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[Staccat0]

We know it wasn't a fight to the death. It's just more unearned level-jumping from Arya, which has been a bit of a problem for some of us over the last 6-7 episodes. She's gone from disobedient fuckup to master-level assassin/warrior in a very short period of time with next to none of her progress actually playing out on screen.

I can appreciate that, but as The Hound pointed out on screen a few seasons back, all those little taps from her needle were never gonna kill Brienne. The scene was more to establish that she had potential.

Also, in her defense we have seen Arya train on screen more than any character. Probably twice as much as any character. I think it's fair to assume she trained a lot off screen.

It's dorky, but on the list of logic-leaps the show has asked of me, that one was smaller. If anything, it felt like a course correction from how poorly she has been shown in the past. Like, it's not that this felt wrong to me, but rather that her time with the faceless men was poorly presented.

 

[Cpt.Underpants]

Jaime has to live, Daenerys has to die. Ez.

SHUT YOUR FOOKIN MOUTH

 

[GreyWind]

Jaime has to live, Daenerys has to die. Ez.

Dracarys!

 

[Nesotenso]

is it really expensive to use CGI to make a white dog look big? C'mon just give one or two scenes with Ghost.

 

[hydrophilic attack]

I don't quite get the complaint that Dany burned the food. What is she gonna do? Sloooowly caravan it back to Dragonstone with impatient Dothraki as unwilling teamsters? From right outside the enemy's gates? She didn't defeat all of the Lannister army, only the rear guard..

Burning it to make sure Cersei couldn't have it was the best outcome for her with that food, except maybe from an optics perspective

Best line was Davos "fewer" though.

Yeah that was a great callback (to another callback lol)

 

[CopperPuppy]

The only thing that seemed really silly for me about the episode is how the fuck did Dany and a dothraki army get to the Reach from Dragonstone so fast and unnoticed? I know I should be immune to the logic leaps of the show at this point but somehow this stuff still bothers me.

Presumably the Lannister caravan was traveling the Roseroad from Highgarden to King's Landing. Since they were supposedly up against the Blackwater Rush at the time of the ambush, they would have been extremely close to King's Landing, since the Roseroad cuts through the Kingswood and meets King's Landing almost right where the Blackwater Rush does. Dany would have had to sail into Blackwater Bay and either sail right up next to KL to meet them, or dock at the mouth of the Wendwater and cut through the Kingswood. She could also have sailed south around Massey's Hook and laid anchor on the coast, but then they would have to cross the Wendwater or go south around it, which makes no sense.

The answer to your question is that she basically would have had to take her army into Blackwater Bay and sail ludicrously close to KL which, you guessed it, makes no fucking sense. Especially since Cersei knows she is on Dragonstone and would have some naval force either prowling or blockading the Gullet between Driftmark and Massey's Hook in the event Dany's army attempted an invasion.

None of it makes sense.

 

[Fuzzy]

Spoiler

Littlefinger is going to get murdered!

Sansa will seduce him and when they're about to get it on she'll rip off her face and it'll be Arya who will slash his throat and say "What we don't know is what usually gets us killed".

 

[pablito]

One thing was unbelievable even for GoT is how Arya Stark bested Brienne. She beat the hound and one of the most skilled fighters in all of westoros. Arya shouldn't be able match her in a face to face fight like that. Also I was under the impression faceless men were assassins. And mostly use stealth and deception to fight.

I want to think that Brienne probably wasn't putting in as much as Arya was. Arya wanted to prove her skills, Brienne was ready to find her another sparring partner. And Brienne also could have killed Arya after she kicked her.

 

[Azzanadra]

is it really expensive to use CGI to make a white dog look big? C'mon just give one or two scenes with Ghost.

IIRC I read somewhere (I think on the ASOIAF reddit?) that

Spoiler

there was going to be one scene with Ghost this season but it got cut

 

[Paganmoon]

My problem with Brienne vs Arya was not that Arya could beat her, it was that she parried quite a few of the blows. A small girl, with a small sword, should not be able to parry such strikes, would've been better if it was just evading and such, but hey, it's nitpicky. I still liked it.

 

[DrForester]

IIRC I read somewhere (I think on the ASOIAF reddit?) that

Spoiler

there was going to be one scene with Ghost this season but it got cut

They had to cut it because Grey Worms sex scene was much more important.

 

[Rentahamster]

And nitpicky, but why break the line with dragon fire headon? Go parallel to the line and take out all of them damn it.

I was expecting Dany to flank them too. Oh well.

We also have another example of a surprise attack that could have easily been spotted by proper scouting lol.

Shit was hype tho.

 

[Staccat0]

They had to cut it because Grey Worms sex scene was much more important.

Grey Worm's sex scene already paid off better dividends than every scene focusing on Ghost combined though. It's a fucking wolf with no personality, and the show has done nothing interesting with him narratively for the entire series.

People and their dogs man.

 

[Human Trashcan]

Presumably the Lannister caravan was traveling the Roseroad from Highgarden to King's Landing. Since they were supposedly up against the Blackwater Rush at the time of the ambush, they would have been extremely close to King's Landing, since the Roseroad cuts through the Kingswood and meets King's Landing almost right where the Blackwater Rush does. Dany would have had to sail into Blackwater Bay and either sail right up next to KL to meet them, or dock at the mouth of the Wendwater and cut through the Kingswood. She could also have sailed south around Massey's Hook and laid anchor on the coast, but then they would have to cross the Wendwater or go south around it, which makes no sense.

The answer to your question is that she basically would have had to take her army into Blackwater Bay and sail ludicrously close to KL which, you guessed it, makes no fucking sense. Especially since Cersei knows she is on Dragonstone and would have some naval force either prowling or blockading the Gullet between Driftmark and Massey's Hook in the event Dany's army attempted an invasion.

None of it makes sense.

I want to cut the show slack on this kind of stuff because I generally do think good drama trumps minute attention to logistical details but man... this fucking show OPENS with a a sprawling map of the Seven Kingdoms so you can figure out where shit is. The books take great pains to portray that travel does, in fact, take time, and that tactical troop movement is a huge part of military tactics. The fact that they care so little about this stuff on the show at this point really does kind of undercut a lot of it. What does strategy matter when things can just happen because the story demands it? Like, we're expected to believe Cersei ISN'T an incompetent fool on the show but actually a tactical mastermind, fine. Different character from the books, right? But how does that then square with the fact that she apparently let an entire army pass by her doorstep unseen? It doesn't add up.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

Let's argue that Brienne has never fought somebody with her more roguish style and nimble size body, and was caught by surprise she could move around so fast and how well she did it.

We saw her getting serious at the end and like kicking Arya to the fucking ground though.

I sometimes forget book Brienne like hates killing people.

 

[Carn82]

Gee, what a convenient lore exposition lovecave.

 

[Staccat0]

Gee, what a convenient lore exposition lovecave.

John suddenly being an anthropologist and art critic was the only major false note for me. I bought it for dramatic purposes but it REALLY felt like a scene that used to have a 3rd character in it.

Still fun though. I liked the sexual tension. They both looked so pretty.

 

[Creamium]

Maybe it's the afterglow but holy fuck that may have been my favorite GoT episode. Loved the Stark reunion, which is still kind of a downer since Bran's basically only there physically. Then we have the start of Jon+Dany which both pulled off pretty well, but I wasn't prepared for Davos doing a triple combo of great lines afterwards (noticed you staring at her good heart, fewer, forgive me if I switch sides). Then to top that off we have dragons vs Lannisters while Tyrion is watching... it all lead up to incredible moments like this.

Bronn has insane plot armor but it was so satisfying to see him man that scorpion. He is and will always be my favorite character. He can shank Dany for all I care

 

[jfkgoblue]

Grey Worm's sex scene already paid off better dividends than every scene focusing on Ghost combined though. It's a fucking wolf with no personality, and the show has done nothing interesting with him narratively for the entire series.

People and their dogs man.

No book reader would ever agree with this

 

[ForkNetwork]

Grey Worm's sex scene already paid off better dividends than every scene focusing on Ghost combined though. It's a fucking wolf with no personality, and the show has done nothing interesting with him narratively for the entire series.

People and their dogs man.

Its not Ghost"s fault that the show hasnt done anything remotely interesting with him.

Also Grey Worm sex scene sure payed out, cause we saw him fight for like two minutes

 

[JakeD]

John suddenly being an anthropologist and art critic was the only major false note for me. I bought it for dramatic purposes but it REALLY felt like a scene that used to have a 3rd character in it.

Still fun though. I liked the sexual tension. They both looked so pretty.

for a king in the north who's shown no interest in the ancient history of westeros before, he had an awful lot of information, don't you think?

 

[DarkJediKnight]

Sansa will seduce him and when they're about to get it on she'll rip off her face and it'll be Arya who will slash his throat and say "What we don't know is what usually gets us killed".

Sansa is like a foot taller than Arya. Littlefinger isn't that dumb, unless they conceal the height difference somehow .

 

[Fuzzy]

You don't think Jon was stuck in class next to Robb with Maester Luwin growing up?

Sansa is like a foot taller than Arya. Littlefinger isn't that dumb, unless they conceal the height difference somehow .

And how much taller was Walder Frey than Arya? Arya is Mystique.

 

[Gigglepoo]

Sansa is like a foot taller than Arya. Littlefinger isn't that dumb, unless they conceal the height difference somehow .

Walder Frey is also a foot taller than Arya and she posed as him for two weeks!

 

[Admiral Woofington]

Walder Frey is also a foot taller than Arya and she posed as him for two weeks!

"Lord Frey, why are you standing on a box everytime you speak to me?"

 

[cubicle47b]

What about those cave paintings was hard to interpret?

 

[Admiral Woofington]

What about those cave paintings was hard to interpret?

That there wasn't a dick butt.

 

[pablito]

Jon was raised amongst noble children. The white walkers in the cave look like the real white walkers. His whole storyline has involved this.

Let this one go y'all.

 

[JakeD]

ok fine, jon knows his history. can we poke fun at the fact that there were perfectly preserved cave paintings within walking distance of Dany that clearly depicted exactly what jon needed them to depict for the story's sake? no?

as i said before i enjoyed the scene but cmon its funny

 

[Joeytj]

Yes, many thousands of years. At first there were no humans on Westeros, just the Children of the Forest and whatever else. The First Men came from Essos iirc, chased the Children of the Forest out and ruled for thousands of years, then the Andals came much later from, idk where exactly, and beefed with the First Men. Targaryens are a very recent development in the grand scheme of things. The Doom happened about 100 years before Aegon's Conquest if I'm not mistaken, which itself was about 300 years before the start of the books/show. Someone can correct me on the finer points.

And the whole CotF and First Men teaming up to fight the Others and their origin story is just a show invention as far as we know I think

They do team up against the Others in the book's lore as well. The Children and the First Men got along fine for thousands of years before the Long Night that saw the first appearance of The Others.

What hasn't been confirmed is that the CotF created The Others.

I have my doubts about that because it wouldn't make sense in the books that the Others were created by the CotF to fight against the FM, only for there to be no mention of The Others until the Long Night, thousands of years later and after a long peace between the two races.

Maybe they created The Others in case they didn't win their war with the First Men or achieved a truce with them, forgetting about their experiment for thousands of years?

So, yeah. I think the CotF created the White Walkers/Others is a show invention, although it's too big of a twist and lore building aspect to be changed from the book.

 

[badcrumble]

Maybe it's the afterglow but holy fuck that may have been my favorite GoT episode. Loved the Stark reunion, which is still kind of a downer since Bran's basically only there physically. Then we have the start of Jon+Dany which both pulled off pretty well, but I wasn't prepared for Davos doing a triple combo of great lines afterwards (noticed you staring at her good heart, fewer, forgive me if I switch sides). Then to top that off we have dragons vs Lannisters while Tyrion is watching... it all lead up to incredible moments like this.

Bronn has insane plot armor but it was so satisfying to see him man that scorpion. He is and will always be my favorite character. He can shank Dany for all I care

I would've been fine with all the Bronn badassery *if* he had died.

Probably should've actually shown the Lannisters and Tarlys stealing food from people onscreen, because if some people are reading them as the good guys here that's... not good narrative.

 

[cubicle47b]

ok fine, jon knows his history. can we poke fun at the fact that there were perfectly preserved cave paintings within walking distance of Dany that clearly depicted exactly what jon needed them to depict for the story's sake? no?

Yes. You can make fun of that. It doesn't help that the entrance is right on the beach leading up to the castle. People just never went in there despite there being nothing else to do on the island?

 

[Dash_Riprock]

ok fine, jon knows his history. can we poke fun at the fact that there were perfectly preserved cave paintings within walking distance of Dany that clearly depicted exactly what jon needed them to depict for the story's sake? no?

as i said before i enjoyed the scene but cmon its funny

Perfectly preserved cave paintings, like the ones real archaeologists find all the time dating to the Stone Age?

Also, Dragonglass is a White Walker's only weakness (before Valryian steel which I assume came later).

Why would there NOT be a series of paintings in the largest deposit of the stuff in Westeros, made be the Children/First Men to warn future generations in case the White Walkers ever came back?

 

[BreezyLimbo]

Let's argue that Brienne has never fought somebody with her more roguish style and nimble size body, and was caught by surprise she could move around so fast and how well she did it.

We saw her getting serious at the end and like kicking Arya to the fucking ground though.

I sometimes forget book Brienne like hates killing people.

Seriously

Brienne held back but by the end she kicked aryas ass equally. It ended with both blades at both necks.

What more did people want.

 

[hydrophilic attack]

ok fine, jon knows his history. can we poke fun at the fact that there were perfectly preserved cave paintings within walking distance of Dany that clearly depicted exactly what jon needed them to depict for the story's sake? no?

as i said before i enjoyed the scene but cmon its funny

Not to mention, apparently no one in the entire modern history of Dragonstone, found these really well-preserved ancient paintings a five minute stroll from the beach, until Jon Snow happened to stroll through. In the real world, such a place would be both a world-famous archeological site and a popular tourist spot

 

[ClosingADoor]

The Food Freight Fight definitely holds up on a second viewing

I really like how the imagery sets Dany up as the bad side, with the diabolical fire and ominous music, while the Lannisters are given heroic imagery, with white horses and Bronn channelling Bard

Playing out exactly how Tyrion said. Now Westeros will look at a barbarian horde with a mad queen burning their soldiers, instead of welcoming someone to free them from Cersei and the Lannisters.

 

[cebri.one]

Why do I get the feeling that Jon will have to put a sword through Daenerys to become Azor Ahai?

Daenerys is not even the rightful heir to the throne. She has to go.

"And whoo are you the proud Lord said..."

 

[pablito]

...maybe Mel did the paintings lol. She was all about TPTWP, and that prophecy involves the white walkers doesn't it?

 

[H.Cornerstone]

They do team up against the Others in the book's lore as well. The Children and the First Men got along fine for thousands of years before the Long Night that saw the first appearance of The Others.

What hasn't been confirmed is that the CotF created The Others.

I have my doubts about that because it wouldn't make sense in the books that the Others were created by the CotF to fight against the FM, only for there to be no mention of The Others until the Long Night, thousands of years later and after a long peace between the two races.

Maybe they created The Others in case they didn't win their war with the First Men or achieved a truce with them, forgetting about their experiment for thousands of years?

So, yeah. I think the CotF created the White Walkers/Others is a show invention, although it's too big of a twist and lore building aspect to be changed from the book.

I can't imagine something that major would be a show only invention. Such a major game changer for the world.

 

[Syrus]

What dows Davos aaying fewer mean?

When he learned yo read or something?

 

[Gigglepoo]

What hasn't been confirmed is that the CotF created The Others

The closest we get is this quote from A Storm of Swords:

"Sam the Slayer!" he said, by way of greeting. "Are you sure you stabbed an Other, and not some child's snow knight?"

 

[cubicle47b]

What dows Davos aaying fewer mean?

When he learned yo read or something?

It's a callback to Stannis correcting Davos.

 

[hydrophilic attack]

Playing out exactly how Tyrion said. Now Westeros will look at a barbarian horde with a mad queen burning their soldiers, instead of welcoming someone to free them from Cersei and the Lannisters.

Yeah, from the looks on Tyrion's face during that triumphant victory, you could tell that he knew exactly how this would look to everyone else

 

[Ocarina_117]

What reason would the CoTF have in book lore to invent the others?

I thought the long night had come after the peace had been brokered between the CoTF and the first men.

It would be disappointing imho. I like the idea of them coming from the far north and the land of always winter. I'd love to see more of it in the books and, hopefully, the show.

 

[Dash_Riprock]

They do team up against the Others in the book's lore as well. The Children and the First Men got along fine for thousands of years before the Long Night that saw the first appearance of The Others.

What hasn't been confirmed is that the CotF created The Others.

I have my doubts about that because it wouldn't make sense in the books that the Others were created by the CotF to fight against the FM, only for there to be no mention of The Others until the Long Night, thousands of years later and after a long peace between the two races.

Maybe they created The Others in case they didn't win their war with the First Men or achieved a truce with them, forgetting about their experiment for thousands of years?

So, yeah. I think the CotF created the White Walkers/Others is a show invention, although it's too big of a twist and lore building aspect to be changed from the book.

Remember that GRRM confirmed that characters like Bran the Builder are legendary and distortions of what really happened. Likely all the legends that we've been told about in the book are far from accurately describing the events that actually happened.

 

[fallengorn]

Not to mention, apparently no one in the entire modern history of Dragonstone, found these really well-preserved ancient paintings a five minute stroll from the beach, until Jon Snow happened to stroll through. In the real world, such a place would be both a world-famous archeological site and a popular tourist spot

Some Maester probably took note of it and it's in some stuffy old book no one reads. Except Sam.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

Some Maester probably took note of it and it's in some stuffy old book no one reads. Except Sam.

nah the maester saw it, thought that he wanted nobody to know it existed and put a sign pointing to the cave that said "don't go in, nothing worth seeing".

 

[BreezyLimbo]

Not to mention, apparently no one in the entire modern history of Dragonstone, found these really well-preserved ancient paintings a five minute stroll from the beach, until Jon Snow happened to stroll through. In the real world, such a place would be both a world-famous archeological site and a popular tourist spot

They most likely knew it was there

But the thing is dragonglass is worthless. So they have a cave of stuff they CAN mine, but it would be a waste of time. So they just ignore it. And whilst it would be an archaelogical site in the real world, uhm...westeros doesnt have the same value in preserving a mine as we would.

Dragonglass is only good for killings white walkers. And as far as everyone was concerned, theyre not real.

 

[Creamium]

I was also impressed that the shots of Dany riding Drogon look pretty convincing. In other shows and even movies this mostly looks crappy, but here it's well done. It's a minor thing but it helps sell the battle.

I would've been fine with all the Bronn badassery *if* he had died.

It'll probably be soon. His reunion with Tyrion needs to happen, but tbh I don't see him making it out of this season alive.

...maybe Mel did the paintings lol. She was all about TPTWP, and that prophecy involves the white walkers doesn't it?

Thanks, now I have the image of nude old hag Mel chanting and painting the walls in my head

 

[Cpt.Underpants]

What dows Davos aaying fewer mean?

When he learned yo read or something?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXINZxodu9U

Stannis "The Mannis" Baratheon's legacy still lives on