Game of Thrones ep 7 (the clueless about the books POV)

[shapinglight]

Rather late to the party this week, as I've only just had the chance to watch the episode this evening. Spoilers behind cut.



Well, one of my predictions from last week was wrong. I was pretty sure King Robert would get murdered before the end of the season, but unless you count Lancel Lannister, his squire, constantly plying him with drink (and if that was a deliberate sneaky move, Lancel Lannister is a very good actor), he wasn't. Instead, he dies by accident, having been gored by a boar. Ahem!

I would say that the episode suffered from a serious lack of Tyrion, except that Nightwatch Sam was back (yay!) and filled Tyrion's place admirably. Well, he's not as witty, obviously, and is cute rather than sexy, but he's a similar character in that he bats above his weight, as it were. Elsewhere, Ned Stark continued to be honourable and dense (and will probably be dead before the end of the next episode), while Varys and Littlefinger were all underhand and scheme-y - that is, except when Littlefinger inexplicably revealed all his deepest darkest secrets to Roz the ubiquitous whore (that woman gets everywhere), though for some weird reason I feel anything Littlefinger had to say in that scene was only a cover to let the show get away with some sub-porn (and not that sub) hot lesbo action. They might as well have given the scene its own porn movie title (suggestions on a postcard please). As you can probably tell, I didn't like it. The show has at times edged over into gratuitousness when it comes to depictions of sex or violence, but this time it took a big flying leap over the edge and landed in soft porn land.

No. Really didn't like it.

That said, it didn't spoil the ep for me because there was way too much more interesting stuff going on, from Khal Drogo's testosterone fuelled (a lot of that in this ep) speech about how he was going to conquer Westeros for daring to try to hurt Dany (must have been quite an effort learning that speech in a made up language and making it sound convincing/threatening, so kudos to Jason Momoa), to the utterly wonderful Charles Dance as the scary and chilling Lannister Snr ("Go on. Say something clever.") to Cersei being both scary (must get it from her dad) and strong (I wish she wasn't going to be quite so evil - I don't know the particulars, but I've seen enough of what other people have said to know that she is - because at the moment I have quite a lot of sympathy with her). However, the best scenes for me were the Nightwatch ones, with what the captive wilding girl said about 'things' waking up beyong the Wall as a sort of commentary on them. I loved all those scenes, and really enjoy the friendship between Jon Snow and Sam. And that last moment with Ghost the direwolf and the severed hand? Actually pretty creepy.

Very, very exciting, though I may well skip that one scene when I watch it again. The episode won't lose anything important.

Comments

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Well, one of my predictions from last week was wrong. I was pretty sure King Robert would get murdered before the end of the season, but unless you count Lancel Lannister, his squire, constantly plying him with drink (and if that was a deliberate sneaky move, Lancel Lannister is a very good actor), he wasn't.

I was discussing this with Shadowkat recently. I'm not sure that I really remember exactly how Robert died. I mean, gutted by boar, yes. That was it, but there was also substantial question about Lancel and that wine, leaving it the last I remembered one of those things you couldn't quite decide. In short, I'm not certain that no foul play was involved with the porcine goring.

My main beef with the episode was the superfluous "Littlefinger confesses all to Ros." The scene wasn't in the book. Hell, Ros isn't in the book, and I think that having Littlefinger explain himself at this stage of the game was unnecessary. Plus the scene went on too. damn. long. I really wish they hadn't left out two other scenes to make way for that rather pointless one.

* Sam had been deemed unworthy to take vows and Jon went to bat for Sam with Mormont and Aemon pointing out that Sam was good at certain things that Stewards do and it would be a shame to work Sam to death trying to turn him into something he isn't while overlooking what he is. That scene was why Mormont and Aemon decided that Jon had the potential to be a leader of men.

* Sansa tattled to Cersei about Ned's plan to have the girls shipped out of King's Landing which was part of what led to Cersei acting.

I'd rather either of those scenes than an overlong one where Littlefinger gives the villain speech because not only was it needlessly detailed, but it undercut the action at the end of the episode.

[willowgreen.livejournal.com]

* Sansa tattled to Cersei about Ned's plan to have the girls shipped out of King's Landing which was part of what led to Cersei acting.

I would really have liked to see that. It wasn't even clear in this episode whether the girls had left Kings' Landing yet. And I'm finding Sansa kind of an interesting character right now -- she's selfish and shortsighted, but probably no more so than most other girls her age, and it's fascinating, if somewhat painful, to see how that plays out in the bizarre situation she's been thrown into.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

So true. It's so easy to become frustrated with Sansa, but then you remember how very young and truly teenager-ish that she is. She doesn't have a bad heart but she has a ton of bad teen judgement and you simultaneously want to comfort and shake her.

[shapinglight]

In short, I'm not certain that no foul play was involved with the porcine goring.

Ah. So maybe Lancel just is a very good actor, or maybe he'd just had enough of being sneered at.

Plus the scene went on too. damn. long. I really wish they hadn't left out two other scenes to make way for that rather pointless one.

God, yes! I was beginning to think it would never end. So, so boring. Any idea what the TWoP crowd are saying about it?

I agree those other two scenes sound much more interesting, though I can see why they left out the first of them. I think it would have detracted from what was a very good scene between Jon and Sam. But it's a pity they left out that second one.

[spikesjojo.livejournal.com]

I suspect the girl's scenes will be in this coming episode - one does lead to the other - and the fight scene with Syrio is one of my favorites. Lancel is a Lannister. He'll do what he is told to do by his more important family members.

I wish they had included the various scenes of Cersei trying to goad Robert into potentially fatal mistakes. I think it's easier then to see what happened with Lancel. The scene where Robert's armor is too tight was actually preceded by a scene where Cersei stands up at a huge feast and absolutely forbids Robert to fight in the melee. What better way to manipulate him into raging bull status.

Roz is such a plot device. I cringe when she comes on because I know exposition is about to begin.

[shapinglight]

I don't know. I think I prefer the softer line the show has taken with Cersei. I've gathered, from what people have hinted, that she's very evil in the books, and pretty much has no redeeming features. How she's been presented in the show works better for me. At least we know how she came to be as she is now, and why she does what she does. Her scene with Robert in the ep before last (which also wasn't in the book, I'm told) was very important in that.

[spikesjojo.livejournal.com]

To be honest, her villainy is no more than anyone else's - it's her actual lack of....well, let's just say everyone wears blinders. Ned's blinders would be called honour. Sanasa's are castles and princes seen through a pink haze. Cersei's blinders would be power through intimidation and murder - and when her Joffrey gets the throne, she is behind everything he does no matter how insane and destructive. Up until now, we've only had glimpses of her blinders but make no mistake - while she is gutsy and strong, she is also a stone cold murderer.

I think the only person without blinders would probably be Tyrion.

[spikesjojo.livejournal.com]

Actually Tyrion has his blinders too - come to think of it.

BTW - the Cersei story of losing her child was a complete lie to take in Catelin. In fact, she had an abortion when she realized the child she was carrying was Robert's. No way do the king and queen have a son and heir and then lose the child without everyone in the realm knowing about it! In fact, a queen's pregnancy would be a matter of state.

Y'know, it's not so much that I think they are playing her too nice, as I want the viewer to know these layers. It really makes her more complex.

[shapinglight]

Well, maybe it'll be revealed further down the line. When it will have the most impact.

[queenofthorns.livejournal.com]

It's quite likely that we will find out about the Sansa scene post facto which is exactly how it happened in the books. There would have been no suspense at all in the final scene of the episode for people who haven't read the novel if we already knew that Sansa had given away in the game. In the novel the whole thin plays out the exact same way, because we're in Ned's POV and he doesn't know yet that Sansa betrayed his plans.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

It couldn't possibly have undercut the end any more than the LIttlefinger scene did because it removed any doubt as to whether the Goldcloaks would help because Littlefinger point-blank says he plays to screw Ned over. Ned was shocked that things happened that way in the book, so their having that scene really worked to the character's disadvantage making him look dumb to think that Littlefinger would back him up. At least Sansa's scene just makes her look naive it wouldn't have doubled up on making Ned look blind.