Wine, Wall & Dragons - Season 8, episode 6 podcast

Game of Thrones Season 8 

Wine, Wall & Dragons Season 8 Episode 6 - the Series Finale 

the recurring line of the night was some variation of - they don’t get to choose, she doesn’t get to choose, etc. — in some ways i think that’s appropriate to all the people filing petitions about re-doing Season 8 to HBO. The fans we don’t get to choose. We get to watch.

Tyrion Finds Jamies and Cersei and cries about it 

Dany gives Fascist dictator speech in either Dothraki or Valayrian or in Unsullied/Astapor language. We get it. She’s a menace now. 

Why doesn’t Dany kill Tyrion as soon as he throws away his “hand pin”? 

Arya “Jon you’re a threat to her, you’ll always be a threat to her. I know a killer when I see one”.

Between Tyrion and Arya - Jon’s getting a lot of negative feedback on his Aunt/Paramour/Queen. “love is the death of duty, duty is the death of love”, Aemon Targaryen.  

Dany walking up to the Throne, which is so similar to what I think was a dream sequence in like season 2 or so — pretty awesome. Still held out hope for her in some way shape or for at that moment, but as soon as i saw Jon’s shadow in the arch way -  i figured it wouldn’t end well. (drogon covered in snow). 

Dany takes one more crack at the old we could be lovers Jon - and he’s like dude really, we’re still in episode 73 going to try to make the incest angle work? But he takes that opening and he stabs Dany while they embrace. Bold move. 

Dany’s story has three betrayals. Once for love, once for blood, and once for gold. I think last night night Jon’s actions were the betrayal of blood or love. Could be either.

Why didn’t Drogon burn Jon? (Some are saying it’s cuz he “Can’t be burned like Dany” — i feel like they would’ve shown that at some point if that were the case.

Drogon melts the iron thorne to nothingness. Very symbolic maneuver for a Dragon. 

The 3 best spinoff ideas i’ve heard… Arya’s adventures “West of Westeros”, Tormund and Jon in a “buddy cop type show”. I think if Tormund were the main character and Jon was around every few episodes… that’d be ideal.

The Arya spinoff show would be amazing. Arya comparisons to Columbus — let’s not do that to Arya. 

Edmure Tully with the weirdest flex of ALL-TIME - at the council meeting trying to make the case for his “kingship”. Bro you’ve been gone since season 6 and were a prisoner of the Frey’s for 3 seasons before that… HAVE A SEAT. You might want to sit the next couple of plays out, Champ.

What happened in Las Vegas? To all the money gambled. 

#1) the iron throne is melted down to nothing so nobody sits upon it. #2) Dany had it before Jon killed her 3) Bran is the King of the 6 kingdoms and 4) which means Sansa is a queen in her own right? 

Sam: Let’s have a democracy? Brings out the LOLZ from the nobles. 

Tyrion essentially makes Bran “the Broken” a King. Bran’s like yeah i knew it! Bran the Broken - not a great nickname for a king. 

Also, how about the progressive north finally coming around to a female ruler full-time — nice work Sansa 

Bran giving the North “independence” — that was nice, but don’t we think that Yara and the Prince of Dorne are going to declare their own independence within like 48 hours of this “Great council meeting”? Both Kingdoms love declaring independence, they have for over a century. 

I like Jon beyond the wall - because the Wall doesn’t need a Watch with a giant hole in it, the wildlings are pretty cool with the northerners and the Night King is Dead.

 More importantly, the wall is no longer part of the seven kingdoms, the wall is part of the North - So, technically isn’t is sansa’s decision to send Jon to the wall.

Also - Grey Worm got played — he let them elect Bran King and then Bran was like you can’t kill Jon. 

Bronn gets Highgarden - Seems like there have been an unusually high number of warden’s of the south. good luck to Bronn.

Small Council - Bronn (Master of Coin), Brienne of Tarth (King’s Guard), Sam (Maester), Tyrion (Hand), Davos (Master of Ships). Is Bran going to “warg into Drogon” - he mentions that he’ll try to find them. 

Tormund lives, Jon is reunited with Ghost, the Unsullied ship off for Naath. 

Unanswered question - was Tyrion a Targaryen?  Can Sam still be with Gilly if he’s a Maester? What’s up with Daario Naharis in Mereen?

Last one - what happened with Meera Reed. Bran’s the king, she lugged him to safety time and time again. Lost her brother, and he sent her packing.  

Would Cersei Winning or the Night King winning have been more satisfying than this ending? 

The Starks were down 3-0 in the series at one point. Ned died, Catelyn and Robb died. Sansa went through hell. Bran was stuck in a tree and Hodor saved him. Rickon never had a shot. The dire wolves were all dropping like flies. Jon got stabbed by his own men at Castle Black, Arya went blind and was being hunted by an assassin. Yet. at the end of the day, when the winds of winter blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives. 

And now it’s spring in the realm and they’re going back on their separate ways. Jon gets to be free. Sansa is a queen. Bran is the King and Arya is going to the edge of the world on adventures. The Starks were the first “good guys” of this series. And they for the most part won. People should be happy for them. 

Wine, Wall & Dragons - Season 8, episode 5 Podcast

Wine, Wall & Dragons Season 8 Episode 5 - the penultimate episode of the entire series 

Have a feeling this episode might be an epic of GOT 

Places listening: Cherry Hill, NJ wins big, Cornelius NC and Charlotte NC, Barcelona, Ashfield Australia, Makati City Philippines, Alexandria Egypt, 

United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Spain, Egypt, Philippines and finally Iran.  

Varys is writing a note to send via Raven about Jon’s true identity. A little girl appears to be working with Varys on poisoning Dany’s food. Varys has made “his choice”.

Jon Snow returns - he and Varys are chatting on the beach. Varys wants “the right ruler on the iron throne”. Every time a Targaryen is born the world holds its breath. 

Jon says, “she is my queen” 

Tyrion tries to see Dany in the Dragonstone “Map Room”. Dany knows exactly how Varys found out. They’ve got Dany looking “Strung out”. She’s fixated on getting the “Win” at all costs. 

Greyworm and the unsullied come and get Varys. He knows he’s in trouble. Leave’s his rings behind. 

Tyrion “tells on himself” to Varys. Varys says “he hopes he’s wrong. Good bye old friend.” Takes it like a pro. 

Drogon pops in out of nowhere and burns Varys to a crisp. 

Dany, sitting by the fire - she gives Greyworm Missende’s necklace. He throws it in the fire. Jon Snow comes by for a chat.

Jon says, “i don’t want it”. “Far more people in Westeros love you than love me.” 

Jon and Dany with another love scene gone awry. 

Tyrion is trying to “reason with Dany”… she’s playing for blood. Tyrion begs her to call of the attack if they ring the bells. She never verbally agrees with that request. 

Dany tells Tyrion that she’s captured Jamie. “Next time you fail me, will be the last time you fail me.”

Meanwhile at King’s Landing, Cersei is opening the gates for all kinds of “Small-folk” to use them as a deterrent for a siege. Probably not a good look for those folks. 

Dany’s army has gotten bigger again. Davos is in the house. 

Tyrion asks Davos for a Favor. 

Hound and Arya arrive to the party. 

Tyrion wants to be alone with Jamie. Tyrion is going to release Jamie. Jamie’s back to being a heel. Tyrion has an escape plan for them. Tyrion is a dumb dude. He’s trying to do the right thing, but he’s aligned with the wrong people to do it.

Ominous Cello Music - and there’s Euron Greyjoy.

Arya and the hound rolling right into the City - he’s wearing a hood, she’s not. Jamie rolls into the city. 

Golden Company (Sans Elephant) are ready. 

Cersei looks out onto the City — she’s feeling pretty Glib it seems. 

Jamie Gets shut out of the City — Arya and Hound are the last two into the walls. 

The wind picks up. Euron looks at the sky, Drogo is in Free Fall — Navy shoots and missed and Dany is Blowing up ships left and right with Drogon. 

The Gates of the city explode - Drogon goes nuclear on the Golden Company. Elephant wouldn’t have mattered. 

I kind of love it! 

Tyrion walking amidst the bodies outside the walls. Kyburn tries to tell Cersie it’s over. She’s in full delusion mode. 

Jon is in a standoff with the Lannister Men. Lannister’s Tap out 

Slow Motion - Dany coming straight for the Read Keep

Bells Ringing but she’s come too far — i agree with Dany’s decision to come for Cersei — but burning the people in the streets seems a bit much. And Grey Worm Snaps and the the fighting resumes. Bloodshed upon bloodshed. 

Once you defeat the Night King. Humans really aren’t a match any longer. 

Cersei realizes she is no longer the coldest killer in the 7 kingdoms. 

Full Heel turn — but i still feel like Dany is an antihero versus a villain. 

Jon is horrified. He has to kill one of his own guys. 

Jamie and Euron  have a standoff. Of course Euron comes ashore at the exact spot Jamie’s at. 

Jamie gets stabbed with his own sword? 

Cersei keeps saying the Red Keep is safe place. Has she seen Drogon? 

Kyburn takes Cersei to Maegor’s Holdfast. 

Jamie gets stabbed again. But drives a Sword all the way through Euron… he says “another King for you, but I got you.” “I’m the man who killed Jamie Lannister”. 

Quite the showman 

Hound and Arya - He saves her from herself perhaps? “Sandor, thank you”

Here we go! Clegane Bowl. “Hello Big Brother” 

The Mountain Smashes Kyburn like a bug!”

Cersei leaves, Hound v Mountain

Jamie shows up for Cersei — it’s pretty pathetic that they give these two “a hero’s embrace”.

Hound puts sword all the way through the mountain… he’s not quite phased. Pulls sword back out. 

Arya gets trampled upon. Hound is in trouble vs. mountain. Both fighting for the lives. 

Cool how they show Arya and Hound taking similar “bumps” in their respective battles. 

Hound stabs mountain like 12 times.

Mountain does for the eye ball smash. 

Hound puts knife in mountains head.. He pulls it out.

Hound flips and charges him, they both fall out of a tower and into a raging inferno

Arya is alive and covered in ash and blood. Probably in concussion protocol. She avoids a tower closing in on her. Ends up with a bunch of scared civilians including the lady who saved her. She’s gonna lead an escape of the city.

The Dothraki are having a field day in the city. 

Jamie and Cersei are in the Basement in the hold fast with all of the Dragon Skulls. Jamie’s way out is sealed shut. 

Cersei wants her baby to live, and doesn’t want to die. She had like a million chances for it to not come to this. 

Jamie “Nothing else matters, only us.” Jamie and Cersei get buried under the entire castle. 

Arya somehow still alive - Looks like she’s in the will Smith movie where he’s the only person left in NYC. 

Arya finds a lone horse - that’s fortuitous. Is this horse real? Or is she dead? She rides out of dodge. 

Fade to Black - hell of an episode. Jamie, Cersei, Varys, all dead. Mountain, Hound, Euron, Kyburn, all dead. 

True Detective Season 3 Finale podcast and Game of Thrones season 8 hot takes

True detective season 3 finale - podcast 

The one eyed man wanted to be “killed or taken to jail” but wasn’t. 

The ending was happy for Julie - and that was the plot twist. 1) it was surprising 2) it was pretty unsatisfying- does that make us “jerks” 

Did they ever really talk about what happened to Hays’ wife, Amelia Reardon?

Julie did get a happy ending - but pretty much nobody else did. 

Season 1 characters were deliberately mentioned shown by the crime reporter.  This excites me in the sense that with these worlds connected, perhaps we’ll get a season 4 and those characters could somehow be involved again. 

Game of Thrones predictions- GRRM has two books that are unfinished, “the winds of winter” and “a hope for spring”

Based off of those alone - my prediction is a dark season in which almost all of the characters we care about are killed (likely by the Night’s King/ Army of the Dead/ White Walkers). 

I think Dany having 2 dragons and the fact that she’s likely going to have a child with her nephew Aka Jon Snow are the two biggest factors for “an eventual hope for spring”. 

I think we see a glimpse of whatever that hope is at the very end... but I think Westeros goes to the nights king north of the Neck. 

The best worst case scenario - Dany has the ability to defend dragon stone - but all of Westeros goes “zombie”. 

Nothing good will happen for the living until Cersei is dead - also burn Cersei- cuz she def shouldn’t get to come back as a white walker. 

Will Cersei and Kyburn make some deal w the  night king? 

Will Bran be a force for good or is he the Nights King?

Game of Thrones as 2019 NFL Playoff Teams PART 2 Podcast

Filibuster Freestyle’s 4th annual NFL Playoff teams as Game of Thrones Characters is here and these are the Part 2 podcast notes:

LA Chargers  - Daenerys Targaryen (while she was still in Meereen) - Essentially displaced/ homeless and they have to go east if they want to “go west” aka win the title. Her Dragons were young, the cards were stacked against her, she wasn’t even beloved in her home town, she had to leave her home town due to a lack of support. The chargers have had terrible luck with Kickers, people question their QB and coach a lot, but there is potential for greatness. They’ve won on the road despite  history of not doing so. Nobody is sure how much trust to put in the Chargers, but no one seems to want to face them, and no one seems to hate them.

Baltimore Ravens (House Stark after killing Little Finger) - The Ravens seemed to be left for dead with Joe Flacco at the helm. There was talk of John Harbaugh not coming back, enter Lamar Jackson at QB and everything has changed. The Ravens seem to find a way to win ugly and/or survive to fight another day. Jon Snow at Hardhome, John Snow when he was saved by Uncle Benjen stark after the Night’s Kings killed Viserion the Dragons.) Now House Stark has Bran reunited with Arya and Sansa, and their slitting little fingers’ throats, they killed Ramsay Bolton with his own Dogs, they are poised to recover from certain defeat. 

Philadelphia Eagles - Welp this is a story about the ability to hang on to power when all seems lost. Nick Foles is the “wildfire”. This is Cersei Lannister using Wildfire with Maester Qyburn and blowing up all of her enemies at once in the Sept. The eagles were having the classic super bowl hangover. Everybody was coming for them and coming for them hard. They seemed to have painted themselves into a corner with no plausible escape… and then the ineffective Carson Wentz is “injured” and they insert Nick Foles. Nick Foles is the Wildfire. He allows for an inexplicable change of momentum, just like Cersei’s stunt at Great Sept of Baelor.

Chicago Bears - Night’s King Army and Khalil Mack is the ice dragon, Viserion. They were going to be tough to defeat, but they were outgunned in terms of game changing dragons, and then Jon Gruden gifted the Bears an asset who takes them to another level. 

New England Patriots - The Patriots have always been featured as somebody like Tyrion Lannister or the Night’s King. But I think this year’s Patriots are Jamie Lannister at the battle in Season 6 or 7 with Sam Tarly’s dad and Dickon Tarly. When Dany had three Dragons, and only a heroic move by Bronn saved jamie from being burned alive. The patriots are a shadow of their former selves, as is the 1 handed Jamie, and they are out gunned. But, they are wiley, so there’s a small chance they survive, but not because they are the best team. 

Kansas City Chiefs - Missing Karim Hunt really changed things a bit for the Chiefs —so this was my toughest team to provide a game of thrones character. But here it is… This whole tale started after a young Robert Baratheon struck down Rhaegar Targaryen at the Trident (and then Jamie Lannister killed Aerys the 2nd (the Mad king). If the Chiefs win the super bowl, they are young Robert Baratheon and if they get knocked off, they are Rhaegar Targaryen. And the beauty of this comparison — Rhaegar is actually Jon Snow’s dad. And I’m convinced that Patrick Mahomes will lift the Lombardi Trophy one day, if not this year… just as Rhaegar lost the battle of the Trident, but “won the war” by conceiving Jon with Lyanna Stark. 

LA Rams - Oberyn Martell, the Red Viper of Dorne — The NFL Season is long and drought with peril — The Rams came out of the gates like Oberyn Martell against the mountain and seemed destined for the Super Bowl but, after the past month, I’m increasing concerned that one of these NFC defenses might squish their heads like a Giant Grape. (Fake band name of the week, “Giant Grape”)

New Orleans Saints - The Unsullied. The saints seem to have all the weapons and the home fortress to defend. They might be a little one dimensional, but at the end of the day, if they can play their game on their home turf in the style in which they’re accustomed, aka no gimmick football - they’ve got a it handled. 

Wine Wall & Dragons - Game of Thrones season 7 (episode 4) "The Spoils of War"

Wine, Wall & Dragons  Game of Thrones Season 7 Episode 4

All the gold from High Garden is taken by Lannister - Bronn wants to collect on his Castle — Jamie is sending the money to the Iron Bank

Iron Bank (representative) is back on team Cersei

Little Finger talking to Brann - gave him the dagger that was going to kill him - and Bran tells him that "Chaos is a ladder”

Meera Reed - she’s leaving to go home, Brann basically tells her that he’s no longer Brandon Stark

Arya - and the guards - not a great homecoming start with the guards

Doug thinks Bran looks like Sam the Eagle from the muppets

Sansa and Arya first meeting - solid banter - and who keeps all those tourhes lit in the crypt

Arya’s first talk with Brann - Arya’s a real hugger - Brann gives her Valyrian Steel  - BOOM ! He’s on a bad acid trip

Brienne of Tarth and Podrick

Meanwhile on Dragonstone - girl talk between Dany and Messandre - Jon found the motherland of Dragon Glass and Cave Drawings from the Children of the Forest - and the first men — against the White Walkers — all on the cave walls — very accurate pictures

Dany is pissed at Tyrion — questioning loyalty — and she’s ready to roll to the Red Keep with the dragons.

Brienne is “working Podrick” - Arya wants to learn from Brienne of Tarth - but she works her — full combat fencing class

Davos is such a fan of Messandre - “she is the Queen we Chose” 

Jon Snow is not pumped to see Theon for the first time - and “the Queen is gone” — is she gonna melt the offs (doug brown quote) - Flogging Stragglers - fake band name of the week

Dothraki + Dragons = Certain Death

Dickon Tarly saves Jamie — Bronn??? He’s got the Dragon Cross bow thing

Random Dothraki to Tyrion, “your people can’t fight”. 

Jamie ? 80 pounds of armor in the water/ lake - bad news