[BOOK SPOILERS] Predictions for TV series: Season by Season

[Mr Fixit]

Brienne: This is weird since I was absolutely convinced LS was confronting her in the finale. Since they chose not to do this, I can only assume it's because they wanted her to have multiple appearances in S5

I don't know, man. If they want LS to appear in S5 on a more regular basis, why not introduce her? Now's the time. It's a little fishy to be honest. Though on the other hand, Elio and Linda are surprisingly indifferent in their review. Mayhap they know something? Yeah, they don't really have insider knowledge, it seems, but I'm not certain on this one.

[King Tommen]

I don't know, man. If they want LS to appear in S5 on a more regular basis, why not introduce her? Now's the time. It's a little fishy to be honest. Though on the other hand, Elio and Linda are surprisingly indifferent in their review. Mayhap they know something? Yeah, they don't really have insider knowledge, it seems, but I'm not certain on this one.

I really don't know what the reason would be but unlike other cuts, I cannot see any way she can simply be lifted out of the story, she affects far too many story arcs. And I can't fathom Martin not bothering to have her do anything in the coming books. Not to mention that this isn't going to the trouble of casting brand new people and trying to get the audience to understand their whole background like you'd have to do with the Greyjoy uncles or everyone in Dorne. This is simply bringing back a well-known character (albeit in a different form) to raise shit with your established characters.

I have no explanation why she wasn't included in the final scene other than for S3 and S4, Benioff and Weiss have seriously miscalculated what they think the audience is looking for as their very last scene of the season. Because "somewhat hopeful and kind of bland" isn't it.

[Mr Fixit]

I have no explanation why she wasn't included in the final scene other than for S3 and S4, Benioff and Weiss have seriously miscalculated what they think the audience is looking for as their very last scene of the season. Because "somewhat hopeful and kind of bland" isn't it.

I don't think the last scene was bland; it was pretty good actually, signifying that the era, chapter, book, act, whatever you want to call it, has come to an end. All these characters are now on a completely new trajectory and I feel the last scene catches that sense of "sailing into the unknown" or "turning over a new leaf" quite well.

That said, I have no clue why they didn't cap it off with Lady Stoneheart.

[Konradsmith]

I think there's enough for Brienne to do next season. There'll be so much going on, they won't have to have her in every episode, or even have her in that often. She and Pod could lug the wounded Hound either to a sept to become the Gravedigger or poetically enough, to the family of that pious peasant and his daughter to finally to the honest labour for them that he promised (after he heals up). Or maybe he did die. They could do Randyll Tarly if they pleased to and then they could set up some BWB action and then bring in LSH, or if she's cut, Blackfish or whoever would be leading in her stead.

They didn't cap it off with LSH because they felt that the Hound/Brienne fight was better worth their time, I guess. Anyways, the ending they chose was a pretty good "end of act 1" ending. For what it's worth my Unsullied mum thought that was by far the best episode of the show. I don't rate it quite that high myself but crimes of omission aside, what was included worked.

[fellside]

I have no clue what the show-runners are doing with the Ironborn, but they have to include the Kingsmoot and begin Victarion's journey to Mereen. In a season so desperate for action and intrigue, they're stabbing themselves in the foot if they leave this out or delay it.

This will be one of the more intersting "off-seasons" in the show's history. Not only will we find out how much of this world they're going to explore, we're probably also about to find out how much time will be spent on AFFC/ADWD.

As soon as we know that, we'll know whether or not we're getting the TV version of Winds of Winter before Martin's.

[King Tommen]

I think if you set the precedent in S1 and S2 finales of having dragons born and a massive zombie army on the march, then vague "looking forward to the next part of my journey" cappers don't really measure up in comparison in the following 2 seasons.

I loved that Arya scene as her final moment, but definitely not as the last moment of the season. This is a heavily serialized show, you really should be providing a "holy shit" moment at the end of your seasons. That's what Martin does in the books and it's worked pretty well for the story.

[King Tommen]

I have no clue what the show-runners are doing with the Ironborn, but they have to include the Kingsmoot and begin Victarion's journey to Mereen. In a season so desperate for action and intrigue, they're stabbing themselves in the foot if they leave this out or delay it.

Although I think it would be neat to have it included, people are seriously overrating the Kingsmoot as a cinematic event. It's basically separate groups of people yelling about how good they are and having their performance evaluated by applause. There's not really any "action" per se (unless you mean blowing a horn)

[Mr Fixit]

I think if you set the precedent in S1 and S2 finales of having dragons born and a massive zombie army on the march, then vague "looking forward to the next part of my journey" cappers don't really measure up in comparison in the following 2 seasons.

I loved that Arya scene as her final moment, but definitely not as the last moment of the season. This is a heavily serialized show, you really should be providing a "holy shit" moment at the end of your seasons. That's what Martin does in the books and it's worked pretty well for the story.

It's not as if Martin ends every book that way. ACoK and AFfC had pretty ordinary endings.

Although I think it would be neat to have it included, people are seriously overrating the Kingsmoot as a cinematic event. It's basically separate groups of people yelling about how good they are and having their performance evaluated by applause. There's not really any "action" per se (unless you mean blowing a horn)

Not to mention we saw almost all of them for the first time.

[fellside]

Although I think it would be neat to have it included, people are seriously overrating the Kingsmoot as a cinematic event. It's basically separate groups of people yelling about how good they are and having their performance evaluated by applause. There's not really any "action" per se (unless you mean blowing a horn)

I'm talking more about what follows: The Ironborn raids and Victarion's WTF travel to Mereen.

[King Tommen]

It's not as if Martin ends every book that way. ACoK and AFfC had pretty ordinary endings.

AFFC at least had a mysterious end to it with the reveal of Pate, which created a ton of questions that you would presumably want to have answered.

And you're right the ACOK final chapter kind of sucked which is why the show made the right decision in repurposing the awesome ASoS prologue and inserting it there instead. Far more powerful.

And let's face it, we've seen characters getting on boats an awful lot on this show, it's old hat. I'd argue that a far more effective final scene would have been the crane shot of Arya stonefaced walking away from the Hound as he screamed for her to kill him. That at least leaves some things up in the air.

Maybe I just don't think this particular show should ever have a final shot of the season (unless it's the absolute last season) with a character smiling.

[Mr Fixit]

AFFC at least had a mysterious end to it with the reveal of Pate, which created a ton of questions that you would presumably want to have answered.

Problem with that is that the whole Oldtown thing felt like an extended prologue. Okay, here's this guy Pate, or is he Pate, and here are these candles, and some strange shit is going on... but it's all out of context, the book doesn't build up to that moment at all. It's just a random mystery setup that comes out of nowhere and involves only minor characters for the time being. I didn't think it was a particularly effective or enlightening moment to leave readers on.

And let's face it, we've seen characters getting on boats an awful lot on this show, it's old hat. I'd argue that a far more effective final scene would have been the crane shot of Arya stonefaced walking away from the Hound as he screamed for her to kill him. That at least leaves some things up in the air.

That would be too specific, tied only to Arya's storyline, and then leaving on a semi-cliffhangery note. I really think that the final scene we got this year was pretty good and symbolic of what is to come for many characters in the future. That said, yeah, no clue why no LS.

[King Tommen]

I just feel that a show of this ilk should have endings to their seasons that leave the audience with their mouths wide open either wondering about what they just saw or wishing immediately that the next episode could be available right away instead of a year from now. Characters riding off into the sunset or getting passed around in a happy crowd with smiles on their faces doesn't do it for me regardless of how that is how that particular character should have their story finish that season. Arya shouldn't have been the last scene just as Dany shouldn't have been last season. It has nothing to do with the characters, it has to do with giving the audience something amazing and shocking to close with. A little bit more showmanship is all.

[YorEmixam]

The show is nothing as subtil as the books. Robert strong = mountain ..pretty obvious. The hounds' not dead or they would have showed him die for sure. My guess is that the BwB will get him, he'll tell about Arya and Brienne/Jaime thing and LS will go bersek when she find Brienne.

[Mr Fixit]

A little bit more showmanship is all.

Fair enough.

[Konradsmith]

Though we've delved into ADWD with Bran and Theon/Reek and into AFFC (well kindof) with Brienne, it is interesting how much of Jon's ASOS will be deferred until next year. I guess they'll have the legitimization offer from Stannis right out of the gate in 501 or 502. If they indeed go to the Battle of Winterfell in s5, delaying the offer may have actually been the better choice. That way Jon will have a more immediate survivor's guilt for not going south upon receiving the Pink Letter. It will begin with him deciding to stay at the Wall and end with his fateful decision to actually break away from the Watch and the consequences of that.

BTW, Alliser wasn't at the big burning of the dead ceremony, not watching and not one of the bodies being burned. I take it he's still alive and could take the place of Bowen Marsh. What do you all think?

[HairGrowsBack]

Though we've delved into ADWD with Bran and Theon/Reek and into AFFC (well kindof) with Brienne, it is interesting how much of Jon's ASOS will be deferred until next year. I guess they'll have the legitimization offer from Stannis right out of the gate in 501 or 502. If they indeed go to the Battle of Winterfell in s5, delaying the offer may have actually been the better choice. That way Jon will have a more immediate survivor's guilt for not going south upon receiving the Pink Letter. It will begin with him deciding to stay at the Wall and end with his fateful decision to actually break away from the Watch and the consequences of that.

BTW, Alliser wasn't at the big burning of the dead ceremony, not watching and not one of the bodies being burned. I take it he's still alive and could take the place of Bowen Marsh. What do you all think?

Yeah probably. It's a bit of shame because what was interesting with Bowen is that he didn't really resent Jon and though he was betraying him for the good of the NW in a way; I enjoy Thorne, but he has always been an antigonist to Jon (despite last week's mutual respect thingy), so it won't surprise anyone when he Brutus him, and it won't have the same impact, imo

[Samwell TarIy]

I'm really looking forward to all the wall scenes next season like Jon and Stannis/Davos and also obviously Arya.

It feels like a lot of things can happen next season now, but it's 10 months away :'(

[Winnief]

I have no clue what the show-runners are doing with the Ironborn, but they have to include the Kingsmoot and begin Victarion's journey to Mereen. In a season so desperate for action and intrigue, they're stabbing themselves in the foot if they leave this out or delay it.

i'm sure they'll include the IB and their raids for the action and also because it will be another great point of contention between Cersei and Margaery. They showed in Season 2 that Cersei is petty enough and short sighted enough to put immediate power plays, (like fighting with Tyrion) over major military threats (like Stannis's imminent arrival,) so this would fit the pattern perfectly-only this time Daddy won't be there to salvage the situation of Cersei ignoring the IB threat to spite Margaery until it's far too late.

In fact I think they decided to postpone Balon's death just to keep that story line all nice and neat together, like how Martin began it with the discovery of Balon's body. But I have my doubts as to whether they'll keep dull as dirt Damphair or stupid as dirt Victarion. On the show, they've established that Dany already has a big enough fleet to take her army if/when she decides to go, so Vic's biggest plot purpose is gone. I think Euron will make the cut, if for no other reason than to have a great new human villain around since so many have fallen and more are likely to fall in Season Five as well. And Dany needs at least one credible non-White Walker threat when she reaches Westeros which Euron with his black magic, (magic possibly increased by whatever he takes from the Citadel or the Hightower's,) could fit the bill in a way that fAegon frankly never could.

I'm also feeling increasingly convinced they're not bothering with fAegon-they don't want to steal Dany's thunder, the cast is huge enough as is, and a fake lost Targaryen heir surfacing just distracts from the inevitable revelation of a real lost Targaryen heir.

LOVE Varys going to Essos with Tyrion. We certainly don't need CH to disappear all season, he will enliven Tyrion's travels considerably, and who knows what kind of machinations he could put into play from Pentos or Braavos?!?

[Frey Pies]

I think they're saving the Stoneheart reveal for some time early in the next season (probably within the first four episodes), probably with Brienne. This way, I think her storyline will have a bit more of a presence, rather than her turning up here, and then anything of relevance with her happening much later on (most unsullied were a bit bummed after S1 and 2 where the awesome endings from the finale weren't that relevant in the subsequent season at all).

I think that The Children was a phenomenally incredible episode on its own (just look at all the unsullied reactions!), and leaving Stoneheart for S5 will probably help spice up a season that will need a bit of flavour. Sure, I was slightly disappointed that she didn't show up, but I understand and kind of agree with why they went with that. Besides, I loved the final scene- up there with Season 1's final scene for me.

[Frey Pies]

By the way, I don't think we should even bother with predictions with this point- the story is probably going to go through quite a few more changes next season (hopefully for the better!).