Exactly! Also I don’t know if I’d call it “just happening” but that’s not really important. He made his way back to her after his penance and everything and then he died defending her. Maybe I’m not blanking on someone...
Well with Arya he was looking for a ransom, and then he also sorta felt responsible for her, became attached after a while. I think at that point he was thinking he might as well teach her how to kill so she doesn’t die. The North/BWB didn’t happen until after he had been rescued by Brother Ray and his mindset had been widened to realizing hey maybe I can do something good while I’m here. I think revenge against Gregor had always been in the back of his head, like something he’d get to eventually either way once he was done serving his purpose with the BWB. That’s why he leaves Winterfell immediately after that battle. He knows time is running out with Dany on her way to KL so if he wants Gregor it’s now or never.
I think, like with Jamie, there was a lot of dramatization of his growth, of how he’s changed, and for him to literally point out the ridiculousness of pursuing revenge, especially when the city is falling down around the person you’re trying to kill and will very clearly kill them regardless, then go fight them anyway, didn’t land for me. Cleganebowl was definitely fun, it was shot great and his spearing the Mountain, diving into the flames that had always been his Achilles heel, was a nice touch in theory. I just didn’t quite find it worked.
Last season when he saw the Mountain he all but said "I've got one thing to do then I'm coming to kill you"
Somewhere in the last dozen or so pages, someone mentioned something about it not making sense that they would sack the city despite the surrender. Logically, definitely not, but there is historical precedent with the sack of Constantinople during the fourth crusade. And they were technically allies going into it - at least in this case they were opposing forces. Not that this satisfies anyone, but my history mind kept thinking of this during the episode. Didn’t they all die at the hands of the WW, not necessarily because of Baratheon? Night King was coming no matter what went down in KL. Nights watch dude, Jorah, and lyanna are the only three I remember. I like the one Barstool did with meek. Not sure if I saw it in here or on Twitter... Also... For me, the best part of the episode was when the Hound stabbed Gregor in the neck and Gregor didn’t even flinch and the hound was like oh fuck and just started stabbing repeatedly to no avail.
Have to respect the guy for knowing they botched his character and squeezing out any joy he could. It’s sad that he almost says word for word in there that he’s just a prop and a plot device to move around, but at least he’s throwing what he has into it.
Just now watching the CleganeBowl again I'm realizing that the Hound stabbing him through the gut and then getting backhanded down to the ground is a good callback to the Hound doing the same thing to Arya when she tries to stab him in the stomach.
So did The Mountain melt down to nothing / bone? Did he get crushed by the fall? Wondering what would have actually “killed” him since he doesn’t bleed and never seemed in pain or slowed down by injury
I'm guessing at the very least the force of the fall would have crushed his bones and made him immobile, even if he couldn't feel the pain. I do kinda hope we get more of an idea of what exactly he is/what was done to him in the books.
I loved that whole scene and thought it played out beautifully - but I have to be honest, in my head I was thinking after they both plummeted off the tower and down into the inferno below that he would probably still be alive down the bottom based on all that they'd shown of him so far.