Game of Thrones, the HBO Series based on G.R.R, Martin's book series A Song of Ice and Fire, is heading into its final two (shortened) seasons.  Love it or hate it, you have to admit the scope of both the television series and the novels is impressive.

  

Now that things are started to wind down a bit I thought I'd start a discussion where we could talk about all things GoT related, spoilers included.

One of my favourite GoT references is the website  History Behind the Game of Thrones  edited by Jamie Adair as it's a great way to explore history and I encourage you to check it out.

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Proprietress of Tatiana's Tea Room ~ Owner of the Provence Coeur Estate ~ Webmistress of this site

I started reading the books before I knew it was going to be turned into a TV series.  I have to say that I enjoyed them BUT GRRM really could have used a lot more editing.  Now that the TV timeline has overtaken the books I don't know if I will actually read the last two? installments.  On the other hand, I'm not sure if GRRM will actually live to finish them.  I get the feeling that he ended up biting off more than he can chew.

His penchant for killing off main characters got a little old for me and I became one of those people that was threatening to quit if my remaining favourites (Arya & Jon) were snuffed.  I'll see how I feel when the time comes.

To get the ball rolling on the TV side here's a recap of Seasons 1-6 since it's been awhile:

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Proprietress of Tatiana's Tea Room ~ Owner of the Provence Coeur Estate ~ Webmistress of this site

I must confess that although I LOVE GRRM's shorter works, and was engrossed in Game of Thrones throughout the first two books, I stopped reading at the end of A Storm of Swords because I was also weary of all the guts.

I haven't watched much of the series, but when this season is finished, I'm going to see if I can handle binge-watching all of it over a couple of months.

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Antiquity Hedgewitch

Daenerys is No Hero

If you think Daenerys is a hero, you haven’t been paying attention. She might be the biggest villain on Game of Thrones and we don’t even know it. (Well, we might after the Loot train battle.)

An interesting article from Jamie Adair giving us a different perspective with references to conquerors through the ages including Alexander the Great & Henry VII.

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I'm really enjoying this season so far. Seems like I've been waiting forever for Arya to get payback against the Freys and I'm loving all the Stark reunions.

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@tiamat-windstorm-von-hirvi I haven't read his other works, I'll have to give them a try.  I can understand how you could become "weary of all the guts".  I doggedly continued because I wanted resolution - something I'm just getting now with the TV series.

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Proprietress of Tatiana's Tea Room ~ Owner of the Provence Coeur Estate ~ Webmistress of this site

I recently finished binge-watching Seasons 5 and 6, and am impatiently waiting for Crave to add Season 7! The above summary trailer is very well done - a belated thank-you for posting it, Tatiana.

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Antiquity Hedgewitch
updated by @tiamat-windstorm-von-hirvi: 17 Jan 2019 02:24:23PM

You're welcome! Looks like our TV journey will be coming to an end soon and thank goodness for that! I've read a few articles about the books and they seem to be stalled.  Ah well ...

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Proprietress of Tatiana's Tea Room ~ Owner of the Provence Coeur Estate ~ Webmistress of this site

Apparently George Martin has ceded his role as novelist to the demands of the TV series, yes. 

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Antiquity Hedgewitch

Winter is here!!  Will you be watching?

ETA: Just in case you are interested in historical context The Real People That Inspired Game of Thrones.

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Proprietress of Tatiana's Tea Room ~ Owner of the Provence Coeur Estate ~ Webmistress of this site

updated by @tatiana-dokuchic: 12 Apr 2019 09:45:15AM

Florence and the Machine performed the Jenny of Oldstones for the closing credits of the Season 8, Episode 2 and HBO released a video to accompany it.  So lovely ...

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Proprietress of Tatiana's Tea Room ~ Owner of the Provence Coeur Estate ~ Webmistress of this site

updated by @tatiana-dokuchic: 22 Apr 2019 03:44:34PM

Resisting - resisting - Crave still hasn't posted Season 7 on its basic subscribers' server!

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Antiquity Hedgewitch

Ugh!  How rude of them!  IMHO Season 8 is epic.  Perhaps it's just because I've waited so long and now the end is in sight.  Ask me again what I think when it's over, especially if things don't go the way I want them to

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Proprietress of Tatiana's Tea Room ~ Owner of the Provence Coeur Estate ~ Webmistress of this site

I am negotiating with my daughter's boyfriend for his password to a Season 7 source so that I can binge in early May as a reward for getting the income taxes done by April 30. Fortunately, university students can often be bribed with food, and failing that there's dog-sitting.

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Antiquity Hedgewitch

Only one episode left!  I'd love to discuss it but don't want to include any spoilers just yet so here's a recap of the second to last episode RECAP: QUEEN OF THE ASHES.

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Proprietress of Tatiana's Tea Room ~ Owner of the Provence Coeur Estate ~ Webmistress of this site

Hoo Boy! Queen of the Ashes. This one has been divisive in the fanbase!

Binged them all, Seasons 7 and 8, from Monday to Sunday night. I understand why not everyone appreciated the outcome, but I really believe it's one that makes better narrative sense than the one that the "shippers" hoped for, as well as one that respects the world's creator: George R.R. Martin is not one for taking the easy road to a traditional sentimental ending, and I am glad the television writers kept faith with that ethos.

Personally I think Tyrion is the character who best understands the demands of true rulership (as opposed to mere despotism) - but as he pointed out, too many people hated him, not only in response to choices he made but also because of deep-seated prejudice against what he is physically. Hand is a role well-made for him, and the King who was chosen has the mythic and practical advantages (much in tune with what I would expect from Martin) that Tyrion pointed out.

I was "shipping" a bit myself at one point; I hoped Tyrion and Sansa might get together for real, now that she is able to be honest about the genuine worth of the man! It wasn't much of a hope, though. And I think that her decision to keep the North apart is in keeping with the weave of the whole story.

And Danaerys and Jon: no, neither was the right person to rule. I agree that Dany's "cracks" were too deep from the start, and although there's something to be said for the notion that the person who doesn't want to rule is the one who can be trusted to do it, Jon did not have the heart for it. And I believe the dragon was right. The last relic of that deeply flawed, ego-driven Targaryen power needed to melt and pass away.

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Antiquity Hedgewitch
updated by @tiamat-windstorm-von-hirvi: 22 May 2019 03:33:25PM

I'm not much of a 'shipper' myself for anything, it amazes me all the more how people tend to lose themselves completely (and collectively!) over a series. Of course you want to see all and understand it, but seriously - when you see these people going crazy with armchair analysis and fortune cookie philosophy... Not to mention the air of entitlement of all these people signing a petition to demand rewriting a whole season because it didn't go as they expected. A-sto-nish-ing... 

This last season was a very nice closure of the whole thing, they could have muddled through to a ninth, but it's good they chose to end it. It kept me very alert all through, I enjoyed the episode build up towards the big battle against the dead. The whole epic zombie battle was deeply dark, but became almost a teaparty with the almost single-handed sack of King's Landing by the Daenerys. As the credits commenced, I couldn't help myself muttering: 'Well, that was uncalled for...' For all her brilliant and ruthless arrogance I found Cersei's ending a bit bland. The final episode really had some unexpected turns for me, I for one did not see that knife coming. But definitely yes on that last part, it might be the best conclusion of all to make: The dragon was right.

I never picked it up until earlier this year, over some months before the start of the last season I watched all seasons and it was for me very satisfying that this series was not a happy pleaser for the viewer - all the ones you liked went down horribly or unexpectedly. Most enjoyable.

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Abbondio Rezzonico
Banker, Merchant & Vintner
@ Rocca Sorrentina