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Game of Thrones Season 5


Ryn
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I think it's both, SD.

 

I still like it a lot, think the show's "demise" or "suckiness" are largely relative, and Episodes 8-9 were freaking awesome. But the TV show is obviously as unsure of where it's going and how it's going to tie things up at this point as GRRM. There was more awkward exposition this season than in the first 4 seasons combined.

 

That being said, if Barristan and Shireen somehow live happily ever after in the books, those will be my only really big piss-offs looking back on this season.

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Its be an interesting experience for you DK, watching it completely in the dark. I've enjoyed that feeling.

 

Personally I don't think this season has been any better or worse than previous seasons. Its actually better in one way in that I feel like we're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel for some of these storylines. Its obvious now that the dragons will play a crucial part in defeating the White Walkers. Which, assuming she survives, will win Dany the heart of the people. And Stannis' story coming to an end removes 5-10 minutes per ep for other storylines. It feels like we've begun the third act. Things should move faster from this point forward.

 

Speaking of pacing is it just me or did it take an entire season for Ty to ... not do very much? Cross an ocean and join Dany. That's about it.

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1. Totally called Stannis losing him men. Because apparently sellswords have more of a moral compass than Stannis.
2. AARRRYYYYAAAAAA (in ways both good and bad)
3. Myrcella wins everything for making Jaime's face look like that for one shining moment, but damn it, I knew Ellaria wasn't going to give up that easily.

4. Sansa continues to be really boring. Two of my coworkers tried to tell me this week that she's super interesting and has #GREATPLANS up her sleeve, but... nope, don't believe it.
5. VAAAARRRRRYYYYYSSSSSS
6. Dany is a road paved with good intentions but absolutely no capabilities whatsoever. She's pretty but super boring.
7. Do these religious peeps really have enough control over King's Landing to march a naked queen through it and keep her safe? There were only, like, four guys around her.
8. Did Brienne actually kill Stannis? I don't trust off-screen deaths.
9. Obviously I take back what I said before about Thorne potentially not being so bad. I'm also thinking that Melisandre will bring him back, though.

 

EDIT: Re: Jon's death: Tormund is not going to like this. Fingers crossed he kills Thorne personally with an ax through the skull.

 

EDIT 2: Just read a good point--Ghost is going to be PISSED, which means he's probably going to die. YOU GUYS, I CAN'T HANDLE ANOTHER DIREWOLF DEATH.

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1. Totally called Stannis losing him men. Because apparently sellswords have more of a moral compass than Stannis.

2. AARRRYYYYAAAAAA (in ways both good and bad)

3. Myrcella wins everything for making Jaime's face look like that for one shining moment, but damn it, I knew Ellaria wasn't going to give up that easily.

4. Sansa continues to be really boring. Two of my coworkers tried to tell me this week that she's super interesting and has #GREATPLANS up her sleeve, but... nope, don't believe it.

5. VAAAARRRRRYYYYYSSSSSS

6. Dany is a road paved with good intentions but absolutely no capabilities whatsoever. She's pretty but super boring.

7. Do these religious peeps really have enough control over King's Landing to march a naked queen through it and keep her safe? There were only, like, four guys around her.

8. Did Brienne actually kill Stannis? I don't trust off-screen deaths.

9. Obviously I take back what I said before about Thorne potentially not being so bad. I'm also thinking that Melisandre will bring him back, though.

 

EDIT: Re: Jon's death: Tormund is not going to like this. Fingers crossed he kills Thorne personally with an ax through the skull.

 

EDIT 2: Just read a good point--Ghost is going to be PISSED, which means he's probably going to die. YOU GUYS, I CAN'T HANDLE ANOTHER DIREWOLF DEATH.

Regarding Sansa as "boring," I think people have far too many expectations of her. Many, if not most of GRRM's main characters are tragically flawed, and Sansa is no exception. At the start of this tale, Sansa wanted nothing more than to be a pampered little empty-headed royal babymaker. She got a taste of what she wanted and has been choking on it ever since. Contrast that with Arya, who rejected her role, and wanted to live a life of an adventurer -- she's experienced it and has had her share of foul tastes as well, though we give her more leeway because she has more strength (at least outwardly), and better fits our expectations of an anti-hero than her sister.

 

Both are examples of characters that reinforce the idea of "be careful what you wish for..." though, and at this point, I don't need them to succeed or fail to be satisfied.

 

Regarding religious nuts: I don't remember if it was stated explicitly in the show, but there are a lot more of them than there are Gold Cloaks, and they have way more popular support (for now) than the highborn peeps, too. And Cersei herself being the one who lifts the ban on them being armed for her own petty short term gain is, as we say, classic Cersei. If the show wasn't explicit about this (I don't remember) then shame on them, but they definitely have the power and support to pull off Cersei's walk, IMO.

 

And off-screen or not, I really, really doubt Brienne held back on Stannis.

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Stannis/Brienne theory: After Stannis says "Do your duty" Brienne realizes that her real duty, more pressing and important, is to Sansa Stark and not Renly Baratheon.

 

Re: the Sparrows- Pong is exactly right. They have a huge number but I don't think it was really pointed out in the show iirc (Maybe the High Sparrow's line "We are the many" that's it). Many of the Seven Kingdoms are totally and completely war-torn. The Sparrows are the people who are seeking their last refuge in religion.

 

I'll try to eventually put together some thoughts expressing my displeasure with a lot of this season. But it'll be a minute. And again, I was still entertained and I'm still all in for season 6 and such, I just thought this season wasn't terrific (especially on the heels of 3 and 4).

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He has to say that. He's coming back.

 

show reason:

The deus ex melisandre just showed back up at Castle Black for a reason. We just had the staredown between the head Other and Jon, that needs a conclusion. We've had Jon's parentage hinted at multiple times this season. With literally dozens of storylines and hundreds of pages sheared from this story, everything that makes the TV show has some part to play.

 

book reason:

 

There's entirely too much foreshadowing in the books. The entire purpose of the ADWD prologue is to set us up for a Jon return. Dude's coming back

 

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Yep, he has to come back really. After leaving that storyline out of it since series 3 really when Thoros of Myr is constantly resurrecting Beric Dondarion, seeing Melisandre arrive at Winterfell and The Mountain alive and well (kinda) in Kings Landing, that's too many hints.

 

Stannis - yes, I see what everyone is saying with no on screen death, but he's lost his daughter, wife, entire army... Not sure where he would fit in with events now. Back to Winterfell I suppose, take the black and fight against the White walkers...

 

Haven't finished the books yet, but is Dany's storyline in there with how she was captured?

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Also, it has been a while since I read the books, but I am re-watching the entire series right now, and when Melisandre learns how that profane "lucky drunk" Thoros is able to repeatedly call on the Lord of Light to bring people back from the dead, she is clearly upset by this fact -- perhaps even jealous (I have always been your obedient servant, yet you give that jackoff those powers?). Jon is the perfect opportunity for her to "be his instrument" much like Thoros.

 

And this is ignoring all the stuff in the book. As much as the show likes to play with our expectations, I would be shocked -- shocked, I say -- if Jon stays dead for long.

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Haven't finished the books yet, but is Dany's storyline in there with how she was captured?

I totally interpreted that differently than others -- have always assumed (in both book and TV show) that they were going to start giving her "respect for strength" after seeing her command Drogon immediately after the scene goes to black.

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Well the circumstances are pretty different between the two. In the show she's wandered away from Drogon and she ends up surrounded by random Dothraki.

 

In the book, Khal Jhaqo, a former bloodrider of Drogo's, finds her with his khalasar. Dany has it out for this guy because he and Ko Mago ended up raping some girl Dany tried to save during a sack. Dany says, about the girls fate, "It was a cruel fate, yet not so cruel as Mago's will be. I promise you that, by the old gods and the new, by the lamb god and the horse god and every god that lives. I swear by the Mother of Mountains and the Womb of the World. Before I am done with them, Mago and Ko Jhaqo will plead for the mercy they showed Eroeh." It's kind of assumed that Dany is going to use the strength of Drogon to kill Jhaqo and win his khalasar and become Khaleesi again - and then head back to Meereen (or perhaps Vaes Dothrak for more Dothraki).

 

It should be noted that the showrunners killed Jhaqo seasons ago for some reason.

 

The end result will likely be the same, she'll win herself a khalasar at some point but the paths will obviously be different.

 

I'm expecting her to be "captive" for a while since they showed her dropping her ring Pippin-from-LotR-style so Jorah/Daario can track her if/when they find it.

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Yeah, the ring will probably play into a brief imprisonment or something.

 

But to me, their book reactions to Drogon and (expected) TV reactions all lead to them kissing her ass. I mean, it's been beaten into our heads so many times that the Dothraki respect strength, and it's hard to get stronger than commanding a dragon...

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Yeah, the ring will probably play into a brief imprisonment or something.

 

But to me, their book reactions to Drogon and (expected) TV reactions all lead to them kissing her ass. I mean, it's been beaten into our heads so many times that the Dothraki respect strength, and it's hard to get stronger than commanding a dragon...

 

Yeah, the ring will probably play into a brief imprisonment or something.

 

But to me, their book reactions to Drogon and (expected) TV reactions all lead to them kissing her ass. I mean, it's been beaten into our heads so many times that the Dothraki respect strength, and it's hard to get stronger than commanding a dragon...

Was there much reaction from them in the book though? The scout rider was terrified and subsequently killed by Drogon... did we get a look at the rest of the khalasar's reaction? I agree with the end result - she's going to use Drogon as her power play, and they'll respect it - I just can't remember if we have the actual groundwork for that yet.

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