The Syndicate

NOPE. NOPEDIDDYNOPENOPENOPE.

I was STOKED about The Hound, even more that he is gonna kick some ass.

Lyanna Mormont was AWESOME and that kid radiated strength but was not petulant so major kudos to that young actress. Ser Davos FTW as per usual, and I love that Tormund was all "lets go bitches" to the Wildlings.

The rest of it was pretty meh. One of my least favorite eps so far this season.

Really? This was my second favorite episode so far. No Dany was a plus, as well as no Tyrion (make no mistake I love Tyrion, but I agree with Rico that it seems like they have no idea what to do with him right now) and all of the dialogue was really engaging in this one.

Lol, off-screen kills... in GoT... Granted, Arya's blind D'Artagnan moment was a nicer touch, cinematically, but still a cop out in terms of explaining how she'd ever have gotten the upper hand on a Waif that was superior to her until then. Also, the facial expressions of the Waif whilst chasing Arya in town are simply not great acting choices.

Anyway, I feel this arc has been cut off short of potential. If this is the last we see of the Faceless and Jaqen H'gar, what to understand, really, of this myth and this cult? Has Arya really gained any skills besides sharpening her assassin ones? Can she become a Faceless right now or anything in particular? Just feels like the showrunners, at least, resorted on an "Arya who shall remain a Stark at heart" angle rather than her becoming a more independent pawn.

I felt nothing about the other stories and thus most of the episode. No wait, if there's one big low, it has to be that I can't stand any more of Tyrion wasting away in Meereen. Whoever came up with the idea that Tyrion with Missandei and Whatever-His-Name bantzing in a room needs to happen for two-thirds of a season deserves to be chased by a dragon. [/size]

The show has all but ruined all my favorite characters. Tyrion scenes are funny, but a waste of a talented actor and an important character.
I don't want to even get started on how they have destroyed Jaime. How will he redeem himself?

I'm so happy to have the Hound back. This is one of the few characters I just adore both the show and book version. The actor is really nailing it.

I'm a little disappointed with the off screen deaths. While I think it kind of worked this episode with Arya, not seeing the Blackfish's final battle sucked. I didn't like most of that scene. I didn't find it believable that all the Tully men would side with stupid Edmure. (I think I'm having a hard time here too because the actor plays such a convincing baddie on Outlander.)

FUCK YES ARYA

largely agree with you guys on the rest

I'm not too sure how I feel about that last episode overall. I tried to not dismiss the ending of Arya's No One arc as best as I could but the more I think about it the more I really do think everyone's right and that it's pretty damn bad. I hope I change my mind as time goes on, perhaps future events will make it seem like a more purposeful arc in the long run but as of right now it just feels like a major disappointment. And while I didn't seem to mind Tyrion's banter with Grey Worm and whatshername as much as a lot of other people, Dany's return was absolutely cringeworthy. It's bad enough that I called it but even if I didn't the way it was done was just really bad.

That being said however, the non-Dany and non-Arya parts of this episode I liked quite a bit, particularly Jaime and Cersei's parts. So I have mixed feelings about it overall. Mainly I'm looking forward to the final episode (not the next one so much because I'm not a fan of the episodes that are battle-heavy) to see how this strange season wraps up. Depending on the conclusion I could see it being one of my favorite or one of my least favorite seasons. As of right now it's totally up in the air.

Well, I was hoping for a Winterfell-only episode, overall. The Meereen scenes were not very useful, but at least they won't clog the finale next week, I suppose. I dislike the focus set more on Theon/Asha, because that means Euron badassery is still at too low. Euron badassery, people! Give us the goods!

As for the battle, I wonder if I'm a bastard (no pun intended) for having mixed feelings about it, because all in all it was gruesome and chaotic and hard to pull; but it didn't fell as compelling as Hardhome, for instance. The chaotic part was also technical, at times. It also felt like a replica of Blackwater, in terms of dynamic and change of tides, if you think about it and center it all around Tyrion / Jon, respectively.

I also have an issue with how much things were foreshadowed: Erie's army coming to save the day, Rickon being a gonner from the moment he was captured by Bolton, even Ramsay losing and then being fed to his pups being poetic justice.

Davos was in less danger than I anticipated, but I'm starting to feel that Tormund is being kept around for fan service (and maybe the lumberjack demographic of viewers? idk)

I almost feel like Jon came out losing out of this one - his own army almost slaughtered by Ramsay's superior tactics, then nearly losing humanity in beating Ramsay up to a pulp, etc. He has yet to exhibit anything Azor Hai-esque and it'll be interesting to see how he can become acknowledged as the leader of Wildlings, northern Houses, Erie and alike...if at all, I mean.

Just watched it. Wow. Damn. I think that episode was pretty close to perfect, for what it was. Except for Rickon -- there had to be a loss there but it was still really disappointing especially since I've always thought that GRRM had huge plans for Rickon going into the end of the series.
But yeah, wow that battle was incredibly well done from start to finish. I'm not usually much of a battle fan but that was just incredibly impressive and captivating all the way through. The chaos of the fight, the crowded barricade, the dramatic entry of the Vale army with Sansa's smile, Jon's descent into savagery, the giant's demise, Jon beating Ramsay to a pulp and then deciding to leave him for Sansa to finish off and then finally her turning the hounds on him. Just. SO. GOOD.
I even have to say I enjoyed the Meereen scenes quite a bit too. Grey Worm was fantastic, and I liked Dany meeting the Greyjoys -- and might I add that Dany/Asha is the ship I never knew I wanted

DO NOT WATCH
If you have not seen epidode 9

I LOL watching it, and I thought to share it

I have been thinking for a while that Danny is going to go mad crazy eventually at the end, but now Tyrion is mentioning/hinting so much, that if that happens then is gonna be sort of obvious

Also no one big major has died, (I was sad at Hodor dead ) (And we barely knew older Rickon), (And Ramsey had it coming) but I think something major is got to happend tomorrow finale season episode, maybe Cersie dies at the end of the seven gods, I need a shocking end, but I guess if I thought about i, and it happends then it will not be shocing, haha

And Jon Snow

Welp.

I wonder if the Valar Morghulis is starting to sound like it's meant to be taken literally, lol. This might sound odd, but I'll be curious if GRRM in the books will have actually envisioned this shift towards matriarchy. The show, honestly, gives a feminist tone. Cersei, Dany, Asha (except for the threat of Euron), Dorne Snakes, Arya, even bossy Lady Mormont... Everyone except Sansa has basically ended in a commanding position (or at least hopeful one).

Anyway, apart from a theory confirmation that seemed confirmed eons ago, I bet this episode will mostly displease the bookies. The shocking stuff was clearly whack, the rest of puzzle pieces placing in for the finale, which was not uncommon for a lengthy season wrap-up. So I really won't go into detail. I still can't tell if Varys showing up in Dorne and then on Dany's boat is a goof, cause lmao, high back-channel dimensional travel skills there. And I guess Arya did in fact master to be a Faceless warrior...after...a lot of bodies washing and one mission she failed to carry through and having to survive her assassination? Coolio.

Basically, I think things are shaping up as Cersei becoming the Mad Queen and fighting Dany for the Throne. With House Tully and Frey broken and the North alligned with neither, Targaryen (with half the Greyjoys and apparently Dorne and Tyrell) vs Lannisters seems like a good distribution of forces. Jon might get caught up in this or might just fight the Night King. I can see the former only if he'll need to rally every living soul on the planet against the Walkers. I know, I know, RLJ, ergo rightful claimer, but I just don't feel it at the moment.

I can see two more seasons being fitting for this entire development, overall.

Pros of the season:
-- more focused, overall, and pushing most of the stories in a significant direction. I think the stretchiest bit of the season was basically King's Landing.
-- some of its best episodes for me were NOT the hyped ones; that shows some style
-- making a stronger case than ever that this is not your usual type of heroes & villains fantasy, in the bigger picture; I really see no clear good & evil portrayal here anymore, just a literal game for that freaking throne in which all sides are on the wrong side; for all its clickbait style, I found this Vox article quite good

Mixed:
-- since there is little book material left to judge the season by, I'll say it would prove to have had its "textbook" moments and its "what are you doing" moments; the writing has felt lost at bay at times, surprisingly inspired other times, too

Cons:
-- Dorne. Laughable.
-- Tyrion. Reduced to a shadow.
-- Going with Tyrells being cast on the complete losing side. Feels pretty bad. It is my understanding that Mace Tyrell was planned to just appear to be a goofing twat, when in fact cooking some serious stuff behind the curtains. "No guys let's just blow him up". Ok.
-- Can't. Take. Any. More. Episodes. Or Seasons. That Cut. To Black. After A Scene. Of Dany. Looking. On Top. Of Things. She. Is Not. A Heroine. For Christ's Sake. I counted at least 4, is this a season record?
-- Euron development. Frak you. (With Daario now pushed aside, the theories regarding his nature seems thrown away, too.)
-- Foreshadowing, and not even trying to be subtle about it. Mainly concerning the Battle of the Bastards, but even some of the stuff in the finale.

Lyanna Mormont for President

WOW. I loved that. Rico, you're right there are certainly some things that I'm questioning/disappointed in, but overall I really enjoyed the finale and most of the season. Sad to see Margaery et al gone and Cersei on the throne, that was actually pretty unexpected, but I actually liked the cinematic execution of it. As usual, I feel pretty meh about Dany/Tyrion/etc and much more excited about the Stark end of things. I'm glad they did the R+L=J thing, I loved Arya offing Frey, I love Lyanna Mormont. The real star of the show though for me was Ramin Djawadi. The soundtrack was absolutely STUNNING all the way through.

I enjoyed this assessment of the episode, it touches on a few fun things.

An entertaining finale, but also one with few surprises. The wildfire thing was foreshadowed obviously, the only surprise was that poor Margaery couldn't escape. Arya knocking Walder Frey off her list was fun, but why couldn't that have happened 5 episodes ago? The whole episode felt like setting the table for the conclusion of the series, and when I think about it, that's how this whole season felt.

I agree with nutella about the music though. Lots of new and beautiful themes in the finale!

I liked the finale a lot, I can't even think of any nitpicks. Even the Dany stuff was great for me.

I'm pretty much on auto-pilot at this point with watching this series, i.e. whatever they throw, I'll just watch it. The first two episodes both seemed to place pieces on the final chess board - at least until ep2's all-hell-break-loose ending (which was, echh, Euron-in-need-of-hype disposing of disposable characters; it's not like Cersei was going to get KO'd in just half of a penultimate season.

Have to say, though, ep2 especially hit me with some cringe, boring writing. Jon's scenes this episode have literally been copypasta from the previous one - it's either sitting with Sansa or having board meetings in which to deliver heroic, kinglike speeches. I also feel for Jorah, but during his medical scene with Sam, they both exhibited facial gestures that made me actually chuckle rather than take it as a dramatic moment. So there goes tone out the window.

Arya keeps having nice scenes, but otherwise I have genuinely no idea which plot I'm supposed to be that invested in.

The rushing pace of these final two seasons is beyond ridiculous, in relation to how they need to make up for six sluggish previous ones. Tyrion moved from the Reach to Dragonstone to King's Landing within 30 minutes of one single episode. It's even more inconsistent, considering the Walkers, on the other hand, seem apparently to be advancing at the pace of ten steps a day, just because they need to fulfill a finale season showdown material.

Even without having read the books, the feeling of this final stretch being watered down is so strong, I might contemplate actually reading the last two books of how GGRM planned the saga to en- oh wait he'll never write them. Plus, if anyone heard of the spoilers from the supposed hacking (and it does seem to go according to what was leaked, thus far), you'll know it'll only get worse. The show has entered Twilight tier at this point. I refuse to be fooled by this crappy and rushed of a plot, only because it's supposed to be entertaining and because dragons.

The show seems to have forgotten about Euron and Casterly Rock gang completely. It's been two episodes. Two *rolleyes*

Jon's performance is beyond annoying at this point - all his entries are speech after speech after speech. Same tone, same mannerisms.