The rewatch is just as painful as it was the first time. I wonder if George thought everyone liked Stannis too much.
He allows no traditional heroes and villains. He allows no reader to get comfortable with any character. He writes hundreds of minor characters, invents dozens of dead-end arcs, never wraps up anything, and introduces new characters and scenarios constantly. Good imagination but a truly wretched writer. You can't guess where he is going, I'll give him that, but he need not be so hedonistic about it all.
You're right, a lot of the character arcs really make this series but some of em, I mean damn. Did we really need Aegon and Comnington, or the Quentyn Martell deal? It's like he invented a universe and decided to include everyone in his universe a piece of the story. Honestly this series could have been wrapped up or close to it, but it just keeps growing.
If you didn't like this episode, you are impossible to please. Stannis tripped all over his pecker. Half his army deserted after he showed them that anybody could be subject to execution, his wife committed suicide, his witch abandoned him to his fate, which she saw coming, and Brienne killed him in the snow. Jon was killed, but they changed something. In the book he was killed by the brothers for abandoning his watch and getting ready to go to Winterfell. Here they killed him because he let the willings through the wall, which makes less sense. Sansa turned Theon against Ramsey and (apparently) escaped by jumping into a snow bank where they will no doubt hook up with Brienne and Pod and plot something nasty for Boltons and Freys. Possibly after meeting Lady Stoneheart, who I suspect will return. I also suspect Gendry will show up again. Tyrion and Varys have shown where they belong and what they intend. They will rule Meereen properly after the cruelty of the slavers and mismanagement of Danerys. Jamie and Bronn will be making some serious payback. I suspect he will go to Casterly Rock and bring a Lannister army against Dorne. Cerise finally gets her just desserts, but now will have a zombie Mountain that Rides to be her champion in her trial. They wrapped up many loose ends, they ended at the same point as the books. There will be no more spoilers. Good finale.
It was so rushed it was ridiculous. The only good part was Arya killing Ser Meryn. You mentioned Jon being killed making less sense, it makes no f'ing sense at all. What they did was treason. The words say nothing about Wildlings. It makes sense in the books, because as you said he says he is going to ride south because of the pink letter. No Ghost and the whole Et Tu Ollie was stupid and so predictable it's not even funny. The battle of Winterfell takes 3 minutes? Really? Gendry?? Lol, where is he still rowing? His arms must be huge by now.. The writers are trolls to book readers. The whole For The Watch scene could only be liked by someone who has a very short attention span. Ser Allister while a douche, wouldn't betray his vows because he doesn't agree with the Lord Commander. And the whole Benjen thing was done on purpose to throw a middle finger at book readers. Then they decided to use all the CGI on making Lena Heady a new body instead of using it on Drogon flying into the pit in episode 9, which looked like made for TV SyFy movie cgi. Too much time wasted on bullshit and then rushed all the important shit. That sums up season 5. Oh and Elaria kills Myrcella when the ship is still 100 yards yards from shore? While they have Doran's son? By far the worst Game of Thrones season to date easily.
F you book readers...This is for the show watchers!!! Awesome season. Didn't feel rushed at all. Maybe to some book readers it did but not the ones I have talked to about the show. They just hate being in the dark now for the most part.
