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“If I’m going to die, let it happen while there’s still some of me left”-Sansa Stark
From the HBO Game of Thrones official synopsis: “Stannis marches. Dany is surrounded by strangers. Cersei seeks forgiveness. Jon is challenged.”
Check out the official photos here!
Mother’s Mercy is written by showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss and directed by David Nutter, who brought us last week’s stunning episode. It’s the Season Finale, but can they top last week’s episode?
Geoffery: From the trailer it looks like Brienne is finally about to make her move! I can’t wait, I’m bored of her just sitting around outside Winterfell! I’m psyched for Cersei’s scenes as well, Lena Headey has been knocking it out of the park all Season! And will Arya finally kill the Thin Man?
We’re aware that there are leaked images of the finale going around. We will not post leaked/stolen images from the finale and ask that commenters do not post/link to this material either. Violation of this may result in banning.
As always, please use spoiler coding and label your spoilers! Instructions on spoiler coding are at the top of each comment section and in our FAQ. Thanks!
Hodor! Kind of hyped for this episode. 🙂
Can’t believe we’re at the finale already… Amazing how the season flies by and yet the crawl to the next one feels like years…
Is Brienne finally going to have something worthwhile to do in this season then?!
Seriously, more leaks? What is going on this season? Thanks for the heads’ up though – for me it just means I have to stay off sites like this until I see the episode as I would rather not risk even minor spoilers. See you on the other side!
Tyrion: You betrayed her.
Whom is he talking about? Jorah or somebody else? Daario?
Man, this episode is shaping up to be the craziest season finale we’ve had yet. It will be super interesting to see what they show during the “Previously On…” segment in the beginning. Like always, it will probably be super telling.
kevin,
My guess is he’s talking to Jorah. Perhaps they’re discussing who should ‘lead’ since Dany is away?
That’s the Iron Islands in the first clip of the trailer right?
What’s the running time for the episode?
I have a feeling that this episode is going to be a bloodbath. Can’t wait!
edi,
61 minutes I think, but I’m pretty sure that’s taking the intro and end credits into account.
I am actually feeling a little sad about this episode. Because…. after this, no more new episodes for a long time. Season 5 will be over. We will have lost many a character.
But so many storylines this episode. Dorne, KL, Winterfell, Wall, Meereen, Braavos, Dothraki Sea. Full house. Will any primary or secondary character miss out?
edi,
61 minutes, according to HBO website.
Kay,
Bran Stark 😉
I’m going to be interested to see how this plays out, because apart from Meereen and Stannis, all of the plots are behind where I thought they’d be at this point. Seems like the finale is going to be packed.
Cast members dropping like flies all over the place, I guess.
I feel a lot like I felt when I came to the last chapters in Dance, filled with both hope and sorrow. The image for this post says so much. It made me think back immediately to Jon and Sam cleaning the mess hall in 1.4 when they were relatively carefree, innocent young men. Now they are responsible, hardened young men with blood on their hands. Kill the boy indeed.
Bring it on!
It’s too soon to be over! 🙁
kevin,
hizdar maybe
i still feel there is something very clumsy with his stabbing and where he got stabbed
it would be great to have a scene where jorah and tyrion and Darrio goes to arrest Hizdar and there they find hizdar being tended with that harpy whore ..the audience will know that he was in on it from the beginning
and there is no casting call for joel fry which makes me wonder
if he is not then the harpy is actually a ghiscari legion and tyrion just speaks to Jorah
Mace The Ace,
I’m thinking it’s Dany at Valyria
Chekhov’sOlly,
Oh yes! Rickon too! Hodor and Meera as well. I hope Grey Worm makes a quick appearance? Otherwise he too has been MIA for a long time.
Mace The Ace,
I think that’s where Drogon drops of Dany.
Stannis battles over ice. Jon faces a setback. Arya makes some cat friends. Something happens in Dorne. Cercei pleads down. Dany gets diarrhea.
Mace The Ace,
It’s the Neck I believe. You can see Moat Cailin in the shot.
What was “clumsy” about it? He took multiple stabs to the chest. He would have suffocated on his own blood without prompt medical attention: and I’m not sure that such appropriate attention exists in his society.
I can’t wait to watch the whole season again as a whole – I think watching it week to week made it really difficult to watch and judge properly how the main themes and rhythms of the season panned out. For me, it’s much better to watch all at once and then think about it, have some time to digest, let the impressions settle in, etc. That’s why I’ve been hesitant to judge the season as compared to the others…and gives me an excuse to watch all of GOT again 🙂
So it’s all over the news that the season finale has been leaked online.
I really hope HBO figures out how to prevent this next season.
Pretty much, we will all be Unsullied next season so these leaks will affect us all if they happen.
I also hope it won’t affect the ratings.
HBO please learn to screen without leaking??? Or just don’t screen at all.
Busmans,
Too green for Moat Calin that’s the north and remember Winter is Coming. It’s old Valyria where Drogon’s lair is I suspect.
chameleon,
Agreed. Have to wait until my thesis is finished, though! Season finale of S05 literally the day before I have to get my draft in. What timing.
Yes and it would be a nice present to have the boxsets out earlier than February 2016, HBO!
Arthur,
They hadn’t had a screening of the finale before these pics started leaking, last I heard.
Wimsey,
well its just that they never went for his heart or throat just on his chest ..i know he would be dead even if he had got stabbed at chest
i still think that scene with whore will be good reveal nothing more
Not screening would probably have a more detrimental effect than the leaks are having. Indeed, the leaks are generating publicity, and might increase the chances of people tuning in Sunday so that it is not spoiled for them.
On behalf of your advisor, allow me to crack the “advisor whip” over your shoulder. (I once jokingly told a grad student that he couldn’t get married until he got me a dissertation chapter: I think he knew I wasn’t serious, but he got me the chapter a week before he got hitched!)
So, no TV until you get that chapter in….. 😀
Is that Sam who says “We don’t choose who we love?”
Arthur,
The season finale didn’t leak online. Just a few photos did.
I thought it was throwback to Jaime, season 3?
Sue, from your understanding of the process behind the scenes, how do you think these leaks happen? I mean beyond the obvious one where there were screeners…
Snake,
It’s really confusing becuase a lot of different sites were “reporting” that the actual episode had leaked.
This season 5 rating report should put to rest any discussion of a GoT backlash. http://www.buzzfeed.com/kateaurthur/game-of-thrones-is-huger-than-ever#.vf1qqNnQEQ
Off-Topic Otto,
I think if it is happening, then it might be from an overseas network since the show is pretty much broadcast simultaneously. Ironically, I think this policy was meant to cut down on piracy.
Sue
Did they ever find out who leaked the episode screeners ..will we ever know who that is what action taken against them
i also wanted to ask they must know who is leaking the episodes …i mean the facebook girl is leaking the episodes summary early and last episode’s leaks were worst and if she does that again for this episode then i think HBO didnt care about this leaks at all
Ravyn,
but… but…. someone I know stopped watching the show! Therefore, the ratings must be fabricated!!!!
And then the Grimms’ brothers do the rest!
I’ve avoided the leaks, thankfully, but I assume they’re significant (spoilery) images if they’re newsworthy at all?
anyone else notice how this happened a few days after people at other websites alluded to wanting to spoil episode 10 for everyone in the whole world, super-villain style, because the show runners “don’t care about spoiling the upcoming books” or something ridiculous like that? As if the show should simply take 5 to 12 seasons off to wait for the books to wrap up…
not that the intent is more important than the action itself, but I really hope it’s just some run-of-the-mill pirate scoundrel leaking these and not a concerted effort to “get back at HBO” by people who don’t like the direction of the show. because if it’s the latter, we’ll see even more of it next year.
hopefully I’m just being all Glenn Beck about shit… stuff leaked last week too, and that was the episode where people really started getting pissy about “spoiling” books that haven’t been written/finished yet.
Chekhov’sOlly,
Yeah, it’s confusing. But nobody I know, including myself, has been able to find this “leak” despite looking everywhere on the internet. The only thing to appear has been these few images, from 4chan, and nothing more.
Ravyn,
All those doomsayers crowing over GoT’s imminent demise in the comments threads several weeks ago have gone strangely silent… wonder why? 😉
For Season 5, its gross audience — meaning, the average viewership for each episode when HBO adds up live viewers, replays, VOD, and streaming — is 18.7 million viewers. By the time all viewership for Game of Thrones is counted after Sunday’s finale, that number should be close to 20 million.
Game of Thrones’ ratings have grown in every season.
chameleon,
I’ve loved pretty much every episode as an individual episode this season (and found many things to like in the one episode I didn’t think worked as well). Overall, I think Season 5 has been very strong. That being said, I do think the season will feel more cohesive and satisfying to many viewers once the finale airs and we have the complete picture of what exactly several storylines have been building towards this year.
With the show reaching the end of the published source material, we’re heading into a season finale with more questions than we’ve ever had. I think the frustration that several viewers have expressed with certain open-ended storylines (Brienne and Dorne, for example) will be mitigated, if not entirely erased, by seeing the climactic moments of those arcs revealed on screen. The concerns that several (mostly Unsullied) viewers have expressed about the beginning of the season being “slow” will definitely be alleviated when those people are free to watch several episodes in a row, if they so choose. By contrast, those viewers (mostly book readers) who think the season has been too rushed may find their frustrations exacerbated, but at least they’ll know exactly what endpoint the show has been burning through all that plot to reach.
I’ve found pretty much every season of Game of Thrones to be even more satisfying on re-watch than I do upon the first viewing. In order to survive, it has to successfully operate as a TV show – and it has achieved that goal spectacularly well! But ultimately, it really is one story, with each season functioning as a 10-hour movie and all of those seasons adding up to a 70-hour saga of which we’ll have seen 50 hours by this Sunday. I’m eagerly anticipating my annual rewatch next year, and I’m very much looking forward to the time after the series ends when I can carve out a block of 2-3 weeks to watch the whole thing in one go.
Busmans,
It’s either Moat Cailin, or more likely where Drogon and Dany go.
Why would they go to arrest him when they think he’s dead?
I thought I saw it stated that they intended to do a curtain call for Joel Fry, but I can’t remember where. Most likely one of the big post-episode threads.
Mace The Ace,
People are thinking it’s somewhere in Essos. There’s a teeeeeny little figure on the mountain on the left, and people are saying it’s Dany.
trarecar,
Jaime.
ThorosOfMyr,
That’s from the pilot episode.
Of all the random leaks out there, the one thing I think would actually be interesting to see has never been leaked (and most likely, never will be)… the original pilot episode.
Final scene/image predictions?
I’m going to guess Dany, on a mountaintop in Westeros. (1st image in preview) While I think Valyria would be intriguing, there’s nothing in the show to suggest a reason for her to go there.
Simeon,
He’s trolling. Hence me deleting it. That’s the same jerk who posted links to the real spoilers last night.
Simeon,
I heard somewhere that this scene was supposed to be in the pilot episode,but D&D decided to cut it.Maybe they saved this for better occasion and it will be used…or not.Casting news hinted at three boys and they could be Brandon,Ned and Robert.
That will almost certainly be the case: after all, each season tells one story, and it is rare that “set up” pieces for a story ever are as enjoyable or popular as the big finishes: we want to see guns going off, not being hung!
The IMDB ratings really emphasize this: every year shows a steady increase in the popularity of episodes. The only season that didn’t get it’s most popular episodes at the end was last year: and that’s because they killed Joffery in the second episode. (Regardless of the superior quality of the drama later in the season, the audience simply enjoyed that!)
BGAP,
My hope is that she’s somewhere between Valyria and the Dothraki sea, so we get the best of both worlds.
Why are so many people at Westeros.org assuming that the tiny little person near Moat Cailin is
And the general trend was still true last year… if you take out the atypical Purple Wedding ep, the rest of the late-season episodes were all more highly rated than the early season ones.
Jared,
Words of wisdom!! Totally agree!!
In Brazil we have a saying: “A esperança é a última que morre.” which means: “hope is the last to die.” 😉
Fred,
They never learn. Probably because of the title of the episode.
It’s probably not even Moat Cailin, and if it is the only person this could be is Littlefinger.
Remember: Benioff has said the first scene of the season (Maggy) and the last scene are straight from the books.
Sure there is. How about Dragon Fire or Dragon Blood curing greyscale? Get yourself a grateful army, a ready-made smelter for dragon glass and Valyrian steel and an awesome home base to work from.
Ravyn,
I’m guessing it’s either
To me, the question is what the damn Sand Snakes are doing that will change the series? Assuming that is true and not some rumor or poor actress who has no idea what is on the cutting room floor.
That’s a buildup. Here’s what I want:
* The Viper/Grass speech
* Varys helps the Sand Snakes infiltrate KL and we get a Godfather baptism scene montage, with Kevan, the Sparrow, Pycelle AND Tommen all biting it
Im waiting for the season to be over.
I enjoyed it, but all the drama, bitching, whining, and all the “controversy” (over fictional characters…) has been draining.
I just want a break, lol.
WorfWWorfington,
OK, please delete this. That spoiler tag is NOT working.
Spoiler tag is working fine.
I think this season has been way too depressing for them, this might make them roll their eyes
Can I just say: I love that shot in the trailer of Stannis’s flags billowing in the wind and him pulling out his sword? I don’t really see a big battle in this episode (time/budget constraints, and didn’t Benioff say they did 2 big battle scenes and we’ve seen them already?), but those are gorgeous visuals.
OMG the hype!
Word of warning–I’m not sure if this was mentioned above already, but they actually included the leaked photos within a post at Winter Is Coming. So avoid in the next couple days if you want to stay Unsullied!
Ugh. I wish someone would figure out how this stuff is getting leaked and put an end to it. It ruins things for Sullied and Unsullied alike. I’ve read the books myself, but I’ll admit I love the show more, and I can’t wait to be surprised after this season. We’ll all be in the same boat then.
Here is my speculation based on the books(PURE SPECULATION BASED ON THE BOOKS without any spoilers from the net which I´m not willing to see)
Wall: -Sam´s departure, Pink Letter (highly doubt), FTW
North:-Davos scene, Brienne does something, Boltons and Stannis do something, Sansa, Theon and Myranda do something PLEASE MAKE THE SANSA STORYLINE EPIC (NO IDEA ABOUT WHAT TO EXPECT! EXCITING!)
Dorne: -Sand Snakes scene (not that I love to but one of the actress said there was going to be crazy stuff), Doran´s reveal PLEASE!!!! IF DONE CORRECTLY I WOULD FORGIVE ANY BAD DECISION ABOUT DORNE. I MEAN WITHOUT THIS DORAN LOOKS RETARDED.
KL: Cersei´s confession, WoS, Tyrell scene (Margeary hugging someone, shot from the trailer), Varys return PLEASE!!!
Meereen and Dothraki Sea: Dany is found by khalasar (I want her to leave that pretty dress and become dirty and with burns), aftermath of Daznak´s
Braavos: Arya changing her face for Meryn PLEASE!! and going blind PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Somewhere near the Iron Islands: Balon´s death and any hint about their brother´s or kingsmoot PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Riverlands or whereveryouwanttointroduceher: LSH PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!! FINAL SCENE PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And I know half of this won´t happen as we only have 61 minutes ;(
If most of the scenes mentioned, specifically those with the “please” happen and they nail it, I will forgive everything D&D for every single mistake or bad decision ever (until this point of the series).
I really doubt:
-Sam´s departure and Pink Letter, Varys return, Arya´s blindness, all about Iron Islands and LSH
Most could be saved for season 6, as Varys return, Arya, Ironborn and Sam´s departure maybe? But If pink letter and LSH doesn´t happen, it will never happen. It´s their last opportunity for two really good moments.
HelloThere,
Agreed. Anyone who thinks this will be remotely well received is kidding themselves. There won’t be many people admiring this from a story perspective, as they did with the Red Wedding.
The major governments of the world have yet to devise foolproof ways to not be hacked. It is certainly going to be impossible for studios to prevent it, particularly given that all of the shows and promotions for the shows wind up on computers.
At the end of the day, only a small proportion of any shows audience pays so much attention to the show in between episodes for this to matter. It won’t affect the ratings or the audience reaction.
Ravyn,
I don’t expect the Battle of Ice
Like book 5, this season will end on all cliffhangers
Its all been about setting up “The Wars To Come”
cosca,
Until he comes back
HBO needs to reign in giving out screeners to so many people, and stick with 1-2 episodes. Martin needs to re-evaluate his potentially damaging ‘friendships’. And I need to stop giving a shit. 😛
OT:
Haha, are you a prof!? I’m sure that I’ll be working a butt-load this weekend, but I’ll allow the season finale to serve as my much-needed break in between. 🙂 A former prof of mine had even messaged me last week saying something like, “Don’t worry, you get your break on Sunday 9PM.” They know me well!
cosca,
HelloThere,
I just don’t see it being a big shock or cliff hanger. There’s gotta be something else.
I didn’t see anyone else mention it yet, but my guess is
Arya Havin’ a Larf,
I think she’ll have the same as last season. Do nothing of interest all season and then kill and infinitely more interesting character than her in the finale. Obviously Stannis is now a dick but he’s an interesting one. Hope he lasts a bit longer and doesn’t become another victim of Brienne the Bore.
Robb Snow,
Even then, that just raises the question of why they should bother doing it in the first place if it’s going to be undone so quickly.
I agree that it is spiteful if people want to spoil things for folk who watch the show. After all, they can stay off internet sites and not watch the show if they want to await the publication of the next books. Last week to be honest, I read the recap at WotW before I watched the show itself because I was a bit “hyper”- worried about Shireen (with reason as it turned out). Getting back on point if the Powers that Be behind the show took too long waiting for when (and if) the books catch up, the younger actors would probably be married with kids of their own. It is possible to enjoy the show for itself and the books for themselves (it is for me at least). Though I wish they hadn’t
cosca,
Something more fun would be if he opened blue eyes while laying dead on the ground.
Finally, if he’s really Azor Ahai that could be tied to his resurrection somehow, especially if Mel is the one to bring him back as has been foreshadowed. It might also cause a significant change in his personality like it did with Beric (and Stoneheart in the books).
Just a few possibilities.
Also, don’t listen to the asshole above posting about spoiler pics. Those are photoshopped.
34121,
Calm down, Linda.
Outed!
Wow, that is good. I always say things like “You can rest when you are dead.” Huh: maybe I should take a lesson here….
I am so very glad that Elio and Linda are going to quit the show
Somebody is about to get the banhammer…. LOL
zod,
LOL 😀
Ravyn,
“The Wars to Come” from the Season 5 soundtrack definitely sounds to me like the rising score for Stannis’s final march on Winterfell. I think it will serve as the musical accompaniment for you cited of Stannis’s banners flying in the wind and the beginning of the battle. It’s suitably epic, and elements of several familiar character themes are mixed in there. The track runs for 4:49, so it’s obviously not long enough to cover an extended battle sequence, even if the music fades out at times. (For comparison, “Hardhome, Part 1” is 5:07, “Hardhome, Part 2” is 4:32, “Son of the Harpy” is 5:18 and “Dance of Dragons” is 3:09.) But it could definitely cover the build-up to the battle, and perhaps the opening salvo.
The show has been teasing the confrontation between Stannis and the Boltons since the season premiere. I would like to see that storyline resolved this year, whatever outcome that entails.
WorfWWorfington,
I am pretty confident that what Jessica Henwick said is not an exxageration. One of directors from previous episodes said basically same thing and Indira Varma confirmed it too. You can get an idea what will happen from her interview.
http://nypost.com/2015/06/10/thrones-actress-poisonous-touch/
zod,
I am 99% sure the warging is photoshopped. Someone made a Gif of both photos and you can see it is photoshopped.
Robb Snow,
That seems improbable for two reasons.
Ultimately, I think that a lot of this stems from people viewing the prologue of Dragons as a setup for Jon doing this. However, I really think that it was a setup for Bran. Bran’s warging skills wind up close to Varamyr’s, who is sufficiently good that he can jump into one of his wolves in the end. Now, Bran is going to spend the rest of his life warging with trees and animals. We do not see any indication that Jon is anywhere near that accomplished: it seems that warging, like so many things, is a skill that you have to practice and develop if you are so “fortunate” as to have the basic ability.
Wimsey,
I also think Jon opening blue eyes would be an epic twist but I doubt this. The former idea is the most likely IMHO.
Deesensfan,
Obvious troll. Ignore.
gewa76,
Okay!
Man people take this shit too far.
Ruining the experience for everyone and just being immature about it. This is the biggest show in history and honestly, it bring people together, in a weird way. Watching the shows together every sunday, etc… I have a weekly lunch date with a friend to discuss GOT LOL.
But I guess there are trolls everywhere. I am a huge sports fan and you see people trolling and heckling but its easier to ignore because they aren’t actually SPOILING anything.
There must be away to prevent these leaks from happening!
Its crazy! Sometimes, I wish book 6 doesn’t come out till the show is over so that everyone is on the same page with everything (sorry book readers ) and then sometimes I don’t. Anyway.
Sorry, just ranting — stop acting like kids and lets all enjoy the show
34121,
delete your comment.
That would be horrific… to see those 3 epic failures take out one of the best characters
34121,
BAN HIM. Where the hell are the site admins ??
HelloThere,
I truly doubt it. He probably still has a part to play in future events, since he’s very likely
It would also be a complete and utter cheap shot to do that, and even I wouldn’t stick up for the show if it happens.
34121,
Get the fuck outta here with those photoshops and fake leaks. Also don’t bring that shit website here. It’s a reason that bullshit has not been posted here.
How do u know that’s him? You people keep formulating these theory’s in your head and setting yourselves for dissapointment. Little brother could be anyone
34121,
What a sad , pathetic life you must lead. Go back to wanking off stray cats.
King Podrick,
I don’t know anything, but there are quite a few signs pointing in that direction. I’m sticking with this theory until it’s proven false.
You made me spit out my coffee. LOL.
HelloThere,
I really hope not. He has unfinished business with both Cersei and Brienne (potentially) to have him die in the same episode as potentially a lot of other characters would cheapen his death. Can’t help but worry though as and if it did happen, I think I may stop watching the show…it could already be losing a lot of it’s more interesting characters in the finale. I think Bronn is a goner though, as well as Stannis. Hopefully a couple of Sand Snakes will do too and I wouldn’t mind seeing the back of Brienne if the her/Jaime thing isn’t going to happen.
How much would it blow people’s minds if Sansa died?!
LOL! You made me spit out my coffee!
Robb Snow,
I’m not sure that really has been foreshadowed in either books or show. At least there is nothing of which I can think that basically did this in some different way earlier or referred to this in some way earlier. Oh, the books provide some hints about identities: but that is very different from foreshadowing this sort of sequence of events.
(Full disclosure: I am one of the ones betting that
Actually, (logically) it could be one of two people, given that there are no other sorts of “brothers” for the person in question in this world. If “Brother” were a title on men in a religious order, then, say, “Brother High Sparrow” would be a candidate: but it’s not, and it’s a bit too late to introduce that. So, that leaves us with two people whom X would call brother: and 2 is much, much less than anyone!
Arya Havin’ a Larf,
Given the quality of the extras on the DVDs and BluRays, it’s very worth the wait.
Wimsey,
I don’t think it necessarily has to be HER younger brother.
Wimsey,
1) Mel finding out about resurrections from Thoros.
2) Mel’s peculiar interest in Jon (even more so in the books).
3) Sam’s amusing “He always comes back” line.
4) Mel’s current proximity to Jon (she could easily get to Castle Black from where she’s at now, especially since everyone in this show has a jetpack).
It’s true that these things could mean absolutely nothing. But I couldn’t help but pick up on this stuff and knowing what I know from the books, it leads me to suspect this as a possible outcome.
Of course Mel just healing him is also a possibility, I just I think it would be more dramatic to resurrect him. Just my thoughts on the matter. 😛
“We’re aware that there are leaked images of the finale going around. We will not post leaked/stolen images from the finale[..]” THANK YOUUUUU. I love this site. Season Finale… OMG!! I can’t… Looks epic!! 🙂
TheTouchOfFrost,
I would give that an impressed nod, especially if she went out doing something really useful and kickass. Because no one would expect it. But it’ll never happen.
Robb Snow,
Ah, do you know: one of those lines would qualify as foreshadowing in this case, at least of
I had forgotten that one! However, it would not foreshadow
: the audience might feel warned about the former scenario, but not about the latter.
By the way, there really aren’t jetpacks here. Remember, each season spans several months and as much as a year. The time line actually is much more protracted than in the books. (Of course, as there is no way that they could pass off the “kids” from 2011 as anything other than adults now, that was almost inevitable.) It is a peculiar difference in mindsets, I think: some people see the “rapid” geographic shifts and assume minor plot holes, other people see the big geographic shifts and assume days or even weeks elapsed. I remember Tolkien fans disagreeing about this: many complained that the trek from Rivendell -> Moria looked like it was only a few days, whereas others said that the big changes in scenery between shots told them that several days was passing between each one. There just is not a universally effective “show time to the audience” method. (Well, unless you want to have calendar pages rip off in rapid sequence…..)
At any rate, if Mel left for the Wall a couple of days after Davos did, then she could get there a couple of days later: i.e., well within the span of time covered by most episodes.
You misunderstand Linda’s point, which I feel is correct. Her argument was that while obviously the show will spoil the books in some sense, there is no reason for the show-writers to exacerbate this by publically stating which parts of the show are taken directly from GRRM’s notes, and which parts are mostly made up by D&D.
There is precisely zero evidence she has anything to do with the leaked photos, unless something has changed in the last few hours.
EW SPOILER ROOM is out!!!
http://www.ew.com/article/2015/06/11/spoiler-room-thrones-brooklyn-mistresses-spoilers
The high-intensity action of the last two episodes does not slow down as we head into the finale. You can expect at least one more death before season’s end (‘natch). Lena Headey will also have her biggest scene of the season, one that everybody will be talking about the next day, while Brienne will finally have something to do other than wait in the snow.
So excited for Lena’s big scene! Hope this will secure her all the awards. That dumb troll saying it will be disappointing and < 30 seconds messed w/ my mind too much, lol.
Chad Brick,
One of the few few few times I find Linda’s argument solid.
But for me, Im happy they confirmed it…
TheTouchOfFrost,
Though evil side of me would like to see the reaction of viewers and critics if Jaime would be killed by Sand Snakes, Brienne from Stannis and Jon from Olly in the finale. But yeah, not gonna happen (Jaime´s part….).
I’m re-watching the trailers for the season and I think we’ve seen mostly all the scenes from them except where Margaery is hugging someone around the middle – which we all assumed was Tommen (at least I did and it made me feel gross then hey we saw them in bed and it was like, well okay then) BUT what if it’s Littlefinger because he helped free her?! Does Littlefinger wear a ring?
Anyway I’m going to mention it again here, my prediction for tonight’s murder score – because of that first scene this season one of the incest kids should die, right?
My guess is they both die.
Stannis is king now by right, and well, he dies too (hopefully by Brienne).
Total chaos. Who rules? Who cares! This is the GOT.
GaiusB,
Heather,
Balon is also still a pretender!!
Actually, I prefer that they do that. It makes it easier to assess major plot developments. They don’t need to go over what was changed/condensed in detail, or provide a point-by-point summary, but for major stuff like Shireen’s death it’s good to know if the general concept is original or not (and cuts off at least some of the complaints directed at the show; now, complaints about implementation of those ideas are different, of course, much like with the existing text that we already know about).
I’m wondering this myself…. Bronn owes them, and he is a sell sword. That would be a hell of a wrap up if he turns on Jamie, and kill him and Marsella in the process. Then they march to KL to finish off the Lannisters.
Wimsey,
While I agree with you and think you could be 99% correct I also like to point out that it could be more than meets the eye. Think Bran Stark and them. I guess we’ll see how this plays out :/
The thing is, D&D have been rather forthcoming about material they’ve made up on their own, thus, by default, one can fairly safely guess most everything else is based upon what Martin told them. For me, and of course it’s just my opinion, that renders the whole “they shouldn’t have said they heard it from George” moot.
While it is possible she has nothing to do with the leaks, as evidenced by the responses to her twitter, her “I feel like starting a spoiler campaign” (I’m paraphrasing) certainly led to people going to various places and posting any spoiler of which they could think (and reporting back to her twitter going “hahaha…I just posted a bunch of spoilers on reddit,” or wherever). I’d guess she isn’t a complete dolt and knew exactly the effect her post would have. Moreover, as there’s a distinct possibility some of the pictures making the rounds are photoshopped, it wouldn’t surprise me if those are a direct result, as well.
At best it was incredibly irresponsible of her, and given she’s so upsetz, I’d be absolutely stunned if she gave a flying fuck.
What does he “owe” them? They poisoned him, and he begged so they gave him the antidote. I can’t see why, even if he was the sort of character who felt moral obligations (which he’s not), he would feel anything in that case.
HelloThere,
Sean C.,
Sean C.,
He owes them his life, which he values. They also are as powerful as the Lannisters and can pay a sellsword enough to switch sides.
Jamie going down is the one Ned/Oberyn level death that I could see happening this episode. Taking Marcella out as well would tie together with the flashback… It would also makes sense of the whole Dorne plot this year. IMO.
He doesn’t owe them his life; they were the ones who endangered it in the first place. And, regardless, his life is “non-refundable”; there’s no continuing obligation, as they’ve already abandoned their leverage. The Martells aren’t as powerful as the Lannisters either, and while Doran might have some cash to throw around, nothing indicates the Sand Snakes do. Jaime has already promised him a rich wife with a castle; what would the Martells offer that tops that, and why would they bother?
Sean C.,
It feels weird reading any kind of post trying to make sense of anything about any character and their motivations from the Dornish plotline.
I wonder if there were more scenes they wrote and/or shot for the Dorne storyline, but cut them to make room for everything else. It would explain a few things if so.
The Dornish plotline was just silly this season IMO.
Bronn was the only good thing about it and the guy who played the Red Viper’s crippled older brother was good too, the only good scene, was the caged nipple scene, not because it showed that hot girls nipple but because it just was good.
King’s Landing has been weak too, without Charles Dance or Peter there, IMO it just is a weak story. Marg was good and her relationship with Tom was fun to watch unfold, Queen of Thorns and Littlefinger was good. The rest *yawn*
King’s Landing is a shell of what it used to be. No Tywin, no Tyrion, No Varys, No Little Finger… Only Cersie (not blaming Lena for this).
IMO the main soryline that kept this season very interesting was all things North. Jon Snow and The Nights Watch killed it this season.
Stannis killed it this season. Sansa and that creep Ramsey killed it this season.
I just hope D&D don’t shoehorn Brianne into the Stannis storyline like they did at the Watergardens with Jamie and the SS.
I know I am talking about a show with Dragons and Dark magic but please make the major PoV confrontations believable.
Sean C.,
Jaime´s promise of “a better wife and a better castle” is pretty much a garantee that Bronn will either die, defect or both. So i would not use it as an argument against Bronn´s possible betrayal. Especially if you consider stuff like: “the last mission before the retirement”, Dornishman´s wife, the talk about prefered death, Jaime´s arogant behavior towards Bronn for whole season, Tyene´s seduction and the presence of Areo´s axe.
Elkanah,
Maybe they can go be adviser’s on the Sony/Bollywood version being produced for India, musical numbers and all.
TheRealHotPie,
I doubt Jamie will die.
King’s Landing needs strong actors back there to work with Marg, Cersie and QoT, otherwise we will get the boring King’s Landing storyline again next year.
My prediction for Brienne’s story line for this season will close with her/Sansa/Theon escaping to Stannis, thereby placing her in his army for next season. A twist is Ramsay is captured while he is chasing them. It would be quite intriguing for both him and Reek to be prisoners and the maneuvering by all for Stannis’s good graces. Furthermore this is how Stannis will learn of Rickon and Bran next season and send a raven to CB having Davos search for them.
Now that I think about it, there’s a bit from Season 2 that might foreshadow Bronn
He’s also a sellsword to begin with and lets Tyrion know several times that he expects payment if he keeps working for Tyrion. Perhaps Janos wasn’t the only one whose loyalty could be bought or sold, and with Tyrion not around to keep paying Bronn and Jaime just promising a better lady and castle (which Tyrion also promises to Bronn if he fights The Mountain for him and still refuses) , who’s to say what Bronn may or may not do? He’s always been a character of dubious loyalty, totally dependent on how much gold you send his way.
So I’m really starting to think Bronn might be working with the Sand Snakes and will take on a role similar to Arys Oakheart from the books.
I agree with some here who say that
There has been ZERO hanging guns *nods to Whimsey* about Jon Snow having any warging ability at all. NONE. Not even book Jon Snow and I believe that he is too much a part of the larger picture for him to die the final death for what happens at the Ides of March scene.
Why would Brienne want to kill Jamie without the LSH arc? No reason at all. Why are we still talking about LSH? I make a promise that if LSH is on that hill in the distance in the previews, I will apologize to all who kept the LSH faith going. Brienne is more likely to do some damage at the battle for WF. Jamie is more likely to return to KL.
Either way I am so excited, scared and SO READY for Sunday to come that I am having heart palpitations just reading all these thoughts and ideas. I haven’t clicked any link left here or anywhere else since yesterday happened. I hope I didn’t miss anything that was note worthy by not clicking a link. Best safe than needing another good brain scrubbing!!
This is really interesting:
“Gower was much more cryptic about a mind-blowing VFX challenge that fans will see in Season 6… probably. “Benioff and Weiss, when they write the outline each year, for last two years, we got to this one point and we read this one gag and thought ‘Oh my God, how the hell are we going to do that? But this is going to be incredible!’ And then it got pulled and we didn’t do it in season 4,” says Gower. “And then, lo and behold, in season 5 there it was again. And it’s pulled again! But now, in season 6, it looks like we’re going to do it. Fingers crossed they won’t chicken out.”
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/tv/game-of-thrones-dragons-white-walkers-vfx-121365015845.html
Balon01,
Hmm, curious. It’s definitely not LS, which I’m sure some people will jump to, because that’s hardly a mind blowing challenge. Something White Walker related? Like their city perhaps?
The valonqar prophecy isn’t in the show. (My theory is they felt stating it in the show would require valonqar information and explaining ‘little bother’ would give too much away. )
And dramatically speaking, odds are its Jaime because he (and Tomnen, who according to prophecy will be dead by then) is probably the only person in Westeros who would feel conflicted about killing her. This makes him odds on favorite.
cosca,
Giant ice spiders?
They might be a big VFX feat, they were mentioned in Hardhome, but we have yet to see any.
We say that in German also… Die Hoffnung stirbt zuletzt.
Basically,
Elio & Linda = Cersei
D&D = Margaery
GRRM = Tommen
Cersei is gradually going completely insane and angry because she feels Marg is screwing (probably raping) Tommen. Tommen is kind of enjoying it though.
Tommen is yelling that he’s king, but kind of knows he doesn’t have any real control…
I would, because the only reason Bronn would do anything like that is money, and we’ve seen nothing to suggest Ellaria and the Sand Snakes could outbid Jaime on that score.
Never realized it until now that Wun Wun is the same actor as Season 2’s Mountain!
I would really love to see some theories about the opening trailer shot with the person standing on the hill. It doesn’t look like what the show has shown of Moat Cailin, nor does it look like Old Valyria. It DOES look very much like where the Brienne and Hound fight took place…
Jaime killed a king who wanted to burn down KL. he will do so for a queen alike.
Anyway, however this seasonis going to end, I really had goose bumps with episode 9.
I just rewatched it because the first time I was too “exhausted” after Shireen death, and on this second rewatch I really cried emotional tears with Danaeris and Drogon flight.
Sooooo moving, really.
It’s a shame that the emotional feelings are somewhat spoiled by the Shireen fate on the previous scene.
I can understand why someone think the episodes being too packed, now. It takes a second watch to them to really feel and “live” all about what’s happening in them!
I think this season is th best, only it needs a second and/or third rewatcht to actually intake everything.
Yeah, I imagined seeing an ice spider off in the distance, the size of a building, casually picking up and munching stragglers. (I don’t remember if they’re as large as hounds, or houses but I’ll take either.)
I agree aith all you say in your post, but this is particularly right ror season 5.
Despite people finding it ” slow” instead is my opinion that it is so much “zipped” that it needs at least to be rewatched to be fully appreciated.
Standig ovation to D&D.
Bongo,
He also can’t seem to get what Tyrion said about Lancel and Osmund Kettleblack out of his head. You can tell it really bothers him. This isn’t in the show but when he finds out about Lancel I imagine it’ll bother him just as much.
Kundry,
Daznak’s Pit was awe-inspiring to be sure. I’ve gasped, I’ve cursed, and I’ve shed tears at this show more times than I can count, but from the moment Drogon roared in approach to Dany mounting him and taking flight I bloody cheered out loud. It was just beautiful.
On a side note, how long has it been that movie/TV people refer to stunts/big scenes as “gags”? Maybe it is a Yank thing, but we always use “gag” as a joke. (I remember some Tolkien fans being offended at Peter Jackson’s commentary about working up to the “gag” in a scene, showing that: 1) he thought it was all a joke, and, 2) it wasn’t funny! Some more movie savvy people pointed out that “gag” in this lingo meant the big punch-line of the scene, humorous or otherwise.)
And, oh, those teasers. I love having no idea to what this could refer!
Robb Snow,
Kundry,
I agree: that was a “goose bump” scene for me, too, and I don’t get those too often. I really liked a few aspects of it. In particular, I liked how everything sort of stopped when Drogon turned up. Sure, a few people tried to pick up the fight: but for the most part, everyone is staring in awe. Two, I really like this idea of dragons as giant cats. There are several old sayings along the lines of how a cat is owned by no man, but the cat owns you: and that is almost how it appears, with Drogon saving his silly human. The roar in her face was almost a feline reminder: OK, I’m saving your butt, but don’t get any ideas about who really is the boss! Yet he still lets her get on his back and fly. (My son’s favorite film for a long time was How to Train Your Dragon, so I’ve had a soft-spot for this depiction of dragons for a while!)
But what really sold the scene for me was the expressions on Tyrion’s, Jorah’s, Missandei’s and Daario’s faces. It was like they were witnessing apotheosis. Even Jorah looked more awestruck than usual by this. Along these lines, I did like that there was an unspoken reconciliation of sorts between Daeny & Jorah.
The ending of Hardhome left me with a hollowed out inside feeling, which I also don’t get too often. I wonder what the finale will make me feel? (Hopefully not stomach pain!)
Wimsey,
“Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.” 🙂
I love the look in Drogon’s eyes as he looked at Dany, as though he was considering her. He and Toothless would be friends. 🙂
The moment that Dany accepted Jorah back was probably my favourite part of the episode. No words, just a look and an outstretched gesture, and acceptance. A bit similar to Dany and Drogon, actually, LOL.
I just hope ep 10 is more about dramatic tension then action. David Nutter seems to be a better dramatic director then action director.
Ace of Mace,
By far.
Wimsey,
I agree. Actually I’m surprised all of the SOTH weren’t trying to get the hell out of the arena right then. I know I’d be getting the hell out of Dodge if I saw a huge dragon approaching.
He was also a White Walker at one point. He’s rather tall and lanky, they use him as their “large character SFX model” for multiple things.
Nymeria Warrior Queen,
heh, that’s one I actually have not seen before! I was thinking of ones like: “Dogs believe they are human; Cats believe they are gods” or “There are many intelligent creatures in the universe, and they are all owned by cats.”
I’m thinking that Drogon works like that.
I think that there would be two basic reactions. That is one of them. I think that the other would be to just be awestruck and stare at the thing in amazement.
I know, right? Jessica Henwick’s quote about the finale’s storyline for the Sand Snakes being “extreme” puzzles me. If she’d said Dorne or Doran, yeah, I would totally get that, but Sand Snakes? I wonder if she was either self-aggrandizing or if the Sand Snakes might travel to King’s Landing with Myrcella and Trystane – or something crazy.
Weren’t they all standing right by her in the last episode when she knelt and cried in front of Doran?
Wimsey,
Oh definitely. I wouldn’t dispute that.
If you pay attention to the SOTH in the background in several scenes you can see a lot of them start running away once the dragon starts tearing apart and roasting people. The whole sequence was really terrifying and chaotic and all of the extras did a good job even if their parts amounted to little more than standing (or running) in the background.
Ginevra,
Book spoiler:
Wimsey,
I think that there would be two basic reactions. That is one of them. I think that the other would be to just be awestruck and stare at the thing in amazement.
Or freeze in terror!
Simeon,
Ice spiders confirmed for Season 6!
Wait. Who’d Brienne kill last season? Oh, yeah. I keep forgetting that
Is the show essentially saying dragons don’t need training as such – that it’s all about the bond with the right rider? Drogon was pretty efficient when he landed – slicing a guy here, lighting up guys there.
I’ve been wondering about the training side of it. Could Jon really be a dragon rider with his existing bond with Ghost?
Count me as another one thinking somethings up. Perhaps I’m overthinking or cannot forget the Reek/Theon walking-up-the- staircase fakeout. No great feat to fake a stabbing. He was absent “making sure ‘things’ were in order”, and then it was like “your grace your grace look at me over here right now!”.
Who else betrayed Daenerys? Certainly not Jorah, since his betrayal he’s moved heaven and earth to just be able to touch her hand again.
Oh and it might tie in to my fervent desire that they faked us out with Shireen. I’ll hold out hope till the last credits.
ash,
D’oh! Yeah, good call….
Her name is Shireen *sob* 😉
So, Stannis’s march: before leaving Castle Black he said he didn’t have enough men to attack Winterfell and could well have lost some since then. I may have misunderstood but got the impression that Roose was mainly counting on the weather defeating Stannis and just holing up in WF until then, with perhaps just some minor league fighting?
how evenly matched are they in terms of odds of winning? Also, I’m not brilliant on the geography but I assume the Vale army are too far away to nip over and join in, even if LF has bought each one of them a jet pack? I could live with the (probably highly unlikely) event of a reverse Blackwater – where the cavalry appear out of thin air to support Stannis rather than defeat him – but if that happens and LF sweeps in like Tywin did, telling Sansa he raised an army to save her and now where’s his thank you kiss, he will owe me a new tv because I will stick my boot through the screen. He’ll also need a new head as my kick will be so hard it’ll actually somehow get into Westeros and decapitate him. But that’s his problem! So er yeah, family member murderer vs ally and their family murderer (plus anyone I can get my hands on murderer sidekick), how does it shape up outcome-wise?
I guess it is likely the green dragon is the greenseer’s dragon
BostonDave,
It might be a variant of what some people suspect happens in the books: Hizdhar thinks that he is in tight with the sons, but is actually considered acceptable collateral damage by them. Obviously, B&W would know for certain if that is the case.
Lulu’s Mum,
There is no indication that LF has left Winterfell yet, but he might have. Obviously, he probably could get to the Vale in the time that Stannis army was stuck, and an army moving north would probably move faster than one moving south if only because the weather would not be quite as bad. (Also, LF notes that the Vale armies are much more used to the snow than are Stannis’ forces.)
Still, LF’s plan was to mop up the victor, was it not?
Lulu’s Mum,
I think the Boltons will win the battle against Stannis, then next season while the Boltons are gloating over their victory they’ll be ambushed and defeated by Littlefinger and the knights of the Vale. I’m sure much audience applause will ensue if so.
Some further analysis of why Stannis might lose: because Ramsay destroyed all of their food, siege weapons, and mounts that will hamper their assault considerably, and he might also lose more men after murdering his own daughter. Quite a few people in the crowd looked disgusted by what was happening and there’s a huge taboo against kinslaying, so it’s not beyond the realm of possibility his army shrinks a bit between Episode 9 and the finale.
I also think that sacrifice was in vain, or only bought him better weather at the most.
Combine that with Winterfell’s fortified walls and I just don’t see Stannis coming out on top. He will either be defeated or forced to retreat, which I doubt he’ll do. He’s a goner.
I think there are one or twists in the North. 1. Yara shows up. and or 2. LSH shows up with The Blackfish and the Brotherhood. Either or both happen in a manner similar to Tywin showing up at the Blackwater.
I’m really starting to think Davos will Take the Black. Davos will know that Shireen was killed when the weather breaks. That will be the price Stannis pays. Stannis can not stop Davos from renouncing all claims and taking the black. Brienne will fill Davos’ role in retrieving a little fella.
Doran’s plan will be to send some or all the sand snakes to Dany, and Trystane is sent to KL to await Dany’s return and see that Lannisters die prior to her arrival. Ellaria does something stupid and Aero Hotah cuts her in half. (Darth Maul style)
Vary’s shows up in KL and kills Kevan.
We get a quick peek at Hound being mended by Sparrows, setting up S6 Clegane Bowl
Jon sends Sam and Gilly away. Olly has been a misdirection and will actually take the first couple of stabs for Jon if an assassination happens
Wimsey,
NEVER trust anything LF says, rookie mistake 🙂 “Blah blah is my plan” probably means he’ll do the complete opposite. I would guess he’s still in KL playing everyone off against each other. If things come to a head for Cersei they may well do so for Loras and Marg too. I can imagine Olyvar either recanting or conveniently disappearing before he can give evidence at a trial and turning up dead in a ditch somewhere, all courtesy of the wandering accented one.
I was basically wondering if I was correct in thinking that if it was decided the Vale guys were going to get into the action while it was still in full swing,
It was when I started thinking along the cavalry lines that the LF pretending to have been in the thick of the action to get Brownie points bit occurred to me. I think it’s only fair to warn him I do not approve before I kick his head clean off his shoulders. And I want the money for the new telly in advance, wouldn’t trust a cheque from him either 😉
EDIT: You mean no indicating LF has left KL don’t you? Unless he’s snuck back into Winterfell without anyone noticing, I knew he was untrustworthy! 😉
That makes perfect sense and is also rather funny! 😀
I am not a book reader but in the show, the three dragons hatched by Daeny from fossilized eggs, certainly don’t seem to want to be “trained”. It’s all about a bond with their human, which so far, seems to be just her. Even though R and V in Ep. 5.01 were justifiably furious with her and threw a royal tantrum, they did not burn her directly, and in Ep. 5.05, understood exactly which human she wanted them to roast and eat. Also D coming to check on her in 5.02 when she was feeling low. So it seems to be a matter of a bond. I’ll be very interested to know if Tyrion attempts something this Sunday with R and V.
And yet and still you have Tyrion saying someone betrayed her. There can only be two options that I can think of. Daario or Hizdar.
Robb Snow,
Celebrations on a par with when Joffrey died I imagine – I don’t think anyone actually supports them, even though it’s possible to see why Roose switched sides when he thought he’d backed the losers and his House would be wiped out as a result. If he and Ramsay have any redeeming features at all they are hiding them very well 🙁
Personally I think there’s a good chance that doing the unspeakable (if I don’t acknowledge it, it’s not real so I won’t, la la la can’t hear you) is what will lead to Stannis and Selyse’s ultimate destruction. Not necessarily directly, but once their story is finished it could well be the point you can trace their downfall back too. Selyse particularly seems very vulnerable at the moment, she’s never exactly been a picture of mental well being and this could tip her over the edge.
Actually I’m rather hoping that there’s just a massive punch up involving everyone I hate and they all die, so society is the winner 🙂
Robb Snow,
One thing that I learned from the Exorcist: the devil mixes in truths with his lies! (I also learned the vomiting green stuff and spinning your head is really, really creepy.) LF gets away with as much as he does because he packages his lies in truths. Now, if LF had suggested that he’d take them head-on one at a time (which many a Lord would have done), then I would have said he was lying.
The real question is, what deception is LF hiding with this?
Actually, I bet that LF would like Loras to be found guilty. That would put the Tyrells at war with the Faith and really stir up the pot. LF is basically Loki incarnate!
I’m betting on Hizzy. He was in on the arrangements: they just did not go as planned for him! (Again, some of us suspect that something similar happened in the books, albeit with a different plot and different outcomes.)
Tenesmus,
Those are some intriguing possibilities.
Why wouldn’t it be Jorah that Tyrion was talking to? If Jorah is trying to get back in with Dany why wouldn’t Tyrion confront him with his previous betrayal of Dany first, especially after saying outright that Jorah indeed betrayed her and causing him to be banished again just two episodes ago?
Kay
The show at least seems to be giving the dragons intelligence/personalities of their own. I guess there’s a lot more to come on that in the books.
Kay,
It is all about the bond, yes. The books imply that this human-dragon bond only ever forms for those who are blood of the dragon. Only Targaryens have been blood of the dragon, IIRC, but it’s something more than being Targaryen, too. Perhaps you have to inherit that particular gene, and the purer your bloodline is, the more likely you are to inherit, which would explain the Targaryen affinity with incest. However, Viserys was not blood of the dragon because he burned when they put the molten gold crown on his head. Though her brother wasn’t, Dany is blood of the dragon as she shows when she survives the fire to become Mother of Dragons.
I believe the books also imply that no person rides more than one dragon. You bond with one, and that is your dragon.
Makes no sense for tyrion to rehash that old shit to Jorah in light of recent developements. It only makes sense if he’s saying it to Daario, or a live Hizdar. He certainly wouldnt be talking to a dead Hizdar. So its either Daario did something or the Hizdar stabbing was faked or botched and he’s still alive. No one thought his “your grace your grace look over here at me right now as I get stabbed!” a bit convenient?
The only question i’d have is why fake his stabbing? The only answer to that would be to hedge his bets in case the uprising failed. No one knows who the harpies are, nor who is leading them. He might have wanted it to remain that way.
I have internet-read about the Targaryens and dragons, and I would posit that this mysterious dragon gene actually has to be activated, not just inherited. I mean, Viserys and Daenerys could both have inherited it, but in Daeny, it’s an active gene, while in Viserys, it was always going to remain dormant. Also, yes, the obsession with incest suggests that the Targs wanted to preserve this gene in their bloodline for some purpose foretold in prophecy.
Which means whatever dragons are needed for (defeating WWs?, bringing balance between fire and ice?) after that is done, the Targs don’t have to maintain this gene.
Gosh, before 5.09 aired, I was so certain that Hizzy was shady. Then he acted all weird (making arrangements, lol!) and got stabbed. If he turns out to be alive still (and ahem…. no curtain call even today for Joel Fry, hmmm….), I think he may have underestimated his influence with the Harpies, who are led by the Whore. They proved to be disloyal, and in 5.10, he may come crawling back to Tyrion and Co. asking to be “pardoned”. We’ll see. That introduces an added complication in Meereen, and where do we have the time in 5.10? It’s so jam-packed already.
Ginevra,
Targaryens are not supposed to be fireproof: we read of a few of them burning to death in GRRM’s works. (They border on pyromania at times, it seems.). Daeny seems to be very unusual in how fire proof she is. I suspect that it has more of an AA thing or something along these lines.
As for individuals mastering more than one dragon, I am not sure if the usual rules apply here (assuming that those are the usual rules).
bostondave,
He just got cold feet about the wedding, and went a bit dramatic about it. 😛
Wimsey,
I don’t have the book handy at the moment, but in the show, Dany says this of Viserys’ crown:
Ian McElhenney is behind the leaks. Everybody go home.
Speaking of good facial expressions did you see Tormunds are they were all floating away and the last of the NW + Wildlings were getting slaughtered… It was perfect o explain the horror he just saw….which was worse than the others on the boat because he knew a lot of them..
Jaime’sHand1220,
The tears in his eyes…that was rough. And the way he put his arm protectively around Karsi’s daughters at the Wall.
So now that we’re almost finished with the season, I asked my family what they thought of the season so far. (Yeah, we all watch it!) I was surprised (but pleased) that they all seemed pretty overwhelmingly positive about it, especially my dad who was really gushing; it’s his favorite season so far. He even liked Dorne, probably because Doran is one of his very favorite characters on the show now.
I’m pretty much in agreement; it will take some rewatches, but if episode 10 is good and gives a solid conclusion to Dorne and Winterfell, I could see it becoming my favorite season. But I assumed that a lot of unsullied would end up thinking this season as ‘boring’ and ‘slow,’ since the source material was so boring and slow, and since there aren’t many huge events until the end of the season.
Do you all have unsullied friends/family who watch the show, and how do they feel about it so far?
Yeah, the ending of both episodes shows what you can do with cinema that you cannot do in literature. Pictures can paint 1000 words and sometimes more, and the way that Tormund, Edd & Jon looked (coupled with the general silence) just magnified the horror of the whole thing. Conversely, the looks of awe and amazement on Tyrion, Jorah, etc., magnified Daeny’s ascension.
As for the “slow and boring,” it seems that most of the really slow and boring stuff from the books got cut or severely truncated. I admit that I was really worried about how audiences would react to the Riverlands or Meerenese politics or Tyrion’s full journey: but those turned out to be a non-issues.
Ginevra,
GRRM did have dragon riding Targaryens get burned in his Dangerous Women short story, so clearly the two are separate. And, of course, Daeny’s great grandfather and great uncles burned themselves to death at Summerhall. The books never indicate that Targaryens were known for being impervious to fire, although they certainly were known for being obsessed with fire.
Brendon,
My coworker and I have Monday morning discussions about the show, heh. He is Unsullied (he did read the first book a few years prior to the show, but hasn’t gotten back to them and wants to wait now until afterwards). He’s been largely impressed with the season as well, particularly Hardhome, Daznak’s pit, the Tyrion/Varys and Tyrion/Jorah pairings, Valyria, the High Sparrow, and Jon’s maturation. Lows for him have been ‘Blatant Ollie’, ‘Caillou Sansa’ and Winterfell in general, the ‘SandSnakes of Repetition’, and the random-seeming loss of Barristan.
I’ve also found that my Unsullied friends have been more positive about Arya’s story than many of my Sullied buddies. They’ve been happy with Jaqen’s return, and the Hall of Faces was a revelation. None of them have complained about it being slow, I think they feel her frustration at trying to be patient in her new situation. The scene with Needle was definitely a highlight with all of us.
And none of them know what the f*ck Littlefinger is up to. 😉
It seems there is less negative feedback from my Unsullied vs Sullied.
I was totally blown away by Hardhome. I expected some trouble of the White Walker persuasion to interrupt Jon’s mission… but nothing like that. It’s the yin to Daznak’s Pit’s yang. One filled me with hope and the other with pure dread.
I like how much the Night’s King told us without actually speaking. His body language, facial expressions, and of course his mass resurrection of the dead told us everything we needed to know without uttering a single word of dialogue.
“Look. See what we’re capable of. Now go back and tell them we’re coming.”
Jon and the others with him knew it too. Truly chilling… and a real game changer for me as well. Everything going on south of the Wall feels so small now. 😛
*gasp!* Dammit, Littlefinger!!!! 😉
http://i.imgur.com/ItmOc0Z.jpg
Pigeon,
lol
A little bit of Season 6 news.
This CBC.ca article mentions, Jeremy Podeswa will be returning to direct for Season 6
http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/game-of-thrones-shines-with-canadian-talent-1.3111167
GRRM went to great lengths in later interviews (but long pre-GoT on TV) to explain that this line does NOT literally mean that the Targs are impervious to fire.
I agree on no.1: Yara will show up….with her father, Balon. Of course he dies in battle. Not sure who will kill him.
Then all 3 kings are dead: Robb, Joffrey and Balon. And having the Ironborn in ep. 5.10, we can start S6 with the Kingsmoot.
Elkanah,
Is that confirmed? If so, that’s a breath of fresh air.
ace,
I was ecstatic to hear Miguel Sapochnik would be back, after The Gift and particularly Hardhome. Podeswa… not so much. Then again, it’s difficult to judge their abilities based on a few episodes, as not even the most amazing director can salvage a shitty script (not that Kill the Boy or Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken were shitty) or the fuckups of other production teams. Maybe Podeswa would’ve been amazing with the Hardhome setpiece, and maybe Sapochnik would’ve fucked up the Sand Snakes fight… but somehow I doubt it.
So with Podeswa and Sapochnik back, there’s at most three other directors who will work on season six. I dearly hope David Nutter, Alik Sakharov and Michelle MacLaren are back.
I don’t get why people don’t praise Sakharov more often. The Laws of Gods and Men, for example, was undoubtedly one of the most visually beautiful episodes in the whole show. He directed The Climb and Mockingbird as well —In his episodes, the direction and the lighting is almost like a painting sometimes. In a way, that makes those episodes some of the least “grounded” in the show, visually, but they’re still beautiful —Littlefinger’s speech about “the climb”, not only the visuals in the throne room but also what is shown during the voiceover, including the ending with Jon and Ygritte, which many considered cheesy but I think was absolutely beautiful; the whole of Tyrion’s trial; Oberyn presenting himself as champion; and many, many other moments.
chameleon,
I think the show should have a fall and spring season to have more
details and take a little more time to develop some of the new characters in the show or their points of views . I think that what makes the books so interesting.
Wimsey,
Dany is not fireproof either.
Ginevra,
Watch this.
I liked the season as well. Even more so than season 3 and 4. I know many people here think those two seasons were fantastic but (althought there were moments that I liked) I didn’t enjoyed those seasons as much as the previous two. I find myself surprisingly more satisfied with this one even tho I do have some problems with how certain scenes were executed and for the first time with some of the cgi.
HelloThere,
JamesL,
Wimsey,
You may well be right, Wimsey. You usually are. But I believe that fireproof Targaryens is at least implied by the text, so I’ll share where I think that happens. This first quote from the text is very similar to what is said in the show when Viserys dies:
And then this quote is when Dany first steps into the fire, which I see as her justification for how she knew she could survive the fire, and then we see some of her thoughts when she’s in the fire, as well:
And then this quote is Joffrey telling Sansa about Viserys’s end:
That is a bigger mystery than Jon’s mum!
Usually? I doubt that! However, the winner of the “who is right the most often” contest probably scores under 50%: it probably is like batting averages in baseball: 33% and you are a god!
😀
That written, there is something unusual about Daeny. In the book version of the scene concluding the last episode, she does have her hair burned away, much of her clothing burned, and her hands get burned; however, I still got the impression that she should have gotten much more badly burned than that. (I think that her hair gets burned away when she cremates Drogo, too: but there is no way that they were going to have Daeny be bald in the show for any length of time!)
So, I do wonder if something along the lines of what you suggest is correct: Daeny is (somehow) more “concentrated” Valyrian than most Targs are, or that because she is the Prince that is Promised (or one third of it), she’s magnified, or something like that. She’s not “immune” to fire: but she’s got a bit of asbestos in her, and possibly more than most Targaryens. (GRRM’s comments are agnostic with regard to this: if he does intend this to be true, then he would probably skirt the issue while clarifying the Targ situation.)
Indeed, wasn’t there the idea many years ago that Daeny would become some sort of permanent sacrifice to R’Hllor because she was fire-proof? I’ve not seen that in years, so I guess that idea got lost.
Mark,
Yeah, good call, and bad wording on my part. If Daeny were clothing, then she would be labelled “fire resistant,” which is very different from “fire proof.”
Wasn’t there the idea that the big Summerhall catastrophe differed from Daeny’s not-immolation in that, when Daeny did it, Dragons were born, and something about that protected here, whereas when Egg did it, no dragons were born, and everybody died. Of course, when Daeny did it, she sacrificed someone intentionally (whereas Aegon & family were unintended sacrifices): so, maybe the One God (either R’Hllor or the Cylon god) shielded her and granted her dragons….. 😀
(Actually, there are some somewhat spooky connections there, aren’t there?)
All six of the Unsullied in my family have enjoyed this season so far. My sister keeps complaining that she misses the Hound, though. That is why she’s my favourite sister. #teamsandor
I’m all right with the season. I re-read AFFC/ADWD in the early spring, and although a couple things in the adaptation fell kind of flat, on the whole I am really impressed with how they streamlined those two books to fit almost entirely into one season (Iron Born and the Citadel excepted).
David Bradley, who plays Walder Frey, said a few years ago that he would be back in season six to face “divine retribution”, so I’m even more stoked for next year.
Ginevra,
Oh – those quotes remind me how brilliant GRRM’s writing was. I may need to read them again this summer. Oh I did that last summer? Ah well.
Chickenduck,
Ah, okay. Thank you, Ser Ducken. That would be definitive.
When the HP fandom was going strong, there was a website that catalogued transcripts from all of JK Rowling’s interviews so that you could search for different things she had commented on in interviews. I’m wondering if there is a GRRM equivalent site, but I haven’t been able to find one after looking around a bit. Does anyone know of one?
Thanks, Mark.
ash,
Isn’t GRRM’s writing brilliant? The vow of the Night’s Watch has always been a favorite of mine. I’m hoping that the actual song of ice and fire is just as brilliant and inspired. When Tyrion and Jorah recited “The Dance of the Dragons” as they glided through Valyria, I thought that was some George-worthy writing, and I really wish they’d tell us who wrote that.
Pigeon,
Hilarious
Robb Snow,
JamesL,
Nothing in that quote implies just one death in the finale. It says “you can expect AT LEAST ONE MORE death”.
Warning
The Recap for E10 is leaked on 4chan
Uncle Benjen,
😉
JamesL
I always thought Davos would be killed by pirates before arriving to Dragonstone for help. However, Loras was supposed to be there. Davis would never find out about Shireen’s destiny.
Uncle Benjen,
Oh my god,oh my god, oh my god! Please let that recap be legit.
Sakharov is also on my top list of GoT directors. You neglected to mention his first episode, 2×03 What Is Dead May Never Die, which is brimming with phenomenally directed scenes. To name but a few:
* Theon’s letter to Robb and his subsequent baptism
* The duel between Loras and Brienne
* Tyrion’s threefold maneuver with Pycelle, Littlefinger, and Varys regarding Myrcella (though I’m not sure if that scene’s editing masterclass is due to Sakharov or his editor)
* Yoren’s final stand (I always hated crossbows, take too long to load!
To sum it up, WE NEED SAKHAROV TO RETURN!