the quality seemed fine for me.

I watched the leak because my partner has decided to invite friends over to watch the last two episodes and I refuse to deal with a bunch of people spouting inanities over my show.

and quality was fine?

Just wait.

Quality was fine, though noticeably different on my 1080p monitor from previous episodes (I got the "good audio" version that's the top download). Not sure if it'd be particularly noticeable on a TV.

Just you wait.

Yeah, I've just quickly compared the leak to another episode I've got (we watch the episodes legally, but I usually rewatch 'em the next day with a download), and there's a definite drop in visual and audio quality, so if you want an optimal experience, and can avoid the spoiler-y parts of the internet, I'd wait.

Here ya go, Stip - a (spoiler free) image of King's Landing from the title sequence in a HQ rip of an earlier episode (left), and the 2GB rip of the new one (right). (White space just due to bad cropping on my part).

https://i.imgur.com/mo9zcRk.jpg

i know. so much more likable in the books

What I saw looked like a normal episode looks, HD and all. It looked normal.

especially the HD penis

leaked episode spoiler

http://i.imgur.com/dVZpja7.png

some thoughts as I watch:

Spoiler: show

They do a really nice job early on building a bond with Jon's party. Tormund is great. Man, I hope he survives this episode

Arya's reaction to the letter Sansa wrote is utter nonsense. I don't know if I can say it's out of character, but it undercuts in a pretty uncharitable way one of the show's best characters.

I'm glad to see Tyrion try to put Dany in her place, but her descent continues. History will see Anders and I vindicated!

that zombie bear scared the crap out of me. Cool monster, but that fight should not have taken that long, too many great fighters were off screen, and why wasn't that bear just immediately stabbed with dragonglass.

I like littlefinger's play here, but it shouldn't work with Bran's power. That's the problem with giving someone omniscience in a story built around manipulation. They've done a nice job explaining Bran's detachment, but that only goes so far.

I like that killing a walker destroys the undead they've summoned. That creates a plausible mechanic for victory

The hound has had such a fascinating journey over the arc of this show. Who would have tracked him from Joffrey's toady to starring down the walkers.

I don't mind the way this season has collapsed geography in the service of the story, but the raven to dragonstone and the dragons beyond the wall before Jon's party freezes to death is a bit much. I mean, I don't care in the end. But it's hard not to ignore.

the dragon rescue (and death) were great. Wonderful shot of it sinking into the ice. And now we'll get an ice dragon!

I really expected more than Thoros to bite it on this expedition

I'm glad they didn't tease Jon's death in the river. And I was wondering when Benjen would return. This was a nice way to do it.

It will be interesting to see how Dany's ambitions will mesh with her desire to destroy the night king, or if Jon's loyalty tempers her.

Jon's bending the knee makes sense.

great (if obvious) final shot

Be aware that mecca isn't joking: this does spoil a big plot point for the upcoming episode. I look forward to when everyone sees it.

oh geez

I wasn't going to watch the leaked episode, but with all of the spoilers floating around (and the fact that I start a new job Monday morning), I just went for it. Lots of spoilers below...

Spoiler: show

When it comes to Jon's quest, there were a few fun surprises, mostly the bear (get it, Tormund!). But most of everything else was pretty well choreographed, especially Dany's involvement--I wish that was obfuscated more so that it was a more dramatic moment. We knew a dragon had to fall before the end of this year, so while I wasn't shocked, it was done visually well, and Dany was appropriately shaken afterwards. I'll given them this: when the dragon sunk below the ice, I wasn't sure it was going to come back up to be raised from the dead, but I'm glad it was. I'm fine with just Thoros biting it; basically everyone I talked to or listened to this past week predicted at least 3-4 of them to fall, so having only one go (not counting red shirts) was actually unexpected. Loved the small moment when the Hound threw the rock and that got the army going.

As basically everyone else has said, wtf is going on in Winterhell? We are supposed to believe that Arya is, on the one hand, an incredible judge of character and able to take on the personality/mannerisms of anyone she meets, but, on the other, she can't feel her sister's actual pain? I feel like we missed a step here someplace, and a longer season may have been able to draw it out more, but right now the tension feels a bit unearned. I feel fine with Bran not stepping in to clear this shit up--he has bigger fish to fry, and he's already told them this year that he's basically not a Stark anymore, so he probably doesn't care about intra-family squabbles very much. There's an ice dragon, yo.

I'm genuinely not sure where the finale is going to go (for the most part) which is super cool. Looks like all of these people are going to be in King's Landing at the same time: Dany, Jon, Davos, Jorah, the Hound, Tyrion, Brienne, Cersei, Jaime, Bronn, Qyburn (Qyburn??), the Mountain, and Bernie. We haven't had this many major characters in the same place since either Season 1 or the Sept of Balor (ruh-roh!). I'm pretty sure the Cleganes are going to fight, and that Sandor may get an assist from Brienne. Cersei is going to try some shit, but I imagine Jaime isn't going to be happy about it. This could be the one where the Queen bites it. I'm wondering if Euron will appear here or someplace else.

Final thought: I wouldn't be surprised (and I'd be perfectly fine with) if that's the last we see of the White Walkers this year.

I watched it too.

Spoiler: show

The Arya/Sansa stuff is fucking awful.