6x04 POST-Episode Discussion (airs 15th May)

So glad you've joined us, welcome! 

I just did a re-watch. Usually I wait until the next day but this one needed a re-watch to appreciate some things just like last week's episodes. These last two have had a lot of little details that need paid attention to and sorted out a bit with the politics and motives in play. 

So glad you liked the last scene too. Seems we're all over the place on that one in our group tonight. Some didn't like it, others loved it. I'm not nitpicky about the details of how the fire spread so quickly or the Khals were trapped so easily. Who cares really, that's that and I'm glad for it.  

Also, the music at the end was amazing! 

Was that a bit of Rains of Castamere during the 1/2 Small Council scene too? I thought it was.

It definitely was!

YES! So true! 

I forgot to point out, I'm glad the Eyrie made it on the map. I was irrationally annoyed that it was never on there when Sansa was there in S4.

But they skipped the Iron Islands on the map this episode, even though it was in the episode

The show is never going to have enough time to really flesh out the Mereen political scene, but I do think it is doing something interesting with the time they have. Tyrion is acting like a politician - slippery with his promises, always looking for a compromise / negotiation. But the Mereenese characters really haven't been acting as politicians. Dany has been acting like a goddess, and the rest have either been trying to live out chivalric ideals or have been yes men to Dany, or both. So Tyrion bringing politics into Mereen is jarring, and as an audience, it is easier to respect the chivalric ideals than the political sausage-making.

But also, Tyrion is being flippant and boozing it up and prostitute - adjacent, which he always is, but that is a huge culture clash against his current foils of Missandei, Greyworm, and Varys. And when he tells two former slaves that his week in slavery has taught him all he needs to know about slavery, he really truely does not come across as sympathetic or competent.

I'm not very invested in his negotiations with the rest of Slavers Bay - whatever happens in that plot line, these negotiations seem unlikely to bear important fruit. (I did think it was neat that they brought back two existing characters for those negotiations. GoT gets flak for the recasts, but obviously they care about character continuity if they're going to bother to bring back the Astapor dude.) Anyway, I do want Tyrion to have an arc this season, and I want him to learn and grow. And I think the show has done a nice job of showing a place where Tyrion can have meaningful growth. Tyrion has always relied on his connections and on being the smartest guy in the room, but he's never been great at getting people to like or trust him.

I also really like the effect that Tyrion is having on Missandei and Greyworm, who finally have something to do. Suddenly, they're discovering that they have personal political opinions and potentially a lot of power. I'm interested where that goes.


I did notice the tension between Tormund and Brienne, but I missed that it was sexual tension initially. Didn't think to look for flirtation in the messy eating of chicken.

I get weirdly obsessed with the map, like they could speed it up and show all the cities they're hitting. Come on!