GoT is back! (Spoilers possible! Read at your own risk.)

[ᴛᴏᴄᴋᴀ]

I gave up Outlander after nine episodes. Black Sails caught me from the opening theme *_* Along with GoT, it's the only one I don't forward.

ASOIAF books are there too! It's long reading but definitely worth it, especially after watching all of GoT. You get a lot of :O! moments. My first one was when Cersei tried to seduce Ned. :D

I've been alternating between reading the books and listening to them. But, the sequel to one of my favorite books came out last week, so that put a halt to my ASoFAI reading.

 

[Greenie]

My friend's been listening to the audio books at work ^_^ I've actually not been able to read in the last week so still stuck at Black Water bay lol.

One thing I really enjoy is reading Tyrion's thoughts. I find myself sympathizing with him even more.

 

[ᴛᴏᴄᴋᴀ]

You know, I think that the book portrays Jon as king material much better than the show does. In the show it was a gradual growth for him, but in the books he starts out with all the qualities a good leader should possess. It's subtle, but if you look at his actions you can see that he was meant to be something. He's definitely one of my favorites, along with Tyrion. I can't stand Kat at all, so that hasn't changed much from the show.

 

[The Dovah]

It's worth reading the books. They are different to the show and a lot of interesting subplots. E.g. Ladystoneheart. Along with minor funny bits. However, AFFC is not the best book in the franchise. I'm reading through it now and erm... yeah, it's not that good. More of an entire book of filler.

 

[Greenie]

I can't stand Kat at all,

I won't say I can't stand her... but her parts do make me yawn some. My favourite parts to read through at the moment are with Tyrion, Sansa and Arya. Oh and let's not forget Theon. *snicker*

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

Hm, it really hasn't bothered me at all with how long it's taken Dany to head off to Westeros. It's like real life. You plan some things but they don't exactly go the way we expect them to. We've seen her grow from nothing into someone great, and now she has all the means to get what she wants, she has the allies she needed, she has connections in Westeros.

All that sort of thing takes time ^_^

How long it took her to get to Westeros wasn't my concern. My concern is how short of a time she'll have in Westeros in comparison, especially considering that the White Walker plot also needs to covered.

 

[The Dovah]

Fortunately, we have Jon tackling that.


They're going to die.

But yeah, 6 seasons to start to get to Westoros and well, it'll be quick. Granted, she had a lot of decent stories and Mereen taught her a lot of stuff but if she left when she had the chance, well, it would have been rather interesting seeing her go up against Tywin. Instead, it's her vs Cersei. Cersei will lose. Why? She is not as smart as she thinks she is and would happily kill the people to save her own backside. Wildfire is her new favourite toy. Be a real shame if three dragons were to accidentaly ignite it.

Meanwhile, Gendry is erm...

where is he!? I know Edric Storm kinda disappeared as well but erm......

GRRM forgot about him? And the writers of the show also forgot about Gendry?

Anyway, Jamie Fooking Lannister will have a major part to play and it seems he is matching Book Jaime. In the books, his first major step is refusing to help Cersei. In the show, Wildfire is going to be the sole factor that drives him away from her. I wouldn't be surprised if he just goes "Techincally, i'm supposed to defend the king to the death. She isn't a king or a legitmate queen. So, do what you wish."

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

Jon won't beat the White Walkers with what he has. He needs the whole of Westeros behind him.

Tywin would have mopped the floor with Danny. She was still learning how to rule while Tywin was a master of the game, he'd of found some sneaky manner to ruin them.

As for Edric? He likely just isn't relevant anymore. He has Kings Blood... So did a lot of others who Joffrey had killed. If he hadn't we wouldn't then be expecting each of those Bastard Children to be up to things.

 

[The Dovah]

True. Dany getting Tyrion was just a lucky break for her. Jorah may be a good knight but he is not a player of the game and Varys is well, only allied to himself. He'll sell you down the river if he believe it is for the good of the realm. She more or less has Tywin on her side due to Tyrion being almost like Tywin and all Tywin had to do was show him a bit of love. That said, i think deep down, Tywin did love Tyrion and was proud of him for constantly overcoming shit but losing his wife may have broke him.

Regarding the Others. Even with Westoros united, it'll be a tough battle and even with men like Frankenmountain, the odds are in their favour. I really hope Bran doesn't end up being a Deus Ex Machina. Really wish they didn't off Wun Wun. :( Granted, it makes sense. Massive target, Ramsay is semi-compentent and well, Wun Wun is just a walking bullseye but still. Wun Wun beating up the walkers would be awesome to see. Hell, give him a giant sword and he'll do the rest.

Fair point about the bastards but I think George does have plans for Edric in the book.

Also, I am torn between liking AFFC and well, thinking it as one massive filler to explain several characters. Aemon's death is the saddest in the book. Damn red lady and her burning ways! Jon should have never sent him away and demand that she keeps her hands off him. Stannis may be pissed but he respects people that get to the point and knows that as a commander, choices have to be made.

Still, why did they kill him off!? It's the Mannis! GRRM confirmed he is alive and well in the next book but his death in the show was just rubbish. Book Stannis didn't just attack Winterfell, he tried to weaken it and force Ramsay out into the field out of deseperation. He underestimated him.

I do hope that no-one allows Jon to be a battle commander. I mean, he kind is crap at it. Granted, he lost control of his emotions but yeah, charging at archers is always a bad idea. Unless you're Wun Wun. Wun Wun doesn't give a crap about arrows. #WunWunlifemattered

Interesting that they confirmed Jon as a Targaryen and it also shows how honourable Ned was. He and Jamie are kinda the same in that regard. Sacrificing their honour for the greater good. Granted, Ned's sacrifice was smaller but still. Anyone else would have handed Jon to Robert. Interestingly, it seems that Rhaegar discovered that he may have been the one that was promised and his "WAIT!" wasn't cowardness but a desperate attempt to save Westoros. However, Robert wasn't known for stopping in battles.


Oh and if Ghost doesn't appear at all for the rest of the show, we riot. :P

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

So I went back and watched Stannis's death scene again just to make sure I remembered it right.
And I honestly think Stannis isn't actually dead. Like, let's think of it for a second. Every character who has died we've seen it for ourselves.

There's only two others characters whose 'death' wasn't shown.

1. Eddard Stark
But his head was shown in the start of Season 2, so there's the confirmation.

2. The Hound
Who behold did end up being alive in Season 6.

And since we've gone a whole season without visual proof of Stannis being dead like we did with Eddard? I think it's more likely he's following the Hounds path of still being alive.

 

[Jorick]

So I went back and watched Stannis's death scene again just to make sure I remembered it right.
And I honestly think Stannis isn't actually dead. Like, let's think of it for a second. Every character who has died we've seen it for ourselves.

There's only two others characters whose 'death' wasn't shown.

1. Eddard Stark
But his head was shown in the start of Season 2, so there's the confirmation.

2. The Hound
Who behold did end up being alive in Season 6.

And since we've gone a whole season without visual proof of Stannis being dead like we did with Eddard? I think it's more likely he's following the Hounds path of still being alive.

There's also Brynden Tully from season 6 to add to the off screen death list. Honestly I'm hoping these two are actually dead and the show runners didn't want to spend the time/money making good props and effects for the death scenes, because if they use the "omg he so dead... jk" thing more than they already have (since I'm counting the Hound and Benjen Stark both as falling under that label) I'm gonna be annoyed.

 

[ᴛᴏᴄᴋᴀ]

Honestly, I think the off screen/nondisplayed deaths are another victim of the budget. Why show the rather vanilla gore when you have the Mountain ripping a guy's faIt ce off, and Trystane getting a spear through the face? The fact that Ramsay forces, or Roose/Ramsay themselves found the body it should almost be assumed that they did something nasty to it in some way. As for the Black Fish, I'm not entirely sure why they didn't show his body unless there's plans for him to be turned into a wight in the future.

Look at some of the other deaths later in the season though. You have the Sept explosion and the view of Lancel and the High Sparrow being blown up. The death of the Khal's, which didn't show very much but still probably cost a pretty penny. And to be honest, how satisfying would Stannis' death really be? It's not nearly a cheer worthy moment like when Walder Frey and the Waif got theirs. It could have just been the showrunners just didn't feel that adding a few extra corpses to the budget would benefit.

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

If we include Brendan Tully and Ben Stark though that comes 2 Maybe, 1 Confirmed Dead, 2 Alive.
So, it's probable. Especially considering how long they took to confirm Ben and the Hound being alive.

I think it would definitely be cheap for them to keep pulling that card, but I'm more predicting the direction the writers are going to go.
And if they can have massive battles like Bastard Bowl I'm not sure why they couldn't do something like seeing Stannis's neck get slashed.

 

[ᴛᴏᴄᴋᴀ]

I don't think they're going to keep pulling it, but I think they are going to limit some of the recycled deaths, unless it's a prominent character in the show. Trystane wasn't exactly a common character, but his death was unique. Stannis had his head chopped of, and we've seen that bit more than a few times. Rickon was out of the show for a while, and his death wasn't really anything we haven't seen, but it did have an emotional impact on people who are fans of the Starks, and it completely smashed everyone's dreams for a happy reunion. I think the deaths now are being shown when they have a major impact on the audience, or when there are main characters that are invested in that character's life. Why waste money on a character whose death really won't matter in the story at all unless it's some new type of violence we haven't seen.

I don't know, that's just my take on it. Seeing Stannis' headless corpse wouldn't have really done much. It was verbally confirmed he was dead, and that was enough for me. The Black Fish's death was a bit suspicious, and I honestly have a hard time believing that he's really gone from the show permanently.

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

Stannis was a rather big character, with a ton of fans outraged by his death (hell the video I confirmed the scene with had 40% Dislikes for no reason other than annoyance with the death).
You'd think he'd have fan investment enough to actually show the death... And budget doesn't seem much an excuse there considering they CGI three Dragons and an entire fleet.

 

[ᴛᴏᴄᴋᴀ]

Stannis was a rather big character, with a ton of fans outraged by his death (hell the video I confirmed the scene with had 40% Dislikes for no reason other than annoyance with the death).
You'd think he'd have fan investment enough to actually show the death... And budget doesn't seem much an excuse there considering they CGI three Dragons and an entire fleet.

Yeah, but the actor didn't have any scenes in the season, so there really wasn't much point bringing him back just to be a body. They'd have to pay his salary for that episode, and really what would he have been doing?

 

[Jorick]

Stannis was a rather big character, with a ton of fans outraged by his death (hell the video I confirmed the scene with had 40% Dislikes for no reason other than annoyance with the death).
You'd think he'd have fan investment enough to actually show the death... And budget doesn't seem much an excuse there considering they CGI three Dragons and an entire fleet.

Their budget is far from unlimited. When you have some major story points you know you want to hit that will cost a lot you start cutting costs on the small side. They gave Stannis and Brynden both good final sendoff scenes without ever needing to show a death, saving quite likely thousands of dollars on labor, practical effects props, and CGI. The budget is a perfectly fine excuse because the budget really should go to hype shit that plays an important role in the plot rather than a little bit more gore.

 

[The Dovah]

To be fair, the actor that played the Blackfish is in his 70s and may have requested not to have a physical strenous death scene. However, Stannis was a major character and killing him off the way they did was just disrespectful. Having Brienne do it was unneccessary and well, in the books, she never even gets to Stannis. Mainly due to Lady Stoneheart but still.

They didn't even need a body. Just should have shown the kill as the final part of that scene. I mean, it's not like the show is afraid of showing deaths of characters and i doubt anyone would be bothered by a repeat beheading. Confirming it outside the show was a bad move and Ramsey is an unreliable source. Brienne may have confirmed it but Stannis's words, Do your duty can be taken any way. That said, if an actor appears on the Round Table discussion on the DVDs/Blu Ray, it is hard proof that they are killed off.

And well, Sandor Clegane's death is rather ambigous in the books. All we have is the word of a priest. Would not be surprised if he returns in Winds of Winter as himself. The Hound is dead and GRRM can be a troll at times but he doesn't usually toy around with character deaths. He did say that the Hound is dead but Sandor? He never confirmed it.


I liked the fight with Brienne but it doesn't paint her in a good light due to her killing off two major characters being injured or affected by a prior injury. Kinda makes her victories seem cheap and well, Stannis vs Brienne would have been an interesting fight. But I can see Stannis still being alive and the writers are trying to troll us in the style of GRRM.

Do hope that if they kill off more characters, they will show their deaths. I mean, we can't have another Stannis situation. I do thing they purposely cut away from Margeary to either give us a glimpse of false hope or she really did(Barely) escape.

But yeah, Stannis the Mannis, the only somewhat decent king that doesn't want to be king but does so because he believe it's his duty getting killed off like that was crap. Hell, even Shaggydog got a better death! :(

 

[ᴛᴏᴄᴋᴀ]

I do thing they purposely cut away from Margeary to either give us a glimpse of false hope or she really did(Barely) escape.

I think it would be a real stretch to consider that likely. She wasn't too far from the High Sparrow, and we saw his death pretty clearly, and the fire spread fast. It's already on the record that Natalie Dormer was trying to get out of her contract before in order to do another role, and couldn't be released.

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

I have to agree. Even considering my own rule of "If you don't see the death it's not confirmed" she was with the High Sparrow and the High Sparrow was very clearly killed by a giant explosion. Us not seeing the deaths of each and every character in that case can easily be dismissed as just being an awkwardly dragged on scene otherwise.