HBO's Game of Thrones (Lots of spoilers-stay out if you don't want to know all)

[Jimbuna]

Something I stumbled across this morning whilst previewing episode 9

George Bush’s head on spike:
Season 1, episode 10: According to the directors, they couldn’t get enough prosthetic heads made up for the show and ended up using the spare one’s lying around. One of those just happened to be the fake head of George Bush, which eventually ended up on a spike.

[Tango589]

Originally Posted by Buddahaid

I must be the only person alive that has no interest in it at all.

Nope, there's another 2 in this household.

[Onkel Neal]

Episode 9 continued in what is a GoT tradition--a really intense episode where the plot is advanced through suffering and spectacle.

 

With all the squalling from women's groups about the "rape" scenes, I think the sacrifice in episode 9 is far and beyond the most heart-rending scene. It fit into the story perfectly, the first time we met Stannis and the Red Witch in season 2, they were burning people alive. Westeros is a brutal place, without elements like this, the red wedding, and the brutal treatment of people, it would slip into Disney mode. GoT does not pull any punches.

That was offest by the glorious coliseum scene. That was a helluva show, it rivaled Hollywood for staging and effects. That Clark can emote more with one eyebrow than a lot of A-list actors. Very thrilling. Looking forward to next week's finale!

[Wolferz]

So, if you need a big warm bed just push two twins together and make a king. Call it a Lannister bed.

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Wolferz

So, if you need a big warm bed just push two twins together and make a king. Call it a Lannister bed.

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

Episode 9 continued in what is a GoT tradition--a really intense episode where the plot is advanced through suffering and spectacle.

 

With all the squalling from women's groups about the "rape" scenes, I think the sacrifice in episode 9 is far and beyond the most heart-rending scene. It fit into the story perfectly, the first time we met Stannis and the Red Witch in season 2, they were burning people alive. Westeros is a brutal place, without elements like this, the red wedding, and the brutal treatment of people, it would slip into Disney mode. GoT does not pull any punches.

That was offest by the glorious coliseum scene. That was a helluva show, it rivaled Hollywood for staging and effects. That Clark can emote more with one eyebrow than a lot of A-list actors. Very thrilling. Looking forward to next week's finale!

 

Yes, I must admit, this weeks episode twisted the dagger much more than the rape of Sansa. You knew it was coming but you still hoped that either Stannis would change his mind or the Onion Knight would ride in and save her. But no, and it's this brutality which sets GoT aside from other series of its kind. It's not afraid to throw heavy punches. Sure it gets a bit cliché in places, but when it lands one, it hits hard.
The coliseum scene was indeed glorious, although one does have to wonder now that the Queen of Dragons has flown off like the kid from Neverending Story on the Luck Dragon...errr, what about the poor sods she left in the coliseum with a couple of hundred Sons of the Harpy surrounding them....
Still, I suspect that the dragons are going to get a feast, because if I were Dany I'd be sorely tempted to toast every single 'master' in that city. Or perhaps go full Targeryan and just toast the entire city...

[Sailor Steve]

 

Somehow even before the big scene, I found myself thinking of Iphigenia.

Connections:

Stephen Dillane, who plays Stannis Baratheon, was Thomas Jefferson in the John Adams miniseries.

Lena Headey, who plays Cersei Lannister, was Sarah Connor in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Not really important, as she's played a lot of good roles, but...

Emilia Clarke, who plays Daenerys Targaryen, is also playing Sarah Connor in the upcoming Terminator Genisys.

[Oberon]

The chap behind Bronn, Jerome Flynn is also fairly famous in British circles for being one half of the 'Robson and Jerome' duo that started in the TV series 'Soldier Soldier' and then made their way into the music charts.

And whenever I see Iain Glen (Ser Jorah Friendzone) talking to Danearys with Emilia Clarkes dyed hair, I can't help but think of this scene:

[VipertheSniper]

Originally Posted by Oberon

The chap behind Bronn, Jerome Flynn is also fairly famous in British circles for being one half of the 'Robson and Jerome' duo that started in the TV series 'Soldier Soldier' and then made their way into the music charts.

And whenever I see Iain Glen (Ser Jorah Friendzone) talking to Danearys with Emilia Clarkes dyed hair, I can't help but think of this scene:

[Eichhörnchen]

Originally Posted by Oberon

The chap behind Bronn, Jerome Flynn is also fairly famous in British circles for being one half of the 'Robson and Jerome' duo that started in the TV series 'Soldier Soldier' and then made their way into the music charts.

Jerome Flynn and Robson Green

With another "Soldier Soldier" co-star, Holly Aird

[Jimbuna]

My hope for episode ten is seeing an outcome to the predicament facing Cersei and the look on that female jailors face if what Cersei has promised comes to be.

No doubt Tyrion will come away from the arena safe and sound.

Eyes to the skies folks....eyes to the skies.

[Dowly]

High time for Cersei to get her head chopped off.

I've really started to dislike Dany. She has transformed from a strong leader to a teenage girl, letting her emotions dictate how to run her little empire (and that has gone well lately..)

[Rhodes]

Game of Thrones female characters, re-imagine as pin-ups:

http://tv.sapo.pt/noticias/a-guerra-...pin-ups/foto/1

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Dowly

High time for Cersei to get her head chopped off.

I've really started to dislike Dany. She has transformed from a strong leader to a teenage girl, letting her emotions dictate how to run her little empire (and that has gone well lately..)

I think Dany has been given a bit of an idiot ball, I think it's meant to show how much of a stabilising influence on her that Jorah Friendzone had been up until that point.
Some of the writing of this season has been very heavy-handed, and some of the twists have been a bit obvious in approach. However, I must admit I did not see last episodes one coming even though in retrospect it was pretty well signposted.
Cersei...well...

 

I don't think she'll get the chop, as Jim has alluded to, she will have to do her walk of shame which means that Jim gets to see naked Lena Headey. Or at least that's how it is in the book...whether they'll keep that in the TV show is another matter. There's been a lot of divergences from the book this season, which admittedly makes sense since they've now run out of books to adapt from and so in order to set up the cliff-hangers for next season they have to make the alterations in this one.

I think that:

 

Kevan Lannister (Tywins brother) is going to arrive at Kings Landing and start trying to recover the cluster fornication that is the current Lannister state of affairs, this will lead to a more stable Lannister base to take on Stannis next season. Cersei is going to find herself having to work around Kevan in order to further her goals, just as she had to with her father.
Stannis will win the siege of Winterfell, but his victory won't be shown in next weeks episode, it will end on a cliffhanger. Ser Davos is going to face a major crisis of loyalty, but I'd wager that he'll stay loyal to Stannis but might try to kill Melisandre, he will fail, of course, and then he'll probably be banished or exiled, since Stannis will have gone pretty much over the edge.
Sansa will get Winterfell, but there won't be much of it left, and since winter is here there will be mass famines and trouble with the wildlings that Jon Snow has let through the wall. She will find herself having to deal with the wildling problems, rebuilding Winterfell and having to outwit Littlefinger who will be trying to claim the north for his own. Perhaps through trying to marry her to Robin Arryn in order to unite the North and the Vale into one power bloc.
With any luck Ramsay Bolton will die in a particularly horrible way during the Siege of Winterfell, perferably by Sansa and 'Reek's hands, I dare say that Brienne will play some part in the safe-guarding of Sansa in the final hours, but she will not be able to stay around when Stannis forces take Winterfell, she did serve Renly after all.
Ayra is going to kill Trant, most likely by posing as a prostitute and then poisoning him with the stuff meant for the thin man. Jaqen will punish her for disobeying orders, but will be grudgingly impressed by her methods and her resolve.

That's my take on it anyway, I'm not sure quite where they're going to take Danys storyline, only that I'm fairly sure that Daario is involved with the Harpys in some manner. I'm also not sure how the Tyrell situation is going to be resolved, likewise with the Militant Faith. But I can see the next seasons major conflicts being between Stannis of the North and the Lannister alliance of the South, while the Zombeh armies of the Far north prepare for their assault on the wall.

I could be wrong, in fact I'm sure that I will be wrong on quite a few of those, and in many instances I hope that I am wrong and that they'll throw some unexpected twists in the tale. They have done so far. But we'll see.

[Torvald Von Mansee]

So, English dudes: how good/bad is Peter Dinklage's accent?