[Closed] Game of Thrones Season 6

Season 6 Episode 9 "Battle of the Bastards" preview

Oooohh....BastardBowl....bring it on!! 😀

The Arya storyline was tosh.

Yup. A crap excuse for a story wrap-up with her opium fuelled tumbling antics and the Waifs terminator impression. Not that the action sequence itself was bad it just didn't fit and nor did the 'wandering around like I own this here town' bit from last week.

Rest of episode, 7/10. Wins points for Bronn, the Hound, the pleasing absence of Dorne, the Riverrun siege, and Hafthor pulling that guys head off. Loses points for not enough Tyrion, and Dany's continuing series of convenient Deus ex Machina appearances, quite honestly it didn't need a 2 minute siege and her turning up to save the day with the dragons, when that time could have been replaced with more Tyrion.

Hound has always had the best lines. In the aftershow show, they were doing the best double acts, but this made me spew tea out

(contains bad language)

The Arya bit was the first time I have been disappointed with a GoT storyline. Did Jaqen H'ghar give a smile of approval when she told him her name and where she was going.

I took everything with Arya at face value last week.
Then came on here and felt very stupid for missing that her behaviour was odd, so was expecting some twist or other and came away disappointed.
Now I wish I hadn't read all your misguided suppositions 😉

It would have been much better your way though 🙂

I like the Hounds comment regarding the last words before he killed that bloke, in fact that whole scene was pretty funny 😆

Did Jaqen H'ghar give a smile of approval when she told him her name and where she was going.

mrmonkfinger

The Arya storyline was tosh.

Yup. A crap excuse for a story wrap-up with her opium fuelled tumbling antics and the Waifs terminator impression. Not that the action sequence itself was bad it just didn't fit and nor did the 'wandering around like I own this here town' bit from last week.

Can't decide if it was just crap, lazy writing or if Arya's behavior was simply a way to lure the waif/faceless men out. She knew by leaving them someone would be sent to kill her, but she would never know who or when, so by making a public show she lures out her attacker and gets it over with rather than living in fear or running forever.

A question for those more knowledgable... If "a girl has no name" why isn't Jaqen H'ghar "a boy/man has no name"? He seems to have a name. And who was training ninja like assassins when he was imprisoned and carrying out assassinations on behalf of Arya?

Yep, I think that's what the directors were going for - it definitely felt like a deliberate trap at the end when she picked up Needle and put the lights out to rely on her blind training.
The problem for me is that a) She got caught out too easily on the bridge b) She was too far away from her trap and c) Surely The Waif had been through the same blind training.

also, who lit the candle?

Did Jaqen H'ghar give a smile of approval

Yep. I thought it was a nice touch.

According to D.B Weiss (on the [url=

The Episode video[/url]):

Arya is telling Jaqen, by putting this face on the wall, that "this account is settled, we're good here, and now I'm going to walk away". And I think she knows what the answer is going to be.

The implication is obviously that on some level Jaqen was rooting for the outcome that he got. He may be no-one but there is still enough of a person left in him to respect and admire who this girl is and what she has become.

Arya finally tells us something that we've kind of known all along. That she's not no-one. She is Arya Stark of Winterfell.

Quite. It was all a bit convenient and quick and didn't feel as well thought through as most writing on the show.

If "a girl has no name" why isn't Jaqen H'ghar "a boy/man has no name"?

1 It's a made up name for the purpose of the mission when Arya met him.
2 He's actually just one manifestation of the many faced god and gets to do what the hell he likes.
or
3 George R R Martin is making it up as he goes along.

TBH I'm just making it up as I go along.

Are there actually any other faceless men apart from him, the Waif, and Arya? The house of faceless men was always dead empty.

Can't decide if it was just crap, lazy writing or if Arya's behavior was simply a way to lure the waif/faceless men out.

If it was the latter then how could she be sure that the Waif wouldn't just sneak up behind her and stab her in the eye? Or quietly poison her?

Seems a bit daft to rely on a trained assassin going for a surprisingly non-fatal stab. (Ignoring the fact that those wounds would have been fatal to anyone not wearing Plot Armour).

So I'm going with lazy writing from D&D.

If "a girl has no name" why isn't Jaqen H'ghar "a boy/man has no name"? He seems to have a name.

It's not his real name. It's just [i]a[/i] name - one of the faces he wears.

who was training ninja like assassins when he was imprisoned and carrying out assassinations on behalf of Arya

I believe that in the books (I've not read them) the house of Black and White has many faceless followers. They just kept it simple for the show.

lazy writing

Unfortunately it came across as this to me. So did that painful "jokes" scene with Tyrion.

Are there actually any other faceless men apart from him, the Waif, and Arya?

Always two there are. No more, no less. A Master and an Apprentice? 😉

Fair enough.

It wouldn't have been too difficult to have a few extras in the background going about the same tasks as Arya and The Waif though to give the impression that it was a bigger organisation.

I am attracted to Brienne of Tarth

hammerite - Member
A question for those more knowledgable... If "a girl has no name" why isn't Jaqen H'ghar "a boy/man has no name"? He seems to have a name. And who was training ninja like assassins when he was imprisoned and carrying out assassinations on behalf of Arya?

I'm guessing the no name thing is a means to lose yourself, and then to find yourself. The fact that Jagan has a name would suggest so. Probably means that the whole thing is more than just an assassination centre, and that that's probably just to pay the bills.

I am attracted to Brienne of Tarth

The big lad with the ginger beard is in the queue in front of you.

Don't forget that at the end of Season Two, when he left Arya, he told her that "Jaqen is dead."

In the books, It wasn't Jaqen in the House of Undying teaching Arya. I believe the TV series used him due to his previous popularity.

The Arya storyline in the books is very good, disappointed with the show.

I believe that in the books (I've not read them) the house of Black and White has many faceless followers. They just kept it simple for the show.

True that.

I'm guessing the no name thing is a means to lose yourself, and then to find yourself. The fact that Jagan has a name would suggest so. Probably means that the whole thing is more than just an assassination centre, and that that's probably just to pay the bills.

Hence why he seemed quite pleased with her little retort at the end.

I thought the whole Arya thing came across as a bit Luke Skywalker in Empire Strikes Back: Basically, training her to be of more use in the coming fight.

The whole "waif" T1000 thing was a bit weird, and ruined it; as did Arya's mysteriously quick recovery.

I'd give the episode a 7/10.

On the miraculous recovery, wasn't she leading the waif into a trap?

What I want to know is what happened when he went into the brothel with the jackass and the honeycomb?

I need closure!

On the miraculous recovery, wasn't she leading the waif into a trap?

It's not clear if that was her plan or just her thinking on her feet.

But either way the injuries appeared real - so it doesn't explain how she survived them or how she was able to do tackle a bit of parkour when her gut are held together by some crude stitches and a bit of opium.

Ice zombies
Reanimating the dead
Dragons

But yes, someone being able to run about with some stomach wounds is the really unbelievable bit of the show 😆

Also, wasn't she leaving a trail with squashed fruit instead of her own blood?

Perhaps her injuries weren't as bad as you imagine?

Also, wasn't she leaving a trail with squashed fruit instead of her own blood?

Long lingering shot of squashed blood oranges as she lies on the floor after tumbling through the market.
This is where the blood trail started.

[i]I am attracted to Brienne of Tarth [/i]

Back off mate, i have had that feeling since she bathed with the Knight Slayer

She could run about because she was off her face on milk of the poppy and was a pain free zone until that wore off. Also we don't know how long she'd been laid up in the home of Lady Crane, could of been hours, days or weeks. We didn't see Bran for an entire series once so GoT does have previous for leaving the passing of time as a little open to interpretation.

Ice zombies
Reanimating the dead
Dragons

But yes, someone being able to run about with some stomach wounds is the really unbelievable bit of the show

yeah but no but yeah but

previously, it's been fairly consistent about how characters deal with injuries, i.e. they tend to fall over and die making gargly noises vs jumping nimbly from 12 foot high walls and skipping up hill and down dale

Long lingering shot of squashed blood oranges as she lies on the floor after tumbling through the market.
This is where the blood trail started.

there was claret on the carpet in last weeks episode, all previous to the magic of oranges being artistically introduced to the equation

But yes, someone being able to run about with some stomach wounds is the really unbelievable bit of the show

Yes but all the other things have explanations in the plot.
Fantasy elements are fine. Lazy storytelling isn't.

Perhaps her injuries weren't as bad as you imagine?

Slashed across the gut, then two good deep stabs and a knife twist.

[img] https://d25891dthrp607.cloudfront.net/image/upload/game-of-thrones.6.7.2755000.62 [/img]

Followed by a swim in murky looking water and a loads of blood loss.

Also Lady Crane seemed pretty worried for her when she tended the wounds.

I didn't mind the Arya storyline unfolding like that. At least it lets her move on from somewhere that dragged on a bit.

Arya will go back up north and meet the hound
Snow will win his battle with a bit of late help from someone at the last minute.
Dany will take the iron borns ships and head west
only to find that Cersei has tried to blow the place up
but Jamie kills her like he did the mad king (end of this series I reckon ... )
Dany then will realise the undead issues in the north,
and everyone tramps up to the wall for a mass brawl at the end.
someone from series 1 will be raised from the dead to save the day (Ned ! 😛 )

Snow will win his battle with a bit of late help from someone at the last minute.

The Knights of the Vale via Little Finger perhaps?
But when will Little Finger turn on them?

Dany will take the iron borns ships and head west

She has a whole bunch of Slaver ships in her harbour right now if she can figure out how to capture them.

but Jamie kills her like he did the mad king

Yep - completes Jaime's character arc with sacrifice and some redemption.
Wouldn't surprise me if he died in the process.

and everyone tramps up to the wall for a mass brawl at the end.

But who gets to ride the dragons?

Who is Azor Ahai?

Will Ser Jorah sort out his eczema?

And will Gendry ever finish rowing?

The Arya storyline was ok. I think it was a trap for the waif as didn't we see Arya sitting in that room at the end of an episode a couple of weeks ago? I actually liked the way she knocked out the candlelight and that it was left to the viewer to decide what she'd done, presumably using her superior low light skillz 😉

She threw oranges at her?

[quote I actually liked the way she knocked out the candlelight and that it was left to the viewer to decide what she'd done, presumably using her superior low light skillz

That's what the night vision button is for...

What a surprise. Arya survives being gutshotted, a swim, and a bit of parkour.

Why didn't the assassin, sorry I am beyond caring about this plotline to remember her name now.....which I guess puts me on par with the writers...just stab Arya in the throat while she slept?

The joke scene had me fast forwarding.

All the hound stuff was outstanding. The wave between Briene and Jaime was just lovely. Good to see Frankenmountain getting some stuff to do. Dany appeared, but not long enough to ruin the episode.

[img] [/img]

Dorne watch. Day 3827 and no mention of the place existing, or any ramifications of the revolt.

What is Dorne? 😉

Dany appeared, but not long enough to ruin the episode.

<cool story>I know her body double's cousin</cool story>

To be fair that [i]is[/i] a ****ing cool story...

<cool story>I know her body double's cousin</cool story>

I love how many phux Jamie does not give whenever someone calls him Kingslayer! worst insult ever

What is Dorne?

If a Dorne coup happens in the woods, and no one gives a shit. Did it really happen?

Disappointed by the whole Arya storyline of late to. The whole hound + her travelling arc was great and the 'training to be an assassin' arc had a lot of potential but it's just limped along, been confusing at times and ultimately ended up on par with Bobby's death dream in Dallas.

I still think there's too many parallel storylines going on now, you care less about each as a result and addressing each one a little bit every episode means the overall pace of things slows down to a crawl.

I hope GoT doesn't turn out to be one of those shows you end up wishing they'd finished off a couple of series sooner rather than dragging it out as a money-spinner and ultimately souring the whole thing.

Slashed across the gut, then two good deep stabs and a knife twist.

Much less serious than the injuries that the Hound miraculously survived then?

Maybe she was just lucky? Maybe the Lord of Light was keeping her alive for a reason, like the Hound or Beric Dondarrion or Jon Snow?
A recurring theme perhaps?

I know a guy who was attacked by a guy with two six inch kitchen knives and sustained pretty serious stab wounds and about 30 minor ones to his chest, neck , back and legs.
This was on a Saturday night and he was back at his work on the Friday following. No organs or major blood vessels damaged.

Same guy also managed to hammer a lightning protection earth rod into the ground and completely through a cable gland in a 115kV cable.
Knocked out the power to 5 Glasgow tower blocks but was completely unharmed.
According to the Scottish Power guy who came to sort the cable, if the spike had been an inch in any direction he would have been fried. Some people seem to lead unfortunate but charmed lives.

ultimately ended up on par with Bobby's death dream in Dallas

Best summary of the subplot so far.

I know a guy who was attacked by a guy with two six inch kitchen knives and sustained pretty serious stab wounds and about 30 minor ones to his chest, neck , back and legs.
This was on a Saturday night and he was back at his work on the Friday following. No organs or major blood vessels damaged.

Did he then jump into the nearest sewer filled river rather than take a trip to hospital?

...and yes, I am aware of the lunacy of equating a plot from GoT with real life.

I know a guy who was attacked with two six inch kitchen knives and sustained pretty serious stab wounds and about 30 minor ones to his chest, neck , back and legs[\quote]

Rob Tichner?

 

[img] [/img]

Rob Tichner?

We've hit peak STW.

Did he then jump into the nearest sewer filled river rather than take a trip to hospital?

Nope, but he did crawl two streets away to his ex-wifes house before seeking medical attention and probably carried a higher bacterial load prior to the the attack than your average sewer any way 😀
Polished and dapper he is not.

I suspect the Lord of Light was keeping him alive for a reason too.......probably the installation of adequate lightning protection to BS EN 62305 Part 2 is part of the plot of series 7. Maybe.

[url= http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/wishaw-knife-attacker-behind-bars-2569352#JCP73F7IQexp8YTR.97 ]Not Rob Titchener - Clifford Wands.[/url]

Disappointed by the whole Arya storyline of late to. The whole hound + her travelling arc was great and the 'training to be an assassin' arc had a lot of potential but it's just limped along, been confusing at times and ultimately ended up on par with Bobby's death dream in Dallas.

Sometimes I think people read too much into stuff. It's all made up, you know. I think the only real purpose was to turn Arya from a little girl with 1.01 sword fighting skills and an attitude into a bigger girl with serious skillz and a better sense of what she's got to do.

And then because it's GoT, it had to be a bit 'woooh! mystical people with no name who can change faces' rather than 'right, I'm booking myself into knight school'.

(And no, I didn't type that just to get the knight school joke in, it just happened, although secretly I'm a bit pleased)

Well I reckon the next 2 will be good and lots to kick off, predicting a massive dragon inspired bbq

Sometimes I think people read too much into stuff. It's all made up, you know.

Best not check this out then:

https://www.reddit.com/r/gameofthrones/comments/4o0855/everything_why_a_recent_plotline_is_stupid_wounds/

....but massive nerds aside, it does seem to be the ultimate copout that the Lord Of Light wants you alive so you're now indestructible. From a narrative point of view it removes any peril we may feel for the characters.

Plus it just means the whole Arya storyline just dissolves rather than leading anywhere particularly fulfilling.

Anyway, I will bid you good day, good knight.

I suspect the Lord of Light was keeping him alive for a reason too.......probably the installation of adequate lightning protection to BS EN 62305 Part 2 is part of the plot of series 7. Maybe.

Glol!

Maybe Arya survived because of magic! 😉

suspect the Lord of Light was keeping him alive for a reason too.......probably the installation of adequate lightning protection to BS EN 62305 Part 2 is part of the plot of series 7.

Actual LOL 😆

Maybe Arya survived because of magic! 😉

That (or the Lord of Light thing) would have been a massive cop out, but it would [i]still[/i] be a better explanation and less lazy than her just randomly surviving, instantly recovering and learning a bit of parkour on the quiet.

She's supposed to be a teenage girl, not Wolverine.

right, I'm booking myself into knight school

I'd have preferred it if she joined knight club. On Thursdays and Sundays.

But.

We'd never have got told about it.

She's supposed to be a teenage girl, not Wolverine.

Her brother can transport his consciousness across time & space and into other living beings.

Her half brother came back from the dead.

All this (admittedly a bit weird) storyline is telling us is that she's special...

I'd have preferred it if she joined knight club. On Thursdays and Sundays.

But.

We'd never have got told about it.

Yes, yes. Very good, but all jousting aside, we need to put a lid on these knight puns.

Starks can only be killed by beheading like those dudes off of Highlander?

Major Stark injuries thus far....

Ned Stark - Beheaded - Dead
Robb Stark - Beheaded - Dead
Catelyn Stark - Very nearly beheaded - Very nearly dead
Jon Snow - multiple stab wounds - Not dead.
Arya Stark - multiple stab wounds- not dead.
Brandon Stark - thrown from tall building - not dead.

There can be only one ....king in the north?

Her [s]half brother[/s] [b]cousin[/b] came back from the dead.

😉

All this (admittedly a bit weird) storyline is telling us is that she's special...

Which I'd buy if they had a little bit of exposition showing that.

Maybe someone could have remarked on how quickly she healed from her training beatings? Or Lady Crane could have been amazed at how fast Arya was healing.

Instead I don't think we have any hint that she has special powers or magic - just very stout Plot Armour and some crap writing.

It niggles me because a lot of the other stuff has been very good - but D&D are now writing stuff without the books to guide them and I think this is a worrying example of that. It's the lazy fantasy trope writing that Martin originally said he aimed to upset.

Maybe someone could have remarked on how quickly she healed from her training beatings? Or Lady Crane could have been amazed at how fast Arya was healing.

*Cue flash back to Arya getting her arm chopped off and it growing back when she was a toddler.*

Sometimes I think people read too much into stuff. It's all made up, you know. I think the only real purpose was to turn Arya from a little girl with 1.01 sword fighting skills and an attitude into a bigger girl with serious skillz and a better sense of what she's got to do.

Well duh - I didn't think it was a documentary. I agree with you on what the purpose of the whole storyline was - I'm just saying it was done poorly. If the scene where she got stabbed is indicative of her prowess as a fighter now then she may as well have not bothered going to the faceless men in the first place. Although I guess it's lucky only Jaqhen seems to really know what he's doing else the other girl would have been able to inflict a fatal wound with her first stab let alone the second.

...and another thing.

Arya has shown herself to constantly be getting her arse kicked. But when she actually does magically become a super ninja wolverine, they don't show it. So what is happening here? She can only fight in the dark? Which I guess makes her more like Daredevil than Wolverine.

Guess she'll have to fight with a bag on her head.

Of course this still doesn't explain her merrily bopping along and throwing money at people without a care in the world, despite knowing some weapon grade assassins were after her.

maybe this was a tactic to lure out the assassin, one that almost backfired... still doesn't explain why the waif didn't just finish her off while she was in bed off her face on opium...?

Not the greatest tactic. What was the plan that didn't end in her getting stabbed in the guts?

mahalo

still doesn't explain why the waif didn't just finish her off while she was in bed off her face on opium...?

Because she was egotistical and conceited. She wanted to gloat to Arya before finishing her, therefore she wasn't really "no one" either.

Also stabbing her in her sleep would have been pretty shit dramatically.

Could have given her a few pokes just so she'd wake up, but not be able to ninja flip out the window.

Or chop her feet off....that'd get her attention, keep her alive, but stop her running.

Or chop her feet off....that'd get her attention, keep her alive, but stop her running.

have you watched Misery recently?

now writing stuff without the books to guide them and I think this is a worrying example of that. It's the lazy fantasy trope writing

I'm minded to give this slight dip in quality some comparison:

[img] [/img]

chop her feet off....that'd get her attention, keep her alive, but stop her running.

Perfect quote for the day Oscar P's back in court 😉

[img] [/img]

-- https://twitter.com/Maisie_Williams/status/742180735172390913

😆

I agree the arya part was a bit weak, but the Hound and Bronn more than made up for it. The reunion of Brienne and Jamie was good also.

The hound is my favourite character, he is a bit like Eeyore from Winne the pooh, but with psychopathic murderous tenancies 😀

[img] http://assets2.ignimgs.com/2016/06/15/20160602ep609publicitystill045001468651jpg-9d0f0d_765w.jp g" target="_blank">http://assets2.ignimgs.com/2016/06/15/20160602ep609publicitystill045001468651jpg-9d0f0d_765w.jp g"/> [/img]

I'll just leave these here to help with the mid week lull.