Game of Thrones (TV ONLY) [Leaked Spoilers prohibited]

[MovieMan89]

This just compares so unfavorably to Blackwater, Hardhome, and Battle of the Bastards, it's night and day. Really kind of sucks this had to happen in the final season after multiple masterclass battle episodes in the series history. 

[MikeQ]

I have some issues with how the episode was shot, and the dragon stuff was messy, but overall I was satisfied with this episode. It was a great mix of tension and release, both large scale and intimate moments (for me, avoiding battle fatigue), and well earned deaths (that didn't feel exploitative but instead in service of character). With this and last week's episode, I continue to be impressed with how focused, largely, this show remains on character, even as it is also so large scale and visually splendid. It's also worth noting we haven't seen the aftermath of the war yet. 

 

Some of my thoughts are reflected in this review of the episode:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/28/arts/television/game-of-thrones-battle-of-winterfell-review.html

 

Peace,

Mike

[4815162342]

16 minutes ago, MrGamer said:

Stannis would've won that battle in less time and with less casualties.

 

Don't @ me. 

 

It's funny you say that since I have always thought the books were leading to Stannis going to victory in the North, reclaiming his power and prestige, and forging his belief in being the Chosen One, and then all of that crashing down when the Army of the Dead assaults the Wall and just overwhelms him and his peeps. GRRM loves to show the downfall of people who believe in their own hype, and Stannis believing he was the prophesied one and learning too late he was wrong is the kind of thematic bit up his alley.

[MrPink]

19 minutes ago, MrGamer said:

Stannis would've won that battle in less time and with less casualties.

 

Don't @ me. 

 

What if the Night King had 20 good wights?

[octopez]

Sure you guys would have done a better job, geez. Amazing episode, I liked the fact that we can't see because is just like the characters felt, lost in darkness and cold. I love that the prophecy was just a prophecy a nothing more, the same dagger that was sent to killing him was the one that saved him. 

[Jordanstine]

Three things was disappointed with:

 

1) Episode was just too dark and foggy and had so many close up shots that it was hard to see most of what was going on.

 

2) Unbelievable how many of the major characters like Jamie, Jon, Brianne, Gendry all survived considering they were shown being literally surrounded by walkers with their backs against the wall. Sam survived longer than most of the minor character fighters?

 

3) Night King dead just like that? That simple? Arya who came from practically nowhere with the save and the stab? Did she ran and jump past all those white walkers and all of the Night King’s generals?

 

 

Edited April 29, 2019 by Jordanstine

[aabattery]

 

What the hell did they make that box out of if the wights can apparently break out of stone sarcophaguses (sarcophagi?) with a single punch.

[aabattery]

 

[expensiveho]

1 hour ago, MovieMan89 said:

This just compares so unfavorably to Blackwater, Hardhome, and Battle of the Bastards, it's night and day. Really kind of sucks this had to happen in the final season after multiple masterclass battle episodes in the series history. 

I think this is it. 

 

It wasn't that bad I guess. But it doesn't feel like GoT, especially the most hyped episode. 

[DoctorWho]

I was dissapointed in this episode..it was so dark, i had to crank up the brightness to 250% to understand what was going on...and the Night King died too easy...

[Brainbug]

I absolutely HATED this episode.

 

Rant in spoilers because i dont want to heaten this disucssion. More power to anyone who liked this.
 

Spoiler

 

If there is ONE thing George RR Martin despises then its a fucking Deux Ex Machina. This episode is full of them. But the end with Arya - fuck me that was STUPID. They were surrounded by Wights and White Walkers how did she get there? Did she teleport? Fuck me, are they all blind? And why did she fucking scream when trying to stab the Night King? To get his attention?

And why did the Dothraki ride to their deaths? Did the show run out of budget for horses and thats why they all needed to do suicide? My god, all these people are idiots.

 

This isnt the Song of Ice and Fire anymore. This is just a stupid fantasy show.

 

Rant over. Im sorry but this episode kind of broke me.

 

 

Edited April 29, 2019 by Brainbug

[Premium George]

Only thing I like now is cersei being the final boss.

Edited April 29, 2019 by Premium George

[aabattery]

 

[LexJoker]

What happened to the Dragon Jon was riding?

[Valonqar]

Re: Arya. It was explained. She ran over to Bran as soon as Mel spelled out that she would kill NK. So she arrived before NK and WW surrounded Bran and the Iron Born. That's in the episode. Now the following is why the episode is so bad. we are literally told who's gonna kill NK so there was no need to make her presence there a mystery. they could have shown us that she was mingling among the Iron Born or pretended to be one of the fallen or hiding in the tree, anything.But no. they pulled that "surprise" that wasn't a surprise cause. we. were. told. Arya .would. kill. NK. Just stupid writing and bad direction that created illusion of a plothole or Deus ex Machina when there was none. 

 

re: Prophecy. it isn't meaningless, it's just that fans were (mis)led to think it was Jon cause secret Targ and all that jazz. However, seeds were there that it would not be him starting with Missandei's correction that it could mean a princess not a prince. They wouldn't have that little interjection in place if they were to go with Jon. so that was a hint one of female characters would take NK out. So at that moment, it seemed it implied Danaerys (since she was present) but it's actually Arya. She is Azor Ahai and this is how it was set up:

 

I don't know whether they knew back in season 3 that "eyes brown...green...BLUE...shut forever" meant NK Slaying. But they made a big point about it in this episode.

 

Arya trained to fight in the dark. that was my first big clue that she might be the one to take NK down cause fight in the dark = Long Night. Like, literally what else that training could serve for? side plot assassinations?Nah.  It was always going to lead to this, so I'm sure that Arya Ahai was decided at least from that season if not earlier when Mel gave her the Eyes prophecy.

 

Super clue  - Bran gives Arya LF's  knife saying she'd need it. The big deal here is Valerian steel. Now, since Arya executed LF with the knife, fans saw poetic justice but was it the only thing the knife was meant for? Valeryan steel, people. Valeryan steel.

 

Arya asks Gendry to make her a special weapon from that knife to fight the dead. Once again, he brings up Valeryan steel. 

 

War council debates the war strategy. Jon explains that killing NK kills them all. Deus ex Raven explains that NK will come for him so he'll serve as a bait. Only Arya exclaims that she won't leave Bran all alone. the rest take Theon and Ironborn protection of Bran as enough. 

 

Storytelling 101 - it's never about big picture but small things. Characters on the battlefield trying to win the war didn't take NK out. Arya did because she was protecting Bran. I don't know what Jon was thinking when he left Bran with the Ironborn, that bran would kill NK? that Ironborn would? that he would arrive on time? anyway, the beauty of the kill was big sister defending the little brother and thus fulfilling the prophecy that she never cared about (or even knew? did Arya ever hear about prince that was promised?).

 

 

 

 

 

[FantasticBeasts]

It wasn't as much of a disapointment for me as some people seem to feel. The execution was amazing. I had chills multiple times and generally it was very engaging and thrilling till the last moment. The disapointing part was the end. I think all of us thought something greater would happen with some hidden surprise. It was a fuckin let down as much as I like Arya... Also, what the fuck Bran? Like why was he fuckin useless?

[Lordmandeep]

Thing is Arya ended up killing the the King, she should have died...

 

 

That would have really raised the stakes.

[Valonqar]

why should she have died? NK plot went to shit the moment they invented "Kill NK, They All Die" crap. that's your real Deus ex Machine, not Arya's sneak behind NK. Oh, and you can screencap this: Maisie Williams will be the lead in D&D's Star Wars. 

 

Raising stakes: so killing one out of 20 characters with most ridiculous plot armors is gonna raise stakes? I think not. And going by Mel's Eyes prophecy, since Cersei has green eyes in the book (and Lena has greenish no?) don't be surprised if Arya takes her out too. so two big kills. I already see debate that because she killed NK, she won't get to kill Cersei and I'm thinking, oh my sweet summer children. the character is D&D's favorite. They have big plans with her obviously. they made her Azor Ahai, gave her a Baratheon boyfriend which implies happy ending with tons of importance, so hold on with" Cersei is off limits". I really don't think so. I think that NK kill will lull fans into thinking someone else takes out Cersei but it'll be Arya. 

 

WTF was Jon thinking when he started yelling at the ice dragon? that he'll start spewing fire at the dragon? damn stupidity in this episode.

Edited April 29, 2019 by Valonqar

[Napoleon]

At this point the show will just disappoint a lot of fans no matter what. Expectations and theories were all over the place. It's been satisfying for me so far.

[LonePirate]

1 hour ago, Valonqar said:

Re: Arya. It was explained. She ran over to Bran as soon as Mel spelled out that she would kill NK. So she arrived before NK and WW surrounded Bran and the Iron Born. That's in the episode. Now the following is why the episode is so bad. we are literally told who's gonna kill NK so there was no need to make her presence there a mystery.

And yet her presence was a complete surprise to most if this fan reaction vid is any indication.