Looking Forward, Game of Thrones Season 7 Episode 4: Are You Not Entertained?

“What we do in life echoes in eternity.”

Do you know what it takes to get our trusty Editor-In-Chief to let me put a non-GoT related picture at the top of a post? A lot. And she’s not done with me yet. Such a request carries with it a debt, and the debt must be repaid with fire and blood, but not necessarily in a logical time continuum.

Intelligent ladies and gents, this IS in-season Looking Forward, where the Unsullied, unspoiled public reflect briefly on the past and look to the future.

Join me. I don’t pretend to be a man of the people. But I do try to be a man for the people. Let’s talk about time, realistically, as it relates to GoT…

Let’s Talk Time; Time for a Talk

The past week has been riddled with complaints and comparisons and justifications and explanations of an issue that seems to be driving some people completely bonkers… the lack of continuity of time in Game of Thrones, especially as it relates to this season.

Before we begin, let’s preface: during my tenured obsession with HBO’s Sunday spectacular world of wolves that commenced in 2011, I have been labeled a great many things; the most notable of those being “fanboy.”

Now, I’m not even sure I know what that means. But if I had to venture a guess, it would be that regardless of the mistakes and missteps the show makes, some think that I will always sing its praises and parade in the neighborhood exposing my stag horn to my innocent neighbors as an expression of love following every episode (to be honest, I am guilty of doing this, just not on Sunday nights. You know, it’s the Lord’s day).

In other words, their opinion is that my stance is that the show can do no wrong, even if the showrunners had decided to devote an entire 55-minute episode solely to the Sand Snakes (which, I still would have watched). This episode, were it real, would be entitled, “A Storm of Snakes.” Or perhaps, “Cripples, Bastards and Bad Pussy.”

Maybe I am a fanboy. I have been critical of the show at times, but more often than not, I am admittedly forgiving over its few blunders. Maybe it’s because I’m not a book reader (yet) and I don’t hold it to as high of a standard. Or perhaps it is the fact that beyond the snafus and oversights, I still find it to be the highest quality programming on television today. By far.

So how do I defend the time continuity issue? I don’t. My knowledge is somewhat limited by lack of book knowledge, but I CAN read a map. I can’t explain how Euron’s fleet gets from the south of France around to the Norwegian shore in the course of one episode. I can’t explain how Jon and Davos can make it from the Sea of Okhotsk to Taiwan from the end of an episode to the beginning of the next. I sure as hell can’t explain how Littlefinger has been doing this shit for six years.

Ozzette’s biggest complaint in this whole ordeal is that Cersei’s hair hasn’t grown out (which BTW, I think is very reasonably explained by Joanna Robinson here).

But let’s be clear: there is no logical explanation for how the show is currently hop-scotching around. And to be honest… I really don’t give a shit.

My primary concern is that we get an ending that is worthy of the epic storytelling that we have witnessed for the better part of six seasons. I don’t want them to rush. I would be completely fine with this horse running for ten seasons.

But I also wouldn’t want the show to extend itself with pointless filler while we wait a month in real time for Jon to leave Winterfell, travel to White Harbor and sail to Dragonstone to meet Dany. Would it make more sense for it to take 3 episodes for that excursion to happen? Yes. Are there plot points needed during that wait that are crucial in deciding the end game? Probably not.

I can’t speak to the motives of the showrunners and HBO in terms of the abbreviated seasons and the multitude of reasons surrounding that decision. But man, they’ve got to be tired. To put on this show, D and D to the B and BC have gone through an incredible number of barriers that at times have had to have seemed insurmountable.

Forget the pains of adaptation and attempting to conclude an epic tale of which the end has yet to be written by its creator. That by itself would be enough.  But the top-secret nature of the filming, and scripts, and code names, the ridiculous amount of cast members, attempting to keep the fate of one of the biggest names in the series under wraps, the endless obsession of the fans and the media, the heartless scrutinization, and the sheer size of the whole production would be enough to kill some people.

And through all of the careful planning and implementation, they still have to deal with leaks and hacks. At a minimum, I wouldn’t have any hair left.

So, before we go throwing people under a dragon for rushing to the end, let’s be fair in the assessment. If there’s no other backstory to tell, then I say don’t tell it. And if that means the Night King suddenly shows up on Cersei’s doorstep in KL with a frozen hard-on versus the big cock of Euron Greyjoy, then so be it. This is entertainment conceived in a world full of white walkers and shadow babies and tits and dragons. It doesn’t always make perfect sense.

We won’t fully know if the end of the story will suffer because of the time issue until the end is more in sight, and we’ve still got quite a way to go. But this is entertainment.

Are you not entertained? ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?

Forward ON

Just a reminder to those who may think the first three episodes of season 7 may have been somewhat underwhelming: they can’t all be Hardhome. Season 5 had pulled us into a sand snake pit before HBO unexpectedly bent us over the table with the army of the dead.

I don’t do leaks or spoilers or hacks, but my guess is that we’ve got one more episode of plotting and scheming before the proverbial shit starts hitting the fan in 5, 6 and 7.

And I understand that Ep. 4 is already out there so if you’ve chosen to watch it early, here is your opportunity to see how wrong I am. Personally, I’m waiting to watch it in HD on the big screen. But, to each his own.

Jon is mining dragonglass and is probably about to catch the Winterfell Express. If Dany gets word of the events at Casterly Rock and Highgarden before Jon leaves, she may feel obligated to change her position and plead for his help. I’m also guessing that Jon gets back to reunite with Bran who emphasizes the importance of the Night King not getting beyond the Wall, leading Jon and company to head to Eastwatch to cut them off at the pass. Who knows if the Three-Eyed Eccentric will actually tell Jon about his parents before he runs off again. But we’ll see.

A shift to the North would be welcome as it is the only place where we are going to get more of the Hound and Beric Dondarrion.  And I don’t want the scene below to be the next we see, as it could very well be his final, flaming lightsaber or not.

I also wouldn’t mind hearing more than two lines of dialogue from Brienne. She has been very quiet this season, mostly listening intently in the Northern meetings and secretly whispering “sweet nothings” in the ears of Tormund.

Of course, the other variable in the North is “Dirtball.”

He is sitting back taking it all in, calculating and maneuvering. I know that many fans are completely over his ass, but until he becomes more involved and vocal, he will be lurking in the shadows. And that won’t get him killed.

Finally, will Jaime contemplate the words of Olenna and start to see Cersei for who she truly is? The seeds have been planted for this flip to begin and I wonder if this upcoming scene with Iron Bank debt collector Tycho Nestoris will emphasize the importance of making sure that Euron stays on her side. If Cersei feels like she has to marry the Big Cock soon in order to keep Euron honest, it could be enough to push Jaime over the edge considering how much lip-service has gone back and forth between the two.

What else are you guys and gals Looking Forward to? Let’s pass the time together. I’m personally waiting until Sunday night to watch and I invite you to do the same.

No judgment if you have decided to partake early, but don’t ruin it for the rest of us.

Until Monday morning, a man wishes all of you well. Enjoy every moment. It’s almost halftime already! Embrace it. Share it. Invite someone to the Wall. And may there always be peace in your realm.

-Oz

Follow Oz on Twitter

SPOILER NOTE: The Management of this fine site would like to remind you that spoilers (book or leak) are not allowed in Unsullied posts.  This includes spoilers covered by code or otherwise.  Personally, I appreciate feedback from Sullied and Unsullied alike, so long as they do not include any type of hinting or conversation related to the written verse.  However, spoiler-coded comments do tend to lead to further Sullied conversation and for that reason, we ask that you please refrain from posting any SPOILERY content whatsoever in Unsullied posts. Thanks!

 -Oz

The post Looking Forward, Game of Thrones Season 7 Episode 4: Are You Not Entertained? appeared first on Watchers on the Wall.

Via http://watchersonthewall.com