Game of Thrones -- TV ONLY

This season really needs a new character with popularity like Oberyn (not necessarily the same as him in any specifics though) to make up for the losses of last season

Spoiler:

That's a very good point. And I can't really see anyone who can fullfill that role this time around. Anyone got any suggestions? It oddly also seems like something they are purposefully avoiding. (Unless they thought the Sandsnakes would fill that role, in which case they truely are lost. )

This made me laugh. (It really says something with the amount of screentime they are giving their original creations..)

http://ollynodsatthings.tumblr.com/

theres only Tyrion with that kind of popularity

Is it just me, or does the show feel like it's kind of running low on gas. Yeah characters are meeting up but they aren't the characters we want to meet up... I don't know there's something that I just don't like about season five...

Let's be fair: few people were very happy with the books at this point in the story either. GRRM set up a number of great storylines, then just let them drift.

We need some white walkers taking on Dothraki, that will stir things up.

I must say the only storyline that is interesting me a the moment is Tyrion and Ser Jorah.

Spoiler:

Tinuviel wrote:Is it just me, or does the show feel like it's kind of running low on gas. Yeah characters are meeting up but they aren't the characters we want to meet up... I don't know there's something that I just don't like about season five...

No, Figg was talking about just that over on the book thread. And with both of you oblivious to the book plot I think it says a lot. (In re: to Halfwise above, they are so far off the book plot at this point that laying blame at Georges feet seems a bit unfair.)

You guys never fail to rise in my estimation.

I guess you don't need to have read the books to get the flat feeling from season 5. I must say the last sequences with Tyrion and Jorah are probably one of my favourite moments in the entire series. its stunning. so I can forgive them. if they are still capable of moments like this my faith that the magic is still there.

Hope is always good. I'm certainly very happy for anyone who likes the current season. I used to be a big fan, and I would really wish for the show to be good. I would really want to be able to enjoy it.

The Tyrion and Jorah moment was nice, I particularily liked the poem, but it felt a bit rushed. I would have liked to have the quiet part and the stonemen in seperate scenes. That would also have alleviated the feeling that Valeria was this small foggy river it took five minutes to sail though.

I was extremely disappointed by books four and five, though my opinion on them has softened over time. So far I'm unsure about season five for fairly different reasons, but I'm not hugely confident that either will regain their stride. I wouldn't have guessed I'd say this, but the books have the easier task ahead of them, compared to S5's characterization issues.

Yeah, I too feel a bit apprehensive about Winds. I think it might very well be underwhelming, considering the issues it will carry over from the last two books. The show.. I don't even know anymore. The problem for me with rushing to the end is that with these massive epic series, the end is usually quite formulaic. It's the journey that is of the greatest interest. That's what I found with the Wheel of Time series anyaway, and I consider it wuite likely with A Song of Ice and Fire too.

Funnily, as someone who was not a big fan, to put it mildly, of aFfCs when I first read it, the two last books in the series has practicly become my favourite part of the series when seeing the last two books combined. I don't consider it the best, for obvious reason, among which being that A Storm of Swords is amazing. The scope, the breadth and intricasy of the world, it never fails to amaze me. It still has obvious issues, and how Georges editor let it be released without a cohrerent ending I will never know. The failure to realize that each book in itself must tell a coherent part of the story while also functioning as the part of the series was a major mistake with both the two last books. And it was the editors idea apparently, to leave the conclusions out of Dance. It boggles the mind.

http://captainofalltheships.tumblr.com/post/118745535502/chrys-watches-got-s5-ep5

Got a chance to watch episode five this afternoon. It was definitely better than last week's episode. Hard to believe we're already at the halfway point of the season, though. I know there are logistical reasons why they can't have more than 10 episodes per season but if we look at all the plotlines I feel like most of them have barely gotten off the ground. Though to be fair, the ones that showed up this week did accelerate quite a bit, and I imagine that will continue to be the case for the others as well when their turns come back up.

Mrs Figg wrote:I must say the only storyline that is interesting me a the moment is Tyrion and Ser Jorah.

Spoiler:

I agree that Tyrion and Jorah's storyline was the best one this week.  I can't get over how dumb the concept of the Sansa in Winterfell plot is.  Are we really supposed to believe that Littlefinger, who's been on some multi-dimensional chess shit the whole show, didn't know what Ramsay was?  Unless it's revealed that he actually wanted Sansa to get flayed or something, that killed my investment and belief in this storyline before it even started.

as to Sansa and Littlefinger, maybe its a sick test to see if she has the guts to get revenge on those who have killed pretty much all her family. At bit like sexy Jesus giving Arya a test, only her test is to see how much sweeping dirt she can do before she blows.

I may have to reconsider my previous post. ASOIAF University over on tumblr points out that book!Littlefinger is not necessarily as good a judge of character as he thinks he is, given his disastrously incorrect misreading of Varys (a quote that I honestly don't recall, but in my defense, it's been years since I've read the first book).

http://asoiafuniversity.tumblr.com/post/118805247390/why-do-you-think-littlefinger-is-not-a-true

I think Sansa is more in danger of being bored to death by the Boltons than being tortured. boy are they a dull bunch of flayers. This Dark Sansa thing though, she isn't really walking the walk, all she does is moan and look disgusted, I expected that she would be taking the mantle of Darkness seriously.

Yeah, she hasn't been doing much to "make them yours" so far. :/

Myranda is the same chick who was helping Ramsay torture Theon in season three, right?  I'm not entirely sure what she was trying to accomplish by showing Sansa Theon, but I'm a little curious to see how that plays out.  Mild book spoilers, though it refers to a subplot that has been cut:

Spoiler:

I am slowly getting caught up. Watched episode 2 today. Thought it was good, liked it a lot more than the first episode.

Interesting to hear your thoughts, Bungo. I think we all found episode one a bit of a let down. I'll be interested to hear what you make of the rest of the series. Keep us updated.

In re: of the Sansa thing. It's all very interesting to try to make sense of, but.. I'm not sure it's meant to.

Although, seriously, they did say they were planning this as early as early as season 2. I have to admit I don't get it. As it takes away all Sansa's agency and makes her into a victim again, and it makes Theon a tertiary character in his own story.

Eldorion wrote:I may have to reconsider my previous post. ASOIAF University over on tumblr points out that book!Littlefinger is not necessarily as good a judge of character as he thinks he is, given his disastrously incorrect misreading of Varys (a quote that I honestly don't recall, but in my defense, it's been years since I've read the first book).

http://asoiafuniversity.tumblr.com/post/118805247390/why-do-you-think-littlefinger-is-not-a-true

I think you can deifinitely question the accepted wisdom of both Varys and Littlefingers competence, although I think it is good to notice that despite those two quotes all other claims to their competence comes from other peoples point of views. It's almost never their opinion of themselves that is represented.

I still have some reservations about those quotes though. I'm pretty sure Littlefigner said that to Catelyn, and it was part of bigging himself up, making himself important and useful. So, it should not be taken at face value. Neither should the Varys quote when he was talking to Tyrion. He was doing the exact same thing, making himself seem important, competent, in control.

Also both those quotes are from the books. The show has pretty clearly been building Littlefinger and Varys up as the two great scheemers. They have had Littlefinger acting stupidly before, challenging Cersei and her almost having her guard kill him, but he's also been showed as pretty competent, orchestrating the Tyrell Lannister alliance and getting rid of Joffrey while managing to lay all blame at the feet of Tyrion.

For me the idea that Littlefinger would leave Sansa with the Boltons out of stupidity and ignorance is a step too far. But I also can't take his own words about knowing nothing about Ramsay seriously, after he rode into Winterfell and the first thing he saw was the flayed body of a lord who refused to pay his taxes. So, I'm not sure they really ment for us to think logically about this though. They wanted Sansa in Winterfell and they put her there. Logic be damned. Just like in the next episode we are ment to belive that Cersei doesn't know about the Sansa Ramsay wedding, all the while Aemon get's newsflash updates about Daenerys in Meereen at the Wall. Cersei should send Qyburn to Qyburn for failing to get hold of that information.

To me the only thing that makes sense is him selling her down the river. As in he's using her, and her well being is not foremost in his mind.

I'm not sure that was what they were going for though...