S07.E04: The Spoils of War

[TrininisaScorp]

Bruh.  I would normally be salty about the short running time, but THAT. WAS. AMAZING. TV.  Good Gawd!

Dany and Jon are definitely going to get it on, right?!   Oh.  No.  Bran!  You need to talk to Jon ASAP.  Those actors are beautiful and I'm feeling that chemistry, but, don't we have enough family lovin' (if we think what we think is true) on this show already?!  The content of their conversation was good though; sounds like she's going to help him.  Dragons going North eventually, maybe?

The payoff of these Stark reunions are just the BEST.  Arya's treatment of the idiot guards and her "Do I have to call you Lady Stark now?" were priceless.  The moments of impish Arya with the sister who never understood her were pretty great.

Brienne and Arya sparring was one of my favorite scenes on tv.  It was well executed.  As a feminist, I got a little choked up.  These women who are so different, yet who both do not conform to the societal requirements of being a lady, really got an opportunity to just exist and be today.  I'm curious what Littlefinger has in store for Sansa and Arya (he looked WAY too happy to see some awkwardness there).  But, dude giving that knife up makes him toast.

Bran continues to drive me nuts.  My heart broke for Meera and the lukewarm thanks he gave her.  

I continue to love all of the interaction at Dragonstone; Missandei and Dany, Missandei and Davos, Dany and Jon, Jon and Theon, the Queen and her inner circle (that includes Davos and Jon b/c everybody else dead).  It really fleshes these characters out. 

Mycoft of Bravvos (don't recall the character's name...so we're going with what we call him in the TNScorp household) is really gonna be pissed when he figures out the gold is dragon BBQ.

And now....that battle...BRUH.  THAT WAS AWESOME.  I loved all of it!  From the first hoovebeats to the hoard of Dorthraki to the formation of the Lannisters, it was so well done.  I loved seeing the Dorthraki warriors showing up and showing out.  The horseback archers were reminiscent of a special I saw (Nat Geo or History or Science channel) about Genghis Khan and the Mongolian warriors; that was awe inspiring and terrifying.  When Dany rode in on Drogon (I think...he's the biggest of her boys, right?!), I genuinely cheering.  Hell gonna come today, motherfuckers!  I hope Drogon is okay, and I'm thinking Jamie's story is far from over; I hope they capture him, just so Jamie, Bronn, and Tyrion can share some scenes.  I loved Tyrion having the audience POV with these people he loves; I don't think he is loving all this death and fire and blood.  Bronn's "Battle of the Bastards" long shot of getting to the scorpion weaponry was very nicely done.  I get why that episode was short...they spent all the money.  This one time, I totally approve.  

Edited August 7, 2017 by TrininisaScorp

[ParadoxLost]

I thought I was watching the Walking Dead for a minute tonight.

It was when they entered the cave to soaring music with looks of awe on their faces (before the hieroglyphs) and I thought its a black screen I can't see anything.

[LittleIggy]

21 minutes ago, WaltersHair said:

The Dothraki screaming before being seen in battle reminded me of Ken Burn's Civil War series. The Rebel Yell was supposed to strike cold fear into any Union Army upon hearing it. Now I see how that's possible.

Or the Zulu pounding on their shields.

[BitterApple]

I thought LF met Arya when the Starks were in KL? When he first saw her with Tywin he did a bit of a double-take, like he recognized her but wasn't going to play that card just yet. I can't remember much of the early seasons, so I'll have to double check.

Bran's "chaos is a ladder" was creepy as hell. He claims he's seen everything that's happened, so does he know about LF betraying Ned? If so, I wonder why he hasn't said anything.

Maybe Tyrion will convince Jaime to turn against Cersei. I think deep down Jaime knows Cersei will never give up the throne to save her brother/lover. She craves the power too much.

Random question: how the hell is Dany going to keep everyone fed now that the supply lines have been destroyed? 

[dramachick]

"More wine for Lord Baelish.”

[CeeBeeGee]

48 minutes ago, Haiti D said:

I hope you're right, because that would be an awesome twist.   

The Kingslayer meets the Mad King's Daughter; and reunites with his Brother (her Hand).  

Since Jaimie killed the Mad King for the right reasons, it's possible he could be won over by Dany (since she is not like her father).

 

41 minutes ago, Lady S. said:

She knows he was a former Lannister stooge and her mother's childhood friend, but neither of the girls were privy to his dealings with Ned, and most of Baelish's crimes aren't public knowledge. 

But they are to Bran.

[Lady S.]

12 minutes ago, dramachick said:

Arya saw Littlefinger with Tywin Lannister when she was Tywin's servant-girl, Nan.  I can't remember what she heard LF and Tywin talking about. At the time, people were wondering if LF recognized Arya, but he had never seen her before.

No, that was their second scene. They met at the tourney where he explains the Clegane backstory.

That's why she recognized him at Harrenhal and kept hiding her face.

[LilaFowler]

Bran knows all. He knows who deceived his family. He knows who pushed him out of the window and tried to kill him. He's not Bran anymore though. I don't think whatever he is now cares about personal grievances and vengeance, or even really relaying information to those who still do. IMO.

[KaleyFirefly]

1 hour ago, Popples said:

Did anyone see what became of Randyl Tarly at the end of the battle? I lost track of him.

Hopefully dragon toast, for the way he treated Sam and Gilly.

His son, on the other hand...that eye candy can stick around a bit longer.

[dramachick]

5 minutes ago, Lady S. said:

No, that was their second scene. They met at the tourney where he explains the Clegane backstory.

That's why she recognized him at Harrenhal and kept hiding her face.

Oh, yeah. I forgot about that scene of him perving on Sansa.

[CletusMusashi]

Points to Meera for mentioning Summer among the dead. Dire wolves are people too, dammit.

About Bran: here's my take on it. He can "see" everything, theoretically. But he's still limited in how much he can focus on. If there are ten people in a room, sure I can see them. If I focus on them, I can even remember what they looked like. But if there's also a monkey dancing around on a table playing the harmonica, I might not really notice much else. Bran has got a whole barrel of harmonica playing monkeys in his head. 

Some things are higher on his consciousness than others. Local incidents, for example, stand out more than distant ones. And if it's something that happened far away to the person right in front of him, then it stands out more than if it happened far away to, say, Random Bird Cage Head Woman From Season Two.

So you know what monkey song is playing really loud when he and Meera talk about their time together? It's a song called "Bran and Meera's Time Together." For most of it, he was dragged around uselessly, watching his friends die for him in between changes of his diaper. At the time, he did a respectable job of adapting to his handicap, but now, as a newly three-eyed raven, every unpleasant memory comes back to him with its original emotional impact. And during most of the moments that he wasn't either ashamed or terrified, he has to watch how fucking boring his story arc was. Except for Osha!

Talking to Sansa or Arya or Litlefinger or whoever brings things he didn't really know before into the forefront of his consciousness. Having Meera around sucks his consciousness back into a very shitty time period that he would prefer to leave behind.

Edited August 7, 2017 by CletusMusashi

[rozen]

Seemed to me that Sansa gave a side glance to LF before looking peeved. Arya inadvertently just gave LF information for free, and Sansa is the exasperated accountant. Also, she's well aware of where Arya's swordplay was when she last saw her sister. What horrible shit do you have to go through to be that good? Arya also showed the most joy in the face of danger and death. She was businesslike until Brienne finally took her seriously and kicked her away. She came up hissing and with fire in her eyes. She had a bigger smile when they stopped at mutually assured death than when she saw Sansa or Bran again. They're all broken now, and I think Arya and Bran accept that, whereas Sansa is trying to fight it and keep some of herself. She's mourning losing her family all over again. 

I love when Brienne knocked Needle away and she paused before deciding that Arya was good enough for her to keep coming anyway. Such a mark of respect. I guess all these scenes of Podrick getting knocked in the dirt is so we believe it when he takes down a lesser foe with ease.

Extra bonus of this fight scene is that now I can believe that Arya could indeed beat A Girl with Needle. She is a natural at water-dancing where every other weapon A Man had her train at always seemed labored and forced. 

I hope Dany sees she needs more practice riding Drogon. Bronn would never have landed that shot if she hadn't guided Drogon in a perfect straight line at the crossbow so he had all the time in the world to line up the shot. 

Still don't understand why Brann is a vegetable man. The old three-eyed raven still had a personality, whereas Brann seems to have been obliterated by the sheer magnitude of memories he has available. Maybe actual Brann is in there frantically rifling through things and this is the equivalent of his voice mail. Meera definitely did NOT deserve that kind of send-off after all she did for him.

I would have liked if Tyrion pointed out that his men actually *tried* to fight the Dothraki and a mfing dragon. Dothraki gave up their autonomy and entire way of life when they *saw* dragons the size of a cat. The Lannister army can be forgiven for not being at their best.

Edited August 7, 2017 by rozen

[DrScottie]

2 minutes ago, dramachick said:

Oh, yeah. I forgot about that scene of him perving on Sansa.

What scene isn't he perving on Sansa when she's there? Dude is creepy and likely to end up on the end of that dagger. 
To be fair, he did have a point about saving them at the Battle of the Bastards. Still a shifty tool, though. 

[maystone]

Tyrion may want to be reunited with Jaime, but the feeling will be one sided. Tyrion murdered their father. Jaime swore to kill his brother if he ever found him again. I'm not saying that Jaime's hatred will last until the day he dies, but he sure as hell is not going to be all hugs and smiles.

Poor Jaime, though. When he was King's Guard, he was forced to watch Aegon burn people alive, and here is Aegon's daughter outdoing her dad by a thousandfold. PTSD up the wazoo for our golden boy. He's brave as hell, though. As is Bronn. Actually all of the Lannister fighters showed a monumental amount of courage. All it would have taken was one swoop of a fire-breathing dragon, and I would have been out of there so fast my feet wouldn't have touched the ground.

I loved that the Stark kids are back together. That one shot of the three of them coming back from the weirwood, Arya pushing Bran and Sansa walking beside them … sniff. I'm not ashamed. Arya and Brienne's "training" session was one of the highlights of the show for me. Wonderfully choreographed, loads of fun to watch, and the best part was seeing Arya actually happy again. We haven't seen joy on her face since her dancing lessons with Florio.

Davos is not hitting on Missandei. You guys. He likes her, and who doesn't, really? If anything, it's paternal, the way he was with Shireen. And also I'm sure that he's looking for different perspectives on Dany. Davos is a clever man, and a genuinely decent one, too.

Edited August 7, 2017 by maystone
He was King's Guard, not the Hand. Bad memory. Bad.

[CeeBeeGee]

3 minutes ago, maystone said:

Poor Jaime, though. When he was the Hand, he was forced to watch Aegon burn people alive, and here is Aegon's daughter outdoing her dad by a thousandfold. PTSD up the wazoo for our golden boy. He's brave as hell, though. As is Bronn. Actually all of the Lannister fighters showed a monumental amount of courage. All it would have taken was one swoop of a fire-breathing dragon, and I would have been out of there so fast my feet wouldn't have touched the ground.

Small nitpick: Jaime was never the Hand of the Mad King. (That was his father Tywin, and then Jon Arryn.) Jaime was a member of the Kingsguard.

 

But your point is well-taken. Jaime was clearly in awe (and I rather love that, so often he is smirking and quippy and dismissive), watching Dany ride Drogon.

[WicketyWack]

"It's King Snow.  ... or is it King Jon?"

"Doesn't matter"

[xaxat]

Watching Brienne kick Pod's ass never gets old.

Sorry Mets fans. I don't think Noah Syndergaard survived.

. . . and some other cool shit happened.

[Auntie Anxiety]

55 minutes ago, BitterApple said:

 

Bran's "chaos is a ladder" was creepy as hell. He claims he's seen everything that's happened, so does he know about LF betraying Ned? If so, I wonder why he hasn't said anything.

 

I vaguely remember Littlefinger saying "chaos is a ladder" to either Sansa or Cat's sister when he was at The Eyrie, I think. That was why Littlefinger looked puzzled and taken aback. He wondered how Bran would know those exact words.

*I just looked it up. It was Littlefinger talking to Varys in Season 3, talking about how he sees a path to power if/when the realm starts the infighting.

Edited August 7, 2017 by Auntie Anxiety

[lucindabelle]

That the horses didn't panic immediately is a real flaw- soldiers might, MIGHT be brace, but the horses should have been mad with fear.

 

drogon better be ok.

[ImpinAintEasy]

1 hour ago, lucindabelle said:

I could not evenI could not even watch the last  10 minutes of the show, I had to fast forward. Sometimes, I fucking hate George Martin. Why can we never be allowed sheer happiness? Why? At least, it appears Drogon is not dead just wounded.  But the surprise of beloved characters being injured or dying is now no longer surprising and in fact is fucking expected. So I suppose, the dragons will be killed, Cersei will win, and maybe just at the very end the white walkers will be defeated but by then I will not care. Seriously, I'm fucking sick of it.

 

until the ballistic missile came out though it was exciting and I even shrieked.

 

but seriously show IT IS TIME TO ATOP TTHINKING YOU ARE BEING CLEVER BY SUCKER PUNCHING US.

 

you know what makes a bad, bad movie? Things like oh I don't know Lincoln being assassinated while the war is still going on, or the allied soldiers not getting rescued at du Kirk. IT IS NO FUN!

 

i am rooting for Jaime and Bronn both to be dead dead dead. Of course they won't be because Martin and HBO seem to think it's clever to hurt and kill beloved characters while keeping villains around. 

 

Seriously if a dragon dies I'm out.

 

I love Jaime and Bronn. So there! ?

[madam magpie]

2 hours ago, snickers said:

Dany was not bright though-the minute she saw the arrow she should have pulled up and flown out. 

Yes! I couldn't believe she didn't! I'm very worried that's she's getting too arrogant because I'm 100% Team Dany and want her to win. I don't need her to be knocked down a peg. But between that decision and the whole "bended knee" thing with Jon, I'm concerned.

I have no ambivalence about my loyalties. I wish Jaime/Bronn had been killed and can't wait for Cersei to get hers.

[easypeasy]

 A friend who initially decided to wait until it aired Sunday, texted to tell her if anything outrageous happens. When Drogon swooped into view with the Dothraki horde bearing down on the Lannister army, I screeched and sent her a mostly unintelligible text. I know we're not there yet, but I'm really going to miss this show when it's gone. I can't think of any movie or tv show in recent memory that's had me this invested, enthralled and hyped...and we have precious few episodes left *sigh* Anyway, my favorite 'Oh shit' reactions of the episode:
Bran- "Chaos is a ladder." Little finger was shook.
Jaime- "We can hold them off." Enter the dragon.
Lannister soldier- literally shaking with fear on the front line. Hell, I was shaking too.

It's a shame Bran is dead inside now. He and Meera  had a bond before he went full three eyed raven on her, and now they can't even share a proper goodbye. At least he managed to muster a hug for Arya, so there's that.  I'm so proud of and happy for her, looking like a mini hybrid of Ned and Lyanna Stark taking on Brienne. Her embraces with Sansa and Bran were touching, but I think the one with Jon will be the best Stark sibling reunion yet.

Jaime, STFU. Olenna betrayed "her Queen," yes. After said Queen murdered her whole family and destroyed her house. Do you get why she might be hold a grudge? Ugh.

This is the first time that I've ever really rooted for Daenerys. It was for Drogon's sake, but still.

[KaleyFirefly]

11 minutes ago, lucindabelle said:

That the horses didn't panic immediately is a real flaw- soldiers might, MIGHT be brace, but the horses should have been mad with fear.

 

drogon better be ok.

yeah I wonder how they filmed that, because even stunt horses would be afraid of fire, wouldn't they? It was a very well-directed battle scene.

[Sentient Meat]

I think Sansa was awakening from her Queen of the North fantasies and realizing that Arya, not her should be the ruler of Winterfell.  At least I hope all that was misdirection and the years of hardship and maturing doesn't lead her right back to the petty squabbles that they had as children.  Of course they put Littlefinger right next to her to make us think that... but I'm hoping they work together.

Tough choice for Tyrion... choosing between a better world for Westeros and saving the only he family member he loves.  I think his action was a reasonable and sympathetic one... don't help either and pray for the best.

I thought Jon and Daenerys were cousins but they are Aunt and Nephew... I suppose by Westeros standards less creepy than Jaime and Cersei, but I find it hard to believe they will stay together.  Still it looks as fate will throw together at least for the short term as Davos pointed out Jon noticing her heart, as well Jon listening to her analog checklist of her philosophical compatibility points.

I wonder what happened to the gold... is it all a melted pile?  I suppose it weighs a ton, so no one is likely to steal it.

Great episode.

[Teitr Styrr]

Favorite scene: Arya and Brienne duel. That has to be up there with some of the best scenes the show has done. A culmination of Arya's journey and the last words being "no one".

Littlefinger is fucked. I think by Arya, but I guess we'll see. I do think I may be under-estimating Littlefinger a little.

Holy cow, that was a fun battle. I don't think she went against Jon's advice. I do think part of the point of using the dragon was to instill some very real fear into her enemies. They should think right about now, "We're fucked".

About Bronn, the way I see it, he decided to not die for gold. It wasn't so much of him doing one of the other. He was, however badass.

Jamie, you got some balls, that's for sure. Didn't think about that one very hard did you? Maybe he knew it was suicide and decided taking out Dany was worth it.

Badass!

"No one". 

[Joimiaroxeu]

"Chaos is a ladder." Wheeee! And was Littlefinger trying to get into Bran's head or just sucking up ?

Sansa, Bran, and Arya Stark together again. Power Rangers unite!

How did  Daenerys know Jon Snow didn't make those cave drawings himself? And I was hoping they'd find some more dragon eggs in that cave.

OMG,  it was like Monty Python and the Holy Grail on that battlefield. "Run away! Run away!"

Quote

So the Dothraki vs. the White Walkers is going to be fucking mindblowing.

Yep, with dragonglass weapons plus the dragons, it'll be a rout. Just better make sure one of the dragons doesn't get captured and turned a White...Flyer?

[operakatz]

3 hours ago, CouchTater said:

What vibe was Sansa giving off when she was watching Arya and Brienne spar?  It almost felt like "dont take my friend Brienne."  It was weird. 

My read was that she was surprised and impressed with Arya with a good dose of "holy sh*t" in the mix.

[voiceover]

1 hour ago, lucindabelle said:

That the horses didn't panic immediately is a real flaw- 

Okay.  I get what you mean here, but it also puts me in mind of being in the audience at a horror film.

There was a decapitation, and as the head rolled down the street, the boy behind me scoffed, "That's not a real head!"

[Dobian]

That was just awesome.  I thought the highlight was the Arya/Brienne duel, which was a delight to watch.  But then that battle scene, I stood up halfway through watching it.  When Jamie and the troops heard something on the horizon, I was thinking, please let it be dragons, please let it be dragons!  Dany flying in on the great winged beast was spectacular.  And sure, all those Dothraki showing up en-masse like that once again butchered all logistical realities, but who cares?  It was amazing.  I found myself torn, because I wanted that army incinerated, but I also wanted Jamie to live, and Bronn to live, and of course Dany's dragon to live.  A fairly short but thrilling episode, I thought it was great.

[ImpinAintEasy]

Amazing battle scene! One of of the best I've ever witnessed. The dragon CGI was stunningly seamless and felt real. And the Dothraki horse riders were beautiful to watch. The stunt director and horse master/mistress deserve every award. As does the newcomer director Matt Shakman. 

 

Dany needs to find another dragon rider or two for Rhaegal and Viserion. One nuke is devistating. Three are unstoppable. 

 

Tyrion does have a completely understandable conflict of interest. He loves his brother and owes him his life. I'm surprised Dany just now realized this. Tyrion can't be planning anymore battles. 

 

Davos did a great job scribbling on those walls in the cave. Great idea, Jon! /jk ?

 

Call her Sansa, Arya. 

 

I think Brienne took it easy on Arya. Still loved seeing Arya dance around. And I'm glad she has a White Walker slaying knife now. Thanks, Littlefinger! Now it's time for you to get dead.

 

Jaime, you brave fucking fool. I'm assuming he thought he was dead anyway and tried to give his life to end the war in one stroke. He is destined to be the queenslayer, but that was the wrong queen. 

 

Only 3 episodes to go. It will be hard to top this one. Luckily, 2 of them are the longest two episodes in the show's history.

[AlliMo]

On rewatch, I appreciated that battle scene even more. The visual of smoke and fire after the first blast and then the Dothraki soaring in through the flames was just stunning.

My favorite line goes to Davos for his joke to Jon about switching sides.

[DrScottie]

19 minutes ago, ImpinAintEasy said:

Dany needs to find another dragon rider or two for Rhaegal and Viserion. One nuke is devistating. Three are unstoppable. 

Jon Snow and Tyrion? One of them is her nephew and the other might well be her half-brother if his father were actually the Mad King, not Tywin. We already know that the dragons were okay with Tyrion.  

Plus, seeing Jon Snow take on an army of White Walkers with a dragon. Awesome. 

Edited August 7, 2017 by DrScottie

[Blissfool]

1 hour ago, ImpinAintEasy said:

 

I love Jaime and Bronn. So there! ?

Me tooooo! 

 

35 minutes ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

How did  Daenerys know Jon Snow didn't make those cave drawings himself? 

I was joking with my family that the piece of chalk was gonna fall out of his pocket. 

 

28 minutes ago, ImpinAintEasy said:

Davos did a great job scribbling on those walls in the cave. 

And here I was giving Jon all the credit. 

[CletusMusashi]

Dragonstone needs better security protocols. I know that Jon and Davos aren't going to ambush Dany and Missi in the mine and slaughter them, and I believe that Dany also believes that, but shouldn't... whoever the hell is on guard duty.. want to send a bunch of people along anyway? 

I actually don't know who's doing anything. There didn't seem to be any servants left in the castle when they arrived, but Dany and Missendei, and, yes, Jon still have access to hair stylists. Maybe the Dothraki women and children came along and are doing all the peripheral stuff, but if so we should be seeing them. Is Varys like Alfred Pennyworth, dusting the entire mansion in between strategic sessions?

[HunterHunted]

7 hours ago, CaptainTightpants said:

I'm thinking that Dany should ransom the slightly damp but inevitably alive Jamie back to his sister. In exchange for all that gold that just rolled in to KL. 

They have been playing shenanigans this season with distances. But there is no way she could get the Golden Company across the water fast enough to do her any good. Not with a slightly injured and extremely  pissed off Drogon right outside the city.

Randyll Tarly said that the gold was safely at Kings Landing. All of the gold in Kings Landing is going to the Iron Bank in Braavos and to hire the Golden Company in Essos, which is probably where Euron's fleet is too. There is likely minimal gold in Kings Landing.

Jaime has to escape because he needs to tell Cersei that Lady Olenna killed Joffrey, that the loot train battle was a complete horror show, Daenerys destroyed their food and cut off their supply lines, and that the scorpion worked. Then when it's clear that they are losing the war, but Cersei insists on destroying everything and everyone Jaime will add queenslayer to his list of titles. Jaime has yet to be present for any of Cersei's carnage. He's only seen the aftermath. I think he thinks that Cersei can be talked out of her blood-thirsty lunacy. He needs to witness that she can't be.

They've been playing with time and distance this season. No one has any clue how slowly or quickly any of this is taking place. Additionally, almost everyone seems to have forgotten how to use ravens.

3 hours ago, operakatz said:

My read was that she was surprised and impressed with Arya with a good dose of "holy sh*t" in the mix.

Yep. Sansa was surprisified (a mix of surprised and horrified) by Arya's skill. Sansa knows the ill shit she had to go through to turn her own spine into steel and make her the Lady of Winterfell. Seeing how good Arya was fighting and her skill with a sword and a knife, made Sansa understand that Arya has gone through her own awful shit and killed people on her kill list. When Arya says most of the people on her list are dead, Sansa sort of smiles and Arya looks sad. Sansa takes it to mean they died anyway, Arya is sad that she missed a chance to kill them.

4 hours ago, Auntie Anxiety said:

I vaguely remember Littlefinger saying "chaos is a ladder" to either Sansa or Cat's sister when he was at The Eyrie, I think. That was why Littlefinger looked puzzled and taken aback. He wondered how Bran would know those exact words.

*I just looked it up. It was Littlefinger talking to Varys in Season 3, talking about how he sees a path to power if/when the realm starts the infighting.

Dude says "chaos is a ladder" all the time. I think he said it at least twice in season 1.

4 hours ago, KaleyFirefly said:

yeah I wonder how they filmed that, because even stunt horses would be afraid of fire, wouldn't they? It was a very well-directed battle scene.

Composite shot. They filmed the horses separately from the people and stuff on fire. They then pasted the shots together.

Where is Edmure Tully? Jaime imprisoned him in Casterly Rock after he had Edmure order the Tully soldiers and banner men to stand down and let the Lannisters and Freys take Riverrun.

Edited August 7, 2017 by HunterHunted

[bethster2000]

2 hours ago, ImpinAintEasy said:

4 hours ago, lucindabelle said:

Seriously if a dragon dies I'm out.

 

this.  for reals.

[MisterBluxom]

4 hours ago, TrininisaScorp said:

Bruh.  I would normally be salty about the short running time, but THAT. WAS. AMAZING. TV.  Good Gawd!

Dany and Jon are definitely going to get it on, right?!   Oh.  No.  Bran!  You need to talk to Jon ASAP.  Those actors are beautiful and I'm feeling that chemistry, but, don't we have enough family lovin' (if we think what we think is true) on this show already?!  The content of their conversation was good though; sounds like she's going to help him.  Dragons going North eventually, maybe?

The payoff of these Stark reunions are just the BEST.  Arya's treatment of the idiot guards and her "Do I have to call you Lady Stark now?" were priceless.  The moments of impish Arya with the sister who never understood her were pretty great.

Brienne and Arya sparring was one of my favorite scenes on tv.  It was well executed.  As a feminist, I got a little choked up.  These women who are so different, yet who both do not conform to the societal requirements of being a lady, really got an opportunity to just exist and be today.  I'm curious what Littlefinger has in store for Sansa and Arya (he looked WAY too happy to see some awkwardness there).  But, dude giving that knife up makes him toast.

Bran continues to drive me nuts.  My heart broke for Meera and the lukewarm thanks he gave her.  

I continue to love all of the interaction at Dragonstone; Missandei and Dany, Missandei and Davos, Dany and Jon, Jon and Theon, the Queen and her inner circle (that includes Davos and Jon b/c everybody else dead).  It really fleshes these characters out. 

Mycoft of Bravvos (don't recall the character's name...so we're going with what we call him in the TNScorp household) is really gonna be pissed when he figures out the gold is dragon BBQ.

And now....that battle...BRUH.  THAT WAS AWESOME.  I loved all of it!  From the first hoovebeats to the hoard of Dorthraki to the formation of the Lannisters, it was so well done.  I loved seeing the Dorthraki warriors showing up and showing out.  The horseback archers were reminiscent of a special I saw (Nat Geo or History or Science channel) about Genghis Khan and the Mongolian warriors; that was awe inspiring and terrifying.  When Dany rode in on Drogon (I think...he's the biggest of her boys, right?!), I genuinely cheering.  Hell gonna come today, motherfuckers!  I hope Drogon is okay, and I'm thinking Jamie's story is far from over; I hope they capture him, just so Jamie, Bronn, and Tyrion can share some scenes.  I loved Tyrion having the audience POV with these people he loves; I don't think he is loving all this death and fire and blood.  Bronn's "Battle of the Bastards" long shot of getting to the scorpion weaponry was very nicely done.  I get why that episode was short...they spent all the money.  This one time, I totally approve.  

It's difficult for me to expect that Dany & John will have any kind of physical romance in the near future. There is just so little time avalable. I would expect that maybe next season they might decide to form a more permanent bond and get married or something like that - providing both of them survive S8. But in the near future, they are both going to have their hands full fighting Cersei, The Army of the Dead, Euron and every other enemy that will come along. Besides from the writers' perspective, the longer they can string out this anticipated romance, the more satisfying it will be when it happens. So, look for it near the end of S8. But not much sooner. Of course, this is just my guess and my guesses are usually wrong. So, there you go!

[MisterBluxom]

3 hours ago, madam magpie said:

Yes! I couldn't believe she didn't! I'm very worried that's she's getting too arrogant because I'm 100% Team Dany and want her to win. I don't need her to be knocked down a peg. But between that decision and the whole "bended knee" thing with Jon, I'm concerned.

I have no ambivalence about my loyalties. I wish Jaime/Bronn had been killed and can't wait for Cersei to get hers.

I can certainly understand how you feel about Cersei. I feel pretty much the same way. But, I would much prefer to see her go slowly but surely crazy. Then as her insanity progresses, she could make all kinds of crazy decisions and each would cause her some serious pain and failure and suffering. Wouldn't that be much more enjoyable that seeing her just die quickly?  I wan't to see her die. For sure. But, I want to see her suffer, suffer, suffer in accordance with all the suffering she has caused others and then - at the end of the line - I want to see her fall into the hands of that lady from Dorn (forget her name - Allaria?) - the one who Circe had imprisoned and whose daughter Circe murdered in retaliation for the murder of Cersei's daughter. I want to see Cersei fall into her hands and then I want to see what she does to Cersei.  Ideally, they could give us one entire episode where that lady just tortures Cersei more and more and more until she just POPS! 

POP! POP! POP!   What do you think?

P.S. I really am a nasty bitch. Aren't I? But I just want some payback for all the evil Cersei has done. Doesn't she deserve that? Doesn't the audience deserve to see that?

Edited August 7, 2017 by MissBluxom

[nurse1]

TrininisaScorp:

Quote

  I would normally be salty about the short running time, but THAT. WAS. AMAZING. TV.  Good Gawd!

Hell Yeah!...this episode was what this season needed.....Everything was on point!!

Daenerys and Jon have lots and lots of chemistry...I really am enjoying this slow sexual dance that they are doing...

The Stark reunion was good, they have each grown both physically and emotionally...very good scene...and can somebody just kill LF already, he's so annoying

Nothing to add about the battle scene, except Bronn and Jamie are dead to me!!...Nobody hurts the dragon! Nobody!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Although I think the Sansa/Jon reunion is my favorite Stark reunion so far (mostly because it was the first one and a long time coming), I still enjoyed the awkward Sansa/Arya reunion and I am really looking forward to the Arya/Jon reunion. They are the two siblings who were close before all the shit hit the fan so I think there is going to be major hugs and love when they finally see each other again. Sansa, please stop jinxing your siblings by saying things like Jon will be so excited to see Arya that his heart will stop.

Loved Bronn's reaction to Dickon's name because it was the same as my reaction when Dickon was originally introduced (last week or the week before?).

Poor Meera - after everything that she and her brother have done for Bran, he can barely muster a "kthxbye." Just be glad that you are still alive and GTFO while you can, Meera!

Although I think Jon is too honorable to lie, I was cracking up at the thought that he had gone down into the cave and drawn all of those symbols and stick figures too convince Dany to help him fight the Night King. I was rolling my eyes when Dany told him that if he wants to protect his people, he shouldn't let his pride get in the way. It goes both ways, lady. If you want to protect YOUR people from the white walkers then maybe drop some of your pride and quit insisting that he bend the knee before you'll help him.

When Bran gave the dagger to Arya, I could see her running down the remnants of her list, deciding who to stab with it. Feel free to get in a little practice on Littlefinger before you head to Kings Landing, girl.

I don't necessarily want Bronn to die but I also don't want him firing humongous arrows at the dragons so STOP IT, BRONN!

Heh, I was totally with Tyrion when he saw what Jaime was about to do and he just said, "FUCKING IDIOT." Jaime deserves to die for that boneheaded move, but I hope he's alive so that Dany can hold him for ransom. We'll see just how much Cersei loves her brother lover when she has to negotiate with Dany to get him back. Unlike Lord Tully, she isn't going to say, "Eh, go ahead and kill him."

Loved the Brienne/Arya scene. The last time they saw each other, Arya didn't trust Brienne but now she obviously respects her. I had to laugh at Brienne easily beating Podrick time after time and then shooing him away so that she could spar with someone more skilled. Brienne has had to hold back with Pod but she got to really let loose with Arya. Meanwhile, Arya was finally having fun!

6 hours ago, CouchTater said:

What vibe was Sansa giving off when she was watching Arya and Brienne spar?  It almost felt like "dont take my friend Brienne."  It was weird. 

According to Inside the Episode, it's Sansa realizing that Arya is now a deadly killer, but I got the same feeling you did, like she was jealous of the budding relationship between Brienne and Arya. Maybe it's just envy that these two people who are very important to her but who she doesn't know very well just had this instant bonding moment in a way that she knows she will never have with either of them.

What I wish I had seen on Sansa's face was, "Hmmm, maybe Lady Mormont was right - we DO need to train the girls and women too because Arya and Brienne are better fighters than any of the men in this entire castle."

6 hours ago, BitterApple said:

Not going to think too hard about how Dany got an entire Dothraki army halfway across the continent without word reaching to Jaime, so I'll let that one go for now.

 

6 hours ago, voiceover said:

Same cloaking device Euron used to ambush Yara & co.

They must have had a sale on Harry Potter invisibility cloaks since they were able to stitch together enough to hide an entire Dothraki army and a whole fleet of ships!

[charmed1]

5 hours ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

Just better make sure one of the dragons doesn't get captured and turned a White...Flyer?

Ooh. Hadn't thought of this. That would definitely upgrade their transportation from city bus to Acela Express. What would he spit out then? A choice of cubed ice, shaved ice or filtered water? A mighty hail storm? I guess he could cause a major flash flood if need be. 

I thought Sansa would warn Arya that Bran was no longer Bobby Brady and was now Lieutenant Commander Data. I guess she wanted her to find out for herself. 

Edited August 7, 2017 by charmed1

[Gobi]

The gold made it into KL before the battle. That doesn't solve Cersei's problems, though, as she  has to get the gold to the Iron Bank. If Dany lays siege to KL, getting the gold out will be nigh impossible. And the Iron Bank won't lift a finger (little or otherwise) to help until they've been paid.

Someone upthread wondered why Dany didn't bring all three dragons. She can only control one at a time, by riding.

Edited August 7, 2017 by Gobi
Spelling

[ElectricBoogaloo]

So was Jaime saying the more you own the more you're weighed down foreshadowing his sinking with his gold hand and his fancy lion armor?

I have to give credit to the Lannister army because if I had seen a dragon scorch half of my fellow soldiers, I would have been running as fast as my little legs would carry me, not obeying orders to stand my ground. The stunt riders who played the Dothraki were amazing and badass!

If Jaime had Scorpion all that time, why did he waste all that time before sending Bronn to use it? He let his men and the supplies get burnt to a crisp and then still decided to try firing puny regular arrows at a giant flying lizard before he finally had Bronn get out their dragon weapon. On a practical level, I'm okay with it because it gave Dany more time to attack, but it was a dumb move on Jaime's part. As soon as he saw a FUCKING DRAGON flying straight at his army, he should have busted that thing out.

On the other side of things, if I were Dany, I would have turned Drogon around after Bronn fired the first shot. The whole point was to cripple the Lannister army and destroy their supplies (and show them what the dragons were capable of aka scare the shit out of them), which she did. There's no need to risk the life of one precious dragon just to burn some more men and supplies. Rule number one for me is DO NOT HURT THE DRAGONS!

I had to laugh that even after Bronn hit Drogon with the giant arrow, wounded Drogon still had the strength and determination to be like, "Oh yeah? I will burn your fucking weapon and some more of your men for good measure!"

[gbbarb]

6 hours ago, Sentient Meat said:

I think Sansa was awakening from her Queen of the North fantasies and realizing that Arya, not her should be the ruler of Winterfell.  At least I hope all that was misdirection and the years of hardship and maturing doesn't lead her right back to the petty squabbles that they had as children.  Of course they put Littlefinger right next to her to make us think that... but I'm hoping they work together.

Tough choice for Tyrion... choosing between a better world for Westeros and saving the only he family member he loves.  I think his action was a reasonable and sympathetic one... don't help either and pray for the best.

I thought Jon and Daenerys were cousins but they are Aunt and Nephew... I suppose by Westeros standards less creepy than Jaime and Cersei, but I find it hard to believe they will stay together.  Still it looks as fate will throw together at least for the short term as Davos pointed out Jon noticing her heart, as well Jon listening to her analog checklist of her philosophical compatibility points.

I wonder what happened to the gold... is it all a melted pile?  I suppose it weighs a ton, so no one is likely to steal it.

Great episode.

Why would Arya be more suitable than Sansa?  We have seen nothing on the show that would indicate that message.  Sansa hate is so tiring.

[TaraS1]

I know it's too soon for Dany to fly in and win everything in one fell swoop, but this felt like a bit of a cheat to me.  Drogon injured (my heart was in my throat when Bronn was firing at him!), the gold safely on its way to Cersei, Bronn and Jamie surviving a battle they shouldn't have survived...those wins for the Lannisters took away some of my joy over Dany and the Dothraki.  She's been soundly defeated strategy-wise in the last two episodes, so I wanted this to be a full on victory for her.  But it was still awesome to watch.

Also, when she and Jon were walking out of the cave, they were walking so close together that I thought they were holding hands and a wedding announcement was forthcoming.

Have we heard of the Golden Company before?  That was new to me, so I didn't understand the reference.

And p.s., I love Pod.

[NeenerNeener]

I just watched the Anatomy of a Scene extra and had an enormous nostalgia moment. I used to work for the company that invented flight simulators....not that silly Microsoft program...real, huge platforms that had six degrees of motion that could make you puke like a real airplane. Seeing Emilia Clarke on a "Dragon" simulator would have made Ed Link proud.

[Drogo]

2 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I had to laugh that even after Bronn hit Drogon with the giant arrow, wounded Drogon still had the strength and determination to be like, "Oh yeah? I will burn your fucking weapon and some more of your men for good measure!"

Not altogether different than his namesake?  "A scratch."

[HunterHunted]

13 hours ago, BitterApple said:

Jaime's not dead, right? Right?! He can't be dead. 

Not going to think too hard about how Dany got an entire Dothraki army halfway across the continent without word reaching to Jaime, so I'll let that one go for now. The battle was epic.

Jaime is almost certainly not dead because he has to convey to Cersei that Olenna killed Joffrey and that the scorpion worked.

When Daenerys finds out that Casterly Rock was a trap, Tyrion says that she has just enough ships (probably the ship's she captured from the Great Masters of Meereen) to get the Dothraki horde to continental Westeros. Cersei tells Tycho Nestoris, from the Iron Bank, that Qyburn, Cersei's Master of Whispers, is in Essos trying to hire the Golden Company. Euron is also likely in Essos to transport the Golden Company across the narrow sea to Westeros. As far as I can tell, people have largely abandoned using ravens. The only places that have been seen consistently using ravens this season have been Castle Black, Winterfell, and the Citadel.

The real problem is that David and David are so eager to wrap the show up that they've collapsed timelines egregiously. In previous seasons, the 2 scenes with Jaime tonight including the battle would have been spread out over multiple episodes. They used to let the story breathe and so it would have made sense how something like Daenerys sneaking the Dothraki on to the Kings Lands could happen. 

Edited August 7, 2017 by HunterHunted

[taanja]

10 hours ago, LilaFowler said:

Such a great episode. The battle scene was awesome. Bronn has survived much longer than he should have. Sick of him and his mercenary shit. It was probably he who saved Jamie at the end — ugh! Both of them should have died by dragonfire in this episode. I had hopes that this would finally be the end of that stupid, sister-fucking idiot but no, he and Bronn miraculously dodged both the dragonfire and the Dothraki hordes. I can’t believe that dragon slayer contraption actually worked. It defies logic, really. All that smoke, a dragon twisting in the wind… I hope the dragon is okay.  

Loved the Stark reunion and Arya telling Brienne that "no one" taught her to fight. :wink:

Tyrion was insulted twice: first from Dany when she dismissed him and turned to Jon, then again when the Dothraki general told him that the Lannisters couldn’t fight. Why do I feel like he’ll turn again at some point? If given the choice between saving Jamie or Dany, I think he would still pick Jamie.

Bronn? I don't hate the character -- he's comic relief. But it looked to me that it was Dickon Tarly (aka Billy Bones) who pushed Jamie out of the way and into the water.

OMG! That was an amazing episode! from Dany and the dragon torching the Lannister army--- Ha!-- to Arya and her sword game with Brienne. I was on the edge of my seat from beginning to end.

One of my favorite parts was Arya explaining her "kill list" to Sansa and Sansa laughing like -- sure you're joking right? and then later Bran backing it up with -- yeah Cersei is on Arya's list. Haha! And then Sansa watching her "practice" with Brienne. Epic!

Is Littlefinger on Arya's list? I don't hate the character like other's seem to (I like a good mustache twirling villain) but it would be AMAZING if tiny little Arya Stark came out of nowhere and killed his ass. Because no matter how smart he thinks he is and how many scenarios he can imagine---he couldn't possibly see that coming? Right?

This episode made me feel like-- yes-- Tyrion may betray Dany? especially if it comes down to Jamie or Dany. Once a Lannister-- always a Lannister.

[SoWindsor]

10 hours ago, BitterApple said:

I agree. He keeps needling her about her background, almost like he's fishing and waiting for her to trip up. Assuming they've been at Dragonstone for weeks, they should be past all the meaningless small talk. I'm also assuming Davos knows he doesn't have a shot in hell with a girl like Missandei, so I think something more is going on. 

I think he believes jon will be convinced of something when she shares her stories/opinions. Not sure what exactly.