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

[No1newts]

I think I'm enjoying this season a lot more now that they have caught up with the books and are doing there own thing. Feels a lot faster paced, plus I'm not so scared to read through forums for risk of spoilers.

On that note, I've had a theory for a few episodes which I haven't actively seen anywhere else yet (although it probably is), and I really think is what will happen:

Spoiler

So Bran can now do a whole load of stuff that even he is still getting to grips with. In an earlier episode, we saw he almost managed to speak to a younger Ned Stark before being taken away by the old three eyed raven. Well, lets assume that with time, he comes to learn that he can indeed talk to people in the past..

He would surely try to fix everything the Lannister's started and try to save his family by going back to where it all began..

So what if he does just that.. he goes back in time to tell the most powerful man in all the kingdoms of everything which is going to happen in hopes he will stop it.

This man believes him and confides in his closest advisors and friends for help. They cant believe what he's saying, and brand him Mad.


Yadder yadder yadder.. enter, The Mad King.


This was just a thought prior to two episodes ago, when Bran had a vision clearly showing us the Mad King for the first time and the KingSlayer stabbing him in the back.

That vision makes me believe this will happen very very much so.

I really, really like this idea.

 

[robfosters]

I really, really like this idea.

My brain is hurting trying to work out how that would be done.

 

[Washout]

I'm glad the Hound is back, but it was pretty obvious he would be, just like it was with Jon Snow and now Arya. Like anything big and powerful in GOT he got made to look weak being beaten by a woman (who was almost taken out by some random soldier a couple of eps ago). Not sure how he would believably beat the Mountain 2.0.

Brienne is meant to be one of the best sword fighters living, both in book world and tv. Losing to her and barely at that, was hardly a disgrace.
She beat Loras, who in book world in considered one of the most skilled knights living (tv version not so much). Only Jaime with two hands would have been considered better.

Going back a bit, but one fight I was slightly disappointed with was Brienne and Jaime. Well choreographed and all that but one thing it didn't convey as well as the book (admittedly harder to do in tv medium) was show her starting to admire/fall for him.
Bloke who's malnourished, been chained up for months, weak and completely shackled was able to nearly best her in a fight. She couldn't believe he was able to keep it up (oo er) for as long as he did too.

She beat him fairly nonchalantly in the tv show.

 

[ShortWarning]

that first idea could work in the books but it would be rather difficult to convey well in the TV series without either confusing the crap out of the audience or having some very weird scenes to try and explain it

I think it makes sense. We have seen the Jaqen wear her face before (although it was after she was poisoned so it may have been a hallucination).

One thing that's for sure is that girl walking around wasn't Ayra or if it was there was something very very off about her.

Also I have read that she is left handed but her right hand was clearly the more dominant in all of her scenes.

 

[estebanrey]

Someone took a screen grab and managed to translates the letter....

Spoiler

.meant for Little Finger

 

[estebanrey]

I think it makes sense. We have seen the Jaqen wear her face before (although it was after she was poisoned so it may have been a hallucination).

One thing that's for sure is that girl walking around wasn't Ayra or if it was there was something very very off about her.

Also I have read that she is left handed but her right hand was clearly the more dominant in all of her scenes.

Then how did she have Ayra's face? They can only use use the faces of dead people can't they (which they get from the hall of masks thing).

So it must be Ayra, otherwise she's dead.

 

[linktoinsanity]

One thing that's for sure is that girl walking around wasn't Ayra or if it was there was something very very off about her.

After she'd been stabbed? Because surely being stabbed would make anyone off...Also she was scared of everyone around her, not knowing if anyone was a "faceless man."

 

[eyetrip]

Imagine if Arya IS dead and all we have seen of her since some time back is her in hell/purgatory? Ala Lost (I think that's how Lost ended anyway - I gave up on it when I saw it going nowhere)

I doubt they'd do that though - I think I'd stop watching if they did.

I really want to see her story move along now. Used to be one of my favourite arcs, but it's gotten tedious. Honestly, they could have kept her out and re-introduced her down the line with a 2 minute flash back. And I don't like flashbacks.

regarding this season so far, it's been a bit slow going. I'm not concerned about having a big battle every episode, but something needs to happen. Not everything needs to build until one final explosive end among all characters.

Ok, I am glad the hound is back, but I can only think of two standout moments in the season so currently - Osha and Hodor.

And part of me feels they seem to be taming down a bit on violence and sex. The episode before last had none of the above, and this last episode had some people dead near the end, but we didn't even see that happen - just the bodies.

Hoping the Mountain gets unleashed soon!

 

[Vonhelmet]

Imagine if Arya IS dead and all we have seen of her since some time back is her in hell/purgatory?

Don't talk soft.

 

[ShortWarning]

Then how did she have Ayra's face? They can only use use the faces of dead people can't they (which they get from the hall of masks thing).

So it must be Ayra, otherwise she's dead.

See the very sentence before. We have seen him somehow wear her face before and she wasn't dead then.

After she'd been stabbed? Because surely being stabbed would make anyone off...Also she was scared of everyone around her, not knowing if anyone was a "faceless man."

One theory is that she deliberately walked through town like that to show the world that Ayra is dead (or about to be) so the real Ayra can become a faceless one.

Many have also pointed out that she would be very unlikely to walk around without Needle.

These are just others theories which make sense to me. Something was definitely off about her walking around town though (pre stabbing).

 

[Washout]

regarding this season so far, it's been a bit slow going. I'm not concerned about having a big battle every episode, but something needs to happen. Not everything needs to build until one final explosive end among all characters.

Apart from the 3 eyed raven stuff and Bran seeing the past, Benjen coming back, Hodor dead, being chased by the actual dead, Roose Bolton dead, Osha dead, Rickon captured, 2 more direwolves gone, new leader of the ironborn up to new shenanigans, Theon and Sister reunitied, Jon Snow back from the dead and reunited with another Stark to take back their home, Dany wiping out all the Khals and taking control of all the Dothraki, dragons back and drogon bigger than ever, Sunspear lot in rebellion, arya leaving the faceless men and being hunted by one, Baelish on the march with an army, Jaime on the march with an army, Blackfish back, Freys back, High Septon swaying the King and being duped by Margery (or is it a double dupe - he plays the game well), mountain smashing skulls, queen of thorns bested and Cersei on her own.
Off the top of my head.

Seasons have always built till they explode in episode 9 with minor explosions on the way but this season has hardly been slow. If anything they're rushing through some of the plots!

 

[dowie]

I think it makes sense. We have seen the Jaqen wear her face before (although it was after she was poisoned so it may have been a hallucination).

One thing that's for sure is that girl walking around wasn't Ayra or if it was there was something very very off about her.

Also I have read that she is left handed but her right hand was clearly the more dominant in all of her scenes.

I'm not saying it can't make sense my point was that it would be hard to convey it in a TV series to a wide audience.

I really, really like this idea.

I don't it simply doesn't fit

Spoiler

so obvious that it was the three eyed raven who whispered to the 'Mad' King if anyone did...

 

[Errol]

Brienne is meant to be one of the best sword fighters living, both in book world and tv. Losing to her and barely at that, was hardly a disgrace.

Did he really lose? Wasn't he wounded/in a bad way for the Brienne fight? I didn't think he was in good condition for fighting. As I understand it he was stiff suffering quite badly from a neck wound.

 

[McPhee]

Apart from the 3 eyed raven stuff and Bran seeing the past, Benjen coming back, Hodor dead, being chased by the actual dead, Roose Bolton dead, Osha dead, Rickon captured, 2 more direwolves gone, new leader of the ironborn up to new shenanigans, Theon and Sister reunitied, Jon Snow back from the dead and reunited with another Stark to take back their home, Dany wiping out all the Khals and taking control of all the Dothraki, dragons back and drogon bigger than ever, Sunspear lot in rebellion, arya leaving the faceless men and being hunted by one, Baelish on the march with an army, Jaime on the march with an army, Blackfish back, Freys back, High Septon swaying the King and being duped by Margery (or is it a double dupe - he plays the game well), mountain smashing skulls, queen of thorns bested and Cersei on her own.
Off the top of my head.

Seasons have always built till they explode in episode 9 with minor explosions on the way but this season has hardly been slow. If anything they're rushing through some of the plots!

I think people complain because it's difficult to see the significance and impact of what's happened until later in the season.

That, and everyone thinks they know everything that's going to happen because they've watched some YouTube videos about fan theories. This season has largely played out as expected so far with no major shockers besides Bran's story.

 

[Vonhelmet]

Did he really lose? Wasn't he wounded/in a bad way for the Brienne fight? I didn't think he was in good condition for fighting. As I understand it he was stiff suffering quite badly from a neck wound.

Yes.

In the book the neck wound is enough to render him as good as dead and he never even meets Brienne.

 

[linktoinsanity]

Apart from the 3 eyed raven stuff and Bran seeing the past, Benjen coming back, Hodor dead, being chased by the actual dead, Roose Bolton dead, Osha dead, Rickon captured, 2 more direwolves gone, new leader of the ironborn up to new shenanigans, Theon and Sister reunitied, Jon Snow back from the dead and reunited with another Stark to take back their home, Dany wiping out all the Khals and taking control of all the Dothraki, dragons back and drogon bigger than ever, Sunspear lot in rebellion, arya leaving the faceless men and being hunted by one, Baelish on the march with an army, Jaime on the march with an army, Blackfish back, Freys back, High Septon swaying the King and being duped by Margery (or is it a double dupe - he plays the game well), mountain smashing skulls, queen of thorns bested and Cersei on her own.
Off the top of my head.

Seasons have always built till they explode in episode 9 with minor explosions on the way but this season has hardly been slow. If anything they're rushing through some of the plots!

I guess for some people there is "Not enough Action!"

I have a friend who annoys me as storytelling for him is "filler".

 

[eyetrip]

I think people complain because it's difficult to see the significance and impact of what's happened until later in the season.

That, and everyone thinks they know everything that's going to happen because they've watched some YouTube videos about fan theories. This season has largely played out as expected so far with no major shockers besides Bran's story.

I know it sounds like I was complaining, but not really. Still enjoying it immensely.

I think you hit the nail on the head though - there is not much shocking. For me personally, just those two bits with Hodor and Osha.

The Arya scene in this previous episode could have been there.... but then again, only half of something happened! If that whole palava just played out properly in one episode, it would have more impact. But no, now we have to wait yet again...

Just play it out, get her on a boat, and if she's going back to Westeros, come back to her momentarily end of season to show her arriving.

And Dany on her dragon again... was that supposed to be a "WOW" moment? Ok, he got bigger, yay. All I could think when I saw her riding him was "Where the hell is he going to strand her this time?"

 

[Vonhelmet]

Dany and Arya are both stranded in the wrong places because of GRRM's bad pacing and timing. Everyone needs to get to somewhere, but only once the other people have got there first, but ooh they have all this stuff to do in the meantime.

The Arya stuff is bearable, but Dany's story is just tedious now.

 

[Destination]

See the very sentence before. We have seen him somehow wear her face before and she wasn't dead then.
One theory is that she deliberately walked through town like that to show the world that Ayra is dead (or about to be) so the real Ayra can become a faceless one.
Many have also pointed out that she would be very unlikely to walk around without Needle.
These are just others theories which make sense to me. Something was definitely off about her walking around town though (pre stabbing).

If he was testing the waif, surely he would be testing her, expecting her to succeed.
Such that if she succeeds, then he will be dead!

Just how does that help the faceless men? It doesn't make sense, and if they explain it as such, it won't make any sense then, no matter how cunning the reveal. The base plan is trash, as it assumes the waif isn't suitable for the job, and if she is not suitable for the job, why the hell would he send her at all.

Dany and Arya are both stranded in the wrong places because of GRRM's bad pacing and timing. Everyone needs to get to somewhere, but only once the other people have got there first, but ooh they have all this stuff to do in the meantime.

The Arya stuff is bearable, but Dany's story is just tedious now.

I am finding the Jon Snow north bit somewhat tedious, maybe the fact it is so drawn out. So many different stories going on, and each advanced a little each week or two weeks.
I actually think this series would be vastly better when viewed all at once in a box set style sitting maybe over 2 nights.
I am enjoying it, but Jon remains downcast in ever scene, and looks like he's going to cry most of the time. Not so much the Prince that was promised.

Did he really lose? Wasn't he wounded/in a bad way for the Brienne fight? I didn't think he was in good condition for fighting. As I understand it he was stiff suffering quite badly from a neck wound.

Neck wound, fever infection, could barely stand, then 'gets beaten by a woman'

 

[Smokey Deza]

Could barely stand?

He was trekking across mountains with Arya and when he crosses paths with Brienne he's gunning for a fight.

He lost fair and square.