Game of Thrones Season 6 [Discussion of most-recently aired episodes]

[Terralthra]

After Syriana and Kingdom of Heaven - to say nothing of DS9 - hiring Siddig El Fadil / Alexander Siddig only to kill him off after six episodes is criminal. Especially in such a ham-handed and implausible fashion.

[streetad]

I am astonished that, given the opportunity to excise the dreadful plot carbuncle that was Dorne in the books, they have somehow contrived to replace it with something even worse.

Martin's version killed all plot momentum and introduced a bunch of new, thin characters we don't care about, but at least it was coherent and Doran himself was genuinely interesting.

I hope they genuinely are burning this plot line and next week Ellaria tries to call the banners only to be met with a dozen identical letters to the effect of 'Why would you even think YOU are in charge' whilst whip sand snake and spear sand snake try to jump the Mountain only to be unceremoniously dispatched. I'm not holding my breath though.

I also kind of wish we'd seen exactly what she was planning to do with that whip in such an enclosed space.

I was quite looking forward to seeing Siddig as some iteration of book Doran, but I suppose we're stuck with three escapees from a Connery-era bond film and their Mum instead...

[Solauren]

The entire thing in Dorne could be a way to set up one of the other male Heirs going to look for the Mother of Dragons.

I wonder how long until Arya gets her telepathic abilities (she could see via Cats in book 5) and the like?

[Vympel]

The entire thing in Dorne could be a way to set up one of the other male Heirs going to look for the Mother of Dragons.

I wonder how long until Arya gets her telepathic abilities (she could see via Cats in book 5) and the like?

That would be possible if we knew that any potential male heirs had been cast, but none have, and they'd by definition be younger and less credible than poor Trystane already was.

I have a tough time believing that D&D are so utterly clueless they wouldn't realise how problematic it would be for some random paramour and her bastard daughters to rule Dorne in the face of pretty much every other House there, so if they actually try and go that route they would (wrongly, I hope) be banking on the complete ignorance of the audience.

Related:

http://winteriscoming.net/2016/04/26/pr ... lot-holes/

The Princess Mrycella died by poison on our return journey. I suspect Ellaria, not you, but my sister will demand war. I doubt Ellaria’s head will appease her, but it is a start, along with your nieces. Your son cannot stay in King’s Landing. I am sending him back on the same ship.

[The Vortex Empire]

I have a tough time believing that D&D are so utterly clueless they wouldn't realise how problematic it would be for some random paramour and her bastard daughters to rule Dorne in the face of pretty much every other House there, so if they actually try and go that route they would (wrongly, I hope) be banking on the complete ignorance of the audience.

Random paramour and her bastard daughters who just committed kinslaying, one of the biggest taboos in Westeros, at that. Realistically with House Martell extinct there should be a bunch of political squabbling between the Dornish houses, House Yronwood likely comes out on top as the next strongest House. Ellaria and the Sand Snakers should not survive.

[Knife]

I'm of the same mind with the Dorne story line. I really do think they just tried to wrap it all up and finish it fast so they can move on with the better story lines. Could be as simple as where Danny lands if they ever pry her or her army out of Mereen.

Also thinking Danny wins over the new Kal, gets to have a hoard come back to Mereen, then on to Westeros.

[Napoleon the Clown]

I had someone suggest that the Dorne storyline will result in Dany getting backing from Dorne. It's possible, I guess.

Realistically speaking, there's no way a bunch of bastards are going to be recognized by any of the nobles in Dorne. Especially if it's found out that these particular bastards murdered the princess of Westeros and have basically guaranteed war.

[Knife]

Well to be honest, pretty much all the major houses are in total disarray. Starks are scattered and (thought) half dead. Lannisters just lost their patriarch, their heir is sworn to hold no office, the other heir is the one who killed his father, and Cerci is... well not suited. Uncle Kevin is not amused. High Garden lost it's heir to the dungeon, Margery is still locked up. The Eriye is all messed up. The Riverlands are all messed up. Dorne is all messed up. Is there anyone left in the Storm lands?

[The Vortex Empire]

Well to be honest, pretty much all the major houses are in total disarray. Starks are scattered and (thought) half dead. Lannisters just lost their patriarch, their heir is sworn to hold no office, the other heir is the one who killed his father, and Cerci is... well not suited. Uncle Kevin is not amused. High Garden lost it's heir to the dungeon, Margery is still locked up. The Eriye is all messed up. The Riverlands are all messed up. Dorne is all messed up. Is there anyone left in the Storm lands?

In the books, Storm's End is being held by Gilbert Farring, Stannis's Castellan, and is besieged by a Reach army under the command of Mathis Rowan. Dragonstone was held by Stannis's Castellan Rolland Storm, and was taken by storm by an army led by Loras Tyrell, who may have died or been grievously injured. None of this has been mentioned in the show, and Loras in imprisoned for some reason. I doubt D&D will even mention the Stormlands again, since Aegon doesn't exist to try and take it.

[Vympel]

I'm of the same mind with the Dorne story line. I really do think they just tried to wrap it all up and finish it fast so they can move on with the better story lines. Could be as simple as where Danny lands if they ever pry her or her army out of Mereen.

Also thinking Danny wins over the new Kal, gets to have a hoard come back to Mereen, then on to Westeros.

Not before Euron or Yara arrive with the Iron Fleet to take her there, given the Mereenese fleet was just put to the torch.

Best takedown of the Dorne plot yet:

http://www.vulture.com/2016/04/game-of- ... ng-on.html

Dorne! Why are you so terrible? Since we were introduced to the kingdom at the beginning of Game of Thrones' fifth season, nearly every scene set in Westeros's southernmost realm has been a dull slog, unencumbered by things like complex characters, exciting action sequences, or meaningful conflict. Sunday night's premiere saw the brutal murder of half the Dornish plot's characters, and it was still less interesting than a subsequent scene where a woman took off a necklace. In a fandom where even the smallest controversy can set off a massive internet flame-war, the people are united on this one issue: Please, no more Dorne.

[Crown]

Best takedown of the Dorne plot yet:

http://www.vulture.com/2016/04/game-of- ... ng-on.html

Dorne! Why are you so terrible? Since we were introduced to the kingdom at the beginning of Game of Thrones' fifth season, nearly every scene set in Westeros's southernmost realm has been a dull slog, unencumbered by things like complex characters, exciting action sequences, or meaningful conflict. Sunday night's premiere saw the brutal murder of half the Dornish plot's characters, and it was still less interesting than a subsequent scene where a woman took off a necklace. In a fandom where even the smallest controversy can set off a massive internet flame-war, the people are united on this one issue: Please, no more Dorne.

Nah, this is;



Tee-Hee!

By the way, I'm shitting on the Dorne plotline because, well, it deserves it. But I just want to make it clear that this episode (for what is essentially a quick catch up for all our characters) had far, far more positives than the one negative!

[TheFeniX]

By the way, I'm shitting on the Dorne plotline because, well, it deserves it. But I just want to make it clear that this episode (for what is essentially a quick catch up for all our characters) had far, far more positives than the one negative!

How long was the dagger that instantly took down Bodyguard Mc-Large Huge? You can find stories of real life military and even normal joes/janes fighting on through broken bones, collapsed lungs, busted blood vessels: but Mr. Awesome over here goes down to what looks like a dagger to one lung. Like... he goes down INSTANTLY. And I kind of refuse to believe that the guy who seems to want these morons dead is going to expose his back to an armed woman who, not a few days ago, tried to murder the princes booty-call. You know, while the prince was there. The prince who definitely would have fought in her defense and possibly gotten killed.

I'm just getting annoyed about the details getting lost in the writer's desire to tell the broad-strokes. People being murdered in the streets? Let's just have a dwarf and eunuch who are obviously not natives walk around the city unarmed! It's just cake on top that Tyrion is pretty much the most wanted man in Westeros and even if randoms weren't out to murder him: that's the perfect situation for Westeros assassins to kill or kidnap him. But hey, burning ships?

Ser Davos seems to be the only one who currently understands the world is a fucking dangerous place and he plans accordingly the best he can. Everyone is like "OMG how could you, the person who just betrayed me, betray me again!? Bleurg....."

Damn, and I specifically quoted you because I wasn't going to rant. Anyway: I agree with you. This was a pretty solid episode even with some of the other bullshit like Sansa and Reek not freezing to death while Brianne gives her spiel ("hurry up crazy lady, let's go, I'm freezing to death here.") and the magical disappearing hounds. And the Onion Knight adds some much needed chuckles to an otherwise annoying and bleak Castle Black confrontation.

[Elfdart]

My guess is that with Daneris' fleet going down in flames, she'll need ships from Dorne*, and the only way Dorne would support her is if someone with no stake in the status quo is in charge there. So bye bye Dr Bashir and Prince Charming.

*Especially since at least one Dornish ship has a hyperdrive.

[Pelranius]

Ramsay and Ser Twenty Goodmen must be moonlighting for the Sons of the Harpy.

Nice to see Roose chew Ramsay out, though that doesn't seem the wisest course of action. Sounds like they found Stannis's body. Oh well.

I think I like Ellaria and the Sand Fakes even less than I like Walder Frey, much as I'm glad we're most likely rid of Porne now.

[TheFeniX]

Nice to see Roose chew Ramsay out, though that doesn't seem the wisest course of action. Sounds like they found Stannis's body. Oh well.

He's chewed Ramsay out a couple times already and he's starting to come off as that parent you see trying to negotiate with their toddler when Roose has been shown to not put up with a lot of bullshit. He's got pretty much everything banking on a Stark heir, yet all he does is admonish Ramsay for pulling the BS with her that he does? "Cut the crap and get her pregnant." I don't see Roose being afraid of Ramsay at all, so I honestly don't get why he's sticking with taunting Ramsey.

I was thinking at this point we'd see something along the lines of Roose just knocking Sansa up himself and calling it Ramsay's kid and keeping Sansa far away from Ramsay in the process. Or just doing something. Maybe he's just playing coy till he knows if he's got another male heir in the pocket. But that still doesn't help because I doubt, even playing the long game, he's got the decade+ to crank out a Stark/Bolton heir.

[Napoleon the Clown]

Roose gave a very thinly veiled threat to Ramsey late last season, when he discussed how a new baby was on the way and they were expecting a boy. Then went on to tell Ramsey about how he was conceived, making the psychotic fuck appear visibly disturbed. It seems clear to me that Roose is ready to kill Ramsey (or have him killed, anyway) the second a better heir is available.

Early today I pointed out to my wife how much they love to have someone get stabbed in the back of the head in this show, with the blade popping out the victim's mouth or face. I joked that bones don't exist in Game of Thrones unless convenient.

[Vympel]

Nah, this is;



Tee-Hee!

By the way, I'm shitting on the Dorne plotline because, well, it deserves it. But I just want to make it clear that this episode (for what is essentially a quick catch up for all our characters) had far, far more positives than the one negative!

Yeah that made me LOL when I saw it too - and I agree it had far more positives than negative. I just wish the negative wasn't so completely annoying.

[Solauren]

Something occurs to me.
History is repeating itself on that continent


Westros is rapidly becoming like it was BEFORE the initial Targaryeon invasion.
Sure, the Wardens have control over their territories, but it's becoming very chaotic.
By the time Dany eventually hits Westros,it will basically be broken into small states again (or close enough it makes no difference).

At the Wall,the Others are about to bring the long night, and a leader is needed to stop them.
A force is going to have to rally around that leader to do it.
The Wyldlings backing a returned John Snow would repeat that nicely.

[Ralin]

He's chewed Ramsay out a couple times already and he's starting to come off as that parent you see trying to negotiate with their toddler when Roose has been shown to not put up with a lot of bullshit. He's got pretty much everything banking on a Stark heir, yet all he does is admonish Ramsay for pulling the BS with her that he does? "Cut the crap and get her pregnant." I don't see Roose being afraid of Ramsay at all, so I honestly don't get why he's sticking with taunting Ramsey.

Personally I think it's a matter of Roose knowing exactly what he has in Ramsey and that trying to force him to not act like a psycho fuck with Sansa, Theon and anyone else he has power over is a lost cause. Trying would just undermine his authority when Ramsey does it anyway.

Wanted to compare it to something in the books, but spoiler tags don't seem to be working right.

[Napoleon the Clown]

He's chewed Ramsay out a couple times already and he's starting to come off as that parent you see trying to negotiate with their toddler when Roose has been shown to not put up with a lot of bullshit. He's got pretty much everything banking on a Stark heir, yet all he does is admonish Ramsay for pulling the BS with her that he does? "Cut the crap and get her pregnant." I don't see Roose being afraid of Ramsay at all, so I honestly don't get why he's sticking with taunting Ramsey.

Personally I think it's a matter of Roose knowing exactly what he has in Ramsey and that trying to force him to not act like a psycho fuck with Sansa, Theon and anyone else he has power over is a lost cause. Trying would just undermine his authority when Ramsey does it anyway.

Wanted to compare it to something in the books, but spoiler tags don't seem to be working right.

You've gotta put spoiler tags above anything like quote blocks or they don't work right. I dunno if Mike has had time to look into it yet or not. I suspect not, he seems like a rather busy individual.

[Ralin]

Spoiler

In the books Roose has a talk with Ramsey where he basically says he won't tell him not to play his psycho rape torture games, but that he needs to make sure people don't fucking hear about it. And he didn't do anything to stop him from pulling them with Fake Arya

Roose in the show is a noticeably different character from in the books, but it fits. Boltons are not nice people.

[TheFeniX]

Personally I think it's a matter of Roose knowing exactly what he has in Ramsey and that trying to force him to not act like a psycho fuck with Sansa, Theon and anyone else he has power over is a lost cause. Trying would just undermine his authority when Ramsey does it anyway.

Conversely, Roose having to spank Ramsay publicly would also undermine the current heir to the Bolton house. But Sansa agreed to this, even under duress. Keep her fat and happy and popping out kids and she'd be a lot less prone to say... risk death by jumping off a battlement. Or literally begging whoever that chick was to kill her. If Ramsay is incapable of not trying to torture a single-person he has power over into suicidal thoughts: is he really going to be able to run the entire North?

Roose hedged almost all his bets on using the Stark name to solidify his hold. So, I'm feeling like his current (in)actions are doing a good job of destroying the character they've setup in the previous seasons. He's the much more calculating of the monstrous Boltons. Ramsey is... well, a literal wizard in some areas, but also a rough out-of-control version of his father.

Hell, maybe I'm ranting for nothing and if Ramsay did something really stupid: Roose was going to just grab some random baby who could pass for a Bolton/Stark and just say "hey, look: my son did something worthwhile, then accidentally fell backwards onto a knife.... 37 times. The mother will not be taking visitors due to grief.... ever... ever and ever." But I just feel like the writers were too busy showing us how people who are already monsters are MORE EVIL because they keep beating up on Sansa.

[Ziggy Stardust]

As much as I like Davos, and he being at his best during the scenes at Castle Black, I don't entirely understand what the hell is going on, there. I mean, the possibility of resurrection hasn't been mentioned yet, so why are they risking their lives to keep John's body locked up in that room? And why is Thorne so determined to kill all of them? As far as all of these characters know, John is permanently dead, and there's no discernible reason to just keep his body sitting around. Hell, it's like they all already forgot about the fact that they should be BURNING EVERY DEAD BODY almost immediately, because dead bodies at the Wall have a way of coming back. (Sidebar: I know it's not going to happen, because it seems like the writers decided to conveniently forget about the whole zombie thing for the duration of this subplot, but it WOULD be a pretty awesome way of bringing John back ... but as a wight or a White Walker or something. Just to see the reactions of all the people who have been saying all year how obvious it is that John isn't really dead.)

[Vympel]

As much as I like Davos, and he being at his best during the scenes at Castle Black, I don't entirely understand what the hell is going on, there. I mean, the possibility of resurrection hasn't been mentioned yet, so why are they risking their lives to keep John's body locked up in that room? And why is Thorne so determined to kill all of them? As far as all of these characters know, John is permanently dead, and there's no discernible reason to just keep his body sitting around. Hell, it's like they all already forgot about the fact that they should be BURNING EVERY DEAD BODY almost immediately, because dead bodies at the Wall have a way of coming back. (Sidebar: I know it's not going to happen, because it seems like the writers decided to conveniently forget about the whole zombie thing for the duration of this subplot, but it WOULD be a pretty awesome way of bringing John back ... but as a wight or a White Walker or something. Just to see the reactions of all the people who have been saying all year how obvious it is that John isn't really dead.)

I think by taking Jon's body away, they basically declared themselves as loyalists for Jon when matters came to a head later in the episode and they were all in that room. They're not guarding Jon's body, they're just scared of being killed.

[Ralin]

They may in fact not be thinking very rationally, given that they just found their friend murdered by their own people. Same reason why Ned didn't call Barristan in to witness Robert declaring him regent and then have it proclaimed to the Small Council and the common people immediately afterward.