“Blood of My Blood” ratings mark low point for season 6 

The numbers from last Sunday are in and, though the 

episode “Blood of My Blood” outstripped its competition, the ratings could still be better.

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that aired the same night. The episode nonetheless marks a low point in viewership for the season thus far. With only 6.71 million views, it’s the first time live viewership for season 6 has fallen below 7 million.

However, the reason for this dip may have less to do with the episode itself and more with the fact that “Blood of My Blood” aired on Memorial Day weekend. As we’ve previously noted, ratings have a tendency to slump during that holiday and we can remain optimistic that next week’s episode, “The Broken Man” will see an upturn.

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Yeah not really worried considering it was Memorial Weekend. Expected a six pointer, really. Good post, though.

Memorial day, nothing you could to about this.

I still think it’s bigger then EP7 had last year.

The title of next week’s episode ensures all book readers will be watching. GET HYPE. Swedgin, Wu, heng dai.

I still think it’s bigger then EP7 had last year.

“the reason for this dip may have less to do with the episode itself and more with the fact that “Blood of My Blood” aired on Memorial Day weekend”.

Indeed, I think it’s a safe wager that the dip has absolutely nothing to do with the episode itself, as viewers have no idea what the episode will be like before they watch it.

Plus episode 5 was huge and very well received, so the reason that fewer people watched episode 6 isn’t linked to the quality of the show. It’s just the Memorial Day thing. Which I still can’t believe is huge enough to cause a 1,18 million drop.

I guess as someone living in Europe I can’t really comprehend the importance of Memorial Day.

I doubt it. Apart from anything I may have been referring to, we know Jon, Sansa, and Davos will be in this coming episode, so it can’t be too boring.

The Bran story in episode 3 and The Door is the first time since the beginning of season 5 that any other plotline has come close to challenging Jon’s plotline as the best on the show.

“Jansavos”, Riverlands, “The Broken Man” thing, Theon and Yara heading for Dany, and trouble brewing between Arya and the Waif, yeah I don’t think it’ll be slow.

Plus we may get some Sons of the Harpy action, cause something big needs to happen with that plotline soon. I just hope we get more Bran and Benjen, though honestly it doesn’t seem too likely for this week.

So 1,3 million more people watched this episode on Memorial day, then last year.

I think that’s a good number after all.

Also expect the numbers to rise starting next week, before people were excited for EP9 but Hardhome changed this.

Is it wrong that I loved that speech so much?

Ooo do we know for sure that Theon and Yara will be in the episode? I’m very interested to see what’s brewing there.

It was also a filler episode, might have contributed to it

Plus episode 5 was huge and very well received, so the reason that fewer people watched episode 6 isn’t linked to the quality of the show. It’s just the Memorial Day thing. Which I still can’t believe is huge enough to cause a 1,18 million drop.

I guess as someone living in Europe I can’t really comprehend the importance of Memorial Day.

Its not just Memorial Day as a time to remember those who died, its also the first long weekend of the summer season. Kids getting out of school, graduating, ready to go play, families going on quick holiday, family get togethers, that sort of thing. And the fact that its so easy to watch it later makes people not worry about missing it when it is aired.

There is no such thing as freakin “filler” in GoT, only character development and well-paced storytelling. Enough with the f word already.

That’s interesting, I don’t believe HBO sends out emails informing people of the quality of an episode before they watch it. I guess people must be able to see the future like Bran and they saw it would be a “filler” episode so they knew not to put it on.

My entire family and friends were shit faced hammered out in the boat all weekend.

That’s like 10 people that didn’t watch until Monday night.

I will say, it was almost impossible all day Monday to not visit this site out of habit.

The title of next week’s episode ensures all book readers will be watching. GET HYPE. Swedgin, Wu, heng dai.

Craster’s keep and the whole Locke story in Season 4 was as close to filler as the show ever came.

Aside from that, everything is important to the characters, and to the story. People don’t really know what filler means.

For them to put “ratings could still be better” is kinda dumb since as mentioned it was mem wknd.

That’s interesting, I don’t believe HBO sends out emails informing people of the quality of an episode before they watch it.

I guess people must be able to see the future like Bran and they saw it would be a “filler” episode so they knew not to put it on.

Shouldn’t be, unless one is really not into the Starks/Tully and a beautiful contemplation about Broken Men. That speech, if it takes place, is really great writing by GRRM, that is why many book readers would probably be excited by the title.

I lived in the US and I really don’t see how Memorial Day can have such an effect on the ratings. But, then again, I’m not incredibly patriotic compared to other people.

We actually have May 24 weekend here in Canada, Canadian public holiday celebrated on the last Monday before May 25, in honour of Queen Victoria’s birthday, this usually occurs the week before memorial day. Many people go on mini long weekend vacations or go to cottages or even just do stuff on a Sunday night (as opposed to staying in since Mondays are usually a work day). So it does make sense that LESS people watch the show live.

Though, I, always plan around it 😉 unless I go away.

Sons of the Harpy are not likely too. I assume that they will show up in ep8. This episode has too much to cover. Both the North and Riverlands will be full of actions and interactions. Riverlands will probably include Brienne etc. And Arya’s runaway sequence should be in this episode too. Plus Ramsay may show up his face for the North to be reminded. Plus Kings Landing. So there is no time for Sons of the Harpy. However, some short scene from Meereen would be good to have.

its not about being patriotic. its about the less likely chance people are staying in on a Sunday night since Monday is a day off… people go out, make plans, or go away for a long weekend.

How would anybody know that before it aired? How can any episodes content effect the initial rating since people are watching it for the first time?

its a book thing? ah I fear the backlash if it doesn’t go their way.

Sons of the Harpy are not likely too. I assume that they will show up in ep8. This episode has too much to cover. Both the North and Riverlands will be full of actions and interactions. Riverlands will probably include Brienne etc. And Arya’s runaway sequence should be in this episode too. Plus Ramsay may show up his face for the North to be reminded. Plus Kings Landing. So there is no time for Sons of the Harpy. However, some short scene from Meereen would be good to have.

Plus Greyjoys in Volantis. On top of all that, this is the shortest episode of the season (besides the premiere) at 51 minutes.

We still have to see a Rickon/Ramsay scene, so maybe this episode.

I know many people can’t stand/ are sick of Ramsay, but I feel like they need to have him in a couple episodes before his downfall (or what I hope will be his downfall), especially since he sat out episodes 5 and 6.

His presence should be felt as a threat and as an ominous entity, to reinforce the importance of taking back Winterfell.

Basically I just hope there will be enough build up so that the Battle of the Bastards is as satisfying as it can be.

It would be interesting to get the numbers of those who watched the show via HBO Go etc. There is a good chance that the drop of TV viewership was largely compensated by online viewership.

I think given the ‘big’ moments that have occurred this season, there’s an expectation for a contingent of viewers (and some reviewers) for thrills every subsequent episode. It grates on me because one thing this show isn’t, is redundant. Ep 6 had some nice developments for Sam, Arya and Margeary, which I was wanting given how they had been sidelined up until then.

God forbid every episode doesn’t feature White Walkers.

How would people know ahead of time what’s ‘filler’ and what’s not? Besides which, it wasn’t filler…it was full of plot progression which is the exact opposite of ‘filler’. It’s not filler just because it didn’t contain a lot of action.

We need Rickon and Ramsay urgently. Hope they appear in the next episode.

It won’t please everybody for sure because the speech is too long for TV so if they do it, and given the title they probably will, they’ll have a shorter version. But if you ever get a chance to read it in its entirety, you should. It talks about what war does to men in a very eloquent way.

True; we take lots of mini vacations during the summer and do not drive the week of Memorial Day, Father’s Day and Independence Day so are usually home at those times.

Yeah, possibly. Not that I am worried about the number; don’t think there is any danger of this show being canceled or anything 🙂

We actually have May 24 weekend here in Canada, Canadian public holiday celebrated on the last Monday before May 25, in honour of Queen Victoria’s birthday, this usually occurs the week before memorial day. Many people go on mini long weekend vacations or go to cottages or even just do stuff on a Sunday night (as opposed to staying in since Mondays are usually a work day). So it does make sense that LESS people watch the show live.

Though, I, always plan around it unless I go away.

Wow, Canadians seem to take Victoria more seriously than the Brits do.

Yes, its from the book and its quite wonderful. However, it is several paragraphs long; I really doubt they will include it all; probably hit the best parts. I hope Im wrong but I wouldn’t be surprised if it is condensed

great minds think a like 🙂 But I agree, read the whole thing, its well worth it (and you can ind it on the net if you don’t want to try to scan through the books. Google ‘Broken Man Speech’

The Monday was a Bank Holiday (a sort of generic name for a public holiday in the UK) and a number of people were on holiday (vacation) in the UK. I know that doesn’t affect USA viewing figures of course. I quite liked Sunday’s episode. I think some of the events may pay off later in the series. I can’t see Sam’s fond papa being a happy bunny about the fact that the family Valeryan sword has developed legs and disappeared in the night and if we are being set up for Dany going to Westeros I don’t mind – I worked my way through five books expecting her to make some progress in that direction and, well, she didn’t and after five and a half series I’m glad to see the White Walkers (or “Others”) make some movement.

We take any warm weather holiday serious! We know better than most that winter is coming!

I’m a long suffering book reader who is fine with differences between sources.

I love this year…especially since the SS have been limited. I’m not a fan of how the SS were handled in general. Another short episode though and apparently no SS…so maybe they did just try to write them out after last year didn’t go so well?

OT: I saw X-men last night and I liked it…and I’m a comic book reader for that series as well. It looks to be a set up movie for future movies again. Singer didn’t mess it up…and he even took a jab at X-men 3…lol

Im going to see that soon! I heard bad things about it so I was worried.

Also, I saw Captain America last night – loved it!

Funny, I just didn’t get a chance to see Captain America yet and I chose Xmen instead last night.

Critics are complaining somewhat for originality I think…but I think they did a good job…these are mostly the same characters. Basically ,they re-established the characters from DOFP quite well. They had another slow-mo Quicksilver scene which is just awesome.

Sophie I think did well for her part…but I personally don’t yet think of her as a Jean grey…and not because I think of her as Sansa…I just really liked Famke Janssen.

I like how they set up Jean for a future movie better than how 3 went. They even had a Mister Sinister reference post-credits…I cant ruin it for you but it could be very good.

I thought Scott sucked again though…argh…I liked Cyclops in the comics.

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