Game of Thrones- Redux

Mountain-stein? The Golem Who Rides?

All caught up on Game of Thrones?  Ready for some interesting responses?  If not, be warned, there be light spoilers ahead!

Are you warned?

Warned?

Ok then.  I’ve been really enjoying the recent season.  As the television show is beyond George R.R. Martin’s books, I know they’re hitting the plot elements that Martin has dictated, but I feel like the production has missed some of the poignancy that is had before.  The story is moving along at a good clip, and everything seems to be lining up for some stunning seventh season action.  Overall, my complaints are small, but I did feel they missed a great visual opportunity with the recent Gregor Clegane/The Mountain Who Growls fatality scene.

Sure, Clegane is big, and he’s . . . I guess scary.  We haven’t seen him do anything until this latest episode.  Mostly, he’s been a giant menace, but not much more.  The show attempts to drive home the point of his renewed scariness by having him literally tear a man’s head off.  But that seems anticlimactic given the potential that was in the scene.

Here’s my quick, five-minute attempt to restore that epic feel:

Cersei peered at the Faith Militant.  “I choose violence.”

Brother Lancel smiled.  Gregor Clegane moved forward and drew his sword.  The eight, armed members of the Faith Militant surged around him.  Mace and hammer rained blows down, and the giant’s sword clattered to the ground.  The Mountain ignored the weapon and the strikes that clanged from his golden armor.  He grabbed the nearest brother, and slammed his helmeted head down in a crushing blow.  The man staggered back and fell to the ground unconscious.

Still, the Faith Militant kept up the barrage.  One of the brothers managed to drive a spiked club into Clegane’s armor where it stuck deep.  It should have pierced his heart.  Instead, Clegane hammered his huge fist down on the man’s head.  The brother fell to the ground in a silent heap.  Two warhammers slammed into Clegane’s chest, and the giant took a half step backward, grabbed the two men, and slammed their heads together.

With half their number down, Lancel and the remaining Faith Militant moved back, out of his reach.  Clegane surged forward.  A mace clanged uselessly off his shoulder.  He backhanded the owner, throwing him against the near wall.  The brother’s head impacted with a wet sound and left a trail of blood as he slid to the ground.  Without waiting, Clegane grabbed a second brother, and drove his knee into the man’s chest three times in quick succession.  Blood spewed from the brother’s mouth, and Clegane let him fall to the ground.

Lancel and the last remaining brother looked at each other.  The faith of their conviction had been replaced by fear of Clegane’s brutality.  No man should be able to stand up to eight strong.  With a growl that sounded more animal than man, Clegane started forward.  Lancel and the last brother struck at the same time, smashing their maces against Clegane’s head and chest.  The Mountain grabbed the brother’s weapon and pulled him in.  His fist clenched around the brother’s neck, and he lifted the man off his feet.

“Brother Lancel,” Cersei said as she strode forward.  Lancel looked from the gasping brother in Clegane’s one hand to Cersei and back again.  “Do tell the High Sparrow that he is welcome any time.”

Clegane slammed the brother down onto the ground.  He took hold of the man’s neck and in one swift movement tore it from his shoulders.

Brother Lancel ran.

The old saw is that it takes five writers to change a lightbulb—one to change it and four to say they could have done it better.