Winter is Coming (GoT is back)

[RINO Tom]

That was the best episode of the series so far.

[RINO Tom]

OK, I finally saw the season finale two days ago.

F**k this show, f**k the screenwriters, and f**k Martin if he had anything to do with that cynical, lazy, faux-edgy SHOCKING development. F**k whoever thought it was a good idea to kill off one of the most fascinating and original characters in the show. F**k whoever thought the viewers wanted more torture porn after the obscenity of season 5, and f**k the viewers who did indeed want more of it.

You know what pisses me off the most? It's not how exploitive, self-indulgent and immature-while-pretending-to-be-mature the show can be. There are plenty of sh*tty shows that are like that. What I hate about this show is that, despite all these flaws, it still manages to be an excellent show in other ways. Still makes me care about all the characters in it, want to see the good prevail and the evil be destroyed. I wish I wasn't so invested in Arya, Sansa, Jon, Bran, Meera, Olenna, Tyrion, Varys and Asha. I wish I wasn't so invested in seeing Cersei and Littlefinger get their comeuppance. But I am, and that means I'll keep watching this f**king show and have to keep put up with all the filth it throws at us.

Yes, I realize that I'm just whining here.

Oh, for 's sake, dude.

That episode was flawless.

[RINO Tom]

Holy shlt, I had a pit in my stomach the whole time, haha.  What an ending.  It's a weird, sinking feeling now that everyone is in Westeros; you didn't have to choose between people like Jaime and Daenerys dying previously (neither of those things has definitively happened, didn't spoil anything ... it's just that they're enemies in a battle that's coming to a head), but now push is coming to shove.  I was legitimately stressed watching that last battle scene.

[RINO Tom]

After bingeing several YouTube videos before season 7 started, I came across the idea that Bran was the Night King and shared it with my friends, who of course laughed it off.  I am glad to see it gaining some steam and legitimacy!

[RINO Tom]

After bingeing several YouTube videos before season 7 started, I came across the idea that Bran was the Night King and shared it with my friends, who of course laughed it off.  I am glad to see it gaining some steam and legitimacy!

All due respect, I'd put a $50 against a $10 that you're wrong.

Respect taken ... but look at that recast of the Night King.

[RINO Tom]

Loved the finale, great episode.  Will be a rough time waiting for that final season.  My plan is to rewatch everything this winter, as I barely remember the events of season one that aren't regularly referenced, LOL.

[RINO Tom]

The chains complaining was unbelievable, LOL.  They have literally ransacked every free folk town that was north of the Wall.  Every single one.  As this awesome Barstool Sports video pointed out, it's prefectly possible that the Night King was like, "Oh, sh**t; we might need those chains later.  Hey, dead zombie slaves, grab those."  We also haven't been shown "literal" timelines, and they could have walked back a few hours to get them, walked the few hours back to that lake and dragged the dragon out.  Stop complaining and enjoy the ride, people!

Of course, if my preferred "Bran is the Night King" theory holds up, the Night King planned that whole thing, and I think that's what happened anyway.

[RINO Tom]

Narratively, it seems rather unsatisfying if the only way for the White Walkers to pass through the wall was to rely on Team Humanity to go on this dumb mission whose only purpose was to prove that the White Walkers were a threat.  And I'd have the same objections if the "Bran inadvertently de-powers the Wall" theories were correct.  The White Walkers being a threat only because the humans make dumb mistakes doesn't work for me.

Of course, this gets at a problem with Jon's entire goal of uniting the human race against the WWs.  How does he even know that the WWs have a way to get past the Wall?  They haven't managed it for the past few years, so for all he knows, they don't have any way to do so.

So then, let's suppose that they didn't get through the Wall.  What is the plan of Team Humanity then?  Launch a massive pre-emptive strike against them (even though that could backfire, since that could lead to many more deaths, plus the possible loss of the remaining two dragons)?  Or just man the Wall in case of invasion, but otherwise wait and see (for years?  decades?) if the WWs manage to do anything?  How long do they put the war for the Iron Throne on hold while they wait around to see if the WWs do anything?  It's a moot point now that the Wall has come down, but they didn't know that it would come down when they were talking about this.

It just seems like Jon and co. have been taking it as a given that the WWs are very likely to take over the whole continent soon-ish, despite not really having any reason to believe that the Wall wouldn't stop them from doing so.

I appreciate the well-thought analysis, but I'm not sure this is fair.  The Night King is 10,000 years old and has clearly demonstrated a crazy amount of power.  I'd be scared shltless that, SOMEHOW, he was going to find a way through.  Maybe he has the army of the dead build a boat or two and they sail in from the side?  Maybe a World War Z situation arises and the army of the dead make a massive human pyramid to just get one of them inside one of the balcony things?  Also keep in mind that Jon witnessed a fairly dangerous assault on the wall by the Wildlings, so I imagine he just thinks that the Night King could provide it a lot more of a test.  LOL, I don't know, but I'd feel far from safe and content in Westeros knowing an ever-growing army of the dead was just north of a wall, no matter how good of a fortress it was.  I will agree that unless the Night King set a trap for Dany's dragons (I'm on board with this right now), then it is kind of suspect.