The Glade 4.0

When the show finally gets ahead of the books

First official trailer. Time to start getting hype.

I've been re-watching the series in preparation, finished S4 last night. They've deviated from the books so much at this point, this season is really an unknown. People that I think will be essential in the books are either already dead in the show or simply weren't included, so they're going to have to come up with some clever explanations around that (or, you know, just **** it all up).

Either way, I'm looking forward to this season, and that's a great hype trailer.

I kinda lost track around season 4, and I haven't read the book, but from what I understand, George Martin is directly involved in scripting these... the story is his.

Which I find very odd, as when the deviations from the book become serious, that means Martin okayed them, which implies to me they don't impact his plot much in the end, which seems impossible...

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Well Ali Baba had them forty thieves, Scheherezade had a thousand tales
But master you in luck 'cause up your sleeves you got a brand of magic never fails...
...Mister Aladdin, sir, What will your pleasure be?
Let me take your order, Jot it down -You ain't never had a friend like me
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GRRM hasn't written anything for season 6 and in previous seasons never wrote more than 1 episode. He is not in the position to "give the okay" to changes D&D make, really. I'm sure they consult with him occasionally but he gave them an overview at the start and kinda let them run with it. GRRM kinda maintains that they are now two different stories and to enjoy them both.

He has also revealed that the books will undergo a twist that will be impossible for the show, because the show has already killed the twist generating character.

Yeah, he's effectively said the showrunners can do what they please, and that he sees it as separate at this point. However, I believe he had stated at one point that the end of the series framework was done, and both the show and the book should "end up in the same place".

They are going to have roughly the same endpoints. GRRM told D&D (roughly) how the series was going to end at the very beginning; they've had the outline the whole time.

Details can make a hell of a difference, though.

Ian McShane has been lambasted about things he's said regarding his role this season as being "spoilers". His response, "'You say the slightest thing and the internet goes ape. I was accused of giving the plot away, but I just think get a **** life. It’s only tits and dragons," is the best descriptor of the show I've ever seen.

GREAT. Now we know there's gonna be tits this season. SPOILERS, Mr McShane.

Pretty certain the biggest spoiler is in that trailer -- Jon Snow is dead.

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Not for long

Okay, most of the season was a bit dull, but that seems the usual. There were some interesting stuffs, but the story as a whole seemed to drag a bit. Much like a stall of sorts. BUT OMG, the last two episodes were pretty damn amazing. Whoever directed that needs to do more episodes in the future.

Oh, and here's you some lulz....

Last two were probably some of the best TV episodes ever.

Davos, king of the flip flops. Bane of writers who have no idea what "consistent character arc" means.

As for me, I was mostly disappointed with this season. It contained a whole lot of "nothing." I think part of the problem is that this is the first time I've been "caught up" with the series. Before, I avoided anything I could that dealt with GOT and tried to remain spoiler free (yeah, that's **** impossible to do). This time, however, since I was caught up I'd gladly join discussions. Most of them led to fan theories. And many of those theories were very, very good. And then show's actual plot would just be disappointing in comparison.

Arya's non-arc was probably the worst offender. I had super high hopes for where her character was being taken for a very long time. So, so very and utterly disappointing.

I didn't hate this season, but it really felt like it only had about 3 episodes worth of story stretched out over many episodes as filler, as only Caramello could be proud of.

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Les Zombis et les Loups-Garous!

I agree with you entirely about Arya, after the "stabbed in the gut" moment at the end of an episode, the fan theories were amazing. She used the wrong hand to pay for her trip! She was walking around unarmed in broad daylight, when she KNEW assassins were after her who could look like anyone! There were so many reasons that WASN'T Arya, she's smarter than that, that has to be Jaqen in disguise, etc etc etc.

Next episode? Nope, she's an idiot, Jason Vorhees pacing foot chase, plotline over. So disappointing.

That and the "Now you are no one." Oh really, Mr. Jesus? All she had to do was kill someone trying to assassinate her? Do I need to begin quoting you from other episodes, because you are flip flopping almost as hard as Davos does.

It truly makes me wonder if the bad writing comes from Martin or the show's writers... or a combination of both. Not having read any of the books, if this season is any indication then I can understand why Martin is taking forever with his book.

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Les Zombis et les Loups-Garous!

Well, this is the season where they passed Martin and are telling stuff he hasn't published yet. So of any of the seasons, this is probably the one where he's least culpable.

I read Jaqen's final assent as a move of desperation. He was at the disadvantage and down an acolyte/assassin, and was trying to bring her back into the fold (or at least escape alive). He was telling her what he thought she wanted to hear so as not to upset her further while she had a sword to his throat.

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"Aaaah! Emotions are weird!" - Amdee
"... Mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous. They are the symbol of the sun-staring visionary, the biker, the rocker, the policeman, and similar outlaws." - Bruce Sterling, preface to Mirrorshades

Yep, I'm betting Arya's story plays out MUCH more satisfyingly in the book. I feel like hers was very crippled by being a "season side story they had to wrap up". I'm also expecting Dorne (the most ridiculously BAD choice of this season) to play out entirely different as well. Oh, we're taking to long to avenge our family? We should fix it by murdering the rest of our family! /sigh

Hell, there's only ~14 episodes of the show left, we might see the rest of the series before Martin gets around to releasing another book!

Oh god, no kidding on Dorne. Like Doran wouldn't see the Sand Snakes coming. /facepalm

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"Aaaah! Emotions are weird!" - Amdee
"... Mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous. They are the symbol of the sun-staring visionary, the biker, the rocker, the policeman, and similar outlaws." - Bruce Sterling, preface to Mirrorshades

We thought we needed good writing but what we really needed was bad pussay... to kill Areo Hotah with no resistance.

In all fairness though, I thought this season was paced very well and had some of the biggest reveals of the entire series. Yes there was some dumb **** going on with Arya but... whatever. Still one of the best seasons since the first.

Bumping for Season 7. Quick spoiler comment for the premier episode.

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"Aaaah! Emotions are weird!" - Amdee
"... Mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous. They are the symbol of the sun-staring visionary, the biker, the rocker, the policeman, and similar outlaws." - Bruce Sterling, preface to Mirrorshades

I consider that suspect at this point. I don't recall him mentioning that at the (show) kingsmoot and that was pretty central to his bid for power in the books. I mean, if that's his plan, you'd think he'd have told his island folk about it to solidify his power. To pull that out now without prior mention of it would feel like it came out of nowhere.

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The Dude abides.

Yeah, like I said, I didn't remember whether it was brought up in the show. Now that I think back on it with some confirmation that it wasn't, I remember that this omission was a major gripe of mine about that scene, as you identify.

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"Aaaah! Emotions are weird!" - Amdee
"... Mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous. They are the symbol of the sun-staring visionary, the biker, the rocker, the policeman, and similar outlaws." - Bruce Sterling, preface to Mirrorshades

The entire kingsmoot was so glossed over in the show, it was 10 min of "I think she should be king, nah, I'm going to be king." I'm sad that they've completely excluded Aeron in the show as well, as he was such an interesting character (who helped to really dive deep on the ironborn belief system) in the books.

Yes. All of this. The show has gutted the Greyjoys. No Victarion, either, IIRC. Which makes me sad, because the dude's a badass and I'm sure the books will have a scene where he storms a ship in plate armor without so much as a boarding plank and absolutely destroys the opposing crew before the rest of his crew manages to climb aboard, and we won't see such a potentially glorious visual scene in live action.

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"Aaaah! Emotions are weird!" - Amdee
"... Mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous. They are the symbol of the sun-staring visionary, the biker, the rocker, the policeman, and similar outlaws." - Bruce Sterling, preface to Mirrorshades

Speaking of the books, when is the next one due?

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Raell Kromwell