Ep. 6 ReviewAfter the episode leaked on Tuesday, I knew it was going to be tough avoiding spoilers, but somehow I managed. It was certainly the longest I've stayed away from this thread since the first trailer was released months ago. As with the last leak, I'm SOOOO happy I was able to watch it untainted, live, with my friends.
Blue Eyes White DragonThe spear moment was so incredibly tense. I wasn't sure if Drogon, Dany, or 1 of the magnificent 7 were going to take the hit. It was heart pounding. And when I saw it was Viserion that got speared, I was shocked.1) obviously by the mere occurrence of it but 2) mostly shocked because I didn't realize how emotional it would hit me. I did not imagine to feel sad for a dragon that has barely gotten any screentime (and was certainly the most expendable of the 3). But there it was. And then to twist the knife in the wound, to see the Night King raise Viserion as his own Wight Dragon....man that was rough.
White WalkerThe biggest reveal of this episode:
Killing a White Walker also kills the Wights who follow him. This is a fairly common trope amongst fantasy (science) fiction. From Ender's Game to Lord of the Rings to even the repulsive Independence Day: Resurgence film - - "The monstrous enemy is a hive mind that can be killed at once by slaying the queen." I'm a bit disappointed by that reveal. It's too easy and clearly reveals the method of conclusion for this story.
I've stated this before, but after watching Alt Shift X'ss video regarding GRRM's attitude about war and violence, I was hoping Game of Thrones would have a more complex/poetic ending. Instead it appears as if it will be just as predictable as every other book/show/novel. Who knows, maybe it will.
Arya/SansaI'm sick of this bickering between the two. I was pumped when Arya immediately showed Sansa the letter, because I assumed they would be able to hash out the misunderstanding. Sansa didn't have a choice. Cersei had her father in a cell and could execute them both at a moment's notice. Sansa did what she thought was best to save her father. Was she nave for believing Cersei? Yes, but ultimately it was Joffrey who beheaded Ned on his own accord. So in essence, Sansa's only mistake was putting hope in Cersei to control the actions of her wicked son. Either way, it's completely bullshiii of Arya to hold Sansa to some higher standards (such as Lyanna Mormont) of what 'should have been done.' Not sure there was anything Sansa could do to alter the outcome.
Basically, I'm dismayed at the monster Arya has become. Robb, Ned, Catelyn and even Jon have all been killed. Family is the only thing that matters and Arya can't seem to understand that their only hope is to remain united.
But wtf is up with Sansa consulting LF?! The show made it quite clear that Sansa doesn't value nor trust his opinions earlier in the season. Thought it was some sloppy character regression by the writers with that.
Mag 7- It's official, Tormund has the highest efficiency rating in the show. Every piece of dialogue from him is a slam dunk.
- Did they save Gendry's hammer?
Jon & Dany- I loved all the interactions between the Mag 7 members, but what really perked my ears was when Jon was talking to Beric about "Rhollor's" purpose for bringing them back from the dead. Beric essentially says that their purpose may simply be to "keep others alive." I wish I had the exact script at my hands, but I came away from that scene thinking that Jon (whether as Azor Ahai or not) will ultimately give his life in the fight for the dawn. It just seemed like the message was that Jon wasn't brought back to ride off into the sunset and live as a happy man. I think it meant his true death will be for something more than satisfying the ambitions of a mutinous crew of Night's watchmen.
- Dany definitely saw his scars and they clearly don't look like scratches or cuts. Those are deep stab wounds. I'm sure that will get brought up next week.
- Most importantly: I always believed Jon would bend the knee once he was able to determine Dany's value as a leader, but what was interesting was the debate about whether Dany would rule OVER Jon, or BESIDE him. I got the sense that when Dany let go of Jon's hand, that she was also letting go of a future with him by her side.
Overall, I loved the episode and unlike a few others I've seen on this thread, I can forgive the time warping. This show isn't perfect, but the tale they are trying to tell and the scope of concluding all the plot threads is an enormous ask. I've never seen anything like this be attempted on the TV screen and for the most part, they hit every note. Certain elements could have been handled better, sure, but I want people to keep in mind what this show has provided.
- Almost every single actor/actress was a complete unknown. Outside of Charles Dance, Lena Headey, and Sean Bean, these people were not known commodities to the general audience. Peter Dinklage was around but I doubt many people saw his enormous screen presence coming. Now, almost half the cast are household names.
- Fantasy stories are not generally considered 'cool.' It was a huge risk by HBO to 1) take on a story as complex as this but also 2) a quintessential fantasy story at that. I remember the first season, while popular, was not nearly mainstream. Now, it's a cultural movement. And I can't help but think it will inspire more studios to take on the same risks.
- If nothing else, it gave me an excuse to connect and socialize with co-workers, friends and even strangers. For at least 1 hour, every Sunday, I got to hang with a group of my closest friends and share an experience together. Drinking, laughing, and gasping our way through this show is something I can't get enough of.
As for the spoiler people...I know you're out there. While I believe some theories about events that have come true in the story were made my folks on good faith and substantiated by book/tv content, I KNOW there are some on here that did not 'theorize' innocently. I think I read somewhere that the finale may have been hacked, so it stands to reason that I'll have to remain on guard, but once this season is over, I'll be very interested to go back and see who 'guessed' right. I'll be making a list of usernames to utilize the 'ignore' feature for next season.
I agree that's it contrived. It was just obvious that the NK wasn't really focused on the men at all, and could have attacked them at any time. And once Dany showed up his focus was 100% on the dragons.
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