The directing was top notch.  The music was top notch.  Still processing how I feel about the writing, but it was not at the toppest of notches.

Am I the only one who disliked CleganeBowl and hated the idea of it? It was the least satisfying part of the episode for me.  Sandor’s had one of the fullest, best character arcs over the course of the entire show, and in the end he forgets all of it to go back and kill his barely sentient brother? It felt like all…

I don’t know if it quite fits with these, but my desert island beer that I don’t always remember to go back to is Weihenstephaner Dunkelweizen.  One of the first non-standards I got into, and I’ve yet to find a US brewery that can do the style as well.  Very few even try.

Tormund is still in Winterfell for the moment.  She can still realize her large ginger Ducky was next to her the whole time!

Agreed. She’s always been happiest when displaying power and vindictively burning shit down, it’s just that it’s usually been justified by a noble cause.

And vice-versa, Wrigley is in a residential area which means a lot more bystanders making calls.

This was one of my nitpicks as well. The Valkyrie we met in Ragnarok would’ve been drinking Fat Thor under the table. If she’s only going to be onscreen for a few minutes, don’t make her dull too.

“Dragons in the Mist”

My TV is getting up there in years, but I watched it in the same settings as I do everything else and this was way more muddy than anything else I’ve watched recently.

I don’t think it was full on awful but for every moment of grace there was a moment of “what the fuck is happening” and a moment of “dragons vaguely flying around a blue background.”

Ah yes, they perfectly executed their agenda of giving it a fawning review that overlooked the movie’s faults by giving it a robust...C grade.

Yeah, a couple times I thought “this should be higher” but then couldn’t figure out where to put it exactly. I’d probably bump up both Guardians moves, and swap their positions (I know that’s not a popular opinion) but otherwise I’m good.  So well done, AV Club.

I made you a dragonglass spear.

Ha, I pretty much described it in the exact same way while calling it fantastic.  Different strokes for different houses I guess.

Fucking fantastic episode. They are going to wring every little bit of drama and comedy over various characters introductions and reunions and I am absolutely here for it.

Don’t know if it helps but I’m about 99% sure that was not Maisie Williams’ body. But either way, I’m probably more uncomfortable about seeing Arya Stark sex it up than I am Maisie Williams.

I’m looking forward to Ejiofor in a bigger role.  He is basically playing a flipside of the Operative - a true believer who becomes disillusioned, but it causes him to start getting murdery instead of stopping.

Lots to discuss, but how about that new credits sequence, starting with the broken Wall and ending with the Iron Throne? That set a great tone for this final season.  I watched it twice before even starting the episode.

I really hope they keep leaning into everybody just being weirded the fuck out by Bran. Dragons flying around and zombies on the march and nothing makes people more uncomfortable than the home schooled kid who cuts his own hair.

This is the worst Chicagopalooza lineup ever.