House of the Dragon (Game of Thrones) Thread

[gunnar hendershow]

GoT's leaves a lot to be desired in terms of actually explaining the timing of events. Arya had her wound reopen, but after her fight with The Waif and before meeting Jaqen may have been able to find some medical help. We tend to just see the pivotal moments and are left to fill in the pieces. I used the example of Littlefinger always "teleporting" to where he needs to be. That isn't necessarily the case, we just don't see the days/weeks of travel in between. Jon and Sansa have been traversing the north trying to build an army, that can't be done in a couple days. It's a way of storytelling that works a lot better in books where you can use however many words you want to explain what's happened in between the last two chapters. In the show we're on limited time. 

I can't figure out why Jaqen didn't kill Arya though. I thought she'd have to fight him as well in order to leave Braavos safely. We'll probably never have an explanation.

Anyway, I guess we'll be having the Dothraki arrive in Meereen next episode for a big season-ending battle? The ships are there, and more might be coming, so the time is right for Daenerys to finally head to Westeros after this battle.

[Gazz]

One of the drawbacks of having a show that spans two continents is sometimes you have to chuck reality out the window and have people show up just at the right time or continuously bump into each other.

As for the Blackfish

Spoiler

The actor playing him is 70 years old, after the backlash they had last series regarding the poor fight scenes in Dorne and people moaning about Ser Barristan (67 years old) not 'looking like a formidable knight in combat', maybe they couldn't / didn't film a fight scene they found satisfactory. Conversely, it leaves the door open for the Blackfish to have escaped again.

 

[Hellraiser]

1 hour ago, Gazz said:

One of the drawbacks of having a show that spans two continents is sometimes you have to chuck reality out the window and have people show up just at the right time or continuously bump into each other.

As for the Blackfish

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The actor playing him is 70 years old, after the backlash they had last series regarding the poor fight scenes in Dorne and people moaning about Ser Barristan (67 years old) not 'looking like a formidable knight in combat', maybe they couldn't / didn't film a fight scene they found satisfactory. Conversely, it leaves the door open for the Blackfish to have escaped again.

 

Regarding Blackfish:

Spoiler

They still could've given him a better send-off than just having a Lannister soldier tell Jamie he died. Have a scene where Blackfish confronts the Lannister soliders, have him say something badass to the effect that he would rather die than bow to the Lannisters, have him lift his sword and charges towards them and then cut to the soldier telling Jamie that he died fighting. It's cheesy but it would've been better than what we ended up getting. They didn't have to show us his death to five him a proper send-off.

 

1 hour ago, damshow said:

 

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GoT's leaves a lot to be desired in terms of actually explaining the timing of events. Arya had her wound reopen, but after her fight with The Waif and before meeting Jaqen may have been able to find some medical help. We tend to just see the pivotal moments and are left to fill in the pieces. I used the example of Littlefinger always "teleporting" to where he needs to be. That isn't necessarily the case, we just don't see the days/weeks of travel in between. Jon and Sansa have been traversing the north trying to build an army, that can't be done in a couple days. It's a way of storytelling that works a lot better in books where you can use however many words you want to explain what's happened in between the last two chapters. In the show we're on limited time. 

I can't figure out why Jaqen didn't kill Arya though. I thought she'd have to fight him as well in order to leave Braavos safely. We'll probably never have an explanation.

 

Regarding what happened to Arya this episode and the episode before that.

Spoiler

You're right about the time. Didn't think about that when I wrote my post. That doesn't make the whole pay-off to the tedious drag that was Arya's time wihh the Faceless any less disappointing and in some aspects even nonsensical.

I was thinking about the scene in which Arya got stabbed by the waif. They were probably trying to create parallel between her and the Hound. Last time we saw him before his return Aray left him for dead with a severe stomach wound. Last time we saw Arya before the most recent episode she was in a kinda similar situation: Seemingly left to die from her stab wounds to the stomach with no one to turn to. If that is what they were trying to do I think it was a nice idea. It's just a shame that in order to get to that point they had to make Arya act so out of character.

 

Edited June 13, 2016 by Hellraiser

[gunnar hendershow]

It's weird because they could have had Blackfish look like an old man out of his element since he said as much to Brienne. He established he was an old man who couldn't fight well anymore, so if he goes in and it looks like he that who cares? Perhaps just something that they didn't do for lack of time, or of course to leave open the idea that he is being protected by someone.

[Alex.]

Spoiler

I knew Blackfish only had 2 options this season, escaping or death and they give him an off screen death. They Stannis'd the man! It broke my heart. 

After watching this episode a second time, I think it was the weakest episode of the season thus far. It seemed like a jumbled up mess and it could not find its rhythm. Mereen scenes were bad as always  (imo). I thought we would at least see Jon and co. leave the camp they are at to start marching towards Winterfell, but I dont think next week will be a complete isolation episode like the battle on the wall or blackwater, unfortunately. I still look forward to it, it is being directed by the guy who directed hardhome last year. (Littlefinger to save the day?)

Seeing Cleganebowl hype get curbstomped made me all like . Tommen you sack of shit now I actually hope you die Ep 10. Next 2 episodes are due to have a big body count so they got that going for them. The Arya stuff I really don't care for and Varys is going back to Westeros, probably going to Dorne, meaning we get to see Dorne, again..............

 

[Mick]

What's with all the Tommen hate? 

[Hellraiser]

5 minutes ago, Mick said:

 

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What's with all the Tommen hate? 

 

 

I don't know if I still have to put the fan theories in spoilers since they probably won't be true anyway because of what happened this episode but I'll do it anyway:
Spoilers regarding this episode and 2 fan theories regarding Cersai's trail:

Spoiler

You saw what he did this episode, right? He abolished trail by combat, destroying two popular fan theories about the season finale in the process:

-Clegane Bowl: Cersai demands Trail by combat with Zombie-Mountain as her champion while the High Sparrow somehow persuade Sandor Glegane to represent the faith. The two hostile brothers now have to fight to the death.

-Mountain Vs Tommen: Cersai demands Trail by combat with Zombie-Mountain as her champion while the High Sparrow declares the fanaticized Tommen to represent the faith. As Zombie-Mountain was programmed/bewitched/brainwashed to kill all of Cersai's foes he kills Tommen to further fulfill the prophecy given to Cersai when she was young about loosing all her children.

 

[Mick]

Just now, Hellraiser said:

I don't know if I still have to put the fan theories in spoilers since they probably won't be true anyway because of what happened this episode but I'll do it anyway:
Spoilers regarding this episode and 2 fan theories regarding Cersai's trail:

  Hide contents

You saw what he did this episode, right? He abolished trail by combat, destroying two popular fan theories about the season finale in the process:

-Clegane Bowl: Cersai demands Trail by combat with Zombie-Mountain as her champion while the High Sparrow somehow persuade Sandor Glegane to represent the faith. The two hostile brothers now have to fight to the death.

-Mountain Vs Tommen: Cersai demands Trail by combat with Zombie-Mountain as her champion while the High Sparrow declares the fanaticized Tommen to represent the faith. As Zombie-Mountain was programmed/bewitched/brainwashed to kill all of Cersai's foes he kills Tommen to further fulfill the prophecy given to Cersai when she was young about loosing all her children.

 

 

People actually thought that? This somehow puts Tommen on par with Joffrey? 

[Hellraiser]

8 minutes ago, Mick said:

 

 

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People actually thought that? This somehow puts Tommen on par with Joffrey? 

 

 

Spoiler

I don't think anyone has said that. People just really wanted Clegane Bowl to happen. Now because of Tommen's proclamation either of those scenarios will play out and that is why they are mad at him. That and for being a wuss in general.

 

Edited June 13, 2016 by Hellraiser

[MalaCloudy Black]

You're supposed to not particularly care for Tommen anyway. I don't know about hate him, but the point is that he's an ineffective, weak king who is easily influenced by whoever's in his ear. First it was his mother, now it's Margaery and the Faith. He goes whichever way the wind blows because he's indecisive, inexperienced and thus easy to manipulate.

Also, I didn't catch this, but someone said re: Arya..

Spoiler

When Arya rolled through all those carts down the stairs, she smeared pomegranate juice on herself to appear more wounded? That makes sense. That whole time I was sitting there wondering why the hell she could still run and fight if she was so badly injured, but if she was faking it to draw the Waif into a trap, I get it.

 

[Whisper]

3 hours ago, Cloudy said:

You're supposed to not particularly care for Tommen anyway. I don't know about hate him, but the point is that he's an ineffective, weak king who is easily influenced by whoever's in his ear. First it was his mother, now it's Margaery and the Faith. He goes whichever way the wind blows because he's indecisive, inexperienced and thus easy to manipulate.

Also, I didn't catch this, but someone said re: Arya..

  Hide contents

When Arya rolled through all those carts down the stairs, she smeared pomegranate juice on herself to appear more wounded? That makes sense. That whole time I was sitting there wondering why the hell she could still run and fight if she was so badly injured, but if she was faking it to draw the Waif into a trap, I get it.

 

Re: your spoiler...

Yep, that's what happened. When Arya crashed down the steps the camera focused in on the fruit getting squashed by her hands. Then it lingered on the wall each time she touched something, so Arya was definitely doing it to lead the Waif into her trap.

I'm still trying to work out how getting stabbed in the stomach was part of her plan though.

As for why Jaqen let her go, respect maybe? Did he ever kill the third person he promised her?

Either way, the many faced god got the lives he was "owed". Both the actress and the waif died.

[JasonM]

1 hour ago, Whisper said:

Re: your spoiler...

 

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Yep, that's what happened. When Arya crashed down the steps the camera focused in on the fruit getting squashed by her hands. Then it lingered on the wall each time she touched something, so Arya was definitely doing it to lead the Waif into her trap.

I'm still trying to work out how getting stabbed in the stomach was part of her plan though.

As for why Jaqen let her go, respect maybe? Did he ever kill the third person he promised her?

Either way, the many faced god got the lives he was "owed". Both the actress and the waif died.

 

Technically no, but Arya bargained the lives of her and her friends to get out of Harrenhall, it was never really touched upon whether Jaqen counted that as a 'name' given, seeing the other option would have been to kill himself on the orders of Arya.

(Arya wanted to get out, Jaqen said it didn't work like that, then she gave Jaqen his name to, so Jaqen relented and ferried them to relative safety)

[Hellraiser]

12 hours ago, Whisper said:

Re: your spoiler...

 

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Yep, that's what happened. When Arya crashed down the steps the camera focused in on the fruit getting squashed by her hands. Then it lingered on the wall each time she touched something, so Arya was definitely doing it to lead the Waif into her trap.

I'm still trying to work out how getting stabbed in the stomach was part of her plan though.

As for why Jaqen let her go, respect maybe? Did he ever kill the third person he promised her?

Either way, the many faced god got the lives he was "owed". Both the actress and the waif died.

 

Spoiler

Thanks for pointing that out. I didn't notice that.

I don't think getting stabbed was part of Arya's plan. For whatever reason the makers of the show made her act like an obtuse idiot in that episode. We probably will never find out why. My theory is that they wanted to create a parallel between her and the hound i.e. both were seemingly left to die from stomach wounds with no one to turn to. They were both helped by innocent people (Brother Ray and the actress respectively) who both ended up being murdered which led both the Hound and Arya to go seek revenge against the person that murdered them.

I always assumed that the guards Jaqen killed to help Arya escape counted as subsitites for a third name. The coin was given to Arya as a sign of respect. I assumed that at that point they were even. There is no good reason for Jaqen to keep her alive.

I also hated when he said "Finally a girl is no one". No, clearly she fucking isn't or otherwise you wouldn't have had any reason to sent the waif after her in the first place!

So it isn't important which life is owed to the many faced god as long as someone dies? So by that logic there would not have been any need to blind Arya to teach her a lesson after she killed Meryn Trant because a life is a life.

But then again Jaqen himself doesn't seem to take his own religion that seriously as he should have died 2 Seasons ago when Arya gave him his own name. Which means he isn't no-one as he clearly is afraid of death himself.

 

[Mick]

If it's even Jaqen. 

 

[Avenged Probably]

This has been a great season so far and this week's was the best episode yet, loads of cool stuff going on. 

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

I disagree, to me a good chunk of it felt like treading water until the big battle next week.

Deus Ex Daenerys did nothing for me and Tyrion's screen time is wasted by making small talk with two very bland characters, Blackfish died to add to the 'return to be killed off' list, and whilst Arya's stuff was okay this week since she got the focus she already made her intent to go home obvious so I didn't see the need to drag it out an extra week. Also fuck Tommen for shutting down the trial by combat.

Hound / Brotherhood interaction was awesome though, and I thought Jaime had a really good week. Bronn and Podrick's reunion was cool too.

[Hellraiser]

I think it was the weakest episode this season by far.

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

Opener was weaker in my opinion, felt like a season five hangover episode.

Best so far is easily The Door.

[Alex.]

I agree. The Door was the best episode this season and honestly at this moment in time, its not even close. I am hoping this weeks episode can top The Door, its a battle Ive been looking forward to since they were producing it. 

I believe they said the reveal about Hodor came from George RR Martin himself? I look forward to reading it in the books in 2025 when Winds of Winter comes out.

[Mick]

10 hours ago, Alex. said:

I agree. The Door was the best episode this season and honestly at this moment in time, its not even close. I am hoping this weeks episode can top The Door, its a battle Ive been looking forward to since they were producing it. 

I believe they said the reveal about Hodor came from George RR Martin himself? I look forward to reading it in the books in 2025 when Winds of Winter comes out.

 

Yeah, someone was in an elevator with him, said "hold the door", and then jokingly asked if that's how Hodor got his name. Martin laughed and responded that he was pretty close.