Re-watching GOT S5

The season where things got very dark, very quickly, and I don't just mean Jaime Lannister's locks
The massacre at Hardhome, Shireen's demise, Jon's dance with the many faced god, Sansa's capture, Cersei's fall from grace and the most senseless death of all in the warm waters of Dorne. In retrospect, I expected this to be 'the boring season' only to realise that many of the cliffhangers and 'oh no they didn't' moments were all in this season. 



1. So if Ser Alliser Thorne was the one they sent with the un-dead hand to beg for more men in Kings Landing, why is he unconvinced that they need to do more than business as usual? If Melisandre has seen death marching on the wall and Stannis believes this...why are they still working on other projects? And jumping the gun a bit, but why were they hell bent on convincing Cersei when there are millions of others with armies and less animosity? What can we learn from John's blunders? Clearly singing to the choir (yes getting a band of trusted men for your mission is key, but convincing the naysayers was critical) wasn't the best choice. Perhaps taking Thorne would have been a tough decision-leaving the wall leaderless but...we're talking about the White Walkers and folks are still out here, on and on about 'we've been fighting the wildlings for thousands of years'. Also, let's not forget the many wights they could have captured at Hardhome as proof and forestalling the need to return with dragons.

2. Tyrion had to do a dumb thing for character development, and also so Ser Jorah could get greyscale. I get it now. [spoiler alert] Sam Tarly needed to practice extreme debridement on someone right?


3. I want to know the waif's story? Why doesn't she like Arya? Was her path to assasindom more noble? How did she come to understudy the faceless men. Why was Jaqen H'ghar in Westeros anyway?


4. Can we talk about the ease of travel, inter-connectedness, free trade and borderlessness that seems to be operating between Westeros and Essos? This is what you get when you ask someone with mediocre geography skills to draw Europe...and this person knows quite a lot.  Could Westeros look more like England+Scotland? Could the shadowlands look anymore like India? Is the Rhoyne exactly where the Rhine is? Greenland, is pratically in the same location and is already conveniently called "the land of always winter" It is known that no one has ever returned from the Sunset Sea. Perhaps Azor Ahai will Columbus it after winter comes and perhaps, the Song of Summer will be sang in the New (Water) World.

customs union anyone?

the original Jorah Mormont

5. Maester Aemon was dancing with death for many moons, why hadn't they sent Sam to the Citadel already? oh wait...cos that's what happened in the books and it makes too much sense. Guess it wouldn't have fit into the newly truncated timeline



6. So this is why Myrcella didn't attend the wedding?


Sidebar, what the hell is Ellaria's deal? Is her plan really to go to war with the Lannisters? Oberyn did die in a trail by combat, ironically because he sought to avenge his sister. Now, you want to also do something dumb to avenge him? A lot of this storyline leaves much to be desired. It doesn't advance the story overall and the critical parts were greatly changed from the books. As depicted in the show, we ought to be concerned about Prince Doran's seeming indifference. Is there a plan underfoot? sadly we never get to find out, and the seemingly undefeatable sand snakes all die a horrible lacklustre death. Why did he decide to send Myr back...with Trystane? He's supposed to have 2 other children, but in the show it seems as though he's sending off the heir to Dorne as well as their/betrothed/ward/captive/bargaining chip. I guess they feel bad about never having sent those ships!

7. Melisandre...after all that, you defect at showtime and run to Castle Black which is quickly becoming a wintery Bed and Breakfast? Can we talk about how killing your own children is easily more evil than stealing others' and turning them into your soldiers? On second thoughts...doesn't this make him more likely to be the Prince(ess) who was promised?  Maybe it's all the same but any time you see this and shiver:

Remember this and cry:

Re-watching GOT S3

Ah yes, the season that taught us that a dragon was not a slave, that red heads are bae, and things are going to get much much worse for the Starks before they get better.

AKA the season of shocks:
The Night's Watch rebellion at Craster's, Jaime loses his hand and himself, the Red Wedding, Theon's saviour being a sadist

1. How did Baelish find out about Ross conspiring with Varys? Each of them has spies everywhere blah blah blah. But would Sansa marrying Loras have been such a bad thing for Littlefinger? And Cersei is upset because unlike the Baratheons the Tyrells sneakiness matches the Lannisters?




2. Jon and Ygritte really shouldn't have left that cave



3. How are Catelyn and Robb taking themselves seriously while demanding someone else pay their debt? or is that the Stark way? Also, why was Robb still in Riverrun after the funeral (besides lounging in a nice castle) did he forget what happened to a prisoner the last time he absented himself?



4. Can someone explain to me why Jaime didn't want to be taken to Kings Landing by Brienne? not saying their capture was  100% his fault but...



5.  So many brother of the Night's watch are there for non violent/non crimes at all, but many still are definitely all out baddies. What exactly is their rehabilitation strategy? How has there not been a mutiny before?



6. I don't understand Shae...esp given what happens later, I really don't understand Shae



7. Ah Yes, the infamous white saviour scene

Re-watching GOT S4

Ah yes Season 4. By now, GOT had formally established itself, not only as a very popular award winning series but the word epic was being thrown around like a Lannister throws gold coins. Even those who didn't watch the show knew names of people and places much to their chagrin. The show had become so big that the replacement of a peripheral character's actor created Panic! on the Dancefloor and the most hyped cameo (is it still a cameo if it lasts more than an episode? guest appearance maybe) - Pedro Pascal is making that small screen bank...like a Narcotrafficante-broke our collective hearts

1. Now I'm not saying GOT is racist...in this particular post...but the Dornish story was woefully handled. It was to be a glorious POC-fest that offered an interesting counterbalance to the marked misogyny of the rest of Westeros but alas.

2. Shay...oh Shay. I don't understand Shay. Tyrion would 'before' clip for every negotiation/ assertiveness seminar/class/session/lesson/Facebook post. I don't understand Tyrion. What was his medium-to-long term plan? And in the end, Tywin, the man who always does right by his family...well.

Dear Shay, I know you've been through a lot, and are much braver than I am. I hope you understand my fears in our particular instant. These people are proven killers you see, and I really don't want to die. Remember the story I told you? Both my sister and father irrationally blame me for my mothers death. Let's come up with a plan to stay together that also maximises our mutual security. What do you suggest?




3. I'll say it for all of us: We want more Ser Pounce!

4. Why didn't the Night's Watch mutineers kill Ghost? How did they manage to cage him? Why did they keep feeding him?

5. Why wasn't Myrcella at her brother's wedding? They say she's not a prisoner but...seems pretty prisoner like not to attend the most important event of the decade...and your brother's wedding. I repeat, where are the Dornish ships?



6. Is it just me or does Jon Snow get saved by a Deus ex Machina type set up at every cliffhanger 

******Spoiler Alert!*****

7. How did I miss the biggest plot twist of all? Peytr Baelish told Lysa Tully-Arryn to poison Jon  Arryn?

Re-watching GOT S2

1. Now I remember the sibling reunion scene! my these Greyjoys have come a long way. 

A Greyjoy fostered by Starks

2. Robb, I'm sure you're enthralled by the hitherto unseen charms of a foreign professional woman but...what is a Stark if not honourable? Also, this noble woman from Volantis, who was trying to (moderately) upgrade her status, knew of his betrothal and how it came about. Touching story about the slave who saved her brother's life, but perhaps advocating for the lives of slaves in Volantis might have been a better way to help them if she was so inclined. "must have been a beautiful bridge" ? really? I imagine the uncertainty of war and all this King in the North business went to Robb's head but he sealed his (and everyone else's) death warrant with that action and his mother (sitting on quite a low horse) barely tried to explain the ramifications of his actions.
Catelyn Stark is a time traveller. period. and also...what was the deal with Jaime exactly? Were they supposed to just release the girls because you held up your end of the bargain? It's already been established that you (the Starks) had the higher hand and now...sigh
Also, Robb in coming to terms with the fact that Stark sisters for Jaime is a lopsided trade despite your love for your sisters you've shown that you can think objectively...and yet, when it came to your own personal life...sigh.

A (Lord/King) Stark doing something he shouldn't

A Stark doing something she shouldn't

Stark Sidebar, Arya...you could have read Tywin's letter and duplicated it...what were you actually planning on doing by stealing it? A girl just wasted a name

A Stark doing something she shouldn't

3. Cue the first speaking black actors- Salladhor Saan the pirate who wants to French Connection UK the queen and Xaro Xhoan Doxos a self proclaimed savage, both from the Summer Isles. See my other post on the racism that is GOT as well as other write ups for more on this issue. Given the direction the books went, perhaps it was better off this way.
 

4. That moment when Melisandre whispers she'll give Stannis a son...now I remember our issues with the misogyny of it all. Some will say that's how it was in the past that never was. No sir, that's how it is right now.  All this 'I'll give you a son', you're just a woman/girl business does get quite tiring. And I'm not sure when GOT passed the beschdel test, but it definitely wasn't this season.


5. Why isn't Danny heading for Dorne? isn't her murdered sister in law Elia Martell Dornish? isn't that the first ally she should look at making? Oh...I forgot, Rhaegar eloped with/kidnapped someone else...

Prince doing something he shouldn't,A Stark doing something she shouldn't

6.  What ever happened with the Dornish ships? This is was a culmination of one of the best statecraft scenes in GOT.



Sidebar, Tyrion actually did a lot as Hand and even though evil father-hated son negotiations are no one's speciality, he could have 'managed his emotions' 'sat in his fathers chair' and had a plan in order to better advocate for himself. Can you ever reason with a person who thinks irrationally when it comes to you or your cause? 


7. Shout out to the Music of GOT, none of this is new but the hair standing on end and tears (what tears?) seem to be super reactive the second time around

Re-watching GOT S1

I was really hoping that I would have a fancy HD Amoled (is that a thing?) retina display TV and non bootleg versions so as to better appreciate the intricate craftsmanship that goes into the GOT costumes and set design. Unfortunately, all I've managed to do is watch half of season 1 four times, in a bid to convert the unconverted. On the plus side, the impending ending of the series has spurred me on to actually complete Season 1 and here are my take-aways;

1. This is quite possibly the best made season. The first and last time the show runners had any creative peace and in retrospect, the fastest moving season. Not only were we introduced to Ned Stark, convinced that he was the good guy, the not-so-smart guy, the guy who finally realises that he'd rather play the game (of thrones) than die...but dies anyway. His beheading will go down as a moment in cinematographic history and for years became the main talking point of what differentiates GOT from the rest of the pack.


2. Khal Drogo and Daenarys have been our #couplegoals for so long that we forgotten that she went from abused teen, to forced bride, to Stockholm syndrome sufferer to khaleesi, to mother to widow to mother of dragons in JUST one season.  Sidebar, why aren't we all about #CatNed? that's probably the healthiest relationship in the whole GOT-verse!
  

3. The Starks are dumb. 
Bran 'don't climb-he climbs, don't ride far he rides' Stark
Who at all is parenting Rickon? forget running away and being adopted by a pack of wolves, they literally adopted a pack of wolves to foster him in his own home! 
Catelyn 'jumping to conclusions' Tully-Stark, 
Rob 'what does she look like' Stark. Is that really what you want to know?  (we'll get into how much worse this gets later)
Sansa 'oh Sansa,' Stark. We hate to admit it, but we secretly feel like she eventually got her just deserts so...not much to say there. I mean she was raised to sing, sew, smile and marry well. She became laser focused on the heir to the Iron Throne as expected, no surprise there.
Ned, who after all of Cersei's crimes - pushing a young boy to his death, sending an assassin to finish the job, poisoning the Hand, passing off her brother's kids as the kings, essentially usurping the usurper- he still though it wise to run up on her all "I know what you've done every summer" without back up? underestimating a woman much?
Arya seems to be the only one that doesn't attract TV projectiles but...we're still watching her...closely.

4. I didn't get that Theon wasn't a Stark till much much later, and if we're going to call Danny a victim of kidnapping then let's give Theon the same benefit of the mental health doubt (RE what happens later) but he was Robb's Ride or Die (literally) all through S1 and this makes his subsequent actions even harder to fathom.


5. So...Ross just up and internally migrated South and ended up in the brothel du jour and eventually confidante to a member of the small council?


6. Missed the fact that Commander Mormont sent an un-dead hand South way back in S1? we've had proof all this time!? now I get why Cersei was so blase about the display from S7...you know the one John Snow went all the way back deep into Nigh King territory in order to grab a 'sample' and led to the death-undeath of Viserion.

7. How did we miss how annoying Jon Snow was? OMG! how did we overlook his pompous sulking? He really knew nothing. "Nobody understands?" my ass.