Re: Game of Thrones (S5E08) -- "Hardhome" -- 5/31/15
 

I think people are much more accepting of the dragons, and some just seem to react just a little negatively when fantasy elements pop up. They will likely become more frequent.

Re: Game of Thrones (S5E08) -- "Hardhome" -- 5/31/15
 

I think the other side effect of the white walkers/zombies is that while we've known about them since the very beginning, and have been constantly warned, seeing them face to face like this in just overwhelming number really makes it seem like all that other stuff doesn't matter. Who cares about Tommen and his hunger strike, Cersei and her slurping up water (great scene, btw), heck, even Arya and her assassin training when freaking zombies are coming to kill everyone anyway?

Re: Game of Thrones (S5E08) -- "Hardhome" -- 5/31/15
 

Too cool, Brent fits right in with minimal makeup and wardrobe. Going to have to rewatch to catch them, I had a beer with these guys 2 months ago after my band opened for them!

Re: Game of Thrones (S5E08) -- "Hardhome" -- 5/31/15
 

that was one epic scene to end the show. wow.

Re: Game of Thrones (S5E08) -- "Hardhome" -- 5/31/15
 

Damn! That final battle was pretty spectacular. The images of the giant battling the undead gave my inner geek a nice, warm fuzzy.

Re: Game of Thrones (S5E08) -- "Hardhome" -- 5/31/15
 

The way they almost had a slo-mo walk by wun wun..I thought he was going to get swarmed and die. I'm guessing he will be valuable ally against the white walkers.

Re: Game of Thrones (S5E08) -- "Hardhome" -- 5/31/15
 

Jon Snow only now saw what they are up against. I think when he was staring back at the White Walkers and the newly reanimated, that was him thinking to himself just how hopeless the fight may be.

But I do think there is one thing on Jon's side in preparing to defend against future attacks: the fact that, despite the vast number of reanimated hordes (aka "Wights"), there are only a handful of White Walkers running the whole show.

So Jon just needs to figure out a way to kill only the White Walkers, which would stop them completely. I think good archers with dragonglass tipped arrows strategically stationed in high wooden nests on the north side of the Wall may be the way to go. In an attack, the archers should ignore the hordes and focus on taking out the White Walkers only.

BTW, did Jon lose all of the dragonglass that Sam found? If so, they will need to get more. (Stannis' island Dragonstone, where his home castle is located, is supposed to have a lot of dragonglass, aka obsidian.)

Re: Game of Thrones (S5E08) -- "Hardhome" -- 5/31/15
 

Thank you for this explanation. The glowing blue eyes in the newly dead wildlings had me confused (especially since the zombie soldiers didn't have them, as far as I recall)

Re: Game of Thrones (S5E08) -- "Hardhome" -- 5/31/15
 

That's pretty much been the message of the Night's Watch all along -- while Stannis and Renly (RIP) and Robb (RIP) and Joffrey (good riddance) are fighting over the Iron Throne, freaking zombies are coming to kill everyone!

Re: Game of Thrones (S5E08) -- "Hardhome" -- 5/31/15
 

Yeah, Robb turned the wrong way when he left Winterfell in season 1.

Re: Game of Thrones (S5E08) -- "Hardhome" -- 5/31/15
 

Hey, don't diss Stannis! So far he's the only ruler who takes the threat of the White Walkers seriously.

Re: Game of Thrones (S5E08) -- "Hardhome" -- 5/31/15
 

Valyrian Steel's made from Dargonglass, right?

Re: Game of Thrones (S5E08) -- "Hardhome" -- 5/31/15
 

I don't think its nature is fully known. Valyrian steel was made in Valyria before its doom, and there is nobody left who knows how to craft it. It is believed there was some kind of magic or enchantment used to make it.

Even though Valyrian steel can't be made, existing Valyrian steel can be melted down and reforged by certain craftsmen, such as how Ned Stark's sword, Ice, was melted down and made into swords for Joffrey and Jaime (which was then given to Brienne by him).

Re: Game of Thrones (S5E08) -- "Hardhome" -- 5/31/15
 

I mistakenly asked this in the wrong thread, but are the white walkers/wights vulnerable to water (too warm?) or something, or did they just not care about pursuing the boats before they left harbor? In ancient history did they cross the narrow sea (I'm assuming winter comes to all lands, not just Westeros)?

Re: Game of Thrones (S5E08) -- "Hardhome" -- 5/31/15
 

With all of Drogon's behavioral problems, maybe Daeny will banish him to the wall and he'll take out all the wights with ease.

Re: Game of Thrones (S5E08) -- "Hardhome" -- 5/31/15
 

The White Walkers are dominating talk about this episode, but I'd like to talk some about the other stuff in this episode.


Tyrion is now advising Daenerys and finally the Daenerys storyline got a lot more interesting. (It's a shame there's only 2 episodes left this season to see where this is going.)

And I think Daenerys needs to forgive Jorah already. She would have been killed a long time ago if not for Jorah. And his secret job spying was mostly on her brother anyway because he was thought to be the one who would return to Westeros to fight for the Iron Throne.

As I understand it, soon after her brother was killed was when Jorah stopped spying once King Robert tried to assassinate her (which was never part of the deal). And Jorah was working as a "little bird" for Varys and not Robert directly, so if Varys ever shows up in Meereen, then maybe he can explain how the arrangement worked to Daenerys. And finally with Barristan Selmy dead, Daenerys badly needs Jorah as an advisor again.


Sansa finds out that Bran and Rickon escaped and may still be alive. Sansa went from thinking she had no family left in the world to finding out about half-brother Jon Snow being made Lord Commander (not sure if she even knew he was still alive before the last episode) and, in this episode, finding out that her 2 younger brothers may possibly still be alive. Her finding out somehow that Arya is still alive is the only thing missing.

And I wonder which direction Sansa will be going WRT Theon/Reek? Will she continue to try to bring him back to who he once was? Or will she work on his brokenness to make him do things for her out of fear of her.


That nun for the Seven managed to make me feel a little sorry for Cersei. Just give her some water already! (Cersei may be a bitch, but at least she's better than a mean nun.)

And Cersei repeating her threat from last week about the last thing the nun will see before dying is Cersei's face makes me think that it will go down exactly like that.

Re: Game of Thrones (S5E08) -- "Hardhome" -- 5/31/15
 

Hmmm, I wonder since dragon glass and Valyrian steel can kill white walkers, that maybe dragon fire is required as part of forging Valyrian steel. Would explain why how it is made was lost, because no dragons meant no steel.

But now with dragons the possibility may be there to make it again.

Another thing comes to mind. Since the Targaryens are from Valyria and controlled the dragons... way back in time, they were likely the primary defenders against the white walkers.... which makes me think the killing off of almost all of the Targaryens since the mad king was killed was the trigger for the white walkers to begin building their army. Since if the Targaryens were the primary opposition, the white walkers were just waiting and taking advantage of them not being around anymore to attack figuring easy pickin's... at least until Daenerys eventually shows up with dragons, Valyrian steel and whatever...

Re: Game of Thrones (S5E08) -- "Hardhome" -- 5/31/15
 

I would prefer "Snow".

Re: Game of Thrones (S5E08) -- "Hardhome" -- 5/31/15
 

Petyr told Sansa that Arya was alive in season 3.

Re: Game of Thrones (S5E08) -- "Hardhome" -- 5/31/15
 

This episode made it seem like it's more than just Dany being able to forgive Jorah, but that there's no way the queen would have an admitted traitor by her side and hope to rule in Westeros, at least that's what I got out of it; it's not like Tyrion was unsympathetic to Jorah's plight (I thought the line about how Jorah didn't tell her because he didn't trust that she would forgive him, and she proved him right, even then).

We also learned that Tommen is even more useless than we thought, and that uncle Kevan is hand of the king, as appointed by Pycelle (presumably because the king isn't making that decision). And confirming that Cersei is up for charges not just for incest but treason/murder, which makes it even more difficult for her to just confess to.

I half expected the boy to poison Sam.

Re: Game of Thrones (S5E08) -- "Hardhome" -- 5/31/15
 

Re: Game of Thrones (S5E08) -- "Hardhome" -- 5/31/15
 

Note to self: Do not joke about Tormund sucking cock. He will lose his shit.

Re: Game of Thrones (S5E08) -- "Hardhome" -- 5/31/15
 

Possibly, but one thing to remember is production of Valyrian Steel ended with the Doom of Valyria, while dragons continued on at Dragonstone for an additional 100 years and then at King's Landing in Westeros for another 200 years before they died out there about a century ago. So 300 years of live dragons post-Valyria, yet no new Valyrian Steel was made during this time.

Of course, it could be that live dragons are required for the magic they bring into the world, but the specialized sorcery knowledge on how then to make the steel died with those experts at Valyria. (And if anyone does figure out how to do it again, my money is on Qyburn.)


Good thought - that may be the case. I think a lot of the magic working again here and there, like that Brotherhood Without Banners guy who was brought back from the dead in Season 3, is due to Daenerys bringing live dragons back into the world (in other words, the magic spells didn't work and "do their magic" until after the dragon eggs were hatched in the Season 1 finale). And so I think it is possible that the lack of dragons in the world eventually lead to the return of White Walkers. (The "Fire" to their "Ice" so to speak.)

Re: Game of Thrones (S5E08) -- "Hardhome" -- 5/31/15
 

I can't wait until the 8th episode of the final season where the dragons will set all the armies of the White Walkers ablaze.

Re: Game of Thrones (S5E08) -- "Hardhome" -- 5/31/15
 

It seems like a very simple and obvious solution.