Ah well. I'll just rewatch episode 1 until it comes out then.

 

Btw, I'll just leave this here...

Spoiler

HBO just making sure you know Arya is of age now

 

Spoiler

Episode 1 and 2 could've been just one episode. Not very impressed with this episode, though I still enjoyed it somewhat.

 

Anyone else getting the feeling that the White Walker threat is gonna wind up being a footnote (over and done in 1 episode) and the rest of the episodes are going to be the scramble for the Iron Throne? At first I thought they are gonna lose the North and head South, but I’m convinced next week the Night King gets ganked and that’s the end of the White Walker threat.

 

Yeah nah.

Also, Sansa/Theon is happening lol. Open wide, fanbase.

 

God what a dreadful episode. Reunions in Winterfell the episode, everyone had very obviously the same amount of screen time, the writing and acting were stilted and off - and worst of all, almost nothing happened.

Literally all it needed was a murder to save it. Instead I was bored pretty much from minute one.

Also Maisie Williams is cute I guess but she still looks like a kid and man there was no chemistry there at all.

 

For all the bad things about this episode, and there were many, Jenny’s Song was absolutely amazing. When Pod started singing I just kinda stared, and when the credits started the whole room was quiet. Haven’t had that happen since the Red Wedding I think.

 

He was a good singer but it was such a cringe moment multiple people burst out laughing.

I actually think this might be the worst episode of Game of Thrones.

 

It had plenty of problems but my expectations of the show have gone so far down since season 4 that I can’t watch it the same way I used to. I want to enjoy it so I no longer hold it to the same standards as the early seasons. In the light I view the later seasons in it was an alright scene but his personal singing ability made me enjoy it very much. If I looked at the new episodes the way I did the old ones I simply wouldn’t watch anymore.

 

People who think episode 2 is bad... haven't seen the first four seasons in years (and are idealizing them).

There were several key build-up episodes in the previous seasons, and they certainly weren't much (if at all) better than this episode. You had character building, key moments that will affect episodes down the line, and closing plotlines for several characters who are probably going to die next episode.

You also had the brilliant development of Dany, where she is beginning to realize how close the Starks are, and how everyone loves them, and how painfully alone she is. It was a great comparison between the two sides. Everyone is there, at Winterfell, supporting the Starks, not the Targaryens. Then, she learns at the end Jon Snow is a Targaryen, and now even her claim to the throne is gone. It's also a great lead up if they go the route I'm thinking they will take.

Spoiler

Dany sacrificing herself for the Seven Kingdoms or Jon killing her to become the Prince who is Promised, flaming sword and all

Most of all, they managed to capture the building dread and worry that is looming over them all.

Who's going to die next episode?

100% Dead: Brienne, Davos, Jorah, Beric, Theon, Missandei, Varys
50% Dead: Arya or Gendry, Bran, Tormund, Grey Worm, Dany
25% Dead: Jon, Tyrion, The Hound
0% Dead: Sansa, Jamie

 

I might be reading too much into this, but the Night King wasn't in the final shot of Walkers arriving at Winterfell.

???

 

Pretty much this. It wasn't a gripping edge-of-your-seat thrill-fest, it was a low-key character-interaction focused episode before the big action punch-up next episode. Bottle episodes are pretty much a requirement of show-making; the more money they spend on making the big dramatic battles, the less there is for everything else. Not to mention there's something to be said pacing-wise for a breather episode before things hit the big action scene. If everything's non-stop action, violence, and murder like some folks seem to want it gets boring fast. Season 1 has a ton of time spent on buildup before things go crazy in the last couple episodes.

That said, this episode certainly had room for improvement. Pacing-wise, a breather bottle episode feels out of place as the second episode in the season. It makes total sense to have a breather episode before the big final battle with the Army of the Dead, but, um, is episode 3 going to be the final battle? That rather begs the question of what happens for the rest of the season. The Cersei/Golden Company plot? The stakes on that are far lower than with the Army of the Dead (not to mention there's a lot about that plot that's kind of ... really stupid). I can't imagine the big final battle lasting three whole episodes. But an entire episode's worth of buildup to a non-climactic battle feels really off.

And the other big problem, we don't need a breather episode right now, because nothing's happened yet. Pacing-wise, this episode would make a lot more sense as episode 4, with the bulk of the big final battle being episode 5, and episode 6 being the conclusion of the battle along with the epilogue. That gives episode 2 and 3 to provide us with some smaller-scale action bits, with opening skirmishes, and maybe a first battle against the Army of the Dead that goes horribly wrong to help underline the threat.

Everyone's pessimism feels a bit off right now, when we haven't really gotten a feel for how big the threat is. Sure, there's 7 seasons of buildup, but we haven't even scene a proper battle against the Army of the Dead since Hardhome. I think we should've gotten a proper battle of some sort at Last Hearth, which would've been a nice stomping to underline just how hopeless the situation is. Show that even with all the new obsidian weapons and other preparations, it's just not enough against the sheer numbers of the Army of the Dead and the power of the White Walkers.

Granted, that wouldn't leave any space for the Cersei/Golden Company plotline they seem to want to do, but then as long as I'm saying how I would've done GoT I would've killed Cersei off as the capstone of season 7 so the war against the Night King could be the sole focus of the final season.

 

I don't think the Night King will be defeated in this episode. Honestly, I think Winterfell is going to fall (due to the crypts) or they are barely going to survive (due to the crypts) and because the Night King doesn't show up.

Putting my predictions in spoilers if people don't want to see it.

Spoiler

There are some great theories that the Night King doesn't join the battle at Winterfell but instead goes to King's Landing and utterly wreaks it. They survive the battle at Winterfell barely, mostly due to some magical thing in the Crypts (Starks rising for the living? etc, etc), to find out there is now a bigger army of the dead coming North.

I just feel that the serious big bad being talked about for the last seven episodes ain't gonna be defeated three episodes in.

I will admit this episode should have been combined with episode 1, as episode 1 is almost forgettable compared to this episode.

 

IMO this was the best episode since the finale of season 6. It's a back to basics episode doing what Game of Thrones did to get so popular in the first place: character.

The reason why Game of Thrones is so good is not dragons or high budget battles or action. Dragons didn't even show up until the end of season 1 and for the first couple of seasons all the big battles happened off screen. While I'm glad that we now get to see the battles, during season 7 the showrunners seemed to have forgotten what makes the story tick.

They finally seemed to remember in episode 2. I suspect, if the next episodes are all action, that this episode is going to be the emotional heart of the season. Jaime's public redemption, Brienne being knighted, Jon coming clean to Danaerys, Sansa and Danaeys coming to (something of) an understanding, Jorah vouching for Tyrion... there are so many important character moments in this episode, all with the tension of the upcoming battle running through them. And the three fulcrums for the resolution of all the series' central plotlines have been laid down:

Humanity vs the Night King

Danaerys vs Cersei

Jon/Sansa vs Danaerys

Edit: oh, and Tormund's story about how he got his nickname was just hilarious. They've been holding onto that for several seasons now and it was deployed perfectly.

 

There are some suggestions that the next episode will have the White Walkers defeated for good, but they need to win this battle to prove how dangerous they are to the living after seven seasons of the build-up. Not to mention that the ending is suppose to be a lot like in the books and, unless she's replacing someone else like happened few times in the TV Show, I really don't expect the book Cersei to be the final villain.

 

My prediction would be something like:

Episode 3: Battle part 1 - multiple character deaths - "Bran as bait" plan fails - ends on cliffhanger with defeat looking inevitable.

Episode 4: Battle part 2 - deus ex machina involving major character death - Melisandre returns? - something something Prince Who Was Promised - Night King defeated.

Episode 5: Cersei vs. whoever is left after episode 4.

Episode 6: Epilogue/tying off loose ends.

Prediction for ending:

Danaerys and 1 dragon dead, Jon and 1 dragon on Iron Throne, Sansa as Queen in the North, granted independence by Jon.
--- Post automerged ---
Just saw the episode 3 preview. Spoilers for that preview:

Spoiler

Danaerys: "the dead are already here".

The fucking crypts. They've been emphasising them so much these last few episodes but it completely passed me by. But duh, they're full of dead people. Night King going to resurrect the dead Starks to fight for him from inside the castle.

 

What gets me is the White Walkers are apparently stupid enough to actually participate in this battle of Winterfell, where the defenders have as many advantages as they can get.

I mean they've got battle plans for the defence drawn up, they've embedded dragon glass into the walls and so on. And the plan is to let the white walkers attack. Which they will cause apparently they (the white walkers) are too stupid to actually siege it and starve the living out. Or even just go around the castle.

But y'know, plot. Great battle for survival! Wooo!


Personal prediction: Everyone dies over the next few episodes, the very last episode will end with Cersei staring back at a destroyed King's Landing from a boat, while that captured dragon soars towards her.

 

I'd say the battle will end with a narrow victory for the living, but only because the Night King won't take the bait and instead goes south to get himself a shiny new golden army and million plebs from Kings Landing (and ruins the throne room in process, just like in Dany's vision way back). Winterfell will be ruined enough in the battle that the survivors will have to make a retreat to the western coast where Yara will be waiting for them to transport them away. And then there will be a new battle between the living and the dead to wrap up the story; the living will win, but there won't be much left of the seven kingdoms.

Cersei will be part of the final battle, but not quite in the role she hoped for.