About the Author - Lisa Macklem
I do interviews and write articles for the site in addition to reviewing a number of shows, including Supernatural, Arrow, Agents of Shield, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Forever, Defiance, Bitten, Glee, and a few others! Highlights of this past year include covering San Diego Comic Con as press and a set visit to Bitten. When I'm not writing about television shows, I'm often writing about entertainment and media law in my capacity as a legal scholar. I also work in theatre when the opportunity arises. I'm an avid runner and rider, currently training in dressage.
Either the Jon-Sam conversation or Arya killing Meryn Trant.
ReplyDeleteA review: http://polarbearstv.com/2015/06/15/game-of-thrones-mothers-mercy-review-5x10/
nice....................http://www.bloggerscan.com/2015/06/youtube-develops-another-challenge-in.html
ReplyDeleteI liked the Jon & Sam conversation then Arya goes all ninja on Meryn Trant and last Cersei doing her walk of shame.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed a lot of scenes for different reasons this week...
ReplyDeleteThe bloody brutality of Arya killing Ser Meryn Trant, the less bloody but equally as brutal penance walk by Cersei, the Benjen bait and switch shenanigans of Olly and the NW mutineers to assassinate Jon Snow, and I also really enjoyed the quiet moments that were the Jon and Sam scene as well as the Jaime and Myrcella scene....
That said, I think the scene I honestly enjoyed the most was the only one that truly shocked me... Varys turning up in Meereen to help Tyrion govern! I expected Varys to end up in King's Landing like in the books or f not perhaps to go to Dorne, but I did not foresee The unbeatable tag team of the Spider and The Imp back together. The Sons of the Harpy have no glue what they are in for! XD
Arya killing Trant. I liked it because they could have gone a much more disturbing route and make him sexually assault her which after the season we have had would have been round 50 of 'Has GOT gone too far?' Instead they made it short and brutal but with Arya firmly in control.
ReplyDeleteRest in Peace:
ReplyDeleteJon Snow
Stannis Baratheon
Myrcella
Rest in Pieces:
Meryn Trant
Myranda
And Selyse Baratheon also dead, but meh.
My votes:
ReplyDelete1. Myrcella tells Jaime she's glad he's her father.
2. Jon agrees to let Sam become a Maester.
3. Theon takes care of Myranda & he and Sansa jump.
Arya killing Trant was so unbelievable AWESOME. This woman must be Queen. I hope she'll leave and start the search for her soulmate Jon Targaryen after being able to see again.
ReplyDeleteReek transforming into Theon (well, a Vary-version of Theon) was also just awesome.
Melisandre appearing at the Wall -> JUST SO FU**ING IMPORTANT FOR THIS WHOLE SHOW
It's not confirmed that Jon is dead. The next book isn't out yet, so even book readers don't know his fate. We have to wait until next spring.
ReplyDeleteEither way, best scenes:
Arya stabbing Meryn Trant
Tyrion becoming in charge of Mereen and reuniting with Varys
Sansa's and Theon's escape
Cersei's walk of shame
Myrcella's talk to her father
Is Dorne coming back next season?
The aerial shot of Stannis' forces being completely surrounded by the Bolton's army, with half of them fleeing like rats from a sinking ship. A truly well crafted, visually stunning sequence!
ReplyDeleteI believe I read somewhere that they were filming over there again for Season 6 so I imagine it is.
ReplyDeleteAgreed! Thanks for adding it here!
ReplyDeleteKit Harington isn't being shy about saying that he was told definitively that Jon Snow is dead. I'm hoping he's simply lying, but it's going to be easy enough to determine whether or not he's seen filming....
ReplyDeleteIf Melisandre doesn't save Jon, she must burn....
ReplyDeleteI cheered all through the Arya/Trant scene!
And how can you not adore Theon becoming Theon again?!?!
While many of these were satisfying, I wish the show didn't feel like it had to top the Red Wedding all the time....
ReplyDeleteI loved that scene too - but then, the violence in this episode was simply epic. Why is violence so much less disturbing? It's an interesting question...
ReplyDeleteOMG yes! I could be happy with an entire season with JUST the Spider and the Imp! And honestly, it's only my love for Tyrion - and perhaps Brienne - that will bring me back next season. It will take a long hiatus for me to even begin to forgive them for Jon.
ReplyDeleteIt is an interesting question. I've personally reached my limit with sexual violence in TV and films because its been used so much, please let a female character have a story that doesn't involve rape.
ReplyDeleteBut violence on its own, whether its big epic battles or one on one I can handle a lot more. Especially if there is a character you are rooting for and they get their victory.
Interesting. First week my vote wasn't the popular vote. Voted for Tyrion and co., "my Valyrian is a little bit nosey," add another to Tyrion's classic lines.
ReplyDeleteThat entire scene! I loved Tyrion desperately trying to convince them to take him with them. But I equally loved Daario proving his worth in assigning tasks so effectively...
ReplyDeleteOnce again Lisa I am voting Other, as the Entire episode was amazing, stunning, beautiful, and shocking !
ReplyDelete•Stannis and Selyse both deserved their deaths - no matter How they died. Shameful parents- Brienne gets her Renly vengeance
•Myranda's death - about time ! - Finally Theon grows BACK a pair ........was it a leap of faith?
•Arya checks another name off her list ! ....... Trant - you got off easy, a man such as you deserves much, Much, MUCH worse ------- leading to Arya's punishment .......... ouch
•Myrcella's acceptance of Daddy - they are much more tolerant in Dorne - unless your Illarya.....
•Cersi's Walk of Shame ....... it will either break her OR she'll be channeling the "Mad King"
♡Varys showing up !! Love those two t'get her ! The have such wonderful conversations ....... such a cute bromance
♡♡-w Tears : I knew that John was being had, but the look on John's face, especially as Olly comes forward to"do his share" was just too much to bare !!! ..............
THAT BEING SAID:
I Do Not Believe For One Second. ......... that John will REMAIN dead !
- Milsandre is at the Wall
- John's lineage
What a season finale !!!!
I am not going to enjoy this hiatus - this WATCH will be utterly agonizing
: 0
Violence is always less disturbing when it happens to characters that we feel deserve it. Its cathartic.
ReplyDeleteFor the record, I loved the Trant scene and I wished a similarly violent end to Joffrey - he got off too easy IMO. Well, I can just hope that the same fate awaits Cersei, Roose, Ramsay and Walder Frey.
Stannis's death after disillusionment was great too - he believed too much in his destiny and his rights as a king and he lost them all one by one as a direct result of what he did. This was my primary complaint with Tywin's death - he died while he wsa in power and believed his legacy to be secure. He didn't have to watch everything he cared about being stripped from him.
There's been a lot of research done on the different views of violence vs sex in relation to the different social mores of North America vs Europe. In NA, we are far less likely to bat an eye at someone being brutally and repeatedly stabbed to death, yet freak out when a boob is exposed.
ReplyDeleteI find violence against humanity (either gender) fine when it is organic and not gratuitous. Although I realize that word means different things to different people in different situations. Cut a man into multiple pieces and it's okay many people, but sexualize the violence, insert a woman into the mix and some of those same people react very differently. I personally don't see the need, or the fairness, in isolating some examples based on gender while ignoring others that don't meet that criteria. I personally think 99% of the violence (sexual or not) on GOT has been okay, in fact some scenes should have been worse if they wanted realism (battle aftermaths etc).
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong, I find myself recoiling at some of the scenes, like this week Arya's treatment of Trant. Despite that I thought it was necessary and not over-the-top. She needed that cathartic moment. I think some of the viewers did too! XD
I know they will be filming in Spain, but at new locations - not Seville where they filmed Dorne. I haven't heard anything about Seville yet personally. Did you hear they were going to be back in Seville?
ReplyDeleteThe new cities in Northern Spain have a different climate so many people assume it will be used for a different region of Westeros or Essos. Maybe Oldtown or a new city for Dany even.. I guess they could film more Dorne there though... Not sure.
I agree having so many kills at one time every year or two is a bit much to take in... This season if they chose to follow the books had so many arcs ending in cliffhangers that some of ti was almost unavoidable, but had they used the two books for more than just 10 episodes I think some could have been placed mid-season. *Shrug*
ReplyDeleteThat is my only real complaint about this season honestly...
Because they moved so quickly many scenes early in the season and in the middle of the season did not have the impact they should have. There was no build to these scenes and sometimes some of the arcs felt like CiffNotes showing only pertinent clips while they left out nuance and context. Ironically I think glancing over story points made things feel like they were moving more slowly.
I think if they had more episodes to explore the material more moments would have had impact, more stories would have been allowed to breath and unfold naturally instead of feeling rushed. This is especially true of the finale where some arcs covered a lot fo ground in fairly short scenes.
OH well, I think every reader knew going in that dealing with AFFC and ADWD would be problematic. I think D&D did a fairly good job considering the restraints they placed on themselves.
Ah, that was probably it. I couldn't remember if they were filming where they filmed Dorne but I knew they were filming back in Spain.
ReplyDeleteYeah I've read about that before as well in terms of how movies get rated its very different in the US compared to the UK. Its pretty fascinating stuff.
ReplyDelete