The National Anthem was a problematic episode for me, because, when I would try to describe it as a totally distinctive episode, and a reason to watch Black Mirror, the people I would describe it to would just look at me like some flasher on the subway.

The SyFy pump-and-dump model infuriates me to no end. Alphas, the Expanse, and now these shows. These days, I am reluctant to engage with new genre shows, especially on SyFy, as I know, regardless of quality, they’re getting cancelled.

It’s hardly implausible that the X-Men franchise is currently exhausted in the movies, as it has been in the comics for nearly twenty years. Marvel has strip-mined the series of any creativity and quality with endless spin-offs repetitive storylines.

Although Huffman basically personified clueless white privilege in her numerous seasons on John Ridley’s American Crime,she takes it over the top here. Good acting, but really bad timing for her.

I was led to expect to see the ad, and maybe see some interviews that shithead did during the time, but DuVernay also included a less-than-glowing discussion of Trump by the kids’ mothers, one of whom was horrified that he was calling for her son’s death.

Most of this I could see coming. Jon and Dany, Tyrion’s final fate, even Brienne papering over Jamie’s final betrayal. But I expected a greater role for Arya in the finale, especially after last week’s nightmare.

So many of you guys are complaining. I mostly liked (or understood what they were doing) this episode, but here is my beef: Where were all of the dragons’ evasive maneuvers and offensive capabilities last week? I get it, they were trying to play up the element of surprise and move Dany to her lowest point. But the…

In Cersei’s final moments of defeat, they tried to make us feel empathy for her. Good try. The last time I felt sorry for Cersei was during her Walk of Shame, and her actions since have made feeling anything for her impossible.

Well, for one thing, they need to be constantly sidelined to make room for showy, not-altogether-necessary appearances by former cast members like Kristen Wiig and (shudder) Jimmy Fallon.

“Euron Greyjoy... You are NOT the father!”

The ineptitude of our heroes’ battle strategies is almost laughable at this point. Little advance planning, no scouting their enemies, just run at them and send out the dragons. And even that didn’t work last week.It seems unlikely at this point, but Dany needs to regain her composure before she makes even worse…

But we’re not.

I would hope that Marvel wouldn’t try to wave off an event as momentous as this would be, but it would be so encompassing socially and societally, there would be no way to avoid it. For half the world’s population to disappear for five years, and then just reappear unchanged, would leave so many issues to address,…

I enjoyed the movie throughout, but I admit to becoming a little disengaged in the time-traveling act, as I was trying to recall what the exact situations the characters were in when they went back to past movies. That kind of pulled me out of it for a while, until I just decided to ride with it.

Well, it seemed clear to me (as unclear scenes could make it) that Jon was not really proficient enough at commanding a dragon to be used in such a crucial situation.

It does seem counter-intuitive to spend so much money and time on an episode, and effectively drop a shroud on so much of it. My guess is they were trying to convey the confusion and disorientation of battle, and on that point... succeeded?

They should get a medal (or a prescription) for watching that much Fox News to edit that together.

Hoping at some point God moves him to “design” something that isn’t baggy and shit-colored. And absurdly over-priced.

-I’m sure that some people are going to complain about this episode not doing enough to advance the story. But most of these interactions were rich enough to be very entertaining. Like the hangout around the hearth. Most of these folks know each other already. But it’s been years since some of them have seen each…

Hey, not for nothing, but Sam’s dad? Bit of a prick.