BobbyWhioux

What I think is going on (at least with much of the book-familiar portion of the audience) is that this looks (to some of them) like a signal Sansa is going to be depushed while the focus remains on Ramsay vs Theon. I think it's a little premature to jump to that conclusion myself [and think it's partly a function of the show ending on that shot of Theon's face while we the audience think about that and have no new information for another week] but given some past adaptive decisions the show has made I can kinda understand why people would have reservations. Some of it is that it's Sansa, too, though; she engenders a bit of the Daniel Bryan Factor with part of the fan base (though not quite the same sheer magnitude)

Larry Bird is not walking through that door, etc. is one I remember despite not really ever paying too close attention to basketball.

I actually had more of a problem with the Loras angle (and Shaggy Bronn/Scooby Jaime obviously) than Ramsay Bolton Semi-Consensual Sex Hour. I don't like how the Tyrells fell into that trap that easy. I know the little snippet before the opening credits gave it away, but you would think House Tyrell (well at least Lady Olenna) would be more calculated than that. You would think Margaery would be like, "You know what? My brother has fucked ALOT of dudes." Do they not know how trials work? Yeah, my biggest problem with the writing this year is that every plot has devolved into people turning incompetant. Loras Tyrell is on the short list of baddest assed dudes in the realm, gets taken by a bunch of unarmed dudes within reach of a sword. Bronn won't fight for his friend Tyrion, because the risks far out way the rewards, but takes a much more dangerous mission for the same exact reward. Littlefinger kills a king and runs away to the Vale, because Sansa and Robert Arryn are the two most valuable chess pieces available, he decides to leave them in other people's hands. Barristan the Bold and a troop of Unsullied get killed by some random dudes in an alley. All of these things betray the world building and storytelling that has come in previous seasons. I'm not saying they shouldn't make changes, but they should make changes that are true to the characters and the world of the show. It's almost as if they're hotshot booking. (And given that one half of the D&D connection cut a promo said in an interview that episode 10 this year will "break the internet" perhaps it is apropos to invoke wrestling terminology and the idea of being more preoccupied with Working The "Smart" Fans than actual good storytelling/television. I don't entirely feel that way but I feel it a little?)

Season 6 will be saved by The White Walkers finally arriving to kick ass and take names. (Book 6 will be similarly carried). I'm pretty sure Season 5 will remain (and be remembered as) the nadir of this show's run.

That's because Blackfish is The Rock to Jaime's Billy Gunn. And I am saddened we won't see that particular bit adapted.

I'm feeling better about that scene by assuming it's the freed fighting slaves. But I might really need to re-read the books, because details are slipping from my mind badly. No shame in details from Dany's ADWD chapters slipping your mind. I don't remember them that well either and honestly don't worry about it that much. REEK is the runaway MVP of the fifth book (though Lord Too-Fat snagged a couple of the first place votes.)

Princess Shireen wages a one-woman war on the true enemy of Westeros: illiteracy. That makes her worth getting behind.

Well "The Harpy" can hardly be a dude It has to be her. Also it fits right into Dany's traditional blind spot of never recognizing the threats posed to her by other women.

Well, Victarion's signature spot went to Jaime, so that doesn't bode well for him. Asha got put through the WWE name generator and shows up once a season (if that). Balon hasn't even been killed yet. Unless The Drowned God/Cthulu/A Literal Kraken is an essential part of the Battle Royal Of The Gods at the end of the story and thus Damphair needs to summon/manage him he's probably cut. And if they're willing/able to prune Fake Aegon (as they clearly have) Euron's probably out along with him. As someone who "got something in his eye" when ADWD had the Asha/Theon reunion at the end (to say nothing of being a fan boy for off-brand Vikings) I'm a bit sad over this myself. There's something poignant about Euron Greyjoy winning an election with bullshit promises and policies that will destroy his people/nation in the long term (and people being all to willing to believe a politician who tells them they're greater than they are and casting down the unpopular realist would-be leaders preaching austerity/scaling back) and I'll miss that too, and all the parallels one could draw to actual current/historical leaders, of course...

With Reek inadvertently causing the disqualification that prevents the title change when he smuggles Sansa to safety (she saves him, he saves her). The North can become such a clusterfuck (and I mean that in a good way). If Yara/Asha has any further part in the story she'll probably turn up there somehow. Since holding Winterfell takes a Stark, The Umbers/Whatever Passes For The Northern Conspiracy can drop the Rickon bombshell. Brienne and her mortal enemy have a common greater enemy (and of course EVERYONE has an even greater common enemy than that, which Stannis seems to be the only one aware of/caring about...) The Boltonpowers could COLLIDE over Fat Walda being pregnant, or they could not. I've wanted resolution to this ever since ADWD punted instead of giving it to us and I almost don't care what the resolution is since there's so many fun options. Since Ramsay has also dropped the "The North Remembers" line, it will be interesting to see if Sansa ends up trusting that old lady or not [and if she should or not: the fake/ringer escape option is of course Ramsay's favorite page of the playbook and now I definitely don't know what's up with that old lady].

Mace needs to live and return to the capital to become Hand so his hilariously stupid hand-shaped chair can make the show. Also the scene with Stannis talking to Sam about Sam's dad has rekindled my faint hope that we'll get a token Randyll Tarly appearance someday. It's not like the Small Council doesn't have the room, it makes sense for Mace (or Olenna) to want to bring their heavy into the mix, and Game Of Thrones could always has room for one more Tremendous Asshole.

Nice of Roose and Ramsay to revive the Game Of Thrones tradition of all dinner scenes being terribly awkward.

Jim Nantz insists it's actually Tom Brady under the mask after signature Tom Brady moments ("only one man runs the QB Sneak as well as that!") while Phil "The Brain" Simms swears on his son's spleen's grave that it's totally a different guy in spite of the overwhelming evidence, praising Bill Belichek's ability to find great young undiscovered talent. I figure Terrell Suggs can be the guy who vows to unmask him on Pay Per View Sunday Night Football, since he already kayfabes himself as "Hacksaw" from "Ball So Hard University" and is thus half in-character anyway.

Tom Brady is suspended. The mysterious "Juan Brady", an undrafted free agent signee, starts at QB in his place.

It was an upset, but a legit one (Barristan believes the civil war/rebellion and all the thousands of people who died in it to be kinda his fault because he didn't have his best stuff that day; if he had, Rhaegar wouldn't have gotten the chance to light a powder keg because Barristan would have beaten him soundly). And yes, this was the story Littlefinger was telling Sansa in the Winterfell Crypts. Rhaegar beat Barristan in the tournament finals but instead of crowning his own wife [who was Oberyn's sister, remember] as the traditional tournament prom beauty queen he gave that honor to Lyanna Stark instead. Enter Shitstorm.

There's supposed to be 7 books, ultimately. Loosely corresponding 1:1 with 7 seasons of the show. Only 5 books have been published (and book 5 didn't even get published until after Season 1 aired) so it will soon have to cease to be an "adaptation" and start being a "based on" production. But this is only the last book if he gives up (or dies). However it is virtually certain now (if there were any doubt remaining) that we'll see the end of this story before we read it.

GRRM knows how he wants the main event of his wrestlemania to end (and has told the show's producers what said finish is). If they pass him, they pass him (and deep down I think we all knew this was going to happen, given the glacial pace at which the later books have been coming out) and however they have to book the last leg of the build, whatever programs they have to bump from the climax, so be it. The Go-Home Raw and WM Undercard are in their hands, and GRRM will (hopefully) get out his official/original version of it whenever he can. It will likely be very different. Two vastly variant journeys to one more or less common destination.

Without spoilers of course... are we at the point now where they have caught up to the books? Also, there's a few things that are still very interesting to me. I enjoy Queen Marg very much. and I really want to see Stannis lead his troops into battle again. Plus, it's the Boltons and fuck them. Arya's voyage has not been as interesting as I had hoped. I need Mother of Dragons to get off her ass and do something. I feel like she's been sitting around for years. Some storylines have caught up to the books. Some [most] are "into the fifth book" Some are still "in the fourth book" Some even seem to be a little ahead of the books (but that's kinda conjecture/prediction on my part, with one VERY CLEAR exception last season). Some are complete deviations from the books and cannot be gauged on that metric. Pretty sure that by the end of Season 5 every plot line will be equal to or beyond where things are at the end of book 5. Seasons 6 and 7 should be completely uncharted territory for all, even if Book 6 does finally come out next year. [i don't want to say which is which in this thread lest it function as an indirect spoiler]

When you see Barristan The Bold, think Ric Flair in early 2000s WWE. He's still the best of all time and able to beat anybody, except he's not going to win the world championship anymore (except maybe once as a token/retirement gift). His "The Greatest" reputation is totally deserved and earned, but earned a long time ago. A special attraction who will ultimately be fed to someone for his retirement. (except he's putting over an anonymous leaderless unit? like The Nexus was supposed to be?) Jaime catching/blocking that sword with his metal hand, awesome as it is, was also a bit said because that happens in the books but someone else does it and that spot being given to Jaime probably means said character will remain cut from the show (and this late in the show probably should remain cut from the show, and wouldn't be as cool without having that to do anyway) Also, Loras is HBK, except they've played up the flamboyant pretty boy part of it without really showing any of the "got the skills to back it up" part since Season 1. It's a bit of a shame but I do understand why some of it has to be cut for the sake of streamlining/focusing on the narrative points that are actually more important.

I won't lie, when Barristan heard stuff going on, got that look on his face, and drew his sword, I marked out, even though I totally should've known what it meant, especially after he infodumped Rhaegar's wikipedia entry on Dany. Tantamount to a closeup on Eastwood's face in a spaghetti western, it's the "Shit Gonna Get Real" Bat-Signal. But, I mean, basically he's Obi Wan Kenobi. [Even had the robe when he returned to the show in Season 3]. Aging all time great, etc. He's destined to die (especially once he promises to Die A Knight when he tells Joffrey to sit on it and rotate), the show just got there a little quicker than I thought they would. [but then, the show also won't have Victarion around to do him in, either, it seems].

Recycling Nikita Koloff's honor-based face turn out of respect/tribute to a fallen rival would suit me just fine (though hopefully whoever serves as his Magnum T.A. doesn't actually suffer a real career-ending injury, of course)

On the other hand seeing Littlefinger -- with all the shady shit he's done -- get indignant with Roose Bolton because Roose -- after all the shady shit he's done -- would actually tamper with his mail was pretty hilarious, as was Roose basic response of "yep and I'm gonna do it again when you write back. Fucker." Takes some of the sting out of them almost completely messing up with Asha/Yara and reducing Loras to "the gay homosexual guy who does lots of really gay stuff [and nothing else]" anyway.

"Your new registration tags should arrive in 4-6 weeks. Yes, yes, and your flesh golem too." He is the banality of Evil.

Case in point: Qyburn. THE MONSTER lurches from the operating table and it's the most mundane shit in the world to him. No "ITS ALLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE~!" he expects and knows whatever he's doing will work, it's only a matter of time. Which is even creepier. Also looks like they're going to tease and bulid to Sansa catching her first glimpse of "Reek", and won't that be fun once she does and the audience sees her realize just what she's in for in Life With Ramsay.

Hitchcock with one last .gif-worthy face on the St. Louis bench after that empty net goal.