Huh, I'm in the weird position where I can finally post in this thread again as I only ever read the first three books. I just about started the 4th, but it was heavy sledding and just then season 1 started and I enjoyed it enough to put down the books for good. I don't need to ever read a 5 page description of a feast ever again, thanks.
But it's so strange to change from an 'insider' to someone who has no idea at all what's going to happen! I suppose that will happen to all book readers at some time as they outpace the source material. For example, the way that the religious order is introduced and the lannister cousin who knows Cersei's secrets having joined them seems very important, but for once I don't actually know if it is very important. It's a cool feeling! I reckon there are a lot of people who quit after book 3 who will be in this position. I also never talk about the show or books online, so I'm not aware of fan theories. This thread will probably clear some of that up for me.
Anyway, Varys and Tyrion are as great as ever. It seems clear what's going to happen here - Danerys isn't politically smart enough to rule and is getting all kinds of conflicting advice and poor intelligence from the many disparate people she has gathered together, but with the right Hand and Master of Whispers she would be a perfect ruler as she has a wonderful sense of justice and empathy. And look! Here come Tyrion and Varys. Problems solved. That has to be where this part of the story is going, but then again, it's GoT so who knows. I will say that it really feels like Dany, Jon Snow and Tyrion are 'destined' to survive at this point though, so the only thing that could really shake my sense of where the story is ultimately heading is one of them dying this season. Stannis, on the other hand, I'm worried about. It's when you're riding high that this series cuts you down. He'd be my dark horse bet as 'next king to go'.
The 'loss' of her dragons makes Dany crazy vulnerable though. The dragons were always the symbol of her invulnerability, or as some people put it, 'plot armour'. If she loses them, or the perception takes hold that she does not control them then she's finished. She doesn't seem to have a clue how to train them any more so I fear that a deus ex machina character is going to appear from the past to explain it to her or give her a book on the subject or something similarly lame. More likely, the dragons are just going through their 'teenage' phase, during which any mother struggles with her kids and the balance between giving them freedom and avoiding risk, and she'll have them by her side again soon enough. I do find a vulnerable Dany a far better proposition than the person who seems to have swanned through ludicrous odds wearing that same smile so many times since her nightmare first seasons ended and her dragons hatched and she went full Jean d'Arc. She's finally going to be tested as a proper ruler this season, and I love it.
Regarding the dragons, I also can't be the only one thinking that the three-eyed raven from last season's finale is going to teach Brandon how to 'warg' into Drogon. It might be the only way to control one of the beasts - and I'd almost prefer that to Dany getting them under control.
The scene with the unsullied guy getting killed had me properly rattled. Not sure what on earth the story is going to do with these guys. Right now Grey Worm is a character I can't get a handle on at all - I like the guy but I don't know what they want to do with him and this proposed 'romance' with Missandei seems abortive to me. I don't enjoy those scenes at all. I'm also wondering what they could possibly do with Arya now that she's not in Westeros any more. Seems like the thematic point of her story has been lost, as she was the 'war-child' who showed the human cost of the massive war on families and individuals, and how difficult it is just to survive in Westeros. What will they do with her now? Lots of ignoring her, like in this episode?
I also don't know what on earth people are smoking when they say 'maybe this is the series where it finally picks up / things start happening'. Am I the only one that thinks that considering the amount of characters involved, the directors have kept things at warp speed? Do people want a huge battle every episode or what? I personally love the more cautious set-up episodes like last night's. Anyway, I look forward to enjoying the rest of them with you guys.