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 Ouze wrote:
The whole reason I watch Game of Thrones is not for the dragons, not for the zombies, and not for the boobies, but to see people crossing the world in mundane ways at a glacial pace.

If the crew crossing the world are Thoros of Myr, Jorah Mormont, The Hound, Gendry, Beric Donderion(sp?), Tormund Giantsbane, Jon Snow and as many redshirts- I mean Wildling spearmen as needed to die to show how impossible the odds are, sign me up for a few more episodes of that!

Also, I blame Jon Snow for the dragon dying and almost getting another one killed. He went full Leroy Jenkins to up his K: D ratio and gave the Night King plenty of time to leisurely stroll up, strike a great javelin throwing pose, sight up his target and kill it while Jon Snow is killing a handful of zombies from a horde of thousands. I mean if he was jacking up the actual White Walker dudes instead, it might have been more meaningful.

What they Really needed was the moment Danny showed up and started straffing fire unopposed from the sky everyone should have pointed at the White Walkers and yelled Those Guys! Blast Those Guys!

Having avoided all leaks and spoilers since the doofuses showed the wrong episode?

That was worth waiting for!

Was fun wasn't it?

Yup.

Properly tense stuff going on as well. Spesh when a certain someone has a thankfully brief paddle....

Looking forward to the finale now. Anything could happen!

 AduroT wrote:
What they Really needed was the moment Danny showed up and started straffing fire unopposed from the sky everyone should have pointed at the White Walkers and yelled Those Guys! Blast Those Guys!

I dunno, fire didnt seem to bother the Night King one bit. I mean he walked through a bunch of fire and it simply went out. As far as characters dying and such.....

So, the Blue Eyes Wight Dragon, fire breath still? Or will it now have ice breath? Maybe the whole reason the dead have been taking their time coming south is they can't cross the wall because it's magic is too strong yet, and now they can use the dragon to get thru?

Yup this is exactly why I watch this show. Haha! That was awesome!!

And now for a bit of criticism.

I'm beginning to get the feeling that the weave of the wider narrative is unravelling of late. Stuff happening in King's Landing isn't affecting Winterfell. Stuff in Winterfell isn't really affecting stuff North of the Wall.

I mean in previous seasons, it usually felt like the action in one area was going to ripple off and affect somewhere else. But the past couple of episodes has made it all feel a little fractured.

It's likely just me, and hopefully it'll be tied back together in the next episode, but I am worried it's all fraying into a mess.

I enjoyed the episode a lot, and the timing didn't bother me one bit. Maybe they weren't too far past the wall, like a few hour's hike? They mentioned in an earlier episode when Dani came back from BBQing the lannisters that it didn't take too long, maybe Westeros isn't a very big country? Either way, who cares? We got to see another kickass dragon battle. Hoping for many more!

I also like where the story is going. Feels like once we got to the end of what's in the books we can get on with the story, like the first 5 seasons where it was like a "Cool stuff is coming I swear" carrot on a stick the whole time. Well now the cool stuff is finally here

I was certainly expecting worse on the timing. At the least they spent the night out on the lake waiting for help. The clear day/night shift was more than we've gotten lately in terms of pacing. Had Gendry made it back to the wall in the daylight it would have been better, but at least a good half day appears to have passed which... probably isn't nearly enough.

Ultimately the pacing is a little problematic. In prior seasons they would have ended the episode on the rock and resolved it the next episode with checks in to the other side stories in the meantime. This is missed certainly, though some of it is definitely a result of plots converging and there being fewer side plots to follow period.

It's also just rushed, though given the choice I'll gladly take season 7 of the aimless plodding of season 5/book 4.

Westerns is supposed to be about the size of South America.


https://atlasoficeandfireblog.wordpress.com/2016/02/28/the-size-and-extent-of-westeros/


And yes, the land beyond the wall is supposed to be Canada.

So, is it an African or European raven?

 LunarSol wrote:
So, is it an African or European raven?

well to maintain the plot velocity a Raven needs to beat its wing 372021 times a minute, more if it's trying to carrying a Dornish Coconut

That last episode was the gak.

He ditched the hammer since he noticed that hitting the zombies doesn't really help. The dagger he started using was dragon glass and puts them down.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Same reason Jorah was fighting with a dagger and machete. They were dragon glass.

Well, the dragons are powerful enough that they needed a way to even out the odds a bit.

And this gives Cercie some bargaining power with her AA power.

 Turnip Jedi wrote:

 LunarSol wrote:
So, is it an African or European raven?

well to maintain the plot velocity a Raven needs to beat its wing 372021 times a minute, more if it's trying to carrying a Dornish Coconut

Epic episode. And man that was a fast raven, it was like supersonic SR 72 raven.

Man this is heating up!
Or cooling down...

Oh and can someone walk behind john and Deneries with a sign saying just kiss already.... Jeez.

You know it's a good show story writing when people want a incest couple.

Super fast ravens aside I seriously need a femcast Star drake rider after that episode

GoatboyBeta wrote:
Super fast ravens aside I seriously need a femcast Star drake rider after that episode

Yes... So much yes. There is no try, there is only do.

Ughh Shocked how bad that was!!

Run to the Wall and send a Raven - Really! No you probbaly donl;t know the way, yeah we took about a week to wonder aimlessly in the snow and yeah the Raven wikll take afew weeks to reach her - but thats the plan

Oh and Jon Snow's stupidty - I hate him.

Considering there are no cell phones, running to the nearest place with ravens is actually the only thing you can do.

 d-usa wrote:
Considering there are no cell phones, running to the nearest place with ravens is actually the only thing you can do.

Raven that needs to travel half a Continent in a few hours - I didn't mind the fast travel up till now but that was awful.

Then that prat snow - is there anything he does well except whine. Oh and get others to save him every time he fights anything.

The only good things about the episode where the dialogue on the trip and the Sansa/ Arya chat

 Mr Morden wrote:

 d-usa wrote:
Considering there are no cell phones, running to the nearest place with ravens is actually the only thing you can do.

Raven that needs to travel half a Continent in a few hours - I didn't mind the fast travel up till now but that was awful.

Then that prat snow

Spoiler:

decides to fail about long enough to get a Dragon killed rather than bugging out

- is there anything he does well except whine.

The only good things about the episode where the dialogue on the trip and the Sansa/ Arya chat

Does jon snow whine more

Or cersai Lanier drink more wine...?

 AduroT wrote:
So, the Blue Eyes Wight Dragon, fire breath still? Or will it now have ice breath? Maybe the whole reason the dead have been taking their time coming south is they can't cross the wall because it's magic is too strong yet, and now they can use the dragon to get thru?

I read somewhere that GRRM said in some interview that the wights are ice wights but people like Beric Dondarrion (and now also Jon Snow) who are brought back to life via fire magic are fire wights, as in these are kinda opposites. This could mean that the dragon should have a hard time with fire breathing. And the wall supposedly also has magic protecting it so undead can't cross it (on their own) but Bran got touched by the Night King and that dissolved the magic protection of the cave he was in. Later Edd Tollett let him through the wall (and he probably still has the mark of the Night King) which could/should have weakened or destroyed the walls protection spells (and it would fit Edd with his pessimistic worldview to accidentally and unintentionally bring down the wall's defences).

Mario wrote:

 AduroT wrote:
So, the Blue Eyes Wight Dragon, fire breath still? Or will it now have ice breath? Maybe the whole reason the dead have been taking their time coming south is they can't cross the wall because it's magic is too strong yet, and now they can use the dragon to get thru?

I read somewhere that GRRM said in some interview that the wights are ice wights but people like Beric Dondarrion (and now also Jon Snow) who are brought back to life via fire magic are fire wights, as in these are kinda opposites. This could mean that the dragon should have a hard time with fire breathing. And the wall supposedly also has magic protecting it so undead can't cross it (on their own) but Bran got touched by the Night King and that dissolved the magic protection of the cave he was in. Later Edd Tollett let him through the wall (and he probably still has the mark of the Night King) which could/should have weakened or destroyed the walls protection spells (and it would fit Edd with his pessimistic worldview to accidentally and unintentionally bring down the wall's defences).

If the night king can fly over it....

Hint here....
He might be able to.

SPOILAHZ

I didn't have too many issues with the fast travel myself. I didn't get the impression that they had been north of the wall that long. Also don't forgot that they weren't just walking in a straight line away from the wall, they were searching for the army of the dead.

Raven's also fly pretty damn fast. Racing pigeons will fly across England in a matter of hours. I assume a giant dragon might be a little nippy as well for the return trip.

We know they spent the night at least on that rock in the middle of the lake, not hard to image A day past at least.

As H.B.M.C says they have increased the pacing of the show. Half an episode catching up with Sam's gently stroll to wherever he's going in-between wouldn't have improved anything,

In far more important matters, the episode had some great moments. The dialogue between the group north of the wall was pretty great. Though I do wish one of them had asked how those flaming swords worked.
The ayra / sansa plot is pissing me off a bit. It has the frozen plot hole built in (I have a 2 year old daughter, I have seen frozen too many Times) but basically if the sisters just had an honest chat and a full catch up about everything they have been through then there wouldn't be an issue.

Also from the moment jon falls in the lake I knew coldhands was gona save him. But why did he have to die. I feel we never really got to learn anything about his character, like the really important detail of him being dead but not under the night kings control. How did that happen?

Looking forward to the next episode, we are basically going to have ever major character sat in a room together. I doubt there'll just have a bit of a chin wag and that will be it.

They spend long enough on that rock to let the ice freeze over with enough strength to support an army again. I felt like that was a good enough hint to suggest "been there quite a while, longer than a couple hours".