GAME OF THRONES Season 4

[TulipOHare]

About a week and a half to go

Who's watching?

Some trailers to keep us going:

Yes dead bodies near the wall are prone to rising as wights (zombies)...the skeletons are wights that have been there a while and rotted away. I thought of Jason & The Argonauts too

Re Dany's dragons, I think it was stated in the book that the catacombs were the only place big enough and safe enough to keep them away from people.

I agree anna. I like it that they're complicated. Much as I love Tyrion he was in danger of being too nice.

I just about tolerate Jon Snore but I hate the nice characters like Bran and that wretched brother and sister. Mind you, I do like Hodor (is that his name or is that just what he says?) and Samwell.

I liked Tywin in spite of him being a horrible bastard. He was funny and pragmatic and very kind to Arya, probably, because he admired her spiwit and touch of derwwing-do .

Same with Jaime and Cersei and also Ayra. Her not mercy-killing The Hound was I suppose that in the end she didn't forgive him - my memory is appalling, he was a bounty-hunter who'd done her family wrong, wasn't he? And she didn't kick up that much of a fuss when he stole from that father and daughter and probably doomed them a few weeks ago.

Ned was a git, wasn't he? And didn't play the game very well so he is responsible for the downfall of his family. Him and Robb.

I love it. What am I going to do between now and, when's it coming back?

After winter has come, no doubt. Perhaps I'll watch from the beginning on on-demand and have no other life

limited why do you think Ned was a git? I agree he didn't play the game well but thought that was often due to his acute sense of honour.

I think Tyrion was driven to his dark actions by a lifelong sense of rejection by Tywin coupled with acute rejection compounded by finding Shae in his bed. The book did give some further background to this but really Tyrion had suffered a lifetime of being thought not quite a human.

I can see why Tyrion did what he did. Peter Dinklage did a brilliant job with those scenes.

hilda yes, Ned had honour but it was on his own terms that I think was flawed and ultimately weak and self-indulgent. He betrayed his daughters and his wife and his own self.

I have to admit I might be wrong and will go back to have a look.

Just watching it nowJon Snow looks tasty in his black cloak stalking through the snow!!

Oh and nice to see stannis the mannis finally doing something

why didn't brienne's sidekick pull out the bread wolf thing he was given to pass to Arya? If he had done surely Arya wouldn't have run off?
Why is Arya going to Braavos?

I want to have Jon snow as a pet

so Shae was just a whore after all Will miss Tywin he was an amazing character

"why didn't brienne's sidekick pull out the bread wolf thing he was given to pass to Arya? If he had done surely Arya wouldn't have run off? What a fantastic point. Got to be a continuity oversight that.

They probably ate it, it was cold and dark, they were hungry, it was going stale anyway.
Actually I don't think Brienne would have done it, far too honourable, but maybe Pod did, while she was sleeping.

Arya probably went to Braavos because she didn't really have many other options. Most of her family are dead and her home is destroyed and as far as she knows the Lannisters still have a price on her head. She's had some big Braavosian influences in Jaqar Hagen and the bloke who taught her the waterdance was from Braavos as well. I don't think Podrick had much of a chance to talk to Arya before the big fight started.

I loved Arya meeting Brienne - I don't think this meeting happened in the book, but it was fab for Arya to meet another female warrior.

I'd love a spin off series where Arya, The Hound, Brienne and Podrick travel round getting into trouble. Bronn and Edd could make guest appearances.

!!!!
The only reason I'll be watching from now on is to see if the hound is still alive!

I don't think Arya would have wanted to go with Brienne anyway. I don't think she was scared of them. The Hound and Brienne were fighting over who got to 'watch over' her and I think she'd probably had enough of being watched over.

I think Dany had to lock up her dragons cos the black one has escaped and is killing wee children.

Tyrion's murders - one of the things about Martin's characters is that they are none of them classic goodies and baddies - each has redeeming features, and a dark side.

As Zachary said above i think Arya goes to Braavos as two of the people who have tried to help her Jacquen Haqar and Syrio Flavel (waterdancer) and who she admired were Braavosi. It wasn't a planned decision but when the boatman said he was Braavosi Arya must have seen it as a place where she had some connection. She has no family except Jon, and probably thought her ability to get to the north was pretty limited.

I loved the interaction between Arya and Brienne and the whole 'I like your sword' thing (not hair or dress as many females would to bond). The sword was quite poignant as Oathkeeper was made from Ice, Ned Stark's sword.

When Jaquen gave Arya the coin he told her she would need it if ever she wanted to find him. So that's why she has gone to Braavos. she wanted to go with him the first time but felt she needed to stay and find her family. Now most of them are dead she doesn't need to stay.

When Jaquen asked to go the first time he said she would to learn how to kill all the people on her list. That's got to be a motivation to trying find him.

Remarkable lack of guards around Kings Landing. Murderers free to roam the corridors unchallenged.

The wolf biscuit is big continuity error but like Arya says, maybe Pod ate it! Sounds like something Pod would do.

Not sure I agree that Ned was a git. His version of honour was very 'old school' in a world that is very manipulative and dog-eat-dog. His stubborn belief that others had the same level of honour as he did was what cost him his life, and was the ending of Robb aswell. Catelyn was similar to Ned - her belief in honour by releasing Jaime so she could negotiate getting the girls back meant that Robb no longer trusted her. Which ultimately led to the whole Frey red wedding fiasco. (However this is a bit different in the book). That's just my take on things though.

Love Zacharys idea of a spin off series! I'd watch that!

Finally caught up. That was an amazing episode! some of the locations they used/created made me catch my breath. When dany goes downstairs to see the dragons. Brand tree, Jon snow and ygrittes pyre. Who ever does the background art for GOt has an amazing eye.

Performances- cersei. Awesome. How she won't let Tywin take another son. Brienne vs hound - I don't think I've ever watched a woman fight a guy like that before. There's the occasional short fight scene where the woman loses bit her screaming throughout gave me tingles. And Arya refusing to put the hound down. Wow. Also made me think shae didn't put up much of a tight when Tyrion was choking her.

Cgi was exceptional. All those Harry Hannhausen(sp) skeleton things, the dragons, amazing.

Am I recalling incorrectly - did Tyrion crossbow Tywin in the bollocks in the book? Can imagine Charles Dance saying, "well, if I have to get murdered in the privy, I suppose I'll have to get murdered in the privy....but shot in the balls? Can't I have a little more gravitas?"

I got the impression Charles Dance really relished that scene, still managed to be regal and overbearing - even on the bog. Fantastic actor but I suspect he and Peter Dinklage were sniggering all the way through as I suspect they both have a wicked sense of humour.

You're a lannister! You're my boy! I love you...actually you're no son of mine.......

THU-WUUUUMP!

did Tyrion crossbow Tywin in the bollocks

Yes. Well, in "the bowels" IIRC. Leading to the lovely "Tywin Lannister did not, in fact, shit gold" punchline, and the overwhelming stench of his decaying corpse when it was laid in state.