Game of Thrones

[Belowen]

This is great

* warning: will contain spoilers for the most recent episode

 

[paz2992]

^aparently the video has been taken down

 

[Littleathquakes]

I don't know if I can agree with this departure from the books. I did not expect this at all. I am very sad.

 

[BaBorrow]

That last scene.

 

[Lausanne]

I don't know if I can agree with this departure from the books. I did not expect this at all. I am very sad.

If you are talking about what happened to Shireen, I read somewhere that it was apparently GRRM's idea. I was expecting something like that to happen, there were some hints earlier in the season and also in season 2 or 3, however, I was hoping it won't happen in the end. Who knows what this man have planned in the next books...
Oh, and that last scene was

 

[Phuel]

I have to say, this season started off with such a bang, then it plateaued, and this week's episode brought it back to life! (see what I did there)

Yes.

Then it died again, only to be briefly resuscitated with the superior CG Drogon-- then it died again, because once you start thinking, it's kind of awful of Dany to leave her entourage behind like that...

And that's the main problem I have with this show now: It feels so flimsy and completely reliant on spectacle. There's utterly nothing of substance left if they take away the brief spectacle. I don't read the books, but I can only imagine book readers being so frustrated at how obvious and lacking in subtlety the storytelling has become: Can Olly be any more obvious with his intentions? Dorne and Braavos are huge bores. Hardhome was intense, but then you're left wondering why the fck aren't they rowing for dear life with the Night King and his minions glaring at them, so close by...? And why the fck hasn't Little Sam grown at all (I mean Gilly's baby-- not Sam's "Little Sam")?!?!?!

Season 1 was so magnificent.

 

[Littleathquakes]

^ very well written, and I agree. It's coming up to that "jump the shark" moment of every TV series, which is sad, because the source material is so good. I do hope the finale can bring back some of that substance. I already have one friend who's vowed not to watch next season due to the departure from the books. And I don't want to be that guy, but I'm also leaning towards it because the books themselves are very good. Yes, the TV series has the graphics and the nice things, but the books are tremendously good reads. I don't feel I would be missing anything by not watching the TV series.

 

[castorpollux]

stannis vs ramsay bolton....

not sure I want either one to win....

 

[Phuel]

^ very well written, and I agree. It's coming up to that "jump the shark" moment of every TV series, which is sad, because the source material is so good. I do hope the finale can bring back some of that substance. I already have one friend who's vowed not to watch next season due to the departure from the books. And I don't want to be that guy, but I'm also leaning towards it because the books themselves are very good. Yes, the TV series has the graphics and the nice things, but the books are tremendously good reads. I don't feel I would be missing anything by not watching the TV series.

More like they jumped Moby Dick...


I can understand that they have to progress the show's version of the story since the source material hasn't been written yet. But these two directors are clearly not able to produce decent character development, and a logical plot on their own, resulting in a show that's unbearably nonsensical now:

Jaime and Bron in Dorne feels like some sitcom about goofy Dad-Jaime with dudebro-Bron and his new in-laws; Arya's become this annoying pest standing around a brothel to be shooed away; Dany just accepts Tyrion as her righthand man instantly-- but shuns and punishes Jorah's loyalty relentlessly; Mace finally reaches Braavos after so many episodes, while Jon and Littlefinger fleet around quicker than a ray of light; King Tommen is helpless with his army against a group of loons?; Superman Ramsey and his 20 men wreck chaos onto a camp of war-hardened 5,000-- forcing Stannis to do the unthinkable?; Why does that ferocious lioness of a Wildling mother let herself be eaten alive by the zombie-kids whom are strangers to her when she has live kids of her own to fight for and raise...? Am I not understanding something? I mean, the plotholes and nonsense deepen as you think more and more with characters becoming more and more of a mess. Just what is the point of having Sansa becoming more empowered last season, only to have her repeat her fate with a more jerky version of Joffrey?

The show's really become just nonsense to mock now. Good for you guys that still have the books!

 

[Littleathquakes]

^ LOL BULL'S EYE, nailed it. ... oysters clams and cockles (how annoying did that get?)...and of course the big spoiler of this week's episode. totally did not need to happen. in fact, I'd argue that that is something Stannis simply wouldn't do.

 

[Phuel]

^^^ According to the directors, it was the author's decision...?

I'm not bothered by the act; it's an extremely violent and magical world they live in, so the act is understandable within the context of that world. But the circumstances that's supposedly brought Stannis to this breaking point makes no sense. The directors need to convince me that Ramsey and his 20 somehow managed to infiltrate a camp of several thousand, and destroyed all their steeds, provisions and armaments... and all in a night's work. There are plot contrivances, and than there is just plain insulting your audience-- by not even bothering to show an important attack that lead to such a defining moment. I'd rather they invest the time and resources to show me how the Great Ramsey and his 20 pulled off this sabotage than sit through the romcon of Dorne. Those Sand Snakes come across as total cartoony, catty, bratty Xena babes LOL

I just watch the show casually-- don't even care to rewatch (just the good action set parts like Hardhome!) or own the BRs, and I'm able to pick up the inconsistencies, plotholes and character-assasinations. I can only imagine the frustration bookreaders and those that follow the show ceremoniously must feel.

At this point, I'll keep watching just for The Others, and to see more naked Daario (so relief they didn't kill him off)... terrible character, but awesome body!

 

[BaBorrow]

^^^ According to the directors, it was the author's decision...?

I'm not bothered by the act; it's an extremely violent and magical world they live in, so the act is understandable within the context of that world. But the circumstances that's supposedly brought Stannis to this breaking point makes no sense. The directors need to convince me that Ramsey and his 20 somehow managed to infiltrate a camp of several thousand, and destroyed all their steeds, provisions and armaments... and all in a night's work. There are plot contrivances, and than there is just plain insulting your audience-- by not even bothering to show an important attack that lead to such a defining moment. I'd rather they invest the time and resources to show me how the Great Ramsey and his 20 pulled off this sabotage than sit through the romcon of Dorne. Those Sand Snakes come across as total cartoony, catty, bratty Xena babes LOL

I just watch the show casually-- don't even care to rewatch (just the good action set parts like Hardhome!) or own the BRs, and I'm able to pick up the inconsistencies, plotholes and character-assasinations. I can only imagine the frustration bookreaders and those that follow the show ceremoniously must feel.

At this point, I'll keep watching just for The Others, and to see more naked Daario (so relief they didn't kill him off)... terrible character, but awesome body!

I was going to post that yesterday, but decided to delete it because it might have been too much of a spoiler.

Here's the video I heard that news from (it's addressed early on, so no need to wait)...

 

[Littleathquakes]

so disappointed to hear that was Martin's decision. Very sad either way.

 

[CommanderTMugler]

^^^ According to the directors, it was the author's decision...?

I'm not bothered by the act; it's an extremely violent and magical world they live in, so the act is understandable within the context of that world. But the circumstances that's supposedly brought Stannis to this breaking point makes no sense. The directors need to convince me that Ramsey and his 20 somehow managed to infiltrate a camp of several thousand, and destroyed all their steeds, provisions and armaments... and all in a night's work. There are plot contrivances, and than there is just plain insulting your audience-- by not even bothering to show an important attack that lead to such a defining moment. I'd rather they invest the time and resources to show me how the Great Ramsey and his 20 pulled off this sabotage than sit through the romcon of Dorne. Those Sand Snakes come across as total cartoony, catty, bratty Xena babes LOL

I just watch the show casually-- don't even care to rewatch (just the good action set parts like Hardhome!) or own the BRs, and I'm able to pick up the inconsistencies, plotholes and character-assasinations. I can only imagine the frustration bookreaders and those that follow the show ceremoniously must feel.

At this point, I'll keep watching just for The Others, and to see more naked Daario (so relief they didn't kill him off)... terrible character, but awesome body!

This!!

I was so mad they just gave Ramsay all this credit by letting us assume and just show the aftermath. I wanted to see him go into battle and see him struggle a bit. Yeah we've had scenes of him doing great fighting but that was a season or two ago. Also Melissandre just standing there doing nothing, b*tch do something, you have all these alleged powers, plus she said she could have dealt with the wildfire in Blackwater, why couldn't she deal with a couple of burning tents?

Everyone knows that the Battle for Winterfell is coming in the next book, it's not published yet so we don't know the outcome but they brought the stakes up even more in the TV show by bringing Sansa into the middle of it all then diminishing it to where Stannis is weakened by 20 men?

Why not slow some things down in Winterfell/North or hold things off for a bit then show the big battle next season as opposed to watering down. I understand they had to shoot both Hardhome and the Dragon Pit this season but just show more scenes of the underground Northerners who are still loyal to the Starks (C'mon, they have a dynasty of over 8,000 years built up with their people) and maybe show Brienne rallying them up then have the big battle next season.

I guess it could work out to where this is a bump for Stannis and in unpublished material Shireen does die or ends up burned and we will get the battle of Stannis vs the Boltons but I don't think they will spend as much time with it, specially since they already stated Littlefinger will come in with the Vale and take down the winning side, which would be awesome but not everything always goes to plan.

BTW, I hated the pacing of the pits of Meerreen, seriously under all that chaos, Tyrion just stands in a little stage corner unharmed? Dany can just walk up to her dragon like it's nothing and no one thought to throw a spear at her? I did appreciate the scene though, it's what everyone expects from a fantasy show like Game of Thrones and especially once the dragons hatched. The arena looked amazing. The dialogue between Daario, Tyrion and Hazar(?) was great, so was that spear launch by Jorah.

 

[Phuel]

^^^ I like the idea of Brienne rallying a Northern Rebellion... instead of just... waiting for Godot???

I'm sure readers will be more than satisfied with the author's version of Stannis' act. I'm a horrible human being for not reading the books, but I saw a guy on the streetcar reading one of the books, and it was a massive! No way am I carrying around those volumes with me...

With books, authors have the huge advantage of writing chapters, even volumes for such a buildup. Film is extremely limiting and it takes tight, precise editing in storytelling to convince the viewer of such an act. Give Stannis' story more time to set up the act, and eliminate such pointless, and painfully tired stories as Dorne and Greyworm and Missy's love story. If they have to include such instances, than the series needs to be extended-- either in episodes or in the time given. Since that's unlikely, they need to learn to edit out the lesser stories: "Oysters, clams and cockles!" ...Pokes around pocket in front of her intended victim to take out the poison vial... Sheesh.

Still continuing to watch the series. Hopefully the storytelling will improve for the next season.

 

[Littleathquakes]

^ Nooo, they're page turners. you can't put them down once you start and you fly through the chapters easily. get the books, you're doing yourself a disservice by not reading them. The only thing the series does better is that it paints the characters for you, because Martin's cast of characters in the book is much larger. You would need to do one of those character mapping to figure out who's who and keep track of them (although I am positive you can buy one now).

 

[CommanderTMugler]

I just read an interview with Michelle Clapton, the costume designer for the show, this is her last season on the show. I'm really going to miss her costumes, while it's all laid out for whoever follows her, it won't be the same, she put in so much thought into every characters costumes and added symbolism. Danny's dragon scaled dress, Margeary's thorns on her wedding dress, Cersei's armor and Sansa's symbolism in almost whatever she wore.

Here's the article....

'GAME OF THRONES' COSTUME DESIGNER MICHELE CLAPTON TELLS US ALL ABOUT THE SEASON 5 LOOKS

There is only one more week until the "Game of Thrones" season five finale airs, which will mark a total of 50 episodes — and countless naked breasts, bloody puddles and disastrous weddings that we've sat through (and that I have lovingly chronicled via fashion recaps).

Since the beginning, Emmy-winning costume designer Michele Clapton has been in charge of dressing the characters — a challenging task, to say the least — and season five is, sadly, her last. Clapton told me the news during a Skype call from France, where she is working on a new project. "I feel like we’ve covered all bases now. It was really important to me, knowing that I was going to leave, to actually design the costumes for each [geographic] area so it’s complete," Clapton says. "In my head anyway it’s a complete look that I left."

Let's take a closer examination of the look that Clapton developed in season five.

DAENERYS THE UNTOUCHABLE

Every season Daenerys's appearance has changed to reflect her station in life. First it was the ethereal virgin, then the Dothraki queen, then a homage to the outfits the slaves wore in the various lands she freed. Now a new Dany has emerged. Until last season, she was still wearing a lot of blue, which Clapton says was in memory of her beloved Khal Drogo, because it's a Dothraki color. This season she wears a lot of white and dove grey. "Now she’s got this sense of power and also a sense of immortality," Clapton says. "I wanted to give this rather untouchable [quality] to her. The idea behind the white and pale grey is the sense of removal, a removal from reality."

There's a secret underneath all those gowns, too. "I still always put trousers underneath because in her psyche anything might go wrong and [she's always thinking], 'I might need to run away,'" Clapton says. "Even with the longest, most beautiful gowns, she always wears a pair of boots and trousers. I like that sense of, 'I can play this [queen] but underneath, I can run.'"

Finally, a stylistic theme has emerged in the necklines of her gowns, which are often split into a v-shape, then fastened together at the top. Same with the long, slashed sleeves. "It’s almost like it’s revealing, but at the last minute it’s not. It’s held together. She wants to be attractive and appealing, but at the same time she wants to be in control," Clapton says.

DAENERYS'S ARMOR-LIKE JEWELRY

Speaking of Daenerys's necklines, her statement jewelry has been next-level this season. As the season progressed, Clapton wanted to make her more aggressive, and give an almost armor-like quality to her adornments. The show's in-house armorer made the dragon piece, but Clapton commissioned London jewelers Yunus & Eliza to make the wraparound silver piece seen in Sunday night's episode nine. (Look for it to be featured in a well-known fashion magazine soon.)

ARYA'S TRANSFORMATION

Actress Maisie Williams, who plays Arya, has had to wear dirty boy-clothes for the last several seasons, but she finally got to change outfits after leaving the Hound for dead and making her way to the House of Black and White this season. Not surprisingly, Williams was thrilled. "Maisie was very, very keen to get rid of that last costume. She said, 'Please can I burn it?'" Clapton says. Though Arya is shown throwing the outfit into the river, the outfit still exists in the archives. In fact, there are several versions, created as Williams grew.

Arya's clothing choices aren't her own, though. "Unlike Sansa, who chooses to change and express herself, Arya just adopts costumes to the situation or place that she’s in," Clapton explains. "It’s not about Arya, it’s about the person she’s playing." As the a girl selling oysters, Arya wears an outfit inspired a bit by Russian costumes with fabric made to look like filigreed copper.

BLACK SANSA

After Sansa escaped from King's Landing, she dyed her hair black and went goth for a bit. The black Maleficent-style dress she wore last season is reprised here, albeit with some heavy cloaks thrown over it. It's made clear in the show that Sansa can sew, and Clapton says Sansa consciously made this choice to be darker, as if to prove she wasn't going to be a victim anymore. There's some symbolism in that long circular necklace, too. "The necklace was based on the idea that Arya had Needle. At the end of the necklace there’s a point, a spike, which is like Sansa’s smaller version of Needle. It’s a jewelry idea of Needle. She’s finally taking them on," Clapton explains. Well, at least until she marries Ramsay, ugh.

SANSA'S SECOND WEDDING DRESS

Despite the horrific circumstances surrounding Sansa's marriage to Ramsay, this is one of my favorite dresses in the entire series, and one of Clapton's favorites as well. It is loaded with symbolism, too. "It’s Sansa trying to respect everyone that’s been before her. She finally feels like she can make Winterfell a family home again. So I wanted to incorporate pieces that represented her family." To that end, the feather collar represents the fur pieces that her brothers and father used to wear when they went into battle or off hunting. The shape of the dress was inspired by her mother and the fish clasps on the front are signifiers of the Tullys, her mother's family house. The shape was also engineered to look a bit like the statues in the crypt at Winterfell.

The dress caused a bit of an issue on set, though. "The funniest thing was on the day of the rehearsal, they had set up this snowy path. [Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa,] walked up the path in the dress and it was like a snow plow. It cleared the whole path because it was so big and heavy. They had to reset the snow every take," Clapton laughs.

Finally, the wedding dress was specially engineered for that controversial wedding night r*pe scene. Clapton says it was sewn with cotton thread, which is quite easy to rip, then re-sewn after each take. Clapton wasn't present when that particular scene was shot, but estimates that it probably took three or four takes to shoot.

MARGAERY BECOMES A QUEEN

Margaery married King Tommen without incident this season, finally earning the title of "Queen" without her husband dying immediately. Her clothing this season has definitely been heavier and less bare than in past seasons, and this is by design. "It’s funny, I wanted her to be a bit more like Cersei, with the metal armor look," Clapton says. "Margaery doesn’t need to play the, 'Oh, I’ve hardly got anything on and I’m so young!' game. She can actually say, 'I’m queen now.'" Welp, at least until she gets stripped and tossed into a dungeon.

ASSLESS-DRESS "DAENERYS"

The whorehouse scene featuring prostitute "Daenerys" was one of my favorite moments in the whole season. The dress started out as a joke. "I wanted to shock [showrunners] David [Benioff] and Dan [Weiss], because they always ask me to do outrageous things. I just thought, 'Fine, I’m going to do a costume with no ***! And they were like, 'What were you thinking, Clapton?'" the designer says. In the end, the dress made it into the show. "The whole essence of Dany is there... [there] are always circles cut in and bits missing in her dress so I thought it would be really funny. Some people said, 'Well, how would they know what she looked like?'" Clapton continues. "She’s this iconic woman so of course people talk and gossip and know what people look like! It was meant to be amusing." Mission definitely accomplished.

MYRCELLA IN DORNE

Cersei's daughter is all grown up and wearing the sexy outfits of her sex-obsessed adopted home, Dorne. "The dresses were beautifully embroidered by my embroiderer Michele [Carragher] as usual, but I wanted it to look like one little pull of a strap and it would just drop to the ground," Clapton says. "There was nothing to them. Just clouds." Clapton also wanted to set the scene for Jaime to be slightly "horrified" when he encounters his daughter/niece in this state of almost-undress.

Trystane's outfit has a definite Indian inspiration. The fabrics actually came from India and the costume design team dyed them the vibrant colors seen here. The large leather belt and chain come from Clapton's personal collection.

SEXY SAND SNAKES

Oberyn's various bastard daughters band together to take revenge on the folks in King's Landing, wearing a mix of hard and soft. Not all the critics have been kind about these outfits, according to Clapton. "They’re sexy, it’s hot weather, it’s a very liberal society. [People have said] it looks too B-movie, but it’s supposed to be this rather free place," she says. "It’s hot and it’s practical to wear light clothing. I just like the movement. Again, they wear suede trousers underneath and boots and I just liked that contrast of very light flowy dresses with really tough bits. When you need to fight you put the tough armor over." Oh, yeah, and about that armor...

NIPPLEGATE

This armor caused a bit of a ruckus when the first pictures were revealed prior to the season premiere, prompting what was immediately dubbed "Nipplegate," because the breastplate looked a bit, uh, aroused. When you're watching the show in real time, you can't really see the nipples, but Clapton is still annoyed by the whole thing, though she was laughing while relating this story. The armor really did have nipples at first. "When I first saw it I said, 'I hate the nipples. Get rid of those ****ing nipples!' My armorer went, 'Yeah, yeah, I’ll get rid of it.' And he did," she says. "I have this absolute phobia about that armor. It’s the worst thing on earth. It’s sort of funny, because I was cross about it because it’s such a faux pas, but I don't think it registers on film as much as it does in those pictures." She still gives major props to her armorer, who shapes leather over molds and hand stamps the designs on it.

DORNISH ARMOR (SANS NIPPLES)

I was really drawn to this other version of Dornish armor, too, even without any nipples. Clapton saw some padded velvet armor in Florence years ago that she loved, and it provided the inspiration for this look. "It’s built on leather and padding and velvet, and we decided each stud would be a sunburst on a leather piece, studded through," she explains. "It was a nightmare. I just decided it would be a lovely, sensual way of wearing armor. They were very solid actually. They were very protective." The team had to make more than 25 pieces.

And with that, kudos to Clapton on an amazing five seasons on this incredible show.

http://fashionista.com/2015/06/game-of-thrones-season-5-costume-designer-interview

 

[Slater]

omg. The new ep got leaked

 

[KateTheGreatest]

^ did it really?

 

[Slater]

^ did it really?

Yes LOL

Here are some screen cap.
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/CHQdpB5UYAAySRO.jpg
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/CHQdt2rUAAAtMY4.jpg

BIG spoiler!!!:
http://i.imgur.com/UcAtaq3.jpg