"Non book readers" - Season 8 Episode 5 "The bells" - Spoilers post 2 forward

podgemonster

This was the battle that was promised. The perfect example of a dragon in the field dealing controlled by a angry, paranoid, grieving, vengeful Targ. Clarkes facial expression as the bells rang was superb. Cersei weeps as the city falls, in the end she's the Queen with the most humanity remaining, she just taught she was smarter than she was.

The use of Arya scampering through the streets of flea bottom was a perfect representation of the slaughter of innocence on the ground. In an hour Dany has caused more death than the NK did over 7 seasons with her Dragon, Unsullied and Dothraki. This is the song of fire and ice and both extremes bring Death.

The real issue with this season is that they've tried to fit too much into 6 episodes. The White Walkers, the battle with Cersei, Dany going mad queen.

They needed another few episodes to do justice to the White Walkers plot and to Dany going mad queen.

It does feel a little bit like... oh no, the White Walkers are going to kill us all, oh wait, they're dead but now Dany is the mad queen.

Haven't said that, I can't fault the latest episode. Was very very good.

Penn

I enjoyed most of the episode and the way things unfolded, but f*ck me they keep adding stupid things to this show for the sake of it. They made about 50 Scorpions to protect the Iron Fleet and Kings Landing. But when it really came down to it, they fired maybe two shots in this episode, and the rest of the time Dany & Drogon just torched every single one of them by flying right at them. Half of them didn't even seem to be loaded. Euron's ship destroyed and he lands on the shore behind the Red Keep... at the exact spot and time Jamie just happens to be passing, and even then his fight with Jamie amounts to almost nothing because Jamie doesn't even die from those wounds anyway. Would have been better just to burn Euron on the boat. Arya demonstrated last episode that she didn't care if she was going to die so long as she killed Cersei. She gets all the way into the Red Keep and when the Hound tells her to leave because she's going to die, Arya leaves. At the very least they should have done that before entering the Red Keep just after Dany started fully attacking.

I've no issue with Dany breaking and fully becoming the Mad Queen. It's been evident for ages that she was regularly held back by the advisors and that her army and followers kept growing so she didn't really need to go full-on Dragon Queen, but with much of her army taken out, two dragons dead and most of her advisors dead or betraying her, plus knowing the throne isn't hers by right... she broke. The signs have been there for longer than this season or even last season.

The biggest thing I'm mixed about though is Cersei. She deserved a better ending. She had almost no scenes this season other than staring out the window and even then she out-acted everyone on the show. Her atop the wall of Kings Landing last week, doing nothing but giving everyone the evil eye was just pure magnificence. I get there weren't many other ways her story could have ended, but it was just disappointing that she didn't get a better ending.

PIORUN

They really seemed to have rushed her into the " Mad Queen "... no make up and hair tossed-- ooh that bitch is crazy!!!
Also Tyrion told Varys about Jon and now gets him killed because he knows and wants to do something about it. Did Tyrion actually think that Varys was going to keep his mouth shut?

Rfrip

soap1978 wrote: »

PMS

Made me lol

Excellent episode. I’m wrecked after it.
Can’t believe only one left

Tikki Wang Wang

Steaming pile of dung


https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/game-of-thrones-season-8-episode-5-review-daenerys-jon-snow-arya-cersei-jaime-hbo-finale-a8910996.html


https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/game-of-thrones/game-of-thrones-season-8-episode-5-varys-death-scene-conleth-hill-character-plot-a8910981.html

lawlolawl

Pure Marvel movie stuff.


Dany Ex Machina uses her nuke to make all of the scheming and military maneuvering irrelevant because they need her to turn heel so that Jon can off her in the final episode.

Killing Varys was symbolic of the dumbing down of the entire thing.

RickBlaine

I wish people would stop using Marvel as a way of criticising this season.

Endgame may have its faults but it was a very satisfying ending for a majority of fans. This season is much more controversial.

And Feige hasn't dropped the ball as much as D&D.

leggo

Penn wrote: »

I enjoyed most of the episode and the way things unfolded, but f*ck me they keep adding stupid things to this show for the sake of it. They made about 50 Scorpions to protect the Iron Fleet and Kings Landing. But when it really came down to it, they fired maybe two shots in this episode, and the rest of the time Dany & Drogon just torched every single one of them by flying right at them. Half of them didn't even seem to be loaded.

The move that Dany did is the same move that won the Battle of Harrenhal. You fly directly downward towards the enemy so that they're looking into the sun and have no time to get orientated enough to fire off a shot. That's why they did it that way: it's established within the canon that this is a really effective dragon-riding battle technique. The Iron Fleet and Lannister army posted on the walls with scorpions were anticipating she fly in from the sea (which is all they could really anticipate). Whereas if you're not expecting someone, it's obviously easier to fire a successful shot, which is what happened to Rhaegal.

NuMarvel

lawlolawl wrote: »

Pure Marvel movie stuff.

There have been 22 Marvel Studios films at this point, and numerous other adaptations by other studios. Can you be a bit more specific about how GoT has become like these movies in their totality, because I'm not seeing it.

Penn

leggo wrote: »

The move that Dany did is the same move that won the Battle of Harrenhal. You fly directly downward towards the enemy so that they're looking into the sun and have no time to get orientated enough to fire off a shot. That's why they did it that way: it's established within the canon that this is a really effective dragon-riding battle technique. The Iron Fleet and Lannister army posted on the walls with scorpions were anticipating she fly in from the sea (which is all they could really anticipate). Whereas if you're not expecting someone, it's obviously easier to fire a successful shot, which is what happened to Rhaegal.

That works for the initial strike on the ships, but not for the huge length of time following that where all the other scorpions barely even moved even though Dany was riding at a normal height above them and flying horizontally. When the dragon is torching 10 scorpions in a line, scorpions 7-10 should be able to get a shot in.

Plus, did Harrenhal have dragon-killing weapons, as I thought Qyburn basically invented them?

ERG89

Varys, Euron (I think), Jaime, Cersei all die & Cleganebowl takes 2 victims but when all of that happens in an hour it loses its impact.
I'm not sure are the actors phoning it in or if it's the script but something about this season has felt off from episode 1. Now they've just replaced drinking around a fire in a dimly lit room to walking around in smoke not knowing where to go; a bit like the writers did when they wrote this. Character swerves to get to the end goal & the likes of Jon Snow almost doing a 180 of his past character.
Next week is the last episode and I'm glad tbh.

flugel

Good overal.

Nobody else disappointment Ayra just gave up on trying to kill Cersei after a quick conversation?

leggo

Penn wrote: »

That works for the initial strike on the ships, but not for the huge length of time following that where all the other scorpions barely even moved even though Dany was riding at a normal height above them and flying horizontally. When the dragon is torching 10 scorpions in a line, scorpions 7-10 should be able to get a shot in.

Plus, did Harrenhal have dragon-killing weapons, as I thought Qyburn basically invented them?

Dragons have been killed by scorpions before, it's the non book thread so I won't get into it but if you're interested look up how the Dornish got their 'Unbowed, unbent, unbroken' mantra.

Also when have we seen scorpions fire off a successful shot at an expecting dragon to reach that assumption? Bronn hit Drogon before Dany knew scorpions were invented, Euron hit Rhaegal when she wasn't expecting them. When Dany flew right at Euron, the arrows missed (although there were so many of them within a short range that she had to change direction). It's a different kettle of fish aiming at something not expecting you and at something flying, at pace, directly at you with the provision that if you miss, you die.

Adamocovic

It's interesting all the comments about rushing the story. I agree with them. I'm sure most know that HBO offered a bigger budget and longer season but D&D declined it, more than likely to move on to Star Wars. Just makes you more annoyed.

Episode was so-so. Wouldn't go as far as some calling it worst episode of TV but with the drop in quality it's sad.

Was most disappointed with Jaime Lannister's end. Built up his redemption style character arc and the whole idea of him actually being a good man who cares for people, just to throw it out the window in the end. Also the running back to Cersei's arms after she had put a price on his head, refused to help against the walkers, and been shacking up with Euron (don't get me starter on his pop up attack!). His death didn't do his character justice in my eyes and it annoyed me.

I think Varys was hard done by too. Went out with a whimper and not even some good dialogue this season for us to remember him by.

Also found myself disengaged a bit like many said here. Felt like going through the motions. Wasn't captivated or on the end of my seat like so many moments that make us love the show.

It's a shame how it will finish. Feels like so much will be left unanswered and so many possibilities unexplored. Only one more anyway so better buckle up.

Effects

Bonzo Delaney wrote: »

Sorry to see the hound go probarbly the most honourable Knight that never was.

lawlolawl

https://twitter.com/ringer/status/1127770326836760578

Sandor Clegane

It was no surprise Danny went mad like she did, it's been building for a while.

An interesting final episode, how will Jon react to what she did and what will he do? He will still have the North behind him and id assume Tyrion's allegiance will now shift if he survives long enough.

Her state of mind and what she did can't be ignored now, it was a massacre!

lawlolawl

All of Danys advisors: "We should wait a while to march on Kings landing because we're still depleted from our battle with the Army Of the Dead™"


Dany: "Nah."


/singlehandedly destroys the entire Iron Fleet, melts all of the elite mercenaries and blows up the walls of Kings Landing within the space of 5 minutes

It went full on 80s B-movie at times..

Pile of sh1te..

I'm actually considering not watching the last episode..

BoJack Horseman

Well....... that was sh*t.

The only sliver of poetic satisfaction was Sandor's end.

The rest was just poor....
The inconsistencies are excruciating.

At least next week it will be all over, and so will end what could (should) have been the greatest TV show ever made.
Instead consigned to the 'it's alright' pile of TV history

EarlyStorms

I enjoyed it as spectacle, great entertainment some amazing shots you wont see the likes of again anytime soon. They've been building the Dany change for a while, the only problem I have is this season is too short, we needed more episodes for this story to finish in more satisfactory manner. The showrunners should have passed the show onto somebody if they wanted out. When even the casual fans care more about the show then the people running it, something isn't right there.

Anyway we are where we are and I'll make the most of it. Looking forward to seeing how it all plays out in the last episode.

lawlolawl

Deleted User wrote: »

It went full on 80s B-movie at times..

Pile of sh1te..

I'm actually considering not watching the last episode..

You don't want to see Jon Snow go off to be a lumberjack after he kills Dany?

BoJack Horseman

EarlyStorms wrote: »

some amazing shots you wont see the likes of again anytime soon.

There was indeed... that can't be denied.

But after 5 mins of stumbling around a burning city with Arya I checked the clock and figured she must be going to do something.
No... we'll instead stumble around a burning city with Arya for 5 more minutes for no reason..... and then the show ends.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

pah

Hugely unsatisfied

Richard Hillman

Is there even an iron throne to sit on anymore?

J. Marston

[Deleted User] wrote: »

It went full on 80s B-movie at times..

Pile of sh1te..

I'm actually considering not watching the last episode..

No you're not. See you next week.

Adamocovic

Sandor Clegane wrote: »

It was no surprise Danny went mad like she did, it's been building for a while.

An interesting final episode, how will Jon react to what she did and what will he do? He will still have the North behind him and id assume Tyrion's allegiance will now shift if he survives long enough.

Her state of mind and what she did can't be ignored now, it was a massacre!

No surprise but so rushed. It's something many predicted in the past but it's been sped along way too much in the dying moments in my eyes.

podgemonster

flugel wrote: »

Good overal.

Nobody else disappointment Ayra just gave up on trying to kill Cersei after a quick conversation?

I actually think it was a very important moment. The path of vengeance is a dark road that eventual ends in Death. The Hound is motivated only by hate, he was going into the red keep to kill his brother, his own life was after that point had nothing left to live for.

Arya in the map room turned from the path of hate and revenge and chose life, she saw in a flash the futility of killing an already defeated queen. Her new motivation was not to take life but to protect life as she urges the cowering woman and children to flee from the city.

Clareman

What a great episode, for me 1 of the best things about the episode was the greying of the lines again, it was too "black and white" for ages as to who was good and who was bad.

Grey worm killing yerman in the back shows how mad he is now.
Jon killing people when he didn't want to be there.
Ayra running through the place was a good way to show the impact of the battle on the locals.
The Mountain and the Hound, it couldn't have been anything else.
Cersai and Jamie, they went together, she died in the hands of her brother, that'll do.
Tyrion is the last Lanister, he can't survive, can he?

In a weird way I'd nearly be happy if they finished there, there's going to be 90 minutes of tieing up of lose ends, leave it there that you know Dany has gone mad and there's others who don't like what she's doing but leave it there, no need to spell out out on the screen for us.