I BROKE MY MIC WATCHING THIS!!! | S6 Ep 9 Battle of the Bastards REACTION

[@kimberlycunningham3740]

Welcome Major family! The episode we have been waiting for is here! As always, no spoilers or expectations please!

[@nonyabussiness6920]

Don't be afraid to do the next episode in 2 parts. More views for you... More enjoyable for us. Everyone wins. Please tell him!

[@conchfritters01]

Next episode is equal in my mind - good times ahead!

[@bigmickmcattack]

Fun fact: The shield that Jon uses to block Ramsey's arrows had a bear sigil on it. Which means at least one of the 62 Bear Islanders made it through the gates of Winterfell. Legends!! 👍👍 Great reaction bro!

[@serdavezilla6494]

"Each man from Bear Island fights with the strength of 10 mainlanders"💪🐻HERE WE STAND🗡🛡

[@krcjayhawks]

Nice I've never noticed that before

[@baronhomer1]

The amount of plot armor Jon wears in this episode almost made me feel like retching and it almost pulled me out of the story completely.

[@elizabitty213]

I have always loved this fun fact!

[@cand251]

One of my favourite facts!

[@S7EVE_]

That shot with Jon bracing with his sword in front of the cavalry charge, all in slow motion, is my favourite shot of the entire show

[@jebVlogs556]

Yup little man vs the world!! *than thunder rises from all sides* We the people vs the world !!

[@whatsgood2751]

Same. Definitely need that as a portrait on my wall

[@franzessie9697]

It’s also practical! No CGI, he really stood there

[@iamthepope9167]

Absolutely, in a sense it’s a visual representation of how I feel sometimes

[@jordanrayne4779]

I love it too, but I never fail to laugh when chaos breaks out right after such an intense and seemingly grim moment

[@rustyflowers1696]

Battle of the Bastards is still one of the best period battles on my list, definitely on the small screen and probably even on the big screen. Most of the overproduced heroic period battles age like milk, these visuals still hold up. A pretty non romanticized blood and gore portrayal of war. Ducking the hail of arrows and the overwhelming pile of corpses is how a correct portrayal of a Battle of Towton type event should be btw. The gritty rawness of those scenes always leave me in awe. On every rewatch there's a new visual analogy that I'd previously missed. Deserved every accolade it got just how well it was filmed. The finale is a crazy whirlwind too!

[@lylejames965]

Yeh, post season 4 episodes still had moments of brilliance, mainly in the effects and choreography depts, but rewatch value got pissed away slowly at first then all at once come season eight. Anutha incomplete blu ray collection gathering dust

[@epsilon3252]

It felt like a a high budget movie. I've never felt as claustrophobic watching something as I did watching Jon desperately gasping for air and the exhalation of relief as he manages to crawl out surrounded by the dead and dying with intestines spilling out on their hands was a spiritual experience!

[@Noone91875]

Many 150 million budget war movies did not achieve what this achieved years ago. Miguel is legend. Eagerly waiting for hotd

[@victorc8855]

Cinematography is out of this world, I just wish the writing wasn't so lazy. As if Ramsay not using the castle wasn't bad enough, they showed Theon capturing Moat Cailin for the Boltons just to completely ignore it and have an entire Vale army pop up unnoticed in the middle of the North without any prior explanation

[@victorc8855]

@Ron Mexico That's the point about lazy writing mate, they could've at least implied that they used the Manderly fleet to sail from the Vale and upriver towards Winterfell and it would've been believable enough. Instead they go for a cheap LOTR eagle deus ex machina leaving fans like you attempting to rationalize. When you stop respecting the boundaries of the world you built you pave the way for the teleporting shitshow of the final 2 seasons edit: and mance had only the raiding party south of the wall to attack castle black, wdym?. Stannis (who had 20k) getting surprised by the huge lannister-tyrell army is more of an argument since it's a GRRM thing, but even still - the books have tyrion's clansmen killing his outriders and him sneaking out of Harrenhal with a night's march before anyone notices, BotB had absolutely nothing to use as an excuse

[@Tormund_Giantsbrain]

Director Miguel Sapochnik and Kit Harrington did a deep dive on how the trampling scene was a metaphor for the rebirth of Jon. Jon by the time of the battle is a man beaten down by circumstance. His increasingly agitated interactions with the people closest to him is reflective of his inner despondence and self-doubt. This is a man betrayed by his own Brothers. A man who's lost faith.That iconic single shot of Jon zig zagging through the field dodging arrows and horses is the height of his resignation to fate. That's the point where he's on auto pilot with a singular purpose to kill or die. Probably the best way to remain alive in a pitched battle, when you've already accepted you're as good as dead. But as the crush starts and he gets buried under a mass of humanity, he's finally forced to slow down. There's a shot of his face looking almost blissful, like he's finally at peace with the end. But in this process of letting go he also regains the humanity he had lost after being betrayed. From under that stampede he finds a new desire to live stronger than before, and as he comes up gasping for air, he emerges a man reborn. THIS, is the real Resurrection of Jon Snow. Or as Sapochnick calls it, 'the vaginal birthing shot' lol. It's a parable for the reawakening of The North. The turning point. Jon being raised above the stampede mirrors another similar turning point moment. To S3 finale "Mhysa" where Dany is held aloft the human tide, except the circumstance is turned over its head figuratively and literally. Btw after hearing the slow sad version for so long, that "triumphant reprise" of the Stark theme as they break through the Bolton lines is perfect use of emotive BGM.

[@simonalexander2354]

Well said Tormund!! Miguel Sapochnik directing on this episode was absolutely outstanding!!

[@theConquerersMama]

Wow. Thanks for sharing that.

[@jd35711]

this is an unnecessarily well-written youtube comment

[@jay_ooh]

It also mirrors a similar scene of Daenerys when she was surrounded by the people in Missa...and you can see her being held up in the middle of all the people, where Jon had to fight his way up in the middle of all the people who wanted to keep him down,.

[@chrisfrancis1759]

This episode felt like a movie. Incredible.

[@coreym0]

Sansa: "Don't do what he wants you to do" Major: "What's that mean Sansa" *Jon rides into battle alone Sansa: "That's what I meant"

[@realSimoneCherie]

It worked out ok

[@Finians_Mancave]

@@realSimoneCherie Yes, it worked out okay... thanks to who again?

[@SciFiCatGuy]

But a whole lot of men died simply because, for whatever reason, Sansa didn't tell Jon Middlefinger was in the wings. Why in the wings. Why not just tell Jon, "Hey, wait a while before you face Ramsey. Middlefinger is coming with reinforcements."? It could have saved a lot of lives...just sayin.

[@cmo9400]

@@SciFiCatGuy glad she didn’t..that way Ramsey threw all his troops in and committed. Then (as Tyrion likes to say). The vale rides in and f’s Ramsey from Behind. Plus she couldn’t be sure he’d come.

[@SciFiCatGuy]

@Cm O but she did know he'd come. He had already ridden all the way north. She knew he was there. And f'ing them from behind is exactly what they should have done, but they didn't do that at all. Once Ramsey had his forces outside the walls of Winterfell he was vulnerable. All the forces of the Vale had to do was flank him on either side and run them down before they could make a retreat through the gates. But that's *not* what they did. They waited till most of Jon's forces were dead or dying, then came at them in a full-frontal attack....and Ramsey himself *still* made a successful retreat. Not that it mattered with Wun Wun there, but my point stands. Tactically, it was a shit show. Of course, if they had actually acted tactically it wouldn't have made for such dramatic TV. When asked about it, Dave said, "She didn't trust Jon." She didn't trust Jon with the information that several thousand reinforcements were on their way? 🤷

[@NoicesVoicesAfrica]

Another top reaction from Major! I’ve been waiting for this one! I absolutely love how Jon dodged Ramsays arrows with a shield with the Mormont sigil. Remember what Lyanna said? “We are not a large house, but we're a proud one. And every man from Bear Island fights with the strength of ten mainlanders.” A Bear Island soldier made it to the gate, one of 62. It’s so poetic, I can’t even. 🔥

[@TheSmokinMunkee]

I usually pick up on everything. I’m sure I knew it was a Mormont shield but never thought about it like that. He made it to the gate. My G 🤌🏻

[@fizzychizzy]

Bear Island only makes powerful fighters. I fuck with it. We have never seen a person out of Bear Island that isn't a G in their own right.

[@NoicesVoicesAfrica]

@@fizzychizzy I fully agree. They are beasts!🔥

[@fizzychizzy]

@@Jmassey95 delete this!

[@NoicesVoicesAfrica]

@@Jmassey95 you shouldn’t spoil, better remove your comment

[@HeisenStark13]

I think 6x9 and 6x10 are in the top 5 episodes of the whole show. Def the best back to back episodes

[@ajferri4012]

Agreed

[@Noone91875]

Agreed but in top 10 . Winds of winter maybe on 5 . But this is last good episodes or season of game of thrones s6. Hold the door Battle of bastards Winds of winter

[@HeisenStark13]

Naw you're right, top 10 is more accurate, I got ahead of myself

[@Noone91875]

@@HeisenStark13 same here but winds of winter in my top 5'. And that's how got ends

[@czoborarpi]

Not even top 20 for me

[@krcjayhawks]

You got it - just like Sansa said. Ramsay got Jon to do what he wanted him to do immediately. She told him they'd never get Rickon back.

[@adinab478]

If she actually told Jon about the Vale then maybe Jon would know what to do, and maybe Rickon wouldn't be dead.

[@krcjayhawks]

@@adinab478 since he was so intent on taking her counsel

[@Matman651]

@@krcjayhawks her counsel was dont do what he wants. If her counsel involved the Vale he’d listen

[@NyikoDoris]

@@adinab478 how do we know she heard from LF much longer before the battle started? also, if Jon had held off, they still wouldn't have got Rickon because Ramsey probably would kill him to rile Jon up and get him to attack before the Vale arrived. Rickon was lost no matter what

[@roseofthegarden_]

And yet people blame Sansa about the vale. Like the vale would've just ended up getting caught in Ramsay's plan too and they _all_ would have died, because Jon was too emotional.

[@ScarlettM]

25:18 - YES! I was waiting for the "zig zag". Pretty much everyone who ever saw this moment start screaming "Zig Zag"!

[@toomuchsauce5599]

Aside from Ramsay’s death, I got so much satisfaction from seeing those Stark banners roll out, made me tear up a bit.

[@rafm3068]

I feel Ramsay is self conscious about being a bastard so he takes it out on John Snow always calling him bastard. Many people project their internal problems on others.

[@angelferguson8607]

I agree but I don't think it bothered Jon remember Jon was told by Tryon to wear it like honor so it can never be used to hurt you. I think Jon took that to heart

[@rafm3068]

@@angelferguson8607 Yeah I think John is self confident. He had good mentors.

[@MrKingYuji]

That’s also why he was so mean to Theon I think. Theon was a prince and had everything Ramsay could never have, so Ramsay made him a broken animal subservient to him.

[@rafm3068]

@@MrKingYuji That is an EXCELLENT point!! I never looked at it from that angle. Also, Theon always wanted to be a true leader and not be symbolically castrated, and he was castrated for real.

[@MrKingYuji]

@@rafm3068 I think your second paragraph you meant Theon

[@Ash.Crow.Goddess]

Sansa has FINALLY entered the game. She pulled a Gandalf. "Look east for me on the morning of the 5th day. Remember, look to the east!"

[@kaila288]

Sansa has been in the game for years, since they took Ned’s head. It’s how she survived Kings Landing, The Vale and Ramsey…

[@Ash.Crow.Goddess]

@@kaila288 Eh, just because she understood she had to lie all day and all night doesn't mean that she entered the Game of Thrones. She began at Court, learning how to court, with court face, but she didn't become an intentional player until this moment. That's what I meant.

[@kaila288]

@@Ash.Crow.Goddess okay… personally I think she did more than lie all day, she played the game, she was calculated, she did what she had too, to survive and she learned a great deal at the same time as well.

[@johns1625]

She got all those people killed for refusing to tell Jon about the knights of the Vale. Nobody had to die in the first assault. She didn't tell Jon the vale was coming so she could rub it in his face with some "but you never bothered to ask meeeee" nonsense. She's not a boss, she's awful and selfish.

[@Ash.Crow.Goddess]

@@johns1625 If she had told Jon, all she could've said was that she made a deal with Littlefinger, which would've made him angry enough to maybe not go fight Ramsey. And she wanted Winterfell back. She didn't know for certain that LF would come and that the vale would definitely follow him. He wouldn't have trusted Littlefinger and really, really wouldn't have wanted Sansa indebted to him. She told Jon when they had that argument that she knew nothing of battles and war plans, but that he should not do what Ramsey wanted him to do, because it would be a trap. And she told him that they would never get Rikon back. She had no way of knowing for sure that he would ignore her advice by letting it drop out of his head the minute it left her mouth. She had no way of knowing that the whole entire "first assault" was going to have to run in with rash and angry Jon because he immediately fell into Ramsay's trap. She wasn't in on the plans and it wouldn't have mattered if she was because she had no head for battle. That's all she could do. She wasn't Melissandre or Danerys. She wasn't psychic. I know that's a big point a lot of people in the fandom like to bring up, but if you stop and consider it for a moment, from all points of view, knowing what we know about LF, Jon, Sansa, and Ramsey, and if you really pay attention to each scene and what is said, who is there vs. who is not, it just doesn't hold up. Whoever made that point was thinking from our perspective. What did we see? Everything. What do we know? Exactly what happened from all perspectives. We also know the outcome. Hindsight is always 20/20. It is an emotional statement. It seems true at first but it holds no water. People aren't fond of Sansa and she wasn't as honorable as Jon. She did some manipulation to get him there. But she ultimately told him the things he needed to know to succeed. And he paid no heed.

[@NoicesVoicesAfrica]

The main reason why I love this show is because of each and every single character are going through their own struggles and none of them can fully understand nor relate to the pain and hardships. That is what separates the main character from each other. Sansa knew that it was either Do or Die. I respect her for taking percussions. You can’t trust no one in the Game of Thrones universe, periodt.

[@Jmassey95]

100% it's the only fantasy series of TV shows and novels that really humanises its characters to the point of being so relatable to some characters that I can't watch other fantasy series without being overly critical of acting, casting and character development (wheel of time was horrible, new LOTR looks horrendous)

[@WhirlyFreak]

That shot of Jon drawing his sword with the horses charging in on him tears me up every time 😢 The first time I watched this episode, I had to pause it during the battle because I thought I was having a panic attack. Pure joy watching the Stark banner unfurl though. Love your reactions Major, can't wait for the next one!

[@CMinorOp67]

Me, too! The visual of that wall of horses growing closer, and Jon standing alone…the music…just, everything…gah, masterpiece.

[@lorrainehutchinson6668]

It is the most iconic scene of this series. That brief moment that he realised that he was probably done for, he looked down, exhaled and nodded his head. It was like he came to peace with the fact this was probably the end. Then he drew his sword, adopted his stance and prepared to go down fighting.

[@crystalk98]

I didn't get teary but damn I got some serious goosebumps

[@michaelmiles2305]

Definitely and when he couldn’t breathe

[@LukaBlight69]

I love how Jon, Wun Wun, and Tormund chase after Ramsay like a RPG party. Tormund tearing out Umber's throat and then stabbing him with a bone will always be one of the most badass scenes of this series. RIP to Wun Wun and Rickon. And yes, FINALLY that evil sack of crap Ramsay is dead! The North remembers!

[@coldhands2802]

In the book, Small Jon died protecting King Robb. The show did him dirty..

[@LukaBlight69]

@@coldhands2802 I never did get why the show dropped him after season 1.

[@coldhands2802]

@@LukaBlight69 They didn't.. The Small Jon delivered Rickon to Ramsay. Totally out of character for him.

[@LukaBlight69]

@@coldhands2802 I meant the father one, I forgot that Small Jon is the son.

[@coldhands2802]

@@LukaBlight69 Well he was taken prisoner by the Fray's. And I think it was implied that the Small Jon killed him?

[@pjfsr7024]

I think everyone just over thinks the Sansa "move"... Sansa knew they needed more men, Jon refused to ask for more, Sansa swallowed her pride and begged Lf and wrote the letter and put herself up as the carrot. She couldn't tell Jon they were definitely coming because she didn't know if LF was still at Mote Callin or he left and all indications are LF never replied ( and that was on purpose ) as he wants Sansa beholding to him as her white knight.

[@jacintacrawford9899]

Sansa didn’t trust Little Finger but also the writer wanted to have an epic ending so that they decided not to let Sansa tell Jon about Little Finger and Vale army. Also Jon did not refuse to ask for more help. He had went to all the houses he had ties to. He and Sansa had a disagreement the night before the battle. And he told her that there wasn’t any more houses to ask and she didn’t dispute what he said. And since he didn’t know about the Vale how could he know they would help.

[@theConquerersMama]

Agreed. I would add that she also does not know if when LF gets there if he might flip flop again and hand her over Ramsay. Use that army against Jon. So I think it's more than just pride.

[@pjfsr7024]

@@theConquerersMama The pride is in reference to her first refusal which is based on her distrust, which she was right to do, also it's with reference to Jon and Sam and the then warden of the north, where Jon refused to ask for men and Sam had to remind Jon, not a time for pride, they need the men. With both Jon and Sansa ( all the Starks actually ) trust has to be relearned. Also for LF plan to work, Jon has to die, no way she wants LF near her family, he's a danger to them.

[@pjfsr7024]

@@jacintacrawford9899 Take out the writers reasons and just concentrate on the characters and what I said is in keeping with what they gave: LF motives, Sansa's distrust of him, the fact that nothing points to Sansa actually getting a reply - Is a reason not to say anything beyond she sent the Raven , now what if she told Jon she sent it ;there is no guarantee he was still in the north. So what if Sansa tells Jon we got the Vale and LF actually doesn't show, how does that solve their trust issues, with no real answers for Jon, the best plan was the one Jon laid out, and Jon got out played by Ramsay just as Sansa said would happen. I just follow the DH Lawrence rule and Occam's razor rule when following movies or shows.

[@jacintacrawford9899]

I didn’t say anything about Jon getting played by Ramsey. I know he got played. My comment was about Jon. He ask for help from the houses that he had ties to.He ask for help from everyone he knew. That’s all.

[@williamguenthenspberger]

I love Dany but glad that you do see some of her traits. I love how emotionally invested you are.

[@theConquerersMama]

Same

[@zLightAssassin7]

This channel is so good, I really hope you're able to continue your success after you're done watching this show, definitely one of the best reaction channels at the moment

[@MajorReacts]

I'm gon keep grinding Assassin thank you for the love

[@Onlytalents001]

@@MajorReacts after you finish it i hope you watch peaky blinders, youuu gonna love it 100% sure of it But till then i think they gonna drop house of the dragon

[@kelliemitchell8118]

@@Onlytalents001 agree with this! My favourite show and so underrated!

[@jessiewest4311]

I felt sick the whole time during the battle and I think I held my breath until Jon could breath again lol. I was with you, it felt so satisfying to see Sansa got her justice on Ramsey. Such a great moment for Dani loved her storyline in this season.

[@LukaBlight69]

Drogon: Mom said we can blow things up!! Viserion & Rhaegal: YAAAAAYYY!!!!

[@SDG.12]

" *And whoever kills that fucking horn blower will stand in bronze above the shores of Pyke!!! What is dead may never die!!!* " The last line of Theon Greyjoy's William Wallace speech in that fateful Season 2 finale right before he was betrayed to the Boltons. Did you make that connection when Ramsay was blowing a horn at Theon's face while he was being tortured? Welp, here we finally are. What a wicked voyage it has been. 👩‍🦰+🐶

[@MiscellaneousAB]

"Do something crazy, Rickon! Roll over!"LOL🤣🤣🤣🤣 Now that's first! Everyone tells him to zig zag...but rollover 😂😂😂

[@campagnollo]

"I should have zigged zagged." -Art Parkinson, a.k.a. Rickon, the day after this episode was released.

[@antoinettelopes]

15:40 Sansa at this point had a much better education being in and around leaders and politicians in Westeros. Jon was really just a soldier. He fought but even as a leader, he failed. The men of the night's watch killed him remember? And he never saw it coming. Sansa studied under Cersei and Littlefinger. I know Jon had a lot of fans. But at this point, I was fed up with the way he dismissed everything that she was saying. People always saw Jon (and Dany) through rose colored glasses. Jon was stubborn and made a ton of mistakes. Dany bullied people with her dragons. She was basically walking around with 3 nuclear weapons.

[@SciFiCatGuy]

He probably wouldn't have been dismissive if she had said something like, "Hey Jon, don't face off with Ramsey just yet. Middlefinger is coming with reinforcements." I mean, that would have saved a *whole lot* of lives....and been the adult and responsible thing to do.

[@theConquerersMama]

Well said!

[@Sproles11]

Would’ve been great if Jon knew there were any other options. Like maybe if there was a huge army willing to help. Sansa’s advice was not helpful advice based on the info available at the time. The one thing that was right was when she said they weren’t getting Rickon back

[@antoinettelopes]

@@SciFiCatGuy He was treating her like she was still naive girlie Sansa. He was the same when they were talking at the table. p.s. I hope Leo is ok. We might have to bust him out.

[@SciFiCatGuy]

@Antoinette Lopes imagine, sacrificing several hundred, if not thousands, of human lives because you didn't like the way someone talked "down" to you. You're really painting a flattering picture of Sansa.

[@pjfsr7024]

Jon like Robb and Ned don't know how to fight people with NO HONOR, a Stark weakness just as much as it is a strength.

[@maybememory1]

First time seeing your channel, and immediately I could tell you’re a true fan. So impressed by your knowledge and recall of the series!

[@dustinaltenhurst7958]

Ramsay does exactly what William the Conqueror did in Battle of Hastings. That should answer questions about the plausibility of the strategies applied. The heaps of bodies is what Bosworth Field, Tewkesbury, St Albans, and other War of the Roses battlefields looked like. The close range combat, the human pile, the stomping, even the horse charge was done irl. The horses charged full speed and stopped about five feet from him. No room for error. The filming location was a field in Belfast, in mud, dirt and rain over weeks with an unprecedented number of extras. The CGI is flawless. Deep diving into the three main questions raised about the battle. First is Jon being too lucky. If that epic one-take makes him look too "lucky", that's deliberately done to show no amount of skill would save you in a battle without luck. The camera follows him, but he's not the only one going through the same hell. All hundreds or thousands of survivors in every medieval battle had the same "luck".Second is Jon's thought process. Jon didn't chase Ramsay cause he was fooled and lured out, he chased Ramsay cause he was mentally ready for and almost yearned a respectable death in the battlefield over the deceit and treachery that lead to his death the last time around. He was looking for an easy out. Rickon running in a serpentine pattern wouldn't have mattered either as Ramsay had hundreds of archers pointing at him. He was simply toying with his food. Third is the Vale being ex machina. Well sometimes predictability is good. The long list of subversions it took to get here counterbalances the ex machina. The logistical skepticism shouldn't be any more than Stannis arriving at the Wall or Tywin's assault on King's Landing. Tywin didn't tell anyone either. Sansa's only option was to hide it from Jon as righteous Jon "Stark" would've outright rejected Petyr's offer. No wonder the episode was as enormously popular as it was, they aimed to please the vast majority and not the insignificant minority of terminally unhappy forum dwellers. The finale has a lifetime worth of shockers, so this was the golden opportunity to give us that rare happy ending. If they did something subversive, the same ones would've cried about it too like they did for Mother's Mercy, which was subversive to the extreme.

[@swirlgirl745]

I was yelling standing in front of my TV when this aired. So much suspense. Loved this episode so much!

[@sallycriss353]

I did the same! 😁

[@Stax2High]

Still the best episode of television I've ever watched.

[@eurovwdubway3739]

FINALLY!!! THE BEST episode in tv history!!

[@NovaLena22]

Until Episode 10!!

[@jenl3162]

@Nova, I totally agree!

[@thesharpercoder]

This episode won an Emmy for Best Dramatic Episode of the Year, or something like that.

[@MajorReacts]

Well deserved

[@Jmassey95]

Love the Agincourt reference man. As an English historian it's refreshing to hear an American talk about European history with context, its far too rare these days! Love your channel bro best reaction channel out there, love the things you pick up on, I highly reccomend reading the books or at least listening to the audiobooks while you work or do what you do; there's just so much more in the books (up until A Dance with Dragons when GRRM went AWOL)

[@MajorReacts]

Oh yeah I planned to for sure thank you Jmassey95 not many ppl knew what I was talking about

[@MCrvngraddip2013]

As someone who also loves history, I enjoyed an American knowing European History. ❤️

[@neonlatte]

@@MajorReacts I'm just now finding your channel and jumping around your GoT reactions. But if you do read the books, and it's something you'd want to do, I'd really enjoy videos with thoughts as you progress. I really like seeing your interpretations and thoughts here (and not just because we usually agree, I swear lol) and would love to hear how you feel about the differences and new content/chars in the books.

[@Glenn_Close_But_No_Cigar]

When Davos picks up the toy and the crimson sky behind him looks like Shireen's funeral pyre...that's a beautiful shot! The shot of the white horse emerging out of the middle as all the horses charge...beautiful! That whole 30 sec clip of Jon rearranging Ramsay's face and that *"Your name will disappear. All memory of you will disappear"* ending...I can rewind those things a million times! The VFX Artists React channel did a frame by frame analysis of Battle of the Bastards a little while back, it's got a million views. They called it one of the most meticulous examples of blending CGI and various other aspects of cinematography for a battle that they've seen. All these years later it's still pretty impeccable.

[@savannah2584]

This continues to be my favorite episode of of the whole series. The battle of the bastards awes me time and time again, and the parallels of Dany and Jon taking back control over what's rightfully theirs is just beautiful. Love it.

[@DeeDeeChillen420]

fun fact - Jon getting stepped on and suffocated was actually an accident/improv.. he went down and the camera guy just had a lightbulb moment, so he ran over and stuck it all up in his face down that opening and just kept recording.. he said he knew it was a moment and had to capture it..!!! amazing.. not to mention that one take/fluid shot that follows Jon for AT LEAST 60 or more seconds..!! ahhh and that horn blow coupled with The Stark theme song as the camera switches to Sansa and Littlefinger just always gives me the chills with watery eyes.. it hits you right in the heart and gut..!! lastly, with the whole Rickon/bait situation.. after Jon somersaults off his horse, stands up and sees The Bolton army heading his way and looks at the ground for a moment, i imagine hes thinking to himself 'holy crap.. Sansa was right..' 😭😭man this was such an incredible episode..!!! onto the finale!!! i cant wait!!! ⚔🗡❤‍🔥💙❤❤‍🔥🗡⚔ edit - dont forget .. Melisandre said to Stannis 'do you doubt me, still? ive seen The Flayed Man banners fall..' while trying to convince him about Shireen.. and whaddayah kno.. she was actually right!!

[@CMinorOp67]

The Battle of the Bastards was a masterpiece. I think it’s my favorite war scene of all time. The music, the visuals… just seeing Jon rise and stand alone, wielding his sword, as a wall of horses storm towards him…chills. Always makes me tear up.

[@pricey1635]

I can’t WAIT for your reaction to the season 6 finale! Your observations are insane

[@mrs.sherry]

Thanks for sticking with it and keeping the uploads coming. It is tough in parts and in other parts it is nice surprise, so hope you continue. I really enjoy watching your videos. Sansa wasn't sure she could trust Baelish cause he sold her to Boltons.

[@gabrielasanchez3870]

It made me happy to see you react like that to what Sansa did. A lot of people started hating her from this episode, but what she said at the beginning was 100% true and very few people, I think, were flexible enough to accept it. Jon knows about battles, but battles fought with honor, and that makes him naive and vulnerable in the same way as Ned.*** He doesn't know how a manipulative psychopath thinks, his reaction to Rickon's stiuation showed him frail and narrowed minded when facing Ramsey's tricks. Sansa wouldn't have made that mistake, she already knew Rickon was dead. Had Davos not ordered the troops to charge and advance on Jon, Ramsey's army would have crushed him. Naivety. Like you say, if Sansa didn't tell him about Baelish, it's because she's learned not to trust. She obviously trusts Jon and believes in him, but she knows that her naivety would have caused him to make a mistake with the information about the Valley troops, or risk someone spying on them and Ramsey finding out. Not telling Jon was THE ONLY WAY to ensure that the arrival of the knights of the Vale was indeed a surprise to Ramsey, capable of giving them the advantage over him. The initial conversation between Sansa and Jon, when she insists him not do what Ramsey expects, I think it was an attempt by Sansa to see how willing or flexible Jon was to think about the battle from another perspective, without falling into his father's mistakes. She watched her father been beheaded in front of her eyes because of them trusting Jeoffrey, another psycho, to behave like a decent human, It was obvious that she wasn't willing to repeat history with Jon. I'm 100% with Sansa in all of this, and I think those who hate her for it are somehow blinded by the fantasy of the hero that they think Jon should and needs to be, forgetting that neither in GOT nor in real life do those heroes prevail. *** Look at the hairstyles, when Jon acts as a man of the Night's Watch he has his hair loose and matted, and when he acts as Stark (just like Arya) his hair is exactly the same as Ned's. Jon is a Stark before he is a Targaryen, The "Nedisher" of all the Starks. A man from the north, 100%. Sansa, on the other hand, always keeps her Tully's hair, she is a Stark too but definetly a less naive one. I love your reactions Maj, genuine AF, lol... and trully reminds me all of our reactions back in the day. This battle was sooo epic! glad you finally reached this point.

[@LFC_Fan23]

I think you raise some valid points but, overall, i disagree with you. I've always thought that Sansa not telling Jon about the Knights of the Vale was an artificial way of creating drama when they arrive unexpectedly. It's more of bad writing than genius on Sansa's part. Let me explain: Sansa never made much of an effort to help Jon understand the man he was going to fight. Her advice was effectively, "don't do what he wants you to do" which is useless advice. Yes, Jon can be narrow-minded and naive but it is unfair to suggest that he is, inflexible. His time with the wildings and his killing of Qhorin Halfhand were proof that, to a point, he's capable of doing things he's completely uncomfortable with doing to achieve something important. He is honourable but, just like Robb, he isn't Ned. And the fact of the matter is, Jon attacked at the time, and in the way, that he did because he knew he would never get more reinforcements. The forces he had were all he had and he had to make due with that. Just like Tyrion had to make due during the battle of the Blackwater. Now, had Jon known about the Vale knights, he would have had the opportunity to change tactics and approach, and avoid so many early casualties. Because, as it was, it was a massive gamble not telling Jon and if this battle had taken place in seasons 1-4, when plot armour wasn't a thing, then Jon and his forces would have died just like Stannis did. Let us also remember that a big reason that Ramsay met Jon in the field was because he knew Jon had a small army. There was no reason to hide behind the walls of Winterfell because Ramsay knew his host was larger, better organised and better provisioned. Had Jon had the Vale, Ramsay would have likely stayed in Winterfell, prepared for a siege and Rickon probably wouldn't have died the way he did. Also, its ridiculous that neither Ramsay, nor the Lannisters, (Who i believe he was still allied with at the time) heard that a massive army was marching North for no discernible reason. Remember, for the Vale Knights to head into the North, they'd have had to pass through the Riverlands and at that time, the Lannisters were sieging Riverrun. It's simply impossible for the Vale Knights to arrive as a surprise. So, my point is, there was no real reason for Sansa not to tell him other than her being unsure whether Baelish is trustworthy but even then, it would have still helped.

[@gabrielasanchez3870]

@@LFC_Fan23 May be. I mean, I totally get your point and agree with you at some level. It wasn't a pleasent experience for me as a viewer either, as it wasn't with a lot of stuff from the later seasons, but I think it was more because a poor writing issue than for that not making sense for the characters or the situation. If english were my native language may be I could explain this better (and more breafly), but I think that Sansa's decision isn't important or can't be mesured from the battle strategics point of view, is relevant because it shows us her character development... but as in those episodes everything was about the "battle of the bastards", all the other stuff related to the battle but not trully centered in it looked out of place or stupid... in my opinion, because of poor writing choices. They should have kept Sansa's stuff for another moment, for sure, if they weren't gonna be able to deliver both dimensions in a decent way. All I say is that from her pov it has sense and is not just because she is stupid or bitchy. Strategically and personally are even smart moves, is just that the show failed at showing us why. I hate to compare the books with the show, in general, i'm not that kinf of person, but I'm sure that if in them things get to this point, they would be well executed, or at least that's my hope. I need closure for this wound too. xd

[@willmanprw1]

You are ABSOLUTELY the first person I’ve heard think that Sansa trapped Ramsey. Nice!

[@SciFiCatGuy]

But she utterly failed Jon and all the men who fought in that battle.

[@izattyu6863]

@@SciFiCatGuy no she did not. She is the only person who knew Ramsey's evil and Jon's "Honor." She knew that Jon, like Ned and Rob before him, was honorable to a fault. Everyone knows this to be the Stark Achilles Heel. She knew Ramsey would do something to trap Jon because he has NO moral fiber. Jon is utterly oblivious to this. And, she was right. When planning the battle, Jon says we need to stay put and have them come at us with everything. We cannot let them catch us in a pintcher move. And what happens? Ramsey goads Jon out, Jon's follows their commander as they must, and they get tagged in a pincer. If Sansa had not kept the Vale a secret, Jon would have brough the Vale down with him. Unlike fighting the white walkers, or even the wildings, wars in the 7 kingdoms are personality based, and not simply matters of muscle and tactics. Sansa knows this. Jon does not. He is an excellent fighter, but he cannot play the game of thrones.

[@Steve-eh4db]

Sheer stupidity, using your brother as bait. Sisters like that, no one needs. Pure silliness to think that, or pure treachery on her part. Either way, not a very nice thing to do.

[@Steve-eh4db]

@@izattyu6863 She knew Ramsey so well, that she knew that Jon & his forces wouldn't die yet, because she would arrive with her army in the nick of time. LOL. Did you even STOP & THINK at the consequences of her plan? Who the hell needs a sister like that? Uses her brother as bait, so she can spin a surprise on Ramsey? What's more important, surprise Ramsey & risk the death of your brother or just tell Jon, "Hold on, I am bringing the Vale army with me?" I swear, some of you people are out of touch with priorities.

[@beetlebob4675]

@@Steve-eh4db She wasn't using him at bait. Lol

[@kelliemitchell8118]

What an episode and what a reaction! I still remember watching when it first aired I sat in silence for so long after it just thinking holy shit, I still jump off my seat when davos tells everyone to prepare to charge 😂

[@stephonix616]

Maybe it's just me, but I think Sansa was hesitating to ask Baelish for help because he betrayed her. She knew asking him meant being in his debt and that's not a position she wanted to be in. I like your idea that she was playing Ramsay, and maybe she was; I just never looked at it like that. Anyway...I love savage Sansa. I am suuuper excited for the rest of this season! Let's goooooo!

[@jimkirby8059]

Too bad she gets thousands killed of people loyal to the starks killed (and nearly Jon on top of it) by not telling Jon that Littlefinger was on the way. Like literally a day a way. what a stupid secret to keep to herself when Jon straight up tells her they have no more allies to be found.

[@kjiggidy5719]

@@jimkirby8059 shut up; thousands of people were gonna die anyway whether she had Littlefinger’s men with them alongside Jon’s army or not. Stop inventing another excuse to hate Sansa.

[@theConquerersMama]

I don't think she was playing him. I don't think she trusted Baelish nor did she want to be in his debt.

[@SirgaNL]

@@kjiggidy5719 So why did she not say anything about Littlefinger? She could have at least mention it to Jon xd

[@kjiggidy5719]

@@SirgaNL She didn’t have to, she wasn’t 💯 trying to ask Littlefinger’s help given he’s the one who sold her to the Boltons in the first place. Her going to ask him for help was a last resort, in the meantime she tried to find others to join their cause. Regardless of her actions, people were going to die anyway. She didn’t have to let him know, she kept that secret as a trump card. And she had every right. Y’all make it seem like if she had told him from the jump they could’ve somehow prevented the deaths of countless lives or something lol It’s War!! There’s always casualties, heavy ones at that. There’s no avoiding it, there’s no multiple routes in trying to save as many lives as possible. Doesn’t matter how many soldiers each opposing leaders have, both sides are going to lose hundreds if not thousands of men regardless. Her telling Jon from the beginning wouldn’t have changed that inevitable outcome or any other type of difference. So stop with the bs Sansa slander for Christ’s sakes. Shut up already. If you pressed on the fact that she didn’t mention it to Jon, then go talk to the writers about it, don’t question me.

[@Ash.Crow.Goddess]

Fun fact: The filming with the horde charging at him was real. Actual horses and men crashing around him. Like a split in a river. You should totally watch the commentary on this one.

[@realSimoneCherie]

I paced my living room this entire battle! kept forgetting to breathe I thought my heart was going to explode - most epic thing I'd ever seen

[@nataliearreola6361]

Thank you for your content and time. Thank you for including us in this with you 😊

[@MajorReacts]

Thank you Natalie for this I needed to hear this today this comment is everything

[@chancefurlong372]

I said at the last finale that a constant theme of GoT is that every season people crave for a comeuppance, every season the carrot gets dangled and at the last moment it gets snatched away brutally. A running gag of the show was people saying "if so and so dies I'm done!" But there's a strange attraction to getting hit over the head with morbidity over and over again that made us keep coming back for more. Probably as you start sensing from the build time alone that when you do get that elusive payoff, it'll be glorious. Well there it is at last. Imo it's every bit as cathartic as it would be at the end of a long road full of heartbreaks. The lack of instant fanservice makes it easy to lose sight of the fact that the show became a phenomenon for the very reason that it didn't give you an inch, it made you go through the grinder first. So little surprise that Bastards used to be one of the most 'reacted to' tv episodes. You can see the gamot of emotions it brought out from fans who'd hopelessly waited years for the Stark banner to fly over Winterfell once again. The consensus was that this was an episode for the ages. I think the finale's better! The Roman encirclement captures the random cruel chaoticness of war really well.

[@vincegalila7211]

Then again it does lead to every single subplot being resolved and almost all of the catharsis being crammed into one season.

[@austincallahan4645]

Watching Ramsay get his was a divine feeling! I had played his death scenario out in my mind so many times that when it finally happened, even tho I knew it was gonna happen, I couldn't believe it was actually happening! It was divine retribution.

[@vincegalila7211]

@@austincallahan4645 I do hope the books at least match the Catharsis of Ramsey's death. Maybe Theon will get the honor

[@austincallahan4645]

@Vince Galila Absolutely, mate! People say WoW will never drop. But if HoD does well, I think it would be the perfect time and perfect segue for WoW's release. I have a feeling 2023 will be the year.

[@vincegalila7211]

@@austincallahan4645 it would be funny if we happen to get one book per major series.

[@MouseInYourEye]

Gotta say, I never expected to learn so much about the war of the roses when I started watching your reactions. It's a truly awesome feature, definitely keep calling it out when you see it.

[@jonnyboy4999]

Great reaction bro! Only thing I never understood about this episode was why the hell Sansa didn’t tell Jon about contacting little finger. It just made no sense to me. At least it made for a cool entrance

[@krcjayhawks]

I think she was probably worried about Jon trusting/agreeing with her on it.

[@shockwave1126]

There’s you’re answer. It made a cool entrance, but bad writing.

[@NickM_FirstofHisName]

Because Littlefinger would have asked Jon her hand in exchange. You know, alliances through marriage in exchange of military support.

[@krcjayhawks]

@@shockwave1126 they did a fine job of establishing that Jon wasn't interested in taking counsel from Sansa. Imo the writing was alright here

[@sharonh9239]

I think she wanted to be the hero.

[@Phillyrider807]

As much as I'm STILL upset about the way this series ended I will ALWAYS be excited to see new reactions to this amazing episode. One of the best hours of television ever produced!

[@frkzoid]

It was awesome from beginning to end: Daenerys pointing at the ground where she wants Drogon to land The other 2 dragons sensing their mothers and joining them Dragons' fire so hot it broke the ship in half The arrival of the Dothraki Grey Worm slitting the 2 Master's throat without looking and not flinching Sansa staring at Ramsay telling him he's going to die the day after Jon charging in front like a G Jon's army coming to his aid The one shot filming of Jon fighting The arrival of the Veil army Jon taking Winterfall back Sansa feeding Ramsay to his own dogs Add your own moments

[@epsilon3252]

Battle of the Bastards. What an amazing insane experience! Out of the blood, dirt, spilled intestines and a mountain of dying men, ascends the great hope! It's the dawn after the dark! The reign of Richard III is over. Henry Tudor wins his crown in the field and becomes Henry VII. All rejoice!! Mellisandre's prophesy of seeing the Bolton banners being lowered to the ground is fulfilled. After Episode 6 of Season 2, finally the North belongs to the Starks once more. It's a homecoming fitting for the Kings of Winter.

[@VOX_Games]

Despite being past the books, I think season 6 is the best work they did, soooooo many awesome moments, and ALL of them made 1000% better by Ramin Djwadi, the genius behind the music of this show.

[@tonyhoable]

You are my favorite GOT reactor. You are intelligent and you follow the story better than most. I wish you could upload faster but I realize it's not easy to edit quickly. Looking forward to your reaction to the season finale. Cheers

[@anita3018]

I think you should react to the last Kingdom, it's very good and is historically based only on King Alfed the Great, fighting the vikings front taking lands, and trying to bring the Kingdoms together to make England, the 5th season just dropped, they brought it together beautifully, and now they are making a movie

[@patrickulas]

Fun fact: the director's favorite take from this episode isn't any of the battle shots. It's right after Ramsay's dogs start chowing down on him, and Sansa ever so slightly backs up, but then stops and decides to continue watching her tormenter get eaten alive.

[@kristinawrites238]

My favourite moment too. “Don’t look away, father will know if you do.” - Jon Se1Ep1

[@dru3703]

Love that you pause and communicate your thoughts and process. People may not like it. But it separates you from other channels. Plus you come strong and legit with your takes. 👍🏼

[@meganmeehan1565]

I would like to think that Sansa didn’t tell Jon about the erie because a) she didn’t wanna give littlefinger the satisfaction of needing him so she didn’t want his help b) she didn’t know for sure if he would show up in time and c) she wanted Ramsay to drain his forces first and wanted it to be a surprise. Either way, could’ve killed Jon in the process so it was stupid but it all worked out in the end!

[@cherrypi_b]

I think there is another reason. If she told Jon she would ask for Baelish's help he would have refused knowing what he did to her and what cunning bitch he is. As we know Jon is a very honourable man.

[@meganmeehan1565]

@@cherrypi_b that too!

[@dandybanana]

After watching the entire series a crazy amount of times, this still makes my top 3 of favorite episodes & one of the best battle scenes ever 🙃

[@rookis25]

So the big burning X's with flayed men on them serve a purpose. They are Range finders and Ramey drew Jon into range. Since he was in range Jon HAD to move towards the army to under cut the volley of arrows. The reason the Umber support Bolton in this is because Jon Snow let the Wildlings through the wall, the Umbers being the most northern house closest to the wall had been at war with them for a while, like the Watchers on the wall. Also if you notice the shield he holds up is that of House Mormont signifying their house words "Here I Stand" as Jorah said to Viserys when he tried to steal the Dragons Eggs.

[@JeremyIceAndFire33]

Great episode! The director Miguel Sapochnik based this battle on a very famous battle from history, Hannibal's Battle of Carthage where he surrounded his enemy on all sides like that.

[@Showup581]

I have seen these episodes soooo many times and know what's coming up but your reactions make it like it's the first time again..... Thanks also for the recommendation, I just started the White Princess this morning

[@astralnomad]

fun fact about Theon: the actor that played Theon (Alfie Allen) is the real life brother of Lily Allen. The showrunners wanted her to play the part of playing Yara Greyjoy... she was all for it until she found out Alfie would have to feel her up.. then she was like "hell naw!" and bailed. lol

[@richieadams6701]

I never got frustrated with Sansa for her conversation with Jon after the war council. Jon was kind of oblivious to how Ramsay was and he never expected the tactics Ramsay used. She went through hell with him so I can't blame her for being overly cautious

[@leisastalnaker3790]

All of those horses were actually charging Kit Harrington (Jon), no CGI, the real deal.

[@shockwave1126]

Jon has to go forward after Rickon is killed because the arrows are shot to his range and he had get ahead of the arrows. Lord of Light brought him back to be his selfless self which inspires others to follow him, like the Wildlings, Night Watchmen.

[@conchfritters01]

Still love that short frame of Jon, Tormund, and Wun Wun charging towards Winterfell - Joffrey 2.0 (Ramsay) in trouble the proper way.

[@yoggsaron8867]

"It was a fitting ending for the character whom The Atlantic’s readers determined to be the actual worst on television, across shows and genres, and whom The New York Times also dubbed, without irony, the “Most Hated Man on TV.” As my colleague Lenika Cruz has noted, one of the challenges Game of Thrones’s creators have faced as they have attempted to create plot lines that marry literary merit and fan service was to kill Ramsay off-his death was almost inevitable-in a way that would offer a satisfying mix of karmic justice and audience catharsis. Ramsay has inflicted so much pain, on his victims and by extension on his TV viewers, that few things would seem quite appropriate to that task. “He confounds many of the rules that would usually apply to small-screen villains,” Cruz wrote, “so it’s unusually difficult to imagine a departure that would hit all the right storytelling notes.” And yet: With the death Ramsay was ultimately given-particularly bloody, particularly painful, particularly degrading-Game of Thrones managed to give its worst character an ending that was, to the extent such things can be, fitting. This was not only because of the what-goes-around-comes-around mauling Ramsay endured at the hands (or, more precisely, the jaws) of his own weaponized beasts. It was also-and more so-because of the words Sansa sent him away with. Ramsay’s death was, in the end, not about Ramsay so much as it was about Sansa. A show that is deeply interested in its own portrayals of justice gave its audience an execution that was bloody and sticky and screaming and salivating; the scene got its gravitas, though, from the death warrant Sansa, Ramsay’s victim, read at its start. It was the scene’s words that gave it its moral heft." - *The Atlantic*

[@USCFlash]

Major has Dany pegged completely about her tendencies. Dany fans will hate that. Remember what Maester Pycelle said about the Mad King back in season 1. " Aerys Targaryen... of all the thousand thousand maladies the gods visit on us, madness is the worst. He was a good man, such a charmer. To watch him melt away before my eyes, consumed by dreams of fire and blood..."

[@jeffk.9075]

The clues have been there from the very first episode. That's all I can say.

[@Ekleaz]

I disagree. I don't see anything she did that other people in power didn't do. Can ya'll please explain her tendencies. She was always reactive not the aggressor.

[@USCFlash]

@@Ekleaz She was not *IN* power...she did things to SEIZE power. 1. She demanded Drogo take over the 7 kingdoms for her. Leading to the slaughter of the Lamb people. 2. She threatened the spice king with death & ruin simply because he did not wish to enter into a dangerous agreement with her. 3. When she got power & became the legitimate queen of mereen, she could have chosen to stay there. Instead she chose to conquer westeros. 4. She enjoys burning people to deathb ut hates bloodshed She is constantly needing to be talked out of bad ideas.

[@Ekleaz]

@USCFlash Dude that's what everyone else IN power in the books and show did. Except they had armies not dragons. But noone came into power off of being a respectable humble person. Lol. As for Mereen , from her 1st introduction in the books and show Westeros was the goal so you have no point. The spice King did what was right for him, she did what she had to do or she would have died, this is ridiculous logic man .

[@USCFlash]

@@Ekleaz Again.she was not *IN POWER* She had no ruling power as Khaleesi. She had no power when she threatened the spice king. She has always said from the very start that she will take what is "hers" with fire & blood. Refusing to see what has been evident from the start is the illogical part.

[@emptyfueltank]

Writers didn't know what to have Sansa say so they just had her yapping nonsense. "JON LISTEN TO ME, I know what to do!" "Tell me then" "I don't know, get a bigger army lol"

[@williambillingsly60]

nah the "top of winterfell into the peoples elbow" had me CRYING

[@taliyahrose]

The thing is, only a couple of Targaryen's were considered "mad" and it was for stupid reasons. A woman got called mad and crazy when her son was killed in front of her. She had depression and was grieving. She was not mad. The coin flip saying, is completely rubbish and inaccurate. Daenerys's dad had schizophrenia and paranoia from Tywin whispering in his ear for years, telling him everyone was out to get him. He was never mad. Literally all the Targaryen's had was mental health issues, not madness. Daenerys lost her best friends, her brother, her husband, her sons, her father figure and much more. Obviously she is never going to be the same again. She is allowed to grieve her losses. She is not the mad queen.

[@LFC_Fan23]

Robb Stark: "If every man were held accountable for the actions of every distant relative, we'd all hang". That applies to Daenerys. She isn't her father.

[@rsync9490]

Aerys was driven mad due to his captivity at duskendale. Aerion brightflame thought he was a dragon and drunk wildfire. Maegor was just straight up insane. Aegon V thought he could hatch some dragons and nearly killed his entire family.. Baelor was overly pious to the point of obsession. It isn't 50/50 but there were some batshit insane targaryens.

[@okaysxo]

You’re right and wrong. Yes to the “gods flip a coin” nonsense. No to tywin corrupting the mad king. Infact Aerys II wasn’t always mad, people thought he’d be a fantastic King. Aerys II, Tywin and Steffon baratheon were classed as best friends. Aerys began to undermine Tywin and ridicule him. Tywin did an awful lot for the realm whilst Aerys would claim those great ideas as his own. He would mock Joanna Lannister to him infront of his court, asked if her “teats had sagged” due to birth of the twins Jaime & Cersei. Tywin settled disputes, alleviated taxes with his own money & benefited Kings Landing greatly whilst Aerys claimed these works for his own, with also any bad dealings he would wrongly blame on Tywin. It was Aerys who named Jaime Kingsguard as a slight on Tywin, knowing Kingsguard cannot father children or marry (to further the lannister lineage). When Tyrion was born and Joanna died, aerys laughed and said it was a punishment from the gods for his overreaching. Finally, When Lord Denys duskendale refused to pay taxes, Aerys decided to visit there to settle this defiance in person, Tywin forbade this-which made Aerys even more determined to go. He did and he was attacked and imprisoned on his visit. Ser Barristan Selmy climbed the duskendale walls and single-handedly slew Aerys captors, stole a horse and managed to escape even with all the duskendale guards after him. This is what turned Aerys mad. “How dare they put hands on my royal person.” It is said he had felt. He refused any blades near him again (hence his really long fingernails and hair at this point). The vengeance he executed on the town and people of Duskendale was gruesome. He only left the red keep then onwards for the harrenhal tourney. He felt Tywin had kept the siege going in the hopes he would be killed and even believed Rhagar his son was conspiring with Tywin to put him on the throne. Which as we saw, he definitely wasn’t. ❤️

[@mikmoss88]

I remember watchin this and yellin at Rickon "y won't u zig zag"

[@tigerbalm20000]

Only reason Sansa didn’t tell Jon about the reinforcements is because it looks cooler this way :) Truly epic feeling when the Vail comes rolling in!

[@TheReDeeMeR1988]

It's called "Dramatic effect"

[@rhaenyralikesyoutube6289]

Uh huh. Dramatic license only goes so far, and D&D stretched it far too thin for this show.

[@NeetzBeats]

Ahhh one of my favourite lines and tense moments was in this episode, when John asked Ramsay "Will your men want to fight for you when they hear you wouldn't fight for them?" The look on Ramsay's face and the silence was so damn good!

[@melissakozusko9244]

Welcome to my favorite episode of this show. It’s a masterpiece.

[@RewindThatwithMsKay]

Hey Major, it''s funny that you mentioned Hannibal's battle against the Romans because that is exactly what the Battle of the Bastards was based on, the Battle of Cannae. The tactic that Ramsey used to trap Jon's army is the same tactic Hannibal used to trap the Romans. But the part where Jon was almost suffocated was based on the battle of Agincourt where the French army were all on top of each other due to pressure applied by English soldiers.😊

[@lorrainehutchinson6668]

I watched all of GOT by myself. My partner wasn't interested and he had work to do so I binged watched seasons 1 to 7 and had to wait for S8. Battle of the Bastards had me stood in front of my TV, my hands in fists. I cried and screamed with anguish and delight throughout the episode, so much that he had to come and check that I was OK. I have this down as the best battle ever; it's like you are right in it. Perfection.

[@DorseyFaught]

Damn man, this is the first time I’ve watched your channel. Really enjoyed your insight into the actual history that Martin pulled from in his writing. I think the big one you missed however was the Battle of Cannae. Where Hannibal’s forces completely surrounded the Romans and annihilated them.

[@MFBloosh]

Your take on Dany having some mad king tendencies is spot on. Whenever her back is against the wall, or whenever she doesn't get her way, her first instinct is to burn shit down until someone talks her out of it, besides a few occasions where she thinks and reacts logically.

[@baronhomer1]

Very few..she's crazy.

[@neigelevelyn6356]

@@baronhomer1 and cerci is a angel ?

[@jeffk.9075]

It isn't a versus thing and no one mentioned Cersei. The clues about Dany are there from the very first episode. She's the dragon and dragon's do what they want and how they want. I think the moral of the story is that power corrupts and even those with the best of intentions can and do fail.

[@アキコ2003]

@@neigelevelyn6356 nobody talked about cercei tf..?

[@ryanfreer77]

@@jeffk.9075 100%. It became clear from the point when she burned Mirri Mas Duur in season one. After which, Dany only becomes more arrogant, vengeful, ruthless, and hell bent on winning the Iron Throne at any cost. Anyone who won’t take the knee, she burns while using her dragons to intimidate others. Even the good things, she does for the wrong reasons. For her own power and gain. In her arrogance, she’s convinced she knows what is righteous...thinking she’s going to “break the wheel” and all its spokes; not even faintly aware that what she’d bring in its place could be far worse. She’s a volatile character who’s only held back from her worst impulses by her advisors. If nothing else, the one consistent point found throughout the books and the series, is that no one who lusts for power-for the Iron Throne-is worthy of it. This is why I lost all faith in Daenerys early on, and came to really dislike her.

[@AceCorban]

Been waiting for this episode for a minute! The Stark banner dropping over Wintefell is one if the best moments of this whole show. This episode was so cathartic.

[@Floridad25]

Also, Jon didn't charge at Ramsey's army because he was being stupidly emotional. He had to get UNDER the range of the rain of arrows that were launched at his face. Ramsey has/had a hunting bow, but the archers in the army all had warbows. Hunting bows have a draw weight of 35-50 pounds and travel about 70 - 100 feet. Warbows START with a 70=75 pound draw-weight and can send an arrow well over 600 feet. Going back wasn't an option, those arrows could reach him probably clear across the field. Ergo, racing towards them was his ONLY option.

[@missken1271]

You’re smart 👍

[@Floridad25]

@@missken1271 I have a 150lb warbow on the wall, but I never take it shooting because I can't even draw it. (I use a 50. Much easier) Stringing it is a two person nightmare of a job that involves a lot of swearing.... For science purposes, my instructor decided to try, and he could barely do it, but he managed to loose an arrow through the goal post at one end of the football field. That thing left the bow at over 200 mph and went the entire length of the field, across a hugeass parking lot, and a major intersection. We eventually found it embedded at least three inches deep into a tree THREE BLOCKS FARTHER AWAY. It wasn't in danger of hitting anyone, it was just a cotton field.....but eeeeeeeeesh it was terrifying. Never going to try THAT again. Anyway, the point of this rambling reply was that I've SEEN how fast and how much power they have. From the aerial clips of the field outside winterfell that I just checked, I can make an "educated" guess and yeah....Jon would have been dog chow if he tried to run back to his squad on foot.

[@missken1271]

@@Floridad25 wait - what is it you do or what field are you in, if you don’t mind me asking? You have bows and arrows?? Woah, so cool

[@Floridad25]

@@missken1271 I picked up my first bow at a Renaissance fair where they had a wall of hay bales with a couple of monster cut-outs, so kids can try their hand at it and got totally hooked. The warbow was a Christmas present. Since I can't use it, it hangs on the wall, just cuz it's a beautiful piece of woodwork. But.it's not exactly a marketable skill, unless you compete. Which I don't, lol. It's an olympic sport if you've good enough, which I am not. So I don't really do much with it, other than teaching my nephew and a few of his friends how to shoot. (And how to use swords without killing each other, which is always good.....)

[@missken1271]

@@Floridad25 where i grew up bows and arrows aren’t the typical kill method. Well, probably for fishing? Same sort or another. I think they’re very European. I’m not sure of the origins. It is an elite sport. One has to be very precise. But with the temperature of the world today, talking about these kinds of things just isn’t apt.

[@ferrisblog]

I'm new to this channel and I've been loving the reactions to Got , don't know how you got onto my feed but I'm glad i found you.

[@caitlinjohnson4300]

I have been so excited for you to see this episode! Seeing Jon and Sansa finally getting their home back is the most satisfying. Ramsay’s dogs tho…he deserved that demise.

[@MissMac926]

This is one of the best battles I’ve ever seen on TV, those visuals were amazing. And the battle you were referring to re War of The Roses was with Henry Tudor and Richard III, the battle of Bosworth Field. But back to GoT, I was almost teary when I saw the Stark banner once again hanging in Winterfell. And there was not a more fitting way for Ramsey to go than by being killed by his own hounds, the only thing that would have been better is if Theon could have witnessed it,

[@Senormojado75]

I knew this was going to be an EPIC episode when Daenerys took back the city then joined with Yara. The actual Battle of the Bastards was BRUTAL AF! Phenomenal episode. Can’t wait for more GOT, catch you later Major✌🏼

[@jay_ooh]

"ZIG ZAG RICKON!!!" that is the universal phrase shout out by EVERYONE during that scene, why he didn't do that is probably one of the most idiotic things in tv history lol

[@jjh2456]

If he did that then Ramsey would’ve called all his archers to shoot.

[@rachelMB]

The only thing I can really say about the Sansa / Jon convo is this - Sansa is traumatized from her time w/ Ramsay, and she hasn’t disclosed everything to Jon, so he can’t possibly understand where exactly she’s coming from -and- Jon was traumatized from being literally murdered and hasn’t disclosed that to Sansa, so she can’t possibly know exactly where he’s coming from. Neither one of them have confided their deepest & truest feelings about what they’re up against (separately; having the same yet different fears about the battle) I think that’s why it’s a frustrating scene to watch as a viewer bc you’re like “hello, wtf is that about Sansa?!!?!” but that’s bc _we’ve_ seen everything; they haven’t. Does that make sense? 😅🙈

[@Stax2High]

Honestly I don't think so. Most people understand that unwilling or barely at best ladies (sometimes younger than Sansa is now) wind up being married & bedded by scumbag lords or knights. If a man striking or raping his wife in the 50's was waved off like business as usual imagine how normal it is for them. Ke learned quickly enough from 1 letter how sadistic he is..... ya stands to reason anyone would know sansas been raped & physically abused. We can only guess if he did more than hit or rape her. But that honestly might have been the furthest extent of it. U really think everyone in camp doesn't realize that. He understands that she's terrified & doesn't believe they can win. But doesn't consider it much as she just looks like a scared little girl(justifiably) lashing out. This leads him to still underestimate ramseys cunning. She knows Ramsay's going to have something up his sleeve but she can't guess what. So that exchange basically gets them no where. That's why she kept the knights of the vale in her back pocket & didn't tell Jon. She decided that if Jon knew about the vale that baelish might double cross anyone so how could u truly, much less jon rely on him. If he did trust them he would wait to join up & fight conventionally. & Sansa probably still feared that would still spell doom by way of some clever plan Ramsey could hatch to outsmart them. Sorry that was so long

[@tatycassiano]

This is my favorite episode of the whole series. I love war films and the way they captured the chaos of war…I’ve never seen anything like it. Perfection. I’m happy you’ve noticed how Dany has some of her family “tendencies”. Even at the door of Quarth when she said she would burn the city to the ground when her dragons became full grown. That was way back. She’s always has had a penchant for violence. Luckily she has good advisors that help her be in check.

[@brianevenson9655]

The only thing that would have made Ramsey's death sweeter, would have been if Theon was there to see it (and probably cheer for the dogs).

[@kobarsos82]

In war, attrition can be a valid winning strategy. When you have more men than the enemy by a big margin, its not unheard of to shoot arrows and kill people from both sides. Its a common tactic, that is used in history numerous times. Its truly not dumb. Its a thing. Its a bit on the merciless, inhuman and brutal side, but war is by default merciless, inhuman and brutal so...

[@shawnredmond8402]

The arrival of the Vale with that cut scene to Sansa and LF is one of my favorite moments of the show. Idc how obvious or trite it was it still felt gotdamn great and going by all the reactions most felt the same way. The northern arc took me on seasons worth of emotional rollercoster and payed it off in the end. That to me wins out over minor logistics issues, plus I don't see it as much different from a similar climax we had to a previous battle. From Jon refusing the Stark name to that Bear Island scroll, it has been the most harrowing of slowburns. It was absolutely time for a pay off and I'm glad they didn't blue ball it. This was universally regarded as a classic not just because of the battle, but because of the closure it provides to a very long torment. There couldn't have been a more satisfying end to a character that was dubbed the most hated villain on TV.

[@JennyLyn516]

Yes! The shot of the main vale guy riding in, awesome!

[@detroitrox1830]

That first bannerman coming around the corner when the horn blows understood the assignment!!!!

[@shawnredmond8402]

@@detroitrox1830 Haha yep lol! Had the mean mug on lock!

[@fedeanna8708]

I had a crush on Wun Wun and I didn't realize it until I saw him dying and I started crying like a baby 💔🖤🤣

[@Flagsitta]

What if the Vale didn’t show up and Sansa had told everyone they were coming? And I suspect it was a Mormont burning at the beginning of the battle. Notice Jon used a Mormont shield against Ramsay’s arrows. That means at least one of the 62 got in. Strength of ten men. 🤷🏽‍♀️🤓

[@theConquerersMama]

And Sansa had to risk LF coming but siding with Ramsay again and giving her back to him.

[@roseofthegarden_]

What if the vale had come and Jon _still_ abandoned his entire battle plan like he did this episode with the little troops he _did_ have? [because he literally would have]. Oh, right they _all_ would be dead and Winterfell would still belong to the Boltons. Jon abandoned his battle plan to try and save Rickon even though Sansa already told him their brother is _dead_ and he didn't want to listen to reason. He was too emotional. Then he ran recklessly into a damn battle when he already had _very minimal_ troops. But somehow _Sansa_ is to blame for _his_ recklessness and _his_ fuck up. Jon lost because _he_ fucked up.

[@peters4115]

Jon Snow is the Prince of Epic One Takes! I swear every battle that Jon is in starting from the Battle at the Wall has some of best long single takes in cinema. Especially this one where death was behind every corner and like you said Jon has the plot armor protecting him from everything lol so good

[@natedoggg2002]

Hahaha FINALLY! I've been looking forward to your reaction to my favorite Game of Thrones episode Season 6 Battle of the Bastards! And you didn't disappoint! Better get two new mics and a extra headphone just in case for the Season 6 Episode 10 finale which is also epic! 👌🏾🤣

[@mariamenegalli9629]

if you remember the house of the undying when that warlock that tried to imprison Dany , he told her the dragons were strongest in her presence, im thinking thats why the other two didnt break free until now :)

[@thegentlemantraveler3498]

The problem is that she didn't tell them about the Knights of the Vale and she held that from him. She put them in a dire position by letting them go forth and loose as many men.

[@Greeny1308]

Great reaction as always Maj. Some interesting thinking about Sansa and her thought process. With half the numbers of Ramsay's army she would've been freaking out, thinking they'd lose and she'd be forced to go back to Ramsay, she wouldn't be thinking rationally. Also, she knows Littlefinger is a snake and while she needs his army she doesn't want to be in his debt so that's probably behind her reasoning for not telling Jon about him. Looking forward to the finale.

[@zandergamer5429]

Props to Sansa for not saying anything about the Knights of the Vale to Jon despite complaining at every chance she had, having known they could've used the Knights of the Vale they could've thought of a different plan to prevent that many casualties.

[@VerOak3]

Thank YOU! Exactly