Game of Thrones, tv only, books don't exist, no backstory...NERDS already ruining a series that hasn't started (1 Viewer)

[Premier]

Gotta be honest, none of these people really resonate with me.

Not even Ginger Minge?

Not even a little bit.

That's me though I'm sure. I kind of check twitter or something anytime they do anything with the wall people. Just don't care.

 

[shadyridr]

Good action but didnt feel like a game of thrones episode. Good guys won, not much was resolved, nobody we cared about died, and jon snow is heading back out again.

 

[Steed]

That made all the BS at the Wall worth it. That was great stuff. Same director that did Blackwater Neil Marshall.

They did a nice job with the visual effects and overhead shots.

 

[shadyridr]

Gotta be honest, none of these people really resonate with me.

Not even Ginger Minge?

Not even a little bit. That's me though I'm sure. I kind of check twitter or something anytime they do anything with the wall people. Just don't care.

sam and gilly bore me to tears

 

[shadyridr]

Pretty funny how the giants have wooly mammoths like in Skyrim.

 

[Steed]

Good action but didnt feel like a game of thrones episode. Good guys won, not much was resolved, nobody we cared about died, and jon snow is heading back out again.

Ygritte killed one of the hapless crows we liked, then the kid killed her, and the crow that held the gate was one of the more likable ones. In typical GoT fashion, sir Janos slynt made it through. None of these dead guys are major players, but they had likable traits.

 

[JerseyToughGuys]

Damn I'm a super nerd.

Me too

 

[FreeBaGeL]

Now that they have some extra time, why don't they just blow the tunnel like Jon originally wanted to?

 

[Wyld Stallyns]

Guess I'm in the minority cuz I like everything at the Wall (and especially anything north of it).

Definitely prefer the Wall storyline and characters over Stannis, Dany, Theon/Reek & even Littlefinger/Sansa.

 

[GTBilly]

It was a great, edge of your seat episode. Blood and violence reign supreme and frankly releasing ghost was like the Hulkster getting his crazy look when I was a kid watching wrestling:

"I need him more than I need you"

 

[fantasycurse42]

Finale predictions?????

 

[gump]

Going to be quite a coincidence when Jon runs into Bran.

I know this story is different, but Jon just seems like a character who will be around a while.

 

[Tom Hagen]

Now that they have some extra time, why don't they just blow the tunnel like Jon originally wanted to?

Don't worry, Gekko will be along to give us a 5,000 word treatise on the subject.

 

[Rohn Jambo]

Good action but didnt feel like a game of thrones episode. Good guys won, not much was resolved, nobody we cared about died, and jon snow is heading back out again.

Ygritte killed one of the hapless crows we liked, then the kid killed her, and the crow that held the gate was one of the more likable ones. In typical GoT fashion, sir Janos slynt made it through. None of these dead guys are major players, but they had likable traits.

I don't get why Ygritte looked so clean and non-sweaty.

 

[TLEF316]

the cinematography tonight was unreal. The panoramic shot of the castle that ended on Ygritte was really well done./

 

[Rohn Jambo]

the cinematography tonight was unreal. The panoramic shot of the castle that ended on Ygritte was really well done./

Was that a tracking shot? I liked the camera moving up and down and around at the same time.

 

[Otis]

the cinematography tonight was unreal. The panoramic shot of the castle that ended on Ygritte was really well done./

Seriously. Not understanding all the whining in here. For a show on television that was epic. Awesome filming and effects, great action, edge of seat moments, and how the hell do you not root for John Snow. It was his coming of age party, and it was pretty awesome.

Thought it was a good episode.

 

[Otis]

the cinematography tonight was unreal. The panoramic shot of the castle that ended on Ygritte was really well done./

Was that a tracking shot?

I actually think it was.

 

[Deepster]

Finale predictions?????

1) Tywin dies

2) Sansa and Arya reunited

3) Hodor says Hodor

4) Big dragon teaser for season 5

 

[Rohn Jambo]

the cinematography tonight was unreal. The panoramic shot of the castle that ended on Ygritte was really well done./

Seriously. Not understanding all the whining in here. For a show on television that was epic. Awesome filming and effects, great action, edge of seat moments, and how the hell do you not root for John Snow. It was his coming of age party, and it was pretty awesome.

Thought it was a good episode.

This is more a Sam episode. Get your hero's name right, O.

 

[Pots]

Finale predictions?????

3) Hodor says Hodor

 

[TLEF316]

My one complaint was that the morning after was kinda anti-climatic.

The Nights Watch took out like 1% of the wildling army (if that) and it probably cost them 1/2 their defending force (including their acting commander). Not much of a victory considering they spent an entire episode on it. (and 3 years of build up)

 

[FreeBaGeL]

I thought it was a good episode. The battle was well done for TV, though movies kind of ruin our expectations there.

The only major thing that really stuck out for me was the way that it went a little LotR cheesy where every major character could easily fend off 10 nameless foes at once. That seemed a little out of place for GoT which has always presented us with the idea that being surrounded by 10 guys means you're F'ed rather than it meaning you get to show off some cool moves.

It was also a little annoying that they stood around and watched the giants try to take down the gate with no counter-action for like 5 minutes before they did anything.

 

[Deepster]

My one complaint was that the morning after was kinda anti-climatic.

The Nights Watch took out like 1% of the wildling army (if that) and it probably cost them 1/2 their defending force (including their acting commander). Not much of a victory considering they spent an entire episode on it. (and 3 years of build up)

But the Wall held and if Jon Snow gets to Mance Rayder, then they'll scurry back up north.

 

[Pots]

My one complaint was that the morning after was kinda anti-climatic.

The Nights Watch took out like 1% of the wildling army (if that) and it probably cost them 1/2 their defending force (including their acting commander). Not much of a victory considering they spent an entire episode on it. (and 3 years of build up)

Before this episode, the Nights Watch was shown as nothing but a cowardly, unorganized, and inadaptive group of misfits. The wildlings were shown to be fierce, skilled, and (unlike the rest of history) organized. Most of the crows in charge also didn't trust Jon Snow and were set in their ways despite any warnings/signs otherwise. This episode developed the characters of literally every member of the Wall, the minor characters had their time to shine, Ygritt story was concluded, and even that acting commander admitted he was wrong and gave insight to why he's such a jackass. They would never win an all-out attack, and the wildlings thought they were much more in number so they didn't go all out for fear of much greater losses. This wasn't going to be a one-episode conclusion of the wildling invasion, but it set up a direction and a goal at the end of the episode while showing that the crows can indeed rise to the purpose of their vows and in the face of adversity those who may not generally like each other can fight together for the greater good/purpose.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

My one complaint was that the morning after was kinda anti-climatic.

The Nights Watch took out like 1% of the wildling army (if that) and it probably cost them 1/2 their defending force (including their acting commander). Not much of a victory considering they spent an entire episode on it. (and 3 years of build up)

Before this episode, the Nights Watch was shown as nothing but a cowardly, unorganized, and inadaptive group of misfits. The wildlings were shown to be fierce, skilled, and (unlike the rest of history) organized. Most of the crows in charge also didn't trust Jon Snow and were set in their ways despite any warnings/signs otherwise. This episode developed the characters of literally every member of the Wall, the minor characters had their time to shine, Ygritt story was concluded, and even that acting commander admitted he was wrong and gave insight to why he's such a jackass. They would never win an all-out attack, and the wildlings thought they were much more in number so they didn't go all out for fear of much greater losses. This wasn't going to be a one-episode conclusion of the wildling invasion, but it set up a direction and a goal at the end of the episode while showing that the crows can indeed rise to the purpose of their vows and in the face of adversity those who may not generally like each other can fight together for the greater good/purpose.

Sounds like a book answer.

 

[Rohn Jambo]

Finale will be 66 minutes long.

 

[TLEF316]

My one complaint was that the morning after was kinda anti-climatic.

The Nights Watch took out like 1% of the wildling army (if that) and it probably cost them 1/2 their defending force (including their acting commander). Not much of a victory considering they spent an entire episode on it. (and 3 years of build up)

Before this episode, the Nights Watch was shown as nothing but a cowardly, unorganized, and inadaptive group of misfits. The wildlings were shown to be fierce, skilled, and (unlike the rest of history) organized. Most of the crows in charge also didn't trust Jon Snow and were set in their ways despite any warnings/signs otherwise. This episode developed the characters of literally every member of the Wall, the minor characters had their time to shine, Ygritt story was concluded, and even that acting commander admitted he was wrong and gave insight to why he's such a jackass. They would never win an all-out attack, and the wildlings thought they were much more in number so they didn't go all out for fear of much greater losses. This wasn't going to be a one-episode conclusion of the wildling invasion, but it set up a direction and a goal at the end of the episode while showing that the crows can indeed rise to the purpose of their vows and in the face of adversity those who may not generally like each other can fight together for the greater good/purpose.

Well yeah, that's a pretty good answer I guess.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

Finale will be 66 minutes long.

good because they keep cutting the recent episodes to 52 minutes

 

[Pots]

My one complaint was that the morning after was kinda anti-climatic.

The Nights Watch took out like 1% of the wildling army (if that) and it probably cost them 1/2 their defending force (including their acting commander). Not much of a victory considering they spent an entire episode on it. (and 3 years of build up)

Before this episode, the Nights Watch was shown as nothing but a cowardly, unorganized, and inadaptive group of misfits. The wildlings were shown to be fierce, skilled, and (unlike the rest of history) organized. Most of the crows in charge also didn't trust Jon Snow and were set in their ways despite any warnings/signs otherwise. This episode developed the characters of literally every member of the Wall, the minor characters had their time to shine, Ygritt story was concluded, and even that acting commander admitted he was wrong and gave insight to why he's such a jackass. They would never win an all-out attack, and the wildlings thought they were much more in number so they didn't go all out for fear of much greater losses. This wasn't going to be a one-episode conclusion of the wildling invasion, but it set up a direction and a goal at the end of the episode while showing that the crows can indeed rise to the purpose of their vows and in the face of adversity those who may not generally like each other can fight together for the greater good/purpose.

Sounds like a book answer.

Never read any of the books and just started watching this series this week. I finally got caught up via HBO Go last night and this was the first episode I saw with everyone else and coincidentally, my first post in this thread.

 

[Premier]

the cinematography tonight was unreal. The panoramic shot of the castle that ended on Ygritte was really well done./

Seriously. Not understanding all the whining in here. For a show on television that was epic. Awesome filming and effects, great action, edge of seat moments, and how the hell do you not root for John Snow. It was his coming of age party, and it was pretty awesome. Thought it was a good episode.

I haven't seen any whining at all?

I thought it was a good enough episode, I just don't/didn't care about any of the participants.

 

[Rohn Jambo]

Overall, I give it an A.

 

[Morton Muffley]

My one complaint was that the morning after was kinda anti-climatic.

The Nights Watch took out like 1% of the wildling army (if that) and it probably cost them 1/2 their defending force (including their acting commander). Not much of a victory considering they spent an entire episode on it. (and 3 years of build up)

Before this episode, the Nights Watch was shown as nothing but a cowardly, unorganized, and inadaptive group of misfits. The wildlings were shown to be fierce, skilled, and (unlike the rest of history) organized. Most of the crows in charge also didn't trust Jon Snow and were set in their ways despite any warnings/signs otherwise. This episode developed the characters of literally every member of the Wall, the minor characters had their time to shine, Ygritt story was concluded, and even that acting commander admitted he was wrong and gave insight to why he's such a jackass. They would never win an all-out attack, and the wildlings thought they were much more in number so they didn't go all out for fear of much greater losses. This wasn't going to be a one-episode conclusion of the wildling invasion, but it set up a direction and a goal at the end of the episode while showing that the crows can indeed rise to the purpose of their vows and in the face of adversity those who may not generally like each other can fight together for the greater good/purpose.

Sounds like a book answer.

Never read any of the books and just started watching this series this week. I finally got caught up via HBO Go last night and this was the first episode I saw with everyone else and coincidentally, my first post in this thread.

You watched 38 hour long episodes one ONE week?

 

[Ilov80s]

the cinematography tonight was unreal. The panoramic shot of the castle that ended on Ygritte was really well done./

Seriously. Not understanding all the whining in here. For a show on television that was epic. Awesome filming and effects, great action, edge of seat moments, and how the hell do you not root for John Snow. It was his coming of age party, and it was pretty awesome. Thought it was a good episode.

I haven't seen any whining at all? I thought it was a good enough episode, I just don't/didn't care about any of the participants.

I care a lot more now than I did before. Loved it, episode felt like it was 15 minutes long. Combine this with the last 10 minutes of the prior episode and it's like 65 straight minutes of edge of your seat drama. That's a hell of a run.

 

[Pots]

My one complaint was that the morning after was kinda anti-climatic.

The Nights Watch took out like 1% of the wildling army (if that) and it probably cost them 1/2 their defending force (including their acting commander). Not much of a victory considering they spent an entire episode on it. (and 3 years of build up)

Before this episode, the Nights Watch was shown as nothing but a cowardly, unorganized, and inadaptive group of misfits. The wildlings were shown to be fierce, skilled, and (unlike the rest of history) organized. Most of the crows in charge also didn't trust Jon Snow and were set in their ways despite any warnings/signs otherwise. This episode developed the characters of literally every member of the Wall, the minor characters had their time to shine, Ygritt story was concluded, and even that acting commander admitted he was wrong and gave insight to why he's such a jackass. They would never win an all-out attack, and the wildlings thought they were much more in number so they didn't go all out for fear of much greater losses. This wasn't going to be a one-episode conclusion of the wildling invasion, but it set up a direction and a goal at the end of the episode while showing that the crows can indeed rise to the purpose of their vows and in the face of adversity those who may not generally like each other can fight together for the greater good/purpose.

Sounds like a book answer.

Never read any of the books and just started watching this series this week. I finally got caught up via HBO Go last night and this was the first episode I saw with everyone else and coincidentally, my first post in this thread.

You watched 38 hour long episodes one ONE week?

39 now. Lets just say I've got that damn intro music stuck in my head now.

 

[Homer J Simpson]

My one complaint was that the morning after was kinda anti-climatic.

The Nights Watch took out like 1% of the wildling army (if that) and it probably cost them 1/2 their defending force (including their acting commander). Not much of a victory considering they spent an entire episode on it. (and 3 years of build up)

Before this episode, the Nights Watch was shown as nothing but a cowardly, unorganized, and inadaptive group of misfits. The wildlings were shown to be fierce, skilled, and (unlike the rest of history) organized. Most of the crows in charge also didn't trust Jon Snow and were set in their ways despite any warnings/signs otherwise. This episode developed the characters of literally every member of the Wall, the minor characters had their time to shine, Ygritt story was concluded, and even that acting commander admitted he was wrong and gave insight to why he's such a jackass. They would never win an all-out attack, and the wildlings thought they were much more in number so they didn't go all out for fear of much greater losses. This wasn't going to be a one-episode conclusion of the wildling invasion, but it set up a direction and a goal at the end of the episode while showing that the crows can indeed rise to the purpose of their vows and in the face of adversity those who may not generally like each other can fight together for the greater good/purpose.

Sounds like a book answer.

Never read any of the books and just started watching this series this week. I finally got caught up via HBO Go last night and this was the first episode I saw with everyone else and coincidentally, my first post in this thread.

You watched 38 hour long episodes one ONE week?

39 now. Lets just say I've got that damn intro music stuck in my head now.

This shows a commitment to laziness that I thought only I was capable of. Kudos, my friend.

 

[bigmarc27]

the cinematography tonight was unreal. The panoramic shot of the castle that ended on Ygritte was really well done./

I normally zone out a bit on battle scenes (prefer dialogue-driven scenes), but tonight was phenomenal. I'd put this battle on par with anything in braveheart or Lord of the Rings. It was a lot like Helm's Deep in the 2nd LOTR movie.

Really great stuff - sometimes I think since they don't have a $200M Peter Jacksom budget, we actually get better battles because there's not as much fluff and cgi.

 

[Rohn Jambo]

Samwell used the f-word tonight. Was that part of the script or in the book?

 

[shuke]

Samwell used the f-word tonight. Was that part of the script or in the book?

What book?

 

[Rohn Jambo]

Samwell used the f-word tonight. Was that part of the script or in the book?

What book?

Dunno...Sam was reading something in the library.

 

[strykerpks]

Samwell used the f-word tonight. Was that part of the script or in the book?

What book?

The Bible, duh

 

[Rohn Jambo]

Samwell used the f-word tonight. Was that part of the script or in the book?

What book?

The Bible, duh

I doubt that is the word when the Bible says, "In the beginning was the word..."

 

[timschochet]

Great, movie quality episode. You just don't see battle scenes like that on any other TV show ever made.

 

[Mister CIA]

Finale predictions?????

Daenerys walking through a hall shouting "Hello Cleveland!"

 

[jonessed]

I realized my heart was actually racing during the entire fight sequence. It's amazing how they can let you grow attached to a character over 4 years and minutes later let you know he's probably at the end of his story.

No way.I haven't read the books. I have no idea what's going to happen. And I know that this show specializes in shocking deaths of people you never figured to die.

But despite all that, there is no way that Tyrion is going to be beheaded. He'll escape. Or something else will happen.

The continued desire to be unpredictable eventually becomes rather predictable.

 

[Beerguzzler]

These ####ers are going to drive me to read the books. Hate waiting so long.

 

[Raider Nation]

Great, movie quality episode. You just don't see battle scenes like that on any other TV show ever made.

I barely saw this battle scene. Once in awhile, how about a treat where everyone kills each other without the cover of darkness.

It sure did sound like a great episode though!

 

[timschochet]

Great, movie quality episode. You just don't see battle scenes like that on any other TV show ever made.

I barely saw this battle scene. Once in awhile, how about a treat where everyone kills each other without the cover of darkness.

It sure did sound like a great episode though!

I thought the dark made it more exciting. And I could see plenty. As good as anything from LOTR, IMO.

 

[Raider Nation]

The intentions of "The Watchers on the Wall" couldn't have been more clear. We have the ninth episode of a season, set entirely in one location(*) and featuring only one subset of characters, devoted to a single battle — with a bit of reflection and boastful storytelling beforehand — and directed by Neil Marshall, who helmed the comparable episode near the end of season 2. The only way it could have been more blatantly "Blackwater 2: Black Harder" would have required Podrick to improbably make it all the way north so he could be the one to kill Ygritte and save Jon Snow's life.(*) A part of me wishes there were a way to do a single location version of the map from the opening credits, but that would require exploring the Castle Black model in an almost absurd level of detail.

"Blackwater" is probably still the series' high point, so you can't blame Benioff and Weiss for trying to replicate it here, but the parallels can't be exact. King's Landing features many of the series richest, most compelling characters, all of whom got multiple moments in the spotlight due to that episode's structure. Castle Black, on the other hand, essentially has two figures of any import in Jon Snow and Sam (after all these seasons, I still can never remember the name of their friends, several of whom died heroically during this battle), and Jon Snow is perhaps the TV show's least interesting main character: a noble, straightforward, but ultimately dull hero. I don't know how much of this is on the writing (certainly, Benioff and Weiss seem more engaged by writing for the misfits and unlikely heroes) and how much is on Kit Harington (who at a minimum doesn't bring anything extra to the material in the way that so many of his co-stars do), but in general, scenes at or around the Wall the last few years have tended to rise and fall based less on Jon Snow than on how much John Bradley has gotten to do as Sam.

And beyond that, the Battle of Blackwater Bay not only brought a lot of season 2's character arcs to a climax, but brought a definitive end to an entire front of a war. Thanks to Tyrion's strategizing holding off Stannis' forces long enough for the combined Lannister/Tyrell army to carry the day, Stannis was completely neutralized as an impending threat to the crown, whereas "The Watchers on the Wall" ends with Jon pointing out what an utterly minor victory they've just won against Mance's mighty, enormous army. The King's Landing battle got a whole episode because it was a major pivot point for the plot and many major characters; this one got a whole episode because the audience (me included) really liked "Blackwater."

That said, Benioff, Weiss, Marshall and the entire production team seem to have recognized that they were working with less important raw material, and that they needed to compensate with something else: spectacle. We've seen the show's technical capabilities expand rapidly with each passing season, and if this battle didn't have Tyrion or Tywin or the Hound hanging around, it had giants and wooly mammoths and action centered around a 700-foot high ice wall: a physical scope to match the sort of magic that Marshall and the visual effects people can whip up at this point in the series' lifespan.

So even though Jon Snow is a drip, Ser Alliser has previously been a jealous boob designed to make Jon Snow look better, etc., "The Watchers on the Wall" still offered plenty of thrills. I may not remember that Jon's bearded friend's name is Grenn (thanks, Internet!), but I could still appreciate the power of him leading the other rangers in the Night's Watch oath as they stared down the attacking giant in the tunnel between the outer gate and the inner one. His other friend Edd has similarly not made a huge impression, but the image of the huge scythe sweeping the climbers off the Wall was pretty splendid to look at. And if Harington doesn't have the charisma of some of his co-stars, he (and/or his stunt double) swashbuckles convincingly, and the various duels in and around Castle Black were as exciting as designed. (Even Alliser turned out to be a good fighter and leader of men, even if Tormund nearly killed him.)

But these were emptier thrills than "Game of Thrones" at its best is capable of. When I'm inclined to revisit "Blackwater," it's as much for Bronn and the Hound's chestiness before the fight as it is for the image of part of Stannis' fleet being consumed by green flame. Sam had some excellent moments here — both promising Gilly that he wouldn't die and explaining the source of his courage (and how easily it can go away) — but Ygritte's death before she could decide whether to kill Jon Snow or spare him was less powerful than when they kissed atop the Wall or when she shot him up with arrows the last time. A major character death can be emotional, but it's not always the most powerful note a show can play, and the fragmented nature of the show's narrative sucked a lot of the power out of that relationship by the time she died (assuming you were invested in them as a couple in the first place).

I will not object too strenuously to the existence of an episode that gave me giants and mammoths trying to pull apart the gate that has protected Westeros from the wildlings for centuries. This was fun, and thrilling, and at times moving despite the relative lack of time and energy previously devoted to both sides of the battle. But ultimately, if the show was trying to recreate the achievement of "Blackwater" — less by spending so much time on a battle than by spending an entire episode in one place — I wish another spot on the map had been the recipient of that treatment.

 

[GOB]

Ygritte, wait!