Game of Thrones Season 8 Discussion Thread

[GoTfan]

My big problem with the episode is that their "twist" is actually a punch in the balls. They've spent the last four-ish seasons basically Renly-ing most major power players in the South (Tyrells, Martells, High Sparrow, etc.) or just killing them off because they don't have a purpose (read: don't do anything, but can't make cock jokes). When all of this happened, I justified it as them just doing what they need to to get to the "real war, the White Walkers". Then they took that, ripped it to pieces, urinated on it, formed it into a paper machete fleshlight, ed it, then gave it back to me.

I don't really care whether you (not anybody in particular) liked the episode. It's just bad storytelling to pump up a threat for years and years and then squash it midseason.

I did the battle portion of the episode. It was a bit too dark at times, and I wish they actually killed people (Sam, Jaime, Brienne).

Mate, you literally said that people who liked the episode were stupid.

[RINO Tom]

My big problem with the episode is that their "twist" is actually a punch in the balls. They've spent the last four-ish seasons basically Renly-ing most major power players in the South (Tyrells, Martells, High Sparrow, etc.) or just killing them off because they don't have a purpose (read: don't do anything, but can't make cock jokes). When all of this happened, I justified it as them just doing what they need to to get to the "real war, the White Walkers". Then they took that, ripped it to pieces, urinated on it, formed it into a paper machete fleshlight, ed it, then gave it back to me.

I don't really care whether you (not anybody in particular) liked the episode. It's just bad storytelling to pump up a threat for years and years and then squash it midseason.

I did the battle portion of the episode. It was a bit too dark at times, and I wish they actually killed people (Sam, Jaime, Brienne).

Mate, you literally said that people who liked the episode were stupid.

No, I didn't.  In response to posters in this thread insinuating that people who didn't like it just weren't getting something/seeing what D&D were trying to do/missed the Arya foreshadowing/etc., they CERTAINLY aren't the ones who should be throwing out those accusations, because from what I have seen on the Internet ... if there ARE any stupid people here, they tended to be the ones who were defending the writing of the episode.  I did NOT say that people who liked it were all stupid.

Anyway, I am so sick of arguing about this episode with people, so here is my super simplified opinion on the writing: If you are going to kill the White Walkers in Episode 3 and focus on Cersei as the final villain, you need to devote a lot more (now clearly wasted) time in Episodes 1 and 2 diving a bit more into their backstory to properly build up for that final moment and pay off some of the build up with Bran "NEEDING" to become the Three Eyed Raven a bit more ... the reason it was "shocking" for Arya to kill the Night King then and there is because most people didn't feel ready for it story-wise, not because it was a brilliant twist.  I have no inherent issue with Cersei being the final villain, but it felt very rushed the way they disposed of the White Walkers.  The lore and higher mysteries were so heavily emphasized in the books and previous seasons that it just isn't going to sit well with a lot of people if you wrap them up in one episode and put 95% of the effort into the visuals (which were nothing short of phenomenal) and 5% into any sort of payoff for the mystery.  You can come at me with any sort of specific rebuttal (i.e., "The White Walkers are SUPPOSED to be mysterious!"), but there will always be a rebuttal back ("You can provide conclusion to a story line and still leave it mysterious, ala the finale to The Leftovers), and we would just go round and round.

I loved the episode until that ending, and I would have even been more than okay with that ending if it had been in Episode 5 ... I just hold the view that you either need to make the White Walkers the main threat or you need to delve into their back story in Episodes 1 and 2 ... they did neither, and I was disappointed, simple as that.

EDIT: This is kind of depressing to argue about ... we all love Game of Thrones.  When people critique it, they are - by and large - not just being haters.  They feel genuinely sad that a great show could have been even greater by sticking to its roots, and they feel betrayed to a degree.  Again, not saying we're right, but understand that we complain out of heartbreak, not out of pure disdain.

[GoTfan]

You literally said that people who liked it had a lower IQ.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

You literally said that people who liked it had a lower IQ.

The first step in fixing a problem is acknowledging it.

[GoTfan]

You literally said that people who liked it had a lower IQ.

The first step in fixing a problem is acknowledging it.

So because i liked the episode that makes me stupid?

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

You literally said that people who liked it had a lower IQ.

The first step in fixing a problem is acknowledging it.

So because i liked the episode that makes me stupid?

You gotta stop taking this stuff so personally.

[GoTfan]

You literally said that people who liked it had a lower IQ.

The first step in fixing a problem is acknowledging it.

So because i liked the episode that makes me stupid?

You gotta stop taking this stuff so personally.

Except that's exactly what's been said. Apparently, my IQ is lower than everyone else because I did like it.

[GoTfan]

You literally said that people who liked it had a lower IQ.

The first step in fixing a problem is acknowledging it.

So because i liked the episode that makes me stupid?

You gotta stop taking this stuff so personally.

Also, don't tell me to stop taking things personally when people have been threatening to kill me for liking this episode.

[Statilius the Epicurean]

The leaks for this episode. LMAO. Glad I'm not watching.

[Mr. Morden]

So is Euron going to pick up on the fact that Tyrion apparently knows about "his" baby?

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Ugh...that was an awful episode!

[Dereich]

So it looks more and more like they're going for the "mad queen" path for Daenerys, with an ultimate betrayal by Tyrion leading to her end. I don't like it. Putting aside whether or not its a satisfying ending for her arc, they've done an awful job setting it up. Even in this episode Dany is still making good decisions that you might expect to be emotionally difficult for her, like giving Robert's son Storm's End. The most questionable thing she did this episode was order the immediate march south, but even that had its proponents besides her. When Tyrion disagreed with her plan to attack King's Landing and sought negotiations, Dany agreed...which is how we got the end of the episode.

Where, exactly, is Varys getting his "you fear her and she's a terrible queen" thing? What has Dany actually done to warrant that? At this point, I'd argue that she hasn't and that when Tyrion and Varys suddenly but inevitably betray her in two episodes it'll feel rushed and  unnecessary.

This is to say nothing of the books where I think there's a good argument that GRRM will be building a "mad queen" angle and that the buildup starts with Dany's dreams after she fled Drogon at the end of aDWD. But none of that setup happened in the show.

Plus, on an unrelated note, I have NO idea how they think that Jon is clearly the better ruler. His last two leadership positions ended up with him 1) murdered by his subordinates because he took no heed of their strong feelings and did what he wanted ignoring them and 2) giving up his crown without considering the strong opinions of his subordinates or informing them of anything until it was a fait acompli and a foreign army was present to enforce it. Jon would not hesitate to ignore political reality/his nobles if he thought a course of action was correct. He'd make an awful winner of the iron throne.

[Dereich]

Ugh...that was an awful episode!

Also this. Though I'd say the first 10 minutes or so were great.

[Frodo]

It doesn't help that we can't see Arya and Sansa's reactions when Jon Bran tells them the truth of his parentage...   

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

What I don't like is that they continue to portray the good guys as stupid.  They should never have been surprised by Euron's fleet like that.  It's clear we're going to see Jamie killing Cersei now as he tries to atone for his past.  That'll probably happen next episode with the final episode seeing whether Jon, Dany, or someone else rules the Iron Throne.  It would be ironic if the end result were Gendry sitting there with Arya as Master of Whispers.

[Lumine]

Having read the leaks before the episode I was absolutely dreading it and found - to my surprise - it was better than expected and for the most part I did like it and found it a decent setup to what should be some entertaining final 2-3 hours. The actions of some characters remain very frustrating, but I think they're making a more decent job of conveying their reasoning or motivations than during the utter mess of Season 7, and that does count for something even if the military logic of the show is really painful to think about.

In my personal case I think the long period between Season 7 and Season 8 (and how disappointing Season 7 itself was) did help at lowering expectations, accepting how different the Show and Books are to each other and how difficult it would be for anyone to come up with three-four seasons of material based on an outline by Martin instead of actual books (which does not excuse abominations like Show Dorne, but has to be taken into account).

Episodes 1 and 2 actually significantly raised the low expectations I had as I found them very good, and since Episode 3 left me disappointed on its execution and ending (tense and engaging as it was to watch it) I appreciated this one perhaps because the manner in which the leaks were presented suggested something really horrible. What next episode does in particular with Tyrion, Jon and Daenerys (both in terms of the paths they take and what their motivations/reasons end up being) may well come to define whether I end up hating the way Season 8 executes its finale or whether I find it at least acceptable, if promising to be very inferior to what Martin's ending may actually be if ever written (and I'm doubting it will ever be).

[7,052,770]

I thought it was a pretty good episode most of the way through, but obviously Cersei would have just slaughtered them all at the end, right?

[windjammer]

I mean, Daenerys has always been a psychopath. Honestly this ending makes sense and I like it.

[Mr. Morden]

Screw Sansa. If she ends up on the throne or ends up living while Dany dies, I'm gonna be pissed. She'd be dead if it weren't for Daenerys.

If it wasn't for Daenerys, the White Walkers never would have gotten a zombie dragon, and they'd still be stuck north of the Wall, no?  I think Sansa would still be alive in that case.

[Blue3]

Screw Sansa. If she ends up on the throne or ends up living while Dany dies, I'm gonna be pissed. She'd be dead if it weren't for Daenerys.

If it wasn't for Daenerys, the White Walkers never would have gotten a zombie dragon, and they'd still be stuck north of the Wall, no?  I think Sansa would still be alive in that case.

That's more Jon's fault.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Also, they completely ruined Brienne’s character for cheap Jaime/Brienne shipping fanservice.  I literally said out loud while watching “no, this isn’t gonna be a thing that happens.  Not even D&D are that bad at writing.”  I guess they sure showed me

[Senator Incitatus]

This was one of the better episodes of the past few seasons.

[Senator Incitatus]

What I don't like is that they continue to portray the good guys as stupid.  They should never have been surprised by Euron's fleet like that.  It's clear we're going to see Jamie killing Cersei now as he tries to atone for his past.  That'll probably happen next episode with the final episode seeing whether Jon, Dany, or someone else rules the Iron Throne.  It would be ironic if the end result were Gendry sitting there with Arya as Master of Whispers.

The "good guys" are some of the more stupid characters, though. (At least in the show.)

[Rules for me, but not for thee]

This whole season feels like they cancelled the show and they have to tie everything up real fast. Like surviving Dothraki? Where are they? They all died in that useless charge. But supposedly some survived they said. And you never see them in the episode either. DERP!

Oh, ballistas can take out the dragons no problem? The fleet is also destroyed by them with a bunch more of the Unsullied. Dany should be well and truly f'ed because she can't get that dragon anywhere near any target now without some more deus ex machina. Oh maybe the rest of the invisible Dothraki died on the ships, or maybe they never were supposed to make a dumb initial charge into a line of beings that don't rout!

The plot train is fully of the rails and I'm only going to watch it explode at the bottom of the ravine. I just pray that GRRM finishes the books with the proper story ending.

[Dr Oz Lost Party!]

UGH. f*** D&D. They're destroying Dany's character after years of building her up.

Anyways, can anyone really blame Dany?  She's lost everyone she loves, learned her entire life was a lie, Sansa's b***h a** is still being ungrateful, and she sacrificed her entire army to save the lives of a people who still refuse to trust her. I hope she burns KL to the ground next week. D&D are just rushing this show to an end through shock factor, and I'm fed up with it. Perfect example of how to ruin a fantastic show.

Rant over.

Oh and #RipMissandei ❤️