Sunday Night Gathers, and Now My Watch Begins: Season Six Game of Thrones

Posted: April 24, 2016 by patricksponaugle in Blogging, Game of Thrones, TV
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It’s April 24th. Tonight on HBO, the sixth season of Game of Thrones kicks off.

AryaExultant

Finally! Seven Hells, it seems like forever!

Relax, this isn’t going to be one of my huge wall of text essays on the show.

I’ve just wrapped up the last Game of Thrones #WesterosWednesday post for awhile.  I had expected to be done with all of my pre-season 6 posts three weeks ago, but because this season ended up being scheduled three weeks late (in my opinion), I had to write three extra posts. So I’m ready for a break.

Each year, I don’t do any Game of Thrones blogging while the show is currently airing (my regular readers already know this, but I’ve had a fair amount of new followers in the past few weeks, and I want to get everyone up to speed) and in-between the seasons I write at least 24 posts about the show.

I don’t really do recaps, it’s all pick-a-topic-and-defend-it or things like that.

Last year and this year, in-between seasons 5 and 6, I wrote Forty-Four articles, not including the two that I wrote dissecting the first season 6 trailer, but that does include the recent article I had accepted on the Film School Rejects site.

I’m going to relax for the next 10-11 weeks and watch the show, read people’s recaps and opinion pieces, and listen to podcasts. Probably a lot of podcasts about the show.

Once the show has its season finale, I’ll start up blogging about Game of Thrones again.

I have about a dozen topics to get started on once episode 6.10 has its no-doubt-dramatic closure, which of course isn’t enough to get me all the way through to the beginning of season 7. I assume that I’ll be inspired by events on the show, since there will be so much new material, even for a book reader like me. But should anyone really want me to address a particular topic that they have in mind, I’d love to field suggestions.

  • My post defending Joffrey from years ago? That was a specific request.
  • My post defending the Sand Snakes? I was already planning on doing one, but one of my blogging friends (hi Haley) asked me to write something positive about Dorne, because she was so depressed about how the show presented the southernmost kingdom and plotline.
  • Defending the Freys? I’m pretty sure someone challenged me to do that years ago. It just took awhile to get on the schedule. (I don’t think it satisfied their challenge, but it is what it is.)

So feel free to throw topics at me. Like spaghetti against the kitchen wall. (We all do that, right?)

Anyway, I wanted to write something to close off this end of my collection of Game of Thrones articles and thank all my readers. As always, I’m humbled that anyone would be interested in reading what I have to say, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to talk to you all about a show I really enjoy, and a book series that I really love.

o-CERSEI-facebook

If this blogger doesn’t shut up soon, I’ll have him drowned to save me from all this sincerity.

See you on the other side…

(Comments are always welcome. Super welcome! But if you want to talk spoilery Game of Thrones talk with me (also welcome) I’d invite you to visit my Safe Spoilers page on my backup blog. That way my non-book-reading friends won’t be shocked with foreknowledge.)

Image from HBO’s Game of Thrones (obviously.)

I make no claims to the artwork but some claims to the text. So there.

If you liked this article, thank you! I have all of my Game of Thrones related articles on my handy-dandy Game of Thrones page should you want to read more but don’t want to navigate around my site.

© Patrick Sponaugle 2016 Some Rights Reserved

Comments
  1. thejunctionuk says:
    April 24, 2016 at 10:18 am

    Love reading your site, very informative as well as offering alternative views.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • patricksponaugle says:
      April 24, 2016 at 10:27 am

      Thanks! I’m honored to have you as a reader. I’m glad that I can come up with (I hope) original angles about the show to discuss.

      Thank you for following me this year, and I look forward to reading your site’s articles on the show, as well as your cast interviews.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  2. KG says:
    April 24, 2016 at 10:22 am

    Looks like I might be delayed in watching the episodes this time 😦

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • patricksponaugle says:
      April 24, 2016 at 10:29 am

      Oh, I hope you get a chance to see them soon. I know not everyone can get access to them at the same time. Since you follow me on Twitter (thank you!) I promise I’ll not tweet spoilery stuff.

      Thank you for being one of my long-time blog followers. (People, KG is always posting beautiful photographs and great content on her blog. I love her writing, you should check her out.)

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      • KG says:
        April 24, 2016 at 10:33 am

        Thank you Patrick for letting me know about the twitter and for the shout out too 🙂 It is censored version here so I may have an option to watch them if I want to, but since I will be away on vacation without TV access, might have to wait for sometime before I start. It’s so frustrating. I was so waiting for this.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply
  3. Al Lane says:
    April 24, 2016 at 11:00 am

    Enjoy the new series! I look forward to reading your thorough, and funny, dissections in ten weeks or so 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. jennnanigans says:
    April 25, 2016 at 8:39 am

    Indeed, see you on the other side! Can’t wait for THOSE posts in two months! 😀
    ALL WEEKEND I was ready for the episode, and when it came – well actually it took a little while because I was watching it at my friend’s house, and they signed up for HBO NOw through their Chromecast but 9 O’clock rolled around we got this weird ‘You are being blacked out’ message and there was nearly a riot in East Orlando. But it got working at 9:20, so that was all right. And WHAT an episode!
    I’m writing up some little mini-reviews of each episode this season. Nothing on your amazing, in-depth write-ups, but I hope you enjoy them!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  5. joanna says:
    April 25, 2016 at 4:50 pm

    Just to say hi and that I am a very happy puppy!!! Loved the premiere!!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  6. Fluids says:
    April 27, 2016 at 12:32 pm

    Hey Patrick!

    I hope all has been well.

    I think Dorn has been a total fiasco since it has been introduced. There has been poor continuity in narrative between seasons and episodes and poor presentation (only principle characters for the most part) and choices devised to shock you rather then tell a reasonably believable story.

    * Tyrion made a decision to send Myrcella away to Dorn with Ser Arys Oakheart to protect her and betroth her to Prince Tristane. This drove Cersei nuts; she was deeply concerned about Myrcella’s safety. Somewhere between that introduction and Season 5 he *mysteriously* disappeared or was omitted to allow for the plotline for Jamie and Bronn to secretly go down to Dorn to bring her back. This is supposed to be one of the best swordsman in Westeros promoted to protect the Royal family until death. Did he go out for coffee? Was he called back to King’s landing because Cersei suddenly decided to trust the Martell’s with the care of her daughter? Did he vaporize and everyone was given group amnesia by the flashy thing in Men in Black?

    Possible Fix: They could have very easily had a scene in Dorn where he is killed and had Doran send a message to Jaime at the same time Cersei received the Snake with the necklace in it’s mouth. They could have had Jaime arrive formally and had Bronn sneak into the kingdom and done that story that way.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    * Myrcella dies meters from the dock with all the Sand Snakes watching from standing on the dock, yet Ser Jaime decides to sail onward to King’s Landing without going back to confront Ellaria. Jaime is smart enough to know Ellaria was behind this. He knows Ellaria doesn’t get along with Doran (scene where they are eating in Season five) and why would Doran kill Myrcella at the risk of harm to Tristane? So why isn’t he turning the boat around to confront Ellaria?

    Possible Fix: Jaime turns the boat around to confront Ellaria in front of Doran. Doran doesn’t have a lot of guards around and since it’s only Jaime and Bronn versus the Sand Snakes they have to retreat back to the boat. Doran and Tristane and the guard all get killed and Jaime sails back to King’s Landing with Myrcella’s body.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    * Doran only has one Kings guard person who is very easily stabbed in the back and dies?

    Possible Fix: Fork out the dough for more Sand Snakes and King’s Guards. Even better use the possible fix I mentioned above and lose these scenes altogether.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    * Tristan is killed by two Sand Snakes on Jaime’s boat in King’s Landing while he is ashore with Myrcella’s body and Cersei. This is bizarre because these very same Sand Snakes are all on the dock saying goodbye to the boat that was sailing away with Myrcella, Tristan, Ser Jaime and Bronn at the end of Season Five. Did they get a soundless, invisible speedboat that allows them to board the boat and surprise Tristane without anyone else on the boat detecting them? It doesn’t make sense unless they set sail once the boat was out of visual range; caught up to the boat and watched while in the harbor for Jaime to leave with Myrcella’s body in the guilded smaller row boat and then boarded the sailship when no one was watching.

    Possible Fix: Digital erase the two sand snakes that appear on the dock with Ellaria at the end of Season Five saying goodbye to Myrcella, then what we saw makes sense in Season 6 Episode 1 with the assassination of Tristane. Another way is to add two Sand Snakes all the way back in Season 5 and then don’t show those two on the dock and have those two assassinate Tristane.

    I know you usually go dark during Thrones, however I hope you continue to post during the season.

    -Fluids

    Like

    Reply
  7. fluidss says:
    April 27, 2016 at 12:43 pm

    Hi Patrick,

    I hope all is well.

    I think Dorn has been a total fiasco since it has been introduced. There has been poor continuity in narrative between seasons and episodes and poor presentation (only principle characters for the most part) and choices devised to shock you rather then tell a reasonably believable story.

    * Tyrion made a decision to send Myrcella away to Dorn with Ser Arys Oakheart to protect her and betroth her to Prince Tristane.
    That image is here: http://i.ytimg.com/vi/TYMOBkhVGGs/maxresdefault.jpg

    This drove Cersei nuts; she was deeply concerned about Myrcella’s safety. Somewhere between that introduction and Season 5 he mysteriously *disappeared* or was omitted to allow for the plotline for Jamie and Bronn to secretly go down to Dorn to bring her back. This is supposed to be one of the best swordsman in Westeros promoted to protect the Royal family until death. Did he go out for coffee? Was he called back to King’s landing because Cersei suddenly decided to trust the Martell’s with the care of her daughter? Did he vaporize and everyone was given group amnesia by the flashy thing in Men in Black?

    Possible Fix: They could have very easily had a scene in Dorn where he is killed and had Doran send a message to Jaime at the same time Cersei received the Snake with the necklace in it’s mouth. They could have had Jaime arrive formally and had Bronn sneak into the kingdom and done that story that way.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    * Myrcella dies meters from the dock with all the Sand Snakes watching from the dock, yet Ser Jaime decides to sail onward to King’s Landing without going back to confront Ellaria. Jaime is smart enough to know Ellaria was behind this. He knows Ellaria doesn’t get along with Doran (scene where they are eating in Season five) and why would Doran kill Myrcella at the risk of harm to Tristane? Why isn’t Jaime turning the boat immediately around to confront Ellaria?

    Possible Fix: Jaime turns the boat around to confront Ellaria in front of Doran. Doran doesn’t have a lot of guards around and since it’s only Jaime and Bronn versus the Sand Snakes they have to retreat back to the boat. Doran and Tristane and the guard all get killed and Jaime sails back to King’s Landing with Myrcella’s body.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    * Doran only has one Kings guard person who is very easily stabbed in the back and dies?

    Possible Fix: Fork out the dough for more Sand Snakes and King’s Guards. Even better use the possible fix I mentioned above and lose these scenes altogether.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    * Tristan is killed by two Sand Snakes on Jaime’s boat in King’s Landing while he is ashore with Myrcella’s body and Cersei. This is bizarre because these very same Sand Snakes are all on the dock saying goodbye to the boat that was sailing away with Myrcella, Tristan, Ser Jaime and Bronn at the end of Season Five. Did they get a soundless, invisible speedboat that allowed them to board the boat near Dorne and then they hid and surprised Tristane without anyone else on the boat detecting them? Doesn’t make sense unless they set sail in their own vessel once Jaime was out of visual range and Doran went back to the Palace; caught up to the boat in King’s Landing in the harbor and watched while Jaime left it with Myrcella’s body in the rowboat and then boarded the sailboat when no one was watching to kill Tristane.

    Possible Fix: Digital erase the two sand snakes that appear on the dock with Ellaria at the end of Season Five saying goodbye to Myrcella, then what we saw makes sense in Season 6 Episode 1 with the assassination of Tristane. Another way is to add two Sand Snakes all the way back in Season 5 and then don’t show those two on the dock and have those two assassinate Tristane.

    I know you usually go dark during Thrones, however I hope you comment this year as things go by. I look forward to reading your posts.

    -Fluids

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  8. patricksponaugle says:
    April 28, 2016 at 5:46 am

    All of the continuity issues you bring up are solid. (Well, everything you brought up was solid.) Book readers are going to be more likely to notice that Arys Oakheart (thanks for the pic that clearly shows a Kingsguard accompanying the young Myrcella) just vanished.

    It’s even more mysterious since at one point in Season 5, I think Tommen comes to the Great Sept to try to negotiate with the High Sparrow, and he has a least 5 Kingsguard with him. Jaime isn’t with him, because he’s in Dorne, and Ser Meryn Trant is accompanying Mace Tyrell in Braavos. We assume that Arys would stay with Myrcella…which makes for 8 Kingsguard? (It’s also possible that I’ve miscounted, and Tommen has 6 KG with him, in which case that’s all wrong,)

    But stuff like that is really only going to bug book readers, who are familiar with this stuff.

    But even show watchers can agree that so much of Dorne on the show suffers from odd writing, and as you said, shock events. I wrote a post defending season 5 Dorne, sort of but I don’t know if I’ll be able to write a defense of season 6 yet.

    But I don’t know. I know I can write something to talk about Dorne that won’t simply be “wow. Awful.” I just need to work out an angle. But I think we all agree that this isn’t the Dorne we wanted, or is all that interesting.

    Thank you for leaving the comment, I enjoyed hearing your take on the Sand Snakes issues from S5 and that re-emerged in the premiere episode of this season. With every episode that features Dorne, I’ll be hoping that they don’t do anything even more heartbreaking to the Dorne I carry inside.

    There’s always a chance that I’ll be motivated to post something on the blog during the season, but I’m more likely to comment on other people’s blogs during this time.

    I hope we all can enjoy Season Six (or at least find it engaging… the show isn’t always ‘enjoyable’ to watch, but on purpose…)

    Best regards!

    Like

    Reply

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