mostly agreed, but this episode barely moved the plot forward as well. The most natural comparison is Blackwater from season 2 and that one balanced things out much better

they already sent the ravens, Stannis plot the whole season has been securing a loan to send an army to the Wall because he saw a prophecy in the fire. The Watch also knows that obsidian kills white walkers because Sam mentioned it when they found the shards at the Fist of the First men

not that it's relevant, but it's kind of curious how there aren't any Dornish men on the Watch

So the reviewer says Jon isn't in danger because he's the "boring fantasy hero". I can agree with that, in that until somebody, ANYBODY from the rest of Westeros shows up to "relieve" him of some of the protagonist pressure for his particular storyline, he isn't in danger. Ned died for a different reason, Robb died…

but they were a different kind of siege, Mance has the white walkers behind him, the Night's Watch has the whole of Westeros. The logical step is to destroy the enemy before they can be reinforced or otherwise outlast you.

Blackwater did this and it was better

It's more like Napoleon said, "you can do everything with bayonets except sit on them" he's been traveling with rival tribes, consuming supplies from god knows where, etc. He has the burden of taking the iniciative. That and the fact that thormund's raid was supposed to close the pinch against castle black in a single…

the show's now reduced to killing even the extras if they're not assholes onscreen

haha I know, I immediately rolled my eyes when the camera panned to Gilly inside the room

age old problem of conveying sarcasm in a comment :) you're totally right. It could have happened as soon as episode 4 and it would have been great

there's an argument to be made that white walkers are "more" than humans

bad ass Sam was too on the nose for me.

those mutineers broke their vows, they renounced the watch when they pillaged the keep

I think the only direct mention this season was during Melly Sander's bath scene, that she says she's not getting another bath in a long time and something something about the north. I think.

I'm sure it was to book readers, that mention of the girl that seduced him has got to be some backstory character for one of the present ones in the show/book

they already did, that's what Davos read to Stannis, that's why he's getting the loan, that's why he's hired pirates, that's been his whole motivation the entire season.

hmm, I guess. Perhaps it doesn't feel the same way because it was divided in several fronts instead of being a single location

They were the equivalent of special forces, the real question is: is Jon Snow wrong, or did Mance really send only a token siege force to test Castle Black, knowing that Thormund would be attacking simultaneously the same night and he wouldn't get a better chance to take the position without risking more of his…

he's complaining about the opposite

nah, the episode didn't do much storywise, but the production values alone and the technical prowess needed to make an episode like this certainly deserve some consideration