"Non book readers" - Season 8 Episode 1 "Winterfell"

no.8

Alpha_zero wrote:

This episode was so underwhelming and not because there was no major battles. We all rave about it when its good but this was not good, it was a very weak offering.

Alpha_zero wrote:

Lets just admit this was a weak episode and look forward to the next one being better.

Let's not. Let's admit that the fickle fans didn't get their belly's tickled enough by dragon fire or valaryian steel (in what is episode 1 of a new series).
I wish the episode were longer however, to go into more detail.

TerrorFirmer

I genuinely enjoyed it and thought it was a relatively good setup for what's to come.

Characters and dialogue are still seriously lacking the depth they had in earlier seasons though.

Somewhat afraid the show has lost the Hallmark traits that made it so good and is just morphing into a predictable goodies versus baddies tale.

Hopefully be proven wrong.

no.8

no.8 wrote: »

I wish the episode were longer however, to go into more detail.

Yeah they have really hurt the story telling aspects, with such a short final season.
Short to maximise the budget for 'splosions and such, unfortunately.

Sittingpretty

no.8 wrote: »

Let's not. Let's admit that the fickle fans didn't get their belly's tickled enough by dragon fire or valaryian steel (in what is episode 1 of a new series).
I wish the episode were longer however, to go into more detail.

For some reason considering there are only to be six episodes this series I had assumed they’d be feature length. I’m almost certain I’d heard that somewhere.

I enjoyed the episode. I also was transported back to never ending story with the dragon ride, think that might just be my vintage though

I still think Bran is the Night King.

s3rtvdbwfj81ch

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

Somewhat afraid the show has lost the Hallmark traits that made it so good and is just morphing into a predictable goodies versus baddies tale.

Now it has it's Hallmark Moments of two lovesick teenagers standing necking in front of a totes rosemantic waterfall :rolleyes:

Craig Rhythmic Pushcart

Craig Rhythmic Pushcart wrote: »

Now it has it's Hallmark Moments of two lovesick teenagers standing necking in front of a totes rosemantic waterfall :rolleyes:

So like Jon and Ygritte in a candle lit cave pool??

Brendan Filone

lawred2 wrote: »

Bran's chair?

Doesn't seem like the type that he can move himself.

Does he have a mover who just leaves him in various places around the castle? I've never once seen Bran move it himself.

citytillidie

After Sam gets told about his Da and Brother and going outside to see Bran waiting for and old friend, Bran must have been waiting all night for Jamie to arrive.

biggebruv

I watched this on the big projector last night was blown away by the visuals and music I’m still amazed this is tv.

The new opening credits was great

The dragon ride part although very Disney worked for me just cause I love the dragons themselves lol plus it’s nice to see some light relief before things inevitably get Grimm I suppose.

Can’t wait for the rest of the season now

lawred2

A bit more should definitely have been made of the NK now having Dany's third dragon.

Surely she would have wanted to know more? As in asking "it survived?" and to be told now - the NK brought it back to life etc...

The next we saw of her was her enjoying a magic carpet ride

leggo

Nalz wrote: »

Great post... But you must admit the dragon ride was a bit dragged out and ott. Brans scenes are very frustrating too....how he speaks coupled with the silence acceptance each time. Will someone just ask him "how da hell you know this? Anything else?" I suppose there'd be no story otherwise. It is frustrating watching it though, imo.

I laughed at the dragon ride, the song ‘A Whole New World’ came into my head during it. It was campy but it didn’t particularly bother me. I liked how the Targaryen music played during it. I still have to fully click into the fact that Jon is a Targaryen, so that helped get the wheels moving.

With Bran, I got sick of him last season saying “I’m the three-eyed Raven” and then having to offer a weak explanation (when all of that can happen off-screen as we don’t need to establish what he is to the audience). What else can they do? They can’t have him have to go through his powers with every single person, they can’t have Jon act like this is a totally normal thing he just said, and I’m guessing they have to establish him and his powers as important for whatever the endgame is, hence the scenes of him staring and everyone looking unnerved. Otherwise you’ll have the guy who could bring the Night King down being a dude who’s barely been in the show.

Again people can criticise them for moments that might make perfect sense in hindsight. Going back to the Red Wedding, I imagine if we were watching weekly in season 3 people would say, “Why are they wasting Tywin writing letters all the time? Filler!” Whereas it actually makes perfect sense when you watch it back knowing what those letters are leading towards. I’m happy to just let the story play out and spend time with the characters.

North of 32

Game of Thrones has diminished into the type of fantasy television that the stronger cast members would be keen to avoid if the show was just starting out.

whomitconcerns

I don't know about that. If I was that lad coming in to lead the golden army, into the biggest show in the world... I'd be pretty stoked.

Exclamation Marc

Sittingpretty wrote: »

For some reason considering there are only to be six episodes this series I had assumed they’d be feature length. I’m almost certain I’d heard that somewhere.

Episodes 3-6 are the feature length episodes

Sittingpretty

Exclamation Marc wrote: »

Episodes 3-6 are the feature length episodes

Ah thank you! I knew I had read/heard it somewhere!

North of 32

North of 32 wrote: »

Game of Thrones has diminished into the type of fantasy television that the stronger cast members would be keen to avoid if the show was just starting out.

Yes..this..if it was like this when it started out it would have been forgotten about 4 years ago..

homerun_homer

I watched this live and forgot to come and post about it yesterday. I enjoyed the episode but like last season, it's definitely continuing to lose the layers that earlier seasons had for character building, and motivations that aren't shoehorned in, but earned. The jumping about of Westeros so quickly, with characters being here, then there without delay is the biggest problem when they had established how long journeys used to take around Westeros.

The downside to the shorter season rushing things along is how contrived some of the character meet ups felt. Namely Dany and Jorah meeting with Sam, just so they can squeeze in the conflict and drama so it can pay off later. I've no problem with this happening or that it would take place at some point, only that it felt forced to happen right there. Minutes later we see Jon had no idea Sam was in Winterfell. How did Dany and Jorah know? That's a minor quibble to be fair.

I really wanted more meat from some of the reunion chats, like Sansa and Tyrion. Even just to have them crack a joke at dead Joffrey's expense to ease the tension a little. I really wanted some of the more conflicted characters throughout the whole episode to say to one another "it's good to see you".

Moaning aside, it's still a good episode, and I'm only too happy to see it back finally. They are racing to get the chess pieces into place so the final battles can play out sooner, and I've no doubt there will be jaw dropping moments to help me not care about any complaints about this episode.

flazio

Theory after this episode.
Danyres will try and have Sam and Bran killed and their secret with them and convince Aegon it was a lie.

RayCon

I enjoyed the episode ... although it felt like it flew by. Agree with most posters about the dragon ride .... it definitely was a bit " a whole new world" :pac:

no.8

Kirby wrote:

I'm convinced the people who found that episode boring or dull or "Just plain bad" are people who havent been watching from the beginning. They are watching or binge watched it all because GOT is a cultural thing now and not because they actually enjoy or get the show. Because if you watch the show for the characters and not mindless CGI armies fighting...... that episode was great.

Great post! Here here.

LFCFan

homerun_homer wrote: »

like Sansa and Tyrion. Even just to have them crack a joke at dead Joffrey's expense to ease the tension a little.

She did, didn't she? 'It had it's moments' It brought a wry smile to both their faces.

biggebruv

North of 32 wrote: »

Game of Thrones has diminished into the type of fantasy television that the stronger cast members would be keen to avoid if the show was just starting out.

But the show was always leading down this path it’s not as if they just invented dragons and white walkers a epic fantasy battle etc in the later seasons they were always there in the background leading upto this endgame we have now

The episode had almost no overly fantasy sequences either it was all characters interacting so I don’t get this recent trend

whomenonotme

Deleted User wrote: »

The opening scene mirrors the very first episode

Yep, and it was nicely done - loads of little details reminded me of episode one. Arya off watching the arrivals instead of waiting with her family, the little boy in the tree watching from up high same as Bran did, Arya watching the Hound arrive, and the ending with Jaime and Bran reminded me of the first episode ending. I enjoyed the episode.

.......

The entire episode mirrored lots of elements of S01E01 with a bit of foreshadowing thrown in.

The same music being played when the King and Queen arrived at Winterfell. Ned Stark telling Jon that they next time they met he would tell him about his mother, then Jon standing in front of Neds statue in the crypt finding out about his parentage. Jon Snows life ending in Winterfells cyrpts - poetic really.

And what about Arya/Gendry - "Ive a son, youve a daughter - lets join our houses!!"

Cersei getting rid of Bronn with the crossbow was interesting - she wants him gone from Kings Landing - and Bronn knows that Tyrion will pay twice what anyone else offers him for a hit on him - so Bronn will be back on Team Tyrion soon enough.

Jaime Lannisters arrival back in Winterfell in a cloak with his hair much darker (the less blonde his hair, the less of a Lannister he is - same goes for Tyrion) - and Bran referring to him as an old friend, is this some reference to the Three Eyed Crow and Azor Ahai?

There is a significance in Dani burning Sams father and brother to death - it mirrors her father burning Neds father and brother to death.

"We should have stayed in that cave" "We should stay here for 1000 years" - goodbye romance!

Terrible CGI for the dragons, they kept appearing to be different sizes.

Loved the meat spiral on the wall in Umbers. And the reference to Ed Sheeran - so he made it out alive - just no eyelids.

Probably my favourite subtle scene was the three eyed raven walking on the windowsill in the room with Sansa - Bran is always listening....

I was disappointed with the Arya/Hound reunion - I hoped it would be more.....emotional?

North of 32

biggebruv wrote: »

But the show was always leading down this path it’s not as if they just invented dragons and white walkers a epic fantasy battle etc in the later seasons they were always there in the background leading upto this endgame we have now

The episode had almost no overly fantasy sequences either it was all characters interacting so I don’t get this recent trend

I should've been clearer - I meant the standard of writing has diminished.

North of 32

North of 32 wrote: »

I should've been clearer - I meant the standard of writing has diminished.

That happened the moment they ran out of book material to crib from. No surprise that it has not picked up now.

dr ro

Collie D wrote: »

Or the Night Queen

Ooooh!

evil_seed

I'm sure there was foreshadowing in the Umber boy fire design. It looks like the Danys sigil.

EagererBeaver

evil_seed wrote: »

I'm sure there was foreshadowing in the Umber boy fire design. It looks like the Danys sigil.

It doesn't really. For one thing, it was missing a big ****ing three headed dragon in the middle of it.