A Song of Ice and Fire (Spoilers! Only enter if you have read all books)

[woolybug25]

As far as I know this thread was designated the nitpicking thread, not the spoilers thread.

Regardless, I didn't say he couldn't post spoilers. I just made them harder to read and he complained.

Ahh... I believe I got that mixed up. You're right. This is the thread for Wiz to cry like a baby about how much he hates a show he spends an hour watching and two hours posting about every week.

 

[IrishLion]

It's about to get lit, fam.

What's this wolf business?

 

[phork]

As far as I know this thread was designated the nitpicking thread, not the spoilers thread.

Regardless, I didn't say he couldn't post spoilers. I just made them harder to read and he complained.

I didn't complain, I asked why you did it?

 

[GATTACA!]

Arya's storyline is a mess. How did she not die? How was she conscious after the Crane lady stitched her up, just resting a big soup bowl on her gaping wounds. Then she's jumping from a two story window and rolling around. Why did they make her wounds look so bad and then brush them off the next episode?

Very disappointing episode.

 

[wizards8507]

It's about to get lit, fam.

What's this wolf business?

No wolf business, I was just speculating. I posted that during the Arya scene. The camera was lingering on every wall and floor where she left a smear of blood, I thought they were foreshadowing that Nymeria was going to follow the blood trail and save the day.

Does anyone else call BS that the FM would let someone quit?

 

[GrangerIrish24]

Even though we wont be getting Clegane bowl, it was fun to the see the Mountain and the Hound putting in some work today.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

Arya's storyline is a mess. How did she not die? How was she conscious after the Crane lady stitched her up, just resting a big soup bowl on her gaping wounds. Then she's jumping from a two story window and rolling around. Why did they make her wounds look so bad and then brush them off the next episode?

Very disappointing episode.

This. I've been willing to give the benefit of the doubt when implausible things happen but Arya's past few episodes are impossible. You don't get sliced across the stomach, then stabbed 2-3 times just to run around like nothing happened.

Incredibly disappointed with what they did with Arya. The storyline full of intrigue and mystery has evaporated and become surface level BS. It's incredible they were able to ruin a character so quickly.

 

[phork]

The show runners might very well know the outcome but its clear to me they have run dry of material and are rushing to the finality of it all. Dumping story lines and combining characters only to rush through stuff and then declare 2 more seasons but at only 6 episodes each is complete BS.

 

[IrishLion]

This. I've been willing to give the benefit of the doubt when implausible things happen but Arya's past few episodes are impossible. You don't get sliced across the stomach, then stabbed 2-3 times just to run around like nothing happened.

Incredibly disappointed with what they did with Arya. The storyline full of intrigue and mystery has evaporated and become surface level BS. It's incredible they were able to ruin a character so quickly.

She wasn't running around like nothing happened, she was stumbling through the crowd and weaving her way to get help. Bleeding out from the stomach is a painful but pretty slow way to go. So she managed to get somewhere where she would either die in peace or get help... and she got help. She got stitched up and given milk of the poppy to sleep through the pain for an indeterminate length of time.

And even then, she was clearly labored through the second pursuit with the Waif, which is why she was bloody and nearly out of commission (again). Her only hope was to lead the Waif (cleverly) with her blood trail to the room where she knew she would have the advantage.

I can't believe that you're fed up after Arya getting out of a near-death experience, when we've got a shit-load of characters that have literally come back from the dead haha.

 

[gkIrish]

I didn't complain, I asked why you did it?

My bad for overreacting.

 

[IrishLion]

Does anyone else call BS that the FM would let someone quit?

I think that (1) Jaqen has a soft spot for Arya that goes all the way back to when she saved his life in the burning wagon (and I still want to know why a Faceless Man allowed himself to be locked up in King's Landing) and (2) it may have been his goal all along to help her learn what she needs in order to attain her goals, knowing full and well that she would never be A Girl or No One, but that she would always be Arya Stark. This might have been allowed by Jaqen, as she was clever enough to use his religion/code against him when she named HIM to the Many-Faced God, and so he sees something bigger for her in the future that requires her to be prepared, but not part of their order.

Or perhaps he knows she's gonna go f*ck sh*t up in Westeros, and he plans on working with her for some reason and at some point in the future.

Even though we wont be getting Clegane bowl, it was fun to the see the Mountain and the Hound putting in some work today.

We could still get Cleganebowl, it just wont' be an official trial by combat. Perhaps undead Gregor becomes a Wight, and the Hound will strike him down fighting for R'hollor.

 

[gkIrish]

On the one hand I complain a lot about bunching too many storylines into one episode, but on the other hand it gets annoying when characters disappear for 2+ episodes at a time.

Like, what is going on with Bran? Euron Greyjoy? Jorah?

I feel like they should have just avoided the Iron Islands storyline altogether. As much as I like it in the books, it doesn't do it for me on TV. They could have had Theon do pretty much anything else and used that screen time for Bran or Jon. They wasted half a season on Dorne and are making the same mistake again.

 

[wizards8507]

I think that (1) Jaqen has a soft spot for Arya that goes all the way back to when she saved his life in the burning wagon (and I still want to know why a Faceless Man allowed himself to be locked up in King's Landing) and (2) it may have been his goal all along to help her learn what she needs in order to attain her goals, knowing full and well that she would never be A Girl or No One, but that she would always be Arya Stark. This might have been allowed by Jaqen, as she was clever enough to use his religion/code against him when she named HIM to the Many-Faced God, and so he sees something bigger for her in the future that requires her to be prepared, but not part of their order.

Isn't that guy not the Jaqen she saved from the fire? I thought the real Jaqen died and this is some rando FM using his face so they could keep the actor.

 

[IrishLion]

Isn't that guy not the Jaqen she saved from the fire? I thought the real Jaqen died and this is some rando FM using his face so they could keep the actor.

I thought it was still Jaqen, and that his exit from season 2 (?) he was just putting on a different face for a different mission.

Unless I missed something when Arya arrived at the temple.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

She wasn't running around like nothing happened, she was stumbling through the crowd and weaving her way to get help. Bleeding out from the stomach is a painful but pretty slow way to go. So she managed to get somewhere where she would either die in peace or get help... and she got help. She got stitched up and given milk of the poppy to sleep through the pain for an indeterminate length of time.

And even then, she was clearly labored through the second pursuit with the Waif, which is why she was bloody and nearly out of commission (again). Her only hope was to lead the Waif (cleverly) with her blood trail to the room where she knew she would have the advantage.

I can't believe that you're fed up after Arya getting out of a near-death experience, when we've got a shit-load of characters that have literally come back from the dead haha.

People coming back from the dead is a part of this world. I like GRRM's approach in that, if someone dies and comes back, they lose something. You can't die and come back better than ever.

Arya was sprinting and jumping from rooftops after receiving those stab wounds. Milk of the poppy doesn't miraculously make you recover, it dulls the pain. And she slept while it's affects took over. She was sliding on her stomach underneath food carts.

I was just expecting all of her struggles with the waif to be a battle in her mind. A good friend and I were discussing and he presented the theory that Arya Stark must kill Arya Stark to become no one. So we thought in some GRRM-level shit, Arya was really the waif in her own mind and she needed to kill herself. A fight-club-esque multiple personality battle to truly become no one.

Instead, she's just really good at taking stab wounds and still having the strength to elude a full strength person in a Jason Bourne-style evasion scene.

I simply couldn't buy it and I don't believe I've been very harsh when it comes to the show. So please don't mistake me for Wiz.

 

[IrishLion]

She took stab wounds, but she got stitched up and was recovering in bed for an indeterminate amount of time, sleeping through her recovery via Milk of the Poppy... what if she were out of commission for a week or two, and we just didn't see that?

And again, it's not like the show portrayed her as invincible. The Waif was gaining on her, and Arya was visibly more and more labored with every move she made to try and escape.

I guess I'm just more forgiving of the undetermined amount of recovery time Arya had off-screen, as she slept through her recovery.

Also, the Waif looked a lot like the dude from Terminator 2 and 3 when she was running through the crowd after Arya. Kind of unsettling haha.

 

[ND NYC]

I assume the rumor that cersei and cyburn discussed in the balcony is that there is in fact a bunch of wildfire left over from Blackwater in kings landing...and they will now blow some shit up?

 

[wizards8507]

I assume the rumor that cersei and cyburn discussed in the balcony is that there is in fact a bunch of wildfire left over from Blackwater in kings landing...and they will now blow some shit up?

I don't think so. The way it was cut made me think they found out where Tyrion went.

 

[GATTACA!]

She took stab wounds, but she got stitched up and was recovering in bed for an indeterminate amount of time, sleeping through her recovery via Milk of the Poppy... what if she were out of commission for a week or two, and we just didn't see that?

And again, it's not like the show portrayed her as invincible. The Waif was gaining on her, and Arya was visibly more and more labored with every move she made to try and escape.

I guess I'm just more forgiving of the undetermined amount of recovery time Arya had off-screen, as she slept through her recovery.

Also, the Waif looked a lot like the dude from Terminator 2 and 3 when she was running through the crowd after Arya. Kind of unsettling haha.

It almost certainly was less than 24 hours. Both Waif and the Crane lady where wearing the same clothes. Plus where else would you go to look for Arya in that situation if you're Waif? The Crane lady would be the first place she'd look.

It was improbable that Arya would have even have made it to safety in the first place, then once she gets there she's just chit chatting like nothing happened. She would have been in excruciating pain or been passed out. Instead she's carrying on a casual conversation resting a big soup bowl on her stab wounds.

Even if it was a week Arya still wouldn't have been healed from that serious of injuries. She's falling out windows rolling down 200 yards of stairs and still is able to keep going and defeat a perfectly healthy assassin, who by the way has been shown to be a better fighter the entire season. Beyond that stupidity there was also the terminator esque way Waif was chasing after Arya that you mentioned. Waif is supposed to be a faceless man in training, she decides to chase someone through the streets with a knife in her hand in broad daylight. No disguise, no way of hiding the fact that she's clearly going to kill this little girl.

Just stupid terrible writing imo.

 

[gkIrish]

I don't think so. The way it was cut made me think they found out where Tyrion went.

I assume the rumor that cersei and cyburn discussed in the balcony is that there is in fact a bunch of wildfire left over from Blackwater in kings landing...and they will now blow some shit up?

I got a strong sense he was talking about the wildfire. Tyrion's location is relatively meaningless to Cersei's plight.

 

[gkIrish]

Also, what is up with all the off-screen deaths...

Stannis, Blackfish, Fat Walda (which is more understandable), the Waif, Summer, Hodor. Just from my recent memory.

 

[IrishLion]

Even if it was a week Arya still wouldn't have been healed from that serious of injuries. She's falling out windows rolling down 200 yards of stairs and still is able to keep going and defeat a perfectly healthy assassin, who by the way has been shown to he a better fighter the entire season. Beyond that stupidity there was also the terminator esque way Waif was chasing after Arya that you mentioned. Waif is supposed to be a faceless man in training, she decides to chase someone through the streets with a knife in her hand in broad daylight. No disguise, no way of hiding the fact that she's clearly going to kill this little girl.

Perhaps Arya was playing the Waif the whole time?

The Waif is supposed to be a badass, and has been kicking Arya's ass from the start... but she fails to kill Arya when she has the chance; She fails to confirm Arya's death when she falls into the river; She fails to trail a bumbling, weaving Arya as she heads through the crowd; she fails to find Arya's hiding spot where she keeps Needle; she fails to use her skills to track and kill Arya properly, instead running through Bravos like a mad person; she even failed at killing Lady Crane properly, as she made too much noise; finally, she fails when she allows herself to be lead into what is clearly a trap... Arya was leaving blood trails on purpose, and the Waif doesn't get suspicious?

It's not an excuse for Arya's resistance to stab wounds (which I think is still ridiculous to complain about, considering the entire nature of the show), but it does seem as if she was toying with/setting up the Waif, even in her injured state.

She knew she was going to lead the Waif to her hiding spot at some point, and she knew she was going to kill the Waif in the dark. Looking at all the evidence, I thought it was a pretty good setup and resolution for Arya's time in Bravvos, even with the unrealistic bodily response to being stabbed.

 

[ND NYC]

agree on the pisspoor writing this season.

showrunners have clearly demonstrated (to me anyway) that without source material (the finished books) they have turned this basically into a medieval soap opera.

very disappointing. I blame GRRM.

"Imp's delight"?..."most famous dwarf in the world"...really??

rest assured, in typical (Hollywood) fashion, CGI and special effects will "save the day" next week with the battle of the bastards.

 

[phillyirish]

I got a strong sense he was talking about the wildfire. Tyrion's location is relatively meaningless to Cersei's plight.

1. Wildfire
2. Tyrells killed Joffery
3. Tyrion

One of those three ordered in likeliness.

 

[phork]

I assume the rumor that cersei and cyburn discussed in the balcony is that there is in fact a bunch of wildfire left over from Blackwater in kings landing...and they will now blow some shit up?

I don't think so. The way it was cut made me think they found out where Tyrion went.

1. Wildfire
2. Tyrells killed Joffery
3. Tyrion

One of those three ordered in likeliness.

I didn't think it was anything else but the wildfire. And frankly with the in your face foreshadowing of Cersei's "I will burn shit to the ground for my kids" multiple times in different ways kind of points to that.

 

[GATTACA!]

Perhaps Arya was playing the Waif the whole time?

The Waif is supposed to be a badass, and has been kicking Arya's ass from the start... but she fails to kill Arya when she has the chance; She fails to confirm Arya's death when she falls into the river; She fails to trail a bumbling, weaving Arya as she heads through the crowd; she fails to find Arya's hiding spot where she keeps Needle; she fails to use her skills to track and kill Arya properly, instead running through Bravos like a mad person; she even failed at killing Lady Crane properly, as she made too much noise; finally, she fails when she allows herself to be lead into what is clearly a trap... Arya was leaving blood trails on purpose, and the Waif doesn't get suspicious?

It's not an excuse for Arya's resistance to stab wounds (which I think is still ridiculous to complain about, considering the entire nature of the show), but it does seem as if she was toying with/setting up the Waif, even in her injured state.

She knew she was going to lead the Waif to her hiding spot at some point, and she knew she was going to kill the Waif in the dark. Looking at all the evidence, I thought it was a pretty good setup and resolution for Arya's time in Bravvos, even with the unrealistic bodily response to being stabbed.

I agree with you about Arya leading her on and leaving a trail of blood. I think they could have fixed it all by doing one of two things. Either give us a montage of Arya going in and out of consciousness being given milk of the Poppy. So we get the idea that she's been healing for a few weeks.

Or just don't make the stab wounds loom so bad? I watched that scene back and it looks really really bad like she should have died immediately it was so bad. If they were going to have her survive just make he injuries a little less critical.

 

[IrishLion]

Arya and the Waif:

http://i.imgur.com/3bNxMhS.gif

 

[GATTACA!]

I didn't think it was anything else but the wildfire. And frankly with the in your face foreshadowing of Cersei's "I will burn shit to the ground for my kids" multiple times in different ways kind of points to that.

Yeah I figured wildfire too. Doesn't really make sense for Qyburn to have figured out either of the other two.

 

[TomHaverford]

All I know is I just want to see Cersei, Walder Frey, and Ramsay die horrible deaths in the next two episodes. Especially that prick Ramsay. I hope his is the most gruesome yet and they show it all.

Oh and Tomen is such a pussy. I hate his bitch ass. He's the king, he should've already had the high sparrow and all his followers butchered. He can fuck off and die too.

Oh and that was pretty bitch of the writers not to show Blackfish actually dying. I would've rather seen him go out in a blaze of glory taking people out. He deserved better.

 

[IrishLion]

The Blackfish thing is a departure from the books, as in the books he uses the tunnels to escape, like Brienne and Pod did in the show.

I guess he's not doing much in books moving forward lol. There's a chance he could head north and die fighting for Jon, but I doubt it.