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[RustyNails]

I wonder what the Boltons are planning for their strategy to defeat Stannis?

 

[Deleted member 102362]

Based on the reactions in this thread, would it be safe to compare the Sandsnakes to TNG S1 Ferangi? They were supposed to be these powerful, intimidating characters, but weren't taken seriously by anyone.

 

[Vashetti]

I wonder what the Boltons are planning for their strategy to defeat Stannis?

Cross their fingers for the snows to come sooner.

 

[DrBo42]

I wonder what the Boltons are planning for their strategy to defeat Stannis?

Wildfire landmines under the snow? I hope it's not some sort of twist victory over Stannis. The sheer amount of "The good guys NEVER win" in this series feels very tiring.

 

[Ziltoidia 9]

The Eyrie seems way out of the way for them to be able to get there directly after the bolton/stannis battle. I know the show can have weird issues with time (Little finger suddenly shows back up at kingslanding) but the message would take a really long time to get there. I think LF has something else planned. I have an idea...

 

[iNvid02]

isn't stannis the mannis supposed to be the most gifted military commander in all of westeros? he has to crush shit, especially since he'll be taking melisandre along this time instead of just davos like he did at blackwater

 

[n00bsauce87]

The Cersei, Olenna, Margaery scenes were quite good this week. Cersei still knows how to play the game and played it masterfully. Can't help feel though that she's due a comeuppance, it will be interesting to see if Tommen grows a pair at this point. He can't command they be released as 'The Faith' are not governed by sovereignty so war/battles will need to be had. I feel Olenna is going to have a big part these coming weeks.

Keep watching, people tend to not look at the long game and only see what's self beneficial.

 

[cormack12]

I don't understand the bit where Melisandre said to Stannis he would have won the Blackwater battle if she'd been there !

How is that possible? Yeah she can have shadow babies and maybe heal wounds like Thoros does, but how can she really turn the tide of a battle apart from that? (also that baby shadow seemed a one-time deal, unless she gets pregnant again)

Wildfire was key to that battle. I think she is suggesting she could have protected the fleet from it via the Lord of Light thing. I hope we see her unleash some proper raw power at some point. Hopefully on the Boltons.

 

[Griss]

What show are you watching? Provide examples that she's being brainwashed, more so against her own will. She's there because she wants to be, no one is forcing her to stay, no one forced her to even go there. It's what she wants. Not a single person forced her to poison the little girl, but she did it.

Not to mention Arya has been getting progressively darker on her own, well before all of this.

Also, provide how evil these people are. Show examples because from the way I saw it yesterday was that they eased a girls suffering. Previously, spare 3 lives, take 3. It's just the way it is, maybe not for us, but for them. They don't see it as evil.

Are you kidding?

1) She has nowhere to go other than here. This was her last option. She wants to learn the skills to kill the people on her list. That's not in doubt. That's why she stays. But she has no other real options.
2) They constantly try to make her into 'No one'. This is repeated as a mantra ad naseum. Brainwashing tactics.
3) They force her to give up her identity and possessions if she wants to stay. This makes her cry (and she doesn't fully go through with it) but she's forced into giving up her stuff. Again, brainwashing. Denial of the self. Easier to impose their views on her. Makes her more reliant on them.
4) Jaquen plays the game of faces and whips her every time he thinks she lies or hears what he doesn't like. Classic brainwashing negative reinforcement tactics.
5) They have her work on dead bodies all of the time to make her more comfortable with death and less likely to see death as something bad. All the easier to make her a killer.

As for why I think they're bad? Jaqen killed 3 people at Arya's request without ever investigating if they were good or evil. They assist people's suicides (or outright kill them) in the house of black and white without asking questions - also fairly evil. They are murderers who aren't concerned with right and wrong, just death itself. On top of that they steal people's identities, deny the human individual self and can shape shift. They are almost classically, cartoon-character-esque evil assassins, and the only reason we don't see them as such is because they were introduced to us in a manner that saved one of our favourite characters. If a Faceless man was hired to kill Stannis in the next episode in front of Shireen people's opinions would change fairly sharpish.

 

[DrBo42]

I don't understand the bit where Melisandre said to Stannis he would have won the Blackwater battle if she'd been there !

How is that possible? Yeah she can have shadow babies and maybe heal wounds like Thoros does, but how can she really turn the tide of a battle apart from that? (also that baby shadow seemed a one-time deal, unless she gets pregnant again)

I think the point is that there wouldn't have to be a costly battle. Shadow baby can assassinate or open gates etc. Maybe she has something even crazier come out of a different orifice, who knows.

Wildfire was key to that battle. I think she is suggesting she could have protected the fleet from it via the Lord of Light thing. I hope we see her unleash some proper raw power at some point. Hopefully on the Boltons.

Oh that's right, she messes with fire.

 

[RustyNails]

Wildfire landmines under the snow? I hope it's not some sort of twist victory over Stannis. The sheer amount of "The good guys NEVER win" in this series feels very tiring.

Cross their fingers for the snows to come sooner.

I only ask because Papa Bolton asks Ramsay in the previous episode if he will help him defeat Stannis and Ramsay makes that shit eating grin and says yes.

 

[ivysaur12]

I feel like last night's episode is a really good example of where this show could use a high-level female writer.

 

[Croatoan]

Are you kidding?

1) She has nowhere to go other than here. This was her last option. She wants to learn the skills to kill the people on her list. That's not in doubt. That's why she stays. But she has no other real options.
2) They constantly try to make her into 'No one'. This is repeated as a mantra ad naseum. Brainwashing tactics.
3) They force her to give up her identity and possessions if she wants to stay. This makes her cry (and she doesn't fully go through with it) but she's forced into giving up her stuff. Again, brainwashing. Denial of the self. Easier to impose their views on her. Makes her more reliant on them.
4) Jaquen plays the game of faces and whips her every time he thinks she lies or hears what he doesn't like. Classic brainwashing negative reinforcement tactics.
5) They have her work on dead bodies all of the time to make her more comfortable with death and less likely to see death as something bad. All the easier to make her a killer.

As for why I think they're bad? Jaqen killed 3 people at Arya's request without ever investigating if they were good or evil. They assist people's suicides (or outright kill them) in the house of black and white without asking questions - also fairly evil. They are murderers who aren't concerned with right and wrong, just death itself. On top of that they steal people's identities, deny the human individual self and can shape shift. They are almost classically, cartoon-character-esque evil assassins, and the only reason we don't see them as such is because they were introduced to us in a manner that saved one of our favourite characters. If a Faceless man was hired to kill Stannis in the next episode in front of Shireen people's opinions would change fairly sharpish.

Uhh, killing isn't inherently evil in this world. They take great care to honor the deceased in their care and Arya was only shown the truth after an act of mercy. Have you ever thought that the house of Black and White is called that because what they do is neither black nor white (neither good nor evil). To me they exist in the grey area and serve a purpose greater than heroes or villains.

Arya came to them not because she didn't have other options but because she thought it was her best option to kill the people she wants to kill. They are teaching her how to become who they are because it is what SHE wants. Becoming No One is the only way she can become someone else (aka become a perfect assassin and achieve her goals). She could leave at any time.

 

[Vire]

Game of Thrones Season 5 ladies and gents:

And people gave Dexter a hard time..

 

[vas_a_morir]

Sansa is playing it smart. She hasn't for a second displayed any real disobedience or repulsion to Ramsay. She might survive this, yet.

Oddly enough, I feel like Ramsay is trying to reign in his perversions a bit in front of her, the best he can. Kinda dropped the act when he made her (FAIaP) brother who betrayed her other brothers watch her get deflowered from behind by this maniac. What kind of guy can get erect so quickly during those circumstances? It leads me to believe that perhaps being cruel to Theon spurred on his arousal so that by the time he pushed Sansa down he was ready to go. Just depraved. I hope he gets what he deserves, but in GoT, you can't count on that.

EDIT: Those gifs... oh man, don't do this to me.

 

[Ferrio]

Game of Thrones Season 5 ladies and gents:

And people gave Dexter a hard time..

Wow that first one is so bad. The person on the right has all the time in the world to shank his ass.

 

[ivysaur12]

That was easily the worst fight scene the show has had. Just bomb Dorne.

 

[vas_a_morir]

Wow that first one is so bad. The person on the right has all the time in the world to shank his ass.

Honestly probably more accurate to what a real fight looks like. Clumsy, not-cool-at-all, etc

 

[Epix]

The Cersei, Olenna, Margaery scenes were quite good this week. Cersei still knows how to play the game and played it masterfully. Can't help feel though that she's due a comeuppance, it will be interesting to see if Tommen grows a pair at this point. He can't command they be released as 'The Faith' are not governed by sovereignty so war/battles will need to be had. I feel Olenna is going to have a big part these coming weeks.

Didn't it take a royal decree to reconstitute the Faith Militant, meaning it can be undone by the King if he chooses?

 

[ivysaur12]

The Cersei, Olenna, Margaery scenes were quite good this week. Cersei still knows how to play the game and played it masterfully. Can't help feel though that she's due a comeuppance, it will be interesting to see if Tommen grows a pair at this point. He can't command they be released as 'The Faith' are not governed by sovereignty so war/battles will need to be had. I feel Olenna is going to have a big part these coming weeks.

What? No. She's playing this game so poorly. She thinks she's winning, but she has been having sex with her brother that produced three children and almost everyone knows about it (it being the incest, not the kids). Way to give power to a bunch of religious fanatics, Cersei. She's going to put Olenna into a corner and then it's going to blow up in her face once Cersei's accused of incest.

 

[RustyNails]

Why is Cersei or KL not seeing any political repercussions for Cersei's actions? She got rid of the small council, unleashed the zealots, and now is destroying trade partners with business as usual. I thought running a kingdom would be much more difficult especially if you start doing your own thing.

 

[DerZuhälter]

This season as a whole has not lived up to the others in quality.

Oh thank god. Was going to visit this thread to complain about the overall quality of this season, but apparently the general consensus on it isn't that swell anyway.

I feel bored watching Season 5. It used to be that the show was always one step ahead of me considering the devious schemes and plotting, but this season has been a complete let down in this regard. Everything feels mundane, obvious and boring. So so booooooring.

 

[ComputerBlue]

Are you kidding?

1) She has nowhere to go other than here. This was her last option. She wants to learn the skills to kill the people on her list. That's not in doubt. That's why she stays. But she has no other real options.
2) They constantly try to make her into 'No one'. This is repeated as a mantra ad naseum. Brainwashing tactics.
3) They force her to give up her identity and possessions if she wants to stay. This makes her cry (and she doesn't fully go through with it) but she's forced into giving up her stuff. Again, brainwashing. Denial of the self. Easier to impose their views on her. Makes her more reliant on them.
4) Jaquen plays the game of faces and whips her every time he thinks she lies or hears what he doesn't like. Classic brainwashing negative reinforcement tactics.
5) They have her work on dead bodies all of the time to make her more comfortable with death and less likely to see death as something bad. All the easier to make her a killer.

As for why I think they're bad? Jaqen killed 3 people at Arya's request without ever investigating if they were good or evil. They assist people's suicides (or outright kill them) in the house of black and white without asking questions - also fairly evil. They are murderers who aren't concerned with right and wrong, just death itself. On top of that they steal people's identities, deny the human individual self and can shape shift. They are almost classically, cartoon-character-esque evil assassins, and the only reason we don't see them as such is because they were introduced to us in a manner that saved one of our favourite characters. If a Faceless man was hired to kill Stannis in the next episode in front of Shireen people's opinions would change fairly sharpish.

She has had intentions of going there for a long time now. It wasn't her last resort, it was one of her early options and she took up on it. No one forced her to go there, the man gave her a coin and she followed up on his offer. No one is forcing her to stay.

Even yesterday he asked her what her name was, and she said Arya Stark, did he beat her when she said that? Nope. The whole point of her training is to become a faceless, nameless assassin, something she wants, something she is not forced into, she has the option to leave right now. That doesn't mean she's no longer Arya, just like Jaqen is still Jaqen underneath whatever layer that he's currently shape shifted into.

I didn't like seeing Arya get whipped either, but think of it this way. Wax on, wax off. Except this is a far darker world.

You see them as evil assassin's who kill without question, and again I'm going to point out to you that this is their way of life. To us, who have morals it's wrong, to them it's not.

What exactly makes that any worse than Ned taking the deserters head in the first episode? Because that's the law? Ned never questioned if he was a good or bad person, he didn't even want any more details about what the boy saw or why he ran away, he just killed him because that's the law. This is their law, give a life/take a life. Just because it's what they do does not make it wrong in a fictional world even though in reality it's extremely awful. Also, assisted suicide is frowned up to those who want to live, but what about to those who are suffering?

 

[wiibomb]

What? No. She's playing this game so poorly. She thinks she's winning, but she has been having sex with her brother that produced three children and almost everyone knows about it. Way to give power to a bunch of religious fanatics, Cersei. She's going to put Olenna into a corner and then it's going to blow up in her face once Cersei's accused of incest.

she is trusting too much the fact that she was the one who gave the power to the High Sparrow... and she thinks they will never touch her because of that..

I still feel she has been acting incredibly stupid (not the actress, of course, but the character), she doesn't have any allies now and its pissing everybody off..

I think her end is near...

 

[ivysaur12]

Why is Cersei or KL not seeing any political repercussions for Cersei's actions? She got rid of the small council, unleashed the zealots, and now is destroying trade partners with business as usual. I thought running a kingdom would be much more difficult especially if you start doing your own thing.

I think we're seeing a very narrow view of KL through Cersei's tunnel vision. When we pan out, we're going to see how screwed Cersei is through her utter incompetence at ruling. She needs Tywin.

she is trusting too much the fact that she was the one who gave the power to the High Sparrow... and she thinks they will never touch her because of that..

I still feel she has been acting incredibly stupid (not the actress, of course, but the character), she doesn't have any allies now and its pissing everybody off..

I think her end is near...

I forget the exact line the High Sparrow used last night when they called Margaery to testify/arrested her, but the same thing is going to happen to Cersei. This is how Tommen is going to die. She's so short-sighted.

 

[Ferrio]

I think her end is near...

I'll be surprised if Cersei goes first before her children.

 

[TheContact]

When I seen them take Queen Margery into custody....it's looking like Cersei may have seriously over played her hand!

God damn he's such a good actor

 

[ComputerBlue]

God damn he's such a good actor

Best actor on the show.

 

[ivysaur12]

I'll be surprised if Cersei goes first before her children.

This is certainly the end of Tommen. Don't know how Marcella goes.

 

[vas_a_morir]

I doubt it, you could easily see that Bronn was refraining himself with that blow. Just bad choreography, which is not something we're used to in GoT.

Don't get it twisted: i'm not saying this to defend the choreography, but rather to shit on how real fights usually go.

 

[Naughty_Doge]

she is trusting too much the fact that she was the one who gave the power to the High Sparrow... and she thinks they will never touch her because of that..

I still feel she has been acting incredibly stupid (not the actress, of course, but the character), she doesn't have any allies now and its pissing everybody off..

I think her end is near...

She's destined to bury all her children, so Tommen and Myrcella have to die first.

 

[Asami208]

Honestly the one TINY positive that I can give THAT scene is that it was well-acted by all three of them. So kudos to the actors at least.

 

[Deleted member 10571]

God damn he's such a good actor

So many people in this show are. Guy who plays Ramsay (I'm really not good with names) nails it so perfectly, people are actually hating the guy. Same as Joffrey.

Come to think of it, the bad guys really are amazing in GoT.

 

[RustyNails]

I think we're seeing a very narrow view of KL through Cersei's tunnel vision. When we pan out, we're going to see how screwed Cersei is through her utter incompetence at ruling. She needs Tywin.



I forget the exact line the High Sparrow used last night when they called Margaery to testify/arrested her, but the same thing is going to happen to Cersei. This is how Tommen is going to die. She's so short-sighted.

It took the masterfulness of Tywin, Varys, Littlefinger and Tyrion to run the kingdom aptly with or without the king. Now Cersei is like fuck everything, and nothing matters. I just find it difficult to digest. KL should be in a rebellion by now. Hopefully it will be after they put Margery's head on a spike.

 

[Protein]

Game of Thrones Season 5 ladies and gents:

And people gave Dexter a hard time..

Dose budget cuts. I'm thinking episode 9 & 10 has some huge battle or alot of dragon screen time.

 

[TheLostBigBoss]

My god, I could write a paper just dissecting how fucking horrible that scene was.

 

[RustyNails]

And yeah I agree. Once Olenna spills the beans about Cersei's incest, the Faith people will execute Cersei and all her children as well.

 

[KooopaKid]

Whatever about the rubbish Dorne story, it's more interesting that I don't share the same enthusiasm for the Arya storyline as other people do in this thread. The scenes themselves are good, but what is the point of all of this? Why are we following one little girl get trained? This has no bearing whatsoever on the politics of Westeros, and teaches us nothing about that land, or anything really other than Arya herself. It feels like if she wasn't a Stark there's no way we'd have this time devoted to her. In past seasons she was used as the 'war child' who showed how badly politics amd war had affected her family and the kingdom and torn them both apart. Now I'm not sure what the point of her is, but it makes for pretty dull viewing at the moment. Feels like the endgame is just that she's going to kill someone important. Well, hurray. We don't need all this to show that.

And the fact that they're still obsessively following the movements of all the Starks, even those like Arya who are 'out of the game' leads me to believe that the Starks will have some kind of comeback. If not, all this time spent on Arya and Sansa really will have felt like a massive waste of time.

My biggest worry is that Arya is going to kill Sansa because she slept with the enemy without knowing the circumstances :-(

 

[Naughty_Doge]

Please stop posting that gif. It hurts

 

[HMD]

And yeah I agree. Once Olenna spills the beans about Cersei's incest, the Faith people will execute Cersei and all her children as well.

I hope they hang her and kill Tommen, what a useless king. The Tyrells should rule until Stannis reaches King's Landing.

My biggest worry is that Arya is going to kill Sansa because she slept with the enemy without knowing the circumstances :-(

Why the hell would she do that?

 

[TheLostBigBoss]

I hope they hang her and kill Tommen, what a useless king. The Tyrells should rule until Stannis reaches King's Landing.

I wonder what the Faith are going to do once the King is dead and nobody is there to take it?

Just be like "NO KING, ONLY GOD(s)!"

Although it might not be too bad, with every poor person being somewhat equal they might last about two weeks into proper Winter before the entire kingdom falls into chaos with no proper rule.

 

[wiibomb]

I'll be surprised if Cersei goes first before her children.

She's destined to bury all her children, so Tommen and Myrcella have to die first.

she will be killed along with her children... and you will be surprised

 

[AppleMIX]

Dorne has been just been a huge disappointment thus far.

 

[PARANO1A]

Who is next in line to the throne if Tommen dies?

 

[Szeth]

Game of Thrones Season 5 ladies and gents:

And people gave Dexter a hard time..

Yikes, I am now totally convinced they didn't have much time to shoot there (if that is indeed the big tourist attraction they had cleared out) and just had to take what they could get. I mean, there have been some meh fight scenes throughout the show but never this bad.

 

[ComputerBlue]

I wonder what the Faith are going to do once the King is dead and nobody is there to take it?

Just be like "NO KING, ONLY GOD(s)!"

Although it might not be too bad, with every poor person being somewhat equal they might last about two weeks into proper Winter before the entire kingdom falls into chaos with no proper rule.

At this point if winter were to come quickly it would fall apart just as fast with or without a king. That place is a complete mess.

 

[Napalm_Frank]

Who is next in line to the throne if Tommen dies?

Myrcella and then Stannis.

 

[kingocfs]

My god, I could write a paper just dissecting how fucking horrible that scene was.

 

[Ferrio]

Who is next in line to the throne if Tommen dies?

Ser Pounce.

 

[Gandalf]

Honestly not enjoying the season that much so far. Still 4 episodes left, so my opinion could change when it is all said and done. Also, what happened at the end there to Sansa made me feel really uncomfortable watching it (even if we only heard it). Just my 2 cents.

I feel like the Dorne parts with Jaime are very under par in a number of ways.