Open Chat

Game of Thrones Season 6 Episode 7 – The Broken Man – Open Chat

Posted on by Sue the Fury

jaime

Game of Thrones Season 6, Episode 7 “The Broken Man”

Writer: Bryan Cogman
Director: Mark Mylod
Runtime: 51 minutes
Content Warnings: TV-MA: Adult Content, Adult Language, Nudity, Violence
Video Preview: Full episode 7 preview on YouTube

Synopsis: The High Sparrow eyes another target. Jaime confronts a hero. Arya makes a plan. The North is reminded.

*Note: please use spoiler coding when discussing ASOIAF book or filming spoilers.*

Spoiler coding is still required in this Open Chat post prior to the episode’s official airing (9PM EDT tonight for Season 6 Episode 7). We ask that fans cover and label your spoilers appropriately. In the event of a leak, spoilers from the actual aired episode are not permitted in this post until after the episode officially airs at 9PM EDT. Unsullied and Sullied alike share this post, so be considerate. Thank you!

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Sue the Fury
Susan Miller, Editor in Chief of WatchersOnTheWall.com

941 Comments

  9. The High Sparrow Targets Lady Ollenna, Jaime confronts Black Fish, Arya tries to get out of Braavos by paying a ship captain to take her to westeros, Sansa finds out Rallying North is not going to be child’s play.

  12. Very excited!!!

    This episode should make me forget about this crappy day, hopefully……

  13. Do you think Ian McShane will be in tonights episode, or next week? Pretty short episode tonight to be able to get to him.

  14. I think this is the episode I know the littlest about this season. I have no idea what Jaime is gonna do, what Arya’s plan is, how Jon and Sansa are going to convince anyone, what will happen in King’s Landing, etc. I’m super excited for this one.

  19. Jon, sansa, Davos, mel, and tormund recruiting help, Jamie and black at the siege of riverrun, arya on the run from the faceless men, and some Kingslanding goodness, looks to be another solid episode of Thrones.
    Can’t bloody wait ^^

  26. Connor,

    Lol i’m still playing it, taking my sweet time with this one.
    Enjoying every single second of blood and wine, glad your not disappointed 🙂

  37. Dee,

    I think it’s speculation based on the preview – I thought Sansa was looking at the letter from Lyanna Mormont (the voiceover is something like “I will always be a Stark” which fits).

  39. Flayed Potatoes,

    Can’t bloody wait!!!!
    Don’t know what i’m more excited for, the North or riverrun 🙂
    “A siege is deadly dull, I just came to see the stump of yours”

  41. Dee:

    As a non bookreader, I am hoping that book 6 comes out soon because I won’t start reading the books till I have book six haha

    Cant belive you are a fan of the TV show and have not yet read the books.

    The first 3 books are a masterpiece. The last 2 are underwhelming, and by what we saw of the chapters of book 6 it too will be a filler fest like 4-5.

    So by all means start reading the first 3 books, and skip reading 4 and 5.

    Thats my advice.

  42. Connor:
    I just finished The Witcher 3 Blood and Wine dlc.

    And felt empty knowing it’s the last of Geralt of Rivia’s story. When they made it look like he smiled at the camera at the end, I had a tear in my eye. :'(

    I’m downloading it now. I’m still playing the regular game + Hearts of Stone. I still haven’t finished the main quest. I hadn’t played since Jaunary and when i popped it in yesterday, i was pleasantly surprised with the new UI and map enhancements 🙂

  46. Dee,

    Especially when they all are corrupt thiefs…. I voted for a party I hate today, because I know their candidate, he was the director of the high-school I went to, because I hate all the others more…

    God, that american guy, after the revolution, was right…. We’ll need 80 years to clean the communist mindset from the country..

    I just hope GOT helps me get over this..

  49. I think this episode might be the last time this season we will be able to take a breath and enjoy more character building, subdued scenes…

    im looking forward to speeches and big character moments… cuz we know 8-10 are going to be ridiculous…

  50. Mihnea:
    Very excited!!!

    This episode should make me forget about this crappy day, hopefully……

    I think this is why we love this show so much it helps us escape the trials of our everyday lives. Hope your day gets better.

  51. Hoyti Von Totiy,

    I know … But someone told me to be completely spoiler free from the show – I should wait a bit longer. I think, now that I see this in season 6, it has to do with young Ned flashback.
    So I was at least waiting for season 6 to finish before starting book 1. Know what I mean?

    I have them all. I am just waiting.

  52. I hope they have the full confrontation between Jamie & Blackfish. I was great in the books.

  54. Hoyti Von Totiy,

    I haven’t read the books either. Well, read the first 2 and didn’t enjoy them. Gave up during 3. For me the books and the show have always been two entirely different things and really should be enjoyed as such.

  57. Came here to read some comments about what people are expecting tonight, and had the ending of a totally unrelated videogame spoiled that I’m currently savouring my way through. Thanks a million, guys. Next time, take a second to consider others, and take it to the relevant channels.

  58. The synopsis on DirecTV doesn’t say “The North is reminded” (altho it did for while), it now says: “Memories are awakened in the North”

  60. I wonder how they are going to fit the entire recruitment campaign in one episode (which happens to be a short one). Maybe we’ll get some more scenes in episode 8…idk.

  61. MiaMoon,

    It still could… But I doubt it.

    Note to everyone, if your goverment/parlament, wants to have elections in a single round…get in the streets. Enough politics from me!
    My head hurts enough as it is..

  62. I am already preparing my rewind button for when Ian gives the broken man speech.
    Bryan is the master of adapting GRRMs best monologues – Tyrion’s trial, Jaime’s bath….

  64. Dee,

    Just wait for WOW, if it comes out, you will have at least as much of the story as you can get.
    No point in starting now and never finishing it.

  65. I wonder if the logo in the opening intro will change (from the Baratheon stag to the Faith Militant logo).

  67. Cian,

    Oh come on, he didn’t spoil anything story related.

    And I’m just like you, just started the DLC. If anything he motivated me to finish it quicker.

  69. Flayed Potatoes:
    I wonder how they are going to fit the entire recruitment campaign in one episode (which happens to be a short one). Maybe we’ll get some more scenes in episode 8…idk.

    Littlefinger left his jet-pack in Mole`s town.

    At some point Jon will want to know where did Sansa get this rocket propelled jet pack and when she tells him all hell breaks loose leading to a wresteling match on Bear island between them two.

    #thewayitgoesdowntonight

  74. Mihnea,

    He spoiled what I’m guessing is one of the final shots, or THE final shot. In a series spanning seven books and three games, that’s quite a significant thing to just give away without warning, considering its supposed poignancy.

    This is all without mentioning the fact that it has nothing to do with GoT, much less tonight’s episode.

  76. Today will be the first time I stay awake till 3 in the morning to watch a new GoT episode. It better be worth it. I know the last one would have been.

  80. mrspeel,

    Ooooo…I like that much better! I’m a bit annoyed, though. I went to check the synopsis on Comcast, because sometimes it’s a bit different, too, but I had to unplug my cable box last night to correct the signal, and for some reason the guide still hasn’t finished repopulating, so it doesn’t even say GoT is on at 6, it only says, “to be announced.” 🙁

    I’m quite interested to see how they handle the various scenes in the RL. Thanks to Flayed Potatoes for mentioning trebuchets. Getting that tidbit would be a great touch (no biggie if we don’t, but it sure would make me grin like a fool if we did…staying intentionally vague for Dee and other Unsullied).

  82. Dee,

    I think you should just wait until Season 8 is over. It’s only 2 more years! And you’ll probably enjoy the show a bit less once you’ve read the books. Or at least, you’re enjoying it now so much, so why risk it? 🙂

  83. I’m pretty pumped for a return to the Riverlands. After the North/beyond the Wall, it’s the location that’s of the most interest to me and I’m kind of sad the show hasn’t been there in a long time. I’ll be curious to see if the Jamie/Blackfish/Edmure stuff will match really closely with the books, or if it will be changed. It might not be the most widely shared opinion, but the AFFC Jaime chapters are some of my favorites in the series and I’m glad the show is finally adapting them.

    maybe we’ll get a Brienne reunion next week!

  84. Yeah looking forward to this. Ian mcshane wouldn’t have taken the role of his monologue wasn’t good. Bryan Cogman has written some of my favorite Game of Thrones scenes.

  85. Dee,

    You might as well wait until Book 7 is out so you don’t have to wait five to seven years for that to happen. Book 6 won’t be out this year and maybe not even next year. Based on the trajectory of the last few books, book 7 won’t be out until 2024 or 2025.

  86. QueenofThrones,

    That is a very good point. I’m a little anxious but it would be a great post GOT way to stay connect with ASOIAF.

    Eman,

    Ah! I’ll still be young enough to feel like reading that many books 🙂 hahaha

  87. Eman,

    ADOS will never be out, and if it will, it won’t be the last book.

    I am really doubting Martin can end the story in 2 more books. At least not, if he keeps writing the same way he did AFFC/ADWD…..and the WOW chapters we have didn’t reasure me at all.

  89. Ice Spider,

    My ”source” is 4chan, so don’t hold your breath. But if it is true then it means some other really interesting stuff will happen.

  91. Hoyti Von Totiy,

    Im finishing book three.. well been trying to finish it and from what I’ve been hearing not sure if I want to even get books 4&5?? Heard a bunch of folk saying they are really dry and hard to get through? Maybe reading them as recommended on here? I mean the chapter lists?

    What say everyone? Read books 4 & 5 like as recommended or just read them normally?

  92. Pigeon,

    Yes, because contrary to what Mace Tyrell’s underwhelming speeches suggest, madness has not yet had it’s day !

    I hope this week will be exciting.

  93. Just a reminder to everyone: please read the warnings up top about spoilers and spoiler coding. Even the regulars- especially, you guys. If your speculation is heavily based on filming spoilers, you’ve got to cover that.

    And please don’t post ANY leaked materials in here. Thanks.

  96. Ice Spider,

    Read them as the author intended. The fan-made order spoils some stuff.

    Just lower your expectations a bit. And prepare for tons of world-building, lots of minor pointless POV/character, and 2 books that have no ending, they both end on cliffhanger.

  97. Ice Spider:
    Hoyti Von Totiy,

    Im finishing book three.. well been trying to finish it and from what I’ve been hearing not sure if I want to even get books 4&5?? Heard a bunch of folk saying they are really dry and hard to get through? Maybe reading them as recommended on here? I mean the chapter lists?

    What say everyone? Read books 4 & 5 like as recommended or just read them normally?

    I’d be interested in reading the re-arranged chapter list that fans have compiled; I read them as they were released and it was nightmarish. I read both volumes of Book 3 in a couple of days and yet it took months to get through AFFC and ADWD.

  98. Mihnea:
    Ice Spider,

    Hmm ok.. Im like Dee.. I try to remain relatively spoilery free but somethings I don’t mind knowing..speculation is always welcome bc it’s not KNOWN facts.. but if someone had leaked the whole

    Hodor death before he died

    then I would have been mad as hell.. lol

  100. Mihnea:
    Ice Spider,

    Read them as the author intended. The fan-made order spoils some stuff.

    Just lower your expectations a bit. And prepare for tons of world-building, lots of minor pointless POV/character, and 2 books that have no ending, they both end on cliffhanger.

    Ok.. will do. Thanks.. that’s going to be my summer diversion from the withdrawals I will be having from no show.. can anyone recommend a good psychiatrist for when this show ends? Im going to need therapy.

  101. Ice Spider,

    Romania. Weirdly enough, despite all my anger, things still go in the ”right” direction…… but slow, really freaking slow…
    The European Union has praised as numerous times.
    Every step foward we make, we need to make sure not to take 2 back after.

  102. QueenofThrones:
    Ice Spider,

    I wouldn’t waste your money on them, personally!?

    I may just borrow someones then … lol or go to the library? I do want to read them so that I won’t miss stuff but I’m very afraid bc of the things Ive heard about them…

  103. The more and more I have thought about it this week I keep coming to one conclusion. Cersei will be the cause of Tommen’s death by 1 of 2 ways. When thinking about this I kept thinking back to the Flashback of Maggy where she said:
    Cersei: When will I wed the prince?
    Maggy: Never. You will wed the king.
    Cersei: I will be queen, though?
    Maggy: Aye. Queen you shall be… until there comes another, younger and more beautiful, to cast you down and take all that you hold dear
    This led me to these thoughts for this week maybe next week’s EP we will get set-up for the TBC and this is how it plays out, I might be wrong about this but I don’t think I’m wrong Cersei will be the cause of Tommens death.
    1. Trial by Combat, Cersei chooses the Mountain and Faith chooses Tommen, this scenario makes since as it would play into Margery and Olenna’s plot to take over the Throne, (and yes I believe Margery is playing for this plot) if Tommen is killed off then the Tyrels have the throne. (show not book)
    2. Trial by Combat and the Mountain looses, they come for her and she has Qyburn unleash the Wildfire killing Tommen who is in the Sept at the time.
    Both of these ways of Tommen dying would fulfill Maggy’s prophecy as both books and show cannon.
    Book Spoilers beyond this point so view at your own risk. I also believe we will get one more flashback to Maggy and in it will be this:
    Cersei: Will the king and I have children?
    Maggy: Oh, aye. Six-and-ten for him, and three for you. Gold shall be their crowns and gold their shrouds, she said.

    And when your tears have drowned you, the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you.

    With Tyrion placed in the show in Essos it would also mean Jamie would have to be the Valonqar. I believe especially with this episode coming up or maybe the next Jamie and Brienne reunite and Brienne

    as in the books tells Jamie she has found Sansa (Some bantering maybe a few scenes later even we hear Jamie say to Brienne from “Storm of Swords: “I have made kings and unmade them. Sansa Stark is my last chance for honor”

    This will be the start of Jamie’s redemption arc ending with him finding his sister gone mad just killing people possibly children

    and Jamie chokes the life from her.

  104. Dee,

    Everyone is recommending you to wait a bit more, and maybe that is a good idea until the end of season 6 (because in some areas, the show still hasn’t caught up to the books), but I wouldn’t wait much beyond that.
    Personally, I draw great satisfaction from all the informed speculation that the books allow me because I have a greater knowledge of background events and such. Speculation based on the books is the greatest thing for me and I love the series and its creative interpretation of all that material more for it. (I started the books after season 2, btw.)

  105. Mihnea:
    Ice Spider,

    Romania. Weirdly enough, despite all my anger, things still go in the ”right” direction…… but slow, really freaking slow…
    The European Union has praised as numerous times.
    Every step foward we make, we need to make sure not to take 2 back after.

    I am an avid history buff but honestly don’t know much on Romania. I have a degree in African Studies and studied the Middle East along with African studies.. I will have to do a brush up on Romania though… thanks for the info. 😉

  107. So cool to see The Blackfish tonight. And Jon/Sansa/Davos rallying the North. And maybe Ian McShane? I may burst.

  108. Valaquen: I’d be interested in reading the re-arranged chapter list that fans have compiled; I read them as they were released and it was nightmarish. I read both volumes of Book 3 in a couple of days and yet it took months to get through AFFC and ADWD.

    YES.. that is what Im hearing.. I whizzed through the first two and the majority of book three but the season started and so that kinda put the book on the back burner till season is over… life and raising children take precedence over reading right now… lol but thanks for your take on it..appreciated.

  109. QueenofThrones:
    Dee,

    I think you should just wait until Season 8 is over.It’s only 2 more years!And you’ll probably enjoy the show a bit less once you’ve read the books.Or at least, you’re enjoying it now so much, so why risk it?

    Adding to edit my prior comment. I read the first 2 and ½ books before the show aired and disliked them. Then watched all 5 seasons last year and loved the show. Bought books 4+5 and have mostly read the lot of the series. And I still don’t like the books but I love the show. I’m one of those readers who don’t find GRRM to be a great story teller. He is a great world builder though, but his characters are often – imo – cartoonish or clichéed and he is also quite long winded, boring. Game of Thrones on the other hand… love it.

  110. For those who are feeling discouraged by the released TWOW chapters, those are all or mostly pages that were held back from ADWD. I’m not saying Winds won’t be meandering. It might be. I’m just saying, no point in pre-judging it based on the teaser chapters.

    Although unlike most people here, I liked Feast and Dance, so YMMV.

  113. Re Books

    Book 4 is worth the read if only for Cersei chapters. There’s something hilarious reading her condescending views on anyone and everyone. Most other chapters are good too. Brienne’s chapters are the absolute worst though, an endless snoozefest describing her pointless journey with ever changing list of absolutely boring companions. Even Podrick Payne is unbearable.

  114. I tried to hide this as potential spoilers so if it’s not please let me know and/or delete it. Thanks.

    I don’t see another episode that Ian Macshane could appear in especially if he’s a one off. And with Swearengen you should expect a lot of Fs and CS’ers throughout the Broken Man monologue. And if it is the BS speech then you should expect the return of The Hound. Also expect that Cersei and Olenna talk to end on a sour note between them.

  115. As far as reading books 4 and 5, there are some good parts of those books. I’d also think, having the advantage of knowing some of the characters readers meet for the first time in books 4&5, it may be more interesting/less confusing than going into them cold. Moreover, there’s also the advantage of already knowing, at least to some extent, what happens to some of the characters because of the show, so the maddening, “why are we getting all these new characters when what we really want to know is what’s going on with all the characters we’re already invested in who are pretty much completely left out of book 4,” won’t be as much of an issue, either.

  116. So we know Jaime will talk to BFish since it’s in the freakin’ trailer. But what if he’s not the “hero” the tagline’s talking about? After all is BFish really a much of a hero?

    In the books,

    the dude kicked all the smallfolk out of Riverrun to save food and supplies for his army, and left his nephew for dead.

    And for the show he hasn’t had much to do one way or the other.

    What if Brienne is the “hero” that Jaime “confronts”?

  117. Nymeria Warrior Queen:
    As far as reading books 4 and 5, there are some good parts of those books.I’d also think, having the advantage of knowing some of the characters readers meet for the first time in books 4&5, it may be more interesting/less confusing than going into them cold.Moreover, there’s also the advantage of already knowing, at least to some extent, what happens to some of the characters because of the show, so the maddening, “why are we getting all these new characters when what we really want to know is what’s going on with all the characters we’re already invested in who are pretty much completely left out of book 4,” won’t be as much of an issue, either.

    Yeah.. that is why I do want to read them.. just wasn’t sure if I should read them as the author wrote or by the recommended way that was talked about on here a few months back (maybe over break?). Anyway I will read them.. just not high on my priority list at this exact time.. the SHOW on the other hand takes precedence over almost anything but life itself.. lol.

  118. Mihnea,

    It’s fantastic. The whole new region is amazing.

    Jack Bauer 24: I’m downloading it now. I’m still playing the regular game + Hearts of Stone. I still haven’t finished the main quest. I hadn’t played since Jaunary and when i popped it in yesterday, i was pleasantly surprised with the new UI and map enhancements

    I beat the main story 3 times lol, the next two times i finished it on new game plus. I loved Hearts of Stone, such a great story too. A sad one as well, with some tough bosses, like the Caretaker, took me 30 times to beat him lmao. And Blood and Wine is great! Love the new region, its big. It’s a vampire story as well, and it has 3 endings. One good, one bad and the other one good/bad.

  119. BranTheBlessed:
    Re Books

    Exact opposite opinion on everything you said! I can’t STAND Cersei PoV. A more pointless waste of pages I’ve never read. Yet, I Enjoyed Brienne’s, at least upon re-read. *shrug*

  120. Mihnea,

    If true, I’m not that surprised. Ian McShane pretty much gave it away in an interview that his character was a one-shot, when he talked about having a great death scene. Add the casting spoilers about a corrupted organization that sounded suspiciously like BwB gone bad, and it makes sense.

  121. Ice Spider,

    The leader of our biggest party has been found guilty of voter fraud and refuses to resigh because ”he believes he is innocent”, the previous prime-minister, is tried for money laudring(I botched this word) the elected mayor, right this day, of a sector of the capital is tried for bribes, another mayor again elected today, can very well be arrested next weak.
    We have a tehnocrat govermment, because all parties lost all trust and people protested on the streets after 70 people died in a night club fire, a night club that had no papers and functioned illigely, because the mayor took bribes.
    This is the political situation in the country, more or less.
    They even tried changing the criminal laws to save themselves but stopped after protests.

    The major positive? They are all being tried or already found guilty.
    The anti-corruption agency, witch we where ”ordered” to create by the EU is truly doing it’s job.

    Last comment on this as it’s off-topic! Let myself get carried a bit, sorry. Politics is a hobby/passion of mine.

  122. Regarding the books.I read them after season 3. The first 3 books are as good as any fantasy I have read (Im 61 by the way) the next 2 are dire ,sorry but thats my opinion. the show gets more criticism after season 3 because the source material is worse, for what its worth season 6 (so far) has been the best since s3.

  124. Every father of a highborn girl in Westeros has had a week to realize that Jaime is now an eligible bachelor LOL

  126. QueenofThrones,

    Agree on Cersei’s POV, they where the hardest to reed. She was a joke.
    Brienne’s chapters I found….boring but Cersei’s were just bad.

    I appreciate Lena every time I see her on screen and think how much she improved the character.

  127. Dee,

    This is the letter she sent Stannis when Stannis sent away for the Northern lords’ help. She basically sent back a middle finger, which I absolutely love and that’s why I recreated it 🙂

  128. Ice Spider:
    Hoyti Von Totiy,

    Im finishing book three.. well been trying to finish it and from what I’ve been hearing not sure if I want to even get books 4&5?? Heard a bunch of folk saying they are really dry and hard to get through? Maybe reading them as recommended on here? I mean the chapter lists?

    What say everyone? Read books 4 & 5 like as recommended or just read them normally?

    A friend I recommended the book series to burned through the first four all after GoT had started airing. She’s now been sitting about halfway through book five for around two years. She’s read many other books in that time – just can’t find the interest to finish that one. She is through season five of the show and loves it though.

    I haven’t read 4 & 5 in the boiledleather chronological order. I think they may be more enjoyable that way. I’m one that didn’t care for very much of the Dorne so breaking that up would be a blessing.

  130. Mustangride,
    For your Spec, who is “another, younger and more beautiful to take all you hold dear” or do you think they will drop that point?

    I am wondering because it seems likely that Cersei will die before Dany gets to Westeros, and Sansa is in the north with no cause to come south. Margaery could be, but then that seems too obvious, since in some ways she literally has taken everything from Cersei… except for Jaime.

    Which makes me wonder if it could be Brienne? She’s not a queen but she’s younger and more beautiful depending on whether you mean inward or outward beauty.

    Or maybe Cersei will escape KL and the prophecy won’t be completely resolved until next season.

  131. Hoyti Von Totiy,

    The jet-pack is a tin foil theory.

    The REAL reason Littlefinger can “teleport” is because he’s stealing time. Where is he stealing this time, you may ask? Well, here’s another long running fan question: is Gendry still rowing?

    The answers to these questions have more in common than anyone could imagine. Littlefinger has tapped into Gendry’s time. Gendry is caught in an infinite rowing loop while Littlefinger is able to use that stored energy to speed himself through his own timeline.

    I don’t know how to spoiler tag. Sorry for ruining this master twist for everyone.

  133. QueenofThrones: I think you should just wait until Season 8 is over. It’s only 2 more years! And you’ll probably enjoy the show a bit less once you’ve read the books. Or at least, you’re enjoying it now so much, so why risk it? ?

    Eh, I read the books after S4, and I’m still enjoying the show just as much, if not more, than I did before reading the books.

    Seeing how badly GRRM butchered AFFC/ADWD really put all of the hard work that D&D did to streamline the S5 storyline into perspective. I certainly appreciated the show more.

  134. Eman: You might as well wait until Book 7 is out so you don’t have to wait five to seven years for that to happen. Book 6 won’t be out this year and maybe not even next year. Based on the trajectory of the last few books, book 7 won’t be out until 2024 or 2025.

    Book 7 is never coming out. We’ll get tWoW in 2018, and that’ll be it for a Song of Ice and Fire. The only ending we’ll get for that story is via the show, unless GRRM’s estate is willing to take on another author to finish up the epic like Robert Jordan’s estate asked Brandon Sanderson to step in and finish the Wheel of Time. (And if that happens, the final novel(s) will be of a much better quality than AFFC/ADWD/TWOW was.)

  135. MAN! It’s been a long week, n an even longer day. Tis beautiful here. Hot and beerbq shaped. 9pm tho n I’m fookd o.o gottan hour to meself so Naptime!! Or ill never make it lol

    Really hope the drawbridge bros are at the end of the ep so can give it proper attention next week. N lots of other awesome stuff up till then pls 😀 I love Sundays. I love Westeros. And feel like I’ve already had a seasons worth an everything else is a bonus now.

    Broken man. Surely not?! If so this is defo the season of wrapping a few things up so bookppls can just stfu n enjoy the final dozen or more. 😛

    GAH! Can’t think about that. Expected more n till it’s confirmed I refuse to hear it lol.

    5 hours!!!

    Oh my gods

  136. Hoyti Von Totiy,
    You cannot have read the new Aeron Damphair-chapter then. It’s really, really good, utterly disturbing with a lot of intriquing reveals. Of course, Aeron is perhaps my favoritie POV-character so I’m a little biased, but people seem to agree that this new chapter is the best of the bunch from Winds.

  138. QueenofThrones,

    Show wise the obvious is Marg, but “To steal away” Makes me lean toward possibly Sansa, If she stole Jamie to her side it would fit and remember Book Sansa is in the Vale. I doubt it is Dany.

  141. Ice Spider: What say everyone? Read books 4 & 5 like as recommended or just read them normally?

    I’d suggest the Boiled Leather reading order. That’s how I read AFFC/ADWD, and it made the pointless meandering and random new POVs a bit more easier to take when it was intertwined with the better parts of the books.

  142. QueenofThrones: Exact opposite opinion on everything you said!I can’t STAND Cersei PoV.A more pointless waste of pages I’ve never read.Yet, I Enjoyed Brienne’s, at least upon re-read.*shrug*

    I think its brilliantly written, the way she looks down on everyone and carefully schemes to get rid of Margeary only for all her vanity to come crashing down in the final chapter. The show has taken away so much of that plot-her cast of friends, her choices of the small council, burning the hand’s tower, the Kettleblacks, Loras tyrell’s storyline etc. Brienne’s by comparision is tedious, dull and pointless. there’s no story element there

  145. Josh L,

    Lol noob. We’ll get the books. Book 6 before Season 7. Book 7 sometime after the show finishes. The final word.

    Till more Dunc n Egg n whatever. Ppl so negative about George idgi 🙁 he rich now can stay healthy n write more now the pressures off (mostly).

    LESS THAN 5 HOURS!!! zz

  146. Of the entire show I will say the thing I have wanted most is Jamie’s redemption arc, it would explain so much and be the true uniting force. Well that and where is Gendry i heard he and waldo were together.

  148. Tullybaby:
    Every father of a highborn girl in Westeros has had a week to realize that Jaime is now an eligible bachelor LOL

    LOL.. LOVE that thought.. who would you SHIP him with?? Interesting thoughts..

  149. Mustangride: Show wise the obvious is Marg, but “To steal away” Makes me lean toward possibly Sansa, If she stole Jamie to her side it would fit and remember Book Sansa is in the Vale. I doubt it is Dany.

    Hm that’s an interesting idea. But I don’t know if Jaime is ready to go to the extreme of actually allying with The Starks. And do you mean a Sansa x Jaime marriage, cuz, woh??? O_O Or maybe you just mean Brienne convinces Jaime to go help the Starks/get rid of the Boltons because they are awful.

    One intriguing thing about Jaime being Lord Lannister (he is, right?) is that Cersei literally has no political power over him. Whereas before, he was Kingsguard and debatably has to do what she said (if we buy when Cersei says she’s speaking for the king).

    So, technically speaking, if Jaime was persuaded that the Lannisters and Starks should be allies… there would be no one to stop him from taking all the Lannister forces north of the neck. Jesus. I can’t stand this waiting…! urghh

  152. QueenofThrones,

    The Blackfish is legendary for his younger years.

    He fought with Barristan Selmy in the War of the Ninepenny Kings and gained great fame in the Seven Kingdoms.

  153. Clob: A friend I recommended the book series to burned through the first four all after GoT had started airing.She’s now been sitting about halfway through book five for around two years.She’s read many other books in that time – just can’t find the interest to finish that one. She is through season five of the show and loves it though.

    I haven’t read 4 & 5 in the boiledleather chronological order.I think they may be more enjoyable that way.I’m one that didn’t care for very much of the Dorne so breaking that up would be a blessing.

    Ok.. I really appreciate all the feedback.. I want to finish book 4 & 5 this summer so just kinda had this fear thing going on. I will try it the way they were intended to be read and if I find that too difficult I will try the chapter lists way (Boiled Leather??) Yeah that sounds right.. been a while since I read about those chapter lists.

  156. Damphairintheshowplease!,

    Didn’t really like it. The Theon one was better, even the Arya one.

    Still better then Arianne….but this isn’t really saying much.

    Just to over the top. Torture porn 2.0. Even more convenient plot devices for Euron…etc.

  157. Ice Spider

    You must read Books 4 and 5, there is no reason TWOW and ADOS will not be awesome

  158. Josh L: I’d suggest the Boiled Leather reading order.That’s how I read AFFC/ADWD, and it made the pointless meandering and random new POVs a bit more easier to take when it was intertwined with the better parts of the books.

    Lol.. okie.. thanks so much for your take on it.. I will try to read the way intended but if that fails to get me going I will do the BL list.. 😉

  159. BranTheBlessed:

    I really can’t stand being in Cersei’s head (she’s awful) and I don’t like the supporting cast in her story. What actually happens could have been told scattered about other PoV’s.

    Brienne’s story meanders, but when read in isolation I think it compares favorably to a Dunk and Egg story. I also like being in her head because it’s refreshing to have a PoV from the perspective of an actually good person, and I enjoyed the backstory we got.

    If I was left to my own devices both PoV’s should have been cut but I’m not GRRM.

  162. Mihnea:
    Josh L,

    It does spoil some things like Quentyn though.

    Pointless character for me. There could have been no better last chapter for him – unless it was also his first chapter.

  164. Mag: But Jon is Snow and Sansa is Lady Bolton… I suppose Rickon counts.

    Not once Ramsey’s dead she isn’t… and that’s exactly what they are asking the Northerners to help out with.

  168. I want Gendry to be the ”a handsome young man” by Littlefinger for Olenna against Cersei so bad.

  169. r-hard:
    I want Gendry to be the ”a handsome young man” by Littlefinger for Olenna against Cersei so bad.

    Oh shit, you think they will kill Tommen somehow and crown Gendry then marry him to Marg!?!! MIND BLOWN

  172. One of Roose Bolton’s 20 good leeches:
    Ice Spider,

    Sam’s sister, lol.

    Oh… that is funny. Sam and Jaime bro-in-laws! Now that would be interesting convo’s. BUT on a more realistic note.. Sam’s Father would get the MANLY son that he’s always wanted.. Im not so sure Sam’s brother is all that manly.. he seems a bit weak in my book. But compared to Sam his Father has no other options!!

  174. Mihnea,

    I understand. So sorry. you unfortunately also have to vote for the candidate you hate least that’s what I’m doing as well in US

  175. Dee:
    Ice Spider,

    Isnt that SAMs sister

    Yes.. I didn’t hear her name on the show last week and I haven’t gotten to her in the books.. so there was my confusion on who it was.. ;(

  178. Damphairintheshowplease!,

    I read it, and I was soooooooo disappointed. Although I didn’t like the Iron Islands in the books, at all, The Damphair was my “favorite” character, as I have a fascination with religious zealots, and he reminded me a bit of St. Augustine. Unfortunately, all I feel like we got in the “new” chapter was

    Euron as Ramsay 2.0. Between the Sansa and Arianne chapters (neither of which I, personally, enjoyed, although in all fairness, I can’t stand Arianne, so there’s a built-in bias there), and now Aeron chapters, my hopes for the next book are rapidly waning. I’m keeping my fingers crossed those chapters are the exception, and chapters like Mercy, which I really enjoyed, are more prevalent.

  179. r-hard:
    I want Gendry to be the ”a handsome young man” by Littlefinger for Olenna against Cersei so bad.

    Listen … all you folk who want to ship Gendry with ANYONE but a STARK.. it’s a Stark for Gendry and that is it.. I mean he did say Arya was his LADY.. 😉 I just thought they were so cute together.. and I KNOW she was digging him even if she didn’t want to show it.

  180. Just saw the trailer for tonight on tv and paused on Sansa writing. I really think she’s writing to

    little finger – I read the words “fulfill your … UGH!!!

  181. QueenofThrones: I really can’t stand being in Cersei’s head (she’s awful) and I don’t like the supporting cast in her story.What actually happens could have been told scattered about other PoV’s.

    Brienne’s story meanders, but when read in isolation I think it compares favorably to a Dunk and Egg story.I also like being in her head because it’s refreshing to have a PoV from the perspective of an actually good person, and I enjoyed the backstory we got.

    If I was left to my own devices both PoV’s should have been cut but I’m not GRRM.

    Fair enough. I quite liked Brienne’s chapters in earlier books-with Renly,Jaime. I was specifically talking Book 4 where her contribution can be summed up with -”Have you seen a maid of 10 and 3, fair and with auburn hair?” repeated about a 100 times. apart from that completely randomly meetup with Randyll Tarly midbook and LSH at the very end.

  183. BranTheBlessed,

    We disagree on Cersei.

    But I agree with you here. The chapters should really have been condensed, there is a lot of fat that could have been cut.

  185. QueenofThrones,

    What I see happening is Brienne and Jamie meet back up, and she has a talk with Jamie (vows and honor and all) and I really hope its in a Southern Grandmother tone and look. Jamie starts to realize and remember all he has ever wanted was to be as Honorable as his Mentor Sir Dayne. A little time pases or 2 episodes and we get his line from storm of swords about Sansa.

    His redemption arc can be so great if done right and explain why he did not kill Ned and all his other actions, in the end he is the true Hero of the story. This would lead in to Sansa and Tyrion sitting the Iron throne. I have long speculated that Dany will leave Wormser and Messy in Mereen to rule there and after Dany comes in and saves the day all Hailing the Conquering hero she comes to realize that all she really wants is to Be in the Little House with a Red Door. Jon would then go to rebuilt the nights watch with some new rules like taking wives is ok lol. That is the Bitter Sweet ending we were promised.

  186. Ryan:
    Anyone think The Broken Man could also be referring to Theon?

    It could, but it would be the most boring option. I really hope for something more exciting.

    By the way, how long is tonight’s episode?

  187. Ice Spider: LOL.. LOVE that thought.. who would you SHIP him with?? Interesting thoughts..

    There aren’t that many unmarried highborn girls of marriageable age who actually have appeared on screen and/or been named!

    I can think of…

    Sam’s sister
    Dany Targ
    Brienne Tarth
    Meera Reed
    Nameless Frey girls

    I think that’s it?? Otherwise we have,

    Soon to be widowed:
    Margaery Tyrell
    Sansa Stark (though she’s twice married so…)

    Too young:
    Lyanna Mormont
    Arya Stark

    Not highborn:
    Sandsnakes 1, 2, and 3
    Ellaria Sand

  188. singedbylife,

    Agreed. I’ve been thinking The Hound all week but just thought about what other characters this might be referring to. Theon, Bran, Jaime maybe, and idk can you think or have any thoughts on who else?

  190. Flayed Potatoes:
    I wonder how they are going to fit the entire recruitment campaign in one episode (which happens to be a short one). Maybe we’ll get some more scenes in episode 8…idk.

    Have you ever seen Team America World Police? We’re gonna need a montage! 😀

    Once again I won’t be able to watch this properly until tomorrow evening because Europe and having to go to work to pay for my Sky subscription so I can watch the show. Judging by the reaction to the photos I expect lots of OMG Jaime swooooooon comments. It’s lucky Arthur Dayne’s not gonna be in this episode too otherwise there would be complete hormonal meltdown. (Well, I assume we won’t be seeing any more of him anyway, no reason to as far as I know. And I should probably mention in the interests of fairness that I preferred his friend Ser Simon of House Sidekick.) Where was I? Oh yeah, er judging by rumors and alleged spoilers – don’t worry I’m not going to repeat any here – this should be another solid episode with some nice moments for book readers and unsullied alike. Hope everyone enjoys it and see you all here again tomorrow for the post-show discussion 😀

  193. Nymeria Warrior Queen:
    Damphairintheshowplease!,

    I loved it. No surprise perhaps as I’m a Greyjoy fan and I guess somewhat of a torture freak too in some ways. True, Euron is another crazy psycopath but I do find it interesting and very satisfying when characters like Viserys, Joffrey, Ramsay, and Eurony fall. (Hoping that the latter two will do so, of course.)

  195. Sou: It could, but it would be the most boring option. I really hope for something more exciting.

    By the way, how long is tonight’s episode?

    Ive read it’s the shortest one left for the season.. ;( boo hiss boo

  196. Mustangride,

    I prefer a Jaime who actually was a jackass and is trying to improve… slowly… There was no cause to kill Ned’s men. At least in the show they were armed – in the book he butchered them like dogs just because he could, leaving Ned alive as a message.

    I don’t forgive him for that but in the end that doesn’t prevent Jaime from becoming a hero. But many others are heros too. Like Brienne, Dany, Jon, etc. There is no “the Hero”.

    Personally I ship Brienne with Jaime and I hope that Cersei lives long enough to see him choose to abandon her and go with Brienne

    as happened at the end of adwd, though I’m sure the circumstances will be very different.

    Can you remind me the Sansa quote you’re thinking of?

  197. Ryan,

    Personally I hope, hope, hope for The Hound. But I also hope it will be partly about Theon who I want to see more from. I haven’t seen the preview but it could also refer to Jorah Mormont, or even Benjen Stark. But I hope the emphasis will be on The Hound and Theon.

  199. Sou:
    Ice Spider,

    Oh dear, you haven’t been paying attention!!! ?

    Well that says it all!! No wonder Im clueless.. lol and the fact that I can’t always get online to read the billion posts this site generates each week.. 😉 But I TRY to stay as educated as I can and pass off as somewhat intelligent. But you busted me MANE!!! teehee

  201. Mihnea:
    Hope you all enjoy the episode!!

    I’ll join the recap thread in the morning.

    Thanks for the comments.. and enjoy the show!

  204. Ok, I know this is not completely sane but I have started getting REALLY STRESSED on how on earth they are going to fit every storyline in just 4 episodes.
    I mean, they have like what, 10 minutes for each left?
    What a stress!!

  205. Let’s hope Jon shines today! Can’t wait for Arya, the North and the Riverlands. Enjoy the episode everyone 😀

  207. QueenofThrones: There aren’t that many unmarried highborn girls of marriageable age who actually have appeared on screen and/or been named!

    I can think of…

    Sam’s sister
    Dany Targ
    Brienne Tarth
    Meera Reed
    Nameless Frey girls

    I think that’s it??Otherwise we have,

    Soon to be widowed:
    Margaery Tyrell
    Sansa Stark (though she’s twice married so…)

    Too young:
    Lyanna Mormont
    Arya Stark

    Not highborn:
    Sandsnakes 1, 2, and 3
    Ellaria Sand

    Im thinking “keep it in the family man!!” and make it Marg.. I mean she is prob the ONLY one who can keep up with him and make it interesting.. just my two cents.. I know she’s made the rounds with the Lannister family but what the heck.. why not? lol

  208. Jack Bauer 24:
    Do you think Ian McShane will be in tonights episode, or next week? Pretty short episode tonight to be able to get to him.

    My guess is that

    the big Hound reveal will be at the very end. D&D like to do that sort of thing. He will be the last thing we see before the end credits. Just a guess though.

  209. Lulus Mum,

    Hello, lovely! 🙂
    Gawd, people really need to stop mentioning Ser Arthur Dayne. I mean, I was already had a thing for him from the books, but it has been a long, long time since I’ve seen someone as I find as utterly, overwhelmingly distracting in their gorgeousness as Luke Roberts. Now, I see the name Dayne, and my mind immediately goes to Luke Roberts, and I lose all train of thought.

  210. ICE DRAGON,

    Hmmm… I thought High Sparrow already dealt Olenna a blow by giving her – her army – a walk of atonement of sorts. They way it marched in there, and then had to march right back out without cracking a single head was devastating to it’s image of authority and power.

  212. Nymeria Warrior Queen:
    Lulus Mum,

    Hello, lovely! ?
    Gawd, people really need to stop mentioning Ser Arthur Dayne.I mean, I was already had a thing for him from the books, but it has been a long, long time since I’ve seen someone as I find as utterly, overwhelmingly distracting in their gorgeousness as Luke Roberts.Now, I see the name Dayne, and my mind immediately goes to Luke Roberts, and I lose all train of thought.

    Can I jump on this bandwagon of deliciousness? Lol.. JK.. nice eye candy for the female population! Loving it!

  214. Is the mummer’s troupe storyline over and done with, or could their next engagement be somewhere in the vicinity of King’s Landing, as they’re joined by a certain young newcomer hired to replace an actress who tried to “poison” the troupe’s camaraderie?

    Will tonight’s chase scene across Braavos inspire someone to create an Arya MOD for Assassin’s Creed?

  216. Flayed Potatoes,
    Ha ha definitely! 😀 Might not sound quite so rawk played on the kind of instruments they would have available though. Mandolin solo anyone?

    Edit: boo can’t get my metal rawk face thingy to work 🙁

  217. Synopsis: The High Sparrow eyes another target. Jaime confronts a hero. Arya makes a plan. The North is reminded.

    Comcast has it slightly different;

    Synopsis: Jaime encounters a hero; the High Sparrow fixates on another prey; Arya hatches a new plan; Yara and Theon plot their next move; Olenna and Cersei discuss their families’ futures.

    Prey/Target, confronts/encounters
    makes/hatches
    And it makes no mention of the north but adds Theon and Yara and Cersei and Olenna.

    A tidbit different but it’s probably more than tomato/tomato…

  219. Mihnea:
    Dee,

    Especially when they all are corrupt thiefs…. I voted for a party I hate today, because I know their candidate, he was the director of the high-school I went to, because I hate all the others more…

    God, that american guy, after the revolution, was right…. We’ll need 80 years to clean the communist mindset from the country..

    I just hope GOT helps me get over this..

    Cheer up. At least you don’t have to choose between Trump and Hillary.

  220. Sou:
    Ice Spider,

    Yep, too bad we only saw him for like 4 minutes.
    On the other hand, I expected more from the Dothraki this season. ?

    IKR.. I was like they had all this beef budaciousness for only two episodes? Lol.. but what can you expect it’s male writers and male dominated industry… we take the crumbs we are offered.

  221. gewa76,

    In my view, 90% of the time we end up voting for the lesser evil…
    I think last time I voted for someone whole-heartedly I voted for myself!!!

  223. Nymeria Warrior Queen,

    Euron is nothing like Ramsay, I think. He’s much more mysteruous and unpredictable. In Ramsays mindgames, the ultimate plan is always to hurt the offer as much as possible. If he’s being nice, it’s because it will make the upcoming violence feel worse. Euron, on the other hand, seem to be genuinely filled with something resempling love and warmth when he’s playing nice, which makes it all the more unnerving. Areon and Eurons relationshup is one of the most intriqing aspects of the new books.

  225. Sou:
    Ice Spider,

    Well, to be just, men viewers did not get much this year either. So far that is.

    Awwwwww poor babies.. they can re-watch season 2 or 3 maybe 4??.. there’s enough T&A in there to last a lifetime!! Can’t really feel too sorry for them honestly!!

  226. Ok well it’s been great fun talking to you all again… I have to get off line and onto dinner.. Ciao!!

  229. Can’t wait for another brilliant Sansa episode, D&D have given me pure gold material with her arc this season. So frickin excited for Riverrun too, HELL YEAH BLACKFISH.

  231. Guys, it is way past midnight here, I am off to bed. All of in the US or near time zones, enjoy. See you for the recaps.
    By the way, if the show airs at 9pm in the east coast, what time does it air in say Seattle?

  232. Ice Spider,

    Same called her by her name and so did the mother during the dinner scene when they bounced. Not a lot, but they say her name.

  236. Jaime dear best watch his back around Black Jack Randall, who has a penchant for pretty boys of that same name.

  237. Ryan,

    Well, to me – the difference is significant. I love the Greyjoy story and want to see it evolve into something… if not huge, then semi huge.

    Thanks for sharing.

  238. Nymeria Warrior Queen,
    Hi honey *Kermit the Frog flail waving* so many inappropriate comments about men waving their big swords around spring to mind! 😉 Mind you, with such a large cast there’s pretty much something for everyone on this show, which never hurts. Apparently Pornhub are being sued by HBO for using GoT scenes, so even the porn community find plenty to please them.

    Managed to find an Eye of the Tiger type emoji ???as my hand drawn one wasn’t working. And that’s an excuse to post a link to the version Dean from Supernatural does. That man sure can play air leg guitar 😀

  239. So hyped for Lyanna Mormont.

    Also wonder if we see Ramsay and/or Rickon. Surely they should show him at least one more time before the battle.

    And will we get to see Jon do or say something instead of standing around with a derp look on his face this time?

  240. Ice Spider,

    Ah, don’t listen to all the haters. If you really enjoy reading beautiful writing, read them. If you don’t – don’t bother. The story definitely slows down in 4&5 but I love them. Not everyone does. To each his own.

  242. Ginevra:
    Jaime dear best watch his back around Black Jack Randall, who has a penchant for pretty boys of that same name.

    At least Lord Blackfish Lovat is around! But It is clear, that fight-preparations were taken by Jaimie!
    I would wish if someone made a video up with the phrase “The Frasers send their regards!”

  243. singedbylife,

    I agree it is quite satisfying when abhorrent characters get their comeuppance. I’m glad to hear some genuinely enjoyed the chapter. It just goes to show how different things appeal to different people.

  247. Read books 4 and 5 in the bathroom. You get one chapter at a time and the order matters less…. They are good giving you the life of the smallfolk when nobles fight.

  250. Can someone explain to me why Sansa is there in front of the Wildlings when Tormund and Jon (or maybe not) talk to them? Is she really necessary in that scene? Watch D+D make her do her own speech to the Wildlings because reasons. Ever since she made it to CB, they have felt the need to shove her into every single shot…

  252. My fear for tonight and maybe into episode 8 is the people who will die. I am personally worried about Podrick tonight, maybe Bronn and then who knows what will happen with Loras and Margaery. I think if Tommen does die by jumping out a window, as the rumors have it, then it will be because something happens to Margaery. Maybe Cersei will have something to do with it, but I feel like Tommen can’t live without Margaery, and Margaery will do anything to get her brother out. If the High Sparrow makes a move on Olenna, and Cersei allows it, that would be terrible.

  253. Ice Spider: I may just borrow someones then … lol or go to the library? I do want to read them so that I won’t miss stuff but I’m very afraid bc of the things Ive heard about them…

    A Feast for Crows, generally considered the “worst” of the series, is still an excellent book by any metric. Don’t let the local book-hate club get you down. They are the few, book-lovers are the many. They just happen to be concentrated here, making it look like they have a kind of numbers they really don’t.

    I am currently working through all of the Hugo nominees from around the year AFFC was released and nominated. So far, it is by far the best, including being far better than any of the winners. I am not alone in thinking this, as only one of the other 14 books nominated from 2005-2007 has higher ratings at Goodreads. It’s a great book, that only gets better upon re-read.

  254. Damphairintheshowplease!,

    I find them far too similar. I won’t go into it any further, as I don’t want to derail this episode thread with TWOW chapter talk. I will say, however, I do enjoy differing opinions, and the fact people can see things so very differently is part of the fun.

    Sou,

    Seattle is in the pacific time zone, so the episode there first airs at 6pm (just like where I am). 🙂

  255. Ice Spider,

    One of my favorite travel writers was the late Patrick Leigh Fermoor, who wrote a travel narrative of his journey through Europe just before WWII. His travels in Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria were really interesting to me because even tho I was familiar with the music and dance, and next to no idea of the history. First book is Time of Gifts, the second is Between Woods and Water (also a posthumous third book the broken road) Well worth reading.

  256. So psyched for tonight’s ep – the Riverlands storyline looks to be really good, and the North will hopefully continue the trend for this season in being the strongest section of the show. I am crossing my fingers and toes that at least some of Jon and Sansa’s recruitment drive will prove to be successful. And I am looking forward to seeing Yara and Theon again. The dynamics between those two are really interesting, and the actors play their parts so well. Also hoping for a good Arya scene – like Jon and Sansa, she is reclaiming her Stark identity this season and I really want to see how that plays out.

    As for the casting – I wonder if some of the casting calls were merged – like maybe those for Lyanna Stark and Lyanna Mormont – and that is how they went undetected last summer?

  259. Jaime is looking hawt.

    How did Margeary not throw himself at him last episode, I’ll never know.

  260. Have been looking forward to this one a lot. Last week’s episode was fine, but we’re now into the final stretch of the season, so I’m expecting an amazing episode. I have really enjoyed all previous episode sevens, so this episode has a lot to live up to!

    I also think Cogman will do better this week since there seems to be a lot of stuff from the books in the episode, which he always excels at. There was some pretty average writing last week from him, but original material has never been his forte on GoT. I really think he’ll shine with some of the stuff in tonight’s episode. Can’t wait!!!”

  261. didi,

    Not at all! I’m going to age and distress this one, and mount it in a shadowbox and put it in my office. I was thinking of sending it to the show runners but I’m sure they get all kinds of strange stuff sent to them already 🙂

  264. Tywin of the Hill,

    THose who wonder about reading books 4 and 5…..I reread each of the first three books prior to the seasons. Then I reread the next two, cringing because I was really disappointed in them for the most part. However, I found myself really liking it much more. Think it was because the show gave me background of characters and places and scenes that I didn’t have before so the books were easier to read. So if you’ve seen the show up through season 5, you might find yourself liking the books. Just flip through a lot of the filler details

  265. The High Sparrow considers another target.

    Some who toil in the rumor mills think that target might be Kevan Lannister. That would be interesting, since Kev is probably the least likely character on the show to become a religious fanatic. I like to imagine that he and Lady Olenna have their own little plan up their collective sleeve. Or they’ll both die horrifically. Odds are the latter.

  267. Chad Brick: Don’t let the local book-hate club get you down.

    Oh, my. So, some folks state their opinions regarding not enjoying parts of books 4 and 5, although stating they loved 1-3, and they’re “the local-book-hate club?” For someone who becomes so distraught by others painting with what you consider too broad a brush, and who abhors what you consider derogatory labels, it is a study in hypocrisy to see you using your own derogatory labels and painting with too broad a brush. 🙂

  268. Esmenet,

    Not cheating if you want to read it in chronological order and want to skip the filler details about food and armor……but to each his/her own.

  269. Nymeria Warrior Queen: Oh, my.So, some folks state their opinions regarding not enjoying parts of books 4 and 5, although stating they loved 1-3, and they’re “the local-book-hate club?”For someone who becomes so distraught by others painting with what you consider too broad a brush, and who abhors what you consider derogatory labels, it is a study in hypocrisy to see you using your own derogatory labels and painting with too broad a brush.?

    That’s the one I skip, NWQ, if you recall what I mean. Not the only one, but the one I was referring to that day.

  271. ash,

    I can see how a reread after the show may help. I’d read the first four before the show started and the fifth when it came out after season one, but there still wasn’t any Dorne inclusion yet of course.

    I’m curious to see how I enjoy TWoW Dorne characters when it comes out. I have to say that I didn’t dislike AFfC or ADwD as a whole. There were some slow parts like all books and I really didn’t like that so many new characters were added but I still tore through them and was happy to have read them. George has said that he struggled with the method to advance storylines – that whole “five year gap” deal that he wanted to do. It would work for some characters but not very well for others. I think the chopped up results didn’t work very well in the end, but ignoring that the story is pretty good.

  272. Books 4 and 5 are only for people who don’t need hand-holding while they poop.

    It is known.

    I kid! I actually didn’t love those books until I read them for a 2nd and 3rd and 4th and 5th time. Now I find myself re-re-reading them regularly. There is so much happening that at first seems like a weird distraction from the plot I thought I should have been following. But when you absorb it all… well, it becomes a much richer experience.

    Unless you need your hands held while you poop.

  273. Ice Spider:
    Hoyti Von Totiy,

    Im finishing book three.. well been trying to finish it and from what I’ve been hearing not sure if I want to even get books 4&5?? Heard a bunch of folk saying they are really dry and hard to get through? Maybe reading them as recommended on here? I mean the chapter lists?

    What say everyone? Read books 4 & 5 like as recommended or just read them normally?

    I might be in the minority, but I enjoyed books 4 and 5. I was completely immersed in the characters and genuinely interested in everything that was happening in the books, even the filler chapters with minor one chapter characters. Everyone is different, of course, but I will say that I very much enjoyed spending several months in GRRM’s world. I’m an avid reader, and I was a fan of the books years before HBO announced that they were going to start production on the series. This has been a very exciting ride spanning many years and I’ve really enjoyed seeing all of my favorite characters come to life on the screen. I’ll always love the books though…hard to compete with the written word. All that said, I would personally read each book individually. Seems like trying to toggle between two books would be cumbersome.

  275. Nymeria Warrior Queen,

    I don’t think he was using too broad a brush, to be fair. He didn’t say that everyone is part of a book-hate club, he simply stated that there IS a book-hate club, and many of it’s members are present here. I think that’s a fair assessment.

    I don’t think he’s referring to those who simply talk about “not enjoying parts of books 4 and 5”, I think we all can agree there is nothing wrong with disliking parts of a book, or even a book in it’s entirety.

    I’m pretty certain he’s referring to the individuals who openly state that AFFC and ADWD are “absolute shit”, and that GRRM is going to croak before he finishes the series.
    Hell someone in this thread even posted a link to a passage from ADWD where Dany defecating is described, and said that sums up the last two novels. If that isn’t book-hate, I don’t know what is.

    I’m pretty certain he’s also referring to some of the people who talk about the last two books being nothing but filler and how the few sample chapters from TWOW look to be more of the same.

    And then you have those who enjoy insulting and ceaselessly attacking supposed “book purists”, for the crime of enjoying the novels more than the show.

    So yeah, there is a bit of a trend of hating on the books here , even if it’s just AFFC and ADWD, and those people would have you believe those two books are not worth reading. Someone here even said that they should be skipped over. And there is nothing wrong with that opinion. But I think Chad was simply recommending that those curious about the novels not listen to those who say AFFC and ADWD are shit.

    So let’s be fair to our friend Chad, and recognize that there is indeed a subset of the community that openly hates the books, or at least the last two. Chad never said that everyone here was part of that subset.

  276. All I gotta say about the title is the Broken Man better not be Bronn, or there will be seven hells to pay. Should be fun seeing that critter again. I wonder how many Frey’s he’ll fight tonight?

  277. Markus Stark

    I dont hate books 4 and 5 I just dont think they are as GOOD as 1 to 3.
    They are still decent books.

  278. Lyanna_Targaryen:
    Dee,

    This is the letter she sent Stannis when Stannis sent away for the Northern lords’ help. She basically sent back a middle finger, which I absolutely love and that’s why I recreated it ?

    Sent a middle finger…hahahahahaha! Great way to describe her letter! Middle finger…*chuckling*

  279. Apropos of something, have I mentioned that I get my dental care done at New York University’s dental college and this week met my new student dentist, Alexander, a cool guy who could easily be Nikolaj Coster-Waldau’s younger brother? The resemblance is uncanny.

    How many people can say their dentist is one of the handsomest men they’ve ever met? You can’t make this stuff up.

  281. I drink and l know things:
    Markus Stark

    I dont hate books 4 and 5 I just dont think they are as GOOD as 1 to 3.
    They are still decent books.

    Agreed, as stated. Three, four and five were all nominated for the Hugo Award and that says something to me. I’ve found several great authors and books to read over the years by purchasing off the list of Hugo winners and nominees. Perhaps the two most notable authors I’ve found this way are Dan Simmons (Hyperion as first book read) and Connie Willis (To Say Nothing of the Dog). They have since been joined by Gaiman and GRRM as possibly my top four science fiction and fantasy authors.

  282. VisceralVarys,

    I’ll take “Schedule Me For A Cleaning Every Week” for $1000, Alex. 😉

    Full disclosure: I’m a straight happily married male, but this guy can fit me for braces any time. 😉 😉

    But srsly, he is the spitting image of Jaime Lannister, short beard and all.

  283. I drink and l know things,

    Oh I don’t dispute that, I agree with you. But in any event, I have no problem even with those who do hate them. My problem is strictly reserved to those who “bully” (for lack of a better word) those who like them or prefer them to the show.

  284. Ginevra,

    I do recall. 🙂

    Markus Stark,

    Yes, there are absolutely some who wholly disparage the books here, or at least 4 and 5, just as there are some elsewhere who wholly disparage the show. However, given his long history of complaining about even the term “book-purist” being used, at all, his post, imo, seemed hypocritical. That’s not to say I don’t appreciate you attempting to clarify or explain what you think he was trying to comunicate.

  285. Nymeria Warrior Queen:
    Lulus Mum,

    Hello, lovely! ?
    Gawd, people really need to stop mentioning Ser Arthur Dayne.I mean, I was already had a thing for him from the books, but it has been a long, long time since I’ve seen someone as I find as utterly, overwhelmingly distracting in their gorgeousness as Luke Roberts.Now, I see the name Dayne, and my mind immediately goes to Luke Roberts, and I lose all train of thought.

    Did someone say Ser Arthur Dayne?! *arching back and purring*

  286. Catspaw Assassin,

    You have become one of my favorite posters on this site. Love the sense of humor that you incorporate into your comments.

    I live in the NY metro area, too. This sounds like a good reason to switch dentists.

  287. Oh well, at least we made it 4h into the chat before the inevitable mudslinging started. Yet again (sigh).

  288. Waif could be “No One”

    Redditor catNamedStupidity speculates Arya is suffering from a “Fight Club“-like split personality disorder, pointing out that the Waif doesn’t really appear to be seen by people other than Arya and Jaqen. She also seems to magically know everything about Arya, including what she’s doing at all times.

    Plus, if Arya and the Waif were the same person, it’d explain why everyone in Braavos is cool with someone kicking the crud out of a blind girl in the streets. To them, it’d probably just look like this moment from the show, where the Waif mysteriously disappears during a fight with Arya:

  289. HYPE!!! Episode night! Best night of the week! (Sorry Saturday, you come in second for ten weeks a year!)

    Can you believe in three weeks we will all be gearing up for the 69 minute season finale … hopefully on the big screen in movie theatres!!

    Tonight:

    The North rallies … Jon and Sansa – do us Stark supporters proud. Can’t wait to see Lyanna Mormont! I wonder if she will mention her kin Jeor and Jorah …

    Riverrun!! The Black Fish!! Family, Duty, Honor. (Oh and … Fuck the Freys!!)

    Ian Mcfrakking Shane !!! We know you are going to kill it!

    King’s Landing – I want to see Cersei and Olenna get into a bitch slap fight!!

    I’ve got a cask of Dornish Red chilling …

    Phone is OFF (friends and family know that I go dark on Sunday nights!!)

    Have a great episode everybody!!

  290. GeekFurious: I kid! I actually didn’t love those books until I read them for a 2nd and 3rd and 4th and 5th time. Now I find myself re-re-reading them regularly.

    I agree, and I have gotten more of those two books in each read. A Dance With Dragons in particular. However, I admit that I sometimes find myself wondering whether there is some sort of Stockholm Syndrome going on here, like I’m trying to convince myself there is more in those books than there actually is. That may not be entirely fair, but on the whole I’d say that’s kinda happening to some extent, as AFFC and ADWD have spawned more outlandish theories than any of the previous volumes, and I don’t think it’s just because of the longer time waiting of the next installment. I think some people are trying to loop the loop. Suddenly everyone is a secret Targaryen. Aegon is fake because if he isn’t what’s the fucking point. Similarly, Quentyn’s death must be a hoax, because if it isn’t what was the point of that whole journey. Every single characterless Meereenese has been accused of being the Harpy. Every Northman has been accused of being the Hooded Man presumably killing people in Winterfell. Stannis has extremely convoluted plans to win his battle in the North —The one that definitely should have happened in A Dance with Dragons, as the book clearly set up in the beginning. But it didn’t. So there must a be a very convoluted reason for it! It’s not just that GRRM couldn’t write it in time and the editor convinced him to take the two climactic battles out, just so that something could be released. Yeah, that’s what happened.

    Basically, my contention is: If you have to dig really deep to find the good stuff, it’s not a really great mine, isn’t it?

  291. Mihnea,

    If you are talking

    LSH they didn’t need a casting call. The roll is already cast.

    If not…

    Well

    I don’t know if not.

  292. Nymeria Warrior Queen,

    I see what you mean, and I appreciate you replying in a constructive and friendly way 🙂 (which is not to say that I expected anything else from you, because you’re always respectful, but civil discourse and debate have become increasingly rare, so it’s always nice to have fellow fans with whom communication is agreeable).

  293. Ice Spider,

    I was a show fan before I read the books. I know everyone has their own opinions of the books: which chapters are boring, which plot lines aren’t good, etc. but to be honest, I really like the books. I don’t have an issue with them at all. A lot of people hate on the later ones but there are some great POV chapters in those. I would say once the season is over, start reading them. I don’t think you’ll regret it and you’ll have enough time in the off-season to read them and speculate with other people who have read them. Go for it! 🙂

  294. We’ve gone two weeks in a row with no Ramsay and three weeks with no Rickon. Surely we’ll see both tonight, right?

    Little Rickon never once gave it away.
    Ramsay said he’d have to pay and pay.
    A bastard here and a bastard there,
    Winterfell is the place where the Starks said,
    Hey, wolf, take a walk on the wild side.
    I say, hey, Rickon, take a walk on the wild side.

    I’ll just die of happiness if Rickon wargs Ramsay’s beloved hounds. Bitches, sic the bastard!

  295. Nymeria Warrior Queen: Oh, my.So, some folks state their opinions regarding not enjoying parts of books 4 and 5, although stating they loved 1-3, and they’re “the local-book-hate club?”For someone who becomes so distraught by others painting with what you consider too broad a brush, and who abhors what you consider derogatory labels, it is a study in hypocrisy to see you using your own derogatory labels and painting with too broad a brush.?

    No, the local book-hate club is a specific group of a small handful of people who are constantly trashing the books, GRRM, and “purists”. They are as toxic as Linda and do not make this site a better place.

    Book criticism is fine, but their irrational ranting crosses the line.

  296. Mihnea,

    He’s a socialist not a communist – if your talking about the Bern. And if talking about communism please stipulate which form – Bolshevik Marxist Leninism, Trotskite, Moaist, anarchist etc.

    The high sparrow however doesn’t seem to be communist, (if that’s who you are referring to) there’s no talk about the means of production, alienation or property redistribution.

  298. Even though I like AFFC, I understood the hate it gets.

    But I always liked ADWD as much as 1-3 (in fact, everyone i know in my personal life loves ADWD… I didn’t even know people were panning it online).

  299. Ginevra,

    I hope we’ll see them ! I remember a line from the trailer that clearly sounds like Ramsay asking “Do you like games little man ?”. And

    I also remember Art Parkinson saying his character would have an interesting dynamic with Ramsay, so we must be due for something between those two.

    I for one am not yet sick of Ramsay, and even missed his evil presence in episodes 5 and 6, so I’m definitely hoping we’ll visit Winterfell this week.

  300. firstone: speculates Arya is suffering from a “Fight Club“-like split personality disorder, pointing out that the Waif doesn’t really appear to be seen by people other than Arya and Jaqen.

    While ingesting an hallucinogen along with a liquid that would make one blind could explain such a thing, she never did ingest anything. That scene was fantastic but it was also confusing. She’d also have to have been experiencing such a ‘disorder’ from the beginning when the Waif first appeared. I guess it’s a pretty wild theory that I’m not buying into, but, stranger things have happened.

  301. Something to watch in the mean time – Bran’s vision breakdown is really good – lots of interesting speculation and of course the great attention to the camera work and production of the scenes, my favorite parts.

    Game of Thrones Season 6 Episode 6 ANALYZED! – 6×06 – Blood of My Blood

  303. Riverlands
    KL
    Volantis
    Braavos
    North

    Going to be a really fast paced episode at 51 minutes with all of that and that’s not even including McShane.

  304. Catspaw Assassin:
    All I gotta say about the title is the Broken Man better not be Bronn, or there will be seven hells to pay. Should be fun seeing that critter again. I wonder how many Frey’s he’ll fight tonight?

    I love Bronn and am really looking forward to seeing him again. Just hope him sneaking up on the now battle trained Podrik doesn’t result in an accidental blade to the gut, killing off yet another one of our favorite “less significant” characters (R.I.P. Osha). Since its GOT, guess they all have to go sometime.

  305. I am doing another rewatch. I didn’t notice on my other watches that Mace Tyrell was being led by one of the Tyrell soldiers. The person is holding one of the horse’s reins. Holy crap. He can’t ride a horse.

  306. Jack Bauer 24,

    Are we certain we’re skipping Meereen and Winterfell ? No Ramsay for 3 weeks seems strange, and no Tyrion for 2 weeks is even more bizarre.

  308. A few points: Cersei is not Ramsey-like awful. She is a dynast, trying to save her kids. She mourned the dead ones (and, interestingly, she already has three dead ones. She had one with Robert Baratheon).

    As for waiting for the books, it could be a while. It normally takes six months to a year to get a major book printed once it has been handed in. Martin has read from Book 6 recently but has not said he is close to handing in a manuscript.

    The scripts for Season 7 have basically been written. Last year at this time, scripts for six went out to actors and they began to film in mid-July. So all that is left to be written are the last six episodes. And I would bet that Dave and Dan basically have an outline. They would need it since things have to be placed just right since the last episode has more or less been written according to Martin.

    So if Martin does not hand in a manuscript within six months (end of this year) it is likely that Season 8 will be written before Book 6 comes out. If it is delayed much beyond that, the whole season could be filmed before we see anything. And I would bet that Beniof and Weiss would really try to get Martin to write the last episode as a special treat.

    Chances are, the end of this season will not be far from the end of Book 6. There are only 13 episodes left afterwards. That means that in terms of writing they’re already working in Book 7.

    And, frankly, I would not bet against George Martin deciding on a Book 8.

    Those wanting to wait for the books could be waiting a long time. At that point, there might even be a remake…with all new actors (I doubt most of the current actresses would like doing nude scenes a dozen years from now.

    So watch the show and read the books if you want. The producers skipped huge amounts of Books 4 and 5. Who cares? The show is great.

  309. HS:
    Something to watch in the mean time – Bran’s vision breakdown is really good – lots of interesting speculation and of course the great attention to the camera work and production of the scenes, my favorite parts.

    Game of Thrones Season 6 Episode 6 ANALYZED! – 6×06 – Blood of My Blood

    This guy is fabulous. I definitely need to start watching him each week. I never watched his BFF do this show, so I hope he’s as good. There is so much insight he adds to the episode that I just love, like Bran’s flash of the weirwood branches representing the fact that Bran is still connected to the network but now he’s on Wi-Fi!

  310. Angela:
    I am doing another rewatch. I didn’t notice on my other watches that Mace Tyrell was being led by one of the Tyrell soldiers. The person is holding one of the horse’s reins. Holy crap. He can’t ride a horse.

    Yeah, I wrote that a few days ago. I didn’t really pay attention to it until my third watch. I equated it to his being at a carnival kiddy pony ride pen. 🙂

  311. Markus Stark:
    Jack Bauer 24,

    Are we certain we’re skipping Meereen and Winterfell ? No Ramsay for 3 weeks seems strange, and no Tyrion for 2 weeks is even more bizarre.

    I just don’t see how they’ll be time for it. I could see them skipping Winterfell and having Ramsay be in episode 8 to set him up for episode 9. He still needs another scene with Rickon. That was 4 episodes ago.

  312. Clob: Yeah, I wrote that a few days ago.I didn’t really pay attention to it until my third watch.I equated it to his being at a carnival kiddy pony ride pen.

    I know. I didn’t see your post about it. I laughed so hard at that part. Jaime’s look on his face was so priceless.

  315. Markus Stark,

    I can see them skipping Ramsay until next week (unless it’s a scene with Rickon, I’m not sure what else there is to say about him right now), but it would be odd if there was no Tyrion two episodes in a row. I don’t think that’s ever happened before.

  316. Josh L,

    Gah! Say that to my face. I’m old n from the north. If you wish to be pessimistic go for it lol but I am the eternal optimist.

    Who cares anyway there’s less than an hour to go 😀 just watched the play part 2 again and keep meaning to say… If Game of Thrones WAS A Song of Ice & Fire, then this play would be GoT. It’s awesome I love it n can’t wait for the cut bits down the road. 😀

    Nearly there have a good one y’all. WOOH!!!

  317. Simon,
    God, I hope we don’t get LSH with the BwB. It would be too much to have the LSH reveal in the same season with Jon’s resurrection and the appearance of Benhands. The viewers might begin to feel like Stark family deaths are temporary and cheap. What’s next, the reanimated heads of Ned and Robb rolling into the room saying “I’m not dead” and “I’m getting better” (apologies to Monty Python)?

  318. Looking forward to some great conversations, speeches, objections and insights with this episode. It is amazing that there are so many awesome milestone moments being adapted this season. Kingslayer and Blackfish, yeah! Anticipation is high!

    Love that the BF took RR back, although I fear for Edmure…

  320. mariamb:
    Catspaw Assassin,

    You have become one of my favorite posters on this site. Love the sense of humor that you incorporate into your comments.

    I live in the NY metro area, too. This sounds like a good reason to switch dentists.

    Aww shucks, mariamb, rightbackatcha!

  322. Ravyn,

    It hasn’t. If Tyrion rides the bench this week, it will be the first time in the history of the series that he’s been absent for two episodes in a row. I think he’ll have a lot of screentime in the last three episodes, so it’s not a big deal, but it’s certainly notable.

    If Tyrion does wind up having a brief scene this week, I think it would be the scene where Varys leaves Meereen, since that needs to happen relatively soon (i.e. before the fragile peace breaks, Meereen goes to hell, and Dany rides in with her khalasar to clean the slavers out). But I suppose Varys could depart early in Episode 8 as well.

  323. LSH is out. They saved the big rez for Jon. Blackfish could take over her role.

  324. Lady Snow,

    Maybe he’s like Beetlejuice…say his name 3 times, and he appears.

    Ser Arthur Dayne
    Ser Arthur Dayne
    Ser Arthur Dayne

    If I disappear for an hour, or 5, you’ll know it worked.

    mariamb,

    *Walks into Dentist’s office*
    “Hi, my name is mariamb, and I need some extensive drilling.” 🙂

  326. Simon: The high sparrow however doesn’t seem to be communist

    The Sparrow seems to be some sort of theocrat with delusions of populism.

    The Winter of Bastardfell: What’s next, the reanimated heads of Ned and Robb rolling into the room saying “I’m not dead” and “I’m getting better” (apologies to Monty Python)?

    Well, Jon might have to resort to that when explaining why he should not be considered a deserter from the Night’s Watch! 😀

    (And as the Pythons would tell you, imitation is the sincerest form of television….)

  327. I think at least a short Meereen/Tyrion scene will be included. I think there are some things from the filming news that need to happen prior to Danaerys returning that probably shouldn’t appear to be immediately before. Keep an eye on the opening credits for Peter’s name and we’ll know before it starts. 🙂

  328. Jumbo:
    Can someone explain to me why Sansa is there in front of the Wildlings when Tormund and Jon (or maybe not) talk to them? Is she really necessary in that scene? Watch D+D make her do her own speech to the Wildlings because reasons. Ever since she made it to CB, they have felt the need to shove her into every single shot…

    I didn’t see Sansa infront of the Wildlings but could’ve missed it. While she definitely hasn’t had the chance in past seasons, I am actually hoping to get a good “come with us” speech out of this. Her confrontation with Littlefinger is the first time I can remember when we actually got to hear Sansa lay shit down and tell it like it is. A snark and burn here and there is great but to finally get to hear her voice rally support, will only emphasize how far she has come.
    I’m glad to see her interactions with other characters. She looked a bit out of her element during the strategy meeting with Jon, Davos and company (north or not, the Karstarks aren’t going to forget Robb killed their Lord), but I think she was supposed to. Sansa is being given a chance to turn the nightmare she has lived into action. Took a long time to get here but now that she has, I like she is making the most of finally having a voice.

  329. Jack Bauer 24,

    Season 2 Episode 1 – Pycelle : “The raven arrived from the Citadel this morning your Grace. The conclave has met, considered reports from maesters all over the Seven Kingdoms, and declared this great summer done, at last”.

    Season 6 Episode 6 – Sam, commenting on a very green and summery Reach : “Now that summer’s over, you’ll START to see the autumn colors coming in”.

    Must admit I chuckled a bit at that haha. They haven’t made any effort to make any part of Westeros look cold, aside from the North and the Eyrie. Even Runestone was super summery and green. The Riverlands still look pleasant, KL is balmy as ever.
    For a series that’s gone on and on about Winter coming, we sure ain’t seen it yet.

  330. The Winter of Bastardfell:
    Simon,
    God, I hope we don’t get LSH with the BwB.It would be too much to have the LSH reveal in the same season with Jon’s resurrection and the appearance of Benhands.The viewers might begin to feel like Stark family deaths are temporary and cheap.What’s next, the reanimated heads of Ned and Robb rolling into the room saying “I’m not dead” and “I’m getting better” (apologies to Monty Python)?

    I have been secretly wanting LSH, but agree that resurrecting/zombie-fying too many (Stark) characters really would cheapen their entire story.

  331. Clob:
    I think at least a short Meereen/Tyrion scene will be included.I think there are some things from the filming news that need to happen prior to Danaerys returning that probably shouldn’t appear to be immediately before.Keep an eye on the opening credits for Peter’s name and we’ll know before it starts.

    I wonder if McShane’s name will be there.

  332. imjustsayin,

    I love Bronn and am really looking forward to seeing him again. Just hope him sneaking up on the now battle trained Podrik doesn’t result in an accidental blade to the gut, killing off yet another one of our favorite “less significant” characters (R.I.P. Osha). Since its GOT, guess they all have to go sometime.

    Crazy about Bronn meself, and judging by the preview, there looks to be some dick-swinging going on between Jaime, Bronn, and the Frey Brothers. If so, that should last approximately one half of a second.

    As for Podric, I’m hoping that’s just Bronn trying to get a parlay going between Jaime and Brienne after Jaime realizes he wants nothing to do with the abhorrent Freys and Boltons. Then again, my opinion of Jaime’s emotional evolution might be too optimistic.

    Which makes me wonder if Tormund will eventually off Jaime out of jealousy? Perhaps Tormund will be the Broken-Hearted Man. Boy, have I been there. 😉

  333. After listening the entire history of westeros. A show about the Targaryan entire dynasty would be way more fascinating. Of course with all the dragons it would be next to impossible.

  335. Ser Lurk of House Turnip:
    Josh L,

    Gah! Say that to my face. I’m old n from the north. If you wish to be pessimistic go for it lol but I am the eternal optimist.

    Who cares anyway there’s less than an hour to go just watched the play part 2 again and keep meaning to say… If Game of Thrones WAS A Song of Ice & Fire, then this play would be GoT. It’s awesome I love it n can’t wait for the cut bits down the road.

    Nearly there have a good one y’all. WOOH!!!

    Check out Because Geek latest utube video on the play part 2 highlighting the great writing in that scene. Val’s videos always have great insight and humor.
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FUg3zuXo3cQ

  336. I need more Lena Headey this ep!!!
    s5 spoiled me so much in that respect…

    i just hope b4 this series is over, she takes the emmy home… but i don’t think she will 🙁

  337. Rabblais: A few points: Cersei is not Ramsey-like awful. She is a dynast, trying to save her kids. She mourned the dead ones (and, interestingly, she already has three dead ones. She had one with Robert Baratheon).

    Well, Ramsay is a psychopath, plain and simple. Cersei is not a psychopath, but just simultaneously blinded by her own sense of self-superiority AND a lot dumber than her rivals.

    Rabblais: So if Martin does not hand in a manuscript within six months (end of this year) it is likely that Season 8 will be written before Book 6 comes out. ….. Chances are, the end of this season will not be far from the end of Book 6. There are only 13 episodes left afterwards. That means that in terms of writing they’re already working in Book 7.

    I expect that you are correct. We have started to get some of the dramatic reveals (such as the origin of the Walkers), but we probably have a few more. We still have to get the main characters to where they need to be for whatever the Battle of Coriana analog is here. But they have to rapidly gel things together. (That said, this season has gone at a wonderfully intense pace: there has been none of the “dragging” that we’ve seen in prior seasons.)

    Rabblais: And, frankly, I would not bet against George Martin deciding on a Book 8.

    I would. At this point, I will be surprised if Book 7 ever makes it out, given how glacially slow GRRM’s writing pace has become. But assuming that he does live to finish the series, then there is no reason why he cannot wrap this up in two volumes. GRRM just has to stay focused on the story and not get bogged down on gratuitous world-building.

  338. Anyone else think Jaime won’t receive Brienne warmly? I have a feeling something bad will happen between them.

  340. Jack Bauer 24,

    No, they never put guest stars in the opening. Unless they make an exception for McShane, which I guess he would be worthy of, but I doubt it. Even people like Diana Rigg aren’t in the opening. The opening is reserved for major characters who are on contract. The Game of Thrones Season 6 wikipedia page has an exhaustive list of them.

  341. Jack Bauer 24,

    Tbh, I thought Jon’s rez was rather tame (which I kind of appreciate). For the longest time I had the impression they were going to drag out his death all season and then make his rez a huge magic spectacle of some sort. Which come to think of it…now I feel it was too tame and would like some further development.

    There was another fan who posed that maybe it wasnt even Mel that brought him back, but that Jon awoke from death as a result of another x-event we are not aware of yet. Fun to think about!

  342. Beer Island: A show about the Targaryan entire dynasty would be way more fascinating. Of course with all the dragons it would be next to impossible.

    It would just be a faux documentary lacking any story: there would be no audience for that.

    The show has a chance to go out on real critical high notes. Thrones has overcome the stigma of being an epic fantasy in large part by successfully being a character drama despite having swords, magic and dragons. There are few comparable stories out there like this, but there is a better chance that they will be given shots as TV series if they let this all end when the series is complete. Let some other authors successfully intertwine modern story-telling with fantastic worlds: thanks to this series, such series might have a shot in the future.

  344. Markus Stark:
    Jack Bauer 24,

    No, they never put guest stars in the opening. Unless they make an exception for McShane, which I guess he would be worthy of, but I doubt it. Even people like Diana Rigg aren’t in the opening. The opening is reserved for major characters who are on contract. The Game of Thrones Season 6 wikipedia page has an exhaustive list of them.

    Would Rory be on there?

  345. Markus Stark,

    First of all, thank you. It’s good to hear I don’t come off as pissy as I think I may, at times. Yes, being able to have civil discourse, and especially civil debate when opinions differ, is becoming more and more rare, not just here, but all over, it seems, and because of that, when civility happens, it’s all the more welcome.

    Chad Brick: No, the local book-hate club is a specific group of a small handful of people who are constantly trashing the books, GRRM, and “purists”. They are as toxic as Linda and do not make this site a better place.

    Book criticism is fine, but their irrational ranting crosses the line.

    Thank you for taking the time to clarify.

    Moving on…

    Only 20 minutes left…
    Yipee!!!

    *phone…off
    *beverage…obtained
    *buzz…on it’s way
    *toilet…about to be visited.

    I wasn’t about to tell him one of his favorite actors should be appearing tongiht, but I couldn’t help but at least text my step-father and tell him to enjoy the episode. We usually don’t talk until after the episode has already aired, so he suspects something. 🙂

  346. mariamb,

    My previous dentist, who was superbly detail oriented, looked a bit like Obara Sand. She’s practicing now in northern New Jersey, which is about as exciting as Dorne.

  347. Catspaw Assassin: there looks to be some dick-swinging going on between Jaime, Bronn,

    🙂 🙂 🙂

    Oh.
    Wait.
    You didn’t mean that literally.

    (sorry, all the mentions of Ser Arthur Dayne [still waiting for the knock on the door], a Jaime look-alike as a Dentist, etc…have my mind even more in the gutter, than usual.

    *angelic smiley*

    Enjoy the episode, everyone…
    See y’all on the flip-side.

  349. 15 more minutes! Although for some reason I’m not as hyped this weekend as I have been for the other episodes. Maybe because it’ll probably be a calm before the storm kind of episode. I’d be happy to be wrong and see something unexpected tonight though! I think the best chance for this in KL, which is due for something big.

    Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to see Blackfish back and excited for the possible

    return of the Hound

    and the possible introduction of Lyanna Mormont. I just don’t have the usual nervous and excited feeling 🙁

  350. Wow, had a lot to read on here after gardening all afternoon.
    Enjoy the show everyone.

  351. ash,

    Fun! Not much GoT stuff, but my son had a blast as Mini Kylo Ren. I repped with my Fire and Blood t shirt (fits me the best). Our tickets were also comp because of my husband’s job, so I didn’t feel rushed to “see” everything. And I saw the red haired doctor lady from Star Trek, and Billie Piper, so for me, I’m happy! I’ll definitely go next year!

  352. Mihnea,

    There are two good books in there … somewhere … if you eliminate the fluff … okay maybe a book and a half 🙂

  355. Too excited for tonight’s episode! I can’t wait to find out what happens!

  358. Nymeria Warrior Queen,

    Yes, I agree very much. That is what I like about this forum. And of course your’e right, we shouln’t derail the thread 🙂

    To get back on track, let me conclude by saying that while show-euron is waaaay different than book-euron, I do enjoy show-aeron so far. Different, but he has an awesome look and the right amount of intensity, his drowning speech was a great dilevery. It doesn’t really matter that the background stories with him and euron are altered or cut and that he’s a very minor character, because the biggetst reason for my wanting Damphair in the show for 5 years now, is that I love how his character adds a layer to the Iron Born culture in showing their religion, as tough and primitive and hard as it is. They did that really well so far in the show.

    One of the best parts of GOT, for me, is how it keeps layers and layers of different cultures, episode by episode and season by season. Like this latest episode Blood on my Blood, we finally see Horn Hill in all its wealth, and it adds to Sams character as well as our general understanding of that area. That is what Aeron Damphair does for the Iron Born arc, he is an example of their culture and mainly religion.

  372. Whoa Take THAT!!! lol

    … for a minute I thought my TV had switched channels!!! lol

  380. McShane!! It’s about time. and…. OMG … are you guys going ballistic … THE HOUND
    in a beautiful, peaceful, happy, productive pastoral setting, where everyone looks pleased with how things are going. You know how long that’s going to last, don’t you. THIS IS GAME OF FUCKING THRONES … what an opening

  387. They look too happy. Something bad is bound to happen

    [ spoiler ] clegenebowl confirmed [ / spoiler]

  388. Whoa! GoT live on its world premiere (or slightly delayed).. watching epi 7 right now here in Manila

  390. Marge wearing a tiny crown and covered up modestly, who also apparently hasn’t eased poor Tommen’s desires. Ha, she’s pissed he didn’t get she and Loras out right away.

  401. Praise be the old gods and the new, that

    Sandor does not have a man bun. My #1 man is back. Waited 2 years for this shit.

  404. Woohoo loved the scene with Jon and Wun wun! I hope we see the North again at least briefly before it’s over…..Kit is beautiful as ever and has become such a terrific actor I just love him 🙂

    Hell yeah Bear island !!

  413. Great episode so far

    Lyanna Mormont!

    Plus love the theme of reconstructing the crippled Houses

  414. They’re conspicuously not asking for any explanation of why Jon isn’t in the Night’s Watch. I’m pretty sure the writers inadvertently wrote out the explanation for this when they omitted Robb’s will.

  418. Sean C.,

    LOL. It would take up all the conversation. You are correct but I don’t know how you would do it and have any other dialogue. If they did not for Sansa, they won’t for the others IMO

  421. newbietothegame,

    No, I know what happens in the book but I’m not sure what that has to do with anything.

    Original post says spoiler coding is required BEFORE THE AIRING, not while it’s airing.. While it’s airing, this is a chat about the episode, right? Why would we use spoiler coding

  426. I wonder who was forging the nails, has hammer returned to the hand once filled by oar?

  427. Sansa still lying and concealing the truth about the Vale army. She will send Jon into battle with so few men, then wait until he and his forces spill their guts on the battlefield to swoop in with LF and the Valemen to claim all the glory.

  430. Jumbo,

    Er, actually, she tried to talk Jon out of going into battle, if you were following the scene. He’s the one eager to march on Winterfell with <3000 men.

  434. It was an ok episode. The hound hype will make people rate this higher but it was just ok

  435. Jumbo,

    She’s the darling of many and we must not sully her good name with any criticism :)….*sigh*

    I do hope she tells Jon and Davos. I don’t want the Starks divided and betrayal.

    It’s over! damn that seemed to go by so fast!

  436. Sean C.,

    She could tell the truth about the Vale. It’d solve their problems. She’d rather keep that vital intel to herself for no goddamn reason

  442. That scene with Glover and Sansa was INCREDIBLE. She’s still in some ways stuck in the fantasy of loyalty and the value of heritage. The second she started talking about being pledged to House Stark, I love that Jon was like “nooooooooooo.” But good on the show for highlighting that while we love the Starks and we wanted Robb to win, he was naive and selfish when it mattered the most and that cost him. Good for Glover for putting her in her place, as much as I want the Starks to win. She has to know she can’t just demand loyalty.

    Sansa’s education isn’t over yet, but she’s learning.

  443. Holy Shit! How did that hour pass so fast? Oh wow, ok, just a few cliff hangers they left us….

  445. Jumbo:
    Sansa still lying and concealing the truth about the Vale army. She will send Jon into battle with so few men, then wait until he and his forces spill their guts on the battlefield to swoop in with LF and the Valemen to claim all the glory.

    It certainly is looking like that. Seriously, what other reason could she have for not telling Jon they can get more men in the form of the Vale army?? Obviously they’re all frustrated in that they couldn’t secure more men. And knowing Jon is set on marching to WF ASAP, why doesn’t she tell him her secret and stop him from marching with so few men? She’s not looking good in my eyes.

  446. Jumbo,

    I think she thinks Jon will refuse. He JUST refused her thought to go to another house. So she’s trying to get that army there, before Jon refuses, before he asks to many questions. If she NEVER tells him, that’s one thing. But I’m still holding out hope that she will tell him before the battle if the Vale is a real option.

  447. This episode had a very strange feeling to it, but it was enjoyable.

    When the show started I almost thought they were displaying the wrong show.

    I didn’t expect Arya to be stabbed that badly.

  448. Wow a rare cold open. I near jizzed my pants at that opening with Ian McShane and the Hound. Really doesn’t get much better than that.

    Wish I had never ventured out onto message boards or comments section and kept my discipline to get the surprise of the Hound. Oh well. It was great to see his return. Was it just me or were the prosthetics a bit off? They looked bad.

    Interesting how they got Ian McShane for that small part, but I’m glad he appeared in the series at all. Had they not been able to secure Charles Dance, he would’ve been an awesome Tywin.

    Overall I enjoyed the episode. Loved the stuff at Riverrun. Jon visiting the different camps was good. King’s Landing stuff was good. The Yara, Theon scene was meh.

    Really interested to see what happens with Arya.

  449. Decent episode! Seems like it mostly set up things to come. Can’t believe we didn’t get Tyrion for 2 straight episodes!

  451. So it looks like next week will have tons of stuff happening. Can’t wait!!!!

  452. Finally Cersei’s I choose Violence will happen in the next episode.

    Not even worried about Arya. The girl is already jumping in the preview for the next episode lol

    Seems like Dany will arrive in Meereen on Drogon’s back? Awesome.

  453. That was um…..short.

    They’re not asking about Jon’s NW vows. Did he strip off camera? 😛

    Sansa mistrusting Davos annoys me. Like seriously….he saved Jon’s life. Get over yourself in this matter, girl! When will she tell Jon about LF and the Vale?

    Lyanna Mormont is a boss!

    Glovers getting their castle back with Bolton’s help…did not expect that. Brilliant!

    Were Mel and Ghost busy feeding the horses and ravens?

  455. Worst episode of the season so far – it wasn’t terrible, just not good.

    When does Jon really return from the dead?

  460. Nadia,

    I agree. Someone actually told the truth about Robb, he put his desire ahead of what was best for his kingdom and its people and he lost and they lost. That’s what the North thought about Talisa. Roose Bolton made sure that most of the Northern houses except for them lost most of the men sent with Robb. They probably don’t know that so the blame for the whole King in the North fiasco is hung on Robb.

  461. Really, the BwB were the ones responsible for that Quiet Isle massacre? Really? Really? Really? WtF?

  462. Ha! No speech. 2nd week in a row–boring. Way to go, the overrated B-cog strikes again. And spare me the backlash….it’s all my freaking opinion obviously.

  464. Flayed Potatoes,

    I’m interested how they play this with Sansa does she leave to go get the Vale? I doubt it I’m now thinking they just show up and Sansa is as surprised as everyone else.

  465. Hmm… Another decent episode. More set-up mostly.
    I suppose it makes sense with the runtimes. 6-7 are the set-up for the big ending.
    It had some strong moments. Loved Lyanna Mormont. Jaime / Blackfish / Riverrun was nice…
    I am curious though. Just 50 minutes and 5 scenes devoted to the Hound…He really must be up for something important. Cleganebowl is definitely happening.
    Even though 95%+ material is from TWOW most things dont come across as major surprises. Only the Hodor shock. I wonder if its the same for non book readers?!
    One wonders if they couldnt have some Jon / Sansa scene just them together to build things up some more. They really werent kidding when they said only 14 episodes left after S6 i guess…. You wonder what else they could have thrown in to this. More random Meereen stuff? Nothing happens there till Dany returns clearly… Could have done with a Margaery / Tommen scene then to show them together… or not together rather…
    All in all 6-7 are the ‘weak’ point of the season clearly but thats because its set-up and short. Its like they are manoeuvring everything into position literally…

  466. SoCalGal,

    Welcome to the Wall! 🙂

    Damphairintheshowplease!,

    I’ve loved Damphait in the show (heehee), thus far, too!

    Since the episode just ended…

    I definitely enjoyed it, although, of course, I was disappointed we didn’t get “the speech.” That’s on me, though. Sure, I thought, as I’m sure many book-readers did, the title of the episode was an indication we’d get it, but obviously it was just (specific reference to Theon being broken aside) a nod to the speech made when we see the Gravedigger in the books. Fair enough. I’m not going to be one of those people who decides I don’t like an episode just because something I expected didn’t happen. There were plenty of other things to like about it.

  467. Darkrobin,

    Yeah, I think it was a powerful reminder to Sansa why the North might NOT fight for them. She seems to be forgetting that they sent good men to fight with Robb and those good men died because of his selfish needs. The show makes you hate the Boltons that you forget just why the Northerns really might support the Boltons vs. the Starks.

    Probably why Sansa realizes she needs the Vale troops.

    I’m still praying she tells Jon IF it’s possible. Right now it’s possible she thinks he’ll refuse or turn the troops down because of LF. He just refused to go to another house to ask for troops they badly need. Maybe once she knows it’s possible she’ll tell him, “you can’t say no, the army is already here.”

  470. Why would the BwB do that? They stole from people to give to smallfolk; they didn’t murder smallfolk for food. Unless that isn’t the BwB. Or if those smallfolk were from the Twins or something, and a certain someone is running shit now. I just don’t understand.

    And what’s up Wunwun’s arse? Or, wait, did he say no, or Snow? Throaty giantspeak is not my forte.

    I tweeted for the first time during this, to see if it does what I thought it did, which is be a major distraction, and it does, and it is. I guess modernity is supposed to be a long, leapfrogging string of distractions, however. Or I just suck.

  471. Great episode.

    I hate to use the term “setup episode” or “filler episode” but this episode was exactly that. If we keep that in mind, it did its job really well because the final three episodes are going to be amazing!

  472. Flayed Potatoes,

    Were Mel and Ghost busy feeding the horses and ravens?

    I understand you wouldn’t parade Mel in front on North houses … R’hllor and all that. But interesting she was never shown. Also, we did not see Ghost leave CB with Jon. For all we know he’s back in the room they keep him until they have the CGI budget to put him in an episode. The one he was in until he needed to rescue Sam and Gilly and then returned to. Remember how they never left their sides the first couple of seasons? He’ll show up for the battle I’m guessing.

    Davos finds stag next episode?

  473. Well, I thoroughly enjoyed that. However…..

    Things I have a bad feeling about:
    1. Marg trying to pull one over on the HS
    2. Sansa trying to pull one over on Jon and gang
    3. Cersei trying to be a boss
    4. The Waif thinking she pulled one over on Arya
    5. Everything in the Riverlands (well, except for Sandor)

  474. Next 3 episodes are longer. After watching the promo, they aren’t showing us the North at all, no Bran by the looks of it, which sucks because i want more of Benjen and the visions!

    Also, can the Wall come down already!

  475. A really good episode. 9/10 from me. Ian McShane was excellent and Lyanna Mormont a cute little badass. Glad Sansa didn’t overshadow Jon.

  477. Pretty uneven and unconnected episode, wasn’t it? It lacked some connective tissue, basically, even though there were many standout scenes, particularly centered around certain people. Wun Wun. Lyanna Mormont. Davos. Robett Glover. Sansa. Yara. Etc.

    As for the lack of the “Broken man” speech, we got the gist of it, in other words. We basically saw the story happened instead of being told about it, which is quite clever.

  478. Nadia,

    Yes. And Glover gave all the reasons we all thought – about the Iron Born, about Robb, and now about the wildlings. I don’t blame him honestly, but I don’t think Sansa could have said anything else.

    Does anyone know what was in that letter to LF, aside from asking his help?

  479. I hate when people say “worst episode.” There was nothing bad about it other than it being short and not having much progression. There was a lot of set up but quite a bit still happened. If binge watching the entire season this 51 minutes would fit in just fine and not be a noticeable downgrade at all. Try not to force every episode into its own separate story that needs all of the elements.

  481. Boudica,

    OMG SO DID I
    My sister and I had to make sure we were on the right channel

    THE HOUND HYPE

    This was so good. I’m so curious to see where this goes

  482. Flayed Potatoes:
    That was um…..short.

    They’re not asking about Jon’s NW vows. Did he strip off camera?

    Sansa mistrusting Davos annoys me. Like seriously….he saved Jon’s life. Get over yourself in this matter, girl! When will she tell Jon about LF and the Vale?

    Lyanna Mormont is a boss!

    Glovers getting their castle back with Bolton’s help…did not expect that. Brilliant!

    Were Mel and Ghost busy feeding the horses and ravens?

    I actually think her not trusting Davos is really smart though? I mean given the little information she knows about him (his involvement with Stannis, and Renly’s death) two things that don’t exactly paint him in the best light. Brienne doesn’t trust Davos and told her as much. Why should Sansa trust him?

  483. That episode was good but not great. I guess they can’t all be. But it felt really short – really there was no more that could be done?

    For all those people that were complaining preemptively that Sansa would overshadow Jon, I really don’t think she did at all. And frankly, in what I thought was the best scene, Jon KNEW immediately that Sansa was wrong to try and pull rank on Glover. His face was “nooooooo” and she got smacked down like the still naive girl she is.

    She is, however, right that they need more troops. I’m hoping she’s worried Jon will refuse so she’s waiting till she hears back from LF on the Vale. If she never tells Jon I’ll hate her forever, but I really don’t think that’s happening.

  484. Man this place can be depressing as fuck some times after episodes. Way to kill the momentum

    Hahaha

  490. This was the best episode of the season, IMO. I absolutely love the very realistic alliance-building (and the extreme difficulty of it), and the intelligence of it (best dialogue, bar none). Little touches like Arya taking the gold back, etc, made for a much more nuanced episode than we’ve normally gotten in season 5 and 6.

  493. episode 7 was “ok” but not shocking even with arya the show become more and more hollywood-ish we all know that arya wil survive this when most would die of such a attack back in season 1-3 the hype should begin at this part…episode 8 was fucking awesome last year this one have to be equal. i have the feeling that the begining of the season (episode 1-4) looked more awesome and shocking than the climax. and come on…COME ON seven episodes and still no jon/mel talks….wtf

  494. If the North storyline isn’t in the next episode, I’m going to flip a table. More Jon please and thanks.

  497. Sansa has no clue. She has no more experience in her current affairs than she did heading to Lions Arch. The only hope for her is that Littlefinger doesn’t play her again and actually does help. If not she’s just screwed up again.

  499. Nymeria Warrior Queen,

    I was disappointed we didn’t get “the speech.”

    We got some of it. There’s no way they were going to be able to put two pages worth of one person speaking without boring everyone. He made his point. Unfortunately he really should have thought about at least defending themselves…..

  500. Luka Nieto,

    We basically saw the story happened instead of being told about it, which is quite clever.

    Too clever by half for me I guess … I was underwhelmed by that. What I got was that BWB has gone bad and the Sandor has found a purpose – killing the BWB. Besides that, and the joy at having Rory back, the scenes did not warrant the time spent on them to me. But the rest of the episode – RR, Sansa, Davos, and Jon, KL were good.

    And Arya … stomach wounds like that don’t really heal well … this will be some strong plot armor for her to survive unless what we saw is not what happened.

  501. Flayed Potatoes: Sansa mistrusting Davos annoys me. Like seriously….he saved Jon’s life. Get over yourself in this matter, girl! When will she tell Jon about LF and the Vale?

    I’d agree that Davos is the most trustworthy person in all of Westeros, but Sansa was in King’s Landing when the Battle of Blackwater happened. I wouldn’t blame her for mistrusting his abilities. From her point of view, Davos walked into a trap. And the sea is supposed to be his forte.

  502. emperor,

    Yeah I really don’t it get to be honest I would rather have the hound not come back to give some more development to the end game characters. This episode had no rhythm to it. I guess the Hound will be important for something but honestly I kind of don’t care even if he does fight The mountain.

  503. ygritte:
    Jumbo,

    She’s the darling of many and we must not sully her good name with any criticism :)….*sigh*

    I do hope she tells Jon and Davos. I don’t want the Starks divided and betrayal.

    It’s over! damn that seemed to go by so fast!

    Why was her -we need more men wrong, she doesn’t trust LF and Jon is committing suicide, and I know she knows LF has the men, but maybe that letter isn’t for him.
    The lines we were able to read from the promo was: to fulfill your……. it may go to Lord Royce or someone else, she didn’t lie, but her holding back won’t make her look good either, that is her problem to solve.

  504. LonRice,

    She also knows Davos put the wheels in motion to bring Jon back to life. If it wasn’t for him, she’d be rolling into Castle Black at Jon’s funeral.

  505. P.S.

    This was my second favorite episode of the season. I know the Cliff’s Notes fans here hate when an episode actually allows a scene to breath because that means their medication has time to kick in, but I love it.

  506. Are you people mad? The dialogue of this episode was top notch, and the story progression as realistic as we should expect. Season 5, and to a degree this season, has moved along at far too rapid-fire a pace. This felt more like it. It felt like a Season 3 episode! Proper drudgery of war, and alliance-building, and all that. Great stuff.

  507. You have to earn the stark name – and I’m glad they kept it consistent in putting Jon and Sansa in their place about all the shit that has gone down since Ned died.

    Was happy to see Jon speak up and everything. Especially when it came to the wildlings. I needed this . Need a little more lol.

    Anyway – I’m not happy about the LF connection – I can’t stand him. I really don’t want any stark drama.

    Also is Jon not in the next episode.

  508. What the F••• was that! That totally sucked. I am so disappointed. Esp, Arya’s storyline. I just can’t believe she would be wandering around Bravvos like that and let somebody come up to her without suspecting anything.
    They really dropped it with this one.
    It was great to see the hound again.

  509. According to my closed captioning, they named Ian McShane’s character “Ray.” WTF? He could have been Septon Meribald or Elder Brother, but just Ray?

    So excited to see the Hound! Loved Lady Mormont and her aged advisors. I still say Nina Gold is a genius in her casting this show.

    It’s a bit confusing to see Arya jumping off buildings next week which when she’s just been stabbed in the the stomach. That requires more suspension of disbelief than Littlefinger’s jet pack. Maybe a red priest will perform a miracle?

  510. Darkrobin,

    I was rewatching scenes from the Riverlands, when Edmure did not want to marry the Frey girl, and Cat was telling him off for wanting to choose a pretty wife over doing his duty as head of the Tullys… as if her own son Robb did not do the same. I kind of expected him to call her back, oh, memories…

  511. I get that Jon’s rushing to save Rickon and to try and attack on good weather, but can’t Mel say some prayers to Ralloo and improve the situation? #ScreentimeForMel

    Also, I hope we get an ID on who played Lyanna Mormont. New favorite right there!

  512. GeekFurious,

    Yes. I think last season, and so far this season, has spoiled people into expecting staggeringly momentous events in each episode. This was a welcome slowing down of the pace. It felt real. The North is full of a bunch of xenophobic fuck heads, and Jon has an army of wildlings, and Rob Stark got a bunch of their people killed because he married a foreign woman. Jon and Sansa aren’t going to win the North with one speech.

  513. As a book reader, the introduction of the Hound (so far) is really random. Three separate scenes with the Hound and crew (no name-calling for Meribald if I’m not mistaken).

    I’ll reserve judgment of this until we see if the payoff is worthwhile. The Hound HAS to do something of value for this investment to be worthwhile. Perhaps he sees Arya at the end of the season as she returns from being no-one?

    I think they could have either held off on Arya or just had her in the middle of the episode. Waiting until the end just felt like they stuck it in there. I’d confidently bet that Cogman didn’t write that scene and that it was stuck in there as a filler, given how short it was to begin with.

    Relative to the rest of the episodes this season, this was a solid one in my opinion. Pretty solid back and forths between Riverrun and Jon/Sansa/the North, tinkered in with a few other places. I was pretty confident we’d see Manderly and White Harbor, especially after Jon was cutoff by Lyanna after mentioning a raven to Manderly. I thought for sure that Jon and Sansa were walking there in their last scene. A man can hope for next week!!

    8.9/10, with my median episode for this season probably being an 8.7. High quality.

  514. Jumbo:
    Arya either has valyrian steel plot armour or it’s not her who got stabbed

    Eh, right side gut stab. Others have survived worse in the series.
    When she was walking through the people at the end there I really, really thought she was going to see Gendry. How awesome would that have been!?

  515. Geesh. Idk what most of you are talking about. Worst episode? No Glue? You sound like a bunch of nagging Walking Dead fans.

    Fantastic as usual. From Hound to Hound. Very few GOT episodes are less than. And this was not one of them.

  516. I don’t understand!!! People say this was such a bad episode, worst episode of anything yet, complete filler and waste of time. AND YET, if we skipped right to episode 8 and not have this one at all, you guys would complain that everything is rushed!

    Just shows me that no matter what, people are gonna bitch.

  518. Here’s my hope and I’m clinging to it.

    Sophie said that she’s tired of being told by men what to do, even if they’re older or more experienced.

    She doesn’t WANT Jon to go into battle underarmed. She wants him to go beg more houses. He , probably rightfully, refuses because he thinks it’s pointless. He’s obviously frustrated but he basically is DONE. And I think there’s a part of her that thinks he’s marching to war but not to victory (LOTR reference!) So, instead of telling Jon and having him refuse her, she just basically decides “I’m going to get you these troops and when they’re here you can’t say no.”

    My other theory is that she does actually in some twisted way love LF and will end up with him.

  519. ash:
    Yeah, I didn’t get that either – but are we sure they were BWB? I didn’t recognize any of them

    Me neither. When did the BwB become the Brave Companions? Unless they were trying to draw the Hound out by a third party….

    I think this episode had a few cloak-and-dagger moments…not all is what it seems.

  520. I’m feeling very disturbed and disappointed at the disrespect and disloyalty of the northern houses. The Starks have ruled the North for millenia and it seemed they were doing a good job. Yes Robb failed but he was betrayed for crying out loud! And now they are incredibly willing to forget their oaths of allegiance for not just a usurper lord but a completely insane and psychotic one. I just don’t get it.

    Poor Starks still can’t catch a break. I guess if they had Danny’s plot armor the northerners would have joined their cause if only because of Jon’s pretty face or Sansa’s new dress.

  521. One thing I liked about this episode is that there was no magic, no visions, no fantasy, no dragons, no zombies, just humans being humans.

  523. I loved this episode!! Cogman did a great job.

    Was it the Broken Man speech from the books? No, but McShane killed it and the writing was VERY effective. That cold open–huzzah! Great scene with Yara and Theon! Good God, if Alfie doesn’t get all the awards just for the look he gave Gemma at the end of that scene! And Gemma really brought it in that scene as well. And who didn’t love Davos and Lyanna Mormont’s little discussion?! Also, Manderly name drop again! But what the F is going on with Arya? Was that NOT Arya, by any chance?? Could it be a different Faceless Person that was stabbed? And the preview for next week: Jaime and Brienne facing off?? And Cersei “lightin’ it up!” Can’t wait to see it!

  525. Nadia,

    jon is bitter but not hateful he will be dissapointed by her lack of faith and trust in him but if it get rickon alive and well than jon will be okay but on the contrary if rickon die…..

  527. Nadia,

    She is right they do need more Troops but the weather is a big problem they made that clear. Also Sansa is all over the place and let’s be honest she doesn’t know anything about military tactics. She should have had Littlefinger come with her from the start now she’s asking them to wait when they probably don’t have the resources to camp and travel all over the north. Stannis was in a better position than Jon and look how it turned out for him.

  529. Ennie,

    Ah, forgot that. Good memory. Yes the show played it differently from the books. In the books

    Robb forgave Cat for following her heart and letting Jamie free in return for Sansa and then trapped Cat into not being able not to forgive Robb for doing the same

  531. Jumbo:
    Arya either has valyrian steel plot armour or it’s not her who got stabbed

    I get the plot armor – that was Talisa-style belly knifing. But who else could it be? Who would go around looking like Arya Stark, and then struggle through the streets wounded? Sure looked and felt like her. Who could possibly save her except Jaqen? She can’t be doing parkour jumping next episode without magical save, could she?

  532. Random jotted notes:

    — Pre-credit sequence, a GOT first?
    — Lovejoy in The Shire!
    — The Hound is back and has a tie-in deal with J. Crew.
    — Chopping wood, take note Brooklyn hipsters.
    — Ian McShane as a good guy? This will not end well.
    — I wouldn’t mind if the entire episode was the Hound blabbing on about anything. Blab away, Hound!
    — Alas, Margaery isn’t clever enough to notice that the High Sparrow just wants to wear her cool tiara.
    — The H.S. has the hots for granny? Dude, this is Diana Rigg we’re talking about, so stand in line. A very long line stretching back to at least 1965.
    — Edmure Tully, the luckiest person who ever lived.
    — Bear Island could use an amusement park. Just saying.
    — Ser Davos and “my lady” — shades of Shireen and bar none the best scene of the episode.
    — Off topic, but a pub crawl with Ser Davos and Ser Jorah would be totally badass, no?
    — “The Bolton’s are doomed.” Let’s hope so.
    — Jaime Lannister IS Toshiro Mifune!
    — Looks like Jon Snow opening his coat to reveal his Superman insignia will have to wait for next week.
    — Yara and Theon bonding was sweet. Now, let’s get out there and decimate armadas!
    — Yara’s “fuck the tits off this one” scene will obviously have to wait for the extended dvd.
    — Who were those bad guys and why is Lovejoy building a Wicker Man?
    — Not having seen “Brothers Grimm,” Arya feels confident in booking passage with Captain Terry Gilliam.
    — The waif is really getting on my nerves. Feck this waif.
    — Nice to know that the Hound still imbibes. Now, on to Cleganbowl?

  533. Unpopular opinion: I don’t understand the whole Cogman love. Except for Kill the Boy (and Laws of Gods and Men – but it was mostly great thanks to good book-writing and top-notch acting), I did not find any of his episodes as above-average. There were a lot of controversial, inconsistent elements too (Sansa’s wedding – “I fight for Dorne. ” (sssand sssnakes)- Jaime’s rape of Cersei).

  534. Personally I quite enjoyed the episode

    It doesen’t have the big shock moments (aside from the cold open), but it reaches to the very depths of each of the characters and how they are all broken

    Even Wun Wun who I hadn’t considered before, who lost his King at the Battle for the Wall

    Loved how they did the Mormont scene, you start at the back and think they are addressing the middle aged man then the angle changes….and the actress, wow.

    Obviously it is gender neutral but the episode is predominantly focused on Sandor as a reflection of everyone else

    The trials and tribulations of piecing oneself back together – and the setbacks involved, be that Jaimie with Blackfish, Cersei with Olenna, Jon and Sansa with Robett? Glover, Edmure with Black Walder

    And of course Arya with the Waif. Obviously it seems odd someone can get stabbed so and is still living,

    but someone like the Waif is a master microstabber, she knows precisely where and how deep to stab someone for it to be fatal, yet in this case prolongued enough for her to suffer

  535. Good episode, pretty much on par with last weeks. If anything, it seemed to be the companion piece, setting up the other half of the stories for the finale.

    Loved the cold open. Always a joy to see McShane. I’m not bothered by the lack of the Broken Man speech, but it did seem odd they would name the episode that and leave it out. The Hound back is always great. Rory hasn’t missed a beat.

    The Blackfish is back and I thought the siege scenes were great. I wasn’t sure if they were going to kill Edmure, and Jamie riding in like a boss to take charge.

    The Lady Mormont pretty much stole the show, for me.

    Can someone explain to me the message Margary sent Oleanna? The rose picture. What? Also, did anyone else think the Sparrow was going to make a pass at Margery and further show his hypocrisy?

    The Yara/Theon scene was meh. Just exposition. Kinda dull and Theon keeps hitting the same beats.

    I really liked the scene where Sansa got dressed down by that Northern Lord. I also liked how she refused to back down. Will be interesting to see what the ramifications are of her running back to LF for help without telling Jon.

    Anyone else think Arya might be saved by Lady Crane?

    Overall, I know people are going to bitch about the lack of action and its more set up, but I thought it was a solid, if unspectacular episode, just the kind that will probably look better when the whole season is seen in context.

  536. emperor,

    Will he be? I go back and forth on this. It depends how it happens. I do think he will be a little upset with her because he’ll worry at the cost of LF’s help – rightfully – but at the same time, she knows this measly army is going to get killed.

    I just hope she FREAKING TELLS HIM ALREADY.

    Still hoping she’ll tell him once she knows if it’s really a possibility

    I’m more worried about the cost they will pay for LF’s help. I think Sansa knows Jon wouldn’t be willing to take that on

  537. Mrs. Podrick Payne,

    Simple. Wildlings. Northerners hate them. The same reason Jon got murdered by his Night’s Watch brethren is the same reason the northern houses won’t fight for him and Sansa. Not to mention Robb’s actions towards the Karstarks, and the disaster that followed his decision to marry a Volantine foreigner. These people are suspicious xenophobes. You don’t change their minds with a five minute conversation.

    Is this really flying over people’s heads?

  539. Daniellica,

    according to the closed captioning, wun wun said ‘snow’.

    i absolutely loved the scene between the queen of thorns and the queen of violence.
    ‘you have no one to help you anymore but a monster. what you gonna do now? may you always be able to jump off the porch and bite without a warning bark. i’m outta here.’
    also good to see marge really is playing them all. for once i am actually looking forward to KL next week.

    poor theon. all those prostitutes and no equipment to use.

    maybe sansa could have reminded glover that it was bolton who helped kill her family, and by doing so helped kill so many people from all those other houses by betraying the starks. she does know this after all. she has mentioned it twice already.

    all in all i thoroughly enjoyed the episode and look forward to next week.

    wondering what will happen with arya and how she is going to recover. she handled that captain like a boss.

    and we all know where davos is, right?

  542. Well, this was an uneven episode.
    Jaime and the North were great. The other things? Not so much.
    – I like the way the Hound’s story is going, but I missed the speech. I hope there’s no Cleganebowl anytime soon.
    – Glover mentions the Boltons helped him. What? Will that influence the Telltale Games?
    – Arya just walks 3 stab wounds off? We’ve seen Doran die in 10 seconds for less.

    All in all, it’s a 7.
    3/5 ⭐

  543. ArgonathofBraavos,

    . The North is full of a bunch of xenophobic fuck heads, and Jon has an army of wildlings, and Rob Stark got a bunch of their people killed because he married a foreign woman. Jon and Sansa aren’t going to win the North with one speech.

    They need someone to glamour a wight. Ohhhh Mel?

  544. What a short episode. They should have included more dialogue for Ian McShane. I like his scenes. It looked like a different show. The Hound will be back next episode.
    Lyanna Mormont was great. That Waif must die horribly next episode, right?? So worried about Arya.
    Poor Jon. He is trying to go as fast as possible to Winterfell for Rickon … He will be angry with Sansa about hiding Littlefinger’s offer.
    I’m worried about the Blackfish and Pod. I don’t see anyone else in that boat with Brienne.
    So sad, there are only three episodes left. The best ones apparently.

  545. SANDORRR!!!!!!

    Opening on a blacksmith was mean. Showrunners are bloody sadists. I’m sorry that we didn’t get the “broken men” speech, but I’m wondering if we’ll see it later out of another players’ mouth?

    How awesome was Lyanna Mormont? I <3 that kid. As an aside, Bear Island is freaking gorgeous, I had no idea Jorah's home was so beautiful…..
    I'm thinking Sansa was writing to Littlefinger or Sweetrobin, but perhaps she just threw some kerosene on the fire & taunted Ramsey? Like Ramsey needs an excuse to do something stupid.
    I'm also betting that the stage is set for Davos to find a half burned stag toy in the next episode…

    Ironborn in Mreeen, eh?

    so is Theon going to be the unfortunate person who gets burned to ash while letting some WoD's out of the makeshift Dragonpit?

    I'm a bit miffed Arya was taken unawares by the Waif. Seriously girl, it should be a big damned red flag if someone in a forigen city nicely approaches you speaking your language in the days after you left a death cult that doesn’t allow defections. I hope the mummers have a medic in their troop.

    Good on you Margery, I knew you weren’t done yet. I just hope her gamble with the Fanatics Militant pays off. Natalie Dormer can speak eloquently with her eyes. Her “No, really Grandma GTFO King’s Landing NOW NOW NOW” was absolutely clear.

    Oh and I officially want to see the the High Sexis- excuse me, Sparrow go up in a glorious whoosh of wildfire, what a monumental dick. “Desire isn’t necessary on the woman’s part during congress, patience is”. Did he seriously just tell Queen Marg to lie back & think of Baleor?? Ugh.

    Holy crap Blackfish, I bow to Clive Russel- he nailed that exchange with Jamie. Can we get his army a mass teleport to the Wolf’s Wood?

    I don’t think they’re gonna let us catch our breath before seasons’ end…this is gonna be a hell of a ride!

  546. Solid episode. It was a bit choppy, with so many scene breaks, but that’s just because the Hound’s and the North’s storyline progressed rather quickly.

    I still would have liked to see more of Arya. I hardly see it as a cliffhanger, because she appears recovered (somewhat) in the preview, and there’s no way they could throw away her hours of screen time in Braavos with that resolution. At least we have her next week, and she’s officially planning for Westeros.

    Jon is moving way too quick, I don’t know why he’s so opposed to getting a more proper army. Sansa – I literally have no idea why she is hiding the Vale from Jon. Maybe she has a good reason, but it just seems sketchy.

  547. Anyone else think Arya wanted the waif to come for her and has some sort of plan? She knew the waif was coming after her, so she just walks around in broad daylight? I’m not buying it. Shes about to do something crazy.

  549. Flayed Potatoes:
    I get that Jon’s rushing to save Rickon and to try and attack on good weather, but can’t Mel say some prayers to Ralloo and improve the situation? #ScreentimeForMel

    I believe that’s exactly what’s going to save the day in the end. Mel, to the rescue!!!!!

  550. Catspaw Assassin,

    — Off topic, but a pub crawl with Ser Davos and Ser Jorah would be totally badass, no?

    I’m thinking go drinking & debating religion with Septon Meribald & Davos.

  551. Of course the Elephant in the Room is that the Stark Army is currently encamped at the very spot where Stannis’s Army was hit by Ramsays 20 good men

    This is where Stannis became a broken man, this is where Mel became a broken woman as she literally broke and fled from Stannis

    This is where Mel burned Shireen

    I like how they have also made this the place where there’s perceived infighting but it’s also where Sansa has perceivably caved and sent a Raven to LF (I actually thought she was writing to Lord Cerwyn but the above posters are likely correct) which is akin to Stannis burning Shireen insofar as being true to herself and House Stark goes

    It might be “boring” and it is a transitional setup episode but to the thinking person this was actually quite a fantastic episode, next week there will be fireworks at camp Stark as I expect this is where Mel will have to come face to face with burning Shireen to Davos

    So all will be rightfully aired on battle eve

  552. I liked parts of this immensely:

    – bits with Lady Mormont and her 62 men were great.
    – Glover vs Sansa was also great.
    – loved everything to do with Margaery and Olenna.
    – enjoyed the exchange between Blackfish and Jaime, and Jaime and Bronn.
    – glad Sandor is back.
    – I must be the only one who liked Yara and her prostitute.

    I’m still having difficulties with Sansa, Littlefinger, and the Vale. It looks like Sansa is still keeping the Vale a secret. Will she really let Jon go to war with 2,000 wildlings and 62 Mormonts, hoping Littlefinger arrives in time? Where’s the sense in that?

    Why is Jon in such a hurry to go to war with 2,000 wildlings? Sure he wants to save Rickon, but committing suicide is not the way to do it.

    The Waif stabbed Arya repeatedly in the gut, then twisted the knife. This is a world without antibiotics. Arya should be dead.

  554. Mrs. Podrick Payne,

    Yes Robb failed but he was betrayed for crying out loud!

    He failed because he broke a vow, married for love, and killed off the head of a house (literally). He was young and stupid, and managed to get lots of people killed. I don’t blame the north (that being said, they only went to two houses….)

  555. It just felt sooo much like the old GOT that I know and loved, and for that I immensly enjoyed this one.

    This seasons episodes ranked so far:
    Book of the Stranger
    The Door
    The Broken Man
    Home
    Oathbreaker
    Blood of my Blood
    The Red Woman

  556. Hodors Bastard:
    Really, the BwB were the ones responsible for that Quiet Isle massacre? Really? Really? Really? WtF?

    I know, right?

    Thoros:
    You’ve got nothing to fear from us, son. The lords of Westeros want to burn the countryside. We’re trying to save it.

  559. I keep writing justifications for why Sansa is lying but then I just keep being like “What the ffffff are you doing STOP LYING TO JON”

    It is all so pointless and the only thing I can think of is that it’s meant to create a division between the two because their stories are NOT supposed to be together, ie in the books I don’t think Jon and Sansa are going to end up fighting side by side. Her story is still with LF and Jon’s is separate. So they’ve put them together for the show but they’re not going to stay together.

  561. Confirms Jaime is jerk, lap dog, sister banger. I hated this dude since he pushed Bran out the window and nothing has changed my mind. I know it goes different in the book but I despise the Lannisters from Tywin sacking KL and murdering children to Twincest.

  563. One of the shortest but I already know it’ll be one of my faves. 😮 I really enjoyed that idk what’s wrong with ppl boo~

    Cant wait to watch it again, hound mini arc, killer kl convos, any jon n Sansa n north is good. The North Remembers!!! “Snow” omg. Andt somethingbowl wtfff can’t believe that might actually happen boom!

    Was a shock to see Arya get done n yeah. Short but I was gripped throughout.

    Now we get a three part epic movie to finish the season GET IN and good night n_n

  564. In the last episode, the FM tells the waif not to let Arya suffer…stabbed in the gut and walking around bleeding out looked a lot like suffering to me. I wouldn’t be surprised if Jaqen H’ghar somehow appears and saves/heals Arya. We did she her jumping off a building in the preview for next week.

  565. Whooped and hollered when I saw The Hound, but generally disappointed in his scenes. I realize it is setting things up for the future, but the scene around McShane had no life for me. Sigh.

    Otherwise, what’s up with Arya’s wound? Will Davos find the stag? Will Sansa tell about the Raven to Littlefinger? Will Olenna get away?

    Choosing violence is the way.

  566. maria,

    Stannis was in a hurry to and the weather still tore his army to shreds and drove him to do some really crazy things. They have no choice but to march and Ramsay isn’t going to just let Jon gather a massive army.

  568. House Seaworth:
    Anyone else think Arya wanted the waif to come for her and has some sort of plan?She knew the waif was coming after her, so she just walks around in broad daylight?I’m not buying it.Shes about to do something crazy.

    Yes! That is the only way I can accept that scene. Wish it was built up a bit more….we’ll just have to wait a few days, I guess.

  569. HOLYSHIT! That cold open was incredible! To open like that, instead of leaving this big reveal to the end, was fantastic!
    I can totally see it being the BWB if Beric is dead. Desperation, “broken men”. The original Robin Hood-esque mission of the BwB abandoned if there is no order and no leader. Ian McShane was fantastic, as expected. We didn’t get the speech as it is in text but enough to know they where a peaceful group, and a changed man at the helm. So good to have Rory back and that end, hell yes.

    Baby Lyanna Mormont was SO good! And Davos continues to slay the shit out of every scene. Loved Olenna and Margery, though fear for both.
    Jaime can die anytime. I wish the Blackfish would kill him. Know that won’t happen but damn, if I don’t want that asshat to meet the pointy end.

  570. Ravyn: Anyone else think Arya might be saved by Lady Crane?

    Yes! I was hoping Arya to run into Lady Crane. Since the Waif can take any face, Arya can’t trust any Braavosi unless she already knows their face.
    Although the episode was good overall, I was left disappointed because too many arcs were left open-ended, to be resolved in future.
    We know Arya will be saved, but the episode ended with her helpless.
    We know Olenna and Marg are planning something, but no clue was given.
    We know Cersei is planning something, but she was just berated by Olenna.
    We can assume Jon and Sansa will win the battle, but the episode portrayed them as underdogs in the battle.
    Even the Hound’s arc felt insufficient because he couldn’t save those men.

    We know Arya will survive, but not how.

  572. Nadia:
    That scene with Glover and Sansa was INCREDIBLE. She’s still in some ways stuck in the fantasy of loyalty and the value of heritage.The second she started talking about being pledged to House Stark, I love that Jon was like “nooooooooooo.” But good on the show for highlighting that while we love the Starks and we wanted Robb to win, he was naive and selfish when it mattered the most and that cost him. Good for Glover for putting her in her place, as much as I want the Starks to win. She has to know she can’t just demand loyalty.

    Sansa’s education isn’t over yet, but she’s learning.

    Boy u said it, i know many people remember the red wedding and were shocked. I may be among thr few show watchers only that saw this coming as soon as he went back to the twins. Catelyn should have known better, when u f King u cant just do what u want your people come before u do.

  573. Mrs. Podrick Payne,

    The Northern storyline is irritating the hell out of me this season. It doesn’t help that the writers basically seem to have no interest in writing for Jon. Or at least , I just can’t understand the logic in the way they are writing him . Lyanna Morning was awesome though.

  574. Help,

    I think it went:
    “Should I fail to persuade the Blackfish to surrender, and if you retake (?) the castle, honor compels me to fight you.”

  575. The Arya scenes confused me as well. Where did she get those coins and that outfit? Begging? Stealing? I’m not sure it was her.

  579. DireWolfHeart,

    Tbf it reflects old religious ideas on it, eg Sex isn’t supposed to be pleasurable for women

    Sex probably isn’t supposed to be pleasurable for men either (smashing LF and other brothel),

    Nothing is meant to be enjoyed, life is meant to be dull piety. That’s what a Theocracy is.

    In the case of sex it’s just a matter of procreation…

    Of course this is all nicely contrasted later on perhaps by Yara and other Ironborn in Volantis

    And of course there’s no coincidence we got Elder Septon Meribald talk to Sandor just before that…

  580. I thought this was one of the better episodes this season. I’m surprised that some people thought it was so terrible. I didn’t care for The hound stuff, and that seemed to take up a good portion of the episode. I wish they could have just confirmed that he was still alive and moved on. The Greyjoys are slowly becoming some of the best parts of the show this season. I felt bad for Theon because he’s clearly suffering from PTSD, and Yara despite her misguided attempts really tried to help him get it together. That scene between them was awesome.

    I knew Margery had something up her sleeve, literally in this case. Glad to see I wasn’t wrong about that, because she was really starting to convince me that she was brainwashed. Lady Olenna is the best, most shadiest grandma in all of Westeros and her scenes with Cersei are always entertaining.

    Lyanna Mormont was amazing, I just about died when she said she only had 62 men. The look on Jon’s face after that lol. Man, it was really rough out there for team Stark and the show is doing a good job of showing, seasons later, the consequences of Rob’s bad decisions. It’s not the only thing that’s working against them but its definitely a factor. If Jon and Sansa manage to get Winterfell back lets hope they learn a thing or two from their brother’s mistakes.

    Speaking of bad decisions, why Jon is so eager to attack Ramsey’s army with so few men, so much so that he even refuses to consider going to other Northern Houses? I mean….. I’m no war expert or nothing but that does seem like a recipe for defeat. Maybe he thinks the element of surprise will give them an advantage? I doubt it would be a significant enough advantage for them to defeat Ramsey who has more than twice the men. Not entirely sure why Sansa didn’t tell Jon about the Vale army at that moment. I’m guessing she thinks he won’t listen since he doesn’t seem to want to wait.

  581. I don’t know why it can’t be Arya that got stabbed. It wasn’t in an area of critical organs and she most likely will find some kind of assistance pretty quickly. Jaime had his hand chopped off and didn’t get medical attention for weeks.

  583. eejazz:
    Sansa – I literally have no idea why she is hiding the Vale from Jon. Maybe she has a good reason, but it just seems sketchy.

    It seems to be the writers trying to artificially increase drama, more than anything else. Like, from her scenes in this episode it seems pretty clear that she doesn’t want to contact Littlefinger and wants him out of her life, so I guess I understand that part (if you accept the premise that Baelish’s army isn’t worth paying attention to at all so long as it’s just hovering at Moat Cailin, which is required for this story setup to work). But now that she’s accepted his help, there’s no reason whatever to keep it secret, since she’s trying to dissuade Jon from attacking so quickly.

  584. Seeing Arya’s hand all bloody like that, sure did look like the clip from Bran’s vision.

  586. aabe:
    Flayed Potatoes,

    Having seen Jorah Mormont and Jeor Mormont, I am putting my money on the 62 good men.

    Haha, well spotted

    Lyanna Mormonts 67 good men >>>> Ramsays 20 good men

    At the same spot and everything

  588. House Seaworth,

    Anyone else think Arya wanted the waif to come for her and has some sort of plan? She knew the waif was coming after her, so she just walks around in broad daylight? I’m not buying it. Shes about to do something crazy.

    I agree with you 100%.

    Her last scene last week was her looking around with her needle in hand and blowing out that candle in wait.

    I honestly thought she had an animal under her clothes to fall in the water and fake her death or something.

    Arya has got to have a plan, she knows that Waif girl is out for her.

    I think we will soon find out Arya is playing possum.

  590. Catspaw Assassin,

    Sandor Clegane, mainly. His story was the only one well laid out in this episode. Everything else seemed fillers.
    Other broken men:
    (?)Meribald (Ian McShane’s character)
    Jaime (I wish Blackfish said “You always disappoint, Kingslayer”.)
    Edmure (obviously)
    Theon

  591. That was a great episode! Loved every scene and it builds for things that’s about to go down

  592. It’s been a while since I’ve read the books so forgive me if this is a dumb question, but I thought I recall a fake BWB roaming the countryside looting and pillaging and killing so as to give the BWB a bad name. Am I off there? thanks.

  593. Catspaw Assassin:
    Who was the broken man?

    Sandor

    Theon

    Queen Margery

    The Starks (as a house)

    Titles have tended to refer to more than one character / scenario.

  595. Tbf the Jon Sansa argument may seem odd

    But obviously Jon is rightfully worried that if they get a small army together, then while travelling all around it can get smashed while waiting for reinforcements, so they have to get what they can together and try and catch Ramsay on the hop

    Quite poignant he said that at the spot of “Ramsay 20 good men” ambush

    Anyone willing to think will realise this is a great episode, next week is going to have some deep cathartic release for all concerned

  597. Joey:
    Was that Lem Lemoncloak??

    Sadly. He matched the book description and he didn’t need to give his name, only wear the lemon cloak. I’ll not look forward to him getting ripped to shreds next week. Woe to me.

  598. Hodors Bastard: Yes! That is the only way I can accept that scene. Wish it was built up a bit more….we’ll just have to wait a few days, I guess.

    It almost has to be that way. She should not be able to survive a belly wound like that. It’s too bad: they could have set it up last week if they had had Richard Grant’s character strap on a bladder for holding fake blood to spurt out when “Tyrion” shot him or something like that.

    Still, that was a pretty good episode. They should have offered Lyanna Mormant Rickon in marriage. He could wear the dress and she could rule.

  599. Louis,
    …but the weather isn’t tearing Jon’s army to shreds, and Jon is not a hasty person. Maybe his death and resurrection changed him, but sadly we haven’t heard enough from him to know.

    Meanwhile, Sansa has access to a huge army. She really should let Jon in on this crucial fact. I doubt most sincerely that Jon would attack Winterfell with 2,000 wildlings if he knew that the Vale was coming to his rescue. The Vale situation, btw, is different from Manderly and others: Littlefinger made the offer, and Sansa sent him away. Littlefinger WILL show up when asked to. Sansa needs to tell Jon.

    Wimsey,

    But Arya is wounded, for real. She’s bleeding all over the road.

  600. LonRice,

    He needs to draw out and attack Ramsay in open field, since they don’t have the resources to mount a siege and the weather is getting worse. He’s basically trying to avoid what messed up Stannis’ plans. He also needs to save Rickon.

  601. Really good episode!

    – The septon was great as a parallel to the High Sparrow, and Mcshane really nailed a small role. The Speech didn’t make it, but I really liked the story of him killing the young boy in front of his mother. Anyway, they could never had fit in the whole thing, so better leave it out.
    – The North was great. The going around to the different houses worked well, and espicially Lord Glover made a huge impression on me. I was sad he refused them, but I understood his choice completely.
    – That red-haired wildling fellow is the same as the guy from Hardhome who said: ‘I’m with Tormund. We stay here and we’re dead men. At least with King Crow there’s a chance.’ I actually once posted on here that I hope they brought him back as he had a good intensity about him. Awesome for continuetys sake that they kept him in instead of bringing in another character.
    – Arya being stabbed completely shocked me! I hope we get a loooong painful scene of her sowing it up herself or something like that. Jaqen/Kindly man could also change his mind and save her. Or maybe she simply dies and thereby finally manages to become no one.
    – I was very happy to se the rose that Margerey had drawn to her grandmother. Great use of symbols.
    – That brotherhood-guy, the one who spoke, that’s got to be Lem Lemoncloak. Why else give him a huge and utterly yellow cloak.
    – Still surprised how closely they’re adapting the books when we thought they would go their own way completely. Riverrun was almost word for word.
    – I loved what the show did with the hound in this episode. It was like a little seperate story within the story.
    – Season 6 has a sense of expanding this already huge world, with us getting closer looks at different factions and institutions. So far, we’ve learned more about the greyjoy family and the religion of the Iron Born. We’ve seen different kinds of worship in form of very different priests. We get to know the leftovers of the northern houses. For a worldbuilding and continuety fan as my self, for that reason, season 6 is one of favorite as of yet 🙂

  602. ps wtf is up with that mofo red priest dark bwb mf? WHAT! I wantt him dead.

  603. The Molehill that Rides: Sandor

    Theon

    The Starks (as a house)

    Titles have tended to refer to more than one character / scenario.

    Jaimie

    Theon

    Also Cersei

    Olenna – I love how Septa Unella is shadowing Marge like Ser Gregor shadows Cersei, of course Septa Unella is going to be in the Red Keep during the “I choose violence” moment

  604. The Molehill that Rides,

    Broken lines broken strings,
    Broken threads broken springs,
    Broken idols broken heads,
    People sleeping in broken beds,
    Ain’t no use jiving,
    Ain’t no use joking,
    Everything is broken.

    — Bob Dylan, “Everything is Broken”

  606. Ghosts Lunch,

    Of course the Elephant in the Room is that the Stark Army is currently encamped at the very spot where Stannis’s Army was hit by Ramsays 20 good men

    Exactly, sparks will fly. Wonder who will get burnt.

  609. I think I have an idea. The scene in the trailers where LF meets someone in the woods and snow. I think it happens next episode. I think LF thinks he’s meeting Sansa alone and she shows up with Jon. If that’s not the case, that scene is after the battle.

  610. Wimsey: They should have offered Lyanna Mormant Rickon in marriage. He could wear the dress and she could rule.

    Excellent idea! Hopefully Lyanna can tolerate Rickon being a bit toasty. :/

  611. It was neat that the Hound got a cold open. Although I wonder if it was just so that they could put Rory McCann in the credits. He’s such a tragic character.

    The strongest part was probably the Riverrun scenes though. It was a nice little reminder of what tools the Freys are. And the Blackfish kicked ass. I liked how they went back and forth between Jaime at Riverrun and Jon, Sansa, and Davos on their begging tour. All four of these characters never wanted or expected to take on diplomatic roles. Davos had more practice, so he did the best. Lyanna Mormont was pretty fun. Glover had a point about Robb, but does he really think having Ramsay Bolton running the North will come to anything good? Really?

    I’m hardly seeing a lot of comments mad about Sansa writing to LF, but the fact that she didn’t do it sooner makes it pretty clear that she didn’t do it because she trusts him. She did it because she has no other choice. They need the men. That’s that. I understand why she hasn’t told him and Davos yet. They would both probably veto it. She better tread carefully though!

    I’m not sure how I feel about the BWB being the killers. But I get the impression that there are two factions of them since Beric for real died. One that became sort of renegade and run around terrorizing and one that are carrying on like before.

    Was there ever a hint that Yara is a lesbian? It’s not that I mind, it just seemed like it came out of nowhere.

    I knew Margary was faking it, but nice to see it confirmed. Phew! I loved, loved, loved Olenna tearing into Cersei. The tension is really starting to build in the KL storyline. Is next week when it finally boils over? It sure looks like it from the preview.

    The Arya scene left me a bit unsatisfied. I wish there had been a little more.

    Overall a good episode setting up the final three, which I assume will be pretty plot heavy. Some little gems in there. But it’s probably the episode that rated weekest on the feel-o-meter. That might have been different if I hadn’t already known we’d be seeing the Hound.

    Ultimately, this episode was about people getting pulled in directions they didn’t want to go in. Jaime, Jon, and Davos never wanted to be diplomats. Sansa wanted to be free of her Southron captors but felt forced back into relying on one of them for her survival. Sandor doesn’t want to continue to be a killer and didn’t want to get dragged back into the game of thrones. Theon doesn’t want to do anything but curl up into a fetal position but Yara is bringing him halfway across the world and talking him back into the game. Nobody wants to capitulate to the High Sparrow. And lastly Arya wanted so badly to escape Westeros and all the pain it brought it her, but now she has no choice but to go back. While this episode wasn’t full of action and plot twists, I think it will only improve on rewatches because it’s a great character kind of episode.

  612. DireWolfHeart,

    I’m thinking go drinking & debating religion with Septon Meribald & Davos.

    Indeed, and I would add Varys to that contingent. I suspect his little birds know where all the best dives are.

  613. Gator:
    It’s been a while since I’ve read the books so forgive me if this is a dumb question, but I thought I recall a fake BWB roaming the countryside looting and pillaging and killing so as to give the BWB a bad name. Am I off there? thanks.

    There is a slight chance I guess, but the show doesn’t usually delve into secondary/tertiary stories. We can only get so much depth unfortunately.

  615. DireWolfHeart,

    Opening on a blacksmith was mean.

    hee, yeah, first thing I thought of was, is that?…..Ah, no darn it

    I’m also betting that the stage is set for Davos to find a half burned stag toy in the next episode…

    I was surprised that didn’t happen in this episode. But yeah, next week prob.

    Anyone else think Arya wanted the waif to come for her and has some sort of plan? She knew the waif was coming after her, so she just walks around in broad daylight? I’m not buying it. Shes about to do something crazy.

    House Seaworth,

    Anyone else think Arya wanted the waif to come for her and has some sort of plan? She knew the waif was coming after her, so she just walks around in broad daylight? I’m not buying it. Shes about to do something craz

    y.

    She probably already has; at least we aren’t going to have to wait till Sunday to find out, since she’s in the coming attractions.

  617. Sean C.,

    Another thing to consider is that Jon wants to attack quickly because he wants to save Rickon. But Sansa, knowing Ramsay better, might consider Rickon as good as dead if he is truly in Ramsay’s clutches. I think Sansa wants to win the war to win Winterfell, her home, which will always be there, more than she wants to win it for saving Rickon or the North or anything else.
    ETA: I mean, Sansa would want Rickon alive, with everything she has gone through, I won’t expect her to be optimistic about that. If they fight quickly for a lost cause, she lose everything – Jon, Winterfell, everything.

  618. Ser Lurk of House Turnip:
    ps wtf is up with that mofo red priest dark bwb mf? WHAT! I wantt him dead.

    Personally my thoughts are that it is showing the dark side of fire (eg dark side of Ice – NK, good side = Starks perhaps with Bran)

    Eg, the Sandor twisted Brotherhood plot will be mirrored with Davos and Mel showdown

    Also mirrored with Cersei and Qyburn especially admiring Frankengregor unleashed, eg Sandor has come back in a positive way but the Mountain an abomination

    In this case, rather than the noble brotherhood of Beric, it is perhaps reflecting there is a taint in the Brotherhood, and a corruption of their purpose….oh my this smells of a LS reveal

    Which of course is great thematically, because it will make everyone realise it’s the same magic that brought beloved Jon back, so expect some Jon mood swings to make people ask questions, just as Mad King FB + Dany speech has people asking questions

  620. maria,

    Yes it’s not hurting the army yet which is why Jon is in a hurry to avoid the weather. There is no way around this they have to take winterfell the only other option is to wait at Castle Black and get killed by the Walkers. If Sansa had told Jon from the start this wouldn’t be an issue.

  622. Clob,

    How many Starks have to die before Sansa realizes Littlefinger can’t be trusted. Her only ace is that she knows the truth about Lysa’s death.

  623. Flayed Potatoes,

    Yeah, I feel it’s very likely he misses the next episode. They seem more interested in maintaining episode count for the characters more than anything else. They have already turned this into the Sansa show anyway. This season is going into the bottom of the pile for me, lol.

  624. Tywin of the Hill,

    Doran got stabbed in the heart, that’s why he died. Arya got stabbed on the side of her stomach.

    Also this a FANTASY TELEVISION SHOW.

    And she has some thick plot armor.

  626. maria,

    First was an oblique stab, second was to center gut with a twist. 5″ narrow blade. I’d say her wounds are minor compared to many we’ve seen in the series. 🙂

  627. VegoDread:
    Worst episode of the season so far – it wasn’t terrible, just not good.

    When does Jon really return from the dead?

    What do you mean return from the dead? What do u expect? A thriller dance? Some soulless ghoul? This is not castle black Jon, it’s Jon trying to play the game of thrones but it so it happens he’s a bastard. You do know bastards get no love right?

  628. this was a good episode. Not the best of the season, but Good GOT still=Great TV

    I love that they kept The Hound….The Hound. He is still ornery and cynical, and I love it.
    Ian McShane killed his scenes..I could have watched a whole episode of that actually.

    Riverrun scenes were great. Blackfish is a badass and Jamie got pwned..simple as that.
    was good to see Bronn back too. and anything that invovles Freys getting what they deserve get points in my books (hows that cheek Walder200 or whatever)

    Lady Lyanna is a BOSS. Little girl was SCHOOLING Jon and Sansa lol.
    Sansa throwing shade on Davos later was the first time this season I have been “grrr” at her. ..silly twit..and I KNOW that raven is to Littlefinger..it has to be done of course but just makes me feel all slimy lol
    and We have Wunwun..just give up now Bolton Dog.

    still processing Ayra…not sure what to think there

  629. Flayed Potatoes: Glovers getting their castle back with Bolton’s help…did not expect that. Brilliant!

    There are not many other ways that they could have done so. Roose was not stupid: he knew the value of alliances.

    I was glad to see Sansa break down and write to LF. She needs the Vale, and sometimes you cannot be choosy about your allies! The Stark alliance is not amounting to much: and given that that Starks so badly failed the North, and given Jon’s treason of letting Wildlings into the kingdom, that shouldn’t be too surprising. I do think that it would be awesome if Brienne talked Jaime and the Blackfish into riding north!

  630. I think Jon’s rush makes sense in a few ways –

    1) He knows the Northern houses are not lying in wake for the Starks to rise, as much as Sansa thinks they will. And this is the difference with being born a bastard. He doesn’t have illusions of loyalty. The second Sansa started to pull rank on Glover and demand loyalty, you could see him cringing. He knows there’s no point traveling around wasting time because the Northern houses RIGHTLY likely won’t support them. Wildlings + Robb led many of them to their death, all in the name of Stark loyalty.

    2) He believes Rickon has limited time. He’s right.

    also, someone posted a spoiler that Sansa tells Jon Rickon is dead. Maybe what that means is that Jon is pushing to rush for Rickon and Sansa basically says “he’s dead anyway wait for the troops?” grasping for straws here

    3) He can’t mount a siege of Winterfell. He has to draw Ramsay out now before bad weather hits, otherwise Ramsay will let the elements kill them.

    4) I posted this early, but there might be some hopelessness in Jon. We’ve seen it in how resigned he is. He rides to war for Rickon and Winterfell and because of Sansa, but he’s not riding to some great victory in his mind. I don’t even think he thinks they’ll win.

    On the latter point, maybe Sansa thinks he’s going to refuse her Vale strategy (and LF’s help is always costly) and she thinks he’s on a suicide mission so she’s just going to get help and once it’s there be like “you need more men here they are.”

    Or something. It literally is drama for drama’s sake otherwise….

  631. DireWolfHeart: Opening on a blacksmith was mean. Showrunners are bloody sadists.

    Hahaha…I saw that, took a sharp intake of breath, was prepared to shout with joy, then, just as I thought, that was soooo mean, those shitheads (lol), we got the shot of Sandor (I knew he was coming back, but, still, seeing him was a slave).

  632. Flayed Potatoes:
    LonRice,

    She also knows Davos put the wheels in motion to bring Jon back to life. If it wasn’t for him, she’d be rolling into Castle Black at Jon’s funeral.

    Yeah we saw Jon tell her that this episode. I don’t know why that would suddenly make him trustworthy to her though? Tons of people in Westeros do for others when it serves them and Sansa of all people knows this (she’s been used by plenty of people, pretending to have her best interest at heart). To US Davos is trustworthy as far as people in Westeros go ( I mean he was complicit in Renly’s death via Melisandre’s smoke baby), but as far as horrible people go Davos is “decent” relatively speaking. My point is Sansa distrusting him is very sensible considering her POV. Just because they are on the same side right now doesn’t mean she’s just supposed to accept he’s trustworthy when she’s heard accounts (from Brienne) that suggest he’s not.

  634. Nadia,

    Totally agree, I’m not liking that she is keeping vital information from Jon and Davos… the glovers might have joined if they knew the Vale army was backing them. And it would be good for Jon to confront little finger in person. If Sansa just messed things up…. I.will.not.forget. -_-

  635. Sansa even mentioned that Lyanna Mormont is named after Lyanna Stark!

    Also, she should be queen instead of Daenerys.

  636. aabe: From her point of view, Davos walked into a trap. And the sea is supposed to be his forte.

    Davos has a fairly good track record so far in front of Sansa, for anyone who has been paying attention.

    Sansa: How well do you know the North, Ser Davos?

    Davos: Precious little, my lady.

    Sansa: My father always said Northerners are different. More loyal, more suspicious of outsiders.

    Davos: They may well be loyal, but how many rose up against the Boltons when they betrayed your family? I may not know the North, but I know men. They’re more or less the same in any corner of the world and even the bravest of them don’t want to see their wives and children skinned for a lost cause. If Jon’s going to convince them to fight alongside him, they need to believe it’s a fight they can win.

    Davos’s point was slammed home tonight, and that is not even to mention that he won over Lady Mormont when Sansa and Jon both failed.

  637. Oh yeah

    Have to really really feel for Ser Jorah Mormont now

    Not only has he been Friendzoned

    Not only does he have to put up with Daarios taunts

    But his own niece totally kicks his ass when it comes to ruling Bear Island

  640. Sean C.:
    Jumbo,

    Er, actually, she tried to talk Jon out of going into battle, if you were following the scene.He’s the one eager to march on Winterfell with <3000 men.

    Because he has no idea that they can get more men. You cannot criticize him for his actions when he lacks the info. Sansa is holding the trump card here because she knows about the Vale. He does not. He is looking at the scenario from a disadvantage because she is deliberately holding back important info for her own selfish reasons.

  641. aabe,

    Although the episode was good overall, I was left disappointed because too many arcs were left open-ended, to be resolved in future.

    yep, lots of cliff hangers to talk about for the next week 🙂 Didn’t disappoint me at all, tho it went to damn fast!

  642. Nadia,

    When Jon said they had to march now, it reminded me of Stannis stubbornness about continuing to march in the midst of winter.

  643. Adam,

    Not. At. All! I loved it as well. Plenty of “Fuck yeah!” moments; BCog’s handling of emotional scenes is great–the Yara/Theon scene was great, the Cersei/Olenna scene was biting and sad, the Jaime/Blackfish scene was noble and frustrating in equal measures. So much great stuff in it! I don’t get the disappointment.

  644. Hodors Bastard: Excellent idea! Hopefully Lyanna can tolerate Rickon being a bit toasty. :/

    heh, good point! For some reason, I’m clinging to the delusion that Rickon will get out of it alive. I mean, they’ve shown that Shaggy Dog’s not really dead, right?

    right?

    right?

  645. Flayed Potatoes:
    LonRice,

    He needs to draw out and attack Ramsay in open field, since they don’t have the resources to mount a siege and the weather is getting worse. He’s basically trying to avoid what messed up Stannis’ plans. He also needs to save Rickon.

    Hmm. Okay that makes more sense, but still very risky. Thanks for explaining.

  646. Hodors Bastard,

    My question is why though. The guys we saw in Season three didn’t seem that bad. They were more like umm… Robin Hood I guess. Why were those guys being such assholes? Could they have a new leader? *cough* *cough*

  648. SerNoName: Sansa is holding the trump card here because she knows about the Vale. He does not. He is looking at the scenario from a disadvantage because she is deliberately holding back important info for her own selfish reasons.

    It is not entirely selfish. Sansa’s anger at LF is understandable. And her desire to strike out on her own is commendable. However: she has gotten a brutal lesson that loyalty works both ways. House Stark’s inability to fulfill it’s obligations, and the actions of house members that can be portrayed in a very unfavorable light (wrong marriages, letting wildlings into the country, etc.) has hurt it badly. Now, it’s not entirely their fault: but just as Sansa’s reaction to LF was not entirely rationale, their response to the Starks is not entirely rationale. All of the reactions are realistic.

  649. Holy crap that was another good story building episode!

    Goddammit though…the only real action was Arya and now we have to wait a damn week for that!!!!

    I cant possibly be any more HYPE-ed…frigging cold open with The Hound…guess they figured we needed a moment after that?

    We know a lot of the action that still needs to come…and there are ONLY THREE episodes left.

    We’ve got 3 hours of EPIC television coming our way.

  650. mariamb: Where did she get those coins and that outfit? Begging? Stealing? I’m not sure it was her.

    She took it from The Hound in S4

  651. Gator,

    but I thought I recall a fake BWB roaming the countryside looting and pillaging and killing so as to give the BWB a bad name

    im remembering that as well, but also remember there were a couple of other gangs around the same time….

  652. Onion Knight:
    How many Starks have to die before Sansa realizes Littlefinger can’t be trusted.

    Er, she knows that. That’s why she sent him away, and why she clearly doesn’t want to ask for his help until it they come up so short in soldiers.

  653. Ser Christos of House Spekktra: I have been secretly wanting LSH, but agree that resurrecting/zombie-fying too many (Stark) characters really would cheapen their entire story.

    hmmm I think I can see how they are doing it

    If done properly all of this can go on to show the different ways people come back from adversity

    If it had been done one by one it would have got boring

    So bunching them all together and putting some strong character development intertwined with the reveal can actually work

    Really looking forward to the Brienne-Jaimie-Blackfish triangle,

    I suspect we obviously get the book plot

    But Brienne seems to be doing the Jaimie escape job with the Blackfish instead, where he’ll send her off to fight alongside Sansa and even bring her back to the RL in due course

    As my personal theory is we are seeing the beginnings of Sansa’s break with Jon (letter to LF) and she embraces the Tully side of herself more so we’ll have Blackfish Tully as her Hand and/or General

  655. eejazz,

    She has a good reason, and it rhymes with ‘spittlelinger’

    Though really, WHY would she trust him? Even book Sansa is wary of his help… there’s the line “Littlefinger had never lifted his little finger for her” or something like that

  656. Wimsey,

    :

    they could have set it up last week if they had had Richard Grant’s character strap on a bladder for holding fake blood to spurt out

    wait a minute ….she was hanging around back stage, looking at things…could she have borrowed something?

  657. aabe:
    Unpopular opinion: I don’t understand the whole Cogman love. Except for Kill the Boy (and Laws of Gods and Men – but it was mostly great thanks to good book-writing and top-notch acting), I did not find any of his episodes as above-average. There were a lot of controversial, inconsistent elements too (Sansa’s wedding – “I fight for Dorne. ” (sssand sssnakes)- Jaime’s rape of Cersei).

    He’s a really nice guy who has been good to the fandom, giving long interviews with GOO, interacting with fans one-on-one. I love his writing, and even though some of my favorite moments in the series are his, I wouldn’t say he was better than D&D. And certainly everything the series has become is owed to GRRM.

  658. Hodors Bastard,

    Lady Lyanna Mormont of Bear Island is the goddamn best. I don’t care how unrealistic the prospect is – I want her to sit the Iron Throne.

    I would gladly race across the Narrow Sea to Braavos and donate all of my blood to Arya, but I’m not a universal donor. And she’s fictional. I’ll have to trust that she’ll make it to Lady Crane, and her mercy will pay dividends. And that Braavosi medicine is significantly more advanced than the rest of the world.

    I’ll settle for raising a glass of ale to the return of Sandor Clegane (and to Ian McShane, who crushed his role, even without the speech).

    Also, I loved every scene with Jaime, Bronn, and the Blackfish at Riverrun.

  659. Gator,

    I said something similar in a conversation I was having with others.

    I can’t remember if they were saying they were the BwB, but there was definitely a band of outlaws roaming about the RL, killing entire villages, and saying they were someone they weren’t. I want to say they were saying they were led by the Hound, although, of course we know that isn’t true. Anyway, that isn’t much help to you, other than to say, yes, those who were wiping out villages in the RL were pretending to be someone they weren’t.

  660. As for LF

    Last time in Mereen they made a point that two weeks had passed since Tyrions “deal”

    So if there were two weeks between E2&3 that’s enough time for LF to get from Vale to Moles Town and the Vale Army to Moat Cailin (at a stretch mind)

  661. So I saw someone make a good point on Reddit. In the preview we see Jaime and brienne meet for next episode.. If the synopsis is right for episode 10, it says brienne meets a friend turned foe…. You can prob tell where in going with that lol

  662. Another set-up episode, but much better than the previous one. Great casting choice on Lyanna Mormont. Jon Snow is starting to emerge from his post-resurrection shell and slowly becoming a leader again. Tormund, Wun-Wun and Davos have their moments. The Hound is back and Blackfish delivered a solid punch on Jaime. All in all, a great episode.

    Oh Sansa… she could have told Jon about the Vale army but she chose to go behind her brother’s back. Again.

  663. Hodors Bastard: Really, the BwB were the ones responsible for that Quiet Isle massacre? Really? Really? Really? WtF?

    eh, it would not be surprising. Historically, groups like that often have turned to “foraging” on occasion. And, let’s face it: there are no good guys here.

  664. ash,

    I’m not certain Sansa was writing to Littlefinger. I can see where it would make sense in a way, if he could be trusted, but it’s possible she was writing to other people. She signed it “Sansa Stark” with her house seal, so maybe it’s going to someone else. If I had to make a bet, I would say Lord Royce. Sansa may be plotting against Littlefinger by going behind his back directly to Royce.

  665. BranSnow,

    Why come after you, that would mean that you are of any importance, and lord knows that remains to be seen,

    shame , ring the bell on you lol

    It seems the same two or three hard a**ed folks come in week after week saying “this is the worst episode in the history of ” every single WEEK. Really? Nobody is impressed with you being a hard to pleaser and bragging about it. So stop parroting each other like most did last year, the season isn’t over so I don’t know what you expect every minute of the episode, what someone getting killed every second or something? I thought it was decent, short but decent to good episode.

  666. Nadia,

    Like seriously you have to wonder what some people are watching. Jon spoke to everyone of the factions. Sansa spoke to the two houses and got shut down. It was Davis saving the day with the Mormonts and Jon with the wildings. So how is this a Sansa show?

  668. Once again

    Loved Lyanna Mormont letter to Stannis last season

    Loved seeing Lyanna Mormont in the flesh

    haha can’t decide whether it is her or Ian McShane who were the best actors for the episode

  669. Ginevra,

    A trained killer, the element of surprise, several jabs and a twist. Either the strongest plot armor ever or the people who suggested that something wasn’t quite what it seemed are correct. Stomach wounds were not necessarily immediately fatal but led to long agonizing deaths. Puncture the bowels, stuff seeps into the body, not pretty. Not exactly what Jacqen told the Waif to do, was it?

  670. The North Remembers:
    My question is why though. The guys we saw in Season three didn’t seem that bad. They were more like umm… Robin Hood I guess. Why were those guys being such assholes? Could they have a new leader? *cough* *cough*

    Hah! If only…. but even the BwB 2.0 was simply focused on revenge, not commoner violence. They acted more like the Mountain’s men than BwB. I think someone is sadistically drawing the Hound out.

  671. Hodors Bastard,

    I didn’t have a problem with that scene at all. We knew from the casting calls that those outlaws had “turned on the land they had sworn to protect”, and were just “using religion to justify terrorizing and extorting what they need from the people of the countryside”. We have no indication that they’re still meant to be part of the Brotherhood Without Banners that was alluded to last week. They may have broken off.

  672. mariamb:
    The Arya scenes confused me as well. Where did she get those coins and that outfit? Begging? Stealing? I’m not sure it was her.

    “Oysters, clams and cockles!” She was doing that for much longer than they showed, plus I’m sure she has plenty of ways with her training. Regardless of what we saw in that odd scene when she went blind, there aren’t multiple Arya faces out there for people to use. She simply wasn’t fatally wounded. She will heal. The Waif got her best chance and failed. Arya will make her pay now.

  673. My review:

    Things I Loved:
    -The siege of Riverrun
    -The Hound and Swearengen
    -Mark Mylod’s direction

    Things I Liked:
    -Jon, Sansa, Davos visiting camps
    -King’s Landing scenes
    -Arya scenes

    Things I Disliked:
    -7th straight episode without new city on map

    Things I Hated:
    -Yara and Theon scene

  674. Darkrobin:
    Ginevra,

    A trained killer, the element ofsurprise, several jabs and a twist.Either the strongest plot armor ever or the people who suggested that something wasn’t quite what it seemed are correct.Stomach wounds were not necessarily immediately fatal but led to long agonizing deaths.Puncture the bowels, stuff seeps into the body, not pretty.Not exactly what Jacqen told the Waif to do, was it?

    The whole sequence looked strange. Odd lighting, exposition, seemed like a dream. I am certain something’s up.

  675. Shane snow,

    That was my point when those synposes came out. Jamie and Brienne would meet earlier. Unless they then meet as foes whereas in Episode 8 it is as friends. It just seems like trolling of one kind or another.

  676. Ravyn,

    House Tyrell’s sigil is a golden rose on a green field. In the books, Lady Olenna Tyrell’s nickname is “Queen of Thorns” (based on the house sigil and her reputation for cutting barbs).

    When Queen Margaery gives Lady Tyrell the rose, she’s signalling her faithful loyalty to House Tyrell and her grandmother. Queen Margaery is planning a sneaky end game against the High Sparrow — she’s out for revenge.

  677. Ravyn:
    Can someone explain to me the message Margary sent Oleanna? The rose picture. What? Also, did anyone else think the Sparrow was going to make a pass at Margery and further show his hypocrisy?

    Marg was saying two things: 1.) Definitely get your ole ass out of King’s Landing and back to the roses of High Garden, Gran, and 2.) Roses above all; I’m still “growing strong;” my true face is the rose.

    The High Sparrow is not at all a hypocrite but a hardcore, died-in-the-fucking-wool, true believer. Yes, he is quite Machiavellian, specifically targeting those who bring the most power, but he is using the power to promote the faith. He has done a masterful job at making the faith as powerful as it has been since Baelor – all in a couple of years.

  678. Roz’s Ghost,

    You know I thought about that, Lord Royce. I don’t think its as simple as she is going to ask LF to just roll in. There has to be a twist for her refusing him and there has to be some resolution to that. I know a lot of people think LF is long for the show but I maintain that she will off him and take control of the Vale Army through Sweet Robin. Let’s not forget she knows he pushed Lyssa out the moon door. As well as the one who gave her to Ramsey. In any case I think she is writing to LF and we will see that snow in the woods scene. And he looks quite surprised.

  679. Ginevra,

    It says he understands people, and good at recruiting them. Not necessarily in using them well. He was Stannis’s hand, and Stannis lost two battles very badly, and Brienne told Sansa how he “won” over Renly. It is natural for Sansa to doubt Davos is not worth his salt as fas a battle commanders go. Sansa does not know much about battles. I think her knowledge about war is comparable to Margaery’s in season 2. (something like “I do not know much of war, but generally the sides with big armies win”). Sansa thinks they can’t win without enough men, while Davos is planning to win by strategy. And for all Sansa knows, Davos’s “strategies” never worked in winning battles. We know it wasn’t his fault Stannis lost at Blackwater or North, but Sansa would not think that way.

  680. BranSnow,

    The episode was average but it wasnt terrible. People are so extremist everything is an 8,9 or 10 or a 0. There’s a good argument to be made that this episode was mediocre.

  681. Whatever else in this episode you didn’t like. You had to like the way Olenna explicitly told Cersei what a piece of shit she is. One of my favorite scenes tonight.

  683. Jinx47:
    What is the significance of the rose drawing that Margery gave to Olenna?

    The rose is the symbol of House Tyrell. I took it to be Margaery’s way of telling her grandmother her dedication to the Faith was a ruse, and also to listen when she told her grandmother to leave.

  684. So, six episodes ago Jon Snow miraculously arose from the dead and since then has sat at a table in a couple of scenes and rode a horse for half a minute tops.

    Maybe Kit Harrington wasn’t lying and he really is dead?

    /snark

  686. I’m kind of hoping Arya’s dead, but she’s probably just infertile. DAMMIT. These remaining Starks just won’t die off soon enough.

    Jaime in that armor tho…

  688. maria: But Arya is wounded, for real. She’s bleeding all over the road.

    Ah, if she had a stage bladder, then it could still be leaking blood. The problem is that a wound to the gut area like that is pretty much death in that sort of world. Even in our world, if that does not get immediate surgery and a ton of antibiotics, then you are in serious trouble.

    ash: wait a minute ….she was hanging around back stage, looking at things…could she have borrowed something?

    Maybe. My point is that they should have shown her seeing something appropriate first. Guns fired late should be hung early and all of that….

  689. The North Remembers,

    I agree. I am worried that Sansa will be responsible for thousands of senseless deaths because she is keeping back some very important information. I hope I am wrong.

  690. Jared: outlaws had “turned on the land they had sworn to protect”, and were just “using religion to justify terrorizing and extorting what they need from the people of the countryside”.

    But isn’t that what the “Bloody Mummers” did after they stole the Hound’s helm and terrorized the area near Saltpans? Something is not quite as it seems, methinks…

  691. Jaqen is hoping that Arya escapes Braavos alive. The Waif is already making the same mistakes that Arya made and I am pretty sure Jaqen has started to notice.

  692. Help:
    Can anyone tell what does Brienne say in the preview for the next(8th) episode?

    Brienne to Jaime: Should I fail to persuade the Blackfish to surrender, and if you attack the castle, honor compels me to fight you.

  693. Ginevra: The High Sparrow is not at all a hypocrite but a hardcore, died-in-the-fucking-wool, true believer.

    Indeed! He’s the sort who would do everything that the Book of the 7 says, even the stuff that contradicts what other parts of the same books say.

    (I stole that from Ned Flanders. Hi-diddly-hodiddily!)

  698. Wimsey,

    Interesting theory about the stage bladder. That way she could fake her death and the Faceless Men would be none the wiser*. I like it.

    *At least for the nonce; a waif deserves an arse whooping from a girl.

  699. Game of Thoughts: Where’s Melisandre????

    That occurred to me as well. I understood leaving her behind at the house visits, but expected to see her lingering around camp.

  700. Beer Island,

    Sansa has to know that inviting Littlefinger to join them would be like the chickens inviting the fox into the hen house. That’s why I’m thinking she didn’t write to Littlefinger. Something else is going on.

  701. Gawd, Bronn, your brief scenes make me miss the treasure you are when you’re gone.

    I adored Lyanna Mormont — basically a little Arya — though there is a part of me waiting for Sansa to go, “When the king strips your back and has you beaten while a crossbow is pointed at your head, talk to me. And Glover, I am sorry for your wife and child, I am, but you new liege is a sadist who will hunt your people for sport.” Because Roose had restraint. Ramsay doesn’t. But it was a good demonstration of how far-reaching Robb’s decisions were. They’re not happy with the Wildings either, but I think it would’ve been easier to handle had the other not come before.

    I also liked that Sansa’s also learning it’s hard to rule. Deep down she’s not thrilled to depend on the Vale, but she isn’t wrong regarding the number of soldiers. Wun Wun or not, having barely half the numbers Ramsey has (and he could have more if you through in folks like Glover) aren’t good odds. But Jon’s also right that time is of the essence. Ramsay will know they’re on the move and they cant’ have their forces get isolated or cut off before they can gather. Between the Vale and/or the Tullys, hopefully someone’s riding to the rescue. Oh yeah, Stanis’s camp, huh. Nothing for Davos to find there.

    Arya will be OK. She has to be. Get to Lady Crane!

  702. Nadia,

    I hope brienne doesn’t end up killing Jaime. That’s just too many main character kills for one person in this story. Or somewhat kills I guess with the hounds return lol

  704. Here’s what I really worry about.

    In the end, Sansa’s story is with Littlefinger, it’s not with Jon. If this show is going anything remotely like the books, Sansa is hanging around the Vale with LF. She’s nowhere NEAR going back to Winterfell. Jon obviously might/will.

    Unless the show is totally ditching the book entirely, there’s no way Sansa and Jon stay together at the end of this, win or lose. We’re seeing fractures between them already. They’re different people, and I don’t think their show/plot destiny is to be together.

    So, I think LF is around for quite a while longer, and whatever happens, Sansa goes off with him. She might even marry him, as he’s the Warden of the North. Jon goes off to fight the WWs or something. But I can’t see how this all ends with all of them together.

  707. Catspaw Assassin: Interesting theory about the stage bladder. That way she could fake her death and the Faceless Men would be none the wiser. I like it.

    Well, I do have the big caveat: if they had shown the acting troupe use that, then I would really buy into it. But they didn’t. Perhaps they will show us that “Mercy” is with the acting troupe and does have one. If this is what they did, then they didn’t execute it perfectly.

  708. Beer Island,

    The show specifically illustrated that Royce (illogically) has no power over Littlefinger on the show now, so Sansa can’t deal with anyone other than Littlefinger.

  710. LonRice: Yeah we saw Jon tell her that this episode. I don’t know why that would suddenly make him trustworthy to her though? Tons of people in Westeros do for others when it serves them and Sansa of all people knows this (she’s been used by plenty of people, pretending to have her best interest at heart). To US Davos is trustworthy as far as people in Westeros go ( I mean he was complicit in Renly’s death via Melisandre’s smoke baby), but as far as horrible people go Davos is “decent” relatively speaking. My point is Sansa distrusting him is very sensible considering her POV. Just because they are on the same side right now doesn’t mean she’s just supposed to accept he’s trustworthy when she’s heard accounts (from Brienne) that suggest he’s not.

    Davos is trustworthy because he basically brought jon from the dead so that he can lead the fight against the others. There is no reason do distrust him. I think she was questioning his worth because of all of stanis failures.

    I don t know who writes got but they make women in power so psicothic… Sand snakes, cercei, danny and now sansa… I am starting to think that sansa will go with littlefinger to the vale in the end of the season because she will feel she doesn t belong in the north anymore (specially if the spoilers are confirmed). I was really thinking that she and jon would start to fall for each other and when they find out who jon’s parents are they would be together. Now I think sansa doesn t belong in the north and that if she stays she will do something incredible stupid.

  711. Fantastic opening to the episode; for a second I thought I’d tuned in to the wrong channel, but it was so good to see The Hound again.

    I also enjoyed the Northern scenes and the Riverrun ones. I enjoy Clive Russell’s interpretation of the Blackfish. The only scene which was a little superfluous for me was the Theon/Yara one, but I can see why it was necessary.

    I mentioned earlier that I expectated that Cogman’s writing would be better this week, which it was, but it wasn’t that much better unfortunately. I hope he produces a great episode next year, because it is now two years since his last great episode which is a little worrying.

    I’m now looking forward to D&D’s return next week and what should be an incredible end to the season.

  712. Ravyn:
    Can someone explain to me the message Margary sent Oleanna? The rose picture.

    House Tyrell’s sigil is a rose (it’s beautiful, but it has thorns). Lady Olenna Tyrell’s nickname is “Lady of Thorns” (due to the sigil and her reputation for having a sharp tongue).

    When Queen Margaery gives Lady Tyrell the drawing of the rose, she’s signalling her faithful loyalty to their house and her grandmother. Queen Margaery is gaming the High Sparrow; she has revenge on her mind.

  713. A few more random comments that got left out of my tl;dr above.

    I couldn’t help but notice that Margaery’s rose drawing had thorns.

    This is two episodes in a row now in which Manderly was mentioned. We’re getting him in the mix at some point. If not this season, than next.

    Why do people suddenly seem to be under the impression that this whole story is about Jon? GRRM has said it’s not a story about any one person. I’m not sure why people were expecting this entire season to revolve around him.

  714. rhymeswithweak,

    Yeah, and they are actual HOURS! Episode 8 is 59 min, episode 9 is 60 min, and episode 10 is 69 min!!! I think that more than makes up for all these short ass episodes.

  715. Loved this episode!

    So glad to see the Hound! Run chickens run.

    Lyanna Mormont was a boss.

    Davos=The Tween Whisperer

    Sansa got served by Glover. I was looking at Davos like “Where were you on that one?”

    Bronn, snarky humor as always.

    Arya getting shanked…I was yelling at the tv…Arya! On your right! Creepy old lady heading your way!

    Overall great night and can’t wait for next week.

  716. I actually cried to see the Hound. I couldn’t believe it. That guy has been through so much. This story never rewards anyone, but if there is any character at all that deserves a decent life, it’s him. Of course they have to kill all his friends and pull him back into the war by the end of the episode.

    Loved seeing Riverrun again in the opening. I was seriously hoping they’d show Bear Island on the map, but oh well. We’ll probably never get another new place.

    Bronn has been missed. They need to work overtime to find that guy more screen time. If Jaime can’t pay his debts to him, I hope Tyrion is eventually able to.

    Lyanna Mormont was everything I hoped for and more. Give me Manderly’s speech and I can die happy. Jon and Sansa need the Vale, of course. If she’s reluctant, she’s stupid. I understand not wanting to remain aligned with Littlefinger, but that’s the Arryn army, not the Baelish army. Lord Arryn is her cousin, the lady of the vale was her aunt, her father was fostered there. The ties between the Starks and the Vale have run deep for a few generations. She has way more support there than just Littlefinger. Hopefully Brienne can talk Blackfish into ceding the castle, because they could use some help from the Tullys, too. Take back the castle later. We know from the trailer we’re going to see Walder Frey toasting with Lannister soldiers at a feast in Riverrun, so Blackfish is going to cede. I don’t see them bringing him back just to kill him a la Osha. Something important is going to happen there.

  717. Wimsey,

    I suspect Arya’s way out of Braavos will be with the theatre troupe, but I’m probably wrong about that. Maybe the Hound will hop aboard Littlefinger’s bullet train and save her bacon?

    And there’s that shot of her jumping around parkour stylee in the preview. No mortal wound there.

    All in all another good episode. No doubt in my mind the next two will be mind-blowing.

  718. Ginevra: The High Sparrow is not at all a hypocrite but a hardcore, died-in-the-fucking-wool, true believer. Yes, he is quite Machiavellian, specifically targeting those who bring the most power, but he is using the power to promote the faith. He has done a masterful job at making the faith as powerful as it has been since Baelor – all in a couple of years.

    Except that is exactly what I find so hypocritical about many religions (though not all), and the people who lead them. They claim to be all about goodness and serving a higher authority, but indeed what they seek is the power to force their beliefs on others.

    Sure, they may (or may not) be more benevolent than a secular leader. In this case, I say no. Because the High Sparrow doesn’t have a “live and let live” philosophy, he doesn’t seek mere acceptance for him and his followers, he doesn’t leave judgement for people’s sins up to the Gods. He seeks domination. He is willing to use violence to submit people to his will. He manipulates and schemes to get that power.

    This is the same behavior as the people whom he wishes to supplant, which is why I do believe he is not only a hypocrite, but the most dangerous kind of fanatical hypocrite, IMHO.

  719. Nadia:
    Here’s what I really worry about.

    In the end, Sansa’s story is with Littlefinger, it’s not with Jon. If this show is going anything remotely like the books, Sansa is hanging around the Vale with LF. She’s nowhere NEAR going back to Winterfell. Jon obviously might/will.

    Unless the show is totally ditching the book entirely, there’s no way Sansa and Jon stay together at the end of this, win or lose. We’re seeing fractures between them already. They’re different people, and I don’t think their show/plot destiny is to be together.

    So, I think LF is around for quite a while longer, and whatever happens, Sansa goes off with him. She might even marry him, as he’s the Warden of the North. Jon goes off to fight the WWs or something. But I can’t see how this all ends with all of them together.

    I think you are right. If the show continues in this direction she doesn t fit with jon and the northerns. However, i think she might go with littlefinger to gain support from the riverlands, vale and stop littlefinger from controlling the vale completly. Jon on the other hand will unite the north, reunite with bran and try to gain the support from other Southern kingdoms someway.

  720. If they don’t show the letter (wherever they showed the letter to Doran, where we could read what it said, although I don’t remember the source for that) it’s for a reason. Here’s along the lines of what it could say, taking the idea it’s to Royce (which I really like):

    Lord Royce,

    Fearing for my safety, I lied to you about the death of Lysa Arryn. Petyr Baelish pushed her through the moon-door. He then delivered me into the hands of Ramsay Bolton. I escaped Winterfell, but Ramsay now holds my brother Rickon hostage. As her niece, I call on your loyalty to the late Lady Lysa, and your fondness for my late father, and ask you to come to help rescue my brother and retake Winterfell.

    Sansa Stark

  721. Ginevra,

    Meh I’m sure he’s just a good fan fiction writer who is living the dream of having D & D clean up his work and then gets credit for writing the episodes.

    Also, I think he went out of his way last episode to put in some really lame meta when the playwright sounded off about people criticizing his writing. That really annoyed me because it seemed like he forced in that bit of dialogue where Arya makes a recommendation to Lady Crane on how the play’s writing could be improved. In the back of my head I was like, that was random and pointless.

  722. Catspaw Assassin:
    Wimsey,

    I suspect Arya’s way out of Braavos will be with the theatre troupe, but I’m probably wrong about that.

    Then again, there’s that shot of her jumping around parkour stylee in the preview.

    All in all another good episode. No doubt in my mind the next two will be mind-blowing.

    There’s 3 episodes left.

  723. Hodors Bastard,

    The Bloody Mummers committed such atrocities, but claimed no religious affiliation whatsoever. Also, they don’t exist in the show (Locke was a sworn Bolton man).

    After LS takes over the Brotherhood in the novels, Thoros directly states that many members of the Brotherhood have fallen low and abandoned the organization. They are now no better than common outlaws. The two groups may have been combined.

  725. Olenna: You are surounded by enemies, thousands of them, are you going to kill all of them by yourself?

    Yes, with the help of a few luminous green bottles …

    What does Margaery know? She sent Olenna away given the HS interest. But wouldn’t the good septa report back that Margaery sent her away instead of trying to convert her? Isn’t that risking her “freedom” such as it is?

  727. Meh I’m so sick of everyone’s whining about Jon and Sansa. At this point I seriously would not mind it if Mr. Big Cock makes a little pit stop in the North en route to Mereen and puts an end to those two (and Ramsey while he’s at it).

  729. The episode description for Arya was that she makes a plan. A plan. Is buying a ticket for Westeros a plan?

    We know from set spoilers that

    She is running all over Braavos in the next episode, jumping from rooftops. Is she really doing this with an open wound?

    It really feels like Arya has something else cooked up that involves faking her death. Right? Right?

  730. Nadia:
    That scene with Glover and Sansa was INCREDIBLE. She’s still in some ways stuck in the fantasy of loyalty and the value of heritage.The second she started talking about being pledged to House Stark, I love that Jon was like “nooooooooooo.” But good on the show for highlighting that while we love the Starks and we wanted Robb to win, he was naive and selfish when it mattered the most and that cost him. Good for Glover for putting her in her place, as much as I want the Starks to win. She has to know she can’t just demand loyalty.

    Sansa’s education isn’t over yet, but she’s learning.

    Because of that Glover scene, I think he

    will be the house to switch sides

    one reason, he didn’t throw up Sansa’s marriages, I also think this is a way the Stark bannermen are saying you have to EARN our loyalty and not count on their Father’s name or the children’s entitlement factor.

  732. JC, Davos basically bails those two shitheads out with the Mormonts but Sansa has the nerve to talk shit to him afterwards. He’s better at things than you will ever be, Salsa. Step back and listen to the actually competent people do their thing.

  734. Daegon,

    For sure…those 60 minute episodes seem way longer than the 52 minute episodes…not sure why but it feels that way.

    69 minutes for 10 is awesome!

  736. I miss Tyrion. I’m afraid for Arya, but cautiously optimistic

    As to Sansa and Jon I assume she is writing to LF and I think she’s saving their asses. She should tell Jon and I hope she does.

    I think it’s interesting to see how she and Jon are both viewed as less than Starks, tho Robb did damage to their name as well. I can’t help but wondering if the truth of the matter is that the Northerner’s don’t support them bcuz they aren’t strong and can’t demand allegiance. Not because the Starks don’t deserve their fealty. Well not wondering. I’m sure of it.

  737. How could I forget about Arya. wtf!! For like half a second I thought she was dead! I wonder how she’s gonna get out of this one.

  739. weirwoodtreehugger: Why do people suddenly seem to be under the impression that this whole story is about Jon? GRRM has said it’s not a story about any one person. I’m not sure why people were expecting this entire season to revolve around him.

    My thought’s exactly! At least Sansa barely talked during most of their scenes. I couldn’t take another week of people complaining about a mere girl upstaging their hero.

    As an aside, I’m a big fan of Jon and yes, it would’ve been fun to see a kick-ass Jon Snow rise from the dead. But his character is going places in this story and I have every belief that time will come, and that the sullen, slightly beaten Jon is good for his story arc. Plus, this is an ensemble cast, not titled Jon Snow and Everybody Else. His time will come and I’ll be the first to cheer it, but in the meantime I’m enjoying every second of this season.

  741. Demon Monkey,

    One of the duties of a liege lord is to protect their bannermen. The Starks did not. Betrayed, yes. But they set themselves up to be betrayed.

  742. I have been waiting for “I choose violence” forever, and I’m so eager for the next episode! Cersei has been so tame this season, but every time someone lashes out against her, you can see it in her eyes! There’s a fury in her that’s growing and about to wreck KL soon!

    With that said, I REALLY LOVED this episode! Really enjoyed a cold opening! Hadn’t been done in a while. Pretty sure they’ve done it before, no?

    Queen of Thorns is phenomenal! God! Such great acting and great delivery! So glad to know the Marg hasnt actually converted but is just playing the Faith/HighSparrow.

    Yara giving Theon a reality check was great! Looking forward to their story and how it will merge (hopefully) with Khaleesi (who’s absence this week was actually so necessary, I was kinda growing annoyed by her).

    Arya, you know better. I’m still rooting for ya! Better kill that Waif betch.

    Riverrun + Jaime was good. Also very interested in how this storyline will unfold.

  744. Benjen Stark is back.

    Brynden Tully is back.

    Edmure Tully is back.

    Walder Frey is back.

    The Hound is back.

    Now where the fuck’s Gendry?

  745. GrailKing: Because of that Glover scene….. one reason, he didn’t throw up Sansa’s marriages,

    He did bring up the Wildlings, however. That probably means a lot more than Sansa’s marriages. And he also brought up Robb’s marriage, the failure of the Starks to do anything after the Iron Born took the Glover’s stronghold, and the fact that the Boltons helped them retake their home. The Glover’s have a debt to the Boltons now, and they do not really have any more debts to the Starks.

  746. Louis,

    This is less Jon’s problem than Sansa’s. Jon doesn’t think he’s going to get more men. He genuinely believes this is the best he can do, so he’s going to try with what he has. Problem is Sansa: She’s keeping the existence of an allied army a secret from Jon, who happens to be her general. I hope she lets him know next episode, as anything else would be insane.

  747. Okay, I’m probably in the minority but one of the highlight (among many) of this episode was the Theon / Yara scene for me !
    Great acting, solid dialogue (coherent with the characters), great dynamics, fun and sad at the same time !

    Well done for that ! I can see why some might see it as superfluous but I really think it was a very strong scene !

  748. aabe:

    We know Arya will survive, but not how.

    Arya may die and then be reanimated as is Jon. Then two out of six Stark kids will be zombies. Or
    The only way the waif will stop trying to kill Arya is if the waif thinks Arya is dead. So the stabbing is a trick to get the waif to quit pursuing Arya.

  750. King Podrick,

    What do you mean return from the dead? What do u expect? A thriller dance?

    I want to see him challenge Ramsey to single combat via dancing & knives a la West Side Story. I’ll probably need to wait for Game of Thrones the musical. (It can’t be worse than Chess: the musical amiright?) With composition by Coldplay…

  751. aabe:
    Ginevra,

    It says he understands people, and good at recruiting them. Not necessarily in using them well. He was Stannis’s hand, and Stannis lost two battles very badly, and Brienne told Sansa how he “won” over Renly. It is natural for Sansa to doubt Davos is not worth his salt as fas a battle commanders go. Sansa does not know much about battles. I think her knowledge about war is comparable to Margaery’s in season 2. (something like “I do not know much of war, but generally the sides with big armies win”). Sansa thinks they can’t win without enough men, while Davos is planning to win by strategy. And for all Sansa knows, Davos’s “strategies” never worked in winning battles. We know it wasn’t his fault Stannis lost at Blackwater or North, but Sansa would not think that way.

    Sansa has a right to be leary about winning with less men, and she could and should question that. My issue is that she seemed condescending toward Davos in an episode where his strategy had proven to be much more on point than her own.

  753. Wimsey,

    Yes, it is interesting how that changed from the books as

    Jon told Stannis to go to Deepwood Motte and defeat the Ironborn so that the Glovers owe their seat to Stannis and Jon in the books, but here the Boltons

    Yet another reason for a house to not have a good reason to support the Starks. I suppose the Cerwyns might support the Starks given the flayings if they are not afraid of another flaying.

  756. Demon Monkey:
    I miss Tyrion. I’m afraid for Arya, but cautiously optimistic

    As to Sansa and Jon I assume she is writing to LF and I think she’s saving their asses. She should tell Jon and I hope she does.

    I think it’s interesting to see how she and Jon are both viewed as less than Starks, tho Robb did damage to their name as well. I can’t help but wondering if the truth of the matter is that the Northerner’s don’t support them bcuz they aren’t strong and can’t demand allegiance. Not because the Starks don’t deserve their fealty. Well not wondering. I’m sure of it.

    Yeah the Glover talk was fantastic

    There is a degree of fear there, eg being skinned like Lord Cerwyn

    But it also shows the legitimate gripes they had, eg some of Robbs decisions where like the Freys the Northerners who are suspicious of outsiders had their King Robb marry a foereigner, but also how Jons decision impacted the northerners, we saw the legitimate side through Olly and the NW stabbed him etc, but the other side is the Northerners who have had to fend off the Wildlings and protect their resident smallfolk, and it is someone of the Stark Household who has done this

    So great they are showing the complications

    I expect we may get the other side, eg where Jons journey with the Old Bear and the Wights/White Walkers etc won over little Lady Mormont, I suspect we’ll have Sansa’s treatment at Ramsays hands pivotal in winning over the new Lord Cerwyn who witnessed his Father/Mother/Uncle flayed alive etc

    And I expect and hope we’ll see the other side of the Glovers rebuttal, where through the Manderly’s we see the positive side of Stark hospitality, of taking in what were originally Southron outsiders and making them part of the North and the other side of Robb which was the Red Wedding betrayal etc

    Not to mention Fireworks both in Kings Landing and Mel and Davos having to come face to face with what happened at the Camp site, in terms of Ramsays good 20 men, it is very much a Northern (and very northern) Army and not a Southron one that is camped there now

    So for mine this is all turning out rather fantastically if viewed over two episodes

  757. We needed Rory back – badly. It’s bittersweet, Sandor has become part of a better life, and now….back to Hound, methinks? Hopefully retaining some of the changes he’s been through. And Ian McShane – really loved him in his brief role. Wish his name had been Al. ?

    Reason #4957364 why I love Davos – Jon and Sansa talking to Lyanna like she was….well….10, and Davos stepping in and showing her respect as the head of her House and not sugar coating the situation. Win. Even 62 men didn’t phase his gracious thanks. ?

  758. ThisGirlHasNoName: They claim to be all about goodness and serving a higher authority, but indeed what they seek is the power to force their beliefs on others.

    But…. but… that’s the good thing to do!

    Seriously, I agree: religion sucks.

    r-hard: I want Gendry to be the ”a handsome young man” by Littlefinger for Olenna against Cersei so bad.

    For the googleth time: that was Lancel! Seriously, of what use is Gendry to Olenna?

  759. Kamali,

    Perhaps a band of mummers have given her schooling on playing out a *convincing* death scene for an audience…

  760. Also, Jaime’s words from next week’s preview have made me finally give him up, and that makes me sad. ?

  761. Show Fan,

    Yes when Jaquen said that to the waif we pretty much knew she’d do the opposite. I’m really curious to see where her hatred towards Arya comes from. People are saying that possibly wasn’t Arya who was stabbed, fatally it appeared to me…. But then she walks around the city at normal pace? This isn’t making sense to me any which way I look at it lol. If Arya killed the waif off screen and took face then who was Arya with Waif’s face stabbing? Unless Arya were dead nobody can wear her face. This stuff’s getting pretty tricky. I like the ambiguity of it right now, but I’ll hate it if it ends up not making any sense.

  762. Ravyn:
    Ginevra,

    Didn’t Cogman write “Kissed by Fire”? That’s widely acknowledged as one of the seminal GoT episodes.

    Yes. I particularly loved “The Laws of Gods and Men,” also Cogman.

  763. Darkrobin: . I suppose the Cerwyns might support the Starks given the flayings if they are not afraid of another flaying.

    It might also depend on what their past with Wildlings is like. But that is an interesting point about the difference between the book and the show: and, of course, given what happens to Stannis, it’s possible that they won’t be a factor in either medium.

  764. Ser Christos of House Spekktra:
    I have been waiting for “I choose violence” forever, and I’m so eager for the next episode! Cersei has been so tame this season, but every time someone lashes out against her, you can see it in her eyes! There’s a fury in her that’s growing and about to wreck KL soon!

    With that said, I REALLY LOVED this episode! Really enjoyed a cold opening! Hadn’t been done in a while. Pretty sure they’ve done it before, no?

    Queen of Thorns is phenomenal! God! Such great acting and great delivery! So glad to know the Marg hasnt actually converted but is just playing the Faith/HighSparrow.

    Yara giving Theon a reality check was great! Looking forward to their story and how it will merge (hopefully) with Khaleesi (who’s absence this week was actually so necessary, I was kinda growing annoyed by her).

    Arya, you know better. I’m still rooting for ya! Better kill that Waif betch.

    Riverrun + Jaime was good. Also very interested in how this storyline will unfold.

    Yeah that was great by QoT, now Cersei wants to “work together” after causing so much near irrevocable damage

    Yara lifting up Theon was good

    Of course if Cersei does burn down the Sept or something with that Wildfire cache that may or may not still be underneath it, it would be a great thematic twin to having Shireen burning revisited up North

  768. Nadia:
    Here’s what I really worry about.

    In the end, Sansa’s story is with Littlefinger, it’s not with Jon. If this show is going anything remotely like the books, Sansa is hanging around the Vale with LF. She’s nowhere NEAR going back to Winterfell. Jon obviously might/will.

    Unless the show is totally ditching the book entirely, there’s no way Sansa and Jon stay together at the end of this, win or lose. We’re seeing fractures between them already. They’re different people, and I don’t think their show/plot destiny is to be together.

    So, I think LF is around for quite a while longer, and whatever happens, Sansa goes off with him. She might even marry him, as he’s the Warden of the North. Jon goes off to fight the WWs or something. But I can’t see how this all ends with all of them together.

    It makes more sense if she marries Robin than Littlefinger. If she’s smart, she knows Littlefinger is ambitious and can’t be trusted. It would be better if she takes his powerful tools away and use them against the Starks’ enemies.

    If Sansa ends up marrying Littlefinger instead and distance herself from her real family again, well I don’t think she’s going to survive GoT. Bad enough that Northerners think she’s a Lady Bolton/Lannister, just imagine what they’ll think of her if she marries the upstart, ambitious brothel keeper. They’ll never respect and pledge their allegiance to her, regardless of her Stark name.

  769. Wimsey: But…. but… that’s the good thing to do!

    Seriously, I agree: religion sucks.

    For the googleth time: that was Lancel!Seriously, of what use is Gendry to Olenna?

    Through Gendry she can get the marriage/alliance annulled

  770. maria,

    Yup agreed. I’m very intrigued by her next move. If the Vale does save the day does she try and take credit for it in a power move against Jon? We know LF will probably still try and pit them against each other.

  771. I have a bad feeling we’re going to lose another Stark this season. At this point, they might as well kill them all except for Bran. They might be reuniting but this reunion will end in tragedy. Again.

  772. Anyone else feel the pure red rage emanating from Lena in her scene with the Queen of Thorns? I would not want to be on her shit list right now. Eyes like wildfire, indeed.

  773. Pigeon:
    Also, Jaime’s words from next week’s preview have made me finally give him up, and that makes me sad.

    Why?

  774. ThisGirlHasNoName,

    I was the one who complained and no, I don’t expect this story to be only about Jon. I expected a bit more than what I have seen though. But that’s only my opinion.

  776. Ghosts Lunch: Through Gendry she can get the marriage/alliance annulled

    But why would Olenna want that? Her granddaughter would have little value, as she is no longer a virgin. Olenna does not have any way to marry Margaery to Daeny or something. What Olenna should want is to: 1) get Cersei out of Kings Landing; and, 2) let Margaery gain control over Tommen.

  777. Gator:
    It’s been a while since I’ve read the books so forgive me if this is a dumb question, but I thought I recall a fake BWB roaming the countryside looting and pillaging and killing so as to give the BWB a bad name. Am I off there? thanks.

    And one of them was wearing the Hound’s helmet.

  779. I’m going to spend an entire week assuming and praying that Sansa tells Jon about the Vale next week, AFTER she gets a response.

    Basically, I think she knows he’s in a obstinate determined mood, he’s getting ready to fight but he doesn’t think they’re going to win, and he’s refusing her fears entirely about going to get other forces. In his mind, for all good reasons. So I THINK she’s trying to get that army into place so that she tells him that there are more, not asks him to please go get more men.

    If she doesn’t tell him it makes ZERO f*(#@king sense. There will obviously be Northern scenes next week – it won’t go from this to battle – and I think the Vale will be the subject. If she doesn’t tell him D&D have totally jumped the ship because there is NO reason for that drama.

  780. So much for everyone in the North summarily dismissing any news of the White Walkers returning. 🙂

  781. ygritte,

    She’s stabbed Arya, but in such a way that it is fatal but nevertheless a way in which she dies a slow painful death full of suffering

    So she walks for now but it’ll get her slowly, eg no accident we are hearing of how Sandor still lived for days and came back again despite Elder Brother thinking he was dead and wouldn’t survive much longer etc

  782. Wimsey: heh, good point!For some reason, I’m clinging to the delusion that Rickon will get out of it alive.I mean, they’ve shown that Shaggy Dog’s not really dead, right?

    right?

    right?

    I hear you! Right, right, right!

  783. Ghosts Lunch,

    But without Tommen, Margaery is not queen. Of course, Olenna did not want to get caught up in the politics … that was Mace and Margaery

  784. Nadia,

    I agree that there is no reason for that drama that would be lame as fuck
    And I am one of those that “the show can do no wrong ” lolol

  785. Wimsey: But why would Olenna want that?Her granddaughter would have little value, as she is no longer a virgin.Olenna does not have any way to marry Margaery to Daeny or something.What Olenna should want is to: 1) get Cersei out of Kings Landing; and, 2) let Margaery gain control over Tommen.

    Not so much virtue, if they can annull the alliance with the untrustworthy Lannisters it gives scope for them to forge an alliance with someone else and claim rule the IT with the other House

  786. Jack Bauer 24: Why?

    I suppose I expected his blinders to come off by this point, to become someone better. Now I don’t think it will happen, and he will always be loyal to someone who has never been so to him.

  787. DireWolfHeart,

    When you’re a Stark,
    You’re a Stark all the way…

    I like that…although, admittedly, I would like to see all the Wight’s break out in the Thriller Dance mid-Battle for the Dawn. 🙂

  788. Fuck water, fuck the king, fuck the Seven and he needs the whole fucking chicken!!!!

    The Hound is back baby…and he’s got an axe to grind…literally!

    Another outstanding episode!

  789. ThisGirlHasNoName: Except that is exactly what I find so hypocritical about many religions (though not all), and the people who lead them. They claim to be all about goodness and serving a higher authority, but indeed what they seek is the power to force their beliefs on others.

    Sure, they may (or may not) be more benevolent than a secular leader. In this case, I say no. Because the High Sparrow doesn’t have a “live and let live” philosophy, he doesn’t seek mere acceptance for him and his followers, he doesn’t leave judgement for people’s sins up to the Gods. He seeks domination. He is willing to use violence to submit people to his will. He manipulates and schemes to get that power.

    This is the same behavior as the people whom he wishes to supplant, which is why I do believe he is not only a hypocrite, but the most dangerous kind of fanatical hypocrite, IMHO.

    Is the HS evil? Yes. Is he misguided? Yes. Is he dangerous? Yes. Is he a hypocrite? No. He is living out what he claims to be. He never claimed to be butterflies and kittens.

    hypocrite: a person who claims or pretends to have certain beliefs about what is right but who behaves in a way that disagrees with those beliefs

    We don’t know enough about the Faith of the Seven to know that the HS has done anything that contradicts these beliefs. In his mind and the minds of the other Sparrows, he is serving a higher authority and doing good by his manipulative, power-seeking moves because he’s doing it all in the name of the Seven. He is certainly not faking his devotion.

  790. ThisGirlHasNoName: My thought’s exactly! At least Sansa barely talked during most of their scenes. I couldn’t take another week of people complaining about a mere girl upstaging their hero.

    As an aside, I’m a big fan of Jon and yes, it would’ve been fun to see a kick-ass Jon Snow rise from the dead. But his character is going places in this story and I have every belief that time will come, and that the sullen, slightly beaten Jon is good for his story arc. Plus, this is an ensemble cast, not titled Jon Snow and Everybody Else. His time will come and I’ll be the first to cheer it, but in the meantime I’m enjoying every second of this season.

    I feel the same. GRRM has gone out of his way to say he felt Gandalf coming back from death and saving the day right away with no psychological impact was unrealistic and that resurrection doesn’t work that way in ASOIAF. How the books will differ from the show is anyone’s guess, but it doesn’t make sense in any iteration of this story for Jon to jump up and start making inspirational speeches and kicking all the asses left and right. I’m happy for it to take some time.

  793. the biggest issue I still have is. what is with Melisandre, its like the writers have dropped the character? They made such a big deal of her at the beginning, now its like the character doesnt even exist.

  794. Nymeria Warrior Queen,

    Where did anyone accept that? The Mormants, maybe – but their uncle was telling them that, so they might have been willing to buy it – but it never came up anywhere else, and it looks like almost nobody is willing to side with the Starks.

    So, on the contrary: so much for the idea that anyone in the north took any of the warnings about White Walkers seriously.

  795. weirwoodtreehugger,

    I actually think this Jon is a complete fatalist. Does anyone think HE thinks they’re going to win? He’s going into this battle with Ramsay to save Rickon, for Sansa and her argument that it’s their home, etc. But I’m not sure he thinks he’s going to win, or even stands a chance to win. He’s not going RARARRARARARRARA because I think he knows he is resigning men to death – which he’s seen has NOTHING. He can’t promise them glory and whatever because he knows when they die there will be nothing.

    LOTR, Elrond: You ride to war but not to victory
    Feels like that Aragorn moment.

  796. Ginevra: We don’t know enough about the Faith of the Seven to know that the HS has done anything that contradicts these beliefs.

    I agree entirely. The Church of the 7 clearly is based heavily on Christianity: and this is the sort of thing that True Believer Christians have done for ages. And lots of other religions have had people do the same. The “evil” is religion here, just as it is in our world.

    Now, would someone like the HS have found some other way to express his sociopathies? Probably: but it would not have given him the bully pulpit from which to do it.

  797. Jack Bauer 24: Why?

    I love Cersei, and if I have to slaughter every Tully who ever lived to get back to her, that’s what I’ll do.

    What’s not to love?

  798. taim: the biggest issue I still have is. what is with Melisandre, its like the writers have dropped the character? They made such a big deal of her at the beginning, now its like the character doesnt even exist.

    Melisandre, like the Wildlings, really could not be with them while they canvassed Northern houses for support. Obviously, a Wildling host would be attacked on sight. But how do they win over Northerner with a red witch from a religion hostile to the Northerners’ religion potentially going evangelical on them?

  801. The show should win every cinematography award just for sending Sansa North because holy hell in every scene he’s in she looks so damn striking with the hair and the blue eyes in the greys and blues and muted colors of the North. It’s amazing.

  802. Wimsey,

    Men, in general, are selfish and evil…whatever organization, if any, they belong to. Don’t be a naive fool by labeling groups as the source. People are the source. Always have been, always will be. It will never change. Religion, positive religion that is, has slowed down the rot more than contributed to it. If all religion disappeared tomorrow, people would still be victimized people.

  804. Louis:
    maria,

    Yup agreed. I’m very intrigued by her next move. If the Vale does save the day does she try and take credit for it in a power move against Jon? We know LF will probably still try and pit them against each other.

    I’m not even sure Jon wants “power”. Except in the sense that it can be used against the White Walkers. He’s always been more about “duty” . He did have some leadership qualities as LC of the Nights Watch. But not enough to keep some of them from killing him. And his “death” has seemed to put a dent even in what he had.

    It strikes me that what they really need is a wight to carry around with them to show the other Northern (and eventually southern) Lords. But I can’t remember if there ever has been one south of the wall except for that one that attacked LC Mormont at Castle Black and Jon burned.

  805. Arkash,

    I found the tavern scene a bit much. I already don’t care for forced nudity but I surely don’t expect to see acts of foreplay unless I’m in the mood and looking for porn. In which case, I never do. Look for porn that is. Do most females need that? Forget it, I don’t feel like delving into that discussion now lol.

  806. Wimsey,

    Medievel christianity I believe … which generally was more concerned with the status/wealth of the church than the souls of its believers unless you had a firebrand like Savonarola who stirred the populace up much like the Faith of the Seven until the HS. Of course he never became the Pope. Just think the bonfires that would have been unleashed.

  807. weirwoodtreehugger: I feel the same.GRRM has gone out of his way to say he felt Gandalf coming back from death and saving the day right away with no psychological impact was unrealistic and that resurrection doesn’t work that way in ASOIAF.How the books will differ from the show is anyone’s guess, but it doesn’t make sense in any iteration of this story for Jon to jump up and start making inspirational speeches and kicking all the asses left and right.I’m happy for it to take some time.

    exactly this. I don’t know why people expected Jon to be the greatest politician that ever lived after being ressurected. He’s a great leader on the battlefield and can boost moral with his brave actions. He has time to learn how to play the game of thrones.

  808. I’m enjoying this season and I enjoyed this episode but there is still plotting issues. One that stands out to me is that no one brought up that Stannis burned his daughter alive. Thousands of solders deserted Stannis after he did that, so surely there would be tons of rumors all around the north about what happened, and why most of Stannis’ men left him. While Jon and Davos treated with Northern Lords, this should have come up. I can’t reconcile a world where Vary’s knows that Stannis is dead in Meereen but rumors of Stannis burning his daughter hasn’t reached Stannis’ hand of the king.

  809. I don’t believe Sansa has bad intentions/power hunger by holding back the Vale info from Jon.

    I don’t think she told him when they were plotting around the table because she was embarrassed, because she went to meet LF without telling him. She is in many ways still a teenager and that’s exactly something a teenager would do. Plus, she sent LF away – there was no value in disclosing the info, especially if she feared Jon would try to push her to forgive and forget just for the sake of the army.

    She had to learn that lesson on her own.

    Tonight, I thought she didn’t tell him because she doesn’t *know* that LF and the army will come back. She also probably wouldn’t want to be scolded for not telling him in the first place. Again, both reasonable thoughts for a teenager who isn’t experienced in the art of war or diplomacy.

    Indeed, her naiveté is all the more apparent when she’s trying to rally the lesser houses. She believes (believed?) that loyalty is all that matters. Now she’s seeing how longtime loyalties are so dependent on mutual benefit. This may also have been an influence in her decision to reverse course with LF.

    Anyways, I’m hopeful there’s a lot of subtext built in this episode, and what seemed as a bit of a slow show tonight will ultimately have a great deal more meaning than face value.

  810. Arkash:
    Okay, I’m probably in the minority but one of the highlight (among many) of this episode was the Theon / Yara scene for me !
    Great acting, solid dialogue (coherent with the characters), great dynamics, fun and sad at the same time !

    Well done for that ! I can see why some might see it as superfluous but I really think it was a very strong scene !

    Agree about the Theon/Yara scene. It was very sweet.

  811. And Arya on rewatching … a slash, then two stabs with the second a twist for good measure and with a long enough blade to get the bowels and start septis … and she didn’t appear to be faking being hurt … was calling attention to herself which you would think would be the last thing she wanted to do … something was just not right about that scene

  812. loco73:
    Fuck water, fuck the king, fuck the Seven and he needs the whole fucking chicken!!!!

    The Hound is back baby…and he’s got an axe to grind…literally!

    Another outstanding episode!

    Yeah I was wondering if he was thinking about that “weak farmer” who would be dead come winter etc

    What’s fascinating is the idea they were butchered by a R’hlorrist symapthiser (rightly or wrongly)

    Of course up North in that camp, there’s Mel, there’s Davos and there’s another little girl in the vicinity Davos has bonded with which will no doubt bring the entire issue up again

    Don’t forget Mel became a Broken Woman after that so I guess we can expect it all to be re-visited but this will be where she gets her mojo back

  813. Hodors Bastard:
    Really, the BwB were the ones responsible for that Quiet Isle massacre? Really? Really? Really? WtF?

    I was disappointed too. I feel like this story is getting close to jumping the shark.

  814. Liked the episode not the best of the season but then again these episodes are necessary so the story can breathe.Loved the Theon and Yara scene they have such good chemistry and I hope they never kill off bronn he has the best lines I bet he would make a joke in front of the night king lol.Loved the north best part of the episode.I don’t see how people can complain about Jon in this episode he wasn’t upstaged by Sansa in the least he talked more than her and was center stage everywhere they went.He is my favourite too but what do you want them to do give him 30 minutes every episode?It’s an ensamble show everybody gets their time I mean even Peter Dinklage got two episodes off.I bet when the season is over kit will have the most screentime.Even if he was dead the first two episode it was still his story it all revolved around him.Also we should cut Sansa some slack she is doing the best she can and it’s clear she doesn’t bear jon any ill wish.She really didn’t want to use littlefinger cause she is hurt and knows he is a schemer but now she has no other choice.Lyanna Mormont was just the best wasn’t she ?

    Also Arya is fine people it’s just a little stab wound she walked it off lol

  816. Kamali,

    I’ve wondered about that. Let’s see, everyone left in Stannis’s army was slaughtered. What about the sellswords? Did they defect to the Boltons or just flee? If they fled, where did they go?

    I don’t think the other houses were involved. The Karstarks and Umbers came later. Unlike the books, there was not

    assemblage of Northern lords at WF before the battle.

    So, other than the sellswords, there may not be anyone and where they went no one knows.

  817. Well, just had my double viewing sesh on Sky Atlantic. Episode 7 wasn’t bad and somewhat mediocre and for me doesn’t rate high in Season 6. However, great to see The Hound again, Bronn and the Blackfish.

    The Frey brothers holding Edmure were a couple of wankers (as are all the Freys) and I was none too impressed with the scenes at Riverrun. However, Jon, Sansa and Davos visit to Bear Island to meet Lyanna Mormant and seek help was good. For someone so young she can certainly handle herself and doesn’t take any bullshit 😉

    As for the ‘Its only tits and dragons’ man Ian McShane he played his part well. Was quite surprised when Sandor returned to the camp and found everyone dead and McShane hanging in that wooden structure they were building. I presume they got another visit from The Brotherhood Without Banners, but that was left somewhat open ended? Still, it looks like Sandor was none too happy about what he saw. So perhaps we’ll be getting the old Hound back as the character we all love and enjoy 😉

    The somewhat ridiculous scene was Arya getting stabbed multiple times in the side of her lower body by the Waif, jumping off the wall into the sea and then getting herself back onto dry land again and walking the streets. If that happened in real life you’d be dead. Especially the way she was bleeding out not to mention damage to the internal organs like the kidney or spleen. Perhaps she will find medical help and get her strength back to ‘Fuck the Waif’ with the pointy end of Needle in the next episode!

    The scenes in the Voltantis whore house were nothing special other than we discover Yara is gay and prefers the company of women to men and hoping Theon the brother she knew will support her and sail the fleet to Meereen to link up with Dany and take back the Iron Islands.

    Although I found this episode somewhat boring, I can understand why it was produced this way to act as lead into the final 3 episodes which I reckon will be epic in all respects. We’ll just have to see…

  818. Ok so upon second watching…

    I have to agree with you all who say Lyanna Mormont stole the show.

    What a little badass she was!

    Hope we get more of her, hell make her a main character! lol

  819. Nadia:
    The show should win every cinematography award just for sending Sansa North because holy hell in every scene he’s in she looks so damn striking with the hair and the blue eyes in the greys and blues and muted colors of the North. It’s amazing.

    The lighting and makeup on Sophie was amazing this episode. Of course, her natural beauty helps, too.

  820. dvc,

    I think you’re right as I detected a vague feeling of her being portrayed as a fish out of water, more of a Tully than a Stark perhaps. I think she belongs in the Vale married to…dang too bad there is no other choice but Robin lol. It would have been nice if he were aged up in his initial appearance, still a little dweeb, but then next time we see him has turned into a gallant young man fit for Sansa Stark.

  821. Nadia,

    Or it could be that it’s Jons sullen nature. He didn’t do a good job of convincing the nights watch of the threat of the WW, even though they wiped out the bulk of the NW at the fist of the first men. I think he plans to try. Not totally fatalist like Stannis in his final moments. But I can’t be sure. I’m not one of the writers for the show.

  822. Arkash,

    Well done for that ! I can see why some might see it as superfluous but I really think it was a very strong scene !

    I thought so too, really solid acting by both of them.

    DireWolfHeart,

    ROTFLMAO Oh yes, I can just hear the music now ‘when your a jet, um, I mean a stark….’

    Wimsey,

    My point is that they should have shown her seeing something appropriate first. Guns fired late should be hung early and all of th

    She saw the actor playing Robert using something to mimic wounds. Is that enough of a gun? (I never thought I’d say this, but Im starting not to like Chekov very much any more 🙂

  823. Am re-watching now

    That Opening scene was so happy and idyliic, this being GoT of course the closing scene is of them all dead…

    Also lol at Sandor carrying his own log, hard not to escape the feeling this isn’t some reference to the actor playing his in-show brother (the Mountain) mimmicking that Scandanavian legend by carrying that extremely heavy log

  824. I noticed that Arya didn’t seem quite like Arya during her scene with the boat captain, she had a certain air about her that struck me as out of place.

    Also noticed that as Arya glanced back at the waif she gave no sign of recognition.

    Is this not the real Arya?

  825. LonRice: I actually think her not trusting Davos is really smart though? I mean given the little information she knows about him (his involvement with Stannis, and Renly’s death) two things that don’t exactly paint him in the best light. Brienne doesn’t trust Davos and told her as much. Why should Sansa trust him?

    It’s not that she doesn’t trust him, in the sense of “will he betray us”, rather, she does not trust him in the sense that the best man for a close advisor might not be the one who lost everything when he last held the same position.

    Littlefinger taught her enough to trust results. Ser Davos does not have a winning record. It’s that simple. Sansa is not wrong about that.

    And looking down the road whilst sticking to that theme, one wonders whether it is really going to be Ser Davos who strikes down Mel and not the other way around?

    After all, Melisandre does see all attacks focused on her coming from far away — and long before it ever happens in her flames. If Ser Davos is not the best advisor for Jon, then perhaps Ser Davos won’t make it out of Season 6 after all?

    Not predicting, just, kicking the ball onto the field, as it were.

  826. Darkrobin,

    The possibilities are numerous for her recovery. I’ll mention again how cool it would be for her to run into Gendry even though the chances of that happening are absurd. Serio? Ha!! I think it’s obvious she won’t die from her wounds no matter how unrealistic it may seem with their level of medicine. There are magical methods of course but I don’t think that’s necessary. Even without resurrection incidents in the story thus far I wouldn’t believe Arya would go out this way. Not from a jealous Waif, and not in Braavos. She has a purpose and it hasn’t come to pass.

  827. ThisGirlHasNoName:
    I don’t believe Sansa has bad intentions/power hunger by holding back the Vale info from Jon.

    Agree. Idk how anyone could think that Sansa is “power hungry” or that she has bad intentions re: Jon, and just wanting to use him. Everything that the show has set up about her character for literally all of the past seasons contradicts that, so I don’t know why its even a possibility to some (Same with Dany being a villain who loves to watch people die). I feel like I’m watching a different show sometimes, or maybe it’s just that the speculation gets so intense that every possibility gets thrown out there? idk.

  828. More importantly, why did the return of the hound come before the opening credits? What is so important about him that made them break from tradition that dictates only premieres and finales start that way? I mean, Benjen came back from the dead too. So did Jon. So why?

    I also think the Arya scene was confusing. I almost believed she was about to die. She should be dead and she is definitely hurt.

    And I love that Brienne is facing off against Jaime in the next episode despite the lack of LSH.

    I almost cried when Lyanna Mormont said that bit about the Mormonts have kept faith w the Starks for a thousand years and we will not break it today. Or whatever it was exactly I can’t recall just now.

    That’s all I can think of for now I’m too tired but I feel like there were more important clues.

  829. Clob,

    Oh, I totally agree. This is not the end for Arya. There is a sleight of hand here that I don’t understand.

  830. GrailKing: Because of that Glover scene, I think he

    one reason, he didn’t throw up Sansa’s marriages, I also think this is a way the Stark bannermen are saying you have to EARN our loyalty and not count on their Father’s name or the children’s entitlement factor.

    Sansa can’t, or shouldn’t, expect that the Stark name is all it takes to demand loyalty. Not anymore.
    I don’t see the houses that stick with the Bolton’s as traitors or the enemy. They all joined Robb in the war and because of his choices (and the choices of his Mother), they paid dearly. House Stark screwed the Mormonts, the Glovers, the Umbers, etc…”loyalty” died with Eddard Stark. They can regain it, of course but like Lord Glover said, he could be skinned alive for just speaking with them. These houses have all suffered with Robb at the helm, so jumping ship now is probably fucking terrifying.
    A bastard, Stannis’ right-hand man and a Stark turned Lannister turned Bolton might not bolster a ton of confidence. Lord Glover was right, House Stark is dead. At least right now.

    And Arya on rewatching … a slash, then two stabs with the second a twist for good measure and with a long enough blade to get the bowels and start septis … and she didn’t appear to be faking being hurt … was calling attention to herself which you would think would be the last thing she wanted to do … something was just not right about that scene

    Could it be that she thinks someone may be watching? When she was walking the streets, she was jumpy as hell. I wonder if is “acting”…Lady Crane seems to think she has a knack for it.

    More importantly, why did the return of the hound come before the opening credits? What is so important about him that made them break from tradition that dictates only premieres and finales start that way? I mean, Benjen came back from the dead too. So did Jon. So why?

    Because he is the balls and coming back into the fold and it was an awesome way to start an episode, when usually a big reveal is left for the end so why not spin it on it’s ear and give a wee bit of backstory as to what he has been up to! That would be my guess. 🙂 Jon coming back is a total given. Come on, was there really doubt?

  831. Wimsey:
    Nymeria Warrior Queen,

    Where did anyone accept that?The Mormants, maybe – but their uncle was telling them that, so they might have been willing to buy it –but it never came up anywhere else, and it looks like almost nobody is willing to side with the Starks.

    So, on the contrary: so much for the idea that anyone in the north took any of the warnings about White Walkers seriously.

    Your contention was no one, no one, would put any stock whatsoever in the news of their return. It wasn’t well, one may, if a relative tells them, it was every single northerner will summarily dismiss it. You even went so far to say if anyone did put any stock in it, it would border on a plot-hole.

    I really had no expectation of you admitting you were wrong, and you certainly didn’t disappoint.

  833. Demon Monkey:
    More importantly, why did the return of the hound come before the opening credits? What is so important about him that made them break from tradition that dictates only premieres and finales start that way? I mean, Benjen came back from the dead too. So did Jon. So why?

    Because under his contract, Rory McCann gets his name in the starting credits and Joseph Mawle does not.

    So we would know from the starting credits he was coming back and the surprise would be ruined. That’s why the cold open with him in it before the opening credits. Joseph Mawle wasn’t credited at the start, so the credits gave nothing away regarding his presence in the show.

    Kit’s body was in the show, and c’mon, we all knew he was coming back. Nobody really believed they were killing Jon Snow for good…

  834. Tippery:
    I noticed that Arya didn’t seem quite like Arya during her scene with the boat captain, she had a certain air about her that struck me as out of place.

    Also noticed that as Arya glanced back at the waif she gave no sign of recognition.

    Is this not the real Arya?

    It is Arya. She can put on swagger when she needs to, it’s nothing new. And that’s what she did. I don’t know why u think she didn’t recognize the waif. And only Arya would be dumb enough to think that kindly lady wasn’t an assassin. Because at her core she is still a good person.

    As Dario said: only dishonest ppl have suspicious minds.

  835. Jared:

    Thoros directly states that many members of the Brotherhood have fallen low and abandoned the organization. They are now no better than common outlaws. The two groups may have been combined.

    Now THAT would have been a good premise for the MIA “Broken Man” speech, before those same men killed the folks at the quiet isle! A final bit of irony for the episode. I like that quite a bit. Thx.

    (although a few sentences from the BM speech did seem to make the cut during “Meribald’s” lunch meeting)

    You know, it would be clever if the Hound, after destroying those 3 outlaws, ran into Brienne and Pod again. Only this time he would string them up and give Brienne a choice….

    🙂

  836. Ramsay has a bit less than 5,000 men after fighting Stannis. Jon/Sansa have around 2,400 according to the numbers they mentioned as they arrived at Stannis’ former camp, PLUS, one Wun Wun. I like their chances as is. We saw Wun Wun fight the wights… Give him a club and send him swinging through the ranks. 🙂

  837. Darkrobin,

    n

    d she didn’t appear to be faking being hurt … was calling attention to herself which you would think would be the last thing she wanted to do … something was just not right about that scene

    I was struck by how all the people were just looking at her, and sort of backing away, rather than trying to help her. It almost was like they were afraid of her.

  838. So, Arya lures the Waif into stabbing her, fakes the blood everywhere, and then goes through the streets to lure the Waif into a chase to the death – a wounded wolf and an easy kill, or so the Waif thinks. And then Arya reveals the plan she was hatching in this episode: the trap for the Waif. Right? I mean, if Arya had really been stabbed four times in the gut, could she be running and leaping like that in the very next episode?

  839. Mrs. Podrick Payne,

    I actually like Glover’s response … he had just recovered his castle with the help of the Boltons. A castle he lost while they were fighting Robb’s war and they lost the war because he didn’t honour his duty and kill the head of Karstarks …

  843. Ginevra,

    Slashed once, stabbed in the oblique once and stabbed in the gut once. The very next episode but not necessarily the very next day.

  844. Steel_Wind: It’s not that she doesn’t trust him, in the sense of “will he betray us”, rather, she does not trust him in the sense that there the best man for a close advisor is not the one who lost everything.

    Littlefinger taught her enough to trust results. Ser Davos does not have a winning record. It’s that simple. She’s not wrong about that.

    And looking down the road whilst carrying on that theme, one wonders whether it is really going to be Ser Davos who strikes down Mel and not the other way around?

    After all, she does see all attacks focused on her coming from far away. If Ser Davos is not the best advisor for Jon,then perhaps Ser Davos won’t make it out of Season 6 after all.

    Not predicting, just, kicking the ball onto the field.

    I agree with this too, she made it clear that she didn’t feel Davos was the best person to advise Jon, considering his record with Stannis. Of course Sansa doesn’t know that Stannis’ defeat was in large part to his own bad decisions and putting way too much faith in Melisandre’s visions, which Davos didn’t really support.

    Let’s hope Davos can help Jon, but I suspect there’s not much strategy that can help when they’re as outnumbered as they are. Something tells me that Ramsey may have more men than what Sansa said. I hope they did some fact checking on that number because its strange that they just took it as fact that he had 5000 men based on a conversation that she overheard.

  845. kells,

    It’s because the Brotherhood without Banners are now led by a more violent, vengeful spirit than Beric Dondarrion… A certain Lady of the Riverlands.

    Or not. Anyway, just because the BwB are generally good guys, it doesn’t mean that there might not be some bad seeds among them. A few jumped up brigands excited about their new power and weapons, and there you go.

    Or, the night is dark and full of Tully terrors…

  847. If I was Melisandre and had seen in my flames that Ser Davos was going to stab me and kill me…

    And I was an ancient multi-century year-old sorceress from Ashai and High Priestess of Rh’llor who brings back people from the dead just by saying “Please“…

    I’d glamour up somebody else to look like me at the appointed time and place and disguise myself to look like Stannis. Because that way, I know I’m going to survive to walk the battlements of Winterfell.

    Just sayin’.

    I wonder if there are any redheads around who might look like me with a glamour spell on ’em. Someone that Davos would be in a LOT of trouble over if he stabbed her. Hmmm.

  848. That seige at river run with the fake attempts at killing the weak fish, to my recollection that was when Robb was king of the north and they took Jamie prisoner, is that correct?

  849. My theory regarding Arya:

    Jaqen is someone very high up in the Faceless Men organization. Maybe head of the whole thing, maybe head of their training command. Something like that. He has sufficient seniority to take on personal project in his spare time without his boss (if any) coming down on him for it.

    Arya is, and has been for some time, Jaqen’s personal project. He has known for a long time that Arya will never be a Faceless Man. He’s training her to be Arya. Maybe a more technically-competent-at-killing version of Arya. Probably it’s more subtle than that, but I can’t make a coherent argument for any particular goal/motive yet.

    Arya walking around in broad daylight, loudly booking passage to Westeros, tossing around bags of money that we never saw her obtain, and not carrying Needle makes no sense. That was Jaqen H’gar, disguised as Arya. (I’m not sure how Jaqen gets to use Arya’s face while she is still alive, but we saw Arya see her own face on someone else during the scene (in S5) where she loses her sight, so I guess that is possible?)

    The Waif’s attack was clearly intended to cause suffering—three stab wounds to the gut will kill, but slowly. Like shooting someone in the gut and leaving them in the desert in an American western movie. Waif will probably be in big trouble when she gets back to the House of Black and White. I’m not sure what sort of explanation we will get for how Jaqen survives, or how he could have known that he would survive. It could have been theatre props (bladder full of animal blood?) and body armor or it could be magic. I’m OK with either.

    Unrelated topic: Just because three dudes show up and say that they are with the Brotherhood without Banner, doesn’t prove that they are. Could be just ordinary outlaws trying to use the BwB flag as a bit of cover. (Really wish I could come up with a better way to word that sentence, but I hope you get the point.) Or maybe they’re ex-BwB gone rouge.

  850. Ravyn:
    Ginevra,

    Hmmm….a bit of theater blood? Wonder where she might have gotten that?

    That would be awesome if she had done that! Wearing a bladder of blood around her mid-section?

    I like the cut of your jib sir! (or madam!)

  851. ATrueFool,

    I’m with you on Jaquen taking on arya as a personal project and not expecting her to join his ranks, but I’m guessing that was really arya hatching a plan to fake a death

  852. Sue me, I cried in the Bear Island scene. “Robb is gone but House Stark is not” and basically you have the two LEAST STARK characters doing this. Honestly, it’s a stroke of brilliance for D&D to send Sansa to Jon and put these two together. Not only do they have no history of working together, so they’re figuring each other out through this, but they’re basically the two least likely to get the North to rally behind them – the bastard and Lady Lannister/Bolton. And yet there they are, House Stark. I CRIED OK.

    And then Lyanna Mormont is just such a badass hero forever I love her. Also having her recite the “bear island knows no king but the king in the north whose name is stark” I CRIED. Make Jon some King of something please I will cry a thousand rivers of tears.

    I don’t think Sansa is trying to ruin Jon. She’s very clearly there to support him. She just thinks he’s going on a suicide mission and is wrong about going to war with this many men. She looks super upset when he says “this is it” because she knows they’ll die. I’m annoyed as all hell that LF sweeps in to save the day and I think it’s annoying that she’s keeping this from him, but I can convince myself she’s waiting till she knows it’s possible. She’s not going to convince Jon to delay for a hypothetical army.

  853. Darkrobin:
    And Arya on rewatching … a slash, then two stabs with the second a twist for good measure and with a long enough blade to get the bowels and start septis … and she didn’t appear to be faking being hurt … was calling attention to herself which you would think would be the last thing she wanted to do … something was just not right about that scene

    Im thinking that possibly maybe it’s Jaqen posing as Arya (as a test for the Waif)? We did see him take the form of the Waif in Season 5 Epi 10, when Arya killed Trant w/o permission and first became blind. Or maybe it was Arya and she just finds someone to heal her. Hmm…

  854. LonRice:

    Let’s hope Davos can help Jon, but I suspect there’s not much strategy that can help when they’re as outnumbered as they are. Something tells me that Ramsey may have more men than what Sansa said. I hope they did some fact checking on that number because its strange that they just took it as fact that he had 5000 men based on a conversation that she overheard.

    Well he does have more men than 5000 cause they have the umbers and karstarks but Jon and co know this now,

  855. ArgonathofBraavos:
    kells,

    It’s because the Brotherhood without Banners are now led by a more violent, vengeful spirit than Beric Dondarrion… A certain Lady of the Riverlands.

    Assuming LHS does not put in a surprise appearance, it’s because the influence of the Lord of Light and religious fanaticism took over the BwB after Berric finally died for good.

    In short, it’s Melisande’s fault. Once they gave up Gendry, the Brotherhood compromised and their elan was lost.

  856. Darkrobin: if

    There must be, since apparently she’s pretty soon going to be running and jumping across Braavos…and she couldn’t very well do that with four stabs in the gut, can she?

  857. Demon Monkey: More importantly, why did the return of the hound come before the opening credits? What is so important about him that made them break from tradition that dictates only premieres and finales start that way? I mean, Benjen came back from the dead too. So did Jon. So why?

    I also think the Arya scene was confusing. I almost believed she was about to die. She should be dead and she is definitely hurt.

    I’m assuming the pre-credits scene was partly there to avoid spoiling the Hound’s return with Rory’s name in the opening credits. Joseph Mawle was in the end credits, so it wasn’t an issue for Benjen’s return. Kit was in the opening credits of Ep 1 & 2 too, but we already knew he would be there at least as a corpse, so the credits didn’t spoil anything.

    I’m worried and curious about Arya. I hope she has a plan and was deliberately luring the waif out and faking her death. I’m worried because that looked like a very real and serious wound, of the sort that would lead to a slow but inevitable death like the dying farmer that she and the Hound met in season 4.

    Maybe she stole a fart bladder from back stage and filled it with blood, and put some kind of armor behind it. That seems like a risky plan since it makes the assumption that the waif will go for a gut stab, rather than just poisoning her, or stabbing her somewhere else (assuming she hasn’t completely covered herself in blood bladders under that shirt). She’s familiar enough with the Waif’s fighting style that she might be able to lure her into a gut stab by leaving a deliberate opening in her defenses, but it still seems excessively risky.

    From the previews (and trailers) it seems like she’ll be running and jumping around, so that gives me hope that either the wound is faked, or not as bad as it looked, or she gets some kind of magical healing. The less pleasant alternative is that Arya dies and the person running and jumping in the preview is someone (or No One) else wearing her face.

  858. weirwoodtreehugger,

    Only Gandalf did no such thing. He returned from death, but he didn’t “save the day right away.” He was also very much a different wizard when he came back. More extreme, in both his seriousness and his humor. And, of course, he was a wizard. And not human.

  859. ATrueFool,
    Great thoughts on the Arya situation! I wonder if “Arya” will make it back to the HoB&W and drink from the well before removing her face? Perhaps the well has some healing powers for “no men”? Maybe the Waif realizes this (with some dire and reactive result) and continues her mission to the end?

  860. I wish people would stop preemptively criticising everything in the show, like Arya’s stabbing. The stabbing was clearly shown to be fatal and she’s clearly in pain and about to die a slow painful death and thats all we should know at this point.

  861. ATrueFool:
    My theory regarding Arya:

    Jaqen is someone very high up in the Faceless Men organization. Maybe head of the whole thing, maybe head of their training command. Something like that. He has sufficient seniority to take on personal project in his spare time without his boss (if any) coming down on him for it.

    Arya is, and has been for some time, Jaqen’s personal project. He has known for a long time that Arya will never be a Faceless Man. He’s training her to be Arya. Maybe a more technically-competent-at-killing version of Arya. Probably it’s more subtle than that, but I can’t make a coherent argument for any particular goal/motive yet.

    Arya walking around in broad daylight, loudly booking passage to Westeros, tossing around bags of money that we never saw her obtain, and not carrying Needle makes no sense. That was Jaqen H’gar, disguised as Arya. (I’m not sure how Jaqen gets to use Arya’s face while she is still alive, but we saw Arya see her own face on someone else during the scene (in S5) where she loses her sight, so I guess that is possible?)

    The Waif’s attack was clearly intended to cause suffering—three stab wounds to the gut will kill, but slowly. Like shooting someone in the gut and leaving them in the desert in an American western movie. Waif will probably be in big trouble when she gets back to the House of Black and White. I’m not sure what sort of explanation we will get for how Jaqen survives, or how he could have known that he would survive. It could have been theatre props (bladder full of animal blood?) and body armor or it could be magic. I’m OK with either.

    OH! Someone beat me to it! lol!

  862. Marlana,

    Problem is that the waif still needs to cut off her face, so she has to still find the body. She my have used fake blood, pretended to be wounded and wandered around so word would get back to the waif where she was. Waif would come out triumphantly, without disguise, Arya would surprise her, Arya would chase her a little bit, eventually catches up with her and pokes Needle in her throat after which she says “You should have cut my throat, but I knew you wanted me to suffer an agonizing belly wound” after which she takes out Needle and cleans it off on the Waif’s dress. Jaqen looks on from a distance with a satisfying smile (as to say “well done, your training is finished”). Her scene ends with her leaving on the boat.

  864. Mattm,

    “I’m with you on Jaquen taking on arya as a personal project and not expecting her to join his ranks, but I’m guessing that was really arya hatching a plan to fake a death” -Mattm

    Could be. That would certainly be the simpler explanation. I’m betting/hoping it was Jaqen partly because of tie-ins with stuff that I don’t have the brain cells to properly write up at 1:30 a.m. Anyway, hope we find out next week.

  865. weirwoodtreehugger,

    You spent a paragraph describing how the inclusion of Arya’s commentary on the play was not random, and that Cogman was making a meta point, and then you follow that up by saying that it was “random” and pointless.” Do you realize that this is a contradiction? Or are you unsure of the meaning of those words?

  867. Regarding Sansa and Jon conversation about Davos

    Interesting Sansa is slagging off Jon for his choice of advisor/Hand then she goes off and reaches out to LF

    Something in there about Davos being a Broken man with his record etc

    Also, seems it may be the decision to make Arya suffer that undoes the Waif

    Eg think next time Jagen will intervene as Waif didn’t make it a clean kill as ordered and it shows her own lack of professionalism etc

  868. LonRice
    Let’s hope Davos can help Jon, but I suspect there’s not much strategy that can help when they’re as outnumbered as they are. Something tells me that Ramsey may have more men than what Sansa said. I hope they did some fact checking on that number because its strange that they just took it as fact that he had 5000 men based on a conversation that she overheard.

    Jon is not losing the Battle of the Bastards. There are LF’s men, maybe the Blackfish’s, and then there are those 800 sell-swords who fled Stannis camp — right where they are now. Some of them might still be about.

    Of course, they’d know what happened to Shireen…

    I believe the battle is mostly won, or at least not lost, and Ramsay retreats into Winterfell. Before he can rally his troops or send for aid, and knowing they have no food to sustain a seige, there is going to be a bid to go in there and kill Ramsay and put an end to this.

    We know there is a secret passage in and out. Jon may or may not know it. Sansa will. My guess is that Jon can’t be spared from the men as the Wildlings and Northmen will kill one another if he is not there to keep the peace. Sansa will lead the way in but is petrified of being captured. Melisandre promises her that she will help her, and when she is away from the others, Melisandre will offer to Sansa to conceal who she looks like, so that if they are taken she will not be made into Ramsay’s plaything. Sansa agrees and that is how someone else looks like Melisandre — and Melisandre comes to look like Stannis.

    Mel’s visions aren’t wrong; and the death of Shireen will inevitably be discovered by Davos and he will try and kill her. We know this. This is Game of Frikkin Thrones, FFS.

    One way or the other, Stannis is on those battlements. The real Stannis is dead and was beheaded by Brienne. There is no undead Stannis sighting at work here. So this has to be a glamour. That means Mel does it and she needs a reason for it. There must be a good reason for it.

    The reason is that Melisandre is going to use a glamour to save her life. (And it may well make Jon Snow dependent upon her for advice while removing Davos from the picture. So much the better…)

    Got to admit, it fits the facts. And it will make for one helluva Episode 10 shocker.

  869. Did any one else noticed that Arya head butted the Waif…… But the Waif didn’t have a nose bleed or anything?

    I do think Sansa is writing to Little Finger, but it also crossed my mind that she is writing to Margery….? Hmmmmm

  870. Arya just spent two episodes watching performers fake their deaths.

    That’s got to be fake blood, I’m guessing a small animal. You don’t jump two stories through the air with your guts punctured and bleeding.

  871. Demon Monkey: More importantly, why did the return of the hound come before the opening credits?

    Because Rory McCann is contractually obligated to have his name appear in the opening credits and they didn’t want to spoil the surprise.

  872. Ser Christos of House Spekktra: Im thinking that possibly maybe it’s Jaqen posing as Arya (as a test for the Waif)?

    That’s an interesting idea. He did tell the waif not to make her suffer. Perhaps he’s testing her, and expecting her to fail the test by inflicting a slow-killing, painful wound. It seems to me that all of his tests (of both Arya and the Waif) are designed to be failed, and perhaps the student is supposed to learn from failure. Maybe this is a typical Braavosi teaching style, after all, “Syrio says that every hurt is a lesson, and every lesson makes you better.”

    It’s interesting because I’m really not sure whether the Faceless Men are just simple killers for hire who are brainwashed into giving up their identities to make them more effective at this job, or if they really have some more interesting motivation and agenda. Perhaps the whole “No One” training is actually the opposite of what it seems…that they’re actually looking for people strong-willed enough to resist that brainwashing. It would be interesting if “failing” that test was actually passing. Perhaps Arya is actually passing her tests, and it’s the Waif who is failing.

    As a book reader, I’m really enjoying not knowing what the hell is going on, but I’m really worried about Arya right now, far more than I ever worried about Jon when he got stabbed.

  873. Ravyn: Because Rory McCann is contractually obligated to have his name appear in the opening credits and they didn’t want to spoil the surprise.

    My husband made the mistake of entering the room during that scene. I started screaming like a mad woman as soon as I saw the lone man carrying a tree.

  874. Nadia:
    I’m going to spend an entire week assuming and praying that Sansa tells Jon about the Vale next week, AFTER she gets a response.

    Basically, I think she knows he’s in a obstinate determined mood, he’s getting ready to fight but he doesn’t think they’re going to win, and he’s refusing her fears entirely about going to get other forces. In his mind, for all good reasons. So I THINK she’s trying to get that army into place so that she tells him that there are more, not asks him to please go get more men.

    If she doesn’t tell him it makes ZERO f*(#@king sense. There will obviously be Northern scenes next week – it won’t go from this to battle – and I think the Vale will be the subject. If she doesn’t tell him D&D have totally jumped the ship because there is NO reason for that drama.

    jon isnt being stuborn. He is afraid of the weather. If there is a snow the army is fucked.

  877. ATrueFool,
    Ser Christos of House Spekktra,

    The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. I think you two hit the nail on the head. She goes to sleep in a dark room with Needle and the next day she’s wondering around without a care in the world. That was her face but not her. The fake blood only works if there is no wound. And it certainly looked like a wound or two. The way they were acting, were they seeing what we were?

  878. dvc,

    I am aware. That doesn’t change the fact that Sansa might feel it’s worth the risk to get more men then to forge ahead with what they have. You can see on her face when she’s looking around, she knows they’re doomed

    I also think there was an element of her snarking at Davos for getting 62 men and being Jon’s most trusted advisor – I think she wishes in some way it was her, and her getting him troops even if he refused if she told him she was going to try is in her warped way doing the right thing.

  879. I don’t know yet what to make of this episode. There are parts I loved and some I was baffled.

    I loved Lady Bear Mormont. She’s feisty. Jon must be having “Arya” flashback while talking to her. 🙂 I really enjoyed her interaction with Davos. Davos is so sweet! And 62 soldiers? I laughed out loud when she said that. And she said it so… assuredly. Like, that’s what I have, take it or leave it. 🙂

    The Hound! So glad to see him back. He did say “hate” was his motivation to stay alive, am I right? This must be music to the ears of those clamoring for Cleganebowl. I’m still not sure if it’s gonna happen. We’ll see. I actually wish he’d meet Arya again.

    Arya walking wounded with no one helping her was hard to watch. I was like, help her, people! For a sec I thought I saw Gendry in the crowd and was hoping for their reunion! Wishful thinking, obviously. Anyway, I know she’ won’t die. No way! Either Lady Crane of Jaquen himself will help her, I think.

    Blackfish is so badass. I love his character. I hope he doesn’t get killed anytime soon but that Frey/Lannister celebration in the trailer is making me temper my expectation.

    Yes! Margaery is playing the game! It’s time to see the playa in her in action.

    I was baffled by the lack of mention about Jon “deserting” the NW and the death/resurrection. I guess the show avoided going there because it’s really hard to make a dialogue for it? “You, know my men stabbed me to death and then the Red Woman resurrected me. So my watch is ended.” “What? You expect us to believe that? Get out of here or we cut your head!”

    It’s obvious that Sansa’s motivation to reach out to someone (most likely LF) is her fear of being outnumbered by the Boltons, not because she’s “greedy and wants to take it all for herself”, as some speculated before. I just hope that she tells Jon about her plan. There’s really no point in keeping it a secret, is there? Jon though should also start listening to his sister.

    I’m bummed there’s no Dany in this episode. Fine, she was mentioned by Yara. But, I’d like to see her start preparing to leave Meereen already. By the looks of it, she won’t be arriving in Westeros by the end of the season. Sigh.

    Lastly, where is Mel? And I know I shouldn’t be asking this anymore (because, you know, budget) but I’ll ask anyway… where is Ghost???

    Over-all, a very good episode. 🙂

  880. Btw did anyone laugh when Glover said “taking up with a foreign whore and getting himself killed.”

    Ie Robb but also Jon Snow. Oh irony GOT. It’s like every change from Jeyne to Talisa was leading to that one line

    Btw can someone remind me of filming spoilers?

    does the casting description for who we think is Lord Glover now reference more than one scene? Somehow I don’t think this is the last we see of him!

  881. Wimsey,

    …which is what Marg is going for, I think. She’s got Tommen under control and she’s removing Cersei’s allies while keeping the Faith and the people of King’s Landing on her side.

    Louis,

    Hm. If Sansa were Tywin, she would use Ramsay to get rid of Jon, Davos, and the wildlings. She’d then use Littlefinger to destroy the Boltons. She takes over Winterfell, renews her alliances, prepares to face the Walkers.

  882. Ser Christos of House Spekktra: Im thinking that possibly maybe it’s Jaqen posing as Arya (as a test for the Waif)? We did see him take the form of the Waif in Season 5 Epi 10, when Arya killed Trant w/o permission and first became blind. Or maybe it was Arya and she just finds someone to heal her. Hmm…

    That’s a possibility! It did look weird that Arya was so relaxed and nonchalant in that scene as if she’s not expecting anyone wanting her dead. But can the FM use the face of someone who’s not dead yet like Arya?

  884. Rewatching the scene of Sansa writing her letter, freeze framing it.

    Besides her name, there are only a few words visible.

    In the first line, the last three words are, “…to fulfill your…”

    In the second line, the last three words are “…home for Winterfell…”

    At first I assumed the letter is for LF. I still do. It makes the most sense. But…what if it isn’t? Who else could she be writing to?

    She could be writing to the Blackfish, but I would assume they already sent ravens there, since it was mentioned around the table. Presumably, he would have responded that he had a bit of trouble on his hands.

    Then who else? Who else would need to “fulfill” something? Something having to do with “home for Winterfell”?

    Could it be…Jaime? I know, I’m crazy, right?

    But is it a coincidence that the Blackfish reminded Jaime of his vow to Catelyn to return Sansa and Arya home in the same episode? Is it a coincidence that Brienne happens to be hanging out with Jaime next week?

    Sansa did marry Tyrion, whom Jaime has a soft spot for. As far as I can remember, Jaime was at least passingly kind to her or about her at KL (I don’t remember any specific interactions, but that was my sense).

    I may be writing fan fiction here, but I’m having fun speculating.

  885. Nadia:
    Sue me, I cried in the Bear Island scene. “Robb is gone but House Stark is not” and basically you have the two LEAST STARK characters doing this. Honestly, it’s a stroke of brilliance for D&D to send Sansa to Jon and put these two together. Not only do they have no history of working together, so they’re figuring each other out through this, but they’re basically the two least likely to get the North to rally behind them – the bastard and Lady Lannister/Bolton. And yet there they are, House Stark. I CRIED OK.

    I loved that line, too. And yes, Jon+Sansa makes for a more interesting, intriguing pairing of 2 Stark children – one who’s kept on saying he’s not a Stark and another who doesn’t have the Stark way anymore (to quote Sophie/D&D). I want them to take back WF so badly!

  886. ThisGirlHasNoName:

    In the first line, the last three words are, “…to fulfill your…”

    In the second line, the last three words are “…home for Winterfell…”

    At first I assumed the letter is for LF. I still do. It makes the most sense. But…what if it isn’t? Who else could she be writing to?

    She could be writing to the Blackfish, but I would assume they already sent ravens there, since it was mentioned around the table. Presumably, he would have responded that he had a bit of trouble on his hands.

    Then who else? Who else would need to “fulfill” something? Something having to do with “home for Winterfell”?

    I may be writing fan fiction here, but I’m having fun speculating.

    Oh, I like your “fanfic”. 🙂 It’s likely not BF since Sansa already sent Brienne to meet him. The preview also showed Brienne handing a note to BF, which I assume is Sansa’s letter to him. Could Jaime convince BF to leave RR so he could help his granddaughter? (In the preview, it looks like Jaime is giving that task to Brienne.) But then, why would BF do it? Out of his love for Catelyn? But he loves his home too and seems bent on dying there if it comes down to it. He also might think Brienne is working for the Lannisters (carrying that sword won’t help her case). Hmmmnn… Can’t wait to see what happens next.

  887. When the trailer was released I remember someone said here the Davos speech had been cut in the end when he says “And make no mistakes.”. Turns up that person was right as he added a “milady” after that. You guys are really good.

  888. I really enjoyed this solid episode, even if I am admittedly more excited for the bloodbath that is to come next week. The music was on point for Sandor’s storyline, that idyllic sense that something horrible was going to happen about any second now.

    Lyanna Mormont might be my new favorite contender for the Iron Throne. She’s a badass ten-year-old, even if there is a hint of tragedy at the circumstances that brought her to that chair. And the Blackfish coming back is perfectly welcome. https://goo.gl/NUYejN

  889. Does anyone think there’s any significance to the caged raven/crow at the Mormont camp?

  890. Louis:
    maria,

    Yup agreed. I’m very intrigued by her next move. If the Vale does save the day does she try and take credit for it in a power move against Jon? We know LF will probably still try and pit them against each other.

    I don’t see Jon wanting WF for himself though. It would be so out of character if he did. My guess is that after this, Jon would be totally focused on the war against the WW. He’ll probably reunite with another beloved sibling – Bran. In fact, it’s more likely for him to return to the NW than get involved in the power play for WF/north.

  891. Nymeria Warrior Queen:
    If they don’t show the letter (wherever they showed the letter to Doran, where we could read what it said, although I don’t remember the source for that) it’s for a reason. Here’s along the lines of what it could say, taking the idea it’s to Royce (which I really like):

    Lord Royce,

    Fearing for my safety, I lied to you about the death of Lysa Arryn.Petyr Baelish pushed her through the moon-door.He then delivered me into the hands of Ramsay Bolton.I escaped Winterfell, but Ramsay now holds my brother Rickon hostage.As her niece, I call on your loyalty to the late Lady Lysa, and your fondness for my late father, and ask you to come to help rescue my brother and retake Winterfell.

    Sansa Stark

    Would be nice, but I can distinctly read at the top right of the letter: “to fulfill your”
    I don’t think that’s how you speak to Lord Royce.

  892. Mihnea,

    Mihnea, I have no idea where you live and who you have voted for, but from where I stand… we needed Tyrion and we got fookin’ Cersei…….

  894. ygritte: Does anyone think there’s any significance to the caged raven/crow at the Mormont camp?

    Yes, I think that’s what enabled us to believe Sansa had the ability to send a letter for help.

  896. Sam,

    Thanks :). I admit it’s the longest of long shots, however when freeze-framing the letter, it looks like they purposefully blurred out the vast majority of it.

    We’re expecting her to write to LF – that’s the obvious conclusion. Since GoT likes to do the unexpected, I can’t help but wonder if the writers are leading us to believe one thing and have something entirely different in mind. Wouldn’t be the first time!

  897. Ghosts Lunch:
    Oh yeah

    Have to really really feel for Ser Jorah Mormont now

    Not only has he been Friendzoned

    Not only does he have to put up with Daarios taunts

    But his own niece totally kicks his ass when it comes to ruling Bear Island

    He can’t have his ass kicked when hes not even around.

  898. maria,

    The Hound should’ve been a dead man as well…. Brienne (of my Heart) kicked his manly parts good. What will Arya’s motivation to live be? Indeed IF it was Arya…… GASP!

  899. Clob:
    I hate when people say “worst episode.”There was nothing bad about it other than it being short and not having much progression.There was a lot of set up but quite a bit still happened.If binge watching the entire season this 51 minutes would fit in just fine and not be a noticeable downgrade at all.Try not to force every episode into its own separate story that needs all of the elements.

    I agree. The overall quality of the scenes was amazing imho!

  900. The Hound was hanging out with the Faith – a kinder, gentler sect, but same religion. You could tell they got to him. Then they were all murdered, by followers of the Lord of Light.

    The question is, where does he go from here? If he ends up back at the new Kings Landing, would he become a follower of the High Sparrow?

    While the timing is tight, could he, would he be the man who fights The Mountain in Cercei’s trial by combat? Could this be the long-awaited Cleganebowl?

  902. Agro,
    ThisGirlHasNoName,

    The way in which they lingered on it I thought it may turn out to eventually have 3 eyes (Bran is the TER now maybe he can already be the bird) and lead Jon to the crypts later…

  904. Great episode! 3rd favourite of the season (nice to see some scenes from the books). Was afraid these type of episodes (where the pace slows down) would be absent in season 6 after the first two episodes, but ‘Blood of my Blood’ and ‘The Broken Man’ have restored my faith in an even season that will have one heck of an ending I am sure.

  905. Ser Christos of House Spekktra: We did see him take the form of the Waif in Season 5 Epi 10, when Arya killed Trant w/o permission and first became blind.

    Excellent point. The last face Arya saw on the no one was her own. Or it could have been the result of the poison that made her blind, as a hallucination of sorts. Why else would the Faceless bother with carving off the faces, if they can just use one whose ‘owner’ is still walking around?

  906. Ginevra: Or throwing a temper tantrum over Jon’s vows.

    Or accusing him of stealing Mormont’e sword and all the other theories people were coming up with to give Jon a hard time lol.

    But, damn….did Robb mess things up lmao.

  909. Wimsey,

    I would have loved to have the Blackfish fight in the North. Such a great character.

    Sansa got the rude awakening I expected her to get. Hopefully she tells Jon about the Vale army next episode.

  910. ygritte,

    Sansa saw ravens and started to think about LF and his offer. She send him a letter. It’s simple as that. You meant Mormont’s raven and Jon from the books?

    Wimsey,

    Jaime is too fixated on Cersei. He’ll likely return to King’s Landing or Casterly Rock. Depends if Cersei burns down the whole King’s Landing. Blackfish is a legend but Tullys can’t provide much of a men.

  913. Clob,

    Ramsay’s got 5000 men but count Umbers and Karstarks to it. We’re maybe at around 8000 to 10 000.

  914. Demon Monkey,

    I thought how they started was genius. Half of us posters here thought we were on the wrong channel. That scene seemed to happy for GOT… but then I noticed the 7 pointed star necklace on the character played by Ian McShane. And themusic.
    I just loved it. I am pretty sure it threw the fandom off guard.

    I also cried when she said that
    And I got emo also when glover was ripping sansa a new one. The things he said about Robb were hard to hear.

  916. I can’t believe no one has mentioned Lady Stoneheart yet. The BwB are back in the story. Either because they massacred the hippies or because someone pretending to be the BwB did. So, with BwB being mentioned, us this not a setup for a Stineheart reveal?

  917. LonRice,

    Well tbf go back to the Pilot about how she wants to be Queen etc and pushing Cat to encourage Ned to allow marriage to Joffrey, so she’s a tad like Marge in that way

    Not to mention in the books at least she knifed Ned in the back and blabbed to Cersei so she has form

    Makes sense to me though, when Lady died on the way south IMO that was a severing to the Stark side of her, I expect the Tully side to come to the fore, which is reflected in Brienne and now I suspect Blackfish swearing allegiance to her. ON top of that I expect she’ll knife LF and take control of SR, eg she is using the Vale Army as her version of Jons Wildlings

    So I do expect a split between Jon and Sansa in books and show, and it should be quite interesting

  918. Dee,

    Yeah I feel stupid now lol. On the first viewing I must have been distracted cause I didn’t notice that Sansa looked at the cage.

  919. Is it just me or was the episode slightly underwhelming? Just two parts were good

    the introduction of the hound and the scene with the black fish

  923. mariamb,

    Maybe Arya took the money from the acting troupe as well as a costume. But I don’t know what to think. She’s out wandering around in broad daylight as if inviting the Waif to find her.

    Jaqen warned her that killing the actress was her last chance, so she had to know they would punish her. She didn’t kill the actress, so the Many Faced God still requires a face. Which is another puzzle. The Waif assumes she’s dead, but has no body since Arya fell into the water.

  924. Some Guy,

    I have to agree… It will have been the best kept secret ever if LSH appears in S6. It will break the internet LOL 😀

  925. Suitably Ironic,

    If she faked her death, falling into the water was enough. There’d be no reason for her to then get out and walk around all bloody and wet afterward.

  926. Remember when Arya was blind and they showed her mixing all those magic potions just by smell? Maybe she stole some potion from the House of Black & White that will heal her once she drinks it. They have tons of crazy potions there- the one that made her go blind, the one that gave her back her sight, and also the water that kills people who want to die.

    Arya is smart. She knew The Waif would come for her. So she let it happen- just let the Waif think she’s dead, then the Waif’s guard will be down- and Arya will swoop in for the kill- with Needle.

    Just an idea!

  928. kells,

    and a Stark turned Lannister turned Bolton might not bolster a ton of confidence

    I haven’t watched it yet…will watch it a little later. I think I can tell what went down on this front. Your sentence made me chuckle. Thanks Kells.

  929. If everyone agrees that Littlefinger is not to be trusted, then why is having his Vale army a good thing?

    Is it because it’s Sansa’s plan?

  930. Is it just me, or are the Free Folk living in a squalid, ramshackle camp looking cold and hungry?

  931. Danielle Stark,

    Nevermind- re-watched the scene on break. I’m pretty sure “Arya” is actually Jaqen. The body language- the demeanor- that is not Arya. And no way would Arya be out and about without Needle. Maybe Jaqen is the one who will be drinking a potion to heal himself- then he will tell Arya she is free to kill the Waif because the Waif failed his test- “don’t let her suffer”- the Waif did the opposite- that’s a cruel death…

  932. Danielle Stark,

    Something is up with Arya.

    The show summery said something like “Arya starts he plan”.

    So assuming Arya isn’t a dumbass and learned nothing over her several years of training she had to know the waif was going to come for her.

    Even the last scene of her in the previous episode she had needle and blew out that candle in anticipation of the waif coming for her.

    So, the TV viewer was giving all these hints. Arya would not just stand around in the open like that and let the waif get her unless she wanted it to happen.

    Maybe her plan was to defend herself in a way that would make it seem like the waif got the jump on her and Arya only allowed her gut open for attack.

    I swear Arya has to be playing possom. Something really cool is going to happen with Arya and her last scene this season is going to be either her getting on a ship to head back to Westeros, or her stepping off a ship onto Westeros.

    I’m hoping Arya is playing an amazing little trick and she destroys the waif.

    But I wouldn’t be surprised if Jaqen somehow gets involved and either helps Arya or turns a blind eye and let’s her get away.

    It’s so obvious he has great affection for her and he must know her tragic story.

  933. Ginevra: Brienne to Jaime: if you attack the castle, honor compels me to fight you.

    Jaime also swore to Catelyn that he would not take up arms against the Tullys or Starks. In the books, Jaime is able to

    compel Edmure, Lord of Riverrun, to surrender the castle to save everybody’s lives, thus not forswearing that vow to C.

    Remember the Blackfish is only the castellan.

  934. Wimsey,

    Good point! And what’s with Aryia staggering around, bleeding, making sure everyone who can possibly see does? Something is definitely up.

  936. Arthur:
    Danielle Stark,

    Something is up with Arya.

    The show summery said something like “Arya starts he plan”.

    So assuming Arya isn’t a dumbass and learned nothing over her several years of training she had to know the waif was going to come for her.

    Even the last scene of her in the previous episode she had needle and blew out that candle in anticipation of the waif coming for her.

    So, the TV viewer was giving all these hints.Arya would not just stand around in the open like that and let the waif get her unless she wanted it to happen.

    Maybe her plan was to defend herself in a way that would make it seem like the waif got the jump on her and Arya only allowed her gut open for attack.

    I swear Arya has to be playing possom.Something really cool is going to happen with Arya and her last scene this season is going to be either her getting on a ship to head back to Westeros, or her stepping off a ship onto Westeros.

    I’m hoping Arya is playing an amazing little trick and she destroys the waif.

    But I wouldn’t be surprised if Jaqen somehow gets involved and either helps Arya or turns a blind eye and let’s her get away.

    It’s so obvious he has great affection for her and he must know her tragic story.

    I agree and hope the same! I will be so disappointed if Uncle Jaqen turns on Arya!

  937. Deirdre:
    Lady Snow

    happy to read I’m not the only one with DayneFever

    Oh no, you are not alone. I would cat fight over that man, that’s for sure. I’ve seriously considered a name change to Lady Dayne.

  938. Dee:
    Demon Monkey,

    I thought how they started was genius. Half of us posters here thought we were on the wrong channel. That scene seemed to happy for GOT… but then I noticed the 7 pointed star necklace on the character played by Ian McShane. And themusic.
    I just loved it. I am pretty sure it threw the fandom off guard.

    I also cried when she said that
    And I got emo also when glover was ripping sansa a new one. The things he said about Robb were hard to hear.

    I honestly teared up when Glover was saying that. It was the harsh sad truth. Jon and Sansa couldnt say anything. Excellent job by the actor.

  939. The synopsis for next episode is interesting – Cersei chooses violence. Brienne returns to the Riverlands and weighs her loyalty to Jaime Lannister against her oaths to House Stark. Sandor wields his axe. Arya flees from the faceless men.

    Brienne against starks is big change…

  940. Some Guy,

    This is a setup to have The Hound do something legendary and become a champion of the seven.

    So the high sparrow can call upon him to fight for the faith militant in Cersie’s trail and it will all make sense and we get Hound vs Mountain.

  941. Hello Lords and Ladies, a fan from good old Germany is back again. Fascinated and VERY excited about the Hounds resurrection some thoghts about this – to me – most interesting charakter. I am quite sure he will not disappear too soon. There was a certain amount of action re-introducing him again (there are not many sequels giving a whole scene before the official trailer) and the sentece: “The gods are not done with you” (or like) is very promising. To me the most likely constellation is an reunion (however it may end) with Arya (therefore she wont be dead; I bet on lady Crane; she´ll come back to Westeros with the actors…many possibilities of meeting interesting or listed..people again). But she and the Hound have some things to discuss and discussion does not mean a nice dialogue. A magazine – which has never commented on GoT before (American maintream, science fiction, puhhh) commented on this: whereas other protagonists keep on dying, the Hound seems unable to get himself killed. Like Nosferatu, who can only die when he misses the first light in the arms of a woman, maybe Arya is the only one who could kill him, getting him his deliverance. Although I would prefer to see them teaming up again to survive in a torn country after the great war, which will only be the first of the “wars to come”.

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