I've mostly enjoyed how they've done the tension between Dany and Jon. I know Jon doesn't die (at least at this point), but he has really been standing up to her and they've written Dany so that Jon's unwillingness to bend the knee is only borderline (and waveringly) acceptable. They've gradually pushed things more towards acceptable. In this episode, there were two moments. First, with the moment where Jon says he doesn't need Dany's permission to leave, and then a big push when Jon says he's leaving, so she doesn't have to deal with him anymore, and Dany says she's gotten used to him. They've paced that developing relationship well.

Littlefinger's schemes to pit Arya and Sansa against each other carries some water because although they're sisters and love each other, they actually were very different kids and didn't exactly "mesh" as youngsters. Given they've spent most of the whole show away from each other, neither knows much about what the other has been through and how they've developed. Sansa was shocked to see Arya's abilities. Arya to some degree thinks Sansa is an older version of the same self-absorbed elitist she was when all she cared about was marrying Joffrey and one day becoming Queen (as in the King's wife).

For the record, being shot in the shoulder by a nail gun ranks pretty high on my ouch meter. But if you consider a nail gun shot to the shoulder a minor flesh wound, you're definitely on my list of people to call if I ever get into bar fight.

Of course there are no clear in-universe rules on how Dragons behave with injuries. The dragons have been injured before. I though one was going to die or was dead after the Sons of the Harpy. Yet all three have seemed healthy up until this new injury. We just have to take it at face value, though since the show has passed the books, I have often felt like GRRM wouldn't make certain decisions even though I've never read the books.

Someone mentioned earlier there's evidence GRRM had written himself into a corner in the books, but the nice thing about the books is he can simply take his time and mull things over until it makes sense to him. The TV show doesn't have that luxury, so it just has to push forward with the ever-present "good enough" whisper a constant companion to the production.

I'm glad we got this show, but I've occasionally wished the adaptation weren't attempted until the books were done. Of course that wishful thinking is mitigated by the fact that we have no clue if GRRM will ever finish telling the story. At least this way he has been able to have somewhat of a voice and provide some broad strokes and key plot elements for how he'd like the story to develop and conclude.

Wight Hound v. Franken Mountain

A scene or two during the journey would be fine imo. Had this been stretched to 10 episodes we would probably have more of those quiet moments.

Same issue that Breaking Bad went through... new contracts had to be made....fewer episodes, and it feels rushed. Still a remarkable series...but you're left wondering "what could've been."

Remember one thing, if the passage of time in this episode is as long as we believe it to be, the previously mentioned trip Jon takes from Dragonstone to the Wall, then Drogon is probably already healed.

Based of the storytelling being done I think everything Littlefinger believes he is doing is going to blow up in his face for once. The first shot of the season was Arya tricking the Frey's and killing them. The show then moved toward the exposition of Sansa mentioning numerous times her distrust of Littlefinger to Jon, Bran and then Arya. I find it hard to believe either of them will be tricked by him again.

AFAIK Breaking Bad was stretched out, not shortened. VG wanted wanted five seasons but Sony/AMC got more episodes ordered and split them into 5A and 5B.

Who will become an undead who later is dispatched by Brienne in combat in an "awww!" moment.

Its not mention... what was said "he took a knife to the heart". Thats why Dany has asked him like 3 or 4 times "So, you took a knife in the heart?" only to get interrupted each time.

Yes, I know, I got the incest level wrong. I'll do better next time!

You got your consanguinity level wrong. It wouldn't be "incest" at that level.

That said, and realizing that for Westerosi royalty, it's no big deal, I still think that having Dany and Jon end up together would be a tough sell to a viewing audience. Will be interesting to see if that is what really happens.

No way this is what happens. The problem is Jon's already terrible plan would then morph into "Let's take the King, pair up, go North of the Wall, fight a zombie army solely in hopes of catching one, then let's fail miserably, get some of us killed instead and take back our reanimated corpses to show Queen Cercsi!". I mean there are terrible plans and there are terrible plans.

I've been on vaca, but just caught up the last two eps, man they have been great

Warhammer!

Did they give something away in the trailer for next week?

I shouldn't have clicked on that.

My guess is that they'll figure out they are related before anything romantic happens.

My knowledge of intra-familial sexual relations appears to need work.

Na... I imagine them boning real hard encircled in a giant ring of fire and ice around them as they orgasm. And then Sam bursting in telling him what he discovered and then Jon being like...

Was curious how this would be viewed in the U.S. legally. According to Wikipedia, sex between an aunt and nephew would be a felony in Florida but apparently not a crime in any other state. Actual marriage between an aunt and a nephew would be "commonly" prohibited in "other states". Too lazy to see how many "other" is.

Maybe they set up Jamie and Cersi just so Jon and Danny getting together won't be as gross.

there's plenty of poon in Westeros John. move along. move along.

Yes, but only so many caves.

So if this is a short season, will episode 6 be the new episode 9?

I see what you did there.

Kinda ironic that she can handle being burned alive but Snow gets her all hot.

(Yes, I'll show myself out.)

Speaking of the speed of travel - why has it taken Theon so long to walk from the beach to see Dany?