The largest reason for this is because this season was only 7 episodes long. Crucial information is delivered in two scenes max and at minimum, even a single line of dialogue. This means there is a lot to soak in between set pieces and more rewinding for a "what did he say?" than I ever have done before.* Likewise, it's very noticeable that the writers are working off an outline rather than completed books, thank you very much George RR "slowest writer ever" Martin. Plot detail is scant, leading to a season that feels more like a Marvel movie than a Game of Thrones season.
*Also, I've never straight up paused so many times to absorb, what would be, 15 minutes worth of information in previous seasons that here is unleashed in, like, 5 minutes.
Not that everything needed more detail.
Travel is also absurdly fast now. Dany, in one season, is in; Dragonstone, Kings Landing, north of The Wall briefly, and somewhere on the road between Highgarden and Kings Landing (Granted, she flew alone for one of those locations). Army movements are unrealistically fast based on this shows rules, ravens are getting information around faster than in the past (except for all that crucial information Bran knows cause he's a weirdo now), and yet the White Walkers still take all season to reach The Wall.
HOWEVER, I personally don't care that much about the timelines of troop movements in this show at this time. Fans complaining about this seems to me like nitpicky CinemaSins garbage. If, instead, Dany spent as much time in Dragonstone as she did in Meereen, I would light myself on fire before her dragons could. I mean what is the alternative? Do these fans want more of the excellent Dorne subplot? You wanna drag that out a little longer? How about we have a few scenes in Essos checking in with whatever Daario is doing in Meereen to pad things out or maybe the Iron Bank banker doing paperwork in Braavos? I don't even remember his name. Did they even give him a name?
You don't know his name either Khalessi.
The sped up nature of the season works well for the battles and holy hell does the Battle of Blackwater Bay seem dumb now. Way back in season 2, it was rumored but never confirmed that that battle was the most expensive single episode in TV history. There is no way that is remotely true now as the production value is sky high. The battle scenes were all great this time around. No muddy ugliness of the Battle of the Bastards with an inexplicable wall of bodies. The chaos of the....Battle of the Loot Train? Really? Okay....even that battle through all it's fiery smoke was easier to watch. The Unsullied taking Casterly Rock with a montage* was weird but whatever.
*Is it just me or did this season LOVE montages.
What didn't work so well with this sped up season is with interpersonal stories and character development. Much of the early episodes seem to be questioning if Dany has a little of the Mad King in her with Tyrion being the only one who can keep her from going nutty. The answer is to have Dany listen to him and this kind of works? She listens to his initial invasion plan and to his plan to bring a zombie to Cersei, but she doesn't listen to him when she flies north to rescue Jon and pals. So I guess it's a wash? Also, her romance to Jon is weird in multiple ways. Obviously the incest, which could have been prevented with a raven Bran you asshole, and also that the chemistry isn't really there. The romance just kinda happens from staring longingly at each other. It's like a teenager wrote this.
There is also the Sansa, Arya, Littlefinger trifecta of what the fuck? Even after the finale, I'm still unsure if they were playing Littlefinger all season long. And if they were, WHY? Did they need time to make sure the Vale would be okay with this? This is the timeline I'm confused about. Also, what was the point in Arya threatening to kill Sansa in episode 6 if it doesn't matter? Just to trick the audience so that the twist would have more of an effect? That is horse shit. If they are tricking Littlefinger, well, the episode didn't show him spying on them. Are we left to assume he was spying on them OFF SCREEN? I am so confused.*
*Apparently there is a deleted scene that explains this. Terrible editing decision.
There are a ton of first meeting and reuniting characters this season, many given one quick scene. Obviously Jon, Dany, and Tyrion were going to get a lot of time together and so were the Stark kids, but others could have used more. Tyrion meeting with Bronn, Podrick, and even Jamie felt like they needed more time. Jamie and Tyrion actually get two scenes with one another (alone at least) and it felt rushed. Tyrion and Cersei was fine with just one scene though because multiple would have lead me to question how one hasn't killed the other yet (That scene was actually REALLY good, even if it didn't make narrative sense. I'll always go for a great emotional scene over a good logical one). Other first meetings like virtually everyone on the expedition north could have used a little more. I think they were going for a motley crew type feel but it would have been better with the characters interacting with each other more before the battle at the frozen lake. The Hound saving Tormund should have been more impactful than, "oh, they talked about Brienne once." Maybe Jorah could have accepted Longclaw (Jon Snow's sword) then given it back with more time. Maybe Gendry....could.....uh.
He uses a hammer cause he's a blacksmith get it AHAHAHA
Okay. Why bring Gendry back for that? His main contribution is running back to Eastwatch exceptionally fast. Also, they don't show him being there in the finale so Gendry is missing, yet again. I assume Tormund and Beric died at The Wall (if they survived that, you have got to be kidding me) but maybe Gendry too. It would almost be fitting if they killed Gendry without giving him one final scene. Watch him magically turn up at Winterfell next season.
Great set pieces and muddy character development. Yeah. This season is a Marvel movie. But, and this is important, I didn't hate it. I liked a shitload of it. I don't mind that the show became more traditional since it is completely out of source material to borrow from. Plus, the story is wrapping up. It is ending. Of course it's going to speed up with little to go off of. The details are missing and it would be really, really, really weird to throw in tiny character details the author has not yet decided on. Game of Thrones has always worked closely with George RR Martin. It would be weird to go too far off the outline.
Most importantly, it was still entertaining as hell. To be honest, most of my bitching came after the fact. I didn't notice how stupid the Arya threatening to kill Sansa scene was until thinking about it later. Instead...lets talk about how Dany fucked her nephew.....
Actually lets not.
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Random thoughts that don't fit into the post.
1. So....how, exactly, were the White Walkers planning to get past the wall without the zombie dragon? I assume the Night King has Bran powers since he always sees Bran spying on him and maybe knew a dragon would come to him some day? But Bran can't see the future, just past and present via warg, so ??????
2. Despite the sped up season, it still found time for padding with Sam at the Citadel. He finds only two pieces of information. The first is that Dragonstone is sitting on a ton of Dragonglass. Other people pointed out that he must have forgotten this because Stannis tells him this in Season 4. Oops. Secondly, he learns about Rheagar Targaryean's annulment which you may notice as having nothing to do with how to stop the White Walkers. Shockingly, Bran doesn't know this because reasons. Sam did cure Jorah though so it wasn't a complete waste of time.
3. Speaking of Sam, remember when he met with his father and they hated each other so then he stole his fathers sword? Remember how that seemed to foreshadow that they would meet again but instead his dad gets roasted by a dragon? Yyyyyyyyeah. I guess that was just to get Sam a Valeryin steel sword?
4. In the Jon Snow is a terrible military commander department, what did he plan to do at the frozen lake after Dany comes to save him? Just rush up that hill and kill the Night King with a few thousand soldiers around him? Why does he keep charging ARMIES by himself?
5. The trial and execution of Littlefinger genuinely took me by surprise and was a great scene but I'm left with questions. What was Littlefinger......doing? Like, what was his plan? Just getting into HIS head for a sec, but I always thought he was trying to maneuver some sort of massive power grab. Was it all he ever really wanted was to be with Sansa? Cause I mean, what? Wow is he stupid. Selling her off to Ramsey would lead to him being with Sansa, how? Getting Sansa to execute Arya would lead to, what? And if convincing Arya that Sansa may have betrayed the family, like what I assume he did letting her find the scroll, what if Arya gets Sansa executed? What in the holy hell was his endgame? Did he even have one?
6. I am unsure about Jamie's character arc. The threat of the army of the dead is what broke the camels back? This might be controversial, but I always thought of Jamie as the abused in an abusive relationship (I'll explain). Thinking of it like that would explain why he holds on to her despite her psychosis. Now, there is that completely out of character rape scene in season 5 that the show runners decided to change (this is in the books apparently but it is consensual) for no reason. Jamie needed to go into villain territory more? WHY?!?! That one scene destroyed his character arc and his possible redemption will always look tainted. Game of Thrones wants me to root for a rapist apparently. Fuck this show.
Yet....Cersei has all the power. That GREAT scene with Tyrion in the finale tries to reel her back in but it's way too late for that. One of her major character attributes is she cares about family A LOT. Her biggest hang up from going full evil is her unborn child. So uh...and you can tell the people in charge of this show are men...why are her choices so illogical in that regard? Jamie is right that the victor of the north is going to kill them all. I sense some "pregnant women are emotional lunatics" in this writing and it is stupid and sexist.
7. What is with the Theon side quest? He's the person who plays a video game, only does the side quests and maybe accidentally does a main story quest. He probably has one more major story event happen but whyyyyyyyyyyyyYYYYYYYYYYYYYYAHJKGFAJGJHIO ??????????? Nobody cares about Theon. It's dull as hell. Literally everyone is concerned about the war in the north, and Cersei backstabbing, but then hey....how about the Iron Isles? Who gives a shit?
8. Having a romantic incest scene while ALSO having narration about Jon's true parents was very weird. I....just wrote that sentence.
9. Finally....this is a prediction but I have a weird feeling Daario is gonna save Dany and company from the Golden Company. Like, him ruling Meeren will lead to him learning about it and, yeah. Especially for this show, if he hasn't even been hinted at being killed, he isn't out of it yet.
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