Samwell Tarly: Sam I Am

[gingerella]

Since Sam clearly came into his own and had the Nights Watch version of a Bar Mitzvah last night, He Is Now A Man, and thus, requires His Own Thread in whence we can pontificate about his importance - or not - to the long game of A Show. Though, having said that, the last time I started a thread it was for my boyfriend, Oberyn, so, yanno, that didn't work out so well for a thread...

 

Discuss...

[abelard]

Okay well I would love it if people could explain how Sam "came into his own" in this ep.  I guess I thought Sam had come into his own a while back!  He killed a WW, for fu**'s sake!!!  He rescued Gilly and though it was a bad move to put her in that whorehouse, he did what he could to keep her safe.  He'd gained acceptance from the NW and seems to be a solid steward to Maester Aemon.  I don't know, I guess nothing Sam did in the battle per se surprised me.  

 

So: what did Sam do?

-had a convo with Jon, then Maester Aemon.

-told Pyp to open the gates for Gilly + baby, stowed Gilly + baby away in the cellar, refused to hide with them down there, insisted on joining the battle, kissed Gilly. 

-helped Pyp, by being his crossbow loader and also giving him pep talks when necessary

-released Ghost at Jon's behest, so Ghost could do some necessary killing of attackers

-killed one attacker with the crossbow, right?  was it an important one? 

-checked on Gilly after the thick of the battle, spotted Janos Slynt cowering, maybe?

-morning after the battle, helped Jon embark on what sounds like a truly terrible idea but may save everyone.

-on Jon's orders, will be the one burning the bodies of the men who held the gate, including poor brave Grenn.

 

Is that it?  If someone can point out what, in the list, made this such a special Sam ep, or marked tremendous growth for the character, I would appreciate it.  And I like Sam and I did think he did well all night, he ran around and did whatever he had to do.  But I guess i just don't see it as sooooooo different/new/unexpected than anything I've seen Sam do before.

[Anothermi]

Loving his thread title.  I'll bet, given how badly off the Night's Watch is, that he's had his fair share of green eggs (but no ham).

 

- When Sam joined the Night's Watch his strategy was to let people knock him down and then he just wouldn't get up. He couldn't/wouldn't fight. - This time, even though he is no longer "no body", he was able to load a cross bow and shoot the Thenn (I think it was the boss guy who got all the talking parts) even though the guy was barely 3 feet away from him. 

- When they went searching for Benjen Stark and found White Walkers instead, Sam's only job was to send out the ravengrams.  Didn't do it - scared stiff. 

- Was barely able to talk to Gilly initially, and now he's kissed her and acknowledged that he cares about her - instead of contantly denying it incase she rejects him. 

- Gave an ORDER to Pyp which countermanded the orders from the acting Commander - and swore when he did it, rather than apologize for both swearing and being assertive.

 

That's enough for me.  

 

edited because Sam did all these things, not Jon - D'oh!

Edited June 9, 2014 by Anothermi

[Pallas]

And did all these things from what came across as conviction, from his core.  Underscored by his Hero's Declaration, in which he explained to The Woman that he (would not love her half so much, loved he not honor more) must leave her as safe as he could make her, to go offer his assistance and perhaps his life to his comrades. "That's what men do."  After -- as is also the convention -- he allowed himself and her to know he loved her, told her that (if he survived the night) he would not leave again, and kissed her soundly.  Leaving her with only breath enough to tell him, "Please don't die/Come back to me."   And after that, as Sam pointed out, he could be afraid because he was no longer nothing.  Sam he be.

 

Both actors did a really sweet job of not playing the MGM soundtrack beneath the scene; they kept it fresh and simple.  But the sentiments were as familiarly bracing as the national anthem.  

[WhiteStumbler]

The Thenn that came for Sam - there was an almost crystal clear moment of him saying to himself 'look at THAT fat Crow!' before he took off across the courtyard (and got an arrow in the face for his troubles).

 

I think Sam made HUGE strides this episode, as a character (to me), to himself, and to Gilly.

 

I will try not to like him too much, for fear he will be ripped into pieces by a giant next week.

[Anothermi]

The Thenn that came for Sam - there was an almost crystal clear moment of him saying to himself 'look at THAT fat Crow!' before he took off across the courtyard (and got an arrow in the face for his troubles).

 

I think Sam made HUGE strides this episode, as a character (to me), to himself, and to Gilly.

 

I will try not to like him too much, for fear he will be ripped into pieces by a giant next week.

Or squished by a wooly mammoth with a slightly charred butt!

And yeah. I heard that Thenn think the same thing. I wouldn't be surprised if closed captioning didn't have that captured as a thought bubble!

[abelard]

Okay I understand what Anothermi and the rest of you are saying: Sam used to be a coward, weak in will and weak in body, and just kind of an insecure nervous wreck.  I guess for me, Sam has been growing and growing since Craster's, so this episode seemed like just one more step in his development rather than a Whole New Sam.  But in contrating Battle!Sam to first-time-we-met-him Sam, yeah, huge huge difference, for sure.