How would you rate episode 206?

[DemiNymph]

It does look odd for Littlefinger to show up everywhere in the TV, lol.

But it's actually plausible geographically, but of course they can't show that on TV unless they use the Indiana Jones method to show the audience him travelling by drawing a line on the map.

He went to Renly's camp first. I assume it started in the vicinity of the Stormlands area and they are proceeding towards Kings Landing. It's not too far from the Riverlands where Harrenhal is. Plus Littlefinger is smart enough to talk to Tywin who can see the big picture instead of going back to Kings Landing and talking to the insensible idiot Cersei who will probably block every suggestion. Strategically it is a good move. Always talk to the boss if you want to get anything done.

In the books, I think he did do some travelling off-camera, from what I remember of Tyrion's pov chapter. Foe example, how did he manage to get the Kettleblacks from the Fingers? Can anyone remind me when do the Kettleblack brothers appear in the books?

[packersfan]

I gave it a 6, though I probably should have given it more like an 8.

Loved Tyrion and the riot scene. Well done.

Liked the Night's Watch scenes, though I'm worried they are condensing the story and skipping parts?

Don't like this Lady Talisia. Don't mind her so much...obviously would catch Robb's eye, but why couldn't they do that with Jeyne Westerling (someone whose family has TIES to the Lannisters and all that junk.) Instead we get this random hot chick.

Disappointed the Reeds aren't involved. Wondering how they are going to split up Bran and Rickon, if it is only them, Hodor, and Osha. Are Hodor and Bran going to go it alone to the Wall? I just see major problems there. Also a little disappointed they shifted parts of the Winterfell story around. Would have loved to see the Bastard Ramsey "break" the siege for Theon and then turn on him revealing his true identity. We'll see how they do it. Just seems again, unnecessary divergences from the story for no really good reason.

[boojam]

Again, D&D are trying to be faithful to the spirit of the story. Sometimes they succeed, sometimes they fail.

Except when they fail at keeping the visual drama true to it's only internal logic, or just logic.

The awkward ending Harrenhal scene this episode would have benefited from more think through and careful dramatic structuring.

[Paul Stewart]

6. The episode made me cringe every time a Jon or Dany segment appeared. For other members of my audience who are not book-familiar, I did appreciate the warning from Cat to Robb about remembering his agreement. Most of them had forgotten.

[Ser Graymax]

You dont tug on Supermans cape

You dont p**** in the wind

You dont draw on the Lone Ranger and

You dont mess around with Sansa

(when the Hound is around).

Bad A** and a great voice unlike his new brothers.

Doesnt mess around, just handles business.

Another 8 from me

Dany remains my least favorite and the actress that plays her is so one dimentional. No offense to those who like her.

Littlefinger is so off now from how I pictured him. The actor fit the part so much better in the first season. Maybe its just because I dont like the actor himself. Never saw anything I liked him in including his part in The Wire.

Arya makes Tywin quite interesting in this interpretation. Both his human side and Theons have something the books lacked in both.

Osha naked at last. I was wondering what was under her furs too. :drunk:

Ygrette was a favorite in the book for me, here not so much. Maybe it just too soon to tell.

And who couldnt love Tyrion slapping Joff again.

Edited May 8, 2012 by Ser Graymax

[Ran]

This episode is rating a 8.19 after 322 votes, BTW. That puts it at the 3rd favorite this season, behind episodes 3 and 5.

[Lightning Lord]

I went with 7. I think if judged relative to the other episodes, I'd rate it lower than that. I just wasn't as enthralled as with episodes like The Ghost of Harrenhal. The sets/scenes were stunning, particularly north of the wall. And Qarthian fashion is eye-catching. Tywin's conversations with Arya seem off to me, and that was a huge part of this episode.

[Greywolf2375]

I gave this episode an 8. For Hilarity sake I hope episode 9 that George wrote himself deviates the most from the novels of any episode to date. The angry tears on this board will be delicious

Maybe it needs to be spelled out and left in a sticky at the top of the page or something - there are very few complaints about just "changes from the book"; the complaints that are being levied are when there are poor changes or poor scenes. If George decides to rewrite the battle completely that is his call. If they film it poorly or use clunky dialogue then it most certainly will deserve harsh criticism.

For example - Dany's dragons being stolen. It's a change, and that is fine. The problem I have with it is why is this one group the first that has come up with that idea? It's a plot hole in the books as well - why didn't Jhogo's khalasar come riding down on Dany's after they beheaded Rhakaro and either take or kill the dragons and be named Dragonslayers? Those are the types of problems that when they make a change they need to seal up.

[Greywolf2375]

The maddest thing about some of the book-purist nerd-rage on the forum is when they start ranting about all the naked people on TV.

They did read the same books as the rest of us, right?

No, read those comments - it is not about just nudity on TV, it is about the hamfisted way they have inserted most of it. The Jaime-Cersei scene at Wintefell? Fine. The LF brothel scene, not fine.

[Mediumjon Umber]

"Gods help you, Theon Greyjoy, now you are truly lost"

That line gave me goosebumps! Theon has one of the most interesting story archs in the novels and in the TV show I like to think this scene is the moment he really begins his downward spiral. There's no turning back for him now. In season 1 Cassel was for me a pretty boring character but in this episode he totally redeemed himself. And Luwin... Poor Luwin. I like the TV show version better than the one in the novels. He really has some great moments.

I also appreciate that the writers decided to spice up Dany's time in Qarth because that was seriously a pace killer in the novel.

Arya, Tywin and Tyrion are fantastic as always, so I'm giving this episode a 9. The reason it doesn't deserve a top score is because of the teleportating envoys Cat and Baelish, and the lack of Vargo Hoat, because I don't think the show has enough lisping sellswords. Plus, I would've liked to see more of how the Ironborn took Winterfell. Well, here's to hoping that the writers decided to invest more funds in "Blackwater".

[BlackTalon]

in a crowded courtyard full of Lannister men who have nothing better to do than to grab runaway servants, when it could just as well have been cleared out to represent some empty part of the castle. But set it there they did, and it just looks kind of hokey, all these extras in Lannister gear just ignoring her, ignoring Lorch, and Lorch never once thinking to order someone to just grab her.

Actually that may not be as far from the book as it seems at first glance.

IIRC there was a scene in the book where Arya stole something (a silver banded drinking horn?) she just snatched it from the knight´s saddle and ran off, across a courtyard packed full of men and horses and nobody seemed to give a damn. Lorch doesn´t strike me as the type who inspires fanatical loyalty in his men

[insertname]

I'd give it a 8/10

It had some fantastic scenes (As others mentioned - Theons look when murdering ser rodrick is incredible) and I'm actually happy or at least indifferent about most changes from the books. First of all, they simply spice up the things for viewers who ahve already read the books, just because you want to know where they are heading with this. Besides that, most deviations until now haven't taken their course yet. I don't see how anyone can complain about Dany's dragons being stolen, Littlefinger appearing at Harrenhal(excluding his teleportation device) or Jon not acting the same way with Ygritte. We don't know what happens yet. They may just go back on the same course (similar as they did with the craster deviation) or they might think of something else that makes sense. Martin's source material is great, but not unimprovable.

There were some weaknesses though. Harrenhal is just plain illogical. The chase of arya across the courtyard, Tywin being far too confidential with her, especially after he caught her reading a letter with sensible information. The scene about lorch's dyslexia...All of these are things that just don't add up.

I also have to say that I think the scene with Ygritte stretched out far too long. The whole chase was unnecessary, imo. And Qhorin leaving Jon alone with her to kill her kind of seems forced and fake as well.

Nevertheless, I'm definitely pumped to see what will happen next week :)

[Mr Fixit]

I hope so, too, Patchface.

I hope they add The Great Gazoo, Jar Jar, Poochie, and Urkel. I hope they add a knight that only speaks in rhyme.

I hope they do so much that the people that can't value the best hour on TV every week because Stannis stood 1.5 feet away from Davos when in the book he only stood 1.25 feet away stop watching, and episodes can be judged on what they should be judged on: Acting, pacing, locations, ENTERTAINMENT VALUE, not verbatum regurgitation of every detail of the book because EXACT ADAPTATIONS JUST DON'T HAPPEN! I'm willing to sacrifice an episode or two for this to happen.

You'll see Bigfoot riding on a Unicorn at the Loch Ness Monster's Birthday Party at Jim Morrison's house in Africa before you ever see a perfect book to TV/Movie adaptation.

Yes Patchface, I hope so, too.

I laughed. A lot. :cheers:

Yeah, it's... mind-boggling and so, so silly to read the list of complaints. So many people don't like Arya-Tywin conversations not because they're bad (I really think they are fantastic), but because Tywin is somehow, somewhere "off".

I'm wondering... what if Martin hadn't written the "bed" scene with Shae and Tywin in ASoS? And let's say the TV series "invents" such a scene in its fourth season.

I am willing to bet that all the "purists" would torch their TV screens and quit watching because "they completely and utterly destroyed Tywin", "Benioff and Weiss are morons who don't understand what makes Tywin tick", etc...

I still remember all the hoopla around Tywin's first scene, skinning a stag: "he'd never get his hands dirty, they ruined him, yadda-yadda".

Not much point in paying attention to such things, methinks.

[Thunderfist]

I laughed. A lot. :cheers:

Yeah, it's... mind-boggling and so, so silly to read the list of complaints. So many people don't like Arya-Tywin conversations not because they're bad (I really think they are fantastic), but because Tywin is somehow, somewhere "off".

I'm wondering... what if Martin hadn't written the "bed" scene with Shae and Tywin in ASoS? And let's say the TV series "invents" such a scene in its fourth season.

I am willing to bet that all the "purists" would torch their TV screens and quit watching because "they completely and utterly destroyed Tywin", "Benioff and Weiss are morons who don't understand what makes Tywin tick", etc...

I still remember all the hoopla around Tywin's first scene, skinning a stag: "he'd never get his hands dirty, they ruined him, yadda-yadda".

Not much point in paying attention to such things, methinks.

Well that´s an utterly absurd argument and I fail to see the point of it. Are you saying that you don´t understand why made-up scenes that have a massive impact on the characters might cause a reaction amongst the fan-base? Or do you claim that no made-up scene, no matter how out of place and out of character it is will get you to question the decision to include it? Not everyone wants GoT to turn into a dumbed down show for the mindless drones who cheer every time they see a head get severed and who slide their hands down their pants every time they see a boob on tv.

[Mr Fixit]

Not everyone wants GoT to turn into a dumbed down show for the mindless drones who cheer every time they see a head get severed and who slide their hands down their pants every time they see a boob on tv.

You pretty much disqualified yourself from any reasonable discussion with such silly generalisations.

[Thunderfist]

You pretty much disqualified yourself from any reasonable discussion with such silly generalisations.

It´s not a generalisation, read through the threads on Ep 6 and look at all the ones who´ve listed seeing Osha nude as one of the best things about the episode

[Mr Fixit]

It´s not a generalisation, read through the threads on Ep 6 and look at all the ones who´ve listed seeing Osha nude as one of the best things about the episode

And how does that pertain to anything I said in my post you responded to? You were countering my argument with a made-up counterargument that has absolutely nothing in common with anything I've written.

[Thunderfist]

Exactly, especially with Tywin!

In the books he comes across as a 2D, typical evil villain in the Emperor Palpatine vein. I think the show has enriched the character tenfold!

Skinning the stag? That says so much right there, him chastising his son while skinning a stag? Can't they see the connection? Jaime's getting skinned along with the stag!!!

The Arya-Tywin conversations, the interplay, does he or doesn't know who she is? Can't they see his tenderness towards Arya might be he likes having a girl child that isn't Cersei, almost regretful? There are so many rich possibilities these and the other added scenes add...AS A TV SHOW!

I agree, Mr. F., no point in paying attention to them, but they just really chapped my ass yesterday, especially the condescension in some of the replys from the Novel NAZIs.

See, guys? Condescension.

Well you kind of set the bar when you call the ones who disagree with you Nazis

[David Selig]

See, guys? Condescension.

Its an ADAPTATION BASED on the novels. What makes for good reading, very often makes for lousy TV. HBO and the writers' job is to make GOOD TV, as long as the SPIRIT of the novels/characters is intact.

Spirit DOES NOT MEAN AN EXACT COPY SCENE FOR SCENE, CONVERSATION FOR CONVERSATION, or CHARACTER FOR CHARACTER!

What are you going to tell us next? That the sun rises from the east?

Your post is much more condescending than the one you quoted.

"It's an adaptation" it's not a valid excuse for weak writing and scenes which don't make sense when you look at them closely.

[Gaius Martell]

Of all the episodes so far, this one deviated the most from the novels. I'm nervous as to how Jon Snow will end up characterized in the upcoming events, what the hell is going on in Qarth, why Tywin is too stupid to realize he has Arya Stark right under his nose, and what will happen to Theon. The changes themselves weren't bad and will end up with some good storytelling, I'm sure, but important characterization is being lost when characters are reacting differently than they should.