UKC

Finally got to this episode this weekend. I had heard that there was a lot of fuss about this episode, but wow...I didn't expect to be so blown away by the battle scenes. How they film it is beyond me. I was holding my breath. Watched it twice and will probably watch it again tonight (and this is coming from someone who isn't a massive GoT fan and hasn't really got a scooby whats going on most of the time) . Interestingly , budget constraints meant the director couldn't film the battle quite as he wanted to . Budget constraints? This is the biggest TV show ever on HBO FFS! lol
Also, Ramsey Bolton. What a fantastic character played perfectly by Iwan Rheon. I am struggling to think of a more evil baddy in TV/film.

Does anyone else enjoy this show without really having a handle on what is going on?

In reply to Bjartur i Sumarhus:

I think you have to watch the episodes close together to keep a handle on what's going on, they were on about series five before I started watching it and soon became hooked, since I have caught up and started watching them as they come out weekly its much harder to remember what's happening especially as some characters and their story don't appear every week.
Splendid viewing.

In reply to Bjartur i Sumarhus:

I will happily sit on my phone while the TV is on, for hours on end, not really taking in whats happening. However with GoT I always concentrate as there are a lot of subtle things that can end up meaning a lot (a lot less in the more recent series it has to be said). So no, I know pretty much whats going on. Probably helped by having read the books, which I recommend not so much for the writing, but for the level of detail and intricate story arcs.

Interesting that you've got to the end of series 6 without following the whole thing.

In reply to La benya:
it's a combination of not binge watching (as Buzby mentions) and not understanding the geography (Kings Landing/Westoros/Winterfell/Iron Sea etc), complicated character names and multiple story arcs over generations.

TBH, the only place where I am confident I know what's going on is Castle Black and that's because all they do there is "defend the wall"

In reply to Bjartur i Sumarhus:

but you know jamie and cersi are shagging right?

In reply to Bjartur i Sumarhus:

'Ere you go, mush: http://awoiaf.westeros.org/images/1/10/WorldofIceandFire.png

In reply to Bjartur i Sumarhus:

GoT? ; you've lost me

In reply to Bjartur i Sumarhus:

It is a fantastic series. I started to rewatch them from series 1 last week, and the acting and feel of the later series is noticeably 'better'. Trying to watch them all again between now and the start of the next series, as I cant entirely remember what has happened so far.

Currently reading the books as well, halfway through the second one and totally hooked. Although as they depart on quite a few details I might well be making things extra complicated for myself!

In reply to Bjartur i Sumarhus:

Agree - stunning filming of a very intriguing plot. The fact that major characters die off so often keeps you on your toes.

Generally I hate action films and anything sci-fi/fantasy/wizards/warlocks/dungeons and dragons etc, so I had very low expectations of this series. I was expecting something as mind-numingly tedious as Lord of the Rings. But as my wife was a big fan of the books I agreed to watch the first episode and was hooked for the start.

First of all, it's basically British history from my favourite period - the War of the Roses - but all mixed up and chopped around and bits introduced from elsewhere. So on a human level it's entirely credible - but you don't know how it will play out, and you can't quibble about the historical inaccuracies.

As to the fantasy elements, they can be seen as allegories. Dragons are gunpowder - a new super weapon, gives you a big advantage, as long as you can keep control of it. The white walkers are global warming - a massive, indiscriminate, existential threat that the various factions largely ignore - resources to protect against it are scant compared to those which they use in their far more petty squabbles.

As to the Battle of the Bastards, it was one of the few occasions where the good (or better) guy won an heroic victory, but nonetheless it was gripping stuff and as a viewer you felt pretty immersed in it.

In reply to Chris the Tall:
"...and bits introduced from elsewhere."
Yes - I can think of a few other sources: Florence - the Borgias and Savonarola (= the High Sparrow), a bit of Scottish clan history (Glencoe massacre and the Black Dinner), and Greek fire=wildfire. Any more?

In reply to Phil79:


Stick with them. they go slightly squiffy after the first 3 (he splits the story by geography rather than time, so you spend a lot of time with the same characters, not knowing what everyone else is doing) but get themselves back on track. Yes, there are differences, but the core story lines are the same, and all the story arcs are there, they just may be attributed to different characters.
The books set the scene for the Great War far better than the show, and there's more intrigue. Things may even make more sense after reading the books as all the foreshadowing is included.
Just, remember that the show is about 3/4 of a book ahead now.

In reply to Bob Kemp:

This could be the origin of the Red Wedding

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Bartholomew%27s_Day_massacre

And I daresay there's a fair bit of Catherine de Medici in Cersei

In reply to La benya:


If we found that out in episode 1 then I might have forgotten

In reply to Bjartur i Sumarhus:

If you liked that episode, The Light Of The Seven episode will blow your socks off.

What a way to end a series!

In reply to alx:

Ahh good! that's the next one for me to watch.

In reply to Chris the Tall:
Agreed. And the mad king (can't remember his name, the last Targaryan king... Aeron? Aegon?) seems to be Nero-like.

I hadn't come across the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre.