I guess that means Randyll has to take over King's Landing first and usurp the Tyrells.
Upsurp the Tyrells? You mean upsurp the church.
I guess that means Randyll has to take over King's Landing first and usurp the Tyrells.
Upsurp the Tyrells? You mean upsurp the church.
Considering that the Tyrels are down to their last son, and that if Sam's family is complete (unless we need a NEW sand snake) then the Tarlys could try and get chummy with a random tyrell cousin and get highgarden.
That or the Reach could do what they've wanted to do for the past 300 years and overthrow the Tyrells.
@Cyan:
Has Randyll been mentioned outside of Stannis and Sam's conversation a few episodes back? Tywin needs competition for "worst father ever".
I'd say Craster beat Tywin in that competition.
This episode was the first time I can recall the mentioning of "years" passing since the start of the show. I always figured it was something they were handwaving cus Arya, Sansa, Joffrey and Bran kept getting visibly older and taller.
It was actually established a couple seasons ago that time is fliwing on a generally 1 season = 1 year timetable. Thats why I can buy that Tyrion has circumnavigated the globe already. But there are glaring issues, like Gilly's forever-baby and Bran taking two years to get to the north
Even the books run into some of that, with characters mostly moving at the speed of plot.
Or not at all as may be the case with Tyrion and Dany.
I don't think it's established until midway through ADWD that two years have passed since Robert showed up at Winterfell.
Then you have Littlefinger and Varys possessing magical time jetpacks and the fact that everyone is way too young (jesus, Tyrion is supposed to be in his mid-20s? And Ned's only 33?)
Martin has admitted since the show started that the show was right to cast the kids older, and to have the longer timescale to account for olden times travelling speed. I understand his thinking on that,
People married younger and died younger back then. 40 was old. But still.
Also makes the entire war a bit nastier to have it drawn out longer. And makes the original planned 5 year time skip a bit, well… bigger.
Martin has admitted since the show started that the show was right to cast the kids older, and to have the longer timescale to account for olden times travelling speed. I understand his thinking on that,
People married younger and died younger back then. 40 was old. But still.Also makes the entire war a bit nastier to have it drawn out longer. And makes the original planned 5 year time skip a bit, well… bigger.
It's just really goddamn surreal to think that Jaime and Ned are in the same generation. Also that everyone being <18 during Robert's Rebellion raises a few questions.
CNN reporting that ISIS has nearly captured King's Landing.
@Monkey:
CNN reporting that ISIS has nearly captured King's Landing.
Self-declared "High Sparrow" has released a video recording Poor Fellow's defacing statues and busts of Tywin Lannister, declaring them "idolatry"; populace of King's Landing oddly satisfied by this.
It was actually established a couple seasons ago that time is fliwing on a generally 1 season = 1 year timetable. Thats why I can buy that Tyrion has circumnavigated the globe already. But there are glaring issues, like Gilly's forever-baby and Bran taking two years to get to the north
Oh no, you're right. Funny, I didn't even think about that, haha. It might help if they age him up a couple of years next season.
Also, here's apparently the casting list for next season. It doesn't specify names, but it's obvious who some of the characters are from the books as the page points out:
http://watchersonthewall.com/game-of-thrones-season-6-casting-has-begun-and-heres-the-list/
List in spoiler. I'll let the other posters in the thread determine if it's worth being spoiler-tagged or not though it's also on the site though I'll mention book events below.
! Euron Greyjoy: Probably to be an enemy to Daenerys, especially with the dragon horn.
Randyll Tarly and Family: Looks like Sam might have more of a role next season.
Septon Meribald: Provides a contrast compared to the current sparrows.
Possible flashback of Ned and his family: R+L=J.
! Septon Meribald: Provides a contrast compared to the current sparrows.
Book spoilers
! More importantly, RETURN OF THE HOUND.
At this point, its anyone's guess. there's a handful more things to do from the last book and then….?
! The last three before the kids would make me think of Griff. That's a weird trio.
! The last three before the kids would make me think of Griff. That's a weird trio.
! "Mixed race" though suggests either someone actually from Essos or Dorne.
! …
! ...Darkstar?
I dunno about ya'll but I really like the Sparrows plot. It coincides with too many of my favorite history things.
A dash of Cultural Revolution, a bit of Spanish Inquisition, a tad of Puritans in the English Civil War stuff, maybe a tip of ISIS.
Crazy mass movements fascinate me tldr.
Does anyone think Jonathan Pryce's threat to Olenna was that maybe the Sparrows have made inroads with like the peasantry in the Reach? That her idea of holding the capital hostage agriculturally won't work because of that?
It is one of the few things in the show that terrifies me.
They aren't supposed to be this zealoty though.
They aren't supposed to be this zealoty though.
Considering the examples I listed from rl they're pretty tame so far.
When they spread vastly across the face of the whole Westoros causing average people to mass take part in purges and violence we'll reach the Cultural Revolution.
When they start up vast networks of torture and ethnic cleansing of the North for still holding onto non-Seven practices they'll reach the Inquisition.
When they take political power, do more ethnic cleansing, and chop off Tommen's head they'll reach the New Model Army/Cromwell Parliament.
And ISIS welp that's visible to anyone who just watches the news.
The question is: How could this ordeal be resolved? I mean, I can't imagine the Tyrells having enough to not only kill the High Sparrow but to quell the entire movement to a halt?
God, in case King's Landing wasn't going to be in a mess enough as it is with Stannis, Danerys, and the White Walkers all making their way over in due time.
The little Kid King grows some hair on his balls, calls the guards, and kicks them out of the realm. I mean, hell, they took his mother. He has to do something.
This isn't the first time the common folk in the south have banded together under religion during tough times. It's apparently sort of regular that the peasantry resort to fanaticism when the monarchy is doing a shit job of holding up it's end of the bargain (the roads aren't safe for pilgrims because Cersei rounded up every available guardsman for the Red Keep, Septs are being looted [by the Lannister side, no less], etc.)
@Monkey:
Does anyone think Jonathan Pryce's threat to Olenna was that maybe the Sparrows have made inroads with like the peasantry in the Reach? That her idea of holding the capital hostage agriculturally won't work because of that?
The Reach peasantry absolutely adore the Tyrells, especially Marge, so it would take a bit of work for the High Sparrow to stir shit up with them. Then again, the High Sparrow doesn't really seem to be looking to stir shit up, just crack down on things.
The question is: How could this ordeal be resolved? I mean, I can't imagine the Tyrells having enough to not only kill the High Sparrow but to quell the entire movement to a halt?
God, in case King's Landing wasn't going to be in a mess enough as it is with Stannis, Danerys, and the White Walkers all making their way over in due time.
The Faith Militant problem will likely not be solved peacefully. They were disbanded the first time only after a lot of fighting.
The smart thing for the Tyrells to do would be to admit to the charges depending on how severe the mother's mercy is. I suspect lying isn't that bad but Loras might have a problem. He could request a trial by combat like Tyrion did and if his reputation as a fighter prevails he could win and then just never go back to King's Landing.
Each region could try to curb them so they don't spread out from King's Landing and just leave it a Royal problem. I doubt they would get much support in places where the smallfolk are happy.
The little Kid King grows some hair on his balls, calls the guards, and kicks them out of the realm. I mean, hell, they took his mother. He has to do something.
Yeaaaah, though it isn't surprising since Tommen is such a softie. However, it would be quite a different situation if Joffrey was still around.
Oh Joffrey
Tommen just wants to have sex with his wife and play with his cats, is that so wrong.
Yeaaaah, though it isn't surprising since Tommen is such a softie. However, it would be quite a different situation if Joffrey was still around.
Oh Joffrey
Joffrey would have tied them up to poles and cut off their balls one by one making sure the others can see and hear the screams of their pals. Well, we still got Ramsey who is capable of doing the same but he is not going to come to King's Landing anytime soon.
Each region could try to curb them so they don't spread out from King's Landing and just leave it a Royal problem. I doubt they would get much support in places where the smallfolk are happy.
Yeah but the Iraqi army is seriously proving inadequate in containing them.
made me chuckle
^ No complaints from me. No matter how bad the sand snakes get I'm always glad that we're not being submitted to another scene with Bran Stark and his goofy ass haircut.
I understand they want to give each of the big draws of the show their fair share of screen time, but it's hurting the show for me. Oh no Bron is poisoned. Oh yay he's no longer poisoned. Awesome!
To be fair, not a lot of "oh my" stuff happens in the books either but, Jaimie's storyline there at least leads into something interesting.
I wouldn't mind being stuck on a boat with Gendry.
Last episode was great! The 2 previous episodes felt a little boring to me.
Spoilers
! AND OUR MAIN PLOT FINALLY ASSERTS ITSELF AFTER 19 GODDAMN YEARS
! Winter is co…. holy fucking shit!
! Nothing in this episode was super surprising or suspenseful outside of Dany's verdict on Jorah - the most scared/relieved I was was when I wasn't sure in Edd made it out alive. A lot of the foreshadowing was pretty heavy-handed and at times felt like I was watching a disaster B-movie. Most of the execution was pretty fantastic though, but there are a few holes.
! Like, for example, USE FUCKING FIRE TO KILL THEM. Both parties at Hardhome should have known the wights were vulnerable to fire.
! Also, the exclusion of Dorne in Tyrion's run down of the Seven Kingdoms felt a bit obvious, though I guess leaving out the Greyjoys and Tullys/Freys is cool too. And if anyone has seen the teaser for next episode,
! what the fuck is happening with Jaime's plotline? Doran is telling him to swear fealty?
! All that said, that was a damn fun episode.
! Like, for example, USE FUCKING FIRE TO KILL THEM. Both parties at Hardhome should have known the wights were vulnerable to fire.
! Considering the panic and sheer number of wights (I was halfway convinced the Walkers were dropping wights from the cliff to build a ramp), fire probably wouldn't do much good in the long run.
! At least Wun Wun put his past as an Olympic torch bearer to good use.
That ending. That was absolutely spectacular and chilling.
@Cyan:
! Considering the panic and sheer number of wights (I was halfway convinced the Walkers were dropping wights from the cliff to build a ramp), fire probably wouldn't do much good in the long run.
! At least Wun Wun put his past as an Olympic torch bearer to good use.
! D&D acknowledge in the "Inside the Episode" bit that wights can only be killed by fire. The Others took maybe 20 casualties total but gained at least a thousand troops. Would have been nice if the wildlings had remembered how to defend themselves a little bit better. Or if they weren't wearing virtual uniforms.
! Definite World War Z parallels though. At the end I was totally hoping the Night's King would freeze part of the sea just to fuck with our heroes. I was also concerned that the two hooded figures at each end of that rowboat would actually be concealed wights. Kinda weird to be so motionless and faceless in a show where we get hundreds of extras.
[hide]When the lead Wight was raising his arms, I so thought he was going to do something insane like freeze the water, allowing them to cross and fight, but what they did instead was so much better.
It was such a "You escaped, but you lost this battle more than you could have ever imagined. For we've grown in size."
Sucked that that female wildling leader died. She was pretty bad ass. The children that killed her were creepy as fuck, though.[/hide]
! I loved everything about this episode. Cersei defeated and drinking off the floor. TyrionxDany. Arya's little adventure. I thought all the whole battle scene and the discussion before it was done well.
! Yeah a mother saying I'm right behind you means she's probably going to die and we all know that but getting killed by a group of undead children, didn't see that part coming.
! Also it's really laughable to think of a group as large, unorganized, and chaotic as the Freefolk remembering proper battle strategy and tactics during the middle of a surprise attack from a seemingly unending undead army while they were in the process of evacuation. That's expecting a whole lot. Today I watched a man complain that his wife was putting too much pressure on him because he was at the checkout counter and she was ready to leave but he hadn't decided on a candy bar. That's what real people are like.
! Also it probably wouldn't have helped much. Even if they killed 200 of them it wouldn't have been enough.
! Glad the giant lived though, I was worried about him
! this is something i'm predicting based on my knowledge of the book some I'm tagging it inside another spoiler but…
! >! I feel like Sam's speech to Olie was just giving him the idea that maybe the right thing to do is kill Jon. I expect his knife to be first among the many if it comes to that
! this is something i'm predicting based on my knowledge of the book some I'm tagging it inside another spoiler but…
! >! I feel like Sam's speech to Olie was just giving him the idea that maybe the right thing to do is kill Jon. I expect his knife to be first among the many if it comes to that
! ya think?
!
Finally found a good signature
! I am quite interested in seeing what happens to Stannis now. I am guessing that he will be ambushed by Ramsay which will put him at a disadvantage. Perhaps he will end up sacrificing his kid to get some sort of an advantage after all. Wasn't there a prediction by Melisandre in one of the previous seasons that he will be hated by his family and stuff?!
! Considering Stannis is the only king/ruler who knows the threats of the white walkers, you would think he'd be more important than ever.
! It seems that the title for the last episode has been revealed as "Mother's Mercy". Not a book reader so doesn't ring a bell. Guessing that it might for book readers since there must be a reason why they have revealed it only now
Well, I think the season so far has been a bit naff, but wow, shit just got real. Great episode. I'm scared of winter now.
Winter is coming.
Wasn't Jon's sword made of valyrian steel? If so, then i suppose all the weapons made from valyrian steel are also capable of killing the white walkers.
I've been down on this season for a while, but holy crap, as a book reader, this was the best episode of the series for me, hands down. For once, I was in complete and total suspense, and save for maybe one scene, the entire episode was original to the show, so I had no clue what was going to happen.
! Badass Wildling Girl was so much fun too. Part of what made this episode so tense was that she was so cool, I didn't want to see her die, even though the scene with her daughters nailed her coffin shut. Just, wow. The entire Hardhome sequence, I was screaming "Benjen! Benjen!" too, so I'm disappointed that didn't come to pass, but wow. Just wow. Absolutely stunning.