I am incredibly grateful to Game of Thrones for this adventure I have found myself sucked into for some years now. I am grateful for all the emotions it brought me since day one, bitter and sweet alike. I am grateful for all the laughs, all the tears, all the jokes and gags, every single bit of it, I really am grateful and appreciative of it all. It's been just... wonderful.
That said, I am feeling robbed and betrayed right about now. This ending is arguably one of the worst series finales in the history of television and trust me I realize how bold of a statement that is. The terrible violations the characters have suffered this season, the lack of proper resolution to many of the plots and narratives developed over seasons worth of buildup, the seeking of shock value at the expense of quality writing... that and much much more solidified this as an absolute disappointment of a finale, as opposed to the marvel wrap it could've given this cultural phenomenon.
This episode does have its positives, as always the score, acting and cinematography are perfectly performed but I just do not think it's nearly enough to compensate for how lackluster the writing has been, as much as I wish they did. Oh well, sad as it may be, I'll just hold on to the good stuff and hope that GRRM's book, once finished, will tackle the ending in a more coherent, more respectful and more meaningful way. It's been real y'all...
P.S: I'll leave this here lest some people jump me again. This comment is a representation of my own personal opinion, I am entitled to one just as all of you are. If you enjoyed this season and felt this finale delivered what you were looking for then more power to you mate, but that doesn't nullify my opinion nor does it make yours any valid. If you want to discuss or challenge my views, I'd be more than happy to engage you on that basis but if all you have to offer are petty remarks then please keep them to yourself.
Filler episode that added nothing to the story long-term. Meh.
"Send the dothraki first since they are barbarians"
"Dragons are our heavy artillery let's keep them flying in circles without doing NOTHING for say 2/3 of the battle. Even if they all stop before a flaming trench and sit there nearly aligned for tenths of minutes. We can not win the easy way this must be EPIC"
"It's a massive invasion of Savage, quick and merciless undead but we like to walk orderly and calmly in libraries"
"By the way, libraries are still dead silent while people are being ripped to shreds outside"
"Hey, look, Arya slipped past 4.000 undead and learned Rey's air saber trick"
"Every major character gets to live even after being surrounded by dead. (jorah and theon were already half dead - oh yeah, theon, seems Arya waited in the shadows while you were impalled too. Go team.".
15 minutes of dark scenes not that good. Light a candle my dude
If anyone is wondering why this is a lovefest for this terrible episode, just know that trakt is actively deleting any negative comments. Even ones that aren't in anyway offense. I know because it happened to me, and has been happening more and more lately.
As my previous comment mentioned, This was a poor filler episode.
[4.8/10] Stupid stupid stupid. Why does it always have to be the Borg? Why does it always have to be some random, shocking twist instead of just sticking to what you’ve built to through the prior eight episodes? Why must it be chock full of credulity-straining retcons and cheesy coincidences?
The plot twists here are dumb as hell. The whole biological Borg “seed” being implanted in Picard’s never-before-seen son retcon absolutely breaks my willing suspension of disbelief for how convenient it is. The Borg getting a biological assimilation upgrade that basically lets them flip a switch and assimilate everybody is a cheap bit. And god, the fact that it only affects people under 25 is such a convenient dodge to get the old crew in the driver’s seat.
If that weren’t enough, the nostalgia-pushing here is so blunt and obvious. Yes, it’s very cool to see the Enterprise-D again, to hear Majel Barrett’s voice as the computer again, and to see that set recreated with familiar faces standing on it, ready to go defend none other than the now-Admiral Shelby. But the method to get there is so unearned, so full of psychological and narrative gymnastics to arrive at this destination, that the warm feelings built from seven seasons of the old show are muted by this new one’s transparent attempt to invoke them to cover for its dumb twists and reheated conflicts.
This one’s not without its pleasures. Shaw sacrificing himself and calling Seven by her real name is a nice and well-earned moment. Data’s “I hope we die quickly!” declaration is a solid laugh. I’m glad to see Shelby in live action again and to get a reference to the USS Pulaski.
But this episode all but squanders the goodwill and good work the show’s managed to pull off over the course of season 3. After finding ways to channel high points and fond memories for the old show to tell new stories and move things forward, why are we back to Star Trek: Picard’s mind-numbing plot twists and threadbare nostalgia? What a waste of a fairly good build to this point.
It‘s good sci-fi. It‘s not Star Trek. Almost funny how Seth McFarlane‘s Orville is at its core closer to the values and themes of the original Star Trek than Discovery.
They'll just build a new one... and make the White Walkers pay for it.
You'd think a multi-million dollar show would have a better action sequence.What on earth was that scene where Ahsoka , Sabine and Ezra are dodging bullets from over 50 storm troopers , oh my god. That was sooo bad. Even I would have directed a better action sequence.
There is so much fury in Rosario Dawson's face while battling , but we can hardly see any of that in her fights and the result is embarrassingly cringe .
So we finished one complete season and we still haven't gotten a clue as to what Baylon Skoll's arc is? The actor has passed away , rest his soul , so I wonder what on earth would they do now .
The storm troopers usually have a zero plot armour in the movies , here they have been dialled down to -100.
And the director's idea to wrap up this garbage of a finale was to show a glimpse of Anakin in the end? Do you expect us to give a standing ovation for that?
Very very disappointing
4/10
Sabine getting stabbed by lightsaber: I am fine, tis but a flesh wound.
Ahsoka on top of ship in space: This is fine, I am going to do some acrobatic jumps in space, fall back on the ship and prevent the enemy from blowing us up using my lightsabers.
Ahsoka falling on the ocean: Well, I am dead... Time for some memberberries and time travelling!
No journalist would ever reveal his source. Plot device to create conflict.
Erm.. okay I'm so confused
I adore this show. It might be the most wildly imaginative series I’ve ever watched.
But am I the only one feeling zero chemistry between Chidi and Eleanor?
What in the actual f*ck.
I'm a reasonable man, I realize I've been crapping on D&D even more than usual this season but I really do have to give them props for doing exactly what they set out to do. They hoped to subvert our expectations and they did just wonderfully in that regards.
We expected all of that buildup over the years to actually amount to something that at the very least passes for a presentable series finale but instead, we got an incoherent, steaming pile of shit. Expectations subverted!
We expected all of that character development to actually result in a beautiful pay-off that respects the journey of self-discovery each and every one of our beloved characters went through to get to where they are now but instead, we got a painful, disrespectful cycle of character regression. Expectations subverted!
We expected the final season of this show to keep us at the edge of our seats with thrilling writing that didn't subvert our expectations for the sake of subverting our expectations via low-quality shock value-seeking writing, but to introduce plot twists that make sense within the overall narrative of the story but instead, we got CW-level predictable, cringe material. Expectations subverted!
I get it. I really do. GRRM let them down by not getting the books ready in time and so they had to improvise away from his influence, but this? This? For a long while, Game of Thrones lived up to the slogan of its parent network, it wasn't just TV, it was something different, something unique and now to have to see it come to this... it's nothing short of disappointing.
On the bright side though, at least this episode didn't suck completely. The acting, score and cinematography were all on point, so I guess it's nice that I didn't walk out of it having appreciated absolutely nothing about it.
So why do I even bother anymore? I honestly could not tell you, though it's probably a mixture of masochism and a faint sliver of hope that they won't flush our collective investment into this series down the drain by the end of it, just one more episode dammit.
This episode just exist to spoiled you about The Sopranos, so with you never watched and want to watch Sopranos, be warned.
"Directed by Jonathan Frakes". Guest stars aren't always in front of the camera :)
Also, Charlize Theron <3
Up next, Natalie Portman? Besides the episode itself, guest stars are becoming something to look forward in "The Orville".
This show has turned up to be quite a pleasant surprise, it's undeniably very "Star Trek" at heart. It feels odd to admit that, as a Star Trek fan, I'm actually enjoying this more than "Star Trek: Discovery".
Basically just a boring filler episode. There was only ~3 minutes of content actually worth watching, and it was all at the end.
Except one great space battle nothing happening. Andor is a collection of boring and really great episodes. So far each story arch has started with a quite boring episode and endet with a fantastic episode. Would be nice if we got all episodes of an arch at the same time - make less episodes but each episode about 2 hours. Or make the opening episodes less boring ...
The ending was later game of thrones stupid.
Daemon running out there like an idiot, and the dozens of archers firing at him miss, again, again, and again, and again, and again, and then oh now finally they hit.
All the while he's fighting against opponent, after opponent, after opponent, against multiple opponents, as the crab feeder sends out dozens of his men.
It's just stupid. And his dragon stayed back because? No reason. Could have been attacking the archers.
And it turns out Daemon didn't do this solely to try and kill the crab feeder, but to try and bait him out so he/his allies can kill him and his army?
But wait. Allies said they had around 700 men. They're in a war. So crab feeder must have hundreds or around that number. Crab feeder wouldn't be stupid enough to send out a big force just for daemon, especially because he was wounded by arrows and on the ground, and still being attacked by them. Plus, we saw him send out what two dozen of his warriors? Against Daemon. For some reason.
Then when allies show and dragon attack, Crab Feeder and his allies don't go back in the caves? Which was their usual tactic each time for literally years during the war.
Even though they're in a losing war, Daemon and his allies win at the end.
None of this makes sense.
Writing quality across the whole episode is lower than the previous two, and we have now reached later game of thrones level of stupidity.
Would Daemon have really done that stupid run? Oh and we also see more of his dishonorable nature by nearly beating a messenger to death, and then betraying the white flag of truth. Even though he at least seemed to have some honorable aspects to him in previous episodes, even though he was brutal. Was this all in the book? The stupid suicide run, the dishonorable actions. And was it in the book when Daemon charged right in the middle of battle on his dragon and got pounded by arrows and almost died? He got lucky because one went into his shoulder. This is stupid. Even on the run he could have been killed by the first volley of arrows. I'd be very surprised if any of this was in the book.
Edit: And we don't get enough info about things regarding the status of armies, and the numbers we do get don't make sense. So Valeryon's forces have 700 men left? Eh? That low? And you're waging a war? Been in a war for years? How many forces does Daemon have? Does he have any left? He had goldcloaks right? For some reason. I guess he had so much of their loyalty is what it said in previous episodes. Yeah i guess they just followed him to Dragonstone and then into war. Where are they? Are they still a part of his army? If not, then it's just him? Why did the Valeryon guy say Daemon is helping them lose the war, he has a dragon. He's consistently helping, especially so if he's contributing his goldcloak forces, and i assume that's all Daemon would have, since we don't know if he's the lord of anywhere and able to conscript people.
So many questions like that. All through the episode about things. When an episode is a mixed bag like this, you start to see and question many other things. I still enjoyed the episode overall though.
Edit 2: Since a lot of people seem to agree with me, i thought i'd go into more detail. The show hasn't completely broken down yet like later Game of Thrones, nor has the logic been twisted too much like middle Game of Thrones. The previous 2 episodes i thought were really good, but this episode you could tell had a different writer, and that's not good, because it makes you less immersed, like sometimes you feel these characters shouldn't be saying what they're saying. Contrast that to Game of Thrones season 1, and i couldn't tell who was writing what episode, as it was good across the board. So early into this season and i'm seeing a mismatch in writing is not a good sign.
I think we have a lot of interesting characters in this show and i'm looking forward to continuing. I'd rate this episode a 6.5/10, but 6 or 7 is valid to me. Most of this episode i thought was pretty good, but there were too many things for me to choose 6. The mismatch in writing, the timeskip, the brattiness of Rhaenyra, the white deer heavy handed symbolism, the end of the episode and the anticlimactic nature of the crabfeeder. The king feeling a bit too lost in his soul, when he's supposed to be king and has been king for a long time, and has a queen and children. I understand the reasoning, i just don't buy it much. But i still like the many conversations, politics and intrigue in the show, and the characters and story.
This was basically a sequence of illogicality in terms of character placement.
How is the Third Sister faster than Leia who was on her way much longer. Even if she took the faster route: Why would Leia not have been taken the fastest one??
How doest the sleeper agent know where Obi-Wan is, but none of the inquisitors does? How does she get there so fast? And why the fuck did she not cross path with the Third Sister??
Not to speak of how incredibly unfounded and unrealistic it was for the Third Sister to immediately find the entry in the beginning...
Sorry, but as much as I want to like it. The later half did not suspend my disbelief in the least.
but WHY would the children want to go live with their born again grandpa?? do they have any idea how horrible it is to live with a fundamentalist christian?? i know they hate their mom but they can just move lol charlotte did it before they can live at the motel
and charlotte can forget her wine and her weed and jonah can forget his all nighter laundering money or gaming whatever the fuck that little creep does
I'm beginning to think the writing team only had three good episodes in them. Getting predictable and drawn out.
Wow, how the mighty have fallen. Was this season produced by the Hallmark channel? The schmaltzy music that plays in the background every other scene, the forced feel-good vibe, the corny jokes, the cringy musical interlude during this episode, that fucking Ed Sheeran montage…. it’s all so incredibly lame and cheap. Any of the sharp wit and quirk from the first two seasons has completely disappeared from the show. Instead this entire season felt like a bunch predictable, bland, sentimental nonsense made for the broadest of audiences.
I’m so lost as to what is happening. The whole journey to the underworld was a waste of time and distraction. Only 3 episodes left, I hope they make sense of this story.
Character A is incapacitated. Character B revives Character A just in time to save Character B from imprisonment. Yawn. Such amateur writing no wonder every episode gets reddit gold. This weeks mega villain eats meat. So he must die.
Have people not realize yet that this is a low stakes, stand-alone kind of show?
"adds nothing to the MCU". No shit!
Does everything have to be fucking connected? Lighten up, DUDES.
Not a fan of the boring Russian subplot.
Oh God no, not Wade! Not the character we don't even know, and couldn't give less of a care about. Why did you have to take such a nobody from us!?
Yawn, this show is just plain boring.
kinda a shame to finish the season (possibly?) with a rerun...
