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What Does That Shocking GAME OF THRONES Moment Mean For the Future?

For many years, George R.R. Martin‘s A Song of Ice and Fire novels have been building towards the ultimate battle between the living and the dead. The TV adaptation long ago jumped past the books and into the endgame for the story. And on Sunday night, Game of Thrones finally arrived at the first major confrontation between the champions of life and the White Walkers’ army of the dead…and it was not pretty. In fact, that ill-fated excursion to the other side of the Wall could mean some very bad things for the future of Westeros. Today’s Nerdist News is starring into the fire and sharing the dark visions to come!

There are massive spoilers ahead for last night’s Game of Thrones, and possibly for future episodes as well. You’ve been warned!

Join host and the mother of two dragons, Jessica Chobot, as we mourn the loss of Viserion, one of the last of his kind. Daenerys named her surrogate child after her late brother, but his new master, the Night’s King, may simply use Viserion as his own weapon of mass destruction. To escape from beyond the Wall with their captive wight, the forces of the living lost one dragon, possibly Benjen “Coldhands” Stark, and Thoros of Myr — the only person other than Melisandre to successfully resurrect someone in the name of the Lord of Light. No matter how you look at the mission’s success, it was a very costly trade.

Martin has teased the existence of ice dragons as far back as a children’s novel that he wrote in 1980, and within the text of his novels. Now that Viserion has fallen and risen again as a Wight, we have to wonder if his fiery breath will now be an icy blue. He may not look like the ice dragons of legend, but Viserion’s transformation almost certainly means that he will once again meet his brothers in the sky…and it won’t be a happy reunion!

But there may yet be hope for Viserion. Within the novels, warging into dragons is thought to be impossible. But Bran is the new Three-Eyed Raven, and Viserion’s mind may not be what it used to be. Alternately, some fans believe that Jon Snow has some unseen abilities from his time as a dead man that may allow him to reclaim Viserion’s allegiance. That last theory is a bit of a stretch, but it would allow the prophecy of the three dragon riders to once again have a viable outcome.

What do you think about Viserion’s fate on the show? Ignite the fires of your thoughts in the comment section below!

Images: HBO

Analyzing all the GAME OF THRONES Craziness from “Beyond the Wall”

The penultimate episode from every season of Game of Thrones has featured either a monumental moment, battle, or death — and Sunday night’s totally bonkers (and fan-servicey) “Beyond the Wall” gave us all of those with a single javelin throw. But there was so much more to discuss and what it might all mean for the season finale, and we tried to cover all of it on today’s Nerdist News Talks Back.

Dead dragons, sister squabbles, unlikely suitors, and more were on the menu for our weekly, special post-Thrones edition of the Nerdist News Talks Back, All Kings Considered, which you can see live every Monday during the season at 1pm PST on Nerdist’s YouTube and Alpha channels. Host Jessica Chobot was joined by Nerdist’s own “Snow-icide Squad:” managing editor Alicia Lutes, producer Jason Nguyen, and associate editor Kyle Anderson.

Leading off the Thrones feast was the cornucopia of events from the “Battle of the Frozen Lake,” further proof after the “Loot Train Attack” the show has given up on coming up with cool names for things. But even with Viserion’s death was the whole sequence big enough to justify it’s status next to the Red Wedding and Battle of the Bastards? And was it too “safe” for the main characters (minus kinda-already-dead Benjen)? Or are those minor quibbles compared to the amazing foot speed of Gendry, which paled in comparison to the amazing thickness of Jon’s “plot armor?”

Also, now that we’re in uncharted (frozen) waters with the whole wight dragon thing, what can we expect from the Night King and the newest member of his army?

When the episode wasn’t focused on the events at that conveniently placed lake, it spent a lot of time down at Winterfell exploring the further splintering of the Stark sisters, with Arya and Sansa at each others’ throats (not literally—yet). But did that strife feel sincere, or like they both took stupid pills? The gang was none too pleased about that or Arya’s bag of faces.

But there were also some tense moments down at Dragonstone, where Tyrion and Daenerys had some frank conversations. Hmm, have we been trying to “ship” the wrong man with her this whole time? Probably not, though we wouldn’t blame Tyrion if he did make a move since Daenerys continues to rock the best wardrobe in the Seven Kingdoms, with another piece from her chic Dragonstone collection.

So tune into today’s episode to hear their thoughts on those topics, plus ideas for potential buddy-cop spin-offs and if the leak ruined some of the surprises.

And don’t forget to cread Alicia’s review of the episode, Amy Ratcliffe’s explanation why the Night King was the episode’s MVP, and my histories about ice dragons and the White Walkers and their leader.

What did you think about “Beyond the Wall?” Talk back to us about it in our comments below.

Images: HBO

WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING ON GAME OF THRONES?

How Gendry’s return is way more than just fan service.
Why Gilly’s Rhaegar revelation could have a huge impact on the future of the show.
Why Arya’s Faceless Men training will ultimately doom Littlefinger’s plans.

World Record-Setting Robot Army Dance is a Beautiful Nightmare

When it comes to ridiculous achievements in order to set Guinness World Records, I happen to be an authority of sorts, having once set a high five world record for pretty much no reason. So I sort of feel a certain kinship with records when they’re particularly weird and/or stupid. Enter: 1,069 robots dancing with more skill than I could ever dream to have.

This autonomous dance party was brought to our attention via an article on Mashable and I’d have to agree that it’s pretty unsettling to watch. Seeing the 1,069 “Dobi” robots from WL Tech move in unison is something I don’t think our brains are really all that equipped to watch. It’s not necessarily an uncanny valley scenario, but rather something to do with seeing an army of automatons working together for a common goal combined with the last century of fiction warning us how terrible an idea that is.

I don’t think we’d immediately go full Terminator or Matrix, but once A.I. becomes sentient, I’m sure they won’t be too happy about this sort of thing. There’ll likely be a lot of conversations trying to explain away all the things we did with robots for entertainment. And that’s not even scratching the surface of what the creeps of the world are trying to do to with technology these days. (Google it, folks!)

Still, until our robot overlords enslave the human race and make us do similar things, a video like this makes for some pretty cool gifs.

What do you think of an army of dancing robots? Is this the first thing the machines will make us do after they rise against us? Let’s discuss in the comments below!

For more science madness, check these out!

The “iPhone” of Robots
Science of Pickle Rick’s Roach Manipulation
Why Star Wars needs to show us something new

Images: Guinness World Records

Classic Movie Slashers Go After the STRANGER THINGS Kids in New Fan Edit

During the first season of Netflix’s Stranger Things, Mike, Justin, Lucas, Eleven, and several others did their best to save Will from the Upside Down and to defeat the Demogorgon. The second season of Stranger Things is set to revisit some of those threats, but what if that was just the beginning? A newly released fan video has taken the Stranger Things kids and pit them against almost all of the slashers from the ’80s horror films, as well as a few more recent creations.

“Slasher Things” was created and posted by Josh Nitsche, and the first change it makes is that it swaps out Dragon’s Lair for the Friday the 13th Nintendo game. From there, the ominous sounds of Jason Voorhees are heard before an appearance by Pinhead and the Cenobites from Hellraiser, as well as Jigsaw from Saw, the Creeper from Jeepers Creepers, Freddy Krueger from Nightmare on Elm Street, and more! Fortunately, the kids have at least one new ally on their side.

We’ve got to admit that Ash Williams circa Evil Dead II is definitely the best hope of defeating that assemblage of monsters. The other horror icons who appeared included Michael Myers, Candyman, Chucky, the original Leprechaun, Warlock, Ghostface, and the evil creations from Full Moon’s Puppet Master series. There’s also an appearance by Leatherface and Pennyworth, as well as a vocal cameo from Phantasm‘s Tall Man.

This was a very effective edit, and reusing the Stranger Things season 2 trailer with Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and Vincent Price’s timeless narration only enhanced it. We’d binge the hell out of this mash-up if it was a real thing!

Stranger Things season 2 is coming to Netflix on October 27.

What did you think about “Slasher Things”? Cut a rug in the comment section below!

Image: Netflix

Watch the First Trailer for J.K. Rowling’s THE CUCKOO’S CALLING TV Series

J.K. Rowling‘s latest adaptation isn’t magical in the slightest, but it IS the second time one of her multi-book projects is making is heading to the screen. And oh, what a murder most foul it is.

Writing under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, Rowling released the first installment in her Strike series back in 2013 and titled it The Cuckoo’s Calling — her first post-Potter break out. Doing something outside of Wizarding World of Harry Potter and a bit more mysterious and everyday-grounded is certainly a different take for Rowling, but the story looks right at home on BBC One as a 3-part miniseries. Check out the trailer below:

The series was written by Ben Richards and directed by Michael Keillor. and will follow Tom Burke as Cormoran Strike, a “war veteran turned private detective,” who’s “wounded both physically and psychologically,” and has “unique insight” thanks to “his background as an SIB Investigator … solving three complex cases which have eluded the police.” The series also stars Holliday Grainger as Strike’s assistant, Robin.

Naturally, if this does well it leaves room for further adaptations of Cormoran Strike’s story, which was continued in two other detective novels featuring Strike, including The Silkworm in 2014 and Career of Evil in 2015.

What do you think of the trailer? Are you going to watch it on BBC One when it premieres on August 27th? Or are you an American who must wait for either HBO or Cinemax (since it was a co-production) to air it here in the states? Let us know in the comments below!

Image: BBC One

RICK AND MORTY Writers Explain Rick and Jerry’s Complicated Relationship

The totality of the solar eclipse is dependent on where you are in North America, but the totality of the mutual hatred between Rick Sanchez and Jerry Smith in Rick and Morty is visible no matter where you are. An incredibly dominant mad scientist and a milquetoast human pity-party make for strange arch nemeses, but season three of the hit Adult Swim series has been all about that, and how Rick’s stranglehold over the Smith family means Jerry’s out. In episode five, “The Wirly Dirly Conspiracy,” they spent some time together, and the writers of the show explain this oddly poetic pairing.

In the episode, Jerry talks about how his life with Beth and the kids was very normal and happy before Rick suddenly reappeared in their lives, and because of that Jerry has a deep and abiding hatred for being forcibly pulled into a sci-fi world, and that his wife and kids definitely seem to like Rick better. According to Justin Roiland, Dan Harmon, Ryan Ridley, and Mike McMahan in the above look inside “Wirly Dirly,” Rick and Jerry would probably get along okay if they met in a vacuum as we see early in the episode when they sit at the bar. But there can’t be a vacuum, and Jerry will always fill it with self-loathing, and maybe even tacitly take part in a scheme to murder Rick.

As our own Scott Beggs pointed out, “The Wirly Dirly Conspiracy” is an episode designed to make us feel pretty bad about the characters, with oddly Morty being the only one having anything close to take-charge, Rick-like moments. This season has pretty much been Rick as the primary antagonist, and his excursion with Jerry exemplifies that pretty handily, but Jerry is also an antagonist, of his own life, only showing backbone when he feels like there will be no repercussions. Damn, this show.

More Rick and Morty!

Why “Wirly Dirly” was the cruelest episode
What kind of ants are in Million Ants?
A hard look at “Vindicators 3”

Image: Adult Swim

Kyle Anderson is the Associate Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Twitter!

AMERICAN HORROR STORY: CULT’s Title Credits are Deeply Political and Very Creepy

Another season of American Horror Story is nearly upon us, and this year is probably going to be more terrifying than ever. Why is that exactly? Because, American Horror Story: Cult is going to be based on – at least in part – the 2016 presidential election. And we all are aware what a real horror story that turned out to be in the end.

Of course, the creepiest, most effective parts of each season of AHS are usually the highly evocative opening credits sequence, and it turns out that the seventh season’s is among the creepiest title credits they have ever done. You can watch a preview of the entire new opening sequence down below:

After skipping an opening credits sequence for last year’s Roanoke season, series creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk have doubled down on the creepy factor for this new one. So what clues to the new season can be gleaned from this year’s credits? After a close-up of bees swarming/erupting from a person’s skin, we see what looks like members of the titular cult in both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton masks, along with an American flag dripping in blood. Will there be rival political cults? With the season said to be a love story, could we see star-crossed lovers from two opposing sides? And how do all the clowns fit in?

Long serving AHS cast members Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Cheyenne Jackson, Emma Roberts, and Frances Conroy are returning to the fold this year, although it doesn’t seem Kathy Bates or Angela Bassett are returning (bummer).

A lot of new faces are joining the cast this season though, like Billie Lourd, Allison Pill, Billy Eichner, Colton Haynes, Lena Dunham, Dina Porter, Leslie Grossman, Mare Winningham, and Chaz Bono.

AHS: Cult will premiere its 11 episode season on Tuesday, September 5th at 10/9c on FX.

Are you excited about AHS: Cult, or is the political theme throwing you off? Let us know your thoughts down below in the comments.

Images: FX

New SHADOW OF WAR Trailer Fights Monsters with Monsters

This fall, the saga of fallen ranger Talion continues in Middle-earth: Shadow of War. Talion and the spirit of the elf lord Celebrimbor have made their boldest play yet to avenge themselves on Sauron. Together, they’ve created a new ring of power which has transformed Talion into the “Bright Lord” and challenged Sauron’s supremacy as the Lord of the Rings. And while Talion’s upgraded abilities allow him to transform orcs into his followers, there are still creatures in Middle-earth that are far beyond his capacity to fight.

In Shadow of War‘s newly released “Monsters of Mordor” trailer, we get a glimpse of dragons, trolls, and other monstrous creations inhabiting the land of Mordor. That includes an adversary that even Celebrimbor fears as he urges Talion to lay down his sword and kneel before it. The trailer also unleashes a Balrog from the depths; which neither Talion nor Celebrimbor can defeat. But in this battle, they have a very powerful ally.

As seen in the video, some of these monsters can be controlled or at least guided by Talion, and used to fight Sauron’s forces. Getting a chance to ride a dragon or a large troll into battle is definitely enticing. However, Talion’s efforts may lead him to even darker places, as the video also includes a pivotal question that he may not be able to answer: “what have we unleashed?”

Middle-Earth: Shadow of War will be released on October 10.

Check Out These Other Epic Stories!

Shadow of Mordor buddy demo
Kumail Nanjiani plays an unconfident orc
Never-before-published Tolkien story available

What do you think about Shadow of War‘s new “Monsters” trailer? Unleash your thoughts in the comment section below!

Image: Warner Bros. Interactive

Get Spiritual With Our RICK AND MORTY T-Shirt Giveaway!

Earlier this season on Rick and Morty, Rick essentially forced Jerry Smith out of their family and into an even more pathetic stage of existence. This week was a change of pace, as Rick literally dragged Jerry out of bed for a pity adventure. As Rick said, it was “a Rick and Jerry episode!”

Jerry may not have had time to put on a pair of pants (or any clothes, really), but there’s always time for T-shirts! This week’s Rick and Morty T-shirt reflects one of the stranger twists that we’ve seen in a while. Are you ready for his holiness, Rick Sanchez? While on a trip through a wormhole, Jerry had a mind altering experience in which he briefly saw Rick as a spiritual leader. And then things got really weird!



We’re loving the new season of Rick and Morty,  and we’re celebrating that love by teaming up with Spencers to give away 10 t-shirts every Monday that capture the spirit of each individual episode. That’s never been more true than this week! This shirt can be yours if you achieve enlightenment. Or perhaps we could just give it to you for free! All you have to do to enter our weekly giveaway is to click here and tweet.

Previously, fans had the chance to win a Vindicators T-shirt, as well as Pickle Rick, and Mad Morty shirts. If you missed those chances, you can still purchase those T-shirts from Spencers. In fact, they have an extensive collection of Rick and Morty merchandise, which you can buy here!

What do you think about the latest Rick and Morty T-shirt? Let us know in the comment section below!

Images: Adult Swim/Spencers

What else is happening in Rick and Morty?

How Rick and Morty trolled us so well with Pickle Rick.
Mr. Poopy Butthole got his own theme song!
What kind of ant is the Vindicators’ Million Ants made of?
Rick and Morty‘s latest episode proves this season is all about us.

History of Thrones: The Chilling Legend of [SPOILERS]

Warning: This post contains major spoilers and theories related to this week’s episode of Game of Thrones , so if those leave you feeling cold you best not leave the warmth of this introduction.

You can find our past entries in our History of Thrones series here.

..

..

That…that wasn’t supposed to happen. Now what in seven bloody hells are we supposed to do?

Because despite the incredibly complex history of Westeros, there is absolutely no precedent for a dragon dying and being raised by the Night King. There’s no legend or myth about that ever happening—anywhere. Dragons either weren’t around during the first Long Night, or they played no role in that war.

We are truly in uncharted territory here, which means we need to look for clues wherever we can find them. And the only thing that might tell us what happens now are the old tales of ice dragons.

Ice dragons might be a myth; there is no tangible proof they have ever existed. If there is any truth to the lore though, they are as destructive as their fiery counterparts. So here’s everything we know—and some things we might know—about ice dragons.

FROM A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE

Despite five dense novels from George R.R. Martin, there is very little talk of ice dragons in them. However, it is noteworthy that almost all of them come from the fifth and most recent novel, A Dance With Dragons.

The first mention of literal ice dragons comes in the third novel in the A Song of Ice and Fire series, A Storm of Swords. Jon Snow thinks of them while walking through a tunnel in the Wall.

The ice pressed close around them, and he could feel the cold seeping into his bones, the weight of the Wall above his head. It felt like walking down the gullet of an ice dragon.

That’s it for mentions of literal ice dragons through the first four novels (we’ll explain why we keep saying literal), which makes the three mentions of them in A Dance With Dragons feel monumental. Just like the first reference, these all come from Jon point-of-view chapters.

The wind was gusting, cold as the breath of the ice dragon in the tales Old Nan had told when Jon was a boy.

The road beneath the Wall was as dark and cold as the belly of an ice dragon and as twisty as a serpent.

The snowfall was light today, a thin scattering of flakes dancing in the air, but the wind was blowing in from the east along the Wall, cold as the breath of the ice dragon in the tales Old Nan used to tell.

By mentioning that Jon learned about ice dragons as a kid from the stories of Old Nan it makes the idea of them retroactive, a part of Westerosi lore and Jon’s childhood the same way those crazy, totally-not-true stories about the Night King were. These could just be colorful metaphors from George R.R. Martin, which would also have the added benefit of misdirecting lunatics (:raises hand:) who often obsess over nothing. Or maybe not.

THE WORLD OF ICE AND FIRE: THE SHIVERING SEA

It’s hard not to consider ice dragons are real and will eventually play a role in the story when there is a tantalizing passage about them in the companion book The World of Ice and Fire, the compendium history “written” by Maester Yandel for Tommen Baratheon. Throughout the book Yandel is extremely skeptical about stories of magic, and tales of mythical monsters and heroes, many of which we as viewers and reader now know are real. That’s why Yandel’s dismissal of ice dragons being real in the section on the Shivering Sea doesn’t carry much weight.

The Shivering Sea is made up of the cold waters east of upper Westeros, north of the continent of Essos, with the “vast frozen wilderness of ice and snow” known as the White Waste to its north. The Shivering Sea, whose true size is unknown, is a perilous place for sailors (you definitely don’t want to visit Cannibal Bay). The few who have traveled to its northern reaches and managed to return tell dark tales of what they’ve seen there, including reports of “queer lights shimmering in the sky” and “pale blue mists that move across the waters, mists so cold that any ship they pass over is frozen.”

But the greatest myth of the Shivering Sea are the legends of the ice dragons that soar over its skies. They are said to be made of actual ice, with crystal, pale blue eyes and translucent wings, and are “many times larger” than even the dragons of Valyria. Like the fire-breathing beasts we know, they are said to be able to bring about a swift death, since ice dragons “supposedly breathe cold, a chill so terrible that it can freeze a man solid in half a heartbeat,” Ice and fire are two sides of the same coin.

Maester Yandel writes that “sailors from half a hundred nations” have reported seeing ice dragons, but he remains unconvinced, especially because ice dragons “supposedly melt when slain,” so “no actual proof of their existence has ever been found.”

Considering the legends say you can see the night stars through the translucent body of an ice dragon, they could be as hard to spot flying in the sky as they are if they are reduced to a puddle when they die.

THE ICE DRAGON CONSTELLATION

We need to separate talk of literal ice dragons in the books because they also mention a constellation of stars that are known as the Ice Dragon.

Found in the northern skies of Westeros, the constellation is referenced in the second and third novels, A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords, as well as in the second Dunk and Egg novella, The Sworn Sword.

The Ice Dragon’s “blue eye” points north, and its tail points south. Osha tells Bran he’ll reach the Wall by looking for the eye, which Bran remembers later when he is lost. Sam looks for the Ice Dragon’s tail when he and Gilly are trying to make it south back to the Wall. The night before Jon climbs the Wall with the wildlings, he looks to the sky and thinks how he and the Ice Dragon are old friends.

An obvious connection exists between the constellation, with its “blue eye,” and the legends of literal ice dragons, but it’s unknown which came first.

(Both ice dragons and the Ice Dragon are also referenced in Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series.)

GEORGE R.R. MARTIN’S CHILDREN’S BOOK THE ICE DRAGON

Long before he even had the idea for A Song of Ice and Fire, George R.R. Martin released a children’s book titled The Ice Dragon, about an unusual young girl named Adara who has a special connection to an ice dragon.

Martin has said that despite the claims of some publishers, the story is not in the same universe as A Song of Ice and Fire—but there are many parallels between it, the world of Game of Thrones, and the legends of ice dragons.

The book has fire-breathing dragons, but they are much smaller than the ice dragon. While it is described as being blue-like in appearance, Adara can see the night sky through it. Her ice dragon also breathes a cold that forms ice, killing animals in an instant. “The ice dragon breathed death into the world; death and quiet and cold.” (This might sound crazy, but this is a sweet kids’ story.)

It’s not clear if the cold brings the ice dragon, or if the ice dragon brings the cold (just like no one is sure if the White Walkers bring the cold or vice versa). Every year an ice dragon was spotted the winters were colder and the spring shorter.

What is clear is that you can ride an ice dragon , because Adara mounted it. Which she did while her ice dragon killed three fire-breathing dragons who attacked her home. However the ice dragon gave his life to save hers, and all that was left of him was….dramatic drum roll…..a pond, which is really just a big puddle.

THEORIES

One popular fan theory says that there is a dragon locked inside the Wall itself, one that will be released if it ever falls. But if that is true why was it locked up? To keep men safe from its destructive powers? Or because the existence of the White Walkers made it a potential weapon in any future Great War?

Is it possible a real ice dragon isn’t something to be feared at all though? Was it possibly put there to one day be used as a weapon for men if the protection of the Wall failed them?

Or is it possible there is no literal icy opposite to the fire-breathing dragons of Daenerys? Could the ice dragon be something else? Say like the son of a Stark (ice) and a Targaryen (dragon)? Jon Snow is the only character in the novels who keeps thinking about ice dragons. Is that because he is the Ice Dragon?

We have no idea. We’re not even sure if a dead, fire-breathing dragon raised by the Night King is anything like an ice dragon. But we’re in uncharted waters now, with no other historical equivalent to look at.

But something tells us that whether or not the Night King has recruited an ice dragon, or just reanimated a regular dead dragon into his army, it’s bad news for the living.

What do you think? What happens now? Give us your predictions, no matter how chilling, in our comments below.

Images: HBO

Confused About What’s Going Down on Thrones? Read these:

Click here to read about The Long Night and see why this might be its sequel.
Curious about the religions of Westeros? Read this!
Here’s why Jon Snow’s parents fell in love (probably) and why it was so forbidden.
More details on Valyrian steel can be found here!