Game of Thrones Television Series Thread (No Spoilers!)

[blayze]

Epic battle scene, even though the outcome was already on the wall the moment we saw Sansa writing that letter earlier in the season so not much suspense there.

I don’t like how they made Jon look like such a tool. I'm not in love with him like most people are, but they built him up so much throughout the entire series... invested so much into his character, I don’t understand how they can just strip him down to the level of a common thug just like that in one episode. It’s almost unbelievable. Gonna be hard to take him seriously now as the Targaryen savior who will play a pivotal role in the end battle.

Having said that, love how they've finally elevated Sansa.

Ramsay was a fantastic character, but he reached his peak and then some. At the end of the day his character was all sizzle but no substance. Good move to kill him off... The Starks vs. Littlefinger (a villain with much more depth and dimension) sets up some very interesting story lines.

[metaldude26]

Epic battle scene, even though the outcome was already on the wall the moment we saw Sansa writing that letter earlier in the season so not much suspense there.

I don’t like how they made Jon look like such a tool. I'm not in love with him like most people are, but they built him up so much throughout the entire series... invested so much into his character, I don’t understand how they can just strip him down to the level of a common thug just like that in one episode. It’s almost unbelievable. Gonna be hard to take him seriously now as the Targaryen savior who will play a pivotal role in the end battle.

Having said that, love how they've finally elevated Sansa.

Ramsay was a fantastic character, but he reached his peak and then some. At the end of the day his character was all sizzle but no substance. Good move to kill him off... The Starks vs. Littlefinger (a villain with much more depth and dimension) sets up some very interesting story lines.

I found myself wanting Jon to heed Sansa's words but I felt it was in keeping with Jon's character that he didn't. He is constantly doing the "right" thing instead of the smart thing.

[hockeyrobot]

I found myself wanting Jon to heed Sansa's words but I felt it was in keeping with Jon's character that he didn't. He is constantly doing the "right" thing instead of the smart thing.

To what you and blayze said....Yes and that's so much like Ned Stark that it makes me worry for his safety in the grand scheme. And as for Ramsay....loved him as a villain but with the show heading towards the end he isn't really necessary or a threat. It looks to be headed right for Dany vs White Walkers.

Finale is a record 69 minutes so plenty to happen

[hockeyrobot]

How good was the Dany/Theon scene though. I know the Ironborn travel has been sped up but aside from that I thought it was GREAT. One of the first times we've seen such a "cross continent" mix of characters and storylines and in an epsisode that featured so much action I found that didn't even make it skip a beat. It was quick but hit every point that it needed to. If you rewatch the scene it's actually crazy to see how much info they get across to each other/remind the audience of.

[Rylant]

After some reflection, I wish we would have seen Ghost in the battle. You would think that he could have played a large role.

As well, why didn't Sansa say anything about the potential arrival of Littlefinger's army? She could have saved hundreds of lives if they just waited a bit. Maybe because she doesn't fully trust Jon? Maybe she didn't think Jon would like the idea of receiving help from him? Maybe a writer oversight?

Rylant

[Pengwin7]

As well, why didn't Sansa say anything about the potential arrival of Littlefinger's army? She could have saved hundreds of lives if they just waited a bit. Maybe because she doesn't fully trust Jon? Maybe she didn't think Jon would like the idea of receiving help from him? Maybe a writer oversight?

I watched episode 9 last night myself.
Brilliant. I love how they maxed out the time on the two locations.

Battle of the Bastards - incredible!
Very real... I thought Jon looking overwhelmed was appropriate. It was really his first "prepared" battle as a leader.
And of course, watching your own kin slaughtered in front of your eyes... I think anybody would be a little off after that.


As for Sansa & the Eyrie-army... actually... makes sense.
She said to Jon "You don't know Ramsay... you have to not do what he wants you to..."
And Jon says "Well, how do I do that?!"
And Sansa, pauses, staggers, says nothing... sells it.

By the battle, Jon's army essentially ended up being completely surrounded & screwed.
Then the mass of the Bolton forces surrounded them with their backs turned.
And then... in comes the Eyrie army - and the overhead scene showing the horses cutting into their horseshoe formation was incredible.
The Boltons certainly didn't see that coming.

IMO... the interpretation shouldn't be "the Eyrie got there just in time"...
It should be "the Eyrie was waiting in hiding"...

Yes - many of Jon's men were sacrificed, but the executed strategy won.
I think when you see Sansa/Littlefinger side-by-side calmly atop their horses, it should be realized it was the full plan all along.
Jon had to play the part of being/feeling under-armed... and Ramsay captured that in their pre-battle meeting.

As for Ghost... yeah, that sort of was stupid.
How is Ghost not involved? Smaller oversight, still a brilliant episode.

(Glad Rickon died, talk about a useless character.)


My last wish for the season... Dany & crew need to get on the ships and leave Meereen.
Please, please, please.
Get the eff out of Essos.

[Rylant]

Interesting perspective, Pengwin. I definitely really like the transformation Sansa has taken. She has come a long way since the beginning.

I remember in the books, at the Battle at the Wall, Ghost was a beast. After the battle, he wasn't white; he was red, head to toe because he was covered in blood. I remember in the show, they didn't show Ghost much in the Battle at the Wall. I heard it was because of the high production cost of the CGI involving it. Clearly, in the Battle of the Bastards, the CGI budget was through the roof. I think they could have made it work.

Rylant

[chuckcouples]

I think it was Sansa's plan all along but it definitely was not Jon and his armies plan. Jon's plan went out the window the moment he saw his "brother", for the first time in many years, running out in an open field away from Bolton.

I agree that it make sense for the commander's of the two armies not to have their most lethal weapons in the battle. A complete absence of the hounds and of Ghost was not realistic.

[glorybe23]

I think we can all agree why ghost or the hounds were left out of that episode.

BUDGET.

[Call of Doughty]

I've never watched an episode of this nor do I know what it's about - should I pursue this and give it a try? time is the issue with me. sounds like a lot of fun though and there's nudity and I dig nudity......I'm not a huge fan of LOTR and this seems similar to that franchise.........anyway i'll look into tit.....I mean it

[Rylant]

I've never watched an episode of this nor do I know what it's about - should I pursue this and give it a try? time is the issue with me. sounds like a lot of fun though and there's nudity and I dig nudity......I'm not a huge fan of LOTR and this seems similar to that franchise.........anyway i'll look into tit.....I mean it

I would say you should watch the first 3 episodes. If you aren't binge watching it like you life depended on it after that, then this show isn't for you.

Rylant

[yougo]

I would say you should watch the first 3 episodes. If you aren't binge watching it like you life depended on it after that, then this show isn't for you.

Rylant

Yeah this is spot on. Don't quit after the first episode, give yourself the first 3.

[hockeyrobot]

Not to take away from the amazingness that was the Battle of the Bastards...

Interesting comment from the actor who plays Jaqen on why he thought his character just let Arya leave....

In my opinion, it was clear from the beginning. I mean, that’s the reason he trained her. He didn’t train her to become a Faceless Man and stay in the House of Black and White in Braavos forever. I think that Faceless Men, they certainly have an interest [in] what’s going on in Westeros, otherwise why would he [have] just shown up out of the blue, in Season 2 and picked Arya and offered her to train her? So there must be some sort of interest and I think, yeah, what’s the point of training her if she can’t put that training to use?

[chuckcouples]

I think we can all agree why ghost or the hounds were left out of that episode.

BUDGET.

I saw an interview with the actor who plays Ser Davos. The reason Ghost was not at the battle was because he would have been killed and Jon did not want that to happen. It makes sense because as strong as a dire wolf is in combat, there's really nothing it can do to avoid a rain of arrows. His outcome would have been the same as Wun Wun.

[hockeyrobot]

I saw an interview with the actor who plays Ser Davos. The reason Ghost was not at the battle was because he would have been killed and Jon did not want that to happen. It makes sense because as strong as a dire wolf is in combat, there's really nothing it can do to avoid a rain of arrows. His outcome would have been the same as Wun Wun.

Yep I should have posted this quote too from the Davos actor...

“Yeah that would have been cool, [but] obviously a big battle like that is no place for a direwolf,” he said. “They’re not gonna last very long – I mean look at what happened to Wun Wun, the last of the giants.”