Game of Thrones

[InternetApex]

The outcome of the fight scene was ambiguous.  I don't mean the squishy part.  That was explicit.

The Mountain won but may soon wish he hadn't.

I couldn't tell if he was alive or dead when he rolled away.

That's understood but it wouldn't affect the outcome of the contest as he was the last one living. If he later dies from his wounds, they won't call it a draw and re-do. Though that does beg the question of what would happen if neither man could go on fighting. Would they treat their wounds or let them lie on the ground twitiching until one kicked the bucket? This, I'm afraid, is never discussed in the series.

[CBStew]

The outcome of the fight scene was ambiguous.  I don't mean the squishy part.  That was explicit.

The Mountain won but may soon wish he hadn't.

I couldn't tell if he was alive or dead when he rolled away.

That's understood but it wouldn't affect the outcome of the contest as he was the last one living. If he later dies from his wounds, they won't call it a draw and re-do. Though that does beg the question of what would happen if neither man could go on fighting. Would they treat their wounds or let them lie on the ground twitiching until one kicked the bucket? This, I'm afraid, is never discussed in the series.

About once a decade one of my cases ends with trial by combat. 
But I am getting too old for that.

[Shooter]

The outcome of the fight scene was ambiguous.  I don't mean the squishy part.  That was explicit.

The Mountain won but may soon wish he hadn't.

Is it just me or was that fairly hack-y writing? The "good guy" is going to win, but first he wants to draw it out a bit, and torture the bad guy. Then, oops, he gets tripped up and gets his skull smushed. The skull smushing was pretty novel, but the reversal of fortune when all he had to do was finish him off was lame.

[Chuck to Chuck]

The outcome of the fight scene was ambiguous.  I don't mean the squishy part.  That was explicit.

The Mountain won but may soon wish he hadn't.

Is it just me or was that fairly hack-y writing? The "good guy" is going to win, but first he wants to draw it out a bit, and torture the bad guy. Then, oops, he gets tripped up and gets his skull smushed. The skull smushing was pretty novel much a more graphic version of Blade Runner, but the reversal of fortune when all he had to do was finish him off was lame.

[R-V]

The outcome of the fight scene was ambiguous.  I don't mean the squishy part.  That was explicit.

The Mountain won but may soon wish he hadn't.

Is it just me or was that fairly hack-y writing? The "good guy" is going to win, but first he wants to draw it out a bit, and torture the bad guy. Then, oops, he gets tripped up and gets his skull smushed. The skull smushing was pretty novel, but the reversal of fortune when all he had to do was finish him off was lame.

Not when you consider Oberyn's primary motivation. He didn't just want to win the fight and save Tyrion - he could give two shits about Tyrion. He wanted to get a public confession out of the Mountain that Tywin gave the order to kill Oberyn's sister and her kids. He had to keep the Mountain alive long enough to get that confession so he could shame Tywin in front of all the big swinging dicks of King's Landing. Obviously it didn't work out too well for him.

[InternetApex]

The outcome of the fight scene was ambiguous.  I don't mean the squishy part.  That was explicit.

The Mountain won but may soon wish he hadn't.

Is it just me or was that fairly hack-y writing? The "good guy" is going to win, but first he wants to draw it out a bit, and torture the bad guy. Then, oops, he gets tripped up and gets his skull smushed. The skull smushing was pretty novel, but the reversal of fortune when all he had to do was finish him off was lame.

It keeps with the theme that there is no justice in King's Landing. It's much less hack-y than having David take down Goliath, which never ever happens in this series. I hadn't thought of the Inigo Montoya angle before I saw how the actor portrayed Oberyn and kept repeating the phrase. That was a little bit annoying. Another option would be for Oberyn to just get bludgeoned from the very beginning.

But I'll tell you why it's not hack-y. With the Mountain's confession comes proof that the brutal murders of Elia's children took place during the sack of King's Landing. And it's known that Tywin is holding the Mountain's leash, as he's his liege lord and commander of his army. While it looks at first blush like this is a win for the Lannisters, it's not. They were hoping to give the Mountain to Dorne as recompense for their losses, and to bring Oberyn into the fold while Myrcella, remains a ward in Sunspear. This would avoid a war, which the Lannisters can't afford. Now, Oberyn's dead too, at the hands of, yep, The Mountain That Rides, with Lord Tywin presiding over the whole sordid affair. Hell, had the Viper won, Tyrion could have "fallen down the steps" on his way out of the Red Keep and absolutely nobody other than Jamie would have given a flying turd. Sure, Cersei gets to watch him beheaded for a crime he didn't commit. But she's a fucking moron, and never should have summoned The Mountain in the first place.

This is a major loss for Tywin and he knows it. I think that's gorgeous writing, unlike anything I've ever been fortunate enough to read.  

"I put my life in the Red Viper's hands, and he dropped it. When he remembered, too late, that snakes had no hands, Tyrion began to laugh hysterically."

Money.

[Tinker to Evers to Chance]

So I'm finally caught up on this show and read through this thread.

No love for "The Watchers on the Wall"? I thought that episode was the balls.

[InternetApex]

So I'm finally caught up on this show and read through this thread.

No love for "The Watchers on the Wall"? I thought that episode was the balls.

It was and I loved it. The end of that episode was the saddest part of the entire series of novels for me. I don't think I've ever gotten choked up reading a book before or since. The show executed it perfectly.

[InternetApex]

They're way off the books now and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Characters are going to places they aren't supposed to be. Storylines are getting combined and condensed. The general premise is much the same but the activities are different. The one part that was most like the book in last night's episode was Jon Snow election to Lord Commander of the night's watch. They yada-yada'd it a bit but that's basically how it went down. And it was the coolest scene on the show.

[CBStew]

They're way off the books now and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Characters are going to places they aren't supposed to be. Storylines are getting combined and condensed. The general premise is much the same but the activities are different. The one part that was most like the book in last night's episode was Jon Snow election to Lord Commander of the night's watch. They yada-yada'd it a bit but that's basically how it went down. And it was the coolest scene on the show.

Solution?  Don't read the books.

[Yeti]

They're way off the books now and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Characters are going to places they aren't supposed to be. Storylines are getting combined and condensed. The general premise is much the same but the activities are different. The one part that was most like the book in last night's episode was Jon Snow election to Lord Commander of the night's watch. They yada-yada'd it a bit but that's basically how it went down. And it was the coolest scene on the show.

Solution?  Don't read the books.

Yea, I'm not going to support that, but I don't mind this. I mean, I wish they could replicate the awesomeness that is the books, but it's just not possible.

The one major effect you're going to see (potentially) are certain storylines, which appear to be important in the books, that are cut out of the show because maybe they aren't as important as we thought/led to believe. (Tyrion travel partners in Essos, for example)

[ChuckD]

That was amazing.

[Yeti]

That was amazing.

You're goddamned right it was. Holy shit. I know people are skeptical and shit, but that should be enough to say "Hey, I think we should worry about those white walker dudes"

Also, Dany and Tyrion from this day until my last day

[InternetApex]

That was amazing.

You're goddamned right it was. Holy shit. I know people are skeptical and shit, but that should be enough to say "Hey, I think we should worry about those white walker dudes"

Also, Dany and Tyrion from this day until my last day

For real. I was watching those D/T scenes thinking, damn, this episode has picked up a few notches from the last few. Then we saw Cersei getting mollywopped by the Sparrow Nun and I was just smirking and sipping wine like a fucking boss. You know, even the books yada-yada-yada'd the situation at Hardhome. And I swear I did not see that mess coming. I kind of hoped we'd see something exciting up there but man... the Giant, the White Walkers, the Night King himself going LeBron in Game 6 at Boston on the Freefolk and staring Jon down... woo.

The fast zombies don't really do much for me though. Like, I don't know. They were way creepier in season one when they just like Appeared and cut mugs heads off in the woods. These are kind of corny to me. They aren't like that in books. My only gripe but whatever, it's TV and everybody else seemed to dig that.

[R-V]

That was amazing.

You're goddamned right it was. Holy shit. I know people are skeptical and shit, but that should be enough to say "Hey, I think we should worry about those white walker dudes"

Also, Dany and Tyrion from this day until my last day

For real. I was watching those D/T scenes thinking, damn, this episode has picked up a few notches from the last few. Then we saw Cersei getting mollywopped by the Sparrow Nun and I was just smirking and sipping wine like a fucking boss. You know, even the books yada-yada-yada'd the situation at Hardhome. And I swear I did not see that mess coming. I kind of hoped we'd see something exciting up there but man... the Giant, the White Walkers, the Night King himself going LeBron in Game 6 at Boston on the Freefolk and staring Jon down... woo.

The fast zombies don't really do much for me though. Like, I don't know. They were way creepier in season one when they just like Appeared and cut mugs heads off in the woods. These are kind of corny to me. They aren't like that in books. My only gripe but whatever, it's TV and everybody else seemed to dig that.

Same here. Also, and this is my same complaint with basically any modern-day action scenes, I didn't have a great grasp on the geography of the battle. Where exactly was that giant wooden wall - between the cliffs and the water? Maybe I'm just a dumbass but they didn't do enough to establish the where of everything.

But those are minor twat-gripes about an otherwise great episode.