Um, Arya was a young girl, and had trained with her "dancing master", Syrio Forel, for only a few months, if that, before Ned was murdered, and Arya was forced to flee the Capital. The instruction she received from the nameless girl did much more to advance her fighting abilities. Before this last fight, the only person Arya had ever killed was a fat kid that tried to steal Needle from her. Arya could have never killed this nameless girl based on Syrio's instruction, alone.

Why does every single element in a story have to "advance the narrative"? Can't a character just be shown learning a skill, or a craft? However, here, Arya didn't simply "learn to fight, kill a girl, and leave", as you stated. She'd started down a path to completely forego her identity as Arya Stark to be one of the Faceless. When presented with a task she felt was wrong, she demurred, and didn't poison the woman actress. That had a tremendous impact on her character arc, because had she not refused, and poisoned the woman, who would have helped her when she ultimately refused to commit another kill for the Many-Faced God, and got stabbed? She didn't know anybody else in Bravos except Jaqen, and he was the one who sent the training girl to kill Arya. Arya's mercy for that woman ended up saving her own life. Not sure how you can't see that. And, when Arya confronted Jaqen at sword point, she decided that the path she'd started down was not for her, that she was indeed a Stark, and she was going home. This is an incredible moment of self-affirmation for a young woman. She's stopped running. She's no longer a child, but a woman in control of her own destiny. Both Arya and Sansa have grown by leaps and bounds in this season. The Stark family, which was on the verge of utter collapse at the end of season five, is not only alive and well; they're on the verge of reclaiming their home, Winterfell. Should Jon and Sansa retake Winterfell, the entire family, which has been separated since season one, could reunite. Retaking Winterfell could save Rickon. Arya is returning home. Jon is alive. Sansa has escaped Ramsay Bolton. And, Uncle Benjen is with Bran; he will likely take him south to the wall, and they will be told that Jon and Sansa have returned to Winterfell. The tide could be turning in a very big way. The pieces on the chess board are moving, and the Lannisters, who have seen victory after victory, are on their heels. Cersei has just found out that she is in real trouble, because she has been counting on a trial by combat to save her from the High Sparrow. Now King Tommen, her own son, has ruled that trial by combat is antiquated, and barbaric.

And the Blackfish does the exact same thing he would have done had Brienne not showed up? And the plot wasn't advanced? Really? You, apparently, weren't paying very close attention, because Brienne's appearance at the siege has a dramatic impact on what happens next.

Before Brienne and Podrick show up, Jamie Lannister assumes control of the army, and has a formal parlay with the Blackfish. They size each other up, and the Blackfish balks at the Kingslayer's appeals to forego a battle which would cost thousands their lives. It is quite evident that there is going to be a protracted, bloody siege battle. Thousands of men loyal to the Lannisters are going to die in the retake of the Frey's keep. And, hundreds of men defending the keep will also die. Only when Brienne has shown up does Jamie Lanister try a different approach. After they speak, and Jamie tells Brienne that Oathkeeper is hers forever, only then does the possible result of this battle become clear: as she is leaving, Brienne tells Jamie that should her negotiations with Blackfish fail, she would be honor-bound to fight alongside the Blackfish, as the forces within the keep are aligned with the Starks. This means that Jamie and Brienne could meet in a fight to the death. Jamie clearly does not want this. Though he will not openly admit it, he cares very deeply for Brienne. And she cares for him as well. This is apparent to anybody paying attention when she and Podrick are slowly meandering down the river leaving the keep. Both wave farewell to each other. Jamie would be fully within his authority, and abilities, to have her captured. She is, after all, loyal to the Starks, the Lannister family's sworn enemies. But he lets her go.

Back to Jamie's decision. He has Edmure Tully brought in; they exchange some barbs, Tully questioning Jamie's goodness, and openly mocking "the word" of the Kingslayer when Jamie promises that, should the Blackfish and the soldiers inside the keep surrender by midnight, they will be allowed to leave unharmed. Jamie then tells Edmure that he will have his new bride, and their newborn child brought to the front; Lannister promises to have the child catapulted into the keep if Edmure does not negotiate a surrender. Jamie promises to kill every single Tully in order to complete his task, and return to Cersei. That is the justification he uses, verbally. But he clearly does not want to endanger Brienne's life. The tactic works. Edmure Tully, who is the Lord Commander of the keep, tells the captain of the guard to instruct his men to lay down their arms, and exit the keep; which, they do. The Blackfish fights to the death. He is the only casualty.

So what happened because of Brienne's appearance? Oh, not much changed. Thousands of men didn't die. Jamie Lannister re-took the castle for Walder Frey in one day, instead of taking weeks, if not months, to do so. And, more importantly, hundreds of soldiers, loyal to the Starks, were allowed to leave the keep unharmed (and where could they possibly go now, after the Blackfish received written correspondence from Sansa that they are about to retake Winterfell??) And, both Jamie and Brienne leave the conflict unharmed.

But yeah, Brienne's appearance was not at all consequential. :D

Respectfully, perhaps you should pay a little more attention to what's really going on.


"with GRRM you would never get to a destination, but at least the journey getting there is never-ending :)"

I don't even know what that means, really. But have you learned nothing from watching this show? Are story arcs ever really "done" with? They're certainly not just "thrown away", as you opined.

We thought Benjen Stark was dead in season one. Lo and behold, he's alive and well, and helping Bran Stark escape the White Walkers in season six.

How about you just wait and see what happens? If, after the series has concluded, there are story arcs that you feel were left to no conclusion, please feel free to share those thoughts. But the show is ongoing, and there are at least 12 hour long episodes remaining. I think the show runners have earned a little leeway after six great seasons. If anything, I think we'd all agree that George RR Martin, and the show runners/writers are masters of misdirection. Just when you think you've got something figured out, or you think somebody is safe, all hell breaks loose.

And by the way, gang, while George hasn't written a novel to cover the narrative as we're seeing it in season six, be absolutely sure that none of the story lines being written for the show are not meeting his final approval. For instance, the shocking ending of Hodor's life, while clearly not covered in any of Martin's ASOIAF novels, was told directly to David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.

George is still very much involved in the creative process. While the writers have been given some leeway, this is still very much George RR Martin's show.

You can defend it all you want. The scenes at Riverrun were a disaster in my opinion. The whole show has been moving towards turning Jamie into a better version of himself (i.e. the scenes with him and Tyrion / his daughter / niece and the original scenes with Brienne) only to have him throw all of that away for a blind allegiance to Cersei that seemed thrown in just to drum up some drama. The ancillary things you mention about the keep and the soldiers mean nothing to the overall story. That's all surface and no substance. Who cares about Edmure or his soldiers?

The same is true of Arya. The idea of her losing her identity and reclaiming it is a good storyline. But using Bravos to accomplish that was not a good choice in my opinion. Those scenes were painfully dull. The play scenes between the Starks and the Lannisters were great but it was too little too late if you ask me. There was a ton of time that could have been cut, especially since it seems like Bran is the real power player of the story and has received a fraction of the screen time.

How the hell do you know what the scene with the soldiers, and the keep, are going to mean going forward? Are you clairvoyant now?

"Who cares about Edmure, or his soldiers?"

Um, Jon Snow and Sansa Stark just might, if those soldiers come to aid their retaking of Winterfell. It might not happen, as there may be insufficient time for them to get there, even if that was their aim. But the point is, you don't know.

You completely whiffed in your assessments of two key scenes. Now, instead of attempting to refute either of the statements I made, you're left with "you can defend it all you want. the scenes were a disaster, in my opinion."

Yes. Your opinion. And your opinion is, seemingly, pretty ill-informed.

And as for Bran receiving a fraction of the screen time...if he'd been receiving more time, you'd be complaining "oh, all Bran does is sit in a tree, and visit things that happen in the past. Nothing really advancing the narrative. Boring!"

If you're enjoying the show so little, stop watching. It's that simple.

Haha ok dude settle down. I already said the concept behind the scenes were things I enjoyed but the execution of them was poor. They pumped the Blackfish for like 3 episodes, gave him 20 minutes of screen time, passed on a battle, and then killed him off screen. That's not compelling to me. Jamie and Brienne could have had their reunion in a much more effective way and the total 180 of Jamie's character out of nowhere let me down tremendously. And that's what I think. I don't care if you agree. This thread isn't about everyone sharing your opinion. I'm free to have my opinion and you're free to have yours.

You absolutely are entitled to your opinion, and I welcome reading it. But when you make a statement that has no basis in fact (basically saying Brienne's arrival had no bearing on the outcome), that's a different matter.

Jamie has very strong feelings for Brienne. What other rational is there for his not only giving her Oathbreaker, one of perhaps ten swords in the world made of Valyrian steel, but letting her go when he had every justification for having her captured? Sansa, the woman Brienne serves, is wanted for King Joffrey's murder. If, indeed, he cares very deeply for her, a 180 degree turn is not at all surprising.

"The things we do for love."

Remember Jamie uttering that in the very first episode of season one, right before shoving Bran out of the tower window for seeing he and Cersei in a very compromising position? If his feelings are truly as deep as they seem to be, I don't think his actions are at all surprising.

The 180 I was talking about with Jamie was that his character was on an arc of redemption. He begins the series as this cruel, warrior-type that has a blind faith in his name and family. But throughout the series he's wavered in key moments, like when he allowed Tyrion to escape or when he initially came to Brienne's aid. When he lost his hand he seemed to lose some of what he was in the past as well. He goes on this great mission to rescue his daughter and tries to mentor her as a father shortly before she dies, something he wouldn't have done in the past. And then we get to Riverrun where he simply decides he will just continue to be the same Jamie he had always been, with a blind allegiance to Cersei.

for being just a support character who probably won't be there 'til the end, jamie's arc has been one of the most fleshed out of the show. it's fascinating to see him go from the show's biggest villain in season 1 ("the things i do for love") to slowly turning face and becoming a hero in the eyes of many. i feel his struggle (losing his hand), sorrow (loss of his daughter), rejection by cersei, hopelessness etc etc moreso than my attachment with many other main characters like daenerys or jon snow tyrion (is he a lannister or targaryen?). the show is intentionally ambiguous with the old good guys/bad guys trope so in the end it's up to the viewers to identify who they root for.

So, he's conflicted?

How many people in real life, or how many characters have you seen on television that were clearly good, or bad? I don't know why you're surprised that one of George RR Martin's focal characters is unpredictable. Most of the main characters on the show have displayed inner conflict of some kind. Ned Stark was a moral man, his loyalty to the King was unquestionable. Yet, when called upon to be the King's Hand, he was incredibly conflicted. He wanted to stay in Winterfell with Catelyn and his family. And as strong as his loyalty to was, he refused to have Danerys killed on the King's order. He relinquished his position as Hand because it conflicted with his principles.

Catelyn felt conflicted by Jon Snow. He was a constant reminder of her husband's infidelity. Yet, towards the end of her life, she admitted feeling shame for the way she treated him. Yet, she could still never embrace him.

I could go on. The point being none of the characters on this show are one dimensional. They might revert to one path, but they will do things that surprise you. Tyrion Lannister is portrayed, early on, as a miscreant, a drinking, womanizing little monster that embarrasses his father, Tywin. But he's also wildly intelligent, and he is wise beyond his years. He also has a very clear sense of right and wrong. He has surprised me time and time again. Then, he kills his father with a crossbow.

If one thing should be clear after six seasons, it's that nothing is ever really clear.

No offense man but you act like you can't criticize something if you like it. I like GoT but that doesn't mean it's a perfect thing just because I like it. And it's not perfect because you like it either.

You can criticize whatever you like. I just don't get why you think a character can't act in a manner that differs from their normal personality. Joffrey was sadistic; pure evil. I don't recall, off the top of my head, his ever diverging from that frame of mind. Everybody else in the Lannister family has surprised me, at one time or another, by being out of character. Even Tywin. I could say the same thing about everybody, pretty much, in the Stark family.

Absolutely epic! One of the best episodes of the entire series.

Somebody get me an animated gif of Jon Snow beating Ramsay Bolton half to death. Wow.

"You know why people like violence? Because, it feels good."

Why yes, sometimes it does.

+1000

I have to admit...I miss Ramsay already- especially his smirk...

Hey, Rover, how did he taste?


I'll miss 'the Big Guy' too. Who knew his right eye was his weak spot.



It was an awesome episode!

awesome fight scenes...unrivaled! it looks like we're shaping up for an all female run kingdom with reek as their servant!!!!

Great episode. Wouldn't want Wun Wun becoming a white walker, that's for sure. I'm sure Littlefinger is up to some creepy plan too.

Side note: not sure if any of you watched Last Kingdom on BBC America but I think you'd enjoy it.

I Just Could Not Resist:
 

Wun Wun & Done

Something I did not know: Wun Wun is named after Phil Simms, a quarterback for the New York Giants who wore #11.

Attachment 235855

Season 6 went out with a bang.

Sorry, couldn't resist being punny. :o

GOT Season Finale
 

That's the most awesome 10-year-old actress in the world!!!

I'm glad they got rid of a lot of tiresome characters in Kings Landing.

I can do without Samwell and everybody in Dorne too.

A Very Good Last Episode after last week's Masterpiece!


Lots of stuff to look forward to next season!

That may very well be the best episode in the six years the show has been on. Even better than last week's, which is saying something. What a roller coaster.

Cersei started out :mad:
Then, she was :D
Then, she was :(
Then, she was :cool:

Epic epic epic television! Loved every moment. Can't wait for season seven!

Pretty surprised at how much that finale packed in.

I wonder about Varys. He seemed to hint he was taking a risk in his journey, but what was he risking? He united the Tyrell's and the Dornish people against a common enemy. I guess the risk was in the travel? Not sure why he hinted at never coming back.

Link to Recap of Finale:
 

from The Wall Street Journal:

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2016/...nds-of-winter/

The Battle of the Bastards may have had all the adventure and excitement, but I think the finale might have been the greatest episode of the entire series. So much happening, so many things settled and so much setup for the final 2 seasons!

IT'S NOT FAIR I HAVE TO WAIT A YEAR FOR SEASON 7!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lmao

assuming kingslayer jamie gonna take care of cersei...we have jamie leading lannister army and the fallen frey house, up north we have jon/sansa/tommy carcetti with the northern army, wildlings, and vale army, and sailing west we have daenarys stormborn, theon/asha greyjoy with the dothrakis, iron fleet, dorne/tyrells and 3 big-ass dragons. am i missing anyone? all the baratheons are dead, boltons are gone, and the freys are no more. when you play the game of thrones, you win...or you die.

and the winner gets to meet the night king with his undead army and the white walkers for all the realm. seems like the tv showrunners are not sick and a masochist like GRRM, so they're actually giving the viewers some satisfactory payoffs. looking forward to the stark children reunions and bran breaking the news about R+L=J to the family. gonna be awkward when jon is revealed to have more of a stake in the iron throne than his current title of king of the north.

Technically Gendry is still alive and is Robert Baratheon's bastard. He is the true heir to the throne but last time we saw him he was just rowing away.

I'm kinda bummed we didn't get to see Margery's plan play out at all. She gave her mother the rose drawing to hint at her faking her allegiance for some purpose, but it never really came to be anything.

Jamie Lannister is going to face an incredibly difficult decision at some point during the next season (or two). He is going to be forced to choose between his sister, and his brother.

Jamie obviously loves Tyrion. He knows that Tyrion was not responsible for Joffrey's death, though I do believe he knows that their father died at his hands. He helped Tyrion escape the dungeons, which, of course, is explicitly against Cersei's wishes, as it means he cannot be tried for the King's poisoning. And, we know just how strong his bond is with Cersei. He's always known she was a monster, but she's always acted in a manner that protects their family. So, Jamie might have rationalized her evil acts that way. But, how does he rationalize what she just did in blowing up hundreds of people with wildfire? Jamie has no love loss for House Tyrell, or the members of the Faith of the Seven. But he's going to learn of Lancel's death, and trace it back to his sister. Even though he'd turned into a holy roller, he was still a Lannister. And, Cersei's killing of the many, including Queen Margery, is directly responsible for King Tommen's suicide. That's their son. Jamie has now lost Myrcella and Tommen in close proximity. Are his feeling for Cersei slowly changing, and does Brienne have anything to do with it? I can't help but laugh at the possibility of Jamie and Tormund fighting for her affections.

https://media.giphy.com/media/3o7qDS...mtBS/giphy.gif

http://www.williamgregory.net/images/laughing_2.gif

Danerys has named Tyrion Hand of the Queen. This is a remarkable honor for the would be rightful heir of Westeros to bestow on a Lannister. And Tyrion clearly respects, and believes in her. If Cersei wasn't pissed off at her brother enough for what she perceives is his role in killing her son, Joffrey, how much more do you think she's going to hate him once she finds out he is the chief adviser to the woman who will come to remove Cersei from the throne?

Then there's Olena Tyrell. She's met up with Ellaria Sand, and has the help of the Dornish people in taking back Westeros. Obviously, after Cersei killed her whole family, Olena cannot wait to get some payback.

How do you think she's going to feel when she learns that Danerys Stormborn's Hand is Cersei's brother?

So many interesting subplots exist for next year. Nine months is too long a time to wait.

So any guess who will eventually take the throne? I have heard people speculate Jon Snow and Daenerys. But since Jon's her nephew guess that won't happen...

Agreed she is great. My guess is they're setting up John Snow to end up on top. If he's a Targaryen he should be able to control the dragons.

Sneak Peak at Season 7?