Game of Thrones 5.8 "Hardhome" (spoiler alert)

[NewJeffCT]

Arya makes progress in her training. Sansa confronts an old friend. Cersei (Lena Headey) struggles. Jon travels.


http://winteriscoming.net/2015/05/30/game-of-thrones-episode-508-hardhome-preview/

[NewJeffCT]

1. some preview articles

http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-game-of-thrones-season-5-episode-8-preview-breaking-the-wheel-2090934

http://www.bustle.com/articles/86181-will-sam-die-on-game-of-thrones-not-on-my-nights-watch

http://www.ibtimes.com/game-thrones-season-5-spoilers-episode-8-promises-dramatic-fights-jon-snow-jorah-1945249

[NewJeffCT]

4. 2 hours to go now

I hear we might get some White Walkers again tonight.

http://winteriscoming.net/2015/05/31/kit-harington-teases-tonights-spectacular-battle-sequence/

[Baitball Blogger]

5. I hope the Walkers have more than a cameo.

But, I suspect they will show up as a cliffhanger.

Waiting with a glass of merlot, Toasted Head.

[NewJeffCT]

6. I'm thinking they will tonight

supposedly the biggest battle sequence yet

[NewJeffCT]

2. photo preview

of tonight's episode

http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/05/31/game-of-thrones-photo-preview-hardhome

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/05/31/game-thrones-hardhome

[NewJeffCT]

3. in case folks missed my late post in last week's thread:

http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/05/game-of-thrones-finale-mothers-mercy-lady-stoneheart

[CrawlingChaos]

7. Oh nice try HBO

If that happens, specifically Lady Stoneheart, I will purchase a hat for the express purpose of eating it. They love to tease, don't they? And Lena Heady and her pictures of piles of rocks... you only play that card once honey.

I am positively positive it refers to the trials that will be held by the Faith Militant. Didn't the High Sparrow use that exact phrase when bringing the hammer down on Cersei last week? I mean, I'm sure it could have multiple meanings (and probably is meant to) but I think we all know what the finale's going to be about.

So episode 9 will be BIG action and episode 10 will be big drama. Haven't they followed that pattern every year?

[NewJeffCT]

8. I think we're getting some big action tonight

and more big action next week (Daznak's Pit...)

Earlier this year, Michelle Fairley was listed on IMDB in episode 10 as "Hooded Woman" - but, it was quickly taken down.

(I believe the guy that played Benjen Stark was also listed as well)

[CrawlingChaos]

10. I'm not completely sure...

...but I was under the impression that users can alter IMDB listings, kind of like Wikipedia. In which case I would guess a fan did it. Or i could have been those bastards at HBO, trying to generate some buzz. Or I could be completely full of crap.

It would be interesting to have Benjen reappear, unless it's just a flashback.

I believe you predicted in a prior week that Jorah would be filling Ser Baristan's role in a big pit fight (is that what you're referring to?). Anyway, sounds like something that could be exciting. I loved the pit fight sequence last week!

Hey, here we go... almost showtime...

[Baitball Blogger]

9. What is this about baking a certain pregnant woman and feeding it to Bolton in

the form of a pie?

Doesn't sound like Sansa at all.

[NewJeffCT]

11. in the books

the Manderly family were close allies to the Starks, but were basically forced to swear allegiance to the Boltons once the war ended. A delegation of Freys visited White Harbor (the home of the Manderlys). Two Freys went missing, but it later became clear that they were taken, killed and baked into pies and served to the remaining Freys. Would be interesting if Sansa took the place of Wyman (Lord Too Fat to Sit a Horse) Manderly in that regards.

[Baitball Blogger]

12. Winter is here!

[NewJeffCT]

13. Yes, it certainly is here

big action at the end - the wilding woman that got killed by the children was sad.

interesting conversation between Tyrion and Daenerys, and Sansa finding out that her brothers could be alive

[Baitball Blogger]

15. Did not understand the Arya training.

Are they going through some kind of situational ethics training in a hypothetical fashion?

[NewJeffCT]

16. I don't think so

but, I'm not sure if they're going to follow the books or not

[Goblinmonger]

19. I think she is supposed to kill that guy.

If she fails and it caught, they know she isn't cut out for it.

[Goblinmonger]

20. As soon as she told her kids she'd join them later,

I knew she was going to bite it.

[Liberal Veteran]

14. Oh yeah! That rocked.

Too good.

[NewJeffCT]

23. It was a good episode

big battle at the end, but also the meeting of Dany and Tyrion, Sansa showing some strength and also getting some hope, and then who knows what Ramsay will do with his 20 men?

(In the books, Roose Bolton has more men than Stannis, but some of his underlings are squabbling, so he leaves Winterfell to attack Stannis as a way to unite the men under his command)

[blogslut]

17. ...

[NewJeffCT]

24. so, the white walker

was raising ants from the dead!

[Solly Mack]

18. I think the White Walker "high priest" recognized Jon for who he is (or will be)

It didn't seem two opposing leaders merely looking at each other. Especially after the White Walker shattering.

[NewJeffCT]

21. I think the Night King (listing in the credits on IMDB)

realizes that Jon is at least a foe to be reckoned with because of the Valyrian steel sword.

[Solly Mack]

22. I didn't want to call him the Night's King.

Thought it might be a spoiler but if he's listed as such...guess not.

If the NK is a Stark, maybe he sees the Stark in Jon? (as well as other things)

[NewJeffCT]

25. some articles

praise seems to be almost universal for last night's episode.

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/06/01/game-thrones-hardhome-tv-vs-book

http://www.sbnation.com/2015/6/1/8695527/game-of-thrones-season-5-episode-8-hardhome

http://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/game-of-thrones-season-5-episode-8-recap-hardhome/

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/06/game-of-thrones-season-5-episode-8-hardhome-recap-hbo

http://theweek.com/articles/558020/game-thrones-recap-winter-here

http://www.forbes.com/sites/emilycanal/2015/06/01/game-of-thrones-season-five-episode-8-hope-doom-and-zombies/

http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/01/entertainment/game-of-thrones-shocker-thr-feat/

http://www.eonline.com/news/661715/game-of-thrones-recap-hardhome-finally-reveals-the-biggest-threat-facing-westeros

[CrawlingChaos]

26. very good episode

Last edited Tue Jun 2, 2015, 02:16 AM - Edit history (1)

Nice exciting climax with the Hearthome battle. Although it made me think how much credit the Walking Dead folks deserve - they pull of swarms of undead sequences routinely and do a really good job of it.

My favorite comic relief moment was when the wildling woman asked Tormund if he trusted Jon Snow and he replied "he's prettier than both my daughters...". (although personally, of the two of them, I'd take Tormund. He's becoming one of my favorite characters and I think it's because of the charismatic actor who plays him)

My one small quibble is I would have liked to have seen more imaginative creature design on the white walkers. They could be scarier, or at least more distinctive somehow. I don't know, to me they look like something from a made-for-Syfy movie. The giants, for example, look so much more impressive.

Peter Dinklage pulled off the miracle of making Dany less boring, and he should get a special Emmy for that. I think I will be dreading her scenes less now thanks to him.

Looks like Ser Jorah's story is shaping up for a sad ending - like maybe she forgives him just as he's succumbing to the greyscale.

Like everyone else I'm hoping they're setting up for Sansa to do something extreme in the vengeance department. And I won't be surprised if that doesn't happen.

Wondering if I can have any expectation of the Mountain getting up off that table this season. They teased a little bit when Cersei's maester friend (whose name escapes me) exited with the line "the work continues". But maybe that's for next season.

I'm excited for the last two episodes and am now to the point of making a little wish list of what I'd like to see happen before the show goes away for a year. Hard to believe they have to wrap all this up in just two hours of screen time. They'd better make every minute count!

[NewJeffCT]

27. it was nice to see Tyrion and Daenerys together

Since Martin even said that they might not meet in The Winds of Winter, either.

I saw a review today that said it looks like the fate of the world is in the hands of a teenage girl, a 3 1/2 foot tall man, 3 big lizards and an army of dickless soldiers. Thought it was pretty funny.

https://www.yahoo.com/tv/s/game-thrones-no-place-hardhome-140500617.html?soc_src=unv-sh&soc_trk=tw

[CrawlingChaos]

29. heh, that's a good line

It really was a good move to put them together. Peter Dinklage, it turns out, has enough screen presence for both of them.

I was just talking to my sister and she was telling me she keeps hearing massive praise for this episode - as in talk of best episode ever (she seemed to agree). Gee, I thought it was very good, but I wouldn't go that far.

People really loved the battle at Hearthome and it was very good, but I still think the Walking Dead has done this same thing better (i.e. Farmageddon, which had me on the very edge of my seat). This gets into a whole big area of contention but I'm of the mind that GOT leans a little too heavily on CGI. Walking Dead, IMO, manages a more artful mix of CGI (a necessary evil) and real live effects. Many horror fans like myself feel that excessive use of CGI has drained much of the life out of the genre, so I may be overly sensitive to these matters.

I did love the cold, bleak atmosphere of that sequence. And the fog. Overall it really was beautifully done.

[NewJeffCT]

32. I still think they've had better episodes

episodes 9 & 10 from season 1 (Baelor, where Ned gets beheaded, and Fire & Blood where Dany climbs into the funeral pyre to die, only to come out with three baby dragons)

The Rains of Castamere in Season 3, of course, and episodes 8 and 9 in season 4.

[CrawlingChaos]

34. I'm so with you on that

There was SO much dramatic tension at the end of season 1. Which just goes to show it's not all about the budget, because I believe they had a much smaller budget back then. Actually, as I remember season 1 it was just one killer episode after another. (I have to go refresh my memory on 8 and 9 of season 4...)

Here's hoping they can hit those heights again.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

28. Making every minute count ...

... this was a good episode, except the battle at the coast wasted way too much time that could have been devoted to, well, plot and dialog?

The continuing departure from the story in the books is making the author's work less and less relevant. As if it doesn't matter if he ever finishes writing the series.

[CrawlingChaos]

30. I get frustrated when I feel like they're wasting time

I think ten 1-hour episodes is a ridiculously short season for a story this complex. With the huge success of the show, I don't understand why they don't expand it.

I only read as far as Storm of Swords so I won't be aware of departures too much, but I imagine it can get quite frustrating for avid fans of the book series. I know I'd be way more annoyed if I had to wait several years between books, which is one of the reasons I decided to stop at book 3.

It probably doesn't matter if Martin ever finishes. I think I remember reading that the producers consulted with Martin to get his overall vision for the way he plans to wrap up the series, and they're just going to run with that no matter what (or maybe change it, who knows). But I think no one is counting on Martin finishing anything.

[NewJeffCT]

33. I believe they consulted with him twice about what happens

in the books - once before they started filming, and then again before Season 4 when Benioff & Weiss realized they were probably going to pass the books. They sat down with him again and went through what happens to all the major characters in the books. So, while Sansa marrying Ramsay Bolton didn't happen in the books, she was supposedly going to marry Harry Harding in the books, who is something of a lout as well (Harding dumped his first baby mamma because she didn't lose weight fast enough after childbirth). While Harry the Heir is not the sadist Ramsay is, I had a feeling he was not going to be too kind to Sansa. From there, it's easy enough for Sansa to end up in Winterfell - with her leading an army of Vale knights to reclaim her family's home. In the show, it looks like Littlefinger is going to bring the army to Sansa already in Winterfell.

[CrawlingChaos]

35. Thanks for all the info

It's always interesting when you fill in gaps and point out book departures. Thank you sir

[NewJeffCT]

36. No problem

that's just conjecture on my part - Martin still probably has some tricks up his sleeve for the last two books.

[Yavin4]

31. That episode was the best movie of the summer. n/t

[NewJeffCT]

37. George RR Martin explains why there is sexual violence against women

in his books.

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/06/03/george-rr-martin-thrones-violence-women

[NewJeffCT]

38. the woman killed in the Lion attack the other day

worked as a visual editor on Game of Thrones.

http://www.avclub.com/article/game-thrones-editor-killed-lion-attack-220321