Support NeoGAF

[Stat Flow]

Loved this episode, but I seriously have to say that this show is not satisfactory enough in a 1 hour per week TV format. Not in the sense of quality, but in the sense of quantity.

It is really beginning to dawn on me after being two episodes into the third season that instead of an episode being like a meal, it's like a supreme sampler or some shit. I feel like we get so little of each plotline that by the time the hour rolls around I feel like not enough happened in the episode. I know that since the world is big and they really do shoot a lot of diverse locations, that it has to be this way, but I just feel like I'm getting morsels (very delicious morsels, mind you) instead of big pieces of plot development. Hell, this episode didn't even have Stannis or Daenerys in it for a second.

That said, I'm loving Margery. But I'm not sure how far her games of psychological superiority can take her. Joffrey is fucking nuts. She needs to be on that supernatural shit to really take this guy out. I fucking love Joffrey's actor.

I also really liked the two new kids and what they can bring to Bran's story. I swear I've seen that boy before, was he in something else recently? These Game of Thrones talent recruiters are really good and finding young talent.

 

[xenist]

I also really liked the two new kids and what they can bring to Bran's story. I swear I've seen that boy before, was he in something else recently? These Game of Thrones talent recruiters are really good and finding young talent.

He was Liam Neeson's son in Love Actually.

 

[Stat Flow]

He was Liam Neeson's son in Love Actually.

Holy fucking shit mind blown. I literally just watched this movie with my sister a week ago just cause we had nothing to watch.

 

[Lord Panda]

Brienne is badass. Loved how she dismissively

Spoiler

swats away Jamie's sword as the fight

drew to a close.

 

[MushroomSamba]

One: The rack Theon's torturers use does not seem so by accident. Bolton's bastard has him. Which means Bolton's men torched Winterfell and killed everyone. I can only deduce one thing. The Boltons, at least, are in Tywin's pocket. Rob better watch his back.

Sorry if this is a really dumb question, but who's Bolton? The whole Theon thing had me a bit confused...thought he was knocked out by his own men (or his father's men, I should say) last season. Did they explain who he was being tortured by in this episode?

 

[Phonomezer]

He was Liam Neeson's son in Love Actually.

Hah, thought I recognised him.

I hope I wasn't the only one utterly spooked by his face the first time we saw him.

 

[Bisnic]

How many years is suppose to happen during the books? Because the kids/teenager actors might be growing up faster than what the story is telling. Like Bran.

 

[Wes]

Diana Rigg just reaffirmed her great actress status in this episode.

 

[Joe Shlabotnik]

How many years is suppose to happen during the books? Because the kids/teenager actors might be growing up faster than what the story is telling. Like Bran.

There's been about a year's worth of events in the show so far.

 

[nubbe]

amusing that the little lord has hit puberty and has an apple stuck in the throat

 

[TheOddOne]

He was Liam Neeson's son in Love Actually.

OMG YES. I knew I saw him before.

 

[Kimaka]

Two: Margery is fucking shrewd. She can play people like no one else. However, so was Cersei and she found that her creation is not too easily controlled. Joffrey is too nuts. She's playing a very dangerous game. I hope Diana Rigg has her coached well.

I think, or at least hope, that she will fare better than Cersei did when dealing with Joffrey. Cersei tried to control him by telling him what he should and should not do. Margery encourages him instead. I wonder just how far she is willing to go.

Who and what are the Reeds doing with Bran? I didn't catch that part.

 

[KingKong]

Loved this episode, but I seriously have to say that this show is not satisfactory enough in a 1 hour per week TV format. Not in the sense of quality, but in the sense of quantity.

It is really beginning to dawn on me after being two episodes into the third season that instead of an episode being like a meal, it's like a supreme sampler or some shit. I feel like we get so little of each plotline that by the time the hour rolls around I feel like not enough happened in the episode. I know that since the world is big and they really do shoot a lot of diverse locations, that it has to be this way, but I just feel like I'm getting morsels (very delicious morsels, mind you) instead of big pieces of plot development. Hell, this episode didn't even have Stannis or Daenerys in it for a second.

Having to stick to all the various unconnected plotlines is really limiting this show. It just feels like a set of scenes for the sake of the plot. It's shot well enough and the acting is fine but there's never anything special about it, and each separate plot point just takes so long to develop

 

[Dysun]

Bran was a cute kid in the pilot, haha doesn't sound anything like him anymore

 

[xenist]

Sorry if this is a really dumb question, but who's Bolton? The whole Theon thing had me a bit confused...thought he was knocked out by his own men (or his father's men, I should say) last season. Did they explain who he was being tortured by in this episode?

The shady looking bannerman of Rob's with the sigil that looks like an X. The guy who sent his bastard to Winterfell last season supposedly to take it back from Theon.

 

[NathanMcMahon]

Are the wolves CGI or real, or a combo (my guess is real, at least for the close-ups, but CGI for a least part of the scenes where the whole body is shown)?

They are real

 

[Massa]

One is chained and the other wearing armor.

Wearing armor is not exactly an advantage. Sure it may save you from being killed, but with Brienne purposefully not trying to kill him armor would have only slowed him down.

 

[Brashnir]

The shady looking bannerman of Rob's with the sigil that looks like an X. The guy who sent his bastard to Winterfell last season supposedly to take it back from Theon.

And for a visual aid, it's this guy: (note the sigil on his chest)

Wearing armor is not exactly an advantage. Sure it may save you from being killed, but with Brienne purposefully not trying to kill him armor would have only slowed him down.

Of course armor is an advantage. Otherwise, nobody would have used it.

 

[Rad-]

I guess I posted too much even without spoilers.

 

[Massa]

Of course armor is an advantage. Otherwise, nobody would have used it.

Like I said, I was talking about Jamie's particular situation with Brienne where armor would be a disadvantage.

 

[Violet_0]

Wearing armor is not exactly an advantage. Sure it may save you from being killed, but with Brienne purposefully not trying to kill him armor would have only slowed him down.

I'd say it's a pretty big disadvantage when you trying to swim

 

[Kiraly]

I just read on these Boltons because I had no idea who they even were and.. well god damn. God damn. I just spoiled a bunch of stuff for myself but holy shit some of the future stuff sounds amazing. Can't wait to see more of this.

Why would you post this?

 

[Brashnir]

I'd say it's a pretty big disadvantage when you trying to swim

Luckily Brienne is tall enough to just wade across any body of water.

Like I said, I was talking about Jamie's particular situation with Brienne where armor would be a disadvantage.

It's one of my personal movie pet peeves, but most of Jamie's attack choreography was spectacularly useless against an armored opponent. (If you're going to get through armor, you need to stab with a sword, not swing it from the sides, and even then, the particular sword he was using wasn't a great option against armor -- but I'll leave the medieval combat pedantry at that since it's a long boring discussion)

 

[methodman]

I just...

Edit your post.

 

[Violet_0]

-- but I'll leave the medieval combat pedantry at that since it's a long boring discussion)

nah, I actually find that really interesting

 

[arab]

i think it would be cool if at the end of the series, someone comes along and releases each character's scenes cut together. wonder how it would turn out

IE all the bran scenes in an episode, all the robb scenes in an episode, etc.

 

[Brashnir]

nah, I actually find that really interesting

I do too, personally, but this thread isn't really the place for it.

 

[Funky Papa]

i think it would be cool if at the end of the series, someone comes along and releases each character's scenes cut together. wonder how it would turn out

IE all the bran scenes in an episode, all the robb scenes in an episode, etc.

I'm sure the Tumblrs are doing the Devil's work ATM.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

The new kid looks like a young Theon. I thought that's who it was when Bran first had the dream.

 

[Uncle]

Wearing armor is not exactly an advantage. Sure it may save you from being killed, but with Brienne purposefully not trying to kill him armor would have only slowed him down.

Eh, my point was that jumping into a river at this point might not be the smartest thing to do.

 

[Xamdou]

The new kid looks like a young Theon. I thought that's who it was when Bran first had the dream.

I thought the same thing as well, or it could be Theon's bastard brother.

 

[Ape Gone Insane]

Are the wolves CGI or real, or a combo (my guess is real, at least for the close-ups, but CGI for a least part of the scenes where the whole body is shown)?

Real but enlarged by CGI/digitally.

 

[Steelyuhas]

I think they need to grow faster. Arya in particular is still so tiny, hope shes not like daniel radcliffe and doesnt grow at all.

Maisie is 15. She could still grow, but a lot of times girls are finished growing at that age. She's a flat 5 feet tall, very short.

I think it's engraved in Bolton's armour, although it's the first time I've seen a proper banner.

The Bolton banners could also been seen when Robb's men were marching through the woods and he talks to Karstark.

 

[Last Hearth]

Intro to all the new characters:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SN28-TdHCbI&

 

[Funky Papa]

Maisie is 15. She could still grow, but a lot of times girls are finished growing at that age. She's a flat 5 feet tall, very short.

Well, let's hope Sophie Turner doesn't grow much more, otherwise she may end up looking like Gwendoline Christie's bodyguard at the premieres.

 

[ComputerMKII]

Boring episode this week.

 

[Moaradin]

Boring episode this week.

I thought it was great. I loved all the new characters they introduced, and finally we have an explanation for Bran's visions.

 

[televator]

Intro to all the new characters:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SN28-TdHCbI&

Spoiler

My fear was that one guy who has Arya was not telling the truth and was actually just a bounty hunter. So he is with the brotherhood, but they seem to follow the beliefs of that witch lady... so now that makes 2 factions that are opposed to the Starks that now have a Stark hostage. Poor Arya.

Edit: And yet another dilemma for Rob.

 

[Kave_Man]

I forgot that Rickon was even in the episode.

He seems like such a waste of a character.

 

[-Plasma Reus-]

Another good episode.
But when will this series stop introducing new, mostly flat characters and actually go back to focusing on those the story was founded on? What happened to the story that was more or less promised to us throughout the first series? It just feels as if we're given stories and plots, which are then halted for a season or two to bring in new characters. The series ends up feeling uneventful as a consequence.

I love granny Tyrell though!

 

[Jayof9s]

Sorry if this is a really dumb question, but who's Bolton? The whole Theon thing had me a bit confused...thought he was knocked out by his own men (or his father's men, I should say) last season. Did they explain who he was being tortured by in this episode?

They didn't specifically say who it was but this is what you have to go on:

End of last season Theon was knocked out by his own men because Winterfell was surrounded by Northerners led by Roose Bolton's bastard son (determined by the fact that earlier that episode or in a previous one, Roose Bolton, one of Rob's banner men had offered to send word to his castle the Dreadfort to have his bastard son lead some men to retake Winterfell. Otherwise Rob was preparing to march back north to retake it himself).

This season (last episode), Roose Bolton tells Rob that he received word from his bastard that his men reached Winterfell too late and the Ironborn had killed everyone, torched the castle, and escaped before he reached it. We of course know that isn't true, since the Ironborn were trapped.

 

[someday]

They didn't specifically say who it was but this is what you have to go on:

End of last season Theon was knocked out by his own men because Winterfell was surrounded by Northerners led by Roose Bolton's bastard son (determined by the fact that earlier that episode or in a previous one, Roose Bolton, one of Rob's banner men had offered to send word to his castle the Dreadfort to have his bastard son lead some men to retake Winterfell. Otherwise Rob was preparing to march back north to retake it himself).

This season (last episode), Roose Bolton tells Rob that he received word from his bastard that his men reached Winterfell too late and the Ironborn had killed everyone, torched the castle, and escaped before he reached it. We of course know that isn't true, since the Ironborn were trapped.

Thank you for this. I have a hard time following everyone's name and was completely lost on how Winterfell ended up torched. Didn't know who was torturing Theon either.

 

[Jayof9s]

Thank you for this. I have a hard time following everyone's name and was completely lost on how Winterfell ended up torched. Didn't know who was torturing Theon either.

Yeah, it can be hard to keep everyone straight. A lot of similar looking people and a ton of characters to keep track of. They also don't always introduce some people very well, they just seem to show up and expect you to know who they are.

 

[Brashnir]

Yeah, it can be hard to keep everyone straight. A lot of similar looking people and a ton of characters to keep track of. They also don't always introduce some people very well, they just seem to show up and expect you to know who they are.

True. On the other hand, if they gave everyone a proper introduction, they'd have to re-name the show Game of Introductions, since that's all they'd ever do.

 

[lamaroo]

It's gotta suck being Theon right now, not that he doesn't deserve it. His family either gave him up to be tortured, or are torturing him themselves. His 'adopted' father is dead, and the only brothers he's ever known will chop his head off if they ever see him again.

 

[Funky Papa]

They didn't specifically say who it was but this is what you have to go on:

End of last season Theon was knocked out by his own men because Winterfell was surrounded by Northerners led by Roose Bolton's bastard son (determined by the fact that earlier that episode or in a previous one, Roose Bolton, one of Rob's banner men had offered to send word to his castle the Dreadfort to have his bastard son lead some men to retake Winterfell. Otherwise Rob was preparing to march back north to retake it himself).

This season (last episode), Roose Bolton tells Rob that he received word from his bastard that his men reached Winterfell too late and the Ironborn had killed everyone, torched the castle, and escaped before he reached it. We of course know that isn't true, since the Ironborn were trapped.

Noooooot enterely sure about that. Theon's merry gang of rapists clearly said "let's go home guys" after knocking him out, and as far as we know Winterfall had a number of secret corridors leading outside of the citadel. I'm thinking that Theon was given to Roose's bastard in exchange for passage.

It's gotta suck being Theon right now, not that he doesn't deserve it. His family either gave him up to be tortured, or are torturing him themselves. His 'adopted' father is dead, and the only brothers he's ever known will chop his head off if they ever see him again.

Theon is a right cunt. What he did to those orphans and the execution of Ser Rodrik were fucking vile.

 

[Vashetti]

Season 3 is the first time for me watching the show week by week.

It's a totally different experience.

I felt let down by the latest episode, just as it was getting going at the end, it finishes.

The show definitely suffers watching it like this. There simply isn't enough time in one episode to cover all the different plots.

It will run much better marathoning all 10 episodes on the Blu-Ray.

 

[Jayof9s]

Noooooot enterely sure about that. Theon's merry gang of rapists clearly said "let's go home guys" after knocking him out, and as far as we know Winterfall had a number of secret corridors leading outside of the citadel. I'm thinking that Theon was given to Roose's bastard in exchange for passage.



Theon is a right cunt. What he did to those orphans and the execution of Ser Rodrik were fucking vile.

It is implied that they gave him over to try and save themselves, my point was we know that the "they escaped before we reached the castle" part of the message Roose passed along to Rob was a lie because we know the northerners were outside the castle and knew for a fact that the Ironborn were inside. You'll also notice that there was no mention of Theon being captured in the letter Ramsey sent Roose either.

 

[Funky Papa]

It is implied that they gave him over to try and save themselves, my point was we know that the "they escaped before we reached the castle" part of the message Roose passed along to Rob was a lie because we know the northerners were outside the castle and knew for a fact that the Ironborn were inside. You'll also notice that there was no mention of Theon being captured in the letter Ramsey sent Roose either.

Now THAT is interesting.

 

[spirity]

Holy crap that wolf looked so fearsome when it was snarling at Jojen.