Just caught up to date.
This sums up my thoughts nicely : everything is so well crafted that the weak writing sticks out like a sore thumb.
- 8x03 : I thought the episode was mostly alright, with some really good moments, right up until its final 15 minutes or so, which feature the most blatant cases of plot armor I've seen in a long time.
Arya doing a flash step to backstab the Night King was kinda goofy, though I though the sleigh of hand frontstab was nice. As for it being Arya that gets the killing blow on the Big Bad, why not
- although I really wish they had been more subtle with their foreshadowing it...
My biggest beef with it has to be the plot armor, I thought this was a great opportunity to clean up the board, kill characters that we care about or have some importance so that it actually feels like a heavy price was paid for this foregone victory. Hell, I would have been impressed if they had actually made it a
defeat, or if killing the NK didn't actually solve the entirety of their undead problem.
- 8x04 : lol @ anti-air balista. I think this is one of the biggest misstep this season. For one, it
really stretches believability, its one thing to have magic-guy Night King one-shotting a flying dragon, but a regular old balista doing the same thing... *facepalm* I understand the need to have Cersei & her forces repeatedly hurt Danny personally due to the events of episode 5, but that was *
seriously* clumsy...
Overall I think the Iron Fleet has been a bit too much of an "I win" button for Cersei to compensate for her strategic blunders.
-8x05 : I'd like to state for the record that this one was a barrel of fun to watch. Stupid, sure but hellafun
What I was expecting : Danny going on rampage with her dragon and burning chunks of the city, inflicting a lot of collateral damage and forcing Cersei's forces to surrender. Continuing this cold, ruthless streak she would then be merciless towards her enemies, possibly wiping out the surrendering Lanister/Golden Company forces and completing her journey to the dark side.
What I didn't expect : going on a stupid/pointless evil rampage
after the city surrendered. This ain't a Blizzard game, you can't just have your characters go "Lol, I'm evil now", especially when you have
sooo much to work with here...
Aside from that:
* the Clegane duel was fun
* I would have prefered if Jamie bled to death long before meeting Cersei
* dragon fire is apparently more explody than melty when it comes to stones
* **** the Iron Throne, build a new throne out of skulls, that way you can have your followers go all "
Blood for the blood queen ! Skulls for the Skull Throne ! Let the World BURN !!!"