Game of Thrones!

[Elfboy]

They think she was showing kindness? Why would someone think that???? He was begging her to kill him.
I didn't think she was indifferent, personally. If she was indifferent, she would have just done what he asked. It seemed to me that she did it to be cruel, the way she taunted him with it.
I wonder if she would have killed him if he wasn't goading her about her sister though. That was a stupid move on his part.

imo, he's not even dead and she let him live because she thinks he can survive.

 

[Animal]

I think Arya in the book is headed down a dark path. She's getting way too comfortable with killing people, and I think she's being used as a pawn for people with unsavory motives. Kind of like a child soldier, really.

Haven't read the book but I could see that from the series too.

imo, he's not even dead and she let him live because she thinks he can survive.

Hmmm. Hadn't thought of that.

Would she "spare his life" despite his begging her to kill him?
Also if she thought he could survive and that was her motive, wouldnt she help him?

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

imo, he's not even dead and she let him live because she thinks he can survive.

Yeah.... I think he's at that monastery, although I didn't catch it when I read it, I went back and re-read that chapter. That I'd say was when Brienne's chapters started getting good, but I also tend to think monks are interesting.

 

[Ivy]

imo, he's not even dead and she let him live because she thinks he can survive.

This is what I thought, too. She doesn't want to kill him because she doesn't want him to die and doesn't think he will. And she took his money because.. well, she needs money, and also because he is worried about her and she wants to show him that she can be ruthless to survive. But I don't really think she's being ruthless.

 

[Southern Kross]

Did you guys like the look on Arya's face when the Hound was talking to her there, and trying to goad her to do something for him? (and boy, he pulled out the stops, even making stuff up.)

I couldn't read her at all. It was fascinating.

Yes. That was brilliant acting by both in that scene. It was so intense.

It will be interesting how the show changes things up now that many of the big players from the first 3 seasons are 6 feet under.

Well so far when they've killed off major characters, they've managed to make me interested in others, so I'm not worried. I'm thinking that some of the ones I've grown to really enjoy, like Khaleesi and Tyrion, are going to end up going down the wrong paths, probably to self-destruction. She seems very much like a fundamentalist in the making.

 

[Totenkindly]

Maisie Williams' (Arya's) thoughts on the Season 4 finale:

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2014...ark-the-hound-and-the-game-of-thrones-finale/

(I was looking for "Dead men don't need silver" when I found the article.)

Here's that clip:

Here's the whole Brienne/Hound fight scene + the Hound/Arya scene:

 

[Udog]

In the books, Arya never really forgave the Hound for killing the butcher's boy. She let him live because he didn't deserve the gift of her mercy, and she wanted him to suffer. Their bond was closer in the show though, so it's fair to interpret the scene differently.

I'm quite curious to see what happens to Sansa next season, as her arc has gone quite "off book". The thing that makes me the most nervous about her is the potential symbolism in her direwolf being dead. Was that foreshadowing her no longer being a Stark through marriage to Tyrion? ...Or, will it have meaning that is yet to be revealed?

 

[Forever_Jung]

I'm thinking that some of the ones I've grown to really enjoy, like Khaleesi and Tyrion, are going to end up going down the wrong paths, probably to self-destruction. She seems very much like a fundamentalist in the making.

Really? To me it seems like she's starting to learning the necessity of compromise (having to chain up her dragons for instance). I think settling down and ruling is good for her, it seems to be humbling her a bit.

 

[Totenkindly]

Really? To me it seems like she's starting to learning the necessity of compromise (having to chain up her dragons for instance). I think settling down and ruling is good for her, it seems to be humbling her a bit.

Yes, I've been seeing a shift in Dani away from fundamentalism, versus becoming more severe.... but I think it wasn't good for her to send Jorah away. Despit e his flaws, he provided a voice of reason.

 

[Forever_Jung]

Yes, I've been seeing a shift in Dani away from fundamentalism, versus becoming more severe.... but I think it wasn't good for her to send Jorah away. Despit e his flaws, he provided a voice of reason.

I agree, but I don't think a judgement error is indicative of her "getting worse". She's been that foolish for a while now. Also, with Jorah gone, and two smart fellows on the run (Tyrion/Verys), do you think she will cross paths with either of them at some point? I really want to see her interact with Verys (who is her opposite in many ways). Also, as a eunuch, he might be able to shed some light on Grey Worm's "Grey Worm" situation, nam sayin'?

 

[Totenkindly]

Look out, Missandei! A big yellow spider is coming for your man!!!







EDIT:

"You know nothing, Jon Snow."

It's cribbed from a line by Rorshach in Watchmen.

 

[Southern Kross]

Really? To me it seems like she's starting to learning the necessity of compromise (having to chain up her dragons for instance). I think settling down and ruling is good for her, it seems to be humbling her a bit.

True, it has been a valuable learning curve, but she is still too sure of herself, self-righteous, and quick to anger. She still assumes there's a right answer for the moral dilemmas she's been facing, when really it's lose-lose.

At very least I feel she's going to be forced to make a choice between maintaining her 'righteous' status but achieving little, versus genuinely affecting change but having to get her hands dirty to do so. Both options have the potential for disaster. It doesn't help that for her "Justice" is pretty much whatever she chooses to define it as.

 

[Cellmold]

I wonder... if and when the Stark daughters finally meet again (if they do) -- will they even recognize each other?

Arya will meet Sansa in a ninja costume on a dark, stormy path. As she approaches a tall spire, even blacker against the sky, a great bolt of lightning will shoot up into the sky.

After this flash Sansa will appear before Arya. Dressed in a cloak woven from dead wolves and past characters she approaches. Arya's ninja costume is made of the same, just painted dark.

"Join me"

"Join m.... wait a minute that's my line!"

" No it isn't!

"Yes it is!"

"Well wait... Who's the evil one here then?"

" hmm I don't really know... "

"Rock paper scissors over it?"

"OK"

Then a tree falls on them.

Epic ending.

I'm also enjoying Daenerys extremely long dragon edition of prime minister's questions. Her issue is she's a good idealist but an ineffectual leader, she doesn't know how to make difficult choices unless the morality in them is black and white to her perspective.

She'll either learn.... Or burn.

I'm also going to speculate that this show will either be dead by mid season 5 or better than ever.

 

[johnnyyukon]

Jesus, I had to put all this in a text document just to organize my thoughts.

The last episode was pretty good, and they’ve majorly upped their game concerning battles, but THIS episode, we’re back to what Game of Thrones is all about. Fantastic characters, dialogue, and a huge complex overarching storyline that we all manage to follow because we love this shit.

Not to take away from the badass action sequences peppered throughout your average episode.

Such as….





















Epic.

I think this one wants to hurt Bran,

Cleaved in Twain. I just wanted to say that.

This whole sequence was Bad Ass. And we're just warming up. More play by plays to come.

EDIT: Oh yes, and the power of denial at work:

Lol. Pretty typical father reaction. “My daughter’s a whore the PTA says? Noooo, she’s just friendly. Who wants pizza??

I read the scene in the book last night after the finale, and it definitely changes his attitude toward Jaime and refocuses things on Tywin. But Shae's character had also been changed a lot between book and show, and so it's possible that factored into the change as well.

You are reading these books in record slow time

So non book readers... are your minds blown yet?

I’d be lying if I said this show doesn’t still surprise me. But after the Red Wedding, I’m like, “Some crazy shit happened that no other show would do? Sounds about right.”

Tywin's days were numbered when his fearful children started to not fear him any more.

Very true.

Killing him at his most undignified.

Yeah, for all intensive purposes, he’s the King, and a very powerful one. Killed on the shitter. That’s ok, he was a dick.

 

[Totenkindly]

You are reading these books in record slow time

I'm not really reading the books, I'm havin trouble caring enough to read so much text.

What I do is look up scenes after they air and see how the book version compares. So I have a decent understanding of the variation between book and show with the big scenes, at least....

Yeah, for all intensive purposes, he’s the King, and a very powerful one. Killed on the shitter. That’s ok, he was a dick.

I liked that interview quote by Dance earlier, where he said in effect, "I don't really care about making my character palatable or "understood." If he's a shit, I'm just going to play him like a shit." Tywin was very perfectly drawn and played, I thought; the writers said he basically wrote himself.

 

[Qre:us]

I'm battling a cognitive dissonance and I'd be most grateful if anyone can shed some perspective on it.

I love the character arc of Jaime Lannister. Redeeming himself since throwing an innocent boy out the window for selfish reasons. Brienne helped his development greatly. He lost his most closely-held identity, his skills with the sword, when he stopped Brienne's rape, as the price was his chopped sword-hand. Yet, he never resented her for it. If anything, he went on to share his most closely guarded secret, why he became the Kingslayer.

Meanwhile, as he is realizing his new kinder potential, his bond with Cersei starts to crumble. I get it. It makes sense.

But then, how... why did he rape Cersei, in front of their dead son???

I want to root for him, but he's a rapist who, yes unknowingly, sacrificed the only thing that held any worth to him, his right hand, all to save another woman from being raped.

How do I reconcile this? Can, should, it be reconciled?

 

[Totenkindly]

Most viewers at this point are considering that scene a misstep on the part of the showrunners and director; based on the bombardment of interviews after that episode aired, none of the latter seemed to have planned for that encounter to be anything but consensual, but pretty much the majority of viewers (including myself) have viewed it as rape on some level.

The scene was apparently bungled in the writing, directing, and/or acting. I mentally throw it out in terms of continuity. Considering how decent other scenes have been, I'm kind of surprised at how off the mark they were on how that scene was coming across.

 

[Nicodemus]

But then, how... why did he rape Cersei, in front of their dead son???

He didn't. Their relationship is just that fucked up.

 

[johnnyyukon]

sidenote-forgot to mention, that this episode, had a really amazing sound track, start to finish.

but boy that was one nutty cage match.

The stand off prior was good too.









.

Uh oh.
















Then this happened,


Brienne: Arya! I shall take you to safety! Lalalalalala! Yay!!

The Hound keepin’ it real

I like the way he talks.
[SOUNDCLOUD]https://soundcloud.com/johnny-yukon/dumb-bitch[/SOUNDCLOUD]

 

[johnnyyukon]

Then this happened,

(and it was great)

Nice left hook!

Yeeeahh, let's get a little cocky look in there!

Ooooops, little too soon, now you're gonna die.

Ohhhhhh!! Ball Smash Uppercut!

To be fair though, did anyone else notice the vicious c*** punt Sandor gave Brienne? If not, I will show you.








How many times has a man been in a fight been like, "Yay!, I'm gonna win!! [and then..]"

This fight was epic though. beautiful battle ground. Two Warrior Legends, The Hound, even more legendary, though Brienne will now have songs written about her I'm sure.