Season 4, Episode 8 - 'The Mountain and the Viper', HAVE read the books.

01-06-2014 05:24AM #1

The first of what should be 3 intense episodes to see out an explosive finish to Season 4.

Relevant links that might interest you, just to pass minutes on the internet;

Recent Pedro Pascal (Prince Oberyn) Reddit A.M.A.
Recent Hafþór Björnsson (Season 4's The Mountain) Reddit A.M.A.

Sky Atlantic, 9PM, Monday.

GerB40 · 01-06-2014 07:40AM

What to say about this episode that everyone else isn't thinking? I'm sure anyone who has read the mountain vs the red viper fight has pictured how it would look on screen so there's high expectations. I doubt we'll be disappointed..
One scene that intrigues me is Littlefingers trial. With Marillion missing there's going to be more changes from the books which in my opinion is a good thing, I always thought he "took the blame" far too easily.
One thing I know for certain, these 3 episodes are going to be epic..

Duckworth_Luas · 01-06-2014 03:32PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_LBgNYEPjY

Peregrine · 01-06-2014 03:42PM

I have extremely high expectations for this episode

And the two after.

krudler · 01-06-2014 10:59PM

I really hope its not short, should be an epic sequence

Stanlex · 01-06-2014 11:37PM

What time is it here when this airs in the US?

Peregrine · 01-06-2014 11:38PM

2am

bopper · 02-06-2014 02:55AM

Wow. That was only about 100 times more gruesome and intense than I thought it would be.

B0X · 02-06-2014 02:57AM

Holy ****, gruesome!

Witcher · 02-06-2014 02:57AM

Oberyn

Duckworth_Luas · 02-06-2014 05:38AM

F*ck you George RR Martin!

Nerdlingr · 02-06-2014 06:17AM

Fuuuuuuuck! Been waiting for that for a long time. Wanted the fight to go on a bit longer...less beetles more fighting!! Loved it though. What a way to go! Damn. Oberyn, what a character. They did it justice. Poor ol jorah got the heave ho as well...always loved his story in the books about he's a broken man, enslaved, branded, trying to get back to his queen. Liked littlefingers nod to twin 'some men die on their chamber pots' line. Am I the only one who doesn't like Arya's character? Hated her laugh when she got the news re Lysa. She annoys me a fair bit. Didn't like the fact they made it to th eyrie. Also thought they glossed over the whole moat cailin flailing as well. One lad on a stick. Thought that was more brutal in the book where Ramsay does the whole lot of them.
Sansa with the dark hair as well. Damn! Very lady Macbeth. Team sansa FTW!!!!
Amazing episode for me.

02-06-2014 06:20AM

For all my book reader smugness about knowing what was coming, that still shocked the absolute pants off me. I wasn't happy with the episode up until that but they executed it perfectly and Ellaria's reaction made it. I don't like how beat up the Mountain was though and it could have done with an extra minute or 2. It definitely hit me harder than in the books, purely because of the excellent acting from Pascal. Phenomenal and shows what the show can do when they don't waste time with Grey Worm's romantic adventures.

One thing that slightly bothered me was being dropped into it like that though, the buildup was lacking a bit and it felt a bit too casual because of that.

krudler · 02-06-2014 06:43AM

that was unreal, also I thought Sansa was the standout performance of the episode, she's gone from possibly the most irritating character in it to someone you want to root for, no longer the silly lovesick girl but is finally learning to play the game properly.

edit: wish the fight had gone on a bit longer, the finale was one of the most brutally violent things I've ever seen on tv too.

bopper · 02-06-2014 06:57AM

Iain Glen gave an amazing performance this episode, probably his best of the series.

Then on the other end of the spectrum you have Cassie, sorry I mean Gilly, who seems to stick with the same facial expression for every scene.

Fall_Guy · 02-06-2014 10:24AM

Awesome episode, the fight was done really well, but I can't get my head around how Oberyn's epic line to The Mountain when he's flat on his back was omitted! ("If you die before you say her name, ser, I will hunt you through all seven hells!")....Its the most Oberyn line you could get!

podgemonster · 02-06-2014 10:28AM

I had the same expression as Littlefinger when Alayne/Sansa strutted down the steps. Welcome to adulthood

PHWOOOOAR!!!

Thrilling, entailing episode. So many shivers felt. Loved the shot of winterfell as the Bolton charge snaked towards it.

I feel season 4 has edged to be the best season so far. That 2 week wait was torturous.

Also multiply the number of noble men in Kings Landing by the number of fair maidens in Mole's Town and you get the number of fúcks I give out the greyworm/missandei relationship.

December2012 · 02-06-2014 10:40AM

Baelish's line about men dying on the chamberpot was great!

gandalf · 02-06-2014 10:53AM

Just got it there. Haven't watched the full episode but checked the ending out to see how shocked the missus is going to be tonight! I'd better make the dinner cause I think she is going to be very disturbed by that

Gruesome with a CAPITAL G

02-06-2014 11:22AM

Emilia Clarke is hamming up scenes far too much. Another poor performance in this one. Her overacting is getting really tiresome.

Rosy Posy · 02-06-2014 11:28AM

I'm not normally a fan of the gore but I'm glad they didn't wimp out of the head popping- it was one of the images that really stayed with me from the book. Loved the expressions of the watchers- the Lannisters and Ellaria.

A few things confused me, maybe cause I'm pretty tired, but what dafuq was the point of the beetle crushing story? Just foreshadowing the inevitable viper being crushed by the mountain? Or something more?

Also were they implying that Sansa and Littlefinger got it on? Cause she was looking very knowing in the scene where she emerged with her hair dyed. I really hope not as IMO her coming through the whole journey with her maidenhead is quite a big part of her character and her story. I loved her outfit- she's taken on the attributes of the mockingbird.

The Grey Worm love story hacks me right off, seems totally pointless, especially when they sacrifice decent storylines from the book.

Was nice to see Ygritte showing Gilly and the baby (who I can't help but think of as monster rather than little Sam) mercy as an echo of what Jon Snow offered her.

RobbingBandit · 02-06-2014 11:40AM

Liam O wrote: »

Emilia Clarke is hamming up scenes far too much. Another poor performance in this one. Her overacting is getting really tiresome.

Where was she looking while speaking to jorah in the throne room, up in the air instead of at him or the camera, I hope they stay true to Jorah finding Tyrion in bar/inn next season, this is why I bitched about Brown Ben Plumm being omitted, he is so important to the next stages of both Tyrion and Jorah in the story.

Son0vagun · 02-06-2014 11:44AM

Anyone think that the scene with Ygritte and Gilly implied that Ygritte is with child?

RobbingBandit · 02-06-2014 11:47AM

Son0vagun wrote: »

Anyone think that the scene with Ygritte and Gilly implied that Ygritte is with child?

Would make sense, could also be the fact that Gilly and the monster are wildlings too.

celica00 · 02-06-2014 12:22PM

Cant wait to watch it now!

krudler · 02-06-2014 12:29PM

There was a chunk of filler in that episode as well, the beetle story had a point but just went on too long,could have had more time in the final scene in place of it. Gilly with her stupid one expression I could care less about, same with Grey Worm and his romantic notions.

The pacing this season feels a bit weird for some reason,maybe watching it without the week long gaps will change that, they should have put the beetle scene earlier in the episode to build up the fight a bit more.

Soft Falling Rain · 02-06-2014 12:33PM

That ending has me shaking, christ.

By far the most disturbing and upsetting thing I have seen in the show.

I liked how they handled it. I'm glad that they made it plain as day that Oberyn was the better man, and that it was just emotional imbalance towards the situation that undone him.

So sad to see Pedro go anyway, I was desperately hoping for a swerve but I knew there wouldn't be one the second Oberyn started talking to The Mountain.

Conchir · 02-06-2014 12:54PM

Can't watch it yet... damn Leaving Cert!

Oh, and also:

Someone in the have not read thread wrote:

The that's this season's stand out episode over and done with....back to the tedium.

Oh, sweet summer child :P

krudler · 02-06-2014 01:01PM

Conchir wrote: »

Can't watch it yet... damn Leaving Cert!

Oh, and also:

Oh, sweet summer child :P

how it feels knowing what's coming, tedium my ass!

krudler · 02-06-2014 01:02PM

I watched the last 15 or so mins again, jesus those screams from Oberyn were something else. In the book did the Mountain squeeze his head or just punch a hole in it I can't remember.

Nerdlingr · 02-06-2014 01:19PM

krudler wrote: »

I watched the last 15 or so mins again, jesus those screams from Oberyn were something else. In the book did the Mountain squeeze his head or just punch a hole in it I can't remember.

Yeah that scream. Jaysus, pure agony. Loved the reactions of ellaria and tyrion as well. I thought in the book he kept on bashing his head instead of 'head popping' him but cant really remember. Amazing scene though, like others here I wish it had gone on longer.

Season 4, Episode 8 - 'The Mountain and the Viper', HAVE read the books.

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