GAME OF THRONES

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

Brienne will kill Davos when he tries to defend Stannis, then Melisandre will kill Stannis when she realizes that a certain other dude is actually the one she's looking for.

[Incanus 5,713]

Brienne will kill Davos when he tries to defend Stannis, then Melisandre will kill Stannis when she realizes that a certain other dude is actually the one she's looking for.

Dudette you mean?

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Incanus 5,713]

Davos will attack Stannis. Brienne will kill Davos, because she wants to be the one killing Stannis. Melisandre will kill Brienne. Ramsay will kill Melisandre. Pod will kill Ramsay and become Warden of the North.

Sansa will inherit the earth!

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

Brienne will kill Davos when he tries to defend Stannis, then Melisandre will kill Stannis when she realizes that a certain other dude is actually the one she's looking for.

Dudette you mean?

Both of them!

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Chilling episode! GOT is finally back on track

Fuck Stannig! Fuck him!

The Mereen stuff was excellent. Dany's initial shock as she realises she might be watching Jorah die. His sudden throw of a spear and then it all kicks off and there are Harpies everywhere. The score actually worked very effective here with choral hisses and whispers.

This wasnt quite like the other episode nines, but thats hardly an issue. I don't care if we get the really epic stuff in 8 or nine, as long as we get it, and I see no reason why they should have switched the order.

If anything the producers threw a blinder at us by havinf Hardhome take place in episide 8, against our anticipation.

The Dorne plot still isnt all that exciting, but perhaps now it's finally going somewhere.

[Quintus 5,399]

Just watched it this morning and had goosebumps as Daenery's took flight, poor composite close-up work accepted. But even with the now infrequent shoddy FX, the hard fantasy imagery in Game of Thrones can send shivers up my back when they frame them right, the wide shot of Dany riding her dragon included. Last week it was the White Walker commanders surveying the beach below; it's what makes this show very special (when it wants to be). The closing shot on our awestruck heroes was a nice grin inducing fade to black moment as well!

Finally, FINALLY the promises seem to be coming together.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I wonder what they will do next week

[Incanus 5,713]

I wonder what they will do next week

An hour of long court scene for Cersei?!!!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Why did Jon Snow and the Wildlings come to the gate on foot, while we saw them escape by boat?

[KK 3,307]

The season opened with Cersei, and will befittingly close with her as well. I look forward to seeing her fate on screen.

[Incanus 5,713]

Why did Jon Snow and the Wildlings come to the gate on foot, while we saw them escape by boat?

He is unexpectedly dum?

They probably could have swung behind the wall with their boats but I guess it was visually too dramatic a gesture to miss to see them pass through the Wall.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Speculation time for ep 10.

Based only on what I've seen this season and not the books or anything else. Ollie will try and kill Joh Snow!

[Quintus 5,399]

Who was the dude who liked little girls again, and why did Arya have an interest in him? I've forgotten.

[Incanus 5,713]

Who was the dude who liked little girls again, and why did Arya have an interest in him? I've forgotten.

Ser Meryn Trant, one of the Kingsguard, Cersei's lapdog lickspittle and the bastard who killed Syrio Forel who was Arya's fencing teacher. He earned a place on Arya's little hit list she used to recite every night before going to sleep.

Trant is escorting Mace Tyrell, Tommen's new Master of Coin to the negotiations with the Iron Bank of Braavos.

[Quintus 5,399]

Ah yes, now I remember. Cheers.

Kudos to the makers I suppose for trusting in their audience and not whacking a cliche flashback in there

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I thought it was just me who forgot who "that guy" was!

A lot of GOT characters are called "that guy" in my mind.

[Quintus 5,399]

I'm still waiting for that Beric Dondarrion guy to come back into it, purely because he has a great name. I don't really remember what he actually did.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

You and Bloodboal both!

[Incanus 5,713]

I'm still waiting for that Beric Dondarrion guy to come back into it, purely because he has a great name. I don't really remember what he actually did.

He is the more vicious version of Robin Hood of this world, the Lightning Lord who was originally sent to hunt down the Mountain who was destroying farm lands and who then opposed the rule of Joffrey after Robert Baratheon was killed and protected the downtrodden common folk. And he got killed about 6 or 7 times but was revived miraculously by the Red Priest Thoros of Myr each time and each time coming back less and less a man.

And I hope he comes back as Richard Dormer is an awesome actor and Beric does indeed possess a great name.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Incanus 5,713]

Why did Jon Snow and the Wildlings come to the gate on foot, while we saw them escape by boat?

That whole trip was really fuzzy.

Jon & co left Castle Black via the main gate (so they were behind the Wall when they left) to go to Hardhome.

Then, they arrived at Hardhome (which, correct me if I'm wrong, is beyond the Wall) via the sea for some reason (did they even mention that the boats they used were from Stannis' fleet?).

Then they left Hardhome via the sea too. But when they came back to Castle Black, they were beyond the Wall for some reason. Wut?

It is the Peter Jackson "folding in geographical space for story telling purposes" syndrome.

[Quintus 5,399]

The sight of The Night's Watch opening the Gate to the Wildlings is symbolic!

[Jay 37,322]

Why did Jon Snow and the Wildlings come to the gate on foot, while we saw them escape by boat?

That whole trip was really fuzzy.

Jon & co left Castle Black via the main gate (so they were behind the Wall when they left) to go to Hardhome.

Then, they arrived at Hardhome (which, correct me if I'm wrong, is beyond the Wall) via the sea for some reason (did they even mention that the boats they used were from Stannis' fleet?).

Then they left Hardhome via the sea too. But when they came back to Castle Black, they were beyond the Wall for some reason. Wut?

I don't understand why you're confused at all - it all makes perfect sense and is explained in the show.

Stannis' fleet of ships is anchored north of the wall. Remember, when he saved the day at the end of last season, his whole army entered the woods north of the wall to kill the wildlings and end the battle. Also, there was an episode earlier this season where Stannis promised to Jon Snow that they could use some of his ships to head north to try to get wildlings willing to farm the northern farm land.

So, they walked through the gate to the lands north of the wall, walked from there to where Stannis's boats are anchored, sailed from there to Hardhome. Then reversed to head back. Simple.

Maybe this will help too:

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Glóin the Dark 1,220]

Stannis's fleet was anchored at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. He sailed from the South, and was in a hurry to get to Castle Black to save it from Mance Rayder's assault, so it would have been inexplicable for him to sail all the way around Storrold's Point, and then have to travel one or two hundred miles through the Haunted Forest to get to the Wall!

As Jon and company will have sailed back to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, I can't think of any (in-story) reason why they couldn't have marched along the southern (presumably safer) side. But, yeah, it wouldn't have looked as good...

[Jay 37,322]

Oh I getcha, you're saying there's a difference between the gate and the tunnel. Well, I don't remember what it showed in terms of how they left in ep 8, but I assumed it was heading north.

Maybe the boats they used were originally anchored south of the way, but are now anchored north of the wall.

Or the show makers just thought it would look cooler to have a giant come through the tunnel then come through the main gate.

It's clear no matter what, they didn't have money to show everyone getting out of boats and show where they are anchored.

[Incanus 5,713]

The sight of The Night's Watch opening the Gate to the Wildlings is symbolic!

Obviously!

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Quintus 5,399]

So is Sean Bean's bro going to turn up in the grand finale then?

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Lady Stoneheart!!!!

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[KK 3,307]

I think they're just pulling fans' legs.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Does anyone else think that the show could have maybe spent more time on the dire situation that Stannis' army is in?

How he came to the descision to sacrifice his own daughter after at first finding such an idea offensive.

Basically we hear in a previous episode how the snow has caught up with them and they were kinda stuck, and now we see some burning tents. Oh well, better burn the daughter!

It all feels a bit rushed, which is odd in a show this slow.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Sure, but they said it. They didnt really show much. Or even showed where Stannis finally took the descision.

Oh yeah, FUCK STANNIS!

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Incanus 5,713]

Valar dohaeris.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Fuck Stannis

[Incanus 5,713]

Fuck Stannis!

Verily I say! Verily indeed! I hope he dies freezing his balls off!

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[mstrox 6,647]

I'm torn. Because I hated what Stannis did and it tore me up inside.

But it's also the only interesting thing to happen involving Stannis since he arrived at the beginning of S2.

So I guess I'm happy that they're making him the new heel. Maybe that means Ramsey will get his soon, and we can move on to hating Stannis most.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Incanus 5,713]

The thing is: I don't see Stannis as someone anywhere near as evil as Ramsay or Joffrey. He's a fool and an idiot, but he's not evil. He didn't kill his daughter out of pleasure. He did it because he thought that's what his god requested of him. That doesn't make him evil to me. Just stupid and easily manipulable.

Stannis is a sad case but and as I said before he is way too easily persuaded by dire circumstances to do the bidding of Melisandre who knows how to pull his strings and feeding his ego. He is not a religious fanatic but rather a too straightforward and obstinate man in his thinking. He is not likeable to be begin with and these actions only lessen his appeal but he is also a victim of false promises and giving in to his delusions of grandeur to a mad degree.

[Glóin the Dark 1,220]

I feel very much in the dark about what's going to transpire in Episode 10, unlike last year when it was possible to make a reasonably accurate guess. The episode is 61 minutes long according to the official info, which means about 58 minutes of actual screen time - the longest episode of the season (just about), but one of the shortest finales, I think. It feels as if quite a lot needs to be done to wrap the season in the usual style. Maybe it won't be in the usual style, and we'll be left hanging onto several cliffs.

The Wall. The mission to Hardhome was evidently the big set piece for this storyline in Season 5, so there are just a few things to be wrapped up here. Given a certain alteration in the personnel currently situated at Castle Black, along with the fact that the season has declined to introduce a key supernatural ability of one of the principal characters, I'm now beginning to wonder whether the season will simply end exactly where the book does. Until recently, I would have thought this highly improbable, but now I'm struggling to see any other likely scenario.

Also in connection with the Wall brigade, is there time for anything to transpire from all of the earlier references to Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen? If we assume that the popular theory concerning them is correct, how could its truth be revealed at present? Direct communication, flashback or vision - any of these possibilities would be a huge surprise. It now seems plausible that the writers were planting seeds for the future.

Don't read this if you're not familiar with the full story from the books:

The Rhaegar and Lyanna business is the reason why I doubt that a particular expected event from the final episode is unlikely to result in (permanent) fatality. But is it possible that Benioff and Weiss are going to pull a genuine shocker on us?

King's Landing. This thread of the story has had only a few minutes onscreen over the last two episodes, so it's due a decent slot for this one. Most people seem to have worked out what the key scene will entail. I expect there to be an appointment to the Kingsguard (or, at least, an equivalent development). I feel that we should also be clued in a little bit on how the governance of the Seven Kingdoms has been coming along in Cersei's absence: how have Kevan, Pycelle, Tommen et al been managing? There's also the matter of the imprisoned Tyrells (which has sort of sunk into the background since Cersei's own arrest).

My biggest question about this segment is whether the Epilogue of A Dance with Dragons will be represented in some form - with the same cast of characters or perhaps some differences.

"Gold will be their crowns - and gold their shrouds..." we heard in the season's prologue. Might Tommen be for the chop? Or perhaps even Tommen

and Myrcella? A problem is that the character behind the Epilogue's twist doesn't necessarily want the Iron Throne to be vacated - he wants it to be subject to bad advice. But perhaps in the show's version of events an empty throne will be used to serve the same purposes. That could explain the title of the final track on the soundtrack: Throne for the Game.

Meereen. Given the big Tyrion / Daenerys meet-up, I would have expected this season to conclude with (at least) a declaration of imminent intent, on Daenerys's part, to begin her long-awaited return to Westeros (this would be beyond the current published material, which is now almost entirely covered in the show, so it's pure speculation on my part). I still think this is quite likely, being such a natural culmination to the season and teaser for the next. But, again, we seem really pressed for time. Daenerys is (probably) separated from her entourage at the moment. Is the "Sons of the Harpy" storyline going to get some resolution? Are Tyrion and the gang going to get out of Daznak's Pit untroubled?

Maybe Daenerys will encounter a Dothraki horde (as in the book), enlist their services, storm Meereen using them and Drogon, and then piss off home. That seems too much for the time left.

Braavos. I don't expect any huge surprises here. Only question is: will the insurance man get the Many-Faced God's gift?

I expect Arya to remain with the Faceless Men going into Season 6. Perhaps her blindness will take effect at the end of this season, giving a minor cliffhanger. It

could set the stage of some development of the (non-Bran) Stark children's warging powers over Season 6. I hope the writers aren't going to scrap that idea altogether - it would make their receipt of individual direwolves in the first episode seem rather pointless.

Dorne. Everything here has been wrapped up so neatly and (almost) painlessly that I'm convinced something is going down in Episode 10. Doran might have something major to reveal before the end, but I don't think he'll be the agent behind any surprising events. He had Jaime, Bronn and Myrcella in his custody; if he wanted to pull any surprises, I can't see any benefit to releasing them first. Ellaria and the Sand Snakes are a different matter, and they could well have something up their sleeves. I wonder if we need to worry about Bronn's allegiance. He is a sellsword, after all. On the other hand, it's doubtful that Ellaria would have the means to make him a better offer than Jaime could. In any case:

if Myrcella were to be killed here, and Tommen in King's Landing, this could see the fulfillment of Maggy the Frog's prophecy.

The North. Probably the most perplexing of the threads, not least since it's comprised of several interwoven subthreads. There's the looming Stannis vs. Boltons conflict, the plight of Sansa and Reek, and the long vigil of Brienne and Pod. For this reason, I'd expect this segment to get the largest portion of screen time.

Obviously there's no time for a proper siege or battle, so the question is whether the conflict will reach some sudden non-military conclusion, or whether its resolution will be deferred until Season 6. It seems a reasonable bet that Sansa (and probably Reek) will make an escape from Winterfell, perhaps with the assistance of Brienne and Pod. They may be brought to the "safety" of Stannis's army. Perhaps this is how Brienne will have to face up to whether or not she's going to go through with her intention to avenge Renly.

Will either of the Boltons be killed? No idea!

Will Stannis be killed? I'd guess not, because Melisandre told him (after the Battle of the Blackwater) that he would betray his family, betray the man who serves him, but it would all be worth it because he would be king. His story will be most satisfying if that comes true in a technical sense, but he's only king for a day or something like that...

Will Reek be killed? I'm divided on this one. He's a unique and interesting character that the writers like having around, but it might be time for him to go out in an act of self-sacrificial redemption.

Will Sansa be killed? No.

Will Bran make a weirwood appearance? Possibly, but, once again, there's so little time...