Game of Thrones - season 5 TELEVISION show thread

[engie]

There is going to be at least 2 "major" battles this season. The one at Winterfell will be the biggest in GOT history by about double judging by how long it was shot. Another one will be happening at Riverrun that according to shooting time should be pretty close to as big as Blackwater or the Battle of Castle Black. It's not looking to be a simply lifted siege there like in the books.

[War Machine Dawg]

Since I haven't seen it discussed.....Is it now canon that Euron killed Balon? Because that's one of the big mysteries in the books and has spawned several fan theories. I'm a little surprised they made it so definitive for TV. They could've easily had the hooded guy just toss him over instead of having him reveal himself as Euron before tossing Balon off the bridge.

[engie]

It's not canon. At least not that Euron did it personally. Show and book canon is too far diverged at this point and the stuff the show is doing is too simple/obvious for Martin

[BoomBoom]

Since I haven't seen it discussed.....Is it now canon that Euron killed Balon? Because that's one of the big mysteries in the books and has spawned several fan theories. I'm a little surprised they made it so definitive for TV. They could've easily had the hooded guy just toss him over instead of having him reveal himself as Euron before tossing Balon off the bridge.

SPOILERS!

everything on the show has to be so simplified, it's frustrating to me. take John Snow's resurrection. we've theorized it will come from a human sacrifice to a weirwood tree, from Jon's warg powers with or without the assistance of Bran, from the kiss of life a la Beric, from walking out of a funeral pyre. and what do we get? Mel burning some hair and saying some words, and he just wakes up. LAME. at this point, i think we've seen the best of the white walkers. i bet now they just show up at the wall, and the dragons fly by and burn them. end scene.

[War Machine Dawg]

It's not canon. At least not that Euron did it personally. Show and book canon is too far diverged at this point and the stuff the show is doing is too simple/obvious for Martin

Canon was a bad way to put it. I guess what I was getting at is are we surprised they had Euron do it instead of leaving it a mystery for a while? Obviously I'll always consider the books canon over the show. And I've been saying for ages I think that although we'll get to roughly the same endgame, how we get there in the show is going to be pretty different.

[Tbonewannabe]

I just hope we see what went down at the Tower of Joy tonight.

[engie]

TOJ and FAKE RICKON(I hope)

[Tbonewannabe]

Tower of Joy scene was a great fight scene but it pisses me off that the once again drag something out. Rickon looked real. Was that really Shaggy dog's head? The Umber's betraying Rickon would be up there with the Red Wedding unless the Umber's are kind of taking the place of the Manderlays in the book. I hope that Arya is done training because that is just boring. Still not a lot happening and I am getting worried that my standards for the show might be too high.

[engie]

That was the real Rickon and Shaggy I believe...

Rickon gonna be on one of those pre-battle crosses I'm afraid.

[BoomBoom]

Tower of Joy scene was a great fight scene but it pisses me off that the once again drag something out. Rickon looked real. Was that really Shaggy dog's head? The Umber's betraying Rickon would be up there with the Red Wedding unless the Umber's are kind of taking the place of the Manderlays in the book. I hope that Arya is done training because that is just boring. Still not a lot happening and I am getting worried that my standards for the show might be too high.

SPOILERS!

what happened at the TOJ? warg power, turn the ground to mud? nah, stab in the back. lame. Clegane reveal? nah, just everyone sort of knows already. lame. for a minute i thought they were gonna make the Harpy be the crying whore. that would have fit right in! Dawn? just a sun symbol on a sword, of which he had two for some reason. lame. Arya using warg power to win a blind fight? nah, just suddenly awesome for no reason. lame. Shaggydog? nah, dead. lame.

It's awesome and lame at the same time. it's like seeing the best movie ever made, but thru a peephole in the back, with all the best parts blurred out. it's like an edited porno.

John hanging the traitors and walking out like a boss was cool though.

[Uncle Ruckus]

It sound like you already have a mindset that it's going to suck, then when you watch it you think it sucks no matter what. I read the books. I think the story is much better. But, I know the show is going to be entirely different from the books now and I'm not going to let that affect my opinion of it. The show is freakin good.

[BoomBoom]

It sound like you already have a mindset that it's going to suck, then when you watch it you think it sucks no matter what. I read the books. I think the story is much better. But, I know the show is going to be entirely different from the books now and I'm not going to let that affect my opinion of it. The show is freakin good.

Kind of the opposite. I do love the show, but it could be so much more. I don't know why they insist on leaving out the coolest parts though.

[Tbonewannabe]

I am ready to see what Arya is going to do. How is she going to affect Westeros. Tower of Joy scene was foreplay without the sex. It was great but I wanted the payout. I really don't understand the Umber's plan especially if they really killed Shaggy dog.

[engie]

The Umbers are siding with Ramsey against Jon/the Starks because of the windings in the gift. That is their plan. They just handed away the biggest chess piece on the board -- and Rickon is the wildest of the Starks. He'd slaughter them for Shaggy. But he probably isn't getting the chance.

[Tbonewannabe]

The Umbers are siding with Ramsey against Jon/the Starks because of the windings in the gift. That is their plan. They just handed away the biggest chess piece on the board -- and Rickon is the wildest of the Starks. He'd slaughter them for Shaggy. But he probably isn't getting the chance.

That would truly be disappointing if that is the way it plays out. Killing Shaggy Dog definitely makes it look like the Umbers have turned on the Starks. I guess the show is completely ignoring the Manderlays and the Freys now. Walder Frey is definitely not going to eat supper with Ramsey after the doggy dinner. I am slightly disappointed so far in this season. I hope the build up is worth it. We still don't truly know if R + L = J which pisses me off. We had an entire year of Arya becoming No one so now I expect something to happen. At least Jon is now alive and done with the Night's Watch so he can go do something besides wait at the wall. I am guessing he takes the wildlings against the Boltons, Karstarks, and now Umbers. Does Littlefinger rally the Vale to help at Winterfell?

Lannisters go after Dorne or do they siege the Riverlands? I have so many questions and the show seems to be dragging their feet for each. I don't know how Sam and Gilly will even affect the story. It isn't like Sam will do a montage and become a maester in a month. It took a full season for Arya to become no one so I don't see how Sam even factors into the show now. Enough venting, back to work.

[engie]

We will be seeing Manderly and Frey this season

[Uncle Ruckus]

I'd say there's a chance that the Tarly's will come to Jon's aide. Jon, wildlings, Tarly's, maybe the Umbers, the Vale and/or Manderly's vs Boltons, Karstark's and Frey's. I'd say there's a good chance one to two of those houses fight against the Bolton's alliance.
Was it just me or did Shaggydog's head look awful small for a grown direwolf? I think in the books he was suppose to be the biggest of the wolves and that head looked about half the size of Greywinds who died at a much younger age. That's my only reason to think that the Umber's are not as they seem. Plus, the never swore fealty or bent the knee to Ramsey. If he did and betrayed him, he would be no better than Roose Bolton or Walder Frey. It's probably unlikely that if will play out this way but it wouldn't surprise me.

[engie]

Tarly is probably taking all of the Tyrell forces to kings landing

[War Machine Dawg]

I enjoyed the episode. I'm really hoping that's Fake Rickon, but I have my doubts. Killing Shaggy would have been a hell of a feat, especially considering he's supposed to be the wildest and most vicious of all the Stark direwolves. Also an interesting point that the Umbers made sure to never bow the knee in that sequence, instead letting their gifts do the persuading.

I'm wondering how long it's going to take Dany to convince the Dothraki to follow her. I'm guessing not much longer and Drogon will play an important role. He's not going to let them force Mother into being a crone for the rest of her life. Once she controls the Dothraki, they give her an automatic huge, aggressive calvary to go with the Unsullied and the dragons. Put 'em on boats, sail to Westeros, conquer everyone just in time for the big fight with the Others/Walkers.

TOJ was a bit of a letdown to me. Even though seeing Ser Arthur Dayne be a badass was cool, it really didn't tell us anything we didn't already know or couldn't guess. And I was disappointed Dawn wasn't more special.

Arya's training is just dragging on and on. One of those books are better than TV things. As for BoomBoom complaining how she suddenly starts winning out of nowhere, it's hard to get a sense of time with her segments. It looked like it wasn't that long, but her blindness training lasted several weeks in the book. The Faceless Men were training her to use all of her other senses. It took her a long time to figure out how to cope without her sight, listen for cues when an attack was coming, anticipate it, etc. So while it may have looked like it just all of a sudden happened, it actually took time and work. Still, her story just isn't moving very fast.

I'm wondering just how much of Jon is back. Remember what Berrick Dondarrion told Catlyn: Every time I come back, I'm a little less. Jon seems a bit colder and more ruthless now, although you could certainly choose to attribute it to dying at the hands of traitors. Love how he exploits the death loophole with his service to the Watch. He's going to crush the Boltons and their alliance. Gotta wonder how his new focus on family vengeance will affect the long term plan to fight the Others, though. He was the only guy preparing for the REAL fight. Maybe Melisandre, Davos, Edd, etc. will talk sense into him?

So many questions, so few answers. Still hoping we'll see more TOJ later in the season to confirm/deny what we all suspect with Jon.

[BoomBoom]

One comparison i saw online was to the Star Wars prequels. You're hyped for it, it's visually beautiful and seems to deliver.......but somehow underwhelms. i actually have loved every episode this season, but as soon as i reflect on it, it pales quickly, not from what was there but from what was missing. it's like dating the most beautiful girl in the world but not getting to put it in. it's wonderful......but still. they are teasing us and not delivering the money shot, over and over again. teasing us with heavy action that's awesome, but in the end leaving us with nerd blue balls.

i do wonder if the Umbers will be playing the part of the Manderlys. another example of the show writing itself into a corner by not introducing that plotline earlier. because God forbid you plan ahead.

definitely the real Rickon, it's clearly the same actor. he looks exactly the same, unlike the actor playing Bran.

notable that the head crone dropped that all Khals are coming to Vaes Dothrak for a meeting. easy way for Dany to bend them all to her courtesy of Drogon.

if Dawn doesn't have a part to play (which in the show it clearly won't), then i'm fine with that choice. but the stab in the back was lame. i can tell you the thought process: that scene needs to be shown now, but we're not ready to show Howland as having magic powers........so just delete them.

Arya's training scene was just badly directed. it came off as she just willed herself to win that fight. there was no conveyance of her other skills being sharpened to Daredevil levels. and of course they had to drop the warg powers because they avoided all the build up to it, including Nymeria and her pack. again, not planning ahead. even more frustrating when you consider all the dumb scenes like the Beetle crushing Lannister or Missande and Grey Worm that they went with instead.

was Robb's will even mentioned in the show?

i think the other half of the TOJ scene will be in 2 weeks, based on the summary descriptions of the episodes.