atlantamoi

Favorite season yet (haven't and won't read the books). Some wonderful TV viewing!

Tommy Ceez

I have a feeling that next season Bran becomes the flashback machine. We already know they are casting for at least one flashback.

We also know that there's another flashback that the show has ignored for 4 seasons that's pivotal to the entire series

And we can introduce the 'uncles'. Some bad ass characters there

mcnabb

Great finale, and just a great season overall. It is amazing how they are able to kill off so many characters season after season, yet they give them enough screen time that you care when die, and it just doesn't come off as some random death. And Cersei is one evil person for telling her dad about her love for her brother!

As for people being disappointed in the show after reading the books, doesn't that pretty much happen with any movie anyway? The books are always going to be more detailed, so you are setting yourself up for some type of disappointment. I thinking seeing a TV show or Movie, and THEN reading the books is the best way to go. IMO.

Baron Of Hell

Tyrion didn't know Tywin manipulated Shae. In fact no one knows. It is more likely Cersei manipulated Shae. Tywin didn't even know about Jamie and Cersei it is possible he thought he gave Tyrion a chance to prove himself.

Tywin clearly hated Tyrion but Tywin also started a war for Tyrion. Tywin also made him hand of the king. To me the show didn't give enough of a reason for Tyrion to risk his life to go kill him. It was a stupid thing to do from a character that is usually played smarter than this.

Shannon Nutt

I thought it was a really good finale. Probably the best of the four seasons.

Non-book reader, but I'm not so sure we've seen the last of the Hound.

Osiris3657

Nope, sorry. I watched the real time broadcast on TV, not through a computer. Still think it looked bad.



I'm genuinely intrigued what D&D do with Bran next season since they have no more book material for him.

I also agree that I wish Jaime had told Tyrion the truth about his wife, that certainly would have given Tyrion more incentive to go up and do what he did. Would have made the scene more effective.

Lastblade

Sorry, I will never do that again

Awesome episode, the only thing I felt iffy on is Brienne running into Arya. It felt too random since they don't appear to be on a road (especially with Hound popping), but on the side of a rocky hill.

I have been waiting for so long to see Tyrion strangling Shae and shooting Tywin. Loved how Tywin tried to talk his way out of it too "You are my son!".

Bran getting to the Gandalf was pretty great too with those skeletons.

One question, did Stannis hired all those cavalry from the money he borrowed from the Iron Bank?

Draven

Random thoughts on a great finale:

Brienne and Pod are going to the Eyrie. Arya and the Hound are coming from the Eyrie. It's not so odd they'd run into each other. Their fight was fantastic. I love that she played just as dirty as he did.

The Tywin/Tyrion is my favorite moment from the books and played out perfectly here.

I thought the CG skeletons looked fantastic. Better than the plodding zombies we've seen up to this point. Amazing what they can do on a TV budget. I've seen the CGI praised on other recaps for this episode too.

Also thought they did a great job with the dragons too. It's tough to get an emotional reaction out of thin air but it really looked like Dany was locking up her pets and their reaction was downright heartbreaking.

In the books the symbol for the Hand of the King is a chain, not a brooch. Shae is wearing it and nothing else when Tyrion finds her. Ever since they made that change I've wondered how they'd handle her death. I thought they might have Tyrion stab her with the pin . Glad they kept the strangling, as it makes it sadder than a violent stabbing or something.

All in all I couldn't be happier with how they wrapped things up.

Osiris3657

shouldn't you know the answer to your question if you knew this? You're a book reader, are you not?

Yes, he hired sellswords with the Iron Bank loan.

~~ PAL ~~

Just out of curiosity, how large was Stannis' forces to completely rout the 100k wildlings, assuming they provided that info somewhere?

Canis Firebrand

A friend that watches the show, but hasn't read the book, asked me about that scene as well and said "why didn't she just kill him as he's on her list." To me, at least what I took away from the show and my memory of the books, I think she wanted him to suffer and felt that leaving him to die would be more a more painful way to die for the pain he inflicted on others. If she simply stabbed him through the heart, he'd have a quick death and, to me, Arya doesn't believe he deserves a quick death.

Osiris3657

1,000 cavalry. The lightly armored, caught by surprise wildlings didn't stand a chance. But most fled once Mance was surrounded.

sauce07

The Hound/Brienne had some beautiful shots that were completed ruined by horrible editing.

Why So Blu?

Uh, he did know. That's why Tyrion killed Shae and Tywin. Don't you remember when Tyrion walked into the chamber and Shae called out to the person she thought was Tywin? At that moment Tyrion knew that he had been fucked over from the very beginning. Tywin obviously got his claws into Shae way before the trial. That's why she sold him out during the trial.

Hokeyboy

Nausicaa

Remember Mance said he ordered most of his forces to the east to begin climbing the wall. He said many will die, but they will be over within a day. I think it was a small force that stayed back with Mance.

flashburn

I'm pretty sure Mance said he sent 1200 men to climb the wall. I'm sure Stannis' men took care of them quickly. Probably before they even made it to the wall.

As to the size of the army, I don't think it would take more than 20,000 or so to defeat the Wildling army, given they had many strategic advantages (horseback, surprise, formation, etc).

Hokeyboy

sauce07

I thought he said 400

Osiris3657

I posted it up above guys, read the entire thread. 1,000 cavalry.

fumanstan

Far longer history of Tywin treating him like shit. Shae was the icing on the cake. I think they made any motivation perfectly reasonable on the show.

fumanstan

I recall it being 400 as well.

Decker

Yeah, 400.

A couple of quick non-book spoiler questions if someone could answer : I do get that GRRM will do whatever to keep the Stark kids from reuniting, but why didn't The Hound and Arya continue on to the Eyrie after hearing about her aunt's death? I mean they'd come all that way, why not ask if she had remarried or if there were a cousin at the site (and it's a "yes" to both those questions)? Surely someone there might have taken charge of her. Besides, what was their plan B? If nothing else, resting and bathing at the Eyrie would have made sense after the trip.

Speaking of the Stark kids, where have Rincon and Osha been all season? Hiding out in the windmill still?

Groucho

Decker,

Minor book spoiler...

Decker

Fair enough. Thanks Groucho. Guess I took an unfair shot at GRRM there.