Winter is Coming (GoT is back)

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

See, for me, Season 1 is the best, because it has great world building, characterization, and so many characters that I love get screen time.  My top 5 might include Bobby B, Ned, Bronn, Syrio, Varys - and they all get a ton of scenes in season 1.

In Season 5, I felt that most of the character scenes were weak, the plot was meandering, and the Dorne subplot was incomprehensible.

And I agree that Jonathan Pryce has been electric the past two seasons.

I think, though Game of Thrones has great set design, landscapes, and costumes that really help establish a sense of place, the single best aspect of the show is the acting of the character actors in the supporting cast.

You have Charles Dance, Mark Addy, Jonathan Pryce, Conleth Hill, Iain Glen, Diana Rigg, Stephen Dillane, and literally on and on and on.

The main cast is a slightly different story - I think Peter Dinklage is good but overrated, Kit Harrington was pretty bad at the beginning of the series, and Emilia Clarke has been bad up until very recently.  Lena Headey and NCW are very solid.

My favorite characters (show versions) are:

1. Arya
2. Roose
3. Joffrey
4. The Mannis (oddly enough I only liked the show version)
5. Alliser Thorne

One of these names is not like the others

6. Tywin (only like him on the show)
7. Lyanna Mormont
8. Robin Arryn
9. Qyburn (can't believe I forgot about him!)
10. Davos Seaworth

Honorable mention: the High Sparrow

[RaphaelDLG]

I can't believe I had a "top 5" without Stannis; he's possibly my favorite character.  I've watched the Stannis the Mannis the Movie hour and a half like three whole times before it was taken off youtube.

1) Ned
2) Stannis
3) Bobby B
4) Bronn
5) Varys
6) Syrio
7) Jon
Jamie
9) Davos
10) Jorah (I don't really like the character, just the acting is incredible, especially that one scene "after I have forgotten my mothers face, I will remember")

Hon. mention:  Really enjoy Tywin, Littlefinger scenes even though I hate them.  Lady Olenna is really good, as is the Hound, who could work his way up into the list.  I mean, the honorable mention category could be like 50 people long, as many characters as there are on the show.

It was really entertaining for me when Roose would talk to Ramsay in an extremely patronizing way, I always LMAO during those scenes. 

As far as this season goes, I'm really enjoying Qyburn acting like a creepy asshole while bumming around with Cersei and Frankenmountain; if he keeps it up, I might have to add him to my top 10 list.

[Citizen (The) Doctor]

One thing about "barely" having enough ships to take Dany's entourage to Westeros: Couldn't the ships make two trips if they have to?  Even half of her army would be plenty to at least hold onto some territory in Westeros where they could chill for a while.  Then send the ships back to get the rest.  How long would that take?  A few weeks?

It'd make for poor optics and that's apparently the only thing this show is about now.

I'd note that the whole luring Ramsay into the field thing makes sense but there is literally ZERO reason why Jon knowing about the Vale army would prevent that. You could do the exact same plan but with the Vale knights charging in 5 minutes earlier and have a much improved outcome for Team Stark.

As far as I can see the only reason to not do this was that they wanted a "cavalry arriving scene" for emotional gratification. Fcking morons.

See I would be inclined to agree with you about the overuse of the trope but it just seems too out-of-place for the script to specifically harp on Sansa not telling Jon if it was oversight. In the last episode they put a lot of emphasis on Sansa's tightlippedness during the scene when Jon questions her where more men are going to come from. Furthermore, Brienne calls her out on doing exactly that earlier on in the season. There's going to be an in-universe explanation for why Sansa was clammed up about Littlefinger, and I expect its going to lead to some rift between the Starks, especially if Sansa finds out that Jon is Lyanna's son, not Ned's.

[Mr. Morden]

So, looking ahead to the finale…usually with GoT season finales, they have scenes that check in with just about every storyline, but there’s only big plot movement in about two of them.  I guess the one that we’re all expecting to get the most screen time this time around is King’s Landing.  They’re building up to….something in that storyline.

I guess two of the most common predictions for the episode are: 1) Tommen dies (we know he’ll die eventually, because of the prophecy) and 2) Cersei uses wildfire to kill her enemies.

I have no idea if it’ll go this way, but if I was writing it, I would first have Cersei do something like use wildfire to just destroy the sept (killing all the Sparrows), not the whole city.  Then have Tommen confront her about it.  If he figures out that she’s the guilty party, he challenges her on why she would do something like that if she’s innocent, as her name could have been cleared in a trial.  Then, after pushing her on it, she admits that she’s not innocent, and it comes out that yes, she killed Robert, and no, Robert isn’t actually Tommen’s father.

That would be satisfying, for at least this viewer, if the uber-naive Tommen is actually confronted by the horrible-ness that is his mother, the fact that his own kingship is built on lies, and thousands of people fought in the various wars to secure the claim of both him and his brother, even though the throne shouldn’t have been theirs.  Have him face up to how awful his mother really is, and then have him reject her.  At which point….maybe he kills himself?  Then Cersei is faced with the fact that her only remaining son hated her in the end, and killed himself in despair all because of how her family was playing the game of thrones, and she burns down the rest of the city after having a mental breakdown.

[Mr. Morden]

Incidentally, speaking of the BwB, now that the Hound appears to be marching north with the BwB, does this spell trouble for Littlefinger?

By which I mean....let's say Littlefinger helps the Starks take Winterfell, and keeps working with them into next season, while scheming behind their backs.  The one thing that could screw up his plans would be if Sansa and Jon found out about the fact that he betrayed their father to Joffrey back in Season 1.  Luckily for him, most of the people who would know about that are dead, or (like Cersei) busy with other things and/or not seen as trustworthy by the Starks.  But there is one person who was in the throne room when the City Watch turned on Ned, and thus might have some understanding of Littlefinger's treachery, who *maybe* Sansa would listen to: The Hound.  And it looks like he might be in a position to reunite with her next season.

Bumping this spec just to add one thing: While the above is more of a Season 7 prediction, I'd say there is a tiny (very tiny) chance it could come up next week if Brienne does run into the BwB.  I suppose, if that happens, Brienne could have a chat with the Hound about what's been happening since she almost murdered him, and she'd mention that she's in the Riverlands to recruit for Sansa, whose only other option is Littlefinger, at which point the Hound could mention Littlefinger's betrayal of Ned in Season 1.

Highly unlikely that this'll happen, but if it does happen then you can call me a genius for having thought of it.

[Mr. Morden]

The soundtrack for Season 6 has been posted on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCebFNO-RCwbhoKXM8djIitA/videos

It includes tracks that haven't appeared on TV yet, because they're for the season finale.  The track titles give hints as to which storyline they'll appear in, but there's nothing super-spoilery, like "Tyrion dies" or "Dany marries Yara".

[Bacon King]

If Cersei wildfires something I doubt it'll be anything more than the Sept of Baelor (or maybe the Red Keep, but I don't know why she would (I'm just thinking about Dany's vision in the House of the Undying here)). Earlier in the season when Bran was tripping with visions from the past/present/future, there were several flashes with visions of a dragon's shadow passing over King's Landing so I assume the city will still be intact when she finally gets there.

I think we the viewers are going to learn about Jon's true parentage (R+L=J) via Bran witnessing the rest of the Tower of Joy scene (perhaps with exposition/corroboration from Benjenhands). I don't see how Jon would definitively find out himself, though. I don't know what could be in the crypts that would reveal his parentage yet somehow remained unknown until now, and even if someone like Littlefinger knew I don't think Jon would have reason to believe it without any corroborating evidence

[Enduro]

I'm expecting the wall to fall.

[Gustaf]

It seems like they kind of have to expose the R+L =J concept this episode, it's been building up for too long.

[Mr. Morden]

It seems like they kind of have to expose the R+L =J concept this episode, it's been building up for too long.

I was thinking….what if the episode confirms via Bran-vision or some other means that not only is R+L=J, but that Lyanna and Rhaegar married before Jon’s birth, meaning that Jon is the Targaryen heir, ahead of Dany in the line of succession?  Do this near the end of the episode, just before cutting to a final shot of Dany and her entourage setting sail for Westeros.

Thus, the episode creates a dramatic irony at the end: Just as Dany finally gets on her way to claim her “rightful” place on the throne, we, the audience, are finally clued in to the fact that her claim is complete B.S.  Thus, reinforcing the notion that it’s all B.S.  The “correct” ruler is whoever people believe is the correct ruler, based on whatever story they tell themselves.

[Mr. Morden]

One other finale prediction: I’m guessing that there’s a good chance that we’ll have a scene checking in with Sam?  I mean, at some point he’s got to reach Oldtown, right?  I’m wondering if they saved Sam’s arrival in Oldtown for the finale because he’s actually going to discover something pretty interesting about the White Walkers there right off the bat?  Something that’s finale-worthy, that’ll provide a good tease for next year.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

One other finale prediction: I’m guessing that there’s a good chance that we’ll have a scene checking in with Sam?  I mean, at some point he’s got to reach Oldtown, right?  I’m wondering if they saved Sam’s arrival in Oldtown for the finale because he’s actually going to discover something pretty interesting about the White Walkers there right off the bat?  Something that’s finale-worthy, that’ll provide a good tease for next year.

I hope not, there's really no time.

[Bacon King]

One other finale prediction: I’m guessing that there’s a good chance that we’ll have a scene checking in with Sam?  I mean, at some point he’s got to reach Oldtown, right?  I’m wondering if they saved Sam’s arrival in Oldtown for the finale because he’s actually going to discover something pretty interesting about the White Walkers there right off the bat?  Something that’s finale-worthy, that’ll provide a good tease for next year.

I hope not, there's really no time.

It's going to be the longest episode the show's ever had...

[Bacon King]

also regarding the earlier discussion about the last episode I found this explanation compelling:

https://www.reddit.com/r/asoiaf/comments/4pp0yz/spoilers_everything_jons_story_in_battle_of_the/

[Mr. Morden]

One other finale prediction: I’m guessing that there’s a good chance that we’ll have a scene checking in with Sam?  I mean, at some point he’s got to reach Oldtown, right?  I’m wondering if they saved Sam’s arrival in Oldtown for the finale because he’s actually going to discover something pretty interesting about the White Walkers there right off the bat?  Something that’s finale-worthy, that’ll provide a good tease for next year.

I hope not, there's really no time.

At present, the White Walkers’ motivations seem pretty boring.  I guess they just want to spread winter as far as possible and assimilate any humans along the way?  And as far as being able to beat them…doesn’t seem that complicated if you have dragons.  You can just burn the zombies from the air.  That won’t work with the White Walkers themselves, but there are only so many of them, and they can be beaten with dragon glass and Valyrian steel.  Also, with Tyrion advising her to temper her worst instincts, Dany doesn’t seem like such a bad option to take the throne right now.  She can come into Westeros and defeat the White Walkers without much difficulty, as long as she has those dragons.

And so, if we’re just going to end the season with her setting sail for Westeros with no additional wrinkle being added, then I’m kind of annoyed.  It then seems too easy.  OTOH, if there’s a twist, such that the cure for the WWs is revealed to be worse than the disease, or that the WWs are really after dragons and Dany is walking into a trap, or their motivations are far different from what we’ve been led to believe in a way that makes the story more interesting…*that* would be an interesting hook for next season, IMHO.  We could get that from Sam in Oldtown, or from Bran’s visions, or somewhere else.  But I hope we get something like that.

[The Other Castro]

I think they'll show Sam getting to Oldtown just in time for the Maesters to declare that Winter has come, and they send word to Kings Landing. Then Pycelle finds out, and we get the epilogue from ADWD.

[Blue3]

Imagine we see Daenerys set sail near the beginning or middle of the episode... then (timejump!) the last scene is her setting foot on Westeros as the sun sets, with King's Landing burning with emerald flames in the distance... but then it begins to snow and a years-long night begins.

[DINGO Joe]

Didn't Euron claim to have the Dragonbinder in the TV show?  If I'm not just imagining details from the books into the show (which sadly I frequently have trouble with) then Euron will obviously make some type of attempt to hijack the dragons.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Didn't Euron claim to have the Dragonbinder in the TV show?  If I'm not just imagining details from the books into the show (which sadly I frequently have trouble with) then Euron will obviously make some type of attempt to hijack the dragons.

No, there's been no mention of it.

[DINGO Joe]

Didn't Euron claim to have the Dragonbinder in the TV show?  If I'm not just imagining details from the books into the show (which sadly I frequently have trouble with) then Euron will obviously make some type of attempt to hijack the dragons.

No, there's been no mention of it.

It figures.  I guess there are 3 different versions of GoT, the book, the show, and whatever my brain chooses to latch onto.

[Blue3]

My predictions

Winterfell
 -aftermath of battle
 -Jon and Sansa decide to trust one another
 -Jon helps Sansa kill Littlefinger when he oversteps his bounds (Littlefinger can be blinded by love/obsession and be compulsive then, that's his weakness)
 -Davos and Melisandre showdown, one of them leaves, probably Davos
 -someone might proclaim Jon as the King in the North

The Twins
 -someone attacks the Freys by surprise (could be Arya, could be someone with a heart of stone, could be the Brotherhood with the Hound)
 -not sure if Jaime lives, but probably

The Wall
 -Bran crosses the Wall
 -the Wall comes down
 -unsure of Benjen's fate
 -Bran sees into the Tower of Joy, and leans R+L=J

King's Landing
 -Loras repents and is forgiven
 -Cersei doesn't show up to her trial
 -Wildfire destroys the Sept and all the Tyrells and Sparrows in it (including the High Sparrow, Margaery, Loras, Mace Tyrell, Pycelle, Kevan Lannister, Septa Unella, etc.)
 -Tommen, who was forced to stay in the Red Keep by the Mountain, confronts his mother, learns the truth about how she did kill King Robert and how Jaime is his father, and dies to spite her
 -Cersei loses her mind, cackling madly on the Iron Throne while she and the rest of King's Landing go up in flames instead of fleeing with Qyburn since Tommen is now dead

Highgarden or Dorne
 -Varys enacts a deal with Margaery's grandmother, Ellaria and the Sandsnakes, and Euron Greyjoy... but it might not be for Daenerys

Meereen
 -Daenerys sets sail for Westeros with Tyrion and Theon at her side, along with the hordes of Dothraki and legions of Unsullied in the Ironborn's Fleet






And my how they've grown...

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

The Starks send their regards

[Citizen (The) Doctor]

That was the best payoff episode I think I've ever watched.

[The Other Castro]

Wow. That's all I have to say.

[Mr. Morden]

Biggest unanswered question: Does Meera have the upper body strength to carry Bran over the Wall?