HBO's Game of Thrones: Season 2 Official Thread *Ep. 10* "Valar Morghulis" 6/03 @9pm ET/PT

[grimey]

"the man"

 

[hybridsoldier23]

Loved how they handled everything this episode.

REALLY wished I could have seen Bran's dream of Winterfell engulfed by the sea but I guess it was too much to ask. The Tickler went down mad fast and we really didn't get to seem him do anything super evil. Gotta keep it moving I guess.

No hardcore complaints about episode 5.

 

[Nawzlew]

Roxanne McKee

 

[answer iv dmx]

Originally Posted by Nawzlew

Roxanne McKee

When men are happy they like to talk
... or whatever that line was, that face 

In the first two books Daenery's chapters were tough to read for me... watching these scenes on the other hand 

 

[jking0821]

Renly just getting killed was a little strange....didn't see that coming at all.  Not too sure what his queen is going to do now.
No joeffry in this episode

lol hate that kid

Next episode looks good with Kaelisi trying to get a ship.  She should just marry the black guy.  That dude is a G.

"The man"

I like this side story better then any other current plot line.  I hope she gets him to kill head lannister.

 

[tdogg2k]

Originally Posted by shogun

Dany and Palin are both milfs 

.
I was bored yesterday so I decided to read about the first Targaryen to conquer and rule the Seven Kingdoms up until King Aerys II.  Aegon the Conqueror  was a boss 

.  Their family history is really interesting.  There were a few civil wars within the family and an awesome dragon battle.  This dude Prince Rhaegar and his father the Mad King were the damn downfall of their whole family.  They ruled for centuries and those two messed it up.  The Mad King couldn't help it since he went crazy but Rhaegar did it for a woman 

.  I also forgot that Robert Baratheon has Targaryen blood as well.  His grandmother was a Targaryen.

Was that in the book the guy was talking about where it talked about what happened like 75 years in westeros before the whole Game of thrones? or was that just a wiki page..



and Arya's story isn't a side story

 

[shogun]

Originally Posted by Tdogg2k

Originally Posted by shogun

Was that in the book the guy was talking about where it talked about what happened like 75 years in westeros before the whole Game of thrones? or was that just a wiki page..

and Arya's story isn't a side story

I read it from the wiki page.  I'm a nerd like that and read all the way down the succession of the throne 

.
I was surprised The Mountain wasn't in this episode at all.

Looks like they made Doreah and Irri the main handmaids of Dany.  I don't think Jhiqui is in season 2.

 

[tdogg2k]

Originally Posted by shogun

Originally Posted by Tdogg2k

Originally Posted by shogun

Was that in the book the guy was talking about where it talked about what happened like 75 years in westeros before the whole Game of thrones? or was that just a wiki page..

and Arya's story isn't a side story

I read it from the wiki page.  I'm a nerd like that and read all the way down the succession of the throne 

.
I was surprised The Mountain wasn't in this episode at all.

Looks like they made Doreah and Irri the main handmaids of Dany.  I don't think Jhiqui is in season 2.

Have you read the books,? it gets in to their story a little.

 

[KingParappa]

Man Maisie Williams (Arya) needs some awards. Her story is the most interesting. That scene with her and Tywin (Charles Dance)

"No. Anyone can be killed. *cold stare*"

 

[eagle 0n]

Originally Posted by Uptempo kid

Man Maisie Williams (Arya) needs some awards. Her story is the most interesting. That scene with her and Tywin (Charles Dance)

"No. Anyone can be killed. *cold stare*"

Word! Definitely my favorite storyline from book 2.

 

[shogun]

Originally Posted by Tdogg2k

Originally Posted by shogun

Tdogg2k wrote:

Have you read the books,? it gets in to their story a little.

Yeah, I read all the "A Song of Ice and Fire" books.
And I agree with Maisie Williams doing a great job.  Arya is one of the best written characters in the books and her character has a lot of depth.

 

[KingParappa]

Only question about last nights episode

Spoiler

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Where's Meera and Jojen? Think we getting them this or next season?

 

[shogun]

^
There's still a few episodes left in the season.  Their characters might be introduced in the last few episodes.  I'm starting to think they might not even be in the show.  Not sure how that would work since they help out as the story goes on.

 

[tdogg2k]

yea I would guess last 2 episodes.

Question for book readers

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i just finished book 4 .. not on dragons book yet but does Rickon come back at all?

 

[duba169]

I'm halfway through it and he hasn't shown up

 

[shogun]

He'll probably show up again in book 6.  I think all the readers want to finally know what the hell has been going on with him.

 

[answer iv dmx]

Originally Posted by shogun

He'll probably show up again in book 6.  I think all the readers want to finally know what the hell has been going on with him.

From what I've read book 6 will not introduce any new narrators. Has Rickon had a chapter yet? I don't remember it, I think that his story is probably better told through Bran. No Jojen in the show yet is interesting too, can see who his replacement would be though.
Can't wait to get to start book 5 and figure out what Tyrion has been up too 

 

[hybridsoldier23]

Originally Posted by Answer IV DMX

Dude... seriously people... THESE ARE SPOILERS put them in freaking tags!

Spoiler

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Not sure how HBO will do it but I'm assuming people are supposed to think Bran and Rickon are dead in a few episodes for christssakes

 

[rawex5]

This thread is horrible, but I can't stop coming in here.

 

[mronegative]

There was no Sansa, Shae, Joffrey, Cersei, Robb, Jaime or Ros this episode, so I'll leave them out of this.

There's too much to hit on, but I really liked this episode and was mad as hell when it ended. Lost track of time.

Up to episode 5, things that work in this show:

Arya, Arya...Arya Arya Arya...and Tywin...and Jaqen H'ghar...and Gendry. The whole damn Harrenhal crew.
Tyrion and Bronn, guaranteed every time.
Lancel Lannister
Brienne of Tarth and Lady Catelyn
Davos
Melisandre (under control and focused/away from Stannis)
Theon Greyjoy...so great at playing a complete tool. He stepped up big this season, and his sister's the perfect foil.
Qarth in the show >>>>> Qarth in the book
Dany, her dragons, handmaids, bloodriders and Jorah
The Thirteen of Qarth are all coming off better than the book, I already like Xaro better here than there.
Jon Snow and the Night's Watch on their LOTR mission
Margaery Tyrell's body (Renly's chick)

Renly Barratheon...the actor did his best with what little he was given.
Bran really stepped up this episode

not forgetting Osha, Hodor, Rickon, Luwin

Things that do not work on this show:

The completely uninspired and boring direction time and time again.
Stannis...every scene he's in, I feel nothing but sleepy when he talks
Melisandre (when she's hamming it up and being annoying/in almost any scene with Stannis)
Ser Loras Tyrell...a bad actor
Margaery Tyrell...I get this feeling like she can't really act. I mean she's not better than Ros and who's Ros?

The things that don't work, don't work hard.

Stannis vs. Renly is supposed to be so important. Even though it's meant to be anticlimactic, real drama and stakes are supposed to come from this and the war coming. There's supposed to be a real menace and foreboding to whatever Stannis and Melissandre are up to, and Davos unease with it. Instead we got one good scene of the shadow baby getting born, Margaery ******* and a pretty bland everything else. From how they *%$+%! up the prologue in the season premiere to that corny scene of Stannis smanging Melisandre on the warboard, to the lifeless negotiation between Stannis and Renly, all the way to the lame $%! way they killed a really important character.

And this show is directed so damn blandly most of the time. The only real style in some episodes is the opening credits. And that's something that hurts scene after scene and affects entire story arcs. If the actors and writing and locations themselves can't do it, there's no falling back on the direction at all. And there's never EVER anything to signal that something important got said, or that there are really big stakes in a conversation. I get it...the dialogue isn't easy, you don't have all the time in the world to shoot, so you try to keep it simple. And the prod. value's so high that this show is still shot better than almost any show and a lot of movies. Still...it's so disappointing and uninspired in key spots.
--almost all of the Dragonstone (Stannis/Davos/Mel), Pyke (Theon and the Greyjoys) and Renly/Margaery/Loras scenes
--that's how you introduce Dragonstone?
--that's how the big Stannis/Renly convo goes down?
--that's how you kill Renly?

That's literally getting half of the war wrong.

 

[tdogg2k]

But even in the book, Stannis is bland
Melisandre is boring..
Loras isn't half as epic as he could be writen.
Margaery well... that would be a spoiler.

Also Stannis Renly went by just as quick in the book..
though it had a certain outcome.. this season isn't over yet.

 

[hybridsoldier23]

Originally Posted by MrONegative


Things that do not work on this show:

Stannis...every scene he's in, I feel nothing but sleepy when he talk
Melisandre (when she's hamming it up and being annoying/in almost any scene with Stannis)
Ser Loras Tyrell...a bad actor
Margaery Tyrell...I get this feeling like she can't really act. I mean she's not better than Ros and who's Ros?

The things that don't work, don't work hard.

Stannis vs. Renly is supposed to be so important. Even though it's meant to be anticlimactic, real drama and stakes are supposed to come from this and the war coming. There's supposed to be a real menace and foreboding to whatever Stannis and Melissandre are up to, and Davos unease with it. Instead we got one good scene of the shadow baby getting born, Margaery ******* and a pretty bland everything else. From how they *%$+%! up the prologue in the season premiere to that corny scene of Stannis smanging Melisandre on the warboard, to the lifeless negotiation between Stannis and Renly, all the way to the lame $%! way they killed a really important character.

And this show is directed so damn blandly most of the time. The only real style in some episodes is the opening credits. And that's something that hurts scene after scene and affects entire story arcs. If the actors and writing and locations themselves can't do it, there's no falling back on the direction at all. And there's never EVER anything to signal that something important got said, or that there are really big stakes in a conversation. I get it...the dialogue isn't easy, you don't have all the time in the world to shoot, so you try to keep it simple. And the prod. value's so high that this show is still shot better than almost any show and a lot of movies. Still...it's so disappointing and uninspired in key spots.
--almost all of the Dragonstone (Stannis/Davos/Mel), Pyke (Theon and the Greyjoys) and Renly/Margaery/Loras scenes
--that's how you introduce Dragonstone?
--that's how the big Stannis/Renly convo goes down?
--that's how you kill Renly?

That's literally getting half of the war wrong.

-IDK, Stannis in the book makes me sleepy every time he's talked about. The dude is a bore and it seems like Martin could care less about him since we get no POV from him. It's almost like he's there to further along Mel's and Davos' stories

-With the Mel stuff I think they're mishandling her character. In the show we should see some more of her power and her temping Stannis. The snap judgement to leave her behind and no follow up with Mel bothers me. Maybe there will be follow up in the next episode or maybe

Spoiler

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we don't see it until Davos is imprisoned in book 3 when she tells him why she let Stannis eat a **** in Blackwater bay

Either way they need to use her a bit more so we get a sense of how she's playing things and how much power she has.

-

Ser Loras Tyrell...a bad actor

100% agree that dude just plain sucks at emotion, his friend/lover died and he's not even shedding tears

- Margaery Tyrell just needs an introduction right now, I'm not too harsh on her at least she's slowly getting fleshed out

- Stannis vs. Renly, in the book it's pretty interesting because we really feel that they're ready to beast on Kings landing. I think they did a bad job on the show showing that they actually have the power to go take King's Landing and aren't just a bunch of talking heads. While it is an important dynamic, there isn't much else you can do with it save for making that scene on the hill longer (even then what do you cut out from last episode to make that longer?) The books focus for the whole first third is really on Stannis and Renly so I think it just impacts a little harder on how it was presented to us as readers.

- What's your beef with how Renly died? That's exactly how I pictured it in my head...

- I think the Pyke stuff has been good I think Asha could be a bit sexier and playful but they're going for the "Hard Iron Woman" type deal in the show

-The directing has not been a complaint of mine but I see what you mean in comparison to the production value. I think this show is better directed than Mad Men and critics seem to think that it's the best show on TV. I think the issue with this series is 1. we don't have a lot of action and when we do it's really sparse and 2. That the style of the show doesn't lend itself so something really visceral in terms of shot composition, hand held camera's, and close-ups like say Breaking Bad or the Shield does. The style they've went for is a very wide angle, open feeling, to get the audience to appreciate the world AND the characters. I do understand what you're getting at but I almost think that production value would take a hit if it wasn't directed the way it was. There's so many times where I'm more interested in what's in the sets (symbols, armor, books, tapestry) rather than what characters are saying. And... that's why I have to watch every episode more than once

-

And there's never EVER anything to signal that something important got said, or that there are really big stakes in a conversation.
I think this is a double edged sword. On one hand I don't think the HBO audience needs anything dumbed down, on the other, with how so many things like names and places just being thrown out there it's tough to follow. Like with this last episode and Halfhand talking about Mance. Everyone I know who hasn't read the book is like who the ++%@ is this Mance guy?!?! Did we meet him already???

I think there needs to be a better exposition of WHO people are and why we should care. This carries over to the special features on the DVD and blu-rays and stuff as well as the "inside the episodes" HBO has for free to watch on their site, but only hardcore people are going to look at that. With that being said, I'm glad they expounded on who Mance was but it's still just talking and it's so fast you have no time to understand or digest it. You will have to come back to the episode later and be like "ohhhhh, they did talk about that back in season 2!"

One thing I would have really appreciated is if they would do some freaking flashbacks on this show! Seeing Mance as a ranger, seeing the battle at the trident (even if it was just Robert dominating Rhygar), or seeing The Mad King or Jaime stabbing him. Those incidents NEED to be visualized to carry WEIGHT so when people talk about that stuff we know how important it is. That is one thing I will fault them for, because there's no excuse not to be able to do small flashbacks to what happened when you're dropping all this lore on people.

Even with all that I still think this show is one of the best forms of entertainment out there today

 

[shogun]

If watching Stannis makes you sleepy then it's a good thing 

.  Dude is supposed to have no charisma and not someone you would pay much attention to or want as a king.  Renly has a cool beard but the show hasn't really shown why he is so loved by everyone.  Maybe because he looks and reminds people of a young Robert.  In season one he was just a member of the small council and almost forgettable if not for his weird scenes with Loras.
Some of you guys who don't post in here often need to be careful what you write.  I know you're not trying to post spoilers on purpose but try not to type out specific names or future events.  Put stuff in spoilers or darkened text.

 

[Nawzlew]

Done with the first couple chapters of the first book. Was surprised at how much of a $*+@! Cat is to Jon

 

[juggy4805]

@HybridSoldier23 ~ I though Craster told Mormont about Mance. He has been mentioned.


From the Wiki: Craster tells Lord Commander Jeor Mormont that Mance is assembling an army in the Frostfangs.[3] Varys reports rumours of the wildlings organizing under Mance to the small council.[4]