S05.E08: Hardhome

[nksarmi]

Needle is castle-forged steel, not Valyrian steel.

ETA: Ok I swear its been called Valyrian steel several times on the show, but I can't confirm on a Google search right now.

Edited June 1, 2015 by nksarmi

[Chrissytd]

According to the GoT wikia, it's castle-forged.

 

This episode was amazing, especially the last half. It gave me chills (no pun intended).

[Cyranetta]

The title "Hardhome" was certainly appropriate, since almost every character is in a hard home. Jorah's "home" of the fighting pits is certainly hard, and he himself is turning hard from illness (although the image of his exit from the city ironically looked as if he were exiting a tomb into life). Cersei's new home could hardly be harder, and her lack of adaptability keeps her hard and her condition harder.

 

Sansa has come home to a hard life (and seeing the Bolton sigil on Winterfell in the opening credits is still an abomination), but some of that hardness has cracked with Theon/Reek's revelation.

 

Arya has a "hard row to hoe", but at least she chose it, and the fluidity of service to the Many-Faced God makes the hardness of her life easier to deal with.

 

The Wildlings hard attitude paralleled the hardness of the wood and stone smashed by the hardness of winter personified (and how strange that Dragonglass and Valyrian steel as hard things are able to overcome winter's minions).

 

Oddly enough, Tyrion's new life should be hard compared to his previous one, but I suspect he has found his true home as Hand of the Dragon, and I must admit I would happily watch a whole series of Tyrion's explaining Westeros/Essos history and politics to Daenerys. I just love the combination of his almost elegaic explanations spiced with a soupçon of impudence.

[WicketyWack]

I now have a new Happy Place Visualization: Cersei sucking the water off that dungeon floor. Thanks, Show! 

[AGuyToo]

ETA: Ok I swear its been called Valyrian steel several times on the show, but I can't confirm on a Google search right now.

 

Needle was made by the blacksmith at Winterfell. We see him finishing it in the pilot, as Jon Snow waits. It's the scene where Jaime comes to talk to (make fun of) Jon.

 

The secret of making Valyrian steel was lost in the Doom of Old Valyria. That's why it's so rare and why Valyrian steel swords are passed down through the generations. That's why Tywin had to appropriate Ned's sword so that the Lannister family could have two. Tywin couldn't just get a blacksmith to make one.

[AGuyToo]

I don't understand what Jorah hopes to accomplish. Dany sent him away for a second time, but he's trying to come back yet again. Why? What does he think is going to happen?

[Mya Stone]

I don't understand what Jorah hopes to accomplish. Dany sent him away for a second time, but he's trying to come back yet again. Why? What does he think is going to happen?

 

He's hoping she stops him from fighting? He's hoping to die while he's fighting? He's going to turn into a statue forever watching Dany? 

 

Okay, but seriously, I don't think this is about him coming back. I think it's to get her to stop the pit fighting. He knows she doesn't want to allow it. If he dies...she may be inclined to stop it. And it helps him avoid a most awful fate. 

 

[bluvelvet]

So yeah that happened...

We got another hint at a timeline mention here with Tyrion and Dany, when he told his story of the girl, he said after she was sold to Drogo (he didn't say his name but I knew what he meant) he heard years later she had acquired dragons. However people heard about the dragons in season 2, so is he says years passed or did I hear wrong.

Cersei in that prison, if she confessed she would get her punishment and go back to being Queen. Then she could get back at that Septa. As for Tommen, Cersei told him he can't barge in with soldiers or else he would start a war so she truly screwed herself. I assume he's starving himself to death to at least trying to. I suspect her in incest charge is with Lancel since he is her cousin and not Jaime or else they would have to declare Tommen illegitimate.

[nksarmi]

He's hoping she stops him from fighting? He's hoping to die while he's fighting? He's going to turn into a statue forever watching Dany? 

 

Okay, but seriously, I don't think this is about him coming back. I think it's to get her to stop the pit fighting. He knows she doesn't want to allow it. If he dies...she may be inclined to stop it. And it helps him avoid a most awful fate. 

 

I thought it was going to be as simple as he wanted to see her one last time before he died and this is how he could do it.

[Mya Stone]

I thought it was going to be as simple as he wanted to see her one last time before he died and this is how he could do it.

 

Or that. :p 

[Rocket]

Sweet Molly Malone thanks for bringing that Irish lovely to warm my part Irish ancestry. I thought Arya was talking with a accent when she called out but could not fast place it in the crowd noise. 

Wild idea Jorah could soon pass as stone man, if he goes into the ruins of Valaria before he goes mad maybe he can find something like the abandoned royal armory to provide all the Valrian steel needed. The story does go that the area was abandoned quickly with few survivors.  

[Commodore Boyd]

Right before the wildling women leader gets swamped by the dead kids, she kill a dead with a Northern helmet on! Look back to Season 1 when Lord Eddard was in Kings Landing. His house guard had the SAME helmets! 

[Andromeda]

Great episode! Finally, we feel the real threat when it comes to the White Walkers! Nice special effects. Dumb idiots not to tuck that dragon glass inside their waistbands -- I hope they have a plan to get some more, they're treating it awfully disposably, starting with Sam leaving his knife behind after he killed that White Walker. 

 

Giants for the win! Highest single-handed WW body count, by far.

 

So THAT'S what makes Valyrian steel so special...

 

Dany and Tyrion, getting to know each other and bonding. I love it so much, I can't express. Feel a little bad for Jorah, but he's got cooties, and we don't want that anywhere near Dany OR Tyrion.

 

LOL at Cersie brought low, sucking water off the floor. Nice religion, that, forcing people to confess their sins by withholding the basics, like water. Ugh. Feels much like the Inquisition. That said, I'm a little confused if they're saying all Cersei has to do is own up to her sins, then all will be OK. Because the charges include TREASON and INCEST and ASSASSINATION of her husband, the reigning monarch -- pretty big deals for a sitting queen, or anybody for that matter (well, the treason and assassination charges).

 

Interesting hearing Tyrion talk about Varys and his spying -- I have always wondered what was up with that, since he at first was reporting to King Robert about her, then seemed to be on Dany's side. I imagine it was the miraculous fire and dragons that made him really change his tune (and stop going along with trying to assassinate Dany).

 

Sansa seems to be getting some of her mojo back -- I'm interested to see what she does with it. I loved that she finally knows her baby brothers are alive.

 

Worried about what Psycho Ramsey is planning with the 20 men on Stannis. I don't love Stannis, but I do want his army to take Winterfell for Sansa's sake.

 

Nice to see some movement on Arya's story -- and a new mark.

Edited June 1, 2015 by Andromeda

[Fiddler1]

That was so nervewracking I actually had to hit pause half a dozen times just to catch my breath.   Edd and I both yelled "Oh fuck!" at exactly the same time ;)  Oh, and those wight children were some of the creepiest things I've seen on the screen in a long time....off to have nightmares!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I loved Dany and Tyrion together this week. I'm not sure if they will be able to sustain that in the future, but it was fun to see them slowly realizing how much they have in common. Even if they don't like each other, they can understand each other on a level that most other people don't. And I like that Tyrion was giving her real advice, not just telling her what she wants to hear.

 

At least, Jon now knows that Valyrian steel kills them though I am not sure how that helps much considering that it is very rare

I was trying to figure out how long it would take Brienne to get her ass up there, but I also like the previous suggestion to dig up Joffrey and get his sword. It's not like he's using it!

 

I'm sorry the lady leader (did we get her name?) died and turned into a wight. I'd have loved to have another woman warrior on the show. Her poor orphaned daughters. 

 

Hands down the scariest part was when Darth Maul raised the newly dead wildings and gave Jon a stare that said, "Beat that, buddy!" What Jon feared came to pass; the wildings were added to the army of the dead. How many got on the ships before the attack? A couple dozen, at most, I'd guess.

IMDB had her character listed as Wildling Chieftaness. I thought she would merit a name!

 

Mr. EB was referring to the head White Walker as Voldemort but I'm okay with Darth Maul too. When he initially moved his hands up (when they were just waist level), I thought he was giving the universal "What? That's all you got?" sign which I found hilarious. As he started raising his hands higher, Mr. EB thought that he was going to start a tidal wave. I spent the end of that creepy scene yelling, "Less staring, more frantic rowing! GOOOOOOO!"

 

Even though Sansa is still trapped at Winterfell with Ramsay, at least now she knows that two of her brothers are out there somewhere. Thinking that your entire family is dead and then learning that two of them are still alive has to bring her the smallest amount of relief.

Edited June 1, 2015 by ElectricBoogaloo

[paigow]

• One Wildling mother > 50 Sand Snakes.

A Girl will serve poisoned oysters

A Man uses a pronoun

Even people that hate Jon Snow must admit that he is the prettiest man in Westeros

Call Tormund a traitor, he might let it slide...but tell him to suck your dick and it's over

Edited June 1, 2015 by paigow

[33kaitykaity]

I didn't miss it, but thought I'd snark off with where was teh gratuitous sex/nudity/boobs?  Lol . 

 

I will re-watch the first half hour and its games forever.  I can do without the blood/guts/gore, even if it does advance the "winter is coming" story.

 

I am so happy that Jaqen H'ghar is back.  I loved that guy.  

Edited June 1, 2015 by 33kaitykaity

[izabella]

All that talk of Varys made me wonder where he is.  Still in Volantis?  On his way to Mereen? 

 

So is that giant getting on one of Stannis' ships?  I would have liked to see him climb aboard a ship.

[thuganomics85]

According to one of the AVClub reviewers, the name of the Wildling Woman was Karsi, in the close caption and promotions HBO sent him for the screener.  Don't think it was even mentioned, but I'll take it.  She really might be my favorite one-episode characters on this show.  Still bummed that they killed her off.  Thennis was enough!  I wanted it to end with her riding on top of the giant instead!

 

I don't know how much of his story Tyrion will tell Dany, but I do hope he leaves out the part about the time he saw a whore dressed as her in that brothel.  I don't see her appreciating that type of flattery...

[TwistedandBored]

MVP of the episode is definitely Jon and those other brave warriors who fought by his side. 

[RedheadZombie]

 That was awesome! I'm bummed about that wildling lady - she was cool.

 

"I fucking hate Thenns."  Yeah, I liked her, too.  That's Arya in fifteen years.  I'm wondering if she's supposed to be Tormunds wife.  They didn't act like they were intimate, but they both just happened to have two daughters.  The actresses' accent sounds like she came off the set of Vikings.  She reminded me of the actress Lauren Cohan, from The Walking Dead.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

And they have ginger hair so maybe!

 

So is that giant getting on one of Stannis' ships?  I would have liked to see him climb aboard a ship.

I thought when he passed Jon & co on their little rowboat, he would pull them along to the ship so they could get away faster but nope, he was like SEE YA! I was imagining him trying to get on one of the ships and tipping it over.

Edited June 1, 2015 by ElectricBoogaloo

[phoenix780]

I don't understand what Jorah hopes to accomplish. Dany sent him away for a second time, but he's trying to come back yet again. Why? What does he think is going to happen?

I'm wondering that too.  I'm also wondering what's going to happen with his disease.  Is he going to infect people (I can't remember how exactly it's transmitted)?  Is that part of his plan now that he's spurned and his gift got him exiled again?  I'm imagining it has to go somewhere, here's hoping it does before the finale.  

[VCRTracking]

DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYUUUUUUUUMMMMMMM.

 

Welp, Westeros is fucked.

[RedheadZombie]

As does Arya and her story. My unpopular opinion is that Jaqen does nothing to appeal to me. I cannot stand his "A man this... And a girl that..". Nails on a chalkboard.

 

I love Arya, but Jaqen does nothing for me - he looks like a skinny woman with unwashed hair.  I hate the way he talks, too.

 

I found it interesting that while playing the part of a poor orphan, Arya's speech became softer and more refined.

 

Even though Sansa is still trapped at Winterfell with Ramsay, at least now she knows that two of her brothers are out there somewhere. Thinking that your entire family is dead and then learning that two of them are still alive has to bring her the smallest amount of relief.

 

Not her entire family - she knew Jon was alive.

 

Speaking of Jon, where did he get the lovely shiny black leather purse?

 

What is the purpose of the cloth Jorah always wears around his wrist/hand.  It preceded the greyscale, so it's nothing to do with that.

[HotForBacon]

That was a very good, very satisfying episode.

 

Sansa finding out that her brothers were still alive made me cry. Seriously. To find out that she still had her brothers... that was good.

 

Dany and Tyrion was an amazing scene as well. Am I terrible? LOL

 

But that last scene. It was thrilling and I cursed so many time my husband thought I was having a seizure. The walkers are here. Yay!

[TrininisaScorp]

Oh, that was good action!  Where the hell has this Jon Snow been hiding for 4 seasons?!  Even though I know Tormund is a murdering wretch, I was pleased to see him survive to make another battle.  The Lady Wildling leader was so compelling, even with her minimal screen time.  The WhiteWalker army was soooo scary, especially the leader ones.  Shudder.  This show does epic battles very well. While I enjoyed the stuff before it, the Hardhome battle almost made me forget any show occurred in the previous1/2 hr.  So, we now have 2 weapons to fight the walkers:  Dragonglass and Valerian Steel.  Both of which aren't terribly plentiful.  Facing a gigantic, brutal army of undead.  Hey Southerners, get your heads out of your scheming small potato asses!  Y'all got real problems!

 

Now the rest...Dany and Tyrion were great.  Emilia isn't the strongest actress (IMO...she isn't bad, but she isn't amazing) and I think Dinklage ran circles around her in their scenes.   Still, they were fabulous scenes.  Poor dead, stupid Jorah.

 

Good plot movement in Winterfell:  Sansa knows her little brothers aren't dead.  The Boltons are sort of taking the fight to Stannis.  I hope Ramsay gets his sadistic, not strategic ass handed to him. 

 

Arya and A Man were very interesting with his assignment to her. 

 

Sam's conversation with Olly feels like it is going to be important, but I can't figure out why...this is the second time the boy has made a case of why he believes what Jon is doing is wrong.  

[Mackey]

Has it been ever mentioned in the show that there are Wights and White Walkers? I don't recall that.

[RedheadZombie]

I really hate to say it, but Emilia Clarke is still the weakest actor on this show. She's got no range.

I think she does a good job. She definitely portrays Dany as evolved from the frightened meek girl. I think she does a great job when giving grand speeches and interacting with her dragons. EC got a lot of flack for the scene last season when she banished Jorah. She was very rigid, like she could hardly keep it together, and she couldn't meet his eyes. She did the same thing tonight. Jorah was really the first friend she met. He was kind to her and helped her adjust to Drogo and the Dothraki. He was also the person she trusted most. She was deeply hurt by his betrayal, and I think she portrays that well with her body language.

I hope Sansa has learned enough about LF to avoid telling him about Bran and Rickon. They are a threat to his plans.

Edited June 1, 2015 by RedheadZombie

[Law Mom]

That was epic! Even my husband, who doesn’t watch the show and isn’t usually around when I watch it, got caught up.

 

Cersei: Sorry show, you are not going to make me feel sorry for her. She has it coming. I might, might have gained a little respect for her if she beat the crap out of the nun guard, because we are so used to seeing Cersei wave her hand while other people do her dirty work for her. Maybe it will still happen.

 

Sansa: The problem with her story is that her development is almost all inside her head.  All we see are a few looks and the occasional conversation with people she has no real relationship with, so we can only guess what she is thinking. I think the last time we heard her really speak her mind was when she told Olenna and Margaery that Joffrey was a monster. Is she really growing as a character or are we just hoping?

 

Arya: So what’s the point? Arya is going on little missions to rid the world of mean people? Like a teenage superhero? I am assuming that eventually her powers will come in handy in some relevant way, but right now I am having a hard time caring about some random insurance guy breaching the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.

 

Tyrion: I liked the scenes with Dany. A little talky maybe, but that was needed in light of what happened later in the episode. I am getting tired of Jorah, He's like that stalker ex you need to get a restraining order to get rid of. The greyscale-Valyria-dragon connection will be important, I think.

 

Sam: I think Sam just gave the boy permission to do something awful.

 

WWs: Just…wow. During the scene in which they were having the powwow about joining up and coming south of the wall, I kept thinking, this is too easy. Something bad is going to happen. But I did not predict it would be THIS bad. I can’t imagine what went into filming that scene. There better be an Emmy in it for someone.

Edited June 1, 2015 by Law Mom

[Lady S.]

I don't understand what Jorah hopes to accomplish. Dany sent him away for a second time, but he's trying to come back yet again. Why? What does he think is going to happen?

That he can kill or die as a badass and that's better than becoming a Stone Man? Jorah is insane in his devotion to Dany, as evidenced by his taking a shortcut pirates were scared of and spending his free time miserably wallowing in a brothel with a Dany lookalike, I think actually making a new life away from Dany would be inconceivable to him. 

 

We got another hint at a timeline mention here with Tyrion and Dany, when he told his story of the girl, he said after she was sold to Drogo (he didn't say his name but I knew what he meant) he heard years later she had acquired dragons. However people heard about the dragons in season 2, so is he says years passed or did I hear wrong.

Was he saying it'd been years since he'd known of the dragons or years since she became the Mother of Dragons? If it's been 20 years since the fall of the Targs, then it's been 3 years since s1 where King Bobby had been on the throne for 17 years. Which supports my fanwank last week that s1 and s2 were around a year each and s3&4 were the same year. So Dany's dragons should be turning 3 by the end of s5.

"I fucking hate Thenns."  Yeah, I liked her, too.  That's Arya in fifteen years.  I'm wondering if she's supposed to be Tormunds wife.  They didn't act like they were intimate, but they both just happened to have two daughters.  The actresses' accent sounds like she came off the set of Vikings.  She reminded me of the actress Lauren Cohan, from The Walking Dead.

IMdb says "Wildling Chieftainess" was played by a Danish actress, Birgitte Hjort Sørensen.

 

Great episode! Finally, we feel the real threat when it comes to the White Walkers! Nice special effects. Dumb idiots not to tuck that dragon glass inside their waistbands -- I hope they have a plan to get some more, they're treating it awfully disposably, starting with Sam leaving his knife behind after he killed that White Walker.

There was actually a pretty big piece of info dropped in Sam's meeting with Stannis, when he said he found stories of the Children of the Forest hunting with dragonglass in the distant past. The CotF aka Bran's new cave friends. Bran, Jon and Dany are gonna unite to save the world, that's my endgame prediction.

I was trying to figure out how long it would take Brienne to get her ass up there, but I also like the previous suggestion to dig up Joffrey and get his sword. It's not like he's using it!

I think Jaime's been using Joff's sword ever since giving away his to Brienne, they certainly wouldn't have buried it since VS swords are so rare and the whole point is to keep them in the family for generations. It'd be like burying the Iron Throne with Joffers, or sealing up Casterly Rock when Tywin died.

 

Not her entire family - she knew Jon was alive.

Yes, and she recently learned how high he rose since leaving home. That was the one bright spot last week.

Edited June 1, 2015 by Lady S.

[Muffyn]

Giant smash!  (Okay, so I watched The Hulk today).  

 

Jon Snow does a good job of being tossed around like a rag doll.  I was actually glad to see him vomiting blood.  At least we know he took serious damage.  Now if only the people rowing had shown a little sense of urgency.  

[Constantinople]

It was interesting to see both Jon and the White Walker's look of surprise when Jon parried the Walker's cut and Jon's Valyrian steel sword did not shatter into innumerable pieces.

[morgankobi]

Sam definitely just gave the go-ahead to Olly to do something everyone else will think is terrible. Sigh.

 

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who at first saw, "come at me, bro," or something similar, as the Maul Walker raised his arms at first.

 

Although the silence of the last couple of minutes was was tense and compelling, I envisioned many of them yelling, "game over, man, game over!"

Edited June 1, 2015 by morgankobi

[Lady S.]

I KNOW! After his little speech, I thought man, when that kid stabs Jon Snow, Sam is going to feel really bad.

 

 

 

Jaquen made it a point to mention the other guy's wife and children getting what is due to them so I wondered how killing the gambler would achieve that. Is Arya supposed to steal his money after she poisons him and then bring it to the family? I mean I'm fine with her getting rid of gross people, but now I want to know how Jaquen decides who gets assassinated. Like does the Many Faced God send him a list like The Machine on Person of Interest?

There was a woman rocking on the floor in the background, and Arya turned to her when Wacky Jaqie said that, so I assume she was a destitute widow and came to the temple for help. They can give vengeance if not money and maybe she or one of her kids will live there as a servant.

 

Has it been ever mentioned in the show that there are Wights and White Walkers? I don't recall that.

Here's the WW discussion thread, I'll bump it later with s5 updates, but I tried to compile everything I remembered from s1-4 last year when the thread was started. 

 

So, Emilia is still... well, not on Peter Dinklage levels, but I'm taking her reading of the lines about Jorah never confessing of his own free will to mean Dany might have forgiven him if he had. Also nice to have confirmation that Theon thought he was helping Sansa last week, but I'm sure people will still say it was a betrayal not to let her get herself hunted if that's what she wanted.

[VCRTracking]

Looked it up and Wildling woman's name is Karsi. Even when she told her kids "she'd be right back"(a sure indicator that she was doomed) I was still hoping beyond hope that she'd make it. The actress Birgitte Hjort did such an amazing job in just a short amount of time. That look when she saw the dead children was gut wrenching.

 

Arya's oyster selling outfit was cute Is this the first time she wore makeup.

 

It is kind of distracting how much taller Sansa/Sophie Turner is compared to most of the guys she has to deal with.

 

Will whatever Qyburn is working on involving the Mountain's body somehow come busting in to rescue Cersei?

[TheodoraK]

this was outstanding story telling and tv. wow. just wanted to say how much i love the Giant. i only know the bare outlines of what goes on, so are the giants pals with the wildings? and who are the Thenns? (i didn't like them either.:)) i need my dragon fix ASAP. that's what got me in to the show, those adorable babies. and i cannot wait for Tyrion to meet them. Dany's finally in good hands. Tyrion knows what's what. so glad to have Peter Dinklage back in good form. he's so handsome and such a fabulous actor. not to mention great comic relief.

[David T. Cole]

The Wildling lady actor was of of the main characters on Borgen and she's great. Too bad she promised her kids she'd be back. Well, I guess she did come back but not the happy family reunion kind of coming back.

The mass of walkers spilling off the cliff lemming-style was the stuff of nightmares.

[wayne67]

"I fucking hate Thenns."  Yeah, I liked her, too.  That's Arya in fifteen years.  I'm wondering if she's supposed to be Tormunds wife.  They didn't act like they were intimate, but they both just happened to have two daughters.  The actresses' accent sounds like she came off the set of Vikings.  She reminded me of the actress Lauren Cohan, from The Walking Dead.

 

I heard it as "I hate men."

 

Finally the White Walker Army does something. I'm imagining that they've spent the last 3 years picking off the stray Wildings one isolated settlement at a time gathering their army of dead which is why they've taken so long to march south.

 

I really liked Karsi, so of course she died. lol I don't think we're allowed nice things.

 

Dany and Tyrion verbal sparring was quite entertaining especially as the stakes for Tyrion were very high (as they usually are when he gets kidnapped).

 

Is this Tyrion 3rd or 4th hostage situation ? There was that time with the Stark Matriarch, then as captive of the Vale's free folk, then as Jorah's captive and then captured by slavers. Am I missing one or several ?

Edited June 1, 2015 by wayne67

[BooBear]

Well, then!  Apparently, The White Walkers and their horde have tired of being on the sideline for so long.  Shit got crazy!

 

I figured they found out what Jon was doing and attacked because of that.   That was an amazing episode. Every single storyline was pretty satisfying.

 

* Sansa is looking very pretty and powerful lately.  I really think she is going to get some measure of revenge soon. The only thing is, why would she believe Reek? I suppose this is the first time she heard something like this but I suppose if it were me I would take it with a grain of salt.

* Ramsey: I think he will be killed by Stannis in his attack. He is a moron. And he will suffer that fate. Can't wait to see it.

* Cerci -- I think I would just watch the Cerci comeuppance show as a stand alone.  Wonderful to see.

* Arya: I like her story. Here it seemed like she made the leap to active training and it was nice to see her dressed more grown up. I am still interested in this story. You don't go from little kid to assassin in a day.  She has always seemed to need to learn patience.

* Dany and Tyrion: I thought it was amazing because it seemed they bonded immediately. I felt such a bond there and Danny really needs someone with a brain advising her (so sick of Darrio). I did feel bad for Jorah but I think he does need to be separated from her. He is just too in love and she isn't going to return that love... I wonder what his plan is?

* Jon: That battle was intense. It does, I think, have the possibility of overshadowing everything else, but also raises for me.. a way to "break" the wheel that Dany was talking about. There are bigger concerns than politics for the second generation.

Edited June 1, 2015 by BooBear

[Chicago Redshirt]

Even though Sansa is still trapped at Winterfell with Ramsay, at least now she knows that two of her brothers are out there somewhere. Thinking that your entire family is dead and then learning that two of them are still alive has to bring her the smallest amount of relief.

Not her entire family - she knew Jon was alive.

 

 

In addition to the relief that anyone would feel after learning their supposedly murdered brothers are in fact alive, the fact that Bran and Rickon are alive means that House Stark has not been destroyed. Jon, as a bastard and a member of the Night's Watch, can't really step in and reclaim Winterfell. (Yes, I remember Stannis's offer to legitimize him and have Jon Stark be his Warden of the North. But that was a longshot).

 

Part of the reason why the Boltons have any legitimacy is because everyone thinks the Stark line is basically dead. Sansa is widely believed to be the only surviving true-born Stark, and the Boltons have married her hoping to bolster their claim to the North.

 

If Bran and Rickon are shown to be alive, it could rally the rest of the North behind them. As male Starks, their claim to Winterfell would be greater than Sansa's or -- gods forbid -- any children she and Ramsay may have.

[BizBuzz]

HOLY HECK

 

That was intense ... I swear I couldn't breathe for at least an hour after I saw it.  

 

Jon Snow:  The Long Night is coming and the dead come with it.

 

Sure, we know, winter is here ... now we have another foe to worry about ... and dang, they are worrisome.  When I saw all the wights (?) jump over the cliff to what I thought was their death, and then they come back to life?  I was screaming to Jon and Tormound ... in my best King Arthur from Monty Python voice ... RUNAWAY!!!

 

Was there stuff in this episode besides the White Walker battle?  Oh yeah ...

 

DANY and TYRION ... there is no more perfect match than those two.  Geesh Louise, they are perfect.  Poor Jorah ... I was saying to my screen ... we just got him back, you are banishing him again??? 

 

Cersei ... the actress is amazing ... wow ...

 

Sansa?  The look on her face, when she realized her brothers were alive, was priceless.

 

And speaking of looks on faces ... back to the White Walker battle ... when Jon's sword and the White Walker sword touched (I swear I heard the Star Wars light saber sound) and the look the two of them gave each other was utter gold.  It was like, oh sh*t.  

 

Loved the lady wildling elder ... hate that she died.  

 

I am sorry, but I love Arya and Jaqen ... but their scenes felt so out of place ... it was a different world.  

 

I am having a hard time now on who I love best ... Tyrion?  Jorah?  Jon?  Tormound?  It's a inner battle that I am happy to take on.

 

And last but not least ... I have to thank SilverStormm for forcing me to take a chance on this show late last year ... I really didn't want to at first, and I watched the first season as more of an obligation to my commitment to give it a chance more than anything else, but this episode brought it all together and I am now a convert.  

 

How are they going to top this episode?

[terrymct]

Needle is castle-forged steel, not Valyrian steel.

 

Even if Needle was Valyrian steel, it might not be the most useful weapon against the White Walkers because you'd have to get very, very close.  At least you could put a piece of dragon glass/obsidian on the end of a spear.   

[mojoween]

One thing that distracted me was how freaking tight Emilia's dresses were. When she was sitting with Tyrion she was so stiff it looked like she couldn't breathe.

I did love the branch detailing at the neckline on the first dress she was wearing but it also reminded me of Renly's crown.

[justawatcher]

If Ramsey goes out and gets himself killed/crippled and Sansa turns out to be pregnant, does that kid survive? Could she murder her own child knowing Ramsey was the father? Because I can't figure out where else that is going and she looked pregnant in the first shot. Then she stood up and she wasn't but it sure looked like it to start.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Other subtle hints that point to Karsi possibly being Tormand's baby momma:

 

* Before making her decision, she asked Tormand if he vouched for Jon Snow.

 

* After Tormand's testimony that Jon could fight and was a leader, Karsi said that she would never trust a man in black but if Tormand said this was the way, she would join them.

 

* Tormand said that Jon Snow was prettier than both his daughters and later we see Karsi putting two redheaded girls in a boat.

 

I loved that after a certain point in their second conversation, Dany sat back in her chair and relaxed a little bit with Tyrion. I know it's a minor thing, but she usually keeps her posture ramrod straight when she's with being Queen Dany.

Edited June 1, 2015 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Notwisconsin]

seven to two, they don't let Jon back in through the Wall.

[bmoore4026]

And season five continues the tradition of one-uping the previous season in terms of big battle scenes.

 

Kudos to the special effects teams.  They did fantastically in terms of making the computer generated people and White Walkers and other things look realistic and that last scene of all the White Walkers standing on the shore of the now conquered Wilding Country look positively awe inspiring.

 

Kudos to the make-up teams for making the still human looking White Walkers look frightening, especially the White Walker children.

 

Kudos to Kit Harrington for acting his butt off and all the other actors also.  Those stunts looked seamless and must have taken months to rehearse.

 

God, I don't know what else to say.  When this show presents a sequence so kick-ass in every season, it makes sitting through all the boring intrigue shit worth it.

 

As for Cersei, all I could think of during her "confess" scenes was this:

 

https://youtu.be/Ixgc_FGam3s?t=6m57s

[terrymct]

* Tormand said that Jon Snow was prettier than both his daughters and later we see Karsi putting two redheaded girls in a boat.

 

 

Jon Snow certainly puts more effort and products into his hair on an average day than either of those girls will in their lifetimes.   Effortless ringlets aren't actually effortless.   lol

 

I was really worried that Jon Snow was going to die in that battle or be turned into a blue eyed zombie.  My thoughts went along these lines:  "OMG, Jon Snow is going to die!  What the heck does GRRM have against the Stark kids?"  

 

It's only the babies that are converted into White Walkers as far as we know, right?  Adults, kids, become the walking dead aka wights.   

 

I thought the conversation between Theon and Sansa was a good one.  Not only did Sansa learn that her little brothers weren't killed by Theon (that doesn't mean they're still alive though as far as she knows), we learned that Theon's telling on Sansa was motivated by a desire to protect her from what he experienced not mindless obedience to Ramsay.  Theon may still be the one who kills Ramsay, but regardless of who does it, Ramsay needs to die soon and Theon needs to either die or have some sort of redemption.   Could be both.  He could die killing Ramsay and saving Sansa.  

[Notwisconsin]

Did the female wildling's uterus shut down her ability to defend herself against child zombies?

I thought that one of the zombies was her dead son...