WhiteStumbler

Tywin: "Explain to me why it is more noble to kill 10,000 men in battle than a dozen at dinner." This has been running thru my mind since my rewatch of the last few episodes of S3 Sunday. I actually watched Ep9 and 10 back-to-back, then rolled right into S4 premier, so it was a pretty GoT immersive day at the Stumbler household. The only in-world explaination of why one is OK and the other an affront to humanity is religion. The Rat Cook story that Bran tells in Ep10 - "It wasn't for the murder that the Gods cursed the Rat Cook, or for serving the King's son in a pie. He killed a guest beneath his roof. That's something the Gods can't forgive." Walder Frey is going down! Pleasepleaseplease!!! Unless the Lord of Light thing sweeps across Westeros? Maybe the LoL doesn't give a rat (cook)'s ass about hospitality? While looking (veeeery carefully) for the exact quote on IMDB, I also found this (from the geography lesson that Maester Luwin <sob!> was giving Bran back in the first season): Bran: "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken". Maester Luwin: [sighs] That's House Martell. So now we know the Martel words. And I thought they were "We Always Screw". ETA: Thanks, 90Percent. It sounded weird, but I will accept it.

I stumbled (HA!) across Dance in an episode of a show called Foyle's War, about a detective in England at the outbreak of WWII. Dance played a Nazi sympathizer (naturally), but I found myself thinking that the character was a lot more powerful / manipulative / cunning than the actual show indicated, because it was Tywin Lannister! I also ran into David Bradley (Walder Frey) in a wonderful British series called Broadchurch. He played a character accused of killing a young boy (about all I can say w/o spoilers for another show), but I found myself immediately thinking he was guilty because, duh, Walder Frey! And he wasn't even a wedding caterer or anything. stillshimpy: How is A Show screwing with the timeline? Jaime was appointed Kingsguard by the Mad King as a teenager, but IDK if A Show said for how long he had served TMK before killing him. If he was appointed at 16 and served 5 years before the start of Robert's Rebellion, then he would be close to 40 as S4 starts. Really, I am confused as to what Cersei is trying to do, but I think the spec that the other half of Ice is bound for "King" Joffrey is probably true, and the thought makes me ill. Is a female illegitimate child still called a bastard? I found the word jarring.

Pallas: Cersei always wanted to be a man in this world, but I don't think she is going to Maester Creepy (can't remember name - Clyburn?) for that. Induced menopause seems a good fit. As for "King" Joffrey's demise, I am not holding my breath. It has been two seasons of playing 50 Ways to Kill a Weasel, with nothing so far. I know it is inevitable, but we may have him around for a while. He is useful to the plot, but he is also a fascinating character being brought to TV thru a brilliant performance. I will miss him when he is gone. I still want him done in by his uncledaddy (thanks, gingerella!), but that might be too ironic for them both. If Joffrey starts saying "kill them all", though, all bets are off.

stillshimpy: Trial by Jackass is brilliant. Shae (Last 3 Episodes): I am not GETTING what I WANT so now I START YELLING LOUDER!!!! Shae knows Tyrion and Sansa are a political marriage, she knows Sansa doesn't love Tyrion, she knows their marriage hasn't been consumated, yet she continues to act like a petulant child and endanger the (half) man she loves and herself. Wow. Never one of my fav characters, but one more outburst and she is going on my List. Like Arya's, but less ::stabbey-stabbey::

stillshimpy: But I can totally see Tywin selling it as: 'We Lannisters are so unafraid of offending you that we will send The Imp to stand at the airport with the "Martel Party" sign; raise a stink and we will raze your castle, hang your men, spit roast your women and children, and salt the earth so that nothing will ever grow there again.' Goes a long way to explain why, for every enemy defeated, the Lannisters create two more.

janjan: The version of 7 Samurai I saw was over three hours. 8 hours?!? My mind reels. Constantinople: Not a picture, but another piece from Westeros Castle Beautiful magazine I noticed on rewatch were the dragon panels around the ceiling of the map room in Dragonstone. Most bad-ass crown molding ever. 90Percent: "I think the only person in Westeros patient enough to sit for a portrait is Sansa." The resulting portrait would have the power to cause grown men to begin weeping, even Tywin. It would be so powerful that an army could follow it into battle, and any foe who beheld Girl Praying at Weirwood Stump would have their vision totally obscured by tears.

Two Swords: Ice being reforged into two blades for the Lannisters. Two Swords: Ice and Needle. Two Swords: Arya and The Hound. I can't believe that the dude who killed Lomy was still alive! I could have sworn he was dead at Harrenhall for some reason. I remember thinking at the end of S.2 'well, Arya will never have Needle again. That sucks.' But no! A Show gives some fanservice. Has anyone else seen any of the films of Akira Kurosawa? I felt like Arya and The Hound were riding into such a completely different world than the rest of the cast that they might as well be in a different movie altogether. Some sort of cross between The Road and Seven (!) Samurai. SO glad that there is a new Major House with a completely different reason to HATEHATEHATE the Lannisters (and a completely different view of the history of the events that lead up to Robert's Rebellion). I hope that Inigo Martell talks to Sansa at some point. I would love to see what his attitude is towards the Starks in general and Lyanna in particular. Does he also believe that Lyanna was "taken" by Rhaegar? Speaking of the Martell clan, they seem super annoyed by Rains of Castamere, which is going to be a problem since a) they are in KL, b) KL is ruled by a grandson of Tywin Lannister, and c) there seem to be exactly two popular songs in Westeros - RoC and The Bear and the Maiden Fair. [Digression: One of them is probably permanently banned from wedding DJ playlists, so the rotation at most events will get pretty boring.] Does Arya have any idea what a BAD IDEA it is for her to go to The Eyrie? I didn't think so. There is no way for her to know that her Aunt is cuckoo and Littlefinger is (or soon will be) running the asylum. Glad we got a check-in with Redbeard and Mrs. Ygritte Snuh. Has her prowess with a bow been A Thing in previous episodes? Not digging Cannibal Corp. Ick. "Oh, THAT Asshat" moment: Slynt AND Thorne at the same table at Castle Black?!? The only way I would be more surprised would be if Nymeria was at their feet, calmly cleaning her paw. Also, does Ned's execution of Sole Survivor in S.1 make Lord Eddard seem like kind of a dick in light of what Jon Snuh was just on trial for? He gets a complete pass (not even a demotion!) for what he did because he 'told the truth', while a fear-crazed crow loses his head to Ice for running away and telling the truth! Favorite Couple: Brienne and Lady Olenna. Her "My word!" at meeting Brienne was brilliant. Need some Stannis! Take note, fellas: The way to a Dragon Queen's heart? A bouquet of local flowers - don't skimp on the poisonous ones!

Abelard: another reason for all the Robb / Talissa scenes is just so that the dagger is sharp and long when that entire storyline is severed. I am in about the same place in my rewatch and all of that breaks my heart knowing (now) what is coming. I honestly feel manipulated. I get that it ups the stakes and poignancy of R&T, but damn. Another thought I had, sort of inspired by the 'maybe everyone leaves Westeros and heads East' spec upthread was this: what if Dany decides that her real destiny is NOT is Westeros at all? Her new fav gig is "Breaker of Chains". No slaves in Westeros = Dany stays on the side of the Narrow Sea with actual slaves? Lastly, Locke and the Sweeping Savior. Both need to die. Bolton Bastard did say at one point to Theon 'you told me the Stark boys are alive; imagine the hunt THAT would be?!' He needs to die. Yara, where are you?!?

WhiteStumbler's Top Ten Guaranteed, Can't Fail, Take-It-To-The-Bank (of Braavos) Season 4 Predictions: More Stark Suffering! Maybe no more death, because, well, who is there left to die? Sansa and Bran and Arya (and Jon Snuh) are safe as houses. I hope Rickon isn't the Stark Sacrificial Lamb this season. The Starks seem to become victims only when they start playing the Game, and what game can Rickon play (besides Smash the Walnut)? Some Lannister Comeuppance! Not saying that anyone major will bite it (though pleasepleaseplease), just that even A Show can't have an entire House with Plot Armor (though Jaime having his hand chopped off counts as a setback, and they have an inflexible tyrant as the head of the house, so there is that...). Someone I root for will die! And I will rend my clothes, swear off A Show forever, and be back the following week. Someone I hate will (appear to) triumph! Probably "King" Joffrey Dahmer-Beiber. Or Balon Greyjoy. Or Walder Frey. Or Roose Bolton. Or... Stannis will reach the Wall! He may not do anything there before the end of Ep. 10, but he will at least be within sight of the damn thing. Cersei will drink wine! The Drinking Game of Thrones continues... Bigger dragons! Om nom nom nom... Jorah will remain Ser Friendzone! His love will remain unshaken, "until my last breath I will remember, long after I have forgotten my mother's face." Despite his mooning around after Dany, Jorah will "get nothing! You lose! Good day, ser!" Hodor will say "Hodor", and the internet will explode! But it will have so much empathy and insight and concern behind the delivery. Boobs! Because, HBO, duh. It is known. I guess you could put "duh" after ALL of these. Except #5. That is an actual prediction, and I am sticking to it.

Where muh dragons at?

Not the dreaded "Porridge Face", I hope! I don't recall what (or if) Show said it was.

I just realized the implications of this... Seven Hells! A royal brother and sister, one a (gay) knight of great renown, the other a ruthless political operative raising an Army of Orphans in Flea Bottom, married to another (incestuous) brother and sister, one a knight of great renown who is now sans a hand (and was accused of killing his former king), the other a manipulative drunk with an out-of-control tyrant for a son. It would make such a complex web of relations even Lady Olenna couldn't parse it all.

This reminds me of Maester Pycell for some reason, "putting on" his Old Grey Man act like a suit of clothes after his tryst with a prostitute? Not saying that Shae is actually Highborn and is playing the same deeeeep game as Pycell, just that it is possible. There is a whole alternate narrative to GoT called "Theon Should Have". Theon should have remembered what a Grade A Asshat his father was before offering to be Robb's envoy. Theon should have sent the warning to Robb that he burned instead. Theon should have sucked it up when he couldn't find Bran and Rickon the Walnut Slayer. Theon should have taken Maester Leuwin's advice and headed for the Wall when he and his crew were besieged at Winterhell (Arya: 'Winterfell' Hotpie: Are you sure? Arya: grrrrr...). So now what? I have to admit that I am now, officially close to saturation point on Theon torture. I understand a lot of Spitballers said "enough!" fairly early on, and I would begin to have the same thoughts until I would see the next episode's Opening Credits and there would be Winterfell a smoking ruin, and I would think 'Idiot Theon! Getting what you deserve!! BRING ON THE TORTURE!!!' I am finally close to being done with that, and would now, officially like SOMETHING else to happen to the Wreck Formerly Known As Theon. New topic: Great to hear SO many familiar voices chiming in! I loved the Varys analysis re: Illyrio the Wedding Planner - Varys pretending to want a return of the Targs in order to get more info on their movements and plans makes sense. Prediction: Hodor will say "Hodor", and it will be filled with meaning. And finally... LESS THAN A WEEK!!! Need to get moving on my re-watch.

I know! Like 'Come ON, dragons! Grow up already so you can start turning into the Westeros version of WMDs! Yeah!!' stillshimpy: Thanks for the drinks! Cheers! Any speculation on how Littlefinger will react to the fact that his patron House (Lannister) just had the (presumed) Love of His Life killed?

Brrrrrrrrrrrrr!!! Bring me drink! Fuck the water, bring me wine!! Oh yeaaaaah! Glad to see some friendly, familiar faces! <waves to all> <wipes pig shit from boots> And a special shoutout to stillshimpy for the 'olly olly oxen free' ping. I had to bail last season after becoming convinced that there was at least one person on the TVWoP Spitball Wall who was playing us. Their level of certitude about upcoming events, combined with a topic I believed I was spoiled about, had me convinced there was a BookWalker amongst us Unsullied. It turns out that I (and the presumed BookWalker) were wrong, wrong, wrong, and what I thought I was spoiled about turned out not to have been true. Good thing I didn't elect for a Trial by Combat... Now, back to Show! I had a Westeros Milkcarton post back at the Olde Wall where TWO of the characters showed up in S3 - Dondarrion and Barristan Selmy! And both were interesting characters (though Selmy has been Slightly Older Version of Jorah to Dany - so far). So I am convinced that there are NO minor characters in this show. So in the spirit of Who Tried to Kill Bran (2nd x) and Who Got Nedd Killed (because, duh, it was Nedd - he got himself killed) I present a partial list of who is still unaccounted for... Benjen Stark (was it stillshimpy who called him "Something Timothy Dalton?). No idea what became of him, and not a lot of people seem concerned anymore. Jaqen H'ghar. Off being Faceless somewhere? Pyp, Grenn, Edd. Jon's NW brothers. I think Pyp didn't go on the expedition North of The Wall? BTW, did we see Maester Aemon at the end of last season? I am still rewatching. Alliser Thorne. What happened to the hand of the animated corpse he was sent to deliver? I seem to remember that another character in Kings Landing may have need of a spare hand... Illyrio. He held a wedding for Dany and Khal Drogo. Last seen by Arya conspiring with Varys beneath the Red Keep. Nymerhia. Ghost has been MIA for a while as well (last seen outside Craster's Keep, right?). I rewatched the last few episodes of S2 and am up to S3E4. Running out of time, but SO amped that this is starting up again! I had forgotten how FUNNY "Blackwater" was! Despite having some of the grimmest, bloodiest action scenes so far, the dialogue is fantastic. This still kills me... Bronn: Don't get killed. Tyrion Lannister: Nor you, my friend. Bronn: Oh... are we friends now? Tyrion Lannister: Of course we are. Just because I pay you for your services doesn't diminish our friendship. Bronn: Enhances it, really. Tyrion Lannister: Oh, "enhances". Fancy word for a sellsword. Bronn: Been spending time with fancy folks.