Juliajms

GRRM joined twitter https://twitter.com/GRRMspeaking

Right. Jon lied to Mance about how many men the Night's Watch has, so he doesn't realize how few they are nor how weak they are. Jon knew Mance would be coming back with a full on assault the next night. Like any war, winning one battle doesn't mean much, especially since they nearly lost to what amounted to Mance's scouting party.

That quote has become famous over the years. I have mixed feelings. Ultimately, I think NG is right. Are fans owed a conclusion when they've paid good money over the years for each installment? Theoretically perhaps, but I don't think this sort of creative process can be rushed or forced. I would not have been angry if GRRM had never managed to finish the series. Stephen King, who may be one of the most gifted and prolific genre writers of our time took over 20 years to finish his Tower series. HBO getting involved changed the equation, I think. It added a little pressure and motivation to the pot for sure. If he doesn't finish it, I think they will finish it for him. Not the books obviously, but this alternate universe will have a resolution of some sort, imo. Also, there is a ton of money in writing an 8th book. Sure, GRRM doesn't need the money, but how many rich people decide enough is enough when they can get more.

I don't believe he'll bring this ship in under 8 books, no matter what he says. That is unless HBO pressures him to do so. Unlike some fans, I really feel bad for GRRM in a way. People get really nasty about how long it takes him to write these books, but it has to be so hard making sure that everything in the books and short stories is consistent. Obviously, he has assistants and cheat sheets for that, but when you've written something like 5,000 pages about Westeros, it has to be a nightmare.

Of course, he wants power! We just saw him set Robyn up to be his shill in a bid for the Iron Throne. My point is Sansa is his weakness. His soft spot. Possibly the only one he has. He moved heaven and earth on the show and the books to get her to The Vale. He did that because he wants her and he wants her because she looks like the only woman he's ever loved. I don't know how they could make that any clearer. This was exactly my read on it too.

No, obviously I did not mean pretend to be Cat to other people. It's pretty clear that he wants her to create the illusion that she is the Cat of his youth for him alone. This is his one weakness, imo. I don't even think this is alternate universe. I think this is exactly what he wants in the books too. It's just slightly more obvious on the show. Cat is dead, he can never get her back, all he an have now is the illusion. How ironic, considering real Cat never loved him that way in the first place. All his talk about how things would have been in a better world were self delusion. Cat never wanted him. Arya's laugh was simply a young girl confronting the Absurd (in the philosophical sense). Why wouldn't she laugh hysterically? I thought it made perfect sense. It wasn't scary and I don't think it means she psycho. Quite the opposite in fact.

That was a really good interview. I guess it's ever so slightly spoilerish, not by my standards, but perhaps by some. Not adopted, legitimized. If Roose can do it, so can any other ruler in Westeros.

Well, Oberyn wasn't the Prince of Dorne. I think it's safe to say, he's not going to be pleased by this turn of events and he has Myrcella. I think Cersei is so out of her mind with grief and revenge, she didn't fully think that through. Watching that fight seen was so frustrating. What a horrible way to die. I loved the little smiles that Jaime and Tyrion were sharing. They both looked so hopeful. I don't mind the Sansa scenes. I always thought this was where she was headed. I certainly don't think pretending to be Cat for Peyter is the end of her story, but I always thought it would be one stop along the way. Gross, but it's the only real choice she has. Has anyone seen a list of places they'll be filming in this next season? I'm just curious.

OK, now it's my turn to make a minor gripe (to those who don't like these comparisons feel free to scroll) In that story Oberyn tells how Elia cooed and fussed over Tyrion and saw nothing except a baby when she looked at him. I wish they had mentioned that it was Elia specifically who showed Tyrion affection. It would have humanized Elia a little more, instead of having her just be the woman The Mountain raped and killed. She was a good girl with a loving heart who didn't deserve what Tywin did to her. It's a small thing, but considering Elia is the whole reason Oberyn is in King's Landing about to fight the man even Bronn fears, it would have been a nice touch, imo. I guess I don't consider it that bad given that she was a young child herself. I can give her a pass for bad behavior as a child, she didn't have the reasoning ability of an adult. I'm not saying she's all bad now either, but she has a hell of a mean streak at times. I liked the scene between Bronn and Tyrion. Bronn was brutally honest, but not unkind. I believe their friendship is real, but Bronn isn't Ned or even Jaime. He's not going to die (or lose a hand) for honor or friendship. I thought is was interesting that Dany decided to show some mercy, she usually doesn't once someone has crossed her. Nope. Lysa was crazy as a bedbug. Little Finger isn't a good guy, but he was smart enough to know Lysa was going to kill Sansa eventually. He might have talked her down this time, but there would always be a next time. Plus, Robin is another Joff waiting to happen. He enjoys seeing people "fly" a little too much. Someone has to take him in hand before he's old enough to send half the Vale out the moon door because they "annoy" him.

It's really more like Lord of the Rings, imo. You could just watch and then stop if the material is offensive.

I get what you're saying Carl. I had to do a lot of fanwanking to accept that Shae screwed Sansa over, especially given some of the stuff she said to Varys about how she would kill for Sansa. One of the things I told myself is that Shae knew that Sansa had escaped and maybe even knew it was due to Little Finger. Overall, I think fans of any show who are interested enough to discuss it online are going to be much more critical than the average viewer. It's very similar to soaps, they will never please all of us all of the time. For me, Shae has been one of the more annoying aspects of the show. They wrote TV Shae as smart, world wise and loyal and then they changed it all on a dime. I don't have to like that and I don't. There are plenty of other things for me to like and watch for.

I think it was partly under duress, but she did turn to him and say "I'm a whore, remember?" so it was partially in revenge for his rejection of her. I can't believe she didn't realize he said all of that stuff so that she would leave and be safe from Tywin.

Not only did he agree right away, but he had basically been telegraphing to Jaime that he wasn't going to allow Tyrion to be executed, Jaime just wasn't hearing it. Jaime offered something he never needed to, imo, so of course, Tywin snapped it up. Tywin sure looked completely comfortable on that throne. As far as I'm concerned Yara went above and beyond just rallying her men to go after Theon. She warned him not to try to hold Winterfell and he was too foolish to listen. I felt like Bran being an able little lord was a nice testament to Ned's fathering. He did his best to teach his sons what their duties would be. Obviously in our world taking someone so young to an execution would be completely messed up, but Ned was sure to teach his children the responsibility of leading early on.

Stannis would have the right through blood, but I'm guessing Tywin would take the crown by right of conquest. Given what a sadistic little bastard Joff was, that length of time seemed entirely reasonable.

I can't remember a time she was ever wrong, when he did what she told him to do. She killed Renly for him. I think there is certainly a case to be made that she brought about the death of Robb and Joff with her curse too. He didn't take her to the blackwater, so that was his own fault. The talk she had with Shireen was also interesting. I'm not sure what Selyse wanted her to say to the little girl, but I was thankful that Melisandre wasn't really mean or even scary. Not sure what to make of her overall or the part the Red God will play in all of this.

I have to speak up for Davos here, since it was his idea. Plus I think his scenes with Shereen are cute as can be.

I wondered about that. I can see it being easily missed because I think this show is hard to follow for those who haven't read at least one book. I'm talking only about causal fans, not people who are really into the show. I wonder if Tywin has any idea at all what Little Finger is up to? Is he actually tying to take the iron throne with the help of the Iron Bank? He was the master of coin, he could have led the country into debt on purpose I suppose. I can't imagine being Lord of the vale and having Sansa for his mistress was his goal when he started out. She might have looked nothing like Cat for all he knew.

I think it might have been something else all together. I didn't think it was all that anticlimactic, but it was exposition in a sense. Not sure how else they could have done it. Little Finger set this whole [!@#$%^&*] storm in motion, but to what end?

She did, that's what being regent means, which is why Tyrion and Tywin were so appalled about the way she let him get out of control. She had a controlling father, but I don't see her life as being so bad in comparison to the rest of Westeros. Not even Ned picked his own spouse. I think it's even safe to say Tywin forced Robert to marry Cersei. Tyrion's first wife was gang raped in front of him, but he didn't have a little girl beaten until she lost an eye and then smirk about it.

I'm with you. I wonder if Cersei is going to try to marry Tommen off to one of Obyren's daughter's and was trying to trick Margaery into complacency? I have to watch the episode again, I missed some of the details and exactly what Cersei said to Tywin,

I wasn't all that impressed with it, considering that Cersei is one of the people who has hurt little girls and sat by and watched them hurt, while she did nothing. Plus, it's not like little boys are fairing any better in this world. Tywin might have sent Cersei to her marriage bed, but he also sent Jaime and Tyrion to war, prison camp and maiming. Cersei is the type of person who thinks she deserves mercy, but she doesn't give it to anyone else. That's what happens, certainly, but I do think HBO has a responsibility not to let this show turn into some sort of snuff/ rape porn. Realistically, Sansa never would have escaped Joff without getting raped. Cat, Arya, Meera, Talisa, all of them would certainly have been raped and/or killed. However, I don't need or want that level of female victimization, even if I know that's the way things would have gone down in that world. Over all I think HBO and GRRM have done a pretty good job of straddling that line. I hope it continues.

I can't blame Margaery for getting in a dig, considering the last time she called Cersei "sister" Cersei threaten to have her strangled in her sleep if she ever did it again.

She's doesn't have enough men or any allies. She would have failed just like Robb and Stannis before her.

Lena Heady was also in an episode of BallyKissangel. I guess that was nearly 20 years ago. I only recognized her because I was a fan of The Sarah Conner Chronicles.

Of course you do. What can I say, I just don't see it. I had absolutely no idea I was supposed to think Jaime was into her beyond as someone he admires. I'd certainly rather see them together than twincest though. I think she's grooming him, just not for sex. I don't think we have any reason to think Margaery is a pedophile, although using the phrase "our little secret" was cringe worthy. They could have used that scene with the genders reversed if they wanted to, but it definitely would have come across as more menacing, unless we were already sure the character was a good guy. Maybe that's fair and maybe it isn't, but it's certainly true, imo.