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[Book Spoilers] EP 208 Discussion


Ran
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I honestly don't understand all the complaints about not getting weasel soup. I mean, if TV Arya isn't known as "Weasel", how or why can they have weasel soup in the same way as the book? Get over it, people! Yes, it was a 'fun' part of the book with Arya, but in the overall context of her storyline across this asnd the next 3 books, it was a tiny little detail that really has absolutely no long term signficance. Talk about griping over inconsequential changes!

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I was very bored with this episode, but like all the episodes I still watched it twice.

DISLIKED:

I was upset that it wasnt Ghost that found the obsidian, and the 'horn'. Where has he been anyway?

I was really really looking foward to the weasel soup scene.

Annoyed that I dont knw who this Talissa chick is yet. She's still really playing up the whole volantis thing.

Bran and Rickon already in the crypts.....wtf

Useless scenes with Danny, they could of shown more Theon, or Sansa, or Jaime/Brienne, anything.

LIKED:

Tyrion/Varys scene...awesme

Jaime/Brienne scene was great!

Asha/Yara, I finally enjoyed her in this episode

Preview for Blackwater

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I thought it was interesting that Robb gave Roose the go ahead to send Ramsay to Winterfell. That will make the sack all the worse.

I wish that the reveal that B & R are alive was pushed back to ep. 10, but in the book it was clear to me they weren't dead anyway.

The dragonglass and the horn made me filled with glee! This makes me think we will get the three horn blasts in the finale.

The return of Varys was great, Bronn cleaning his nails with a dagger was great, and this was Peter Dinklage and Lena Heady's best work so far this season. Whenever Heady plays Cersei with evil glee it's fabulous. It made very happy to see that Ilyn Payne makes an appearance next week.

Robb and Talisa were so so. I really hope that they settle who she is now that they've had sex. It will be annoying if she isn't Jeyne. I'm glad I wasn't the only one confused about whether or not they made it to the Crag. Either way it doesn't matter. If the Westerling's household all knew Jeyne was going undercover they could just pretend they don't know her.

It does look like the order from Qhorin is happening so finally people will stop assuming it won't and bitching about it in advance.

Ghost needs to come back at some point.

No weasel soup is disapointing but at least they had ARya trick Jaqen. It will be interesting to see the conclusion of this arc. They do need to start setting up Arya as an angry vengeful assasain sooner or later, but I don't mind if they do that slowly.

Stannis and Davos were really good. I'm glad we got backstory on them so the non-book audience will actually care about them during the battle. It totally makes sense that Stannis is a dog person!

Blackwater will be epic! Not just because GRRM wrote it, but because Neil Marshall directed. The Descent is one of my favorite horror movies. Tyrion's story about running the sewage system in Casterly Rock makes me think they are going to show either the chain or something else that shows us Tyrion is responsible for the victory.

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Did she escape already? I wasn't clear on that, if they had only just gotten past one of the gates. If that's really the end of her stay in Harrenhal, that's really lame. Having her slit the guard's throat and not care at all is the best ending for her arc for the season. Plus, she has to meet up with Jaqen again; him knowing her real name and giving her the coin is very important.

The plot summary for episode 10..... "Tyrion awakens to a changed situation. King Joffrey doles out rewards to his subjects. As Theon stirs his men to action, Luwin offers some final advice. Brienne silences Jaime; Arya receives a gift from Jaqen; Dany goes to a strange place; Jon proves himself to Qhorin."

Arya will run in to Jaqen again, where he'll most likely give her the coin and then face change in front of her. And it seems Jon's story will most likely have Qhorin and Jon face off while they are captured, as he'll tell him to kill him in front of the wildlings to prove his loyalty, and egg on the wildlings to encourage Jon to do the same. So Jon's arc WILL end like it does in ACoK, it's just that it was a little different to get there, and I'm alright with it. So since it seems we are getting everything wrapped up like in the book, let us be happy!

Although I did find it weird Robb imprisoned Catelyn, whereas in ASoS, he knew she did it for the best. I guess since the Tullys aren't in this season, we'll have to save face with that one. And I was hoping throughout Robb and Talisa's conversation(s) she'd reveal she is actually of House Westerling, and that her name is Jeyne. They can still reveal this, but I hope if they do they do it in episode 10.

I LOVED the digging up of the dragonglass and horn. When I saw them digging in the snow I knew it was coming. And with Ghost's absence, we'll probably see him by the end of the season. He's probably close by, just stalking them, as he probably knows the threat Jon faces.

And I was also expecting the mention of the chain, especially near the end where they were looking across the bay, I just thought Tyrion would mention it. But hey, Blackwater's gonna be a beast nonetheless!

And about Bran and Rickon being revealed already, I can see why they did it, as episode 9 will only be King's Landing, so they probably didn't want to have the non-book readers still clinging to the death of Bran and Rickon, and would rather have the audience know they are safe. Although it would have been a beautiful scene if episode 10 ended with Bran, Rickon, and co. being revealed for the first time since their "deaths", with the camera following their shadowed backs out of the crypts and out into the ruined Winterfell. Would have been a great ending and shocker for the audience.

Edited by DragonAge93
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I honestly don't understand all the complaints about not getting weasel soup. I mean, if TV Arya isn't known as "Weasel", how or why can they have weasel soup in the same way as the book? Get over it, people! Yes, it was a 'fun' part of the book with Arya, but in the overall context of her storyline across this asnd the next 3 books, it was a tiny little detail that really has absolutely no long term signficance. Talk about griping over inconsequential changes!

Plus, there is no bunch of high-born prisoners, wrapped and ready in a cell, waiting to be rescued. I hate that the soup didn't happen, simply because it was a good way to have it make sense such a small group could affect the rescue, but since there's nobody to be rescued... what did people expect? That the castle would be taken by a bunch of malnourished peasants liberated from a pen in the yard somewhere?

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I honestly don't understand all the complaints about not getting weasel soup. I mean, if TV Arya isn't known as "Weasel", how or why can they have weasel soup in the same way as the book? Get over it, people! Yes, it was a 'fun' part of the book with Arya, but in the overall context of her storyline across this asnd the next 3 books, it was a tiny little detail that really has absolutely no long term signficance. Talk about griping over inconsequential changes!

Well, I think the people that missed the weasel soup sequence would be happy if it happened and wasn't named weasel soup. Maybe it doesn't have long term signfificance, but if that's your view of what they should adapt, then they might as well skip all of Arya's scenes, since they don't impact the long term storyline at all.

Plus, it's not just the big moments that are important. That's where I feel like this season is failing. They're mainly just capturing the big moments and losing out on a lot of great little stuff and characterization. Weasel soup was one of my favorite parts in ACOK, especially Jaqen wiping the blood on Arya, so yeah, I feel like griping when it's taken out, especially when the new scenes that took the time away weren't very good.

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Bran and Rickon already in the crypts.....wtf

That's where they're supposed to be. Or are you just saying it was revealed too early?

The girl playing Arya seriously deserves an award. She has been the up there with Tyrion this season

Yeah, it seemed obvious from S1E1 that we had ourselves a little star.

Agreed. :)

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I thought this was the most balanced and complete episode of the season. Here is what I liked: The Time Taken and the Time Spent: The best part of this episode was that it felt like every individual story-line was given the time and the space to grow and it did not feel like I was watching a “Meanwhile-at-the-Legion-of-Doom” highlights. The episode gave each part of the show the time it needed to feel real and fully formed. This was maybe the only episode all season that did not feel fragmented and disjointed. Heck, I even liked the Jon Snow parts. The King in the North (-West): Look, for reasons not entirely clear to me, some viewers do not like Robb’s relationship with the Volantian woman. But watching Robb comfortably talk to another woman (unlike Jon who with Ygritte has all the comfort of being naked on a nail-bed) is refreshing. He seems to care about her and she seems to have a genuine affection for him (or is a double-agent). When Robb said he did not want to marry the Frey girl, not only do I believe him but I kind of (sort of) understand him. Tylesa is a complete person filled with empathy, kindness, bravery, intelligence and decency. And Robb is all those things as well. And if she turns out to be a double-agent FUCK that's hot... wait, what? And before I forget- I liked that when they were having sex they both laughed. FOR ONCE on this show sex is seen as a positive and fun event. I mean, its going to kill Robb, but hey, still fun. And when he unloaded on Cat I was right there with him. She fucked it up. And she had to be told. Robb told her. And fuck her; freeing the KS was weak. The Siege of Storm’s End and Robert and Renly’s Brother: Stannis is, possibly, my second or third favorite character in the books (Handless and Noseless take 1 and 2 (usually)). And on the show he has stepped up, gotten laid, and nailed this part. Whenever he speaks you get this sense of not only his determination and raw (almost pathological) force of will, but you can sense his emotional void; how when he held Robert’s center he deserved not only praise but gratitude. Instead, he got sent to Dragonstone. And all the while he talked about the horses and cats and dogs and the hate the hate the hate. And also the unfairness. One of the reasons I like Stannis (and one of the reasons I think the actor is hitting Stannis so well) is because I think we have all- at one time or another- known what its like to be truly treated unfairly. Stannis IS the rightful King and his realm is the Seven Kingdoms. Period. Whatever Robb or dead Renly or Tywin think matters not at all. Robert was King died without legal issue. Case closed. And yet he ain't the King. And so that same sense of fairness that drives Stannis also serves him to treat Davos well; it causes him to listen to wise counsel and it makes him toss aside those who are arrogant, proud and wrong. To me that’s why Stannis works. So, ... so the fury comes out... woe be onto they who gets in that way- Mace Tyrell, Renly, the castellan of Storm's End, Gold cloaks, Mance Ryder or some Karstarks. You've. Been. Warned. Fuck... if I was Mace Tyrell I'd want ANYONE King other than Stannis. Stannis has to be the only guy in the 7 Kingdoms who kicks the shit out of you and then says "Want a rematch?" And he never blinks. The actor who plays him I think has blinked like 8 times this season. The Jaime and Brienne Show: Now that Tywin and Arya has been cancelled, I hope the Jaime and Brienne show is able to hold that time spot. So far so good; Jaime is arrogant and infuriating; Brienne proud and unbending. They make an amazing duo. The Salvation of Jon Snow: Okay so it only took them three episodes but I think the show has been able to cobble together the important bits and save Jon Snow’s story-line. They are going to do the Halfhand fight etc. And it may, potentially, save time in the long run. If that’s the case than this worked out. IF not, well…. “You know nothing, Jon Snow” is going to be the worst drinking game ever. The Spider and the Imp: I got nothing ‘cept that. Don’t need to say anything else. Bran: A boy knows… What I am on the Fence about: The Least Shocking Reveal Ever: Who didn’t think it was going to be Roz? Okay, I know- we read it in the books and all but … if you made 50 people watch this show Episode 1 to Episode 18 and then RIGHT BEFORE she walks out ask them “Who is going to walk out in that room?” How many of the 50 say “Roz?” And how many of them roll their eyes when they say it? I’m going to say 32 say “Roz” 20 of them roll their eyes and two guys add the word “fucking’ to her name. Now for me, I was fine with it, it just felt utterly unnatural the whole time. And when Roz walked out all I could think of was “Thank Christ I don’t have to listen to Shae! And then the next scene had Shae in it so I ran cold water in my bath tub in preparation of opening a vein, but, hey- she was fine. Dany: It was a pointless scene. We could have had no Dany this week and tacked on that scene to the week when she burns down the House of the Undying and it would have been fine. But what was there was fine. We Get It He’s A Moron: Whenever Theon talks to … anyone… I just want him to stop. And its not because he’s poorly written or poorly acted, but because Theon Greyjoy is a car wreck. And with that said, its pretty much IDENTICAL to him in the books so not complaining about that just … why does Theon have to be so … human? What I did Not Like: Fuck it! Was a great episode. No bad things to say really. Just next week… I put odds of Stannis dying at 25% and climbing. Fuck… just like Book 5… Stannis. Is. Coming.
LOVE THIS POST SO MUCH and I'm over my quota. DAMMIT.

❤❤❤❤❤³

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People need to get over the weasel soup thing. They've changed nearly every other scene from the book, why would they have expected that to be retained? The overall story is the same so far, but how they get there is different, and we need to accept that.

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I wonder if they're trying to make the Jeyne thing some big shocking reveal for the last episode, like, whoa, this girl King Robb has fallen in love with is actually the daughter of a family that is on the other side, what will he do now? For me, that sacrifices characterization for a sort of lame surprise, but I can see where they might have thought it would be cool in the writer's room. It just doesn't seem to be working on screen.

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I wonder if they're trying to make the Jeyne thing some big shocking reveal for the last episode, like, whoa, this girl King Robb has fallen in love with is actually the daughter of a family that is on the other side, what will he do now? For me, that sacrifices characterization for a sort of lame surprise, but I can see where they might have thought it would be cool in the writer's room. It just doesn't seem to be working on screen.

That actually sounds EXACTLY like something a TV writer(s) would do.

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Does anyone else think that they changed her name from Jeyne to Talisa just so they could bring back Jeyne Poole in a future season? Then again even I don't think that storyline will appear, so who knows *shrugs*. Maybe D&D just hated the name Jeyne. I think they originally wanted her to be a Lannister but changed their minds. I don't think they're setting her up to be a spy.

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I agree with the sentiments that yes, weasel soup was a great and memorable part of aCoK, but it getting written out didn't leave me pouting by any means. try and keep in mind how great it is that this story is being adapted in the first place (and by very capable writers and actors) when you are watching, rather than post things like "I literally had to turn it off" just because of minor changes. It kinda makes me think that yall "purists" don't really deserve any adaptation at all because you aren't grown up enough to deal with it.

on a completely different note, does anyone else leave HBO on after and watch Veep? I find it delightful.

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Does anyone else think that they changed her name from Jeyne to Talisa just so they could bring back Jeyne Poole in a future season? Then again even I don't think that storyline will appear, so who knows *shrugs*. Maybe D&D just hated the name Jeyne. I think they originally wanted her to be a Lannister but changed their minds. I don't think they're setting her up to be a spy.

But why not just change Jeyne Poole's name later, whenever she shows up? Was she even in Season One? I thought they dumped her.

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I wonder if they're trying to make the Jeyne thing some big shocking reveal for the last episode, like, whoa, this girl King Robb has fallen in love with is actually the daughter of a family that is on the other side, what will he do now? For me, that sacrifices characterization for a sort of lame surprise, but I can see where they might have thought it would be cool in the writer's room. It just doesn't seem to be working on screen.

i think/hope that's exactly what they are doing. did anyone else notice that she was visibly nervous when the rider got to them? even though we don't technically know if they were going to or coming from the crag, maybe she was afraid it was someone delivering news that would expose her

Edited by gpdrometer
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