Welcome, welcome and welcome to the last roundup of video recaps and reviews of season 7. Targaryen incest, Real!Aegon, Zombie dragerns! And so much more. Here are what our video friends had to say about the season 7 finale of Game of Thrones.
Our old friend Ozzy Man will kick off this week’s roundup with his take on the finale.
It’s Maria Bamford on this week’s Gay of Thrones!
Ser Hunts Reviews and I were on an endgame panel together at Con of Thrones and he ended up killing it with some of his predictions.
This video from Talking Thrones showed up in my sidebar and has a boatload of views. Why? Let’s discover.
What. The. Flick. was up with that episode? No Cenk, if that’s a good/bad thing for you.
History of Westeros’ show-only review! (Also this week: bonus vid of Sean dancing.)
Emergency Awesome: please tell us WTF happened in the finale
Thanks to all of the video people above for giving us some great content this season that breaks the show down for us with humor and analysis. There will be plenty of content leading up to season 8, to which I say bring it. Comment with predictions and which YT accounts nailed their take on the show week by week. See you next season!
The Executioner!
Black Walder!
Not a bad guy really, when marinated in ginger, onion and garlic.
Excellent new names on Gay of Thrones!
Dublin Gift Shop Crown
Rapist Cap’n Crunch
Ser Tinfoil of Hat,
Those and Ozzy’s Littlefinger memorial montage made my day. 😉
Oh! Great picture of Arya over Littlefinger! *saved* Thanks! 🙂
I think Jamie will put his head on the line as he reveals all his past crimes against the Starks and bends the knee to both Dany and/or John. He will reveal his sister’s deception and Dany and/or Jon will fly their Dragons and destroy Eurons fleet after Theon rescues his sister. But they will kill Dany’s dead Dragon and the night king.
What, only two nude scenes this season? We saw more butt from Jon Snow last season when he was dead. Childhood ruined!!!
So I wan’t sure where to ask this question but here we go: I was just re-watching S3E1 and the silent openning scene there is dark screen and we hear dragon scream, sword fight and a man screaming” Fall Back”. It sound very much exactly like the scene from S7E6 when Jon and the company fighting with white walkers on that lake when Dany and the drogon arrive.
Did anyone else notice that?
JSneg,
Muchos gracias for putting your finger on the callback I also noticed, and was straining to recall where it was from. Loved it btw. 😉
Here’s Blind Wave’s discussion of the finale. I always love their enthusiasm and emotional discussions. I loved the end of this, when they brought in a bunch of their fans at the end, to talk about the episode.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMSbYRe2jn8&t=0s
I also have to say, I was really disappointed with the What the Flick video this week. Brett just seemed uninterested, like he didn’t want to be there. Meredith overreacted a lot, and seemed to just get a lot of stuff wrong (though I did appreciate her pointing out to John that Cersei didn’t send Jaime away, he left of his own volition (seriously, how did John not get that? It was the whole point of the scene…)). And in general, a lot of the complaints from John, Brett, and Meredith, either made no sense, or just seemed to boil down to “That wasn’t what I wanted to happen”.
People give Ben shit for never remembering names, but he has a good understanding of storytelling and character motivations, and does a great job of leading the conversation and keeping it relevant and interesting. Without him or Cenk, this was kind of all over the place (though Matt tried his best).
Cenk’s solo review was FAR better.
JSneg,
Ha! Well obviously I had to pull it up on HBO Go to refresh as I didn’t remember no matter how many dozens of times I’ve watched every episode. Anyway, it is similar, and in a similar situation other than there weren’t dragons present, nor Jon. One can imagine hearing a similar situation happening in S8 as well.
There was a somewhat surprising lack of nudity this season. Was it just Missandei and GW, Jon and Daenerys (sort of), Cersei and Jaime? Did I forget something? Of course considering what is going on I suppose one shouldn’t expect a lot. I do admit that I did expect a bit more in the J&D wuv-making scene (yes, I’d seen comments about “epic boat sex.”). Before anyone comments about Emilia not wanting to do nude scenes anymore… If you didn’t see it, she confirmed herself that “it was all me” for the scene leaving the flaming Vaes Dothrak temple last season. She will do nude scenes if she feels they’re necessary. She just doesn’t want to do them all the time, being nude just for the sake of being nude and having that stigma or that reputation on her career.
You’ve got to brown the butter first.
BigMac,
Cenk and Ban are what makes those reviews great.
Clob,
Only Rose Leslie gets to be naked with Kit H.
Ozzy Man Reviews are the best. He takes the time and effort to prepare his witty rapid-fire synopsis, and the subsequent analysis of themes.
Other reviewers just sit around and babble
Clob,
In the immortal words of a youtube reviewer, Boooooobs! 😉
But srsly, I like boobs and booties as much as the next person, but I’m glad they’ve laid off the sex the past few seasons,which might have something to do with Baelish having lost his pimp license.
Ten Bear,
Obviously my big mistake was using Crisco. 😉
Hear here! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ
BigMac,
Where do I find Cenk’s solo reviews? I tried googling wiht no luck
Is this it? 😉
Catspaw Assassin,
Thx! Much obliged
I follow most of these youtubers, awesome collection. I would just add newrockstars for really in depth analysis and altshiftx for humour.
Yep, I couldn’t agree more. Did you watch his video of him making his Ep7 review? He’s a real perfectionist and will even change words in his script so that his talk-over is in perfect sync with the video.
I have no problem watching videos with one person doing the narrating such as Emergency Awesome, Smokescreen and a few others – and of course Alt Shift X showing either stills or video clips. However, those with two or more sitting round a table acting like douche-bags spouting out a load of crap thinking they’re cool acting in front of a webcam, I wouldn’t give the fucking time of day to watch!
FFS, some of those reviews go on for longer than the running time of the episode! All I want to hear is a sensible recap of the episode and not a pile of irrelevant crap just to pad out the time!
BigMac,
What The Flick was simply unbearable this week. No Cenk, no Ben, but Meredith! She’s really something else! Hard to actually finish watching with her around. Also agree about Cenk’s short solo review – much better!
I enjoyed the enthusiasm from AfterBuzzTV much more. They are going to continue doing weekly GoT shows
When Bran told same that Jon was Rhaegars son how did he know before seeing the final vision where Lyanna says Jons name is Aegon?
Black Raven,
I concur; cannot understand what is the point of watching 4-5 blokes saying whatever for like an hour? Come on, not even (normal) episodes last that long.
So I only watch the reviews where a minimum effort was put into and that don’t last over 15 minutes.
An Oz is, of course, the King of them all.
Bran has known since he was a child that his aunt Lyanna was abducted by Rhaegar. He’s also known his father returned from the war (Robert’s Rebellion) with a bastard son. King Robert’s hatred of Targaryens was also probably well-known.
In S6, he saw aunt Lyanna giving birth, handing the baby to his father Ned, asking Ned to protect the baby from Robert. Once you know Lyanna had a baby, it’s fairly easy to deduce that Ned’s bastard son was actually Lyanna’s bastard son, fathered by the man who abducted and raped her.
Thanks to Gilly, Sam brings the new info in S7 is that Lyanna and Rhaegar were actually married so their baby wasn’t a bastard but the rightful heir. Bran went back and rewatched Lyanna’s deathbed scene with the volume turned up to catch the name.
HTH.
Thanks. Why did Bran say his last name wasn’t Snow but Sand at first? Wouldn’t he still have been a Snow if he was a bastard?
Jack Bauer 24,
He’d have been a Waters if his father had publicly acknowledged him.
Kay,
In Meredith’s defense, she is TRYING to get better. She takes the criticism well, and she even interacted with some of the comments on one of the videos, to see how she could improve.
So that was a continuity error
Jack Bauer 24,
Bastards in Dorne are named Sand. In the show it’s not mentioned that they also have to grow up in Dorne to have the name Sand. Not a continuity error in the show.
And stop searching for continuity errors. You only get frustrated. Try to enjoy what you watch!
Even if there are continuity errors, that’s normal with such a big production that has to be made in such a short time.
First time watching recap videos – and whoa, never going to waste time doing that again. Does it really have to be so over the top and (mostly) rather dumb to be a hit on youtube? It’s not very deep nor is it enlightening, and sadly it’s too silly to be funny, imo. And that goes for practically all of them. NB – haven’t watched Oz’s yet but all of the others.
Wonder if there are any alternative video recaps out there that any of you could recommend?
Oh tell me about it! Love Ozzy Man, so funny too. I don’t mind Emergency Awesome and I like Alt Shift X but the rest? No thanks. I’ve tried but switch off within minutes as they ramble on about nothing of any interest. A lot of them come over as juvenile and irritating.
OT: here’s an interesting interview with cinematographer Robert McLachlan, who’s worked on episodes like “Eastwatch”:
https://www.format.com/magazine/features/photography/game-of-thrones-cinematography-robert-mclachlan
Two short excerpts:
“On Game of Thrones normally there are about five DPs. We all get iPads at the beginning of the season with frame graphs organized by set and location for the last several seasons so we can see how each set has been handled and what kind of contrast and filtration were used. There’s always room for interpretation, but we’re familiar with the show and those stills are a really good visual shorthand.”
“Planning and scouting is easier today because you’ve got apps like Artemis to tell you where the sun will be at a specific time on the day you’ll be filming. On the “Dance of Dragons” episode in Game of Thrones, we had three or four days to shoot so we knew we had to work unbelievably fast. I’m talking over eighty setups on days when the sun comes up at 8:30 a.m. and sets at 5:30 p.m.
That sequence looks fantastic because we planned our days shot by shot according to where the sun was. If you watch it, almost every shot is either backlit or under a canopy, which meant that as fast as you could move the camera over and point it, we were ready to go.”
BigMac,
You’re not alone in your take on What The Flick’s entry this week. The comments below the video were brutal – especially towards Meridith.
But for some reason I loved WTF this week. They were all buzzing a little on Mai Tai’s which made it great to me. Almost like watching an episode of Drunk History. Only it was Drunk Westerosi History.
To Bex and everyone posting links to vids: Thank you! I always find a gem or two in these threads that I wouldn’t have stumbled across on my own.
Jack Bauer 24,
It was not. He didn’t hear the name the first time around, and since the baby was born in Dorne he assumed his last name should be Sand (which is kind of weird, I give you that, because I always thought that bastards’ names depended rather on their fathers’ origin than their possibly accidental place of birth). Then Sam prompts him to go check (which he probably would have done, if he had any human curiosity left) and this time not only he hears the full name but realizes that Lyanna was not abducted but rather eloped willingly and that the whole Rebellion took place on a false pretense (by the way, I always wondered whether Robert and some of the other Houses knew all along but simply needed to get rid of the Mad King and his inbreeding half lunatic family).
Anyway, rest assured that a production big as that has countless people checking so that continuity errors are avoided. Script holes may still be there (how couldn’t there be when they have to take GRRM’s mess and channel it into a final, linear plot), but I don’t think we are bound to catch any real continuity errors.
Helen O’Grady,
Love new rockstars. They focus a lot on directorial decisions and music. I always get a new perspective and appreciation from them.
Catspaw Assassin,
So, you’ve been making pies?
Guys, HBO has released the letter Jon send to Sansa, I smell drama in winterfell next season, not from Sansa herself, but from the lords of the north and the vale, poor Jon, he only tries to do the right thing…
“Sansa:
Cersei Lannister has pledged her forces to our cause as has Daenerys Targaryen. And If we survive this war I have pledged our forces to Daenerys as the rightful queen of the Seven Kingdoms. We are both coming to organize the defense of the Realm.
– Jon Snow, Warden of the North.”
http://time.com/4922042/game-of-thrones-jon-snow-sansa-letter/
singedbylife,
I would recomend New Rockstars. They make good points about cinematography, music, and many other tiny details.
PS. I see I’m not the only one.
My take is that Bran did hear the whole name in season 6, but the visual narrative choice for the audience was they we don’t hear it. They then replay that part again in S7 so that we now hear it.
Also , on the continuity , Issac explains here:
https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/game-of-thrones-season-finale-cut-scene-1202541941/
There can only be trouble if the defeat of the NK goes smooth and easy.
I will be flabbergasted if that happens.
Things are going to get rough , well totally chaotic.
Differences brought up by that letter will seem like nothing if anyone survives!
Collider Thrones Talk
Alvaricomg,
In fact, there is too little time for a propper drama in WF: they have two episodes, no more. And there is no proper reason for such drama: selling independence is unpleasant, but Jon managed to get the very best price. He has secured Dany with all of her armies and dragons and dragonglass mines and at least part of the Lannisters – Jaime is comming and his soldiers will follow at some point. Moreover, Jon managed to win Dany’s heart, so warden or king he is on top of the things, and the Northerners should be rather pleased that one of them is now becomming a king of Westeros.
Therefore, the main plot should evolve around Jon’s true parentage and status, which may trigger Dany into a full DRACARYS mode. I can imagine her doing something stuppid like arresting Jon and Sam and everyone else but then the dead will come and so on. And if she tries to burn Jon, I bet that he will come out of the flames unburnt. So, one way or another Dany will have to step backwards and do the right thing. And then, if both she and Jon survives the war for dawn, it’s possible that Jon will have to choose between her and the crown/realm. But it’s more likely, that both of them will die and problem solved. The North will choose Sansa, Sansa will re-marry Tyrion, Tyrion will reinvent the wheel by means of elections, and then Westeros will go into a full rokosz and chicken war under the leadership of the Hound (joke).
Chilli,
It is a continuity error, because Jon having been born in the south was already public knowledge. If the bastard name was determined by birth region, he would never have been Jon Snow.
This is off topic, but what did the Hound mean by why what he said to his brother? Whos coming for him?
There’s 6 episodes left, not 2.
Jack Bauer 24,
You’re the continuity error – Mr Daniel Loreti 🙁
This article is on video reviews – Go post your endless crap and off topic ridiculous questions on the forum and cease trolling the comments!
That’s what I don’t understand. Everyone knew he was born South and thought he was a bastard so why would Bran think he was a Sand when he’s always been Snow?
Strange strange season.
Episodes 1-4 are my favorite four episode beginning stretch of any season…
Then episode 5 and 6 dropped when they introduced the head scratching wight hunt with episode 6 being the weakest episode of the series… then followed by the phenomenal finale with some of the best acting and conversations in the series.
I think passing the wight hunt as the climax of the season makes this my least favorite season, but honestly I enjoy every season of this show. If it weren’t for the rushed and convoluted storytelling in 5-6 this would be in my top 3 seasons.
Overall, they set themselves up for hopefully a spectacular conclusion as long as they no longer push ridiculous plots in order to take shortcuts from a to b. Episode 7 was fantastic (besides little fingers death, but that ship sailed years ago)
Jack Bauer 24,
A Snow is because he was the bastard the son of a northerner
A Sand is because he is the son of a southerner.
Inga,
thanks, I’ll give them a try.
Yes. But I always thought that was the cheap way they bypass the Battle at the Fist of the First Men
He’s trying to suggest that Jon’s bastard name would have been Waters because Rhaegar lived in the Crownlands, rather than Sand just because he was born in Dorne. (Each of the regions have a separate surname for bastards; Rivers, Flowers, Waters, etc.). It’s not necessarily true though because the bastard’s name is typically where they are raised. Since Ned’s intention was to bring Jon to Winterfell he’d have called him Snow.
——
Another nice gravatar btw. Always so photogenic 🙂
So either way Bran was wrong and it was continuity error
Clob,
adding to that after edit period expired…
I wouldn’t really call it a continuity error as Jack is suggesting. The show had Bran call him Sand by choice simply to work in Sam’s information. It’s not a big deal. Had Rhaegar lived Jon wouldn’t have been raised a bastard and would have been Aegon. If it had been illegitimate and Lyanna lived who knows where she would have raised him and named him.
Yes, I couldn’t agree more reading your last sentence. YouTube (good though it is) has unfortunately created a medium where anyone can put themselves on-line with many thinking they’re cool and witty and goofing around! Perhaps its my age, but I just see them just as a bunch of sad immature idiots looking for attention and the internet unfortunately gives them an outlet to do so 🙁
Has anyone read any of the supposed season 8 “leaks”?
Not necessarily. There are instances of bastards having the surname of their birth location but growing up in a different region. It’s more of an uncertainty. Since Ned named him Jon Snow and raised him at Winterfell it was just inaccurate to say that he’s a Sand. He could have been Sand though.
Sean C.,
Not necessarily.Maybe in show canon if the exact location of your birth is not known you take another surname.Nobody knew where in the south Jon was exactly born so he just took the surname Snow.
ygritte,
I have not and will not or at least hope not too…
Here is a prediction I thought of this morning and it is not a spoiler but it might be if it’s right.
I hope Quessofthrones doesn’t read this… she’s not gonna like it.
ygritte,
Clob,
Clob,
Oh okay, thank you for explaining… I get the confusion.
Aww thank you Clob, that’s really nice of you to say 🙂 🙂
Did LF help send the assassin though? I thought it was Cersei/Jaime so why would they have his dagger?
Jon burned his hand when he grabbed Jeor Mormont’s lantern to throw at the wight that was in Mormon’t quarters.
If Dany burns him, he dies.
Well, I meant season 8 and tried to edit, but it seems my edited comment was considered as spam. So, season 8.
Erica,
I remember, but the show hasn’t been very consistent recently. Anyway, it was just a joke.
Ah, got it. My apologies. 🙂
With lots of jalapenos, so they’re Hot Hot Hot Pies. (⋆‿⋆)
Erica,
I’ve been wondering if Jon is fireproof now that he’s been resurrected. Would love to see a parallel scene to the one where Dany burned the khals and walked out of Vaes Dothrak unharmed!
Rightful Queen,
Ideed, it would be visually stunning. And somehow I believe that Jon’s final transformation into Aegon, his final assumtion of his Targ and PTWP identity will happen throug some ordeal of fire. Fire can’t kill a dragon, right?
I don’t know if the resurrection would have that effect. I don’t think it would make sense for the story to introduce something like that now (as cool as that would look–fan service) and I don’t recall any Targaryen but Dany being impervious to fire. Dragon riding seems inherent; being fireproof doesn’t seem so.
Hey if you mean me that’s some shiny-ass tinfoil right there
Can someone please explain to me why people insist on characters acting completely out of character just so their faves can have an awesome moment?
This is the stupidest thing I’ve read since Giocrypt’s post about how Jon is only banging Dany for political gain.
QueenofThrones,
Calm down. I haven’t said that I would like such twist, but the writing this season had a lot of out-of-character moments. Dany was forced to burn the Tarlies, Arya and Sansa were forced to go on each other, the Norhern lords were forced to turn on Jon without a good reason, Tyrion was forced to bring up that stupid wight hunt idea, etc. So, it kind of hints that the showrunners want to shock the audience at any cost and sometimes even at the cost of character inconsistency and therefore, if they decide that Dany burning Jon would add the shock value or Jon comming out of the flames as Aegon Targarian would make a good TV, we will have to cope with that.
Finally (and after more than week since the S7 finale aired), here’s the review from Alt Shift X. Very good as always – Enjoy 😉
Black Raven,
I just watched Ozzy Man’s “Making of” video. It really makes you appreciate the hours of work he puts into his synchronized, rapid-fire summary.
I get the feeling other reviewers just take some notes and start talking.
And you’re right: some group discussions can go on and on – and even last longer than the episode itself – without any real insights.
I wish Luka and Petra would do a video version of their Glass Candle commentaries…
Ten Bears,
Ozzyman really puts a lot of effort into making his reviews. He’s certainly a perfectionist as can be seen in his video making the Ep7 recap. Him along with Alt Shift X are my favorites.
Yeah, I find some of those video reviews with two or more people babbling on for an hour or more is really grim! I’m sure some of those guys consider themselves as ‘wannabe actors’, comedians, talk show hosts and so forth, but who know they will never make it into show business and use the internet (YouTube) as an outlet to fulfill their dreams! Some of them are real douchebags and think they are cool clowning around on a webcam. but hearing some of the crap they come out with IMHO is pretty puerile!
Yes, For Petra and Luka to do their Glass Candle Dialogues as a video would be great. Not sure how they could do that as Luka is in Spain and Petra in the US. Perhaps over Skype or Team-Viewer with a webcam recording one end of the discussion which can also show the screen of the other participant in the discussion? Perhaps the mods will pick up this post and be able do something along those lines?
This is off topic – I watched (for the nth time) your favorite western ‘The Outlaw Josey Wales) a couple if nights ago. I love this movie. As like GoT, I can watch reruns over and over again and never get tired of it… Here’s some classic lines which I’m sure you know… ?
[confronted by a group of Bluecoats]
Josey Wales: Are you gonna pull those pistols or whistle Dixie?
—
Carpetbagger: Your young friend could use some help.
[holds up a bottle of patent medicine]
Carpetbagger: This is it… one dollar a bottle. It works wonders on wounds.
Josey Wales: Works wonders on just about everything, eh?
Carpetbagger: It can do most anything.
Josey Wales: [spits tobacco juice on the carpetbagger’s coat] How is it with stains?
—
Laura Lee: Kansas was all golden and smelled like sunshine.
Josey Wales: Yeah, well, I always heard there were three kinds of suns in Kansas, sunshine, sunflowers, and sons-of-bitches.
—
Josey Wales: You be Ten Bears?
Ten Bears: I am Ten Bears.
Josey Wales: I’m Josey Wales.
Ten Bears: I have heard. You are the grey rider. You would not make peace with the Bluecoats. You may go in peace.
Josey Wales: I reckon not. I got no place else to go.
Ten Bears: Then you will die.
Josey Wales: I came here to die with you. Or to live with you.
a bit later:
Ten Bears: These things you say we will have, we already have.
Josey Wales: That’s true. I ain’t promising you nothing extra. I’m just giving you life and you’re giving me life. And I’m saying that men can live together without butchering one another.
Ten Bears: It’s sad that governments are chiefed by the double tongues. There is iron in your words of death for all Comanche to see, and so there is iron in your words of life. No signed paper can hold the iron. It must come from men. The words of Ten Bears carries the same iron of life and death. It is good that warriors such as we meet in the struggle of life… or death. It shall be life.
John will never make his origin public!
I just realized, if John’s parentage becomes public then Ned Stark will be knows as a traitor. Traitor who hid real contender for iron throne safe from Robert!
John and Stark children will never let their beloved father be known as traitor…