As one of the last posts of the week dissecting Episode 5, there’s not much more I can say that hasn’t been delved into over the past few days. Luckily I have a slate of reviewers, commentators, and experts to provide insight on the show! See how our video offerings parse “The Door.”
Because we will all be at Balticon this weekend, I thought I’d slide Westeros History up here. Check out their bookish video as well on their channel to see how they interpret the Hodor scene.
Note, the first 3 minutes, 9 seconds do not have audio- jump to that point!*
Ozzy Man…I was hoping he would clock excellent Aussie actress Essie Davis’ cameo but still an outstanding week as per usual.
The WTF lineup is Jon, Cenk and Ben this week. ICYMI and watch The Young Turks as well, Ben is back and dishing it out on the gang’s Democratic primary coverage. Popcorn-worthy viewing.
Jonathan is taking Jon Snow’s [unfortunate] lead and switching up his hairstyle. OF COURSE the video is called “Hoe Door” because…of course.
Sandrine is doing the review solo this week. If you’re an Outlander viewer I also recommend checking out her videos for that!
Others!
Alt Shift X did not have a video for Ep 5 as far as I could tell.
AfterBuzz abuzz (heh heh) over this week’s episode
Maude and 2 people I don’t recognize on SF Nerd this week #BringBackDJ
Smokescreen with the solo take
That’s all for this week, folks. If you are attending Balticon this weekend I hope you have a lovely time and perhaps we will meet. I will be wearing my Watchers on the Wall Shirt, of course!
Hold the door…
Alt Shift X said on his twitter that he is uploading the video today! He said it’s a big one, due to obvious reasons lol. Must have a lot of editing to do.
OT: Did I miss the post with last week’s Curtain Call?
Can;t wait for Alt Shift X, please no more praising Emergency Terrible 😉
I’ll also suggest for the peanut gallery to check out The Normies on youtube, their reaction and discussions have been super fun to watch, and they do GoT themed skits at the beginnings that are amusing. They remind me of my group of friends in college and what we would’ve done if Thrones had been on back then.
Blind Wave is also a great reaction/discussion channel, funny and smart. I recommend them. It was really cute watching four guys crying during the Jansa reunion last week haha
Episode 5 was so good, it affected me more than anything else on GOT that came before (all the death included) so i really don’t know if they can top that; i am sure we will have fun, exciting moments in the next 5 episodes but emotionally this might have been the summon for this season.
ozzy man kills it, that dude is hilarious, easily my favorite video reviewer!
OMG I love Gay of Thrones!
I just noticed how much Jon looks like Ned w his man bun. I’m pretty sure Ned never sported a bun, just the front of his hair pulled back. But that pulled back style and the furs somehow really hark back to Ned. Maybe this is purposeful on the part of the creators. They are trying to make Jon look like Ned (with a little help from Sansa). Can’t wait to see him in his new gear!
Rhaenys Stark,
Agreed, they are great!
The 1st video, Westeros History, has no sound. Even on YouTube.
So I was randomly watching TV last night and when I got to HBO ”after thrones” was on, I never saw it before so I decided to watch it, didn’t had anything else to do anyway…
And it was ”OK”, it’s clearly aimed at the casual viewer though, so I don’t think you will like it if a ”in-depth review/recap” is what you are looking for…
But all in all I didn’t regret watching it and may even check the other episodes on HBO GO, if I have the time.
I did hears though that Sky’s after show, forgot it’s name, is much better but I don’t know where to find the episodes…
Mihnea,
Do you mean Thronecast? I heard that, too, but I couldn’t find it either…
Jon Snow’s Mother,
I think that’s the one.
Heard good things about it, but I never saw it and don’t know were I can find it..
Mihnea,
It’s called Thronecast. It’s pretty good, though also more or less for the casual viewer. The nice thing is that they often have actors come on the show. Don’t know of any legitimate ways to watch it online though. Not sure if Sky Atlantic upload it to YouTube.
Good to hear
Normally they are titled “Episode X explained”
But how do you explain that
I’m still trying to figure out if it was Bran in Hodor holding the door, but Brans consciousness seems to be in the vision so some people are “blaming Bran” and others are trying to figure if it is a noble sacrifice
At the time though I thought it was a case that Wylis’s young mind went into adult Hodor where he is more moveable, adn the seizure and utterances are a reflection of what’s going through his mind and blurs into Hodor as he gets more frantic
As we saw from earlier vision about sparring against Benjen “and lowers his shield when he’s about to charge my Lady” he wasn’t always as inactive or afraid of the notion of confrontion as his adult self was
Obviously perceiving your own death and some strange kid in the courtyard when young is like what Jon went through and when Jon came back his instinct is to curl up in a ball at various times like when the mutineers/Rast attack him or Locke starts attacking or even the storm which probably brings up PTSD memories of getting lynched by heaps of Wights during a massive Wintery event
Mihnea,
I miss Andy Greenwald The Critic.
HelloThere,
So are we all in agreement that “After the Thrones” is pretty bad ?
mrspeel,
Hello,
I skipped to about the middle of the video and could hear them fine so perhaps it is a problem in the beginning of the video?
Markus Stark,
Yeah, no. I will always maintain that HBO should’ve tried for something closer to Talking Dead in feel.
Is Jonathan kidding me with those hairstyles?
Newbietothegame,
No. Friday is a typical day for them to go up. Sometimes we post them earlier, just depends on various factor.
Ghosts Lunch,
Alt Shift X explains it best! He and Ozzy Man are my most anticipated.
They’re actually the only ones I like.
Markus Stark,
I think it’s preaty ok.
Not amazing but neither horrible.
Markus Stark,
I think it’s bad. They could have chosen better hosts that know what they’re talking about.
Connor,
Alt Shift X is freaking phenomenal. His way of presenting evidence for his theories puts Preston Jacobs to shame.
Markus Stark,
havent even tuned into that yet, dont feel the need to – especially now
Connor,
Agreed.
“An old foe comes back into the picture. ” AND FOR THE NEXT EPISODE
GUESS WHO IT IS!!!
Markus Stark,
I respect Alt for the polite/relaxed way he recaps episodes and he isn’t that fixed in his theories, I don’t think he would mind it at all if he was wrong.
But I can’t stand Preston, even if you completely forget about the show and focus entirely on his book stuff….Just can’t.
Inquisitor1961,
Inquisitor1961,
Why would
be a foe? He isn’t a bad guy lol. It’s
, I bet.
Markus Stark,
“Ask the Expert” should be called “Ask the Moron”
i loved “Watch the Thrones”, which was Andy and Chris’ podcast before it became an official HBO show..
It was an actual review then. They were good TV critics, but they don’t work as official recappers
Markus Stark,
Think ATT is fine – good for rank and file watchers & not a long show. People are getting awfully critical here at times –
Rhaenys Stark,
I absolutely love Blindwave.
Inquisitor1961,
Benjen doesn’t qualify as a foe. Walter Frey does, though.
Hey, those two things rhymed.
Cersei’s Brain,
I agree. I can easly see people who just watch GOT on Sunday enjoying it.
Hell, people may even enjoy or find it funny when they don’t remember names or such, things that may irritate others more invested in the series.
Now if you are part of the more ”hardcore” fandom and wish for a more ”in-depth” review, you may not like it.
I myself always find enjoying the more casual recaps/reviews, now I saw better then ATT and they could do a better job, but it isn’t the devil either, as some make it out to be.
Nah, my husband and I love Andy Greenwald! Compared to other shows, After the Thrones is consistently solid overall, and everything Andy says is on point (and usually funny).
Also it’s not too long or too short for me (the only others I watch consistently are WTF – too long – and Gay of Thrones – too short).
Connor,
I’ve been checking all morning! 😀 Can’t wait to see what he has to say!
What about Preston Jacobs? If you want a book-y review you don’t get much more in-depth lmao
QueenofThrones,
Actually this.
The time is preaty much on spot. Not to long to get bored of it but not to short to feel unsatisfied.
Becca,
Ugh.. I can’t stand his book videos, let alone his show stuff.
Markus Stark,
HelloThere,
I was a big fan of Andy & Chris’s podcast back when they were with Grantland. But it has been pretty bad since they started doing televised recaps with The Ringer (which is owned by HBO). I’m kinda over The Ringer stuff in general actually. The new Bill Simmons show looks terrible.
I was really hoping that after they revamped the format on After the Thrones (started 2 episodes ago) it might get better but it has not. Some people are just better when they have the editorial freedom to criticize (and not controlled by HBO). Andy and Chris fall into this category. Plus the “Ask the Expert” stuff from Mallory can be a little frustrating. There is just something about her that erks me.
At least we have WotW and Bex to provide us with these weekly video recaps. Thanks again for putting this stuff together 🙂
mrspeel,
It was a live recording, the sound works after 3 minutes and 10 seconds, according to the vid description.
Becca,
Yeah Preston has no clue what he’s talking about. and he whines. Noooo thanks.
Mihnea,
Yup, I agree with you 100%.
Connor,
Harsh but true, in my opinion. Though it appears that at least some people here are getting something out of it, so that’s good I guess. The like to dislike ratio on After the Thrones clips on YouTube would seem to indicate that they are in the minority however. I’ve never seen a GoT recap show get so much hate.
Alt Shift X is the One True Analyst and every fan must listen to him!
Sorry for that xd, but isn’t the “foe” word for a “person” ??
Inquisitor1961,
I understand it’s a synonym for enemy, adversary. But english is not my mother tongue so I don’t know if it can be used as a slang for person.
Mihnea,
I like to watch a few of each – light reviews and the more in-depth. For more hardcore stuff, I really enjoy Aziz and crew on Westeros History. But that is an obligation of time.
Rhaenys Stark,
Yes! Blind Wave is awesome! I love those guys! Anyone who hasn’t watched their reaction/review videos should really check them out.
Ozzy Man was great this week. Also always love Gay of Thrones.
I thought WTF was good (shorter which was nice) but I didn’t get Cenk saying he thought it was just an average/least favorite episode. He must be hard to impress.
I tried Dem Thrones, but too many people were in the office for all the F bombs being dropped. I will check them out later.
Thanks Bex for the hard work on our behalf.
Yeah, Cenk doesn’t really like the fantasy elements very much (I remember him complaining about the fireballs in S4E10), and much prefers the whole political intrigue angle of the show. Ben normally as well, so I was positively surprised to see him so pleased this week.
Yeah, I also find Blind Wave to be really entertaining.
Two new interviews with Kit–
1) Promoting Dr Faustus on the BBC–talks about how Thrones must have an ending & discusses his plans to write and produce a new series about Guy Fawkes
2) BBC Radio1 Breakfast this morning–Maisie calls in!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3G6hq495hZJgDZZRGZc2pVt/game-of-thrones-maisie-williams-calls-up-kit-harington-a-k-a-jon-snow-on-radio-1
“Do you think Jon Snow will end up on The Iron Throne?”
“Yes.”
?
Mihnea,
Yeah, I enjoy ” Thronecast” the host and guests are obviously not hardcore fans and seem to make mistakes quite regularly ( I think Sue Perkins called Ramsay “Ramsay Stark” last week) but it is very entertaining. The guests are also often quite well known. I found After The Thrones quite dull in comparison…
Guys check this out really funny. Seems Kit and Maisie are great friends http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03wbcn5
Edit: Just saw it’s been posted above 😛
Isabelle,
Oh my God if that happens I can die happy.
Rhaenys Stark,
I love them. Their enthusiasm for the show is so infectious.
Check out WTF moments and recaps by “Emergency Awesome” too. Very informative youtube videos.
Isabelle,
Rhaenys Stark,
Thank you for posting these interviews! I couldn’t agree more – PLEASE let him end up on the iron throne. It’s all I ever wanted 😉
Rhaenys Stark,
I see they’re not inviting Bran to join them after the catastrophe he caused last episode lol.
I’m glad they all get along though. 🙂 I hope they all reunite on the show.
Check out the guys from Blindwave,they are mostly unsullied apart from one guy and their reactions are amazing .
Becca,
That guy is awful and his theories are horrendous .
I think After The Throne is okay. Ozzy and Alt Shift X are very good. Everyone has their own thing when it comes to reviews.
I get the hate for After The Thrones but honestly they’re meant for the casual audience. It’s pretty good considering actually. And I think Mallory does a good job as the expert. The show would probably be more interesting with guest appearances though, even from minor actors or actresses, or anyone who worked in the show. I don’t see it getting renewed for a second season as of now tbh though.
Preston has some interesting things to say, but so much of his “theories” are tinfoil, its really hard to take him seriously especially with that salty tone of voice. I mean, that guy is actually holding onto Stannis being alive and R+L NOT equal to J? And Euron=Daario? And when he’s proved wrong he just starts whining.
Really enjoying What the Flick. Saw a lot of hate for Cenk but its good to see John and Ben put him in his place lol. They have great chemistry together and I’ve been very impressed with Ben especially as he has some great insight. He’s not a book reader so he judges the show as it is, and notices things many people don’t pick up such as the thematic significance of scenes. I feel like a lot of people are too overly focused on the plot and what happens in the book and the end game way too much.
Emergency Awesome gets way too much hate, his reviews are short, concise and to the point. He’s pretty knowledgeable aswell considering the fact that his videos are for the more casuals. Red Team Review is another one with short but interesting recaps.
Also another shoutout for the Normies, another group with great chemistry and very amusing reactions and skits.
This is a new review/analysis – they are really positive and I like how he points out the scene framing, theories, and book connections. Worth a listen.
http://www.youtube.com/user/NewMediaRockstars
One more “vote” (I know it’s not a poll, but anyway) for Blindwave.
Yes, they start their videos with a reaction (and some people don’t like this) but after watching they make a pretty good review and Q&A.
Still waiting on Alt Shift X to post his video….
HS,
I think this guy is Bloody Incredible 🙂
The greenseer of reviewers!!
I wish more of those recappers would add captions to their videos. Gay of Thrones is the only one I watch, for that reason, and that moves way too fast for me with too many cutsey nicknames.
I watch After the Throne because at least it’s captioned.
Alt Shift X uploaded his video for episode 5!!!
Josh L,
The NewMediaRockstars’ video is CC (link above)
Loved it! Thanks for uploading it Connor 😉
Black Raven,
No problem!
‘Hodor has a psychic warging time travel seizure vision of his own future death from the past while he sacrifices himself, saving Bran and Meera by holding the door’
Alt Shift X says it best.
Demon Monkey,
Why they wanna make him like Ned? SO they can chop his head off too? Hell to the no that better not be his end!
Isabelle,
Thanks for posting these! Just started watching and he says something very interesting which is
Everyone’s been seeing how he’s so unsure of himself, doesn’t want to fight cause he knows if he dies again that’s it, there’s nothing. Makes me really curious what it is that happens to turn that around 🙂
Wait, why am I believing what he says lol.
For great information and really, some of the best analysis of the show and how it relates to the books, etc., Alt Shift X is the best.
For the panel review, I enjoy What the Flick even if I don’t agree with their analysis sometimes. And yeah, they tend to get whiny when they don’t like certain elements of the story. (I’m looking at you, Cenk!)
For reaction+review, Blind Wave is awesome. I love them. Their enthusiasm, their chemistry with one another…they’re one of the most enjoyable reaction+review teams on YouTube right now.
Ozzy Man and Alt Shift X are all I need. It’s eerie how much I identify with their thoughts. Damn great video and written recaps and analyses this week. I’m still moved and stunned by the episode.