tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post3299435172739328315..comments2024-03-28T23:03:57.917-04:00Comments on Doux Reviews: Game of Thrones: Beyond the WallBillie Douxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17141769005175631213noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-51464144532767019922017-10-01T15:55:50.829-04:002017-10-01T15:55:50.829-04:00Everything has been said already above. Especially...Everything has been said already above. Especially grating is generating false conflicts where there shold be none like Arya with Sansa. If it was still based on the books I would say they are playing Littlefinger, but ever since the book material ended the obvious cliched methods of TV writing started to creep into the show (contrived conflicts for sake of conflict), but yeah ZOMBIE DRAGON!<br /><br />I was alsosuprised that only Thoros died (I was also betting on Beric passing the ressurection torch to Jon officially) and that they brought Benjen back for one short scene (in this case I hope he comes back as a zombie too).<br /><br />I hope you are right about Cercei in the finale. The shows needs to reestablish the stakes in the finale by offing a big name that's not a narrative loose end like OlennaPatrykhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13662838711958747484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-90845818629873205132017-08-27T00:02:10.366-04:002017-08-27T00:02:10.366-04:00Magritte, that's a good point.
I'm sure t...Magritte, that's a good point.<br /><br />I'm sure that somewhere on this site I've complained about the disparate threads and the slow pace, too, even though I like those attributes in epic fantasy in book form.<br /><br />Perhaps I just don't like epic fantasy on TV. The appeal of the genre, for me, is its bigness--I like getting lost in thousands of pages. With long gaps between seasons, and even a seven-day wait each week, I don't get that experience.Josie Kafkahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17892717530356699008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-12844850204474465112017-08-26T19:07:52.076-04:002017-08-26T19:07:52.076-04:00It's not so much the faster pace I like as the...It's not so much the faster pace I like as the fact that all the narrative threads are finally coming together. One of the things I really dislike about modern epic fantasy is the extremely long, disconnected storylines. For the first five seasons, it was like watching three or four unrelated shows that just happened to be set on the same planet at the same time. magrittenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-46147059218131461982017-08-26T00:10:52.008-04:002017-08-26T00:10:52.008-04:00More thoughts:
The Zombie Dragon. I really like t...More thoughts:<br /><br />The Zombie Dragon. I really like that we have a zombie dragon. I am not complaining. But it does feel a bit like a plot device. If there weren't a zombie dragon, Dany could solve the zombie problem too easily.<br /><br />Female competition. I really don't like the Sansa/Arya conflict, and I hope they're gaming Littlefinger rather than the reverse. I especially don't like it given the relative lack of female friendship that we see in this series: to show two sisters at each other's throats in the same episode that we see Gendry and Jon bromancing like their alleged dads...well, it makes me sad for the women of Westeros.Josie Kafkahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17892717530356699008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-31593745203514221742017-08-25T03:22:12.734-04:002017-08-25T03:22:12.734-04:00I don't know what goes on in GRRM's mind, ...<i>I don't know what goes on in GRRM's mind, but based on some knowledge of narratology, I'd say the following are safe until towards the end of the final season, when they do whatever they're supposed to do and die however they're destined to die: Jon, Dany, Tyrion, Jaime, Arya, the Hound, Littlefinger, Davos, Melisandre, Theon, Sam, Bran, Varys, Gendry.*</i><br /><br />Well said. I've seen a lot of criticism online about how Jon, in particular, seems to have "plot armor," but I look at it differently. It's not the Jon survives because he's the protagonist. He's the protagonist because he survives. (At least until his destined death, as you point out.)<br /><br /><i>I know Tyrion thinks Jon is in love with Dany, but honestly, Jon Snow looks at everyone that way.</i><br /><br />Amen. <br /><br /><br />Unlike many others, I'm not really on board with this season. The fast pace is nice, I suppose, but it feels like we're racing to the end, and sprinting isn't what draws me to epic fantasy.Josie Kafkahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17892717530356699008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-39408079197722743492017-08-23T20:37:05.946-04:002017-08-23T20:37:05.946-04:00While you're right that the pacing is rushed, ...While you're right that the pacing is rushed, I am personally glad to see that since the latter half of season 6, I could sense the show moving toward an end game, something I've found distinctly lacking in the last two books. <br /><br />I feel differently about Brienne's story line than you and some others, though. While I liked Brienne a lot in Book 3, I felt her wandering around Westeros chasing rumors to be part of what turned me off A Feast for Crows and A Dance With Dragons. I kind of felt like her primary role in the story was as a catalyst for developing Jaime's character and after that GRRM wasn't quite sure what to do with her. She and Gendry just felt like loose ends to me.<br /><br />You're quite right that the show has moved firmly into fantasy territory. Sorry to keep referring to the books, but...originally, my understanding is GRRM planned only five books. My personal theory is that GRRM decided to extend the Westerosi politics side of things when he found that was what his readers were responding to (because frankly he writes that stuff better IMHO). And that kind of put the whole story of the Wall and Danaerys on hold, so he had to generate additional stuff to happen to Jon and Danaerys to keep them occupied.magrittenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-26893226972509142522017-08-23T20:16:12.795-04:002017-08-23T20:16:12.795-04:00Lord Varys: But what do we have left, once we aban...Lord Varys: But what do we have left, once we abandon the lie? Chaos? A gaping pit waiting to swallow us all.<br />Petyr 'Littlefinger' Baelish: Chaos isn't a pit. Chaos is a ladder. Many who try to climb it fail and never get to try again. The fall breaks them. And some, are given a chance to climb. They refuse, they cling to the realm or the gods or love. Illusions. Only the ladder is real. The climb is all there is.<br /><br />Bran quoted Petyr from season three. That's what got Petyr rather, eh, unnerved. "I see you."Thomas Ijon Tichyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01401298696128080459noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-10504927196940198132017-08-23T16:38:44.778-04:002017-08-23T16:38:44.778-04:00What's hardest to me is what the heck does &qu...What's hardest to me is what the heck does "chaos is a ladder" mean and why does LF look like he's swallowed a lemon? And what's the big deal about about the knife? So have to look on line to find out. The knife is from the FIRST season! Who knows this stuff? Love it though!Louisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01593767740470957360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-72016609839801444212017-08-22T13:52:15.620-04:002017-08-22T13:52:15.620-04:00An excellent review. You address the show's pr...An excellent review. You address the show's pros and cons very well. The show's pacing feels super rushed, but everything happening is still so mesmerizing that its hard to care too much. ZOMBIE DRAGON, indeed. Night King, you dastardly fiend!<br /><br />I know how you feel about Brienne. The actress does her best with what she's got, but she doesn't really have much of an arc on the show. She's still got the search for the Stark girls, I guess, but the journey's rendered kind of moot when she finds them both rather quickly. I guess they've established that she only serves people she believes in instead of any one group too. For the most part, though, she's basically twiddling her thumbs in between the times she has to kill a bunch of random goons or humble some badass guy (especially when said guy is already down on his luck: Jaime, Sandor, Stannis, Podrick constantly). I'm all for woman warriors, but I think there's more to Brienne's character than just wrecking dudes.<br /><br />Unfortunately, this could be said of quite a few characters at this point. Most of them are there only to serve two or three functions now. Like Bronn, we all know he's a snarky badass who works for the Lannisters. That's the role he's played through most of the series. We've known it for so long that most viewers won't question it when he doesn't live up to his word about ditching the Lannisters when it is no longer profitable for him, which really doesn't make sense in the context of his character.<br /><br />Still, ICE DRAGON! Zombies vs Dragons! Dragons becoming Zombies! Jon and Dany reaching out for each other, holding hands, getting all weepy, turning me into a tween blue-screen of death! ... What was I just ranting about? I no longer recall.Logan Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04927158558530539708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-32062580792043417082017-08-22T12:11:37.776-04:002017-08-22T12:11:37.776-04:00Great review.
Arya really needs to have a human ...Great review. <br /><br />Arya really needs to have a human moment. Her mother and father are gone. Robb and Dickon are gone, right? She has Sansa, Bran and Jon Snow. I did not like her attack on Sansa in this episode and, to be honest, I am not sure WHY they are both not more suspicious of Pinky (my private name for Littlefinger.)<br /><br />Viserion! Why! The dragons are wonderful, though. I noticed that when Viserion was hit, he almost blew up, as if they had a whole internal dragon biology worked out. JRShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02485752215710916988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-90670924725026096972017-08-21T20:14:05.733-04:002017-08-21T20:14:05.733-04:00I got a completely different impression from Sansa...I got a completely different impression from Sansa sending Brienne away. After all, Sansa saw Arya fight and knows her sister is perfectly capable of doing her own killing. I thought if anything, Sansa sent her away to keep her from intervening on Sansa's behalf and killing Arya. <br /><br />However, I don't think Brienne would do that, so that doesn't really make sense. Honestly, the only way this DOES make sense is for the three of them to be conspiring together to catch Littlefinger out. Personally, I thought Littlefinger tipped his hand by making that suggestion to Sansa, and if she didn't already know, she figured out them that he can't be trusted. Maybe Bran is even in on it? After all, in theory, he's seen Littlefinger holding a knife to Ned's throat in King's Landing.<br /><br />I really hope this show isn't turning stupid and predictable. I saw, and I'm sure everyone else did, too, that whole, trite, "kill the Night King, kill them all" bit coming seasons ago, and if it's really that "easy," I'm going to be so annoyed. I know most people think Rhaegal will end up belonging to Jon since he's the dragon named after Jon's father. Personally, though, I'm hoping the Night King made a mistake turning Viserion and that since he will belong to Jon since each of them is BOTH ice and fire. Far-fetched, I know, but it would be awesome. ��Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-36217620054888436792017-08-21T16:08:19.107-04:002017-08-21T16:08:19.107-04:00It is really a good thing the White Walkers rememb...It is really a good thing the White Walkers remembered to pack their conveniently large chains before their heading south. Otherwise the Night King would've been without his sweet new ride. Mark Greighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12984193299389764649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-74925822143813007512017-08-21T14:53:33.004-04:002017-08-21T14:53:33.004-04:00I'm totally with you Juliette. I'm LOVING ...I'm totally with you Juliette. I'm LOVING this season. Haven't read the books so all previous seasons have been really hard to follow for me. Too many people, and between each season I always forgot who was related to each other. A typical problem with novels transforming into TV shows.<br /><br />This season, I'm enjoying the faster pace, don't care about the mystical transportation between places, and I'm loving that FINALLY we got Jon Snow and Dany together. Love the dragons and now - who wouldn't love a ZOMBIE DRAGON!:)<br /><br />Foreshadowing: Jamie gets turned by the Night King and kills Cersei - or - Cersei becomes the Night Queen!?!?TJnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-72712874945545690372017-08-21T14:42:25.110-04:002017-08-21T14:42:25.110-04:00HOPEFULLY Arya and Sansa are playing chess with LF...HOPEFULLY Arya and Sansa are playing chess with LF...Sansa appears to Sacrifice her Knight and continues to act like LF's pawn until the right moment where she reveals she made it to the other side of the board and is truly a Queen now. Arya kills LF hopefully wearing Sansa's face..after which she apologises having seen what really happened to Sansa and they have hot cocoa and bond over lost childhoods.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-66974928035308289952017-08-21T13:43:01.074-04:002017-08-21T13:43:01.074-04:00So, I don't actually watch this show. But all ...So, I don't actually watch this show. But all my friends do and it's literally impossible to avoid all the articles and reactions that flood the internet every Monday. I just came to say:<br /><br />ZOMBIE DRAGON!!!! An Honest Fangirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15093676731627861429noreply@blogger.com