Game of Thrones Season 5 (TV ONLY)

[Vympel]

If he gets #3 he doesn't need Sansa. The fact that he was willing to let her be Ramsay's rape toy shows that she's as expendable to him as Ros.

Well the writer (Bryan Cogman) has confirmed that Littlefinger has no idea that Ramsay is a psycho - i.e. he was telling the truth when he said he hadn't heard much of him. Which makes sense really, he's the bastard son of a formerly minor Northern lord, why would LF ever hear about him?

(in the books, Ramsay is a more famous psycho, but the things he does in the book prior to Winterfell getting sacked are not in the show)

The Sand Snakes are a fucking joke. Three tiny teenage girls are supposed to be badasses in the martial arts? They have a strange way of showing it. The front flip by the one who got knocked down that had frames taken out to speed it up reminded me of Under Siege 2 when a very fat Steven Seagal couldn't flip Everett McGill in realtime so they did it slowly and cut the frames to speed it up. Oh, and the one who twirled the spear like a girl I knew in high school who was a majorette in the marching band and did way too many jello shots before performing...

At least that was funny -if you were there at the time.

The costumes looked like something worn by extras on Xena. That whole sequence sucked out loud, except my girlfriend was smitten the lovey dovey stuff with Marcella and her suckerpunched prince ("Why can't they have the show just about them?"). Which means I'm going to have to listen to her throw a fit when one or both get killed. On second thought, that part sucked, too.

Agreed, the Sand Snakes are a total misfire. They didn't do anything in the books either (or not yet) and so far in the show all they're doing is being embarassing. Its like they don't belong at all.

Everyone has shit on the fight choregraphy which I frankly didn't pay much attention to. I just enjoyed Bronn making light of them.

Lets just say the Dorne plot sucked in Book 4 and their attempts to make it not suck are so far failing in the show. At least we have Bronn ... for now.

[Vympel]

It looks like Jorah getting greyscale may have been planned as far back as Season 2:

http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/201 ... g-season-2

[Pelranius]

Funny, though we'll have to wait for the DVD/Blue Ray commentary to get confirmation.

Going back to the whole Sansa/Theon business, it's the first time that a Northern wedding has been shown onscreen? (I remember the Robb/Talisa thing as being overseen by a Septon, even though I don't think either character was a follower of the Seven).

[Elfdart]

Agreed, the Sand Snakes are a total misfire. They didn't do anything in the books either (or not yet) and so far in the show all they're doing is being embarassing. Its like they don't belong at all.

Everyone has shit on the fight choregraphy which I frankly didn't pay much attention to. I just enjoyed Bronn making light of them.

Lets just say the Dorne plot sucked in Book 4 and their attempts to make it not suck are so far failing in the show. At least we have Bronn ... for now.

One thing I've found annoying about Dorne is the silly accents. Are they supposed to sound Spanish? Middle Eastern? Both? Neither? They remind me of the silly accents in Sinbad movies, like Queen Zenobia's:



I almost expected Indira Varma to shout "Minoton, ROW!"

[Vympel]

Its funny that Oberyn's accent was fine but en masse its a bit more grating.

A small point about all the people throwing their toys out of the pram and quitting the show because of Sansa's rape. Amongst those who have read the books, there's a frankly disgusting element of book purist favoritism going on - i.e. its got nothing to do with being offended at rape itself.

In the book, the character Sansa is replacing is raped not only by Ramsay, but also by Theon (as Reek) - and dogs. To these chucklefucks, they're not offended that this happened at all - oh no, its in the books, therefore its sacred. They're offended by who it happened to in the show. They don't give a shit about the heinous nature of the assault, its just book purist whining writ large.

[TheHammer]

Its funny that Oberyn's accent was fine but en masse its a bit more grating.

Oberyn pulled the accent off well. The sand snakes seem like they are doing a bad Oberyn impersonation.

A small point about all the people throwing their toys out of the pram and quitting the show because of Sansa's rape. Amongst those who have read the books, there's a frankly disgusting element of book purist favoritism going on - i.e. its got nothing to do with being offended at rape itself.

In the book, the character Sansa is replacing is raped not only by Ramsay, but also by Theon (as Reek) - and dogs. To these chucklefucks, they're not offended that this happened at all - oh no, its in the books, therefore its sacred. They're offended by who it happened to in the show. They don't give a shit about the heinous nature of the assault, its just book purist whining writ large.

Presuming Reek's rape didn't involve his cock... Or was he not castrated in the books?

[TheHammer]

Maybe she expects the Tyrells to lack that spine, but she's pretty much allowing a vendetta to ruin the kingdom, which is probably her real motivation: she's not as smart as she thinks she is, surrounded herself with sycophants, and is putting her faith in all the wrong people in order to try, and likely fail, to protect her family.

To be fair, it's not a vendetta that's motivating Cersei to do what she is doing. It is her paranoia over the prophecy that was told to her by the witch in the Episode 1 flashback. A prophecy that is slowly coming through. She is trying to get rid of Margaery, plain and simple.

I was actually thinking the same thing... Its as though she is challenging the notion of fate. Since one of the prophecy elements was that she would be supplanted by a Queen who is "younger and more beautiful", if she can get rid of Margaery - whom she has identified as this younger more beautiful queen - that means she can change her fate. And if she can do that, then perhaps she can save her Children, whom the prophecy condemned to (presumably) early death.

[Pelranius]

Its funny that Oberyn's accent was fine but en masse its a bit more grating.

A small point about all the people throwing their toys out of the pram and quitting the show because of Sansa's rape. Amongst those who have read the books, there's a frankly disgusting element of book purist favoritism going on - i.e. its got nothing to do with being offended at rape itself.

In the book, the character Sansa is replacing is raped not only by Ramsay, but also by Theon (as Reek) - and dogs. To these chucklefucks, they're not offended that this happened at all - oh no, its in the books, therefore its sacred. They're offended by who it happened to in the show. They don't give a shit about the heinous nature of the assault, its just book purist whining writ large.

The purists are particularly obnoxious about the Faegon and Dorne plots, at least on my Facebook feeds.

Presuming Reek's rape didn't involve his cock... Or was he not castrated in the books?

Well, in the book Spoiler

Ramsay made Theon perform oral sex on Jeyne

[Ralin]

Well fuck. Someone pointed out what the "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken" title was referring to.

[Thanas]

The motto of a great house?

I loved the early rapier they showed that Dorne prince having.

[Ralin]

The motto of a great house?

I loved the early rapier they showed that Dorne prince having.

There's definitely something that was unbroken until this episode.

And by something I mean Sansa's hymen.

We know they love their double meaning titles.

[Elfdart]

Its funny that Oberyn's accent was fine but en masse its a bit more grating.

A small point about all the people throwing their toys out of the pram and quitting the show because of Sansa's rape. Amongst those who have read the books, there's a frankly disgusting element of book purist favoritism going on - i.e. its got nothing to do with being offended at rape itself.

In the book, the character Sansa is replacing is raped not only by Ramsay, but also by Theon (as Reek) - and dogs. To these chucklefucks, they're not offended that this happened at all - oh no, its in the books, therefore its sacred. They're offended by who it happened to in the show. They don't give a shit about the heinous nature of the assault, its just book purist whining writ large.

In the age of the Trigger Warning! any mention or depiction of rape will cause certain dull-witted feminists to shriek like Lindsey Graham and flail about like the hysterical Puritan girls during the Salem Witch Trials.

I can usually figure out where the writers on the show are going, since Chekhov's Gun isn't just a suggested pattern for them, but a way of life. Sansa realized that her only chance to get her home back and get revenge against the Boltons was to marry into the family, get close and then subvert them from within. She has no army and can't trust anyone except for any remaining family retainers who might still be in Winterfell. She also might have taken to heart what Margery told her about the prospect of bearing Joffrey's offspring: She might marry a monster but any kids will be hers. So either she's hoping for Stannis to liberate Winterfell and after killing the Boltons leaving her as Warden of the North, or an uprising/assassination from within. Both scenarios would require her to going through with the marriage and that means being screwed by Bolton. It's like Rob Roy, where Liam Neeson lets Tim Roth stab him and mangled his own hand gripping Roth's blade -it's the only sure way to land the killing blow when he's overmatched.

[Vympel]

In the age of the Trigger Warning! any mention or depiction of rape will cause certain dull-witted feminists to shriek like Lindsey Graham and flail about like the hysterical Puritan girls during the Salem Witch Trials.

I can usually figure out where the writers on the show are going, since Chekhov's Gun isn't just a suggested pattern for them, but a way of life. Sansa realized that her only chance to get her home back and get revenge against the Boltons was to marry into the family, get close and then subvert them from within. She has no army and can't trust anyone except for any remaining family retainers who might still be in Winterfell. She also might have taken to heart what Margery told her about the prospect of bearing Joffrey's offspring: She might marry a monster but any kids will be hers. So either she's hoping for Stannis to liberate Winterfell and after killing the Boltons leaving her as Warden of the North, or an uprising/assassination from within. Both scenarios would require her to going through with the marriage and that means being screwed by Bolton. It's like Rob Roy, where Liam Neeson lets Tim Roth stab him and mangled his own hand gripping Roth's blade -it's the only sure way to land the killing blow when he's overmatched.

One feminist who called out all the bad arguments whining about Sansa's rape is here

[Mr Bean]

One feminist who called out all the bad arguments whining about Sansa's rape is here

I don't agree with the first charge defense (It doesn’t tell us anything new) because it's correct, it's not Sansa in the books who gets raped but another character named Jayne Pool who does. We know Ramsey is a sadist and we expect him to rape and torture his new plaything but it the books it's much worse and done to someone else. In the show it's still rape (But not hey Theon help me rape my new bride bad) but I can bet you 5$ how it's going to be handled in the show....
Poorly

They only have two choices with the rape really
A. Ignore it, STRONG INDEPENDENT WOMAN.. because if your a strong woman rape's no big thing
B. Oh that happened to me... hey show watchers rape's not that bad!

We already know they are going to go with B because A makes no sense and C. Sansa breaks down like real life rape victims break down will slow her storyline to a halt. Do you think D&D is going to give us six weeks of Sansa getting counseled by a registered mental trauma therapist?

No, next episode she's going to no sell the rape within the second appearance of her onscreen. She's going to "master" the rape and move on showing it's not no big thing. She's not going to lock herself in her tower room and attempt suicide, she's not going to starve herself or go away mentally because she's done all that before and if she does we have seen it all before and Sansa's story-arch comes to scretching halt, Ramsey wins he broke his Stark wife.

The Stark sisters have alternative storylines, in Sansas we see how despite all the fucked up shit that happens to her she can become strong by embracing what weapons she is given by society. In Arya's we see despite all the fucked up shit that happens around her she can become strong by becoming a face-changing super assassin who's going has a little list... a list of name she intends to cross off.

If you think Arya's story has a happy ending... I'd not place money on it, but Sansa's story just might have a bittersweet happy ending.

[Elfdart]

In the immortal words of Rose MacGowan in Scream:

Bam! Bitch went DOWN!

[Mr Bean]

And.... as predicted I'm ten minutes into the episode watching DVR and yep this does not look promising, Option B

[Mr Bean]

GOOD THING SANSA GOT ALL THAT DEVELOPMENT
Man she's is making such great strides from being a tormented prisoner in a cell who's regularly beat and betrayed by everyone to... tormented prisoner in a cell who's regularly raped and betrayed by everyone.

Any day now she's going to make the happiest people in Westeros list.

[Vympel]

If you think Sansa is some poor helpless waif this season you're not paying attention. Did you not see what she did when she was on the walls with Ramsay? There is no reason whatsoever to think that her storyline from some arbitrary point is just going to be an unceasing upward trajectory with no threats, adversity or setbacks.

[Lord Revan]

Its funny that Oberyn's accent was fine but en masse its a bit more grating.

Oberyn pulled the accent off well. The sand snakes seem like they are doing a bad Oberyn impersonation.

possibly cause Oberyn's accent seemed to be close to the actors on natural accent (the actor was spanish IIRC), while these others are affecting an accent that's not close to their own at all?

[FaxModem1]

If you think Sansa is some poor helpless waif this season you're not paying attention. Did you not see what she did when she was on the walls with Ramsay? There is no reason whatsoever to think that her storyline from some arbitrary point is just going to be an unceasing upward trajectory with no threats, adversity or setbacks.

So, when does it start to go up? It's been a rather static line since season 2 of her being one person or the other's chew toy and personal plaything. Sansa is a reactive character, not a proactive one, and it seems pretty clear that her entire purpose since season 2 has been to show how bad people are by how they treat this vulnerable girl.

A small point about all the people throwing their toys out of the pram and quitting the show because of Sansa's rape. Amongst those who have read the books, there's a frankly disgusting element of book purist favoritism going on - i.e. its got nothing to do with being offended at rape itself.

In the book, the character Sansa is replacing is raped not only by Ramsay, but also by Theon (as Reek) - and dogs. To these chucklefucks, they're not offended that this happened at all - oh no, its in the books, therefore its sacred. They're offended by who it happened to in the show. They don't give a shit about the heinous nature of the assault, its just book purist whining writ large.

In the age of the Trigger Warning! any mention or depiction of rape will cause certain dull-witted feminists to shriek like Lindsey Graham and flail about like the hysterical Puritan girls during the Salem Witch Trials.

I can usually figure out where the writers on the show are going, since Chekhov's Gun isn't just a suggested pattern for them, but a way of life. Sansa realized that her only chance to get her home back and get revenge against the Boltons was to marry into the family, get close and then subvert them from within. She has no army and can't trust anyone except for any remaining family retainers who might still be in Winterfell. She also might have taken to heart what Margery told her about the prospect of bearing Joffrey's offspring: She might marry a monster but any kids will be hers. So either she's hoping for Stannis to liberate Winterfell and after killing the Boltons leaving her as Warden of the North, or an uprising/assassination from within. Both scenarios would require her to going through with the marriage and that means being screwed by Bolton. It's like Rob Roy, where Liam Neeson lets Tim Roth stab him and mangled his own hand gripping Roth's blade -it's the only sure way to land the killing blow when he's overmatched.

Yep, she totally planned for Ramsay to rape her day after day, lock her in her room, and kill anyone who supports her. She is becoming the heir to Littlefinger, doing all she can to bring about the fall of the Boltons while trapped inside her cell with no action whatsoever possible to her but hoping someone outside can do something to help her.

[Iroscato]

So...Bronn is okay? Please tell me he's okay. Is he okay?!



Rest of the episode was amazing, so very much going on.

[Vympel]

So, when does it start to go up? It's been a rather static line since season 2 of her being one person or the other's chew toy and personal plaything. Sansa is a reactive character, not a proactive one, and it seems pretty clear that her entire purpose since season 2 has been to show how bad people are by how they treat this vulnerable girl.

So what, do you think when they were writing Littlefinger sending her in to Winterfell to take back her home, they weren't being sincere and are just full of shit and want to keep brutalising her? I take the writers at their word on their plans for Sansa. I just don't see the utility of complaining about how her arc isn't taking a turn at some entirely arbitrary point.

Otherwise, did anyone else notice Dany's dothraki were back this season? Finally.

[hongi]

Its funny that Oberyn's accent was fine but en masse its a bit more grating.

Oberyn pulled the accent off well. The sand snakes seem like they are doing a bad Oberyn impersonation.

possibly cause Oberyn's accent seemed to be close to the actors on natural accent (the actor was spanish IIRC), while these others are affecting an accent that's not close to their own at all?

Yes. But the actor was Chilean.

[Napoleon the Clown]

Pedro Pascal doesn't have much accent, normally. In interviews he's stated that he based Oberyn's accent off his father's Chilean accent. According to Wikipedia, he grew up in California, so odds are he was speaking English from a young enough age that he doesn't have any sort of accent.

So given that he grew up hearing the accent he decided to use, I'd say that's why it actually sounds natural for Oberyn, but not necessarily for other characters.

[Pelranius]

Pedro Pascal certainly speaks with an American accent in the Mentalist and Good Wife.

I think it was Nymeria who was found with the Fowler (female) twins.