Snowblack

Jon Snow and Mance Rayder, Season 4, Episode 10 Mance: He was their king. Last of a bloodline that stretches back before the First Men. Jon: Grenn came from a farm. Mance: Mag and Grenn Jon: Grenn and Mag I love Jon Snow's way of showing that Grenn's life is just as important at the last king of the giants.

I just realized that Arya heading across the sea to Bravos means she won't be reunited with her wolf. :( I had so hoped they would find one another, and Arya would have a link to her family other than the tool she uses for killing.

When Bran and company started through the root tunnels, I started chanting "Benjen, Benjen, Benjen." I had such hope! :( I guess the old guy will have to do. So I'm wondering whether the multitude of crows that gathered when the White Walker came for Gilly's baby were in fact controlled by the old man. I assumed that when he spoke of "flying" he meant crows. But the thought that it was dragons is an interesting one, especially since the black dragon is AWOL and going through his teenage rebellious years.

Thanks for sharing the music Shimpy. Anyone else?

I'm rewatching the episode now, and my first thought is thank goodness I didn't see the "Previously On" my first time through. That would have ruined it. What a perfect ending to a great season! The Starks are making a comeback! All four of them are poised to truly come into their own in season 5. I expected many things, but I never suspected Arya would leave the Hound to die a lingering death, that Brienne would meet up with Arya, and that Arya would refuse to join her and run off to Bravos instead. What a wonderful series of twists. Dany's scene was heartwrenching. So much for Breaker of Chains. And Tyrion! I'm so proud of him, taking care of business before he goes. I didn't expect Varys to become his traveling companion. I would love to see the adventures of Tyrion and Varys. I just hope Varys has a good Plan B after leaving everything behind in King's Landing. I loved the moment of decision in his eyes when he heard the bells tolling. It reminded me of the scene between Tyrion and Varys about bells before the battle of Blackwater. And I guess Tyrion has done Cersei a great favor, and Loras Tyrell and even greater favor. The question is whether Cersei will find a way to oust Margaery before she marries Tommen. And whether Jaime is doing anything more than using Cersei. Let's hope that's all it is. Stannis was a surprise. I expected him last week. Lol. I like the discussion between Stannis and Jon. I guess the good thing about Stannis is that he is willing to give respect when respect is due regardless of station. And Mance Rayder's refusal to bow was laudable. I enjoyed that he was true to his principles, beaten or not.

I think the final scene will be Bran finding...something. I don't know whether he gets north to that tree or if he just finds more people to help him on his quest. But I think it will be a breathtaking final moment that opens the door to many possibilities in the north for next season, just as the White Walker staring at Sam did.

Random thought: Now that we know there are mammoths north of the Wall, and we already knew there were Zombponies, when can we expect to see Zomammoths? *shudder* That's a scary game-changer.

The show built this up so much, week after week. 100,000 Wildlings bearing down on the Wall as the Night's Watch leadership does nothing to prepare, and then the pivotal episode is more the first skirmish in a siege than an epic battle for the north. Had this been an episode 7, I would have loved every moment. Except for the slow reaction to Giants and Mammoths, of course. So I'll put my disappointment aside, and revel in the wonderful acting and storytelling in this episode while looking forward to the finale. The one thing that's still nagging me is Mance Rayder's plan. First, he attacked one of the few fortresses along the Wall that is even manned. Jon Snow told them which are guarded and which aren't. If the end game is to get your 100k men south of the Wall, why not pick a tunnel under an abandoned fortress? Second, why light a massive forest fire behind your forces? Why let the Night's Watch know you're coming? Send a warged bird with a message for your forces south of the Wall instead. Then attack without warning. The forest fire also gives them nowhere to retreat, and will presumably advance towards them, leaving their forces with no cover. The only positive I can see tactically is that the smoke might obscure the Wildlings' movements. The problem with that is that the Wildlings need to breathe. So I'm dubious about Mance's whole approach here. I wonder whether his ego and his need to best his former brothers hasn't gotten the better of him. One thought did occur to me about defenses for the next wave of the Wildling attack. The Night's Watch should have lined the tunnel with the dead, so that the Wildlings would have to battle through 100 or more zombies to get to Castle Black. That would have been a great force multiplier once the gate was successfully pulled from its hinges. But instead we get Jon Snow, the lone hero, heading North to miraculously stop 100,000 people whose only hope of survival is getting to the other side of the Wall.

Wow, I didn't even notice it. What a huge oversight. They made a big show of him handing over his sword (why not just wear a different one to begin with), and he leaves his only potential ally behind. Pontoon, I totally agree about Thorne. He led well and acted bravely all his arrogance in the previous episodes. What a great way for that character to go. There were so many other great deaths. Two of Jon's friends...I liked Grenn. I wish they had done more with his character before his death. I never cared for Ygritte, but her death scene was so good. The way Jon smiles at her, and you're not quite sure whether you see the same happiness returned in her face as that arrow pierces through her...it was perfect. They love each other despite the cruel circumstances, and it's a beautiful moment. Him cradling her body in the middle of a raging battle isn't so great. I liked Tormund fighting with all his might despite all being lost. To me, this was really Sam's episode. I loved him parsing the Night's Watch oath at the beginning. He missed his calling. And he's finally become a man. It was clear that Jon had come into his own, but Sam's transformation is unexpected and welcome. Now he needs to take Gilly and run. Unfortunately, I don't think he will. When Aemon was talking about a certain lady using her wiles on him, did anyone else think of Olenna/Emma Peele? Lol. Targaryans were all the rage, you know. It's a shame Aemon abdicated. I think he would have made a decent king. But who knows, maybe madness manifests itself with power and he made the right choice. Looking ahead, if Jon Snow's plan works, I'll be completely disgusted. All the tribes have come together for the sole purpose of fleeing south, and Jon thinks they'll go home if Mance Rayder dies? That's nonsensical. He left his wolf, his sword and his brain behind.

Sam Tarley, Season 4, Episode 9: "I'm not nothing anymore."

My initial reaction is that it was a good episode, but somehow I expected something more epic. The Wildlings' plan north of the Wall was a forest fire and yelling? Really? And the NW used the scythe on half a dozen climbers. Seems like a waste. I liked Ygritte's death though. Nicely done. And the mammoths were great. Otherwise, I'm a bit underwhelmed.

gingerella has an great point. Why does Mance Rayder only see the Night's Watch as an obstacle rather than a potential ally? He has united a number of tribes that have no doubt fought against one another at various times. So why isn't the Night's Watch just another tribe that he needs to unite in order for all of them to survive? I guess he in counting on the unyielding "Starkian" nature of the Night's Watch leadership preventing any sort of truce. Or maybe there has been enough slaughter over the centuries by the Night's Watch that an alliance is unthinkable. But it does seem odd, given the sort of threat all the Northerners are facing. This Winter is the very type of event that unites groups with completely different interests. Speaking of the White Walker invasion, what exactly is it they mean to do? Are they just going to kill everyone and turn them into zombies? Steal every baby in sight and turn it into one of them? Is there something they can do to turn Westeros into the Land of Always Winter? I don't have a feel for what their end game is.

Great spec! I have one you left out. Tywin: Worried about his legacy. Pro: Could get Jaime to leave the King's Guard and take his rightful place as Tywin's heir in return for allowing Tyrion to "escape." Con: He hates Tyrion's guts and may well believe in Tyrion's guilt. Also another pro for Varys: Could send Tyrion to allies in Easteros. Tyrion can join a traveling band of actors or a carnival and can send Varys information from all over Easteros. Or not.

This is a good point. The White Walkers are taking their sweet time. I assumed that as winter swept south, so would they. And we already have snow at the Aerie, so it seems like it's about time. The show definitely needs to get the Wall battle done this season and get on with events in the north. In the Roose and Ramsay scene, Roose Bolton is so pleased with himself and all the land he controls. And the Boltons are presumably moving their base of operations to Winterfell (the "new home" comment to Theon implied as much). It makes me believe that the Wildlings and White Walkers will be upon them next season. One thing this show is good about is not letting anyone rest on their laurels enjoying the fruits of victory for very long, and the Boltons are no exception. I think Moat Cailin may be the last victory the Boltons will have for the foreseeable future. Roose talked about how far he controls to the east, south and west, and he's about to find out that the one direction he gave no thought to is the most important.

I just rewatched most of the episode, and it's a different experience the second time. First of all, Alfie Allen is brilliant as Theon/Reek. The first time through, I didn't catch on that Bolton's forces were heading towards Winterfell in that last scene. Ugh. That's going to be heart-wrenching to see that flag raised over Winterfell. Roose Bolton's smug proclamations about the North just set up the chaos I expect next season as Wildlings ravage the North. The tables will finally turn, and he's going to have his hands full. But as horrible as the Boltons are, they might be just the people who can strike fear in the heart of the Wildlings just as the Wildlings strike fear in the hearts of average northmen. Both sides are utterly barbaric, and are well matched in that sense. Who would think I would ever hope for Winterfell to get overrun (again)? Even the second time, I laughed out loud at Arya. She is delightful. And the Hound looks to be in much worse shape than I noticed the first time. He was resting the arm on his injured side on the pommel of his sword, but that whole side looked just a bit droopy. I'm afraid the Hound won't be with us much longer. :cry: I'm not certain whether they got turned away from the Bloody Gate. If I were the gatekeeper, I wouldn't let that pair pass. So I think they're once again going to be wandering Westeros. The question is whether they will run into Brienne and Pod, the Hill Tribes, or Sansa, Little Finger and Robin before the Hound's inevitable demise. I've said before that I think Brienne would be a great mentor and influence for Arya, and I would love to see them meet up. I don't think the two sisters will meet, but imagine Arya's face if they did. Last she knew, Sansa was marrying Joffrey, and here she is with Little Finger, totally transformed. What an incredible scene that would be. I was laughing out loud this time at the beetle story when I realized that Cousin Orson is GRRM. He kills every living thing within reach without regard to merit, karma, beauty, good, evil...none of it matters. He is going to smash the life out of it. Gungh! Gungh! Gungh! And if there's one you like, he'll wait till you're watching to smash it. EXCEPT not Tyrion. Tyrion let that little isopod go on its way, and I felt a certainty that Cousin Orson isn't going to squash him. Finally, Ellaria's cape is quite clever. I hated it the first time I saw it, but then I realized that the peaks on her shoulders are meant to conjure a viper's ridges above its eyes. Looking at her is like looking straight into the face of a viper. "Don't leave me alone in this world." "Never." Ugh. Heartbreaking. I didn't watch the final battle. I'll save that for a night when I don't want to sleep. Lol. Oberyn needs to be avenged.