Game of Thrones Battle of the Bastards Instant Reaction

                       Episode 9 usually delivers the big knockout punch of a Game of Thrones season, from Ned's beheading in season one to the massive Battle on the Wall in Season Four.  This season was no different with the highly-anticipated Battle of Bastards when,  In the most expensive TV episode ever produced, the Northern Plot was finally brought to a head.   Meanwhile Danny Targaryen in the east is facing her own epic battle.  Big budgets and flashy battles are well and good, but did this penultimate episode of the season live up to to the previous 9th episodes?  And how does it fit in a big season overall?

                        Bellow, I will quickly break down my instant reactions and quick predictions based on my thoughts right after the episode.  This will be filled with spoilers, so read at your own risk.  Tomorrow, you can find my larger, more detailed breakdown after a few rewatches.   I made this decision to get my review out to you quicker, especially after such a hyped episode.  Let me know what you think of this decision in the comments or on social media.

               WHAT I LOVED

• The Battle of Snow's Deep: For years, Game of Thrones has been known as the show that pushes boundaries for television, often being talked about as a series of 10-hour movies rather than a traditional television series.  This season alone cost HBO over 100 million dollars, a budget that is obscene even for many feature films.  With this battle for Winterfell, Game of Thrones delivered on all fronts.    The pure intensity and visceral adrenaline of this culmination of chaos was unprecedented on television and puts some of the tallest Epic Fantasy films to shame.  The ability to put us right within the battle, as if we were one of the fighters engulfed by the random insanity, fighting for our lives, is astounding.  Where many Fantasy battles tend to rely on tall bird's eye view to show the scale, Game of Thrones was unafraid to sweat the details and enforce the grounded realism the series has always been known for.  No four minute rally speeches, no magic spells or fantastic beasts, simply two armies in a brutal clash.
  
• There Must Always Be A Stark in Winterfell: After so many seasons of headless Starks, Red Weddings, and desperate fleeing, there was something inherently and viscerally satisfying about watching Stark banners fly from the walls of Winterfell again.   The Starks are back home, but they're entirely different people, changed to the core by their experiences.  How they will react to the potential peace of their home and warm beds will be fascinating as they finally get the chance to sit and take in what they have been through.  Will they be able to settle into the calm, or have the animals been free too long?  With so much time spent here and so many other plots to catch up on in the finale, we may have to wait a long time before we're given a deep look at this new Stark reality.
  
• Ice and Fire: The Battle for Winterfell was not the only masterful battle of the episode.  In Meereen, Danny was facing impossible odds of her own and managed to deliver a fully satisfying battle on the other side of the Fantasy spectrum. Where Jon's battle relied on the tight shots and limited perspectives, Danny's opened the scale as wide as it could go, with sweeping charges and massive distance.  While the three dragons finally being unleashed on the ships of slavers is the talk of the scene, the timely arrival of the Dothraki to clear the streets along with the symbolic slaying of the slave masters establish this as a battle of fire well worth standing beside it's colder counterpart.  

WHAT I LIKED

• Ramsay the Scooby Snack: Ramsay Bolton no more!  After terrorizing the heroes for so many season, the bastard has bit the dust.  The brutality of his exit, from Jon's bare-hand beating to Sansa's ruthless feeding was a long time coming and memorably satisfying and will probably be looked back at as a big moment for TV character deaths. Giving the killing move to Sansa was a very smart move by the writers, who received a lot of negative press for their treatment of her character through Ramsay.  Sansa's actions also deeply portray her change as a character from the dress-sowing prince-loving girl to a Stark-fueled bastard-killing woman.  Her development as a character has been one of the more backdoor archs of the series, but this episode finally brought it to center stage.
  
• Are You a Robot?:  I think we will see many people online complain about some of the more illogical actions of characters this week.  From Jon's emotional biting of the bait to Rickon's Prometheus impression, many of our heroic characters made big mistakes.  While this can be frustrating to see, it is part of what makes Game of Thrones as great as it is.  These characters are humans.  They make mistakes.  They act out of emotion.  These decisions were not tactical or thoughtful, but they were purely human.  Jon watched his brother killed, it fits for him to charge.  Rickon is young and desperate, do you really think he is going to have the mental capacity to stop and think about attempting some reverse Matrix moves.  The fact that our heroic characters are acting as humans and not Vulcans is what makes the characters so enjoyable and the characters are what make Game of Thrones such a successful phenomenon. 

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE

•  Harder and Stronger:  The arrival of the Greyjoys in Meereen was inevitable for the end of the season, and the scene itself was not terrible, but it felt sudden and sort of out of place.  Meereen was burned and destroyed, surrounded by slavers and filled with corpses.  Suddenly it cuts to Danny on her throne talking with Theon and Yara.  It felt as if there was a missing scene that would have showed clean up or aftermath, especially to explain how the Greyjoy AWOLs were able to arrive unmolested.  While it is good to see Danny making concrete plans of a Westeros invasion, the scene felt very strange and probably could have fit better in the next episode.
  
• Six Feet Too High:  Sure, it is great to see the good guys win sometimes.  After so long, Ramsay getting entirely destroyed was great.  But I find myself feeling a little let down that there wasn't a big loss on the Stark side.  Rickon's death is sad and Wun Wun's was certainly big too, but I feel like Jon took back Winterfell with very little true consequence.  My heart would have hated to see a beloved character like Davos or Tormund fall, but my head tells me that so many victorious good guys feels a little too lucky for Game of Thrones.  The finale may deliver on a big death, but for a show known in pop culture for its heartless death, main players are starting to grow a pretty thick plot armor.
  

WHAT I HATED

A Mile Away: It is hard to hate something in this episode, but there is certainly a flaw that stand out.  While the episode was incredibly satisfying overall, it did feel very predictable.  Any Reddit thread or podcast episode could have told you the beats of this episode weeks ago, with very little deviation.  Not every plot needs to throw in wrenches and twists, but Epiosde 9 has delivered on the Red Wedding and Ned's execution, arguably the two biggest twists of the series.  I spent a lot of this episode waiting for the inevitable Littlefinger arrival to the point where the moment itself lost much of its intended impact.  The sudden arrival of a large force to save the day at the last second is common in fictitious battles in general, but it has happened in Game of Thrones itself possibly one too many times. I also think that Sansa not informing Jon of his allies in the Vale ended up portraying her as a bit more ignorant than she truly is just so the show could have a surprise arrival that was not truly very surprising.   
 

BREAKING THE WHEEL

               Once again Game of Thrones manages to execute unprecedented quality in a medium so often ignored and belittled.  This episode stands firmly and tall among the ranks, unphased by the competition of brave hearts and retuning kings.  Where this series will go as the end comes is yet to be revealed, but regardless of what lies ahead The Battle of the Bastards has already cemented its place in TV history for decades to come and one day years from now we will be lucky enough to say we were part of the lucky ones who got to experience every thrilling second as it aired to the world.  

              Tomorrow, you will be able to find my detailed breakdown of the episode as well as predictions of where the finale will take us.  For now, you can check out my previous Game of Thrones posts, including weekly reviews and lore pieces at TheFilmFanAwakens.blogspot.com.  You can find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheFilmFanAwakens and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FilmFanAwakens.  I am currently looking for suggestions on a series to cover weekly as Game of Thrones goes dark for a year, so let me know what you're excited to see on social media or in the comments here!  

See you tomorrow and remember, if you have an army of thousands, you should probably let your brother know.  


I'm Tristan Mayer from The Film Fan Awakens.
Thanks for reading!

Note:  All images used in this post are the property of their respective creators and copyright holders.  They are used here under Fair Use for Criticism and Commentary.  If you have any concerns, email me at TheFilmFanAwakens@gmail.com and we can work together to resolve the issue.

I Choose Violence: Reviewing Game of Thrones 608 "No One"

                     Teases for the future and calls to the past fill up another set up episode that ties some storylines off in a satisfying bow but also leaves many others feeling shoved together.  Characters come together and separate in scenes that feel all the more bittersweet and tragic knowing that the end of Game of Thrones is nearing, but the same near-end intensity makes some scenes feel like wasted time.  Not all arrows hit their target, but when you're Game of Thrones, every arrow is bound to at least hit something.  First, I'll give you my quick pros and cons of the episode.  After, I'll break everything down in detail by location.  Lastly, I'll use the teaser to try and predict where the next episode will go.  All spoiler-stuffed so if you haven't seen the episode yet get the Braavosi Theater Troupe to act it out for you and come back.

What I Loved

• Catapults, Lionheads, and Fish: The Riverrun scenes were the highlight of this episode for me.  I really appreciated Jaime and Brienne's reunion after everything they had been though.  I could not help but watch this scene thinking that this could very easily be the last time these two characters see each other and that their feelings for each other, whatever they may be, will go forever unexpressed.  This type of tragedy in character relationships is what defines Game of  Thrones and is ultimately what we will remember about the series more than the battles and the wars.
  
• Brotherhood Without Chickens: Last week, I was disappointed to see the Brotherhood Without Banners belittled into a group of random murderers, especially with them being such a promising storyline looming in the future of the books.  This week the scene was rectified by revealing that the men who slaughtered the small folk with the Hound was not the Brotherhood and simply traitors using their name.  Seeing The Hound slice every fookin traitor was a great scene, but I am even more excited with the teases that there is more to the future of Sandor Clegane than murder and violence.  Does this stop the Cleganebowl Hype Train?  Probably not.  

What I Liked

• Honeycomb and a Jackass: Tyrion has mostly had very little to do this season, and this episode was not really much different for him, but I found myself enjoying it a lot more than his recent scenes.  Seeing Varys leave really had an emotional affect on him and pushed him back into the Lion-Out-of-Water personality we saw earlier in the season.  And seeing him make progress with his relationship with Greyworm and Mesande was cute and fun.  Sure, it didn't add much, but with such a dark season a moment of happiness is a welcome change.
  
• Pope Tommen the Blessed: Cersei's trial by combat falling apart was something I have predicted for a little while, but having it come by demand of her own son was not something I expected.  Cersei Lannister's fall from power is probably going to be the big focus for much of the remaining King's Landing plot, and this is clearly the beginning of the end for Queen Regent.  She said it herself, after all, "you win or you die."

What I Didn't Like

• Oh Wow! Danny is ba-  It's great to see Danny back- and with a huge problem to face - but the scene felt like it could have fit better in the next episode.  Danny's return was a potentially cool moment that ultimately felt like a letdown.  Dragons are ready to battle with a huge fleet and Danny is back from probably months of being gone, but the scene still manages to feel underwhelming.  I am sure they are saving the budget for the next two weeks and we will see some Dragon Slaughter in the finale, but why not just save this scene for that episode?  We'll see if it was a needed change.
  
• Stuck in the Middle with You: I feel letdown overall by the focus of these recent episodes.  Dorne was not exactly a driving storyline, but the complete ignorance and abandoning of it is weak and lazy.  I am thinking it will come back up in the finale (more on that later) but it mostly feels like a dangling botched storyline that has never been fixed.  Not only is there a lack of Southern plot, but there is also a lack of Northern plot.  With so much significant story with Bran, Jon, Sansa, Davos and pretty much half the characters, seeing so little of the North is already a sad miss.  But with the Battle of the Bastards next week and so much focus placed on Jon's return in the marketing and season hyping, I truly feel like there could have been more with him overall this season.

What I Hated

• Arya! No One. No! Arya! Maybe No One?  No, it's Arya: Arya Stark's plot has been a weak point for me for a little while now, and with her leaving the Faceless Men a few episode ago, it felt even worse knowing it was all mostly a red herring to give her something to do.  After she was stupidly stabbed last week, many fan theories popped up that there was more than meets the eye.  From Reddit threads deeply reading into Arya's hand to Bald Move guessing that Syrio Forel has been Jaqen H'ghar AKA the waif the whole time.  To have it just turn out to be a badly executed, mistake-fueled rush job was a big let down and makes me really wonder what any of the point was for Arya and the Faceless Men.  

The Riverlands

                               Somewhere in the Riverlands, the men who slaughtered the villagers last week are making camp, talking about kissing girls and thumbing buttholes.  Their really strange interactions are cut short when The Hound charges in with an axe and goes off, slaughtering them.  The Hound is back in action and on point, delivering some of the best and most quotable lines of the episode and really kicks off his return arch strong in this one scene.  Later on in his hunt, he finds the men he is looking for, but they are already standing with their heads in nooses about to be hung.  Beric Dondarian and Thoros of Myr, along with other Brotherhood Without Banners members, confirm to the Hound that the men who slaughtered his friends were not acting as the Brotherhood but had gone AWOL and were being executed for their crimes.  For his loss, The Hound is granted the right to kill two of the three traitors, but only by hanging, the execution method of the Brotherhood.  After, The Hound and the Brotherhood begin to connect.  Beric and Thoros tell The Hound that there is more to life and that The Lord of Light has a plan for them all.  The Hound is obviously pessimistic, but it is clear that he has changed even if he denies it, and we are left to wonder what his decision will be.  

                               I am very hopeful that we will see The Hound join the Brotherhood, giving us a deeper look at the workings of this order and maybe bringing some light to Sandor Clegane's stone heart.  The Hound's return has been anticipated for years, but what his route will be has been up for debate.  As you probably know as a user of the internet, much of this anticipation revolved him facing off with his brother, Gregor Clegane.  Clegane Bowl Hype has been going strong with Cersei planning on calling Gregor as her champion in a trial by combat, with many theorizing/hoping that the Hound will somehow end up on the other side of the battle, facing his brother with the life of Cersei Lanniser in the balance.  This would have been a really exciting and hugely impactful moment of payoff for the series, but many of the movements in this episode make that seem more and more unlikely.  I can't help but be happy about that.  This season has heavily relied on confirming fan theories from Jon's return to Benjenhands.  Throwing a curve for the Cleganes is very exciting and will help make this series go down a far less predictable path.  

Riverrun

                               Last episode, we saw Jaime take over the Frey's siege of Riverrun and talk with The Blackfish, threatening to take the castle if he does not give up.  This week, Brienne arrives and meets with Jaime.  In a great scene, the two characters talk about their plans and their past.  Brienne informs Jaime that she has found Sansa Stark and Jaime seems genuinely impressed.  Brienne proposes that she meet with The Blackfish and that, if she can get him to surrender the castle, Jaime will let him and his army head North to assist Sansa.  Jaime hesitates to betray his family, but ultimately agrees.  Brienne offers to give him back his Valyrian Steel sword, but he tells her to keep it and that it is hers now.  

                               Their peace agreement ultimately goes fruitless, though, as The Blackfish refuses to give up his family's home, even when Sansa is begging for his help.  Meanwhile, Jaime is talking with Edmure Tully, threatening him.  This scene has some great dialogue, with Jaime threatening to catapult Edmure's infant child above the castle walls and kill every Tully if that is what he needs to do to get back to his sister.  "The things we do for love" Jaime says, recalling the moment he threw Bran Stark from a tower so long ago.  Edmure caves to the threat and demands entrance to the castle, telling his men to give it up to the Lannisters.  Brienne makes one last attempt to bring The Blackfish to freedom, but he refuses, instead choosing to die (off-screen) defending his family's home.  Brienne rows away in a small boat as Jaime watches her leave.  They exchange a long, meaningful look and give a short wave as they see each other for what is probably going to be the last time.   Lannister and Frey banners fall into place over Riverrun's walls.  The home of Catlyn Stark, the castle where Rob Stark was declared King in the North, the sept where Ned and Cat were married, all under control of the people who murdered them and their family.  After thousands of years, House Tully has fallen.

                               This really was an episode of reunions and goodbyes.  The scenes between Jaime and Brienne are easily the best and most powerful moments of the episode and could end up being some of the shining points of the season overall.  Their interactions feel heavy with foreshadowing and tragedy and feel like the closest we will get to a goodbye.  The relationships between the two of characters has been fascinating and one of the most complex in the entire series, and their wave to each other over the waters of Riverrun says everything without saying any words.  I would bet my golden Dragons that this is their last scene together, which will make it even more tearful in retrospective.  These Riverrun scenes overall were some of the best of recent episodes.  Sadly I think they will be overlooked due to the rest of the episode probably going down as one of the weaker episodes of the show, but these scenes alone will make this episode worth seeing in the multiple rewatches to come over the years.  Well, Speaking of weaker episode...

Braavos

                               Last week Arya was walking around in the open unarmed like every wanted trained assassin does.  She got stabbed in the chest by the waif and wandered off with her guts spilling blood.  Now we see her go to Lady Crane, the actress she saved from assassination, for help with her wounds.  Conveniently, the A Level actress is also a phenomenal nurse who can clean up fatal, probably infected, wounds.  The two continue to connect, which I liked.  Arya suggests that she is not going back to Westeros but is going As Far West as West Goes to discover The United States.  Their relationship is darkly cut short, though, when the waif kills Lady Crane (off-screen).  The waif confronts Arya and does her best Michael Myers impression for a slow, close-quarters chase through the Bravossi markets.  Arya uses her newly-learned abilities to keep the waif at bay, but ultimately opens old wounds and tracks her blood, letting the waif track her to where Needle is hidden.  Arya slices off the candle, engulfing them both in darkness.  Later, Jaqen is in the House of Black and White and sees blood on the floor, leading him to a brand new face on the wall: the waif's. Killed off screen.  Arya confronts Jaqen, who acts as if Arya has found victory and that she is finally no one.  "A girl is Arya Stark of Winterfell," Arya declares, "and she is going home."

                               At least Arya is finally out of Braavos?  Arya's plot recently has been a little weak, but the potential of Arya learning the powers of the Faceless Men was what kept it going.  Sure, Arya was obviously going to be back to her Stark ways, but she'll learn awesome assassin powers!  They'll really help with the endgame battles and make Arya important again!  Now the plotline has spiraled so far down that I wonder why Arya even made it out of the start of the show.  This entire Faceless Men plotline has gone nowhere?  Was Braavos just a place to put Arya while other characters actually did things?  Barely anything was done well in this scene and that is really disappointing for a character who used to be the fan favorite.  The super easy convenience of Lady Crane The Nurse.  Her off-screen death.  The Terminator chase scene with the waif.  HER off screen death!  Arya's plotline has gone off the rails and possibly jumped the dragon, making me really wonder where she could possibly go from here to make her journey significant.  I want to trust the writers of this show who very rarely completely shit the bed, but this is going to take a lot of turn around to make it feel worth it.  

Meereen

                               Ok, I can turn from that rant to one of my favorite scenes of the episode,  Tyrion and Varys are walking through Meereen talking about their plans.  Varys reveals he plans to return to Westeros to bring some unnamed allies to their cause.  "We need ships" he says cryptically.  Tyrion seems to know of the scope of their scenario, looking sadly at Varys as he walks away.  Another fan-loved duo separated.  Could this also be the last time Tyrion and Varys see each other?  I am feeling honestly more confident in this than I am in Jaime and Brienne's seperation.  A fairly Meereen-heavy episode continues as Tyrion meets with Grey Worm and Messande in a scene strongly mirroring an earlier one where he attempts to start a humorous conversation with the stoics and get them to drink with him.  This time, they cave and it really results in a stronger moment of emotional relief where they each have a chance to deliver their own jokes, which each fail in their own way.  I guess we'll never know about that honeycomb and jackass, because the story is once again interrupted, this time with the sound of canon fire as the slavers have returned with a massive fleet to take back the people they view as their property.  Later, the trio is rightfully browning their breeches as their city is being sieged.   They vow to hold the pyramid, even if it means letting the slavers take the rest of the city.  A loud crash on the roof makes them believe the slavers have now invested rocket ships, but it turn out that it is Danny returning from Vaes Dothrak, dragon rendered quickly in the far distance, and she is not happy about the way her kids have handled their first time home alone. 

                               The Tyrion and Varys scene worked very well for me with the added near-certainty that these characters will not be reuniting.  In fact, I think we may see Tyrion Lannister depart from this world sooner than we hope.  Their goodbye feels final and really hurt for a team that we have seen built up from nearly the start of their relationship.  I could see Varys heading to Dorne to try and turn the Sand Snakes to their cause.  If anyone in Westeros wants the Lannisters out, it is the Sand Snakes.  Hopefully they can have some dialogue that doesn't make me physically cringe this time.  As for the comedy scene with the Meereenese Stooges, I thought it worked well this episode.  Seeing Tyrion make progress with them was fun and we might start to see the characters lighten up in the future.  Greyworm specifically has been largely undeveloped in the books, so seeing more of his personality is welcome despite what angry traditionalists complain about.  The only real problem of Meereen this week comes with the arrival of the slavers.  It felt slightly rushed to have them back so soon, but I can forget about that because they had to be addressed quickly to get Danny movin on up to Westeros by the finale (please).  Danny's sudden arrival and the quick cutoff feels forced, almost as if it was meant to be longer but cut for budget or time.  Surely we will see the payyoff of the three dragons being released to burn thousands of slaver owners next time we check in, so I can't be too upset, but I think Danny's arrival could have been pushed or extended a bit.  I can't wait to hear Tyrion try to defend the shithshow and wonder if Greyworm and Mesande will come to his aid now that they have formed a bit of a bond.  We'll probably have to wait until the finale to see how this plays out.

King's Landing

                               For such quick scenes, a lot does happen in the capital this week.  To Cersei and Qyburn's dismay, the faith militant have showed up at the red keep, demanding that Cersei be taken to the sept to await her trial.  When she refuses, the tension escalates.  Her cousin, Lancel Lannister, leads the group of faith as they insist she come to avoid violence.  "I choose violence." Cersei says, finally quoting  herself from that Season 6 trailer that dropped months ago.  A truly loyal Sparrow attacks the Mountain, only to get his head ripped right off his body.  The rest of the Faith clearly get the hint and sod off.  Later, Tommen plans on addressing the people and Cersei shows up, informed of the announcement despite her son's attempt to hide it from her.  Awkwardly, Tommen reveals that his mother's trial will be taking place soon and that, coincidentally, all trials by combat are now illegal due to their barbaric nature and manipulation of the faith.  While I can't say it's a bad move for the good of the people, it was obviously done with the personal vendeta of stopping his mother from calling the Mountain as a champion.  Cersei is distraught, but Qyburn informs her that the little rumor he had her check out is more than a rumor.  Much more.  

                               I've seen a lot of disappointment about this turn and I can't say I fully disagree.  Cersei's trial by combat has been highly anticipated, Cleganebowl or no, and now it feels like a letdown for it not to happen.  However I have been expecting from the start of the season that a wrench would be thrown into Cersei's plan, stopping her from using the Mountain, and I can honestly say that Tommen outright betraying his mother was not how I expected it to happen.  A surprise is welcome this season as it has relied so heavily on confirming fan theories.  Where they can go without the Cleganebowl is almost as exciting as the Cleganebowl. 

                               Qyburn's little rumor was probably that there is buckets of Dragonfire under King's Landing.  A few episodes ago, Bran had a vision of Aerys Targaryen, The Mad King, infamously delivering his line "burn them all," accompanied with images of the dragonfire being poured, stored, and ignited.  Now, he did not ignited the Wildfire in the past because Jaime Lannister killed him before he could, but what if Bran's vision of Wildfire exploding is not of the past but of the future?  Could Cersei use this Wildfire to kill her opposition and save her own life?  What about the life of her star-crossed son who will surely be within a close distance of the High Sparrow who has taken him in like a father figure.  We will probably not see King's Landing next week, but the finale is shaping up to be a big one.  

NEXT WEEK ON A HEAVILY MIXED BAG OF THRONES

                               Next week is episode 9, an anticipated and feared number to any Game of Thrones fan.  The 9th episode usually delivers the big set piece or shocking twist of the season, from Ned the Deadhead to the huge battle at Castle Black and of course the worst wedding reception ever. This season, the episode is titled "Battle of the Bastards" and will obviously deliver on the hype of the Jon Snow vs. Ramsay Bolton showdown building for a couple seasons now.  The teaser doesn't reveal much else than that.  Jon asks Mel that, if he dies, she won't revive him.  We see Sansa and Jon argue as Jon significantly underestimates Ramsay.  And of course we realize why so much has happened off-screen this episode as the budget is blown wide open on what practically every member of the cast, crew, writers and producers promise to a massive insane battle that could be hard to top on TV for a very long time.  

                            This episode is sure to be the one everyone is left talking about for the next year and the one to inspire pools of tears and a rain of spoilers.  If you watch any episode as it airs, it should probably be this one.  Not only to avoid the spoilers, but to take it in as soon as humanly possible.  It seems that the vast majority if not all of this episode will be focused on the Jon, Sansa, and Davos plot in the North.  The first half or so will probably be focused on the build up to the battle.  Sansa will reveal that she has asked Littlefinger for help, which the ignorant Jon will say is unneeded.  They'll probably reconnect, though, once they are able to open up to each other, addressing the many elephants in the room.  We'll hopefully get a deeper look at how Jon feels post-resurrection to show that his death and return was more than just a hype ploy and actually had a lasting affect on the characters.  In the teaser we see burning crosses with what are probably flayed men on them.  My predictions are that the burning people will be Stannis, Roose Bolton, Fat Walda Frey, and - to the horror and shock of Jon and Sansa - Rickon Stark.  Ramsay is just cruel and insane enough to do this just to ramp up his battle with Jon.  Sure it would lose him his blood claim on Winterfell, but with the rest of the Starks dead who will take it from him?  

                             Ultimately I don't see there being any satisfying way that both Jon Snow and Ramsay Bolton make it out of this battle alive and that the odds swing heavily in the favor of a sword in Ramsay's back, hopefully from the hands of Sansa.  But Episode 9 is not usually a sign for happy endings and a battle this large would be disappointing without some Good Guy casualty.  I think we could see Melisandre die for a few reasons.  1: her resurrection ability serves as an easy way out to save anyone who dies and killing her would take away that escape button.  2:  Without Stannis alive, and with Jon returned, it is hard to imagine what role she has left to play in the grand scheme of things.  Sure, she could help bring Jon up as Azor Ahai, but with so many preaching for the Lord of Light now, anyone can do that.  The only thing that questions this theory is that I am not sure she would be involved enough in the battle to be killed.

                             However I think the safest bet for death is

Tormund Giantsbane, the redheaded Wildling who serves as their makeshift leader.  His ultimate arch is complete from the rough commander of Mance's military to fighting on the side of a crow in Westeros.  I think him dying to save Brienne, who he clearly shows some attraction to, would serve as a strong emotional end to the character.  I also think that he cannot be the only major death, though, and that either Davos, Brienne, or Sansa will probably bite it with a slight majority of my money on Brienne.  She had a strong goodbye to Jaime this week and, if she can get back in time for the battle, a heroic death defending Sansa could help to symbolically fulfil her promise to Catlyn Stark.  However she does have one of the few Valyrian Steel swords and really knows how to use it, so she could stand a strong fighting chance to stick around and be able to use that sword against some White Walkers next year.  I think Sansa has too much of an arch ahead of her to die and that Davos needs to serve as Jon's right hand man.  But I could also see it being heartbreakingly satisfying to see Davos die for a king, even if it isn't the one he initially believed in.  I could easily see him deliver some epic final words like "Wouldn't it be something for the stories?  A smuggler from flea bottom, who fights and dies alongside a king?"  

                               Some people seem to think we could see The Wall come down at the very end of the episode (maybe this is what Jon is looking at in the final shot of the teaser?) but I think that is a moment saved to end the season on because how do you top that?  They'll probably let this entire episode focus on this battle on the immediate repercussions and leave big scenes like the trail of Cersei and Danny's defeat of the salvers and journey west for the finale.

                               There we are with another episode and recap for Game of Thrones Season 6.  It was a weaker episode in a strong season, but it had a few really great scenes that could help the episode grow on rewatch.  Next week we have the Battle that was Promised that looks to be one of the biggest action scenes in TV history and has the potential to have a large stack of bodies both loved and hated by the end of it.  

                               It's the big one next Sunday, but until then you can check out more of my writing including weekly Game of Thrones reviews and lore posts as well as movie reviews.  You can follow me on Facebook at Facebook.com/TheFilmFanAwakens and on Twitter @FilmFanAwakens.  Let me know here there or anywhere what shows you would like me to cover once Game of Thrones sadly leaves our screens for another year and what your predictions are for the next two big episodes.  And remember, if you get stabbed in the gut, run to the nearest traveling street actress.  

I'm Tristan Mayer from The Film Fan Awakens.

Thanks for reading!

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Feast for Crows: Reviewing Game of Thrones 607 "The Broken Man"

The setup and building tension continues as the end of the season begins.  Jaime faces his Kobayashi Maru in the Riverlands, stability begins to crack in Kings Landing, and dogs are out sniffing for new meat.  Bellow, I will briefly give my highs and lows of the episode.  After, I'll break down the entire episode by location.  At the end, I'll use the teaser and lingering plotlines to predict the next episode.  

WHAT I LOVED

Margery the Manipulator: King's Landing's plot has been weak for me this season, but with Margery playing both sides in a Westeros Cold War, I'm suddenly very invested in seeing how this plays out. Cersei's days of peace are numbered and the odds are quickly stacking against her.  Where Margery Tyrell ultimately falls will be very significant to the finale of the Kings Landing tension that has been building for the entire show.

Jaime Takes Charge:  Jaime has been sidelined for a little while, spending most of this season by Cersei's side and most of last season wasting time doing gods-know-what in Dorne.  Finally, we see the Jaime Lannister that tales are told about.  The Jaime who slaps Freys across the face with a golden hand and stands face to face with Blackfish Tully at his own gate.  Seeing the start of this siege executed so well gets me very excited for the rest coming next week.

WHAT I LIKED

Who Let the Hound Out:  The Hound's return has been speculated about since A Feast for Crows teased it in 2005.  Seeing his return  executed in a much different way than theorized is interesting, and the tease of his vengeance left me starving for every fookin chicken in this room.  Seeing him back was great and exciting, but I am unsure how it fit in the episode overall.  With so much going on in the North and in the Riverlands, the Hound's return feels a little out of place even if it is what is surely grabbing all the headlines.

The Three Stark Amigos:  Jon, Davos and Sansa play well off each other and the fact that Sansa, a character many viewers had hated at the start of the show, can stand her grown with two of the fan favorites is a big testament to the growth of her character.  Davos talking with the Lady Lord of House Mormont was a great scene that really showed the strength of his character.  It was also good to see them lose one terribly to show they are not going to have it easy.  The three scenes were individually satisfying, but together it felt a bit rushed and I wish we could have been given more time to see the trio plan out their approach.  Surely this life-or-death scenario warrants more thought than having Davos Seawoth wing it.  

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE

Reek No More:  Theon's return to strength was inevitable, and the scene itself was not done badly, but it feels entirely disconnected from the rest of the story and came off fairly rushed.  It also made Yara seem very insensitive to her brother's problems.  Surely this scene was only done so that they can meet with Danny and get her West by the end of the season, but it could have been executed better.

WHAT I HATED

Arya Loses Her Lunch:  Arya heading West was a good scene, but her ignorance to the danger around her

and the jumpy, fairly unbelievable scene of her attack was the weakest point of the episode.  Arya knows the Faceless Men are after her.  She should have been way more careful and self aware.  Especially when she is approached alone on a bridge.  The turn of this scene was inevitable, but it could have been done much better.

BEYOND THE WALL

                Last time we saw Jon, Sansa, and Davos, they were heading out of Castle Black to recruit men to their rebellion against the Boltons.  Their first stop is North to ask for help from the Wildlings.  Initially, they are hesitant.  Last time they united under one king, the Night's Watch murdered him.  Tormund and Jon are able to turn them, though, with Jon emphasizing that the Boltons hate Wildlings and will fight them and Tormund saying Jon was murdered for his sympathy with the free folk.  They shake, and now Jon has an army of Wildlings on his side.

                This scene was good and showed how much Jon has changed since the start of the series.  Originally, he was in the Night's Watch and hated wildlings.  Now, he is willing to fight along side them in a war against Winterfell.  In season one, would we have ever rooted for a Wildling army in their attack on the home of the Starks?  I do wonder why Jon didn't emphasize more strongly about his Wildling sympathy.  He could have argued that he put Mance Rayder out of his misery or that he had loved Yigrett.  He mostly relied on Tormund, which makes some sense, but I think he could have done some big pushes himself.

HOUSE MORMONT (BEAR ISLAND)

                The nest stop of the Northern Trio in Bear Island, just south of the Wall, where House Mormont resides.  We see Sansa, Jon and Davos meet with Lady Lord Lyanna Mormont, who is bold and harsh in her initial denial of their cause.  She calls Sansa out on her various mixed-allegiance marriages and has no cause to join under a bastard.  She softens to Davos, however, who argues that her uncle, Joer Mormont, knew Jon would be a great leader and that the true war is against the living and the dead, assuring her that the her uncle knew the living must join together.  She pledges her house, but it is not a large help, only adding 60 something men.  

                This was my favorite of the Northern Conversion scenes.  Seeing a young, firey girl in the lead was a welcome change to the old men and white beads that populate Northern castles.  I also liked that all the questions she asked her the logical, reasonable questions that any lord they face will ask.  Jon is a Stark, why follow him?  Sansa married a Lannister and a Bolton, can she be trusted?  Robb Stark lost, how will we win?  The shining moment was Davos' speech.  Davos had a very close relationship with Shireen Baratheon, Stannis' daughter.  It seems that he saw some of her in Lysa Mormont and that helped him know what she wanted to hear.  It was interesting that she had a heroic view of Lyanna Stark.  She believes she died in battle, but Jon and Sansa know otherwise.  Lyanna was killed in the Tower of Joy, one way or another.  Yet another tease of what is to come with that flashback.  It is also interesting that Jorah Mormont, Danny's right hand man, is also her cousin.  I half expected him to show up here after leaving Danny, but either way seeing the blood connections that tie so many storylines and characters together is always fascinating and interesting to me. 

HOUSE GLOVER (DEEPWOOD MOTTE)

              Sansa must have borrowed Littlefingers teleportation device, because the Trio is now in Deepwood Motte trying to win over House Glover. This time, it doesn't go well because they are shut down and thrown out.  Lord Glover lost his family and many men in Robb's war and has nothing to show for it. He thinks House Stark is dead and refuses to join sides with Wildlings.  He is having no part in their dealings and leaves them.  

            Later, the group is mounting up for camp.  Davos tries to assure Jon that the war can still be won, but Sansa isn't convinced.  She knows they have way too few men and that they need to gather more.  Jon shuts her down, causing her to write a letter a letter to someone, signed with the Stark seal.  

                This is where I will talk about the Northern plot overall.  The scenes were good individually and had their place.  They won the Mormont's as they probably should have with how closely the Mormont's are tied to the Starks and the Night's Watch.  They won a lot of Wildlings because Jon knows them well and Tormund is like a Wildling hero figure.  They also lost the Glovers to show that not every house is going to  be bending to Stark rule, even if they were strongly loyal to the Starks before.  Together, they are a little rushed and messy.  They are apparating around the North very quickly with no explanation of how they are doing it or how long it is taking.  This is a fairly normal issue with the show that I'm usually able to shrug off, but it was a pretty glaring flaw this week and I would be lying to myself to not mention it.

VOLANTIS

              After a the Iron Island Caucus elected Euron Trump Greyjoy, Theon and Yara have fled East to Volantis.  The Greyjoys who ran with them are drinking and whoring in typical Greyjoy fashion, but Theon is obviously uncomfortable.  After Ramsey cut him, he is obviously unable to have sex.  But Theon has always been a horn dog, so his eyes and brain are still drawn to the woman.  Yara notices his problems and tries to reassure him in a weird Greyjoy way by telling him to get drunk and forget his problems.  She tells him that they will go to Meereen and meet with Danny before Euron can and return to the Iron Island to take their home back.  If he will always be Reek he should give up now, but if he is going to with her he needs to be Theon Greyjoy.
                
                 I'm to see Theon escape his Reek persona and embrace his strength.  After everything he has been through, it will be very interesting to see what he is like now that he is free.  If it pays off, the torture and humiliation Theon endured will feel like necessary storytelling.  However this scene was one of the weaker parts of the episode.  Yara came off very rude and unconcerned.  Not only about Euron's insanity and bloodthirst, but about her own brother and his trauma.  She treats it like being tortured for a year or so was just water under the bridge and that he should just get over it.  It seemed strange to have her treat him this way right before we are supposed to buy their loving family connection a few moments later.  This was probably just done to show us that the Greyjoys are heading East and give Theon a chance to shine in Essos, but the scene could have waited for next week and been done better with more time.  This was not the only Eastern plot that felt like a misfire shot into the wrong episode, though. 

BRAAVOS

              Last episode, Arya defied the Faceless Men and swung for her third strike.  Now, she is in a Braavosi market buying passage to Westeros.  She is set to leave at dawn on a boat with a Westeros trader.  All good and done right?  Nevermind.  Arya is standing alone on a bridge when an old lady approaches.  Arya turns to see her only to be stabbed in the gut.  The old lady is actually the waif wearing a face!  Arya falls in the water, blood dying the blue.  The waif walks off.  But Arya isn't done yet.  She jumps to the surface gasping for air and bleeding.  Soon after, she is walking through the market, holding her bleeding gut, getting strange looks from the merchants and traders.

              This scene was a big mess.  Arya getting pounced by the waif so easily did not make much sense at all with her character and the experience she had just last episode.  Surely she knew the Faceless Men were after her, but she still stands around, unprepared, to be stabbed by a very-obviously-faceless old woman?  And doesn't even put up a fight?  Really doesn't make much sense to me and I feel like the entire scene was executed really badly.  Arya's confrontation with the waif was a really exciting setup and I was finally invested in seeing where Arya was going.  Now I'm right back into being unsold on her story.  Her inevitable survival of a Jeyne Westerling-level stabbing is going to feel pretty wild and they will need to do a lot to have it make sense.  But another beloved character has just come back from some really terrible wounds himself, so if that hype can happen this one can too.

QUIET ISLE?  RIVERLANDS?  THE SHIRE?

              We start the episode in some unnamed mid-Westeros mountain plain.  A septon brother is building a small sept out of wood to house his Jonestown hippie cult.  The Hound, Sandor Clegane, is doing the heavy lifting, alive and well.  Brother Rey tells the story that he found Sandor and was going to bury him before he saw he was alive.  Despite all odds, Sandor lived long enough to be saved.  "The gods are not done with Sandor Clegane," he says.  

              During their weekly AA meeting, the brother tells his past of a violent killer and savage who has turned to the light of peace and religion.  His peaceful outlook does not get him far though because we all know Jonestown ends with a massacre.  This time, the massacre comes at the hands of the Brotherhood Without Banners, a vigilante group of slaughterers running lose on Westeros' wilderness.  While the Brother attempts to use peace to reason with the brotherhood, it does not go well and Sandor comes back to find the people of his commune slaughtered.  Snador Clegane grabs his wood axe and becomes The Hound once again.  

              This is what everyone will be talking about.  A season of rebirth and revival continues with The Hound back with a vengeance.  The scenes with him and his connection with the brother were very well done and serve a great purpose in this season.  Their peaceful interpretation of religion and acceptance of other views poses a strong juxtaposition to the insanity and violence that has taken over Kings Landing.  I would have loved to get more time with the brother and Sandor Clegane, but with so little time left in the series his quick return is probably necessary.  I am also incredibly excited to see The Hound back in action.  Will he be able to slaughter the Brotherhood or will the Brother's talk of peace of the corruption of violence get to his head?  Could the Brotherhood actually have a stone heart on their side?  We will see.   

RIVERRUN

             OK, quick recap.  Way back in Season 3, we first went to Riverrun, the home of House Tully, the family of Catlyn Stark.  There, we met The Blackfish, Cat's uncle and Lord of Riverrun, as well as his son, Edmure Tully.  When Robb broke his marriage alliance with the Frey's, he offered Edmure Tully in his place.  This would give the Frey's a marriage tie to the future Lord of Riverrun after The Blackfish dies.  Edmure's wedding at the end of Season 3 ran a little more red than he was expecting, resulting in the slaughter of the Stark and Tully forces alike.  Edmure was imprisoned to uphold the marriage, and The Blackfish escaped.  In one move, The Frey's had eliminated their opponents, grown closer to the Lannisters and Boltons, and taken Riverrun for themselves.  

              That's enough recap, right?  Anyway, now we see that The Blackfish and the remaining Tully forces have taken Riverrun back from the Freys and are holding it as their own.  Walder Frey has sent his sons and the Crown has sent Jaime Lannister to take Riverrun back.  When Jaime arrives. the Freys are trying to siege Riverrun with an emphasis on trying.  They have a few men standing around and are constantly threatening to hang Edmure Tully if The Blackfish does not surrender.  Blackfish sees through the BS and calls their bluff, leaving the Freys to bumble around without any idea what they're doing.  

              Jaime rides up to save them from their misery when he and Bronn take control of the situation and fix the siege to a Lannister-quality hold out.  Jaime meets with Blackfish to try and reason with him, offering peace and freedom if he surrenders.  Blackfish is unsold and refuses to trust and oathbreaker a Kingslayer.  Blackfish says  there is enough for them to survive two years on the inside and doubts that Jaime can make it that long.  

              I really loved this whole sequence of scenes.  Jaime back in action is what I have been waiting for for a very long time after he was wasted in Dorne and sidelined in King's Landing.  We now get the chance to see why it is people look up to and fear Jaime Lannister.  Unapologetic, cunning and charismatic.  In the book, we learn that Jaime looked up to the Blackfish as a kid and was inspired by his great achievements in a precious war.  Seeing these two fabled heroes interact was really satisfying.  Their conversation was strong and willful and it is clear we are dealing with two defiant people who really know what they are doing.  The only complaint I can have here is that I am sure many, many viewers were confused about who The Blackfish and Edmure Tully was and unsure of what this is important.  This is probably because of the large delay.  This event took place in A Feast for Crows, which would have placed in somewhere in season 4 or 5.  The big delay probably made many people forget about the Tullys. 

KINGS LANDING

              The tension in the capitol heats up as the power has shifted to the High Sparrow.  At Margery's coded warning, Lady Olena is fleeing King's Landing for her life.  But Cersei Lannsiter refuses to do the same.  She will stay in King's Landing with her son and prepare for her trial by combat.  The two women meet together and Cersei urges Olena to stay and help, but she refuses.  Olena tells Cersei that she may be the worst person she has ever met and that all the problems the Seven Kingdoms now face are all Cersei's fault.  Cersei agrees that she needs to take some of the blame, but refuses to give up on her son or the throne she thinks is hers.  

              I am finally invested in the new King's Landing plot.  It felt fairly predictable at first, but the High Sparrow turn has thrown things for a loop.  I loved Margery playing both sides.  She has the High Sparrow sending her on missions and is sending coded messages to her mother at the same time.  I am really excited to see where Margery ends up at the end.  The note she gave her had a flower drawn on it, the sigil of House Tyrell.  I took this to mean that her loyalty lies with her family over both the crown and the faith.  If she will be able to play Tommen and the High Sparrow into her own hands is very exciting.  I do not think the High Sparrow will fall for her too easily though.  He is a much smarter man than people think he is and he probably knows that Margery's turn is not all that it seems. I would bet a golden Dragon that getting Olena and the Tyrells out of King's Landing was part of his plan all along.

             I think Cersei is banking too hard on the Mountain being her be all, end all.  Every time she faces a problem in her future she just says "I have the Mountain." as if that is going to solve it.  I think some future events that I will get to below could turn the trial by combat against her. 

NEXT WEEK ON DEAD CHARACTERS COME ALIVE

              Next week's episode is titled No One and is directed by the same man who directed this episode.   In the teaser, we finally see Cersei choose violence against the high sparrow.  We later see The Mountain fighting some of the Faith.  We also see Brienne reunite with Jaime in the Riverlands.  She says that she will try to convince the Blackfish to surrender, but that if he does not she will have to fight Jaime, probably in a trial by combat for Rivverrun.  Jaime is dead set on taking Riverrun and returning to King's Landing, saying that he loves Cersei and that he will murder every Tully alive if that is what it takes to get back to her.  We see a brief glimpse of the waif in Braavos and Tyrion looking up at the roof, probably when Danny lands on her dragon.

              The cliffhanger this week showed The Hound ready to maul some Brotherhood with an axe, but I am not sure it will go that way.  He may kill a lot of them, but I think that the preaching of love and peace will get to him, and he will not be able to kill their leader because he is unarmed or surrendering.  The Hound is on a path to King's Landing to fight his brother in a trial by combat, afterall,.  OK maybe not but that would be a dream come true for a fan like me.  Either way, there is more for The Hound because he would not have been brought back for nothing.  The King's Landing pot is teased to boil over next week, with Cersei finally having to pay up on her promise of violence.  The Mountain is slaughtering the faith in the teaser.  This may result in him dying or being imprisoned prior to the trial by combat, rendering him uncallable by the queen.  By legal right, she would have to call on a member of the Kingsguard, who are loyal to Tommen who has joined the faith.  This will cause a lot of turmoil.  Can she trust her champion to fight for her when their oath is to the king?  Will Tommen let his mother be killed?  

              Riverland tease is very exciting.  Jaime and Brienne reunited after so much they have experienced alone is going to be a big moment of the season and really show just how much Jaime has developed as a character (or not developed).  If Jaime and Brienne really do fight it out for Riverrrun, it will be a really sad scene because both of them cannot make it out alive.  Both Lannister twins facing a trial by combat could be a great piece of parallel storytelling too.    Danny back in Meereen with the Dothraki army is exciting, especially with the Greyjoys on their way.  I think we will see Danny meet with the Greyjoys next week, setting her up to cross the narrow sea in the finale.

              For an episode titled No One, there is very little Arya in the teaser.  My regretful prediction is that we will see her (probably literally) crawl back to the Faceless Men.  But I hope she can be saved by someone else and take on the Faceless Men in the confrontation we missed out on this week.  Could she be saved by Syrio Forrel, or would yet another returned character be overkill?  We will probably see a scene where Sansa meets with Littlefinger after writing him the letter this week and proposes him to join their forces without Jon's knowledge.  

Next week is shaping up to be a big one with a lot of action as many storylines pay off.

              Another big setup episode as the season nears the final punches.  With so much tension and so many characters colliding, these last three episodes are shaping up to be huge.  I am beyond excited to see how this season plays out.

              Thanks for reading this Game of Thrones review!  If you want to read more on Game of Thrones, including weekly reviews and an upcoming endgame prediction post, you can find all of that here on TheFilmFanAwakens.blogspot.com.  You can also follow me at Facebook.com/TheFilmFanAwakens and on Twitter @FilmFanAwakens.  Thanks for reading and remember, if a murderous Brotherhood who worships a demon god shows up to your camp, you should probably just give them some food.  

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