6 Scene That Would’ve Made the Game Of Thrones Finale Worth It

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

So there’s been a lot of talk about the Game of Thrones finale. Personally, I don’t mind where it went, just how it got there. I hoped the finale would be amazing and justify everything but, since it didn’t, I decided to take matters into my own hands by coming up with my scenes, and thus my own endings, for some of the most important characters in the show. Now, for this exercise, I wanted to keep changes to just the finale but there was one character that made that kinda tricky. So the changes are for the final two episodes: ‘The Bells’ and ‘The Iron Throne’. With that said, for your consideration, the new finale.

Character: Jamie

The Problem Most People Had With His Ending: All his character growth seemed to go to waste.

Personal Opinion: For me, Jamie was one of my favorite characters because he had layers. For me, he never quite changed, we just learned more about him and he became one of the most nuanced characters on the show. I’m not surprised he went back to Cersei, they never really broke up. I’m not even surprised he died with her. However, I’m sad he never had to make a choice that put his character growth to the test.

New Ending: Jamie actually makes it to the Red Keep in time to enact Tyrion’s plan of him and Cersei running away together. However, as he and Cersei talk, we find that Cersei has other plans. Cersei tries to convince Jamie to lure Tyrion to the Red Keep under the guise of helping them escape, where they capture him in order to execute him in front of Dany unless she surrenders (so in this finale the Missandei thing didn’t happen). Jamie counters by pointing out that Dany might actually make the world a better place, and asks if Cersei really not want that that bad? Does she really not want to live peacefully with him that bad? Cersei responds by saying Jamie is not enough, for her or her child. Jamie calls her ‘a hateful woman’ and they officially break up.

Later, after the battle, Jamie asks to be part of the Kingsguard with Brienne, in doing so keeping his oath to her. Brienne lets him. Jamie then sheepishly asks her out, and Brienne, to his face, makes an oath to NEVER BE WITH HIM AGAIN.

Character: Cersei

The Problem Most People Had With Her Ending: Other than the whole ‘move to the left thing’, WHY DIDN’T DANY GO TO THE RED KEEP FIRST AND KILL CERSEI INSTEAD OF ZIG-ZAGGING ALL ACROSS KING’S LANDING!!

Personal Opinion: WHY DIDN’T DANY GO TO THE RED KEEP FIRST AND KILL CERSEI INSTEAD OF ZIG-ZAGGING ALL ACROSS KING’S LANDING!!!!!

New Ending: Despite the bells, Cersei doesn’t open the doors of the Red Keep and tries to escape. There is not enough Unsullied to take the Red keep (cause of the Battle at Winterfell). Thus, Dany burns the Red Keep and the people around it, eventually exposing Cersei and burning her too.

Character: Dany

The Problem Most People Had With Her Ending: Her descent into madness was way too quick.

Personal Opinion: I completely agree. She goes from brutally killing her enemies, most of whom were evil, or at the very least dick-ish, to brutally killing peasants who have NOTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING. She doesn’t even kill Cersei directly.

New Ending: Honestly, no one scene can really fix this. I would have liked to see her make more morally questionable decisions throughout the seasons such as, in order to kill one bad guy, she has to kill three innocents, something like that. That said, I also would have liked for her to maybe try and murder Jon so his heritage actually ends up meaning something. Perhaps with the same poison Ellaria Sand used. So, when Jon and Dany kiss for the final time, and Jon kills her, afterward, he starts to feel the effects. He looks around only to find the antidote wrapped around Dany’s neck (don’t ask how she learned this trick, I don’t know,  maybe after inquiring after Varys’ plans to kill her. A poison drink would also work).

Character: Bran

The Problem Most People Had With Her Ending: Other people had good stories too, so Tyrion’s reason for making him king was odd.

Personal Opinion: I agree, Bran as king is odd (especially considering he has demonstrated zero leadership skills) but I also think the show wrote itself into a hole. The only people who could rule were at that meeting, and Bran was the most inoffensive choice other than Sansa and Tyrion. Sansa, however, is too tied to North, and Grey Worm would kill Tyrion before letting him be king.

New Ending: When Tyrion suggests it, Brans says he can’t be king cause he’s the three-eyed raven. Tyrion says that’s the reason he should be king. He has no agenda, is above the petty squabbles of the nobles, and he can see the lives of the people, who they serve, so can actually see their decisions affect them.

Character: Jon

The Problem Most People Had With Her Ending: There is zero point to the Night’s Watch as far as anyone can tell, and for him to go through so much only to end up where he started kinda sucks.

Personal Opinion: While I liked Jon’s ending, I think it was clumsily done. I mean, did he actually have to go? Who was there to enforce the punishment? Grey Worm sailed off and the only person who seemed to have a problem with Jon’s decision was Yara Greyjoy, who, let’s face it, is not about to start a war over this by herself. So did people just expect Jon to sit at the wall, alone and unguarded? What the hell?

New Ending: Jon gives Grey Worm his word that he will join the Night’s Watch. But, when he’s saying goodbye to Sansa, Arya comes in saying that Grey Worm and the Unsullied have left, as Sansa told her to look out for that. Sansa then points out to Jon that he doesn’t actually have to go, no one is left to punish him. Jon says he gave Grey Worm his word, but Sansa tells him to stop being stupid and that’s he’s sacrificed and died and served and for once in his life, he should just choose happiness. Sansa tells him not to make Ned’s mistakes. Jon listens and goes North of the Wall.

Character: Arya

The Problem Most People Had With Her Ending: She abandons her family after trying for so long to get back to them. Plus, she has only expressed a passing interest in travel really. Throughout the seasons, she mostly traveled out of necessity.

Personal Opinion: While I liked her ending, it is odd that she goes for essentially no reason.

New Ending: Arya stays in Winterfell for a while, but starts to feel restless. After some time, Bran sends her a note about a green-eyed threat in the west. Excited to have a mission and put her face-taking skills to use, she takes off.

 

Honestly, I know these scenes don’t fix everything but, hopefully, they fix a bit. Let me know what you think? Are there any changes I should make? Did I make it worst? Should I write the script for this (I actually will if enough people request it). And finally, let me know your thoughts on the Game of Thrones finale.

My Year In Youtube: 2015

To mark off the New Year here’s my first ‘Friday’ Review, and as a special End of/Beginning of Year Review, let’s talk about an important part of my life, YouTube.

Gone are the days when YouTube consisted exclusively of cat videos and home movies, in fact, they were gone quite a long time ago. Now yes, while YouTube still has those things (you can see them on Ellen), it’s also home to some quality programming, with some high production value to boot. So, here are my favourites this year:

---

Best Fictional Web Series: LARPs Season 2:

Geek and Sundry: Just Finished

This series follows a LARP group (Live Action Role Playing for all you newbs) and, well, that’s it. The idea is remarkably simple, but it’s fascinating and funny. The ‘geeks’ are real and aren’t socially inept or any weirder than anyone else, but they recognize how they look to people and even, at times, the dangers of escapism. The people are real, but don’t worry, there’s still a smattering of quirky characters if that’s your bag. Honestly, it’ll make you want to LARP.

---

Best Tease: Becoming Youtube 2:

Ninebrassmonkeys: Hasn’t even started!

The first season was amazing and asked the tough questions about YouTube, well, the interesting ones. There were unpopular opinions, skits, and as much of the British Diggerati as you could ask for. Its creator Benjamin Cook put out its second season trailer. At the end of the first season, Marvel end-scene style, it said it was returning the summer of 2014. Then our favourite recluse Mr. Cook released trailer 11 months ago which said ‘Coming Soon’ and since then has released a seemingly unrelated short film soo….

 

 

---

Best ‘Non-Fiction’ Web Series: Critical Role (Honorary Mention: Titans Grave):

Geek and Sundry: Continuing

Originally streamed on Twitch, Critical Role is an RPG show which is engaging, hilarious, and at times actually sad. Titans Grave, created by the Geek’s geek and terrible roller Wil Wheaton is shorter and more story driven, but I personally find the characters in Critical Role more engaging and since the party has history, their chemistry is phenomenal, so call me a Critter.

 

---

Best Talk Show: Cereal Time

Cereal Time: Ongoing

Created by Hank Green and hosted by YouTube Titans Charlie McDonnell and Jimmy Hill, cereal time is funny and charming. Depending on where you are might not wake you up as it’s supposed to do, but still worth the watch if you want something light and slightly weird.

---

Biggest Topic: Sex and Consent

This year or so, a number of prominent YouTubers were outed for partaking in, shall we say, ‘questionable sexual behaviour’, which lead to an explosion of videos on the topic of sex and consent. An important topic, more so now than ever.

---

Best Edutational Show: Film Theory

 

The Film Theorists: Ongoing

From The Game Theorists channel, its movie-and-T.V focused spin-off is born, The Film Theorists, and it doesn’t break from the formula that made The Game Theorists the fifth most-subscribed YouTube channel, with over 5 million subscribers. Yes, Film Theory is smaller, but it has exactly the same amount of potential as Game Theory, and for that, I’m excited to see where it goes.

---

Best Podcast: Welcome to Night Vale

Welcome to Night Vale: Ongoing

Welcome to Night Vale now has a YouTube channel and I am elated. Welcome to Night Vale is a podcast that cannot be explained. It’s surreal and absurd and weird and funny and, with the YouTube channel, you get all that plus bonus content like tour videos.

---

Best Potential: Harley Quinn

 

Imagination Upgraded: Ongoing

A fan-made web-series centered around fan favourite Harley Quinn, this web-series has its problems. The acting is such that you know they’re acting and the fight scenes are sometimes just there for fight’s sake (there was no reason for Catwoman and Harley Quinn to fight, you’ll see). But the production value is high and any Batman character you want is bound to show up eventually. Couple that with the mystery that’s going on, and it has just enough to keep you interested.

 

 

Master of None Review: Season 1

Master of None, a show currently streaming on Netflix, is a surprisingly different kind of sitcom, if you can even call it that. It follows Dev (Aziz Ansari) as he tries to navigate life. Sounds like it’s been done before I know, and it has, which is why Ansari’s spin on it is extremely refreshing and showcases Ansari’s and Alan Yang’s very capable writing skills.

Nowhere is the writing prowess more present than in the scenes with Rachel (Dev’s girlfriend, as played by Noël Wells). For this, I refer you to episodes  ‘Nashville’ and ‘Mornings’, which are basically half an hour rom-coms that are more charming and display more chemistry than many of the big blockbusters, firmly planting Rachel and Dev’s relationship as a show highlight. But it isn’t just about them, the supporting cast also hold their own and are (Thank the Gods!) diverse. And their diversity shines through. It’s not just about having the token black girl or Asian guy; these are dynamic characters, not stereotypes. That said, Arnold, Dev’s quirky friend as played by Eric Wareheim, is still especially funny. Couple the cast with the interesting cinematography and soundtrack, both of which give the show an, for lack of a better word, artsy feel and a distinctive and confident tone, and you have an engaging show.

Master of None also deals with relevant issues, such as race and sexism, in a way that takes into account the complexity of the matter without being preachy.  It also brings to life a serious phenomenon millennials face. We live in a world where we are not forced to grow up right after school, which begs the question, when do we grow up? Dev is not so much struggling with adulthood so much so as he is simply not concerned with it and wondering if he should be. This is a perspective, I at least, find reassuring.

The only problem with this show is unlikeliness of some of the stories, or if not unlikely, then out of place. For example, Dev sleeps with a married woman after coincidentally meeting her husband in an ice-cream shop. But other than that, Master of None is different, diverse, and quirky, and I’m excited for Season 2.

Spotlight on: The Saturday Morning Show

So I can not review this webseries because I edited it, so I will just say this: The Saturday Morning Show is a show that comes on every Saturday Morning and is hosted by Bola Rahman. It tackles unique topics from an equally unique perspective. Check out the first episode here: The Saturday Morning Show

 

The Man From U.N.C.L.E (2015) Review

The Man From U.N.C.L.E is a movie about a CIA and KGB spy who must, very reluctantly, team up, to stop a criminal organization getting their hands on some nuclear weapons. In doing this, they enlist the help of Gaby, the daughter of a German scientist, who is currently missing.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E feels refreshingly traditional in this era of hyped up and rewritten remakes, and thus it relies on its cinematography and its score to give it its modern twist. The result is a movie that’s both full of style and visually interesting, where the humour is visual and verbal in equal measure.

Henry Cavill plays Napoleon Solo, the American CIA agent who is smooth and suave to a fault, the fault being that he is almost devoid of a personality and becomes at times just a series of jabs, quips, and one-liners done in a deadpan tone, adding a lot of humour and style, but not much substance. Indeed, his first encounter with Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer), the Russian spy, who Solo charmingly and almost fearfully refers to as ‘it’, is his closest moment to showing actual emotion,

And speaking of Armie Hammer, his portrayal of Kuryakin was quite a bit more interesting, with his exaggerated accent and with his uncomfortableness with all things Un-Russian adding humour and his dramatic psychotic episodes adding intensity, he makes for a good watch. In fact, his moment wrestling and dancing with Gaby was as amazing as it was partly because it had his humour and intensity.

As for Gaby (Alicia Vikander), what can I say? She was strong, smart, vulnerable and mischievous all at the same time.

All things considered, the movie was solid.

Trainwreck (2015) Review

So I just watched Trainwreck and, I’m sorry to say, I’m not sure it quite lived up to the hype.

That’s not to say it was bad, it was quite good, but it seems just shy of the 85% Rotten Tomatoes gives it.
Just a quick synopsis, Trainwreck is a rom-com about a hard-drinking (and occasionally smoking) woman named Amy (Amy Schumer) who took her father’s message of ‘monogamy is not realistic’ to heart. She then meets sports doctor Aaron Connors (Bill Hader) and basically that monogamy theory is put to the test when she falls in love.

Simple right? What went wrong? Well, you see, Schumer, Hader, and to a slightly smaller extent Colin Quinn, who plays Amy’s father, basically carry the movie. They’re great in it. And maybe because of that, the rest of supporting cast, especially the sports cameos, seemed largely irrelevant. Even the cast of SNL showed up and while they provided some charming moments (Leslie Jones especially) they still felt kind of unnecessary. In fact, the supporting casts humor seemed just a little bit cheap at times. The gender reversal was quite interesting, however, with the commitment-phobe, promiscuous character being the girl and the person who actually wants the relationship being the guy, and there was a nice dose of family drama to add some depth. So don’t get me wrong, there was a lot right here. But in the end, the movie had a lot of filler. It could’ve been just Schumer, Hader, and Quinn, with perhaps some appearances from the character Amy’s sister’s family, just to flesh out the family drama, and the movie would probably have been much better, or at least more solid.

Idea Channel Response: Why All The Remakes?

So I was thinking about remakes recently, mainly why so many, and then the Youtube channel PBS Idea Channel did an episode on it so it seemed like fate that I write this. Now, here goes:

I think the recent thought to progressive media has something to do it. In fact, I was thinking about remakes because I was thinking about the new all-female cast of the new Ghostbusters. In the diversity episode of Idea Channel, Mike Rugnetta said ‘From a very young age…we’re told that superheroes are not real, but we are not told that portraying every Muslim or Middle-Eastern character as a terrorist is equally unreal’. So changing old media to fix these issues not only gets adults excited, but it’s something adults will share with their kids. This progressive wave that’s happening, slowly and maybe with problems, but it is happening, is especially prevalent as fans not only get more power, but get more analytical. With channels like The Game Theorists raking in a sizeable amount of subscribers and of course that little known website Reddit, any possible hidden meaning in anything, good and bad, is discussed and debated, thus making remakes not just redoings but something that adds layers and even more meaning to a piece of media, if done right. This means that fans become both critics and advertisers, and if the future of fandom is indeed dictating casting choices and plotlines, then they also become co-creators, fixing and remixing anything they want.

Alternatively, memes might have something to do with it. Every time you see a meme more often than not there’s a familiar face, like Kermit or Spongebob, so now memes not only express a relatable thought or action but also a relatable person or time of life, meaning people who understand the memes on both levels make up a sort of internet in-crowd. So now memes not only convey the idea that we’re not tired of these pieces of media but it gives people not in the in-crowd a place to familiarize themselves with that media.

And just a note to Simon Pegg’s idea that we live in age where we don’t have to grow up immediately after leaving school and therefore experience a second childhood, I totally agree. In fact, my full Youtube username was supposed to be ‘a nerdy coming-out story’. Growing up I was very introverted and was mainly a book nerd, which is basically a solitary activity, meaning I missed out on being engrossed by key pieces of media, specifically Disney movies. I also wasn’t much of gamer, FYI. But now I’m 20 and am experiencing a sort of  geek rebirth, getting into retro games like Legend of Zelda and Pokemon and also superhero movies and comic books. And at first I was kinda embarrassed because it seems I am too old but now, not so much. Perhaps that’s because of something else Simon Pegg said, that ‘society…[has been] been infantilised by our own taste. Now we’re essentially all consuming very childish things – comic books, superheroes. Adults are watching this stuff, and taking it seriously.’

Now, his recently responded to this, but that’s not important at this time. All I’m saying is that it seems that everyone is doing it, so why can’t I?

Spy Review

So I was lucky enough to go see a press screening of Spy (I was on the guest list, it felt very exclusive) and here’s my review of it.

So there are those who would discount a movie starring Melissa McCarthy movie as a dumb slapstick after the whole Tammy fiasco, but I’m happy to say McCarthy has been redeemed. Yes, the narrative, while it has its share of surprises, isn’t exactly mind-blowing, but that’ because it doesn’t go against what it is, a classic underdog story. And the movie isn’t a slapstick saturated with fat jokes, but rather its comedy comes from its characters. In fact, McCarthy, who plays Susan Cooper, is kind of badass. She starts off as a charmingly awkward underdog then morphs into Mullins from The Heat, demonstrating her range. Yet, surprisingly, Jason Stratham is the second star of this show, providing an amazingly funny semi-antagonist in his character, Rick Ford. After him, Peter Serafinowicz as Aldo. So yes the characters are stereotypical spoofs on common spy tropes, but they’re hilarious spoofs. Plus, Spy is progressive without trying to be and is a great movie if you just want an easy comedy with surprisingly great fight scenes.

One note, however, McCarthy and her ‘love interest’ Jude Law DIDN’T MAKE OUT. I mean, after all that work, I’m just saying.