Straight Dope Message Board

[StarvingButStrong]

Originally Posted by iiandyiiii

IIRC Sansa is still in the Vale, pretending to be Littlefinger's bastard daughter.

Okay, thank you.

Wow, when you think of where the books are frozen (heh) versus where the tv series is, it's kind of shocking. 951

[Elendil's Heir]

Things have moved on juuuuuust a bit. 952

[Snarky_Kong]

Originally Posted by Elendil's Heir

Things have moved on juuuuuust a bit.

I do wonder if the end is the same place and how far before the end do the timelines merge.

IMO there's a decent change that Sansa and Jon rally the North to Winterfell before a confrontation with the Others. Sansa's path there will be quite a bit different. Jon's might not be, but hopefully doesn't involve capturing a wight for Cersei or banging Dany. 953

[TroutMan]

Slate's culture writer wonders if we must watch the final season, given the likelihood the episodes will at worst stink or at best be unsatisfying.

Originally Posted by Slate

So must I watch these six episodes, given that they will be bad? I’m sure they’ll have stirring scenes in them and fun surprises. The Mountain will get his comeuppance at the Hound’s big hands, I’m sure. But they’re also gonna blow it. They’ll pack far too much into too short a time, desperately attempting to wrap up as many loose ends as possible. They’ll also nevertheless leave too many of those loose ends dangling. Tyrion will do something stupidly out of character. The big battle will look kind of fake. Cersei’s story will be mishandled, or Arya’s, or Sansa’s, or more likely all three of them. Somewhere in Episode 4 they’ll introduce some new character, and I’ll be like, “Who the hell is that?” and it’ll turn out that he’s not new, he was important for one scene in, like, Season 2, which first aired 100 years ago. I’ll need the [SDMB] to explain what’s cool about that.

(edit mine) 954

[lisiate]

Frankly I'm just going to watch Preston Jacobs' reaction to them. 955

[silenus]

I'm just wondering if the writers are going to stretch the body count out, killing off a beloved character each episode or go for the gut punch and slaughter a bunch all at once? You know the body count is going to rival Gettysburg Day 3. But will it be a death by inches or "Rocks fall, everyone dies?"

Probably in

SPOILER:

Episode 3.

My money is on

SPOILER:

Sansa

as the

SPOILER:

last Queen standing.

956

[Sunny Daze]

Originally Posted by Snarky_Kong

I do wonder if the end is the same place and how far before the end do the timelines merge.

IMO there's a decent change that Sansa and Jon rally the North to Winterfell before a confrontation with the Others. Sansa's path there will be quite a bit different. Jon's might not be, but hopefully doesn't involve capturing a wight for Cersei or banging Dany.

Jon banging Dany is exactly the type of thing that GRRM would do. The horror, the tragedy, etc. 957

[Elendil's Heir]

Originally Posted by TroutMan

Slate's culture writer wonders if we must watch the final season....

Heh. That was good, even though I disagreed with him (purposefully bad grammar and all). 958

[Gray Ghost]

I think Bronn gets whacked early, to prove the deadliness of some new player. Maybe Euron at the head of the Golden Company He's at KL at the end of the last season, right? He doesn't go north with Jamie? 959

[Snarky_Kong]

Originally Posted by Sunny Daze

Jon banging Dany is exactly the type of thing that GRRM would do. The horror, the tragedy, etc.

Does anyone think that's tragic? Other than the incest it's gotta be the most fantasy tropey story beat possible. If GRRM actually sticks to subverting tropes, they don't end up together. 960

[Elendil's Heir]

Was the High Sparrow a villain? Weigh in here: https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb...d.php?t=873790 961

[Fear Itself]

If GoT was made in India 962

[StarvingButStrong]

Oh, that is wonderful!

The Lannisters have a million man army!
How many people in our small town?
Ten million.
<significant slurp>


And the Battle of the Bastards absolutely needed that dance scene. 963

[Mahaloth]

Originally Posted by Snarky_Kong

I do wonder if the end is the same place and how far before the end do the timelines merge.

I think a few scenarios are possible at this point:

1. Martin has fully written both final books and is holding them because he doesn't want to take attention away from the show. <--- my crazy optimistic hope.

2. Martin has only written the next book and some is the same, some different.

3. He still hasn't finished enough of anything to publish any time soon and we won't get a book until 2020 or beyond. He's been changing things and having to go back and re-write whole sections. 964

[DigitalC]

I think the reality is closer to "Martin knows what the main plot points are supposed be but he has a lot of trouble actually writing himself there, the show simply handwaves away anything problematic or that doesn't make sense in order to make it look cool". 965

[Snarky_Kong]

Originally Posted by DigitalC

I think the reality is closer to "Martin knows what the main plot points are supposed be but he has a lot of trouble actually writing himself there, the show simply handwaves away anything problematic or that doesn't make sense in order to make it look cool".

This was certainly true for the Mereen plot in the book vs the show. Although I doubt GRRM will end up sticking that ending he clearly struggled and attempted to get a tight plot out of it where the show just relied on deus ex dragon. 966

[ivylass]

Watching the season 6 marathon on HBO yesterday and I caught a continuity error. Forgive me if this has already been mentioned in the previous 20 pages.

Jon, Lady Lyanna, Davos, and Sansa et al are meeting Ramsey Bolton for some general taunting/parley/bowing up before the Battle of the Bastards. In disgust, Sansa departs the meeting before anyone else leaves.

After she leaves, Ramsey mentions his hounds are hungry because he hasn't fed them in seven days.

After the battle, Ramsey is tied up in his kennel. Sansa is outside, and tells him, "You said it yourself, you haven't fed them in seven days."

Now, Jon could have told her later after the meeting, but her wording, "You said it yourself" makes it seem like she heard him, but she didn't. She'd left.

Ah well, with such a sweeping epic story across multiple locales boo-boos are going to creep in. (I still wonder how they got Ramsey in the kennel and unlocked the dog cages without getting attacked by the hounds themselves.)

Speaking of the books, Diana Gabaldon (Outlander fame) is good friends with George. She shares a story that some years ago, George asked her what do you do when you killed off a character you shouldn't have? Diana's advice was you're the God of this universe, bring him or her back, but of course now everyone is speculating who that dead character could be. 967

[DigitalC]

Originally Posted by ivylass

Speaking of the books, Diana Gabaldon (Outlander fame) is good friends with George. She shares a story that some years ago, George asked her what do you do when you killed off a character you shouldn't have? Diana's advice was you're the God of this universe, bring him or her back, but of course now everyone is speculating who that dead character could be.

Jon? 968

[ivylass]

Jon's "dead" in the last book. We don't know what happens next.

I'm thinking it's the Dorne boy (can't remember his name) who tried to free Dany's dragons and got scorched to death for his troubles. 969

[N9IWP]

May the Seven help me, I'm thinking about getting HBO Now (previously I waited for the DVDs)
Thought 1: I'll wait until the series is done an binge during the free trial week
Thought 2: Wait a bit and pay for one month (~$15 + tax)
Thought 3: The whole series is ~$30 (less than I paid for the DVDs)

I'm sure HBO is counting on folks signing up to watch GoT and then not bothering to cancel.

Brian 970

[ivylass]

I was thinking about waiting until after it was over, getting the free trial and binge-watching, but then I realized it's the last season, I want to be part of the social experience too. Who's going to talk about episode one with me 6-7 weeks later? I want to enjoy the ride with everyone else as it happens.

I WILL cancel, though. Contract job doesn't pay as much as my former job. 971

[TroutMan]

Originally Posted by N9IWP

I'm sure HBO is counting on folks signing up to watch GoT and then not bothering to cancel.

It's a good plan. This is me after the last season. Now I don't have to deal with signing up again! 972

[Mahaloth]

Originally Posted by N9IWP

May the Seven help me, I'm thinking about getting HBO Now (previously I waited for the DVDs)
Thought 1: I'll wait until the series is done an binge during the free trial week
Thought 2: Wait a bit and pay for one month (~$15 + tax)
Thought 3: The whole series is ~$30 (less than I paid for the DVDs)

I'm sure HBO is counting on folks signing up to watch GoT and then not bothering to cancel.

Brian

Originally Posted by ivylass

I was thinking about waiting until after it was over, getting the free trial and binge-watching, but then I realized it's the last season, I want to be part of the social experience too. Who's going to talk about episode one with me 6-7 weeks later? I want to enjoy the ride with everyone else as it happens.

I WILL cancel, though. Contract job doesn't pay as much as my former job.

I signed up yesterday and believe that one payment gets me through the season. 1 free week + one month pay should add up to about the right time to get through the season.

Tonight, I watch the episode "live" on HBO Now and will find out if it is functional enough to work. 973

[Gray Ghost]

In other related news, of the "No Shit" variety, Game of Thrones strongman Hafthor Julius Bjornsson admits to taking steroids. http://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/...ts-steroid-use

FTA:

Bjornsson did not elaborate on when he has used performance-enhancing drugs. Asked how often he takes steroids and if he's still doing it, Bjornsson deferred: "Can we just skip those questions?"

The annual World's Strongest Man (WSM) competition officially prohibits the use of PEDs, but it is not clear the extent or effectiveness of its drug testing for its athletes

"He's ripped his arms off!" https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-l...olympics/n9691 974

[Elendil's Heir]

'Tis but a scratch. 975

[N9IWP]

Valar Subscribus.
You will all help me cancel, right?

Brian 976

[TruCelt]

Originally Posted by N9IWP

Valar Subscribus.
You will all help me cancel, right?

Brian

We will remind you. You may even say that you have done it. But secretly, you will be binging Westworld. You'll be wanting to talk to us about it, but unable to because you've told us you quit. Eventually, you will become desperate enough to create a sock puppet in order to engage the debate about sentience, emotion, and morality.

And the socks will increase. The Girls sock persona won't fit with a True Detective discussion, and you'll begin to attempt regional accents to differentiate them. When you confuse the Deadwood sock with the Big Little Lies sock, the mods will catch you and kick you off the Dope for puppeteering.

::shakes head sadly::

But yes, we'll remind you. 977

[aurora maire]

Originally Posted by ivylass

I was thinking about waiting until after it was over, getting the free trial and binge-watching, but then I realized it's the last season, I want to be part of the social experience too. Who's going to talk about episode one with me 6-7 weeks later? I want to enjoy the ride with everyone else as it happens.

I WILL cancel, though. Contract job doesn't pay as much as my former job.

I decided to sign up a month ago, getting a $10/month deal. I wanted to rewatch the entire series, which I did at a couple episodes a day. It was worth it to see it all again because I had forgotten so much. And I also look forward to talking about it in real time. I'll cancel as soon as it's over. 978

[thelurkinghorror]

Originally Posted by ivylass

Jon's "dead" in the last book. We don't know what happens next.

I'm thinking it's the Dorne boy (can't remember his name) who tried to free Dany's dragons and got scorched to death for his troubles.

Yeah, I couldn't figure out who it meant but that's a good guess. He died off "screen" and usually those characters (e.g. Davos) aren't really dead. 979

[Snarky_Kong]

Quentyn? I can't imagine the most boring character from ADWD is someone GRRM decided he absolutely must have going forward.

Jon doesn't seem to make sense since there are a lot of textual hints that GRRM plans to bring hium back already. 980

[DigitalC]

There are really very few dead characters that could serve any purpose going forward. Mance Rayder maybe? 981

[StarvingButStrong]

Geez, it's so obvious! Syrio Forel. 982

[Snarky_Kong]

Originally Posted by DigitalC

There are really very few dead characters that could serve any purpose going forward. Mance Rayder maybe?

Mance isn't dead in the books, is he? There was the Rattleshirt switcheroo, and I think Ramsay claims to have caught him, but I don't think we know anything for sure. 983

[iiandyiiii]

Originally Posted by DigitalC

There are really very few dead characters that could serve any purpose going forward. Mance Rayder maybe?

Mance isn't dead, but here are some possibilities, IMO -- Kevan Lannister, Grand Maester Pycelle, Wyman Manderly (it wasn't clear if he was killed in ADWD, but he took a deep sword swing, IIRC)... 984

[Mahaloth]

Watching it now, but does anyone even have the name of the episode yet? 985

[DrCube]

HBO Go calls it "Episode 68". 986

[Colibri]

Originally Posted by Mahaloth

Watching it now, but does anyone even have the name of the episode yet?

"Winterfell." 987

[Elendil's Heir]

Originally Posted by StarvingButStrong

Geez, it's so obvious! Syrio Forel.

Oh pleasepleasepleaseplease....

Discussion thread for the S8 season premiere: https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb...d.php?t=874054 988

[DesertDog]

Originally Posted by ivylass

I still wonder how they got Ramsey in the kennel and unlocked the dog cages without getting attacked by the hounds themselves.

Fanwank-1 Unlock the cage, throw a chunk of meat into the back of it, open the cage and run like hell while they're still distracted.

Fanwank-2 Unlock the cage, then flip the latch using a really long stick. 989

[Bijou Drains]

in very first episode how did the deserter get past the wall? did he somehow sneak by Castle Black? or did he desert after he was at the castle for a short time? 990

[thelurkinghorror]

Originally Posted by iiandyiiii

Mance isn't dead, but here are some possibilities, IMO -- Kevan Lannister, Grand Maester Pycelle, Wyman Manderly (it wasn't clear if he was killed in ADWD, but he took a deep sword swing, IIRC)...

I think Mance is okay, for now.

Wyman's survival was pretty clear, no?

Originally Posted by Bijou Drains

in very first episode how did the deserter get past the wall? did he somehow sneak by Castle Black? or did he desert after he was at the castle for a short time?

It doesn't say in show or books (different character in books too), but probably similar to how Bran & Co./Sam & Gilly got across. Plus the deserter, being Night's Watch, would have such a good skillset at crossing walls that would give Trump nightmares. 991

[Colibri]

Originally Posted by Bijou Drains

in very first episode how did the deserter get past the wall? did he somehow sneak by Castle Black? or did he desert after he was at the castle for a short time?

I always wondered that. Also, how did the Mama direwolf get past the Wall? 992

[thelurkinghorror]

Originally Posted by Colibri

I always wondered that. Also, how did the Mama direwolf get past the Wall?

According to the nature documentary Rampage (2018), "of course the wolf flies!" 993

[SenorBeef]

I got the impression that there were some direwolves south of the wall, but not many. When they remark upon them, they say it's very unusual to have a direwolf "this far south" (near winterfell), not "south of the wall" IIRC. 994

[Colibri]

Originally Posted by SenorBeef

I got the impression that there were some direwolves south of the wall, but not many. When they remark upon them, they say it's very unusual to have a direwolf "this far south" (near winterfell), not "south of the wall" IIRC.

No, Robb says simply "There are no direwolves south of the Wall," (1:24) and Ned doesn't contradict him. According to the GoT Wiki no direwolves have been seen south of the Wall in 200 years. 995

[SenorBeef]

Huh. I stand corrected.

I suppose the wolves could've swam around the east end or climbed the mountains in the west. What stops the dead or an army of wildlings may not stop a pregnant wolf, and night's watch patrols wouldn't have cared to. 996

[silenus]

OK, just based on that scene, which I barely remembered, I hope that it's Ghost that gets to put an end to Theon. 997

[Smid]

They're still saving the cash by not having Ghost appear anywhere...

And wait, no, I had to look it up, Summer died a couple of seasons ago.

You'd have thought the big doggie would be something to bring the starks together... And maybe bring a pang of sadness to Sansa.

Now I know why I found the last episode lacking... 998

[Snarky_Kong]

Originally Posted by Smid

They're still saving the cash by not having Ghost appear anywhere...

And wait, no, I had to look it up, Summer died a couple of seasons ago.

You'd have thought the big doggie would be something to bring the starks together... And maybe bring a pang of sadness to Sansa.

Now I know why I found the last episode lacking...

Lady - Dead, Season 1 Episode 2, executed by Ned
Grey Wind - Dead Season 3 Episode 9, killed at the Red Wedding
Summer - Dead, Season 5, killed defending Bran and Meera
Shaggy Dog - Dead, Season 6, killed by the Umbers
Nymeria - Alive
Ghost - Alive 999

[Elendil's Heir]

Arya saw and parted ways a second time with Nymeria last season: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90Q-MUj47hg 1000