Game of Thrones, Season 8 (spoilers allowed)

PM me a link?

 

Arya's motives are very clear at this point. Family above all else. The pack's got to stick together. The Starks can't be divided. She's been saying this for two seasons now.


Oh.

Wait. Nevermind. Arya's going away, and never coming back.

 

I'll just post the link. Click at your own peril.

https://theconcourse.deadspin.com/some-major-plot-points-from-the-final-two-game-of-thron-1834557297

 

The things which have been hard to reconcile are: 1) Dany's unshakeable belief that she has a birthright to sit on the Iron Throne and will seemingly do anything to make that happen; and 2) her desire to "break the wheel" and somehow change the way that people are ruled. I also don't think that her part has been well written and she's among the weaker actresses on the show.

Agree with those who have said that the show seems rushed. Part of that may be how slow some of the plot points moved in seasons 1-6.

 

We don't have the Golden Company, but we do have those scenes with Cersei and the representative of the Iron Bank. Tywin died owing them a ton of money, and when the caravan of treasure came in after Jaime took it from the Tyrells, Cersei paid the bank off in full. The bank rep noted that the Iron Bank had done business with the Golden Company many times in the past. When she owed the bank big money, they were obligated to protect her in order to preserve their investment. Now she has no real leverage on the bank. If they don't favor her on the Iron Throne they could make a play to support their preferred candidate, possibly by having the Golden Company switch sides at the worst possible moment. When you have mercenary troops on the field things can happen that you don't expect.

 

I think it's simpler than that. HBO went in deep on a couple of gigantic-in-scale battles, plus amazing CGI. They spent a ton of money, and are looking at the show winding down. The first six seasons were ten episodes each, season seven had seven, and season eight has six, albeit with an extra twenty minutes on four. They cut the number of shows to save money, so both the last two seasons had less running time. They had more story than they did time, so they cut it down and stuffed it in, and it shows. Some of of what grates is the result of bad writing choices as well.

 

As my son has said (he read all the books and has watched the episodes twice, the last time to watch with me) he thinks the arc of Danerys becoming a ruler was solid but that her current state is too obvious.

 

I know most people don't watch shows for stuff like this, but there is no reason the dragon shouldn't have swung behind the ships and torched them. The scorpions swivel, but wouldn't be much use for something coming up aft of the ships. The scorpions on the ramparts at Kings Landing will do no good if the dragon comes straight down. They can't be positioned upward very far.

 

I also thought that. Attack from the six.

Two dragons down. They are the only thing that give Dany any sort of power or legitimacy. Once the third one is gone, she's toast.

Jon Snow's speech at the start honoring the dead wasn't exactly St. Crispin's Day-esque, but it was pretty powerful.

 

Have Drogon attack at night and fly down the length of the wall, attacking from directly above in long strafing runs. Roll out, circle, take your time, rinse repeat. They'll have to take flick shots from across the walls, and that's a tough shot with a siege weapon. Land one good line of fire and it's morale check time for the rest.

 

With how wrong Tyrion has been lately leading with his gut/heart, I am leaning toward him being wrong again on sticking with Dany.

 

Tyrion is also leading with his heart in dealing with Cersei. He's tried to appeal to her good side, her human mother side. Of course, there may or may not actually be a baby, and she's not going to relinquish a bit of the throne, but he's still trying it.

If he goes to that well once too often, Dany may well cut him loose whether he sticks with her or not.