strykerpks
Footballguy
I just finished Storm of Swords
Whoa. I...just....whoa.
Whoa. I...just....whoa.
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HBO - Song of Ice&Fire Series -Varsity Thread - no TV only whiners (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter Sabertooth
- Start date
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
Meant to add: she can shoot whatever scenes she may have going forward after the Red Wedding in a few minutes. I don't think availability is a problem with her role.
strykerpks
Footballguy
Yeah, I don't read too much in here. I just wanted to say "Whoa" to someone who would understand it (no one I know has read them)
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
So, I know the Red Wedding gets the most pub of all of the "WTF?" ASOS scenes but mine was the Trial By Combat towards the end. THAT ####ed me up. I SAW the damned thing coming when the taunting was going on and it still made me throw the frigging book down when it ended.
Barry
Footballguy
By that point it was a ...oh ####... figures. The Littlefinger and Lysa reveal was a holy #### moment for me.
Leeroy Jenkins
Footballguy
Abrantes
Footballguy
Abrantes
Footballguy
I compare it to Inigo Montoya finally facing off with Count Rugen, but dying instead of getting his revenge. Heartbreaking moment.
Tusken Raider
Footballguy
I really hope the Arya/Hound storyline gets a lot of time this season. In fact, her entire story arc has been my favorite in the books gets better with each progression.
In contrast, we need less Bran (his storyline bores me to tears), but I'm sure HBO will take the shifter thing & run with it.
In contrast, we need less Bran (his storyline bores me to tears), but I'm sure HBO will take the shifter thing & run with it.
Leeroy Jenkins
Footballguy
(HULK)
(Smash)
I know this is the no-tv thread, but I can't stomach wading into that thread again.
Anyways, Hodor is gay: http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/11/showbiz/celebrity-news-gossip/game-of-thrones-kristian-nairn-gay/index.html?hpt=hp_c4
Anyways, Hodor is gay: http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/11/showbiz/celebrity-news-gossip/game-of-thrones-kristian-nairn-gay/index.html?hpt=hp_c4
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
Gr00vus
Footballguy
He seems very important. Martin has still made his storyline pretty boring and slow on the page, yet somewhat creepy at the same time. I'm looking forward to getting more info on what he is, what he can/will become and how the north really works (the relationship between the others, the white walkers, the children of the forest, the crannogmen, the giants, the weirwoods, the shifters, the Starks, the first men, the wall, ice/cold in general, etc.).
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Grantland article exploring the future roadmap for the TV series
Nothing earth shattering - expect it to go 8 seasons, with the two unpublished books comprising seasons 6-8.
Nothing earth shattering - expect it to go 8 seasons, with the two unpublished books comprising seasons 6-8.
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
I think this is the real story of the books (along with how fire -- dragons, flame magic, etc -- really works) and that everyone else may just be pawns.
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Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
Thought this was worth posting for reference (so far) and to see how things might look going forward.
flysack
Footballguy
Yep. Central to that (and maybe slightly forgotten by readers?) is the artifact/weapon that Mance Ryder was digging for when he accidentally woke up the Others.
I think this is the real story of the books (along with how fire -- dragons, flame magic, etc -- really works) and that everyone else may just be pawns.
What was he trying to find? Bet it has something to do with the Wall, but more important, probably can be used against the Others themselves.
flysack
Footballguy
BTW, I just finished teaching Book I in a low level college English class, and was quite surprised at how well it held up to critical analysis. Martin weaves a lot of anti-fascism in there, along with the more obvious feminism and reflexive critique of the fantasy/faery tale genre. The guy is more than a simple pop fiction writer, IMO. GOT ain't Ulysses, but it ain't no Dragonlance trilogy either.
(HULK)
(Smash)
flysack
Footballguy
You never see his face. Just his hooded cloak (black) and black hands (i.e. just like the zombies). Plus crows are always with him...and he knows about the secret passage under Nightfort (was that the name again?)...all adds up to former crow, turned zombie, but now obeying the Children of the Forest.
Just seemed to make sense it'd be Benjen.
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Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
He's sometimes lazy with word choice and it's not beautiful writing or anything, but his imagination is unbounded, he ties an unbelievable number of things together the way they're actually linked in the real world and he uses foreshadowing as well as anyone.
When you reread the stories after knowing the plot it's amazing how many seemingly throwaway pasages or in-character asides there are that casually reference something that happened 1500 pages ago or that aren't revealed in full for another 1500. He's somehow able to really "see" the fictional events and setting from each character's POV as if it were real and he was there. It's seamless.
Easily the best written fantasy series IMO (which is admittedly a lowish bar).
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Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
strykerpks
Footballguy
Funny, that's where I am in ADWD (actually just finished where Bran meets the greenseer or whatever he is) and I had the same question/impression of the character
sn0mm1s
Footballguy
I think this bias is a major problem with entertainment in general. GOT is a great series period (book or TV) - no caveats.
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Gr00vus
Footballguy
Gr00vus
Footballguy
The underlying theme that stands out the most to me is how badly the common man gets ####ed over by the actions and desires of those in power - without those in power really considering them at all. It's just massive collateral damage that the common man somehow has to suck up and overcome (or not as is often the case in Martin's world). You don't really see that woven throughout the overall story in other epics very often.
Swing 51
Footballguy
“The common people pray for rain, healthy children and a summer that never ends. It is no matter to them if the high lords play their game of thrones, so long as they are left in peace.”
flysack
Footballguy
Clifford
Footballguy
Whenever I get pissed about our Government, I think at least I don't live in Westeros.
I think a lot of his inspiration for this subject comes from true stories too.
sn0mm1s
Footballguy
sn0mm1s
Footballguy
Don't think it is Night's King. I doubt Bloodraven (who was Lord Commander of the Night's Watch himself) would use Night's King (a betrayer of The Watch) as an ally - that is assuming Night's King has lived thousands of years in the first place.
sn0mm1s
Footballguy
Quite a few themes here aside from power (and station):
Honor, duty, loyalty, oaths, and obligation (to family, friends, rulers, and subjects) are prevalent throughout the series.
The theme of what is "evil" runs throughout the books as well since most characters are pretty gray and nearly all of them are complicit in murder in some form or another.
Revenge, justice, science vs. religion/magic
Arsenal of Doom
Footballguy
Always thought Ben Stark was the most likely scenario, or at least that Martin wants us to think that.
flysack
Footballguy
It's been awhile since I read these books, because I don't remember this guy's story at all. I totally forgot that the green seer / 3 eyed crow identified himself.
sn0mm1s
Footballguy
Night's King story is in the novels. GRRM has written some novellas about Dunk (Ser Duncan the Tall) and Egg (one of the Aegons). Bloodraven (an albino ******* Targaryen wizard with one eye) plays a role in these novellas. I have them in pdf format (with some typos) if you would like them - just PM me your email address.
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encaitar
Footballguy
He is an old Targaryaen. Older than Maester Aemon(actually Aemon's great-uncle). Was Hand of the King at one point. Fought in the succession wars. Rumored to have been a sorcerer for most of his life, so much that the common folk were terrified of him. Some of his story is in the novellas.(The Sworn Sword takes place during his time as Hand, although I don't think he's actually in the story)
Leeroy Jenkins
Footballguy
I think we may be looking at 9 or 10 seasons still with crows and dragons 4-5-6 (with some winds of winter leaks in season 6). I guess it depends on how much of crows/dragons is in this season though.
I think grant land is full of it.
To whomever asked, mance was digging for the horn if something something that could crumble the wall when blown.
I think grant land is full of it.
To whomever asked, mance was digging for the horn if something something that could crumble the wall when blown.
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
Of course there's tons about this when you go looking... some thoughts on why Coldhands isn't Benjen:
There are a couple things that lead people to believe Coldhands is not Benjen;
- Leaf, one of the Children of the Forest, says Coldhands was killed "long ago". At this point, Benjen has been missing for about a year and a half. It would be clumsy for humans to call something that happened a year and a half earlier "long ago", and I'd imagine doubly so for a being which is at least 200 years old.
- Coldhands seems to have ancient knowledge. He knows about the passage through the Night Fort, and that he cannot pass through it,. The Watch at large does not have this information, since Sam has to tell them about it when he returns to Castle Black. But Benjen was First Ranger, and so it's safe to assume that he wouldn't have a compelling reason to hide this information from his brothers.
- Coldhands can speak the Old Tongue, evidenced when he kills his elk mount. This suggests Coldhands is older than Benjen, and may in fact be centuries old.
- Bran doesn't recognise Coldhands as Benjen, and Coldhands doesn't reveal himself as Benjen. In ADWD, there's a chapter where Bran and the Reeds openly challenge Coldhands about whether he's leading them into a trap. The Three Eyed Crow has sent Coldhands to lead Bran to him, so if Coldhands was Benjen, it makes little sense to keep himself concealed. Revealed, it would only cause Bran to trust him.
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Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
Your first point is, IMO, the strongest. Up until that point in the series, I assumed he was Ben - I think there are in-story arguments (plus a meta argument that the author is playing coy) to counter your last 3 points but #1 has me just about sold that he isn't.
Andrew74
Footballguy
I live in Dubuque and that's funny. I felt his pain.
Leeroy Jenkins
Footballguy
But fans of Westeros and its complicated narratives shouldnt panic just yet. Martin has a surprisingly detailed plan for how the show can slow down and give him enough time to catch up:
The season thats about to debut covers the second half of the third book. The third book [A Storm of Swords] was so long that it had to be split into two. But there are two more books beyond that, A Feast for Crowsand A Dance with Dragons. A Dance with Dragons is itself a book thats as big as A Storm of Swords. So theres potentially three more seasons there, between Feast and Dance, if they split into two the way they did [with Storms]. Now, Feastand Dance take place simultaneously. So you cant do Feast and then Dance the way I did. You can combine them and do it chronologically. And its my hope that theyll do it that way and then, long before they catch up with me, Ill have published The Winds of Winter, whichll give me another couple years. It might be tight on the last book, A Dream of Spring, as they juggernaut forward.
Not only that, but Martin is up for a Breaking Bad or Mad Men-style hiatus inserted in the middle of the final season, or even a prequel season
The season thats about to debut covers the second half of the third book. The third book [A Storm of Swords] was so long that it had to be split into two. But there are two more books beyond that, A Feast for Crowsand A Dance with Dragons. A Dance with Dragons is itself a book thats as big as A Storm of Swords. So theres potentially three more seasons there, between Feast and Dance, if they split into two the way they did [with Storms]. Now, Feastand Dance take place simultaneously. So you cant do Feast and then Dance the way I did. You can combine them and do it chronologically. And its my hope that theyll do it that way and then, long before they catch up with me, Ill have published The Winds of Winter, whichll give me another couple years. It might be tight on the last book, A Dream of Spring, as they juggernaut forward.
Not only that, but Martin is up for a Breaking Bad or Mad Men-style hiatus inserted in the middle of the final season, or even a prequel season
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SeveredHorseHeads
Footballguy
I'm sure Martin is up for all sorts of scenarios that give him extra time to finish the books. I'm not sure HBO is. Is Arya going to be in her 20's when they do the last season?
babydemon90
Footballguy
I'm not sure that's a big deal though. Arya and Bran are the two where aging is going to show the most - but they also go off and do their own adventures away from the main story - wouldn't be that big of a deal to have in the show some mechanism to explain that Arya's ninja training took a few years, or that Bran was doing his 'act like a tree' thing for a few years, etc...
Honestly I think that makes more sense on a lot of levels than 11 year old Arya doing this stuff.
