bunkaroo

I guess Bronn isn't getting paid from either side now.

dvdjunkie32

I remember how many people were pissed about the Red Wedding and swore they would never watch it again. I've never people hate on a season so much yet can't wait for the next episode. If it is awful, what the hell do people want? A nice very bow tie ending like Lord of the Rings where Jon and Dany rulle together and everyone toasts to the future? I think people just don't want to let go of the characters and see more and more character development. You can't do that if you are ending the storyline. I felt that way with Littlefinger's death last season. I wanted to see him go on and give us more schemes and surprises but you gotta let go at some point.

I thought it was a great episode and I'll enjoy rewatching the series many times.

Lastblade

OTOH, plenty of empty castles in Westeros.

Cusm

I hate that Jamie ran back to Cersi. After all the changes he has gone through in the last 8 seasons, it is all undone so quickly, not even that touching scene with Tyrion could get me to care about his doom.

B.A.

I liked the scenes between Jaime/Tyrion and Arya/the Hound.

SmackDaddy

Yep. My thoughts went immediately to this. Anyone else of note left with green eyes?

andicus

Also, Tyrion is still alive (a Lannister always pays his debts), so far, and hopefully manages to stay that way. Unlikely, but one can hope.

I wonder if they'll show Ellaria Sand being rescued from the dungeon, or are we to assume she was killed?

And, how about Qyburn's death? That was pretty cool.

I was very worried that Cersei had a ballista constructed beneath the large dome in Kings Landing, and that Drogon/Dany would be taken out by it after thinking they had destroyed them all.

Arya's ride out on the white horse was a bit surreal. It had me concerned for her actual state. I also initially thought the ash falling was snow, which gave me a real 'you better fucking not' feeling about the Night King somehow being back. That would've been too much.

ctyankee

Zero reasons? If everyone (including you) thought you were a bastard son, only to find out as an adult that it was all a lie, you'd tell everyone. You would shout it from the castle walls and put it into print and song.

B.A.

Ha.

Draven

rocket1312

Watching this season has felt like reading a Wikipedia synopsis. I don't don't necessarily have an issue with the broad strokes of the narrative, but all the detail and nuance is gone. Key story points and character development are just yada yada'd away in an effort to cram as much plot as possible into these last few episodes. How many days do you think Lena Headey was even on set this season? 2? 3? By the end she was barely even a character anymore. She was more or less just an abstract presence. Thinking back to the days when she was matching wits with the Tyrells or grieving the loss of her children and I can't help but wonder what exactly went wrong. I could say the same about any number of characters, but she stuck out the most to me.

I know it was unrealistic to think this show was going to run for 10-12 years, but that's really what they needed to do the story justice. I still enjoy watching it, and taken out of context last night was at times pretty great, but wow how the mighty have fallen.

Timber

That episode was hard to watch, just brutal. A character that I've been rooting for for 8 seasons so completely undone. I'm not sure I'd be able to go back and watch this entire journey knowing how it's going to end.

stingo

I could see Dany offering a reward for Tyrion's head (I'm assuming he was smart enough to run from King's Landing) and Bronn catching up to him.

eXcentris

Considering we're in "mad dash to the finish" mode, that episode was good. A lot of things are rushed, but at least characters seem to stay true to themselves. But these deaths don't pack the punch they should to me, it's mostly just ticking boxes and checking who's left. I miss the slow meandering pace, that's probably why I'm a little jaded.

I think they've pretty much set up "Arya kills Dany". You saw the contrast between uncontrollable rage and Arya wandering around stunned in disbelief. Bran or Tyrion on the throne. Sansa rules the North. Jon ends up with Tormund and Ghost with the Free Folk.

lopper

Best episode of the season, which isn’t saying much considering how low the bar has been set by previous episodes.

I feel like people were once complaining that the earlier seasons were too beholden to the books. Pacing, too many characters and moving pieces. Not enough dragons. Well, holy shit, seeing how completely off the rails the show is now, I’d kill for a little more if that sweet sweet structure and restraint.

Lets just get get this over with already.

davidh777

spainlinx0

I didn't enjoy it. I hope the rumors from the guy who played Selmy are true.

whotony

Decker

I agree that doesn't feel like much of a payoff, though not totally out of his character. I think it would have sit better with me if not for the awkward way they dealt with Breanne last episode.

ScHoLaR oF SMuT

i can only imagine how red in the face george r .r. martin's was after watching this episode

melasnus

I don't read it that way.
Ever since she arrived in Westeros, there was a series of events that undermined her mission....all the result of duplicity by almost everyone around here.
How could she trust anyone to be true allies or confidants?

I never watch those.
Losing her Rock (Jorah) and her best friend (Missandei) so quickly and violently broke her, in addition to the love of her life rejecting her.
Remember her reaction to the execution on the wall...

Good point.

Same here...it was all to easy.
I thought we were in for a rope-a-dope, errr dragon as it were, situation.

This season seemed rushed to me.
I believe the showrunners wanted to wrap it all up as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, they're leaving a lot of loose ends dangling.

It would be fitting.

melasnus

An ending that shouldn't irritate anyone.
However, I wouldn't mind being surprised either.

dhmac

Even though Cersei's valonqar prophecy has never been said in the show, how she went out sort of matched it in a way. The prophecy about Cersei: "And when your tears have drowned you, the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you." And in her final scene, Cersei was crying about her baby, her younger brother (valonqar) Jaime was holding her head and neck in his hands, then everything collapsed on them and choked the life out of her (and him).

That they matched the valonqar prophecy in a way despite not needing to make me think that the show is giving kind of a "Cliffs Notes" version of what GRRM is planning to write in the books. So I think the books will have similar character and plot developments but explain them better - for example, Dany's shift to a Mad Queen will make more sense in the books than this rushed version in the show.

It makes me think the mistake made in the show was shortening these final 2 seasons because I think if seasons 7 and 8 were both proper 10 episode seasons then things would not seem so rushed and could've developed more fully.

leeta

I was wrong in my guesses as to how this would turn out. That episode was a shocker.

Your predictions on how it will end seem to be on the mark from where things stand now.

But who knows. Can't wait till next week.

leeta

For those that didn't look at the Russian ComicCon Youtube clip that someone posted earlier in the thread, it had what amounts to a BIG announcement (sort of) for those of us who have given up waiting for the books to be released:



Don't know if that's true, but it would be great!