Game of Thrones: 6.08 - No One

[Culhwch]

Brienne arrives at Riverrun. Arya seeks shelter. Jaime meets with Edmure Tully. Cersei challenges the Faith. Sandor Clegane hunts for revenge. Tyrion faces the consequences of earlier decisions.

 

[The Imp]

Perhaps the most disappointing episode to date. Thank the gods we have the book to look forward to at some point.

 

[Culhwch]

The resolution of Arya's storyline from last week was particularly meh, but otherwise I didn't think it was that underwhelming an episode. Calm before the storm of the final two episodes this season.

 

[The Imp]

The resolution of Arya's storyline from last week was particularly meh, but otherwise I didn't think it was that underwhelming an episode. Calm before the storm of the final two episodes this season.

The banning of trial by combat had a deus ex machina feel to it

If the Blackfish is dead he deserved a better end thsn a pointlees off screen demise

IMO the whole Sandor arc feels like a cartoon.

The Arya "conclusion" was just stupid. Indestructible Arya vs Terminator Waif. Just awful.

Tyrion's joke scene was cringe worthy. They've turned a wonderful character into a joke.

If i hear the 2 pillars speech again I'm going to be sick. I think the kid playing Tommen can't act his way out of a paper bag.

I might be over reacting. I'll watch the episode again and maybe I'll feel differently. For now though, I'm very disappointed.

 

[Culhwch]

Nope, all valid points, Imp. But I don't know that my bar is that high for the show, so probably didn't bother me as much.

The Hound bits were kinda so-bad-it's-good for me, like a really stupid horror movie or something. I didn't mind the scene with the jokes. I thought it was actually a nice touch to show Tyrion finally connecting to these two usually implacable, literal, bland creatures, and in an improbable way. With Arya, I think I'm just glad that the whole Braavos experiment is over and she's going to be back in play finally. T-Waifthousand was pretty dumb, though.

Agree on Tommen. I said to my wife that I much prefer the fat little Tommen of the books, with his cats and his love of using the royal seal. Show Tommen is a tool. Literally and metaphorically.

The Blackfish ending was disappointing - but in the context of the show he wasn't such a big deal, so I wasn't at all surprised at the lackluster death.

 

[The Imp]

I think we're in agreement Cul. Maybe I've set the bar too high. I do think they'vedone a good job up until yesterdays episode.

 

[REBerg]

Adding to the anticlimactic tally of the episode was Dany's arrival in Meereen.
A thump on the roof, Dany makes her grand return, and Drogon's Dragon Delivery Service is done. Instead of incinerating the ships laying waste to Meereen, the big boy heads off to the Land of Honnah Lee, or wherever he goes during his down time.
I hope his two siblings are still around.

 

[Culhwch]

I think next week's will be a redeeming episode. I'm hoping for something on the level of Hardhome last year.

I should really watch Hardhome again....

 

[Ed Ryder]

The banning of trial by combat had a deus ex machina feel to it

I didn't get that feeling at all. The king has the High Sparrow whispering in his ear and the fact that Cersei has an indestructible badass body guard would surely have got back to him? Banning trial by combat would seem the obvious counter-move.

 

[Dave]

I agree with you all. Without the books to lean on the script writing is creaking. I just have a question - Brienne's squire is an unlikely hero, but he is meant to be Robert Baratheon's ******* son, so is there going to be a resolution of that storyline? If he is meant to be the farmboy who becomes instrumental in defeating the evil empire, then it has been left a little late to start his training now.

 

[Culhwch]

You've got your characters mixed up, Dave. Pod is no relation to Robert - that was Gendry, the blacksmith's boy who travelled for a time with Arya, then joined the BwB, then was kidnapped by Melissandre, then rescued by Davos, and last seen rowing into the distance in season two or three.

 

[Koopa]

The scenes with Tyrion this episode were awful. I disagree on the Tommen part, he actor does a good job of portraying utter and complete weakness.
Arya wasn't so bad, if you forget about her getting so very wounded last episode. It's not his episode they messed up, it was the previous one with her. I like her newfound resolve. Grrm too will have a hard time finding a way for Arya to remain Arya and leave the faceless men clean cut. Might be she gets a westerosi assignment in the books. We'll see. There's no denying that the last 3 episode have been somewhat slow. I'm stoked for the next episode and for the final though. Both are big in lenght so lots to see and happen probably (unless they decide to show another 5 minutes of joke-telling with Tyrion...) Too bad we have to wait another 2 years for the conclusion of the series. Wish all episodes were wrapped up already and the show just continued to the finish.

 

[Mister_Oy]

Yeah quite a few niggles with this one - but I must say on the whole I really enjoyed watching it. Termiwaifor was a bit poor - and WHO exactly lit that candle if Arya has been out of action for some time? Shame that Lady Crane made an exit stage left - I was hoping to see more of her and her troupe. A bit disappointed with the "I choose violence" scene after all the build up. He could at least have pulled bits off a few more of them. I really like the Sandor stuff so far - I just hope it goes somewhere.

 

[Dave]

You've got your characters mixed up, Dave. ...that was Gendry, the blacksmith's boy ...last seen rowing into the distance in season two or three.

Sorry, so in that case, is he ever rowing back?

 

[svalbard]

I thought it was a good episode, apart from the Meeren scenes. Poor Tyrion seems to be suffering from an association with the Dany storyline.

My predictions(which have proved worthless) is that Cersei will have Tommen killed at some stage and as a result Jaime will kill her. Possibly in a scene involving wildfire under the sept of Baelor.

 

[Koopa]

We haven't heard anything new from Edric Storm, or Gendry storyline yet in the books. Well Gendry may have joined up with the brotherhood but i don't think it will have an affect on the bigger storyline. And since Gendry has currently taken over Edric Storm storyline from the books in the show, I doubt we'll see him again.

 

[Ste-Pe]

I liked the episode. I love the hound, love his physicality, his lines and the way he delivers them. But I agree, his backstory with the sept building etc felt at odds with what we normally see in the show - far too rushed (like the sand snakes just deciding to stage a coupe and take over dorne)

I was disappointed in how quickly the Arya storyline got resolved and just decided to leave for westeros again (yet doesn't know what awaits her over there) BUT maybe she's playing us all, she mentioned to lady crane she wanted to go west of westeros - can we believe what this character does or says?
With the candle already lit and seemingly able to shrug off the belly wound in Arya's crypt; I think she was fooling the waif too - arya wasn't injured as badly as she made out, only wanted the waif to think that (notice the blood smears on all the walls Arya walked by - she wasn't trying to escape, she wanted the waif to follow) Arya is a tricky, rock hard assassin now, who played the nameless man too, just to learn the skills she needed to finish off all the names on her list

 

[Ste-Pe]

As for cersei story line; for banning of trial by combat seems in keeping with the high sparrow's plans for domination; Jamie is out of the way and he controls the King (and seemingly the queen too). He knows with zombie mountain around, cersei will win trial be combat, so he needs this custom out of the way so he can get rid of cersei
Recalling maggy the frog's prophecy (last season?) cersei will see all her children die. In bran's vision we see lots of wildfire and cersei is pretty keen to keep telling us she wants to 'burn' her enemies. Looks like qyburn has found all of the wildfire too, so I'm guessing things are going to warm up pretty soon at the red keep
With Jamie having wrapped things up at riverrun (blackfish has got to still be alive) he's on his way back, perhaps he'll be the one to kill cersei (an echo of him killing the mad King in bean's vision a couple of episodes ago)

 

[REBerg]

Shame that Lady Crane made an exit stage left - I was hoping to see more of her and her troupe.

I was also sorry to see such a strong character go. Killing her was unnecessary. She wasn't really standing between the Waif and Arya. I guess it's true that "no good deed goes unpunished."

With the candle already lit and seemingly able to shrug off the belly wound in Arya's crypt; I think she was fooling the waif too - arya wasn't injured as badly as she made out, only wanted the waif to think that (notice the blood smears on all the walls Arya walked by - she wasn't trying to escape, she wanted the waif to follow)

I was disappointed that we were denied the fight between the Waif and Arya. Still, darkness was the key to her win. The Waif was no match for Arya's cunning.

blackfish has got to still be alive

I think so, too. I liked him -- a crusty, old warrior expecting to make a fool of himself with his rusty sword fighting skills. If he is gone, he deserved a better exit than "he died."

 

[Gnrevolution]

Starting off loving this episode, ended up more bemused. Great stuff to start:

• Arya finding the actress
• More Hound! He has the best lines in this show at the moment!
• Bronn! Loved his interaction with Pod, new bromance?
• Attack on Mereen - thought we were in for a big fight there!

Then it all kinda went wrong:

• Tyrion tries more terrible jokes in an attempt to stretch the episode
• Dany appears out of nowhere, and nothing else happens (what was the point)?
• Blackfish 'dies' in absentia, let's hope that's a ruse but quite frankly what's the point? Not like he's been a major character until now.
• Arya and the T-1000 take a ridiculous chase through Bravos (and I've seen far better Parkour done). Thought Arya was injured? Apparently not. Was waiting for Waif to take her face off and for it to be Robert Patrick underneath all along. Lot of talk about Arya not being as injured as she made out and was luring Waif, problem is there is no hint of that to the audience, can just as easily be explained that the writers decided to take the day off and left a chimp in charge.

For me worst episode of the season, still loved bits, but seriously, the end in particular was all over the place! Let's hope they can wrap things up better in the last 2 episodes...