Mmm. So, after 3 1/2 days with no internet, tumblr, tv, etc (and I walked about 9 miles in those 3 days, and I have a blister, and I’m tired), I finally got a chance to download and watch “Blackwater”. And… that was an amazing episode. Perfect Sansa (my queen), perfect Sandor (finally some fucking swearing not to mention real characterization), perfect dialogue and pacing and all, effects and direction just perfect. GRRM should really write all the episodes, he’s obviously the best.
Only quibble is of course the Sansan scene… but to be honest? With the way the show has so painfully failed their interactions, I’m… not that upset. I would like to be upset, I would like to be an angry shipper demanding more… but instead I’m just resigned. What we got was almost better than I expected, with this season. With the lack of setup, there was no way it could be the threatening, tension-filled scene it was in the books, and what we did get (“look at me”, finally, not to mention some perfect lines I’m sure will be all over gifsets until the end of time) was… enough. One day maybe someone will remake the show more precisely, and until then there’s the books themselves and all those hundreds of fanarts. I really do wish it had been more intense… and god, I miss the song… but ah well.
(It is kind of hilariously ironic that the tv relationship is almost entirely unproblematic, mind you. I’m almost laughing at myself for how I prefer a scary, confusing, almost anti-romantic scene… this is the weirdest damn ship, I love it.)
A few points:
- Of course Sansa would not leave with him. Never mind that Sandor was not remotely as terrifying as he was in the books, never mind that her reasoning for not going is not as obvious. (i.e., he actually expressed his desire to go north and take her with him clearly, and not in confusing riddles; she doesn’t have the alternate escape option; again, he’s not as terrifying nor has been threatening to her in the past.) But this rejection had to happen, always has to happen. Both the tragedy and hope of this relationship is based on this rejection, his motivation for change certainly is, all the more clearly shown here — why would she not leave with him? Because of who he is. He’s the Hound, what girl in her right mind would ever go with him? Any option is better than this drunken disloyal defeated dog who never did enough for her, too much of a coward to, too much of a gutless fraud to do anything right.
- Though Sansa’s actual reasoning can be summed up as: (1) she was sure Stannis would win and she would be safe; (2) yeah, the Hound wasn’t actually threatening her, but he was obviously drunk and covered in blood and honestly really scary-looking and insulting and what in seven hells was he doing in her room anyway — so why take the chance with this dangerous man and potential failure (how could they get away with him in that state, never mind all the way to Winterfell) when her rescue was imminent?
- Note he didn’t give her the chance to decide otherwise after their last words, he just left. “You won’t hurt me” is telling here, and you can see him realizing that bringing her with him, wherever he’s going (let alone forcing her to come) would be hurting her. Why take her with him on his path to hell?
- You can definitely see her regretting her decision once she learns of the battle’s actual results, and wishing he were still with her. (As is necessary, and one of the reasons this ship is so interesting — the way they both think of each other all the time once separated.) She’ll rethink and revisit those minutes again and again… and there’s certainly room for misremembering, and I can think of at least two places where there could be an invented kiss…
- (oh man, besides no song, he didn’t leave the cloak. Well, she probably still has the one he gave her the first time, yeah?)
Ah, oh well. Sansan interactions on the show could have been so much better, but it is what it is. And I’m sure that even just tv viewers could see the obvious connection there, even as cheated and weak as it was. I can only hope the interested potential shippers will read the books… and let’s hope they’re more intrigued than shocked by what they find… ;)
played my own drnking game tonight. book lines! take another drink
tryting to keep my fingers on the right keys. um. decent ep could have been worse good balance between book and show. pity no fire though. jon’s story’s getting soo out of order but whatever at least ygritte is perfect. book lines take another drink!
ohhh and sandor got his lines important lines. also did you see the post where the actresss who played daisy or whatever her name was said the hound probably helped carry her back to tyrion? that’s important.
jaime was wonderful terrible just perfect jaime. and ditto theon exactly theon. oohhhh the non-readers will be screaming tonight.
wish it had the love is a sweet poison though. dammit. decent perfect cersei anyway. wished she had said the not you line to tyrion though oh well.
v.good sansa but why agaaaaaaaaaain that fuccccking scene but it would be her nightmare it was ours wasn’t it? argh where trhe hell is that stairway cap from. ffhhh
no naked ladies in a d&d episode amazing the angels sing sweet music the end is nigh
did i say ygritee was perfect because she wasssssssss
love sandor’s getting his lines
well some of them
the song line is important agh blackwater’s going to be soo cofnusing idon’t evne know.
oh well
Filler episode, like I figured it would be. Mostly dull, with a few shining moments and some decent dialogue (and also some spectacularly bad scenes). But still, dull as dirt. (No, it wasn’t just for lack of Sansa, though she would have made it much better.) Just look at all those tropes being played straight — you’re missing the whole point, D&D.
- shining moments: Jaime & Brienne (she’s taller than him! only three men in Westeros could possibly be as good as him and I know who they are), Stannis & Davos, Tyrion & Varys (and partially Bronn), Jon & Qhorin (Iceland is so gorgeous), Luwin (crying for you man)
- spectacularly bad: some hugely OOC Asha dialogue (you threw in ADWD references, dudes, so you ought to know that’s wrong); Caaaaaaaaat, the dull as dirt Robb/Talisa-Jeyne sex scene, the lack of Sansa goddammit
- meh: Tyrion & Cersei (straight out of the books except for Ros instead of Alayaya, but still struck me as meh), Theon in general, Talisa-Jeyne’s speech about her upbringing, Arya (which should not have been meh dammit but her repetitive interactions with Tywin made this episode lose all tension, not to mention losing the weasel soup scene), Dany & Jorah
- moments of woot!: Summer Isles shoutout, the dragonglass and the horn the horn the horn
- moments of noooooo: Robb approving loosing Roose’s bastard, mention of Mandon Moore, Qhorin setting things up for later
God, I can’t wait for next week. Except I can’t watch next week till Monday night. Fehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
