HBO's Game of Thrones

[Paperback Writer]

Get caught up on your dvrs, everyone.

Spoiler for "Where to begin??:

OK that episode was awesome and epic. First item of business-- Jon Snow meeting with Stannis? Awesome. I'm liking Jon Snow's plot arc better and better all the time. Second-- Tyrion aided in escape by Lord Varys? Swish! If that wasn't awesome enough, going all Bushwick Bill on Shea and Twin before skipping town in a milk crate? Now that's gangsta. Third-- we are treated to a season-closing shot of Danaerys closing the door on her dragoons thrashing against their chains and brandishing their teeth. Swish! One thing I didn't swish on at all was Aryn NOT mercy killing the Hound after he got treated to a thrashing at the hands of "the big bitch." Now that's cold. She just might make it, after all.

Spoiler for "The immortal Cleganes...:

Why can't Geroge R. R. Martin or the GOT HBO writers actually kill a Clegane?! We're left with the Mountain becomming a possible Frankenstein in Qyburn's OR and the Hound begging to be killed in the Highlands of the Vale.

[Commando]

Spoiler for "The immortal Cleganes...:

Why can't Geroge R. R. Martin or the GOT HBO writers actually kill a Clegane?! We're left with the Mountain becomming a possible Frankenstein in Qyburn's OR and the Hound begging to be killed in the Highlands of the Vale.

Spoiler for right:

I forgot to address that point. The unorthodox doctor that is giving Gregor a blood transfusion or whatever is going to save the Mountain. That is disheartening (seriously- eff that guy), but he said he will be changed. I don't know what that means, but I don't think it will be a good thing for Cersei.

[ewth8tr]

[QUOTE=Paperback Writer;1103279]

Spoiler for The immortal Cleganes...]
Why can't Geroge R. R. Martin or the GOT HBO writers actually kill a Clegane?! We're left with the Mountain becomming a possible Frankenstein in Qyburn's OR and the Hound begging to be killed in the Highlands of the Vale.[/spoiler][/QUOTE]

[Spoiler="The Mountain:

as far as the mountain is concerned, the show's writers are going away from what Martin did in the books.

[SandYFan]

The last time we heard "He will be different" was with Drogo, and came out the other side a zombie.

[Commando]

The last time we heard "He will be different" was with Drogo, and came out the other side a zombie.

good point. However, I'm not sure what this dr.'s motivations are, other than saving his life, which wasn't the case at all with Drogo's "dr."

[SandYFan]

What exactly is Stannis' plan? Protect his* kingdom from the White Walker invasion, yes. Does he want to protect it from the Wilding invasion, as well? If so, why not just kill them all and burn the bodies? He definitely has the upper hand here.

[Paperback Writer]

What exactly is Stannis' plan? Protect his* kingdom from the White Walker invasion, yes. Does he want to protect it from the Wilding invasion, as well? If so, why not just kill them all and burn the bodies? He definitely has the upper hand here.

I doubt Stannis' new-found army captured all the Wildings/free people that were marching on the wall. So unless he want to commit his soldiers to black-watch duties, he's probably better served to have the Wildings who are willing to submit fealty to him and help them settle south of the Wall. Stannis has to press his claim as the rightful king of Westeros. Protecting the realm against the Wilding army helps his cause. One would have expected King Tommen and the Lannisters to do that or their wards in the North - the Boltons. I would guess Stannis' plan is to now get the various houses in the North to swear fealty to him and then attempt to do the same in the Riverlands and the Vale. If one hasn't figured it out yet, just about everyone hates the Lannisters including their supposed allies, the Tyrells of the Reach.

[MarkGrace]

Skeletons climbing out of the ground and some mysterious chick throwing magic little bombs. Ugh, I hate that shit. Everything else was kick ass awesome though.

So the chick that gives birth to smoke monsters is going to end up being Jon Snow's mom, right? This is not an invitation for a book reader to make some dumb comment. TIA.

[Flystripper]

Skeletons climbing out of the ground and some mysterious chick throwing magic little bombs. Ugh, I hate that shit. Everything else was kick ass awesome though.

So the chick that gives birth to smoke monsters is going to end up being Jon Snow's mom, right? This is not an invitation for a book reader to make some dumb comment. TIA.

How did you come to that conclusion? I think what is more likely is that she will be obsessed with the power of his blood. She already tried to sacrifice one king's bastard in Gendry. Jon snow represents another opportunity. I am not answering this as a book reader since in the books she never encounters Gendry.

[Commando]

So the chick that gives birth to smoke monsters is going to end up being Jon Snow's mom, right? This is not an invitation for a book reader to make some dumb comment. TIA.

That would be a cool twist, but I don't think so. Has to be someone Ned Stark would have boned. A Targaryen? I'm thinking it probably has to be someone with ruling implications.

[ewth8tr]

That would be a cool twist, but I don't think so. Has to be someone Ned Stark would have boned. A Targaryen? I'm thinking it probably has to be someone with ruling implications.

I've always suspected it was a Targaryen as well.

[MarkGrace]

How did you come to that conclusion? I think what is more likely is that she will be obsessed with the power of his blood. She already tried to sacrifice one king's bastard in Gendry. Jon snow represents another opportunity. I am not answering this as a book reader since in the books she never encounters Gendry.

Their long exchange seemed to foreshadow something between the two. What you say makes more sense.

[SandYFan]

That would be a cool twist, but I don't think so. Has to be someone Ned Stark would have boned. A Targaryen? I'm thinking it probably has to be someone with ruling implications.

Is it 100% established that Jon is Ned's son?

[MarkGrace]

Is it 100% established that Jon is Ned's son?

Still awaiting the results of the paternity test in Winterfell.

[woot]

Cool episode overall, but I was reminded of the first season in that it felt a bit like an executive summary of the story rather than a telling of it. Even if it required 18-24 months between seasons, I wish they had allowed more episodes per season. Stannis' entire plot this season: episode 3, decide to ask the Iron bank for a loan; episode 6: ask the Iron bank for a loan; episode 10: invade Westeros with an enormous army. It's just very thin. We don't know much at all about his character and whether we should be rooting for him, which is perhaps the point but largely ignoring him doesn't seem a good way to maintain that mystery.

The motivation behind the Hound-Brienne fight also seemed very thin. Perhaps that was also intended, to portray the ease with which misunderstanding can lead to bloodshed in this world, but I didn't find it satisfying.

I have been expecting magic to become more prominent, but was surprised that they went full-D&D with it. Daring, but especially when the lightning bolts and fire balls are being thrown by a cute fairy druid child at stereotype level 1 RPG skeletons, it ended up feeling suddenly like a child's bedtime story. I'm glad to see a serious show taking on such fantasy elements, but think some context would really have helped it not seem silly. To me, it risks further trivializing all of the major plotlines, already trivialized somewhat by the Boss Zombie Demon who has manufactured a necromancer army currently marching on Westeros. So now it might end up being necromancers vs wizards for the world, with the humans teaming up with one or the other or perhaps just waiting it out. I think we really need to learn something positive about white walkers, and I'm hoping the druid folks end up having some sinister intentions. It'd be a shame for a story so comfortable residing in gray areas to end up as good vs evil in the end. Perhaps Melisandre wields similar power and will complicate it at least.

I do like that Dany is running into trouble now. GRRM isn't comfortable with the idea of a righteous leader making perfect choices and not finding unexpected consequences, and Dany's story seemed for a moment to be one of the white westerner saving the brown people from their own backwardness on her way to greater things. Regardless of good intentions, it's not possible to rule without pissing off a large portion of the ruled, and it's nice to see that bit of nuance portrayed.

Regarding Jon Snow's parentage, I've been wondering if he's actually not Ned's kid, but rather the offspring of Rhaegar and Lyanna. He's said to look very much like Ned, more so than the other Stark boys, but perhaps Lyanna being his mother could explain that? I've started reading the books again but am not far along so my theory probably has other problems. But if this were true it would allow Dany and Jon to get married and restore Targaryen rule over the 7 kingdoms, with Tyrion acting as hand or something. Too happy an ending for Martin, I assume.