StrangeSox

Jon Snow gets murdered. Daenrys is having violent diarrhea in a field somewhere with Drogon after being chased out of Mereen. Cersei's world is seemingly collapsing in around her as she's reached her post-"Shame!" lowpoint. Stannis is marching on a snow-bound Winterfell held by the Boltons. Littlefinger and Sansa are still in the Eyrie I think. Arya is still training in Braavos. Catelyn Stark is dead, but has been resurrected by the Brotherhood without Banners and just captured Brienne. Sandor is MIA. Varys murders Cersei's competent hand, Kevan Lannister. e: basically, they completely out ran the books by the end of Season 5.

this has been D&D's problem since they ran outta book material trying to recapture the 'magic' of Ned or the Red Wedding, but doing it in more jump-cut/shock ways than anything actually interesting with the story.

best episode of the season so far imo wish they had spent more time setting up Mad Queen, feels a little rushed this season. I'm sure this is the ending GRRM gave them way back before they filmed S1:E1.

FYI they choose to rush this into six episodes, and wanted to do even less. HBO offered them $$$$ to do several more full seasons. It has to wrap up quickly because the show runners got bored with it

For sure, but they didn't even try to CGI in a backdrop that at least matched the climate/terrain. It was like they teleported back to one of the slaver cities in the Essos desert. edit: lol hmm maybe the climate change subtext hit Kings Landing too??

also I'm not sure what desert fortress they were negotiating at in the final scene, but it sure wasn't King's Landing

Idiot Plot: Any plot containing problems that would be solved instantly if all of the characters were not idiots. https://www.rogerebert.com/rogers-journal/eberts-guide-to-practical-filmgoing-a-glossary-of-terms-for-the-cinema-of-the-80s

everything about that scene was so dumb, including ballistas being more destructive than 19th century Ship of the Line cannon broadsides, and Euron 360-no-scoping a flying dragon from a fast moving ship. complete Marvelization of the series

Hope it ends with a popular uprising that results in the abolition of the absolutist monarchy once and for all. Death to Kings, melt down the iron throne.

What the hell was bran doing this whole episode, anyway?

Purely mindless entertainment at this point. Ninja Arya, nearly every named character somehow surviving, Jorah appearing in the middle of the battlefield alone to save Danny, the insanely dumb tactics, the extremely telegraphed but apparently pointless crypt zombies, and ultimately the pointlessness of the NK and this existential threat.

Fun episode but lol that so many people in the front lines of the initial battle still somehow survived, extremely strong plot armor E: had to crank the brightness on my iPad way up to be able to see anything, anyone else have similar problems?

I mean it was okay, not terrible, it's just not the show it was S1-4. Next week is supposedly the longest battle ever put to film, and it took 55 days to film it. e: also I wonder if they're foreshadowing anything by having multiple characters talk about how safe the crypts are??

another episode where not a whole heck of a lot happened pretty bold doing a Winterfell bottle episode with only four more to go...

feels like I'm watching more out of inertia at this point than for actual enjoyment plot lines have gotten absolutely ridiculous, and the ending is feeling more rushed than a Stephen King novel

I don't entirely disagree here, and it's why people will laugh at or roll their eyes at a d-lineman who celebrates a sack when his team is down by 30 in the 4th quarter. But I don't think it's necessarily "professionalism." And while the punishment for the overly enthusiastic hitter should be, idk, some amount of light ridicule, the punishment for a pitcher who deliberately throws an object at another player with the intent to hit them should be immediate suspension at a minimum.

yeah if it's "professionalism" for a pitcher to throw a hard object at 90 MPH at another person because they celebrated, then batters should be able to get a few good swings in on any pitcher who celebrates a little too enthusiastically. fair's fair.

e:

guys I think Moncada might be good??

that's true I just want to lol at how many chances the Mariners had to get out of that inning

Moncada coming out absolutely blazing takes out some of the sting of the offseason

lol that's five free outs this inning though

woot woot