I sometimes think I should resist the natural order of the internet and just publish articles that are nothing but Game of Thrones spoilers. It’s got to be better than having to chew my fingernails waiting for the big moments on TV so I can talk about them.
This has been a very good season for Game of Thrones. Benioff and Weiss have settled into serving us reasonable portions of A Song of Ice and Fire instead of the frantic plot dumps we’ve suffered through in past seasons. Controversial departures from the original script have gotten them in trouble but overall the flexing of creative muscle is going to serve them well when they get into the mushy plot swamp of books four and five. Hollywood is liking the magic. The duo have just signed a deal to write, direct, and produce, Dirty White Boys, a 1995 novel by Stephen Hunter.
This is the most dramatic section of the saga. There are a lot of OH SHIT moments to come. I’m not sure that scenes like Yara’s rescue attempt are an even exchange for the traffic jam we might get in the last four episodes of the season. Did we get this so Ramsay could take his shirt off and ham his way through a full blown villain monologue? This is the wonderful world of George RR Martin. If one of the Ironborn didn’t smash Ramsay in that scene his dad should have flayed him for not getting out to take Moat Cailin.
Will you pay the Iron Price for Theon’s favorite toy?
Peter Dinklage just nails Tyrion once again ending up in full blown Jack Nicholson from A Few Good Men. The problem with the trial is the rest of it falls flat. Is there anyone anywhere that thought someone was going to stand up for Tyrion at the trial? This is supposed to be Shae’s big moment of cold betrayal. Why did the producers try so hard to make her sympathetic? I suspect, just like with the confusion over the outrage at Cersei’s rape, Benioff and Weiss aren’t actually understanding their female audience. Most women understand why a whore acts like a whore. There is tremendous empathy for the strong but disreputable female characters of Game of Thrones even while shouting at the screen: “OH COME ON!”
“You want the truth? You can’t handle the Truth!” Tyrion is going to seek trial by combat and then….fade to black.
OH COME ON!
Next week will be amazing I promise.
One of the reasons Game of Thrones is starting to lose me is that everyone seems to be forgetting how cruel life is for little people under tyranny of the strong. Daenerys holding court is meant to be an example of her just rule but it’s awful how much more efficient Tywin’s rulings look on the show. Populist Millionaires would point out that establishing a three to one payout for dragon torched flocks is a dangerous precedent. (Unless it’s a flock owned by a noble) It’s not hard to imagine a tearful Cliven Bundy with a dead calf in his arms appearing before the Khaleesi. He’d fit right into the growing Tea Party movement of Mereen. He’s already got the right attitude about slaves.
“And I’ve often wondered are they were better off as slaves, picking cotton and having a family life and doing things? Or are they better off under government subsidy?”
The bankers of Braavos have made their appearance a little bit early. The scene initially doesn’t make a lot of sense. Stannis has nothing going for him; no money, no land, no army, no charisma. There is no reason for any bank to give him a loan except that the First National Bank of the CIA and the Iron Bank have a lot in common. Puppet dictators running a kleptocracy can be a profitable enterprise and there’s always another hungry contender waiting in the wings. Just imagine what Joseph Mobutu could have done with the Red Lady!
So big things to come. There’s no way of telling which way the Lannisters will fall out in their own private little soap opera. The Machiavellian Prince all too often forgets that his own head was saved through reasons other than brutal scheming. It doesn’t matter to Tywin that the Mad King demanded his death. If you’re playing by those rules Tyrion is right not to trust his father and Jaime is the fool. It’s hard to quit the game when all the big players are so set on winning at all costs. It reminds me of that famous scene from Blade Runner where Bryant tells Deckard he has no choice but to do what’s expected. “No Choices Pal!”
I agree this was the most pointless episode yet. You can’t kill an unarmed man, surrounded by enemies and alone before he can unlock the slowest lock in the world. “OH COME ON”
I was waiting for Yara to punch him. I mean if she already is thinking that Theon is dead why would she be worried about Reek?
They are losing me. If Blondie doesn’t get some gd boats and go attack someone I am gonna quit this damn show. The game is becoming too much like Monopoly.
She doesn’t. Let’s go watch Black Sails again. The books stop being coherent after the battle of Kings Landing. There’s lots of drama but he literally hops all over the map and I’m thinking Deus ex Machina is going to pull it all together.
First, nobody is allowed to quit this show.
Second, there were some things that sucked but TYRION IS EVERYTHING on this show. He has been my fave since probably the first episode he appeared in.
Also please make not of my unnatural attachment to tv characters and realize that I sometimes think this show is real life.
Make note. Make note. Also make note that it is 1:44am.
I’m so fascinated why women love this show.
I love it for the same reasons that I love Mad Men, Boardwalk Empire, Breaking Bad, Walking Dead, BSG… because I love serial dramas. I do not love the ridiculous amount of gratuitous boobies all the time etc. but I do love moments when ladies get to kick ass like Dany and Brienne and Arya and I’m kind of grudgingly starting to love Marjory Tyrell against my better judgment. Her grandma is the shiz. I will never not love this story for killing Joffery the monster. That was the best thing ever.