Game of Thrones 2017 (no spoilers from leaks/theft!)

[bjornolf]

I wanna see Lyanna Mormont betrothed to the King in the North. Now THAT'S a power couple!

[El_Diablo]

We know that Leanna whispered to Ned about taking care of Jon. We do not know what she said otherwise.

Her quote was "His name is [audio cuts out]. If Robert finds out, he’ll kill him, you know he will. You have to protect him. Promise me, Ned. Promise me." Her conviction that Robert would kill the child if he finds out about him does not make sense unless the child was Rhaegar's, and Ned doesn't object or argue the point at all. There's also the fact that members of the Kingsguard, who are sworn to protect the royal family, are guarding the Tower of Joy instead of protecting Prince Rhaegar while was riding into battle. There's no reason for them to be there if the child is not Rhaegar's. But setting all that aside, the official Game of Thrones website just comes right out and says that Jon Snow's parents are Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark:

http://www.makinggameofthrones.com/p...oy-infographic

[fidel]

That's cheating!

So why cut the audio if the answer is obvious? Seemed like a great place to plot twist.

[El_Diablo]

That's cheating!

So why cut the audio if the answer is obvious? Seemed like a great place to plot twist.

Possibly it was inaudible to establish that Bran does not yet know who Jon's father is (and thus is unable to reveal it to other characters yet, like Dolorous Edd or Jon himself). It's not clear that he heard what she was whispering.

[left_hook_lacey]

And the ed sheeran cameo was about as dumb as it gets.

Agreed. I'm not saying they shouldn't have done it, but the scene they chose was just wrong to me. It took all the seriousness out of that scene. I felt like I was watching a Monty Python movie instead of GOT.

I think if they had added him in a scene by himself in a tavern singing or something I would've been ok with it. But him as a singing soldier in a scene with Arya just felt wrong to me.

[JNort]

Agreed. I'm not saying they shouldn't have done it, but the scene they chose was just wrong to me. It took all the seriousness out of that scene. I felt like I was watching a Monty Python movie instead of GOT.

I think if they had added him in a scene by himself in a tavern singing or something I would've been ok with it. But him as a singing soldier in a scene with Arya just felt wrong to me.

I really just don't understand... if I wouldn't have been watching in the same room with 4 women in their early 20s I wouldn't even have known it was a cameo. He acted just fine and the scene was very nice.

[AtlBluRew]

Arya, at this point, seems an anti-Stark. Would Ned have killed a bunch of minor Frey family members, especially having already killed Walder? Would Ned have used a poison to accomplish the killing, given the (again-repeated) lesson he taught his sons that the judge must be willing to wield the axe? Would Ned even have a list, as Arya does?

As much as I cheered each killing, it seems to me that there's a conflict coming between Jon (ironically, not a Stark) and Arya, over Stark family values.

[PackMan97]

Arya, at this point, seems an anti-Stark. Would Ned have killed a bunch of minor Frey family members, especially having already killed Walder? Would Ned have used a poison to accomplish the killing, given the (again-repeated) lesson he taught his sons that the judge must be willing to wield the axe?

I don't understand this comment. Arya did "wield the axe". She didn't get someone else to do her dirty work, she did it herself. I always took Ned's lesson as "If you are going to order a life to be taken, be the one doing the taking". The instrument of death is not important. I am also certain that Ned would have ordered all of those men to die as they were all participants in the Red Wedding. They all took part in the massacre. They killed unarmed guests, women and those they invited into their house for celebration. I would think Ned would view that as a capital offense.

Now, Ned probably wouldn't be taking pleasure in the act, which Arya seems to be doing.

Jon Start is not in it for Stark family values. He sees each person killed as one less person to fight the White Walkers. Each family diminished is that much less strength to defend North.

[Mal]

Arya did "wield the axe". She didn't get someone else to do her dirty work, she did it herself. I always took Ned's lesson as "If you are going to order a life to be taken, be the one doing the taking". The instrument of death is not important. I am also certain that Ned would have ordered all of those men to die as they were all participants in the Red Wedding.

Maybe he would have, but pronouncing death sentences on them is a little different than killing them by subterfuge. Yes, Arya did the killing herself, but not in a way that Ned would likely have deemed "honorable." She was as duplicitous as Walder himself was in setting up the Red Wedding.

In any event, the fact that Arya's heading towards King's Landing on her own, despite undoubtedly knowing that Jon and Sansa are not only alive but have retaken Winterfell, is the evidence to me that she's drifted a long, long way from "Stark Family Values." Her motivations may have some vestigial sense of family honor to them, but they're mostly personal at this point, and vengeance seems to be higher on her priority list than seeing her family for the first time in 5(?) harrowing years of growing up on her own. I suppose it's possible she's aware that blowing her cover might be a hamper on her ability to assassinate whomever she can get near, but it seems more likely she knows how her murderous rampage would be met by the remaining Starks at Winterfell, so she'll go back when she's good and finished with that business, if ever.

[AtlBluRew]

I don't understand this comment. Arya did "wield the axe". She didn't get someone else to do her dirty work, she did it herself. I always took Ned's lesson as "If you are going to order a life to be taken, be the one doing the taking". The instrument of death is not important. I am also certain that Ned would have ordered all of those men to die as they were all participants in the Red Wedding. They all took part in the massacre. They killed unarmed guests, women and those they invited into their house for celebration. I would think Ned would view that as a capital offense.

Now, Ned probably wouldn't be taking pleasure in the act, which Arya seems to be doing.

Jon Start is not in it for Stark family values. He sees each person killed as one less person to fight the White Walkers. Each family diminished is that much less strength to defend North.

I disagree. Poisoning someone isn't "personal" in the sense that wielding an axe is. Poisoning someone is the equivalent of having a third party do your dirty work.

Interesting reminder about Snow wanting to preserve bodies for an army against the White Walkers. Still, I think there's a reason that he repeated the lesson from Ned about wielding the axe.

[Wander]

In any event, the fact that Arya's heading towards King's Landing on her own, despite undoubtedly knowing that Jon and Sansa are not only alive but have retaken Winterfell, is the evidence to me that she's drifted a long, long way from "Stark Family Values." Her motivations may have some vestigial sense of family honor to them, but they're mostly personal at this point, and vengeance seems to be higher on her priority list than seeing her family for the first time in 5(?) harrowing years of growing up on her own. I suppose it's possible she's aware that blowing her cover might be a hamper on her ability to assassinate whomever she can get near, but it seems more likely she knows how her murderous rampage would be met by the remaining Starks at Winterfell, so she'll go back when she's good and finished with that business, if ever.

Yeah, Arya is not in a good place. The show is sort of tricking us into thinking she is because the specific people she's killed so far are evil, but if she stays on this path, it won't be long before she kills someone more sympathetic - maybe accidentally. I thought for a while that she'd accidentally end up killing Sansa in the end as the "revenge is unhealthy" lesson, but now that Sansa seems to be turning into a bad guy herself, I'm not sure that makes sense anymore. I think there's still a good chance Arya rights herself, and (spoiler involves something from the Episode 2 preview, so avoid if you don't watch the next-episode trailers)

Spoiler!

if she does reunite with her long lost direwolf in the next episode, that may go a long way towards making that happen.

Another kink that I'm not sure what effect will have on Arya: she's headed south, Melisandre was banished south, and Melisandre told Arya way back in season 2 that they would meet again someday.

[left_hook_lacey]

I really just don't understand... if I wouldn't have been watching in the same room with 4 women in their early 20s I wouldn't even have known it was a cameo. He acted just fine and the scene was very nice.

The backlash is getting bad enough that Ed Sheeran has deleted his twitter account. At least, that's what this article is surmising.

https://www.yahoo.com/music/ed-sheer...065316161.html

[LasVegas]

The backlash is getting bad enough that Ed Sheeran has deleted his twitter account. At least, that's what this article is surmising.

https://www.yahoo.com/music/ed-sheer...065316161.html

Which is sad if true. It's not entirely his fault and he seems like a great guy. I would try my hardest to get on GOT if I were famous.

It's not THAT big of a deal for me. Just a fleeting thought of "this is stupid" in my head when I watched it.

[bjornolf]

Arya, at this point, seems an anti-Stark. Would Ned have killed a bunch of minor Frey family members, especially having already killed Walder? Would Ned have used a poison to accomplish the killing, given the (again-repeated) lesson he taught his sons that the judge must be willing to wield the axe? Would Ned even have a list, as Arya does?

As much as I cheered each killing, it seems to me that there's a conflict coming between Jon (ironically, not a Stark) and Arya, over Stark family values.

Well, Jon is a Stark by blood, if not name. His mother was Ned's sister.

[alteran]

I really just don't understand... if I wouldn't have been watching in the same room with 4 women in their early 20s I wouldn't even have known it was a cameo. He acted just fine and the scene was very nice.

Ditto. Had no idea it was a cameo because I'm all but completely out of touch with contemporary music. It played perfectly fine. I've spotted tons of cameos in the past without knowing the cameo-ee because it clunked within the movie/show.

In retrospect, the singing was a little better than it should have been...

[Wander]

Is the best way of establishing Euron as a hated villain to the audience having him kill the show's most annoying characters?

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Is the best way of establishing Euron as a hated villain to the audience having him kill the show's most annoying characters?

My favorite part was when he took the stage with Depeche Mode.

[DukeTrinity11]

Greyworm and Missandei...bow chicka wow wow

The Return of Nymeria

Theon's Cowardice

That is all.

[bjornolf]

Loved to see Hot Pie get "Arry" headed in the right direction. Hope Nymeria gets over her grudge. They'd make a great team.

Big mistake by Jon Snow to threaten Baelish that way. You know that's gonna bite him in the you know what eventually.

Bummed to see the Queen of the Iron Islands go down like that. I kinda liked her. Theon... oh, Theon. Sigh.

Jorah finally has his cure. Who knew? Just peel and salve. Go Sam!

Lady Olenna is still one of my favorites. "You're not a sheep. You're a dragon. Be a dragon." So simple, yet so right.

[darthur]

In any event, the fact that Arya's heading towards King's Landing on her own, despite undoubtedly knowing that Jon and Sansa are not only alive but have retaken Winterfell, is the evidence to me that she's drifted a long, long way from "Stark Family Values."

Well that got answered this episode. Apparently she didn't know Jon and Sansa had retaken Winterfell, and it seems she has changed course to go to them. What will she do once she gets there though? Especially after the Jon incident, it seems like the peace between Littlefinger and the Starks isn't going to last, so I could imagine him needing some attention from Arya. And agree with the others that she's in a pretty dark place, and I hope the show acknowledges it.

Before this episode, I also couldn't understand how Cersei would survive two minutes against Daenerys. I guess we know now -- Euron + Daenerys's self-imposed play-nice rules.