I highly recommend the New Yorker's recapper. She's Cleo on TWoP-levels of funny.

[link]

My own pet theory is that GRRM *did* tell them the ending, and they decided that all the Lovecraftian shit that is supposed to happen was unfilmable, so they went in a different, cheaper direction. And also maybe HBO is bribing GRRM and Random House not to release the final two books until the show is over, so as not to give people unreasonable expectations about what actually does show up on the screen.

That's very plausible. Since the show has started I have often remembered how GRRM once said that he was enjoying writing ASoIaF with no regard to how very expensive or impossible it would be to film it...

Such a disappointing episode. All that stressing over whether Rhegal survived, only to just dispose of him in 2 seconds! And why the he'll didn't Dany fly around the island and dracarys the hell out of them from the back?

Add to the list of stupidities: That scene with Bronn was completely pointless.

You're going to promise him a castle and kingdom because he's got a crossbow on you, but you're not going to send the guards after him immediately after he leaves the room?

And why would they be compelled to keep a promise given under threat of death?

I think it's all about Moments now. They had several seasons of well plotted out intrigue but now they are coasting into their Crowd Pleasing Payoff Moments. Brienne being knighted. Arya killing the Night King. Brienne and Jaime having sex. Presumably Dany going Dracarys on King's Landing. Cleganebowl.

Apparently when GRRM went over the story arc with D&D originally they had three Holy Shit plot twists. One was Shireen getting burned (which doesn't seem as HSQ as the Red Wedding, but maybe whatever), the second was Hodor's story, and the third twist has yet to be deployed. So I do expect we'll get at least one twist in the last couple episodes.

From Reddit:

So Jaime knighted her, bedded her and left her the next day?

A one Knight stand.

and the third twist has yet to be deployed

Do we know for a fact that it's yet to be deployed, or could it have been something like Arya killing the Night King?

Also, I've just been catching up and spotted this:

I have now achieved maximum nerd.

Remember when Jon B. went to theremin camp? You have now reached that level.

Hey!

I highly recommend the New Yorker's recapper. She's Cleo on TWoP-levels of funny.

I'm pretty sure Cleo never wrote for TWoP. She did those hilarious OMGWTF POLAR BEAR recaps on LiveJournal.

Do we know for a fact that it's yet to be deployed, or could it have been something like Arya killing the Night King?

I was wondering the same thing, Jon.

A one Knight stand.

Ha! I needed that laugh, Hec. Thanks for sharing.

In addition to the other valid complaints about poor story decisions, I have one!

Tyrion appealed to Cersei's maternal instincts to save her unborn child; shouldn't have Crazyface Scenerygnawer Greyjoy gone "BUH? How did you know she's pregnant!!!" ? Because she only just told Crazyface that she's pregnant, right?