“[Some] die squatting over their chamber pots.”
Petyr Baelish
An important point that this review overlooks is that the sudden timely intervention of Stannis at The Wall did not occur in a vacuum. On the contrary, although it wasn’t specifically mentioned in the earlier episodes, the whole season has been building up to it. That’s what he needed the army for. If you go back to the Season 3 finale, Davos read a raven message from The Wall about the White Walkers, which he tried to convince Stannis was where they were needed most. Melisandre concurs, and that sways him.
I think the writers were intentionally trying to lead us astray by not specifically mentioning it earlier in season 4, as they didn’t even have a recap that mentioned it (correct me if I’m wrong). That said, if they’d had a recap at the beginning of the season 4 finale, it would have taken all the surprise out of it, but adding a simple soundbite “the real war is in the North” or similar for episode 1 could have set it up better.
I was sort of upset about Arya’s decision to let teh hound suffer. Despite any stated intention he had clearly become her friend and protector. Her enacting a final revenge is just evidence that she is losing and and becoming a ruthless killer. I like her better as a sympathetic character. Good people can get a little revenge now and then.
When the Hound told her she wouldn’t last another day out there alone, I was sort of afraid he was right, but when she walked away leaving him there to suffer, I think that’s meant to tell you she was going to be alright.
I haven’t read the books, so I don’t know if this is contradicted by the books or if i am spoiling anything.
Arya has the money she took from the Hound when she meets the ship to Bravos. She could have at least tried to buy passage to Braavos with that money, but she didn’t. She asked for passage to the North and, when that was refused, she spent Jaqen’s coin yet did not alter her request. So are we sure the ship is going to Braavos? Was the coin enough to change the ship’s course and bring her closer to her brother (either one)?
