Post 59. Ninja’ed by 15 min.
I’ve started reading the books, but haven’t finished with the first one yet. I wasn’t upset by the magic part of the monster birth. Creeped out? Oh heck yes!
My general impression is that magic exists in this world (Bran’s dreams, the dragons, Dany not getting char broiled in the funeral pyre, etc.), but it’s not an everyday thing that everyone has access to. I guess that could change and we could get an army of creepy monster babies, but I’m not worried about it, although we’ll see. I’ve been wrong before.
I’m not sure why Dany was playing chicken with the 13 at Qarth. I know she was afraid of them taking the dragons and leaving her group outside, but there’s no reason they wouldn’t be just as able to take the dragons once the group was inside. After all, Dany’s group is really weak now and couldn’t put up much of a fight.
All I can come up with is that, for some reason, the 13 really wanted to see the dragons first–and that made her suspicious. Why, if they could easily defeat them inside or out, were they making such a fuss about seeing the dragons first? So maybe there’s some custom of honoring guests they allow within the walls that doesn’t apply to a group outside. Or there’s some other reason it was to their benefit to see the dragons first. Whatever it was, their insistence made Dany suspicious enough to refuse.
I didn’t get what was up with Dany outside the gates of Qarth either, but something just came to me. If the Qartheen invite her in and feed her, she’s their guest, and if they harm or steal from her they are violating the rules of hospitality. In the world of GOT, just like many real ancient and medieval cultures, it was considered an extreme taboo for a host to harm their guest, or vice versa. Not that some people wouldn’t still break such rules, it just would make them look much more dishonorable in the eyes of others for doing so.
Non-reader of GoT here. Daenerys’s stepping out of the fire at dawn with baby dragons absolutely rocked my world. I thought it was the finest moment I’d ever seen on television. The whole story of Daenerys and Khal Drogo, the witch and Drogo’s and the baby’s death had me entranced.
In contrast, Melisandre’s birth scene made me go wtf? but what really impressed me was the fact that she could be all flirty and walk and act normally until she was ready to drop the baby-thing. Birth-on-demand is an enviable power.
I also would like to see more of the woman Rob met on the battlefield.
What’s that town with the melted stone towers, where Arya is being held?
Harrenhal, it was the castle given to Janos Slynt previously and then promised to Littlefinger in Tyrions scheme last episode.
When he holds his hand out to her, he’s approaching her like a wounded animal- the palm down ‘easy, boy’ gesture. I guess there were too many people around for a proper Joff-slapping.
If Gendry’s suppose to be the spitting image of Robert, I wonder if Tywin will figure out he’s one of the Baratheon horde? And if so, will he give anything resembling a shit (“Dear gods, did Robert impregnate every third milkmaid in the Riverlands during the Rebellion? This is the third bastard I’ve seen today!”)?
Same. Such a great scene to take us into credits of a season finale. In that moment, I would have dropped to the ground and pledged my life to her.
As a non-book reader, my take on it is that there’s some human political wrangling over a throne, with one of the sides employing devil-woman trickery to give them the edge. But it is unquestionably Dany’s throne, by divine right. She is the Mother of Dragons.
I’m with you. The accent is just so totally jarring to me. For every awesome line he has and that he delivers well – and there are a good number – there are five that just fall flat for me.
Er, the “he” would be Tyrion, since that got lost in the quoting.
This is absolutely true. And if she ever makes it to Westros (it doesn’t seem like she will. Or if she does, she’s taking the longest route ever. Even longer than it took the English to get to The Falklands) I wonder if Mr.-play-by-the-rules Stannis will yield to the rightful heir.
Wait. Now that I’m thinking about Dany and her quest for the Iron Throne, the only thing she has going for her, besides about 100 people or so, are her dragons. How long does it take for a dragon to get full grown? One year? 5 years 20 years? What’s her plan besides talking a lot of shit?
I dunno, but if it’s anything like the gestational period of shadowy demon babies, those dragons will be flaming up Westeros in the next episode.
No kidding, that baby grew fast!
As for magic, the demon baby did strike me as odd compared to the more subtle hints of magic in the realm. But Daenerys’ story has also had supernatural and magical elements, so I wasn’t put off. Besides, I love worlds with magicky things around the edges.
What makes Dany the rightful heir now? Her relative conquered Westeros by force? Seems like Stannis has a better claim to me.
300 years as opposed to 17 years? Robert was a usurper plain and simple.
Joffrey really is getting too vile to be allowed to continue living. Or does the extent of evil guarantee survival in this world? But, seriously, if simply having no friends can be such a disadvantage to Stannis Baratheon, surely being a sadistic tyrant who is not even of age to rule without a regent should be more than a little hindrance to Joffrey’s ability to continue to control those around him. I still wonder how he learned to be so twisted.
As for Harrenhall, I was wondering when someone would show up to put a halt to needless extermination. Really, without some specific motivation for what is going on with Joffrey and Harrenhall they seem too over the top. At least with the Holocaust we have an understanding of the social, economic, and political forces that led up to senseless slaughter.
But with Joffrey, I don’t get it. For all their faults, I still don’t see Cersei and Jamie as being fundamentally evil. One might say their biggest fault is an excess of love. Even Tywin seems to have his humanity. And Joffrey grew up with Robert as a father, who, though perhaps inattentive, could not be accused of a lack of human feeling.
I felt a kind of relief seeing the final scene because it’s one of the two big events that had been spoiled for me.
My philosophy on soundtrack music is that it should do its job without my noticing it. So far The music hasn’t once drawn my attention so I figure it’s doing what it should.
I’ve been a fan of Charles Dance since 1984 when he starred in A Jewel in the Crown. Back then he used to play good guys, but age has made him a great villain.
I have no problem with the Melisandre scene. I don’t consider it a game-changer. Magic exists. That’s been clear from the start. I hope that it continues to be used sparingly.
As a non book reader I have no problem with the number of characters. Occasionally I’ll forget that a minor character has appeared before, but I can enjoy the glow of a story without catching every last detail the first time around.
Maybe mental instability is present in a long line of incest babies.
Long line? That’s the Targaryans.