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. 

Wine, Wall & Dragons - Season 8, episode 4 podcast

Wine, Wall & Dragons Season 8 Episode 4

Places listening Kenya, Egypt, Kuwait, UK, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Spain and Italy 

Boston Slam question for Dan: Would you relish the opportunity for the 76ers to be the ones to beat the Celtics, to snuff out the bid for a Boston Slam, or are you content to have the Milwaukee Bucks finish the the job?

Pre show question: How do they follow up the death of the Night King with their fourth episode?

Opening Scene - Jorah’s dead body - Dany kisses him on the forehead - Sansa is grieving over Theon’s body — he’s been freshly shaved… interesting flex by the show on that one.

Sansa gives Theon a stark pendant to be burned with on the funeral pyres. 

There are like 100 pyres stacked full of the dead. 

GHOST IS BACK, again! Obviously. Jon Snow speech “they were the shields that guarded the lives of men, and we will never see their like again”.

The stench of all those bodies is going to be smelled all the way to King’s Landing 

A large post funeral feast in Winterfell grand hall. Gendry and the Hound a little verbal sparring. 

Dany calls Gendry out for being Robert Barrathoen’s son. She makes Gendry the “Lord of Storm’s End”. Davos’ seconds the notion. HUZZZAH!!!! To Lord Gendry. 

Are Jamie and Brienne of Tarth gonna get together? 

Davos and Tyrion talking about the Red Woman and the Lord of Light. They pay a little fan service to the Lord of Light angle fizzling with the unknown goals of the now dead Night King.

Tyrion and Bran - another fireside chart. “You shouldn’t envy me, mostly I live in the past.”

Tormund starts another round fo Toasts. Says vomiting is celebrating. Only unhappy person is Sansa, it seems.

Dany, Jon, Varys, ominous music. Tyrion laughing with Jamie. Dany feels alone AF. Heel  turn ground work being laid??? 

Tyrion calls Brienne out for being a virgin? 

Sansa and the hound have a convo. He foreshadows Clegane Bowl. 

Gendry looking everywhere for Arya — she shoots an arrow at him. And Gendry just proposed to Arya — be the lady of Storm’s End?!?!?! HMMM? 

Arya says she’s not a lady- never have been, that’s not me.

Jamie and Brienne - whoa buddy!!?!?!?! “I’ve never slept with a Knight before”.

Here’s the Dany and Jon talk - Dany says she loves Jon, is that alight. HBO leaning into this incestuous relationship - but then Jon stops, and Dany has the convo. She’s trying to blackmail him. She wants to go backwards in time to “ignorance is bliss”. 

“You are my queen, nothing will change that. They are my family, we can live together.” — “We can, i’ve just told you how”, Dany says.

Next morning - the battle plans — sounds like the odds / numbers are even.

Varys tells us that Yara Greyjoy has taken back the Iron Islands and the “new prince of Dorne” have pledged allegiance. 

Sansa and Dany are going at it — this is tough stuff. Jamie is staying at Winterfell.

Bran - ‘it’s your choice” to Jon about his true identity. Arya and Sansa now know Jon is their cousin. 
Bronn shows up with the Cross Bow. Tyrion offers him High Garden instead of Cersei’s offer of Riverrun. 

The Hound and Arya chatting - they both have unfinished business in king’s landing. They both don’t plan on coming back. 

Sansa asks Tyrion, “why her?” 

The men in the family don’t do well in the capital. 

Sansa is about to tell Tyrion about Jon’s identity. 

Tormund is going to head back to the north. And Jon gives Ghost to Tormund. This is farewell then? You never, know. You’ve got the north in you, the real north. 

Gilly is pregnant with Sam’s baby. Sam is staying at Winterfell. Sam, “you’re the best friend I ever had.”

Jon leaving Ghost behind — eek — bad sign dude.

Greyworm and Messandre 

Varys now knows the secret as well. Says if 8 people know, everyone knows. If we marry them, they could rule together. 

Vayrs worries about “her state of mind”. 

WHOA!!!! Rhagal is DEAD - Shot by scorpions on Euron’s ship. 

Dany is Pissssed- She can’t take Euron on he’s got catapults for days. 

She’s out of the fight. Tyrion jumps overboard - gets hit in the he’d with a mast. He lives, Varys lives. Grey worm lives. Messande is missing. 

Cersie is passing off Jamie’s baby as Euron’s. 

Lot of foreshadowing - and They have Messandre as a hostage. 

Varys is trying to speak reason to Dany. Dany is not in the mood for reasoning. “they should know whom to blame when the sky falls down upon them.”

Thoughts aren’t treason. 

Varys, “each of us has a choice to make.” I pray we choose wisely. 

Jamie gets the news about Euron’s victory at sea. He’s gonna make his way South. Brienne begs him to stay. Jamie makes a strange “heel turn”, saying Cersei is hateful and so is he. 

Cyburn comes out of the castle - big standoff between he and Tyrion coming up. At the gates of King’s Landing. 

Tyrion blows of Kyburn - going to appeal to Cersi directly. 

He’s really dumb - Messandre says “Dracarus” which means BURN/FIRE/AHSES in Valaryian.

Mountain cuts off her head. This is going to be a bloodbath 

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 Season 7 (Ep 3 Queen's Justice) aka Wine, Wall & Dragons

Wine, Wall & Dragons  Game of Thrones Season 7 Episode 3

What if the Night’s King is the Prince who was promised. What it the darkness he’s eradicating is the debauchery filled culture that has become life in westeros, south of the wall. Maybe i’m getting too cute on this — but figured I’d through it out there.

Are we done with Essos - and all of the Cities of Slaver’s Bay and the Free cities like Bravos and Pentos, etc.??

Jon Snow is on Dragon Stone with Davos and sees Tyrion

How do those Starks travel by Boat in their winter fell gear — not very sea friendly

And the Dragons just buzzed the tower aka Jon Snow and Davos. 

Melisandre - I’ve done my part - i’ve brought Fire and Ice together, my work is done. And she’s heading to Volantis - and Varys threatens her to not come back, but she promises that she will, and that she “has to die” in this strange country, just like you.

Dany is promising a return to Centuries of Peace — Jon makes his white walker’s argument. 

Dany gives a “i have faith in me” pep talk — seems a little heavy handed

This conversation is not going well — and then Varys comes in and says something - Jon isn’t a prisoner (yet)

The Greyjoys just fished Theon out of the sea

Euron is marching Yara and the Sandsnakes through Flea Bottom - Flea bottom is the worst place for a “walk of shame” in the 7 kingdoms

Cersei - says we all make our choices — “you choose your choice” 

She just poised the last Sand Snake with the “Long farewell”  with a kiss on the lips — right in front of her mother — nobody is as ice cold as cersei — but is leaving those Dornish women alive a good idea? 

Cersei + Jamie = gross family outings

A visitor from “Bravos” hmmmmmm? - It’s a dude from the Iron Bank — he’s basically telling her she’s got “bad credit”. 

Tyrion and Jon Snow - cliffs of Moher? Jon got himself some dragon glass

Back at Winterfell - and they’re short on food. Sansa seems to enjoy being “in charge” — Littlefinger gives her the “game of thrones” Macro speech 101

BRAN STARK IS BACK !!!!! And Sansa is pumped! and they are at the Weirwood. He’s talking in riddles, but he mentions the Long night is coming.

Sam did a great job on Jorah it seems like it. Jorah is back in the market.  

The Unsullied and trying to take Casterly Rock — Tyrion built the sewers — and the Unsullied seem to have the upper hand - and Grey Worm lived - But Euron shows up, and Jamie is bringing the rest of the Lannisters and Tarly’s to HighGarden to end the Tyrell’s Reign - She dropped one more “C-bomb” about Joffery 

Lady Olyanna calls Cersei a disease - and poisons herself — then tells Jamie how she killed Joffery - tell Cersei I want her to know it was me 

Game of Thrones Season 7, Episode 2 (Stormborn) - Wine, Wall & Dragons

Wine, Wall & Dragons Game of Thrones Season 7 Episode 2

Anyone who’s the villain right now could end up being the hero? The mountain? Little finger? Cersei? Jamie? Little Finger saved the day in season 6. No more purely evil people

Can I get a Westeros shaped coffee table like the one the have a Dragonstone? Like a mini version? Pretty please? 

They stacked the episode to make it look like Dany was invincible - and flipped it HARD.

Raining on Dragonstone - Tyrion and Varys have an interesting conversation with Danyerus. 

Melisandre has made her way to Dragonstone - and we're talking about Jon Snow’s credentials (and he’s invited to come “bend the knee”)

That Raven got to Winterfell quickly

Cersei is working on a hype speech and she’s playing to a smallish crown in court

Sam Tarly’s father is in court with Jamie - he’s got a choice to make - and he just got “Warden of the South” offers

Jorah Mormont - Grey Scale has pretty much invaded his chest

Interested to see what Keiber and Cersei are cooking up with the Dragon head’s - Balereon the Dread - And he’s got a monster Cross bow - surface to air arrows. 

The Greyjoy’s want to fight right away - The Sandsnake girls and Olanna Tyrell are all on Dragonstone

How about the plan to “take Casterly Rock” ??

Grey Worm - loves Missandre — it’s kind of a Rocky and Adrian moment — i’m worried about him making it out of Casterly Rock — interesting scene w a eunich

Sam is looking to cure Jorah - cuz of course he is — and he knew Jorah’s dad. Sam is like the Bill Gates of the Citadel (he’s gonna drop out and likely do better than everyone) - Grey scale puss is nasty — and we really didn’t have to show the procedure that in depth did we??

Arya is visiting with “Hot Pie” - Good for Hot Pie getting a little cameo — and Arya just learned that Jon Snow is King in the North — which way is she gonna go? 

Sam’s Raven gets to WInterfell as well as Tyrion’s - Little Finger is going to ruin the North - I’m also very worried about Davos when he gets to Dragonstone.

Arya went North - and her horse is spooked — which can only mean one thing - Wolves and it’s Nymeria perhaps

Little Boat time - lady and lady moment gets ruined by a “fire fight from Uncle Euron - so we get some Pyke on Pyke violence

Sand Snakes are kind of wreaking Havoc — but they are getting sent to King’s Landing — they are Cersei’s present —  WHOA!!! 

Where’s Theon? Euron is fighting in the Ladies’ division today - Theon jumped over board!?!?!!?!? Good Lord. 

Next week, Jon and Dany (face to face)