News would be travelling across the narrow sea. Possibly instigated by Varys, as it’s in their interest. You’d think there’d be rumours flying, which Cersei and Jon are just confirming.

Oh, one other thing that seemed a bit odd.

How had Arya managed to not hear about the Battle of the Bastards until pie boy told her? Surely the area would be abuzz with the news?

RichPenny – Member

News would be travelling across the narrow sea. Possibly instigated by Varys, as it’s in their interest. You’d think there’d be rumours flying, which Cersei and Jon are just confirming.

Yes I know but when you establish a reality or a cultural mindset (even in a fantasy setting) you need to acknowledge a shift in that reality. I could be wrong, I could be forgetting some scenes but it seems like lazy or neglectful that everyone has gone from being sceptical about everything to just accepting everything.

Jamie

How had Arya managed to not hear about the Battle of the Bastards until pie boy told her?

Not the first time Pie Face McGuffin has facilitated the spread of news.

Too much clunky expositiony dialogue in these last few episodes. Also, I found it slightly incongruous that everyone in Westeros now just accepts that there are Dragons again. No questions, no skepticism.

Given the number of dragon skulls about its not a massive surprise.

As for getting places quickly we could have had an entire series take place while js heads to dragonstone and back. It would just be rubbish and dragging it out. I’d have preferred longer episodes but in reality there is an ending and we do need to get there.

mikewsmith

Given the number of dragon skulls about its not a massive surprise.

Yes but that’s framed by information about the last known dragons being the size of cats (or something) and dying shortly after birth hundreds of years ago, along with dismissal of most or all mythical beasts.

I’m not suggesting that the audience can’t figure it out – it’s better when it’s established by the show, not left to be guessed at or assumed.

Not the first time Pie Face McGuffin has facilitated the spread of news.

When he said to Arya that he was a survivor I immediately thought that his fate was sealed as GoT loves an opportunity to crush optimism.

When he said to Arya that he was a survivor I immediately thought that his fate was sealed as GoT loves an opportunity to crush optimism.

I know, I’d even started counting slowly down from 5, expecting a mystery spear/sword/arrow/dragon/other doom to appear from nowhere!

The Euron fleet thing is still irritating the shit out of me. Even IF he’d managed to find them in the dark, how did he manage to get his flagship next to their flagship without anyone really spotting them. Surely even the most idiotic sailor would have thought that suddenly the fleet got a lot bigger. Seems that it was just a way to unleash Theon’s misery on the viewers again, remove the Sunspear lot from the storyline and progress the Euron story.

Other than that, usual occasionally wooden acting and variable accents aside, I thought it was pretty good. I can’t hear Little Finger without this coming to mind:

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foghWSflbIA[/video]

Oh and I knew Nymeria Sand was being bumped off or sent into some sort of exile this series, what with her being a main character in Iron Fist now.

remove the Sunspear lot from the storyline

so if the Dorne coup is all gone, who’s left in charge?

TBH that particular subplot was always a bit dubious. The King’s son is betrothed to Cersei’s daughter, yet the consort (& daughters) of now king’s brother, manages to kill everyone and take over and have the entire country/royal household/plot/series just kinda go along with it.

Theresa May seems the default choice after someone miscalculates and removes themselves from power as a result.

Presumably she’ll be in favour of Dexit, call a general, weaken her powerbase, and then be unable to garner the necessary support to attend the forthcoming war.

how did he manage to get his flagship next to their flagship without anyone really spotting them

Probably too busy watching the radar to look out the window

Theresa May seems the default choice after someone miscalculates and removes themselves from power as a result.

Presumably she’ll be in favour of Dexit, call a general, weaken her powerbase, and then be unable to garner the necessary support to attend the forthcoming war.

Shhh! You’ll attract all the big hitters from the politics threads. I can almost hear their weaselly little noses twitching in anticipation for yet another 100+ page shit show they can swing their huge e-penises in.

so if the Dorne coup is all gone, who’s left in charge?

According to the Game of Thrones wiki (you piqued my interest enough to go and do some “research”), there are an unknown number (probably 2-3) of other children who, one assumes, are not as photogenic or good with pointy things. Probably two boys who are good at accounting or chess or something so didn’t warrant a screen appearance or even anything more than a passing mention in the books.

I heard a theory today that the end of the series 8 will be the undead killing everyone.

It would work…

Not the first time Pie Face McGuffin has facilitated the spread of news.

And… he’s opened a real life bakery called… wait for it…

You know nothing John Dough

Genius

Agree with everyone who says it feels a little rushed.
Not only that but I’m still finding the dialogue clunky.

Obviously still amazing, but mostly because I’m so invested 🙂

I miss the days of 3min scenes of Varys/Tyrion, etc.

I wish they’d film a bit more of it outside during the day. It’s so unrelentingly dark, I can hardly see what’s going on half of the time!

The sea ambush did feel a bit contrived, even by GoT standards – they usually have helpful armies arriving to save the day in the middle of a losing battle though.

Wonder where they got the inspiration for Euron, eh?

The war council scene at Dragonstone with Tyrion/Varys/Daenerys/Olenna should have been absolutely electric – but fell a little flat for me.
Diana Rigg still stole it, but it wasn’t hard.

The war council scene at Dragonstone with Tyrion/Varys/Daenerys/Olenna should have been absolutely electric – but fell a little flat for me.

hadn’t thought about that but you’re right! I think that’s the first time all Dany’s allies have been on screen together? Yet it felt like the village fete committee handing out jobs!

Yep it’s rushed now but there’s a lot of action to pack in! Trailer for next week looks ace, big ruck and FLAMING SWORD!!

I find any scene with Dany falls flat.

I think that’s the first and last time all Dany’s allies have been on screen together?

(possibly) FTFY

I wish they’d film a bit more of it outside during the day

That would destroy their CGI budget.

Back from my hols and all caught up! 🙂

Agree with most comments re Eurons radar and immortality…a bit silly, but all good fun. Looking forward to Jon meeting Danny next and Arya’s continuing adventures.

As for the campfire scene in Ep 1….FFS! 😕

Was the fight scene filmed using the same techniques as Sin City, it was very cartoon esque with all the speeding up and slowing down.

Morbid fascination with the Greyworm has yet to be satisfied…

nwmlarge – Member

Was the fight scene filmed using the same techniques as Sin City, it was very cartoon esque with all the speeding up and slowing down.

I guess you are referring to speed ramping / time remapping. Not really anything to do with Sin City. The Matrix was probably the first film that ripped the arse right out of it. John Woo was a big proponent of it during his HK days, I think Sam Pekinpah may even have done it in the Wild Bunch.

Morbid fascination with the Greyworm has yet to be satisfied…

I was expecting a gratuitous scissoring scene ala Southpark but luckily we were spared that. I still think it’s a silly thing to do to an army of trainee soldiers. Would limit their aggression, strength, muscular development etc and I imagine Greyworm would have a much more feminine voice?

I think it reminded me of sin city due to the lighting and general low level light in the whole shot.

The way the scene was portrayed was very cartoon esque imo.

The Matrix etc is more bullet time wide spacial shots with high clarity of what you are being wowed with.

Well funny when reek just jumped into the ocean like a coward. He’ll be in it till the end now, I reckon, as an observer.
So… any other loose ends?

The Blackfish is still at large as he escaped from Riverun. & what happened to Edmure Tully?
Gendry went off on his boat.
Anything else?

The Blackfish is still at large as he escaped from Riverun

He did?

Gendry to pick up Reek in his little boat next week

ah yes sorry Jamie, I’m getting confused with the book. He did get killed in the Tv version. I don’t think we actually saw his death though did we, didn’t he just go back up the stairs after seeing Brienne and Podrick off?

There are 2 wolves left, is that right? Ghost and Nymeria.

didn’t he just go back up the stairs after

Yes, but later on Jaime is told he died in battle.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiGn1R0erKg[/video]

As for wolves, yes. Nymeria we saw last episode as a wolf pack leader, and Ghost is chilling out at castle black (I think).

As an aside, Alt-Shift-X is a great source for all things GoT breakdowns and whatnot.

nwmlarge – Member

I think it reminded me of sin city due to the lighting and general low level light in the whole shot.

Well you could have explained yourself better

it was very cartoon esque with all the speeding up and slowing down.

That’s called speed ramping. Even if it happens within “bullet time” it’s still speed raming / time remapping.

nwmlarge

The Matrix etc is more bullet time wide spacial shots with high clarity of what you are being wowed with

The vast majority of scenes in the Matrix take place at night in dimly lit interiors, the exception being the rooftop rescue sequence.

Not an episode for those who are disliking the time thing.. Though at real speeds we would still be waiting in season 8.

Anyway another stark in winterfell who doesn’t want the big job, tyrion is not drinking or knowing things, the conquer the seven kingdoms is looking a little harder so I’m waiting for dragons to come play.
Nicely paced episode for me, waiting for Sir friendzone to make it back into the action

Somewhat amusing that the recipe for stoneskin cure is actually as simple as “pull it off, cover mess with goop”.

Yep. I guess they are setting Sam up to become the GOAT of Maesters as he performed the supposedly impossible with basically zero hassle!

Feeling shortchanged with the off-camera & shortened battles, seeing as the justification for having 7 episodes not 10 was to spend more on each one… they’d better really pull out all the stops later!

The ebb and flow of war was nicely portrayed though & two of probably the nastiest, most bitter moments so far were well done (if uncomfortable!)

Third episode very good. 10/10 despite no boobs.

Lol. Didn’t even notice that, guess that means the episode was pretty compelling! The only weak point was the DT/JS meeting, lacked tension of any sort despite her attempts to appear threatening! The scene with Cersei & Euron was way better.