The Companion

SHHHHH. He is like Beetlejuice. If you say his name three times, he shows up and comes in second place. *shudder* Glad to see production continues to be run by the drunk summer interns.

He alluded to frozen/watched accounts on the phone with his clients. My guess is he intentionally had the account in her name too so it would be harder to find. I don't think that was all his money. I think that was his bug out money.

I disagree. We saw Arya make the conscious decision to return to her family, and we have seen her starting to recognize the value of having people around her. We saw her seek the comfort of another person before battle. Beyond that, she has been re-assessing her list for awhile now. She has run into and interacted with people on her list without killing them. Blind vengeance has started to become less of a goal for her. The Hound was really the only person who could have made the point. He spent his life in service of vengance, and it got him nowhere. I think this is a natural turning point for her. I agree. Maybe she will train young women in the art of sword fighting. I find this week to be completely different than the combat she previously faced. In the Battle of Winterfell, she saw combatants die. She fought soldiers. She has seen plenty of death, but this was the death of civilians. Killing an opposing soldier is really different than killing children. Technically, you have the set up for 4 of the major families to be populated by the original Stark kids. Tyrion and Sansa (Lannister), Arya and Gendry (Baratheon), John (Targareyan) and Bran (Stark). This was a diplomatic decision. He would be grateful to her and therefore less likely to come after her. It was actually one of the few attempts at diplomacy I ever remember coming from her (rather than her advisors).

I didn't say he didn't deserve it. The point was her reaction, which was basically that he wasn't a dragon. It felt satisfying when it was against the bad guys, but the point is she has always been ruthless and sure of her destiny. This.

I am sorry, but I just don't see why people are so surprised that the woman who barely flinched when her brother was killed and who has never shown herself to be be particular interested in diplomacy or mercy decided to burn it all down. This was conquest. We didn't exactly hear stories of kindness and mercy from Robert Baratheon. We haven't seen a lot of kindness and mercy from those with power in the show. How is this a surprise? Hell, she told us at the beginning she didn't have love, all she had was fear. I enjoyed it. I am happy Arya made it and loved the disbelief at the horse out of nowhere. I am only disappointed by Cersei's end. I wanted more vengeance.

They both acknowledged that they grew together. He may have pushed himself harder because of her or matured more rapidly. We have seen that theme a lot this season: the effect caring about someone has on you. The way you change. So it is very possible that the drinking did it to original Ed while a failure to develop in other ways affected this Ed. They were notably bad shots, weren't they? Agreed that it is for drama but also is distracting. There was a line about restoring power. I am willing to hand wave that. The pee corner lives on! I loved the tonal shift/star wars feel of the alternative timeline. It was interesting that so much changed and I liked that there were multiple points that were affected. It wasn't just Ed. It was Isaac's relationship with the kids. Presumably also Kelly not being there to negotiate with the krill. This was a really enjoyable finale.

Fair point. Correction: negotiated concessions. Basically, what they proposed was immediately accepted with no negotiation which made it feel like they could have done more for the colony. A successful negotiation involves both parties being a bit unhappy, which this definitely fit in the sense that neither side "won." However, it seems to me that the Moclans came out substantially ahead at the cost of the colony, especially after their bad faith efforts to collect the women before a decision could be made. The cynical side of me says the Moclans show back up a few months down the road and destroy the colony or kidnap the women, given their behavior in this episode. Or that they apply pressure to prevent other members of the union from trade. Or that they otherwise feel empowered to throw their weight around. The colony has no representation, so how will they protest? They are restricted from growing their female Moclan population, so how will they gain enough residents to make an impact or become important players? Their best bet is probably that Moclan culture changes, and perhaps it will. Perhaps there will be widespread outrage that the government has hidden the truth about female babies. I am probably putting way too much thought into it, regardless. As I said, I thought the solution was unsatisfying. Not that it was necessarily dead wrong or even unreasonable. Just not what I would have liked to see were I rule of the universe/negotiating it.

I think it would have felt a little more satisfying if there had been some negotiations and concessions. Maybe that makes me a nerd. 🙂

I don't disagree with that, but it puts a pretty heavy burden on refugees. Presumably, nobody in the union is going to risk taking refugees, so we are really talking about finding another planet that is habitable and starting a colony (with no comparable protections from the Union and no defenses). The point is they essentially grandfathered in the existing refugees but provided no protection for future refugees. I think Heveena is right and it will happen again, but not without pretty heavy risk and potential consequences.

I was disappointed when more Moclans showed up at the beginning of this episode, because I feel like we have been dealing with the Moclans so much this season, and I am pretty sick of them but this ended up being a really entertaining episode and justifying some of the prior focus. Most importantly: Dolly Parton is a national treasure and, if anyone deserves to live on centuries from now it is that woman. I loved the 9 to 5 fight sequence and honestly the quote in the speech (which worked surprisingly well). It was a little frustrating to see all those cool aliens we haven't met. I hope next season will branch out a bit. The story itself was actually really great. Having to balance the values of the union against its security. I know some people have speculated on stun vs. fatal shots. At the end of the episode it looked like everyone was up, so I have to assume stun. Still, it was interesting that the Mochlans felt secure in going down to the planet before a final vote was tallied. I am not sure I would trust them to honor the vote. Klyden continues to be awful. A lot of people have noted how little contact he has outside of quarters. I think this was a good way to drive that home. I did find it surprising that he would even allow his son to be taught by a woman. The culture clash aspect is really interesting to me, even if I would really like to explore it in a different context. I found the diplomatic solution rather unsatisfying. It saved the women in that colony, but now other females have nowhere to go.

I agree with all of this. Contrast the state of Winterfell with other castles we have seen in this show. Winterfell was running smoothly and it has been well established that Sansa took on that role. As I mentioned last week, she would have also prepared for the unlikely event of a siege (which we have seen multiple times in this show, but which seems unlikely from the Night King). We literally saw how important grain supplies were last season when Cersei sent troops for grain in addition to gold. She would be responsible for balancing the books, coordinating and managing all matters of the castle including lodging, food, ensuring care of the animals, etc. It isn't a fun watch, but it is clearly getting done because Winterfell was a machine. The forges were running, the animals were kept, people were being given food and battle stations, etc.

I don't think copyright is really an issue here. You can have similar stories, so long as one does not copy the other. While this show is similar to other shows that have gone before it, it is not the same. The characters are not the same. The plots are not the same (even if there are some elements that overlap). It's why the movie The Worst Witch didn't prevent JK Rowling from writing Harry Potter which didn't prevent Lev Grossman from writing The Magicians. There is certainly going to be some blowback if it isn't original enough, but it isn't a direct or even indirect copy and doesn't seem close to copyright issues to me. Honestly, the comparisons drive me a little bonkers. Yes, this was like certain things that went before it (see also Her and Vanilla Sky) but I think it stands alone. I don't find the comparisons add much to analysis of the episode, personally. Maybe part of it is that I read a ton of sci fi, so it is also a lot like so many books I have read (I prefer space exploration books), so the comparison isn't as jarring to me? I am going to be honest that I didn't love this episode as much as most people in this thread did. I think it was partially because it didn't feel like it fit where it was put. Something about this episode felt like it was intended to go at a different point in the season, though I am not sure I would have appreciated it earlier because we had too many love interest stories. I actually like the discussion of what is real, who we love, etc. Admittedly, it is one of my favorite issues to examine in Westworld and similar fiction. What is identity and what makes us human/real/a person? I liked that they played it straight. Gordon clearly liked her personality. There wasn't some groundhog day scene where he was trying to get into her pants, or some creepy tweaking of who she was to make her like him. They genuinely connected and he felt like a different person with her. I enjoyed watching him try to put that into words. Why is this different than other simulations? Well, I think it was more about the effect on him. She was more real to him, their connection was more real to him. Honestly, I don't see this as a tech sex toy (though that is clearly acceptable in this society) as much as it is getting lost in a fiction and being changed by that fictional scenario. They had sex, but Gordon was hanging out with her and not just for the sex. He was playing pictionary. He wanted his friends to meet her. He was all in on this fantasy life. Beyond that, we didn't seem him reliving his favorite (or the dirty) parts. And he let the idea of her go, which again says to me that this was more than just attraction/sex. I think it is arguable that she was the same person as the real Laura. Inevitably the computer would have had to fill in the blanks somehow. It would have had some information about her life, her friends, her interests, etc. However, there would have been huge gaps. I actually suspect the computer filled those gaps with other programs which may explain why she WAS so into him, given what we have seen of other simulations. Unfortunately for Gordon, he was dating a fictionalized version of the woman he thought he knew anyway. Does that make it better or worse? Who knows. At what point does she become real? I think we can say that Gordon would fall into the Westworld line: If you can't tell, does it matter? I see some discussion of finding out what happened to her. Sadly for Laura, it is not clear what he could have found about someone who lived 400 years ago. Even with better record keeping, records are eventually purged. Maybe he could have accessed vital statistics, but what would that have told him? That she died? Perhaps whether she married and divorced, though those records are not as publicly available. Unless she made it big, chances are she was largely forgotten from a record keeping standpoint. The smoking side-story just didn't entertain me. I suspect part of it was just being a little sick of Bortus and Klyden and their dynamic. I can't really explain it beyond that. Parts of it were funny (though I liked the moustache story better). I think it was just so different from the A Plot that I had trouble with the timing of it.

That is true. Winterfell's best advantage is the weather (which makes it hard for invaders) but that has no effect on the dead. As for the Dothraki, they are known for being difficult to fight in an open field, right? Robert Baratheon said that and we saw how deadly they were last year. Each army relied on it's own techniques. None of them did much against the dead. This was never a winnable battle. The goal was to keep them engaged and survive as long as possible.

I still vote for: falls down the stairs after being tripped by Ser Pounce, who she thought she had killed but who survived.

The dragons were being held back for the Night King (and they knew they couldn't win if he didn't come). The battle strategy acknowledged they couldn't win without getting the Night King. They were pressed to have enough weapons for the soldiers they did have. I am not sure there were a lot of extras. Beyond that, I think the general philosophy was that if the dead get into the crypt (ignoring that they were already there), all is lost anyway. The weapons were therefore more useful outside. I agree. There has been a lot of complaining about Sam not going to the crypt for the same reason. She had 0 training. When it became apparent that the dead were going to overrun Winterfell, there was no reason to have her outside distracting everyone. It could have been ash. I agree that she came down believing everyone was dead. The Dothraki didn't even slow the dead down. Look, it took me 10 years and a lot of medical intervention, but I know others that it happened on immediately. A one night stand can absolutely lead to pregnancy. Doubly so in fiction. I agree. I thought the tension was palpable. Beyond that, trying to surprise your audience just for the sake of surprising them is not great storytelling. The "twist" here was that we watched Jon running towards Bran, and wondered whether he was going to get there in time or whether Bran was going to do something and here comes Arya to do her thing. That being said, I just don't think they needed to have a bunch of "shocking deaths" to make it a great story. In fact, no death COULD have been shocking. I had seen people call every single character's death. To me, the episode was great because you felt the tension. I think there will at least be a reversal where Sansa, Tyrion and the crypt gang take center stage while the battle-heavy characters are sidelined and frustrated. I also don't really see why people are surprised by this. The entire show has told us that the end game is the throne. Beating the NK wasn't the end goal to me. We have seen a pure conqueror lead in Robert Baratheon and it didn't ensure longevity. We have seen a political maneuvering machine lead in Cersei and I don't think it will ensure longevity either (at the moment, she doesn't even have an heir). I think the only way this story ends and feels like an ending is if we have someone who hits both marks or has enough people around them to cover both. I also have said for a long time that Jon was facing north and focused on combat because that is what he knew. Sansa was facing south and focusing on political intrigue because that is what she knew. They were both right and they were both wrong. Sansa has seen it on her end. It is time for Jon to see the other side. This is a completely accurate description of her. There is nothing left for her. Power is power and she doesn't care about anything else. Agreed, as I noted above. I think the answer has to be a combination of the brutality and strength from this episode and the strengths of Team Crypt. Having thought through it a bit more, I think Arya was perfect. Not only did her storyline lead directly to this point, they also told us from the beginning that this was not a war that could be won. This was not a head to head battle and it never could have been. It was an assassination. They had no chance in battle. The sole chance was getting to the Night King. Everyone knew it going in. The only character who could pull off and assassination was Arya. The show hasn't been leading up to last night, it has been leading up to what comes next. Last night was a huge battle, but the final battle always had to be for Kings Landing.

Arya Stark! Amazing. I am sure I will have all the thoughts tomorrow but for now I am gonna revel in Lady Mormont and Arya Stark being amazing.

I really liked the treaty point. I expect fallout with Isaac just like we had with the Bortus story. But the more interesting thing to me is the result on Union-Krill relations. I also appreciate the follow-up on pee corner. 🙂 It felt odd that there was no resolution one way or the other. I have to assume she wasn't handed over to the Krill because of the omission. Still, I found myself wondering what happened to her. He fought pretty well and looked pretty nourished. I suppose we have no way to know what the conditions look like, but it would seem his basic needs were cared for. In the end, I found the fake daughter thing to be fairly predictable, but still enjoyed the story. I loved that Yaphit got some recognition and I found the potential treaty interesting. I am really liking Talla. I miss Alara but Talla has been a great addition.

I liked the resolution too. Isaac doesn't come by redemption easily and forgiveness is not immediate. Agreed. Yaphit as more than a punchline was a good choice here. Why have a character with an entirely unique anatomy if you aren't going to use it in storytelling? I find Ty tedious and unrealistic. He wanders off the ship, tries to run through the guards and otherwise acts like a little plot device (his delivery of his lines is also terrible). I have a 5 year old and hang out with a lot of kids. Wandering off is maybe realistic, though I think most kids that age would be too timid to do so, but he is definitely old enough to understand the gravity of the situation and to be terrified. The idea that he tries to run through guards is ridiculous. If he saw Isaac and tried to run to him, sure. His dialogue is also just clunky. I swear sci fi writers just can't write kids. I think Killjoys was the only show that added a kid who was interesting. But they aren't a people who have been to war other than in the initial uprising. They haven't had time to develop spacefaring weapons. We know they built these while the Orville was on planet. They haven't developed space based weapons and would have likely started with existing knowledge. Their ships were visibly better at handling, had better weapons, and were harder to destroy. It seemed plausible that they would be upgraded versions of existing technology. Agreed on both points. It is tedious and boring to have episode threads full of constant comparisons without substantive comment. "This was like 'Episode Name'" doesn't open a dialogue. I hear the complaints about this being predictable but I don't mind that. It feels like the current trend is to try and shock viewers. It rarely works given the rampant speculation online (see, e.g. Westworld) and it is often infuriating or tedious (last season's treatment of Arya and Sansa on GOT comes to mind). The Magicians just had a season finale where shocking the audience too precedence and it was not well received or a good choice, IMO. There are only so many stories you can tell, so the real measure is how well they are told. Do we love the characters? Do we think about it later? I enjoy this show and think it deserves to stand on it's own. If this episode did anything, it reinforced that this is a legitimate (if silly) sci fi franchise. I am looking forward to seeing how the tension continues to build among the worlds.

I can't buy that she forgave him so quickly. He made a decision based on his own selfish motives (so he didn't lose her). He didn't even bother to justify it with: "we have seen being a god corrupts" or "I didn't think you would be okay with outliving all your friends." He explained he didn't want to lose her as if she was other Julia. I don't buy that Julia is a-ok with that. I would be okay if it made sense, and I still think they may start writing and realize they have a good strong way to justify it. The show has brought people back multiple times. It wouldn't be unheard of. But they better do it well if they walk this back.

Worked for Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

I sort of love that we were all sitting here coming from the future and watching in horror. A bit of solidarity for us all? Totally agree with your point about giving him something at the end. His father would have made a lot of sense, as we had to see him mourning his father this season.

This one has hit me hard too. I was thinking about going back to watch A Life in the Day and got too sad about watching Quentin. It is both a testament to the writers who have written characters we care deeply about and anger inducing towards them because the decision is so frustrating.

All of these things. I normally trust this show but this decision is baffling and infuriating. Even though the sendoff was beautiful, it is problematic. Yesterday, when I saw your post I wanted to tell you DON'T DO IT. STOP WATCHING NOW.

I agree with all of this. Not only is he bisexual, he seems pretty comfortable with his sexuality. There was no surprise when he woke up next to Eliot. There was no resistance to the idea of a long term relationship with Eliot. Describing him as "mostly straight" or "really straight" is a disservice to the character and reinforces this harmful idea that bisexual individuals are really just secretly straight or gay. I say it in a later thread, but I will say it here too. Quentin is a really great character because his sexuality is so consistent with his character. He is a person who has deep connections to a few people. I suspect, if pressed, he would describe himself as being attracted to the person/to someone's personality.

Sir Brienne! I loved that she got knighted so much. Also, her face when Tormund told the Giantsbane story almost killed me. I have to admit I am giggling a bit about everyone being squicked out about Arya having sex. I feel like your first couple of homicides really mature you. I am not generally a shipper but I admit I thought it was a sweet moment. I actually really enjoyed all of their interaction. Oh, Lady Mormont, you are a delight. Please don't get murdered next week. Meanwhile, Greyworm and/or Missandei: totally doomed. Making adorable plans for the future? Come on guys. I really enjoyed the scene where they were trying to figure out what to do with Jamie. Daenerys listened to Sansa, and they collectively discussed/advised. I also enjoyed the common ground scene between Sansa and Daenerys. Sure, nothing was resolved and there is a remaining issue that really can't be at the moment, but it was nice to see the two come together and I would like to see more of it. I enjoyed Tyrion and Jamie. I also enjoyed Sir Jorah's point about making mistakes and learning from them. There was this building tension in the episode. You know something terrible is coming. I don't know if I will be ready next week.