yngtadpole

That reuninion of the Starks after so long, after so many seasons was so rewarding. And yet they all clearly showed the distance that has grown in between them during that time. Such great acting.

And wow that duel between Arya and Brienne was so amazing! I loved seeing the two different styles and the mutual respect that appeared after. That delightful smirk of Sansa and her answer of "no one" was perfect.

The cave scene was great for two reason. 1) I also loved the chemistry between Daenerys's and Jon Snow was great in the cave. Besides deepening the backdrop of the almost forgotten children of the forest lore (for me anyways), it 2) strengthened Jon's case that the White Walkers are REAL. The blue eyes in the cave drawing and that music was great at reminding me of the battle at Long Lake- in that eerie and terrifying finale where all the dead rose again as Jon rowed away from the beach.

I honestly thought that Jon was gonna tell Daenerys to attack King's Landing. The response he made started so neutral in the beginning I didn't think he was gonna say to not go. Besides that I loved the tension between Theon and Jon was great as well. There's so much tension going back and forth in this series now that there's a longer history of betrayals and cruelties this season is turning out to be really exciting.

This battle at the end totally exceeded my expectations. Small battle- another loss like the short conclusive clips of the Casterly Rock battle and in the seas with the Greyjoys.

That moment when u hear the thunder I knew the Dothraki where coming~ what I didn't expect was to see a dragon......HOLY SHIT LOL those precious seconds before the dragon spew fire was glorious. Was really anxious during the whole battle to see if any of my favorite characters would be killed. Danerys was there, Jamie was there, Tyrion was there, . Knowing that GoT has no qualms about killing main characters made this battle extremely tense. xD

Having Tyrion there and Jamie on the same battlefield also brought huge tension. Add into addition the new ballista as well as that shot into the dragon made me think Daenerys was done for. Then I thought Jamie was done for from that fire breath. Honestly this battle had me on the edge of my seat the whole battle. Jeezus.

This was probably the best episode yet. Though I kinda found the short-lived stardom of Adam funny and dark at the same time. But Emma stepped up and told her dad what's up. Which made her seem like her mom in a sense. That was pretty amazing. The actual combat portion was decent enough- with lots of complications and wrenches thrown in to make it interesting along with clever ideas to work around them. Also, it's always amusing when they tint everything green to make it look like NVG's. My favorite part though was when Sonny started reciting the SEAL Ethos. It's such a powerful creed. Check it out here: https://www.nsw.navy.mil/NSW/SEAL-Ethos/ That scene gave me the chills.

SEAL ETHOS
The Navy Sea, Air, and Land Teams, also known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and are trained to operate in all environments for which they are named.

In times of war or uncertainty there is a special breed of warrior ready to answer our Nation’s call. A common man with uncommon desire to succeed. Forged by adversity, he stands alongside America’s finest special operations forces to serve his country, the American people, and protect their way of life. I am that man.

My Trident is a symbol of honor and heritage. Bestowed upon me by the heroes that have gone before, it embodies the trust of those I have sworn to protect. By wearing the Trident I accept the responsibility of my chosen profession and way of life. It is a privilege that I must earn every day.

My loyalty to Country and Team is beyond reproach. I humbly serve as a guardian to my fellow Americans always ready to defend those who are unable to defend themselves. I do not advertise the nature of my work, nor seek recognition for my actions. I voluntarily accept the inherent hazards of my profession, placing the welfare and security of others before my own.

I serve with honor on and off the battlefield. The ability to control my emotions and my actions, regardless of circumstance, sets me apart from other men. Uncompromising integrity is my standard. My character and honor are steadfast. My word is my bond.

We expect to lead and be led. In the absence of orders I will take charge, lead my teammates and accomplish the mission. I lead by example in all situations.

I will never quit. I persevere and thrive on adversity. My Nation expects me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than my enemies. If knocked down, I will get back up, every time. I will draw on every remaining ounce of strength to protect my teammates and to accomplish our mission. I am never out of the fight.

We demand discipline. We expect innovation. The lives of my teammates and the success of our mission depend on me - my technical skill, tactical proficiency, and attention to detail. My training is never complete.

We train for war and fight to win. I stand ready to bring the full spectrum of combat power to bear in order to achieve my mission and the goals established by my country. The execution of my duties will be swift and violent when required yet guided by the very principles that I serve to defend.

Brave men have fought and died building the proud tradition and feared reputation that I am bound to uphold. In the worst of conditions, the legacy of my teammates steadies my resolve and silently guides my every deed. I will not fail.

I knew it. As soon as I saw the dragon go down. I knew he was gonna get rezzed. Jeezus......why didn't they think about that? xD I mean they just reviewed proper wilding burial procedures.....though honestly I guess there's not really anything they can do about it. It's not like the other dragons could've burned the corpse if it fell underwater. And it's not like the Night King would've let them dredge it up like the whitewalkers did. I was really happy to see Daenerys go off to rescue them. No joke whenever I see the dragons come in I get goosebumps.

And wtf with Uncle Ben? He just came outta nowhere. Did he die for good this time?

I also liked the scene in the boat. Who knew hand holding could be so intimate? I liked getting to see all the dagger wounds as a reminder that he was once dead. Moreso though, I think the commitment by her to help him, and his suggestion to bend the knee further fanned the flames between them I wonder where Sam's discovery well come into play in this developing romance..There've been subtle hints here and there and one of em was his first introduction to dragons. They liked him it seemed.

The Stark sister feud definitely got very dark. Love the game of faces and finding the actual skins was creepy. Still kinda find it as a distraction but probably just me. About the only other major development was I think Littlefinger intentionally suggested Sansa send away Brienne so that she wouldn't interrupt any feuds between the sisters. Other then that I'm glad Sansa finally sees Araya as a real danger or asset. Honestly I hope they pull one over Littlefinger and band together against him.

I love these writers! xD All these antagonisms, hatreds, and bloodlust in every faction. Back at the wall was one of my favorite scenes but every setting they move to shows illustrates these little intense conflicts with loose alliances. Or what you might've thought was a tight alliance.

At the wall, when Lord Berrc was about to give a rousing speech to unite their cause the Hound thankfully interrupts him and cuts to the chase in classic style, "are we going with you or not?"

"He's right, we're all on the same side."
"How can we be?"
"We're all breathing."

Gotta love the lines that just sum up the character's personality. The Hound's "ffs, are we coming with you or not," John Snow's, "we're all breathing,", or Davo's, "then we're fucked. Best hurry."

Speaking of King's Landing, seeing Jaime's face as he considered the consequences of having another son and his shift in loyalties and priorities was both heatwarming and tragic. Queen Cersei's warning to never betray her again, and his facial and body reaction was so awkward while they were hugging in a way that was so ironic. It let us know that Jaime clearly knew Cersei wouldn't hesitate to kill Jaime if he betrayed her again- despite being lovers, father of her children, and future father of her unborn son. To love Cersei and also be horrified of her- which emotion will overcome the other? Will he betray her as he did the Mad King who ordered him to set fire to the whole city? Or will he choose to support her to the end. Can't wait to see.

That meet and greet between Tyrion and Jaime was great. Such great acting on both sides.

Other than- I gotta really give Sam props. He really understood the perspective and importance of what he was doing and the most important factor being time. I liked how they portrayed the meisters, as the establishment, skeptical, petty, and happy to debate to utter inaction is something we're all too familiar with in our daily lives. The fact that Sam, was like you know what? Screw you- I'm taking what I need and going- and his perspective on what's really important but also what he was giving up was amazing. I loved his parting words, "I'm tired of reading about the achievements of better men." Touche Sam.

About the only other thing I wanted to comment on was the Sansa and Arya division seems a bit forced. Perhaps it just passed over my head but what was Arya even implying about what Sansa wanted or was thinking about? I see the differences in how to solve problems- politics vs heads - and defending Jon vs alleviating alliances but pointedly insulting her, especially of how she once was seemed a far stretch. They both went through hell. At the least you'd think they talked about it or at least had some sort of distant mutual respect. I suppose though in the end maybe Arya hasn't really grown at all- she know show to fight- but jabbing at Sansa seemed really nearsighted and immature. Resolving to kill everyone's that ever crossed her though might take a little crazy. I guess we'll see where they take it.