Game of Thrones - Season 6 - Discussion Thread

[Daz]

My favourite shot of the whole episode was the lingering one on the window before and after Tommen jumped.

Was a fantastic episode and a perfect follow up to the last one. Shit has definitely been moved into place for the next season, and I can't wait. Also made me more hype for the book.

[Hanley!]

It was a pretty damn good episode, though I'm annoyed about Margaery dying. She was one of the best characters in the show, and one of the few that was still easy to like and support. The show will be much worse off without her. Also, I feel like the episode was just setting up Cersei as the ultimate black and white villain, just so she could be the counterpart to the white meat babyface Dany, and she just hasn't earned that role.

That being said, while I don't necessarily like where things are going based on this episode, I did enjoy how they got there. The way the wildfire scene was shot and paced, and particularly the music, is sure to make that scene one of the most memorable and iconic in the entire show. We finally got the reveal in the Tower of Joy. Jon Snow became King in the North in a badass scene after Lyanna Mormont declared it to be so, because she has that kind of motherfucking authority.

The acting throughout was good too. Dany and Tyrion had chemistry on screen together for the first time, and the moment where he was named Hand of the Queen was nice. Though I wish they had done more earlier in the season to build up that relationship, or to show why Tyrion believed in Dany so much. Davos killed it in his scene with Melisandre. That was great stuff. Although I was disappointed in Jon Snow for not executing her. Based on everything we've seen from him in the past, it felt out of character to let him go.

Loved Lady Olenna smack talking the Sand Snakes because she's literally the coolest character left in this show, and they're the worst. Even though it defies all reason, if the Queen of Thorns ended up in the Iron Throne to end this show, I'd be happy.

Best episode of the season, for sure. Best episode of the last two seasons even. Nice to see things change so drastically. They successfully made it seem like we're getting close to end game.

[UTK]

^ is Cersei all that black and white though? I know many people who like Cersei more now, since they hated the High Sparrow so much

[Hanley!]

She is all black and white, 100%. Everything about what she did was pure evil. She killed the High Sparrow in revenge, but more importantly she killed at least hundreds of innocent people.

Her incestuous, amoral brother Jaime killed the Mad King because he planned to do what Cersei just did. Because that was just one step to far for him. Cersei is now Mad King levels of evil.

But yeah, I am surprised by some of the reactions to this. It seems like for a lot of fans, the wildfire going off was a punching the air moment. Game of Thrones often builds up to these cathartic kills, and I know that everyone wanted the High Sparrow to die, but I still don't think this was one of those moments. Like I said, she killed lots of innocent people. She killed the Tyrells, who we've been given reason to care about. I find it kinda weird that most people were happy with Cersei killing all those people, when it bummed me out.

It was a great scene, but I thought it was supposed to be a horrifying/sad scene. Please someone tell me I'm not alone in this.

Another thing I find strange is how many people are treating this as some kind of brilliant ploy by Cersei. There's been a lot of talk in recent seasons as to whether she's really as smart as she says she is. A lot of people are taking this as confirmation that she really is smart. I don't see the intelligence in this move. It doesn't take a massive intellect to blow shit up.

Cersei had precious few allies before this, and now she has none. She's now in control of King's Landing, but her hold over the city has to be extremely tenuous. The Lannister and King's Landing armies have already been depleted. Now there are even more dead in the city, and a huge chunk of the city will be in ruins. The population will loathe her more than ever before. She is responsible for the deaths of many in her own family, weakening the Lannister house and risking it fracturing or even collapsing.

How the hell could she hold King's Landing against anyone now? She's known that Dorne is likely to come calling at some point. Now she's totally pissed off the Tyrells who probably have the largest army left in Westeros. You have to imagine that Cersei isn't going to live through next season.

She also managed to get her son to commit suicide. Basically the one person in the world she was still supposed to care about, and she didn't see that coming. What a twat.

So I'm still firmly in the 'Cersei is stupid and evil' camp, but that's okay, because I'm pretty sure that's where I'm supposed to be. She's one of the show's best characters, but I do think that's how we're supposed to see her.

[Everlong]

It was a great scene, but I thought it was supposed to be a horrifying/sad scene. Please someone tell me I'm not alone in this.

Definitely not alone. Despite knowing what was probably going to happen I came away from the whole sequence with my jaw hanging open (especially after the Tommen suicide). That was one of the more impactful scenes in the series so far, definitely not a celebratory moment as far as I'm concerned.

[Daz]

I took it as horrifying/sad as well. As I said before, this past season or two, the Lannisters have been made their most humane. I think the play that Arya was watching throughout the season and making the point that Cersei does what she does for the love and protection of her children, really added a nice juxtaposition to this moment. Because this wasn't about her last remaining child, this was contradictory to everything Tommen believed and was pushing thing. Killing all those people was all about revenge for her humiliation and it cost her in the worst way. She killed a lot of people for the benefit of one and undid all of that humane stuff in an instant.

I'm pretty sure it was the intent, hence so many lingering shots of the destruction and whatnot.

[Viazon]

So, Jon will execute a young child for a grown persons (his own) murder, but wont execute a grown woman for a young child's murder?

In any case, I thought this was a brilliant episode. Cersei blowing up the sept with wildfire left me with mixed feelings. First of all, I thought the explosion itself was awesome. And I was happy that she had gotten rid of the High Sparrow. Because even though she is definitely evil, I had been rooting for her against him. Which made me feel uneasy because I don't want to root for her. I did not like the fact that she took out the Tyrells It just confirms that she is a cold, heartless woman who doesn't care who she kills as long as it serves her own needs. Which I guess is a good thing because it makes it easier to hate her. I sure hope Jaime is done with her now. Because I have grown quite fond of him and don't want to hate him. That look he gave her would imply that he is done with her.

[Hanley!]

So, Jon will execute a young child for a grown persons (his own) murder, but wont execute a grown woman for a young child's murder?

Yeah, myself and Kirbi both said "Weak sauce" in unison after that scene ended. That was so out of character for Jon. The best thing about his character has always been that he's willing to make the tough decision and kill a bitch when a bitch needs to be killed. I'm not sure how the evil priestess didn't belong in that group.

[UTK]

Ah but what if Jon's existence depends on Mel's ever since she brought him back? And if she dies he dies.

[Hanley!]

Ah but what if Jon's existence depends on Mel's ever since she brought him back? And if she dies he dies.

I don't think it matters. If anything, I think that would make him more likely to kill her.

Jon's all about doing what needs to be done, even if he has to sacrifice something to do it. If it was his own life that needed to be sacrificed, that'd probably just make the decision easier for him. He wouldn't have to feel selfish or guilty about his actions, he'd know he was taking her life for the right reasons.

I don't think Jon Snow would want to feel like there's a dangerous child-murdering zealot at large in Westeros just because he's afraid that killing her would kill him - when he's already been given a second chance at life in the first place. It just seems totally out of character for me.

For that matter, even if he didn't want to kill her, wouldn't locking her up make way more sense? She can't harm anyone else, and potentially she can be used by Jon again in the future.

Lets be real though: the only reason he let her go is so Arya can get the more fan servicey kill on her next season. And I'm sorry, but that's just weak.

[Viazon]

Another question about Jon Snow. Well, actually, this is more about Ned. I get that if Robert knew that Lyanna had given birth to a Targaryen he would most likely have him killed. Which is why Ned lied and told everyone he was his son. But couldn't he have told Caitlyn the truth? I'm sure she would have been able to keep the secret. Maybe she wouldn't have treated Jon with such disdain.

[SlightlyJames]

Another question about Jon Snow. Well, actually, this is more about Ned. I get that if Robert knew that Lyanna had given birth to a Targaryen he would most likely have him killed. Which is why Ned lied and told everyone he was his son. But couldn't he have told Caitlyn the truth? I'm sure she would have been able to keep the secret. Maybe she wouldn't have treated Jon with such disdain.

Ned barely knew Cat at the time, it was a second choice arranged marriage and he had only just conceived Robb before running off to war. He wouldn't have trusted her at the time.

[Hanley!]

He could have told her after their relationship had grown stronger, but I reckon he didn't because he had promised Lyanna. It seems in character for Ned to be honourable to the point where it stops being admirable and starts being dumb and even kind of cruel.

[Randallldeedy]

Stopped over at my friends today and picked up A Game of Thrones. I plan on trying to get at least the worth of the first episode by the time I watch it.