Game of Thrones showrunners call Season 6 ‘the best one we’ve done’

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In a new interview with Entertainment WeeklyGame of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss boast about the newest season. Full statement under the cut!

The new season is well on it’s way as the dynamic D&D duo claim it’s the ‘best.’ Having recently seen the final cut of the all 10 episodes, they had these words of praise:

The whole season, Dan and I talk about this a lot. This is not us trying to hype it. Usually there’s an episode or two we’re kind of nervous about, that didn’t turn out as well as we hoped. This season there is not a weak episode. We had great directors who knew what they were doing, paired with excellent [directors of photography]. We thought at the script stage it might be our strongest season. Then the episodes came in better than we hoped. We’re always reluctant to say it’s ‘the best season yet’ because so much of that is in the eyes of the beholder. And Dan and I are so close to it that it’s impossible to be unbiased. But that’s my sense – watching them all together now, this is the best one we’ve done. It’s also the one I’m proudest of, because it was the hardest.

Entertainment Weekly also has an exclusive Game of Thrones edition coming soon that goes behind the scenes of the newest season. You can reserve a copy now!

What do you think the showrunners comment? Do you think Season 6 will be the best yet? Let us know below!

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257 Comments

  1. Say what you like about those horrible religious fanatics, the Sparrows did a dang nice layering job when they hacked off Cersei’s hair to humiliate her. Best medieval mullet I’ve seen in a while.

  2. Sure.. EW always says that hahaha

    Omg, I am soooo excited. I love D&D!!!!!!!!! this is awesome

  3. By the old gods and the new; let it be true. I have never been this hyped about a new season like this one. Yes, we got all sorts if news here, but we still know nothing about a lot if things.
    We might know a little bit about the Ironborn, and we will have to see where D&D take the arc.
    How many more days?

  4. :CharltonHestonLaughingGif

    We’ll see, I highly doubt anything will ever top the perfection of Season 1.

  5. If the season includes the thinks I think/hope for, I’ll believe them 😛

    I wonder if we’ll get a second trailer…

  6. They’re freer than ever before to move the story ahead as they see best. I can see how that would turn out well.

    I would be very interested in knowing, which episodes in previous seasons they were “kind of nervous about”.

  7. As long as Wun Wun crushes Ramsay beneath his foot, would be a fitting end for that scum.

    Wun Wun looks down, picks a piece of bone off his foot and begins to pick his teeth.

  8. Usually there’s an episode or two we’re kind of nervous about, that didn’t turn out as well as we hoped.

    Wow, I wonder which episodes they’ve felt that way about in the past?

  9. I feel like I’m stuck at the top of the highest point of the roller coaster, right before it goes down and that heart-dick-punches-stomach feeling… And I got stuck up here when I finished ADOD, and again during the season 5 finale.

    My body is ready.

  10. They’ve said this in the past about individual episodes – like the Oberyn v. Mountain fight as the best they’ve ever done – but never about an entire season. They were curiously even quiet about Hardhome.

  11. Fine, fine, David and Dan. I guess I’ll watch. Twist my arm, why don’t you? 😉

    In all seriousness, I believe them when they say it’s the best season. Everything we’ve heard so far about the stories that Season 6 will cover supports that argument, in my opinion.

  12. I do think this could really be one of the best seasons yet. I dont remember Dan and David speaking about a season like this before.

    Cant the Hodor posts at the start be deleted? It is alright if it is just one or two, but when it becomes more then that, it seem to be a bit much.

  13. Jon Snow’s Curling Iron:
    Ginevra,

    My guesses are: Sansa’s rape and Jaime getting it on with Cersei next to Joffrey’s corpse.

    Those are specific scenes though; it sounds as though there have been entire episodes that haven’t come out quite as well as they’d hoped, which potentially suggests issues with one or two directors they’ve used. Massive conjecture, obviously.

  14. “We really feel that this season is quite boring and goes nowhere fast. Really, the only reason to watch it is because you always have – nothing to see here, folks.”

    Liam Cunningham: “LASERS AND DRAGONS AND UNICORN FARTS!!!!!!!!!!”

  15. I trust in D&D! I’m so ready for this season. I have two Ommegang Thrones ale waiting to be cracked open in celebration. I even requested April 24th and 25th off from work (fuck even trying to get some sleep on premiere night right?) 😀

  16. Ross,

    Yes, but they’re scenes that pretty much took over the whole episode. They were at the forefront of all the discussions.

  17. Pigeon:
    “We really feel that this season is quite boring and goes nowhere fast. Really, the only reason to watch it is because you always have – nothing to see here, folks.”

    Liam Cunningham: “LASERS AND DRAGONS AND UNICORN FARTS!!!!!!!!!!”

    Tits and Dragons – Ian Mcshane

  18. Jon Snow’s Curling Iron:
    Ross,

    Yes, but they’re scenes that pretty much took over the whole episode. They were at the forefront of all the discussions.

    Yeah… but my guess would be D&D are not TOO concerned about potential public opinion to certain scenes (well, relatively), and more concerned about the quality of the overall episode. I feel they must be happy with Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken… it is a good episode overall (Sand Snakes aside) and was submitted for an Emmy nomination for the Director. I think their comment is less about potential controversy and more about… just weaker episodes. And there are some of those for sure.

  19. (7) This has to be the record for most Hodor attempts, Although I don’t really like all the Hodoring, congrats to Vegodred

  20. Excited more than ever for this! Man, this a great year so far, so many things that are coming.

    Just want it to be April 24th already 🙁

  21. dee,

    (7) This has to be the record for most Hodor attempts, Although I don’t really like all the Hodoring, congrats to Vegodred

  22. Sorry, but they say this every year, even last year, which, for many is the worst or second worst season

  23. Jon Snow’s Curling Iron:
    Ross,

    Yes, but they’re scenes that pretty much took over the whole episode. They were at the forefront of all the discussions.

    A) They were talking about their own reactions after seeing the final cuts for the previous seasons, not the public reaction.

    B) I wonder, if I’m going to get flamed for this, but Sansa’s marriage scene works very well in what it is trying to do. The contrast between the beautiful ceremony and the brutality of the rape is truly chilling. I don’t see how they could be disappointed with how it turned out, having written it (or having written the outline and given the script to Cogman).

    It’s the Dorne stuff in the same episode that is a bit shaky…

  24. TFT,

    You sure? In previous years I remember individual cast members saying “this is the best one yet!!” I’m not certain we’ve heard a statement like this one from D&D, something this clear and definitive. But honestly I’m too lazy to go searching for quotes to prove it one way or another 🙂

  25. I’m so damn #hyped for Season 6 I don’t think anything anyone says can get me more excited than I already am. I don’t know if D&D have ever proclaimed a season the “best one yet” but I see their quotes as more of the same stuff the cast has been saying for a while now. Not that there’s anything wrong with that; that’s part of their job – hype the shit out of their product.

    I can’t wait to receive my EW with GoT on the cover. Since Kit is probably not an option, I wonder who will take his place on one of the covers.

  26. TFT:
    Sorry, but they say this every year, even last year, which, for many is the worst or second worst season

    I am one of the many, many that enjoyed last season.

    But, whatever….

  27. Good for them if they genuinely think so. Anyone would want to hype their work if they were proud of it.

    I believe season 6 will greatly profit from the fact there’s no book 6. Some of the stuff will be from the previous ones, but most will be brand new material. There will be no room to obsessively compare every detail of it to the source material, which many fans are guilty of. Finally the book purists won’t be in a position to whine about everything.

  28. Homplomplomo,

    Many people here liked Sansa’s story. I’m one of them. Sansa’s story was one of my favourite last year.

    No one will ”flame” you besides 2-3 people who really hated it and of course the trolls.

  29. phantomstrife,

    Don’t get your hopes up. They will complain, even more then before.

    Only WOW’s release and the disappointment that will follow will silence most of them. Even then a few rabid ones will continue to complain.

  30. Mihnea:
    Homplomplomo,

    Many people here liked Sansa’s story. I’m one of them. Sansa’s story was one of my favourite last year.

    No one will ”flame” you besides 2-3 people who really hated it and of course the trolls.

    I liked it too. The wedding itself looked almost like a fairytale; little did I know what the poor girl had to endure afterwards.

  31. Boudica:

    Cant the Hodor posts at the start be deleted? It is alright if it is just one or two, but when it becomes more then that, it seem to be a bit much.

    Do you really hate fun, or just appear that way?!

    HODOR!

  32. D&D hyping up this season! My anticipation levels are very high! I suspect though, that for some fans this season could be the worst one yet, as the story goes further and further beyond the books.

    Jon Snow’s Curling Iron: Yes, but they’re scenes that pretty much took over the whole episode. They were at the forefront of all the discussions.

    Only for a small fraction of the fandom that spends a lot of time discussing on the internet. For the average viewer, I doubt that these scenes took over the entire episode. Also, if anything, my guess is that David and Dan would be happy with scenes that elicit a ton of discussion, as that signifies that those scenes affected some viewers very strongly!

  33. Wow. Those are some serious/strong words. Hopefully they are right. S5 had awesome episodes but some weak ones as well. Saying S6 won’t have any weak episodes is a huge statement. Can’t wait for the upcoming EW issue because of the new pics of the cast!

  34. TFT,

    It’s a matter of taste. Some found season 5 subpar, the others liked or loved it. It’s broken many records, viewership and awards wise. It got critical acclaim. Don’t talk like your opinion is a fact. Everyone’s opinion is subjective.

    I find it curious how many people use hyperbole when judging the show. Imperfect writing and suddenly the entire season is shit. Forget that directing/acting/cinematography/costumes/music/CGI/set designs/sound editing and so on were top-notch, we got that Dorne storyline (which took up about 20 minutes out of 10 hours) and Sansa rape (which most didn’t like just because it happened to her and not some nobody like Jeyne Poole) and Stannis defeated, so screw everything else eh?

  35. Kay,

    And they did say episodes overall, not individual scenes.
    This is about things they taught where weaker or not as they wanted. Not pointless rant’s on the internet from purists.

  36. Newbietothegame,

    It was one of the best scenes in S5. For me at least.
    On the same level as Cersei’s walk and Stannis’s final march.
    (Not counting Hardhome, that is on another level completely)

    Top notch directing, acting and writing. I loved it.

  37. Homplomplomo:

    B) I wonder, if I’m going to get flamed for this, but Sansa’s marriage scene works very well in what it is trying to do. The contrast between the beautiful ceremony and the brutality of the rape is truly chilling. I don’t see how they could be disappointed with how it turned out, having written it (or having written the outline and given the script to Cogman).

    I agree with you!

  38. Holy cow, I don’t believe i’very ever heard D&D say that about a whole season before. Have they ?
    I’m really pumped up for season 6 of Game of Thrones, so glad i’m watching one episode a day. I’m excited beyond reason. Season 6!!!!!
    Winter is coming 4/24/2016

  39. Mihnea,

    Dany and Tyrion already had covers last year, along with Jon and (for the first time) Arya. I imagine the poster means who would replace Jon if they were doing a similar scheme of variant covers.

  40. Mihnea:
    phantomstrife,

    Don’t get your hopes up. They will complain, even more then before.

    Only WOW’s release and the disappointment that will follow will silence most of them. Even then a few rabid ones will continue to complain.

    Mihnea:
    Kay,

    Not pointless rant’s on the internet from purists.

    Mihnea:
    clouddragon,

    For purists that season is crap as well.

    Speaking of rants, Mihnea, could you kindly give it a rest for once? Believe me, by now we all get it that you hate “book purists.” Missing a chance to taunt them wouldn’t kill you. I’m sure that I’m not the only one to whom your relentless put-downs and sarcasm come across as mean-spirited and a serious buzzkill.

    Whether we prefer the books, the show or portions of both, we are all entitled to our opinions. And this being a discussion group, we all have the right to complain about one aspect or another without being labeled as “rabid.” So please try to play nicely with us other kids in this playground. Thank you.

  41. I’m an ASOIAF reader but I don’t identify with the crowd. I never feel the need to compare an adaptation to its source material in every single way, all the time. I can separate the two. I wish the book readers finally understood GOT is not being made for them. So many of them act so entitled, like any deviation from canon is a personal affront to them and think D&D should be ashamed that they don’t cater to them. The worst are the nitpicks. Like the famous lines not included? ‘Only Cat’, ‘fetch me a block’ etc Now that’s just petty. It impacts nothing in the story.

  42. I have a hard time believing it will be better than seasons 1 and 4, just because the show has lost so many great characters. I am one of the fans who felt season 5 was the weakest, but that was mostly due to some shortfalls in the writing, IMO. Everything else continues to improve. I have confidence that season 6 will be back to the level of the first 4 seasons, and I would be delighted if it truly is the best season yet. But that is going to be tough to accomplish.

  43. Can’t wait
    hope its amazing as I’ve been anticipating.

    But im terrified, because i have never experienced any main character deaths through the tv show first, and i don’t know if im ready…. i read the red wedding a LONG time ago, and since then, i’ve grown so attached to every stark, targaryen , and lannister, and i don’t want any to go (even cersei)

  44. Ashara D:
    Boudica,

    I’d rather read 17 Hodors than 1 post complaining about them…

    Me too. I imagine that some people Hodor just to get on the follow-up comments e-mail list right away, before they’re ready to jump into the conversation with both feet. No harm in that.

  45. I don’t know. They’re really good at reworking GRRM’s material and adding layers. But when they’re in charge of plot specifics things get a little shaky.

    And artists can have no idea. Woody Allen thought Manhattan was terrible. Stephen Malkmus thought the single “Rattled By the Rush” was a surefire hit. Great actors won’t watch themselves, they cringe.

    Regardless, this makes me happy despite myself. I am defenseless before hype. There’s so much time to wait, and nothing to do but idle it away.

  46. “We’re always reluctant to say it’s ‘the best season yet”

    But don’t they say that every year? “Aaah, this one is even bigger! This one is even better! We mean it this year!”

    (But I really want them to be right this year :/ )

  47. phantomstrife: Finally the book purists won’t be in a position to whine about everything.

    Yeah.. I wouldn’t be so sure about that. Get ready to receive a lot of “GRMM would never write that !”.

  48. Newbietothegame: I am one of the many, many that enjoyed last season.

    But, whatever….

    first thing first, you should think before posting. You proved once again that your iq level is very low. He said that it was the worst or second worst season of the series. He never said that it wasn’t good or he didn’t enjoy it. Also he never said that people were saying season 5 is bad.

  49. Bott:
    “We’re always reluctant to say it’s ‘the best season yet”

    But don’t they say that every year? “Aaah, this one is even bigger! This one is even better! We mean it this year!”

    (But I really want them to be right this year :/ )

    You all say that but nobody post a source of D&D saying it every year.
    Also bigger doesn’t mean the same as the best.
    We will be here and see, from spoilers i am positive it will be a good season.
    If we get back Jon, crazy Cersei, general Jaime (Riverrun), queen Sansa, deadly Arya and leader Tyrion…. i don’t see why i should like the season, well i only hope we will not loose any lead character because i love all of them and the actors 🙁

  50. zod,

    You’re right. They already did that with Stannis last year. Damn, they’re so vocal and bitter now because TWOW isn’t out yet. Sometimes it feels like they blame D&D for that and hate the show for outpacing the books.

  51. Tootie: Do you really hate fun, or just appear that way?!

    HODOR!

    Lets just say that I might have a different perception or expectation of what “fun” actually entails. But each to their own. 😉

  52. Ashara D: I’d rather read 17 Hodors than 1 post complaining about them…

    I would rather read real posts then people complaining and people complaining. But so it goes we all have to suffer these little inconveniences at times.

  53. The “final cut”!? So everything is finished ready to to? We probably could have had the season a couple weeks earlier if it wasn’t for Vinyl it seems.

  54. BunBunStark:
    I’m so damn #hyped for Season 6 I don’t think anything anyone says can get me more excited than I already am. I don’t know if D&D have ever proclaimed a season the “best one yet” but I see their quotes as more of the same stuff the cast has been saying for a while now. Not that there’s anything wrong with that; that’s part of their job – hype the shit out of their product.

    I can’t wait to receive my EW with GoT on the cover. Since Kit is probably not an option, I wonder who will take his place on one of the covers.

    When is that EW issue hitting?

  55. Mihnea,

    Can you imagine if the purists made the show? It’d need a billion dollar budget, 2500 actors and 50 seasons. The general audience would have dropped it after a few episodes.

  56. Game of Thrones is like pizza and sex. When it’s good, it’s the best! When it’s not the best it’s still better than almost everything else.

  57. Hold your horses!

    D&D stated they have seen the final cuts, not the complete finished product.

    So basically all the CGI elements, especially the major ones, (like huge Dragons and battle scenes). Are probably not finished yet.

    I remember specifically D&D stating during previous seasons that while we are watching episode 8, they are just finishing up the CGI on episode 9 and 10.

    So with that being said, D&D are stating that the final cut scenes and episodes, storylines are the best they have done up to date.

    Now all D&D have to make sure of is that the CGI and every digital effect is up to par with the acting, plots, cinematography and storylines.

    So basically D&D still have a lot of oversight work to do to make sure the CGI and special affects compliment their final cut scenes and enhance them all positively.

    We all want to see badass Dragons, awesome White Walker fights, Dire Wolves and all the other fantasy elements we have grown accustomed to performed flawlessly to compliment the great acting and storytelling.

    So that is basically the finishing touch.

    D&D have to make sure the fantasy elements deliver to us the lumpy throats and goosebumps we all get when we see something spectacular happening on our TV screens.

  58. I tottaly agree with you. I’m also a reader but i enjoy when things are different, because that means that i will be surprised.

    phantomstrife:
    I’m an ASOIAF reader but I don’t identify with the crowd. I never feel the need to compare an adaptation to its source materialin every single way, all the time. I can separate the two. I wish the book readers finally understood GOT is not being made for them. So many of them act so entitled, like any deviation from canon is a personal affront to them and think D&D should be ashamed that they don’t cater to them. The worst are the nitpicks. Like the famous lines not included? ‘Only Cat’, ‘fetch me a block’ etc Now that’s just petty. It impacts nothing in the story.

  59. Jack Bauer 24: When is that EW issue hitting?

    the physical copy of EW comes out every other Friday with special issues on some “in-between” fridays. This Friday’s issue has James Corden in the cover. So the earliest possibility is next Friday

  60. TFT: Sorry, but they say this every year, even last year, which, for many is the worst or second worst season

    But for many more, it was the best or second best season. The show’s popularity has only increased, after all.

    Still, just once, it would be amusing to read a showrunner state in advance: “Wow, never during the worst gastro-intestinal illnesses in my life have I unleashed on the world anything as repulsive as this series. I will be taking my own life in ritual suicide immediately after this interview in order to restore honor to my family name.”

  61. phantomstrife: It impacts nothing in the story.

    SoI&F is not alone here: Potterheads and Tolkienistas were rife with such fans. We get the equivalent among Whovians, Trekkers and Star Wars fans who are much more interested in “continuity” (i.e., making sure that details from a 2015 plot match those of 1965 plot) than in story.

    Ultimately, some people forget or ignore that these are stories. As GRRM keeps pointing out, the answer to “how many children did Scarlet O’Hare really have?” is not the number in the book or the number in the movie: it is zero. But both the book and the movie told the same story. By the same token, with or without Tom Bombadil or Glorfindel, the Lord of the Rings films were just as much about Death and Immortality as were the Lord of the Rings books.

  62. I haven’t seen one post from a “purist” in this thread. Someone who criticizes aspects of the show is not a purist. And really, I haven’t even seen that, I’ve only seen a couple of people, myself included, who have said that season 5 was the weakest season. In the same way I would say AFFC is the weakest book.

    I’m not trying to start a fight, but it would be nice if those that feel they have to defend the show would save their vitriol for when it is warranted.

  63. phantomstrife:
    Mihnea,

    Can you imagine if the purists made the show? It’d need a billion dollar budget, 2500 actors and 50 seasons. The general audience would have dropped it after a few episodes.

    Very true! It will be amusing to see what comments (or videos if any) appear on Westeros dot org from Elio and especially Lindaaaa… when S6 starts?

    According to her, enough was enough and S5 was piss-poor in every respect and no more video commentaries would be made after each episode. It will be interesting to see if that holds true?

    Any half sensible person must appreciate that it would impossible to follow GRRM’s tomes verbatim in the HBO GoT series. It has to be a compromise and even more so now as WoW still hasn’t been finished.

  64. Maybe they are saving Sansa / Sophie’s cover shoot for last.
    Sansa is always left out :>(.

  65. ace: the physical copy of EW comes outevery other Friday with special issues on some “in-between” fridays.This Friday’s issue has James Corden in the cover.So the earliest possibility is next Friday

    Thanks for the info. Next Friday is April 1st, which is just over 3 weeks from the premiere, so maybe then.

  66. MeeraReed,

    Is there anything special going on that day? Or is it because the premiere is 20 days away? I’d be happy to even get a second trailer.

    Flora Linden,

    This is my guess as well and I think it would be an awesome cover.

    HelloThere,

    They watched last season and had 1 hour reviews for each episode. They’re pretty invested in something they hate so passionately lol

  67. Arthur:
    Hold your horses!

    D&D stated they have seen the final cuts, not the complete finished product.

    So basically all the CGI elements, especially the major ones, (like huge Dragons and battle scenes).Are probably not finished yet.

    I remember specifically D&D stating during previous seasons that while we are watching episode 8, they are just finishing up the CGI on episode 9 and 10.

    So with that being said, D&D are stating that the final cut scenes and episodes, storylines are the best they have done up to date.

    Now all D&D have to make sure of is that the CGI and every digital effect is up to par with the acting, plots, cinematography and storylines.

    So basically D&D still have a lot of oversight work to do to make sure the CGI and special affects compliment their final cut scenes and enhance them all positively.

    We all want to see badass Dragons, awesome White Walker fights, Dire Wolves and all the other fantasy elements we have grown accustomed to performed flawlessly to compliment the great acting and storytelling.

    So that is basically the finishing touch.

    D&D have to make sure the fantasy elements deliver to us the lumpy throats and goosebumps we all get when we see something spectacular happening on our TV screens.

    True. The first episode probably is complete though. The Red Carpet premiere is in 20 days.

  68. Jon Snow’s Curling Iron:
    MeeraReed,

    Is there anything special going on that day? Or is it because the premiere is 20 days away? I’d be happy to even get a second trailer.

    Flora Linden,

    This is my guess as well and I think it would be an awesome cover.

    HelloThere,

    They watched last season and had 1 hour reviews for each episode. They’re pretty invested in something they hate so passionately lol

    Red Carpet premiere is April 10th.

  69. Tyrion Pimpslap: it would be nice if those that feel they have to defend the show would save their vitriol for when it is warranted.

    I do not think that there is even a need to defend the show. It’s more popular now than it ever has been, which falsifies the notion that an appreciable portion of the audience thought that last season was a bad season. There is an outside chance that this show will go out on a popularity high: if this season goes off as well as the last two seasons, then “all” that it will take is a solid 7th season for the audience to be just as enthused about the last year as they are about this year. That if and that “all” are no trivial tasks, obviously, and we should not take for granted that this season will be as popular as the last two have been.

  70. Connor,

    I’m actually slightly dreading it – just because I know that it will go by fast and that means I’ll have to wait another year.

    I know. I’m an odd duck. 🙂

  71. MeeraReed:
    Connor,

    I’m actually slightly dreading it – just because I know that it will go by fast and that means I’ll have to wait another year.

    I know.I’m an odd duck.

    The finales are bittersweet. They are always amazing, but then you realize the Season is over and it’s another long 10 months. That’s for another time though…34 days until the premiere!

  72. Maggie:
    If we get back Jon, crazy Cersei, general Jaime (Riverrun), queen Sansa, deadly Arya and leader Tyrion….

    I don’t know for you but this is exactly what i want for season 6 !!!!!!

  73. I already had a great feeling about this season, but since the AMAZING trailer dropped, cast and crew have hyped it up, I also quietly share the sentiment that this could be the best season yet. I just wish I could hibernate until April…!

  74. Chimeny:
    I already had a great feeling about this season, but since the AMAZING trailer dropped, cast and crew have hyped it up, I also quietly share the sentiment that this could be the best season yet. I just wish I could hibernate until April…!

    Next Friday is April 1st 🙂

  75. Tyrion Pimpslap:
    I haven’t seen one post from a “purist” in this thread. Someone who criticizes aspects of the show is not a purist. And really, I haven’t even seen that, I’ve only seen a couple of people, myself included, who have said that season 5 was the weakest season. In the same way I would say AFFC is the weakest book.

    I’m not trying to start a fight, but it would be nice if those that feel they have to defend the show would save their vitriol for when it is warranted.

    Well if you check out Westeros.org, you will see tons of purists.

  76. umuckurlife:
    Aryamad,

    I have my Ommegang Thrones ale ready as well!I’ll be drinking it out of my Direwolf stein.

    I’m pumped to get the new one, Seven Kingdoms. That is more to my taste.

    Ommegang is holding launch events in the following cities to celebrate the new brew. And all before the season starts! Fun to be had!

    NYC – March 22
    CHI – April 14
    PHI – April 14
    CLE – April 16
    PHX – April 16 (actually Mesa, but it still counts as the metro area)
    L.A. – April 21 (actually Glendale, ……)
    DAL – April 23 (Lucky you – the night before!)

    Here is the description for the Phoenix event:

    Join us for Brewery Ommegang’s official Game of Thrones beer launch party at the Monastery, featuring the newest in Ommegang’s Game of Thrones series –Seven Kingdoms Hoppy Wheat Ale.
    The evening will include a Costume Contest with cash prizes, Ommegang’s Game of Thrones Beer Tap Takeover featuring Iron Throne Blonde Ale, Take the Black Stout, and the new Seven Kingdoms Hoppy Wheat Ale, Medieval-themed food, including pig roasts and turkey legs, and entertainment prodvided by caricature artists, fire spinners, sword demonstrations, and much more!
    Tickets are only $16 and include one Ommegang Seven Kingdoms Hoppy Wheat Ale draft and one item off of the food menu. Must be 21+ to attend.

  77. Wimsey,

    Jack Bauer 24: The finales are bittersweet. They are always amazing, but then you realize the Season is over and it’s another long 10 months. That’s for another time though…34 days until the premiere!

    Welcome to my world.

  78. Mihnea,
    They are doing two seasons for AFFC/ADwD though. There are a bunch of story threads that they are clearly backtracking on. I don’t think we’re going to be spoiled on more than the first quarter of WoW, where the necessary resolutions to all of GRRMs incomplete plot threads reside.

  79. kit_hepburn,

    No, they are going to go a lot further into TWOW than that. It is only really the Iron Islands, Arya, and Jaime plos that are going to have aspects from AFFC/ADWD this season (and even then those plots will also have TWOW material as well). We’re going to see at the very, very least 75% of TWOW this season.

    2 seasons of purely AFFC/ADWD would have been torture.

  80. Mihnea:
    phantomstrife,

    They actoully do. They wanted 2 or even 3! seasons for AFFC/ADWD. Witch is completely delusional.

    Well, the irony is, “Dance”/”Feast” will actually end up being more than one season.

    Considering season 4 had a head start of some “Dance material” (Dany in Meereen, Theon/Reek/Ramsay) and season 6 will be adding leftover “Feast material” (Riverrun, Iron Born, Oldtown). Now sure it’s all narratively merging with new “Winds” material in season 6 unlike the “Dance” cliffhanging. But adding and itemizing it all up, “Dance/”Feast” basically got a season and a half – which is about what “A Storm of Swords” got when you subtract the show added padding and “Dance” material from season 4.

  81. MeeraReed,

    Now, Lady Reed, you know that turkeys are from the Americas and therefore would not have been known in medieval Europe. (Sorry I know it’s nitpicky but I just couldn’t resist). That aside, it does seem the event might be fun.

  82. If you value your sanity don’t venture into westeros.org. I have morbid curiosity and am a masochist it seems so I do. I’ve already been suspended a few times, got a few warning points and for the time being my comments had to be approved by a mod. And I’m just speaking my mind, I don’t throw out insults or anything like that (unlike the purists). I love the show and I don’t kiss Martin’s ass so I’m a target there. It’s a cesspool of prejudice, hypocrisy, pettiness and ignorance. And the mods apply a double standards policy.

  83. kit_hepburn: They are doing two seasons for AFFC/ADwD though.

    They really aren’t.

    The only things they’re taking from AFFC/ADWD are the kingsmoot and probably some of Jaime’s story. Everything else will be unexplored material.

  84. Matthew The Dragon Knight:
    Holy cow, I don’t believe i’very ever heard D&D say that about a whole season before. Have they ?

    I recall many actors saying “it’s the best ever!” Spiel every year, but for the life of me I cannot recall D&D ever saying that before any season. (They did say that AFTER season 4 was over; so I guess they think this season turn out better than season 4.) Those are big words.

  85. kit_hepburn: There are a bunch of story threads that they are clearly backtracking on.

    Actually, there might not be any, really. Yes, they probably will use Crows material to introduce Euron: but then they probably will have him do something, which will mean Winter material. Sam will be on a boat, but probably only for an episode until he gets to Oldtown: and that will be Winter material. Jon, Daeny, Tyrion, Bran, Arya and Cersei obviously are going deep into Winter material, and Sansa pretty clearly is being given Winter material, even if it’s somewhat different from what she gets in the book: and there is a good chance that we’ll see that she got a lot of Winter adapted last year, too. Given all of these other things, my bet is that it will turn out that Jaime’s Riverlands material is Winter material, not Crows material, too.

    Remember, they have two years left to do Winter and Spring. So, they had better get a lot further into the Winter plotline than one quarter! Also, presumably GRRM has structured the basic plot of Winter to culminate at the culmination of whatever the story of Winter is: and as that probably is the story that they are telling this year, we probably will get a bit of that.

  86. George: I recall many actors saying “it’s the best ever!” Spiel every year

    Every actor does it for every show. I think that they just record an mp3 of it for Season 2 and put their iPods on continuous play for the duration of a TV series.

  87. phantomstrife,

    They’re just now bringing in the Greyjoys. Brienne is still out and about with Pod. We know more than you think. There will be plenty for us to “whine about.” LOL

  88. Jon Snow’s Curling Iron,

    No, nothing special that day. But nothing special happened the day the first trailer came out either. I think people might be expecting something on the 1st of the month. HBO is messing with us this year. The 4th seems perfect because it’s just shy of three weeks before season six debuts. And it’s a Monday. People might expect something on the 3rd. Then they will be slightly disappointed when it doesn’t happen.

    This is all just a guess on my part of course. I hope it comes to fruition. 🙂

  89. Wimsey:
    Yes, they probably will use Crows material to introduce Euron: but then they probably will have him do something, which will mean Winter material.

    I’m almost sure that’s not quite the case. I was looking over what leaked from anything Greyjoy that was filmed and I feel pretty good about them spreading Crows over most of the season for that House.

    Looks like we’re getting even a certain death full scene that was not in the books but as a mention. It will be pretty awesome.

    And Jaime looks like half season in KL but then it is off to the Riverlands he goes. The rest was bound to go forward, but those are pretty neat to get from Feast & Dance.

  90. zod: They really aren’t.

    The only things they’re taking from AFFC/ADWD are the kingsmoot and probably some of Jaime’s story. Everything else will be unexplored material.

    Euron has more stuff than just the Kingsmoot; Asha/Theon will possibly take Victarion’s role and go to Essos; Septon Meribald (McShane) and possibly the Hound in the Riverlands, the Northern Lords (including possibly Manderly); Ramsey maybe sending a “show equivalent” of the Pink Letter, vague rumors a while ago of possible filming of some wolves in a wood (Nymeria’s pack??)…plus Jamie at the Siege of Riverrun. Plus maybe Kevan Lannister, Pycelle, Varys and his “little birds”…There might be a lot more adapted material from Crows and Dance than you realize…I expect half of the season to come out of adapting what remains of Crows and Dance, and half to come out of the Winds of Winter outline, with the rest of Winds of Winter for season 7, and the outline for Dream of Spring for season 8…

  91. TormundsWoman: I feel pretty good about them spreading Crows over most of the season for that House.

    They have to do a LOT more than that over the season: if that is all they do, then it’s just some pointless set of events, and so far B&W have avoided pointless sets of events like they are some sort of plague. (Which they are, come to it.) Ultimately, this has to be stuff that will be affecting main characters. Whatever the Iron Born are doing in the Reaches in Winter probably will be the main part of their plot contribution this year.

    TormundsWoman: And Jaime looks like half season in KL but then it is off to the Riverlands he goes

    True: but I am betting that it will be Winter Riverlands material, not Crows Riverland material. The Crows Riverland material was for a “Kill the Boy, Let the Man Be Born” story. Winter is telling a different story (whatever it is), and it probably will need different plot devices.

  92. Wimsey,

    HelloThere: Im pretty sure Elio and Linda aren’t even watching, right?

    … and there was much rejoicing…..

    ?

    I second that… but I wouldn’t be so sure 😀

  93. Boudica:
    I do think this could really be one of the best seasons yet. I dont remember Dan and David speaking about a season like this before.

    Cant the Hodor posts at the start be deleted? It is alright if it is just one or two, but when it becomes more then that, it seem to be a bit much.

    + 1,000 I couldn’t agree more. Actually if people would just review the post after it is up, they would have time to edit it out and put something relevant to the topic. *rolls eyes* But SEVEN Hodor’s today. But it is also hard for the Admin to control that, obviously the urge to “Hodor” is greater than most can deal with. 😉 (meaning that the Admin have enough to do without having to patrol for those who don’t understand the “Hodor” in the first comment space.)

  94. Jack Bauer 24,

    Or another way to look at it is less than five weeks. Which Monday is almost over depending on where you live which means it’s pretty much Tuesday. Since it’s Tuesday that means we are pretty much halfway through the week as Friday and Saturday will go by quickly. That means we pretty much have four weeks until show time!

    🙂

    (This is how I get through almost every countdown – no matter what it is.)

  95. Dame of Mercia,

    Yes, but turkey legs are amazing and one should never turn down an opportunity to partake in enjoyment of one. Especially if the setting is GOT themed.

  96. George,

    Most of that still might be Winter material, not Crows material. Remember, all of those characters have things to do in Winter and all of those places will be the sites of events in Winter.

    But look at it this way: Jon’s, Daeny’s, Tyrion’s, Bran’s and Sansa’s material will all be from Winter. Arya is going to get some stuff from Crows, but she’s already done some Winter stuff, so it’s a tradeoff. So, of your six biggest characters, only one is going to get any Crows/Dance material, and that one already got in some Winter material. That means that there is going to be a much more lopsided split in favor of Winter even if all of the other characters do only Crows/Dragons stuff. To that end, we know that Cersei’s material is all post-Crows, and that at least half of Jaime’s material is: and as there will be Riverland material in Winter, Jaime might well be doing that, not Crows stuff.

    As for minor things, there is no reason why Septon Maribald, the Hound, etc., are not doing Winter things: after all, the Hound’s presence in Crows is still only conjecture on our part, and if he’s actually back and “uncloaked,” then it is Winter material. The Northern Lords are part of Jon’s storyline, and thus Winter material: they are not going to be showing the Dragons Winterfell material. Nymmeria’s pack will be in Winter. And, yes, even Riverrun might be Winterfell stuff, not Crows stuff.

    All in all, this is not close to a 50:50 split.

  97. phantomstrife:
    HelloThere,

    I bet those two freaks will be watching. How else will they rant? They need their daily fix of that.

    Yes, very true! Westeros dot org just wouldn’t be the same without those two putting in their pennies worth! I’m embarrassed to admit it, but that was my regular GoT website for info before I found WoTW. The vitriol (especially from Linda) was incredible, but quite entertaining at times.

    I often wondered why that pair were dropped from ‘Thronecast’ as they had a regular spot there for the first few seasons? Perhaps they complained they weren’t being paid enough… No idea 🙂

  98. Wimsey,

    To your first point: Benioff and Weiss do their own thing.

    Going back to close a leech and open a new way for Asha, Euron, Theon is needed.

    You need to set the table before eating. That’s just the way it works. Once you put those things in place they will probably spread out the characters to connect with major ones. However, you seem to forget that the show Greyjoys are not actually supposed to have that much screentime and therefore they can afford to spread out most of the Crows materials. Think of Dorne. They spread their Feast & Dance abbreviated version over a whole season. And there were not even that many things once you take Arianne & Quentyn out.

    I realize it will be a disappointment to you that they don’t work on your schedule and rules but no doubt you’ll survive the disappointment 😛

    As for the second:

    unless there’s a Winds “Second Siege of Riverrun with the Freys and Lannister forces outside that castle, I don’t see it.

    No way they work on your “Kill the Boy” theme standard for a single season. That’s a recurring theme as most of the characters (Jon, Arya, Sansa, Dany) are supposed to grow and mature over the whole series. As far as I’m concerned that is a thread that starts in the first ep of GoT and will probably end with the last shot of GoT in season 7 or 8.

  99. Aryamad,

    Unfortunately I can’t get Thrones beer, but I’ll have some other kind in my dragon stein. It’s drawing near, I feel it!

  100. Harranhal Creep: Well if you check out Westeros.org, you will see tons of purists.

    But this isn’t Westeros.org, and the people who prefer to hang out here don’t seem to be the same people who prefer to hang out there, so why keep bringing it up?

    I don’t understand the obsession with Ellio and Lindaaa. It just seems to me like picking at a scab.

  101. phantomstrife:
    If you value your sanity don’t venture into westeros.org. I have morbid curiosity and am a masochist it seems so I do. I’ve already been suspended a few times, got a few warning points and for the time being my comments had to be approved by a mod. And I’m just speaking my mind, I don’t throw out insults or anything like that (unlike the purists). I love the show and I don’t kiss Martin’s ass so I’m a target there. It’s a cesspool of prejudice, hypocrisy, pettiness and ignorance. And the mods apply a double standards policy.

    Nice one 😉 I just saw your post. So you had a dressing down from the moderators, huh! I’d be shit scared to post on that forum 😮

    You’re a better man than I – Gunga Din – hehe 😀

  102. David and Dan seemed quite tired and worn down when making and promoting season 4 and 5. Even before s4 premiered they had remarked how troublesome writing for season 5 had been for them. It was around that time they only wanted it to run 7 seasons. Think they simply found AFFC and ADWD to be a real hardship in terms of adaptation. Which is totally understandable. Just reading through those two books can be a big challenge. Their hype about season 6 is not to be taken lightly or with ridicule.

  103. Wimsey:

    Still, just once, it would be amusing to read a showrunner state in advance: “Wow, never during the worst gastro-intestinal illnesses in my life have I unleashed on the world anything as repulsive as this series.I will be taking my own life in ritual suicide immediately after this interview in order to restore honor to my family name.”

    Didn’t David Lynch do something like that after Dune?

  104. TormundsWoman: However, you seem to forget that the show Greyjoys are not actually supposed to have that much screentime and therefore they can afford to spread out most of the Crows materials.

    But when have B&W ever done things that did not culminate in some resolution for one of the main characters? And when have they ever done things just to “document” that they were done? Given that they’ve never done either of these things, why should we expect them to do that now?

    TormundsWoman: No way they work on your “Kill the Boy” theme standard for a single season.

    Strictly speaking, that was “story,” not “theme”: but it also was last year’s story. Now, there is what they call a Bildungsroman aspect to the overarching tale (think David Coperfield), but that is different: the Crows/Dragons story was about metamorophosizing (or trying to do), not growing. Regardless, I am skeptical that even this will be Crows material. Stuff will be happening in the Riverlands in Winter, after all. And even if it is, then it’s still going to be very lopsided in terms of Winter:Crows/Dragons material. Five of the Big 6 will be doing all Winter, and the other will be doing Crows material flipped for Winter material done last year. That’s most of the show right there.

  105. Wimsey:
    George,

    Most of that still might be Winter material, not Crows material.Remember, all of those characters have things to do in Winter and all of those places will be the sites of events in Winter.

    But look at it this way: Jon’s, Daeny’s, Tyrion’s, Bran’s and Sansa’s material will all be from Winter.Arya is going to get some stuff from Crows, but she’s already done some Winter stuff, so it’s a tradeoff.So, of your six biggest characters, only one is going to get any Crows/Dance material, and that one already got in some Winter material.That means that there is going to be a much more lopsided split in favor of Winter even if all of the other characters do only Crows/Dragons stuff.To that end, we know that Cersei’s material is all post-Crows, and that at least half of Jaime’s material is: and as there will be Riverland material in Winter, Jaime might well be doing that, not Crows stuff.

    As for minor things, there is no reason why Septon Maribald, the Hound, etc., are not doing Winter things: after all, the Hound’s presence in Crows is still only conjecture on our part, and if he’s actually back and “uncloaked,” then it is Winter material.The Northern Lords are part of Jon’s storyline, and thus Winter material: they are not going to be showing the Dragons Winterfell material.Nymmeria’s pack will be in Winter.And, yes, even Riverrun might be Winterfell stuff, not Crows stuff.

    All in all, this is not close to a 50:50 split.

    Well, I dunno. Remember that D&D don’t really have Winds; they have the story and an outline for Winds; they won’t necessarily need almost two full seasons to adapt their outline (they don’t have the clutter of George’s “garden” as of yet.)

  106. Mr Fixit: Didn’t David Lynch do something like that after Dune?

    heh, do you know, I seem to recall that he pretty much did! Didn’t he come up with Twin Peaks halfway through asphyxiation and decide that it would be an atonement? 😀

  107. Dame of Mercia,

    They do exist in Westeros, however.
    In the first book (Chapter 37), Theon says he was hunting a turkey as an excuse for losing sight of Bran. So serving turkey in a Game of Thrones party is actually accurate.
    (I couldn’t resist being nitpicky either, sorry 🙂 )

  108. Firannion,

    You’re my favourite person today.

    For me, the closer the premiere gets, the further away I want it to be. Kind of like anything that I look forward to – anticipation is a huge part of the fun. And the sooner it starts, the sooner it ends. Oh, I love all the sweet sweet agony, of course, but…..sigh.

  109. MeeraReed:
    Jack Bauer 24,

    Or another way to look at it is less than five weeks.Which Monday is almost over depending on where you live which means it’s pretty much Tuesday.Since it’s Tuesday that means we are pretty much halfway through the week as Friday and Saturday will go by quickly.That means we pretty much have four weeks until show time!

    (This is how I get through almost every countdown – no matter what it is.)

    I like your way of thinking 🙂

  110. MeeraReed:
    Jon Snow’s Curling Iron,

    No, nothing special that day.But nothing special happened the day the first trailer came out either. I think people might be expecting something on the 1st of the month.HBO is messing with us this year.The 4th seems perfect because it’s just shy of three weeks before season six debuts.And it’s a Monday.People might expect something on the 3rd.Then they will be slightly disappointed when it doesn’t happen.

    This is all just a guess on my part of course.I hope it comes to fruition.

    Friday will be 30 days from the premiere (one month), so maybe something then to close out the week?

  111. George: Remember that D&D don’t really have Winds; they have the story and an outline for Winds

    How does that diminish the screen time necessary? There still are major character arcs and major plotlines to complete. Those will need every bit as much cinematic attention as the ones from the first five books.

  112. Wimsey: But when have B&W ever done things that did not culminate in some resolution for one of the main characters?And when have they ever done things just to “document” that they were done?Given that they’ve never done either of these things, why should we expect them to do that now?

    Ah, but I didn’t say it won’t culminate into something that will involve a major character, did I? I even mentioned that the Greyjoy threesome will split up and probably meet up with some other major characters. You’re shifting the focus now.

    I just said there will be mostly of Crows Greyjoy material for this season rather than moving into whatever is going to be Winter specific, Wimsey. There will be a large set up that will cover more than half of the eps if you ask me from what I read of the casting and shooting news.

    However, Benioff and Weiss are really attached to Theon. While that may not mean much for the story, it may make them a bit more biased into which story they will chose to beef up. They did it when they kept Theon in with little to no material while it was only him and Ramsay in the North.

    Wimsey: Strictly speaking, that was “story,” not “theme”: but it also was last year’s story.Now, there is what they call a Bildungsroman aspect to the overarching tale (think David Coperfield), but that is different: the Crows/Dragons story was about metamorophosizing (or trying to do), not growing.Regardless, I am skeptical that even this will be Crows material. Stuff will be happening in the Riverlands in Winter, after all.And even if it is, then it’s still going to be very lopsided in terms of Winter:Crows/Dragons material.Five of the Big 6 will be doing all Winter, and the other will be doing Crows material flipped for Winter material done last year.That’s most of the show right there.

    LOL No. Strictly speaking I see Kill the Boy as a theme for certain characters. Theme- a central idea regarding our little characters that grow into full fledged grown ups while saving or trying to save Planetos, Westeros or their houses. It runs parallel with some of the other themes in ASoIaF. And yes, it is bildungsroman if the whole story is centered around that theme. But coming-of-age may come as a theme in other types of novels. Which I think this IS for some of the characters. It is why I find the series so fascinating. Touches on so many themes.

    If it was the story for last season for example, Arya would stop being run by emotions like killing Trant (which it looks like she won’t or there won’t be a slap in the trailer!). There would be little room to grow into adulthood and maturity for her after last season.

    As for your Riverlands Winds materials, unfortunately, it is not based on interpretations. It’s in the casting and shooting news. You can deny it, sure.

    But it won’t make it true, unless Martin writes another Riverlands siege with the same participants on the exactly same situation.

    It’s really that simple. Riverlands will probably include some Winds materials. Again, I didn’t say it won’t. I said it will be mostly Feast and Dance as far as I can tell.

  113. Jack Bauer 24,

    That would be great too! I don’t think anyone is thinking something will get released on Friday. But that makes sense because Sunday is Easter, so maybe they wouldn’t want to release it then. And everyone would have the weekend to break it down. Either way, it’s one more thing to break up the wait. 🙂

  114. I forgot to buy cake. Dammit.

    I do subscribe to EW (for the office, I swear) but I think I get it early online. I’ll have to check out that registration.

  115. Shy Lady Dragon,

    I’m the same I don’t have the proper beer to drink but drink I will!!!! I’ve had to book a day off too for the premiere ( it’s on at 2am in the UK) i would be starting at 6 am the next morning. I want to enjoy it with u guys this year!!!!!

  116. phantomstrife,

    Exactly. I think the season will greatly benefit from not having much source material to be compared to. We will enjoy and appreciate the season more that way, and David and Dan won’t have the weight of the books on their shoulders. Can’t wait for the premiere!

  117. Shy Lady Dragon,

    Well that’s just one of the saddest things I’ve heard. You must not be in the US. I actually didn’t know it wasn’t sold worldwide. I’m tempted to look out for a bottle for you and ship it as “collectible glassware” lol

    Molestown bastard,

    Yes, tell your boss you will take your day off with fire and blood. 🙂 I will raise a glass to you and Lady Dragon when the time comes.

  118. NotAnotherBookPurist,

    That would be nice, but I’m sure there’ll be a whole lot of “That scene was terrible, clearly DnD are worthless without GRRM” or “GRRM wouldn’t write that; Fanfiction!”

  119. Strange thread. I feel like I just walked into a party late (as I typically do), and everybody is at various levels of intoxication on a variety of drugs. Can be kindof amusing. Can also be really boring.

    Also, dropping into the comments I feel like I got stuck in a cave with… Hodor. And it’s actually kind of funny. Never really bothered me. So many ways to say a name. And like the man himself, why not just roll with it.

    Mind if I do a J? Errbody needs to chill. The season will be here soon enough and we can all stop bickering about nothing. (Ah fuck it, who am I kidding)

    HotPinkLipstick:
    I forgot to buy cake. Dammit.

    This is a bummer. For you, free delivery.

  120. AFFC and ADWD was always going to be impossible to adapt, but D&D could have taken some more creative decisions in S4 to help them, however they didn’t. Ideally you would need a longer season to do it right, preferably 12-15 episodes, but that was never realistic. Overall they did a solid job and I cannot wait for S6.

  121. MeeraReed,

    Not so odd. I know this feeling. I get it about halfway through the season when I realize we are halfway through the season. It is an irrational fear that I try to temper with some jedi mind shit about perspective and remember that the glass is still half full. Drink up!

    Nice to see ya back by the way.

  122. They ALWAYS say this! Every season is the best according to D&D. We’ll hear it again before season 7 & 8. But it will be ultimately decided by the fans. Season 1 is still the best season IMO.

  123. chamush,

    if you can find where D&D themselves claimed any other season was their best, go ahead and send a link.

  124. Matthew The Dragon knight:
    chamush,

    if you can find where D&D themselves claimed any other season was their best, go ahead and send a link.

    People on Facebook and Twitter who has seen this post say that they say this for every season. They never did! and that pisses me off when they say that. Never once did they say that every season was the best, only the actors said that. smh people these days.

  125. chamush,

    Pretty sure it’s the castmembers who “ALWAYS” say this. D&D seem to be a bit more circumspect in their statements and interviews.

  126. Question – Why is there snow everywhere in the North except for where the Battle of the Bastards is being fought (to be more specific, very little) did we already discuss this and I missed it?

    Wouldn’t it be close to Winterfell – if it’s closer to the wall, the same question applies.

    My apologies if this was already discussed

    Txs

  127. Connor,

    I have never heard D&D make such a claim before about a whole season, I believe this to be the first time.

  128. Sister Kisser:
    MeeraReed,

    Not so odd.I know this feeling.I get it about halfway through the season when I realize we are halfway through the season.It is an irrational fear that I try to temper with some jedi mind shit about perspective and remember that the glass is still half full.Drink up!

    Nice to see ya back by the way.

    I’m so glad I’m not the only one. Thank the Old Gods for this site and Sue and her team. They do a great job of keeping me distracted between seasons! And thank you. I’m happy to be bouncing around again – my dogs are as well, especially the puppy. 🙂

  129. Gotta love how Entertainment Weekly considers getting a yearly subscription to be the same as “reserving a copy.”

    But whining aside, what am I going to do for the next #$@&ing month?!?!?!

  130. Vegodread:
    Question – Why is there snow everywhere in the North except for where the Battle of the Bastards is being fought (to be more specific, very little) did we already discuss this and I missed it?

    Wouldn’t it be close to Winterfell – if it’s closer to the wall, the same question applies.

    My apologies if this was already discussed

    Txs

    Well, I thought that was odd, maybe that Lord of Light “melting the snow effect” from the sacrifice in 5.09 is still in effect…I did think that it was peculiar that shots clearly meant for the Battle in 6.09 just show a muddy field and it isn’t even snowing? It’s either a Lord of Light-Mel weather thing OR they will add the snow in post…

  131. Vegodread,

    Maybe for ease of filming. Also maybe intentional.

    Here’s my fanwank theory: the conditions in the North are shown to be relatively mild to provide a stark contrast with what happens at the end of episode 10… when the White Walkers breach the Wall and the real Winter begins. Cue an almost instantaneous climate shift. Blizzards, whiteout, snow drifts, ice spiders big as hounds and all the rest of it.

  132. Sister Kisser,

    Sugar, you missed it. In the previous Kit thread, I created a drinking game for the comments. Only to avoid hangovers, we were going to eat cake instead.

    But I’ll take cake delivery. With a fork. And milk.

  133. If D&D say it, I do believe they believe it and aren’t only fueling the hype machine. The only other time I can remember that they said something similar is at the end of Season 4 which *is* widely considered as one of the best.

  134. An artist shouldn’t base their love for their own work on how it was received. So, if they think this is their best work, awesome. I’m sure we will all have our own opinions.

  135. MeeraReed,

    PHX – April 16 (actually Mesa, but it still counts as the metro area)

    Excellent!!!!!!!! Thanks for the info; Ive been at parties at the Monastery before they are great fun. Do you know if tickets are available already?

  136. Vegodread:
    Question – Why is there snow everywhere in the North except for where the Battle of the Bastards is being fought (to be more specific, very little) did we already discuss this and I missed it?

    Wouldn’t it be close to Winterfell – if it’s closer to the wall, the same question applies.

    My apologies if this was already discussed

    Txs

    Been wondering the same thing myself.

  137. Have people seen the news about Gwendoline Christie being in Top of the Lake 2? I think filming starts soon so hopefully is doesn’t have implications for Brienne. Fantastic news for Gwendoline.

  138. RBloodworth,

    Emilia always gets a cover. Last year was Maisie’s first. So if anyone is going to “replace” Kit’s cover, then it’ll be someone who usually doesn’t get a cover. Like Sophie or Isaac.

  139. LordDavos:
    Have people seen the news about Gwendoline Christie being in Top of the Lake 2? I think filming starts soon so hopefully is doesn’t have implications for Brienne. Fantastic news for Gwendoline.

    She is balancing GoT and Star Wars, so I don’t think this will be a problem.

  140. They actually have said that they thought a season was going to be the best one yet and that was season 4. They were even saying this right before season 3 aired. I guess they felt Viper vs Mountain, Purple Wedding, Battle of Castle of Black, and the major deaths that occurred in the last episode was some of the best material yet. I loved season 4 like all the rest, but it wasn’t as even for me as the earlier seasons.

  141. Jack Bauer 24,

    Yep, no need to be worried about Gwen and GoT. She’s in Australia right now to start shooting Top of Lake (Season 2 is set in Sydney).

    As for the seasons … I rewatched 5 in preparation for 6 and enjoyed it more the second time. Yes, some parts (hello Dorne) weren’t great but for my money, Season 2 has been the weakest.

  142. Wimsey: TFT But for many more, it was the best or second best season. The show’s popularity has only increased, after all.

    Still, just once, it would be amusing to read a showrunner state in advance: “Wow, never during the worst gastro-intestinal illnesses in my life have I unleashed on the world anything as repulsive as this series. I will be taking my own life in ritual suicide immediately after this interview in order to restore honor to my family name.”

    As usual, you’re the only one which a decent and intelligent response without filling in blanks for me. But yeah, I used the word “many” because I know it’s not everyone. I think it’s most of them, but I might be wrong.

    But yeah, statements like this should be taken with a grain of salt. I showrunner will never say something like you quoted. And also not: “Well, this is a fine season. Certainly not the best, but it’s also not the worst”. Of course not. When they’re asked, they’ll say “This is the best season of all seasons!”

  143. In this article, when asked by EW if season 3 was the best, they said yes:

    http://www.ew.com/article/2013/03/29/game-of-thrones-best-season-yet

    In this article, the EW writer preambles D & D’s quote by saying they told him season 4 would be the best:

    http://www.ew.com/article/2013/07/19/game-of-thrones-team-season-4-will-be-best-yet

    So they’ve said it before, probably most emphatically about season 4. In season 3 they were asked if it was the best and what else were they going to say? What they’ve said about season 6 seems to trump what they said about both season 3 and 4.

  144. Jack Bauer 24,
    Hot springs. (Or hot undergrounds streams, anyway.)

    Hell, if there can be random hot springs under Winterfell, despite the geology being nowhere near conducive to their existence, why shouldn’t there be any anywhere else?

    Real answer: budget limits on CGI, probably.

  145. Molestown bastard,

    In my European country HBO will show the season premiere during the night and replay it on Monday evening. Monday evenings I used to watch GOT (and it will be the same), but I’m going to take the day off (thanks for the idea, fellow fans!) to be able to meet my beloved or hated characters as soon as possible.
    Last season I got my personal spoilers by reading on WOTW on Monday mornings to find out what I’ll watch in the evening.

  146. Well of course they would say this, it’s the first season when they’re not bound by the books, they wrote it the way they liked it. I for one don’t believe it… I am sure it will look amazing, but farther than that? We’ll just have to wait and see

  147. Yaga,

    Didn’t we get a report of an unusually large number of fog machines being used for the battle filming? I assumed that was going to be used to create the winter atmosphere? But yeah, it did not seem that way based on the scenes in the trailer.

  148. Aryamad,

    You’re a sweetheart! Thanks for the good thought! I have been able to order T-shirts, hoodies, figures and Funko Pops from HBO Shop Europe, but unfortunately they don’t have beer.
    I can find many kinds of beer at supermarkets and shops, but they are usually European. Anyhow, I’ll have some at the night premiere so that I will be able to drink with you and Molestown Bastard. Cheers!

  149. MeeraReed,

    I hope this is not a metaphor and you have been blessed with a speedy recovery. I’m glad you have pets, they are lovely! How many dogs have you got? Can you tell me their names and breed(s)?
    I have been a proud cat owner because I live in a flat. If I had owned a house, I would have got dogs, too.

  150. Shy Lady Dragon,

    We r the same here Monday nights but last year I was avoiding coming on here till after I’d watched the episode and when I’d watched it there was like a 1000 comments to read through??

    So I’m staying up this year to enjoy the pre episode hype on WOTW. Just got to learn how to pace myself as I get drunk after 2 beers lol

  151. Molestown bastard,

    Same situation here, live in Ireland so have to go through the agony of not coming on here every Monday morning for 10 weeks so I can attempt to watch the episode spoiler-free, then once it’s over the rest of my night tends to be given up to reading all of the comments! 🙂

  152. Daeryssa,
    It’s great reading all the reactions and reviews but it takes me days to read them all lol. I’m lucky this season in the fact I do shift work and my little girl is at nersery school on Mondays so I will get to watch 8 episodes live when the air here. I’m that sad that I’ve worked it out around the 10 week run. Episode 2 and 5 are the only ones I will watch late?

  153. flintstonewielder,

    Of course they are going to watch, how else are they going to know what happens after ADWD?

    They are full of $hit!

    The funny part is they are going to watch, even though they have said they won’t, then they’re going to cry and bash the show for 3 hours every day, because, lets face it, they have nothing better to do.

  154. Molestown bastard, Shy Lady Dragon
    Yay for the European night shift, I’m with you guys for some of it. Definitely taking off the mondays after eps 1 and

    9 snowbowl – hell yeah!

    so I can join in on here. Not sure about the rest, I’ll see how it goes.

    As for snow, presumably

    snowbowl takes place roughly in the vicinity of where Stannis and Ramsay clashed, which underwent a dramatic overnight thaw. If that mild weather continues it could explain the apparent lack of snow on the battlefield, even if it’s knee deep fairly nearby (because magic).
  155. Molestown bastard,

    That’s fantastic that you can work around it! If only I had the days holidays to take I would definitely be taking off the Monday for the premier and after episode 9.

    Last season was so difficult in terms of staying off this site on a Monday – I often would open it, read the initial headline to figure out of it was a good or bad response and then shut it quickly before I saw any real spoilers! Didn’t really work though!!

  156. Daeryssa,

    For one episode last season I went to bed early on the Sunday and got up at 4am and watched the show and got through a couple of 100 posts before work this way may work for you

    Off topic just got my third HODOR in the new thread!!!! It always makes my day don’t care if that’s sad

  157. phantomstrife:
    If you value your sanity don’t venture into westeros.org. I have morbid curiosity and am a masochist it seems so I do. I’ve already been suspended a few times, got a few warning points and for the time being my comments had to be approved by a mod. And I’m just speaking my mind, I don’t throw out insults or anything like that (unlike the purists). I love the show and I don’t kiss Martin’s ass so I’m a target there. It’s a cesspool of prejudice, hypocrisy, pettiness and ignorance. And the mods apply a double standards policy.

    So I went over to westeros.org. Picked the Season 6 trailer thread. Read the first 100 posts.

    ONE was from a nutjob purist. Two others made mild but valid criticisms (concerning their opinions on new cast members). The other 97 were the same kind of trailer analysis that you would have read here, many explicitly positive.

    Purists are the boogeymen of this site – strawman monsters that a lot of people around here set up as a foil, in order to make it easier for them to close off their minds to criticism of the show. While a few exist (though I suspect many are just trolling), they almost never appear here. So why do people keep bringing them up?

  158. Chad Brick,

    That thread wouldn’t have the kind of posters phantomstrife was talking about. They’re in the “rant and rave” thread. They take glee in finding negative reviews or calling the creators childish names. And anyone who defends the show in any way is basically an idiot to them.

  159. Molestown bastard,
    Not at all, crowns sound great! Burger King used to do gold ones, not sure if they still do, tho’? Plus anything else GoT-related we can manage, even if it’s just bad puns *coughCasterlyRockcakescough*. Ooh and there’s a company called Tyrells who do posh crisps and other snacky stuff, we need a fourth night owl to bring those 😀

  160. This season had BETTER be the best yet! This season, imho, marks the beginning of the end. Can’t lose steam now…if anything, all plots should be going into hyper-overdrive. Am I the only one that is super excited to see what the WW do this season? They could just somehow head allll the way south and start with Dorne as a tease for what’s to come. As happy as I was to not see Dorne (directly) in the trailer, there was no Sam either, soooo…..

  161. El-Bobbie:
    Chad Brick,

    That thread wouldn’t have the kind of posters phantomstrife was talking about. They’re in the “rant and rave” thread. They take glee in finding negative reviews or calling the creators childish names. And anyone who defends the show in any way is basically an idiot to them.

    So these nearly mythical strawmen exist in force on one thread on one website? That’s not saying much. The “purist” slur is thrown around on this site a lot, and it often means nothing more than “anyone who seriously criticizes the show or the directors”. The people using this word then extrapolate from that dark pit that you found and assume the alleged “purist” agrees with that garbage. It’s a pathetic way to shut down debate.

    Heck, I already have two criticisms of S6, and all I have is the trailer (admittedly, I predicted these criticisms last summer). The first is that the directors are resorting to another round of deus-ex-machina Brienne-GPS, and the second is the utterly tropey Jorah-finds-the-ring (in a grasslands the size of the Great Plains of the US). It is not a matter of these being in the book, as for all we know the latter could be with minimal modification. It’s lame because of the improbility* and how unoriginal it is, not because it did or did not first spill from GRRM’s pen.

    * I once lost my keys in my front yard while playing with some kids. It took me 30 minutes to find them, even though I was actively looking for them and new where to look. Finding a ring in high grass in a massive area? One so deeply buried that none of the thousands of horsemen saw it (or stepped on it!). Yeah, right.

  162. Pablo Escobar:

    Yeesh, Pablo, did you eat nails for breakfast? This sort of hostile language really detracts from the enjoyment of visiting this site, no matter which “side” of a particular debate a reader is on.

  163. Pablo Escobar:
    The Drowned Goddess,

    Who shat on your breakfast?

    That’s no way to speak to other people in WOTW. Or about anyone else in any other place, really! It’s fine if things get a bit heated in the comments section every once in a while (I’ve been guilty of that myself, more than once, usually because of the book purists’ tired arguments), but for God’s sake, exercise some basic human decency. You just called someone “subhuman trash”. I don’t care what the other person did (in this case, basically nothing), how is it that you don’t feel shitty about calling him such a thing? It’s disgraceful.

  164. El-Bobbie,

    My bet it will be Sophie. For starters, X Men Apocalypse is out in a couple of months, she is a rising star with hottie status, and finally Sansa is supposedly going to have a good season.

  165. Sometimes I don’t get the Purist intolerance for the series. When this show began I never had any illusions that this show would be perfect. There’s too many characters, too many arcs, subplots, details and other facets of ASOIAF that simply cannot be translated to screen. Not to mention the fact that it is an uncompleted series, wherein the showrunners were barely given the Cole’s Notes for the ending. Add on to the fact that it was the first mature fantasy series on television. All of these factors are working against it.

    So I give lenience to the showrunners that they have to condense or dumb down the story for the television medium, that 10 episodes a season is probably not enough but that’s what they are stuck for. I get that Tyrion has to be whitewashed because the show’s budget is determined by a broader audiences, many of them who don’t watch premium cable and rather watch CBS procedurals and are only involved in the show because it’s a fantasy series and its being hyped in various sectors of the media. The complex, fully fleshed out characterizations is fine for a cheaply made cable series like The Wire and The Shield for example, because they can afford to continue with their modest budgets. Walter White is allowed to be a complex character because Breaking Bad didn’t cost as much as Game of Thrones, and had its target demographic. But when you need to have millions and millions for production design, on location shooting, travel expenses, CGI, stuntwork etc it just simply you have to water things down storywise because the broader audiences don’t care about the deeper complexities that are present in the novel. HBO is going to risk extra episodes and money on something they feel isn’t necessary.
    People give David and Dan a lot of heat, but I have no doubt they want to adapted ASOIAF as best as they possibly can, but there are too many factors that prevent this.
    Not to say they haven’t made mistakes. They most certainly have. But I defy anyone to say that any producer with the backing of a prestigious studio would have the creative freedom and assets to deliver the perfect ASOIAF adaptation.

    So while I think the show is really good, I have come to accept that there are too many variables surrounding its production that allow it to be what the Purists want it to be. In truth it’s a pipe dream. I feel the showfans acknowledge this, and love it for what it tries to do as opposed to what it didn’t or can’t do. Whereas those critical of the series will either rant and rave or simply grow tired of the changes and alterations and conclude that is not to their liking.

  166. Pablo Escobar,

    I have not thanked you coming to my defense further up on the thread.
    I was in the middle of typing my ‘rebuttal ‘, explaining that ‘worst’ is a superlative of ‘bad’ and in general if something is bad one does not enjoy it so that @$$hole has no foot to stand on.
    But then I saw your post and you actually said what I was thinking.
    So thanks!

  167. Joshua Atreides:
    So while I think the show is really good, I have come to accept that there are too many variables surrounding its production that allow it to be what the Purists want it to be.

    By definition, no purist can enjoy the show. And if they do, then they’re not purists. However, in the grand scheme, being a purist in a series of books BASED ON SKEWED PERSPECTIVES is silly. Even GRRM’s own version of events (as told through those skewed perspectives) are questioned by GRRM (through other skewed perspectives).

  168. Luka Nieto,

    Apparently, it comes from this Brazilian article, which does claim it’s a Yunkish soldier. Honestly, he does look exactly like what one would expect; he’s wearing something very similar to what Meereenese soldiers have been shown to wear, but just different enough.

  169. LMAO! What else were they going to say? Were they going to say the upcoming season is the third best one?

    There is so much fallacious bullshit spoken in this world, it’s truly horrifying.

  170. Chad Brick: So these nearly mythical strawmen exist in force on one thread on one website? That’s not saying much. The “purist” slur is thrown around on this site a lot, and it often means nothing more than “anyone who seriously criticizes the show or the directors”. The people using this word then extrapolate from that dark pit that you found and assume the alleged “purist” agrees with that garbage. It’s a pathetic way to shut down debate.

    How right you are! I don’t understand the compulsion that some people seem to feel to vent their free-floating hostility by “othering” some group and then saying (with unconcealed scorn), “Those People always do this or that, Those People will just say this or that.” If we disagree about something, why not just rationally explain why and build the case for our position with facts, without descending into character assassination or projecting our preconceived notions about what others are like or what they think?

    Trying to make this site an exclusive club only for people who think that the show (or the books, for that matter) is above all criticism defeats the analytical purpose of a discussion group, in my view. It would be dull and unenlightening if we were all totally in agreement at all times.

  171. Lulus Mum,

    We have got the 4 already myself shy lady and ayramad are all getting sloshed and u can be the designated driver mum.

  172. Anon:
    Firannion,

    ..what they think is not a preconceived notion if they’re writing what they think, no?

    I’m talking about those posters who say things like, “Oh, when the next season/next book comes out, Those People will hate it because blah blah blah, you’ll see.”

  173. Molestown bastard,
    Fine by me! It’s good to plan things like this in advance rather than wing it, we don’t want to miss the start of the episode while sorting ourselves out at the last minute. As I’m in London, not sure where you are, SLD’s in Romania and I think Aryamad’s from North America(?) I might need a bit of petrol money, but we can sort that out later 😀

  174. Chad Brick,

    Dear Chad, I spent years and years over there and it is a cesspool of vitriol and hatred. Your constant attempts to negate it and imply that those who experienced it are delusional are baffling to me. I know. I was there. Wait for the season to start. It becomes literally impossible to post there if one has a modicum of respect for the show because normal analytical posts get drowned in an endless barrage of turbocharged malice. And even those posts that are not over the top are usually negative in tone. Why would anyone sane want to subject themselves to such negativity, even if civil?

  175. Lulus Mum,

    Lol Im 40 mins from London but Romania and the U.S is pretty far so I’m guessing we r all just going to have to party here and be together in spirit

  176. Tyrion Pimpslap:

    I’m not trying to start a fight, but it would be nice if those that feel they have to defend the show would save their vitriol for when it is warranted.

    Not gonna happen. Whether there are book purists or not, there will always be those posters who hijack a thread in order to complain about book purists. It doesn’t even matter what the topic is – if there is any chance at all to mention them, it will be done. It would be funny if it weren’t so annoying at times. I wager there are 10 times as many posts complaining about book purists than there are posts by book purists – especially on this site.

  177. Stupid post. What are they supposed to say, “yeah, uh, this season really isn’t that up to snuff”

  178. Shy Lady Dragon,

    I have three Staffies. Bella, Mabel, and Humphrey. Humphrey is the puppy. They are great dogs, very loving and intelligent. What have you named your cat?

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