Game of Thrones, tv only, books don't exist, no backstory...NERDS already ruining a series that hasn't started (3 Viewers)

[Notorious T.R.E.]

I guess the bolded was my problem as far as the storytelling goes. We've been led to believe Stannis isn't a monster and that he loves his daughter, and what we saw didn't jibe with that at all. So if that's still the case, the showrunners/writers should explain to us why it had to go down like this. If it was the blood that was important, there were lots of other options. If death by fire was necessary, why did it have to be done with all the pomp and circumstance and in front of the girl's mother? I'm not opposed to those things happening if there's a reason for them and we are told that reason, but the lack of explanation left us wondering why and created a disconnect with the character we'd known so far. Didn't need to be a long drawn-out boring buildup; a couple minutes here or there over the last few episodes would have done it. In fact it was such a disconnect that I was mostly just wondering if they had done something to explain it and I'd missed it.

FWIW the guy who writes the Ask the Maester column for Grantland agreed with my point here, and obviously said it much better than I did:

What bothers me about the scene is that it’s based on a character acting in a way that’s counter to how he’s been depicted all series. Stannis has been depicted as one of the greatest generals in the realm. He held the Storm’s End against a one-year siege by eating rats. So if the device that gets Stannis to the place where he’s desperate enough to burn his only daughter and heir alive is (1) some snow and (2) a sudden and convenient ineptitude at doing war stuff, that feels off to me. Stannis, “the greatest military commander in Westeros” per Davos, is in enemy territory, on the march toward a belligerent castle, and for some reason (i.e., to make this scene happen) he doesn’t have scouts out or watchmen guarding the camp or have his army — made up largely of professional mercenaries who themselves should know better — in the state of alertness necessary in a war.

Also: Ramsay is now a ninja. I don’t buy it.

Of course bad things happen on Game of Thrones. But when you arrive at those things through contrivances, it cheapens the shock. It’s about consistent storytelling.

A) I don't understand why you (and this writer) keep saying he acted contrary to how he's acted throughout the series. He's been burning/sacrificing people throughout the course of the series to gain favors from the witch's god to further his own career. It's been a pretty obvious downward spiral for him from a man of principle to a man whose lust for power can't afford principle anymore. He murdered his own brother ffs. This is just a new low for him, not some big out of character surprise.

B) Being a great general doesn't make you proof against weather - lots of real life examples of great generals who got proper ####ed by circumstances beyond their control (like weather). His mistake was setting out in the first place.

It's definitely contrary to his recent behavior and the way his narrative was shaped by the writers. This is not really a controversial position. It's been stated in virtually every review of the episode. If you want to disagree and pretend he's been portrayed as a cold-hearted monster for whom this was merely a small step down from his usual awfulness, we'll just have to agree to disagree.

Can't we all just agree that you're wrong?

Sure, why should this thread be different than any of the others

 

[RUSF18]

A few episodes ago, Red Witch said Stannis would need to sacrifice his daughter for the King's Blood. He asked if there was any other way, such as leeches. She said it wouldn't be enough this time.

I get it if you want to debate whether or not Stannis would actually go through with it, but I don't understand any confusion about where this actually came from. A lot of things get implied on this show...this was explicitly stated.

 

[Rubi]

Season finale next week ALREADY!?

I didn't even get my full 3 month discount on HBO and it's ENDING!?

 

[Gr00vus]

It's definitely contrary to his recent behavior and the way his narrative was shaped by the writers. This is not really a controversial position. It's been stated in virtually every review of the episode. If you want to disagree and pretend he's been portrayed as a cold-hearted monster for whom this was merely a small step down from his usual awfulness, we'll just have to agree to disagree.

So he wasn't a cold hearted monster when he: burned his brother in law at the stake, invoked witchcraft to kill his brother, burned Mance Rayder (one of the worst names in the show) at the stake, ordered the hanging of multiple soldiers because some guys broke into camp - regardless of what the soldiers said/did. Oh, he also cut off the fingers of his main advisor and best friend after said best friend delivered a shipment of food that saved Stannis and his people from starving/losing a war, because that advisor/friend used to be a smuggler. I'm sure I'm forgetting a few other wonderful things he's done too. One would never, ever have suspected he'd burn his own child at the stake - nope, no siree. Totally out of character - even though they've been telegraphing this event for the whole ####### season on top of all the other "non-monstrous" stuff he's already done.

But seriously, how could anyone not see this coming? It would have been more shocking if he hadn't followed through.

 

[El Floppo]

Season finale next week ALREADY!?

I didn't even get my full 3 month discount on HBO and it's ENDING!?

Speaking of...

what's on tap for HBO after Got, Silicon Valley and Veep series shutdown for the season?

Ballers and The Brink look pretty bad from commercials... any word on these? True Detective should be good otoh.

 

[Spin]

It's definitely contrary to his recent behavior and the way his narrative was shaped by the writers. This is not really a controversial position. It's been stated in virtually every review of the episode. If you want to disagree and pretend he's been portrayed as a cold-hearted monster for whom this was merely a small step down from his usual awfulness, we'll just have to agree to disagree.

So he wasn't a cold hearted monster when he: burned his brother in law at the stake, invoked witchcraft to kill his brother, burned Mance Rayder (one of the worst names in the show) at the stake, ordered the hanging of multiple soldiers because some guys broke into camp - regardless of what the soldiers said/did. Oh, he also cut off the fingers of his main advisor and best friend after said best friend delivered a shipment of food that saved Stannis and his people from starving/losing a war, because that advisor/friend used to be a smuggler. I'm sure I'm forgetting a few other wonderful things he's done too. One would never, ever have suspected he'd burn his own child at the stake - nope, no siree. Totally out of character.

He also burned all the bannerman that refused to take down their idols. Or something along those lines.

 

[Spin]

The Hound still being alive would be fun.

If they do the Arya retending to be a prostitute thing they better have her kill him before anything bad happens to her or the internet might break with people complaining again about what happens to women and girls in this show.

Wouldn't it be different since she saw what he was/likes and was using that against him for the kill?

Btw, the main gripe about the scene that shall not be named is still valid:

Spoiler

X episodes later, neither Sansa or Reek has changed at all, so there was really no point to it, story-wise.

Completely disagree. Reek admitting that he didn't kill the Stark boys was a huge change of character from Reek and back into Theon.

 

[GregR]

ramsay didn't burn the tents, Red women did

With Davos's estimate of how many people did it matching the number Ramsay was taking to attack them with, I wouldn't think so.

But man would that make for an excellent twist if red chica had done it to push Stannis to burning his kid. Maybe next episode Ramsay telling his father the tents started catching on fire seemingly on their own, spoiling his attack.

 

[TobiasFunke]

A few episodes ago, Red Witch said Stannis would need to sacrifice his daughter for the King's Blood. He asked if there was any other way, such as leeches. She said it wouldn't be enough this time.

I get it if you want to debate whether or not Stannis would actually go through with it, but I don't understand any confusion about where this actually came from. A lot of things get implied on this show...this was explicitly stated.

I don't think I expressed any confusion about where it came from. I expressed frustration about what I thought was a shoddy job by the storytellers in getting the characters and the circumstances to that place. The "explanation" you cite is a good example of that. It's not a real explanation. It's a contrived line with no basis in anything else we've been told. Why isn't it enough? We're not told. Why does the method of sacrifice jump from obtaining kings' blood (the reason Shireen was chosen for sacrifice) to one of the few methods of killing someone that makes it virtually impossible to obtain a decent quantity of their blood? Again, we're not told. Why did it have to be done in public ceremony in front of a mother who will obviously be devastated and troops who will probably find it a bit disheartening? Again, we're not told.

I'm fine with doing all those things, but I think you have to explain why you're doing them. Even if the explanation is as simple as "the Lord of Light demands fire instead of blood this time, and he demands that the sacrifice and her relatives suffer as much as possible. And hey, your troops can roast marshmallows on your daughter's smoldering flesh, that will be good for morale!" At least say it on screen. Don't hide it. That's a cheap trick to heighten the emotional impact of scene IMO.

 

[shuke]

True Detective should be good otoh.

I also liked The Leftovers.

Even after I found out it wasn't about food.

 

[dhockster]

ramsay didn't burn the tents, Red women did

With Davos's estimate of how many people did it matching the number Ramsay was taking to attack them with, I wouldn't think so.

But man would that make for an excellent twist if red chica had done it to push Stannis to burning his kid. Maybe next episode Ramsay telling his father the tents started catching on fire seemingly on their own, spoiling his attack.

How about Ramsey in cahoots with the Red Witch? He has been secretly worshipping the ROFL LMAO (per your post from yesterday)

 

[Notorious T.R.E.]

A few episodes ago, Red Witch said Stannis would need to sacrifice his daughter for the King's Blood. He asked if there was any other way, such as leeches. She said it wouldn't be enough this time.

I get it if you want to debate whether or not Stannis would actually go through with it, but I don't understand any confusion about where this actually came from. A lot of things get implied on this show...this was explicitly stated.

I don't think I expressed any confusion about where it came from. I expressed frustration about what I thought was a shoddy job by the storytellers in getting the characters and the circumstances to that place. The "explanation" you cite is a good example of that. It's not a real explanation. It's a contrived line with no basis in anything else we've been told. Why isn't it enough? We're not told. Why does the method of sacrifice jump from obtaining kings' blood (the reason Shireen was chosen for sacrifice) to one of the few methods of killing someone that makes it virtually impossible to obtain a decent quantity of their blood? Again, we're not told. Why did it have to be done in public ceremony in front of a mother who will obviously be devastated and troops who will probably find it a bit disheartening? Again, we're not told.

I'm fine with doing all those things, but I think you have to explain why you're doing them. Even if the explanation is as simple as "the Lord of Light demands fire instead of blood this time, and he demands that the sacrifice and her relatives suffer as much as possible. And hey, your troops can roast marshmallows on your daughter's smoldering flesh, that will be good for morale!" At least say it on screen. Don't hide it. That's a cheap trick to heighten the emotional impact of scene IMO.

A great gift requires a great sacrifice

Death by fire is the purest death

 

[dutch]

I am one who didn't think it was out of character for Stannis to burn his kid. I fell for the storytelling and lead up throughout the show and was not surprised that Stannis went through with the deed.

 

[El Floppo]

True Detective should be good otoh.

I also liked The Leftovers.

Even after I found out it wasn't about food.

I kinda overall liked it- some downright amazing stuff mixed in with and elevating it over the annoying.

is season 2 scheduled for this summer?

 

[Koya]

It's definitely contrary to his recent behavior and the way his narrative was shaped by the writers. This is not really a controversial position. It's been stated in virtually every review of the episode. If you want to disagree and pretend he's been portrayed as a cold-hearted monster for whom this was merely a small step down from his usual awfulness, we'll just have to agree to disagree.

So he wasn't a cold hearted monster when he: burned his brother in law at the stake, invoked witchcraft to kill his brother, burned Mance Rayder (one of the worst names in the show) at the stake, ordered the hanging of multiple soldiers because some guys broke into camp - regardless of what the soldiers said/did. Oh, he also cut off the fingers of his main advisor and best friend after said best friend delivered a shipment of food that saved Stannis and his people from starving/losing a war, because that advisor/friend used to be a smuggler. I'm sure I'm forgetting a few other wonderful things he's done too. One would never, ever have suspected he'd burn his own child at the stake - nope, no siree. Totally out of character - even though they've been telegraphing this event for the whole ####### season on top of all the other "non-monstrous" stuff he's already done.

But seriously, how could anyone not see this coming? It would have been more shocking if he hadn't followed through.

Nopt surprising at all. For both the reason that it's utterly in his pathetic self centered and egomaniacal "character" and, as noted, it was not telegraphed but flat out foreshadowed.

 

[Good Posting Judge]

True Detective should be good otoh.

I also liked The Leftovers.

Even after I found out it wasn't about food.

Apparently The Leftovers is switching it up pretty considerably (main family moving to a different location, booting a lot of the supporting characters), which I guess makes it worth another try, I was about ready to give up.

I like Halt and Catch Fire.

 

[El Floppo]

fwiw- I thought the tipping point for Stannis... daughter asking what she could do for him to help... was a bit cowardly from what we've seen from him. but I suppose goes towards the crisis he had over it, and providing him an out.

I'm also in the camp that thinks Brienne and Davos will team up- likely to save Sansa (and maybe reek) as the two sides pummel each other into the snow. I would guess that LoL and team Stannis prevail here- but perhaps Little Finger shows up as he promised Cercei to wipe out the winner.

that said- next week we'll get a trial scene for Cercei and Flapjacks? Flapjacks, given her good deeds for the poor while with Joffrey, will have to get off relatively easy and be put back with Tommen. Cercei otoh... I'm guessing it's going to get ugly.

and do we get a sneak peak at Bran? or at least Hodor?

 

[KarmaPolice]

The Hound still being alive would be fun.

If they do the Arya retending to be a prostitute thing they better have her kill him before anything bad happens to her or the internet might break with people complaining again about what happens to women and girls in this show.

Wouldn't it be different since she saw what he was/likes and was using that against him for the kill?Btw, the main gripe about the scene that shall not be named is still valid:

Spoiler

X episodes later, neither Sansa or Reek has changed at all, so there was really no point to it, story-wise.

Completely disagree. Reek admitting that he didn't kill the Stark boys was a huge change of character from Reek and back into Theon.

He is Theon now?

He also ratted her and her light out too, but point taken.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Season finale next week ALREADY!?

I didn't even get my full 3 month discount on HBO and it's ENDING!?

Speaking of...

what's on tap for HBO after Got, Silicon Valley and Veep series shutdown for the season?

Ballers and The Brink look pretty bad from commercials... any word on these? True Detective should be good otoh.

The Brink looks horrible. True Detective has an odd cast this season, but they proved capable of putting out a quality product there, so I am on board for that.

 

[Dan Lambskin]

True Detective should be good otoh.

I also liked The Leftovers.

Even after I found out it wasn't about food.

Apparently The Leftovers is switching it up pretty considerably (main family moving to a different location, booting a lot of the supporting characters), which I guess makes it worth another try, I was about ready to give up.

I like Halt and Catch Fire.

Saw that about Leftovers. It was hit or miss but picked up late

Never tried Halt...may binge watch if I ever get caught up on other stuff

 

[Maik Jeaunz]

so who's most likely the "chosen one"? let's examine the players and set some odds...

THE SHORT LIST

Jon Snow - right mix of skills, attitude & compassion; lineage is in question; potential to be betrayed by...well, everybody. -300

Khaleesi - royal lineage, dragons, impervious to fire; still learning on the job; questionable decisions; no nudity is a bummer. -200

THE CHASE PACK

Bran - special powers; noble upbringing; might be trained further by treebeard; under the radar; +250

Tyrion - no obvious connection to "chose one"; one of the smartest & most cunning in the realm; possible right place/right time. +350

Stannis - royal blood; co-signed by Red Woman; burning daughter might make him a heel; is a jerk and everyone hates him. +500

Littlefinger - great at putting plans in places; only cares about himself; would rather watch the world burn then save it; weasel. +600

THE LONGSHOTS

Arya - sneaky; vengefulness makes it hard to let go of past; uncertain future; gets smacked around a lot. +750

Jaime - continuing turn from villain to hero; can't go right; currently on vacation and out of the loop. +850

Brienne - strong and principled; unwavering loyalty to dead people will probably get her killed. +900

Davos - might jump teams; probably not enough power to force change; actually has smaller fingers than Littlefinger. +1500

Tommen - come on... +4000

Sam - finally got a piece of that good stuff; Gilly-whipped. +5000

Hodor - hodor. +8000

 

[Spin]

The Hound still being alive would be fun.

If they do the Arya retending to be a prostitute thing they better have her kill him before anything bad happens to her or the internet might break with people complaining again about what happens to women and girls in this show.

Wouldn't it be different since she saw what he was/likes and was using that against him for the kill?Btw, the main gripe about the scene that shall not be named is still valid:

Spoiler

X episodes later, neither Sansa or Reek has changed at all, so there was really no point to it, story-wise.

Spoiler

Completely disagree. Reek admitting that he didn't kill the Stark boys was a huge change of character from Reek and back into Theon.

He is Theon now? He also ratted her and her light out too, but point taken.

He was during the few minutes of that scene. Then freaked out and reverted back to Reek.

 

[CBusAlex]

It's definitely contrary to his recent behavior and the way his narrative was shaped by the writers. This is not really a controversial position. It's been stated in virtually every review of the episode. If you want to disagree and pretend he's been portrayed as a cold-hearted monster for whom this was merely a small step down from his usual awfulness, we'll just have to agree to disagree.

So he wasn't a cold hearted monster when he: burned his brother in law at the stake, invoked witchcraft to kill his brother, burned Mance Rayder (one of the worst names in the show) at the stake, ordered the hanging of multiple soldiers because some guys broke into camp - regardless of what the soldiers said/did. Oh, he also cut off the fingers of his main advisor and best friend after said best friend delivered a shipment of food that saved Stannis and his people from starving/losing a war, because that advisor/friend used to be a smuggler. I'm sure I'm forgetting a few other wonderful things he's done too. One would never, ever have suspected he'd burn his own child at the stake - nope, no siree. Totally out of character.

He also burned all the bannerman that refused to take down their idols. Or something along those lines.

Seriously, that's some ISIS level #### right there.

 

[CBusAlex]

The "explanation" you cite is a good example of that. It's not a real explanation. It's a contrived line with no basis in anything else we've been told. Why isn't it enough? We're not told. Why does the method of sacrifice jump from obtaining kings' blood (the reason Shireen was chosen for sacrifice) to one of the few methods of killing someone that makes it virtually impossible to obtain a decent quantity of their blood? Again, we're not told. Why did it have to be done in public ceremony in front of a mother who will obviously be devastated and troops who will probably find it a bit disheartening? Again, we're not told.

I'm not generally a big fan of shows using "because magic" to deus ex machina their way out of whatever... but in this case, the answer literally is "because magic". Melisandre saw it in the fire or some ####, so it's what needs to happen. It's not like you can negotiate with the Red God.

 

[Good Posting Judge]

so who's most likely the "chosen one"? let's examine the players and set some odds...

THE SHORT LIST

Jon Snow - right mix of skills, attitude & compassion; lineage is in question; potential to be betrayed by...well, everybody. -300

Khaleesi - royal lineage, dragons, impervious to fire; still learning on the job; questionable decisions; no nudity is a bummer. -200

THE CHASE PACK

Bran - special powers; noble upbringing; might be trained further by treebeard; under the radar; +250

Tyrion - no obvious connection to "chose one"; one of the smartest & most cunning in the realm; possible right place/right time. +350

Stannis - royal blood; co-signed by Red Woman; burning daughter might make him a heel; is a jerk and everyone hates him. +500

Littlefinger - great at putting plans in places; only cares about himself; would rather watch the world burn then save it; weasel. +600

THE LONGSHOTS

Arya - sneaky; vengefulness makes it hard to let go of past; uncertain future; gets smacked around a lot. +750

Jaime - continuing turn from villain to hero; can't go right; currently on vacation and out of the loop. +850

Brienne - strong and principled; unwavering loyalty to dead people will probably get her killed. +900

Davos - might jump teams; probably not enough power to force change; actually has smaller fingers than Littlefinger. +1500

Tommen - come on... +4000

Sam - finally got a piece of that good stuff; Gilly-whipped. +5000

Hodor - hodor. +8000

"Song of ice and fire" would lead one to believe that a Snow/Khaleesi combo platter is in question. Especially now that Danerys is single once again!

 

[El Floppo]

so who's most likely the "chosen one"? let's examine the players and set some odds...

THE SHORT LIST

Jon Snow - right mix of skills, attitude & compassion; lineage is in question; potential to be betrayed by...well, everybody. -300

Khaleesi - royal lineage, dragons, impervious to fire; still learning on the job; questionable decisions; no nudity is a bummer. -200

THE CHASE PACK

Bran - special powers; noble upbringing; might be trained further by treebeard; under the radar; +250

Tyrion - no obvious connection to "chose one"; one of the smartest & most cunning in the realm; possible right place/right time. +350

Stannis - royal blood; co-signed by Red Woman; burning daughter might make him a heel; is a jerk and everyone hates him. +500

Littlefinger - great at putting plans in places; only cares about himself; would rather watch the world burn then save it; weasel. +600

THE LONGSHOTS

Arya - sneaky; vengefulness makes it hard to let go of past; uncertain future; gets smacked around a lot. +750

Jaime - continuing turn from villain to hero; can't go right; currently on vacation and out of the loop. +850

Brienne - strong and principled; unwavering loyalty to dead people will probably get her killed. +900

Davos - might jump teams; probably not enough power to force change; actually has smaller fingers than Littlefinger. +1500

Tommen - come on... +4000

Sam - finally got a piece of that good stuff; Gilly-whipped. +5000

Hodor - hodor. +8000

"Song of ice and fire" would lead one to believe that a Snow/Khaleesi combo platter is in question. Especially now that Danerys is single once again!

and no annoying step-kids for Jon.

 

[Swing 51]

so who's most likely the "chosen one"?

Who says there is one? Maybe Mel is full of ####.

 

[5-ish Finkle]

so who's most likely the "chosen one"? let's examine the players and set some odds...

THE SHORT LIST

Jon Snow - right mix of skills, attitude & compassion; lineage is in question; potential to be betrayed by...well, everybody. -300

Khaleesi - royal lineage, dragons, impervious to fire; still learning on the job; questionable decisions; no nudity is a bummer. -200

THE CHASE PACK

Bran - special powers; noble upbringing; might be trained further by treebeard; under the radar; +250

Tyrion - no obvious connection to "chose one"; one of the smartest & most cunning in the realm; possible right place/right time. +350

Stannis - royal blood; co-signed by Red Woman; burning daughter might make him a heel; is a jerk and everyone hates him. +500

Littlefinger - great at putting plans in places; only cares about himself; would rather watch the world burn then save it; weasel. +600

THE LONGSHOTS

Arya - sneaky; vengefulness makes it hard to let go of past; uncertain future; gets smacked around a lot. +750

Jaime - continuing turn from villain to hero; can't go right; currently on vacation and out of the loop. +850

Brienne - strong and principled; unwavering loyalty to dead people will probably get her killed. +900

Davos - might jump teams; probably not enough power to force change; actually has smaller fingers than Littlefinger. +1500

Tommen - come on... +4000

Sam - finally got a piece of that good stuff; Gilly-whipped. +5000

Hodor - hodor. +8000

"Song of ice and fire" would lead one to believe that a Snow/Khaleesi combo platter is in question. Especially now that Danerys is single once again!

and no annoying step-kids for Jon.

As a non-book reader I've been "calling" the same thing in my head for about two seasons in this regard. As I have not read the books, or read any wikis, etc. it's a complete guess on my part, but it seems pretty obvious to me….

Spoiler

Jon Snow is really Robert Baratheon's son whom he fathered with Ned Stark's dead sister.

 

[TenTimes]

Could Bran warg in to a white walker? Have they gone over that at all? As far as I can tell, it'd be a matter of mentally overpowering the WW, but I haven't seen anything say it's not possible.

House Stark has been dumped on so much from day 1 that giving the white walker army to Jon Snow would work for me. Especially if Bran's power to warg came from that push by Jaime to cover up the Lannister incest.

 

[Good Posting Judge]

Can a white walker kill another white walker?

 

[Brady Marino]

Could Bran warg in to a white walker?

Damn, this is actually a good question. (unless it isn't, I'm not a book reader)

 

[Mile High]

Could Bran warg in to a white walker?

Damn, this is actually a good question. (unless it isn't, I'm not a book reader)

Can he warg into Dany,Jon or Tyrion? The White Walkers aren't mindless fools.

 

[Drifter]

so who's most likely the "chosen one"? let's examine the players and set some odds...

THE SHORT LIST

Jon Snow - right mix of skills, attitude & compassion; lineage is in question; potential to be betrayed by...well, everybody. -300

Khaleesi - royal lineage, dragons, impervious to fire; still learning on the job; questionable decisions; no nudity is a bummer. -200

THE CHASE PACK

Bran - special powers; noble upbringing; might be trained further by treebeard; under the radar; +250

Tyrion - no obvious connection to "chose one"; one of the smartest & most cunning in the realm; possible right place/right time. +350

Stannis - royal blood; co-signed by Red Woman; burning daughter might make him a heel; is a jerk and everyone hates him. +500

Littlefinger - great at putting plans in places; only cares about himself; would rather watch the world burn then save it; weasel. +600

THE LONGSHOTS

Arya - sneaky; vengefulness makes it hard to let go of past; uncertain future; gets smacked around a lot. +750

Jaime - continuing turn from villain to hero; can't go right; currently on vacation and out of the loop. +850

Brienne - strong and principled; unwavering loyalty to dead people will probably get her killed. +900

Davos - might jump teams; probably not enough power to force change; actually has smaller fingers than Littlefinger. +1500

Tommen - come on... +4000

Sam - finally got a piece of that good stuff; Gilly-whipped. +5000

Hodor - hodor. +8000

"Song of ice and fire" would lead one to believe that a Snow/Khaleesi combo platter is in question. Especially now that Danerys is single once again!

and no annoying step-kids for Jon.

As a non-book reader I've been "calling" the same thing in my head for about two seasons in this regard. As I have not read the books, or read any wikis, etc. it's a complete guess on my part, but it seems pretty obvious to me….

Spoiler

Jon Snow is really Robert Baratheon's son whom he fathered with Ned Stark's dead sister.

This was discussed without spoilers some few weeks ago (and I called it more than 2 seasons ago ;P)

 

[Mile High]

so who's most likely the "chosen one"? let's examine the players and set some odds...

THE SHORT LIST

Jon Snow - right mix of skills, attitude & compassion; lineage is in question; potential to be betrayed by...well, everybody. -300

Khaleesi - royal lineage, dragons, impervious to fire; still learning on the job; questionable decisions; no nudity is a bummer. -200

THE CHASE PACK

Bran - special powers; noble upbringing; might be trained further by treebeard; under the radar; +250

Tyrion - no obvious connection to "chose one"; one of the smartest & most cunning in the realm; possible right place/right time. +350

Stannis - royal blood; co-signed by Red Woman; burning daughter might make him a heel; is a jerk and everyone hates him. +500

Littlefinger - great at putting plans in places; only cares about himself; would rather watch the world burn then save it; weasel. +600

THE LONGSHOTS

Arya - sneaky; vengefulness makes it hard to let go of past; uncertain future; gets smacked around a lot. +750

Jaime - continuing turn from villain to hero; can't go right; currently on vacation and out of the loop. +850

Brienne - strong and principled; unwavering loyalty to dead people will probably get her killed. +900

Davos - might jump teams; probably not enough power to force change; actually has smaller fingers than Littlefinger. +1500

Tommen - come on... +4000

Sam - finally got a piece of that good stuff; Gilly-whipped. +5000

Hodor - hodor. +8000

"Song of ice and fire" would lead one to believe that a Snow/Khaleesi combo platter is in question. Especially now that Danerys is single once again!

and no annoying step-kids for Jon.

As a non-book reader I've been "calling" the same thing in my head for about two seasons in this regard. As I have not read the books, or read any wikis, etc. it's a complete guess on my part, but it seems pretty obvious to me.

Spoiler

Jon Snow is really Robert Baratheon's son whom he fathered with Ned Stark's dead sister.

This was discussed without spoilers some few weeks ago (and I called it more than 2 seasons ago ;P)

Why would that be some big secret that Ned would clam Jon as his. Robert had lots of know bastards.

 

[Mile High]

I'm in the camp that Ned's sister could be Jons mother I don't think Robert is his father.

 

[5-ish Finkle]

This was discussed without spoilers some few weeks ago (and I called it more than 2 seasons ago ;P)

"Look at the big brain on Brad!!"

Why would that be some big secret that Ned would clam Jon as his. Robert had lots of know bastards.

He doesn't have a lot bastards that had a noblewoman for a mother(that we know of) though. A noblewoman who happened to be a member of the most powerful family in the North at the time. Potentially while he was also already married to a Queen that he was "fathering" descendants with. Even if he(or rather Jamie) hadn't got a kid on Cersei when Jon was born, you think Tywin doesn't stoop to killing a kid he thinks could usurp any future Lannister heirs(particularly since Jon would have actually been Robert's son, not Cersei's incest baby that everyone was pretending was Robert's)? He'd totally do it just to tie up loose ends.

Anyway, if it's been discussed already you can all move along. I don't check in to this thread very often because it's quite frequently an abortion. Carry on.

 

[TenTimes]

Could Bran warg in to a white walker?

Damn, this is actually a good question. (unless it isn't, I'm not a book reader)

Can he warg into Dany,Jon or Tyrion? The White Walkers aren't mindless fools.

I agree it wouldn't make sense for him to be able to warg in to any and everybody, but now that Drogon's back I need a new warg candidate.

 

[Mile High]

This was discussed without spoilers some few weeks ago (and I called it more than 2 seasons ago ;P)

"Look at the big brain on Brad!!"

Why would that be some big secret that Ned would clam Jon as his. Robert had lots of know bastards.

He doesn't have a lot bastards that had a noblewoman for a mother(that we know of) though. A noblewoman who happened to be a member of the most powerful family in the North at the time. Potentially while he was also already married to a Queen that he was "fathering" descendants with. Even if he hadn't got a kid on Cersei when Jon was born, you think Tywin doesn't stoop to killing a baby he thinks could usurp any future Lannister heirs? He'd totally do it just to tie up loose ends.

Anyway, if it's been discussed already you can all move along. I don't check in to this thread very often because it's quite frequently an abortion. Carry on.

I think Ned calmed Jon to protect him from Robert not Tywin.

 

[Gr00vus]

He doesn't have a lot bastards that had a noblewoman for a mother(that we know of) though. A noblewoman who happened to be a member of the most powerful family in the North at the time. Potentially while he was also already married to a Queen that he was "fathering" descendants with. Even if he hadn't got a kid on Cersei when Jon was born, you think Tywin doesn't stoop to killing a baby he thinks could usurp any future Lannister heirs? He'd totally do it just to tie up loose ends.

All the stuff with Robert, Lyanna and Rhaegar happened before Robert was king, and before he married Cersei. In fact, the stuff with Robert, Lyanna and Rhaegar is (mostly) what caused Robert to rebel in the first place.

 

[Maik Jeaunz]

Could Bran warg in to a white walker?

Damn, this is actually a good question. (unless it isn't, I'm not a book reader)

Can he warg into Dany,Jon or Tyrion? The White Walkers aren't mindless fools.

can he warg into another warg who's warged into something else? like a Russian nesting warg?

 

[PatsWillWin]

Is it about playing the game, or is it about something more personal; being true to yourself or something along those lines? While Tywin is one of my favorite characters, his inability to live by what he preached (Family, first and foremost) ultimately led to his downfall.

I don't think it's accurate to say that Tywin Lannister felt that family came first. He felt that the family name came first, and that is a huge difference.

 

[PatsWillWin]

Frey/Bolton was all set up by Tywin.

I thought Robb breaking his marriage promise to Frey set it up? Did Tywin send Talisa to Robb or was that just a bad internet rumor?

If Frey was in Tywin's pocket already, Frey wouldn't have let Robb past the twins. Frey was looking to hitch his wagon to Robb until Robb took the carrot (a marriage to a Frey) away from Frey. Figured Frey approached Tywin after that with the suggestion of the Red Wedding.

There's a scene after the Battle of the Blackwater when Tyrion goes to see Tywin and Tywin is writing some letter. Tyrion says something about interrupting him, and Tywin says something along the lines of some battles are fought with swords, others with pens. I always assumed that he was writing a letter to Walder Frey at this point.

 

[Slider6]

Could Bran warg in to a white walker?

Damn, this is actually a good question. (unless it isn't, I'm not a book reader)

Can he warg into Dany,Jon or Tyrion? The White Walkers aren't mindless fools.

I agree it wouldn't make sense for him to be able to warg in to any and everybody, but now that Drogon's back I need a new warg candidate.

Hodor is simpleminded, so he is able to warg into him easily. I don't think he's warged into anyone else has he?

 

[Slider6]

The Hound still being alive would be fun.

If they do the Arya retending to be a prostitute thing they better have her kill him before anything bad happens to her or the internet might break with people complaining again about what happens to women and girls in this show.

Wouldn't it be different since she saw what he was/likes and was using that against him for the kill?

Btw, the main gripe about the scene that shall not be named is still valid:

Spoiler

X episodes later, neither Sansa or Reek has changed at all, so there was really no point to it, story-wise.

Spoiler

Completely disagree. Reek admitting that he didn't kill the Stark boys was a huge change of character from Reek and back into Theon.

Also, Sansa confronting Theon about the Stark boys was out of character for her too. I think that change can be attributed to her nights with Ramsay.

 

[Hot Diggity Dog]

It seems obvious that leeches is fine to kill individual people but we're talking about winning a battle here. Someone has to burn. I think other burnings were punishment ,since no king's blood was involved, garden variety human sacrifice. Just letting the Lord of light know your still on board.

I think that bran is going to warg into someone, besides Hodor when he finally becomes the old man down the road. The key being vicinity to those fancy tree.

 

[PatsWillWin]

It seems obvious that leeches is fine to kill individual people but we're talking about winning a battle here. Someone has to burn. I think other burnings were punishment ,since no king's blood was involved, garden variety human sacrifice. Just letting the Lord of light know your still on board.

I think that bran is going to warg into someone, besides Hodor when he finally becomes the old man down the road. The key being vicinity to those fancy tree.

I forget in the show, was Mance Rayder considered "king's blood?" Do you just have to declare yourself a king to qualify?

 

[GregR]

It seems obvious that leeches is fine to kill individual people but we're talking about winning a battle here. Someone has to burn. I think other burnings were punishment ,since no king's blood was involved, garden variety human sacrifice. Just letting the Lord of light know your still on board.

I think that bran is going to warg into someone, besides Hodor when he finally becomes the old man down the road. The key being vicinity to those fancy tree.

I forget in the show, was Mance Rayder considered "king's blood?" Do you just have to declare yourself a king to qualify?

Don't recall if they gave any indication. Though Robert went from not being King to his whole family having royal blood. Maybe it takes others recognizing you as a king?

 

[TripItUp]

What has continued to impress me is how good the CGI is...dragons, giants etc....very believable. Snakes, not so much.

We've come a long way since the original Clash of the Titans

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

It seems obvious that leeches is fine to kill individual people but we're talking about winning a battle here. Someone has to burn. I think other burnings were punishment ,since no king's blood was involved, garden variety human sacrifice. Just letting the Lord of light know your still on board.

I think that bran is going to warg into someone, besides Hodor when he finally becomes the old man down the road. The key being vicinity to those fancy tree.

I forget in the show, was Mance Rayder considered "king's blood?" Do you just have to declare yourself a king to qualify?

Don't recall if they gave any indication. Though Robert went from not being King to his whole family having royal blood. Maybe it takes others recognizing you as a king?

Roberts grandmother was a targaryen

 

[Hot Diggity Dog]

Interesting maybe it is only Targaryen blood that provides the power to these fire witch spells. Every person used would have Targaryen blood. But that does not explain Beric and Thoros unless one of them is Targaryen blood.