Game of Thrones’ sixth season provided what the show sorely needed: Motion

Or: Not <em>all</em> men must die.

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[Haravikk]

Studbolt[/url]":27m1rv2a]Who exactly is attending Cersei's coronation after all the nobility in King's Landing went up in flames? And who put out the fires? And why did the people forgive Cersei so quickly for blowing up the Great Sept of Baelor, considering that everyone was afraid of the High Sparrow because all of the people of King's Landing are so devout?

I assume no-one can or dares prove that Cersei was responsible, though they may all whisper in secret out of robo-mountain's hearing. She also took her walk of atonement, so publicly she may not actually be feared anymore, and people may not be so quick to assume it was her.

Presumably the Red Keep is waving it off officially as a gas-leak… erm, I mean secret stash of the Mad King's Wyldfire that just happened to explode by itself the exact moment loads of people were in the sept.

Studbolt[/url]":27m1rv2a]It's good that Jon can get over the fact that Sansa never told him about Littlefinger and his extra forces arriving, thus costing close to 2000 lives. But maybe he's still wondering how he could possibly have forgotten to give Wun Wun at least a small tree to carry into battle, rather than making the very last of the giants fight with his bare hands. Sheesh. No wonder Sansa doesn't trust him. How often she must think to herself, "You're a complete idiot, Jon Snow".

Yeah Jon's actually a pretty bad commander, but then it's worth remembering that his only real battle as a commander was defending the wall, which strategically is pretty much summed up by the phrase "defending the wall". He is however a pretty dab-hand with a sword, and does well consider the command is thrust upon him suddenly by Thorne the coward.

Studbolt[/url]":27m1rv2a]Did Arya murder a serving girl to get a new face? How did she fly across the sea and then Westeros to get to the Riverlands? Exactly how did she have time to hunt and kill Lothar and Black Walder, and where did she butcher their bodies and make them into a pie? Why was the entire hall empty except for Lord Frey, when shortly before it had been crowded with Freys and Lannisters and their bannermen, servants, etc?

Maybe she still had a spare face from the House of Black and White? Time-wise I think we can safely assume that the stuff in Bravos was actually happening earlier in the time-line, even though it was shown as if simultaneous. Not sure about the actual murdering, but it's important to remember that Arya has received expert schooling in the art of pie-making from Hotpie, so I think we can safely assume that she can handle cooking a pie quickly and the crust is excellent, plus it's not going to matter much if you undercook the meat when it's for someone you're about to murder.

For the hall being empty; with Jamie in Kings Landing I suspect the Lannisters have left, by which point the Freys have no reason to put on a show, and have probably been shamed into actually defending Riverrun this time, so they aren't likely that many Freys there at all.

Studbolt[/url]":27m1rv2a]Sansa's pretty forgiving. She sits next to Jon and doesn't say a thing when every lord in the North forgets she's the rightful heir. And she seems to have forgiven Littlefinger pretty quickly for forgetting his vision of himself on the Iron Throne with her at his side and dropping her off with a known psychopath to get raped, instead. Well, maybe that's the one time Littlefinger forgot his lifelong plan.

I took her smile in the scene to mean she was happy to not be chosen as leader, and please to be messing with Petyr; a lot of the Northerners seem like they'd be a bit too set in their ways to follow a woman into battle anyway (except Bear Island, that girl would kick their asses if they didn't follow her), plus it gives Sansa room to stick to scheming behind the scenes, which she seems to be getting a hang of.

Studbolt[/url]":27m1rv2a]I wish the writers could explain why Sam shows up at the Citadel to begin his Maester studies with a girlfriend and a baby. That's kind of like showing up at the Vatican with...a girlfriend and a baby.

This one I agree with, he really should have found them somewhere to stay; Oldtown looks pretty large, there must be somewhere she could live and work, or at least stay a night or two while he sees about his membership.

 

[groghunter]

pjlahaie[/url]":3no6459r]

Seeing as "no queen has ever ruled the seven kingdoms" it seems like the lineage rules follows many medieval rights of succession rules. The next closest male heir is the king. Sansa would not have precedence. And if you discard the fact he's a bastard (which the northerners have done), Jon is the oldest male Stark. Either way, as the son of Lyanna Stark, he would be the 2nd in line to the throne after Bran (which would have to abdicate because he's now the 3-eyed raven)

As the son of Lyanna, he'd not be eligible unless everyone of the head house of Stark was gone or abdicated, Including Sansa. The rule of Winterfell went to Eddard, which makes Jon a member of a cadet branch of Stark. He'd be in line for the Iron throne, though, if a Targarayn was sitting on it.

Everything that happened in that room is based on him being Eddard's bastard, not Lyanna's.

pjlahaie[/url]":3no6459r]

- Sansa's pretty forgiving. She sits next to Jon and doesn't say a thing when every lord in the North forgets she's the rightful heir. And she seems to have forgiven Littlefinger pretty quickly for forgetting his vision of himself on the Iron Throne with her at his side and dropping her off with a known psychopath to get raped, instead. Well, maybe that's the one time Littlefinger forgot his lifelong plan.

In an earlier scene, she even tells Jon that her parents bedroom should be his. As for Littlefinger, she seems to have accepted that Littlefinger was a fool for not knowing who Ramsey was. She also needed him.

- I wish the writers could explain why Sam shows up at the Citadel to begin his Maester studies with a girlfriend and a baby. That's kind of like showing up at the Vatican with...a girlfriend and a baby.

Which I'm sure will be addressed in the next season.

EDIT: Fixed totally broken quotes

I think he finds her a place in Oldtown in the books, though it's been a long time since I read them.

 

[pjlahaie]

groghunter[/url]":2w9axjjm]

Studbolt[/url]":2w9axjjm]

Einbrecher[/url]":2w9axjjm]

I was firmly rooted in the "Why can't you zig-zag?" crowd when Rickon was shot, but I had to remind myself that in the story he was at most 5.
.

It's been several years since Bran was pushed out the window. It takes months for all those armies to move around.

I could see a year or two, but several? isn't the coming of winter mentioned in the first book/season? long seasonal cycles, true, but I don't have the impression this has spanned more than 3 years, max.

Yes. Several. More than two, but less than many. In the first season alone, Dany gets traded to the Dothraki, gets married, travels east for several months, gets impregnated and gives birth. That's a year and a half already.

 

[Vnend]

echterbarb[/url]":2feg34wt]So this means Jon Snow + Daenerys Targaryen then?

You mean Jon's Aunt Daenerys?

 

[Snarky Robot]

groghunter[/url]":1pwc7lcx]
No way, she just put a Targaryen on the throne of Winterfell!

Speaking of, Jon may very well have trouble holding the North together, & or keeping his position, when that info inevitably slips out. Should have put Sansa on the throne after all.

If there's a Targaryen using her dragons to fight the most evil thing in Westeros, the idea of putting a Targaryen in Winterfell might actually be more satisfying.

And since he's also not really a bastard (well, at least in blood-- he still has the mentality of one, likely), there might be reason to take the eldest son on Rhaegar over the eldest (soiled) daughter of Eddard. Though with that bloodline, he might have a claim on the Iron Throne, not just the North.

Westeros, north and south, will be won over with blood (Targaryen/ Stark) and fire (dragons/Jon's hotness).

 

[Vnend]

Meailda[/url]":23bq5a2t]

edrowland[/url]":23bq5a2t]You left out the most suspenseful part of the entire season: can real writers untangle the aimless meandering mess of the books that George R. R. Martin left us with. The surprising answer: a resounding "yes".

A list of this "Not a real writer's" screen writing credits:
The Twilight Zone

"The Last Defender of Camelot" (1986) – writer (teleplay)

Based on a published short story by Roger Zelazny.

I'm pretty sure that the same is true of a few of the others as well.

 

[2 Donuts]

Operative Me[/url]":rvyebd25]
And since he's also not really a bastard (well, at least in blood-- he still has the mentality of one, likely), there might be reason to take the eldest son on Rhaegar over the eldest (soiled) daughter of Eddard.

If Lyanna and Rhaegar were secretly married, then he's not a bastard. If Jon was born out of wedlock, however, then he'd still be considered a bastard - just a bastard with two royal bloodlines.

 

[Nutz]

stopher2475[/url]":5p372riy]Here's a thought. We learned from Benjen that The Wall has magics that stop the dead from passing so presumably the Night King will have a plan for that if he's heading South. Will the Wall fall next season?

What I want to see is the dead pouring out of that tunnel they fought the giant in with the camera at ground level moving forward with the dead swarming past it. The camera then stops at a pair of boots, the figure stationary, and the camera pans up to reveal zombie Hodor holding the portcullis open over his head allowing the undead horde to breach the wall, flooding into Castle Black.

 

[BioTurboNick]

nsomniture[/url]":23ej6p6j]The scene where Sam and Gilly get dropped off outside Oldtown shows the white ravens departing to announce the official arrival of winter. Winterfell's raven arrives later in the episode, implying that a substantial amount of time passes during the events in the episode. Would people have preferred seeing "three weeks later..." in text at the bottom of the screen? There are no jetpacks required here.

That all makes sense now that I know that, but it may have been something only readers of the books would have picked up. As I was watching it, I had no idea the two scenes were linked.

While tracking time has always been tough, this is the first episode which left me temporally disoriented. Perhaps just because there were so many of them, and a lot of cuing scenes or perhaps some exposition linking them was dropped for actual time.

 

[Studbolt]

palsyboy[/url]":2smqzi5j]

Operative Me[/url]":2smqzi5j]
And since he's also not really a bastard (well, at least in blood-- he still has the mentality of one, likely), there might be reason to take the eldest son on Rhaegar over the eldest (soiled) daughter of Eddard.

If Lyanna and Rhaegar were secretly married, then he's not a bastard. If Jon was born out of wedlock, however, then he'd still be considered a bastard - just a bastard with two royal bloodlines.

And that's assuming Rhaegar is the father. We only know Jon's a Stark. I have a funny feeling Jon's father might still turn out to be a surprise, although I can't imagine who or what the surprise is. The only other guy I've considered is Arthur Dayne, who, as a member of the Kingsguard, would have been required to stay celibate. Given that Ned and Howland Reed killed him, that would add an extra bit of guilt and intrigue.

And speaking of Arthur Dayne, he's known as the "Sword Of The Morning", a family title given to those men in the Dayne family who are fit to hold Dawn, the family sword. Not "the "Swords Of The Morning". There aren't two. When they had that actor pull out two swords and clown around trying to keep them from hitting each other so we'd all be impressed, I put my head in my hands and cringed.

Well, that's Hollywood.

 

[Studbolt]

Vnend[/url]":6spojyg3]

Meailda[/url]":6spojyg3]

edrowland[/url]":6spojyg3]You left out the most suspenseful part of the entire season: can real writers untangle the aimless meandering mess of the books that George R. R. Martin left us with. The surprising answer: a resounding "yes".

A list of this "Not a real writer's" screen writing credits:
The Twilight Zone

"The Last Defender of Camelot" (1986) – writer (teleplay)

Based on a published short story by Roger Zelazny.

I'm pretty sure that the same is true of a few of the others as well.

Yes, they were old friends. I'm not entirely sure it wasn't Roger who coaxed George to move out to Santa Fe.

 

[Studbolt]

edrowland[/url]":816ldvhs]You left out the most suspenseful part of the entire season: can real writers untangle the aimless meandering mess of the books that George R. R. Martin left us with. The surprising answer: a resounding "yes".

I wonder how many tens of thousands of pages GRRM has had published, versus the collected works of the two showrunners of GOT, who are, IIRC, on their first real show. Or how GRRM's millions of loyal readers might react to your opinion that he isn't a "real writer".

Perhaps you might find books that are easier to follow in the "Young Adult" section. Maybe the Hunger Games books or "Eragon"?

 

[bbf]

ChadD[/url]":13iw7h5c]

pjlahaie[/url]":13iw7h5c]

ChadD[/url]":13iw7h5c]
So when he realized his mother was beyond saving, I think that realization killed him more then anything. That she sent the monster to make sure he stayed in the keep instead of going herself as you say... can be played a few different ways. It will be interesting to see how they deal with that next season. My take is she just didn't have the courage to face him before the dead was done. However they play it I'm sure its going to be heart wrenching on a few levels. The setup is great.

And it sets up a potential Queenslayer end to Cersei. She's been indirectly responsible for the death of her daughter, son and father. And she tried to have her other brother killed.

This I believe is the straw that will break the proverbial camel's back.

My guess is also that the Hound will be the one that kills the Mountain. Both as revenge and mercy.

Yes the Hound / Mountain battle might be a great bit of development for the hound. He has slowly become at least a little bit more human the last few seasons. Does he just get to the revenge ? Does he take pity ? Does he leave him alive to suffer ? So many great choices for the writers, he can grow, stay true to his nature or find himself somewhere in the middle and it should all work very well as an arc for him.

I'd like to see a Sand Snakes vs. The Mountain battle.

The oldest Sand Snake would make the same mistake as her Father and gloat at a fallen, but not dead Mountain after running him through with her spear, and then get her head squished in just like her father. But just as her skull implodes, the youngest sand snake will user her daggers to scissor off the Mountain's Head, hopefully finally killing him.

It would be quite interesting if the Hound became the new High Sparrow.

 

[Meailda]

Vnend[/url]":1sxt0fsl]

Meailda[/url]":1sxt0fsl]

edrowland[/url]":1sxt0fsl]You left out the most suspenseful part of the entire season: can real writers untangle the aimless meandering mess of the books that George R. R. Martin left us with. The surprising answer: a resounding "yes".

A list of this "Not a real writer's" screen writing credits:
The Twilight Zone

"The Last Defender of Camelot" (1986) – writer (teleplay)

Based on a published short story by Roger Zelazny.

I'm pretty sure that the same is true of a few of the others as well.

Well considering that they were discussing "What "real" writers were doing based on his published novels", I don't see what you are quibbling about sir or madame.

 

[groghunter]

palsyboy[/url]":37lopzfd]

Operative Me[/url]":37lopzfd]
And since he's also not really a bastard (well, at least in blood-- he still has the mentality of one, likely), there might be reason to take the eldest son on Rhaegar over the eldest (soiled) daughter of Eddard.

If Lyanna and Rhaegar were secretly married, then he's not a bastard. If Jon was born out of wedlock, however, then he'd still be considered a bastard - just a bastard with two royal bloodlines.

Not only still a bastard, but technically not a Snow. & while we can talk about the people in that room making an intelligent, informed decision on making Jon king in the north, ignoring the fact that he's not actually a Stark from the male line, & in fact likely a Targaryen, that's not what happened.

Lady Mormont stood up & shamed a bunch of grown men about the fact that they hadn't answered the call of the Starks. People don't like to be shamed, they don't like to have been lied to(unintentional though it may be,) & the north hates the Targaryens.

Combine this with the fact that the showrunners decided to reveal that scene immediately before the bannermen decide to make Jon king, rather than weeks earlier, & I think the implication that this is going to threaten his title is pretty clear.

 

[parst181]

VexedMama[/url]":2vwge6e1]I find it interesting that many commenters have said that the rising female stars of the show are "pandering to feminism." The author did not state that THIS season there was mistreatment of women, but said that he was almost done with it due to previous seasons portrayal of women on the show. You're right that many of the people killed on the show have been men, but the people we've seen graphically tortured and raped have been almost exclusively women with the notable exception of Theon who was castrated (and thus no longer a man by some people's definiton) very early on in his time with Ramsay.

Children have risen repeatedly to high places on the show, but I've never heard it claimed the writers were pandering to children. Homosexuals have been in strong contention for the throne, but it's not pandering to homosexuals. Hell, incest has been a theme throughout the show but it's not pandering to incestuous couples. Why is it pandering to women? Most of the men are dead by virtue of the fact that they fight in most of the wars. It seems a logical outcome of the many bloodbaths we've seen that there are very few strong males left in contention for the throne.

I would guess because those other groups haven't been speaking loudly against their portrayal just before their rise, whereas last season there were lots of people decrying the show because of the Sansa rape scene and generally overstating how badly women have been portrayed in the show. Now that virtually every major story line features a very prominent female character, I could see how someone could think the show runners were overcompensating.

I don't agree with those people, personally. I think most everything that is happening with the female characters has been building for quite some time. But I do see how someone might conclude that.

 

[groghunter]

It seems this infographic HBO published confirms Jon's father being Rhaegar: http://screenrant.com/game-thrones-rela ... orgraphic/

 

[Anakha56]

I am surprised these did not end up in the comments .

 

[AmericanCitizen]

taswyn[/url]":1vpfwj3v]

edrowland[/url]":1vpfwj3v]You left out the most suspenseful part of the entire season: can real writers untangle the aimless meandering mess of the books that George R. R. Martin left us with. The surprising answer: a resounding "yes".

He's probably turning over in his grave.

Oh wait.




But no, really, is it soooooooooooo terrible that I had a certain amount of immense satisfaction in imagining him, somewhere, screaming at the tv, and then fuming endlessly? Is it terrible that I feel like he's only getting entirely what he deserves, as someone totally out-writes him with his own material? I hope he was shocked

Oh, you're right, it is terrible. But don't worry, it's just terribly realistic. You know, for the period.

Some day, because I won't be able to help myself, I'll buy the rest of the books and read them all. But so far the show is doing such a better job. It's downright shocking.

Considering George RR Martin works on the show and even writes some episodes I'm going to go out on a limb and say that you don't know what you're talking about.