Spoilers Game of Thrones: The Final Season

[DigificWriter]

Yes, the episode was intentionally shot to be dark, confusing, and disorientating. However, if people had the ability to take steps to offset that darkness because their technology made it far darker, confusing, and disorientating than was intended and didn't do so, I don't think they have the right to complain about how they couldn't see things when they didn't bother to take the time to find a solution to that problem.

Perhaps the Cinematographer could've handled the complaint situation with a bit more grace, but frustration often begets frustration, especially if someone feels they're being attacked (justly or unjustly).

 

[dahj]

I don't think they have the right to complain about how they couldn't see things when they didn't bother to take the time to find a solution to that problem.

Expecting a highly anticipated episode to be watchable by default isn't exactly an unreasonable complaint...

 

[Booji]

There is no solution to shitty streaming on the providers end. This has been a problem in any dark scene this year. Same thing happened in episode 2 when Tormunds group meets up with Ed's. Pixelated as all hell and you couldn't make out shit. Then, when I have watched a downloaded copy, no problems. It's really a no win scenario. Better streaming quality will crash HBO as it has in previous seasons. Compressing gives us what we have this year. No amount of TV adjustment will fix pixelated pictures.

 

[Thestral]

Why in the world should people have to go out of their way to adjust their TVs to be able to even tell what's going on if it hasn't been a problem the very previous episode? Why would they even expect that to be a problem?

"Honey did you make sure to adjust the TV to be much brighter for this episode of Game of Thrones even though we didn't have any warnings that it was going to be intentionally hard for people to see because that's what millions of people have been waiting for?"

 

[stj]

Locutus of Bored was quite amusing on the idiocy of what they put in screen so they'd have time for pointless personal jeopardy. I would add that I would have tried to set fire to any forested areas the horde was marching through long before they got to Winterfell. And if they provided an opportunity to take out undead dragon before he could attack Winterfell, so much the better.

Tyrion is a horrible person, and should not be allowed any position of power. He advised a siege of King's Landing because rich people live through sieges, but they might be killed if Daenerys torched the Red Keep. He is possibly the greatest argument against Daenerys as a ruler. (Varys is much sneakier, and most people are taken in by him.) Sansa isn't horrible, and the abuse helped make her what she is. But she wants a war with Daenerys for claiming hereditary rights so that she can exercise Stark hereditary rights in the North. It's appropriate to the character but it's a mystery why *we* should like her for it. Bad as Joffrey was personally, the common people suffered far more during wars than Joffrey's tantrums at a court they never see. But Daenerys didn't start her war. It started when the king sent murderers to her crib. It continued when the king sent more murderers after her.

 

[Mr Awe]

Yes, the episode was intentionally shot to be dark, confusing, and disorientating. However, if people had the ability to take steps to offset that darkness because their technology made it far darker, confusing, and disorientating than was intended and didn't do so, I don't think they have the right to complain about how they couldn't see things when they didn't bother to take the time to find a solution to that problem.

Perhaps the Cinematographer could've handled the complaint situation with a bit more grace, but frustration often begets frustration, especially if someone feels they're being attacked (justly or unjustly).

The problem is that there were some scenes where we were supposed to get information (who died, which dragon bite who, etc.) that were still too dark. So that doesn't wash. Make it confusing including the parts that you're supposed to know what's going on? Sorry, no.

Some of the lighting was very cool. But they took it too far. And didn't account for the practical realities of how people were going to view the episode.

And, yes, you could adjust your TV or other device for the really dark scenes but then the other scenes look like crap. You shouldn't have to adjust back and forth just to enjoy an episode.

 

[Jax]

I could see the episode fine on my PC (IPS panel) monitor

It was dark but it was hardly the void that some people are trying to make it out to be.

 

[Forbin]

And, yes, you could adjust your TV or other device for the really dark scenes but then the other scenes look like crap. You shouldn't have to adjust back and forth just to enjoy an episode.

But who EVER does that? And how do you enjoy a dramatic show while constantly interrupting it to bring up the adjustment menu?? It's ridiculous to even suggest it.

 

[DigificWriter]

I adjusted my TV picture brightness once and was able to see every minute of the episode from that point forward perfectly fine.

Adjusting the brightness more than once is just adding hassle for the sake of adding hassle.

 

[Random_Spock]

I adjusted my TV picture brightness once and was able to see every minute of the episode from that point forward perfectly fine.

Adjusting the brightness more than once is just adding hassle for the sake of adding hassle.

I agree with you on that. Tired of shows that film scenes so dark. Used to the X Files doing it. It was bad enough then. But compression issues? Really, dude (meaning the guy from the show)? Going from what he mentioned in an interview. Was it due to compression issues that the X Files was so dark at times? I find that to be more of an excuse than anything else. I had to turn up the brightness for that show and I'd do it for GOT as well.

Here's the kiss from The Truth to show some of the darkness:

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Here's a bit from This that is pretty dark as well:

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Meaning the cars driving part from This. The rest is ok. No fan of the pacing in it though (Meaning in This).

Found a better version (credit to SuperImprovGal):

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[Kirk Prime]

It would be smarter if the man just said, "you're right. I didn't think about how dark it would look, and we could have done that better. I hope you enjoyed the episode anyway." That's owning a mistake rather than blaming the victim.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

But who EVER does that? And how do you enjoy a dramatic show while constantly interrupting it to bring up the adjustment menu?? It's ridiculous to even suggest it.

I do. But then I'm doing it with my laptop from the keyboard that's literally in front of me.

In regards to this episode, I only had to turn off the lights in my room and turn up the brightness. I had no problem seeing what was going on.

 

[Forbin]

I do. But then I'm doing it with my laptop from the keyboard that's literally in front of me.

In regards to this episode, I only had to turn off the lights in my room and turn up the brightness. I had no problem seeing what was going on.

I didn't think of people watching it that way, good point.
But in my case, I'd have to hit the setting button on the remote, have half the screen obscured by the onscreen menu, dial up the bright, yadda yadda. By the time I'm done I've missed whatever was going on.

 

[crookeddy]

It looked like shit on streaming, let's just all be honest about that. I still don't think the creators should compromise on their artistic vision because streaming companies are crap. This episode will probably look spectacular on blu ray.

 

[Paul Weaver]

It's a cunning plan to sell the blurays

 

[publiusr]

Yes, the episode was intentionally shot to be dark, confusing, and disorientating.

And rightfully so. We can question the use of the dothraki (my guess is they could not be contained as berserkers not used to peacetime anyway) but there was a line of demarcation in the middle of the screen--and seeing the giant in the harsh glare of the sword-light--but only for an instant--perfect visually.

To me--beat-for-beat--the episode went as it should have.

 

[Miss Chicken]

I did what was said in an article I read before the episode aired. I used the scene in episode 2 where Jon and Dany were in the crypts as an indicator of how dark episode three would be. I adjusted my brightness level using that scene and ended up taking it from 50 to 70. I watch the episode with no problems and I could not view it in a dark room because it aired at 11am in Australia. I did close my curtains to make it as dark as I could.

Since then I have watch the episode on my iPad. I normally have my iPad at full brightness so I did not have to make any adjustment.

 

[Cyrus]

Obviously it would be ridiculous to expect people to continuously adjust the brightness on their TV. But changing for a rewatch is reasonable.

In my case I have watched the episode 3 times. The first 2 times I did it without changing the brightness. I may have missed some details but I still loved the episode, and the darkness did add to the sense of dread and doom as intended. The 3rd time I made the screen more bright, and liked it even more.

 

[Miss Chicken]

Locutus of Bored was quite amusing on the idiocy of what they put in screen so they'd have time for pointless personal jeopardy. I would add that I would have tried to set fire to any forested areas the horde was marching through long before they got to Winterfell. And if they provided an opportunity to take out undead dragon before he could attack Winterfell, so much the better.

Tyrion is a horrible person, and should not be allowed any position of power. He advised a siege of King's Landing because rich people live through sieges, but they might be killed if Daenerys torched the Red Keep. He is possibly the greatest argument against Daenerys as a ruler. (Varys is much sneakier, and most people are taken in by him.) Sansa isn't horrible, and the abuse helped make her what she is. But she wants a war with Daenerys for claiming hereditary rights so that she can exercise Stark hereditary rights in the North. It's appropriate to the character but it's a mystery why *we* should like her for it. Bad as Joffrey was personally, the common people suffered far more during wars than Joffrey's tantrums at a court they never see. But Daenerys didn't start her war. It started when the king sent murderers to her crib. It continued when the king sent more murderers after her.

I think the only people who truly care about the common people are Davos, Gendry and Arya.

 

[Charles Phipps]

Locutus of Bored was quite amusing on the idiocy of what they put in screen so they'd have time for pointless personal jeopardy. I would add that I would have tried to set fire to any forested areas the horde was marching through long before they got to Winterfell. And if they provided an opportunity to take out undead dragon before he could attack Winterfell, so much the better.

Tyrion is a horrible person, and should not be allowed any position of power. He advised a siege of King's Landing because rich people live through sieges, but they might be killed if Daenerys torched the Red Keep. He is possibly the greatest argument against Daenerys as a ruler. (Varys is much sneakier, and most people are taken in by him.) Sansa isn't horrible, and the abuse helped make her what she is. But she wants a war with Daenerys for claiming hereditary rights so that she can exercise Stark hereditary rights in the North. It's appropriate to the character but it's a mystery why *we* should like her for it. Bad as Joffrey was personally, the common people suffered far more during wars than Joffrey's tantrums at a court they never see. But Daenerys didn't start her war. It started when the king sent murderers to her crib. It continued when the king sent more murderers after her.

That depends on why you necessarily sympathize with the Smallfolk in the first place. The Church sympathized with them in the books but they totally excised that from the show to make them the embodiment of homophobia.