31 votes

Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 2 discussion thread

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37 comments

  1. [6]
    Autoxidation
    Link
    Overall a solid episode. Seeing Brienne smile like that after being knighted was very heartwarming, and I think it's quite possible she won't last past the next episode. IMO only Daenerys and Jon...

    Overall a solid episode. Seeing Brienne smile like that after being knighted was very heartwarming, and I think it's quite possible she won't last past the next episode. IMO only Daenerys and Jon are safe from being killed off next episode.

    We still haven't seen the Night King yet this season... I suspect he won't be at the battle next episode and instead burns King's Landing.

    15 votes
    1. Adys
      Link Parent
      I think Bran is decently safe until at least the last episode. Tyrion and Jamie are both also fairly safe for the time being IMO.

      I think Bran is decently safe until at least the last episode. Tyrion and Jamie are both also fairly safe for the time being IMO.

      4 votes
    2. a_wild_swarm_appears
      Link Parent
      I got surprisingly emotional when that happened. :-D

      Seeing Brienne smile like that after being knighted was very heartwarming

      I got surprisingly emotional when that happened. :-D

      4 votes
    3. smoontjes
      Link Parent
      Would make me smile like Brienne! Imagine if he rode the dead dragon down there and burnt the entire city and Cersei's mercenary army while the rest of the dead army is fighting at Winterfell....

      We still haven't seen the Night King yet this season... I suspect he won't be at the battle next episode and instead burns King's Landing.

      Would make me smile like Brienne! Imagine if he rode the dead dragon down there and burnt the entire city and Cersei's mercenary army while the rest of the dead army is fighting at Winterfell.

      That's probably a bit out there, but there's definitely a reason we haven't seen him and the dragon in this episode!

      4 votes
    4. actionscripted
      Link Parent
      I don't think she's on the safe list anymore. From the "we could stay here [the waterfall]" to the bristling at Jon's lineage...I get the feeling she might not make it.

      Daenerys

      I don't think she's on the safe list anymore. From the "we could stay here [the waterfall]" to the bristling at Jon's lineage...I get the feeling she might not make it.

      3 votes
    5. babypuncher
      Link Parent
      I feel like GRRM has made it pretty clear that Arya is safe as long as he wants to remain married.

      I feel like GRRM has made it pretty clear that Arya is safe as long as he wants to remain married.

      1 vote
  2. [4]
    weystrom
    (edited )
    Link
    2 episodes of setup, now it's time to kick into high gear with 1,5hour battle one.

    2 episodes of setup, now it's time to kick into high gear with 1,5hour battle one.

    10 votes
    1. [3]
      NecrophiliaChocolate
      Link Parent
      I think they should have merged episode 1 and 2. Would have made for a much stronger season premiere. I know I would have preferred watching these two together. I might consider waiting 2 weeks...

      I think they should have merged episode 1 and 2. Would have made for a much stronger season premiere. I know I would have preferred watching these two together. I might consider waiting 2 weeks and watching 3 and 4 together. Let's see.

      7 votes
      1. [2]
        smoontjes
        Link Parent
        I definitely agree with you. It's good to have the series back, but these first few episodes were a bit disappointing outside of few scenes

        I definitely agree with you. It's good to have the series back, but these first few episodes were a bit disappointing outside of few scenes

        1 vote
        1. Parliament
          Link Parent
          I know they needed to tie up loose ends especially as plotlines all merged in Winterfell, but it felt like they were running through a pre-battle checklist with each scene last night.

          I know they needed to tie up loose ends especially as plotlines all merged in Winterfell, but it felt like they were running through a pre-battle checklist with each scene last night.

          5 votes
  3. [9]
    actionscripted
    (edited )
    Link
    You can definitely tell they're rushing things along. The last episode and this one felt like a slew of brief "hey, it's you/me/us and remember this/that?!" snippets edited together. I understand...

    You can definitely tell they're rushing things along. The last episode and this one felt like a slew of brief "hey, it's you/me/us and remember this/that?!" snippets edited together. I understand we've only got a few more episodes to go and there's a lot to wrap up so I am not complaining -- just noting how shallow and jumpy it feels.

    That said, I love these episodes. So much warmth and comfort and connection in the last two episodes that I almost feel like I could stop watching now and be happy. I like that we've at least given every major character some screen time (even Ghost!) and given them all mostly positive vibes prior to the war.

    Obviously a LOT of people are going to die very soon. My hope is that the war is one episode, and the remaining few dive deeper into the aftermath.

    Also, still holding out hope for CLEGANEBOWL 2019.

    10 votes
    1. jprich
      Link Parent
      What is HYPE may never die!

      What is HYPE may never die!

      4 votes
    2. Amarok
      Link Parent
      Sappo is directing eps 3 and 5 this season. Those will be the big fights. If cleganebowl is going to happen, it's going down in ep 5 or 6. Things will start to move faster once they kill off 2/3...

      Sappo is directing eps 3 and 5 this season. Those will be the big fights. If cleganebowl is going to happen, it's going down in ep 5 or 6. Things will start to move faster once they kill off 2/3 of the cast in ep3. :D

      3 votes
    3. NaraVara
      Link Parent
      It's been like this the past 2 seasons. When you see how abruptly the showrunners keep blitzing through plot points and having characters improbably teleport all over the place it becomes clearer...

      You can definitely tell they're rushing things along. The last episode and this one felt like a slew two of brief "hey, it's you/me/us and remember this/that?!" snippets edited together. I understand we've only got a few more episodes to go and there's a lot to wrap up so I am not complaining -- just noting how shallow and jumpy it feels.

      It's been like this the past 2 seasons. When you see how abruptly the showrunners keep blitzing through plot points and having characters improbably teleport all over the place it becomes clearer why GRRM is never going to finish this series. It's too complicated to get everyone to where they need to be in a narratively satisfying way. They spent too much time meandering through, creating dangling plot points all along the way that it's impossible to tie it all up neatly.

      So it doesn't get tied up neatly. It just flies along at a frantic pace and never lets anything sink in.

      1 vote
    4. [5]
      Diet_Coke
      Link Parent
      When did Ghost come back? I thought he dived into a pack of zombies and got killed.

      When did Ghost come back? I thought he dived into a pack of zombies and got killed.

      1. [4]
        spctrvl
        Link Parent
        That was Summer, Bran's direwolf. Ghost was on screen in the last episode, but only in the background.

        That was Summer, Bran's direwolf. Ghost was on screen in the last episode, but only in the background.

        4 votes
        1. [3]
          Nivlak
          Link Parent
          I’m sure we’ll see Summer again...

          I’m sure we’ll see Summer again...

          1 vote
          1. [2]
            spctrvl
            Link Parent
            Hard to say, the direwolves don't seem to be all that important in the show, so they might not bother with wight Summer due to CGI budget constraints.

            Hard to say, the direwolves don't seem to be all that important in the show, so they might not bother with wight Summer due to CGI budget constraints.

            1 vote
            1. Adys
              Link Parent
              I feel like the direwolves were important but more in the sense that they represent a part of the character they were attached to. Nymeria is wild like Arya, so she went her own way. Brann's wolf...

              I feel like the direwolves were important but more in the sense that they represent a part of the character they were attached to. Nymeria is wild like Arya, so she went her own way. Brann's wolf died at the same time as Brann the boy does. Sansa's wolf died with Sansa's innocence, showing her that it'll get her killed; and so on.

              2 votes
  4. [2]
    Adys
    Link
    I think it's fair to make this a recurring thread for the duration of the season. Thoughts? It felt like a pretty quiet episode, I was surprised it ended so quickly. Especially with how much E01...

    I think it's fair to make this a recurring thread for the duration of the season.

    Thoughts? It felt like a pretty quiet episode, I was surprised it ended so quickly. Especially with how much E01 established all at once. I was expecting people to die. But I'm guessing E03 will be a giant battle and we'll get plenty of that.

    I felt like the theme of the episode was "the things we do for love". People preparing to fight for what they love. I'd wager we'll get major character deaths next episode, especially all the established survivors. I think Arya, Samwell, Brienne, Davos are all potential deaths.

    6 votes
    1. [2]
      Comment deleted by author
      Link Parent
      1. NaraVara
        Link Parent
        As soon as Grey Worm was all "Hey Missandei, let's talk about our plans for the future where we get a beach house." I knew.

        This episode was figuratively made of death flags.

        As soon as Grey Worm was all "Hey Missandei, let's talk about our plans for the future where we get a beach house." I knew.

        4 votes
  5. [11]
    Comment deleted by author
    Link
    1. [4]
      smoontjes
      Link Parent
      Maisie Williams is 22 years old, at least 21 at the time of filming. Why would you be uncomfortable about that? I mean, every actress who've been partially/fully nude in movies/tv have been 12 at...

      Maisie Williams is 22 years old, at least 21 at the time of filming. Why would you be uncomfortable about that? I mean, every actress who've been partially/fully nude in movies/tv have been 12 at one point. With that said, while I wasn't uncomfortable I just found the scene rather surprising - felt like it came out of nowhere!

      6 votes
      1. Pilgrim
        Link Parent
        I liked it because it showed that despite all of the horror and FM training, she's still a human being.

        I liked it because it showed that despite all of the horror and FM training, she's still a human being.

        6 votes
      2. [2]
        NaraVara
        Link Parent
        Because we've all seen her as a little kid. It's pretty normal to feel uncomfortable seeing people in sexual contexts if you've been exposed to them as children. It's especially jarring for Maisie...

        Why would you be uncomfortable about that?

        Because we've all seen her as a little kid. It's pretty normal to feel uncomfortable seeing people in sexual contexts if you've been exposed to them as children. It's especially jarring for Maisie Williams because her features are generally kind of cherubic to start with so she looks young for her age.

        It's one thing to know someone was 12, or to know that a former 12 year old is having sex now, but it's definitely jarring to see it.

        5 votes
        1. Staross
          Link Parent
          She also still looks like she's 12.

          She also still looks like she's 12.

          4 votes
    2. ras
      Link Parent
      I was a little uncomfortable. She has changed the least visually over the course of the show, unlike someone like Bran who is barely recognizable.

      I was a little uncomfortable. She has changed the least visually over the course of the show, unlike someone like Bran who is barely recognizable.

      4 votes
    3. treed
      Link Parent
      The thing I find hilarious about this is that we had episodes where she straight up murders tons of people, but she engages in what, compared to most of the show, is pretty wholesome sex, and...

      The thing I find hilarious about this is that we had episodes where she straight up murders tons of people, but she engages in what, compared to most of the show, is pretty wholesome sex, and suddenly "OH BUT SHE'S JUST A KID."

      4 votes
    4. [3]
      calcifer
      Link Parent
      There was an interview about it and the guy said he was a tad uncomfortable since he knew her since she was 11, but also didn't want to patronize her since she is a grown woman now. The show...

      There was an interview about it and the guy said he was a tad uncomfortable since he knew her since she was 11, but also didn't want to patronize her since she is a grown woman now. The show runners apparently told her she can "show as much or as little" as she wants. She wanted little.

      3 votes
      1. [2]
        Diet_Coke
        Link Parent
        From the way it was shot (up-close face only, then from behind, then back to face only) I figured it was a body double. I know they did the same for Lena Headley in the walk of shame.

        From the way it was shot (up-close face only, then from behind, then back to face only) I figured it was a body double. I know they did the same for Lena Headley in the walk of shame.

        1 vote
        1. calcifer
          Link Parent
          Apparently it wasn't a double. She said this:

          Apparently it wasn't a double. She said this:

          David and Dan were like: ‘You can show as much or as little as you want’ So I kept myself pretty private. I don’t think it’s important for Arya to flash. This beat isn’t really about that. And everybody else has already done it on the show, so…

          3 votes
    5. Cosmos
      Link Parent
      Yes.

      Is anyone else really uncomfortable with the Arya sex scene?

      Yes.

      3 votes
  6. [2]
    deciduous
    Link
    A much better episode than the first. The difference in emotion between the Sansa/Theon reunion versus the Jon/Arya reunion was clear and I felt like a lot of characters really got their chance to...

    A much better episode than the first. The difference in emotion between the Sansa/Theon reunion versus the Jon/Arya reunion was clear and I felt like a lot of characters really got their chance to shine and remind us why we like them so much. All the "last night" style of talk makes it pretty clear that a lot of characters might die. Excited to see the show willing to cut out some fan favorite characters for the first time in a while.

    My only real annoyance was with everybody praising Tryion for his intelligence. Tyrion is supposed to be a smart character, but the terrible ideas the showrunners give him make it hard to believe. The show said something to the effect of "Clever people underestimate their opponents", but I think that's just a lame excuse to cover for bad writing.

    5 votes
    1. Adys
      Link Parent
      Alt Shift X talked about this in his Livestream for E2. Tyrion has had it rough lately, making a lot of mistakes. Hopefully he gets to redeem himself, he really is an awesome character.

      Alt Shift X talked about this in his Livestream for E2. Tyrion has had it rough lately, making a lot of mistakes. Hopefully he gets to redeem himself, he really is an awesome character.

  7. [4]
    Arshan
    Link
    I really liked it; I am surprised that the battle at Winterfell is almost certainly going to be the next episode, which supports my pet conspiracy. I believe that the army attacking Winterfell is...

    I really liked it; I am surprised that the battle at Winterfell is almost certainly going to be the next episode, which supports my pet conspiracy. I believe that the army attacking Winterfell is a decoy. The NK and his real army is attacking the rest of Westeros, as it is practically undefended, except for Kings' Landing. He can then beef up his army and come back to kill Bran whenever he wants. Other than supporting my pet, the cinematography was really good, especially the war room and knighting scenes.

    3 votes
    1. Amarok
      Link Parent
      I'm hoping. If the dead roll over King's Landing it'll put their numbers over a million wights which would make them unstoppable. He could dedicate half of his soldiers and his walkers to taking...

      I'm hoping. If the dead roll over King's Landing it'll put their numbers over a million wights which would make them unstoppable. He could dedicate half of his soldiers and his walkers to taking down Winterfell and that's what, potentially 40 walkers and 60-70k wights? Take the rest south. They'll curbstomp Winterfell without breaking a sweat. We're still waiting on the 'packs of pale spiders, big as hounds' too.

      The spikes and the walls aren't much of a defense against the dead, they'll just pile up until they've formed a corpse-ramp right up the wall... and that's without the added complications of whatever the relationship is between the Starks, the NK, and Winterfell's crypts. If the dead come in from under the crypt, that's game over. Oh, and who knows how many wight-giants are in that army, they'll make short work of any gates.

      As for the Golden company and what remains of the other armies - no dragon glass, checkmate. They have no defense, they are all sitting ducks. Thing is, if the NK is not at Winterfell to deal with Dany's remaining dragons, those dragons even up the odds considerably.

      4 votes
    2. [2]
      Diet_Coke
      Link Parent
      One thing I'll say about that theory is that it would make sense. Several times, an army has achieved decisive victory by not going to where their opponents thought they'd be. I'm thinking Robb vs...

      One thing I'll say about that theory is that it would make sense. Several times, an army has achieved decisive victory by not going to where their opponents thought they'd be. I'm thinking Robb vs Jaime in the Whispering Wood and the Unsullied taking Casterly Rock. The Night King has done this all before several times from the sound of it, so I would expect him to be a pretty competent commander.

      3 votes
      1. treed
        Link Parent
        Notably, Jaime explicitly mentioned Whispering Wood, which feels a little foreshadowy to me.

        Notably, Jaime explicitly mentioned Whispering Wood, which feels a little foreshadowy to me.

        3 votes