Poll: Winter Is Coming - HBO's A Game of Thrones [READ WARNING]

[Kainz]

That beginning scene with the lights slowly going out in the distance was awesome. After that it was just constant sword swinging in near darkness.

That was when I and I guess most viewers realised they were truly screwed. It was a fantastic piece of cinematography. Big thanks to the Red Witch for lighting up their swords so that the viewers could actually see wtf was going on too.

Despite the opening-mid segments being absolutely some of the best that I've seen of GoT, the latter portion of the show felt rushed along with the pathetic NK moment after years of a buildup. Dany landing Drogon admist a ton of wights? Wtf kind of tactic is that? Why didn't Drogon torch some enemies instead of wiggling around doing the truffle shuffle?

I really wanted to see the look of dread on Cersei's face as the NK's army approached Kings Landing backed up by a humungous blizzard but I guess that won't happen. We didn't even see the WW's in combat, and the NK didn't even get to ask Bran where the hell he had parked his car...

Earlier on in, I did think that Tyrion and Sansa were going to both commit suicide down in the crypts. Tyrion certainly had a look on his face that suggested he wanted to say some final words to her. Glad that didn't happen though.

 

[LiE]

I have a feeling that won't be it for the NK or his ultimate goal, at least I hope so.

Also so much plot armour in this episode

 

[md85]

It had some really great parts, but let down and underwhelmed is my initial reaction. Requires a rewatch this evening I guess...

Just so many "really?" parts that took away from it for me:

• The lighting, just terrible in parts. The movie cinematography is great (e.g. as mentioned the Dothraki lights out scene), but when colour grading they really should consider that viewers are generally watching this at home with a lot of ambient light around. It might have been the "longest battle in cinema" but I couldn't see most of it
• Plot conveniencies #1 - Numerous opportunities for dragon fire to have prevented the dead from progressing, e.g. especially when Melissandre lights the trenches you see Dany torching walkers in the background (around 28 mins), but the thousands immediately infront of the trenches are just left to wait so that they cross minutes later... start at the front Dany
• Plot conveniencies #2 - How many times did we see major characters surrounded by multiple dead and yet they magically survive where others die instantly. I understand the need but then don't make the scene so unbelievable and the character so outnumbered. Jon, Dany, Brienne, Jamie, Grey worm on the front lines early on, wouldn't be surprised to see Sam popup next episode as well. Everyone predicted major deaths and arguably there weren't any other than Theon and perhaps Jorah
• Read an article where the director says he tried to build up the suspense suggesting Jon was going to kill the night king and "taking Arya out of the episode", but you could see exactly how it was going to play out from around the half way point. Jon somehow battling through thousands of dead (after he raised them) just annoyed me, it didn't build the suspense.
• The Arya move was "cool", but how did she get passed all the dead and the walkers to get even close to the king? Must have been a trampoline lying around for that jump...
• As mentioned, episode 1 "mysterious, creepy walkers", seasons 1-7 "mysterious creepy walkers", season 8 episode 3 "no walker action and night king gets killed by a little girl". It's called "Game Of Thrones" so it was always going to be primarily about the throne, but to tie the storyline of such a mysterious and undefeatable character (the night king) and his army in essentially one episode feels like a cop out

Don't get me wrong, it was a good episode, but my initial reaction to it is one of "oh" rather than "wow!".

 

[Sui]

Having thought about it, I think the reason I found it more underwhelming than I normally would is due to watching Endgame at the weekend. No spoilers, I just found that more of a spectacle, and I think I was expecting GoT to also be that spectacle this episode.

 

[VincentHanna]

• The lighting, just terrible in parts. The movie cinematography is great (e.g. as mentioned the Dothraki lights out scene), but when colour grading they really should consider that viewers are generally watching this at home with a lot of ambient light around. It might have been the "longest battle in cinema" but I couldn't see most of it

It looked awful on Sky, hopefully they release all these on 4K Blu-ray once the series is done and it'll be more watchable on that.

Watched it on a 65" OLED.

 

[Darujhistan]

Plot conveniencies #2 - How many times did we see major characters surrounded by multiple dead and yet they magically survive where others die instantly. I understand the need but then don't make the scene so unbelievable and the character so outnumbered.

That's been happening in TV and cinema since time began.

 

[LiE]

Plot conveniencies #2 - How many times did we see major characters surrounded by multiple dead and yet they magically survive where others die instantly. I understand the need but then don't make the scene so unbelievable and the character so outnumbered.

That's been happening in TV and cinema since time began.

Yup, just as we had many times when a character was on their back just about to be killed, but they are saved last second when another character sticks a sword through the baddie.

 

[md85]

It looked awful on Sky, hopefully they release all these on 4K Blu-ray once the series is done and it'll be more watchable on that.

Watched it on a 65" OLED.

I'm in Denmark and streamed it direct from HBO Nordic to my 4k tv and it looked bad as well

 

[Mr Jack]

All the previous series have the same problem: they look great on BluRay and dire streamed. Sky seems particularly bad.

 

[Darujhistan]

I really enjoyed it, but people are right about the lighting, and the under-development of the NK story, even after his death we know nothing about his motivation. Having the mystery and foreshadowing of 'Winter is Coming' build up slowly has been great, but there's got to be a payoff, ditto with Bran and the 3 eyed Raven, the story arc that least interested me throughout gripped me during the ater parts of 7, and up to last night, but again - at least based on last night, there's no explanation. Maybe that will come, maybe the white walkers aren't finished? - That's highly unlikely though, hard to continue with that with the NK dead.

I think what they should have done was show the WW ravaging the North before they got to Winterfell, that would have built up the 'dread' factor more than just showing what they did to young wotshisname in his hold.

 

[VincentHanna]

I really enjoyed it, but people are right about the lighting, and the under-development of the NK story, even after his death we know nothing about his motivation. Having the mystery and foreshadowing of 'Winter is Coming' build up slowly has been great, but there's got to be a payoff, ditto with Bran and the 3 eyed Raven, the story arc that least interested me throughout gripped me during the ater parts of 7, and up to last night, but again - at least based on last night, there's no explanation. Maybe that will come, maybe the white walkers aren't finished? - That's highly unlikely though, hard to continue with that with the NK dead.

If they had stopped to have a 5 minute chat filling in the details, that likely would have been even worse.

Sometimes it's best they don't bother explaining things, as often the explanation isn't satisfactory.

We know he was originally a man, and the children of the forest created him to defend them against the first men, but he turned on them. I guess he just wants to wipe out 'life' as we know it in Westeros.

 

[Nitefly]

I agree with the comments about the heroes surviving a undue number of times. Sam and Brien in particular were both gonners... it has been done many times before in many films but the more times they all survived the more invincible they were and the less threatening the white walkers / undead were.

Dunno, first time the show has done that IMO.

 

[Darujhistan]

If they had stopped to have a 5 minute chat filling in the details, that likely would have been even worse.

Sometimes it's best they don't bother explaining things, as often the explanation isn't satisfactory.

We know he was originally a man, and the children of the forest created him to defend them against the first men, but he turned on them. I guess he just wants to wipe out 'life' as we know it in Westeros.

I didn't mean last night, it was too late by then.

 

[StriderX]

If they had stopped to have a 5 minute chat filling in the details, that likely would have been even worse.

Sometimes it's best they don't bother explaining things, as often the explanation isn't satisfactory.

We know he was originally a man, and the children of the forest created him to defend them against the first men, but he turned on them. I guess he just wants to wipe out 'life' as we know it in Westeros.

Well yes considering the command is implied as ‘erase humanity’, and bran saying the memory of humanity counts, then erasing the children made sense as they were part of it.

Just another lame AI gone wrong (unexpected consequences) story really. If that’s seriously all we’re gonna get, assuming the last episode isn’t 100% exposition on this.

Technically bran still has the night kings mark, so maybe there’s something there, I doubt it.

 

[Washout]

There's gonna be people complaining, because when have there ever not? I guess the books and show fire the imagination and very rarely can a tv show or movie match what that can conjure up?

As much work and money they've put into it, it's still a tv show - the whole season probably doesn't have the budget of the latest Avengers so they'll have to compromise. Who wouldn't have wanted to see more Ghost (or packs of wolves charging in with Nymeria?), I'm sure the show runners would love to. Btw, Ghost better have survived...
From what could be seen it was chuffing amazing - will need to be seen via 4k disc I think!

In terms of the castle defence I guess they put people were they were most effective. Dothraki had to lead the charge on the open plain, what's the point in having them otherwise? Horses not too good on ramparts
With hindsight they'd have not used them at all and kept them away but having to do the sfx of 50k cavalry will eat your budget fast what better way to show how ****** everyone was?

So much happened not sure what to say! Only who's scarier, Lyanna Mormont or Arya?

 

[VincentHanna]

Does anyone know why Bran warged in to the ravens and then flew towards the night king? He seemed to be warging most of the episode but I've no idea why. Was it just to watch the battle from above?

 

[StriderX]

Does anyone know why Bran warged in to the ravens and then flew towards the night king? He seemed to be warging most of the episode but I've no idea why. Was it just to watch the battle from above?

Either to know where everyone was to be sure of his chances or he was warging into his past self to make sure he did something (handing Arya the blade that would save him). Or perhaps he warged into a future version to see some more exposition with him in awkward places (waiting for a friend).

 

[MooMoo444]

Spoiler: Music~

This track is immense, at least

 

[Snookums]

As much as a lot of people are outraged, inside i hope D&D are reading all these laughing knowing everything will be justified in the remaining epidsodes. Surely they could see this coming and know they have to be justified and show the reasoning in order to keep the fans happy.

Theres a difference between a fan being unhappy about their favourite characters dying and fans being unhappy about the failed story. As of right now I feel its on track for an equally disappointing ending to Lost.

 

[Mr Jack]

Does anyone know why Bran warged in to the ravens and then flew towards the night king?

I figured he was leading him in. Baiting the trap.