/
Bran and Meera meet a helping hand. Sam and Gilly share an unhappy meal. Arya chooses to be someone. Walder Frey loses control. Tommen and Margaery unite crown and faith. The High Sparrow wins. Jaime heads to The Riverlands. Cersei plots and prepares for trial. Daenerys and Drogon rally the troops.
| Roberto | |
| Abe |
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
PocketCasts
Spotify
Stitcher
RSS
Nice Guys!
I have visions of Thoros of Myr singing: ‘Oh Safety Dance… Ow!!…Oh Safety Dance!’ 🙂
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
‘Geeking out’ on Benjen: My theory:
White Walker fatal blade wound + alive human + Children’s *special* magic spell of creation made specifically for the protection of the three eyed raven+ dragon glass heart piercing = Hybrid: White Walker/Wight (Cold Hands) Protector of the Three Eyed Raven
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Abe are you a Zappa Fan? (Flaming incense stencher)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I love the Theory section guys! I really appreciate all of your efforts and know this takes loads of time to prepare, edit and perform however, if you could do more of that (as an appetizer for the monthly pods coming) that would be great. I eat this stuff up.
Once again you have blown my head off Roberto with the theories about who will be the adversary to the Mountain in the Trial by Combat. Tommen and Ser Loras definitely would engage the politics behind the Lannisters and Tyrells.
I believe Jaime will be away when her trial goes down but could you imagine if it was Jaime? The would break Cersei big time. Would she quickly opt for a normal trial instead? 🙂
I could just hear her shouting ‘No, No I want a jury instead of a Trial by Combat I have changed my mind!’ 🙂
Does the proxy have to be a volunteer or since it’s God/King does the Sparrow or Tommen mandate a choice on their behalf?
Other pods are saying it’s the Hound and he still alive (dubbing it: Cleghane Bowl).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do either of you think Brienne will tell Jaime she found Sansa? If she does, then he will want to know why they are at Riverrun and may put together that they are there for reinforcements for Sansa’s Army from Blackfish. Then the question becomes if Jaime’s intention is to raise an army against the forces at King’s Landing (to defeat the Faith Militant). Then we may see the Lannister’s siding with Starks perhaps even against the Freys as well as the Boltons.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks for the blow by blow link on the visions. That was hard to discern. Yes, my bad on the visions of the Giant White Walker with a trident. As you indicated it’s the White Walker Jon killed at Hardhome. The forced perspective threw me off.
Did you notice some of the visions are from a Stark’s perspective?
Ned seeing Jaime on the throne; Jon looking up at the White Walker about to attack him at Hardhome,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Where do you guys’ think Sam will go now? He told his father he was going to the Citadel to study to be a Maester and he can’t go there with Gilly and Little Sam (especially with Heartsbane). Randall will go looking for him there. With the way he cowers to his father I think he will seek out Jon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I wanted Sam to stand up to his Father too Abe. I think the relationship with father has caused him to have a lifelong inferiority complex (his behavior at the table; not making a move on Gilly after dinner). Instead of asserting himself as things happen he tends to be passive aggressive (taking Heartsbane).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I agree with you Abe about the Faceless Men with the Jaquen sanctioning the Waif’s request for killing Arya. That was weird that line. ’ You promised me.’ The only thing I could think of is Jaquen owed the Waif a favor like he owed Arya three favors in the past. It’s almost like the Waif has a vendetta against Arya. I agree Abe that’s not supposed to be allowed with the Faceless Men. Maybe the Waif is being tested to?
Great podcast. So many interesting thoughts and ideas.
A thought came to me while I was listening – if Sam and Gilly continue onto Old Town may they come across Jorah? Maester HQ sounds like a good place to go for a cure. And who else has lots of dragony information?
Okay but not terrific
I think this episode furthers some story lines but ultimately just filler. Do you think that there is some form of an arrangement between Martin and the show runners limiting the actual spoilers from the books? This whole season has just rehashed previous plots from the books or, like the resurrection of Jon Snow, provided spoilers that were not really spoilers.
Feedback for the actual show….
I cannot believe that Arya Stark, who was preparing to defend herself in one episode, then in the next is simply wondering around, unarmed and distracted. At first I thought it was a dream sequence, that Arya would wake up startled with the Waif about to stab her or something, grab needle and put an end to it. Instead it is like she missed the whole mission of the Faceless Men, you know the whole assassin’s guild who wear other peoples faces. I mean if an old lady wearing a black and white outfit who has the same size and build of the Waif walked up to me I might be on guard.
As a former combat medic there is no way she would survive getting stabbed like that. Go visit a port near you and look at the water. She would probably die of infection today after she fell into the canal. Back in medieval times people dumped everything in the water, from dead bodies to human waste. All of those billions of bacteria would love to make a home in her massive slash wound and three or four puncture wounds. She took a whole six inch blade in the abdomen, buried to the hilt, shook it off like a bee sting and is now just walking around town. No tears, no crying out for help, nothing. “Yep I got shanked but so what it was only a bee sting.” I imagine she will wonder into the mummers show and Lady Crane will nurse her back to health. I still hope she wakes up and it was a bad dream.
All of the time – distance problems were even more atrocious in the North this episode. While Bear Island and Deepwood Motte are near each other they are far away from Castle Black and are not on the way to the camp site that Stannis used, who I assumed marched due south from the Wall. I enjoyed the scenes but they didn’t really further the story. A few minute exposition of the difficulty finding support was all that would be necessary. What about the hill tribes? The Manderly’s? I know that they would have to travel up but if you had limited resources wouldn’t you visit them instead of Bear Island? They, Sansa and Jon should know the relative strength of each of the Northern Houses. The Manderly’s are the richest people in the North, they could buy them a sell sword company, which now that I think of it what happened to the sell swords who abandoned Stannis? There should be a whole band of outlaws just raising hell in the North as they tried to find a way home.
I am no real strategist but if I was planning this battle I would have the Wildlings attack, raid really, the Karstarks, the Umbers, and especially the Dreadfort, drawing troops from Winterfell to defend their homes. Then ambush these forces and destroy them in detail. The Wildlings are not a disciplined army, they are raiders. They will never be able to stand up against a cavalry charge or break a shield wall.
It is like the Freys. If the Blackfish is such an experienced commander then every night he would order a few of his guys to sneak out of Riverrun, slit a few throats, let some horses go, steel a pig, something, anything to keep the Freys on their toes. The Freys are obviously not prepared for that. The Blackfish “and twenty good men” could probably walk into the Frey camp, kill Black Walder and the other one, rescue Edmure and be home in time for breakfast. If Ramsey could pull it off so could the Blackfish.
I did like the verbal jousting between Jamie and the Blackfish. I just wish that Jamie had mentioned to Bronn that the Blackfish was a hero of his youth or something like that. That would have provided a bigger emotional reaction to the Blackfish’s comments. How would you feel if your childhood hero called you a loser without honor.
I know I am reading way to much into this. It is just a TV show based on a fantasy series. But if you are going to depict battles with irregular forces then they should be used appropriately. Also if you are going to gut stab a teenaged girl, dump her in a shit ladened canal, she will die of infection, even if there is a gastrointestinal surgeon hanging out nearby. Maybe Qyburn can save her but that is it.
I love your podcast. I don’t know what I am going to do for the next 40 weeks until next season.
I meant wandering not wondering.