GoT episodes 9 and 10
[Episode 9: Watchers on the Wall]The finale is here and I haven't posted my liveblogging of ep. 9, mainly because RL was so aggravating and I was just overall underwhelmed; I wonder if its because the multi day, multi battle SIEGE was compressed to one battle, perhaps to JUST bookend "Blackwater" Battle?
Although the fighting was probably the better choreographed and the tactics more interesting than Blackwater, what was missing was the people's story. There were at least three POV for Blackwater: Tyrion, Davos, Sansa (maybe Bronn?) but only two for Watchers: Jon and Sam. We saw the defenders, attackers, small folk, grand folk, and their personal struggles. With "Watchers" we didn't have that much (but, look Direwolves, Giants and a CHAIN). This battle in the book was actually a siege covering weeks, with the Brothers finding comradarie amongst themselves and with the refugees - and that struggle from bickering with each other to finally working as one and 'manning' up would have been more interesting than well, Ygritte and Jon having a moment. Not only the fighters, but the cooks, stewards, the refugees and even the whores (there's one or two that were fierce in hand to hand combat) were all working together, under Jon's command (as the elders kept dying after each battle). Also, show's battle ends without a resolution, as Jon tells Sam, so that whole night really meant ... what?
That being said on second watching (prior to the finale) I have some somewhat more positive thoughts:
• I really did not notice all those technical fancy shots the first time I watch. Gotta look for them.
• I think I see "The Inn at the Crossroads" in the Main Credits.
• A library - huh, I want a production to finally to show how fascinating "research", like accounting, can be on film. srsly
• I want more Aemon stories. More Ghost too.
• Ser Allester, for all his being a douchebag, is a bad-ass fighter! I might like him.
• I really loved Grenn and him rallying his five against this raging giant. Them reciting the Oath - I admit, I teared up then. Unlike Blackwater no one will know or sing or care of their sacrifice because the rest of the Kingdom doesn't believe there is any threat from the North. (I would have to agree with the rest of the Kingdom, I'd rather believe in dragons rather than in zombies, would you?)
Break for[Germany v Portugal Game] 4 nil.
And now we come the finale! Liveblogging! What will happen? (And I refuse to film myself watching it).
[The Children]I predict river zombies, nymeria (wishing), the toilet, that braavos coin, reinforcements, a truce, a bbq, the Children of the Forest, and maybe an engagement? So lets see what happen now.
Main Credits. Why Moat Cailin but not Eyrie? (Really I need to stop whining about this) And Rose Leslie is still in the cast?
Ah, continuation -- crows or ravens. Really that camp was that near? Ah Mance, finally. Does a drink qualify as bread and salt? Whoa, that's a lot of mounted men! Reinforcements, check. Well at least Davos is with Stannis riding on the front. Burn the Dead. So not quite a TRUCE, no-check.
The Mountain. Why even try to save him - he's a horrible man and a liability to Tywin. Really, Twyin didn't know? I find that hard to believe. Srsly, Jaime - this is the sister who's going to murder your brother. And in the Kingguard Tower! Tut tut. But then anything is an improv after a funeral bier.
Dany, welcome to ruling. Revolution is easy, governing hard. BBQ, check. :( Bad Drogon, but I don't see why the other two must be punished.
Aemon! Burn the dead. Yikes, Melissandre. Tormund. Ah, at least Jon doesn't really believe that Stannis is king. IS JON FINALLY READY TO PLAY THE GAME? Who does he think ought to rule? Tormund and Mance asking about Jon's love? They are shipping old maids. Ah, that's why she;s in the credits. I hope she doesn't come back as a walker.
Oh goodie. Kiddies in Snow. The Tree, A Children, check? Eek, Mummies? (Doesn't count as zombies?). Shouldn't you burn Jojen? So this is the Children, not the Tree = Children of the Forest? Oh goodie, answers before season 6/book 5. But wait, that's it for the explanation??????
Oh, Podrick! Losing horses, tsk tsk. OOOOOOHHH Meet Up. I'm squeezing so much to be tense. Just two girls shooting the breeze about swords. Bechdel! And the Hound all but declaring himself as the protector. I dunno who would be better for Arya, I like B but H is more realistic. Oh this is brutal fight. Hey where's the kids? Aww, he's still looking after her, but she won't return the favor. Why not put him out of his misery, is it for revenge sake or would cause she couldn't hurt him anymore?
And finally Tyrion. Jaime and Varys to the rescue! Will they never see each other again? (Are these two the new starks?) Uh-oh. Book Shae boo. Why couldn't it have been Cersei? Is that Joffery's crossbow - who gave him that? ooooooo. I might even believe Twyin's speech. TOILET check. Ah Varys. Where is he being sent. Did Tyrion tell Varys about the Hand before he left. Oh is he going with him?
More! Where did Arya get her horse? That's a hero shot if ever I saw one. But she's... not good. COIN check. Arya's leaving Westeros. She's on her own, choosing, I should be happy. Certainly the Stark theme seems more optimistic...
Aww, that's it? No Sansa? No Dalla? No Ellaria? No Nymeria (not that she appears in the book, but its my secret wish that she's around the river lands scenting after Arya, but now she's off to the narrow sea)? and no zombies?
[Questions]Last thoughts. FINALLY, paths are crossed. Oh, and Tyrion is saved. Stannis and Jon and Mance have crossed paths. But that Red Lady looking at Jon is creeping me out. And will Stannis be flexible? What will the Wall do? Do they have more in common with the Wildings or the Stannis/RedLady's uncompromising religion and morals? Then the two roadtrippers meet. At first Brienne and Arya was like a fanfic fantasy come to life, then the Hound had get all macho and ruin it. Imagine it: The four of them road tripping National Lampoon style. Then that fight -- brutal. But just as brutal, was Tyrion and Tywin's last confrontation. All that scheming on one side and all that suppressed hate on the other. Oh yeah, and Cersei is scheming the throne, Dany failing at parenting and ruling, and Bran finally getting told: you will not walk again (Jojen had to die for that piece of news?) Meanwhile, which "children" is the referred here? Surviving Starks? Rebellious Lannisters? Untamable Dragons? Tree Forest?
So was this a better finale that other seasons? Did you think this season's episode 10 was better than episode 9? How did you feel about how the Hound and Arya parted ways? Tyrion and Tywin? And how do we feel about Jaime now? Is Jon a player now? Stannis seems like he is a player again. And what would you rather have in your city: Zombies or Dragons.
Although the fighting was probably the better choreographed and the tactics more interesting than Blackwater, what was missing was the people's story. There were at least three POV for Blackwater: Tyrion, Davos, Sansa (maybe Bronn?) but only two for Watchers: Jon and Sam. We saw the defenders, attackers, small folk, grand folk, and their personal struggles. With "Watchers" we didn't have that much (but, look Direwolves, Giants and a CHAIN). This battle in the book was actually a siege covering weeks, with the Brothers finding comradarie amongst themselves and with the refugees - and that struggle from bickering with each other to finally working as one and 'manning' up would have been more interesting than well, Ygritte and Jon having a moment. Not only the fighters, but the cooks, stewards, the refugees and even the whores (there's one or two that were fierce in hand to hand combat) were all working together, under Jon's command (as the elders kept dying after each battle). Also, show's battle ends without a resolution, as Jon tells Sam, so that whole night really meant ... what?
That being said on second watching (prior to the finale) I have some somewhat more positive thoughts:
• I really did not notice all those technical fancy shots the first time I watch. Gotta look for them.
• I think I see "The Inn at the Crossroads" in the Main Credits.
• A library - huh, I want a production to finally to show how fascinating "research", like accounting, can be on film. srsly
• I want more Aemon stories. More Ghost too.
• Ser Allester, for all his being a douchebag, is a bad-ass fighter! I might like him.
• I really loved Grenn and him rallying his five against this raging giant. Them reciting the Oath - I admit, I teared up then. Unlike Blackwater no one will know or sing or care of their sacrifice because the rest of the Kingdom doesn't believe there is any threat from the North. (I would have to agree with the rest of the Kingdom, I'd rather believe in dragons rather than in zombies, would you?)
Break for[Germany v Portugal Game] 4 nil.
And now we come the finale! Liveblogging! What will happen? (And I refuse to film myself watching it).
[The Children]I predict river zombies, nymeria (wishing), the toilet, that braavos coin, reinforcements, a truce, a bbq, the Children of the Forest, and maybe an engagement? So lets see what happen now.
Main Credits. Why Moat Cailin but not Eyrie? (Really I need to stop whining about this) And Rose Leslie is still in the cast?
Ah, continuation -- crows or ravens. Really that camp was that near? Ah Mance, finally. Does a drink qualify as bread and salt? Whoa, that's a lot of mounted men! Reinforcements, check. Well at least Davos is with Stannis riding on the front. Burn the Dead. So not quite a TRUCE, no-check.
The Mountain. Why even try to save him - he's a horrible man and a liability to Tywin. Really, Twyin didn't know? I find that hard to believe. Srsly, Jaime - this is the sister who's going to murder your brother. And in the Kingguard Tower! Tut tut. But then anything is an improv after a funeral bier.
Dany, welcome to ruling. Revolution is easy, governing hard. BBQ, check. :( Bad Drogon, but I don't see why the other two must be punished.
Aemon! Burn the dead. Yikes, Melissandre. Tormund. Ah, at least Jon doesn't really believe that Stannis is king. IS JON FINALLY READY TO PLAY THE GAME? Who does he think ought to rule? Tormund and Mance asking about Jon's love? They are shipping old maids. Ah, that's why she;s in the credits. I hope she doesn't come back as a walker.
Oh goodie. Kiddies in Snow. The Tree, A Children, check? Eek, Mummies? (Doesn't count as zombies?). Shouldn't you burn Jojen? So this is the Children, not the Tree = Children of the Forest? Oh goodie, answers before season 6/book 5. But wait, that's it for the explanation??????
Oh, Podrick! Losing horses, tsk tsk. OOOOOOHHH Meet Up. I'm squeezing so much to be tense. Just two girls shooting the breeze about swords. Bechdel! And the Hound all but declaring himself as the protector. I dunno who would be better for Arya, I like B but H is more realistic. Oh this is brutal fight. Hey where's the kids? Aww, he's still looking after her, but she won't return the favor. Why not put him out of his misery, is it for revenge sake or would cause she couldn't hurt him anymore?
And finally Tyrion. Jaime and Varys to the rescue! Will they never see each other again? (Are these two the new starks?) Uh-oh. Book Shae boo. Why couldn't it have been Cersei? Is that Joffery's crossbow - who gave him that? ooooooo. I might even believe Twyin's speech. TOILET check. Ah Varys. Where is he being sent. Did Tyrion tell Varys about the Hand before he left. Oh is he going with him?
More! Where did Arya get her horse? That's a hero shot if ever I saw one. But she's... not good. COIN check. Arya's leaving Westeros. She's on her own, choosing, I should be happy. Certainly the Stark theme seems more optimistic...
Aww, that's it? No Sansa? No Dalla? No Ellaria? No Nymeria (not that she appears in the book, but its my secret wish that she's around the river lands scenting after Arya, but now she's off to the narrow sea)? and no zombies?
[Questions]Last thoughts. FINALLY, paths are crossed. Oh, and Tyrion is saved. Stannis and Jon and Mance have crossed paths. But that Red Lady looking at Jon is creeping me out. And will Stannis be flexible? What will the Wall do? Do they have more in common with the Wildings or the Stannis/RedLady's uncompromising religion and morals? Then the two roadtrippers meet. At first Brienne and Arya was like a fanfic fantasy come to life, then the Hound had get all macho and ruin it. Imagine it: The four of them road tripping National Lampoon style. Then that fight -- brutal. But just as brutal, was Tyrion and Tywin's last confrontation. All that scheming on one side and all that suppressed hate on the other. Oh yeah, and Cersei is scheming the throne, Dany failing at parenting and ruling, and Bran finally getting told: you will not walk again (Jojen had to die for that piece of news?) Meanwhile, which "children" is the referred here? Surviving Starks? Rebellious Lannisters? Untamable Dragons? Tree Forest?
So was this a better finale that other seasons? Did you think this season's episode 10 was better than episode 9? How did you feel about how the Hound and Arya parted ways? Tyrion and Tywin? And how do we feel about Jaime now? Is Jon a player now? Stannis seems like he is a player again. And what would you rather have in your city: Zombies or Dragons.