Game of Thrones

[T.A]

Where are the god dame elephants?

 

[QPR_Matt]

I don't think we even need spoiler tags in here do we? If you open the thread without being up to date you're kinda asking for it.

Agreed. Not like you are going into the films thread where anything can be discussed. You click on GoT you know you will see about it.

 

[JJ1532]

Another meh episode, basically just the first with a few more nice moments. Did like some of the one liners, clearly trying to lift the tone of the episode from what is mostly a glum slog.

So who's still alive come the end of Ep 3? Really can't decide, every time I think someone is nailed on to die, I think of reasons why they won't. Think Grey Worm is a goner. Also think Theon gets his final dedemption moment by saving Bran, but then he's gone. I do wonder about the minor supporting characters like Jorah, Davos, Beric, Gendry, Sandor, Podrick, Tormund, Ed. Surely a couple of them go as well? I think Sandor will survive to give us Clegane-bowl towards the end of the season. As for the rest, they can't kill them all off, but how many will die?

I can't decide whether Brienne will die saving Jaime or Jaime will die saving Brienne. Probably the first one, which is a shame as I'd have hoped they kept Brienne around until the end.

Think Tyrion makes it through, as does Varys and Sam/Gilly/Little Sam and Missandei. Undecided on Bran. Reckon Jon, Arya and Sansa are all nailed on survivors. Hope Lady Mormont lives as well, she's awesome.

Also undecided on Dany. I just wonder whether they are setting up her dying and Jon taking the Iron Throne, now that he's revealed his heritage to her.

So, what are your predications for how next week goes down? Who lives and who doesn't?

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

I think there are three major possibilities.

a) The Night King is defeated and the grand finale will be taking King's Landing (please no).
b) Winterfell gets smashed and they somehow retreat to the Iron Islands for a final battle later
c) They win, but it's all just a distraction while the Night King goes straight for King's Landing

 

[SeasideKurt]

Another meh episode, basically just the first with a few more nice moments. Did like some of the one liners, clearly trying to lift the tone of the episode from what is mostly a glum slog.

So who's still alive come the end of Ep 3? Really can't decide, every time I think someone is nailed on to die, I think of reasons why they won't. Think Grey Worm is a goner. Also think Theon gets his final dedemption moment by saving Bran, but then he's gone. I do wonder about the minor supporting characters like Jorah, Davos, Beric, Gendry, Sandor, Podrick, Tormund, Ed. Surely a couple of them go as well? I think Sandor will survive to give us Clegane-bowl towards the end of the season. As for the rest, they can't kill them all off, but how many will die?

I can't decide whether Brienne will die saving Jaime or Jaime will die saving Brienne. Probably the first one, which is a shame as I'd have hoped they kept Brienne around until the end.

Think Tyrion makes it through, as does Varys and Sam/Gilly/Little Sam and Missandei. Undecided on Bran. Reckon Jon, Arya and Sansa are all nailed on survivors. Hope Lady Mormont lives as well, she's awesome.

Also undecided on Dany. I just wonder whether they are setting up her dying and Jon taking the Iron Throne, now that he's revealed his heritage to her.

So, what are your predications for how next week goes down? Who lives and who doesn't?

Fully expecting one of the main character types to die.

Briene or Jaime is a good shout. They need the shock factor next week. I like your idea that they're going for the Iron Throne first. They'd be basically surround at Winterfell should that happen. I've enjoyed the scene setting two episodes.

Was anyone else shocked by that Arya Stark scene? I've always associated her with being a minor but guess she's not anymore so it's normal. Seen quite a bit of people talking about it online.

 

[Gassy]

I don't know Maisie Williams (Arya) but I have friends who do - she went to my 'rival' school. Tbf, she is about 23 now but I do know what you mean about the scene.

I'm a bit disappointed so far to be honest. I just feel like the first 2 have been very long set ups & the next 4 will be all action. If it does then I'm not sure I'll like it. While I like a good fight scene, it does get a bit boring if it will just be 4 episodes of fighting. Let's see.

They'll have to kill off someone major soon, I'm not sure Brienne will quite cut the mustard.

I reckon they'll be forced back to the Iron Islands & where not all the white walkers were actually attacking the North in the first place as they were marching south to Kings Landing. After huge losses in the north there will be a huge fight in both Kings Landing & the Iron Islands. Kings Landing will fall, Iron Islands will win, but as they were forced back from Winterfell, they didn't get a chance to burn the bodies - meaning we'll see some big characters as white walkers.

Then it will move to the big last fight, where some how they'll pull it out of their arse. Jon will be crowned king but will refuse the crown & no one will rule anymore, each state will be independent with peace

Or some bullshit ending like that

 

[Gassy]

Ok I've officially read a theory that backs up my theory worked it out.

Bran had the visions in seasons 4 & 6 of a dragon flying over kings landing. He also saw a vision of the iron throne room in ice & snow.

Kings Landing will fall, Bran and/or Theon will die as he expects the ice king to come, but it won't be him, it will be one of his senior white walker things.

Bran and/or Theon are big enough characters to die & won't change much of the story line, whilst still bringing half the world up in arms

 

[SF_]

Wish they just condensed and merged the first two episodes.

Arya shagging, Briene getting knighted, Jon flying a dragon... shite.

I want some fucking deaths.

 

[Craig]

Just want a 60 minute episode of Tormund anecdotes to be honest.

 

[Darlo On Tour]

I wish some fucker would die it's gone all lovey-dovey.

 

[Redpelt]

I'm hoping the third installment with the battle is light and shade in comparison to the first two episodes before it disappears up its own @rse.

 

[Bobbin']

I expect there will be a major cull of big characters next episode. Needs some shock and awe factor to liven it up.

 

[JJ1532]

I'm surprised people are kicking off over the lack of deaths when we all know loads will go in the episode tonight. This is what it's all been building towards. Won't be able to watch until later tomorrow, so I'm going to be avoiding social media like crazy for the next 24 hours.

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

a) The Night King is defeated and the grand finale will be taking King's Landing (please no).

Urgh.

 

[Craig]

Gonna stick this in a spoiler box coz plenty of people won’t have watched until later on.

Spoiler

I thought the episode started off great and I thought yes we’re going to be ok here.

Then the battle began and it was all downhill from the suicidal Dothraki charge of the light brigade. I mean it was just fucking wasteful really and served no positive purpose apart from looking pretty cool. So that’s the Dothraki pretty much wiped out and with them the main cavalry element of the allied armies. The knights of the vale maybe still knocking about? I don’t recall them taking any significant part in the battle but to be fair it was quite chaotic so I might have missed them getting wiped out too.

The Unsullied are also decimated. Easily the best infantry unit in the good guys army and they pretty much sacrificed themselves in a futile rearguard action. This was quite annoying too.

But then the entire fight was a pointless waste of resources wasn’t it because the night king ended up resurrecting all the slain fighters anyway so really they died for nothing. The decision to go toe to toe with the army of the dead was a stupid one. The night king ended up being killed by Bran with the help of Arya who somehow managed to bypass all his dead boys and his other main wight walker dudes to get to him despite having issues with a few zombies in the halls of winterfell earlier in the episode. Also on this point Theon died for nothing too.

House Mormont is now wiped out as well with both Lyanna and Jorah being killed. I was sad to see both go as I liked both their characters. And the the little Manc Ranger (I forget his name) was predictably killed off but really they managed to get through it without losing any real “oh fuck me” characters which is to say it didn’t have to same effect on me as say the red wedding for example.

We still have two dragons but how many fighters do they have left. It was quite the slaughter wasn’t it. It’s not looking good for them against the Lannister’s, the iron fleet and those elephantless mercenaries.

While I have my criticisms overall I enjoyed the episode more often than I didn’t. I just thought it was a lot weaker than previous stand out episodes in the show.

 

[JJ1532]

I liked the episode overall, but I do agree that tactically, their battle plan made zero sense.

Echo most of the points made above. Jon was fairly pointless throughout all of this as well, he did nothing useful really. Can't say I will miss any of the dead characters. I think those that died went out like heroes. Lyanna went out like a bad ass, taking down that giant. Jorah also died saving Dany, which was cool. Ed, Beric and the red woman, meh who cares. Surprised most of the others survived though, especially Grey Worm, Pod, Gendry, Tormund, maybe Brienne.

You kinda lose some of the emotional weight of Episode 2 knowing most of those characters don't actually die as well I think.

Still, looking forward to seeing how they wrap up the last 3 episodes.

 

[Gassy]

Well that was intense. I wasn't expecting that ending. I really thought for a good 5/10 minutes that they were going to kill them all off. I had a mix of excitement & anger when Arya popped out and killed him. I kind of wanted them all to die, it would have been typical GoT. Instead we lost no major character really. Theon was always going to die here, it was so predictable.

I just get the feeling now that the next episode will be all build up again, but let's see.

Are there 2 dragons btw? I couldn't tell (it was so dark) if the Dragon Jon rode died or not. The scene ended with just the one...?

We do have to wonder though how Arya managed to get around what would have been hundreds of white walkers surrounding them in a circle, his top white walkers there to protect him as well - and she comes flying from nowhere? Very Hollywood tbh. Unless they explain how in the next episode, I'll be disappointed. She'd also have been killed by the way he grabbed her throat from midair - but I can potentially ignore that.

Let's see, I certainly wasn't expecting the last 3 episodes to just be the fights vs the Lannisters. I feel like there is something else here still at play. Not sure how yet though.

 

[Gassy]

This review summed the episode up perfectly for me. The bolded part is very true. The more time goes on, the more I'm feeling disappointed with the episode actually. It's like they killed them off so quickly just for the sake of it, to surprise people because 'thats what GoT does'

https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/04/29/game-of-thrones-s8-ep-3-review

(Talking about winning the battle) It wasn’t easy, by any means, but it also didn’t feel quite as hard-won as it should’ve, and certainly leaves us questioning all the mythologizing the show has done up to this point in a way that probably won't sit well once the adrenaline high has faded.

Perhaps that’s why, beneath all the undeniably impressive spectacle and special effects, the episode feels a little anticlimactic.

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

I don't think there's anything more frustrating in fiction than characters that act stupidly. I mean, why should I root for Jon or Daenerys when in a short afternoon I could have come up with a better plan than they did? Who was even in command? I get that the writers are not historians or military strategists, but they should at least have educated themselves to the point that a layman is not picking things apart mid-episode.

 

[Jockney]

I could just about suspend my disbelief for some of the more notable nonsense (

Spoiler

setting up refuge in a crypt, Deus Ex Arya, Jaime and Brienne spending the better part of an hour backed up against a wall while parrying White Walker blows inside Winterfell, etc

), but I disliked how dour and confusing the battle scenes were and the episode's egregious length. I suppose it only became apparent once

Spoiler

they were gone, but it really hit home how underwritten the White Walkers actually were and how inconsequential they are to the universe other than as a vague climate change metaphor (which doesn't even work in pre-industrial society, anyway, surely?)

.

Quite looking forward to going back to the actual game of thrones next week.

 

[Stringy]

It was a fun episode but

Spoiler

the lighting was very poor and it didn't really work when you think about it. Most of them would have died after being backed up against the wall, Jon and Dragon Queen were pissing around on their dragons for half of it and would have died once they fell off, and I'm not sure how Arya got through the waves of walkers. It's also wiped out all of the Allies' cavalry and foot soldiers. I think I would have rather seen the Night King presiding over Winterfell with Jon et al retreating south to King's Landing or the Night King winning and attacking King's Landing. It's just felt a bit anticlimatic with the White Walkers having been introduced in Season 1 Episode 1 to have them killed so easily. Also, The Night King would have sent another of his senior leadership team to take out Bran. Why risk it? He would have won if he just stayed back.

 

[Leewilson]

Lots of plotholes as have already been mentioned. Some of the set pieces were very nice.

But herein lies the problem. The show has shifted in recent seasons to a tv drama rather than the fantasy show with a big mythological background that it started out as. This is largely because the lazy fucker hasn't written the rest of the books so the show runners are having to try and intepret Martin's outline for the rest of their books; which inevitably is going to lead to less substance than we had initially. The Night King is the coolest character on GOT. I'm disappointed about the way he was defeated with very little explanation about him.

 

[joethegill]

Lots of plotholes as have already been mentioned. Some of the set pieces were very nice.

But herein lies the problem. The show has shifted in recent seasons to a tv drama rather than the fantasy show with a big mythological background that it started out as. This is largely because the lazy fucker hasn't written the rest of the books so the show runners are having to try and intepret Martin's outline for the rest of their books; which inevitably is going to lead to less substance than we had initially. The Night King is the coolest character on GOT. I'm disappointed about the way he was defeated with very little explanation about him.

Agree with this - Martin gets away with it an awful lot, and a hell of a lot of the blame for the perceived drop in quality placed at the door of the showrunners. If GRRM bothered to finish the books then we wouldn't have an issue.

Got frustrated with the use/lack of use of the dragons in this episode, particularly when everyone was back inside the castle and the dead army were at the ditch thing. Few blasts of dragonfire at that point would've saved a whole lot of hassle inside. Having said that, the war strategy from the living was very bizarre in general. Enjoyed Arya being 'the one', particularly with 'Bran's' dagger, and Jon not being the hero for once.

 

[SF_]

There should have been an entire episode with the White Walkers descending on Winterfell, with loads of flashbacks to see what the fuck they're all about. Then the Night King's lame ass death might have been acceptable.

 

[JJ1532]

Well, this episode was rather unexpected in a number of ways. First bit was kinda standard, the banquet for the dead, celebrating winning etc. I'm still very confused as to how exactly so many of Dany's forces survived. They seemed to get wiped out in the last episode but now they have 20,000 men again? Colour me confused.

Jon being the worst keeper of secrets ever, jesus christ. Arya, Sansa, who tells Tyrion, who tells Varys. Good lord. I just don't understand why, if Jon thinks Dany is his queen and doesn't want the throne, he would tell her his true heritage or why he'd tell his family. It makes no sense. Brienne and Jamie, aw yeah. Gendry Baratheon, heir to Storm's End now, hmm. Wonder if that'll go anywhere or are they just closing off his character now? Yara's arc is clearly closed off.

This was a big episode for final appearances I feel. Sam, Gilly, Tormund, all of Jon's north plot lines are closed off. You can tell by the way they set this is up is that Jon isn't coming back to the north. He's either dying in these last 2 episodes or taking the Iron Throne for himself. I'm hedging on the latter.

As for Dany, they are clearly pushing her down the dark and evil path, so when she does die people will accept it. Wonder if she'll even utter the immortal 'Burn them all' line in the next episode?

I did like the twist ambush with Euron, that was really clever and out of nowhere. Tyrion though, that plea to Cersei was dumb. What did she expect her to do? At least Missandei got a clean death, was worried the mountain was going to go full mountain on her and rip her in half. Poor Grey Worm.

Seems a lot of people didn't like the direction of the show and some characters, but I felt it made some semblance of sense. I can see why Dany is panicking at losing all her allies and the fact people like Jon more. I don't understand Jon, but there we go. I get Sansa's motivations for protecting the north. Bran, well what is left for his character? Bit of pointless end for him it looks like.

Sandor coming back for the mountain, that should be cool. Wonder if Arya will die trying to kill Cersei. Jaime is killing her and will die in the process, that's my guess. Wonder if the last dragon will go down killing Euron? Got to get a lot of stuff wrapped up by the end of the next episode. Interesting to see how they tie this all together.

 

[Gassy]

Agree with most of what you say. I understand why Jon had to tell Dany, but why did he feel the need to tell Arya & Sansa? So stupid and predictable.

It's a bit ridiculous how they can have such accuracy with those giant crossbows. Bit of a joke, 3 in a row to take the dragon down (without a single miss) and then suddenly all of them miss Dany after that. How Dany & the dragon didn't see 50 ships is a bit of a joke, but they managed to not just see them, but also shoot them out of the sky...

I thought Tyrion might die then at the end, it would be very GoT to kill him randomly and make you hate Cersei. Unfortunately (fortunately?) she didn't and tbh, this season bar 10 seconds has been pretty predictable.

Its probably my least enjoyable season of them all tbh.

 

[Bobbin']

Agree with most of what you say. I understand why Jon had to tell Dany, but why did he feel the need to tell Arya & Sansa? So stupid and predictable.

Bran knows anyway, Jon probably just felt its the right thing to do.

That, or maybe he secretly wants them to push for him to sit on the iron throne.

 

[Captain]

Agree with most of what you say. I understand why Jon had to tell Dany, but why did he feel the need to tell Arya & Sansa? So stupid and predictable.

It's a bit ridiculous how they can have such accuracy with those giant crossbows. Bit of a joke, 3 in a row to take the dragon down (without a single miss) and then suddenly all of them miss Dany after that. How Dany & the dragon didn't see 50 ships is a bit of a joke, but they managed to not just see them, but also shoot them out of the sky...

I thought Tyrion might die then at the end, it would be very GoT to kill him randomly and make you hate Cersei. Unfortunately (fortunately?) she didn't and tbh, this season bar 10 seconds has been pretty predictable.

Its probably my least enjoyable season of them all tbh.

I expected a Dragon to be killed (or seriously injured) given the inclusion of the crossbow/dragons head in the intro but I really wasn't expecting it to happen then! Have to agree though, looking at it logically how they surprised them out of nowhere doesn't make sense, one she'd have seen them, if they were that well hidden the accuracy wouldn't have been there and two, surely they'd have sent a ship to scout the area first?

If the dragons are so vulnerable I don't get why they don't make them up some armour lol it's not like they haven't had warning before.

With the end scene, I don't get why Cersei wouldn't just butcher all of them there and then, not like she didn't have the means of doing it or is remotely honourable. Tyrion mentioned her pregnancy, I wonder if Euron has the capacity to question how he knew and put 2+2 together...

 

[M Dogg]

Dany is standing about 100m from Cersei, with a handful of men and no dragon. Surely you just... kill her?!

 

[Gassy]

Agree with both of you there regarding Cersei.

She has no honour with these sort of things & she has all the power. It'd be very easy to turn those huge crossbows at them.

I can't help but think they haven't thought this through properly. I don't think GRRM would allow Dany to get into that position because like you say, Cersei wouldn't think twice to kill them all