The Swamp

Posted: **Tue May 31, 2016 7:40 am**

So, bringing back all these characters in the same freaking episode was stupid.

My wife hasn't read the books, and it wasn't easy to explain/remind Benjen and Edmure. That was at three seasons ago and it isn't like they had huge roles.

Posted: **Tue May 31, 2016 8:03 am**

Quick thoughts:

-Last few episodes (especially #5) have been pretty good. I thought three out of the first four episodes sucked, and had been preparing for this season to be as bad or worse than the last, but things have mostly stabilized. Hope they keep it up.

-Did anyone else get a vibe that Margaery's apparent conversion was insincere? Can't tell if that was the intention or if the actress just comes across that way.

-If we take what happened with Arya at face value, doesn't that invalidate her story arc from the past season and a half? I don't know, maybe they'll do something unexpected there.

Posted: **Tue May 31, 2016 8:05 am**

Margaery definitely has something up her sleeve. No way she capitulates that easily.

The Arya stuff is just a drawn out "do the right thing" dance to me.

Posted: **Tue May 31, 2016 9:13 am**

A_B wrote:Margaery definitely has something up her sleeve. No way she capitulates that easily.

Yeah, I'd be absolutely blown away if she doesn't have a plan here and if that plan doesn't involve dead sparrows.

Posted: **Tue May 31, 2016 10:30 am**

There are probably only 13 episodes left after this season. At some point these character arcs have to overlap. I'm not shocked by the suddenness of character expedience. It's becoming more of a tv show in that sense instead of a long game book adaptation.

Posted: **Wed Jun 01, 2016 6:12 am**

After some detours, it looks like they're going to get Jamie and Brienne back to roughly where they were left in the books. And they named dropped the Brotherhood Without Banners, too. Am I dumb to still be hoping for a LSH appearance? She was a huge character in the first couple of books on her own, and why bring her back if she is never going to interact with one of the Stark kids, so it still seems like too big a plot point to just drop from the show.

Posted: **Wed Jun 01, 2016 8:17 am**

rass wrote:After some detours, it looks like they're going to get Jamie and Brienne back to roughly where they were left in the books. And they named dropped the Brotherhood Without Banners, too. Am I dumb to still be hoping for a LSH appearance? She was a huge character in the first couple of books on her own, and why bring her back if she is never going to interact with one of the Stark kids, so it still seems like too big a plot point to just drop from the show.

Going down the rabbit hole of articles and reader comments yesterday, that was the going assumption. I've never read past the first book, so all the chit chat was above my head, but I'll take the word of book readers and go from there.

Posted: **Wed Jun 01, 2016 8:58 am**

The new Maester column, as well as a couple of other articles, mention the wildfire in King's Landing...but didn't Tyrion use a shitload of it at the Battle of Blackwater?

Posted: **Wed Jun 01, 2016 10:01 am**

Yes, a ton of it, but Concepcion speculates not all of it - that there are reserves of it still hidden.

Posted: **Wed Jun 01, 2016 10:13 am**

So, another artice (i have a problem) mentions that there was a flashback to the nights king touching a craster kid. I know we saw that before approximately 19 seasons ago, but is there a chance that Gilly's kid got touched before he was saved? Maybe I am a little hazy, but just wondering if Sam might have to use that valyrian steel in a manner that would be in tune with shocking us like game of thrones has been known to do.

Posted: **Wed Jun 01, 2016 10:14 am**

I'm pretty sure that there is no question that was a different baby.

Posted: **Wed Jun 01, 2016 10:15 am**

rass wrote:I'm pretty sure that there is no question that was a different baby.

Rightrightright,That kid was all the way up Nort, I wasn't very clear. But is there a chance this kid got the White Walker Zika, too? That the scene with the kid at the altar was Chekov's fingertip (and the aside about the sword in the first place was checkov's valyrian steel)?

Posted: **Wed Jun 01, 2016 10:59 am**

I was under the impression that the change is instantaneous.

Also, the slowed down/screen shot reviews of Bran's vision on the webs are of definite interest.

Posted: **Wed Jun 01, 2016 11:51 am**

rass wrote:After some detours, it looks like they're going to get Jamie and Brienne back to roughly where they were left in the books. And they named dropped the Brotherhood Without Banners, too. Am I dumb to still be hoping for a LSH appearance? She was a huge character in the first couple of books on her own, and why bring her back if she is never going to interact with one of the Stark kids, so it still seems like too big a plot point to just drop from the show.

Jesus, until just now I had thought that Brienne and Podrick were killed by hanging. I guess not necessarily? Does this mean that Brienne took an oath to kill Jaime?

Posted: **Wed Jun 01, 2016 5:39 pm**

Isn't Lady Stonehands a resurrected Catlyn Stark? I never read the books.

Posted: **Wed Jun 01, 2016 6:58 pm**

bfj wrote:Isn't Lady Stonehands a resurrected Catlyn Stark? I never read the books.

Yes - but not resurrected like Jon Snow. More fucked up driven by vengeance doesn't really remember who she is resurrected.

Posted: **Thu Jun 02, 2016 6:19 am**

Steve of phpBB wrote:
rass wrote:After some detours, it looks like they're going to get Jamie and Brienne back to roughly where they were left in the books. And they named dropped the Brotherhood Without Banners, too. Am I dumb to still be hoping for a LSH appearance? She was a huge character in the first couple of books on her own, and why bring her back if she is never going to interact with one of the Stark kids, so it still seems like too big a plot point to just drop from the show.
Jesus, until just now I had thought that Brienne and Podrick were killed by hanging. I guess not necessarily? Does this mean that Brienne took an oath to kill Jaime?

That's the assumption, yes.

Posted: **Thu Jun 02, 2016 7:33 am**

rass wrote:
Steve of phpBB wrote:
rass wrote:After some detours, it looks like they're going to get Jamie and Brienne back to roughly where they were left in the books. And they named dropped the Brotherhood Without Banners, too. Am I dumb to still be hoping for a LSH appearance? She was a huge character in the first couple of books on her own, and why bring her back if she is never going to interact with one of the Stark kids, so it still seems like too big a plot point to just drop from the show.
Jesus, until just now I had thought that Brienne and Podrick were killed by hanging. I guess not necessarily? Does this mean that Brienne took an oath to kill Jaime?
That's the assumption, yes.

Huh. Seriously, I spent the last three years or so being bummed out that Martin killed her off. I guess I just didn't pay enough attention.

Posted: **Mon Jun 06, 2016 11:33 am**

So either Arya is going to get help from the theatre troupe, or she had them help her rig up some fake blood or something similar, eh?

Also, psyched the Hound is back.

Posted: **Mon Jun 06, 2016 1:27 pm**

Rush2112 wrote:So either Arya is going to get help from the theatre troupe, or she had them help her rig up some fake blood or something similar, eh?

Also, psyched the Hound is back.

She seemed awfully panicked when she was alone if it was faked. I also noticed that Jaqen H'gar said he didn't want her to suffer and the Waif didn't listen. I wonder if she'll get paid back. Agreed on the Hound, now they've pissed him off.

Posted: **Mon Jun 06, 2016 2:13 pm**

bfj wrote:
Rush2112 wrote:So either Arya is going to get help from the theatre troupe, or she had them help her rig up some fake blood or something similar, eh?

Also, psyched the Hound is back.
She seemed awfully panicked when she was alone if it was faked. I also noticed that Jaqen H'gar said he didn't want her to suffer and the Waif didn't listen. I wonder if she'll get paid back. Agreed on the Hound, now they've pissed him off.

Did you see the theory that Arya is the Waif in some sort of Fight Club idea?

I'm guessing that she gets patched up and travels with the theatre troupe

[+] spolier: I saw the Sansa actress with nice cans is on future episodes

, my wife likes the "acting" and says she should seem panicked as it puts the Waif off her trail.

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 12:13 am**

Bronn, The Queen of Thorns, The Hound, and Al Swearingen. Loved that episode.

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 12:34 am**

"I'm gunna fuck the tits off that one."

Such a great phrase.

What does the rose mean that Margery drew? How much ale was in that cup Theon drank? (Surely not enough to make him think he regrew a cock. Plus he chugs like a bitch.) When Wun-Wun takes a shit, how big is it?

Lady Mormont is a bad ass.

And I'm happy to see Bronn is back.

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 5:31 am**

I think it was a hint to her grandmother that she's faking this pious act. They referenced Olenna as the Queen of Thorns in that episode and roses have thorns. That's how I took it. Loras was the Flower Knight, IIRC.

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 6:38 am**

I don't think Arya was faking it, and I think it's dumb that she allowed herself to get jumped like that. WTF did Jaqen see in her anyway?

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 7:26 am**

The first comment on the episode review at io9 was this - and I cannot dismiss it with regard to Arya and what happened as a plausible theory:

It wasn’t Arya it was Jaqen wearing her face

1. Walked like Jaqen, wore hair parted down the middle, threw the coin with the right hand (Arya is left handed)

2. Was too obvious. Arya would have never asked for a cabin. The money was thrown around too casually, even if she was capable of stealing such a sum.

3. Lingering shot of statue on the bridge, maybe sorry to leave. Arya hasn’t been there that long, doesn’t have a particular fondness for the place. Could have stowed away as a cabin boy too easily

4. Jaqen’s life belongs to her. He promised her 3 lives to take for the Red God. He took 2, then she named him as her 3rd. Instead of dying he bargained and agreed to help her escape but then when he left he gave her the coin and told her to come to Braavos. And he gave her the words Valar Morghulis, all men must die. Knowing what we know about their relationship with death there would have been no bargain really. He believes in death

His life is owed to the Red God. No bargain can change his fate and he knows it. He willingly dies in Arya’s place, wearing her face, to fulfill the contract on his own life. He also was testing the Waif who did not fulfill the contract correctly by doing a belly wound instead of killing quickly. Waif is going to go out before he is gone officially. Scenes from next week show Waif running/ chasing possible real Arya.

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 7:31 am**

hmmmmmm

I'll be more than happy to walk back my criticism of Arya (or the show's handling of her) if there is something more complicated going on.

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 7:39 am**

So...Jon and Sansa are like the 76ers of Game of Thrones maneuvering, no?

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 7:47 am**

Bad decisions and political miscalculations appear to be a Stark family trait at this point...

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 7:48 am**

So, is there really a downside to Sansa apparently calling on LF at this point? I doubt he is going to side with the Boltons anyway, but even if he was he wouldn't need to pretend to side with the Starks first to do so. Whatever he has planned, he is going to do anyway.

If she's making a mistake here, it's probably not tell Jon and Davos, right?

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 8:41 am**

rass wrote:So, is there really a downside to Sansa apparently calling on LF at this point? I doubt he is going to side with the Boltons anyway, but even if he was he wouldn't need to pretend to side with the Starks first to do so. Whatever he has planned, he is going to do anyway.

If she's making a mistake here, it's probably not tell Jon and Davos, right?

Yes to the latter, and, yes that the only downside is not knowing what price Littlefinger's help at this point...although that may be a significant downside...

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 9:00 am**

What does the rose mean that Margery drew?

I think it's the symbol for House Tyrell. Basically telling Olenna that she's still who she is, which we all suspected anyway. This will ensure that Olenna will leave before the Sparrows throw her in a dungeon.

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 9:34 am**

As an aside, I have a bad feeling for Lady Mormont.

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 9:44 am**

Inappropriate or foreboding?

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 9:46 am**

rass wrote:Inappropriate or foreboding?

Dood!

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 10:06 am**

A friend of mine raised a point in response to that being Jaqen and not Arya: doesn't she have to be dead for him to wear her face?

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 10:10 am**

Johnnie wrote:A friend of mine raised a point in response to that being Jaqen and not Arya: doesn't she have to be dead for him to wear her face?

If you recall, there was a scene where she took a lot of faces off of him just before he turned her blind, I believe. Hers was one of the faces. He might be the Gandalf of the faceless men, able to do things others can't.

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 10:13 am**

A_B wrote:
Johnnie wrote:A friend of mine raised a point in response to that being Jaqen and not Arya: doesn't she have to be dead for him to wear her face?
If you recall, there was a scene where she took a lot of faces off of him just before he turned her blind, I believe. Hers was one of the faces. He might be the Gandalf of the faceless men, able to do things others can't.

I do remember that. It was such an odd scene. We'll certainly see here soon enough. I tend to like that fan theory vice the Fight Club one.

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 10:14 am**

A_B wrote:He might be the Gandalf of the faceless men, able to do things others can't.

I hope we at some point get a scene of him getting high and blowing smoke rings with Tyrion.

Posted: **Tue Jun 07, 2016 10:37 am**

It makes no sense at all that Jaqen would wear Arya's face and then try to book passage on a boat to Westeros. That was surely her. Doesn't mean it was her on the bridge though. But can the faceless men change shape as well? He's a lot bigger than Arya. I agree that somehow she's going to defeat the Waif and probably get back in Jaqen's good graces, but I don't think it's because the Waif killed Jaqen. That wouldn't really make any sense.

BTW, why did did the Brotherhood slaughter all of Al Swearengen's people? That wasn't really their thing. I thought they only attacked Lannisters and Lannister supporters. There was nothing to be gained by killing a bunch of hippies.

The Swamp

Game of Thrones Season 6: The Quickening (chatter/guesses/spoilers)

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