KnockBack, Episode 223: Game of Thrones (Season 5) (Patreon)

The fifth season of Game of Thrones, which first aired on HBO in 2015, represents somewhat of a plateau for the critically-acclaimed show. While the first four seasons presented a steady progression in quality, intrigue, and execution, season five seems outright rushed, with too much content in too little time. It's still awesome for what it is, though, and that's perhaps where our biggest criticism becomes a blatant compliment: Because we want more, and we want it slower and more methodically, not quickly and haphazardly. Thus, George RR Martin's famous televised series descends into what becomes an increasingly controversial second half, one that's largely winged without source material, though we're not quite to that point yet. As we do in each episode, let's travel this fictional world and try to make sense of its many characters, locales, and arcs, and have some fun and enjoy some insight along the way.