Game of Thrones, Season 3, Episode 7
May. 13th, 2013 11:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
marinessGame of Thrones, Episode 7
1. My father, on Brienne: "They shouldn't put her in that dress! What was the wardrobe department thinking? She's a warrior! They should keep her in armor! And then she should go and kill that little king guy! Why hasn't she killed him yet? I don't get the girl with the red hair!"
"Sansa? Melisandre?"
"Either of them! I don't get them. You know, I went to Wikipedia and this show has 250 characters! 250! 250! I left the Wikipedia. Maybe the dragons will eat more of the characters."
2. The TV very narrowly avoided complete destruction during the scene between Joffrey and Tywin, specifically in the bit where Joffrey whines that he shouldn't have to go up stairs, and then only because my brother remembered at the last minute that it was an expensive TV and thus worth more than Joffrey.
On a related note, Joffrey isn't dead.
Great scene, though.
3. I'm amused that the sociopathic, isolated Joffrey actually has a better grasp of the potential danger of Dany than the usually foresighted Tywin Lannister does. And good point about the potential size of this generation of dragons.
4. Speaking of dragons, aww, the widdle dragons are gwowwing up. Aww, the widdle dragons are now catching little pieces of meat during important negotiations that could affect the lives of 200,000 people not to mention prevent a war (or start one, if HBO decides to hurry things up because the show costs too much and just start ferrying Dany and the Gang over to Westeros). Awww, the little dragon wants his gold. Awww, the little dragon is so so cute when it cuddles against Dany.
5. The sentiments in that last paragraph were not universally shared, although one viewer did point out, rather unfairly I think, that the dragons were more useful than the cats who own me.
6. Sansa: I'm such a stupid, stupid girl. My brother: Finally, she says something I agree with. Me: Awww. Sansa: Did you mother teach you that? Me: Ok, you two might just have a point. On a related note, were those glances from Natalie Dormer meant to suggest that Margaery might be pragmatic enough to sleep with men but most definitely prefers pretty girls?
7. I don't mean to sound skeptical here, but did Talisa look even remotely pregnant to anyone else? I mean, I guess we're meant to think that she's VERY early along and it's not that women show that quickly, but she looks really thin, is all I'm saying. I'm also kinda dubious that she was really writing her mother – I mean, as they keep saying, it's the middle of a war and I'm thinking what with transportation difficulties in the Riverlands the regular mail service isn't doing that well. I guess she can attach it to a raven and then ask someone in King's Landing or more likely Dorne to get it over to Essos? I'm overthinking this here.
8. Probably not overthinking the Theon issues.
Look, show, I get it. We all wanted to see Theon suffer after the crap he pulled, and yes, some of us know that this is from the book. So, you know, I get why you are showing it, HBO, a sorta, well, you said you wanted to see it. I also get from a technical/pragmatic perspective that you have contract concerns with the actor and that letting him off for a couple of seasons would present problems. And I guess yay for answering the question of whether or not Theon was castrated or not (although I suppose Ramsey like the camera might have stopped at the actual castration, figuring the psychological hell of that was enough, and it's still possible that book Theon wasn't castrated even if show Theon was. I think I have already devoted more time to this than it deserves.)
But if I may, the problem isn't just that this feels like torture porn (this week, with the threesome, absolutely torture porn) but that the amount of time spent on it is taking away from other characters and plot points. Specifically in this episode:
1) No reaction from the brothel that Ros supervised. Are they asking questions? Too afraid to ask questions? Has another whore been selected for our sex info dump scenes?
2) Catelyn managing to say about two sentences before getting kicked out of the tent. No reaction shots or meetings with any of the other nobles or fighters with Robb.
This one is actually kinda important, because fairly soon (in two episodes, based on the episode title), most of these characters are going to be dead, and for that scene to have to have its full emotional impact, we need to see more of them. It wouldn't take much – just Robb walking around in the wet, wet rain, getting told by some Manderly or other that they are looking forward to having a bloody great time at the wedding, ha, ha, ha. Or something on the idea that the Karstarks may have no honor, but the Flints do, and everyone is still searching for your brothers but no word yet. Maybe some jokes about stew.
As it is, assuming that the show keeps Edmure and the Blackfish alive, that means that a grand total of three people that we know from the show will die at the Red Wedding. And if Talisa isn't killed – Jeyne Westerling in the books is still alive, so I'd give this a 50-50 chance – that's a total of two people, one of whom is about to resurrected at the end of the season.
And show-Robb, instead of doing the "honorable" thing and marrying the girl he deflowered in a moment of emotional trauma and physical pain, said, "I don't want to marry the Frey girl. I want to marry some healer from Volantis."
It's not just that the show hasn't really shown us just why this would be such an insult – although that lapse right there might be enough to make the Red Wedding more shocking for non-book readers. (Since even my father who still hasn't figured out who Robb is thinks Robb is doomed, I'm thinking it won't be that much of a shock, but...yeah.) It's that these omissions may end up robbing the scene of its tragedy.
3) MORE BEAR! I mean, HBO, you went to the effort of hiring a Real Live Bear! PLAY UP THE MOMENT! That was hands down the best scene in the episode and could have used another 30 seconds of Real Live Bear!
4) Failing all that, a scene between Cersei and Loras as they face their betrothal would have been fun. A moment between Varys and Pycelle chattering about Littlefinger and Tywin might have been fun. A moment between Yara and Balon Greyjoy might have been useful to remind us who they are. (And that Balon is alive. Admittedly his death was kinda an offscreen afterthought in the books, so not really surprising to see that continued here, but, still.) Introducing Victarion and mentioning Euron, assuming HBO is going there (and with Ramsey I feel they will be) would be useful. For that matter, although I don't know if the actor was cast yet, Hi, Red Viper. Why haven't you shown up yet?
Any of these would have been more narratively useful than about two minutes of a really squeamish threesome followed by a unfinished castration. Especially since this storyline seems to be happening in its own little narrative. Yes, I realize that the retainers there are wearing Bolton symbols but I think this is probably lost on most non-book readers. Sigh.
9. On the bright side, did I mention the Real Live Bear!!!! BEAR! Bear bear.
I could bear so much more of the torture if I had more Bear. (Sorry, but let's face it, you all knew that pun was coming.)
1. My father, on Brienne: "They shouldn't put her in that dress! What was the wardrobe department thinking? She's a warrior! They should keep her in armor! And then she should go and kill that little king guy! Why hasn't she killed him yet? I don't get the girl with the red hair!"
"Sansa? Melisandre?"
"Either of them! I don't get them. You know, I went to Wikipedia and this show has 250 characters! 250! 250! I left the Wikipedia. Maybe the dragons will eat more of the characters."
2. The TV very narrowly avoided complete destruction during the scene between Joffrey and Tywin, specifically in the bit where Joffrey whines that he shouldn't have to go up stairs, and then only because my brother remembered at the last minute that it was an expensive TV and thus worth more than Joffrey.
On a related note, Joffrey isn't dead.
Great scene, though.
3. I'm amused that the sociopathic, isolated Joffrey actually has a better grasp of the potential danger of Dany than the usually foresighted Tywin Lannister does. And good point about the potential size of this generation of dragons.
4. Speaking of dragons, aww, the widdle dragons are gwowwing up. Aww, the widdle dragons are now catching little pieces of meat during important negotiations that could affect the lives of 200,000 people not to mention prevent a war (or start one, if HBO decides to hurry things up because the show costs too much and just start ferrying Dany and the Gang over to Westeros). Awww, the little dragon wants his gold. Awww, the little dragon is so so cute when it cuddles against Dany.
5. The sentiments in that last paragraph were not universally shared, although one viewer did point out, rather unfairly I think, that the dragons were more useful than the cats who own me.
6. Sansa: I'm such a stupid, stupid girl. My brother: Finally, she says something I agree with. Me: Awww. Sansa: Did you mother teach you that? Me: Ok, you two might just have a point. On a related note, were those glances from Natalie Dormer meant to suggest that Margaery might be pragmatic enough to sleep with men but most definitely prefers pretty girls?
7. I don't mean to sound skeptical here, but did Talisa look even remotely pregnant to anyone else? I mean, I guess we're meant to think that she's VERY early along and it's not that women show that quickly, but she looks really thin, is all I'm saying. I'm also kinda dubious that she was really writing her mother – I mean, as they keep saying, it's the middle of a war and I'm thinking what with transportation difficulties in the Riverlands the regular mail service isn't doing that well. I guess she can attach it to a raven and then ask someone in King's Landing or more likely Dorne to get it over to Essos? I'm overthinking this here.
8. Probably not overthinking the Theon issues.
Look, show, I get it. We all wanted to see Theon suffer after the crap he pulled, and yes, some of us know that this is from the book. So, you know, I get why you are showing it, HBO, a sorta, well, you said you wanted to see it. I also get from a technical/pragmatic perspective that you have contract concerns with the actor and that letting him off for a couple of seasons would present problems. And I guess yay for answering the question of whether or not Theon was castrated or not (although I suppose Ramsey like the camera might have stopped at the actual castration, figuring the psychological hell of that was enough, and it's still possible that book Theon wasn't castrated even if show Theon was. I think I have already devoted more time to this than it deserves.)
But if I may, the problem isn't just that this feels like torture porn (this week, with the threesome, absolutely torture porn) but that the amount of time spent on it is taking away from other characters and plot points. Specifically in this episode:
1) No reaction from the brothel that Ros supervised. Are they asking questions? Too afraid to ask questions? Has another whore been selected for our sex info dump scenes?
2) Catelyn managing to say about two sentences before getting kicked out of the tent. No reaction shots or meetings with any of the other nobles or fighters with Robb.
This one is actually kinda important, because fairly soon (in two episodes, based on the episode title), most of these characters are going to be dead, and for that scene to have to have its full emotional impact, we need to see more of them. It wouldn't take much – just Robb walking around in the wet, wet rain, getting told by some Manderly or other that they are looking forward to having a bloody great time at the wedding, ha, ha, ha. Or something on the idea that the Karstarks may have no honor, but the Flints do, and everyone is still searching for your brothers but no word yet. Maybe some jokes about stew.
As it is, assuming that the show keeps Edmure and the Blackfish alive, that means that a grand total of three people that we know from the show will die at the Red Wedding. And if Talisa isn't killed – Jeyne Westerling in the books is still alive, so I'd give this a 50-50 chance – that's a total of two people, one of whom is about to resurrected at the end of the season.
And show-Robb, instead of doing the "honorable" thing and marrying the girl he deflowered in a moment of emotional trauma and physical pain, said, "I don't want to marry the Frey girl. I want to marry some healer from Volantis."
It's not just that the show hasn't really shown us just why this would be such an insult – although that lapse right there might be enough to make the Red Wedding more shocking for non-book readers. (Since even my father who still hasn't figured out who Robb is thinks Robb is doomed, I'm thinking it won't be that much of a shock, but...yeah.) It's that these omissions may end up robbing the scene of its tragedy.
3) MORE BEAR! I mean, HBO, you went to the effort of hiring a Real Live Bear! PLAY UP THE MOMENT! That was hands down the best scene in the episode and could have used another 30 seconds of Real Live Bear!
4) Failing all that, a scene between Cersei and Loras as they face their betrothal would have been fun. A moment between Varys and Pycelle chattering about Littlefinger and Tywin might have been fun. A moment between Yara and Balon Greyjoy might have been useful to remind us who they are. (And that Balon is alive. Admittedly his death was kinda an offscreen afterthought in the books, so not really surprising to see that continued here, but, still.) Introducing Victarion and mentioning Euron, assuming HBO is going there (and with Ramsey I feel they will be) would be useful. For that matter, although I don't know if the actor was cast yet, Hi, Red Viper. Why haven't you shown up yet?
Any of these would have been more narratively useful than about two minutes of a really squeamish threesome followed by a unfinished castration. Especially since this storyline seems to be happening in its own little narrative. Yes, I realize that the retainers there are wearing Bolton symbols but I think this is probably lost on most non-book readers. Sigh.
9. On the bright side, did I mention the Real Live Bear!!!! BEAR! Bear bear.
I could bear so much more of the torture if I had more Bear. (Sorry, but let's face it, you all knew that pun was coming.)