S08.00: The Last Watch

[QuinnM]

37 minutes ago, meep.meep said:

Loved the snow guy!  You just don't think about all the little details that go into making a huge show like this.

That reminds me, you know the woman parking the trucks with the potty mouth?  She is there reason that snow guy arrives in Spain for the first time and someone can lead him over to the little tent with a pallet of snow and a pallet of his snow throwing gear.  Logistics is a bitch.  Done well you don’t notice.  Done poorly and production shuts down.

[sunnyface]

I was left wondering why there was so much filming at night because they failed to execute proper lighting for a television series.  All that effort for the ultimate battle  and many folks couldn't even make out what transpired because it was so dark.  Qu'elle domage..  YMMV.

[bijoux]

1 hour ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I also enjoyed Vlad talking about the difference between choreographing stunts and being an actor. I hope he and Kit had a nice vacation in Spain when they were sent there as decoys.

I really enjoyed the segment with the stunt crew practicing and (over)acting. Thie acting was both horrendously bad and completely charming.

31 minutes ago, WatchrTina said:

But the show-runners missed a major opportunity.  They should have had Syrio Forel turn up (Arya's sword master from season one.)  I still maintain that Syrio survived.  He didn't die on camera so therefore in my head canon he's still out there somewhere, kicking butt and taking names.

Oh my God, could you imagine Arya slitting Meryn Trant's throat for nothing?

Well, not nothing, he was a creepy fuck and plenty of very young girls are spared at least one of those as a result.

[MadameKillerB]

42 minutes ago, QuinnM said:

That reminds me, you know the woman parking the trucks with the potty mouth?  

I loved that woman. I've only been to diff parts of Ireland 5 times but was tickled by how much I heard that kind of swearing. LOVE it. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

56 minutes ago, WatchrTina said:

And the Waif and Jacquen Hagar!  They both got a free vacation in Spain as well. I LOVE that.  But the show-runners missed a major opportunity.  They should have had Syrio Forel turn up (Arya's sword master from season one.)  I still maintain that Syrio survived.  He didn't die on camera so therefore in my head canon he's still out there somewhere, kicking butt and taking names.

Ha, same here. Syrio is alive, damn it!

[Brn2bwild]

The table read explains why the Dragon Pit scene feels so tacked on... because originally it was supposed to end with Dany's death.

That makes me wonder if King Bran was just some B.S. D&D came up with, since if it was George RR Martin's plan, wouldn't it have been included in the first draft of the script?

Edited May 27, 2019 by Brn2bwild

[bijoux]

26 minutes ago, Brn2bwild said:

The table read explains why the Dragon Pit scene feels so tacked on... because originally it was supposed to end with Dany's death.

I honestly didn’t get that impression, but I do admit to watching in the middle of the night and lightly snoozing at times. Can you point me to where that was indicated?

[Umbelina]

32 minutes ago, Brn2bwild said:

The table read explains why the Dragon Pit scene feels so tacked on... because originally it was supposed to end with Dany's death.

That makes me wonder if King Bran was just some B.S. D&D came up with, since if it was George RR Martin's plan, wouldn't it have been included in the first draft of the script?

Not a chance.

Oh, and shame on them for leaving the "winner" of the throne out of the story most of the time, and for making him stare off into the distance and roll his eyes.

No, I don't blame Issac, I blame the showrunners for that.

[BitterApple]

Did anyone else do a double-take when that Stark extra gave the numbers for the Battle of Winterfell? 120,000 wights versus 18,000 allied forces?! I really hope that was an error or he misheard production staff, because Dany alone should've had way bigger numbers than that. I know continuity didn't mean jack squat, this season but still.

[TaurusRose]

16 hours ago, Diana Berry said:

Was Bronn at the table read?

No, he was busy fighting off Keanu Reeves and Halle Berry in John Wick 3.

Edited May 28, 2019 by taurusrose

[mojoween]

Entertainment Weekly had a story about GoT this week and Emilia had read her script when she got it, but Kit didn’t.  They ended up on the flight together to film, and she was frustrated that she couldn’t discuss it with Kit.

So what they showed in the ep was the first time Kit found out what Jon did.  I love that we got to see it.

The Night King actor was very charming, but it was a good call to not have The NK speak on camera, heh.  It was so cute when he raised his arms when he walked  away in Spain and the crowd cheered when they realized what he was doing.

[Brn2bwild]

2 hours ago, bijoux said:

I honestly didn’t get that impression, but I do admit to watching in the middle of the night and lightly snoozing at times. Can you point me to where that was indicated?

During the table read, immediately after Dany's death scene, D&D say "End of Game of Thrones."

[magdalene]

I didn't know Lena Headey has that many tattoos.  NCW looks like a dishy university professor in real life. The Night King actor comes across as awesome  and his fighting and stunt skills are amazing.

[purplemouth]

3 hours ago, Brn2bwild said:

During the table read, immediately after Dany's death scene, D&D say "End of Game of Thrones."

I’m pretty sure the table read part of this was a compilation of the entire season and this is not indicative of Dany’s death being the original end of the series.

[Brn2bwild]

8 minutes ago, purplemouth said:

I’m pretty sure the table read part of this was a compilation of the entire season and this is not indicative of Dany’s death being the original end of the series.

If you mean how it was presented in the special, D&D read a portion that said "Jon did what was necessary, etc.  End of Game of Thrones."  One sentence was clearly followed by the other. 

In the past, the actors said they read through all of the scripts at the table read.  It wasn't just a highlight of "greatest hits" from each script.  At the very least, it seems strange they would leave the Dragon Pit scene entirely out of the table read.

[Growsonwalls]

I saw an interview with Maisie Williams that said she was bummed that Arya didn't get to kill Cersei with one of her faces. Williams said she and Headey even talked about how great it would be to shoot a scene together, as they are close in real life. 

That was great idea and one often circulated by the fans. It seems as if it was seriously considered if Williams and Headey discussed it. Wonder why it was nixed.

[bijoux]

4 hours ago, Brn2bwild said:

During the table read, immediately after Dany's death scene, D&D say "End of Game of Thrones."

Got it. Although I took it as playing for the throne was done. But you could be right. It seems like a very abrupt ending though. Even if I still think they could and should have done more with what came after, I think it works better then going to black right after Dany is killed. 

[TheGourmez]

23 minutes ago, Growsonwalls said:

I saw an interview with Maisie Williams that said she was bummed that Arya didn't get to kill Cersei with one of her faces. Williams said she and Headey even talked about how great it would be to shoot a scene together, as they are close in real life. 

That was great idea and one often circulated by the fans. It seems as if it was seriously considered if Williams and Headey discussed it. Wonder why it was nixed. 

Actors talking about what they think would be fun for their characters does not mean such things were ever considered by the showrunners.

[bijoux]

1 minute ago, TheGourmez said:

Actors talking about what they think would be fun for their characters does not mean such things were ever considered by the showrunners.

Yup. It was only yesterday that someone linked to an interview with Gwendolyne Christie in which she talks about how she got attached to Brienne and wanted best for her character. It seems perfectly reasonable to have actors and actresses speculating and wishing for certain outcomes for their characters.

[MJ Frog]

11 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I didn't mind at all that the crew members were the focus of this.

Yep, me too. It was a well-deserved love letter to the crew. I am fine with that, and only wish there had been more for the other seasons.

[Traveller519]

I didn't want this to end. I felt a greater sadness as the credits started to role hear than I did when the screen faded to black at the end of the series' epilogue. That was the conclusion of the story. This was the reminder the show is finished and we don't get to live in this world anymore.

You could tell that while the senior production staff (Spence, Caulfield, Nutter, etc) had come to terms with it ending, and perhaps were even ready to move on, that the "in the trenches crew" were very shook by the whole thing coming to an end. Even if they were exhausted. Their passion poured through. I empathize with them.

There were so many great little moments. Seeing just HOW FREAKING GOOD of an Actress Sophie is. The wights eating craft services, everything Master of Snow, and of course the Table Read.

I'm sad to not have Thrones in my life going forward.

The poor coffee van team. Who would have guessed how infamous they would become

[BitterApple]

My favorite part about the table read was Gwendolyn holding Conleth's hand. 

My favorite funny moment was the White Walkers standing around in plastic rain bonnets in between takes. 

My disappointment? Finding out the Night King was a stunt man and skilled swordsman only to be robbed of an epic battle between him and Jon Snow. Or even Arya for that matter. Grrrrr......

Edited May 28, 2019 by BitterApple

[cambridgeguy]

12 hours ago, magdalene said:

I didn't know Lena Headey has that many tattoos.  NCW looks like a dishy university professor in real life. The Night King actor comes across as awesome  and his fighting and stunt skills are amazing.

Given how popular tattoos are these days I can see why virtually everyone wears costumes with long sleeves.  That's easier than using makeup or digital trickery to remove a 21st century mark.  The same probably applies to characters who aren't the type to get a tattoo.

[VCRTracking]

22 hours ago, Nashville said:

Have you ever seen Emilia Clarke in interviews?  Where Daenerys Targaryen presents as a platinum blonde picture of understated classical grace, Emilia Clarke presents as a enthusiastic brunette geekgrrl - and between the two, I have to say I much prefer the latter.  Emilia seems very intelligent, and a lot of fun besides. 

I agree with this.

[AuntiePam]

17 hours ago, Brn2bwild said:

During the table read, immediately after Dany's death scene, D&D say "End of Game of Thrones."

If that was truly Dany's last scene, we'd all really be screaming, because there was quite a bit of show and story after Dany's death. 

It's so weird to me, filming scenes out of order -- like Kit's final scene being the encounter with Grey Worm when he was executing prisoners, and Dany's final filmed scene being -- something minor, I forget, but not the one we saw.

What I got from this was an answer to the question: Why do these shows cost so much? 

I also got a new respect for the actors, especially watching Dany crying over Jorah.  It's easy to cry in the moment, but that moment was long gone.

[AuntiePam]

Sorry to follow my own post, but it seems that the "end of Game of Thrones" comment could mean that it's the end of the game.  Even if someone still wanted to play, what would they play with?  The Unsullied and the Dothraki aren't going to follow anyone but Dany.  Jon has his Northmen and Wildlings but he's sick of fighting.  So is everyone else.  So the game is over, but not the story.

[Nashville]

On 5/27/2019 at 2:16 PM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Ha, same here. Syrio is alive, damn it!

T-shirt opportunity!  “SYRIO LIVES!!!”

Hey - it worked with Frodo, back in the day.  😁

Edited May 28, 2019 by Nashville
Added linky

[Mardo2044]

On 5/27/2019 at 11:08 AM, taurusrose said:

 I admit I was bored by the husband/wife team and her sappy video call to her daughter, but it was nice that they got their moment in the spotlight regardless of what I thought.  I am going to miss the hell out of this show.  

I agree.  I think this "behind the scenes" was not really for us but a gift to the production staff.  They would have spent less time on each group and then interspersed interviews with key actors if it was really intended for the got viewer.  I liked it alot, especially night king and the house of stark extra.

[Mardo2044]

16 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

What I got from this was an answer to the question: Why do these shows cost so much? 

This!

[FreetheGirlses]

On 5/27/2019 at 10:51 AM, Nashville said:

Not a clue what happened in the past - but so far as the present goes, to me it sounds unprofessional as hell.  Very few jobs in this world allow the caveat you have to like somebody in order to work with them - and if you can’t, then that’s on you.

Apparently, according to Reddit, their marriage ended VERY badly. Abuse and such. 

If that is the case, I totally understand their desires to stay apart. Seems like it was a messy divorce, too. However, I'm shocked they were both hired then. 

[Francie]

On 5/27/2019 at 6:44 PM, Brn2bwild said:

During the table read, immediately after Dany's death scene, D&D say "End of Game of Thrones."

I think that was either the editing and they put in as a voiceover "end of game of thrones" when it was actually said, or that line was commentary on how the violent fight for the throne was over. 

I have to imagine that because there's no way that the show was meant to end with that scene. The Spain shoot was set long in advance.  The actors who played Yara, Robin, and Edmure, etc.  were scheduled.  That wasn't a last minute tacked on scene. 

[Ladyrain]

On 5/28/2019 at 4:05 AM, Traveller519 said:

the show is finished and we don't get to live in this world anymore.

I'm still trying to come to grips with this reality.   Thank you for putting into words exactly how I - and so many others - feel.

[bijoux]

1 hour ago, FreetheGirlses said:

Apparently, according to Reddit, their marriage ended VERY badly. Abuse and such. 

If that is the case, I totally understand their desires to stay apart. Seems like it was a messy divorce, too. However, I'm shocked they were both hired then. 

I never got that they were married, just in a relationship at some point in the past. 

[PatsyandEddie]

That’s how I read it as well bijoux. It was a relationship, no idea how long, but with enough acrimony for them to not appear in the same scenes. 

[proserpina65]

5 hours ago, bijoux said:

I never got that they were married, just in a relationship at some point in the past. 

They weren't married.  She has had two husbands, one from whom she divorced acrimoniously and one to whom she is currently married.

[LoveLeigh]

on YouTube

In the above clip, it is interesting to read the comments. You can see at the table read that many of the actors were not happy with this script. 

The actor who plays Varys just throws down his script and looks angry at the way Varys ends and Kit Harington looks just shocked and really upset. I think the end of this series really took a toll on him and he could not have been happy with all the fans' negative reactions in spite of what he said because today I read that he entered rehab to deal with his emotional issues. 

[seacliffsal]

While I sincerely appreciate all of the hard work of the crew and extras, I thought this special was meandering quite a bit.  I didn't need or enjoy the 1113 interviews with the make-up woman and felt that some scenes were quite short while others were longer than was my interest.  I also felt this was disjointed and unorganized to a degree.  I probably would have enjoyed it more and followed it much easier if it had been segmented into specific types of crew/responsibilities.  So, like 15 minutes with make-up/hair, then 15 minutes with extras, etc.  

Although my post pretty much focuses on negative comments, I so enjoyed Game of Thrones, would watch any documentary they want to show, and will rewatch the series from time to time.  

[Ladyrain]

On 5/29/2019 at 4:22 PM, DakotaLavender said:

today I read that he entered rehab to deal with his emotional issues.

If this has to do with the way the show ended and people's negative reactions . . . . just, wow.  

I may not have loved every aspect of the ending, but GOT was never a 'happily ever after' kind of show from the get-go, beginning with Ned Stark's beheading in the very first season.   This was always going to be a show about shock and awe.   If all the loose ends were tied up with a sparkly pink bow, that would not have been the show I watched for almost a decade.   And then people would be complaining that such a dark show should not have had a fairy-tail ending. 

So, long story short, I sincerely hope that all of Kit's troubles right now aren't the result of how GOT played out.    He didn't write the scripts; he just acted the part that was written for him.   I also hope that the show that made him successful will not also be his downfall.

[MVFrostsMyPie]

My favorite part of this documentary was the NK and Bran just chillin' (and probably literally chilling) in a tent together. 

[proserpina65]

On ‎06‎/‎02‎/‎2019 at 10:38 PM, Ladyrain said:

If this has to do with the way the show ended and people's negative reactions . . . . just, wow.  

I may not have loved every aspect of the ending, but GOT was never a 'happily ever after' kind of show from the get-go, beginning with Ned Stark's beheading in the very first season.   This was always going to be a show about shock and awe.   If all the loose ends were tied up with a sparkly pink bow, that would not have been the show I watched for almost a decade.   And then people would be complaining that such a dark show should not have had a fairy-tail ending. 

So, long story short, I sincerely hope that all of Kit's troubles right now aren't the result of how GOT played out.    He didn't write the scripts; he just acted the part that was written for him.   I also hope that the show that made him successful will not also be his downfall.

I highly doubt Kit's issues have anything to do with fans' reactions.

[QuinnM]

5 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

I highly doubt Kit's issues have anything to do with fans' reactions.

I'm sure they played part in it.  Were they the main reason?  Probably not. And knowing folks that have had this kind of breakdown there are probably 100 other reasons as well.  But you see in the Last Watch how much this whole experience meant to him.  And then 1.5 million people say it sucked?  That's got to be one of the straws on the camels back.

[proserpina65]

8 minutes ago, QuinnM said:

I'm sure they played part in it.  Were they the main reason?  Probably not. And knowing folks that have had this kind of breakdown there are probably 100 other reasons as well.  But you see in the Last Watch how much this whole experience meant to him.  And then 1.5 million people say it sucked?  That's got to be one of the straws on the camels back.

I really don't think the opinions of a section of the fandom meant that much.

[LoveLeigh]

On 6/2/2019 at 10:38 PM, Ladyrain said:

If this has to do with the way the show ended and people's negative reactions . . . . just, wow.  

I may not have loved every aspect of the ending, but GOT was never a 'happily ever after' kind of show from the get-go, beginning with Ned Stark's beheading in the very first season.   This was always going to be a show about shock and awe.   If all the loose ends were tied up with a sparkly pink bow, that would not have been the show I watched for almost a decade.   And then people would be complaining that such a dark show should not have had a fairy-tail ending. 

So, long story short, I sincerely hope that all of Kit's troubles right now aren't the result of how GOT played out.    He didn't write the scripts; he just acted the part that was written for him.   I also hope that the show that made him successful will not also be his downfall.

I think he is experiencing severe loss. It is the loss of a job he had for a decade and also he misses a cast he saw all the time. He is going through a grieving process. 

[QuinnM]

18 minutes ago, DakotaLavender said:

I think he is experiencing severe loss. It is the loss of a job he had for a decade and also he misses a cast he saw all the time. He is going through a grieving process. 

And imagine if while you were working through that 1.5 million people said that what you are grieving was so bad it should be thrown out and done again.  That it sucked.  So I'm grieving the loss and 1.5 million people say, what loss, that sucked, not worth your emotion.  I think the petition absolutely affected him.  It was not the only thing going on but it certainly contributed.  

Edited June 5, 2019 by QuinnM

[Nashville]

2 hours ago, DakotaLavender said:

I think he is experiencing severe loss. It is the loss of a job he had for a decade and also he misses a cast he saw all the time. He is going through a grieving process. 

No surprise there; people seem to forget that when this series first started casting, Kit (and a much of the rest of the cast) were little more than kids. Kit was something like 22yo when originally cast for the role back in 2009, so GoT has in effect been the defining focus - and reliable constant routine - of his entire adult life.

[30 Helens]

On 5/27/2019 at 1:19 AM, operakatz said:

It made me angry, watching how damned hard these people worked, doing incredible work...that D&D shortchanged the ending of this show the way they did by rushing through such important events/character evolutions. Such a shame as the production values were really mindblowing.

It made me angry, watching how damned hard these people worked, doing incredible work...that a bunch of self-entitled jerks could throw it back in their faces with a childish petition.  I just hope it didn’t tarnish the memory of their experience too much.

[TaurusRose]

18 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

It made me angry, watching how damned hard these people worked, doing incredible work...that a bunch of self-entitled jerks could throw it back in their faces with a childish petition.  I just hope it didn’t tarnish the memory of their experience too much.

I agree.  I think everyone is incredibly entitled these days; sitting at a computer being completely anonymous and spewing vitriol into cyberspace has become too common and not criticized harshly enough IMO.  We all have opinions and yes, we can express them.  But people need to take a step back and be mindful of what they say and how they say it.  The petition was ridiculous.  Really?  It was nothing more than a temper tantrum thrown by people who think they have a right to trash the work of others because they know better.  Newsflash.  They don’t.  Unless they were sitting in creative meetings, had GRRM on speed dial, had a hand in budgets and everything else related to the production of GoT, they don’t have a clue.  I’m sorry, but I’ve grown really tired of bad manners, rudeness and self-important people.  I’m tired of snark and hatefulness masquerading as cleverness and inside knowledge.  Seriously the meltdowns and hissy fits I’ve seen regarding this final season have almost blown my mind, not to mention made me question the mental stability of the folks behind some of the rants.  This was a television show.  Entertainment.  The way it ended didn’t take skin off anyone’s back and certainly didn’t impact anyone’s real life in any meaningful way, so I don’t get it.  And I don’t want to.  I don’t want to be part of madness over nothing when there is so much real shit to worry about.   Sorry for my rant.

Edited June 7, 2019 by taurusrose

[rmontro]

14 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

It made me angry, watching how damned hard these people worked, doing incredible work...that a bunch of self-entitled jerks could throw it back in their faces with a childish petition.  I just hope it didn’t tarnish the memory of their experience too much.

I don't think anyone has complained about the production values, or the acting (overall), or the cinematography.  People have mainly complained about the writing, and even people who haven't complained have admitted these last few seasons have been rushed.  So I don't think any of the behind the scenes workers we saw on the special were being besmirched.  

I did not not sign the petition, but I did not like the ending, it was not satisfying for me.  From my perspective, the ending didn't give anything to the viewer, unless perhaps they were a Sansa or Arya fan.  Jon's ending was underwhelming compared to the buildup, and I don't even want to talk about what they did to Dany.  For me, the ending ruins the whole series for me, and three months ago I would have told you Game of Thrones was the best thing I had ever watched.  That's what makes me angry.

[TaurusRose]

1 hour ago, rmontro said:

From my perspective, the ending didn't give anything to the viewer, unless perhaps they were a Sansa or Arya fan.  Jon's ending was underwhelming compared to the buildup, and I don't even want to talk about what they did to Dany.  For me, the ending ruins the whole series for me, and three months ago I would have told you Game of Thrones was the best thing I had ever watched.  That's what makes me angry.

Well, I never liked Sansa so I just ignored her ending. I will agree that I wanted more for Jon, but I think Jon ultimately got what he wanted. Dany’s ending was the most unexpected and sad, I think. The fact that Bran ended up as king is just 😳. But it’s done and we can’t make it any better, so I’ve chosen to accept and move on.

[rmontro]

24 minutes ago, taurusrose said:

Well, I never liked Sansa so I just ignored her ending. I will agree that I wanted more for Jon, but I think Jon ultimately got what he wanted. Dany’s ending was the most unexpected and sad, I think. The fact that Bran ended up as king is just 😳. But it’s done and we can’t make it any better, so I’ve chosen to accept and move on.

I always liked Sansa until this season, now I can't stand her, which is unfortunate.  Every time I see Sophie's "Dark Phoenix" movie trailer on TV, I curse at the screen lol.  They already did that storyline in X-Men 3 The Last Stand, I don't know why they're doing it again.

Jon might have gotten what he wanted, sort of.  It's just that his storyline seemed to promise a lot that never came to fruition, which is why I called it underwhelming.  Bran as king, I don't know who was clamoring for that.  Who was saying:  "I can enjoy the end of Game of Thrones, just as long as Bran gets to be king"?

I will say Jorah and Theon got good ends, I think fans of those characters can be pleased, they went out very well.  Bronn and Davos did about as well as could be expected.  

I liked Dany and her dragons, so there are no words to describe the nuclear hate I feel about what they did with her.  There is no way you can convince me that character would intentionally kill innocent children.  From watching The Last Watch, you can see how Emilia Clake has a good heart, maybe she put more of herself into the character than GRRM or even D&D intended.

Going back to the beginning, when they killed Ned Stark everyone said "Oh look, GRRM is destroying all the fantasy tropes" by killing the main character.  But in the end he stuck by the tropes because the surviving Starks all come out smelling like a rose.  Even Jon, who has some sadness to him, was the big hero and saved Westeros.