SPOILERS for Game of Thrones episode “Kill the Boy.”
I didn’t come away from this week’s Game of Thrones episode as excited as last week. I blame the Greyjoys! Even though Theon is no longer “iron-born,” he’s still enough to ruin an episode for me. Every time I hear about the character kill rate on GoT, I always think hopefully, “…and Theon?!” It’s crazy to me that somehow Theon has survived (maimed but survived) and Tywin Lannister has not. Anyway, bring some HODOR to the table and let’s discuss this week’s episode. Some assorted highlights:
Jon Snow & The Wall: This is where we get the episode’s title, “Kill the Boy.” It’s said to Jon Snow by Maester Aemon Targaryen. I loved the part where Sam read out a message to Maester Aemon about Dany’s bad situation in Meereen and Aemon – one of the last surviving Targaryens and (I think?) Dany’s great-uncle, seems to wish he could be in Meereen to advise her. I also think his wording about “a Targaryen alone in the world” was interesting, especially since Jon Snow (dun dun dun) came in right afterwards. Anyway, I wasn’t crazy about the whole Jon Snow storyline here – he’s going to go make a speech to the Free Folk about how they’ll have to fight with the Night’s Watch when winter comes. Blah.
Brienne & Her Oath. We could have used more Brienne, honestly. We only got a glimpse of her as she was setting up a fail-safe rescue plan for Sansa, should she need it. Sansa is somehow supposed to make it to the tower (the same tower that Jamie Lannister pushed Bran off of in the very first episode of the series) and light a candle. Girl, when trouble comes for Sansa, she’s not going to have time to light a candle!
Sansa and Winterfell. I think it’s a good instinct for Sansa to just stay in her room and not interact with the Boltons. When Sansa is manipulated into seeing Theon/Reek in his dog’s kennel or whatever… ugh. And Ramsey Bolton’s displays of…creepy psycho chivalry? At dinner, when he was trying to do something to make Sansa cry, I guess. I almost wish Roose Bolton would just kill Ramsey and marry Sansa himself. Roose is a terrible person, but he’s not bats—t crazy like Ramsey. Alfie Allen has a new interview with Variety about playing Theon/Reek – go here to read.
Dany & the Dragons. Dany needs to learn to solve more of her problems with her dragons. She needs to bring them out and let them eat people in broad daylight (although the catacombs-set where she keeps them is really cool). So, she feeds one of the masters to the dragons. I would have loved it if her next move was to order Daario to find more of the Sons of the Harpy and then let the dragons eat all of the prisoners. In the fighting pits. But basically, Dany needs people. She needs advisors, because Daario and Missandei won’t cut it, long-term. And Dany’s silly scheme of marrying dude-face head of his family? Ugh.
Grey Worm Lives! Yay. And the only thing he feared was that he would never get to see his beloved Missandei. I kind of love their little love story.
Jorah & Tyrion. I was sort of disappointed that they were still on a boat, but I got excited when I realized that we were getting our first glimpse at Valyria. The story of “The Doom of Valyria” borrows heavily from the myth/theory of the lost city of Atlantis. The Valyrian people – the ancestral home of the Targaryns – were the most advanced, the most technological, the smartest, the most civilized. They tamed dragons and conquered the world. Then The Doom came upon them – you can read more about that here. So, Jorah wants to move through the ruins of Valyria, perhaps to find some sort of gift for Dany. Tyrion sees a dragon (Drogon!) for the very first time and props to Peter Dinklage for looking properly awed. But Drogon pulled focus from the real threat: the Stone Men, aka men with Greyscale, a terrible disease in the GoT universe. You can be infected with Greyscale just by touch, and long story short… Jorah has Greyscale now. Iain Glen spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the turn of events – go here to read.
Next week: Cersei goes HAM on Littlefinger. I can’t wait for her whole game with the Sparrows to blow up in her face.
Photos courtesy of Game of Thrones/HBO.
I gotta agree with you there, kaiser. Any storyline with Theon or Bran kills it for me. Atleast one of them is MIA this season…….
Least favorite scene pairings –
Reek (Theon) & Resse
Missandei & Grey Worm (yawn)
Melisandre & Stanis’ wife
Edit- Melisandre and anyone.
The Grey Worm Missandei scenes always bother me because they are siblings in the books.
Wow, to each his own but I love both Theon/Reek and Melisandre. They are interesting characters played by great actors and I almost always love their scenes (with Ramsay, Sansa, Stannis, Jon).
Grey Worm and Missandei are truly terrible though.
LF – That love storyline seems so forced and I feel like it was created because one of the actors negotiated more screen time or something.
GB – We can agree to disagree on Theon and Melisandre. But I agree with your comment down thread – I also missed seeing Cersie this episode.
PS I meant to say Reek/Ramsey in my original comment – and it should be Roose… not Reese (typing too fast) But IF Reese Witherspoon was in GOT I’d hate her scenes with Theon too!
Lilacflowers- What the what?! How did I miss that in the books? I don’t care for this story line either.
@MAF, Missandei has several brothers who are Unsullied and Grey Worm is one of them
Plus Missandei is about 11 yrs old in the books …
The only redeeming quality, in my eyes, to Stannis and Ol Red are that they are kind to Shireen. Probably for very different reasons (speculation on my part, haven’t read the books yet) but I don’t doubt Melisandre has a plan in mind that involves something horrible. Maybe Daavos will get her out.
And f#ck Mrs. Stannis. Give her to R’hollor, already.
GB I love Theon too! That kennel scene was heartbreaking.
Lilacflowers, Grey Worm is not her brother. Missandei’s brothers are Marselen and Mossador. She had three brothers join the Unsullied, but one, an unnamed one, died during the training.
Hahaha. Melissandre and anyone. Ditto.
Missandei & Grey Worm are sweet enough, but the storyline has annoyed me ever since the “pillar and stones” comment. Only dude writers would have such a limited imagination to think pillars and stones are the be all and end all of sexy times. Sure, they couldn’t have biological children together, but Missandei can still (*ahem*) get hers and Grey Worm would probably be happy enough just to be invited to the party 😉
@Gretchen, ITA agree with everything you wrote. My biggest beef is that there’s so many more important story lines that aren’t being covered, or not covered enough. To me, they are just fluffy filler at this point.
Agree Gretchen and mimif with you both.
I feel like this is the writers’ attempt at a *we-found-love-in-a-hopeless-place-storyline* but in the context of this program and with these two characters it just doesn’t resonate for me.
Totally agree. Missandei and Greyworm are a waste of time and completely uninteresting imo. If I could axe one storyline, it would be them.
lmao @mia w/we found love, so true.
I found myself really bored with all of the Castle Black / Jon Snow stuff. Maybe it’s because I keep waiting for something exciting to happen, and it’s mostly just talk. (I have read the books, so I’ll stop things there, lol).
That said, I was really happy that we finally got to see Valyria, Doomed and all. That and watching Tyrion’s face were the highlights of the episode, at least for me.
His face was everything. I thought that entire scene was great, especially because it illustrated Tyrion’s knowledge of the Doom of Valyria (screw Jorah) and his slight obsession with dragons. Funny, eh? He’s always talked about dragons since he was a little boy…just saying.
The look on his face was priceless!
Just saying! Yes, Tyrion has always liked dragons. : )
Peter Dinklage is a wonderful actor. One of the best, if not THE best, on the show.
Hodor! Can we just throw Ramsey off the tower and be done with him? Or could Sansa warg into one of those dogs and rip out everyone’s throat or something?
I just cannot find it to be interested in Roose and Ramsey scenes until they die. I am with you, let’s just throw him off the tower and be done with it. The Wall story line feels like it’s running in place, Kit Harington is not charismatic enough to make it watchable. The best part was Tyrion and Jorah and I wonder how fast Jorah’s greyscale will spread. Since the show can’t make it up it’s mind whether or not it’s fatal (in the books, it’s eventually fatal, but Shireen seems to be in remission, if you will, on the show).
This was not my favorite episode by any stretch. I am glad we are seeing Dorne and Kings Landing next week. I hope we get a break from the Wall and I could use a break from the Boltons too.
After the introduction to the sand snakes I’m actually not expecting much out of the Dorne storyline this season. That scene SUCKED hard last week.
This is where we run into the problem of the source material being crappy. The Wall is just going to suck for a while (as is pretty much anything with Melisandre) and the Boltons are so unneccessary it’s hard to watch them.
This is where we enter The Walking Dead territory with too much filler and not enough 😱😱.
How much left is there really even to cover? Everyone’s just kind of farting around now.
Maybe HBO is being forced to stall? I hadn’t thought of that before.
@mimif- but that this the thing- the show runners know where the story is going. I think their issue is maybe they haven’t decided on how many seasons are left. Breaking Bad, I believed, went in knowing they were only going to do 5 seasons. Plus, Martin isn’t needed on set. From what I’ve read he didn’t even write a single episode this season so why hasn’t he worked on book 6 and 7? Book 6 easily, IMO, could have been out by now.
It could be different factors. They probably want the seasons to have specific arcs and could be saving specific storylines for the next 2 seasons. It could also be that HBO is still trying to convince the powers that be to do an 8th season (don’t forget, HBO would love that and Benioff and Weiss are declining). Or it could be that nothing happens in books 4 and 5.
I’m a little surprised that they’ve gone as deep into the Ramsay-Winterfell storyline as they have, but I wonder if they’re setting something up for the end game.
The guy who plays Ramsay is hilarious! That dinner scene made me laugh really hard . It was refreshing in an otherwise dour show. I miss the scenes with Cersei and Tyrion where they would pile on the insults at each other, so funny.
Roose is a f-cking idiot keeping that rabid dog around, his greatest weakness if you ask me. Sure he put him in his place but he’s already acted out of turn so many times (that’s a psychopath for you), that who’s to say he won’t lose his shit for real and gut his pregnant wife. I agree with what many of you had posted and enough with the Boltons already. We get it, they’re dangerous assholes capable of extreme cruelty blah BLAH.
And even worse, what’s the damn point of the Boltons? I feel like they’re just time wasters.
I can’t wait for the Bolton’s to get their arses kicked by Stannis’ army.
Atleast I hope that is what happens (non-book reader here)
There you are, Bridget. They’re supposed to be scary skin flayers and we all should tremble in their Bad Guy presence. Yawn. I’m more scared of Dany and her dumb ass decisions than Ramsey and his creepy face.
@Mia Girl, no spoiler here because by the end of Book Five, it isn’t clear what happens between Stannis and the Boltons and the Greyjoys (they’re still in the mix in the books) but all sides send out confusing and contradictory messages. And Winter comes
LF – You mean Winter FINALLY comes? 😉
Seriously you guys, winter is pretty much almost here. I heard Jon say it last night.
Also, I’m rooting for the theory that the Bolton show down ends with this season, because with only 2 seasons left, there’s just no room for them.
Anybody else notice the Flayed Man as the sigil on Winterfell in the opening credits? Paolanqar pointed it out to me.
My theory is that Theon will finally snap out of it and be the one to end Ramsey. Why else are they keeping his character around for if not for that?
I like your thinking, Littlestar. I’m hoping his final act will be getting Sansa the hell out of there.
Abbott, I am so hoping for that too! Otherwise, their reunion will be completely pointless in my opinion.
Have you guys read the Bolton theories on reddit about them having NO family tree? That Roose might be some kind of undead skin changer?
@Bunny, yes! Also, something something about the Faceless Men and flaying and and…**spoilers**
Also: re Stannis charging the Boltons, let’s not forget our friend Brienne the beauty, who’s quite formidable in her own right.
Where’s this thread??!?
You mean the link Abot? Maybe I should DM on IG, it will take me a while to unearth it from my insane pile of tin foil links.
So is the idea that Roose is a Faceless man and there never really was a Roose Bolton, or that someone replaced the real Roose Bolton?
Oh, Bridget is that the theory? That sounds pretty intriguing.
@mia girl, I’m not sure but that’s what I surmised given the other folks comments.
One theory with undead Roose is surmised because he doesn’t have a family tree when everyone else has a copious one. It’s also observed that although Roose has seen many years, he does not appear to age. One theory is that he kills and inhabits the skin of his sons thus continuing on and not creating a family lineage. Ramsey is a prime candidate because of his eyes being the same; he has the Other look. Some think he might be the Rat Cook or even the Nights King (who wed an Other bride a thousand of years ago) or possibly the child of that union.
I thought all the houses in the North had been there for generations and generations?
@Bridget
True! The houses have been there for generations and generations, which is why most have a detailed family tree provided by GRRM. You’d be hard pressed to find one on the Boltons…
Forever young
Yes! Finally someone as insane as me that believes the Bolt-on theory. I’ve said this before, but have you ever seen the dude eat or drink? I think last night was the first he held his wine and had a sip. There is *also* a rumor going around that Roose has the blood of the Others in him, just like the Starks.
Arya’s job when she served him at Harrenhall was to bring him food – didn’t he eat then?
And isn’t Roose Bolton always being leeched in the books?
@Bunny
@mimif
@SizeDM
Yes Roose Bolton loves leeches and never ages so definitely something is happening with him.
But about the fact he never eats/drink might be due to the fact he’s afraid of being poisoned.
In the book, at Ramsay’s wedding feast, Roose does not eat any of the food or drink served to him unless he sees the man who brought the food, eat the same dish.
He secretly thinks that his bastard son Ramsay poisoned his true son (Dameric) and legal heir and I’m not sure he trusts Ramsay at all. Especially now that Roose has made Ramsay a Lord deleting his bastard name.
Ramsay could kill/poison Roose in any moment.
He definetely uses his sons’ skins to stay alive. Plus knowing GRRM writing style, so frumptuous and full of details and frills, I highly doubt that the fact the Boltons have no family tree is pure coincidence. He’s just trying to give us clues.
Roose’s appearance is (and I quote)
‘He is of average size with a soft and hairless body, Roose has a plain face, beardless and ordinary, with his only noticeable feature being his eerie eyes, which are as pale and strange as two white moons.’
Those eyes to me sound a lot like they belong to a white walker.
#ForeverYoung
Ah yes! I forgot he suspects Ramsey of killing his son, nice work Agent Paolanqar.
I definitely think the Bolton’s penchant for flaying has something to do with them wearing skin suits as disguises. You know, like say Ramsey’s if/when the time comes, because why would he keep that little sh-t around otherwise?
mimif I highly doubt that it’ll come out in the show though.
Apart from being very cruel and creepy nothing suggests he inhabits other people’s skin in the show. He looks hot rather than creepy in the show.
I missed the Cersei and Jaime storylines. They are my favorite characters 🙁
I missed them, too. And, Bronn. The scene with Tyrion and the fly-over was great and kinda made up for their absence, though. I must be in the minority about the dinner scene with the Boltons, however. I thought it was fascinating to watch Sansa’s face throughout that evil little pri*k’s exchange with her and Reek, and when Daddy Dearest shut him down with the baby news. Reek and the Boltons normally make me cringe, but it was almost gratifying to see Ramsey get knocked back down to “bastard” status.
I like the Tyrion/Jorah scen the best too! What can I say – Lannister forever!
The flyover was fantastic. The look on Peter Dinklage’s face. Watching the series, you forget that most of the characters have not seen the dragons. Tyrion conveyed that astonishment and wonder perfectly
Hands down best scene so far. I only replayed it about 5 times, because I’m not a nerd at all. Even Jorah, whom I can’t stand, was like whoa Drogon is looking large these days.
Lilac – Agree! Dinklage delivered on that scene. He’s just such a great actor
I was started to get interested in what a sober Tyrion might bring to the story, but now that they are on land, I am sure it’s back to the booze.
I’ll be the nerd, no shame! And, for the record, I’ve never liked Jorah, either, so I’ll be anxious to see what happens to him now that he’s been afflicted with greyscale.
I loved how happy Sansa looked when she found out Roose’s wife is pregnant! It’s like she realized what Ramsey’s greatest weakness is – his standing with his father. I’m liking how Sansa seems to be coming into her own this season. I think she’ll have more up her sleeve.
Safari dude looks like the kind of person wh’d brag about knowing famous people (Or dragons).
‘Oh that? That is my good friend Drogon, we hunted together once and we had a nice booze night at the tavern in Qarth. Great guy. Really one of a kind.’
*Drogon flies by and shits on his head*
😂😂Saving for all eternity, paolanqar.
AHAHAH mimif!
You are a true friend!
The Lannisters add so much to every scene they’re in. Big gaping hole of boring when we don’t see them. When was the last time we haven’t seen Cersei? Like at all?
Battle of Castle Black last season, an episode that I coincidentally (or not) HATED.
Yeah, when I first watched Battle of Castle Black last season, I also was not into it.
But then my husband and I saw the last two episodes at the theater in IMAX 3D* and in that setting, I found the episode really enjoyable. Maybe the larger scale added to the drama.
*yes, my husband and I are dorks.
Good memory! They had to fill the episode with a wildling battle to cover up the hole left by the Lannisters.
Ah, I loved that episode, but I too was able to watch it on a very large screen with surround sound.
That smile on Sansa’s face when Ramsay got served by his dad. I knew then that she would be okay.
That Myranda girl is on thin ice though, for sure. She’s gonna push it and get flayed. Although, I guess she had no choice but to have a horrifying fate.
She’s totally getting flayed.
And I suspect flayed like no one has been flayed before. *shudders*
Yeah but do you know who’s going to flay her? *shudders some more*
Oh crap. He’s not going to make Sansa flay her? (Probably Reek)
NOT TELLING
mimif – I’m not completely sure after your comment! AHHHHH
Is there something in the book that points to who? (I thought that Myranda is not an actual character in the book)
I’m scared for the pregnant stepmom. That will end poorly.
Abbott – I think you are right about both things. Oh dear.
Hey mimif – I went searching in Wiki to discover Myranda’s fate, and read that her character is a show creation. Is she a composite of book characters?
@maya, Myranda is a show creation. In the books, Ramsey had a gaggle of young men, called the Bastard’s Boys, who joined in on his rampages.
I wonder if Ramsay sent her to take Sansa to Theon as a test of Sansa and Theon both~or if she is just, umm, particularly innovative?
Sooooo, I guess I’m the only one who likes Grey Worm and Missandei? I think they’re really sweet and that moment whe he admited to be afraid of never seeing her again? Swoon worthy. Anyway, I’m really glad we had no lady Melisandre, that beotch annoys me and Sannis wife had two lines and managed to drive me off the wall. I hate her so much. I agree the best part was Tyrion and Jorah; Jorah is f*cked, isn’t he? It’s no longer only a matter of being disgraced socially now he’s been infected with that horrible disease. I agree Sansa should stay in her room because she is still dumb enough to fall victim of any of the intruders including psycho girlfriend that just this once let her go easy only showing her Theon. When whatching Reek’s scenes I expected to feel sorry for him but I just don’t; he was so horrible when he had the advantage, every horrible thing that comes his way is well deserved.
Grey Worm and Missandei are the best. I should know better than to root for love stories on GoT, but they warm my heart and NGL I totally cried during their scene last night.
Grey Worm and Missandei are a cute couple, I think it’s just that they are fairly minor characters in the books and it’s unexpected to see them having love scenes on the show.
I think their love story is sweet too. Doomed, but sweet.
The Bran storyline will be be pivotal. Characters long dead pouring their hearts out to the gods wood trees in flashback will be so cool.
Ned! Ned! Ned!
NED!!
Yes NED, but only because I know who Ned is (slinks back into corner and puts on GOT dunce hat….) I’ll catch up one day, you’ll see.
There was a sneaky little article with him last year (I think) that was very giggly “oh yes it would be fun to play Ned again” giggle giggle.
Ned revealing Jon Snow’s parentage & maybe some Targ’s airing out some innermost feelings! So many possibilities! Also, if Arya doesn’t get to kill a Bolton I will be sorely disappointed.
@jlee: I don’t think we’ll see a lot of Targaryens. If I’m remembering correctly, they didn’t worship the old gods.
JLee, yes, yes, yes!
my brother’s name is Jlee.
I can’t be the only one who was happy to see Tyrion kill Tywin? Tyrion breaks my heart.
I’m down with more Bran this season. Want to know more about the Children. If there are any origin stories about them, the Others/White Walkers, I’m there.
More Arya, more Bran, all the Hodor, don’t let Tyrion get greyscale, my poor heart couldn’t handle that.
Hell no you’re not the only one; pretty sure there was a collective YASSSS when Tyrion shot him. I said this last week, but I think Bran/HODOR! and the rest won’t be in Season 5, but hopefully I’m wrong.
Maybe Tyrion is immune to greyscale…just saying. 😀
If Tyrion doesn’t end the series flying out of Westeros on a golden dragon carrying wine and a bunch of honeys, I will Storm HBO HQ with pitch forks and hot dogs. Or whatever.
Don’t forget surrounded by maidens and something about his dinklage being in said maidens mouth.
That’s where the honeys come in 😉
Ha, oh my I’m slow this morning. I’m thinking like, yeah Tyrion is so bad ass he travels with Dornish honey and stuff. 😀
Another crazy theory is about the name of the god that opposes Melissandre’s R’llhor… Maybe the god who cannot be named is called Hodor. It’s from the name of the Norse god of winter, Hodr.
Wtf….PAOLA get over here now! Bunny I love you, post more often please. We’ve been playing around with HODOR! theories, so this is great.
I didn’t see it yet!! So I’m here with my hands covering my eyes!!
My god Bunny I love you already!
WHAAAAAAAAA?!?! Damn my having to be gainfully employed. I’m meant to read all the tinfoil chronicles all day, forget providing childcare. Hodor. Winter. What if he’s just an overgrown CoF, or thawed white walker? I’m not good at conspiracies, but I like reading them 😀
@Mimif @Paolanquar
🐰💋
I feel like HBO is pumping the brakes this season. So much talking in dimly lit rooms; why are we stalling?
I’m glad someone finally told Jon to put his big girl panties on. He’s like a newborn baby ready to imprint on the first father figure that shows him attention. Ugh.
Love that Brienne is still trying her best. If I were Sansa and someone told me to light a candle if I’m in trouble, I’d be like ‘B*tch get me some matches!!’
Stop trying to make Grey Worm happen.
This episode was a boring bag of boring so I’m missed some things:
– What the short story on The Doom?
– Why do the stone men hAve greyscale? Shouldn’t they be dead?
REEEEEEK!
Short story on the Doom: Once there were Valyrians and their whole empire spanned most of Essos. Then the 14 volcanoes started erupting at once, tore the continent apart and killed dragons and everyone in old Valyria. Or, at least that’s the official story. The unofficial story is that Valyrians accidentally blew themselves up, other theories have the Faceless Men meddling with Valyria’s magic and blowing the place up. And if you want a tinfoil version, take the “Valyria blew up magically” and take it to Hardhome north of the Wall, a place that similarly blew up spectacularly and is now said to be haunted, cursed and a terrible place, talked about in the same note as the doom of Valyria is. Tinfoil says that similar events happened.
A cataclysmic seismic event is probably for the Doom, but everything is pointing towards a magical disaster.
As for the stone men, they’re pretty much in the final stages of greyscale, whose progression might kill a man within a year, five years, or ten years. So they’re essentially banished to the Sorrows of the Rhoyne, oh, I’m sorry, D&D, Valyyyriaaaaaaa.
Another tinfoil hat theory is that a whole shit load of dragon eggs (like little nuclear bombs) went off and destroyed Valyria. I can provide the link if anyone wants to go down ze wormhole.
Totally disinterested in Grey Worm arc other than he and Missandei are hot together.
Poor Reek. If only he had the love of a good Abot…
I contemplated shutting the show off when it appeared that we would not be moving on from the boltons. I just hate this horrible story line, and really really hope that stannis does them in, like next week. Obvs, the chances of that happening are slim to none.
I cannot stand the Boltons and I hope Stannis defeats them. I rather have him take control of Winterfell , instead of that sick, twisted family. Theon/Reek breaks my heart and that scene in the kennel was so hard to watch. I hope he redeems himself and helps Sansa. She’s alone and I am kinda worried….
I guess I’m in the minority but I love all the scenes in the North. Castle Black & Winterfell are by far the most interesting part toe. My favorites in the books as well.
Me too! I think because Jon is so pivotal and the fantasy/magic/old ways aspect feels stronger in the North storyline with the Whitewalkers, Weirwoods etc and of course the ominous winter on its way. Plus I am one of the few people who likes Sansa, I thought she handled Ramsey’s baiting very well, she’s getting stronger.
Me too. I love the magical, supernatural elements of the North and The Wall. And I just love the old, wise Maester Aemon. “Kill the boy!!!”
Jon really is now becoming a man, thanks to Aemon. They really are connected, aren’t they 😉
She did handle it well without going too far and demanding that, since Theon had to apologize for killing Bran and Rickon, Roose should apologize for killing Cat, Robb, and Grey Wind. Ramsey gave away part of himself in that scene. Sansa now knows he is a sadistic jerk, similar to Joffrey, but not how sadistic and psychotic he is
Lol becks, I see what you did there.
@LilacVulcan, that scene was so ridiculous. Roose should have told Ramsey to STFU, I mean he was embarrassing everybody. I was impressed with Sansa’s composure tho. I mean at what point does that woman say, enough already?
I love the North/Wall/Beyond the Wall as well. I’m digging Tyrion’s little road trip and I’m always down for Arya, but the Wall is where the real sh-t is going to go down.
Mimif, it’s all about the Wall. For reals.
But I could also use a little more Arya….and definitely more Jaqen 😍
Yep, Becks and mimif. Unless GRRM or HBO do a massive bait and switch, the Wall’s the key. And love or hate her, Melisadre KNOWS (probably everything in the GOT universe), so if she’s there, that’s where it’s at.
Although I’m not really loving the Arya scenes so far, it’s just not the same without The Hound.
I think Sansa has got Ramsey’s number, she’s just biding her time. What’s that saying? Something like “sit by the riverbank long enough and the bodies of your enemies will float by”.
Melisandre is so blinded by her faith (and her interpretations of her visions) that I think (much like Rhaegar & Cersei and their prophecies), that she might very well know nothing. (Sorry, couldn’t help myself).
It’s all about the wall. Wasn’t it built as a mystical protection against the Others?
Also, Melisandre is trying to make her visions come true. She’s holding too hard onto her own interpretations of her visions rather than letting them happen. Because that goes so well.
Don’t get me started on why the Wall was built, Bridget! 😉
I did love what Jon told Tormund about the Wall and the realms of men, and how it was a mistake to keep the Free Folk out. Or whatever he was mumbling about, was too busy staring at Tormund’s amazing beard.
Tormund has a beard? I hadn’t noticed, blinded as I was by his amazing eyes.
Oh yes, I agree mimif and Bridget. I don’t think she knows the future or that she is even a particularly good agent to enact change in the story, but I do think she knows the past, eg the truth about Jon Snow, the origins/history of the Whitewalkers and Wall, how serious this winter business really is (which Kings Landing and the rest of Westeros seem to ignore), the importance of the Wildlings etc. So if she says something or someone is important, I’m inclined to believe her.
Yes~
-Danny’s fair trial talk was pretty short lived. Instead, let’s just roast a MF when I have no idea if they have done anything wrong. Let me marry Hizdar when I was going to kill him yesterday. Sounds like a well though out plan.
-I enjoy the Winterfell scenes. I want Sansa to do something, take action of her own. I’d rather she choose to make a move, any move, than get ‘rescued’ by Brienne.
-I missed King’s Landing this episode. I loved that storyline in the books.
-I’m glad Stannis was nice to Sam. I was waiting for him to rip into Sam about not being a soldier. The show didn’t acknowledge that they are related, though. Queen Selyse and Sam’s mom are cousins.
-I like this season. The 2 books it is based on were slow and uneventful. I hated some of the storylines when I read them, but I’m enjoying them all in the show. I think a lot will pay off in the last 3rd eps. My favorite storylines in the last 2 books were Cersei in King’s Landing, getting clues to all the shit Littlefinger has a hand in/ plots he’s spinning, Jon at Castle Black learning to lead, Stannis + Melisandre, and Winterfell. I was surprised by how much I looked forward to Reek’s chapters, even though I did not like Theon at all in previous books. This season reminds me of the pacing of season 1. It was a slow build until the end.
I really just want to smack Dany and tell her if she wants to be a freaking leader then she has to LEAD. Stop doing what everyone else wants you to do! Every time she has to make a big decision, she looks to one of her advisor and just does what he says! And then when they’re all gone, and she has to make a decision, she asks her handmaiden what she should do. Missandei was much more diplomatic in telling her to stop looking to all the men in her life to make her decisions for her and make up her own damn mind.
Although now that I think about it, it was quite poetic for Maester Aemon to speak to Sam about Dany being alone, then giving Jon the speech about killing the boy and becoming the man. Dany needed that speech. Time to grow the F up and make the hard choices. Kill the girl who needs everyone else to tell her what to do.
I thought it was also a very slight play on Jon’s steward, Olly. Interesting in the flashbacks in the beginning, they replay his story, and then he and Jon have their little talk about the Wildlings. Now I’m worried that Olly is going to do something…um, out of turn.
Agreed mimif. I had the same thought, Like Jon should have Olly start taking a bite out of all his food when he brings it. Although it looked more like Olly would like to run him thru with a sword.
I never cared for the Daenerys character in the novels, and I dislike her more with Emilia Clarke portraying her. However, it’s important to remember she, like Jon Snow, is little more than a child. In the books, she married Drogo right after she hit puberty, so about age 13-14. For censorship purposes, the character was aged a few years, so she was probably 16-18 at the time of her marriage. She’s still very young, and has no experience ruling anyone or anything. Combine that with her natural Targaryen arrogance, and you have a teenager who always thinks she’s right, and ignores the advice of her older and wiser advisors. What all this exposition is supposed to illicit in us is the question, ‘if Dany keeps faltering in Meereen, how on earth will she conquer and rule Westeros’.. and maybe, that’s the point…
Exactly epiphany. She almost has the makings of becoming a dangerous tyrant. 😉
And even if she doesn’t go to tyrant level, her incompetence is bad enough – maybe even worse than tyranny. There is no way she could or should rule Westeros if she doesn’t woman up and get her big girl pants on.
I love Dany and usually defend her, but when she watched that guy burning …… for the first time, I saw the Mad King in her. I know some book readers predict she will become her father, but I still have hope.
I am frustrated with the turn that Dany has taken both in the book and the show. They started her off at 13 as level headed and pretty insightful, and yet somehow they’ve made her a dithering idiot. And even worse, her story has ground to a halt!
To me, the biggest issue isn’t necessarily that GRRM is trying to make Dany more complex – it’s that he’s so off base. And the book is already filled with horrible people, why ruin one of the few ‘good’ characters?
I seriously think it’s because the writers know the basic premise for how it’s all going to end, and are slowly shifting in that direction. Dany’s (fire lit) face as she left the dragons munching on dude was very telling IMO. Remember, shades of grey, my dear, shades of grey.
I thought she was supposed to have an affinity to fire as it was.
Whaaaat? Since when?
Kidding. I just think Dany is going down in flames, Mad King style.
I will be pissed if she turns into another Mad King. Because what was the point of this whole thing? Though if you mean the other way and that someone’s going to try to burn her alive – don’t forget that she’s immune to fire.
They have to show the conflict Dany has of being a fairly innocent & naive girl who comes into power, and her struggle to stay a human (with all that implies) or to become the mad mother of dragons~it could go either way, and THAT is what the show is building up to. Which way does she go? Does she KEEP going that way, or is there redemption?
I’ve been seriously disappointed with the season thus far, which is the first season where D&D have taken major steps away from the source material. The problem is, they’re not handling it well, and they’ve made some bad decisions regarding the storyline. I read the books, but I understand that the show and the book are separate entities. Still, the season’s been lacklustre and the episode… well, nothing happened, aside from Jorah becoming Victarion with his big toot-toot/JonCon with the greyscale, both majorish characters in the book whose storylines have been completely cut this season. Sniff. A really interesting conflict is being set up in Essos in the books and to see it all just gone… bah.
We can assume what is about to happen to the Wall storyline, which makes Melisandre’s and Shireen’s departure from the Wall… concerning. Besides, who needs spoilers when you have D&D’s heavy-handed foreshadowing.
Also remember when Jon had a direwolf? Me neither.
The direwolves don’t rank with this show, unfortunately. Really unfortunate considering all the Stark kids can (could-past tense for Robb, sobbing) warg and Jon & Arya warg in the books. Show-verse: it’s only been hinted at it with Robb, Bran can obviously, Jon & Arya have not been shown to have the ability to do so. Sansa has not shown any ability to do so in books and show due to her direwolf dying early on (crying too…but Sophie Turner adopted the dog who played her direwolf in the first season).
I have to disagree. The last 2 books were incredibly flawed. Fan response was mixed when they were published. I don’t agree with everything D&D have done, but George added way to many new characters and honestly, not much happened in the last 2000 pages of books. The Mereen clusterf*ck was not interesting for me. Didn’t care that a dozen new characters were doing stuff to keep Dany in Mereen just because George doesn’t want her dragons in Westeros until the last book. It’s not like the books at this point in the story were great.
I agree with that. I didn’t think that the Aegon/Connington storyline added anything to the books aside from a big fat red herring and a waste of time. In fact, I think the biggest problem that this season (and one can guess next season) has is the seriously flawed source material they’re now using. Books 4 and 5 were not good.
There are a few of us here (Bridget, where are you?!) who categorically detested the last two books. Regardless, it’s 10 hours a season, how much can you really cram into that? I have ceased for the most part, making any comparisons to the books and instead look for the many clues being dropped about where the show is going, especially because it’s safe to say that GRRM will not get either of those books published before the show runs it’s course.
Not even ten hours mimif. Each episode is only 50-55 minutes, with a 5 minute intro (which gets longer every time they add a new location). Not that I count the minutes…
I do indeed hate books 4 and 5. And mimif and I are not alone!
Also, I work away from a computer most mornings. It makes the geeking out a little time-delayed.
i miss the dire wolves! I can’t believe that its halfway through the season and still no Ghost !
And if we have to have an Arya free episode, can we at least get a shot of her dire wolf attacking something?
No Bran and Summer this season, so could somebody stumble upon Rickon and Shaggydog?
There was a very brief glimpse of Ghost in episode one (I think it was). I think Jon was training Olly, and we saw Ghost laying nearby.
Re: the scene where Aemon bemoans to Jon a Targ alone in the world with no one to advise them…um, guess who’s on the way? Tyrion Targaryen & Jorah Safari Greyscale. The latter who **__________** and the former who pops out of a cupcake!
Paolanqar, show yourself!
Mmmm, cupcake.
And so subtle that Beautiful Banshee Jon Snow enters the room at that very moment. I was waiting for Aemon to turn to the camera and give us a big wink.
Ha!
R + L = J!
A + L = T!
I don’t know that one!
LMAO!
Ok, I figured it out. I don’t like that one as much as the other.
Right?! Aemon was also bemoaning the lack of Dany having another Targaryen around her to SAM, not Jon~
My head is spinning from the departures from the books still, but I love any episode that features mostly Jon Snow!
I’m a book reader, but I’m going happily along for the ride. Like someone upthread said, GRRM ain’t finishing this story anytime soon, so I might as well sit back and enjoy the show!
I have to skip over the post and the comments because i couldn’t watch last night, but will tonight on on demand. Damn. I will miss all the fun here today. This is the only place I can obsess over this show without judgement! So hello and goodbye *fingers in ears la la la i can’t hear you* 🙂
Come back later and discuss!
Yes come back later! Lord knows I’ve got nothing else to do 🙂
Does anyone know when the next book is going to be released? I haven’t read the books, but everyone is saying that this season is taking a different direction than the last two books it is based on. Do you think this is because the show’s creators know they won’t have any source material to work with soon and are creating their own storylines/directions on where they want the final two seasons to go?
Or maybe Martin already has the last 2 books completed and he’s just biding his time, getting everyone worked up, and will release them shortly?
I think the next book comes out next year. I *think* he historically takes a whole to write each. The two dudes in charge of the show know where the author is headed (or at least enough) but who knows if they stick to that.
I think it’s been pushed back to 2017.
Don’t forget, apparently GRRM doesn’t write during the football season. What the hell is up with that?
And he is most definitely not done with the books and biding his time. HBO and his publishers are breathing down his neck and are probably pretty ticked. GRRM is a notoriously slow writer. Unlike some of his peers he’s not a book a year kind of writer.
Well with the draft concluded and the games announced, we’re pretty much screwed. Cracks me up he’s into football too.
How does that even work? How much time can one person devote to watching football? I don’t get it.
…says the commenters populating a 200+ post each week ;)….
Abbott, does this mean I can say that I won’t work while GOT is in a new season?
I hated Bran’s storyline in the books and Bran and his two companions (Meera and Jojen were their names?!) will not be part of this season (thank God!). They sped his storyline up and so in the books that have been published, we’ve reached the end of his story so far. He goes on an epic quest beyond the Wall to… Become a magical tree. It just seemed so lame.It was great to finally meet the Children of the Forest but after that I just got bored. I was hoping they’d change that for the show but nope.
But I’m enjoying the storylines that have been changed so far because even now I get to be surprised. In the books I don’t remember Tyrion going through Valyria, I think they just allude to Valyria being a cursed place. But it was so cool to finally see it because they never shut up about the Doom (which basically was a volcano eruption or some kind of natural disaster from what the books imply). And Ser Barristam being killed was a surprise (he doesn’t die in the books or get mortally injured). There is so much more they’ve changed but I haven’t minded anything so far. I’m just wondering if Cersei’s storyline will go the way of the books. If so, girlfriend might want to be more careful.
I don’t mind Bran’s storyline, but the kid has had such a growth spurt, he looks like a giant even while sprawled out in his usual position. By next season, he’ll be as big as Hodor, with a bass voice.
So I was super excited to watch last night and comment today, but I can’t seem to muster up the energy over that episode. Maybe my husband has infected me. He didn’t read the books, and he’s bored to tears with this season. I like watching all the TV-to-book changes and speculating about what it all means and how it will shake out, but I’m blah today. I thought Dany was going to grow a pair and finally DO something but now she’s getting married (boring). I’m curious to see how Sansa develops and what havoc Littlefinger wreaks in King’s Landing.
Big new changes this episode (aside from things like Sansa being in Winterfell, Jaime in Dorne, etc.):
1. Melisandre left the wall with Stannis.
2. Looks like Jon is going to Hardhome.
What does it mean?
Yeah, that episode was so boring. I mean, no King’s Landing? No Littlefinger? I need to know what Cersei and LF have planned!
Jon and Sansa are the most interesting storylines this season (go figure) but it just felt like a bunch of time wasters last night.
And where’s Varys? Is he looking for Tyrion at all or is he doing Spring Break solo?
If I’m remembering correctly, the books lead us to surmise that Hardhome is not going to be a good idea at all.
I’m not going to comment because HARDHOME IS BASICALLY GOING TO CRUSH ALL OF YOU, but whenever the show gets slow I focus on all the amazing costumes. I mean seriously, the detail that goes into their clothes is (cough) otherworldly. Also, how hot is Tormund? He could squash Baby Bond with his pinky.
Crush me in a good way or a bad way?
How can you even tell if Tormund is hot under all of his hair?
Because he’s half giant, silly. Remember what Osha said about HODOR!? 😉
From an expert on the subject (Read: ASOFAI Wikipedia page), Hardhome is an abandoned northern settlement some wildlings take refuge in. And because it was a total dumpster fire of survivability, the wildlings ummmm struggle?
I guess we should be glad they cut out so much of the other boring filler from books four and five, but still. I appreciate that they’re planting seeds to pay off later, again, but still. Not my favorite episode.
Isn’t the big scene at Hardhome supposed to take up a whole episode? Things will get better soon, I’m keeping the faith!
Isn’t Rickon in Hardhome? In the books he gets taken to an island, but I think it happened differently in the show.
I think Rickon is with Carl fighting off zombies.
Lol. I love Carl.
CORAL!
Rickon is supposed to be on Skagos Island in the books. Hardhome is what used to be a “city” on the east coast north of the wall. But the show is changing geography from the book. I did not see the stone men coming because I knew in the books they are on the river Rhoyne in the Sorrows and Tyrion and Varys were already in Volantis when Mormont kidnapped him. Jeez I’m a dork.
In the show, Tonks from Harry Potter said she was taking Rickon to Jon at the Wall and they’ve never been heard from since. In the books, they went to Skagos Island, which is supposedly a dangerous place. Davos is sent to look for somebody (never explained who he is looking for and he’s not sent by Stannis; he’s sent by a character who hasn’t appeared in the show yet but is working secretly to challenge the Boltons and Freys) in a scary place so he might be going to look for Rickon.
ahah!! I love that you refer to Osha as Tonks 😂😂
I did it too until mimif pointed out her real name 😂😂
Am I the only one annoyed that one week the dragons are pissed and ready to eat her, and now she’s completely back in control?
Yes me too.ùI’d like to reply to this using your name: WTF!!
I’ve got so many questions!
Is Danaerys f-cking stupid?
Why is Sansa wearing a belt buckle or something that you can find in H&M around her neck??
I was wrong. It’s not Theon being totally f-cked up. It’s Ramsay. What does he think he’s getting treating Reek like that in front of Sansa? He better sleeps with both eyes open.
Whos’ the fat lady sitting with the Boltons and Sansa for lunch?
I really didn’t want to see a father-son moment between the Boltons. Not after Shireen and Stannis.
I need a shower now
Myranda hip bones are mesmerizing. She so skinny.
So nothing happened in this episode too…
and where dafaq is Arya???
At this point is the only interesting storyline.
Sansa and her H&M necklace 😂😂
I just can’t with Sansa’s Gucci knock-off necklace either! 😂
Oh yes, her hips looked painfully pokey. But Ramsey is probably into that, no?
She’s a creepy biatch. I’m sure she’ll have her serving of pain soon.
Ramsay has a nice ass though.
Sansa needs to get the hell out of there soon. Very very soon.
No candle is going to save her if It’ll happen what I think it’ll happen.
Not gonna lie, I totally looked for Ramsey’s weenus (didn’t see it).
Fat lady is Roose’s new wife, Walda (?) Frey. He chose her because creepy old Frey promised to give him his wife’s weight in gold.
Fat lady = Walda Frey. After/in conjunction with the Red Wedding, Walder Frey told Roose Bolton he would pay Roose an amount equal to the bride’s weight in silver to marry one of his daughters, and Bolton got to pick the daughter. So Roose picked Fat Walda. And now she’s carrying Ramsey’s replacement heir. That part was interesting. Sandra’s going to pull a Littlefinger and manipulate everyone into something.
I’m so over the women in this show being nothing but marriage bartering chips. GO ARYA THE EXCEPTION!
I’m having a really hard time with the ladies in this show, and the violence toward them.
Don’t forget about Brienne!
There are a few exceptions, but I’m tired of the women constantly being in peril of rape and murder.
On the subject of the women on this show, I’m still disappointed that Jennifer Ehle had to back out of playing Catelyn.
Oh, my bad. I totally forgot badass Brienne of Tarth. Wonder if we ever meet her family? Wonder if we meet Samwell’s dad? Randyll Tarly shows up in the books a couple of times (not helping Brienne when she’s looking for Sansa and again trying to clean up Cersei’s mess in King’s Landing). And Stannis was talking about him last night with Sam.
@bridget – speaking of the threats to women, pardon me if I missed an upthread discussion on this but I was late to the party this morning. Need to mull over Sansa/Ransay wedding implications.
It’s not like when Dany married Drogo because of all the backstory we have now on Sansa and Boltons. We’ve been told a traumatic scene is coming and the comparable one in the books is awful (especially if Ramsay really thinks fake book Arya is real Arya). But even if Ramsay is a perfect gentleman with Sansa, it will be traumatizing, and it doesn’t seem true to the GRRM world for Sansa to avoid this bedding. I’m still hoping Myranda is the subject of the trauma nonetheless.
Serious question:
Does Sansa know that Theon didn’t really kill and burn Rickon and Bran?
I can’t remember.
She thinks he really did kill them.
Am I the only one that thinks that Roose Bolton is setting up Ramsay to kill his pregnant wife, at which point he can then be rid of BOTH of them without having to do it himself and keep on doing his creepy Roose Bolton thing? I do love the voice of the actor that plays him though! Sexy. It was also VERY interesting that while Ramsay called Theon out for his role in allegedly killing bran & Rickon, he DIDN’T call Roose out for his role in killing Catelyn & Robb. I hope that Sansa finally finds her inner Stark~
I LOVE the Jon Snow storyline, I think Kit was a perfect choice for him and does a fantastic job. (*Flame suit on) Dany DEFINITELY needs to solve more problems with her dragons~but that’s mostly because I want to see more dragons! I have been re-reading book 1 feverishly since I became aware of the R+L=J Theory, and that IS the right track!! All the clues about the winter rose crown that Rhaegar gave her~how L LOVED the smell of them, how they fell from her hands when she died…I am assuming she died in childbirth, since GOT mentions her bed being soaked with blood. Anyone looking for confirmation can just re-read the Eddard sections~it is CLEAR once you know what to look for. Ooh I love you GRRM, you sly devil~For the love of R’hallor would you just PLEASE FINISH books 6 & 7??!!
Sorry, the Jon Snow comment was meant to be its own but my computer glitched and put it as a reply~and I can’t delete it and repost it. Not trying to hijack the thread or anything, I swear to the Old Gods!
Best quote ever:
Jorah Safari dude of House of Friendzone brags about the old city of Valyria and Tyrion shuts him up with only 3 words.
‘I’d clap..’
*But I don’t because if my hands were free I would generously apply sunscreen on my face to NEVER look like you.*
😂😂 *dead*
Move to the states already so we can have you on US time.
I try to keep up.. But the time zone is a bitch!
You now, the dragons would destroy the White Walkers – pronto. So yeah, it does all come down to the wall.
But will they? What if the White Walkers have a dragon of their own, hmm?
an ice spitting dragon?
They’re from Casa Friendzone; they spit sunscreen.
*dead* mimif!
That would be handy though!
Ok, someone help me! I haven’t read the books so I lose track of characters easily.
Back when they were finding all of Robert Baratheon’s illegitimate children so they could get rid of any blood heirs, there was that young guy they didn’t catch who worked in a shop (blacksmith?) and was with Arya for a while. Where did he go? Is he the same guy who is Brienne’s squire?
Gendry was with the Brotherhood without Banners. Melisandre got her hands (and later parts) on him, when she bought him from the BwB. She placed leaches on him and then threw them into the fire to read a prophecy. Ser Davos set Gendry free in a boat, and I don’t believe we’ve seen him since season three.
Podrick is with Brienne.
We haven’t seen Gendry since Davos sent him free but I think Podrick looks similar to Gendry so when they show Podrick without Brienne, I often think they’ve brought back Gendry. I wish they would bring him back.
paola found Gentry:
http://persephonemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Life-of-Gendry.jpg
Gendry is easy to keep track of if you watched Skins. And he stuck with the Brotherhood – he’s a pretty in-demand dude with his blacksmithing skills.
Thanks, everyone!
CORRECTION: Aemon is the great-great-uncle of Daenerys.
Daenerys’ father is Aerys II. His father was Jaeherys II. His father was Aegon V. Aemon is Aegon V’s brother.