YMMV / Game of Thrones S7E6: "Beyond the Wall"

• Alternative Character Interpretation:
  • When Tyrion and Dany are discussing succession and Tyrion brings up electoral support, was he offering it out of good statesman thinking, a less-than-subtle way of nominating himself as Dany's successor (following Varys's suggestion in the previous episode that Tyrion needs to find a way to make Daenerys listen to him), or a combination of both? Is Dany's dismissal and insistence that she must focus on getting the Iron Throne first her way of keeping Tyrion in place as her second-in-command (a power move that takes Tyrion's notion that Dany is the head of a Keystone Army, and checks it by more or less torching any lifeboats for her underlings) or a genuine expression of her support for autocracy? The scene is ambiguous likely because either alternative would make one or the other side be more in the right than the other, which is hard to do since they're both intended to be sympathetic good guys.
  • Did the Night King kill Viserion because he seemed like a more immediate aerial threat compared to Drogon and then later missed his second shot, or did the Night King deliberately ignore Drogon and all the people onboard so as to advance a scheme to get past the Wall? This is the second time he chooses a dramatic gesture over killing Jon (he waits until Jon is clear and then takes a shot at Drogon); does he need Jon alive for some reason? Considering that the Night King can pull a Poke in the Third Eye on Bran, does he have greenseer abilities, did he anticipate Daenerys showing up and fashioned his ice spears in preparation? How else can one explain the ice chains that the wights just happen to either have, or prepared for the occasion? Or is he just sadistic and enjoys tormenting people slowly, providing a bit of horror with the implication over what else the chains were intended for.
  • It's also possible that Viserion was the only dragon small and light enough for the chains be attached to, and also, The Night King most likely wanted a more agile ride.
• Epileptic Trees: All kind of fan theories and justifications exist to explain away some controversial Plot Armors heavily used in the episode, such as the Night King not going for a Total Party Kill when Drogon is a sitting duck. Explanations range from psychological warfare (a.k.a. trolling) to ballistic handwaves.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: When Gendry asks how to keep warm in the freezing North, Tormund tells him any method of physical activity will work, but sex is best. When Gendry goes to Winterfell, he notes to Arya how cold it is, and in the next episode the two of them ... keep warm together.
• Memetic Mutation: It didn't take long for a lot of memes to sprout, proclaiming the Night King World- or Olympic Champion at throwing javelins◊.
  • Based off of Arya's attitude described in Unintentionally Unsympathetic below, fans started commenting that "a girl has a shit memory."
• No Yay: The scene on the boat between Daenerys and Jon for some viewers. Aside from divided fan opinion over their chemistry, she has shown herself to have rather skewed priorities compared to Jon's more altruistic nature (at least until she loses Viserion and realizes how dangerous the White Walkers really are). And even if they don't know it, she's his aunt.
• Special Effect Failure:
  • In the scene where "Dumb cunt" gets hit by a rock, a wight can be seen to be blinking.
  • While the CGI and the choreography are well done, someone unfortunately forgot to animate in some wights and it looks like a wildling extra is flailing his spear in the air.
• Squick: As mentioned above, Jon and Daenerys falling in love. She's his aunt.
• Strangled by the Red String: Jon and Daenerys.
  • To some, their romance is very rushed. In the space of five episodes, they've gone from meeting each other for the very first time in which they butt heads and show skeptical dislike, to agreeing not to be enemies, to struggling to find a compromise between their goals, to recognizing traits they like in the other, to a rescue-save at the 11th hour, to being in love. Some fans feel this is a checklist effect in which the showrunners are trying to get Jon and Dany from point A (skeptical dislike) to point B (love) as quickly as possible due to the shortened season when this story would require far more time. Some fans who have been wanting Jon and Dany to get together since the books are unhappy their relationship was rushed and feel this should have been handled by the showrunners more carefully.
  • While a physical attraction between them at this point wouldn't be all that hard to believe, we're constantly being told by other characters and by the showrunners that it's love. Part of it is no doubt due to the shortened season, but whether that makes it better or worse is up for interpretation. The fact that it's an incestuous relationship doesn't really help matters.
  • Some note that a love-bond between Jon and Dany essentially shortchanges the debate among fans and In-Universe about whether either of them are better or more effective rulers, and that the implied and potential rivalry between these two Unexpected Successors becomes defused, as is apparent when Jon Snow decides to bend the knee and become a Voluntary Vassal to House Targaryen again. When Dany asks about those who swore allegiance to Jon and Jon says they'll come to see Dany for who she really is, this does not take into account that it will be difficult to convince the Northern lords of Dany's character and commitment. The Northern lords have a negative view of Dany due to her being the Mad King's daughter as opposed to Jon's positive view of Dany based on his time with her and witnessing her commitment to defeating the army-of-the-dead. Even among fans who believe that a united Westeros under one leadership may provide the North and the rest of Westeros with its best chance to survive the Night King, there is a question of how Jon will convince his people of this when they themselves have neither seen Dany's commitment to defeating the army-of-the-dead, don't have Jon's positive view of her, and already distrust Dany based on her father's crimes.
• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Character:
  • Viserion's death comes before he is given any real characterization or a major contribution to the plot beyond he and Rhaegal being the other two dragons who aren't Drogon. It doesn't help that some viewers were initially confused over which dragon had actually died, hammering home the fact that Viserion and Rhaegal seemed basically interchangeable due to their limited screen time. In the books, Viserion is, by far, the most timid and gentle of Dany's dragons (relatively speaking, of course) and it's hinted that Tyrion or Jon may end up riding him. His death here feels like a huge waste.
  • Benjen's death at the end of the episode comes across as this, especially since he and Jon barely get any time to react to meeting each other before the former is performing his Last Stand.
• Unintentionally Sympathetic: Sansa asking Arya to be on her knees and thanking her as she is the one that won the North by gaining the Vale's support is supposed to come out as arrogant and showing Sansa's negative traits, especially since she conveniently forgets that she hid the Vale's support from Jon, which would have been great information to know before the battle. The problem is that Arya is being so mean-spirited by bringing back Sansa's childhood mistake that Sansa has been suffering with for six seasons. As a result of the stress Sansa is under by being in charge of the second line between the living and the dead, it comes off to some like Sansa being fed up with her sister's antagonism and frustration over the situation.
• Unintentionally Unsympathetic: While the conflict between Sansa and Arya is probably intended with Both Sides Have a Point, Arya comes across as arrogant, condescending, and in general just outright unsympathetic to some. She accuses Sansa of betraying Ned and Robb, citing how Sansa just stood there at their father's execution wearing a pretty dress, which is odd because Arya was there when Sansa begged and screamed for their father's life and fainted when he was beheaded in front of her. Arya either forgets Sansa's own horrible experiences or overlooks them, blackmailing Sansa by threatening to show the letter to the Northern lords.