GoT Episode 8..4 - Game of Thrones

[shadowkat]

Great episode, except for one thing...



They killed another dragon. Honestly, I do not care if they kill all the humans, I want the dragons to survive.

If they don't kill off Greyjoy in the next episode, I'm going to be annoyed.

Also beginning to think Jamie may kill Cersei after all -- although I think it's a better twist if Ayra kills Jamie and does it, or Ayra kills Garren and does it.

Brienne: Don't leave stay with me, Jamie. You're a good man.
Jamie: No, I'm really not. (lists all the hateful things he's done for Cersei, then leaves.)

ME: Brienne, seriously, you chose the wrong guy. Again. There was a perfectly good wildling man who liked you.

Honestly it was hard to care. We all knew he'd leave for King's Landing eventually.
And I can't say I was shipping Brienne and Jamie..actually I was sort of shocked by it. Seemed sort of out of character for both of them. I was shipping Brienne with the wildling guy. Thank god - they chose not to show us their sex scenes. I'm guessing the actors have a nudity clause in their contracts? Also is it just me or are all the sex scenes somewhat awkward this season...and subdued?

Dany: Don't tell anyone you are my nephew. We'll be fine.
Jon: I don't know if I can do that.
Dany: You'll ruin us.
Jon: Oh, I can trust my sisters.
Dany: Not Sansa.

Dany is not dumb. Jon however...

Ghost will survive -- thank you, Jon for sending Ghost with the wildlings, wise move.

I adored Tyrion and Varys' discussion. They aren't wrong. But I do wish that not all the strong female characters in this story were a wee bit on the deranged side, and worshipped at the altar of the vengeance god, so heavily.

I do however agree with Varys -- give the power to the person who does not want it.
Never give it to one who does.

Oh dear, half of King's Landing is going to burn in the next episode, I also think, Greyjoy will lose his fleet. I know Dany and company will win, because they lost the first battle. It's going to go down pretty much the same way the Night King battle did -- with the Starks taking out Cersei.

Comments

[dlgood]

We excuse some of this. Dragons have been absent from the world for 150 years, so you wouldn't expect someone to have Air Force Academy training in doctrine for their usage. We also don't know precisely how capable and vulnerable they are... and I don't know that the characters in the world do either. Lets grant that Euron's ballistae are equivalent to the Exocet Missile in capability. And that Dany doesn't know that Euron has that degree of capability. Because, I guess, Varys is now a useless spymaster.

OTOH, she has traveled with a Dothraki horde for years - and the Dothraki understand what cavalry does (and does not do). So the S7 battle was an example of combined arms. A massed infantry can withstand a direct cavalry charge. Cavalry need to attack from the rear or flank, or attack a disorganized infantry. The dragonfire opens the line in places, the Lannister infantry panicks and breaks, and then the Dothraki cavalry mop them up.

These tactics don't work against an undead army, because the zombies don't have a morale to break. They stay in formation. So charging them directly with cavalry is senseless. They should have anticipated that. Instead, you should wait for the undead infantry to reach the castle, and then flank with cavalry - who have been acting as archers up to that point.

The dragons, in that battle, were largely hampered by the storm, which reduced their invisibility - and the presence of an enemy dragon - which meant they could not operate uncontested.

As to the sea battle... on a clear day, from a height of 100 feet... a human can see 20 miles. While she may not know the rate of fire of a ballista - she ought to have seen the enemy fleet. Dragons are, as shown, fairly maneuverable. She should have been able to circle Dragonstone out of range of enemy fire and have spotted the enemy fleet long before they were in combat range. The show should have pitched that battle in fog, to explain how her fleet was so surprised.

Again - she has spent years with a Cavalry army, and Cavalry are great for scouting. It's an easy principle to have adopted with your dragon - even if Dany had never gone to the AFA...