(08-21-2017 02:20 PM)AssyrianDuke Wrote:  

(08-21-2017 01:45 PM)Brookes Owl Wrote:  

(08-21-2017 11:11 AM)AssyrianDuke Wrote:  I actually was not as big a fan of this episode as some on here might be.

First off, Littlefinger seemed to super easily drive a wedge between Sansa and Arya. I get that they were not close as kids, but come on; it can't be THAT easy can it? Also, their brother can LITERALLY SEE EVERYTHING, so why don't they, I don't know, ask him what the hell is going on? I find Arya to be very arrogant and irritating this season. I kind of want Jaqen to kill her because "a girl has given the gift too many times, for reasons that are unjust," or something like that. She has really missed the point that killing for revenge/fun has to have some sort of consequence (besides camping with Ed Sheeran).
Second, what is going on with the Brotherhood of Bad Ideas. How do you not plan a better exit strategy? How do you not wait until you have a few weapons made of dragonglass/obsidian? How do you not have any ranged weapons? Jon should know better because he's fought them before! Twice I think!
Third, and this drove me up the Wall.... WHERE DO THE UNDEAD GET A GIANT F#&$ING CHAIN TO RAISE A DRAGON FROM THE FROZEN DEPTHS? I mean, did they make it? Because that process takes fire, which is their major (only?) weakness. Did they just find the chains lying around? It would make more sense if the chain was made of ice, since they can manipulate ice at will (or at least, they should), but a metal chain? Did Cersei sell that off after the Battle of Blackwater Bay to help pay for Joff's wedding (shame they couldn't get their deposit back)? And why the hell isn't the Night King in the freaking Olympics after that javelin toss?

I described this episode to my cousin as a bevy of blunders and bad decisions. Both by the characters and the writers. I don't mind the pacing; I understand why they have to do it. But... yeah, this didn't hit Hardhome with me.

The pacing may be necessary but it's also part of the problem. They are utilizing so many plot devices to move things along that it becomes hard to suspend disbelief. Uncle Benjen at just the right moment, giant chains, Jon running after wights when he should be climbing on a dragon. A bit too much. And absolutely agree that the Drama at Winterfell makes very little sense.

As much as I enjoyed the episode, there were several moments that were jarring enough to take me completely out of the show.

Did everybody else think the same thing as Viserion was sinking into the lake? Wight dragon! And, of course, this pretty much locks in the favored theory for how the Army of the Dead gets through The Wall.

As soon as he sunk I was like, "Hmm... I wonder how they will resurrect him." I assumed NK would raise him like the dead at Hardhome, and arguably that would have been much more bad a$$.

An easy fix for the giant chains thing would have been NK doing the evil jazz hands, a few moments of silent tension as nothing happens, then the ice starts to crack at the shallow end of the frozen lake. Maybe tease a blue eye peeping up through ice. Then cut to black. It would have also saved them some money to be spent on the finale