Game Of Thrones Season 6 Discussion (Spoilers)

[davejames]

Literally no one in the thread so far has said that they were expecting that. Quite the opposite, as we know first episodes involve a lot of plot set-up for the rest of the season. But you can have non-action-oriented establishing episodes that aren't boring, though. I love a good battle of wits and snarky dialogue as much as an actual battle.

Yeah I'm not sure what people were expecting either. For the first episode of the season I thought it was pretty darn good. We had Brienne saving the day in a badass fight scene, a great character scene with Cersei, the beginning of a conflict between Davos and Alliser, Daenerys asserting herself in front of another Khal, a shocking reveal of the real Melisandre, and of course Tyrion just being his usual incredible self.

For me the great dialogue and character stuff on this show is just as compelling as the deaths and battles, and I thought there was more than enough of it here.

 

[DigificWriter]

Yeah I'm not sure what people were expecting either. For the first episode of the season I thought it was pretty darn good. We had Brienne saving the day in a badass fight scene, a great character scene with Cersei, the beginning of a conflict between Davos and Alliser, Daenerys asserting herself in front of another Khal, a shocking reveal of the real Melisandre, and of course Tyrion just being his usual incredible self.

As well as a coup in Dorne (which, depending on how you feel about the Dorne storyline in general, is either a good thing or a bad thing)*

* Personally, I think it's a good thing.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Seems like there's a lot of threads but not woven together. Like it's 5 min on plot A, 5 min on plot B, 5 min on plot C, and so on. Maybe that's always been the case but I really felt it this episode.

 

[davejames]

As well as a coup in Dorne (which, depending on how you feel about the Dorne storyline in general, is either a good thing or a bad thing)*

* Personally, I think it's a good thing.

Oh yeah, that too. I suppose it helps that I hadn't read the books so I couldn't be disappointed in the Sand Snakes last appearance like others here were, but personally I think they make for some pretty nasty and despicable villains and I look forward to seeing more of them.

 

[DigificWriter]

I also haven't read the books, but I really like Ellaria and the Sand Snakes and probably would even if I HAD read the books, simply because I've adopted a policy of not letting 'deviations' bug me since they're part and parcel of the ADAPTATION process.

 

[hux]

I wish they'd just get on with it. I just don't care about their individual stories anymore. I just want a war, something. A winner.

Time to crack on with it before the audience just gets utterly bored!

The game is getting stale.

 

[Jax]

I liked it apart from the stuff with Arya, her story is so disconnected from the rest I simply don't care and it ruins the flow of the show. They do need to speed up we don't need HBO dragging this out for 8 seasons (7 will be enough). Lets get the White Walkers at the wall, get the dragons fully ready and lets have a bloody war.

 

[Lowdarzz]

Unfortunately this episode seemed to be a classic case of GNDN. I don't think Benioff and Weiss are ever able to equal Martin's material when they come up with their own. It will be fascinating to see if they sink or swim now that they're on their own.

 

[JoeZhang]

A passable (no more) first episode - I've never been convinced by Daenerys as a character (not sure if it's the actress or the direction she gets) and her storyline might get the fastforward treatment.

 

[M.A.C.O.]

I wish they'd just get on with it. I just don't care about their individual stories anymore. I just want a war, something. A winner.

Time to crack on with it before the audience just gets utterly bored!

The game is getting stale.

A passable (no more) first episode - I've never been convinced by Daenerys as a character (not sure if it's the actress or the direction she gets) and her storyline might get the fastforward treatment.

The game has been getting stale since season 5 and book 4, IMO. All the best players of the Game of Thrones aren't playing like they used to. They're either dead or not in King's Landing where all the (political) action is. In the books, Dany hasn't been captured yet, but she still has no plans to sail to Westeros anytime soon. At this point, I think she'll just fly across the Narrow Sea with her three dragons and leave her armies in Mereen.

 

[Skywalker]

The action isn't in King's Landing anymore; that's the problem.

 

[EyalM]

So who is the next in line to rule Dorne? In the books Doran had a daughter, but I don't remember her being mentioned in the series.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

So who is the next in line to rule Dorne? In the books Doran had a daughter, but I don't remember her being mentioned in the series.

I get the impression that Ellaria Sand is planning on ruling herself (with the help of her daughters and support from the elites for war with the Lannisters) and is not concerned with the hereditary line of succession.

This could ironically be the start of a sea change in Westerosi institutions and traditions, albeit one begun with the most traditional Westerosi method of regicide. Daenarys said she wanted to "break the wheel" of the Westerosi ruling families (even though I don't think she includes herself in that equation), and this could be the beginning that process in action from another source.

 

[dahj]

I also haven't read the books, but I really like Ellaria and the Sand Snakes and probably would even if I HAD read the books, simply because I've adopted a policy of not letting 'deviations' bug me since they're part and parcel of the ADAPTATION process.

I don't think the deviations are the issue many people have with the Dorne subplot as much as none of it really contributed much to the story, little of it made sense, and it just seemed like a half-assed inclusion for inclusions sake.

For instance all the scenes in this episodes could have been easily replaced by the Sand Snakes just killing everyone at the docks in the last season finale and literally nothing would have changed going forward.

Not to mention people hating Doran makes zero sense. He kept them fed, he kept them out of the wars that have ravaged the other kingdoms and he doesn't strut his junk around like he's all that and a bag of potato chips.
And then Ellaria says the people are against him and his guards do nothing to protect him? The only people who should be against him are the people who have an interest in avenging Oberyn, namely the Sand Snakes, and them alone. To everyone else he should be pretty a pretty cool ruler...

 

[DigificWriter]

Even though he wasn't portrayed as a tyrant, it's not a given that Doran was a 'popular' ruler, so it's entirely possible that he wasn't well-liked even though he wasn't a 'bad' ruler per se.

 

[bbjeg]

I didn't know a new thread was created for this season (the other was fine). Posting here what I said there:

I liked this season's opener, it set a good bit in motion (be wary of name misspellings).

Arya's pretty much screwed unless the Faceless Men have pity on her, she's a goner. If this isn't the complacency that she needed, nothing will straighten her out.

Her sister Sansa is finally having things go her way (if the pneumonia doesn't kill her). Brianne has always been a favorite and I almost got teary-eyed when she knelt, and she's a tough bugger taking out all of those soldiers. I have a feeling Theon's days around numbered. He doesn't fit well in the Sansa, Brianne, Podrick group.

I thought Jon would be up by the end of the episode but I still don't think he's dead. The crow wing shaped blood (that Davos confirmed was weird) feels like foreshadowing. Hopefully the Wildlings will take out the Night's Watch, but knowing how the Game of Thrones goes, I wouldn't be surprised if they kill that crow (whats-his-face) and laugh at the Crows as they continue to rape and pillage. Also, I feel bad (even more) for Stanis now, he had sex with the Red Woman. That's what that cheater gets.

Then there's the Lanisters. The Tyrells are going to break their alliance any day now and without them, the city is going to go back to their rebellious state. I just hope Jamie doesn't tell Cerci about the wildfire stores. Shed use it on the city (and here I thought Dynaris and her dragons would set it off in the series finale).

Speaking of the Mother of dragons, I expect for her Dragon to save her but I don't see why they didn't kill her. I though they talked about what will happen if a horde found her (death and the taking of dragons).

 

[Skywalker]

I get the impression that Ellaria Sand is planning on ruling herself (with the help of her daughters and support from the elites for war with the Lannisters) and is not concerned with the hereditary line of succession.

This could ironically be the start of a sea change in Westerosi institutions and traditions, albeit one begun with the most traditional Westerosi method of regicide. Daenarys said she wanted to "break the wheel" of the Westerosi ruling families (even though I don't think she includes herself in that equation), and this could be the beginning that process in action from another source.

I think Obara Sand, being the eldest child of Oberyn (but from a different woman, not from Ellaria), would be the closest thing to the heir anyway, so if they want it to be all official she could be named Princess of Dorne even if her sisters and Ellaria pretty much run things together.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Opening episode was weak. The story is spread too thin and they aren't going in many of the interesting directions. A few Jon Snow loyalists besieged with only one third tier likable character endangered. Other characters we don't care much about killing each other. A two minute Arya scene just establishing that she's a blind beggar. Only plus sides were Sansa's turn of fortune and the interesting little reveal about Millisandre.

I didn't expect some huge action blowout certainly, but I expected to be more than mildly interested in anything going on instead of watching characters meandering around in boring situations.

 

[Mr Light]

Ugh, I got hooked with that damn free weekend. I'm going to buy HBOGO for the two months of GOT and then cancel now.

 

[FreezeC77]

So is Melisandre an old woman who gets to be young by the magic necklace or is the magic necklace siphoning her life to allow her to do magics? I guess the former and the taking it off a way for the religious order to keep the followers in line and remind them what they gain by taking it away each day for a time