Last episode was a very mixed bag for me. I'm getting really tired of characters having conversations that don't mean anything to their particular arcs.
Cersei and Oberyn having a conversation about her daughter does nothing to advance either of their stories. We already know all of the important things we need to know about these plot elements. It's not even character development or growth-nothing about their conversation will have any meaning laer on.
I feel that with an hour to dedicate to the characters and plot, they need to do a better job having meaningful character moments and action no the screen that are not only good conversations and developments but also help to move their arcs along.
Think about Arya and the Hound on the road together. This week's exchange was awesome, but ultimately redundant given that the previous week he punched a farmer in the face and took his silver as a means of hardening her up to the world. I felt that the water dancing sequence where he ridicules her was better because it addressed specific instances of her romantic ideals from previous storylines. It used the past to inform the future. That means they wasted five minutes of my time the previous week doing exactly the same thing in a meaningless conversation with farmers that we will never see again.
Likewise with Brienne and Poddrick. Completely pointless scene with reveals that could have been handled in a much more efficient fashion. Dedicating a five minute conversation to them in an hour long show with as much narrative as this story has needs to be used more efficiently.
And don't get me started on how, once again, Jon Snow is a spectator in his own life in this show. This time, it was the bad guy cliche of ignoring the real threat to taunt a helpless girl so that Jon could backstab him through the head. So now Jon is incapable of even beating one dirty fighter?
The fucking guy was a creation of the show and should have been sacrificed to the altar of Jon's advancement so that the cahracter wold look stronger and FINALLY be takinc control of his own life. Instead, Jon is lucky to survive a climactic battle that smarterr writing would have had him winning, thereby getting audiences on his side not only because he's a Stark but becuase, AT LAST, he's kicking all forms of ass and not needing help to beat one dirty knife fighter who thinks he's hot shit. Good writing doesn't have this happen with throwaway characters.
It's the same with how Rick and the Governor ended their fight in The Walking Dead. The writing does their character no favors by emasculating them for no apparent reason.
Jon should have just kicked the guy in the nuts, ripped a dagger out of his hands and then gutted him with it before saying 'Thanks, I'll remember the lesson next time.' Or even tripped him into the fire, where he burns to death. That would be gruesome, certainly niot the actions of a young man trained to fight in castles and keeps by honorable knights, but a good way for him to adapt and survive in his new role.
I'm still holding out hope that this show will figure out its pacing issues this season.