RobVarak wrote:Spectacular finale with a few odd choices, I thought. Two scenes that didn't seem particularly worthy of the time that was dedicated to them. Jon seeing off Ygrid and Cersei tending to The Mountain. Given the otherwise incredible developments, it seemed odd to turn our attention to those matters that did little to advance either plot or character, IMO.
That said, everything else was just crackling. Bitchin' skeletons and fireballing dryads, Tyrion taking care of family business and then dropping the crossbow like Michael Corrleone dropping the .38 in Louis' restaurant, the no-holds-barred cage match resulting in the Hound's demise and easily the most poignant scene featuring dragon abandonment that one is ever likely to see.
Great stuff.
I hope PETA is all over that chaining up of the dragons!
The one niggling thing about this season that reared its head in the finale is that I don't know what to make of Stannis. His Gandalfian appearance to save the Crows and Jon Snow felt very anticlimactic -- it's hard to take the threat of the Wildings seriously if 100 outcasts on an ice wall and some cavalry were enough to defeat them. His character is both boring and rather aimless, and yet he's assumed higher levels of importance. I'll be interested to see what happens with him next season.
However, this was my favorite season yet. There were so many great moments and very few moments where I felt the story was adrift (most of those concerned Dany's attempt at the first-ever proletariat monarchy). And even she was good when she gave Lord Friendzone the boot for being a spy.
Joffrey's death, Oberyn's imitation of a Gallagher prop, the Hound wanting some motherfucking chicken, Hodor going WWE on skeleton warriors straight out of the Monster Manual, mammoths and giants, an army of cannibals, Peter Dinklage going tiny medieval Al Pacino on the court, and Tywin Lannister learning he does have a heart as soon as a crossbow bolt goes through it...what more could a nerd ask for from a season of television? As usual, it will be a long f***in wait until spring.
Anyone else catch Lena Headly (Cercei) on Kimmel the other night?
She looks much better with her real black hair IMO and also seems
much younger in person. She did a funny bit with Jimmy where they
were both drinking wine and threatening each other, ala G.O.T.
Check it out on Jimmy Kimmel's U Tube channel. Funny stuff!
Brando70 wrote:The one niggling thing about this season that reared its head in the finale is that I don't know what to make of Stannis. His Gandalfian appearance to save the Crows and Jon Snow felt very anticlimactic -- it's hard to take the threat of the Wildings seriously if 100 outcasts on an ice wall and some cavalry were enough to defeat them. His character is both boring and rather aimless, and yet he's assumed higher levels of importance. I'll be interested to see what happens with him next season.
Mance only sent a few warriors in the battle of the wall in episode 9 to test the crows that were there, without Stannis coming to the rescue the wall would have fallen when Mance attacked with his full army. Martin explains it in this video, "Stannis was trying to become king to save the realm, when he should have been saving the realm to become king."
JackB1 wrote:Anyone else catch Lena Headly (Cercei) on Kimmel the other night?
She looks much better with her real black hair IMO and also seems
much younger in person. She did a funny bit with Jimmy where they
were both drinking wine and threatening each other, ala G.O.T.
Check it out on Jimmy Kimmel's U Tube channel. Funny stuff!
Brando70 wrote:The one niggling thing about this season that reared its head in the finale is that I don't know what to make of Stannis. His Gandalfian appearance to save the Crows and Jon Snow felt very anticlimactic -- it's hard to take the threat of the Wildings seriously if 100 outcasts on an ice wall and some cavalry were enough to defeat them.
Brando70 wrote:The one niggling thing about this season that reared its head in the finale is that I don't know what to make of Stannis. His Gandalfian appearance to save the Crows and Jon Snow felt very anticlimactic -- it's hard to take the threat of the Wildings seriously if 100 outcasts on an ice wall and some cavalry were enough to defeat them.
The Wildings are not the threat.
Right, but at the same time, Mance's army was 100,000. Even with the cavalry advantage, it seemed super easy for Stannis to route them. In light of the way Martin explained it in that clip, I understand it a lot better. It just seemed like, from a dramatic standpoint, a bit of a letdown after the intensity of the battle in episode 9.
Brando70 wrote:The one niggling thing about this season that reared its head in the finale is that I don't know what to make of Stannis. His Gandalfian appearance to save the Crows and Jon Snow felt very anticlimactic -- it's hard to take the threat of the Wildings seriously if 100 outcasts on an ice wall and some cavalry were enough to defeat them.
The Wildings are not the threat.
Right, but at the same time, Mance's army was 100,000. Even with the cavalry advantage, it seemed super easy for Stannis to route them. In light of the way Martin explained it in that clip, I understand it a lot better. It just seemed like, from a dramatic standpoint, a bit of a letdown after the intensity of the battle in episode 9.
I was expecting more from Stannis's arrival too, but when episode 9 ended without his appearance I realized it was going to be given short shrift in following episode.
My only complaint is that so much was crammed into Episode 10.
At the end of this video the Hound says he'll be limping for awhile, makes you wonder if he means on the show, maybe he will survive and be back next season.
Last season of True Blood starts tonight. Series has sucked for many years now. Only the first 2 season were good if you're interested. Time to pickup the books until the next season starts.
