The SONG OF ICE AND FIRE Thread

[Novak 1334]

Weak or not- i loved the musical score in the episode- simply beautifull.

Spoiler

mommy ?

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That was one of Season 5's strengths, the score was unbelievable

Spoiler

Ser Barristan's death and the burning of Stannis' daughter, the score was beautiful and heartbreaking

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[Magegg]

Weak or not- i loved the musical score in the episode- simply beautifull.

Spoiler

mommy ?

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That was one of Season 5's strengths, the score was unbelievable

Spoiler

Ser Barristan's death and the burning of Stannis' daughter, the score was beautiful and heartbreaking

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Spoiler

Barristan's death felt everything but Martin-esque :/

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[Novak 1334]

Weak or not- i loved the musical score in the episode- simply beautifull.

Spoiler

mommy ?

[close]

That was one of Season 5's strengths, the score was unbelievable

Spoiler

Ser Barristan's death and the burning of Stannis' daughter, the score was beautiful and heartbreaking

[close]

Spoiler

Barristan's death felt everything but Martin-esque :/

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The entire season so far has been a let down

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Barristan was my favourite character too, exiling Jorah (another favourite) made sense, but killing off Selmy just felt like the writers wanted pointless shock value

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[Magegg]

Spoiler

Barristan was my favourite character too, exiling Jorah (another favourite) made sense, but killing off Selmy just felt like the writers wanted pointless shock value

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Spoiler

I don't think it was shock value, but it just seemed like they needed to over-emphasize how much of a pisshole is Mereen. Seriously f**k that, Daenerys didn't even really react to the death of one of her most loyal men, the whole thing seemed to be shoved in just because...

I guess they needed something to "really happen" for the episode to feel like a worthy entrance and they couldn't imagine something else than killing a main character, but seriously, everything was pretty unconsequential. Daenerys should have unchained her dragons and flown up and away from there.

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[Valaquen]

I think this is no doubt the weakest season so far, it's quite notorious the quality decline now that the series is entering into the filler/forced/plot device/original material territory. Most of the Sparrows thing felt out of tone and out of place, the Sand Snakes thing is uninteresting, and having Daenerys still grounded at Mereen is quite boring and tedious and frustrating.

I blame the source material (though I disagree with your opinion, I think it's a great, measured season; the only thing I don't like is that the Dorne stuff was skinned in the middle part of the season: good opening, weak middle, great scenes last episode!).

Honestly, they've cut so much dross from the last two books in this season. GRRM said some time ago that those books would take 3 seasons to cover. Three seasons, three years of Brienne wandering around, Dany in Meereen, nobody getting anywhere...

As for Stannis, he's entrapped in a classic Trolley Problem -- he either sacrifices his daughter to save the realm, or he saves his daughter only to doom her and everyone else somewhere down the line. It's a terrible position, but as Stannis he has to be resolute to the end. It's a repellent act, but I thought the point of Hardhome -and it's a point many commentators claimed to have felt very deeply- was that winter is coming and the White Walkers aren't messing around. They will butcher everyone, including children, babies, et al. -- and Shireen!

The Abrahamic religions still laud Abraham for holding a knife over Isaac, and Abraham didn't have the fate of the world on his shoulders. Jephthah served up his only daughter as a burnt offering because God allowed him to defeat his enemies, the Ammonites, in return. Truman dropped the A-bomb on two cities to end a war that his supporters say would have killed millions more if he hadn't been willing to annihilate a few hundred thousand. These are the kinds of impossible moral dilemmas the show (and the books) are interested in presenting.

[DaddyYautja]

As for Stannis, he's entrapped in a classic Trolley Problem -- he either sacrifices his daughter to save the realm, or he saves his daughter only to doom her and everyone else somewhere down the line. It's a terrible position, but as Stannis he has to be resolute to the end. It's a repellent act, but I thought the point of Hardhome -and it's a point many commentators claimed to have felt very deeply- was that winter is coming and the White Walkers aren't messing around. They will butcher everyone, including children, babies, et al. -- and Shireen!

People seem to have forgotten he refused doing this before.
It wasnt until he was at the end of that road that he decided to go ahead.
At that point he was either going home not do anything ever again and have a huge debt, right? Or he was going to continue on.

Dont read the books so i dont know how it is there but in the show if Stannis goes home then there is no one going for the throne. I guess the show would be renamed Little Finger vs the High Sparrow because that would be the only two people going for that.

People have been complaining about Dany just sitting there doing nothing, right? Well with no Stannis we got everyone staying in place doing their own thing. We know that Jon is stuck on the Wall, Dorn is not going to do anything, what else do we have? We dont even have any more cool villains. The Boltons dont look like they care about anything but the North.

[That Yellow Alien]

I think this is no doubt the weakest season so far, it's quite notorious the quality decline now that the series is entering into the filler/forced/plot device/original material territory. Most of the Sparrows thing felt out of tone and out of place, the Sand Snakes thing is uninteresting, and having Daenerys still grounded at Mereen is quite boring and tedious and frustrating.

I blame the source material (though I disagree with your opinion, I think it's a great, measured season; the only thing I don't like is that the Dorne stuff was skinned in the middle part of the season: good opening, weak middle, great scenes last episode!).

Honestly, they've cut so much dross from the last two books in this season. GRRM said some time ago that those books would take 3 seasons to cover. Three seasons, three years of Brienne wandering around, Dany in Meereen, nobody getting anywhere...

As for Stannis, he's entrapped in a classic Trolley Problem -- he either sacrifices his daughter to save the realm, or he saves his daughter only to doom her and everyone else somewhere down the line. It's a terrible position, but as Stannis he has to be resolute to the end. It's a repellent act, but I thought the point of Hardhome -and it's a point many commentators claimed to have felt very deeply- was that winter is coming and the White Walkers aren't messing around. They will butcher everyone, including children, babies, et al. -- and Shireen!

The Abrahamic religions still laud Abraham for holding a knife over Isaac, and Abraham didn't have the fate of the world on his shoulders. Jephthah served up his only daughter as a burnt offering because God allowed him to defeat his enemies, the Ammonites, in return. Truman dropped the A-bomb on two cities to end a war that his supporters say would have killed millions more if he hadn't been willing to annihilate a few hundred thousand. These are the kinds of impossible moral dilemmas the show (and the books) are interested in presenting.

This guy gets it.

[Wrecktangle]

To anyone who's seen it, I desire a single finale spoiler.

LSH?

[Samayel]

To anyone who's seen it, I desire a single finale spoiler.

LSH?

Spoiler

No dice, I'm afraid; though another life-challenged character does make their debut.

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[Never say no to Panda!]

Spoiler

Some scenes felt a bit odd/rushed. I liked the opening. Snow melting away, but half of Stannis' men deserted, his wife killed herself...the remaining rest of his troops in a bad shape and demoralized, the march to the castle was a walk of shame as well (*cough* marching formation). Once again, no one likes Stannis and he's got nothing to loose, so move forward and don't look back. Bolton's "suprise" attack was nice as well (and saved budget). Didn't like the set up of the scene with Brienne. No Roose (wtf?) around, but her sneaking into a battle. But yeah, i'm okay with that since they need it for her story. I was hoping for a Ramsay torture session featuring Stannis but yeah...in some way Melissandre was right ("You will receive what is yours by right"). Guess i will miss him - though, you don't see her kill him / his dead body. She might trade him for Sansa.

Sansa...well, i guess  they tried to sell the jump as an act of desperation, suicide. Winter is here, so the snow will be quite deep and damp the impact.

I liked Arya's and Jaqen's scene. Same goes for the assassination of Ser Meryn Trant - but i will miss him, really love the actor. I'm running out of favorable characters.

Jaime's and Myrella's scene was good as well. I felt quite happy for Jaime, at least for a second. Vengeance incoming, maybe killing Trystane in rage mode? Even if not, finally a declaration for open war.

Tyrion takes over control of Meereen with his buddy Varys (one of the few "good guys" i like), Jorah and Daario ride into the sunset. Material for spinoff buddy TV shows. Scene with Drogon - i'm fine with that. In the beginning i thought they were on the Iron Island. The next scene felt odd once again. Suddenly a whole Dothraki army appears out of the nowhere, riding in cycles around her (Lord of the Rings, Hobbit anyone? ^^)...so what's that? Coincidence or prophecy once again? Hopefully not, have to think about it.

The Walk of Shame was okay, though i wonder that the mob no just overpowered her "protectors" and killed her. But yeah, not part of the story so just nitpicking. When she arrived the guards at the gate i wanted her to turn around going for a "Kill them all !" scene. Robert Strong and Cersei as Bioshock's Big Daddy and Little Sister - i buy it. Whatever, i'm wondering what the High Sparrow's plan is - releasing her was a bad plan since he can count for her vengeance. What i would love to see: The whole thing was just a scheme to get rid of the Tyrells. Cersei couldn't just kill Margaery, if the High Sparrow just executed her a few episodes ago everyone would know it was done by Cersei (her son, the king, wouldn't like that). Margaery is still imprisoned, now they can execute her and Loras - no one would blame House Lannister since the High Sparrow punished Cersei. She is known to act without thinking, ruled by emotions and the greed for power - this would be her first long term plan and the faith would be her tool/scapegoat. Like her father Tywin once did, using House Frey to do the dirty work.

At the wall. Benjen Stark alive, announced by your good buddies Olly and Alliser ...smells like ambush, what else. Finally it happened, Caesar is dead (for a moment). But i guess we haven't seen Lady Stoneheart because they wanted us to forget the fact that the Lord of Light can revice people. They have shown it before, but that was quite a while ago so most people won't remember it. With that option kept in mind it would have lessen the impact of the final scene. Whatever, coincidentally Mellisandre is around with some power left from Shireen's sacrifice...seems like Jon has got to burn Bolton's banners. But maybe we will see something else and they let him rest in peace - i would be fine with that.

In the end no real suprises, could've been better (longer!) but i'm kinda satisfied. Mainly because i got enough new stuff to think about. Favourite scene: "It's not going to be a siege, your grace." Least favourite season so far, hoping for a good 6th season.

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[Magegg]

God, the series has definitely gone so trashy.

[Wrecktangle]

God, the series has definitely gone so trashy.

Same as every other. Just slower and a lot of useless material to cut through.

[Bender1988]

The weakest season so far.
Episodes 8 and 9 were the best for my taste, the rest was "meh".

[Tangakkai]

Production value was pretty high in the last 3 episodes... I suppose they cut out the biggest slice of the budget-cake which is why episode 1-7 looked farly cheap (especially the Fight in Dorne felt like Xena Warrior Princess). But character developments were very nice across the season and I disagree about the "unnecessity" of the death count. Anybody who died this season simply met their fate because they challenged it... which happens in real life.

Barristan Selmy was a typical example. Best fighter in the world fights at an old age while being overpowered by the enemy... this is where GoT gets it right... people in this kind of situations die. He's not an Aragorn that can cut down 40 enemies in 5 min. Selmy's death also made Jorah far more relevant to daeny again.

And the score for this season was amazing. The best was still the one for the season 4 finale though ("The Children")

[xeno-kaname]

He'll be back. Maybe not next season but he will.