Game of Thrones (Season 6)

[Scar]

I miss Tywinn.....

[Spinal]

I miss Tywinn.....

I just re-watched the episode where he instructs Tommen on the qualities that make for an effective king. So good.

[Spinal]

It's like those "oh, oh, oh, the show doesn't like women because Sansa doesn't fight back" people. Well, you have Arya for that. Sansa is a different character.

With each passing episode, it's becoming clearer how misguided the Sansa criticisms have been. She's a critical character because she represents so many of us who live in a world of violence and lies and have trouble finding our voice because the game being played is so completely foreign to our nature. It is one thing to know that there is injustice in the world. It is another to know what one mild-mannered person can do about it. Not everyone is a Jon Snow or a Daenerys. More people are like Sansa, keeping their head down and staying out of it as long as they can. Her character has taken longer to become a player and not a pawn, but I think her arc is starting to pay off nicely.

[Ezee E]

With each passing episode, it's becoming clearer how misguided the Sansa criticisms have been. She's a critical character because she represents so many of us who live in a world of violence and lies and have trouble finding our voice because the game being played is so completely foreign to our nature. It is one thing to know that there is injustice in the world. It is another to know what one mild-mannered person can do about it. Not everyone is a Jon Snow or a Daenerys. More people are like Sansa, keeping their head down and staying out of it as long as they can. Her character has taken longer to become a player and not a pawn, but I think her arc is starting to pay off nicely.

Yeah, I rematch various scenes from earlier seasons and her character has probably had the biggest change overall.

Jaime Lannister has probably shown the most improvement as an actor, which is a completely different topic. It's almost humorous to see his season 1 look.

[Grouchy]

With each passing episode, it's becoming clearer how misguided the Sansa criticisms have been. She's a critical character because she represents so many of us who live in a world of violence and lies and have trouble finding our voice because the game being played is so completely foreign to our nature. It is one thing to know that there is injustice in the world. It is another to know what one mild-mannered person can do about it. Not everyone is a Jon Snow or a Daenerys. More people are like Sansa, keeping their head down and staying out of it as long as they can. Her character has taken longer to become a player and not a pawn, but I think her arc is starting to pay off nicely.

Exactly. What do people expect her to do, start stabbing and poisoning everyone around her? She's been rendered (or had been, up until this point) a political prisoner.

Jaime Lannister has probably shown the most improvement as an actor, which is a completely different topic. It's almost humorous to see his season 1 look.

And his character has gotten a lot more complex. I have no idea how the introduction of his character has played in the books. In the show Cersei and him were almost cartoonishly evil in the early episodes.

[Gizmo]

And his character has gotten a lot more complex. I have no idea how the introduction of his character has played in the books. In the show Cersei and him were almost cartoonishly evil in the early episodes.

Season 1 is about as close to a shot for shot take on a book you can make. So yeah, both were pretty cartoonish there. Jaime becomes more human as the series moves on, Cersei, less so.

[[ETM]]

Ever since coming back to King's Landing, Jaime has reverted to his "old" self. He's almost at the S1 level in many aspects. His relationship with Cersei is one of the least convincing things on the show.

[Fezzik]

I sure as Hell hope so. Really like that guy.

In "A Dance With Dragons" there is, if I remember, a passage talking about a hulking, but silent scarred man working with the sparrows (or at the very least as a monk in some religious sect). Pious, but terrifying in his size. There are clues in the text to suggest that this is the Hound, but its never 100% confirmed.

I could TOTALLY see a Trial by Combat with Zombie Mountain on Cersei's side and A Monkish Hound on the Sparrows side. Cleganebowl, indeed, but by happenstance, but certainly no less welcome.

[Fezzik]

Ever since coming back to King's Landing, Jaime has reverted to his "old" self. He's almost at the S1 level in many aspects. His relationship with Cersei is one of the least convincing things on the show.

It's one of my biggest beefs with the deviation from book to show. Jaime, in the books, has the closest we see to a classical hero's journey. His arc is incredible. Sending him back to Cersei's side and reverting him to what he was is just so freaking disappointing.

[Spinal]

I think it's a fair criticism. I must say that I'm not even entirely sure what Jaime is doing this season. I feel like his purpose is unclear.

[Mara]

Heyyyy where's Bronn?

[Dukefrukem]

Heyyyy where's Bronn?

Interesting Bron episode.

[Dukefrukem]

Mary Sue: idealized and seemingly perfect fictional character, a young or low-rank person who saves the day through unrealistic abilities.



or



?

Even Indiana Jones was afraid of snakes.

[Scar]

Hodor....

[dreamdead]

Well, Sarah and I were a mess as this episode ended.

George RR Martin, you're crazy for this one.

Excellent episode. Powerful.

[Scar]

Well, Sarah and I were a mess as this episode ended.

George RR Martin, you're crazy for this one.

Excellent episode. Powerful.

Try watching that episode with someone who maybe saw part of last weeks episode and that's all their experience with the show, and then start making fun of hold the door.....

I am not in a good mood right now.

[Ivan Drago]

Hodor Hodor hodor HODOR hodor Hodor Hodor.

For real, though...

[

Show Spoiler

Hodor.....

]

[Henry Gale]

It leaked this morning so I watched it then and stayed quiet.

Its undeniable emotional tugging aside, it's kind of a weird, shaggy episode, right? They way they treated things like the [

Show Spoiler

that White Walker origin reveal

] felt like it needed a world more of dramatic emphasis put on it, but it strangely comes and goes with a tonal shrug, seemingly only in the episode because it needed to give us that information before the episode's climax made it close to impossible to do later.

I'm also not sure that I 100% track how the warg-ing worked from the way it was sequenced/edited between the two timelines. I get that it's meant to be intentionally murky but [

Show Spoiler

are we supposed to know what exactly made Young Hodor suddenly have that warg link to hear the past if he was already being controlled in the present? His eyes go gray and he starts convulsing well after the initial present warg, but something like the Raven being slayed by the Night's King triggers his dissolution instantaneously.

]

I forgot that Jack Bender helmed this episode about halfway through, and then somewhere around the middle with the montage of the Greyjoys sneaking away and the scene with Tyrion, Varys and the new Red Woman, I thought to myself, "Man, this feels really Lost-y. Oh.. right. This is the man who directed over a third of it." And then the last ten minutes felt shot and staged like an epic escape from a Dharma station. (The Tree Station?)

I also felt like the writing of that chase felt kinda middle-of-the-road horror amongst all the other more interesting and heartbreaking elements. I do feel like that rote-ness and the confusing sci-fi logic around it deflated the emotional impact for me, even trying to put that aside in my mind upon re-watching it.

[Watashi]

I didn't like this episode. The ending had zero effect on me. I'd rather have Hodor sacrifice himself without the silly time-travel device added in. Instead of what should be a powerful moment, I was rolling my eyes and saying "are they really turning this into Lost?" I also don't like show/movies where a few people can outrun a horde of monsters/zombies.

Arya's story is still going absolutely nowhere.

All I care about is Sansa/Jon's story right now.

[Spinal]

One of the best episodes of the series in my opinion. I thought it was stunning.

[amberlita]

I didn't like this episode. The ending had zero effect on me. I'd rather have Hodor sacrifice himself without the silly time-travel device added in. Instead of what should be a powerful moment, I was rolling my eyes and saying "are they really turning this into Lost?" I also don't like show/movies where a few people can outrun a horde of monsters/zombies.

Arya's story is still going absolutely nowhere.

All I care about is Sansa/Jon's story right now.

Pretty much agree with all of this, but I was never charmed by Hodor's simpleton innocence. He was mostly a non-entity. And despite being with this show since the beginning even I thought that "hold the door" scene was a bit much; I don't care how sad they make the violin solo. I was very bummed to see them toast another Direwolf though. Annoying time-travel twist. I'm *still* not sure I really get it, nor do I really get exactly what Bran has been doing this whole time with the Raven. I understand the flashbacks but what does that mean that he's now going to be the new Max Von Sydow? What's this training supposed to allow him to do? Please don't tell me we are setting Bran up with the ability to affect the past somehow and change the present. The hints are there and I'd loathe that.

Still, that was a pretty thrilling sequence. It's no Hardhomme, but anytime those white walkers and their undead army show up these days they wreak havoc and justify their (a) limited use in the show to (b) demonstrate just what the stakes are. Though why with that army are they still kicking around so north of the wall? All the wilding dare gone. They aren't adding any new numbers. Just go take on the wall!

[Spinal]

Things I loved about tonight's episode:
The Sansa - Petyr scene. It's really been exciting to see her dig in and become one of the show's most interesting characters.
The fact that Jon Snow, Sansa, Davos, Melisandre, Brienne, Dolorous Edd and Tormund were all in the same room together.
The moments between Theon and Yara.
Daenerys and Jorah. Straightforward scene. Beautiful performances.
Ellie Kendrick as Meera Reed was really stellar. It's basically a horror movie performance but I thought she really killed it.

I'm not sure how anyone could be unmoved by the final sequence. To each their own, I guess. I thought it was heartbreaking and powerful.

After the last two episodes, which felt kind of rote, I thought this was a return to form.

[DavidSeven]

Interesting that they brought in the director of LOST's "The Constant" specifically to do this episode. They really made no bones about what they were trying to emulate, huh?

[Raiders]

Y'all a bunch of cynical MF'ers.

[Dukefrukem]

My prediction.

Ned Stark is returning.