Game of Thrones (season 8)

[Scottyboi]

Loved the whole thing, great episode. Really felt the tension in the build up and the panic during the battle scenes

As for the dark aspect, read about that before but not sure what the issue was. It was dark but certainly didn't detract from what was going on and added to the confusion of battle (although to be fair I've not experienced a battle of any kind)

If anything it makes you appreciate how horrifying hand to hand combat is, battle of the bastards was brilliant too all them dead bodies getting in the way being crushed in a panic.

 

[quiet_riot]

Spoiler

He was always going to survive to the end. I'm calling it now, the end of the series will be a flashforward to an old Samwell Tarly (probably played by George R. R. Martin) at the Citadel, finishing a book entitled 'A Song of Ice and Fire' which is basically a written account of all the events that took place on the show.

Fuck me if that happens I'm going to fucking riot.

 

[Henkeman]

Fuck me if that happens I'm going to fucking riot.

It can't end that way. If it was going to be realistic, then it'll cut away to him writing it in the middle of the next episode and leave everything unresolved.

 

[SebastianBlue]

It can't end that way. If it was going to be realistic, then it'll cut away to him writing it in the middle of the next episode and leave everything unresolved.

Whatever way is least in keeping with how the books anchored the show in the mechanism of advancing the story via outcomes based on a reasonable (mostly logical) series of actions and counteractions will be the way it ends.

My money is on the entire story just being a figment of Hodor’s imagination whilst playing by himself one summer’s eve.

 

[burning blue soul]

although to be fair I've not experienced a battle of any kind

so, unless your wife loves anal and hates wallpapering of any kind, i dont believe you!! ;)

 

[Henkeman]

Then it’s definitely going to end that way.

Whatever way is least in keeping with how the books anchored the show in the mechanism of advancing the story via outcomes based on a reasonable (mostly logical) series of actions and counteractions will be the way it ends.

I've not read any of the books at all - largely because I don't see any way he's going to finish them, and I'm not investing in what is likely to be an unfinished saga; so I do feel sympathy for all those who have been reading them and are frustrated now.

I agree with your implication about the tv series, it has moved from people reaping the consequences of their actions to finding ways to allow the characters to escape those consequences. Forgive me for being vague, but I'm not so much of a fan that I remember every detail - but the battle in the last series (I think) where Jon Snow recklessly charged off on his own struck me at the time as jarring somewhat from what had gone before - it should have resulted in him chopped to bits, but there was the last minute rescue by Sansa. It just felt like a significant change.

Now I'll watch to the end of course, and I'll have enjoyed it. I'm not fanboy raging at the character development of my favourites either, I'm just a casual viewer who caught up a few years late and enjoyed some excellent TV. How they finish it is up to them, and I'll shrug and move on when it is done. But do I care as much as I did a few series back? No, I don't think so.

Put it another way - who was the last genuinely unexpected death?

 

[SebastianBlue]

I've not read any of the books at all - largely because I don't see any way he's going to finish them, and I'm not investing in what is likely to be an unfinished saga; so I do feel sympathy for all those who have been reading them and are frustrated now.

I agree with your implication about the tv series, it has moved from people reaping the consequences of their actions to finding ways to allow the characters to escape those consequences. Forgive me for being vague, but I'm not so much of a fan that I remember every detail - but the battle in the last series (I think) where Jon Snow recklessly charged off on his own struck me at the time as jarring somewhat from what had gone before - it should have resulted in him chopped to bits, but there was the last minute rescue by Sansa. It just felt like a significant change.

Now I'll watch to the end of course, and I'll have enjoyed it. I'm not fanboy raging at the character development of my favourites either, I'm just a casual viewer who caught up a few years late and enjoyed some excellent TV. How they finish it is up to them, and I'll shrug and move on when it is done. But do I care as much as I did a few series back? No, I don't think so.

Put it another way - who was the last genuinely unexpected death?

Agree with everything you’ve said.

I will also watch it to the end, even if I am honestly not enjoying it very much any more, as most of what happens seems to be more aligned to ‘fan service’ and ‘what will get the biggest gasp/cheer’, which makes it all feel somewhat empty now.

But that is mostly down to being a bit of a completionist. ;-)

 

[Henkeman]

Agree with everything you’ve said.

I will also watch it to the end, even if I am honestly not enjoying it very much any more, as most of what happens seems to be more aligned to ‘fan service’ and ‘what will get the biggest gasp/cheer’, which makes it all feel somewhat empty now.

But that is mostly down to being a bit of a completionist. ;-)

The problem is you'll get the "stop whining" response. And I get that, because loads of people think it's sheer brilliance - plenty of people on here have said so about this episode, so if it's working for them, that's great and means the producers have probably got it spot on.

I'm not angry, I'm not raging with some sense of loss or holding proprietary feelings about any of it. But it doesn't quite feel as good as it was - set pieces (and flawed ones at that with the lighting issues) don't compensate fully for less than stellar writing. They may yet prove me wrong in the last three, that'd be great if they did.

 

[SebastianBlue]

The problem is you'll get the "stop whining" response. And I get that, because loads of people think it's sheer brilliance - plenty of people on here have said so about this episode, so if it's working for them, that's great and means the producers have probably got it spot on.

I'm not angry, I'm not raging with some sense of loss or holding proprietary feelings about any of it. But it doesn't quite feel as good as it was - set pieces (and flawed ones at that with the lighting issues) don't compensate fully for less than stellar writing. They may yet prove me wrong in the last three, that'd be great if they did.

I always find “stop whining” responses on an online forum to be quite amusing, for obvious reasons. But I don’t fault others for still enjoying the show. My missus still loves it, and I am happy that she finds enjoyment from it (if anything, this makes up for all of the hours I forced her to watch Star Trek, which I am sure many on here dislike for valid reasons). I have no rage, either, at least not about something as inconsequential as a TV action drama. But that doesn’t mean those that don’t like it as much, for various reasons, shouldn’t share their thoughts in good-faith discussion.

I do hope my expectations of a poor finish are confounded, as you do, though.

 

[without a dream]

I always find “stop whining” responses on an online forum to be quite amusing, for obvious reasons. But I don’t fault others for still enjoying the show. My missus still loves it, and I am happy that she finds enjoyment from it (if anything, this makes up for all of the hours I forced her to watch Star Trek, which I am sure many on here dislike for valid reasons). I have no rage, either, at least not about something as inconsequential as a TV action drama. But that doesn’t mean those that don’t like it as much, for various reasons, shouldn’t share their thoughts in good-faith discussion.

I do hope my expectations of a poor finish are confounded, as you do, though.

It is nicely poised and should be a more GoT ending than a massive good vs evil battle. Jon/Dany, Tyrion and Jaime, Sansa, the Greyjoys, there are lots of people with mixed loyalties and split families. The writing hasn't been as good as previous seasons but there's a lot to work with still.

 

[SebastianBlue]

It is nicely poised and should be a more GoT ending than a massive good vs evil battle. Jon/Dany, Tyrion and Jaime, Sansa, the Greyjoys, there are lots of people with mixed loyalties and split families. The writing hasn't been as good as previous seasons but there's a lot to work with still.

I’ve just decided that I am going to assume that my theory of “it’s all concocted in Hodor’s mind whilst playing one summer’s eve and Sam Tarly is his imaginary friend” is the way it will end so that I will be pleasantly surprised when it ends any other way. ;-)

 

[Henkeman]

It is nicely poised and should be a more GoT ending than a massive good vs evil battle. Jon/Dany, Tyrion and Jaime, Sansa, the Greyjoys, there are lots of people with mixed loyalties and split families. The writing hasn't been as good as previous seasons but there's a lot to work with still.

Yep, you're absolutely right about that. It's not suddenly terrible or anything - just a tad frustrating at times.

 

[SebastianBlue]

Yep, you're absolutely right about that. It's not suddenly terrible or anything - just a tad frustrating at times.

It’s actually a testament to how good it has been overall, as there would be no room for this sort of frustration if it hadn’t been a brilliant, medium-changing spectacle for so long.

 

[Henkeman]

It’s actually a testament to how good it has been overall, as there would be no room for this sort of frustration if it hadn’t been a brilliant, medium-changing spectacle for so long.

The ending is going to cause uproar and dissatisfaction - just because it's bound to. It's so hard to deliver a really effective final episode, and people are going to complain about it no matter what happens. One of my favourite final episodes anyone ever did was the 21st century Battlestar Galactica. The fourth series had become decidedly uneven before they got back on track towards the end of it, and the annoyance that caused as it proceeded I get totally. But, the final episode I loved because it completed the main story and still had 25 minutes to run. It then tied up all the characters and allowed us to say goodbye to them properly. So for all the flaws of that series (and it was still great television) I felt they ended it superbly.

But. Not everyone agreed! C'est la vie.

 

[manlikepep]

Thought the plot armour was a little too thick. Too many times characters were COVERED in wights then the scene switches and they’re safe.

They took an extra year to do this season. I imagine we the next big battle will be heart wrenching.

Some speculation: We’ve seen Greyworm turn from a soldier supposedly to have no feelings and over the seasons had become human again. The director did an EXCELLENT job of portraying him struggling to barricade his troops in front of the trench to certain death. If he had nothing use left storywise thought he might die. What you guys think of the chances after that that he is now gonna have a struggle with Dany and sending his troops to fight another war for her (if he has any left)?

Side note: I loved the battle. It was difficult to see sometimes, I think this was to make us feel like we were there. Similar to how the battle of the bastards made us feel claustrophobic.

 

[SebastianBlue]

The ending is going to cause uproar and dissatisfaction - just because it's bound to. It's so hard to deliver a really effective final episode, and people are going to complain about it no matter what happens. One of my favourite final episodes anyone ever did was the 21st century Battlestar Galactica. The fourth series had become decidedly uneven before they got back on track towards the end of it, and the annoyance that caused as it proceeded I get totally. But, the final episode I loved because it completed the main story and still had 25 minutes to run. It then tied up all the characters and allowed us to say goodbye to them properly. So for all the flaws of that series (and it was still great television) I felt they ended it superbly.

But. Not everyone agreed! C'est la vie.

The same could be said about the final two-part episode of Star Trek: TNG, which was aptly named ‘All good things...’.

I quite enjoyed it (and still do). But I also watched it at a very early stage of my life (it aired when I was only 10) and watching it back now I can see a few things that would have likely put me off if I was seeing it for the first time today. I’ll never actually have that ‘disappointed’ experience, though, because it was formative and so rests deeply and securely in my ‘nostalgia crypt’ (to be reanimated at my inner NK’s whim). I imagine the final episodes of GoT will also rightfully hold that place for many — perhaps even for me, even despite my general disappointment with the final series thus far.

I suppose all I am hoping for is a conclusion that doesn’t marginalise Martin’s brilliant writing up to this point (which, as we have agreed, may be the end itself) and exceptional work of the showrunners, writers, costumers, and choreographers of last few series.

 

[manlikepep]

If they can beat the disappointment and utter bitterness I initially had after the ending of the sopranos, I’ll be very impressed.

 

[Big Swifty]

I haven't a clue what you're all on about.

 

[Henkeman]

If they can beat the disappointment and utter bitterness I initially had after the ending of the sopranos, I’ll be very impressed.

Although I still think the ending of Life on Mars can't be beaten for the sheer WTAF response.

 

[Saddleworth2]

I've watched the episode twice now and it is quite simply the most amazing one hour plus piece of TV filming I have ever seen. The music score alone tops anything I have come across in the cinema. I get the comments many have made about plot nuances etc but for shear visceral thrills over a sustained period it was amazing.