Game of Thrones Season 6 Ep 8

[shapinglight]

Just watched this and...

Spoilers



...I might have guessed they were saving up the the nastiest, eye-gougingest violence until the last few episodes.

There were several scenes in this that I couldn't watch at all, and one where I wished I'd looked away sooner. Also, it really irritates me that the Freys have got Riverrun back. There's no justice in Westeros, is there? Next week will probably see Sansa, Jon and their army get slaughtered by the horrible Boltons. :(

On the bright side, such as it is, at least Arya is free of the Faceless Men at last, and at least Brienne and Podric got away from Riverrun. Also, despite the fact that I really don't like Cersei, and despite the fact that one of her scenes was one of the ones I couldn't watch, I'm a little more hopeful than I was that Tommen is a lot better actor than we all think and is conspiring with Margaery to outwit the High Sparrow at Cersei's upcoming trial.

A dour, unpleasant episode, in which a couple of likeable minor characters met their end (the actress and the Blackfish), and the only humour was provided by the Hound's extreme (though, as it turns out, not total) cynicism.

ETA: Should have said, re: Jaime saying Cersei is the only person he loves, that they really are a horrible couple, aren't they? They bring out the worst in each other. Brienne, on the other hand, brought out the best in Jaime, but I suspect this is the last time they'll meet.

Comments

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

...I might have guessed they were saving up the the nastiest, eye-gougingest violence until the last few episodes.

I think the worst is, by far, yet to come. A lot of the action so far has been offscreen. They're saving up their budget for a BIG battle, bigger than anything we've seen, presumably the assault on Winterfell. That's gonna be ugly.

About time that Arya got her act together. And too bad about Lady Crane, I really liked her. What, they weren't sure if they'd made The Waif unlikable enough already?

I was terrified for Tyrion once he started talking about how he'd like to retire to his own vineyard and had a nice farewell scene with Varys (and Lady Crane had her speech on how Cersei would have her revenge on her brother). Still not sure he'll make it through the season. Apart from Hodor they haven't killed any major characters so far this year, I wouldn't be surprised if we see some big names go in the last two episodes.

ETA: It was nice to see the Faux Merry Men gang again, and that they hadn't all gone bad. I hope the Hound sticks with them.

Someone pointed out whatever Tommen thinks he's doing, he's really walking into a trap here. Isn't one of the accusations against Cersei that her children - ie Tommen - are illegitimate? If she's guilty, then he's not the king anymore. Presumably leaving the High Sparrow to rule, with... um, is there anyone left to act as puppet king?

[shapinglight]

They're saving up their budget for a BIG battle, bigger than anything we've seen, presumably the assault on Winterfell. That's gonna be ugly.

Agreed. It'll probably happen in the next episode, as the last episode is usually a bit of a scene-setter for the next season.

What, they weren't sure if they'd made The Waif unlikable enough already?

Apparently not. Bit of a thankless part really. ;)

I'm pretty sure Tyrion will survive, and Jon. It would be a bit stupid to kill him again. All bets are off where everyone else is concerned. I just hope Sansa doesn't fall into Ramsey's hands again.

And you're right about Tommen. So really, if he's conspiring with Margaery against the High Sparrow, he needs to get rid of him before the trial verdict is announced.

Re: the Faux Merry Men (which I think is a great name for them), I'm impressed by the way they manage to get the same actors back years later - but since they're just jobbing UK TV/stage actors, they're diaries probably have a few gaps in them.

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

IMO, the main reason for NOT killing Tyrion (apart from, y'know, him being a great character and all) is that they need someone for Danaerys to talk to, and Daario and Missandei just don't carry the same weight. But with her storyline about to join with Yara and Theon's, well, they could lose a character or two without losing a POV... Not that I hope they do it, mind, I'll be happy to be wrong on this. But that What I Will Do When I Retire speech seemed to telegraph something happening to Tyrion more blatantly than anything since Robb and Whatsherface talked about how happy their child would be.

The only characters I see being 100.0% safe right now are Daenerys, Jon Snow, Arya, Bran, and either Cersei or Jaime. Probably Littlefinger as well, if for no other reason than because he's barely been in this season. That's not to say everyone else is for the chop, but it could go either way on a lot of characters. I hope you're wrong about Sansa, but it's been a while since a Stark bought it...

[shapinglight]

But that What I Will Do When I Retire speech seemed to telegraph something happening to Tyrion more blatantly than anything since Robb and Whatsherface talked about how happy their child would be.

Well, Tyrion, Missandei and Grey Worm may all be for the chop. Dany looks furious already, and she doesn't even know about the deal Tyrion made with the slavers yet. :(

No wonder Varys got out of town so quickly.

Oh dear. I've more or less persuaded myself you're right about Tyrion now. :(

I hope I'm wrong about Sansa too. It could be that they'll sacrifice Rickon. That way they get to kill a Stark without the emotional impact it would have it were one of the characters we've been following more.

Damn, all the options are depressing - especially as I'm now pretty certain boring Ramsey Bolton will emerge triumphant from next week's carnage and live to flay another day. :(

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure Ramsay is a dead man. I don't see what more they can possibly do with him to advance the story - he's barely had anything to do this season apart from remind us that he's a bastard in every possible sense of the word. If the writers want to really get into the White Walker thing in the remaining two (short) seasons, they probably need to wrap up the Bolton plot.

But GoT never gives us exactly what we want, and if Ramsay dies, it's going to be costly - either in terms of character death, or in the form of a permanent rift between, say, Sansa and Jon. Or both. Or something too emotionally sadistic for me to think up right now. :)

[shapinglight]

You're right - so of course I should be careful what I wish for. :(

:Gloom:

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

But what really worries me is that there has to be SOME big twist that's not readily apparent. It can't just be "two armies fight each other until one wins and kills off the leaders of the other". We can be pretty sure Littlefinger turns up, but not whose side he'll be on. Some of the people on Bolton's side might still switch sides. But there must be a surprise in store, something that sets up next season's conflict. Where's the joker in the deck, and how much will it cost to reveal it?

[shapinglight]

:Whimper:

Not even sure I want to watch the last episode now.

I predict that Littlefinger will change sides mid-battle.

Either that, or the White Walkers will show up and save the Starks by accident.

Or maybe Ramsey will dangle Rickon in front of them the way the Freys dangled the nephew in front of the Blackfish, and Jon will just shoot him dead rather than let him be a hostage, and then Sansa will never speak to him again.

None of these things sound horrific enough, though.

Maybe it'll be something to do with Melisandre? Not sure what.

[paratti.livejournal.com]

The end game needs a Hand. Which the whole story has built Tyrion as, as it has Dany as Queen and Jon as King. He's still got plot armour.

Unlike Cersei the moment Tonmen dies.

[shapinglight]

Good point.

[kikimay]

Well, we must consider that Jaime was talking to that Tully dude to manipulate him into doing what he wanted. He couldn't really be honest or talk about his sentimental life! Of course he mentions Cersei. But I think it's pretty clear that he has feelings for Brienne and he's so conflicted because she's pure in a way that nobody in Westeros is allowed to be. Oh, I think Jaime is gonna die in her arms! There will be tears.

I'm happy that Arya had her "I'm Arya, The Vampire Slayer, and you are?" moment XDDD And poor Lady Crane, at soon as she took care of Arya I saw her death.

I think that Tommen is just too dumb to plot against the High Sparrow and Margaery is too smart and she's working to free Loras and kill Cersei. Tommen is just a puppet IMO.

[shapinglight]

Oh, I think Jaime is gonna die in her arms!

You could be right, but if he does, it'll be because Brienne just stabbed him through the heart with his own sword.

I think Lord Tully (can't remember his name) had Jaime bang to rights, personally. He's a nasty, nasty guy. Yes, he has some redeeming qualities, but basically he's a git. A bit like Soulless Spike. ;)

You may well be right about Tommen, in which case he's not going to be happy with Margaery when he finds out the truth.

Then again, she'll probably win him round soon enough.

[chasingdemons.livejournal.com]

I found it very odd that one moment Arya was laying in bed recovering from several stab wounds to the gut, and the next moment she was running full speed through the streets, jumping over walls, tumbling down stairs, and finally winning a fight with the waif. I guess when you're young, you can do that.

I really hope Brienne doesn't get killed off. I really like her, and want to see her have some good things happen to her.

I happen to think the Boltons will get their due. Mind you though, I am almost always wrong.

[shapinglight]

I happen to think the Boltons will get their due. Mind you though, I am almost always wrong.

I so hope you're right this time. :Crosses all ten fingers:

Agree about Brienne. She deserves some happiness. Despite the fact that she kills without compunction, she's one of the few genuinely good people in the entire story.

[ex_peasant441]

It feels a bit of a cheat that the Arya Waif final fight was off screen. Since there was no way they were actually going to kill Arya it surely would have been more satisfying to see how she finally had learnt the skills to deal with the Waif.

[shapinglight]

Maybe, but considering what a state the Waif's face was in on the Faceless Wall, I'm glad I didn't have to see it -or rather not watch it with my hands in front of my eyes, which happened rather a lot during that episode.

[lyr]

They bring out the worst in each other. Brienne, on the other hand, brought out the best in Jaime

I could not agree more. I am hoping Cersei dies and takes her terrible influence with her; it's best for both Jaime and Tommen. I'm hoping (against the odds, given the grimness of Westeros) that Brienne will yet be a good influence on Jaime in the future.

Also, I suspect that Tommen is not in on Margaery's plan. I doubt she'd trust him to be cunning and strong enough to be helpful to her at this point. But I still think she can take the High Sparrow all on her own. Though she may wait until after Cersei's trial to make her move, given that Cersei has been a thorn in her side, too.

[shapinglight]

You're probably right about Tommen. He seems so naive and easily led. And Cersei is a malign influence all right.

It remains to be seen if, now she knows that the Zombie!Mountain won't be allowed to dismember anyone in a trial by combat, she'll turn up at the trial at all. She may just make a run for it.

I do think it's possible that Jaime will make it back to Kingslanding in time for Cersei to die in his arms. It would be the only thing that might make him decide to swap sides and join the Starks (presuming the Boltons don't kill all of them). If that happened, then he could well meet up with Brienne again in more positive circumstances.

[lyr]

If I were Cersei, I would definitely not show up to that trial.

I shall hope that you're right about Cersei dying in Jaime's arms and causing him to swap sides. By this point in the books, he had broken with Cersei; I liked the way that improved his life choices, and I'd like to see something similar happen to show!Jaime.

[shapinglight]

I'm pretty sure the only way Show!Jaime will break with Cersei is if one of them dies, and have to admit that, despite the fridging element if that is Jaime's catalyst to change sides, I hope it's Cersei.

'Course, it could happen, and instead of swapping sides, he goes after the Starks (and Tyrion) hellbent for revenge because it's 'what Cersei would want.'

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

I'm curious about Qubyrn's* comment about a rumour being true. I can see Cersei, say, setting off an entire roomful of wildfire under the palace rather than running. And there has to be a payoff to the Mountain looming around the whole season. ETA: Also, didn't that prophecy state that ALL of Cersei's children would die before she did?

* Or however you spell it. Sometimes I wish they'd stuck with the RL inspiration and named everyone Edward and Mary.

[shapinglight]

* Or however you spell it. Sometimes I wish they'd stuck with the RL inspiration and named everyone Edward and Mary.

Yeah, have to say, one of the most offputting things in the books (well, the one I managed to finish anyway) was the ridiculous names. Origin-wise, they're all over the shop.

I agree that comment was very mysterious, but until you said this, I admit I hadn't even thought about the wildfire. On the other hand, though Cersei might want to destroy everything and everyone else, I think she'd still baulk at killing Tommen, even if she does feel betrayed by him. As Jaime said, and as she keeps saying herself, she loves her children before anything.

ETA: which makes it very GoT-ish that she'd kill the last one herself, quite by accident.

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

ETA: which makes it very GoT-ish that she'd kill the last one herself, quite by accident.

Well, her son just basically sentenced her to die. Whether he realises this is another matter, of course. But you're right, I don't see Cersei deliberately murdering her own son in cold blood. Every single other person in King's Landing, though...?

[shapinglight]

Yes, she's be down with that. For sure.

I tend to think Margaery will survive the season, though, if only because they spent a lot of time on her seduction of the High Sparrow in the previous episode, and it seems a waste if the two of them are just going to die in a big explosion a few episodes later.

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

As awful as it is, I can't help but picture Jaime returning to find Kings Landing burned literally to the ground with Cersei as lone survivor lounging on the throne atop a pile of ashes. "Welcome back. How was the Riverlands? Oh, by the way, want to be king?"

[shapinglight]

It's a definite possibility, and the two of them are pretty nihilistic.

[lizziebuffy2008.livejournal.com]

Yes, even though the rumor mill was really wrong about Arya, they say what Qubyrn and Cersei were discussing was wildfire hidden beneath King's Landing...it makes me have a thought, what if all of the foreshadowing is that Jamie will again have to kill some one (Cersei this time) to keep her from basically burning all of King's Landing...

I think Ramsey will die. I think the battle will be bad and that Jon/Sansa/Wildings will be on the brink of losing, when help from someone turns the tide, i.e. Littlefinger, The Brothers, or The Blackfish (not convinced he is dead, since was offscreen.)

If at the beginning of the year, you had asked me who would still be standing at or close to the end, I would have said Dany, Jon, and Tyrion...now I am worried about Tyrion.

Also, I am concerned that Varys is mixed up in this Slaver/Harpey thing...

[shapinglight]

it makes me have a thought, what if all of the foreshadowing is that Jamie will again have to kill some one (Cersei this time) to keep her from basically burning all of King's Landing...

I just don't see Jaime ever killing Cersei. I can see Cersei echoing the mad king (let them all burn). In fact, I'll be disappointed if she doesn't now. But I can't conceive of Jaime killing her - unless all the anvils of him saying she's the only one he loves and he can't live without her are a sign that he will? Who knows?

It could well be that, by the end of the season, they'll both be dead.

I think Ramsey will die.

I so hope you're right. Pretty sure the Blackfish is dead, though. And even if he wasn't, there's not a lot he can do to help Sansa all on his own.

Also, I am concerned that Varys is mixed up in this Slaver/Harpey thing...

Well, Varys is definitely mixed up in something. When isn't he? And it is rather suspicious that he's left Meereen just when Dany gets back. She is going to be sooo unhappy about this deal Tyrion's made. I just hope Missandei and Grey Worm don't get caught in the backlash.

[sibilant.livejournal.com]

I don't know that Tyrion had much choice but to make the deal. But that's never a good excuse in GoT. This season feels nastier than the others - even though no major characters have died yet. I'm haunted by that image of the Waif ... yuck!

With Brienne going off God knows where, I feel all the good choices have gone with her. Ser Davos, the only other really good character, you need to make an appearance again!

[shapinglight]

Ser Davos is a nice bloke, and no mistake.

You're right that Tyrion had no real choice. And the death of the Waif was icky (even though she was an awful person). I'm glad we didn't have to see it.