Winter is Coming (GoT is back)

[RI]

I watched the first four of Season 5 yesterday.  One random thing I noticed in Episode 4 is that someone mentions dolphins and sharks.  This got me wondering, has anyone ever compiled a list of all real world animals that also exist in the GoT/ASoIaF universe?  I'm guessing they don't have kangaroos.

http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Bestiary

[RI]

I enjoyed episode one, thought episode two was a little underwhelming though the second half picked up a bit, and really loved episodes three and four.

The Shireen/Stannis scene in Ep4 is one of the best in the entire run of the show; the Wall scenes are outstanding in general. I'm actually liking Meereen more than I expected, and the KL plot is moving along pretty well. Lots of potential foreshadowing from all the talk about greyscale and the tons of R+L=J hints.

Probably the worst storyline for me at this point is the Brienne/Pod arc. I don't know what their purpose is at this point, and this talk of Brienne avenging Renly rather irritates me. Sansa's storyline intrigues me, however.

[RI]

The reaction hasn't actually been that strong, probably because the leaks gave people time to get over these things.

[RI]

The age of adulthood is 16 in the series, which Tommen has to be under or he could have named his own Hand. Tommen is likely either 14 or 15. Joffrey was supposed to be 19 in season 4 (officially 17 as of S2), so that age gap works and still gives room for Myrcella to be in the middle. Her new actress looks like she could be 16-17.

[RI]

Can't wait to (hopefully) see this Baratheon-Bolton showdown.

Hopefully they learned from GRRM's mistake of putting the climax of a story off until the next installment...

[RI]

Spoilers for Episode 5.

[RI]

It's not that it's 'shocking', it's that it's mean-spirited. The show's habit of having things like this happen is, obviously, extrapolated from the books, but the extent to which and scope with which the show extrapolates it are overblown to the point of coming across as frankly sickening. Whatever artistic point there is to this, it's been made.

I don't see it that way at all. It's a completely logical and narratively consistent outcome of the choices Sansa made (e.g. not going with Brienne, not lighting the candle, not taking up LF on turning down the wedding, going through with the wedding, not running away despite everyone in the North being on her side, etc.) and Ramsay's established character, and it will likely be the catalyst for several important events in the coming episodes including Theon turning on Ramsay, Sansa understanding that Winterfell is legitimately not safe after being told so, and perhaps even Pink Letter/Stannis/Brienne-related events. Once they started down the Sansa-Ramsay marriage thread, it was inevitable barring extremely drastic changes or really bad writing.

[RI]

I haven't read the books or any spoilers or anything, but there's like, literally, no chance that a TV show will feature a major character murdering his little girl by burning her alive. Even on Game of Thrones. I wouldn't worry about that at all.

There's a fair chance Selyse burns Shireen on her own.

[RI]

The internet's on fire over Episode 9. Hard to blame them, honestly.

[RI]

I'm not completely on the Stannis hate train. I loved Shireen, but consider the larger picture. R'hllor is as good as confirmed, and because of Ramsay's (ridiculous) raid, not only might Stannis fail to capture Winterfell, but if he is Azor Ahai as Mel says, then his failure also means the end of the world. If he loses, who mines the dragonglass? What other ruler in Westeros gives a rip about the coming White Walker invasion?

The rub is he's probably not Azor Ahai, though he probably leads Mel to the real Azor Ahai.

The show's choices for the throne are now a Lannister puppet, a man who just murdered his daughter for a small advantage or Dany.

Except, of course, the one person who may have a better claim than any of them and who probably is Azor Ahai.

[RI]

Some pics from E10 have started to leak, including one showing the death of a character alive in the books and a post-FTW shot.

[RI]

Wait, so has the TV show caught up with the book?9

Other than a couple of scenes, yes.

[RI]

They killed Bron

[RI]

There will be a season six teaser this Sunday night on HBO.

[RI]

I want Rickon to come back, and be a more grown up.

I want Lady Stoneheart to start killing Freys because they deserve it.

I want Lord Manderly to begin plotting the Stark return to power.

I want Aegon Targaryen to invade Westeros.

Is that too much to ask?

Rickon is likely back, LSH is not happening, Manderly probably not, and definitely no Aegon.

[RI]

I generally like the Aegon storyline, but it's completely unnecessary to include in the adaptation.

[RI]

New trailer for season six

[RI]

They're obviously setting up Dorne as an ally for Dany's invasion in a very quick fashion. I didn't mind it.

[RI]

Best episode since 3.9

[RI]

The trial by combat is verified in the last episode no?

It's questionable as to whether Cersei would actually deign to go through with such a spectacle.

[RI]

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.

What on earth are you talking about?

A) Cersei's actions have been foreshadowed for seasons

B) "one of the most fascinating and original characters in the show"

Who? Margaery? She was never going to win. Tommen? Loras? The High Sparrow? None of these characters were ever going to be important to the end game. All the KL stuff is a distraction, really.

C) " F**k whoever thought the viewers wanted more torture porn after the obscenity of season 5"

What are you talking about? Septa Unella? They didn't show anything at all there. Arya? There was no torture porn in S6E10.