Game of Thrones begins....

[Tamas]

I found the barely existing Bran and the Night King confrontation underwhelming, just like the Targaryen reveal before. Story arcs that have started literally in the first minutes of the pilot episode just collapsing like this. There isn't even any talk or explanation on what Bran's role even is. Too bad, forgone narrative possibilities.

It is what makes Grumbler's theory so appealing.  The alternative is very disappointing.

Yeah "Bran the villain" is the only possible saving grace for the series' ending but I can't really see it happening. They would have to build this up (re-explain the greenseer pixies etc) from scratch in the last 3 episodes of the entire series AND close it. No way it's happening.

[Josquius]

I'm hoping/guessing we will see what Bran was up to in future episodes

The more I think about it the more I like the night king as azor ahai idea

[FunkMonk]

The showrunners are hacks. Sorry guys.

Just do what I do and turn your brain off and enjoy the rest of this show.

Watch the cool special effects while drool drips from my open mouth because I'm an idiot who loves dumb shit like this stupid show.

[Razgovory]

There are plenty of stories that reach the climax and then have a denouement period, but three episodes (half the season) is too long for that. Remember back to the Umber household when "the Night King is sending a message" with the Umber kid and the circular spiral of limbs?  The NK is dead, so the message makes no sense unless it is a clue as to where he was headed and, in essence, a call for aid... the Eye, where he was created.  That message thing cannot be a red herring, can it?

"good guys" don't send messages by elaborately torturing chuildren and murdering everyone they meet to turn them into undead drones.  You don't save the village by destroying it,

He's got working hands, he can write a letter.

Hello, I'm a terrible Ice monster with a letter.  Do you think you could deliver it for me?  I need someone to go down south to kill some children in a forest.  I'd go myself but there is a 700 foot wall in the way and all I can do is raise the dead.

[Berkut]

Grumblers theory is pretty fun.

But come on, who are we kidding here?

The writers aren't thinking that hard. They have NEVER thought that hard since they started telling a story not written for them by Martin.

You want to know why the DOthraki all had flaming swords and rode in the pitch black into the middle of a known nearly infinitely large army in a manner that made no sense of any kind and was a total suicide mission that was actually WORSE than them just riding away South since then at least they wouldn't be rising up 10 minutes later to attack the defenders of Winterfell?

Because some writer thought "Man, wouldn't it look cool to see all those flaming swords being swallowed up in the pitch dark! What a great visual!"

The writing of the show serves the show, not the plot.

I am enjoying the ride, but the last few seasons have been a lot more "Guardians of the Galaxy" type enjoyment than anything particularly thoughtful.

[saskganesh]

So who is Henry VII? Or is it all just a bunch of Perkin Warbecks?

[The Minsky Moment]

In the books there are still a bunch of legitimate claimants in play.

[The Brain]

Lots of combat scenes that didn't advance the story. I think the show was better when it put story first. But at least it was less boring than the endless drag of the previous episode.

Not a huge fan of the World War Z ant zombies, but I suppose it's a thing these days.

I was pleasantly surprised that the NK died. Hopefully the Game is back on, the political intrigues were always the most interesting part of the books and show I think. Not a huge fan of the Zombiegeddon aspect. Too bad though that the endgame was driven by the completely retarded zombie hunt of season 7 (one of the major WTF moments of the entire show when that decision was made), the climax being the result of a freak stupidity accident is unsatisfactory.

I hope Cersei gets to keep the Iron Throne. At least she's not monumentally stupid.

[The Minsky Moment]

Seeing as Cersei is relying on a mercenary company and a freebooting pirate to stay on the throne, and yet still thinks she's really in control, I'd say the evidence favors stupid.

[Habbaku]

Book-Cersei has always been pretty fucking stupid, but with enough power that some of her desires are enacted all the same. Show-Cersei is no different. She will lose, and, but it will be spectacular how much damage she does along the way.

[The Brain]

It all depends on her enemies, they might out-stupid her ten-to-one again in season 8. They did in season 7, against all character build-up. When you play the Game of Thrones you don't have to be smart, just the smartest.

[Habbaku]

Fair point there. If nothing else, the good guys have shown themselves to be really, really dumb, because good is dumb.

[viper37]

Also, it was anticlimactic af. I don't have a problem with Arya killing the Night King, per se, save for the questionable physics of her jump.

did you check the dragon flights too, if they conformed to real, non questionable physics?

[viper37]

hot damn!  This is so good!
Winterfell battle tactical analysis

They note every single strategic mistake made by the defenders, many of which we reported here, of course, being fans of strategy games , but it is a very enjoyable read

[crazy canuck]

That is great