The Walking Dead & Game of Thrones: Season 6 Review (SPOILERS)

Yeah, I know this is long overdue, especially in the case of The Walking Dead, but now that both seasons are over I decided to give my thoughts on both seasons in one post. I will go over my ups in the season as well as my downs. Now, let's start with Season 6 of The Walking Dead:

"The Walking Dead" Season 6 UPS

1. The Second Half of the season. Never has The Walking Dead experienced such awesome pacing. Add to that the fact that each episode brought something great to the table and you had the finest half season in the history of the show. 
2. The Villains. While Season 5 brought us Gareth and the Hunters, the showrunners made the mistake of killing them off way too soon and thus a lot of time was wasted on the Grady Memorial Hospital Arc. After that, the only villains that were left were Father Gabriel, Pete, and Nicholas, and while they were fine villains, their arcs could have been wrapped up rather quickly. All in all, Season 5 was rather lacking in the villain department. Season 6, however, made up for that; Enter the Wolves, who proved to be quite the menacing group of psychos despite suffering from being wiped out early on like the Hunters. However, unlike the Hunters, their leader, the Alpha Wolf (or Owen,) was kept around to serve as a major threat to the story and he delivered. Plus, even though his "redemption" felt a little hazy, he also served as a major catalyst in the arcs of both Carol and Morgan, so he did leave quite an impact. Aside from him, this season also had the mega herd that attacked Alexandria as well as Ron Anderson, who while a total pain in the ass, served as a good counterbalance to Carl. Then, in the Second Half, we were introduced to the Saviors, who had us prepared for the arrival of their leader, the man himself: NEGAN!!! Although there a few issues with his introduction (which I'll get to later,) I thought Jeffrey Dean Morgan did a wonderful job portraying him and I look forward to seeing how he does in Season 7. The villains this season certainly did not disappoint.
3. The new characters introduced this season. They were all fine additions to the show, with Heath, Denise, Dwight, Jesus, and, of course, Negan being standouts. I look forward to seeing many of them again in Season 7.
4. Carol and Morgan's arcs. On one hand, you have Carol learning that you don't have to kill all the time to protect the ones you love, and Morgan vice versa. It seems that one has rubbed off on the other and I look forward to see how this plays out for them in Season 7.
5. "No Way Out"...just..."No Way Out." This episode was hands down the best episode of the entire series. That's right, it beat "Too Far Gone," which is quite a feat. There were just so many great moments in this episode that I can't even imagine how any episode after can top this one.

DOWNS

1. The First Half. Like Season 5, it started out with a bang before it suffered from severe arc fatigue. Also, "Start to Finish" was easily the show's weakest mid-season finale, so ultimately this was one of the show's low points. Thank God for the second half, though.
2. The lack of major character deaths. Seriously, aside from Deanna, Nicholas, and the Andersons, who else died? Just a bunch of red shirts that they throwed in just to kill off. Even worse, they made the decision to kill off Denise, a fairly major comic character that they just introduced into the show. All in all, the lack of major deaths kinda tainted the view that no one is safe on this show. This couldn't be more clearer than...
3. The Glenn moment, or as some people call it "Dumpstergate." Oh boy, where to begin with this? Well, I'll just say that it was complete bullshit that he managed to escape unscathed because one way or another, he would have been scratched or mauled by one of the zombies. This was made worse by the fact that it took three episodes until we had proper resolution. All in all, this was a dumb move on the showrunners' part, and sadly, it wasn't their last...
4. The amount of fake outs and cliffhangers. How many times were they going to mess with us? Almost every episode had something where it looked like a major character was in trouble, whether it be "Dumpstergate," Rick getting trapped in the RV, Carol and Maggie getting captured by the Saviors, or Daryl getting shot by Dwight. After a while, it became annoying. The biggest offender of this was none other than...
5. "Last Day on Earth." Remember how I considered "No Way Out" the best episode of the series? Well sadly, I feel this season also produced the worst episode of the series, which is a darn shame because it had everything in the making of being a fantastic episode, possibly even better than "No Way Out." Seriously, a 90-minute season finale introducing us to Negan should NOT have been a terrible episode, but sadly it was, and much of it was because of that horrible cliffhanger ending, which is only made worse by the fact that it was used in order to boost ratings. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? You literally have to ruin what could have been a horrifying and shocking hour and a half of television just to boost RATINGS! Ugh.

The Verdict: All in all, The Walking Dead Season 6 was a definite improvement over Season 5. However, it still had similar problems that Season 5 suffered from. That said, I am looking forward to Season 7 as I am excited to see more of Negan, more of the Hilltop, and being introduced to the Kingdom.

And Now Time For...

Game of Thrones Season 6 UPS

1. The amount of triumph. This was definitely a season where the heroes of this show (or at least the characters we enjoy) would win, and during this season, many of their victories were spectacular. Such a grand shift in the tone of this series.
2. The Karmic Justice all the villains this season received. Roose being killed by his son in a manner similar to how he killed Robb, Walder Frey being killed by Arya in a manner similar to how he had her mother killed, Ramsay being killed by his hounds in a manner similar to how he had so many people killed, all these deaths and more made the catharsis factor go off the charts.
3. The grand return of many characters. Bran came back and learned what his true destiny was. Yara Greyjoy came back and is beginning to become a major player in the game. Hodor came back and showed just how much of a hero he was (at the cost of his own life, sadly.) The Brotherhood Without Banners came back and are apparently going to wage war against the White Walkers. Even Benjen Stark came back after being gone for four whole seasons. The biggest one is definitely the return of Sandor Clegane, and although him joining the Brotherhood in their crusade means that a popular theory may have been put to rest (two if you think about it,) I don't think they would bring back the two Clegane brothers for no reason other than to be lackeys to others, so fingers crossed.
4. The amount of progression that is going on as well as the amount of reveals. In terms of reveals, we have the origin of the White Walkers, how Hodor became Hodor, and, most importantly, that R+L=J. In terms of plot progression, well, let's see: Cersei is now the Queen of Westeros, Jon is the King in the North, Arya is heading back to Winterfell, and Dany is finally sailing for Westeros. Basically, the stage is set for the final chapter, and by the looks of it, it's going to be grand. 
5. The last two episodes. These two were definitely among the best in the series, with "The Winds of Winter" possibly being the best episode ever. From the death of Ramsay Bolton to the confirmation of R+L=J, there were so many great moments in these two episodes so expect them to be very high on the list of best episodes. 

DOWNS

1. Some pacing problems. The season started great despite a lackluster premiere and kept getting better, then by the sixth episode things started to slow down a bit until it got back up towards the end. All in all, it just felt a bit awkward. 
2. Some rather pointless character deaths. There have been several characters this season who were brought for a single scene or episode only to be killed off immediately after (and in the case of the Blackfish killed offscreen.) It just showed that they simply wanted to tie up loose ends and/or just didn't know what to do with the characters, which is a shame because I would've like to see some of them stick around for at least a little longer than they did.
3. Some weak storylines, in particular Arya's, Sam's, Tyrion's, and the one in the Riverlands (I'm not going to acknowledge Dorne since we barely saw it this season.) There were some truly great storylines this season, but these ones were definitely the weak links. If they were cut a little short (or in the case of Sam and the Riverlands made longer or not shown at all,) they probably could have been better.

The Verdict: Game of Thrones Season 6, like The Walking Dead Season 6, was an improvement over Season 5, though it still had some problems. However, unlike The Walking Dead, those problems were not enough to detract from what it accomplished.

Well, that's it for this blog guys. Tune in for more on the way :)  

Top 10 Characters from Game of Thrones (SPOILERS)

Today is the day, and like The Walking Dead, I will do a list of my Top 10 Favorite Characters from the show. Like the list for The Walking Dead, there will be deceased characters on this list. Now, onto the honorable mentions:

• Jorah
• Sam 
• Davos
• Margarey
• Brienne
• Tywin
• The Hound
• Oberyn
• Robb
• Robert

And here is the big runner up, because deep down, we all loved him.

Now for the actual list:

 10. Theon Greyjoy - Kicking off the list is someone that may surprise you. Although Theon is not the most well-liked of individuals, I can't help but admire his character. All he ever wanted was the love and approval of someone he could never get it from, and he realized too late that he already had the desired love he wanted. What followed after that certainly made everyone, even his haters, sympathize with him, but now that he's free from that Hell, I am certainly hoping that he'll be able to regain his lost glory and gain some much needed revenge.

 9. Sansa Stark - If anyone could rival Theon for having the most fucked up life in Westeros, it's this girl right here. Poor Sansa really just can't catch a break. She's lost half of her family, thinks the other half is dead, and has been betrothed to two of the most vile men in Westeros. However, like Theon, I think she'll regain her lost glory and gain some well deserved revenge.

 8. Eddard "Ned" Stark - Poor Ned. He always wanted to do what was right, which made him a very noble man and a great character to look up to. Sadly, however, he was just too in over his head (if you know what I mean.)

 7. Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish - Joffrey and Ramsay may lay claim to being the most vile villain, but this guy lays claim to being the most magnificent. EVERYTHING that's happened in this series can be laid back to him, and he does it with such suave and charm that you can't help but love him for it. I wouldn't be surprised if he managed to weed his way out to the very end.

 6. Jaime Lannister - Jaime is a fantastic character in that he first started out as a full-on bad guy, but as the series goes on, we get to know so much about him as he goes through so much shit that we learn to love him. In the end, Jaime proves to be a noble man, and hopefully he will become a true hero in the end.

 5. Cersei Lannister - Beating her brother out of the Top 5 is the Queen Bitch herself. As much as we love to hate her, we can't deny that Cersei is a marvelous character. Lena Headey does a great job invoking both hatred and sympathy in viewers, and all in all, she's just awesome.

 4. Daenerys Targaryen - Dany has come a long way. It is quite interesting see her rise to power over the course of the first four seasons, and while her subplot in Season 5 was one of the weakest parts, I still think she's a great character.

 3. Arya Stark - This girl is just AWESOME. I mean really, just watch this scene. Maise Williams is a fantastic actress who does a great job portraying her, and while her subplot in Season 5 was one of the weaker parts (like Dany's,) she's still freaking awesome, as exemplified by this.

 2. Tyrion Lannister - Here is someone that everyone loves. Tyrion is a great character in that he is someone anyone can look up to. He's been through Hell his entire life, yet he still manages to keep his wit and charm the entire way. Props to Peter Dinklage for his amazing acting in the part. So why is he at the #2 spot then? Simple, because he's not my all-time favorite. That honor goes to...

 1. Jon Snow - Jon is a great character because he is the one character that I consider to be the true hero of the story. He's brave, he's a leader, and he's made so many tough decisions that have shaped him into the man he is. I, like many, hope he returns, because we need him in the wars to come. Well, I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.

Top 10 Episodes from Game of Thrones (SPOILERS)

After doing a list of my Top 10 Favorite Moments, I feel a list of my Top 10 Favorite Episodes is in order in preparation for Game of Thrones' return. Let's go through our honorable mentions first:

• Season 1 Episode 6 "The Golden Crown"
• Season 1 Episode 10 "Fire and Blood"
• Season 2 Episode 5 "The Ghost of Harrenhal"
• Season 2 Episode 6 "The Old Gods and the New"
• Season 3 Episode 5 "Kissed By Fire"
• Season 3 Episode 8 "Second Sons"
• Season 4 Episode 2 "The Lion and The Rose"
• Season 4 Episode 6 "The Laws of Gods and Men"
• Season 5 Episode 7 "The Gift"
• Season 5 Episode 9 "The Dance of Dragons"

Now for the actual list:

 10. "Valar Morghulis" (Season 2 Episode 10) - Kicking off the list is the Season 2 finale, which was a worthy successor to its epic penultimate episode. From Dany's visit to the House of the Undying, to Jon joining the Wildings (not really, though,) to the White Walkers marching towards the wall, this was a great season finale and the first of three on this list. Say it with me, "Valar Morghulis."

 9. "And Now His Watch Has Ended" (Season 3 Episode 4) - One Word: DRACARYS!

 8. "Winter is Coming" (Season 1 Episode 1) - The one that started it all. This was a great series premiere that did a good job introducing the setting and characters and also had a great beginning and end.

 7. "Mother's Mercy" (Season 5 Episode 10) - The second season finale on this list, this episode does have things that people detract from, but overall, this was a great episode that had so many standout moments, particularly Cersei's walk of shame and the death of Jon Snow, that got me extremely hyped up for Season 6.

 6. "The Watchers on The Wall" (Season 4 Episode 9) - The first of four penultimate episodes on this list, this was one of the episodes to be mostly based around a single battle, in this case the Night's Watch vs. the Wildings, and it was spectacular, containing action, drama, some occasionally funny moments, and GIANTS RIDING MAMMOTHS!!!

 5. "Blackwater" (Season 2 Episode 9) - The second penultimate episode on this list, this was Season 2's best episode, and for good reason; It has a ton of action, drama, and gives many characters their chance to shine. It would have been higher if not for, you guessed it...

 4. "Hardhome" (Season 5 Episode 8) - Wow, just, WOW. This episode just came completely out of nowhere and was really nothing short of epic, blowing the previous two episodes right out of the water. A lot of people consider this to be the best episode of the entire series, and for good reason.

 3. "The Rains of Castamere" (Season 3 Episode 9) - The third penultimate episode on this list, and the one that nailed the fact in that NO ONE IS SAFE on this show. The Red Wedding will always go down as one of the most shocking moments in not just the show and the books, but in all of media. However, it wasn't the first episode to prove this fact. That title goes to...

 2. "Baelor" (Season 1 Episode 9) - This episode changed everything, and I mean EVERYTHING. It was just shocking to watch Ned get beheaded at the behest of Joffrey, and this episode showed that Game of Thrones is far from the ordinary fantasy tale that many people are used to. All in all, a fantastic penultimate episode to the fantastic first season.

And now my favorite episode from Game of Thrones is...

 1. The Children (Season 4 Episode 10) - The best finale of the best season of the show, this was just an absolutely amazing episode. Yes, there are things that people detract from it, but like The Walking Dead's "Too Far Gone," they are microscopically small to what it accomplished. With that, "The Children" is the best episode of Game of Thrones.

Top 10 Moments from Game of Thrones (SPOILERS)

Tomorrow is the return of Game of Thrones, so in this blog I will be doing a Top 10 list of my favorite moments from the show. Before we start, here are some honorable mentions:

• Bran pushed from the tower in Season 1 Episode 1 "Winter is Coming"
• Littlefinger betraying Ned in Season 1 Episode 7 "You Win or You Die"
• Renly's death from Season 2 Episode 5 "The Ghost of Harrenhal"
• The White Walkers March in Season 2 Episode 10 "Valar Morghulis"
• Dany freeing the Unsullied in Season 3 Episode 4 "And Now His Watch Has Ended"
• Sam killing the White Walker in Season 3 Episode 8 "Second Sons"
• Tyrion's Trial in Season 4 Episode 6 "The Laws of Gods and Men"
• Oberyn vs. the Mountain in Season 4 Episode 8 "The Mountain and the Viper"
• Cersei being arrested in Season 5 Episode 7 "The Gift"
• The Battle at The Coliseum in Season 5 Episode 9 "The Dance of Dragons"

Now for the actual list:

 10. Viserys' Death (Season 1 Episode 6 "The Golden Crown") - Viserys was the first major character death in the entire series, and boy was it memorable. As Khal Drogo said, he got a "crown for a king"...well, a king like him, at least.

 9. Dany's visit to the House of the Undying (Season 2 Episode 10 "Valar Morghulis") - This was a truly awesome moment for Dany, showing that she truly is the "Mother of Dragons." We also get a nice moment where she reunites with Drogo and their unborn child, which was truly touching. Although it would have been cool to see visions of the future like she does in the books, what we got was good enough to make the list.

 8. Jaime recounts when he killed the Mad King (Season 3 Episode 5 "Kissed By Fire") - This was a true character defining moment for Jaime. After getting his hand chopped off, Jaime tells Brienne how he killed the Mad King to save the lives of his father and the people of King's Landing. It was a truly great scene and Nikolaj Coster Waldau's acting sells it.

 7. The Death of Joffrey (Season 4 Episode 2 "The Lion and The Rose") - This is the moment that EVERYONE was waiting for, book readers and TV viewers alike, and boy did it deliver. Joffrey had every moment of this coming, and when he choked to death on a combination of poison and his own blood, I'm sure people across the world, both in-universe and out, were leaping up and celebrating. Sadly, however, this little twat's absence is greatly felt.

 6. The Battle of Blackwater (Season 2 Episode 9 "Blackwater") - This is the first of the many epic battles that take place in Game of Thrones and it is a true spectacle to behold. From the moment the scene pictured above happens, you know all Hell would break loose, and it sure did. This battle would have made the Top 5 if not for...

 5. The Battle of Hardhome (Season 5 Episode 8 "Hardhome") - Here is a moment that not even book readers expected. This battle was truly epic and made for a major turning point in the series as it made the point clear that winter had come.

 4. The Red Wedding (Season 3 Episode 9 "The Rains of Castamere") - This was a moment that was completely shocking and unexpected. NO ONE IS SAFE on this show, and this moment proved that.

 3. Tyrion Kills Tywin (Season 4 Episode 10 "The Children") - This was a game changer not for just Tyrion, but for everyone else as well. Although Tywin had it coming, his death has certainly cast a dark cloud on King's Landing, and things are only going to get worse. Although this scene left out a few key details from the books, what we got was truly great in its own right and had some great performances from both Peter Dinklage and Charles Dance.

 2. The Death of Jon Snow (Season 5 Episode 10 "Mother's Mercy") - All I have to say is that I hope he comes back, because the world's gonna need him soon.

And now my favorite moment in all of "Game of Thrones" is...

 1. Ned's Death (Season 1 Episode 9 "Baelor") - Who expected this to happen, I'm sure no one. This was the main character, and they killed him off in the FIRST SEASON!!! Like the Red Wedding, this moment proved that NO ONE IS SAFE and that Game of Thrones is no ordinary show. All in all, a shocking, amazing moment of Game of Thrones. 

Well, that's a wrap for this list, guys.

Game of Thrones Season 6 Death Predictions (SPOILERS)

With "Game of Thrones" Season 6 vast approaching, you know that there will be LOTS of death coming. In this blog, I will be going over who I think will win this season, and who will die, starting with:

•  Jon Snow: Simply put, he will come back, and when he does, I'm sure he'll stick around to the end.
•  Daenerys Targaryen: Like Jon, I'm sure Dany is safe from harm and will stick around to the end to claim what is hers.
•  Tyrion Lannister: Honestly, there's no way they'll kill Tyrion off this season. He's too smart and will likely play the game till the end.
•  Cersei Lannister: Although she really has it coming, I don't think this is Cersei's time yet as she is due for some much needed revenge.
•  Jaime Lannister: Like his sister/lover, Jamie is due for some revenge, so I think he's safe.
•  Margaery Tyrell: I highly doubt it, as like the Lannisters, Margaery's due for some revenge as well. 
•  Littlefinger: I don't think so, but he should certainly get some form of karma this season.
•  Sansa Stark: I think Sansa has a major part to play this season, so no.
•  Stannis Baratheon: Even though it wasn't shown, I'm almost 100% sure that he's dead, especially after what he did.
•  Melisandre: Although she should certainly pay for what she did, I think she can redeem herself this season and find a way to make it out alive.
•  Davos Seaworth: Like Sansa, I think Davos will have a major part to play this season, so no.
•  The Boltons: These two are DEFINITELY in need for some karmic justice, and since it appears that ALL the Northerners are rallying together, I feel their days are numbered.
•  Bran Stark: I highly doubt they'll kill Bran off, especially since he's been absent for a whole season.
•  Arya Stark: Like her siblings, I am certain that Arya is safe from harm this season. I mean, what more damage could be done to this poor girl?
•  Theon Greyjoy/Reek: Sadly, this could be his time, but if it is, then he certainly has to take Ramsay down with him.

So those are the major players for this season, now for the rest: 

• Olenna Tyrell will not die
• The High Sparrow will die
• Sam will not die
• Tommen: Debatable 
• Brienne will not die
• Missandei will not die
• Bronn will not die
• Jorah will die
• Varys will not die
• Tormund will die
• Daario will not die
• Gilly will not die
• Ellaria: Debatable
• Jaquen H'Ghar will not die
• Alliser Thorne will die
• Walder Frey will die
• Grey Worm: Debatable
• Podrick will not die
• Loras: Debatable
• Doran: Debatable
• Lancel will die
• Qyburn will not die
• Pycelle: Debatable
• Osha will not die
• Gregor will not die
• Mace Tyrell will not die
• The Blackfish will not die
• Edmure will not die
• Thoros of Myr will not die
• Meera will not die
• Yara will not die
• Balon: Debatable
• Ed: Debatable
• Hodor will not die 
• Kevan Lannister: Debatable

Well, that's it for these predictions, guys. I know there are more characters, but we'll just have to see what happens with them. Other than that, take care.

Who Will Negan Kill? (SPOILERS)

And you...are...it...

Well, it's 2016, and while that means that it's the beginning of a new year, it also means it's time for yet another season of The Walking Dead to come to an end, and this isn't just no ordinary finale; no, in this finale, Negan arrives. That's right, the big bad, bat-swinging, f-bombing psychopath who has proven to be a worthy (and in the case of the comics superior) successor to the Governor is finally making his debut on the show. Every comic reader knows what that means for our survivors so it should be one hell of a finale (as long as they don't pull that goddamn cliffhanger bullshit.) Now, as I continue in this post, there will be MAJOR SPOILERS for the comic and the show, so if you don't want to continue reading, STOP RIGHT HERE.

Okay, now with that out of the way, let's get down to business: in the 100th issue of The Walking Dead comic book series, Negan makes his debut, and it is one of the most shocking, brutal, and downright heartbreaking moments in the entire series: when Rick and his group take down a couple of his men, a pissed-off Negan decides to take a little retribution and stop them while they're on the way to the Hilltop. From there, Negan takes his partner-in-crime, Lucille, and starts to play a game of eeny-meeny-miney-moe with the survivors until Lucille lands on everyone's favorite pizza boy, Glenn. What follows is a downright cruel and senseless death scene that leaves Glenn a shattered mess on the ground, right in front of his pregnant wife and adoptive daughter no less. It was completely unexpected and showed that Rick and the others had something to fear. Now, as the finale approaches, I thought I would give my thoughts on who I think will meet Lucille.

Now before I start going into the list here's who I think will NOT meet Lucille:

• Rick
• Carl
• Michonne
• Morgan
• Judith
• Jesus
• Eugene
• Rosita
• Spencer
• Gregory

Now here are some others that are possible, but unlikely:

• Carol
• Tara
• Gabriel
• Heath
• Tobin

Now before I start, I want to say that these are the five candidates who I think are the most possible arranged from least likely to most likely, starting with:

 5. Maggie: Yeah, I think it's a possibility. Do I think it's likely? Not really, and the main reason is that Negan is many things, but a man who would kill women in such a barbaric way is not one of them. Plus, if the baby survives whatever she is going through right now, then I think she'll stick around to become more like her comic counterpart.

 4. Sasha: Like Maggie, I think she's possible but unlikely because I don't think Negan would go that far, so for now at least, she's safe.

 3. Aaron: Aaron was originally someone I thought was going to be safe for sure, but seeing him in the promos for the finale has got me concerned for him, especially if the showrunners decide to go for someone outside the core group of survivors (which would be a real cop-out.)

 2. Abraham: Abraham has been around for quite a bit and has received a lot of time this season, but seeing as though he's starting to shine as a key member of the group and has been spared his comic book death (at the expense of poor Denise,) I don't think it's his time yet, but you never know.

With those candidates out of the way, here's who I think is most likely to meet Lucille...

 1. Daryl and/or Glenn: Face it, it's going to be one of these two. Hell, it could be BOTH. Either way, their deaths will leave the biggest impact on not just the survivors, but on the entire fanbase in general. Besides, this death needs to be BIG, and really these two are the only ones capable of just that.

So there you have it. Now that that's out of the way, time to see how they pull this off. Check back later for more blogs, including a review for The Walking Dead Season 6 as well as new top 10 lists for Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, and any revisions to previous lists. With that, take care.