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[Nameless]

The plan is pretty brilliant imo, and the only real way to get the Southern Lords to march North, or at the very least mobilize some type of back up plan in the South. They're also going to need common folk to be prepared to fight.

Imagine that scene with Yara and the Sand Snakes being led through the streets of King Landing but with this guy instead:

It would be an instant paradigm shift for thousands.

 

[HMD]

We all know that all the main characters will dies save the true rulers of Westeros. All hail King Gendry and Queen Arya.

Sansa belongs on the Iron Throne, it's almost poetic. Ice and Fire save the world from the long night and Sansa gets to rebuild with the help of her god-like brother as her hand and her dangerous assassin sister as her queen's guard.

 

[Pagusas]

Sansa belongs on the Iron Throne, it's almost poetic. Ice and Fire save the world from the long night and Sansa gets to rebuild with the help of her god-like brother as her hand and her dangerous assassin sister as her queen's guard.

Gross. Here's hoping she's killed off by the end of the this season.

 

[Timbuktu]

Why is show Jaime so loyal to Cercei after all she's done? It's becoming more creepy than the relationship they were already having.

It feels like he was ready to go his own way before the pregnancy thing, but before that there really wasn't anything else for Jaime. He is aware of how bad Cersei is, he admitted as much to Olenna, but there wasn't anything else to fight for. The rest of the realm despise him for the only 'good' thing he's done.

 

[Nameless]

My only grievance with this season is its total abandonment of careful methodical pacing, and its current emphasis on fanservice narrative beats. I can forgive this as it's still a lot of fun and two short seasons limit screentime. But the series definitely feels like it's at the stage where all the speculation and wishful character/event matchups from the last six seasons are coming to fruition and the framework hasn't been laid for major surprises. Hoping there's some curveballs left in the remaining nine episodes.

The pacing has been break neck, but I can't point to anything from Davos and Gendry, to Drogon having a 'connection' with Jon, to Arya vs Sansa that doesn't date back to previous seasons.

 

[SurrenderDorothy]

Gross. Here's hoping she's killed off by the end of the this season.

lol, why would you want Sansa dead? I find it likely she'll live by the end of the show if anything.

 

[TheRagnCajun]

Cersei don't care about white walkers. Seeing one is not going to change her mind.

 

[soundscream]

My only grievance with this season is its total abandonment of careful methodical pacing, and its current emphasis on fanservice narrative beats. I can forgive this as it's still a lot of fun and two short seasons limit screentime. But the series definitely feels like it's at the stage where all the speculation and wishful character/event matchups from the last six seasons are coming to fruition and the framework hasn't been laid for major surprises. Hoping there's some curveballs left in the remaining nine episodes.

8 episodes

 

[Zolo]

Cersei don't care about white walkers. Seeing one is not going to change her mind.

Maybe she'll find them a valuable ally.

 

[Kenzodielocke]

8 episodes

Was 6 episodes ever confirmed?

 

[Tevious]

Great episode, but one thing I'm surprised was never brought up at all when Randyll Tarly was asked to bend the knee, was that he fought for Daenerys' family (and by association her, too) during Robert's rebellion and was even the only one to have beaten Robert in battle. That seems like something Tyrion should have brought up when trying to appease him to join her cause, but Randyll would then stubbornly refuse because of his hatred of savages (Wildlings and Dothraki). Or even Tyrion could have brought it up when trying to dissuade Danny from sentencing Randyll and Dickon to death.

That whole tidbit about Randyll defeating Robert at the battle of Ashford never had any payoff. Randyll didn't prove himself to be a great tactician or anything in any battles this season (unless it was off-screen when they invaded Highgarden). We didn't even see him during the Dothraki/Drogon raid last episode except right beforehand ordering soldiers to get into formation. Could have at least had a quip or comment about how the Lannisters got their asses completely handed to them even with Randyll Tarly on their side.

 

[snacknuts]

8 episodes

Wait, there are only going to be eight more episodes of this show in total? Or this season?

Great episode, but one thing I'm surprised was never brought up at all when Randyll Tarly was asked to bend the knee, was that he fought for Daenerys' family (and by association her, too) during Robert's rebellion

That just makes him a traitor.

 

[Deku Tree]

According to wikis

S7 has 7 episodes and
S8 has 6.

 

[Jackpot]

The hole in Sansa's mattress was the one Arya used to put sheep shit in.

Why is Tyrion being such a pussy? He's walked battlefields before. And he should be smart enough to know when an argument is lost.

 

[SurrenderDorothy]

Wait, there are only going to be eight more episodes of this show in total? Or this season?

In total.

 

[broncobuster]

According to wikis

S7 has 7 episodes and
S8 has 6.

I'm confused if it means each shorter season retains the same budget as longer ones. Because if it means Season 8 goes wild for those six episodes, that's worthwhile.

 

[Sephzilla]

Cersei don't care about white walkers. Seeing one is not going to change her mind.

I'd bet that Cersei will see a White Walker, agree to help Dany and Jon fight them, and then sneak attack Dragonstone or Winterfell instead

 

[Wvrs]

I still don't understand why they're rushing so quickly to the end, in half an episode characters travelled down to King's Landing and then up to Eastwatch. Even changing horses and riding flat out that's an incredible journey.

The show could easily have gone to ten full seasons. 8 episodes left to conclude the entire series, fuck me. If they had this pacing throughout, the previous 6 seasons could have happened in 1.5 seasons.

 

[UrbanRats]

Finally the best character is back doing something more than stand around (that character being LittleFinger).

Arya was stupid showing her power level in the fight with Brienne too.


Unless this is all a triple play, and Arya is just pretending to get played, herself.

I still don't understand why they're rushing so quickly to the end, in half an episode characters travelled down to King's Landing and then up to Eastwatch. Even changing horses and riding flat out that's an incredible journey.

The show could easily have gone to ten full seasons. 8 episodes left to conclude the entire series, fuck me. If they had this pacing throughout, the previous 6 seasons could have happened in 1.5 seasons.

In this season you just have to resign to the idea of teleportation, at this point.
They're just using it with no restraint, too.

 

[Kenzodielocke]

Cersei dies while giving birth to a dwarf son, yes or no?

 

[halfbeast]

So they basically spent a whole episode assembling a DnD party

it felt like watching a Baldur's Gate mod.


...why isn't there a Baldur's Gate mod?!

 

[Timbuktu]

Great episode, but one thing I'm surprised was never brought up at all when Randyll Tarly was asked to bend the knee, was that he fought for Daenerys' family (and by association her, too) during Robert's rebellion and was even the only one to have beaten Robert in battle. That seems like something Tyrion should have brought up when trying to appease him to join her cause, but Randyll would then stubbornly refuse because of his hatred of savages (Wildlings and Dothraki). Or even Tyrion could have brought it up when trying to dissuade Danny from sentencing Randyll and Dickon to death.

And to be fair to Randyll Tarly, although he is harsh racist xenophobe from the few scenes we've seen him in, someone should as Dany what she intends to do with the Dothraki after the wall. Do they sail back to Essos, are they given a license to roam over Westeros? Having so many more mouths to feed at the brink of winter can be a concern. Dany never articulated what kind of place she wants it to be and that was how she lost the PR war to Cersei.

 

[Monocle]

Cersei dies while giving birth to a dwarf son, yes or no?

Damn, that would be poetic justice.

I like watching Cersei but there's no way things improve for her.

I do think it is a bit of a problem that Winterfell looks so small compared other places now. I don't it changing that much in presentation from S1, but the likes of the Red Keep, Dragonstone, the Eyrie etc all look so grand, it makes Winterfell look a bit provincial and not in keeping with how much power it has.

That's a good point. Winterfell does feel much small.

Maybe it's a purposeful thing to contrast the grandeur of King's Landing, but yeah.

 

[sangreal]

I still don't understand why they're rushing so quickly to the end, in half an episode characters travelled down to King's Landing and then up to Eastwatch. Even changing horses and riding flat out that's an incredible journey.

The show could easily have gone to ten full seasons. 8 episodes left to conclude the entire series, fuck me. If they had this pacing throughout, the previous 6 seasons could have happened in 1.5 seasons.

It really feels like D&D just wanted to get it over with and move on to another show. It's certainly not that the show is reaching its natural conclusion at its normal pace

 

[Sephzilla]

Cersei dies while giving birth to a dwarf son, yes or no?

Hmmm. Poetic and technically fills the checkbox of her being killed thanks to her brother?

 

[Loris146]

Cersei dies while giving birth to a dwarf son, yes or no?

Jaime will kill her.

 

[Monocle]

It really feels like D&D just wanted to get it over with and move on to another show. It's certainly not that the show is reaching its natural conclusion at its normal pace

Arguably the show has been ramping up to this stage for the last 6 seasons. It does feel somewhat rushed, but the setup is there for the most part.

 

[sangreal]

I don't believe for a minute that Cersei is pregnant

 

[Wvrs]

Finally the best character is back doing something more than stand around (that character being LittleFinger).

Arya was stupid showing her power level in the fight with Brienne too.


Unless this is all a triple play, and Arya is just pretending to get played, herself.



In this season you just have to resign to the idea of teleportation, at this point.
They're just using it with no restraint, too.

I thought I had resigned myself to it, but this episode was almost like a parody of it all. It makes me wonder what the story is behind the scenes, why do they feel so impelled to rush through?

Maybe they're trying to finish it before The Winds of Winter comes out and makes them look like even bigger hacks than they look now

Spoiler

but even then they'd still have a good five years?

 

[Goodstyle]

I'd bet that Cersei will see a White Walker, agree to help Dany and Jon fight them, and then sneak attack Dragonstone or Winterfell instead

This.

To Cersei, the walkers and Dany and Jon are all one in the same. She doesn't see them as unique existential threats, everyone that isn't her is a threat.

 

[SoRuffShoNuff]

My only grievance with this season is its total abandonment of careful methodical pacing, and its current emphasis on fanservice narrative beats. I can forgive this as it's still a lot of fun and two short seasons limit screentime. But the series definitely feels like it's at the stage where all the speculation and wishful character/event matchups from the last six seasons are coming to fruition and the framework hasn't been laid for major surprises. Hoping there's some curveballs left in the remaining nine episodes.

At some point the story has to wind down and come to a close. There have been 20 years for speculation and theories for this story and now it's just a matter of seeing which are actually going to happen.

 

[UrbanRats]

I thought I had resigned myself to it, but this episode was almost like a parody of it all. It makes me wonder what the story is behind the scenes, why do they feel so impelled to rush through?

Maybe they're trying to finish it before The Winds of Winter comes out and makes them look like even bigger hacks than they look now

Spoiler

but even then they'd still have a good five years?

I don't think they have anything to fear from the books, most people don't give a shit what happens in them (me included, i guess).

I think think it's more of a response to one of the worst season yet, Season 5 i think, which was a slog to go through, and nothing seemed to happen for episodes at a time.
They overshot a tad though, lol.

Also, perhaps they're just trying to pack as much spectacle as they can, while staying on budget.

The brightside is you get quick development of course, the down size is, the sense of space and geography is completely lost now.

 

[Grifter]

Wouldn't Jon have had to cut thru Winterfell to reach the Wall? Maybe we're over Stark reunions already.

 

[Sorbete]

Am I only that thinks that the Starks are playing Littlefinger despite that it's seems the other way around?

 

[SlimySnake]

I'm confused if it means each shorter season retains the same budget as longer ones. Because if it means Season 8 goes wild for those six episodes, that's worthwhile.

The final two seasons cover one book. They essentially split the two seasons to make sure they had enough budget to do the big battles right. it also gives them more time to write a good ending. We know how well the split seasons worked for Mad Men and Breaking Bad.

They had the foresight to know they didnt have enough material for 20 or even 15 episodes. Everyone here bitching about the fast pacing wouldve been upset had they dragged it out to two full seasons. This is a very progressive move from HBO.

Am I only that thinks that the Starks are playing Littlefinger despite that it's seems the other way around?

Starks are dumb. Their father was dumb and let Cersei know what he knew. Their mother was dumb for capturing Tyrion and starting the war, then letting Jaime go and starting infighting. Rob was dumb and chopped off the head of Kalstarks after breaking his oath to marry a Frey girl. Rickon was dumb because he wouldnt zig zag when running (ok thats just lazy writing and probably not in the books but you get the point.)

Sansa was and is dumb to trust littlefinger after what he did. Jon charged into battle and nearly got everyone killed. Arya is just a little girl and she is obviously getting played by Littlefinger.

 

[ZOONAMI]

Am I only that thinks that the Starks are playing Littlefinger despite that it's seems the other way around?

This would be the cooler option, but D&D are shit writers so no.

 

[JadedWriter]

Literally the only part where you have to suspend disbelief is the kick flip and even then that can be interpreted as Arya just showing off. Otherwise it's a really normal and plausible fight:

It's mostly showing off that Arya's advantage is first and foremost her small size and speed and ability to read her enemy's movements. So pretty much standard water dancing that no one in this part of the world is used to.

Is it too late to get Maisie into Ep 10?

 

[TimeEffect]

I think it's more likely Cersei will find a way to be able to communicate with the Night King through the captured dead and strikes a deal with him as the WW are the only possible way she can defeat Dany and retain the Iron Throne. Either by partnering in marriage to become the Night Queen or perhaps something to do with letting her and Jaime's royal baby be turned into a Walker as we've seen happen with babies before(perhaps as a "Night Prince" to succeed the throne).

Remember we've seen Dany's vision of the iron throne in a barren, frozen state.

What if she releases the walker all up in kings landing and brings winter. What if the walkers are why winter exists

 

[sangreal]

Wouldn't Jon have had to cut thru Winterfell to reach the Wall? Maybe we're over Stark reunions already.

No, he was at East watch not castle black. They would have sailed straight there

 

[Pagusas]

Wouldn't Jon have had to cut thru Winterfell to reach the Wall? Maybe we're over Stark reunions already.

he sailed there, so no.

 

[Dubbedinenglish]

Am I only that thinks that the Starks are playing Littlefinger despite that it's seems the other way around?

Dr. Branhattan is the wildcard. Ayra doesn't need to sneak with him there.

 

[DeviantBoi]

Will they even be able to get the wight across the Wall?

The wall is supposed to be more than just a wall. If there are any spells or protections on it, the wight shouldn't be able to cross.

 

[DarkJediKnight]

What if she releases the walker all up in kings landing and brings winter. What if the walkers are why winter exists

From Dany's vision, we see the Iron Throne room snowed in. Maybe the white walkers do come south.

 

[Nokagi]

Oh yeah I'm sure Cersei will agree to help. And you just know she's going to pull her troops out at some pivotal moment leaving her enemies to die.

 

[Tevious]

Wouldn't Jon have had to cut thru Winterfell to reach the Wall? Maybe we're over Stark reunions already.

No. Look at a map of Westeros. Dragonstone and Eastwatch are both along the east coast. He didn't go back to Castle Black.

 

[DarkJediKnight]

Also,

Can anyone explain what I'm supposed to be shocked by Sansa's letter?

I honestly thought it was going to be of something more significance.

Any idiot can see that Sansa was coerced by the Lannisters.

If the purpose of that letter was to pit sister against sister, then I think it wasn't very well thought out.

 

[HvySky]

From Dany's vision, we see the Iron Throne room snowed in. Maybe the white walkers do come south.

That could have also been ash, especially since Bran saw the shadow of a dragon over King's Landing.

 

[TimeEffect]

The final two seasons cover one book. They essentially split the two seasons to make sure they had enough budget to do the big battles right. it also gives them more time to write a good ending. We know how well the split seasons worked for Mad Men and Breaking Bad.

They had the foresight to know they didnt have enough material for 20 or even 15 episodes. Everyone here bitching about the fast pacing wouldve been upset had they dragged it out to two full seasons. This is a very progressive move from HBO.



Starks are dumb. Their father was dumb and let Cersei know what he knew. Their mother was dumb for capturing Tyrion and starting the war, then letting Jaime go and starting infighting. Rob was dumb and chopped off the head of Kalstarks after breaking his oath to marry a Frey girl. Rickon was dumb because he wouldnt zig zag when running (ok thats just lazy writing and probably not in the books but you get the point.)

Sansa was and is dumb to trust littlefinger after what he did. Jon charged into battle and nearly got everyone killed. Arya is just a little girl and she is obviously getting played by Littlefinger.

Stretching out becomes a bigger issue when there is no end in sight

I think they coud have stretched it out a little better. An episode or two would have been enough to better pace a lot of this one episode. The pacing for this season just feels like its rushing along to get to an end point to set up the final season

This is also probably the fault of how seasons are meant to be self contained chapters, which undoubtedly forces some things along in order to advertise the next season better.

I think its the far too coincidental plots coming together that are more annoying. Like Dany seeing Jon chill with the dragon. It was an awful scene.

Its like "hey we need to check this off the list, so lets just add this in right now" instead of letting it unfold a little better. Just doesnt feel like theres breathing room.

 

[sangreal]

Also,

Can anyone explain what I'm supposed to be shocked by Sansa's letter?

I honestly thought it was going to be of something more significance.

Any idiot can see that Sansa was coerced by the Lannisters.

If the purpose of that letter was to pit sister against sister, then I think it wasn't very well thought out.

Yeah that's what I've been saying. Arya even saw Ned make the same false confession. I wonder if Little Finger is actually just trying to make it look like he is working on behalf of Sansa -- between turning the northern lords against Jon (and towards Sansa), and then disposing of the one copy of this letter. He made a big show or saying "Lady Sansa thanks you for your service" or whatever

The actual contents of the letter itself shouldn't be of any particular concern to Arya

 

[Gunslinger]

Man the atmosphere in this thread is like complete 180 from the other thread. People there seems to despise the show now and calling it fanfiction nonsense. But people here seems to love it so far.