SO PUMPED

SHIREEN NOOOOOOOOO!!!

I kept expecting Davos or someone to come back and save the day at the last second. That was horrifying. FUCK you Stannis! I wouldn't even care if the Boltons killed him at this point if they weren't holding Sansa. I hope Davos turns on Stannis when he comes back

I liked how they made Selyse the one who cracks when it's actually happening and her daughter's calling out for her, despite her outwardly being much more zealous than Stannis. Pretty powerful/tragic

Ending was pretty good, but I don't think anything they could've shown on screen would've lived up to what I imagined when I was reading it. This comes close tho:

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I just wish they would've kept her whipping Drogon into submission, though I can easily see that coming off as cheesy on screen. The main problem with excluding that (besides it just being cool) is that on the show it seems more like Drogon's allowing her to ride rather than being actually 'tamed'

This finale might be the most jampacked they've ever done. Still a bunch of big events from ADWD they haven't got to yet, and I'd be surprised if they pushed any of them to next season

as far as episode 9's I'd probably go:

Baelor >>> Rains of Castamere > Watchers on the Wall > Blackwater > Dance of Dragons

individually this had some great moments but didn't really feel like THE climax of the season. tbh between Mountain vs Viper and the Hardhome battle, episode 8 has been the best the past two seasons. I feel like the finale has enough good stuff coming up that it COULD be really great, but I have a feeling it'll end up like last season's where some things feel rushed and even big moments like Tyrion killing Tywin (while still being good) aren't nearly done justice because of it. In a weird way I'm kinda hoping they push a few of the bigger moments to next season just so they don't rush through them all

It probably partially has to do with not having the show as my first point of entry this time though. Totally different experience seeing every episode at least mostly unspoiled vs. viewing everything through the lens of what could've been if they had more time to flesh everything out as much as the books

Pa Hupu @ 8/6/2015 10:49

i think this season has consistently been very good except for the dorne shit

would you rank it any higher than previous seasons?

Pa Hupu @ 9/6/2015 8:08

Boc @ 8/6/2015 23:32 Pa Hupu @ 8/6/2015 10:49 i think this season has consistently been very good except for the dorne shit would you rank it any higher than previous seasons? Now that we're almost at a point where we can evaluate the whole thing I would say it's only below seasons 2 and 3 for my favorite. Season 4 was really disjointed and aimless, and for the problems you can throw at season 5's plotting, it's had a lot of focus and every scene has been purposeful. It finally feels like the show has really gotten how to address its many plotlines on a regular basis, while still lending character moments out.

I kinda feel like there's been less character moments honestly, and most episodes have been made up of a bunch of scenes that serve only to incrementally nudge the plot forward rather than getting any time to breathe and DWELL on any of the new circumstances the characters find themselves in. It does come with the territory though since each season gets bigger and adds more plots in (though according to the writers this is the season when everything's supposed to start merging more and more...which has happened with Tyrion/Dany and Sansa/Ramsay I guess). Like Season 1 had a ton of great character work, but it also had the advantage of being limited to really just three major storylines (King's Landing/Wall/Dothraki). So I understand the predicament they're in now but I feel like they could be handling a lot of it better. Season 4 had just as many storylines but I feel like they did a better job with them (but again it very well could just be the books slanting my view now)

Really in an ideal world HBO should've just bumped each season up to 12-13 episodes

Wikey @ 9/6/2015 3:58

Well, I no longer have anybody to root for in the North. I was on team Stannis but that...that was harder to watch than the Red Wedding. All we have left is a bunch of unlikable assholes fighting over Winterfell. I'm rooting for them all to die miserably. Also, huge book spoilers below: Spoiler + Only warning you once, you don't want to read this + With regards to a certain scene at the Wall next episode, who do you think is going to be involved? (You know which one I mean!) I've read some speculation that it is going to be Olly...and the case can be made that it has been foreshadowed plenty this season. What do you guys think to that, if it happens?

I'm on Team Brienne/Pod/Sansa/Reek! (: I was kinda dreading the possibility of Brienne killing Stannis but now I'm definitely rooting for it

RE: book spoiler

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Spoiler + Spoiler + I'm reallyyy hoping it's NOT Olly just because of how obvious they've made it. Seriously, the first couple times they showed his disapproving look it was good foreshadowing. But after that it's like they've been beating us over the head with it every episode to the point where I'd be surprised if half the show fans don't semi-see it coming by now so ya I'm hoping it's a misdirect, but I can't really see it being anyone else. Alliser's the next most likely candidate but I feel like they've set him up to be someone who sticks up for Jon despite their differences. Other than that the only really known characters left at the Wall at this point are Sam and Edd I think? And there's no way either of them does it