Game of Thrones Season 5 Ep 2 (the clueless about the books POV)

[shapinglight]

I suppose I need to point out less and less that I'm clueless about the books as the show diverges further from them, but what the hell.

Anyway, episode 2.

Spoilers behind cut.



Is it just me, or is the violence quotient so far way down?

Okay, there were a couple of on screen deaths (Brienne vs Littlefinger's men), but they weren't particularly gory, as GoT goes, and the two executions in Meereen took place off screen.

I do hope (not very hopefully) that they'll keep this up.

Poor Dany! Despite still being cross with her about Jorah (who she obviously doesn't miss a bit, the heartless hussy), I felt for her having to make such a hard decision at the end there. All her instincts were to spare the former slave's life, you could see. She liked him, and his story about his father touched her, but if you're the king (or queen) you can't just let people step over the line willy-nilly, no matter how justified their anger may be.

I doubt (in fact, I know) Stannis would have no trouble whatsoever dealing with people who stepped over any lines he'd set. Not sure yet whether Jon was lucky to avoid working for Stannis. Probably not, given that now he has Ser Alliser Thorne working for him, and that can't end well.

I'm intrigued by our first sight of Dorne (though I understand lots of book fans are very miffed indeed about the way the Dornish storyline may have been altered and are putting it down to horrible sexism on the part of the showrunners - whi-ich could well be true as far as I know. I have no horse in this race). Ellaria Sand is scary. I'm glad the king stood up to her. Wonder how long that'll last, given that Jaime and Bronn are riding to Myrcella's rescue (which I understand doesn't happen in the books), and I would guess that Myrcella will have to be in some real, actual peril for that storyline to have any bite.

But either way, Jaime/Bronn road trip. Yay!

Not a lot else to say, beyond yay! Arya and yay!Brienne. Also, why on earth did Jaquen (or whatever his name really is, or is not) leave Arya outside for so long that she gave up and then go looking for her? I thought it was going to be some kind of test and that if she sat there long enough, through all kinds of weather, finally her patience would be rewarded. But that's not what happened.

As for Brienne, I don't see her ever getting through to Sansa. The old Sansa, maybe. This one? Not a chance.

Comments

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

As for Brienne, I don't see her ever getting through to Sansa. The old Sansa, maybe. This one? Not a chance.

I guess sooner or later, Brienne is going to have to find her own quest. And I want to see what that may be.

The Jaime/Bronn roadtrip should be almost as much fun as the Varys/Tyrion one is. "What's she going to do, kill every dwarf in the seven kingdoms?"

I liked that Cersei and Jaime actually had what I guess passes for a parental talk.

[shapinglight]

I guess sooner or later, Brienne is going to have to find her own quest. And I want to see what that may be.

Maybe she'll realise that instead of following other people (ie. finding a lord to serve), other people should be following her?

The Jaime/Bronn roadtrip should be almost as much fun as the Varys/Tyrion one is. "What's she going to do, kill every dwarf in the seven kingdoms?"

Heh! Agreed.

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

I really liked the vote at the night's watch. Sam was completely brilliant.

I remember Dorne not so well, so I am not sure how much they really changed save for Jamie and Bronn.

I've seen a lot of people complain about Ellaria being a bit cartoonishly evil, but I'm not sure I agree and if the criticism is not due to sexism. Someone on the Atlantic basically wrote, but she was this nice polyamorous sex kitten! It's OOC for her to be so vengeful now.

I think it makes perfect sense, that she wants to avenge Oberyn, even if Myrcella is so the wrong target.

On the Arya plot I love it that the priest is Jaquen. In the books he isn't (at least not so far). I still have hopes that he might be Syrio as well?

[shapinglight]

I really liked the vote at the night's watch. Sam was completely brilliant.

He was. He really put Wossisface who hid in the cellar with Gilly and the baby in his place.

As for Ellaria, I don't think there was anything fluffy and sex kittenish about her in season 4. She struck me as very intense - someone who probably had a terrible temper. So I don't know where they're getting that from. She would totally go for revenge. Absolutely.

On the Arya plot I love it that the priest is Jaquen. In the books he isn't (at least not so far).

I really enjoyed Jaquen in season 2 so I'm glad too.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

It's sexism pure and simple. It's like the people who hate Dany because she thinks she should be queen and because she makes unilateral choices but are totally Team Stannis because he's the guy awesome because goodness knows he doesn't think he should be king by birthright and doesn't make hard unilateral decisions. Oh... Wait. ( there's plenty to criticize Dany over but the people who rake her over the coals for the exact same traits they love Stannis for, I call sexism. )

Yes, it's horrifying that Elaria thinks to use Myrcella for revenge (a byproduct of Ellaria taking on the view of the book Arianne. In the book it's Ellaria who insists on not going there and Arianne who wants to vengeance. But now Ellaria is both Ellaria and Arianne(. Anyway, while horrified over her intended use of Myrcella, I have to say Ellaria has adequate emotional motivation to convince me that anger and vengeance is a believable outlet for her grief. Of course Dorne loathes Lamnisters.

[shapinglight]

Oh... Wait. ( there's plenty to criticize Dany over but the people who rake her over the coals for the exact same traits they love Stannis for, I call sexism. )

I think many of us - ie. me - forget that LJ is still a nice, female-friendly little enclave and that out there, in the wilds of the 'net, things are for the most part very different.

I'm not sure I understand why the fanboys would be so miffed about Ellaria, though. Why is it so important to them that she be this fluffy sex-kitten in the first place?

I'm glad they've decided to simplify the Dorne plot. From everything I read, GRRM really does need an editor to come along and tell him that less can sometimes be more.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

I remember Dorne almost not at all. What I do rber mostly comes from others comments. And yet I do think there's material here for a really good plot. I think the book problem was that it was entirely populated by newbies. Sending Jaime and Bronn while returning Elaria is a smart move. Now we have recognizable characters involved.

[shapinglight]

I agree.

Was Myrcella in any real, actual danger in the books, or can't you remember?

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

I'll cry spoilers on that. In the books Cersei sends a knight to retrieve Myrcella rather than Jaime (who is off twiddling his thumbs in a seigenwaiting for Catelyn's brother and Uncle in the wake of the red wedding (Edmure is still a captive of the Freys here, I think... When he's not off terrorizing Claire over on Outlander...). Here Jaime is taking on the role of the knight.

The question most book readers have is whether the prince Myrcella is walking with is purely that character from the book or an amalgam of various possible characters who have been left out of the show. What the plot looks like depends on choices the producers have made while culling characters.

[shapinglight]

Ah, okay. So the rescue attempt really did take place?

Much better idea using Jaime and Bronn than 'a knight.'

Speaking of knights, though, I'm wondering if we'll ever see that Beric Dondarrion bloke again. You know, the one who kept resurrecting himself from the dead?

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Jaime and Bronn are being placed into an existing story.

And there are 2(+1?) young princes of Dorn in the books so, with only the one we saw this week having been cast theres a question re his plot ala how Gendry became both bastard Baratheons. (I want Gendry to show up again.)

And Berric Dondarian is a question. If they had followed the book he would have shown up again already in either of the last two seasons and didn't. It's possible they've chosen to cut that plot (which shocks me) but they may yet go there so I'd rather not give details.

[shapinglight]

It does seem a bit of a big anvil to drop (a group of Lord of Light worshippers wandering about Westeros independent of Melisandre, and one of them with the power to come back from the dead) and then do nothing more with it.

[bogwitch.livejournal.com]

>>I thought it was going to be some kind of test and that if she sat there long enough, through all kinds of weather, finally her patience would be rewarded. But that's not what happened.

I had the same thought.

[shapinglight]

;)

So I'm clueless why he let her wander off for a few days before going to look for her.

Unless it was supposed to be later the same day, maybe?

[bogwitch.livejournal.com]

Maybe there is more to it.

[shapinglight]

Could be, could be.

Have you watched eps 3 and 4 yet?

I'm trying to save them and watch them on the days they actually aired.

ETA: Er...so don't inadvertently spoiler me, please?

[bogwitch.livejournal.com]

Not yet, I am eeking them out a bit too, but I will probably watch both this week. No inadvertent spoilering yet!

I thought I did well with the first eps?

[shapinglight]

You did, you did! No spoilers at all.

[mrs-underhill.livejournal.com]

Second episode got me very excited! I'm trying very hard not to download the 3-4. 1st episode was just meh - nothing happened beside the death of Mance. But in the 2nd they totally went off the book, and it was glorious!
I love it: firstly the intrigue is back for me, secondly in the show they dug the plot from under the piles of rubbish and it's actually interesting.

Like Dorn plot with Doran and Illaria! I love Doran already, and the tension is great! And Jamie and Bronn are going there! And Dorn plot in the books was excruciatingly boring.

Varys and Tyrion on a road trip, Arya and the Man, Sansa and Brienna - so much more fun! And choosing of the Lord Commander was excellently done.

As for why the Man didn't let Arya in - he wanted to see that she really had nothing else to do, and was ready to kill? Not sure, but in the book it was much more muddled and drawn out. I was just happy to see the Man, to tell you the truth. :)

And Dany's issues were brought to the fore in a powerful way. I really felt for her and for that wretched city. In the books it was kinda lost in endless pages of Dany dressing, undressing, taking baths etc.
Heh, it turned into a book rant. :) But this episode got me really excited for the show again.

[shapinglight]

Oh, I'm so pleased to hear that. It will be great discussing with you.

Pretty much everything in this episode intrigued me - except for Cersei's creepy physician. I could do without seeing more of him. He has a nasty, Bolton-ish vibe about him.

I was just happy to see the Man, to tell you the truth. :)

Me too. I thought when he changed faces at the end of season 2 that we'd never see him again.