Winter is Coming (GoT is back)

[SoLongAtlas]

I was going to comment, but Dany asked me to bend the knee.

IAS, that stream turned into a trench in a split second.

[dead0man]

IAS, that stream turned into a trench in a split second.

yeah, no sh**t and how the hell can Bronn unpack, set up, load and fire this "brand new" weapon, all by himself, in about 14 seconds?  Sure, he most certainly was introduced to it with Jamie, perhaps even shown how it's done....but there is no way they planned on him using it so there is no way he would have been practicing setting it up and firing it.


This is where I'm drawing the line GoT, I'm out!


jk

[Mr. Morden]

IAS, that stream turned into a trench in a split second.

I found this on Reddit:

https://i.redd.it/duwqxescs9ez.jpg

[Frodo]

What does everyone think happened with Bronn and Jaime after they took that plunge into that river to escape that dragonfire?  Were they fished out and captured by Daenerys' forces later on? 

[dead0man]

I think Jamie gets away and Bronn gets captured.

[7,052,770]

I predict that Bronn willingly switches to Daenerys's side, and Jamie becomes prisoner.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Jamie's good at getting captured, so that's almost certainly what will happen. I don't see Bronn abandoning his bromance with Jamie unless Dany gives him a castle right away which won't happen tonight. My guess is that Jamie gets traded for Yara, tho whether that happens tonight or next week depends on what all happens tonight.

[Blue3]

Bronn's bromance is more with Tyrion, who is also there... and Bronn is ultimately a sellsword, and a pragmatic one, he declined Tyrion's offer to be his champion during the trial by combat.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Bronn's bromance is more with Tyrion, who is also there... and Bronn is ultimately a sellsword, and a pragmatic one, he declined Tyrion's offer to be his champion during the trial by combat.

But that was way back when the show was still trying to be an adaptation of the books as opposed to...well...whatever it is now.

[Blue3]

If Arya kills Sansa...

[JA]

*Spoiler Alert*

Gilly unintentionally revealed that Rhaegar married Lyana, thus making Jon snow not a bastard, but the legitimate King of the Iron Throne

[Frodo]

What does everyone think happened with Bronn and Jaime after they took that plunge into that river to escape that dragonfire?  Were they fished out and captured by Daenerys' forces later on? 

Well, so much for that. 

[dead0man]

I think Jamie gets away and Bronn gets captured.

I was half right!

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

I've never rage-quit an episode of a show before, but that Arya-Sansa scene was sooooooooooo awful.

[SoLongAtlas]

Watched the leaked version of episode 6 last night. Very good episode, you will not be disappointed. Let's just say that the game has changed considerably and one fan theory was right.

[SoLongAtlas]

Watched the leaked version of episode 7 last night. Very good episode, you will not be disappointed. Let's just say that the game has changed considerably and one fan theory was right.

Episode 7's leaked?

Yes, Spain accidentally aired it on HBO ahead of time and ppl just recorded that from their computers, etc. The leaked version is high quality 720 or 1080p. They didn't include all the credits but the leak is top notch audio and video.

[Tender Branson]

Watched the leaked version of episode 7 last night. Very good episode, you will not be disappointed. Let's just say that the game has changed considerably and one fan theory was right.

Episode 7's leaked?

Yes, Spain accidentally aired it on HBO ahead of time and ppl just recorded that from their computers, etc. The leaked version is high quality 720 or 1080p. They didn't include all the credits but the leak is top notch audio and video.

Episode 6, not 7.

[SoLongAtlas]

Yeah, sorry, meant to say 6, fixed it above. Ep. 7's plot line has leaked as well if you want to Google it. Someone posted it online and I read it but won't spoil it here (but score many times for the fan theories).

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Watched the leaked version of episode 6 last night. Very good episode, you will not be disappointed. Let's just say that the game has changed considerably and one fan theory was right.

We must've watched a different episode then, because what I saw was FUBAR.  Actually, I think I know what you're referring to and in fairness, that part was pretty cool.  That being said, without spoiling anything, let me just say that some of the Winterfell scenes, especially the one where Sansa finds Arya's bag were easily among the worst in the show's history.  Not even the acting could elevate that mess.  We're talking "you want a good girl, but need a bad pussy" level bad writing and the characterization of several of the major characters (one in particular) was arguably the worst in the entire history of the show, effectively turning several key protagonists (at least for this episode) into obnoxious idiots with so little resemblance to their characters (show or book version, take your pick) that they might as well be OCs from a bad fanfic who just happened to share a name with someone in GoT/ASOIAF.  

And I know internal consistency isn't exactly the show's bread and butter at this point which is fine, but these scenes threw everything we know about major characters out the window for no reason (and it couldn't even stay consistent with what happened earlier in the episode regarding one plot point).  It's not like you can even go "Okay, the Winterfell stuff didn't work at all, but I guess I can understand why they made that creative choice."  Unless you're one of those conspiracy theorists who believes D&D are literally writing a fanfic whose plot is just an excuse to make characters they like into Mary Sues (or Villain Sues in a few cases) while turning the ones they don't like into some sort of Westrosi Ron the Deatheater (see TV tropes).  

I find it hard to believe that D&D are deliberately doing that, but some of the creative choices they've after running out of BookVerse material really make you wonder if Martin didn't just say "here's a one sentence description of where everybody is at the end" and D&D have been forced to just make the rest up as they go (actually, this would explain a lot tbh, especially if D&D are talented enough writers to adapt the material, but not talented enough to constantly develop high quality borderline-original content in that verse).

While the Winterfell stuff kinda ruined the episode for me (it was really that bad), I will say that the battle beyond the wall was pretty good and I expect most will really enjoy this episode for that reason alone.  There is also a great twist that won't happen in the books, but should be so cool that even I'm pretty d*** excited about it.  

I think this is one of those episodes where if you mainly come for the acting, battles, and incredible effects, you'll love it (nothing wrong with that btw).  If you come mainly b/c you're invested in the characters, the political aspect, or the plot/writing, you'll react more like I did.  I also imagine you'll see a rather divergent reaction between folks who've only seen the show and folks who've read the books (like me).  Ultimately, the show is the show and the books are the books.  There are legitimate arguments for both being better, especially before the show passed the books.  Anyway, I hope folks enjoy it more than I did.  Despite my feelings about the episode, I'm still gonna watch it tonight b/c the stuff it did well was so much fun.

[Mr. Morden]

Looks like production on Season 8 will start even later in the year than production on Season 7 started last year:

http://collider.com/game-of-thrones-season-8-filming-date/#premiere-date

This raises the possibility that Season 8 won't actually be ready for broadcast by next July.  The postproduction might not be done by then.  But if it slips much later than that, then are they really going to put the show up on Sunday nights against football?  I think if they're going to push it into September or later, then you've got to think about switching to a different night of the week.  Alternatively, they hold it back until February 2019, when the football season is over....

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Looks like production on Season 8 will start even later in the year than production on Season 7 started last year:

http://collider.com/game-of-thrones-season-8-filming-date/#premiere-date

This raises the possibility that Season 8 won't actually be ready for broadcast by next July.  The postproduction might not be done by then.  But if it slips much later than that, then are they really going to put the show up on Sunday nights against football?  I think if they're going to push it into September or later, then you've got to think about switching to a different night of the week.  Alternatively, they hold it back until February 2019, when the football season is over....

Don't tell me that.  Let me live I denial a little longer

[Blue3]

That will be remembered on par with Ned's death.

 Finally White Walkers and Wrights versus Dragons... and while the Dragons cause great initial damage, it looks like the Night King was EXPECTING the dragons, even allowing Jon's plan to unfold and use him and Jorah as bait for Dany. He knew it was coming. He was waiting. He knew the dragon would show up. It was all part of his plan.

 And not how fans thought a Dragons versus White Walkers battle would go, which makes you wonder about the endgame.


 RIP to Uncle Benjen and Thoros, as well.



 Oh and Arya is totally psychotic. I hated Sansa in season 1, and was "meh" on her until around Lysa's death and she manipulated the Lords of the Vale. But come on. This isn't even close. Arya is threatening her sister with death. Sansa is reverting a bit back to her spoiled self as well, but it's not even close.

[Spamage]

That will be remembered on par with Ned's death.

 Finally White Walkers and Wrights versus Dragons... and while the Dragons cause great initial damage, it looks like the Night King was EXPECTING the dragons, even allowing Jon's plan to unfold and use him and Jorah as bait for Dany. He knew it was coming. He was waiting. He knew the dragon would show up. It was all part of his plan.

 And not how fans thought a Dragons versus White Walkers battle would go, which makes you wonder about the endgame.

I completely agree about him expecting the dragons, there was no adverse reaction at all to their appearance (and we've seen that they do have emotions, I remember him laughing after Hardhome).

What I wonder is how the undead Viserion will work. Will he breathe an ice wind? Or nothing at all? I doubt fire would work particularly well.

[Blue3]

So if White Walkers can kill a dragon so easily (and in fact, it seems like they were waiting for a Dragon to show up this whole time)... then what is the Endgame??? Everyone dies? Tell Arya that Night King is Sansa?

[Mr. Morden]

So if White Walkers can kill a dragon so easily (and in fact, it seems like they were waiting for a Dragon to show up this whole time)... then what is the Endgame??? Everyone dies? Tell Arya that Night King is Sansa?

They telegraphed the endgame in this very episode: Someone assassinates the Night King and since he's the Big Bad controlling all the baddies, the White Walker army crumbles without him.  Beric suggested that in this episode, and I'm assuming that that's how it plays out.  There are countless movies where this is how the good guys defeat a seemingly unstoppable sci-fi or fantasy enemy horde, by killing the brain of the enemy forces.

(Your comment about Arya may well be spot on, as she's a trained assassin now.  Heck, maybe she'll take the face of a White Walker in order to get close to the NK.  )

Having said that, I still think there might be some kind of weird twist to all of it, and that the good guys initially set out to assassinate the NK, but then something changes their plans.  Maybe Sam uncovers some info indicating that killing him would actually have terrible consequences, and instead of killing the White Walkers, they come up with a way to "cure" them and turn them back into normal humans(!).