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??

Edited May 6, 20196 yr by StrangeSox

11 hours ago, TaylorStSox said:

I would bet everything that Jaime kills Cersei. It's been set up from the very beginning. He'll die in the process. 

Didn't they just have their fall out at the end of last season?  Seems like it was set up more for Arya to kill Cersei, since she's been on her list since very early.  But since Arya killed the NK, it seems like it can't be her now.

Edited May 7, 20196 yr by Leonard Zelig

On 5/6/2019 at 10:37 AM, TaylorStSox said:

I would bet everything that Jaime kills Cersei. It's been set up from the very beginning. He'll die in the process. 

Setup where?  The show really hasn’t done any foreshadowing in that regard.

On 5/6/2019 at 10:42 AM, GoSox05 said:

I don't think she dies.  I'm not sure how the show kills a pregnant woman.  Seems a bit much.

If it turns out she isn't pregnant, I could see it.  Jaime or Arya.

If she is, I think she either wins and stays in power or they remove her and send her back home disgraced, which I think she would hate more than death.

You mean like how they killed Robb’s pregnant wife by brutally stabbing her in the stomach?

41 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

You mean like how they killed Robb’s pregnant wife by brutally stabbing her in the stomach?

I somehow forgot about the Red Wedding.  I guess I've just been thinking about events that have happened more recently.

26 minutes ago, GoSox05 said:

I somehow forgot about the Red Wedding.  I guess I've just been thinking about events that have happened more recently.

Prior to Battle of the bastards, Ramsay fed his infant brother and step mom to his dogs too, that was season 6

3 minutes ago, Kyyle23 said:

Prior to Battle of the bastards, Ramsay fed his infant brother and step mom to his dogs too, that was season 6

and Arya served up a human pie....

It was an oversight on my part.

I've actually forgotten a lot about some of the stuff that has happened on this show.  I wanted to go back re-watch the whole series before this season started, but didn't have the time. 

Definitely re-watch the whole series at some point.

2 hours ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Setup where?  The show really hasn’t done any foreshadowing in that regard.

They had a scene on Cersei's prophecy.

2 hours ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Setup where?  The show really hasn’t done any foreshadowing in that regard.

Both the book and show had the prophecy that she'd be killed by her younger brother. Tyrion is a red herring. 

1 hour ago, bmags said:

They had a scene on Cersei's prophecy.

I don't think they mentioned the Valonqar in the show prophesy from Maggy the Frog.  

On 5/6/2019 at 1:12 PM, bmags said:

But a lot of the people followed her not because she could be queen but because she would be a good queen whose people respected and revered her. The dothraki were open to her because they respected her dominance moves in her culture. The unsullied were freed by her. 

But in the west she hasn't had the same ability. Her advisors have been hurting her chance as queen and likely even have increased murder count, but what they have been fighting back is her desire to be queen at all cost and not necessarily "be a good queen".

That it doesn't mean we think of dany as especially evil and sympathize with her is good! She has been often correct in how to gain more power, her being in power has been better than others, etc, and she would have saved more lives had she just sent her dragons to burn the red keep to the ground. But she also being so obssessed with merely getting the throne scares her advisers and that has been set-up for years.

My issue here is that none of this is internally consistent.  Jon is literally Ned Stark right now - right down to telling Sansa his secret because "she's my sister."  Ned putting honor over politics ended with him losing his head.  Varys at the time was all about chaos in the capital (if I remember right).  And now Varys is backing Jon?  Why didn't Varys back Ned back in Season 1 then?  Why was the lesson then that you have to play the game vs. now where it's honor above all else?

The Ringer had a pretty solid article today about the issue with Dany right now being that we haven't heard her say anything about how she would rule since Mereen.  Her "Mad Queen" heel turn is based on her belief that she's destined for the Throne, and that she's willing to kill people to do that (let's ignore - for the moment - that Jon executed all of the Night's Watch dudes that stabbed him, and Ned executed a guy for deserting the Night's Watch - when is killing your enemies bad on this show?).  But Tyrion backs her with platitudes about her being a good woman or whatever. 

Give me a reason to believe that Dany is actually going mad.  Give me a reason to think that Jon isn't just getting the hero's edit where Ned and Robb didn't.  Give me some nuance in telling the story as we get to the end.

17 minutes ago, illinilaw08 said:

My issue here is that none of this is internally consistent.  Jon is literally Ned Stark right now - right down to telling Sansa his secret because "she's my sister."  Ned putting honor over politics ended with him losing his head.  Varys at the time was all about chaos in the capital (if I remember right).  And now Varys is backing Jon?  Why didn't Varys back Ned back in Season 1 then?  Why was the lesson then that you have to play the game vs. now where it's honor above all else?

The Ringer had a pretty solid article today about the issue with Dany right now being that we haven't heard her say anything about how she would rule since Mereen.  Her "Mad Queen" heel turn is based on her belief that she's destined for the Throne, and that she's willing to kill people to do that (let's ignore - for the moment - that Jon executed all of the Night's Watch dudes that stabbed him, and Ned executed a guy for deserting the Night's Watch - when is killing your enemies bad on this show?).  But Tyrion backs her with platitudes about her being a good woman or whatever. 

Give me a reason to believe that Dany is actually going mad.  Give me a reason to think that Jon isn't just getting the hero's edit where Ned and Robb didn't.  Give me some nuance in telling the story as we get to the end.

 

We have two episodes left, so indeed anything could happen. A couple things:

1) Varys didn't back Ned in season 1 because of the same reason Daenarys got mad at him for orchestrating assassination attempts on her: He had no other choice. Part of the small council, under a microscope, and he knew Ned was going to lose. No reason to back the losing horse here, although he probably regretted that war was waged over it. When he heard of Daenarys exploits in Essos, and her general "mission statement", he had good enough reason to bail and back her, especially when it became clear that Cersei would not be a good ruler. 

2) Jon's honor above all else attitude could certainly spell his doom. I don't necessarily think he's in a significantly better spot than Ned was. It's yet to be seen, but I could fathom that if Dany catches wind of Varys and potentially Tyrion backing Jon for the throne, she could try to take him out. Sansa's unwillingness to bow to Dany will be a huge issue, as well. I actually think Jon is in a terrible spot and if I were him I'd hightail it back beyond the Wall and spend the rest of my days with Tormund to avoid the coming conflicts about his heritage/claim/and Sansa's stubbornness when it comes to Dany. 

3) I really think Tyrion and Varys are trying to instill the benefits of not killing the innocent, not their enemies. A Lannister army or Golden Company is an enemy. Cersei knows Dany doesn't want to kill innocents, and is backed by supporters who don't want to kill innocents, so she brought innocents into the Red Keep to give Dany less reason to burn it down. Dany definitely believes she's destined for the throne, and that could be her downfall. She will definitely kill enemies, and possibly even kill innocents as well at this point. 

3 hours ago, illinilaw08 said:

My issue here is that none of this is internally consistent.  Jon is literally Ned Stark right now - right down to telling Sansa his secret because "she's my sister."  Ned putting honor over politics ended with him losing his head.  Varys at the time was all about chaos in the capital (if I remember right).  And now Varys is backing Jon?  Why didn't Varys back Ned back in Season 1 then?  Why was the lesson then that you have to play the game vs. now where it's honor above all else?

The Ringer had a pretty solid article today about the issue with Dany right now being that we haven't heard her say anything about how she would rule since Mereen.  Her "Mad Queen" heel turn is based on her belief that she's destined for the Throne, and that she's willing to kill people to do that (let's ignore - for the moment - that Jon executed all of the Night's Watch dudes that stabbed him, and Ned executed a guy for deserting the Night's Watch - when is killing your enemies bad on this show?).  But Tyrion backs her with platitudes about her being a good woman or whatever. 

Give me a reason to believe that Dany is actually going mad.  Give me a reason to think that Jon isn't just getting the hero's edit where Ned and Robb didn't.  Give me some nuance in telling the story as we get to the end.

I don't disagree, but I don't know that she has to "go mad" as in actually insane. Again, part of her thing was being a better ruler. She has a right to user her military might to just take over and whatever happens to those in the way so be it. But many wanted an end to that, and I think that she's talked so little of it is their way of doing it.

But the show runners have absolutely rushed a lot. And I guess I am just sympathetic to the real-life issues they have to deal with. This show is one of the few that absolutely probably required at least 10 seasons but at the same pace of the first 4 - likely 12-14.

But you can't keep everyone on contract that long, and you'd end up in that terrible late series issue where you are killing people off because they want out of the show rather than based on plot.

It had to wrap up, there was a lot to cover, but the beauty of the show at its peak was how detailed and how it didn't condescend to the viewer. But it just doesn't have a lot of time, and I think if people feel that dani is rightfully rational in losing everyone around her and responding by just crushing shit with her dragon, that's not a bad thing. 

8 hours ago, bmags said:

They had a scene on Cersei's prophecy.

I thought in the show that was only in regard to her kid’s dying no?  Don’t recall them mentioning the “little brother” piece that’s in the books.

6 hours ago, bmags said:

I don't disagree, but I don't know that she has to "go mad" as in actually insane. Again, part of her thing was being a better ruler. She has a right to user her military might to just take over and whatever happens to those in the way so be it. But many wanted an end to that, and I think that she's talked so little of it is their way of doing it.

But the show runners have absolutely rushed a lot. And I guess I am just sympathetic to the real-life issues they have to deal with. This show is one of the few that absolutely probably required at least 10 seasons but at the same pace of the first 4 - likely 12-14.

But you can't keep everyone on contract that long, and you'd end up in that terrible late series issue where you are killing people off because they want out of the show rather than based on plot.

It had to wrap up, there was a lot to cover, but the beauty of the show at its peak was how detailed and how it didn't condescend to the viewer. But it just doesn't have a lot of time, and I think if people feel that dani is rightfully rational in losing everyone around her and responding by just crushing shit with her dragon, that's not a bad thing. 

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

Anyone think that Cersei might go mad queen instead of Dany? Perhaps via her own craziness or through a Bran warging situation? Would be an interesting choice if she falls out of power through the same means she rose to power. 

2 minutes ago, SoxFanForever said:

Anyone think that Cersei might go mad queen instead of Dany? Perhaps via her own craziness or through a Bran warging situation? Would be an interesting choice if she falls out of power through the same means she rose to power. 

Cersei has been the Mad Queen ever since she blew up the Sept of Baelor.

Euron is the valonqar. 

Dany wins the throne and loses Drogon in the process. She destroys the throne and abdicates her power in favor of democracy. 

Jon goes back up North to be with Ghost. 

(0/3)

Anyone got any predictions for tonight?

I’m thinking the Mother of Dragons dies on Mother’s Day.  Not sure how, but I feel like it happens tonight and before she can burn down King’s Landing.

JESUS FUCKING CHRIST

Wat

Best episode of all time.  They finally figured out proper dragon strategy — dive bomb. This episode further made episode 3 look like trash.

Edited May 13, 20196 yr by Harper2Sox

Looks like Varys was right.

Fuckin Targaryen's man. Fuckin Targaryen's. 

 

George R R Martin - "The end will be bittersweet."