Fantastical Musings

I can't believe there's only one more episode!!!! I have NO IDEA how they're going to wrap up this season in only one more episode. UGH! I'm already waiting for season 6. But, let's not get ahead of ourselves, let's break down this penultimate episode. Favorite Moments: Drogon the Dragon: A lot of people online are dissing Dany's scene in this episode. I had a few small issues with this scene, but, overall, I thought it was fantastic. It was so satisfying to finally see a dragon in action. I loved how Drogon just swept in and saved Dany. Not to mention that the whole scene was super well done. I loved that moment when Jorah throws the spear at the Son of the Harpy right behind Dany and then she turns around and everyone is in a golden mask. It was a real :O moment. The Stag: I'm so, so glad that Shireen and Davos  had a final moment together before Shireen's death. The scene with the little wooden stag was just so cute; right now, I'm just...

Where do White Walkers come from? An Average White Walker This is an often asked question in the ASOIAF universe that has never been answered to my satisfaction. An Average Stone Man The most obvious origin of the White Walkers, of course, is magic. But, as easy as it is to write the White Walkers off as an inexplicable creation of a fantasy world, that's never really been George R.R. Martin's style. In the ASOIAF universe, magic is not unconquerable and it's not an excuse for miraculous, crazy, and inexplicable things to happen. Magic exists, but it has consequences, problems, and failings. For example, Melisandre, the Red Woman, can give birth to a magical shadow baby who can kill Renly Baratheon, but she can't magically put Stannis on the throne. Similarly, Dany can receive magical prophecies in the House of the Undying, but that doesn't mean she can interpret or understand them. Similarly, I don't think White Walkers are just superna...

All I can say, after watching this episode of Game of Thrones , is that I am profoundly grateful that the Army of the Dead is  not coming for me. I mean, I bet living in a fantasy world would be cool sometimes, but not when the zombie nation is knocking on your door; I'll stick with my iced coffee and desk job. I think this episode was one of the only times I've legitimately been scared while watching Game of Thrones . Throughout the entire battle scene (I say battle like it wasn't a complete massacre), I was so anxious and so discomfited; after it was over, my heart was pounding. You know you're watching good TV when the show makes you feel like you're going to be turned into a wight, and you're just sitting on your couch! #AllTheFeels. Favorite Moments: Like Lemmings Do: The entire last scene (i.e. THE ARMY OF THE DEAD) was awesome but the best part -- in my opinion -- was when all of the wights jumped off the cliff, got up, and kept running. For real tho...

Not gonna lie, I wasn't the biggest fan of this week's episode. I think it was rushed and a little sloppy. Don't get me wrong, it was still better than 99% of other television, but still, a little sloppy. You can do better, Game of Thrones , you can do better. Favorite Moments:  "I Dreamed I Was Old, Egg": Hands down, Maester Aemon was the star of the episode. I knew that he was going to die because I read the books, but still, it was so sad . It was so sweet when he was holding Gilly's baby and comparing him to his brother. What makes Game of Thrones so popular is that the characters are human and have wonderful human moments. Even Maester Aemon, who is sort of a peripheral character, has a complex back story. I mean,you have to remember that he's lived through the reigns of at least five different kings and lived to see his entire family (minus Dany) slaughtered. Even if he's a fictional character, you have to feel a little bad for him. I so, so...

Wow. I honestly have no idea how to feel about this episode; it was truly a mixed bag: there were some parts I really loved and some parts I really hated and some parts that had the potential to be cool but were just really poorly executed. All in all, not the best mid-season moment. Let's break it down: Favorite Moments:  Face Thieves: As you all know, I'm not the biggest fan of Arya and her plot, but, I have to admit, even I was a little intrigued by her scenes in this episode. I loved the scene where she was telling Jaqen H'ghr her own story and he was like "a girl lies!" And I was like "oh snap." Also, begrudgingly, I have to admit that the House of Black and White is a really cool set. I think part of the reason I really liked these scenes in this episode was that they were the only remnants of GRRM's original story line. I get that the writer's are forging a brave new path, but sometimes it's nice to see that classic GRRM story tel...

So, if you watch  Game of Thrones , you know that last season everyone was really excited because King Joffrey was killed off (book readers were excited about that too, but, since that happened in A Storm of Swords, which came out 15 years ago, it's not so exciting any more). Everyone was like, "finally! we got rid of the most sadistic, horrible person on the show." That's cool and everything, but did you? Did you really? Like, Joffrey was a bad dude and everything, but are we forgetting the guy who likes to flay people alive and the mad scientist who's making a zombie strong man? Joffrey was definitely the face of the psychopath community in  Game of Thrones (and in the books), but he certainly wasn't the only sadistic, evil, mentally disturbed character. So, in case you were looking for a new crazy person to worry about, have no fear; I'm here to provide you with a list of the top ten psychos in  Game of Thrones / A Song of Ice and Fire . 1. Ramsay Sn...

We're now half way through the season and there are so many unanswered questions! So many things we haven't seen yet! So many opportunities for dragons to eat someone! (BTW: That was awesome). It struck me as I was watching this episode that, in a little over a month, this was going to be over and I'm going to have to wait another year to watch again and that's going to be terrible. But, to misquote Lord of the Rings , today is not that day.  Let's break it down: Favorite Moments: Dinner with the Boltons: If you thought the Lannisters were the most evil people in Westeros, you weren't even close. The Boltons are absolutely brutal! Their dinner scene this episode was so, so painfully awkward; it may have been one of the best things I've ever seen. You know it's a good moment when Ramsay Bolton is getting all creepy and sadistic on someone and then, out of no where, Roose Bolton swoops in and tops you. You better come correct when you're dealing wi...