GAME OF THRONES SEASON 8. Possible spoilers

[OneInAMillionYou]

Given we are only a week away from the final season, I thought we should have a shiny new thread to discuss the episodes as they are broadcast.

Anyone else going to be starting their watch at 2 am on Monday 15th?

I've watched the trailers and teasers dozens of times, and I am READY!

I have a theory that the Battle for Winterfell in Ep 3 will be lost, and they will have to move south, re assemble at Dragonstone or Kings Landing. After all, here are three episodes to fill after that!

Ranking actors and their acting ability:

FIRST RANK: Cersei, Jorah, Brienne, Bron, Qyburn, Sandor, Theon, Mel, Varys, and of course, Hodor.

SECOND RANK: Sansa, Jamie, Tyrion (who's getting worse), Sam (who's getting predictable), Littlefinger, Arya

THIRD RANK: Dany, Jon. Bran?

SECOND RANK: Sansa, Jamie, Tyrion (who's getting worse), Sam (who's getting predictable), Littlefinger, Arya

I rated littlefinger to start with but by season 7 found something about how he said his lines completely off - overly hammy I think. Personally I think I would put Jaimie in the first rank and David. Tormund maybe in the second rank.

In terms of no longer with us characters, Joffrey and Ramsey and Tywin in the first rank. Robb, third rank as I never really warmed to him.

Who's David?

FIRST RANK: Theon

Some ‘lower ranking’ actors are much better when working with better actors. For example, Jon was noticeably better with Ygritte. It wasn’t just the ‘chemistry’ - he was just better in scenes with her.

Likewise, the Sansa scenes with Theon in the last episode were WAY better than her scenes with Arya or Jon and she barely said two words to him.

I think both Jamie and Tyrion have become almost one-note characters. They were so full of humour and life in the first seasons. Now Jamie just looks shocked at things on a regular basis, and Tyrion looks mournful all the bloody time.

The one-note acting happened to Ross in Friends as well, over the seasons.

BelfastBloke for David read Davos...

The one-note acting happened to Ross in Friends as well, over the seasons

He was terrible in The OJ thing as well. Always that same hound dog expression.

I agree, Maisie and Emilia Clark aren't great actors, unfortunately. I loved the guy who played Oberyn though. His scenes were so compelling.

I don't know what is going on with Tyrion. He was a terrible Hand the first time, so it's no shock he sucks the second time as well.

I actually really liked the guy who played Robb. I thought his accent was great. The Hound often goes a bit Scottish when he's annoyed, like Littlefinger goes a bit Irish sometimes. 😂

I really hate Cersei's wig!

Unfortunately, a lot of the better actors played secondary and tertiary characters and the majority are dead now. This does leave a bit of a ‘hole’.

Just to name a few (characters): Olenna, Tywin, Roose and Ramsey Bolton, Walder Frey, Maester Aemon, The High Sparrow, Stannis, Mance Rayder, Jeor Mormont, Joffrey, Doran Martell

I just want somebody, anybody, to wipe that imperious, smug look off Danerys' face. Actually, me with one of my handbags could do it.

Looking forward to next week, DH and I have been laying odds for who is going to come out alive. We suspect Sansa, Tyrion, Jon, Danerys and Jaime are all going to survive. It's not looking good for Brienne, Sir Davos, Sir Jorah, Grey Worm and Arya we think. and that's just for starters.

There is definitely something going to happen in the crypt; there's too much emphasis on it for there not to be.

I really hate Cersei's wig!

It's been what? 2 years since her walk of shame? Surely her hair would've grown past her shoulders by now!

I think it would be hilarious if Dany was killed next week. That would be a real surprise up there with Ned Stark.

If you want to make memorable TV, do that!

But in spite of the wig, I don't know how Lena Headey hasn't won several awards for playing Cersei. She's given her so much depth in past series that I'm struggling to come to terms with how they've almost dumbed her down this season. Shagging Euron FFS!

Cersei has to wear that wig because of her retro hairstyle in that wrestling movie she's been in at the moment.
Can anyone post a link to her photo in 'Fighting With My Family'?

I hate the wig because it LOOKs so fake but I just took it as she was channelling her father since she came into proper power - her 'armour' dress was clearly inspired by his getup. I just tell myself Quaburn (sp?) gives the hideous mop a trim every now and then when he's not busy raising the dead, grooming small children to murder or getting over excited about bits of the undead.

Re acting ranking, I'm binge watching previous GOT alongside the final season, and it's hilarious to see Littlefinger's accent change. He starts off with a cockney twang in season one, then does cockney in subsequent seasons until he forgets and Irish starts creeping in, and by the latter seasons I think the director must have said "Fuck it Aiden your accent's all over the place let's just go with your native Irish shall we!"

Shagging Euron FFS!

I think she only shagged Euron because she is pregnant by Jamie already but now Jamie has fucked off to winterfell she thought she could buy Euron’s loyalty by passing the baby off as his instead.

Does anyone else agree that Dany and Jon actually have zero claim to the throne?

The throne should have went to Stannis.

No-one really has the most claim now. Gendry is a bastard so he doesn't count. There must be some far flung Baratheon relation in Westeros who is actually the rightful heir.

Robert Baratheon took the throne by conquest though, the Targaryens were the rightful kings. Once Viserys died that was Dany, although Rhaegar marrying Lyanna means it's Jon.

I have to say I don't really give a stuff who ends up on the iron throne. As long as the correct baddies have been killed.

I find it strange that people hate Dany for her sneer and obsession with the throne, yet love Sansa, who is basically much the same. They can both die in the crypt for me in exchange for keeping Brienne alive and growing her interaction with Jaime.

I hate the idea of ‘who is the rightful king’ and succession through male heredity (if that’s the right word).

Yes, there were some ‘good’ Targaryan monarchs but there were also some terrible ones. The Targaryans conquered Westeros through WMDs and ruled on that basis. In their 300 years there were several nasty wars of succession.

GRRM has said that the political structure was weak as the Targs relied too heavily on using dragons to maintain order. Therefore, it was inevitable that when the dragons died out the system would collapse. Would the return to a kingdom ruled under the threat annihilation by dragon fire really be a satisfactory end to the narrative?

Daenerys said in the last episode of season 7 that ‘without the dragons the Targaryans were nothing speical’ (or words to that effect). Well, she’d better start thinking about a new plan as dragons are unlikely to play any part in ruling Westeros at the end of the series.

I'm starting to really hate the 'queenly' expression Dany puts on. I know it makes sense, that she's become more regal but it really grates on me and makes her look so cold and insincere. I think people are starting to dislike Dany because of the way she is slowly changing - we were rooting for her when she first took control, just like we are rooting for Sansa now that she is newly in control of her life. I feel like they are planting the seeds of Dany going power crazy but I did feel sorry for her a bit when you could see the realisation dawning that she truly was an outsider.

I think it's why I kind of want there to be more weight to Gendry being the sole Baratheon bastard - it would be hilarious for him to somehow not be a bastard/be legitimised and end up on the throne. Even though he absolutely won't that's pure fanfiction and wouldn't make very much sense!

Also, Brienne/Jamie, Missandei/Greyworm, Arya/Gendry, christ even Sansa/Theon have way more chemistry than Dany and Jon. Jon doesn't look like his heart is really in it [definitely not now] but then he's been like that since he came back from the dead.

Brienne executing Stannis - the rightful heir to the throne - means she's just as much a Kingslayer as Jamie, doesn't it?

No-one bangs on about it with her - although maybe she just didn't tell anyone she offed him?

@belfastbloke that's a really good point actually.

I actually really liked the guy who played Robb. I thought his accent was great.
Agreed imho he was at least 2nd tier, I had no idea he was Scottish.

Couldn't warm to Ygritte because Rose Leslie's accent was so deep. As a northern woman that really annoys me -I've got an accent not an Adam's apple!