Game of Thrones Season 5 Eps 9 & 10 (the clueless about the books POV)

[shapinglight]

Well, I've watched them both now, and have to say...

Spoilers behind cut



...those were two of the most depressing hours of television I've watched in ages.

Jon Snow wasn't my favourite character. I found him a bit annoying at times. That said, I'm absolutely stunned that the showrunners have killed him off (which they really and truly have, if Kit Harington is to be believed). The audience needs someone to root for, FFS!

The only glimmer of light I can see in what happened to Jon is that Sam and Gilly got away before it happened. Also, with Stannis dead, and Jon dead, and with the Wildlings therefore having no one left in the Nightswatch to trust and so no reason to work with them, Ser Alliser and the others are going to get their comeuppance very soon indeed.

As beer_good_foamy said, go, White Walkers!

All that said, I don't see what was the point of letting us see Melisandre return to Castle Black if it wasn't significant in some way.

Hateful, hateful woman, btw. By the beginning of season 6, she'll probably have persuaded herself that Stannis only lost because he rejected her advances after the death of Shireen.

Because of course the most upsetting and appalling thing in the final two episodes was Stannis having his only child burned to death. It was awful. I couldn't watch. I just cried instead. It seemed only fitting that, instead of giving Stannis victory, the terrible act destroyed any chance he had of ever being king. Kudos to all his men who deserted. If I'd been one of them, I would have deserted too. Who the hell wants to work for someone who'll burn his own child to death on the word of some nutty religious fanatic?

Poor Mrs Stannis. She was nutty too, of course, but I felt sorry for her at the end.

I kind of felt sorry for Stannis too. He knew he'd doomed himself. I'm glad Brienne got to kill him in a (sort of) dignified way rather than it being one of the Horrible Boltons.

Speaking of whom, I'm also glad there was as little of them as possible in the last two episodes. Not shedding any tears for Myranda either. Was impressed by how unafraid Sansa was to jump off that wall. It was a long way down. If the showrunners are going to let any light into these very dark proceedings (by no means certain), they'll let Theon and Sansa meet up with Brienne and Podric and escape.

The Arya stuff is still weird, and I couldn't watch the killing of Wossisface. Too horrible for words.

The Dorne stuff was a joke, as always. I'm surprised the king didn't realise what Ellaria must have done to Myrcella when she kissed her. Suppose it's very likely season 6 will begin with Jaime throwing Prince Trystane off the boat.

As for Cersei, yes of course in the end I felt sorry for her. That's how GoT works. I also felt sorry for Lena Headey, having to do the longest scene of female nudity in the show yet - which is saying something. Must have been bloody awful.

Finally, what counts for nice stuff in these two episodes - the Dany scenes. Yay! Jorah isn't dead, and yay! he's back in Dany's service. I hope he doesn't decide to get backstab-y with Daario during their quest to find Dany (though of course what looks like all the Dothraki - far too many for Drogon the teenage dragon to handle- have found her first), because I'm pretty sure he'd lose, and Dany wouldn't thank him anyway. Also, he told that woman in the mask back in season 2 that he would never betray Dany again - though that may well be a plot anvil suggesting that's exactly what he'll do further down the line. :(

You can tell, I think that this show was renewed for two seasons last season. They think they can get new viewers next season to replace all the Jon Snow fans who have stomped off in disgust at the end of this season.

Who is left to care about?

Tyrion, Dany, Sansa and Arya, Sam, Brienne, and that's about it.

Well, Jorah for me, but he's ultimately doomed, I know. For one thing, he's old.

Back next year, I guess.

If I can be bothered.

Hmm, I must have liked Jon Snow more than I realised.

ETA: not feeling quite so sorry for Lena Headey now, as I've just read they used a body double. Not sure how that works. Do they just photoshop Lena Headey's head onto someone else's body?

Comments

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

They can deny all they want. Jon Snow will be back. I just believe that in a very fundamental way. Why?

•. Mel rushed back to the wall like she had a jet pack. Why was she there?

•. We know that Beric Dondartion (knight of the brotherhood) has been resurrected 5 times at last count (and on the book another major character was resurrected (though she came back wrong). I always thought they skipped the other resurrection in the show because they were keeping their ammunition dry for the big one.

• To avoid "coming back wrong" the theory has always been that Jon warged into ghost. There is evidence in the books that Bran isn't the only warg in the family. I figure they are saving all the info on warging until Bran is back since he is the character in a position to have it explained to him


• kit Harrington only said he won't be back in 6. As one point out D&d&kit aren't priests. They can lie. But even if they aren't that doesn't mean he won't be back in 7. Having spent 6 warging.

•. Chekov's warging. A Dance with Dragons the book began with a character dying and warging into a new body for the 6th or 7th time. This was a totally pointless scene because the character is no one. UNLESS it was to set up a precedent for the viewers


So I don't care what they say right now. I'm totally convinced that Jon will be back.

Stannis is totally dead though.

[lizziebuffy2008.livejournal.com]

I have been waiting for someone besides me to notice that Kit Harrington said he would not be back next season instead of never. I think they will not show the wall next season at all, because who is left to show? and then boom season finale of 6 or early 7; there is Jon Snow.

[shapinglight]

I agree with all your points, but they are being so very emphatic about it.

Maybe it's that Jon will be back, but Kit Harington won't?

[ex_peasant441]

If he won't be back then why was all that stuff about who his parents were the famous test question? He will be back.

[shapinglight]

No idea.

Maybe the showrunners have decided it's not relevant to anything?

I think it's highly possible Jon the character will be back, but not played by Kit Harington.

[chasingdemons.livejournal.com]

I haven't watched the final episode yet, but I have been thoroughly spoilered. Can't believe they killed Jon. I thought he would be the hero. My main complaint with this season is that for the first half not much happened, and then so much activity in the last few episodes. So I can't say it was a great season overall.

This show has killed so many of its great characters!

I will be back next year anyway. I hope it's a little more even next year.

[shapinglight]

I agree they've killed too many of their good characters, and left us with some I could well have done without - like Ellaria and the Sand Snakes, who I can't stand.

Poor Prince Trystane. Cersei is going to rip him to shreds and he's done nothing to deserve it.

[kikimay]

What did Kit Harrigton said about not being back? I think it's a lie. I think that Jon will be resurrected, maybe that's why Melisandre is back at the wall. (There's a whole theory going on about Jon being the saviour of the realm)

I feel sorry for Stannis, mostly because they kinda ruined his character, but he died with honor, at least.

I also read about Lena's body double. Is that true? That was really a terrible nude scene to do.

[shapinglight]

What did Kit Harrigton said about not being back? I think it's a lie

He's said it over and over, and so have the showrunners. It's possible, I suppose, that Jon will be back but not played by Kit Harington?

I feel sorry for Stannis too, though I shouldn't. No one should feel sorry for him after what he did to Shireen, but I do.

Paradox.

I also read about Lena's body double. Is that true? That was really a terrible nude scene to do.

I don't know if it's true or not, but if they say it, I guess it must be.

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

Yeah, i also thought it was mostly depressing.

I don't buy the Jon Snow thing, although Harrignton might no longer play him.

All of Dorne and Sansa's plot were totally pointless.

Stannis end was tragic and also incredibly stupid. I mean in the books he tells Melisandre that the burnings have to stop because they hurt the morale. Here he does it in public and doesn't even blink an eye.
Apparently book Stannis will also go there and commit that atrosity. But I can't imagine he'll be so stupid about it.

I liked the Dany stuff. And I was happy for you that her relationship with Jorah seems to take an upturn.

I'm a bit afraid of what they will do next season though. They have no book plot left for her. And all they ever think of, when the book material is gone is rape.

[shapinglight]

I don't buy the Jon Snow thing, although Harrignton might no longer play him.

Agreed.

All of Dorne and Sansa's plot were totally pointless.

Also agreed. Sansa's plot seems to exist entirely to further Theon's.

Also agree that what Stannis did was terminally stupid and doesn't seem like him at all.

I liked the Dany stuff. And I was happy for you that her relationship with Jorah seems to take an upturn.

:) That was about the only thing to be happy about, IMO. We'll see about Dany. I suspect the Dothraki have a very good idea who she is. What they'll do about it, I don't know. From what I remember of reading the first book, they should cart her off back to Vaes Dothrak to join the other widowed khaleesis, shouldn't they?

[ex_peasant441]

I'm very glad Sansa and Theon got their moment at the end.

I'm pissed off if they have killed Stannis - there are very few grown up men left in this show.

I find all the Arya stuff utterly confusing. Maybe it makes more sense to watch than to read.

Can we still care about Bron, or did they kill him too?

And what has happened to Littlefinger lately? He seems to have fallen off the map.

[shapinglight]

Stannis is definitely dead. Dead-dead-y-dead-dead.

I think we can still care about Bronn, if only because he provided some much needed actual humour during the risible Dorne plot.

Littlefinger is somewhere in Kingslanding, probably plotting something or other.

[bogwitch.livejournal.com]

I get that Stannis' army would abandon him, what I don't understand is why an army of burly men would just stand by and let that happen to a young girl. Or maybe I am being naive.

I was spoiled for Jon's death so it wasn't a shock. My mum, who is three eps behind, thinks it's Cersei for the chop. Ho, ho.

People seem to be saying that 'Oh so it wasn't Lena Headey, that's all right then' (though I don't really think they mean that), but what about the woman who was the body double? I don't think it matters if it was Headey or a double, I feel sorry for either/both of them!

[shapinglight]

I get that Stannis' army would abandon him, what I don't understand is why an army of burly men would just stand by and let that happen to a young girl. Or maybe I am being naive.

I can only assume they were all scared stiff of Melisandre. Doesn't make much sense, but then nothing in the last bit of the Stannis plot made sense.

People seem to be saying that 'Oh so it wasn't Lena Headey, that's all right then' (though I don't really think they mean that), but what about the woman who was the body double? I don't think it matters if it was Headey or a double, I feel sorry for either/both of them!

Well, that's not what I meant. I meant that, knowing there was a body double involved, I don't feel as sorry for Lena Headey because she wasn't doing all the nude stuff so she doesn't need any sympathy.

[singedbylife.livejournal.com]

I don't feel sorry for anyone doing nude scenes. There is nothing shameful or degrading about it. This is a great series and naked bodies are natural. I do get tired of the over representation of nude females but at least we do sometimes get a peek at nude man. Btw., I love that all the breasts (except perhaps Dany's) are real breasts. Small and perky or big and soft. I can't stand plastic boobs unless they've been made for health or restore reasons.

[shapinglight]

Hello.

Not really anything to say in response, but just wanted to let you know I've read your comment.

Pretty much the first time I've been on LJ for the last ten days.

ETA: Actually, I guess I do have something to say. I'm surprised to hear you say you think this is a great series. I thought you didn't like it.

[singedbylife.livejournal.com]

I don't remember saying anything about GoT previously :) But I do remember finding the books terribly tedious ( I gave up at book 4). The series is another thing altogether. I think there is much too much violence. It's too real for me. But the characters and the way they are portrayed by most of the actors are quite interesting. It's a grande series for lack of a better word. :) I'm in awe of several of the actors and right now most of all of Alfie Allen's Theon Greyjoy.

[shapinglight]

You wrote a review of the entire series which you posted on October 31st, which certainly made it seem that you weren't too impressed. But maybe I just read it wrong?

Never mind. It really doesn't matter. Glad you're finding things to love in the show.

[singedbylife.livejournal.com]

LOL, omg, you're right. I guess I was a bit quick on the keyboard that day. I do think that there is far too much yuck. But I had been watching the series one episode almost each night without pause and just before bedtime with my husband for months. (Whenever my husband was at home). And when you watch it that fast and under those circumstances I guess I felt that the violence was just too, too much.

I still do. But...

Then I began to think about some of the characters. What they had been through, what their archs would likely be or had been. And I went back to watch Jaime's scenes (some of them), and Sansa's and Theon's, Sandor Clegane's and more of Jon and Ygritte and I thought some more. And now I can't seem to get the series out of my mind. I wish they would do less violence, gore and battle scenes, but the characters and the acting are really quite outstanding, I think. Or memorable in lack of a better description. I find myself eager to resume watching the series now. That night I was relieved to have ended it because my arm ached from covering my eyes each night. But now... Now I want more.

[shapinglight]

I definitely agree about the level of gore. I'm much more squeamish than I used to be, and find myself covering my eyes a lot when I watch the show these days. ;)

I didn't really watch any of the Theon torture in season 3. I dreaded those scenes so much I just couldn't watch them.

Sadly, I doubt the show will ever lessen the level of violence, though. I have a horrid feeling that most of the audience are just fine with it.