So I realized today that I have spent nearly 0 time talking about Bran this season. I briefly mention him in one of my last posts. Well, his scenes definitely deserve another look at and discussed. Let's begin.
When we first see Bran this season, he's being trained by the 3 Eyed Raven (in the books, he's Bryndon Rivers, a bastard Targaryan). We're introduced to how Bran can travel through time. At first it's fun to watch him walk around and see his father Ned and Ned's sibilings. We meet Lyanna Stark for the first time and (sob) Hodor before the incident. I noticed something rewatching this scene in episode 2. Hodor responds to Bran as if he has full brain function but only says "Hodor". So when Bran says, (looking at Hodor)
"Willis? That was your name?"
Hodor replies, "Hodor." Quietly, like saying, "yeah."
Then Bran goes on. "You could talk. What happened?"
Hodor looks at Bran with this very sad expression and says, "hodor." As if to say, "you happened." HEARTBREAKING! HOLY BALL SWEAT DO I LOVE THIS SHOW!
Anyway, next time we see Bran is at the Tower of Joy flashback Part 1! This scene is AWESOME! Ever since the flashback in the finale I have wanted to go back and see this episode again. Arthur Dayne is truly a great swordsmen! Book readers, did you notice that Ned picks up Ser Arthur's sword Dawn in this first part, and then has it with him when he sees Lyanna in the tower? I'm going to do a post about ancestral swords of Westerosi Houses, like Dawn and the Stark's greatsword Ice.
This scene shows us that even as a spirit (or whatever the hell he is. A ghost?), he still can influence the past. Now, that does NOT mean he can change the future. This is what is a called a "closed Time loop". There can be no alternate future if Bran does something while in the past. Now there is a theory floating around that Bran may be the reason King Aerys II became known as the "Mad King". Could Bran go back in time and disturb the past in a way that Aerys goes crazy? Or maybe every few Targaryans carry the "mad gene".
Next Bran stuff is in episode 5 The Door. Yeah. That door. Poor Hodor. Poor door Hodor. HA! Sorry. We get to learn about the origins of the White Walkers! Cool. I'll get more into them another time. Bran, once again, is able to interact with wherever the weirwood tree takes him. It's not clear, but it seems as though Bran is whisked away to someplace that will help explain a piece of the plot at a perfect time for the audience to know. I love this device. I love that moment when you are reading or watching something and a big piece of a mystery falls into place. Yeah, that's some good shit. ANYway, the Night King is not only able to see Bran, but touch him too! This dude must be CRUH-AZY powerful! And now we're heading towards a showdown between Bran and the Night King possibly on the astral plane? That's like Professor X fighting the Shadow King!!!! Did I mention that I love this show?
Lastly is the Tower of Joy flashback part 2. Lovely. Jon or maybe Jaeharys Targaryan (more on that another time ;-) ) is born and Bran sees it all. He knows who Jon's real parents are!!! What is he going to do with that information! My wife is a strong believer in the theory that Meera Reed is actually Jon's sister. I also believe this to be true. Season 7 could potentially start off with a close up of a young Ned Stark looking down at a baby Jon while he sits next to his now dead sister. Suddenly, a baby cries, but it's not Jon. Ned looks over to see the handmaid with a baby girl. Since Howland Reed had no problem stabbing Ser Arthur Dayne through the back of the neck, I bet he'd be down to adopt a baby girl. There is some solid evidence to back that theory up too. Just look at Meera. She looks exactly like Jon. She is also the same age. A fact that is in the books, but you can roughly judge how close in age they are despite them never sharing screen time.
So where does Bran go from here? We know he is at the Wall, and because of Benjen Stark, we know that magic helps protect the Wall and all beyond it. Maybe Bran goes through the Wall like he does in the books, by way of a magic door in the Night Fort. That would be pretty cool. Or maybe he goes through at Castle Black like everyone else has done. There he meets Dolores Edd, who sends a raven to Winterfell addressed to the new King of the North. Holy shit this show is so great, I can't believe I have to wait another year to see new episodes.
Thanks for reading! The first 2 parts of my new podcast The Good Shit is now available on soundcloud.com the link is here: soundcloud.com/mike-milnes-802160554/good-shit-official-episode-1-part-1-jun-23-002
See ya next time!
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Game of Thrones - What's next?
So it's been a few days, but we're still feeling the glow after that masterpiece that was episode 10 "Winds of Winter". But what's next? What does season 7 have in store for us? Well, there are of course, no definite answers, BUT we have some clues from the finale to go off of so we can speculate what the season premiere will feature. Let's take a looksee:
So Cersei is now the Queen of Westeros. Fully in command, but she has yet to talk with Jamie. I can't imagine Jamie being very happy about Cersei's choices, especially when one of those choices led to the death of their youngest child. I don't think Jamie will react so fiercely that he'll kill her right away. Cersei will most likely be the main antagonist in Westeros throughout the next season, hopefully with a showdown between her and Dany. How awesome would that be? I think Cersei is headed for one of the biggest comeuppances (I think I made up that word) we have ever seen in the show. She is a terrible person, and the only part left to the prophecy she's connected to is her own death. Dany could attack King's Landing, and Tyrion could be the one to finally end Cersei's life. That would be fitting, but there are too many parallels between Jamie being called the Kingslayer and now Cersei being Queen.
As for Daenarys, the last shot of the finale was her and her forces sailing across what looks like the Narrow Sea. But is it the Narrow Sea really? Did you notice Varys standing just behind her on the ship? How could he travel half way across the world from Meerheen to Dorne and then back to Meerheen before Dany leaves? Unless, he didn't. I can hear your brains. "What is he talking about?" What if Dany didn't wait for Varys to come back. What if she met him at Dorne and is now sailing on to where they'll make camp. Makes sense right? And where do you think the fleet should land? How about the fortress that Dany's ancestors built when they first came to Westeros? That's right, I'm talking about Dragonstone! Yes, Dany could sail to and hide in Dorne, but why would she hide? She already has the backing of 2 great houses, Highgarden and Dorne, now she needs a place of her own. She'll take back Dragonstone, which we haven't seen since Stannis left it in Season 2, and from there she will launch her assault against King's Landing. Dany has really set herself up to totally conquer Westeros. An army of Unsullied, the mercenaries of the Second Sons, the power of the largest Kahlasar the world has ever seen, half of the Iron Fleet plus her own armada, and 3 nearly full sized dragons! What does Cersei have? The Lannister army basically, and a heavily fortified capital city. I can't wait to see that fight!
Jon and Sansa have had quite the season, and really next year is up in the air about what will happen with them. I think Sansa is not done with Little Finger. She needs to keep him close to ensure that he won't betray her in anyway, and yet I feel like that betrayal is coming no matter what she does. She spurned his marriage proposal, but I don't think that will be the last time it is discussed. Little Finger has been holding onto a grudge against the Starks and Tullys since he was a boy. I do believe he wants to marry Sansa, as that would be a victory to him, like he got the last laugh after not ever being loved by Catlyn. Although, his ties to the Starks could be one he feels is necessary and a way of honoring Catlyn. Of course, with Little Finger, anything is possible.
As for Jon, we all know what his priorities are. He's most likely going to spend his time in season 7 preparing the Northerners for the war against the White Walkers. Although, now that he's the King of the North, he may need to act diplomatically. And along with encouragement from Sansa and possibly Little Finger turn his attention South to King's Landing. I don't know how much interest the Starks will have in taking the Iron Throne after just getting back Winterfell. Typically the North didn't get involved in happenings in the South unless absolutely necessary. But there is definitely one thing I think we all want to see happen! And that is either Jon discovering the R+L=J secret for himself or reuiniting with Bran!
I actually highly doubt Bran will reunite with his family next season. Bran is the 3 Eyed Raven now, and his priority is protecting the realm from the White Walkers and the Night King. Bran was last scene just outside of the Wall. That's where he'll stay too. Maybe the new Lord Commander Dolores Edd will contact Jon about Bran being there. But I think Jon discovers the truth of his parentage himself. And what could that mean for him?
Jon is such an interesting character. Led to believe he's a bastard his whole life, leaves the family he loves to take the black at the Wall, loses the only family he has at the Wall when Benjen disapears, gets taken captive while out on his first ranging, joins the Wildlings as an undercover brother, CLIMBS THE WALL, escapes the Wildlings, takes over command of Castle Black during the battle for the Wall which in turns gets him elected the new Lord Commander, learns that his entire family is either dead, missing or a hostage, gets MURDERED BY HIS OWN BROTHERS (of the Night's Watch that is), brought back to life, retakes his home from the Boltons, AND is named King of the North despite being a bastard in the eyes of his bannermen. AND NOW he's about to find out that the other half of him that is not a Stark is actually a TARGARYAN!!!
That in itself is a bit crazy. What little Jon knows of the Targaryans he's learned from Maester Aemon or from stories told by Old Nan when he was a boy at Winterfell. However he discovers this secret, he's going to have butt loads of questions.
Season 6 ended with everything resolving wonderfully. Season 7 is set to be pretty awesome, but I have a feeling the good guys' victory won't last long. Cersei is in power, and who knows what that means for the rest of Westeros. Sigh. Unfortunately we all have to wait until April 2017 to find out.
If you didn't know already, the next 2 seasons will be shorter. Instead of 10 episodes, season 7 will probably only have 7 or 8 episodes, while season 8 (the last season) will only have 6 or 7. This sounds crappy, I know, but the show still has the same budget for each season as it has before. So each episode will actually be longer in run time and feature more each week. So, we're really not losing anything. In fact, as a believer that the story is the king, this is a fantastic decision. LOST was a show that suffered from having too many seasons. So if the creators of Game of Thrones only need 7 episodes to tell their story, then that is fine with me. Nobody wants a Hobbit situation, where they take 3 movies to tell 1 story.
So that's it right? No more GoT until next year? Yeah. BUT I'm still going to post about it! I rewatch the show from start to finish every year and there are so many theories and predictions to discuss. So, don't fret, this isn't the end, I swear to the Old Gods and the New.
So Cersei is now the Queen of Westeros. Fully in command, but she has yet to talk with Jamie. I can't imagine Jamie being very happy about Cersei's choices, especially when one of those choices led to the death of their youngest child. I don't think Jamie will react so fiercely that he'll kill her right away. Cersei will most likely be the main antagonist in Westeros throughout the next season, hopefully with a showdown between her and Dany. How awesome would that be? I think Cersei is headed for one of the biggest comeuppances (I think I made up that word) we have ever seen in the show. She is a terrible person, and the only part left to the prophecy she's connected to is her own death. Dany could attack King's Landing, and Tyrion could be the one to finally end Cersei's life. That would be fitting, but there are too many parallels between Jamie being called the Kingslayer and now Cersei being Queen.
As for Daenarys, the last shot of the finale was her and her forces sailing across what looks like the Narrow Sea. But is it the Narrow Sea really? Did you notice Varys standing just behind her on the ship? How could he travel half way across the world from Meerheen to Dorne and then back to Meerheen before Dany leaves? Unless, he didn't. I can hear your brains. "What is he talking about?" What if Dany didn't wait for Varys to come back. What if she met him at Dorne and is now sailing on to where they'll make camp. Makes sense right? And where do you think the fleet should land? How about the fortress that Dany's ancestors built when they first came to Westeros? That's right, I'm talking about Dragonstone! Yes, Dany could sail to and hide in Dorne, but why would she hide? She already has the backing of 2 great houses, Highgarden and Dorne, now she needs a place of her own. She'll take back Dragonstone, which we haven't seen since Stannis left it in Season 2, and from there she will launch her assault against King's Landing. Dany has really set herself up to totally conquer Westeros. An army of Unsullied, the mercenaries of the Second Sons, the power of the largest Kahlasar the world has ever seen, half of the Iron Fleet plus her own armada, and 3 nearly full sized dragons! What does Cersei have? The Lannister army basically, and a heavily fortified capital city. I can't wait to see that fight!
Jon and Sansa have had quite the season, and really next year is up in the air about what will happen with them. I think Sansa is not done with Little Finger. She needs to keep him close to ensure that he won't betray her in anyway, and yet I feel like that betrayal is coming no matter what she does. She spurned his marriage proposal, but I don't think that will be the last time it is discussed. Little Finger has been holding onto a grudge against the Starks and Tullys since he was a boy. I do believe he wants to marry Sansa, as that would be a victory to him, like he got the last laugh after not ever being loved by Catlyn. Although, his ties to the Starks could be one he feels is necessary and a way of honoring Catlyn. Of course, with Little Finger, anything is possible.
As for Jon, we all know what his priorities are. He's most likely going to spend his time in season 7 preparing the Northerners for the war against the White Walkers. Although, now that he's the King of the North, he may need to act diplomatically. And along with encouragement from Sansa and possibly Little Finger turn his attention South to King's Landing. I don't know how much interest the Starks will have in taking the Iron Throne after just getting back Winterfell. Typically the North didn't get involved in happenings in the South unless absolutely necessary. But there is definitely one thing I think we all want to see happen! And that is either Jon discovering the R+L=J secret for himself or reuiniting with Bran!
I actually highly doubt Bran will reunite with his family next season. Bran is the 3 Eyed Raven now, and his priority is protecting the realm from the White Walkers and the Night King. Bran was last scene just outside of the Wall. That's where he'll stay too. Maybe the new Lord Commander Dolores Edd will contact Jon about Bran being there. But I think Jon discovers the truth of his parentage himself. And what could that mean for him?
Jon is such an interesting character. Led to believe he's a bastard his whole life, leaves the family he loves to take the black at the Wall, loses the only family he has at the Wall when Benjen disapears, gets taken captive while out on his first ranging, joins the Wildlings as an undercover brother, CLIMBS THE WALL, escapes the Wildlings, takes over command of Castle Black during the battle for the Wall which in turns gets him elected the new Lord Commander, learns that his entire family is either dead, missing or a hostage, gets MURDERED BY HIS OWN BROTHERS (of the Night's Watch that is), brought back to life, retakes his home from the Boltons, AND is named King of the North despite being a bastard in the eyes of his bannermen. AND NOW he's about to find out that the other half of him that is not a Stark is actually a TARGARYAN!!!
That in itself is a bit crazy. What little Jon knows of the Targaryans he's learned from Maester Aemon or from stories told by Old Nan when he was a boy at Winterfell. However he discovers this secret, he's going to have butt loads of questions.
Season 6 ended with everything resolving wonderfully. Season 7 is set to be pretty awesome, but I have a feeling the good guys' victory won't last long. Cersei is in power, and who knows what that means for the rest of Westeros. Sigh. Unfortunately we all have to wait until April 2017 to find out.
If you didn't know already, the next 2 seasons will be shorter. Instead of 10 episodes, season 7 will probably only have 7 or 8 episodes, while season 8 (the last season) will only have 6 or 7. This sounds crappy, I know, but the show still has the same budget for each season as it has before. So each episode will actually be longer in run time and feature more each week. So, we're really not losing anything. In fact, as a believer that the story is the king, this is a fantastic decision. LOST was a show that suffered from having too many seasons. So if the creators of Game of Thrones only need 7 episodes to tell their story, then that is fine with me. Nobody wants a Hobbit situation, where they take 3 movies to tell 1 story.
So that's it right? No more GoT until next year? Yeah. BUT I'm still going to post about it! I rewatch the show from start to finish every year and there are so many theories and predictions to discuss. So, don't fret, this isn't the end, I swear to the Old Gods and the New.
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
WOW! WHAT AN EPISODE!
I am a fan of episodic television. I love the amount of time a season of a tv show has to lay out a story, because for me, the story is the most important. There have been only a few shows that stand heads above the rest when it comes to season premieres and season finales. Lost was one of those shows, Breaking Bad is another. The Sopranos was probably the first show for me that got my excitement built up for the season finale. But of all of these great shows we've seen and have now, Game of Thrones is the best of the best; and Sunday night's episode was the best one ever.
Let's just dive right in. First of all, there is one thing that fans want more than anything when watching their favorite shows. Resolution. And this episode was the most satisfying GoT finale ever. SO MANY PEOPLE DIED! But let's go from start to end:
The beginning is just eerie. Everyone preparing for the fateful day of trial within the Great Sept of Baelor. Cersei looked like she was dressing for battle, with her black (what looked like boiled leather) dress and shoulder pads. She looked serious, and like she had something on her mind, and BOY DID SHE EVER! After this scene, and then watching the rest of the episode, to see that Cersei wears the same thing the entire time tells me that she was fully aware of every and all possibilities after the incident.
Then we see the King. Tommen, of course, is being prepped and is dressed in gold. Remember the prophecy post I did the other day? The one about Maggy the Frog and Cersei, when talking about Cersei's future and specifically her children, Maggy said, "Gold shall be their crowns and gold shall be their shrouds." So to see Tommen dressed in gold from head to toe told me everything I needed to know. I already figured that Tommen would die in this episode, but I only found myself thinking that he would kill himself after I saw his face when he saw the explosion. That was so wonderfully done, so creepy and eerie how he waits til the servant leaves the room; removes his crown and just falls out the window. No hesitation, no emotion; just nothing. And it fit perfectly! Of course Tommen would commit suicide! He was a coward, who lost everyone and everything he cared about in an instant. He was fighting the voices in his own head about what to do with his mother!
The destruction of the Great Sept was an incredible sight. My wife and I found ourselves screaming at the High Sparrow to let everyone leave! Why wouldn't they let them go? It was such a clean sweep of Cersei's enemies, and one that no other character has been able to do. Every other character who has eliminated an obstacle or enemy in their way, is almost immediatley confronted with another. Cersei kills everyone, and takes the Iron Throne without contest.
I loved this season because it progressed the story further and more quickly than ever before. Don't get me wrong, I loved the other seasons as well along with their pacing, but (again) the quickness in the story telling really lent a lot to the fun and excitement of the season. The finale killed many characters, some major some minor. And one seemed to be the substitute for a major death in the book that we don't see on the show. Kevyn Lannister dies at the hands of Varys in the books, but is present at the Great Sept when it blows up. So, Grand Maester Pycelle's death takes it's place. For the show, it works wonderfully, because Cersei is systematically taking out everone. And the Kevyn Lannister in the show, is not the same as the books.
Back to Cersei. So the Sept explodes, and she is so happy with what she's done. Instead of going straight to her son, the King, she goes to see a chained up Septa Unella so she can mess with her for more revenge. I think this was Cersei's way of giving Tommen a choice. She saves him from dying with the others at the Sept, but leaves him to choose who he wants to be with. It also says, to me, that Tommen never had his mother's interests in his heart nor was he at all interested in joining her, as he makes a clear choice almost immediately after seeing the explosion. When Cersei asks to see his body (which also happens to be covered in a gold shroud), she doesn't seem surprised nor very upset. I'm sure she is disapointed, because the one thing real about her was her love for her children. It seems that Cersei was expecting to lose Tommen as a consequence to her actions, and she accepted that fact without remorse. Certainly setting up a clash with Jamie to, perhaps, completely fulfill her prophecy as told by Maggie the Frog.
The whole lead up to the wildfire explosion is a masterpiece! The ominious music and drawn out reveal of the wildfire with Lancel Lannister chasing the little boy is brilliant! Cersei is ruthless!
Moving on, Sam and Gilly make it to the Citadel in Old Town. I absolutely LOVED that Samwell got instant access to the Citadel library and that we're certain to meet a Arch Maester next season! My god, that reveal of the Citadel Library was boner enducing to nerds and readers everywhere!
As soon as Lord Frey's voice was heard, I cringed. His speech is full of arrogance and ego, and leaves a bad taste in Jamie's mouth. The question is, was that serving girl Arya the whole time? I believe so, yes. I think Arya worked out her plan perfectly, and that satisfied smile she has after killing Walder Frey is not only because she's exacting revenge, but also that her patience and training is clearly paying off. I can't wait to see what she does in season 7. I don't think she's going back to Winterfell, but will bounce around as a faceless assassin, picking off the people that are left on her list.
Moving North, Jon's is reminising with Melisandre about how his family would sit at the head table and he would sit in the back of the room because he was a bastard. I kept hearing him say, "My family would sell beer. And I would sit back there." Try not hearing that now. Go ahead, I'll wait.... .......... ........... ................
I know right?! Anyway, respect to Davos for not holding back and revealing what happened to Princess Shireen to Jon. He should know who's blood was used to bring him back to life. Jon's decision to keep her alive is a good one. He knows that she could be a great asset in the war to come with the White Walkers, but also that she can't stay at his side. The temptation to believe what she sees in her flames is too great, and I think Jon does not want to be anyway associated with her like Stannis was.
Jon's story has been my favorite from the beginning, Daenarys' is my 2nd favorite. So this season has been wonderful for me. When Lady Mormont stood up and roused the other Northern Lords to take up arms with Jon and proclaimed him the new King of the North, I will admit some tears came. Man tears. Like the toughest, coolest way a man can look while crying. That was me. Fucking Niagra Falls coming out of my face. It was just a great scene! It was everyone on screen FINALLY seeing what we've been watching for 6 years! I can't wait to see what they do next season!
I am really enjoying how Sansa is handling Little Finger. She knows how dangerous he is, and after revealing his ultimate plan to her; she has him in the palm of her hand. The thing is though...Baelish did not look happy when Jon was proclaimed King of the North, and Sansa noticed this. Will she still accept his marriage proposal? Or will he hold this latest slight by the Starks as a grudge and become a villain? I love that anything is possible!
The inclusion of the Sand Snakes of Dorne in this episode was nice. I liked that Varys went to them first to rally support for Daenarys and I really liked that Lady Olenna, the Queen of Thorns knew that the combo of the Tyrell Army and the Dornish Army would be nothing for Cersei to sneeze at! It sets up a war of 6 Queens kind of like the war of the 5 Kings in season 2. Cersei, Daenarys, Olenna, Ellaria, Asha and Sansa are all in position to be called Queen, and will fight against and alongside each other. I love that the women have taken such a strong role going into season 7, and I can't wait to see what they do!
Dany then breaks up with Daario. Good. That relationship wasn't going to work out anyway in Westeros. I also had thought that Daario was actually the Harpy, and was happy to see I was wrong about that. The scene works perfectly with the story, but the following scene was better. Tyrion's face when she names him Hand of the Queen was wonderful. He's finally in a place where he is happy, and doing something that he obviously loves. Tyrion is one of my favorite characters, and I love that him and Dany are working together. Tyrion is also the link to a positive relationship with the North. He has had a relationship with both Jon and Sansa, however different those relationships were, both Jon and Sansa can claim that Tyrion was both kind and respectful. So when the time comes for the North to join forces with Daenarys, that should be a very easy going conversation.
So let's go in for the close here by talking about the most satisfying scenes in the episode. First that comes to mind is the death of Walder Frey. Arya's revenge plot is immaculate. She is patient and meticulous. Killing two full grown Frey's, carving them, cooking them, and serving them in a pie to Lord Frey was amazing! Her little speech was immensely satisfying. Something that we as fans have wanted to see since the Red Wedding.
The closing shot of the Dany's forces sailing across the sea with the dragons flying over them was incredible. I knew that was happening at the end of this season, because Dany's story had no where else to go, but I still could not contain my excitement once I saw it happening. As great as that was, the most satisfying scene (for me anyway) was Bran's flashback! Because R + L really does = J!!!!
He touches that Weirwood tree and as soon as we see young Ned outside the Tower of Joy, my wife and I leapt off the couch in excitement. My wife was the first one to point out the theory to me, while we read the books. She finished book 1 before me, and asked me to try to find evidence against the theory while I read. I could not. For 3 more seasons we wondered how long until it was revealed. So this season we were waiting at the edge of our seats! The scene did not disapoint in the least! It played out exactly as we believed it would. I would have liked to hear everything Lyanna whispered to Ned, but I caught the gist. BUT NOW I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR TO SEE HOW JON FINDS OUT HIMSELF!!!!!!! The most satisfying moment of that scene is the close up of the baby and then the quick cut to a close up of the adult Jon Snow aka Jon TARGARYAN!!!!!!
WINTER IS HERE!
I have rewatched this episode 4 times now, with the fifth running as I write this. I think it is safe for me to say that this is my favorite show of all time. I love the characters, the story, and everything else that this show has done, more than any other tv show before. When this show inevitably ends, I will be very disapointed, because the next great show has VERY BIG shoes to fill.
Thanks for reading. Please follow me on twitter @SuperNerdy News and like my Facebook Page Super Nerdy News. The first few episodes of my podcast should be available soon, I will alert any and all interested. Also, please share this to anyone you may think will like it. I'm trying to expand my audience as best I can without having to pay for it, which will be happening soon too. Thanks again! See you next time!
Let's just dive right in. First of all, there is one thing that fans want more than anything when watching their favorite shows. Resolution. And this episode was the most satisfying GoT finale ever. SO MANY PEOPLE DIED! But let's go from start to end:
The beginning is just eerie. Everyone preparing for the fateful day of trial within the Great Sept of Baelor. Cersei looked like she was dressing for battle, with her black (what looked like boiled leather) dress and shoulder pads. She looked serious, and like she had something on her mind, and BOY DID SHE EVER! After this scene, and then watching the rest of the episode, to see that Cersei wears the same thing the entire time tells me that she was fully aware of every and all possibilities after the incident.
Then we see the King. Tommen, of course, is being prepped and is dressed in gold. Remember the prophecy post I did the other day? The one about Maggy the Frog and Cersei, when talking about Cersei's future and specifically her children, Maggy said, "Gold shall be their crowns and gold shall be their shrouds." So to see Tommen dressed in gold from head to toe told me everything I needed to know. I already figured that Tommen would die in this episode, but I only found myself thinking that he would kill himself after I saw his face when he saw the explosion. That was so wonderfully done, so creepy and eerie how he waits til the servant leaves the room; removes his crown and just falls out the window. No hesitation, no emotion; just nothing. And it fit perfectly! Of course Tommen would commit suicide! He was a coward, who lost everyone and everything he cared about in an instant. He was fighting the voices in his own head about what to do with his mother!
The destruction of the Great Sept was an incredible sight. My wife and I found ourselves screaming at the High Sparrow to let everyone leave! Why wouldn't they let them go? It was such a clean sweep of Cersei's enemies, and one that no other character has been able to do. Every other character who has eliminated an obstacle or enemy in their way, is almost immediatley confronted with another. Cersei kills everyone, and takes the Iron Throne without contest.
I loved this season because it progressed the story further and more quickly than ever before. Don't get me wrong, I loved the other seasons as well along with their pacing, but (again) the quickness in the story telling really lent a lot to the fun and excitement of the season. The finale killed many characters, some major some minor. And one seemed to be the substitute for a major death in the book that we don't see on the show. Kevyn Lannister dies at the hands of Varys in the books, but is present at the Great Sept when it blows up. So, Grand Maester Pycelle's death takes it's place. For the show, it works wonderfully, because Cersei is systematically taking out everone. And the Kevyn Lannister in the show, is not the same as the books.
Back to Cersei. So the Sept explodes, and she is so happy with what she's done. Instead of going straight to her son, the King, she goes to see a chained up Septa Unella so she can mess with her for more revenge. I think this was Cersei's way of giving Tommen a choice. She saves him from dying with the others at the Sept, but leaves him to choose who he wants to be with. It also says, to me, that Tommen never had his mother's interests in his heart nor was he at all interested in joining her, as he makes a clear choice almost immediately after seeing the explosion. When Cersei asks to see his body (which also happens to be covered in a gold shroud), she doesn't seem surprised nor very upset. I'm sure she is disapointed, because the one thing real about her was her love for her children. It seems that Cersei was expecting to lose Tommen as a consequence to her actions, and she accepted that fact without remorse. Certainly setting up a clash with Jamie to, perhaps, completely fulfill her prophecy as told by Maggie the Frog.
The whole lead up to the wildfire explosion is a masterpiece! The ominious music and drawn out reveal of the wildfire with Lancel Lannister chasing the little boy is brilliant! Cersei is ruthless!
Moving on, Sam and Gilly make it to the Citadel in Old Town. I absolutely LOVED that Samwell got instant access to the Citadel library and that we're certain to meet a Arch Maester next season! My god, that reveal of the Citadel Library was boner enducing to nerds and readers everywhere!
As soon as Lord Frey's voice was heard, I cringed. His speech is full of arrogance and ego, and leaves a bad taste in Jamie's mouth. The question is, was that serving girl Arya the whole time? I believe so, yes. I think Arya worked out her plan perfectly, and that satisfied smile she has after killing Walder Frey is not only because she's exacting revenge, but also that her patience and training is clearly paying off. I can't wait to see what she does in season 7. I don't think she's going back to Winterfell, but will bounce around as a faceless assassin, picking off the people that are left on her list.
Moving North, Jon's is reminising with Melisandre about how his family would sit at the head table and he would sit in the back of the room because he was a bastard. I kept hearing him say, "My family would sell beer. And I would sit back there." Try not hearing that now. Go ahead, I'll wait.... .......... ........... ................
I know right?! Anyway, respect to Davos for not holding back and revealing what happened to Princess Shireen to Jon. He should know who's blood was used to bring him back to life. Jon's decision to keep her alive is a good one. He knows that she could be a great asset in the war to come with the White Walkers, but also that she can't stay at his side. The temptation to believe what she sees in her flames is too great, and I think Jon does not want to be anyway associated with her like Stannis was.
Jon's story has been my favorite from the beginning, Daenarys' is my 2nd favorite. So this season has been wonderful for me. When Lady Mormont stood up and roused the other Northern Lords to take up arms with Jon and proclaimed him the new King of the North, I will admit some tears came. Man tears. Like the toughest, coolest way a man can look while crying. That was me. Fucking Niagra Falls coming out of my face. It was just a great scene! It was everyone on screen FINALLY seeing what we've been watching for 6 years! I can't wait to see what they do next season!
I am really enjoying how Sansa is handling Little Finger. She knows how dangerous he is, and after revealing his ultimate plan to her; she has him in the palm of her hand. The thing is though...Baelish did not look happy when Jon was proclaimed King of the North, and Sansa noticed this. Will she still accept his marriage proposal? Or will he hold this latest slight by the Starks as a grudge and become a villain? I love that anything is possible!
The inclusion of the Sand Snakes of Dorne in this episode was nice. I liked that Varys went to them first to rally support for Daenarys and I really liked that Lady Olenna, the Queen of Thorns knew that the combo of the Tyrell Army and the Dornish Army would be nothing for Cersei to sneeze at! It sets up a war of 6 Queens kind of like the war of the 5 Kings in season 2. Cersei, Daenarys, Olenna, Ellaria, Asha and Sansa are all in position to be called Queen, and will fight against and alongside each other. I love that the women have taken such a strong role going into season 7, and I can't wait to see what they do!
Dany then breaks up with Daario. Good. That relationship wasn't going to work out anyway in Westeros. I also had thought that Daario was actually the Harpy, and was happy to see I was wrong about that. The scene works perfectly with the story, but the following scene was better. Tyrion's face when she names him Hand of the Queen was wonderful. He's finally in a place where he is happy, and doing something that he obviously loves. Tyrion is one of my favorite characters, and I love that him and Dany are working together. Tyrion is also the link to a positive relationship with the North. He has had a relationship with both Jon and Sansa, however different those relationships were, both Jon and Sansa can claim that Tyrion was both kind and respectful. So when the time comes for the North to join forces with Daenarys, that should be a very easy going conversation.
So let's go in for the close here by talking about the most satisfying scenes in the episode. First that comes to mind is the death of Walder Frey. Arya's revenge plot is immaculate. She is patient and meticulous. Killing two full grown Frey's, carving them, cooking them, and serving them in a pie to Lord Frey was amazing! Her little speech was immensely satisfying. Something that we as fans have wanted to see since the Red Wedding.
The closing shot of the Dany's forces sailing across the sea with the dragons flying over them was incredible. I knew that was happening at the end of this season, because Dany's story had no where else to go, but I still could not contain my excitement once I saw it happening. As great as that was, the most satisfying scene (for me anyway) was Bran's flashback! Because R + L really does = J!!!!
He touches that Weirwood tree and as soon as we see young Ned outside the Tower of Joy, my wife and I leapt off the couch in excitement. My wife was the first one to point out the theory to me, while we read the books. She finished book 1 before me, and asked me to try to find evidence against the theory while I read. I could not. For 3 more seasons we wondered how long until it was revealed. So this season we were waiting at the edge of our seats! The scene did not disapoint in the least! It played out exactly as we believed it would. I would have liked to hear everything Lyanna whispered to Ned, but I caught the gist. BUT NOW I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR TO SEE HOW JON FINDS OUT HIMSELF!!!!!!! The most satisfying moment of that scene is the close up of the baby and then the quick cut to a close up of the adult Jon Snow aka Jon TARGARYAN!!!!!!
WINTER IS HERE!
I have rewatched this episode 4 times now, with the fifth running as I write this. I think it is safe for me to say that this is my favorite show of all time. I love the characters, the story, and everything else that this show has done, more than any other tv show before. When this show inevitably ends, I will be very disapointed, because the next great show has VERY BIG shoes to fill.
Thanks for reading. Please follow me on twitter @SuperNerdy News and like my Facebook Page Super Nerdy News. The first few episodes of my podcast should be available soon, I will alert any and all interested. Also, please share this to anyone you may think will like it. I'm trying to expand my audience as best I can without having to pay for it, which will be happening soon too. Thanks again! See you next time!
Friday, June 24, 2016
The Prophecies of Game of Thrones
Good day there, Faceless Men and Women of the Internesteros.
In honor of Sunday night's Season 6 finale, I'm blogging about my favorite prophesies in Game of Thrones. Prophecies are a big part of the mythos in the Song of Ice & Fire. There are several characters that could prove to be who the prophecies speak of, and some of those prophecies might not be true at all and could be total horse poop. Either way, they're lots of fun! So let's dive in!
Let's start with one that seems to actually be in effect. The Maggie the Frog Prophecy. If you remember back to last season, or in A Feast for Crows, a teenaged Cersei meets Maggie the Frog in the woods outside of Lannisport; where the future Queen demands the supposed witch to tell her fortune. She allows Cersei to ask 3 questions, but she gave 4 answers. They are:
1. "When will I marry the prince? Never. You will wed the king."
Cersei was set to marry Prince Rhaegar, but he wound up marrying Ellia Martell, and Cersei went on to marry Robert Baratheon after the rebellion.
2. "I will be queen though?" "Queen you shall be, until there comes another, younger and more beautiful, to cast you down and take all that you hold dear."
Sounds like trouble, and sounds like Margery. No wonder, Cersei doesn't like her.
3. Will the king and I have children? Oh, aye Six and ten for him, and three for you.
This means 16 bastards for Robert and 3 kids for Cersei. Which totally happened, and Cersei ordered them all to be killed.
Maggy wasn't done though, "Gold shall be their crowns and gold their shrouds. And when your tears have drowned you, the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you."
This is the only part that hasn't happened to Cersei yet. Joffrey is gone, Marcella is gone, but Tommen still lives. I think Tommen dies on Sunday, possibly by Cersei hand but after looking at the prophecy again. It might be Margery that kills him.
Valonqar, if you're wondering, is High Valaryian for "younger brother". Immediately people think Tyrion, but think of this. Jamie was born a few mintues after Cersei and is technically her younger sibling. Jamie is also in a better position to kill Cersei than Tyrion is right now. Maybe Tommen dies, and Jamie blames Cerseit and then kills her for it? I don't know.....SUNDAY!!!!!
My other favorite prophecy is called The Prince That Was Promised. No one knows where or when the prophecy originated, but some clues point towards Old Valyria around 1,000 years ago (from the current story time line). There is also some connection to a hero of old Azor Ahai, who's been mentioned by Melisandre the Red Woman sproadically. Melisandre was following Stannis around because she believed him to be Azor Ahai reborn. The prophecy says:
In honor of Sunday night's Season 6 finale, I'm blogging about my favorite prophesies in Game of Thrones. Prophecies are a big part of the mythos in the Song of Ice & Fire. There are several characters that could prove to be who the prophecies speak of, and some of those prophecies might not be true at all and could be total horse poop. Either way, they're lots of fun! So let's dive in!
Let's start with one that seems to actually be in effect. The Maggie the Frog Prophecy. If you remember back to last season, or in A Feast for Crows, a teenaged Cersei meets Maggie the Frog in the woods outside of Lannisport; where the future Queen demands the supposed witch to tell her fortune. She allows Cersei to ask 3 questions, but she gave 4 answers. They are:
1. "When will I marry the prince? Never. You will wed the king."
Cersei was set to marry Prince Rhaegar, but he wound up marrying Ellia Martell, and Cersei went on to marry Robert Baratheon after the rebellion.
2. "I will be queen though?" "Queen you shall be, until there comes another, younger and more beautiful, to cast you down and take all that you hold dear."
Sounds like trouble, and sounds like Margery. No wonder, Cersei doesn't like her.
3. Will the king and I have children? Oh, aye Six and ten for him, and three for you.
This means 16 bastards for Robert and 3 kids for Cersei. Which totally happened, and Cersei ordered them all to be killed.
Maggy wasn't done though, "Gold shall be their crowns and gold their shrouds. And when your tears have drowned you, the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you."
This is the only part that hasn't happened to Cersei yet. Joffrey is gone, Marcella is gone, but Tommen still lives. I think Tommen dies on Sunday, possibly by Cersei hand but after looking at the prophecy again. It might be Margery that kills him.
Valonqar, if you're wondering, is High Valaryian for "younger brother". Immediately people think Tyrion, but think of this. Jamie was born a few mintues after Cersei and is technically her younger sibling. Jamie is also in a better position to kill Cersei than Tyrion is right now. Maybe Tommen dies, and Jamie blames Cerseit and then kills her for it? I don't know.....SUNDAY!!!!!
My other favorite prophecy is called The Prince That Was Promised. No one knows where or when the prophecy originated, but some clues point towards Old Valyria around 1,000 years ago (from the current story time line). There is also some connection to a hero of old Azor Ahai, who's been mentioned by Melisandre the Red Woman sproadically. Melisandre was following Stannis around because she believed him to be Azor Ahai reborn. The prophecy says:
"When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt."
Now, the prophecy of the prince that was promised and the rebirth of Azor Ahai are not necessarily the same thing. They could be seperate prophecies referring to two different people. So....I know you're asking, who is it?
Well, obviously Stannis is NOT the prince that was promised. So who else? Well, the biggest contender for the title is Daenarys. She was "reborn" in the bonfire with her dragons right? And that was when the red comet was seen all over the world.
The other major contender is Jon Snow. He's reborn from the breath of life prayer Melisandre adminsters, and if you look close during the first episode of season 6. Jon's wounds appear to be smoking. I mean, it's steam riseing from the warm body into the cold air, but still PROPHECY THINGS!!!
The rebirth of Azor Ahai is the only prophecy to have words to them. The prince that was promised, and a 3rd prophecy called the Last Hero are also very similar to the Azor Ahai prophecy. They may seem the same, and if you believe Melisandre, they could all be about one person. But I think they are at least 2 different people. I believe Dany to be the prince that was promised and the last hero and Jon Snow to be Azor Ahai reborn! I know what you're saying, "How can Daenerys be the PRINCE that was promised?"
Clues to both of these theories appear in the last book, A Dance with Dragons. Before Maester Aemon leaves the Wall for his trip with Sam to Oldtown, he gives Jon a book with certain pages marked.
The pages told of Azor Ahai. Lightbringer was his sword. Tempered with his wife's blood if Votar can be believed. Thereafter Lightbringer was never cold to the touch, but warm as Nissa Nissa had been. In battle the blade burned fiery hot. Once Azor Ahai fought a monster. When he thrust the sword through the belly of the beast, its blood began to boil...
Jon was brought back to life with by the power of the Lord of Light. Dany was not. Jon fits the Azor Ahai profile better.
For Dany, clues to her being the prince can also be found in A Dance with Dragons. Before Maester Aemon dies he says to Sam,
"What fools we were, who thought ourselves so wise! The error crept in from the translation. Dragons are neither male nor female, Barth saw the truth of that, but now one and now the as changeable as flame. The language misled us all for a thousand years."
Aemon is referring to the language of the prophecy. In Old Valyrian, prince means both male and female. BOOM!
All the prophecy stuff is a lot of fun, and it's one of my favorite little quirks to the books and show. But we all have to remember what George R.R. Martin has said before, "We have to remember that not all prophecies are meant to go anywhere. Remember, prophecies are words. And words are wind."
Have a great weekend! Enjoy the finale on Sunday! I'll be back next week with my review. I'm also working on a podcast. First episode of The Good Shit was recorded yesterday, you can look for it on itunes shortly. In the meantime, be sure to follow me on twitter @SuperNerdyNews and give me facebook page a like.
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Game of Thrones Season 6 Finale Thoughts
I can't believe it's been 10 weeks already! This season has flown by! This was arguably the best season of Game of Thrones yet for several reasons.
1. The highly anticipated reveal of Jon Snow's fate. After the end of Season 5, we were all concerned what would happen to our favorite bastard. The show runners thankfully did not wait long to tell us.
2. This season sped the story along quickly and I really appreciated that. Some people were up in arms about how quickly the characters seemed to travel around Westeros. Especially Little Finger, who seemed to have some kind of teleportation device to make it from King's Landing to The Eyrie to Mole's Town then to Winterfell with an entire bloody army! BTW, I know Sansa should have told Jon wtf she was planning with Little Finger, but also they totally could have shown up just a bit sooner, so ALL THOSE PEOPLE didn't have to die. Great episode though.
Moving on. Finale is on Sunday, here are some of my thoughts about what's to come.
Cersei is a crazy bitch and will blow up King's Landing or at least the Great Sept of Baelor using the cache of Wild Fire the Mad King Aerys stashed away. Cersei is at the end of her rope here. Her ace up her sleeve was the Trial By Combat that Tommen took away from her. She knows in her heart that she's guilty, and therefore to make whomever she feels needs to suffer, she will blow them all to hell. I also think Tommen will die because of her actions. Possible twist included would be the return of Gendry to testify on behalf of the Faith to prove that Cersei is lying and that all of her children are born out of incest. This is possible, but also unlikely, as the High Sparrow's plan seems to involve controlling Tommen, so why would he prove that Tommen is not the true King? Either way, I think Tommen dies on Sunday night.
Daenerys Targaryan will leave Meerheen and Easteros by the end of the episode. Her story is progressing nicely now. She's got her fleet of ships, her Khalasar army, her Unsullied infantry, and 3 big ass dragons! Her team of counselors seems more trusting and wiser than ever before AND Varys has already left to start a campaign to align Westerosi houses to her cause! I believe her first stop will be Dragonstone, where she was born. The castle her ancestors built will be retaken by a Targaryan. Either that or she will meet Euron Greyjoy's Iron Fleet in open battle at some point, taking his ships too. I really think she'll go to Dragonstone though. She needs to confirm the ties to her ancestors, AND there's a possibility of more dragon eggs there. Maybe, don't hold me to that.
I'm excited to see what will happen with Jamie and the Freys. I do think Jamie will make a move that Crown will not be too happy about. Ala killing Walder Frey. The theories are that we'll see a reverse Red Wedding with Jamie and his army slaughtering the Freys. I highly doubt it. Why? Because it's been done! Why do it again? Maybe something similar happens, but from a story writer's pov, I don't see it happening. I could be way off though.
Moving North to what is arguably the most interesting story line. What will happen to Jon and Sansa? Well, I think we'll finally get a pay off to the R + L = J theory, but not in the way everyone thinks. We're going to get at least 1 more flashback through Bran, which will probably be that Tower of Joy scene that got cut off in Episode 2. BUT that doesn't help Jon at all, who isn't with Bran. Jon is the one that needs to know his heritage. So how does he find out without a telepathic time traveler? Easy. He already ordered Rickon's remains be buried in the crypt next to Ned's. Jon will go down there himself and have a look around. He'll notice something he never did before (in the books, Jon never went to the crypts in Winterfell because he had dreams that kept him from ever bothering), and that's a crypt reserved for him. Yes, he'll find out that Ned had a crypt readied for Jon Snow, and on his tomb will be
Here Lies the Son of Lyanna Stark and Rhagar Targaryan
Or something like that. Jon needs some direction now that he's been brought back from the dead, retaken his childhood home and entered into an unknown alliance with a man he's never met. Speaking of which...
What is up with Petyr Baelish? This dude is the most coniving, cold and calculating SOB in Westeros. I am uncertain as what his endgame plan actually is, or what his ultimate goal is, but there are plenty of ideas. He's made deals with everyone, and they've unfolded so well that it leads me to believe that a major reveal is coming from him. Before he left King's Landing, Little Finger met with the Queen of Thorns, Lady Olenna. At the end of their talk, Baelish left her by saying, "I have a gift for you." I think that gift is Gendry. Some people think he was talking about how he knows where Sansa is. No, I think he has other plans for Sansa and Winterfell. He told Cersei to make him Warden of the North if he takes Winterfell, and he just did. He also has a history with the Starks, especially Catlyn and Sansa. The clues are there, I believe he means to marry Sansa himself. However, I also think there's more to his plan than that. He obviously is interested in the events happening in King's Landing, I wonder if he means to take it after unifying the North?
We're a few days away from getting some resolution. But there are so many questions about the future of our favorite characters. Who will fight the White Walkers now that the best warriors of this generation have been killed? I think Samwell Tarley is the key to finding out how to fight the White Walkers. He took Heartsbane (the Tarley family Valaryian steel sword) and I don't think he'll make it to Oldtown to study. I think next season will see Sam and Gilly traveling through Westeros in search of more Valaryian steel weaopons.
Before I let you go, don't forget that Margaery Tyrell also has her own plan. Could she have made a deal with the High Septon, or a secret plan of her own, that leads to the death of King Tommen and keeps her on the Iron Throne herself? If Tommen dies, who inherits the throne? EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE I CAN'T WAIT FOR SUNDAY NIGHT!!!!!
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
All of these Game of Thrones theories are way too complicated
The title of this blog says it all. If you are a Game of Thrones fan and one of your favorite things this season is (what feels like) THOUSANDS of internet fan theories.
We're now about 5 days from the season 6 finale, and the internet continues to churn out more and more theories and most of them are about specific characters.
Arya is the most popular topic it seems. Fan reactions were mixed about how she ended her time with the Faceless Men in Episode 8 No One. I will admit that the scene with the Waif was way too much like Terminator 2, but I fully believed that Arya was able to beat her in the dark with Needle, wounded and everything.
Before Episode 8, the most popular theories suggested that the Arya we saw get stabbed, was not Arya at all. Or that the Waif and Arya were the same person, and the Waif was a figment of Arya's imagination. Like Tyler Durden in Fight Club. Now the latest theories offers the idea that the Waif actually killed Arya, and took Arya's face to wear. Basically saying that the Waif took over as Arya and will go live as Arya Stark now. I call bull shit.
I'm sorry, but these theories are just way too complicated. What all of these people, and the theorists in general, are forgetting is how great of a story teller George RR Martin is. The few people that have been able to guess his final outcome, remain silent for a reason! Some of these ideas we hear, while creative, are also just way too much. Martin is a great writer, but every twist (once revealed) has clues hidden throughout his books that you can find once you go back and read the series again. The show is the exact same way.
Season 6 was the show's first season that was not based on an already published book. Winds of Winter still has yet to be released. So the huge cliffhanger from last season was unknown to even the most adept reader. HOWEVER, not to toot my own horn, I WAS ABLE TO FIGURE OUT HOW JON SNOW CAME BACK BEFORE THE EPISODE AIRED. I know, I'm not the only one who did, and that's because all the clues that you needed to figure it out were all right in front of you.
Clues went all the way back to Season 2, when Melisandre (the Red Woman) was traveling through the Riverlands in search of King Robert Baratheon's bastard Gendry, who had escaped King's Landing and was traveling with Arya. When Melisandre arrived, Gendry and Arya were traveling with the Brotherhood Without Banners; one of the brothers was another Red Priest, Thoros of Myr.
Thoros told Melisandre a story of how he was able to bring his compatriot Beric Dondarrion back to life. He said that he had lost his faith a long time ago, and hadn't practiced his faith to the Red God for many years. Until he, along with Ser Beric, were ordered by Ned Stark (then King Robert's Hand) to find and kill Ser Gregor Clegane. During their quest, Beric was felled. As a last ditch effort, Thoros whispered a prayer to the Red God. He went on to reveal that he had brought Dondarrion back 6 times in total. Melisandre admits that she does not have that power. But then what happens in Episode 2 this season? Davos asked Melisandre is there is anything she can do. Any spells she might know maybe? Yeah? Well, give it a shot. She does and Bobs your Uncle, we have a new Jon!
Every bit of info needed to predict that was there. But not everyone has read the books, and not everyone has seen the show or rewatched the show. Every year. From start to finish. For 6 years. About to be 7.
Theories are fun. Don't think I don't like them. I LOVE Game of Thrones theories. Do you have any? let me know on Facebook on the Super Nerdy News page or on Twitter @SuperNerdyNews.
We're now about 5 days from the season 6 finale, and the internet continues to churn out more and more theories and most of them are about specific characters.
Arya is the most popular topic it seems. Fan reactions were mixed about how she ended her time with the Faceless Men in Episode 8 No One. I will admit that the scene with the Waif was way too much like Terminator 2, but I fully believed that Arya was able to beat her in the dark with Needle, wounded and everything.
Before Episode 8, the most popular theories suggested that the Arya we saw get stabbed, was not Arya at all. Or that the Waif and Arya were the same person, and the Waif was a figment of Arya's imagination. Like Tyler Durden in Fight Club. Now the latest theories offers the idea that the Waif actually killed Arya, and took Arya's face to wear. Basically saying that the Waif took over as Arya and will go live as Arya Stark now. I call bull shit.
I'm sorry, but these theories are just way too complicated. What all of these people, and the theorists in general, are forgetting is how great of a story teller George RR Martin is. The few people that have been able to guess his final outcome, remain silent for a reason! Some of these ideas we hear, while creative, are also just way too much. Martin is a great writer, but every twist (once revealed) has clues hidden throughout his books that you can find once you go back and read the series again. The show is the exact same way.
Season 6 was the show's first season that was not based on an already published book. Winds of Winter still has yet to be released. So the huge cliffhanger from last season was unknown to even the most adept reader. HOWEVER, not to toot my own horn, I WAS ABLE TO FIGURE OUT HOW JON SNOW CAME BACK BEFORE THE EPISODE AIRED. I know, I'm not the only one who did, and that's because all the clues that you needed to figure it out were all right in front of you.
Clues went all the way back to Season 2, when Melisandre (the Red Woman) was traveling through the Riverlands in search of King Robert Baratheon's bastard Gendry, who had escaped King's Landing and was traveling with Arya. When Melisandre arrived, Gendry and Arya were traveling with the Brotherhood Without Banners; one of the brothers was another Red Priest, Thoros of Myr.
Thoros told Melisandre a story of how he was able to bring his compatriot Beric Dondarrion back to life. He said that he had lost his faith a long time ago, and hadn't practiced his faith to the Red God for many years. Until he, along with Ser Beric, were ordered by Ned Stark (then King Robert's Hand) to find and kill Ser Gregor Clegane. During their quest, Beric was felled. As a last ditch effort, Thoros whispered a prayer to the Red God. He went on to reveal that he had brought Dondarrion back 6 times in total. Melisandre admits that she does not have that power. But then what happens in Episode 2 this season? Davos asked Melisandre is there is anything she can do. Any spells she might know maybe? Yeah? Well, give it a shot. She does and Bobs your Uncle, we have a new Jon!
Every bit of info needed to predict that was there. But not everyone has read the books, and not everyone has seen the show or rewatched the show. Every year. From start to finish. For 6 years. About to be 7.
Theories are fun. Don't think I don't like them. I LOVE Game of Thrones theories. Do you have any? let me know on Facebook on the Super Nerdy News page or on Twitter @SuperNerdyNews.
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
SO MANY IDEAS!!!
Hey there, Interweb Slingers! I know it's been awhile since my last post, but sometimes that happens. Anyway, there have been some new developments over the last couple of weeks that I am very excited about, but I'll talk about that another time.
Today is about new ideas, but first a little catch up.
Captain America: Civil War came out in April of this year, and was totally awesome. I saw it twice and can't wait to see it again. There are some complaints that I have, but I would like to take a look at the movie at least 1 more time before giving my analysis. Overall: A.
X-Men: Apocolyspse!!! Now this movie took me by surprise. By that I mean I was schocked about how much I enjoyed it. I felt like Apocolypse was the best villain the X-Men franchise has ever seen so far, it was the closest to the source material than any other X-Movie before it, and restored my faith in the franchise. I still don't have a lot of hope for Wolverine 3, but that's another blog post entirely. This movie, however, introduced some much needed new blood. Sophie Turner as Jean Grey was particularly good, as I never liked Famke Janssen in the role. FINALLY A GOOD CYCLOPS!!! I mean, no offense to James Marsden at all, he didn't write the scripts that made Cyclops look terrible; Tye Sheridan absolutely kills it as the future leader of the team! Gotta mention some negatives though. I am totally over Mystique and Jennifer Lawrence. I think she's a great actress and has done a decent job with the character, but I just don't find her interesting anymore. She's better as a bad guy. Also, I feel like Fox Studios missed out on a great opportunity to introduce another X-Team. (You can thank a Mr. Andy Gleaner for this idea!) ***SPOILERS FOR X-MEN APOCOLYPSE AHEAD***
We're looking at the destruction of the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters after Stryker has kidnapped the students another "official looking" group shows up. Led by the instructions of a blond woman, we see metal girders bend and lift off the ground; revealed to be moved by a young green haired girl.
Polaris: HE'S ALIVE!
Using her magenetic ability, Polaris lifts the debris hiding Havoc's body. A young man nearby stomps his foot, creating dublicates of himself to help clear away the wreckage along with an enormous oddly shapped and bulky Strong Guy. The Blond woman steps into frame, she wears a military like uniform with COOPER written on her chest.
X-Factor movie is set up. I love that idea! Nice job, Andy!
Moving on though...
I've had a ton of ideas for comic book story lines as of late and I am actively pursuing a job at Marvel Comics. I would LOVE to list out and flush out my ideas on here, but I'm actually afraid of them getting stolen. So i will leave you with this question.
Would you buy a comic book about THE INCREDIBLE HULK being blasted off into space (just like the beginning of PLANET HULK), getting sucked through a wormhole in space, and arriving in the Star Wars universe? Imagine the beginning of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, just before the Battle of Hoth; LUKE SKYWALKER is investigating a meteor strike that turns out to be a Probe Droid sent by the evil Galactic Empire. But instead of just sending back images of the Rebel base, the last image the droid sends is that of a GREEN GOLIATH leaping at and destroying it. Fast forward arriving at the base after the Battle of Hoth, to find a weakened Hulk. Vader uses Force abilities to control the Hulk's mind and leads him away. Hulk is trained as a Jedi and later sent into battle against a still training Luke Skywalker. Luke proves that he is no one to mess with as he defeates the Hulk, by cutting off his hand.
Hulk has a cybernetic hand grafted on, and continues his own Jedi training alongside Luke. Together they resuce Leia and Chewie from Cloud City, but not before Han is frozen in carbonite and brought to Jabba the Hut. The Hulk takes on Jabba and his crew single handedly, as Luke and his friends rescue Han.
The Rebels, with the Hulk, attack the Death Star. Luke confronts Vader and the Emperor while Hulk smashes the Death Star forcing the Emperor to make his move quicker than he normally would have. He sends Vader to deal with the Hulk. Hulk vs. Vader.
That's what I have so far. I just love the image of Hulk vs. Luke and Hulk vs. Vader. I really think I can showcase the vast power that The Hulk, Darth Vader, and Luke Skywalker possess individually. What do you think?
Everything you have read here, (except for where noted) is the intellectual property of Michael Milnes and this blog.
Today is about new ideas, but first a little catch up.
Captain America: Civil War came out in April of this year, and was totally awesome. I saw it twice and can't wait to see it again. There are some complaints that I have, but I would like to take a look at the movie at least 1 more time before giving my analysis. Overall: A.
X-Men: Apocolyspse!!! Now this movie took me by surprise. By that I mean I was schocked about how much I enjoyed it. I felt like Apocolypse was the best villain the X-Men franchise has ever seen so far, it was the closest to the source material than any other X-Movie before it, and restored my faith in the franchise. I still don't have a lot of hope for Wolverine 3, but that's another blog post entirely. This movie, however, introduced some much needed new blood. Sophie Turner as Jean Grey was particularly good, as I never liked Famke Janssen in the role. FINALLY A GOOD CYCLOPS!!! I mean, no offense to James Marsden at all, he didn't write the scripts that made Cyclops look terrible; Tye Sheridan absolutely kills it as the future leader of the team! Gotta mention some negatives though. I am totally over Mystique and Jennifer Lawrence. I think she's a great actress and has done a decent job with the character, but I just don't find her interesting anymore. She's better as a bad guy. Also, I feel like Fox Studios missed out on a great opportunity to introduce another X-Team. (You can thank a Mr. Andy Gleaner for this idea!) ***SPOILERS FOR X-MEN APOCOLYPSE AHEAD***
We're looking at the destruction of the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters after Stryker has kidnapped the students another "official looking" group shows up. Led by the instructions of a blond woman, we see metal girders bend and lift off the ground; revealed to be moved by a young green haired girl.
Polaris: HE'S ALIVE!
Using her magenetic ability, Polaris lifts the debris hiding Havoc's body. A young man nearby stomps his foot, creating dublicates of himself to help clear away the wreckage along with an enormous oddly shapped and bulky Strong Guy. The Blond woman steps into frame, she wears a military like uniform with COOPER written on her chest.
X-Factor movie is set up. I love that idea! Nice job, Andy!
Moving on though...
I've had a ton of ideas for comic book story lines as of late and I am actively pursuing a job at Marvel Comics. I would LOVE to list out and flush out my ideas on here, but I'm actually afraid of them getting stolen. So i will leave you with this question.
Would you buy a comic book about THE INCREDIBLE HULK being blasted off into space (just like the beginning of PLANET HULK), getting sucked through a wormhole in space, and arriving in the Star Wars universe? Imagine the beginning of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, just before the Battle of Hoth; LUKE SKYWALKER is investigating a meteor strike that turns out to be a Probe Droid sent by the evil Galactic Empire. But instead of just sending back images of the Rebel base, the last image the droid sends is that of a GREEN GOLIATH leaping at and destroying it. Fast forward arriving at the base after the Battle of Hoth, to find a weakened Hulk. Vader uses Force abilities to control the Hulk's mind and leads him away. Hulk is trained as a Jedi and later sent into battle against a still training Luke Skywalker. Luke proves that he is no one to mess with as he defeates the Hulk, by cutting off his hand.
Hulk has a cybernetic hand grafted on, and continues his own Jedi training alongside Luke. Together they resuce Leia and Chewie from Cloud City, but not before Han is frozen in carbonite and brought to Jabba the Hut. The Hulk takes on Jabba and his crew single handedly, as Luke and his friends rescue Han.
The Rebels, with the Hulk, attack the Death Star. Luke confronts Vader and the Emperor while Hulk smashes the Death Star forcing the Emperor to make his move quicker than he normally would have. He sends Vader to deal with the Hulk. Hulk vs. Vader.
That's what I have so far. I just love the image of Hulk vs. Luke and Hulk vs. Vader. I really think I can showcase the vast power that The Hulk, Darth Vader, and Luke Skywalker possess individually. What do you think?
Everything you have read here, (except for where noted) is the intellectual property of Michael Milnes and this blog.
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