as a main character, gets killed off before even reaching the season finale. Then, Daenerys gets dragons - leading audiences to believe she will soon invade Westeros (and finally get involved in the larger story and interact with the other core characters). Only, she doesn't. However, the above two examples were borne from the audience's own expectations rather than anything from the show (and most will realise that), blowing the horn would be an explicit statement that the White Walkers have come back.

Here's the thing, though, I don't think most of the television viewing audience yet fully understands the distinction between White Walkers and wights, anyway. I've had enough people who needed clarifying on that point that I can be pretty confident that it's a bit blurry in people's minds. Second, the wights are the minions of and directly linked to the White Walkers. If someone in LotR shouts "Sauron is attacking" and a horde of orcs pour out onto our heroes, it's not going to be a jarring "Hey! They aren't Sauron!" moment. It's obviously Sauron's army, and while there might be someone watching who was hoping for a glimpse of Sauron at that moment, it's not going to cause a whole lot of complaining about the show "lying" because it didn't really. And finally, Sauron actually does show up. There are White Walkers in the woods and members of the Watch do fight them. Nobody is going to complain that there are no White Walkers when a White Walker shows up and Sam stabs it.

I really, honestly, don't know where you're coming from on this.

[mr. peasant]

Here's the thing, though, I don't think most of the television viewing audience yet fully understands the distinction between White Walkers and wights, anyway. I've had enough people who needed clarifying on that point that I can be pretty confident that it's a bit blurry in people's minds. Second, the wights are the minions of and directly linked to the White Walkers. If someone in LotR shouts "Sauron is attacking" and a horde of orcs pour out onto our heroes, it's not going to be a jarring "Hey! They aren't Sauron!" moment. It's obviously Sauron's army, and while there might be someone watching who was hoping for a glimpse of Sauron at that moment, it's not going to cause a whole lot of complaining about the show "lying" because it didn't really. And finally, Sauron actually does show up. There are White Walkers in the woods and members of the Watch do fight them. Nobody is going to complain that there are no White Walkers when a White Walker shows up and Sam stabs it.

I really, honestly, don't know where you're coming from on this.

I don't think that comparison really works since Sauron is an individual and faction leader whilst the Others/White Walkers are a race of creatures. A closer comparison would be if someone in LotR shouted out "Ring Wraiths are attacking!" and a horde of orcs show up; which, in my opinion, isjarring.

As for the general audience not knowing the difference; I guess it depends on your experience. While you've met some who don't know the difference, those who've I've met did notice the difference. But even if they don't know now, the distinction can only get clearer with time. And even if not, wouldn't it be bad to further worsen people's misconceptions and adding to the confusion?

Honestly, if they are to use that scene as a cliffhanger, I think it'd be much more sensible to change it so Sam calls a warning that they're wights. That way, there's no reason to feel tricked to begin with; nor is there any confusion as to what they are.

[MyDogIsNamedDanerys]

I think the best ending should be the horn blowing three times and then Sam is like "Three blows? But that means... WHITE WALKERS! D:" and that is why it should end.

YES, A THOUSAND TIMES YES.

I want this so much I will now be disappointed if it's not what happens. :)

I almost feel sorry for the producers this season...imagine trying to make Dany's storyline interesting? Poor bastards.

Its not that hard. I assume to keep the drama going they will play up the Jorah will-they-wont-they romance angle ("Season of love"). I suspect they will end in the first chapter of aSoS where Jorah kisses Dany on the boat towards Astapor.

Best season 2 ending would be Dany burning the slavers in Astapor (assuming they move up some of her ASOS storyline, considering she does nothing in Book 2).

I don't think this is a good idea. It would be extremely rushed to have her travel the red waste, arrive in Qarth, be introduced to that society, go to the House of the Undying, assassination attempt and Arstan meeting, Sail to Astapor, negotiate with the unsullied slaver, and finally free them all in one season. I'd rather they add more content that's not in the books rather than rush it this much. Plus, it only leaves three Dany aSoS chapters for Season 3.

Also thinking about it, Dany's story is going to be very expensive to film in Season 3. :wacko: