Game of Thrones fans here?

[Galway Eagle]

Agreed, on big differences between the books and show.

In the books I expect that the third dragon will be ridden by another Targaryen (not the Night King). I think that will likely be Tyrion. 

On a different note. A recent interview of the actor who plays the Night King indicated that the Night King is on a mission to kill a specific person. Can that be anyone other than Bran?

It's pretty clearly Jon or Bran. There's nobody else that's had significant interactions with the Nigh King. I read a theory about him being after baby Sam because he feels cheated out of a kid that was offered to him but that seems like a stupid motivation.

[forgetful]

It's pretty clearly Jon or Bran. There's nobody else that's had significant interactions with the Nigh King. I read a theory about him being after baby Sam because he feels cheated out of a kid that was offered to him but that seems like a stupid motivation.

I can't see it being Jon though. The Night King is an entity that spans time. Unless there is something we don't know about Jon, on the grand cosmic scale, then I just don't see why he would be after Jon.

Has to be Bran. The question is then, is it because Bran and the Night King are linked across time. Is, as Pakuni says, it simply so he can finally be dead, and undo the wrongs committed in his creation.

[MU82]

Wow ... this is some deep stuff!

Just finished watching Season 7, so I've now seen the entire series twice. Loved it more the second time, and Mrs. 82 couldn't believe how good it was. She's mad at herself that she didn't watch it the first time around when I did! We're both looking forward to next month.

[Jockey]

Wow ... this is some deep stuff!

Just finished watching Season 7, so I've now seen the entire series twice. Loved it more the second time, and Mrs. 82 couldn't believe how good it was. She's mad at herself that she didn't watch it the first time around when I did! We're both looking forward to next month.

Interesting remark. Reminds me of something my wife and I talked about when True Detective Season 3 came on. We discussed whether to watch it each week or wait two months to watch it all at once.

I think one reason that GoT seemed better the second time through is that when bingeing, you remember way more detail from show to show. So much of the detail of what has happened is lost when you have to wait 7 days for the next hour. Netflix has spoiled all of us, I guess.

Chances are we will watch every Sunday night, but that decision is based mostly on being able to talk to people about the show on a weekly basis.

[MU82]

Interesting remark. Reminds me of something my wife and I talked about when True Detective Season 3 came on. We discussed whether to watch it each week or wait two months to watch it all at once.

I think one reason that GoT seemed better the second time through is that when bingeing, you remember way more detail from show to show. So much of the detail of what has happened is lost when you have to wait 7 days for the next hour. Netflix has spoiled all of us, I guess.

Chances are we will watch every Sunday night, but that decision is based mostly on being able to talk to people about the show on a weekly basis.

We only semi-binge-watched it. My wife has to wake up early every morning to work (Sugar Mamas have a tough life). So we only have about an hour in the evenings to watch TV. So it's not as if we would watch multiple episodes at a sitting. And we have other stuff we want to watch. Plus, we took about a month break between watching the end of Season 5 and the start of Season 6. So it took us many months to watch all 7 seasons.

Having watched it once before, I knew the arc of the series. I had a vague memory of the first few seasons, a better memory of the more recent ones. Watching it again led to many, "Oh yeah, THAT'S what happened to so-and-so" moments. Also, watching with a person who hadn't seen it before made me the "authority." Helping explain some of the more complex stuff to my wife actually made it more enjoyable to me. There were a few times we had to rewind to make sure we heard what we thought we heard or saw what we thought we saw. I did a good job of not "spoiling" some of the more shocking scenes. Like I didn't say, "Oh, wait till you see the Red Wedding in the next episode."

All in all, it was a very enjoyable experience, and we're looking forward to Season 8.

The Night King can't win, can he? Can he?

[JWags85]

The Night King can't win, can he? Can he?

Given this is the show/book series that killed off the main protagonist in Season 1, brutally murdered a likable character and his pregnant wife, and wantonly does nothing to "protect" likable or virtuous characters, I'd say he has a good of a chance as anyone.

[forgetful]

We only semi-binge-watched it. My wife has to wake up early every morning to work (Sugar Mamas have a tough life). So we only have about an hour in the evenings to watch TV. So it's not as if we would watch multiple episodes at a sitting. And we have other stuff we want to watch. Plus, we took about a month break between watching the end of Season 5 and the start of Season 6. So it took us many months to watch all 7 seasons.

Having watched it once before, I knew the arc of the series. I had a vague memory of the first few seasons, a better memory of the more recent ones. Watching it again led to many, "Oh yeah, THAT'S what happened to so-and-so" moments. Also, watching with a person who hadn't seen it before made me the "authority." Helping explain some of the more complex stuff to my wife actually made it more enjoyable to me. There were a few times we had to rewind to make sure we heard what we thought we heard or saw what we thought we saw. I did a good job of not "spoiling" some of the more shocking scenes. Like I didn't say, "Oh, wait till you see the Red Wedding in the next episode."

All in all, it was a very enjoyable experience, and we're looking forward to Season 8.

The Night King can't win, can he? Can he?

Depends on what you mean by win. My theory is that there will be a new peace deal (like was forged with the Last Hero), where they give the Night King what he wants. Dany and Jon's son, so that he can create his heir, the new Night King.

[MU82]

Happily, I was wrong about not being able to watch it live on HBO GO.

Enjoyed the episode very much. Moved the story forward nicely. A couple of nits, but nothing major.

[forgetful]

Happily, I was wrong about not being able to watch it live on HBO GO.

Enjoyed the episode very much. Moved the story forward nicely. A couple of nits, but nothing major.

Was Arya's drawn weapon one to take out the ice dragon, the night king, or both? Looks like a ranged dragon class weapon.

[Cheeks]

Was Arya's drawn weapon one to take out the ice dragon, the night king, or both? Looks like a ranged dragon class weapon.

Depends what comes up on the 20 sided die when you roll it.

[Galway Eagle]

Was Arya's drawn weapon one to take out the ice dragon, the night king, or both? Looks like a ranged dragon class weapon.

Seems like a double sided spear type thing that can come apart into two different weapons

[MU82]

Depends what comes up on the 20 sided die when you roll it.

Crapshoot?

[tower912]

Pity, she'll be dead within the year from the pox.

Which one?

[MU82]

Pity, she'll be dead within the year from the pox.

Which one?

My wife had the same reaction.

My main nit from last night was why would the Night King bother to "send a message"? Why wouldn't he just lay waste to everybody and everything? He doesn't seem like the subtle (or even not-so-subtle) message-sending type.

[tower912]

And who would he expect to get the message, since he has already moved on and there shouldn't be any enemies behind him?

[Coleman]

Maybe it was just sky high expectations and hype, but I found the first episode to be pretty slow and boring. I'm sure it will pick up, but with only 6 episodes in the season I expected more.

[UWW2MU]

Maybe it was just sky high expectations and hype, but I found the first episode to be pretty slow and boring. I'm sure it will pick up, but with only 6 episodes in the season I expected more.

The first episode of the season is always a bit slow in order to reset the pieces in the right place.  Even in a 6 episode season I think it was necessary.   On the flip side, I felt the reveal of Jon's parentage came out rather abrupt.

[JWags85]

The first episode of the season is always a bit slow in order to reset the pieces in the right place.  Even in a 6 episode season I think it was necessary.   On the flip side, I felt the reveal of Jon's parentage came out rather abrupt.

Sam's been on the run in the woods, traveling like a vagrant, then locked in in a library for years.  He got the mic and told the DJ "run that beat back", he wasn't wasting any time

[MUBurrow]

My main nit from last night was why would the Night King bother to "send a message"? Why wouldn't he just lay waste to everybody and everything? He doesn't seem like the subtle (or even not-so-subtle) message-sending type.

Maybe this is overly optimistic, especially with only a handful of episodes left, but I'm hoping this is the introduction of the white walkers as "just another house" in the sense that they have their own motivations and traditions and even sentimentality.  I get that their supernatural origin will always mean they're very different from the human houses, but I think a more "I Am Legend" type of zombie (the book not the movie) vs a Romero brain stem only type of zombie would add a lot to a story that is in danger of disintegrating into chaotic plot development where I don't really care about any of the major characters.  Between the Night King actor's slip about killing a specific person, the swirl sigil, etc., it seems we might be moving that direction.

[CreightonWarrior]

The first episode of the season is always a bit slow in order to reset the pieces in the right place.  Even in a 6 episode season I think it was necessary.   On the flip side, I felt the reveal of Jon's parentage came out rather abrupt.

Initial reaction was it was slow but that's a fair point.

My favorite moment was Bran's "waiting for an old friend" comment.

[MU82]

Maybe this is overly optimistic, especially with only a handful of episodes left, but I'm hoping this is the introduction of the white walkers as "just another house" in the sense that they have their own motivations and traditions and even sentimentality.  I get that their supernatural origin will always mean they're very different from the human houses, but I think a more "I Am Legend" type of zombie (the book not the movie) vs a Romero brain stem only type of zombie would add a lot to a story that is in danger of disintegrating into chaotic plot development where I don't really care about any of the major characters.  Between the Night King actor's slip about killing a specific person, the swirl sigil, etc., it seems we might be moving that direction.

Interesting stuff. I don't quite see it, but it would be something if you end up being right about this.

Maybe it was just sky high expectations and hype, but I found the first episode to be pretty slow and boring. I'm sure it will pick up, but with only 6 episodes in the season I expected more.

I didn't feel this way at all. The pace was just about exactly what I expected having recently re-watched the entire series. As UWW2 suggested, the most important order of business was Jon's right to the throne, and that was handled well IMHO. I thought Cersei putting a hit out on Jamie was significant. And we got a good look at what Sansa and Arya have become ... with Arya seemingly set for a fairly significant role in fighting the Night King.

Obviously, I was quite satisfied with the episode and very much look forward to the rest of the series.

[Coleman]

The episode was 54 minutes, 5 minutes of which was watching Jon and Daenerys ride around on Dragons. 30 seconds of this would have been cool, but this just felt like filler.

Sure, there was some semi-interesting dialogue and set up, but nothing really happened. I give the episode a C-

[MU82]

The episode was 54 minutes, 5 minutes of which was watching Jon and Daenerys ride around on Dragons. 30 seconds of this would have been cool, but this just felt like filler.

Sure, there was some semi-interesting dialogue and set up, but nothing really happened. I give the episode a C-

As is your right.

B+ from me.

[CreightonWarrior]

Although I've seen the show in its entirety at least twice, the new opening credits sequence was quite the blunt reminder of how much things have changed the past 7 seasons.

[UWW2MU]

One comment I'll make about the Arya thing w/ her weapon.  I hope this isn't too spoilery (I dont' think it is because this is just rehashing old info), but remember all the prophecies about the prince that was promised, azhor Azai and the flaming sword and all that jazz.  This fancy weapon really doesn't fit the bill and as awesome of a character Arya is, she doesn't have that prophecy fulfilling feel to her.   

That being said, I think that foreshadows her being the one to take down the ice dragon so that Jon or whoever can ultimately take out the Night King.