[Book spoilers] Dracarys!

[Exitao]

Thought they could've shown more of the Unsullied killing the slavers / freeing the slaves in the city cos it looked a bit small-scale.

BUT

Loved it, esp the shot when they're leaving Astapor with the militaristic 'fire and blood' music in the background. Just really really good.

The Unsullied were supposed to fight in phalanx formations in shield walls. That means they would have fought almost shoulder to shoulder with shields almost overlapping.

The actors playing the Unsullied clearly weren't very good at fighting that way. Training a group (of extras?) to do well enough for one scene appears to have been beyond them, perhaps for budget or time constraints. How could they do the rest of the city?

I'm not really citicising HBO for this, just pointing out the facts.

[Dagon Greyjoy]

The slaver cities Yunkai and Meereen are not defenseless.

No... But astapor was.

[Reposado]

The Unsullied were supposed to fight in phalanx formations in shield walls. That means they would have fought almost shoulder to shoulder with shields almost overlapping.

The actors playing the Unsullied clearly weren't very good at fighting that way. Training a group (of extras?) to do well enough for one scene appears to have been beyond them, perhaps for budget or time constraints. How could they do the rest of the city?

I'm not really citicising HBO for this, just pointing out the facts.

every fight scene, i just tell myself. "there are ten times as much of everything going on right now"

bottom line is hbo is too cheap to do some stuff right

[Exitao]

every fight scene, i just tell myself. "there are ten times as much of everything going on right now"

bottom line is hbo is too cheap to do some stuff right

I wouldn't really criticise HBO so harshly. Money is often a bottom line, however, we don't always see past the obvious/immediate expenses.

How much time would have been required to train a bunch of actors to perform this particular style of combat well?

- it has to be well disciplined, coordinated and safe.

How much would that time cost and in what ways?

- cost of trainers/experts

- cost of actors to train

- cost of added insuarce for extended battle scenes

- all the above costs in addition to normal costs...

Can the producers afford to spend the Time itself?

- budgetting and expenditure of time itself the hardest. you can get more actors, more money, but never more time.

Long term, what will this cost?

- will we be able to get the same actors back?

- will they balk and demand more money?

- will we have to spend more time and more money, as above, to keep up the same production values?

This series is really rather well done. And I think we might be a bit spoiled now.

Finally, there is another explanation:

If they had done a prolonged and comprehensive battle, Dany would not have had such a brilliant moment.

[MarieAntoinette]

Emilia was so awesome in this scene. This was one of the highlights of the whole TV series so far.

[Vhailorian]

I hate to say it but Dany makes such a good conqueror Queen. I like seeing her full on Boudicca. Ugh, Meereen is coming...

Lol...I always fell like such a freak when people say things like this. I am one of what seems to be a small minority that really enjoyed the Meereeen chapters. :)

[Mark Antony]

Lol...I always fell like such a freak when people say things like this. I am one of what seems to be a small minority that really enjoyed the Meereeen chapters. :)

I actually kinda liked them :dunno:

[Exitao]

I've watched this scene repeatedly. Different times focusing on different aspects, the Valyrian, the troops, the dragon, the music, and most of all Emilia's acting.

Besides her rendering of the Valyrian language, there is her voice. She'd been firm and authoritative a few times, but until now, she never truly displayed a Command voice. It had a pleasing roughness to it too.

Emilia's expressions are the best yet. The look Dany gives when Krasnys says the deal is done, the trepidation as she goes to address the Unsullied, and a moment of pleasure as they obey the "forward march" and she smiles as she gives the order to "halt."

From the interviews I've watched, Emilia is one of the actors who has read the books carefully. I think it shows, and it satisfies me because when she gives that smile, and then turns around to answer Kraznys she seems full of the emotions one might expect of a begger princess become a begger queen now suddenly holding the power to claim what is hers and enact a change on the wrongs of the world around her and to punish those for a life-time of slights and offenses, the latest of which was Kraznys' disrespect to her and his treatment of the slaves.

[Nictarion]

Lol...I always fell like such a freak when people say things like this. I am one of what seems to be a small minority that really enjoyed the Meereeen chapters. :)

I liked them as well. Of course Dany is my favorite character though so I'm a little biased. Personally I don't mind all the Daario stuff, which is a lot of people's complaints about those chapters. Plus Dany riding off on Drogon is such a huge payoff. We are definitely in the minority around here though.

[kephv]

every fight scene, i just tell myself. "there are ten times as much of everything going on right now"

bottom line is hbo is too cheap to do some stuff right

Pretty much. Scene was cringe worthy.

I wouldn't really criticise HBO so harshly. Money is often a bottom line, however, we don't always see past the obvious/immediate expenses.

Would've rather had something that didn't look so poorly executed than the 20 second cgi shot of the dragons and the army at the end.

[Joyful Union]

There's still Yunkai, which was not so bad, and the Fighting Pit scene to look forward to. I suspect D+D know how slow the Meereen chapters read, so I am hoping they will "fix" that.

Here's hoping that Daenarys in the show just burns Mereen to the ground, as soon as she gets there.

[Toxspecific]

If they can fix Dany's boring to the point of tears storyline, it will be so amazing.

[JMJ]

Emilia's expressions are the best yet. The look Dany gives when Krasnys says the deal is done, the trepidation as she goes to address the Unsullied, and a moment of pleasure as they obey the "forward march" and she smiles as she gives the order to "halt."

Just rewatched the episode/scene as well. Noticed that tidbit too. Agree - Emilia's acting was excellently done. I'd add the tiniest bit of trepidation when she freed the Unsullied and was waiting to see if they would still follow her.

Also to add re: the issue of Unsullied fighting formation in some of the other posts, I would think re: the Unsullied fighting formations, that would be (a) on command, and (B) they were not fighting an opposing army. They were merely commanded by Dany to kill their former masters. Dany did not command them to take battle formation (she presumably at that time would not know that anyway), and forming a phalanx doesn't seem like it would be that useful against a handful of guards and unarmed masters.

[GoldenFleece]

^{Admit to curiosity as to how she's going to feed 8000 slave soldiers plus 3 growing dragons.}

^{Presumably the dragons can or will be able to gather their own food very soon. But 8000 soldiers. That's devastation wherever they go. Armies tended to live by pillaging in those days. And if this one doesn't pillage, from where cometh the food while marching elsewhere from Astapoor?}

They would have a supply train I would imagine, like most medieval armies.

[Exitao]

Just rewatched the episode/scene as well. Noticed that tidbit too. Agree - Emilia's acting was excellently done. I'd add the tiniest bit of trepidation when she freed the Unsullied and was waiting to see if they would still follow her.

Also to add re: the issue of Unsullied fighting formation in some of the other posts, I would think re: the Unsullied fighting formations, that would be (a) on command, and ( B) they were not fighting an opposing army. They were merely commanded by Dany to kill their former masters. Dany did not command them to take battle formation (she presumably at that time would not know that anyway), and forming a phalanx doesn't seem like it would be that useful against a handful of guards and unarmed masters.

When a band of Unsullied attacked targets, I expected to see them in some kind of formation. They would have been taught to rely on and trust the men next to them and to be there for those men as well. That kind of training would make it natural to lock shields with your neighbour. Just like it would require intentional action for a group of trained soldiers to not walk in step with each other.

The groups of Unsullied didn't really seem to be working with each other the way I would expect. The shield wall is central to legionary tactics, even when not fighting in numbers large enough for a box-shaped phalanx.

And yes, she did seem a little worried at how the Unsullied would respond to freedom. She did that well too. It was good, but the thrills were earlier for me. :)

[GoldenFleece]

When a band of Unsullied attacked targets, I expected to see them in some kind of formation. They would have been taught to rely on and trust the men next to them and to be there for those men as well. That kind of training would make it natural to lock shields with your neighbour. Just like it would require intentional action for a group of trained soldiers to not walk in step with each other.

The groups of Unsullied didn't really seem to be working with each other the way I would expect. The shield wall is central to legionary tactics, even when not fighting in numbers large enough for a box-shaped phalanx.

And yes, she did seem a little worried at how the Unsullied would respond to freedom. She did that well too. It was good, but the thrills were earlier for me. :)

It wasn't uncommon for a phalanx formation to break rank when the occasion called for it though. Phalanx formation is only weak when a host of enemies is bashed against it and there is a chink in the phalanx line.

[The Mondrian Oak]

It wasn't uncommon for a phalanx formation to break rank when the occasion called for it though. Phalanx formation is only weak when a host of enemies is bashed against it and there is a chink in the phalanx line.

Exactly. Why use a phalanx formation when you outnumber your opponents 100 to 1? You go for the kill, and that's it.

[bonah]

Just wanted to share this: http://qkme.me/3u1wv6

[Exitao]

Exactly. Why use a phalanx formation when you outnumber your opponents 100 to 1? You go for the kill, and that's it.

Why? Because you lose less men. Locking shields with your group ensured quick and easy kills. Just like today's tactics employ movement with covering fire, in which you'd be an idiot to go running out without it, when fighting with spear and shield against men with swords, you're an idiot if you don't lock shields with your squad or section, even if you are only one rank deep.

Soldiers aren't Knights, soldiering is work. It's hard and dangerous work. When you risk your own life unduly you weaken your own forces. Knights fight to win glory and honours while soldiers fight for the men beside them and because it's their job.

You know the saw about there being old soldiers and bold soldiers? You wouldn't get to be an old soldier by not fighting in formation.

From both the show and the books, these are supposed to be Unsullied, who's lives are about discipline and obedience. They've lived lives that sound like they should be able to give Spartans a run for their money. I can't imagine why they wouldn't fight in a formation even if their groups were only 3 men strong. It would be unnatural not to lock shields.

[Peptalk]

It was great, but the extras that posed as the slave masters were plain crap. They kept walking as if nothing happened when she had already started to shout in Valyrian and when everybody else were completely focused on her. Anyone would have noticed something was up and they acted as if nothing happened. As minor a detail as it is, it ruins the scene somewhat for me.

That aside I thought it was very well done.