"5 Changes to Siege of Winterfell" Topic

You were asked – TMP link

Lots of Monday quarterbacking regarding a rather great episode of Game of Thrones. What specific changes would you have made to have improved it? Be specific.

10% – "Better lighting so viewers can see what is happening."

9% – "Don't place defenders outside the wall."

8% – "Do not deploy artillery before a trench line."

7% (TIE) – "Better use of ditches and fortifications." OR "Use flame against the zombies."

I'd dispute the great episode claim….mostly I'd have have the epic climatic battle of the army of the dead be a climatic battle instead of a poorly lit zombie survival horror episode where the main characters survived and there was almost no tension. Also maybe use the half of the army that apparently survived unscathed somehow.

I love people who moan that a scene in a fantasy or sci fi film is unrealistic or doesn't follow modern standards of tactical doctrine.

newarch,
No more then I love people who call criticism of anything, moaning. :D
A poorly thought out and done scene is just that. Moving it to a fictional setting is not an excuse for producing tripe. That is how I see it, in any event.

It is moaning/nerd rage though. People do apparently strange or pointless things in real life too.

I hate it in D Day when the landing forces assault Omaha Beach, surely they'd land somewhere flatter and easier to assault, its just not realistic.

or

I think that the Hundred Days would be much improved by D'Erlon not pointlessly marching back and forth without fighting either the British or the Prussians.

BTW fighting at night is for example standard British military practice so that is in fact very realistic in modern terms. It's just people are used to Hollywood films that set battles in daylight.

Also flaming weapons are a bit of a fantasy/Hollywood invention, unless you've got dragons handy, that common thing of torching thatch to burn down buildings was highly unlikely in real life.

Personally I'm not hung up on how bad the battle was handled by the characters, yes it was obviously dumb and moronic at times but so was the battle of the bastards, which still looked good despite obvious poorly commanded by both sides.

My problem with the episode are as I said, this was meant to be climatic of years of development and we got a battle in pitch black darkness with a zombie survival bit in Winterfell which was moronic as the main characters were surrounded (and being pulled down by said zombies) in several shots as this bit went on and on (and unsurprisingly were fine). Poor Sam was on his back being piled on by zombies in a couple of shots….meh.

The last series was a rushed mess and it shows in episodes like this and in the following episode where hey, half the army survived intact and apparently sat out the battle because we need them storywise for the Kingslanding battle.

Well…I regard the later series as FAR TOO RUSHED in the writing. (Everyone will have THEIR OWN 'wished for' versions! Mine is that in a full-length series, Winterfell could have been lost…and then, the reversal of fortune…in another episode!

So many have commented about 'poor lighting' in the night battle scenes. I have absolutely no problem with this. I watched on an older 37" TV in a dim room… fine by me! If you purchase the DVD set, you get the documentaries on 'The Making Of'…You saw what you were MEANT to see…distance combat or threat was meant to be 'out there, in the darkness' and so, building up the threat! The close combat works fine for me…VERY chaotic! Yes, the characters sometimes DID seem to be 'done for' but survived… however this happens in many other 'Good' TV series.

Unreal (!) tactics are another matter! Fighting outside the walls…and The Crypt! BUT this was A TV show! I have been so totally disgusted with Films, (Braveheart, King Arthur, etc.), that GOT was …mmm… well, not TOO bad.

As the supposed 'climax' to the 'WINTER IS COMING' premise of GOT…it wasn't! Rather disappointed and sad…should have been much better handled.
Given the writers wish to close off the story…FAR TOO FAST! …Such a shame!
'Siege Of Wnterfell'…not too bad, but not as good as it should have been…the story arc finish should not have been crammed into one extended episode.
As for the story ending…?

Having watched the DVD set..and seen the TOTAL commitment and dedication of so many EXTRAS, crew, cast and servitors…I just wish that GOT could have been a Triumph! THEY all deserve MAX credit for their efforts.

Incidentally, I thought 'The Battle Of The Bastards' was excellent…UNTIL the 'wall of the dead'…'Dramatic' TV crap!
Writers!