Pogojoco

Also, continuing on Dorne, I never quite got the idea of cutting Arianne and putting in pointless Sand Snakes. Cut three down to one, make her a real, fleshed out character and have her called Arianne. She doesn't have to be book Arienne, but what they did was just so dumb. Probably the dumbest thing they've done in six seasons of this show. It is interesting that it's basically a bunch of women in power vs Cersei- Sand Snakes/Elaria, Danaerys, Lady Olenna. Throw in Sansa, and it's all girls fighting it out and Jon Snow vs the Night King.

He might be going to Castle Black- not knowing Jon isn't there anymore. He can hang out near the Wall and not pass the Wall (if that is even a thing he can't do.) He can hang out with Dolorous Edd. Meera can send a raven to her father and Bran can send one to Winterfell. It's most definitely safer than the wilderness. Also, just generally, Jamie isn't heir to Casterly Rock. He's Kingsguard, which basically has the same vows as Night's Watch. Tyrion's been the heir for a while. Also, I doubt Jamie survives, but I completely see Tyrion living in both show and book.

People seem to forget Tyrion as a Lannister. He can be Lord of Casterly Rock and Hand of the Queen- Tywin was that for Aerys and for his grandsons. The lack of eligible young men for Danaerys to marry for political reasons is sort of hilarious. Jon (who she's related to), Tyrion, Robin Arryn, Jamie Lannister, and Littlefinger (I guess). War is a bitch. And I agree, the Jon Snow as deserter of the Night's Watch stuff is being weirdly glossed over. I get the King in the North stuff, just for his fighting, but they are just sort of going a long with it. I think Ramsey's the only one to have mentioned it in their pre-battle dick measuring.

The Vale also has a connection to the North through Ned Stark, who was warded there with Robert Baratheon when they were boys. Mad King Aerys killed Ned's father and brother and demanded Jon Arryn give up Ned. Jon Arryn refused, and that's what really got the war going. Some of those old knights would remember Ned and remember Jon Arryn's connection to him.

Few things- very satisfying episode, obviously. I'm glad R + L = J was finally confirmed. Congrats to everyone who called it 20 years ago. It was a beautiful scene. We got Manderley! We got Frey Pies! We got a King in the North! We have Danaerys sailing to Westeros! I think Arya is going to fulfill whatever important things Lady Stoneheart is going to do. She also is in the Riverlands- she might find Brienne. She might find the Hound again. She also might find her wolf. I read Jamie's face at the end realizing that Cersei is a mad king and he knows what he does to mad kings. Also, all the players now have connections to each other. Sansa, with connections to Danaerys (through Tyrion) and Dorne (through their alliance with Lady Olenna), in addition to her connection with the Vale, has the most powerful.

The thing I like about the dogs eating Ramsey is the poetry of it. I'll pretend the show dogs are all female dogs like they are in the book. Ramsey abused countless women- he names his dogs after the women. They are a symbol of his abuse of women. He abuses them by not feeding them, they come back and bite him. He abused Sansa and she comes back and bites him. Also, the smile was smug and Ramsey was the most smug dude in Westeros by a wide margin.

It`s where Val would fit in here. I understand that they need to cut characters from the books, but I also think this was a miss on the part of the show. She didn`t need to be exactly what she was in the book (sister in law to Mance, Wildling Princess), but someone to give a little more context to the Free Folk and another face besides Tormund. Someone to tease Jon Snow. I think she`s wry in the book and a bit mysterious (what do you mean you know where to find Tormund?) And completely different from Ygritte, which is nice. One of the best things about Martin`s work in general is the amazing variety of female characters in his work. No two are alike. We got boring Sand Snakes and no Val. Oh Show.

I think Ramsey was pretty scared when he realized the Vale cavalry was breaking up his pincer wall. Maybe not terrified, but he was definitely forced to eat some sh*t and maybe thought he had overplayed his hand or wasn't going to get his own way. I actually think my favourite bit was when Ramsey rides back to Winterfell and says, "Their army is smashed" and random Bolton soldier says "So is ours!"

She was at the little pre-battle meeting. She was not that into Ramsey.

I would also like to mention Miss Yara was rocking those leather pants. And was shot in such a way to show that she was rocking those leather pants. And yeah, I don't think Ghost should've been fighting. He would've been torn up. If anywhere, Ghost should've been up on the hill with Sansa and Lyanna Mormont or loping alongside Jon when he faced Ramsey pre-battle. He's much better as backup than in open battle. But they blew their direwolf budget on dragons.

Just for the record, wights only happen North of the Wall. Otherwise, there would be no crypt at Winterfell or anywhere. I asked that Ramsey die spectacularly, and he did. So I am a satisfied customer. Jon wailing on his face for a bit was fun, too. I was finally annoyed by Ramsey one last time by being such a great shot on poor Rickon. Serpentine, kid! I was still hoping Umber was a double agent, but whatever. I'm glad Tormund went full Street Fighter on him. I was worried for Rickon, Tormund and Wun Wun and I got two of three. Ramsey killing Wun Wun, just urgh. So do the remaining Umber/Karstark loyalists hang out? Do the other big houses (Manderleys?) show up? The battle was beautifully shot, especially the pincer shield wall and Jon being squished. You'd have to imagine that's how a lot of people died in ancient warfare- trampled. He was a bit of an idiot, letting Ramsey play him in the exact way Sansa described, but I also guess Ramsey was an idiot for leaving the castle, even with a bigger army. Ramsey was dumb for picking this fight in the first place. The opening scenes with the dragons and the Greyjoys. I thought Tyrion was a bit of a bitch to Theon- I know Theon was a jerk back in the day but all of Westeros (or close to it) had to have known he's been a prisoner of Ramsey since Winterfell was taken over. Does Theon need to take his armour off so Tyrion can see all the missing bits? I'm sort of happy Theon is now with a whole army of badasses who are also missing bits.

Wait.....what?

Killing Jon at Castle Black is dumb, too. How would that be advantageous to Ramsey strategically, as Warden of the North? Jon is not true born and he's a sworn brother of the Night's Watch- as far as being a player in Westeros, he's already dead. Roose Bolton was much, much smarter than Ramsey, who is a brat with impulse control problems. DIE!

And I would argue that Ramsey isn't actually that smart. He's just winning because the showrunners like him as a villainous placeholder while the White Walkers get cooking. I've not seen any strategy, other than killing his father so he can do what he wants and messing with Theon. He treated Sansa terribly so she ran away. That's dumb. This whole show down with Jon Snow is because Small Jon Umber dropped Rickon in his lap. Ramsey didn't look for allies, they just showed up. And honestly, the Karstark seems like an idiot and Small Jon didn't bend a knee. Trusting Small Jon Umber is probably dumb- I'm still wondering if it's going to come back and bite him- it's just too significant not pledging allegiance. That character made too much of an impression. If Ramsey didn't write a letter to Jon, would Jon be trying to take Winterfell back? Jon had pretty much given up Winterfell to him until the letter came and Sansa pushed him. Writing the letter- pretty dumb. Honestly, I really like Iwan Rheon in the part but if this character doesn't bite it spectacularly by the end of the season, I'm going to be annoyed.

Though there were a lot of great individual scenes, Edmure/Jamie- (except the Cersei love stuff- shut up, you're boring), The Hound stuff, a lot of the chase through Braavos. But overall, this didn't go anywhere. A lot of wheel spinning. I did like the idea of the Hound/Brotherhood heading North. I think everyone and their dragons should shut up and head North.

I also never had an issue with Grace. I preferred her in the first season, but once her secret was revealed and she was no longer a double agent, she had nothing to do except nag Tommy about legitimate business and look great in a finger wave. Her being a phantom is probably where it needed to go. Apparently David Bowie was a big fan of the show, so hearing his song used was great. Between Murphy and Hardy, that is some insane charisma. I almost wish the show was entirely Shelby the Gypsy and Solomons the Jew working together and double crossing each other. Solomons appraising the Russian jewelry was a great scene by Hardy.

I'm not quite buying the Glover refusal or the hostility against Robb. The northern houses made him king because they wanted him to fight Lannisters over Ned. The Freys are the oath breakers and what happened at the Red Wedding (betraying the guest right) is considered unforgivable. They wouldn't ever think Robb deserved it because of who he married, they would think "those Freys are going to pay." "It wasn't for murder the gods cursed the Rat Cook, or for serving the King's son in a pie... he killed a guest beneath his roof... that's something the gods can't forgive." Bran The Boltons teamed up with the Lannisters (bad) and Roose Bolton put a sword through his king's heart (very bad- doing that screwed Jamie Lannister up for life) Oaths are a key thing. These houses are Stark loyalists. These people got fired up when Ned was killed, yet don't want to fight the house that stabbed his son? That hold his other son captive? Just because they cleaned out some Greyjoys? I would accept the bit about not liking wildlings or maybe just being so depleted that they can't offer a lot, but not that whole speech to Sansa. Yay Hound! Yay Ian McShane! Yay! Bronn! Yay Blackfish!

Goodbye Hecate! I won't miss you at all. That dinner was crazy and made no sense. Can everyone go back to England now? Vannessa is lonely and making bad life choices.

I'm that person, but the Blackfish is Catelyn's uncle, not her brother. Edmure (Tobias!) is her brother.

What kind of witch can't summon water? An annoying witch? I'm going with yes. What is a Penny Dreadful episode without Eva Green? This, I guess. Wes Studi's voice is mesmerizing, though.

Benjen, Edmure, the Blackfish. It was really the Uncle Hour, wasn't it?

I'm not done the whole ep yet, but I'm very glad Benjen is back. I still don't think he's Coldhands in the book (Bran never recognizes him, children of the forest say he's really, really old) but him being Coldhands-esque in the show is fine.

Yeah, I basically took that as a great mystery in Varys' life and this priestess 1. knew about it 2. knew what it said, so it threw him.

No more Hodoring! Kristian Nairn was great in the role. He will be missed.

I remember him writing a lot of stuff around that time. I'm imagining there should've been a conversation after Bran/Rickon were "dead"/missing, where Robb wanted to and Caitlyn says no, bad idea. But there wasn't. In the book, though, there is.